Next chapter is up! I'm considering putting Gaara in this. Most likely, it will be a SasuSaku with a little bit of Naruto being annoyed in the middle. But I'd really like to put the Kazekage in here. Mostly because he kind of fits with the angst-fest-theme we have going.

Gaara: Why does she want to put me in everything? She doesn't even own Naruto.

"You!" yelled the blond.

"Sasuke-kun..." whispered Sakura to herself. "...back?"

"Hey, Naruto. How's it going?" said Sasuke, clearly enjoying himself while acting like he'd never left. "I just had to try this place's ramen... You know, since apparently it's really good and all. So, you know. Oh, and Sakura. Hello."

"Sasuke- You- you-but-" spluttered Naruto. "But- but how? Why?"

"And you. The dark-haired guy over there. I don't know if we were ever properly introduced. I'm Uchiha Sasuke. You've taken my place." He said it coolly. Like it mattered to him. Actually, it almost did.

"You can call me Sai." The person called Sai smiled a very suspicious looking smile. Even to Sasuke, who rarely smiled, and usually sneered, it looked fake.

Naruto was still spouting out bits and pieces of sentences. "You- Orochimaru-"

Sasuke, once again displaying the speed he'd gained and showed off to Naruto, was at Naruto's back with his sword out. He'd moved so fast that Sakura blinked, and for a brief moment looked like she'd thought it was a hallucination. Then she turned around.

"Don't speak that name. I am not affiliated with the Sound anymore. Do you understand me?" asked Sasuke quietly.

Naruto nodded.

"I think that what he wants is to know how you ended up here," ventured Sakura. Sasuke realized those were the first coherent words she'd said to him.

Sasuke remained silent.

"If you do not want to tell, just say so. We won't pressure you." Sai smiled, with an amount of warmth that reminded Sasuke of the Snow Country.

Naruto was silent.

Sasuke released his chokehold, which to anyone but the people standing right next to him would have looked like a one-armed embrace. That is, if he hadn't had his sword at Naruto's neck. And only when he put his sword back did he realize the old man who owned the place had looked quite disturbed, as had the girl who helped him.

Well, of course. Sasuke would have been worried too, if his main source of income had its life threatened right in front of him.

"It's all right," said Naruto, presumably to reassure the people working there. "He was just joking, right, Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"So... Sasuke?" asked Sakura. "Why...?"

"I decided that Orochimaru wasn't worth my time. And I killed Itachi."

"Yes! Another one! Woohoo!" yelled Naruto.

"What?" said Sasuke instinctively, although he chided himself afterwards for not knowing. And asking. Which was just as bad.

"We've been killing Akatsuki members. Not many of them are left, either," said Sakura.

"Hn," said Sasuke. "So how many are left?"

"Six."

"And it makes our job much easier. Unfortunately, they seem to be adept at catching Jinchuuriki-" Sakura nervously glanced at Naruto while she said this, but he showed no sign of offense, so she went on, "And we're not quite sure how many they have. At least one, maybe two or three."

"Hn."

"So, Sasuke, what are you planning to do?"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. Should he tell him? Nah. "Just passing through."

He wanted to be reinstated as a Leaf nin.

But he didn't really want them to know just yet.

He wasn't sure why.

"Oh. Where are you planning to go after this?" said Sai.

"I'm going to Sunagakure." It was the first village that popped into his head.

"Oh. Any particular reason?"

"I usually visit shinobi villages."

"Hm." He could tell Sai didn't believe him.

As much fun as it had been to shock them by showing up unexpectedly, he shouldn't have done it. How was he going to get to Tsunade without them knowing?

Oh dear. In what universe does Sasuke not think things through? Why did he lie to them? What are his
plans? And should I put Gaara in this?

I'm still working on the plot for this one... Please review!