A/N: Hullo! I know, I know... almost six month delay. Really sorry, but I had writter's block and still have... hope you like at least a little this chapter, not so good for my liking, but it took me the time you've waited, if you've been waiting that is. Hopefully I will receive one comment from you to hear your opinion. I wish you're not mad at me and remember the story line so nobody gets confuse. We're on Day 3! A first part. It was way too long to keep on writing it till their bed time. :D

So, enjoy the reading!

Day 3: Predator (I)

8:50 a.m.

It was Tuesday morning. Once again morning since yesterday passed as slow as a turtle trying to cross a meter length path. Unfortunately, for Sakura this day without the jerk-bastard Sasuke was the worst she had ever been through. She had to use everything her imagination could provide for not dying of boredom, as playing in the beach till lunch time, then after the lunch she prepared with the crab they hunted—he hunted two nights ago, the pink haired girl tried to beat her record in the video games that evening till the night arrived.

Yes, her imagination wasn't in its best lately.

Sakura shifted her position to another more comfortable in the armchair—if that was possible, and opened slowly her green orbs to the sunlight that made its way through the curtains. She shifted again, this time to her left making the thin blanket fall on the carpet floor. Sakura sighed and tried to get up seeing that was of no use trying to sleep—if she really slept in that armchair. It was breaking her back.

Her gaze set on the large figure laying in the queen size bed in front of her; from the sheets and the cover for this kind of season, a mass of messy raven hair sneaked out graciously, and next to it was visible a red and blue something almost dangling from the edge of the bed—Sakura smiled slightly, that was one of the kitchen gloves she put him on yesterday.

Yesterday, she thought, was one of the estrange days she had ever have... not because of the bored-to-death situation but for what Kakashi and Kuranai-sensei told her.

Sakura started to bite her nails... again.

A habit she got rid off when she was fourteen, at the first year she was training with her shishou about medical jutsus. In that time, Tsunade-sama had been clear and serious when she found this little habit in her apprentice:

There's no way a trained ninja in the medicine area has such a hideous habit, that's like when an elite shinobi shows his emotions in front of the enemy. Biting the nails shows nervousness, weakness... and you don't want to transmit that to your patients, am I right?

She nodded then with a frown when she heard the word 'weakness', she didn't want to be call as 'the weak kunoichi that always hides behind her team-mates'.

No.

So since then, Sakura grew her nails not too long and not too short in a way to not difficult her training and at the same time keep her feminine.

But now, it wasn't about weakness, it was more of nervousness than other thing... she asked herself for the first time that day, What should I do now?

This pink haired girl noticed that her eyes were glue to the sleeping human been; he hadn't move, not even an inch, maybe because of the relax effect of the chicken soup he took yesterday when he woke up hungry in the middle of the afternoon. Sakura shook her head and directed her gaze to the carpet floor.

It was dark blue.

Sasuke...

Sakura couldn't take him out of her mind. She sighed frustrated.

This was going too far for her liking.

Yes. She admitted that she was being foolish and childish treating Sasuke like she did—And that's where she's going to apply the 'don't waste the time' advice. She understood that been like that over the years only made larger and larger the gap between them.

But he wasn't just an arrogant bastard, a traitor. He was Uchiha Sasuke, her team-mate. Her one and only love...

...when she was twelve.

Now it was different. She grew up, she wasn't weak anymore, everyone in her village respected her and knew by heart who the hell was she.

Haruno Sakura, medical ninja, loyal kunoichi to Konohagakure, to the Fire country.

That was her.

Sakura ran a delicate hand through her short pink tresses and blew some from her face, and made her way to the bathroom taking a side glance when she passed by the bed like waiting to be ambushed for the sleepy figure in there, even though that was impossible, at least not in his state.

The medic-nin looked at her reflection. She had bags under her eyes, and her skin was unusually pale in that morning. The lack of sleep affected her too much for her awareness, she didn't want to look like a ghost... too unhealthy...

Sakura tried to stretch her muscles like every morning, and winced when twisted half of her body to the right and to the left—Her vertebral column was screw up.

The pink haired cursed the armchair. In no way she was going to sleep there again!

And that thought tint her cheeks.

She didn't want to know why—

But her inner self knew it and smirked.

Having only one bed meant sharing. Sharing is caring... Her inner self chuckled, and Sakura rolled her eyes, Hey, you don't want to break your back, don't you? And you only need a comfortable place to sleep, or are you expecting to do something more? If that so, you have my permission.

Sakura didn't bother to answer those questions of her inner self; she knew that if she did, the situation will we even worse than that.

She yawned and stretched once again before taking out her clothes to take her morning hot shower. She really liked hot water in the morning no matter if she was in the middle of summer.

Cold water wasn't an option. Period.

Sakura turned on the shower till the water was not too hot, and stepped in closing the glass sliding door. Her muscles relaxed and so her sore back, sighing she started with the shampoo.

This was going to be a long day. She could feel it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thirsty.

That was the first thought of another day... if it was another day.

Sasuke sighed and rolled lazily on his right side. He opened his eyes and found that indeed was another day. He didn't know what time was it, but for the light in the room he could tell it was not that late in the morning.

He could feel his mouth pretty dry, and have a big urge to drink some water, maybe he could ask for some...

But—

Where' she? Sasuke scanned the room in that same position and didn't find some pink around... Maybe she was in the kitchen, or the living room, or somewhere else but there... after all, didn't she say so many times that she couldn't stand his presence?

He closed his eyes and opened them again with remorse.

Remorse.

Why is that for? He scold himself. It's not like he wanted to be adore by her like ten years ago...

Sasuke stretched out his arms. He twitched.

Kitchen gloves?

Oh.

Sakura would have to give him some explanations when he find her. Specially because he couldn't take them off. Damn it. Where's the chakra when one need it the most?

Bare feet touched the carpet floor and Sasuke dragged himself to the bathroom trying to order his raven tresses making them just more spikier. He tried to open the door to find it already open so he just pushed it a little.

The Uchiha looked himself at the mirror and immediately knew why Sakura laughed so hard yesterday.

Red bumps.

Everywhere.

He shrugged it off. He didn't care about looks after all. But if his rabid fangirls where there to see his handsome face transformed in something new, would have been the perfect moment to get rid of all of them with just one look.

He managed a little smirk. That would have been heaven.

In the middle of his inspection in the mirror, a door opened behind him revealing thick steam making his vision blur.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The shower was of the most relaxing things in the world for Sakura. She turned it off when she finished.

She stood there silently looking at her fingertips' wrinkles while her damp hair was dripping the excess of water in it.

What could I do now? There again she asked herself. What is she going to do when he awakes? Of course, as a doctor she would have to take care of his sickness, and everything...

But is that all?

Doctor-patient relationship?

And then what? Because he is not going to stay ill forever, or at least during the rest off the week... Maybe she could do something to make clear that she is ready to accept him...

Like her friend again.

Did he care about it?

She bit the inside of her cheek. Who knows if he care at all... But she could tell that he had changed a little... maybe, just maybe they could be friends now.

Sakura smiled.

Maybe that's possible.

She sighed and decided to open the glass door and step outside to reach a towel.

The steam was really thick... maybe the water was too hot this time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

9:17 a.m.

"...and she smiled that smile of her that's capable to send chills down his spine. Nao approached her and started to strip her delicately—"

The old jounin's eye crinkled at his silent reading—except for his giggling from time to time when the scene was interesting—laying in the sofa of the monitors' room.

"...'Nao this is not right', she said trying to take away his hands off her but her eyes betrayed her. Nao said nothing and continued—" The gray haired giggled.

This was what he called vacations. Stay in a peaceful place with beautiful sights, and nobody distracting him of his Icha Icha Paradise Golden Volume—Jiraiya's greatest work, Kakashi thought between lines hiding a knowing smile behind his mask.

He was glad.

"...'Yumi, I know you wanted this when we were at the onsen, don't tell me now that it is not right', Nao, been the compulsive guy he was, took Yumiko wrists and crushed her in the nearby wall with his own body. 'Nao, please...', She tried to not look in those piercing eyes. 'It's too late for taking back... Yumi', he whispered in her ear before playing with it—"

Oh, yes, of course he was.

The best of all was that Sakura was locked in some house with her childhood love—not that he didn't appreciate his student, its that she always tried to burn his nice book when had the chance. Now that she was gone for a little time, he was enjoying this mission.

Sasuke? Well, Sasuke was Sasuke after all, as long as Kakashi never tried to teach him some tricks to get a girl, his book was more than safe.

The copy ninja sighed and closed his book, not forgetting to leave the bookmark, with a picture of Jiraiya—the author—in it, where he stopped his pleasant and blowing-mind reading.

He decided it was time to make the next pair to take their turn to watch the monitors. With a swift move, he sat up and went out, putting the little book in one of his pockets.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"...and that's what I call youth's spirit!! Nice try Lee!"

"Thanks Gai-sensei! It's all thanks to your youthful training!"

"Oh, Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!

And so they continued with their youthful interchange of hugs and words while everyone was busying themselves—and their ears— from such a pitiful scene.

Hinata and Ino were in the kitchen washing the plates they used for breakfast, when Naruto came from behind the shy girl and embraced her making Hinata scream.

"Naruto! Watch what you're doing! Don't you see we're dealing with some china here! For Kami-sama..." Ino swept some sweat from her brow with a hand full of foam.

"Sorry Ino, I didn't mean to... I only wanted to spend some time with my Hinata-chan!" Naruto beamed, and Hinata blushed trying desperately to not let slip from her grasp the cup she was holding.

The blond girl laid a clean piece of china over some more, "You always spend time with her!", Ino pointed accusingly with her index at the Kyuubi vessel, "Just—"

"Troublesome woman, don't tell me you're jealous... Che."

Leaning on a side of the fridge, the tactician was looking through the open window how the clouds moved at a slow pace in the firmament. He then glanced at a huffing Ino with rather interest.

"Shikamaru stop talking nonsense and bring your lazy ass to help some in here!"

He raised a brow, and returned his attention to the clouds.

"Are you ignoring me Nara Shikamaru?!"

"No, Ino. I'm not..." Boring eyes never left the sky. It was an amazing view.

"I-Ino... don't w-worry, its almost done" The Hyuuga heiress tried to calm down the blond.

Naruto looked that Ino started to rant at Shikamaru, and then he whispered to a worry Hinata, "Ne Hinata, let leave this two alone...", he side-glanced again, "...something is telling me that it's dangeorus in here"

"W-wha—" And with that, the ramen obsessed left the kitchen with a dumbfounded Hinata. Jeez, now they would need new china for lunch! Well, they always can order ramen. Naruto amused with the idea ran to the phone. What was the phone number? Ah, yeah!

Shikamaru was amazed with that shape of the big cloud that was hanging in the sky, it seemed to be like a big Shogi piece... He'd never saw one with that kind of shape. Was it his imagination? Hey, but that other one looked like—

"...Nara Shikamaru!! Are you listening?!"

"Ino you're making my ears bleed, stop with the yelling already... Che, I don't need my mother's replica here, you know... what a drag..."

A drag!! I'll show you what a drag is

"Ino? What the hell are you doing—No! Ino get me down!—What!—What are you doing woman!—NO! INO DON'T DO THAAAAAAAAAT!"

And so, Nara Shikamaru flew to his lovely sky... literally.

Ino shook some invisible dust from her perfect manicured hands, and look through the window in the direction Shikamaru flew off. She smiled.

"I'm so glad I learned that move from forehead-girl. It was indeed useful" The Yamanaka girl sighed and returned to the sink where a pile of plates and cups where waiting for her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Breath in.

Breath out.

Breath in.

Breath out.

Hyuuga Neji was meditating in a relax pose on the carpet floor of the living room. The quietness was wonderful; everyone were busy somewhere leaving him totally alone with his business. No one was there to disturb him, nor even the knifes of a certain mistress.

That was what he called vacations.

With a blank expression but at the same time rested, he breathed in and out rhythmically, leaving the tension of past missions and temperamental Hokages behind...

Breath in.

Breath out.

Breath in.

"Oh?" Kakashi stepped on the last flight of the stairs and looked around wondering why everybody make plans without him because the living room was empty except for...

"Neji! They left you all alone?"

Breath out.

Twitch

Breath in.

Breath ou—

"Neji?" Kakashi waved his hand in front of the Byakugan user with no use. Great, not only they made plans for their own, now he was ignored!

The young shinobi heaved a sigh and opened his pearl-white eyes, glancing—if not glaring, at the one who ruined his oh so relaxing meditation.

"Yes?"

"Well, it's your turn to watch over the monitors" The copy ninja scratched the back of his head. Mental note: Do not disturb Hyuuga Neji when meditating. Scratch that. Just don't stay in his way... Aaah... youngsters these days...

"Ah, I almost forgot... your partner will be Tenten" Kakashi said before disappearing from his sight.

Neji sighed. Hours of meditation for nothing.

Now, where's she?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

9:20.m.

The reflexion in the mirror was blurred by the steam, meaning someone had used hot water. Sasuke mentally made a display of obscenities. He must have known better that she would be there!

Sasuke didn't move from his place in front of the mirror, he only watched how a blurry shadow started to move towards something... towards him? Obsidian eyes sense her approached him. Then his eyes set on the towel at his left. Shit.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sakura couldn't see a thing in that room. She started to search for her towel, somehow the pink haired remember that moments ago she saw it next to the mirror. Now, where was it? Strange enough, she felt a little nervous, like been watched or something. She shrugged it off. If that was true she would have sensed chakra near her but Sakura only felt the faint one of Sasuke who was still sleeping.

Trying to clear her view, the medic-nin could distinguish some green at her left. Lucky! I was freezing already.

Sakura tried to reach out the towel but slipped because of the soaking floor. In an intent to get some balance she grabbed something else, bringing it with her.

Thud.

"...Sasuke?"

Sasuke averted his gaze to amazing green orbs.

"Unless you want to live to restore your clan you'd better get off of me now" Sakura said murderously.

Sasuke snorted. "Like I would let you lay a finger on me"

Sakura's rage was almost at its limit. How this stupid bastard dared to say that!

Narrowed green eyes shot daggers at the Uchiha, "Wrong move Sasuke-kun, unfortunately, you're still sick", she said sweetly.

"Hn" Sasuke stood up slowly from that compromising position as his strength could let him, and turned his back to her. Been in the bathroom with Sakura naked under him wasn't something he needed now, but a cold shower sure was.

And quickly.

"Have you finished? I need the shower"

Sakura finished to wrap herself in the towel and walked past him as if nothing had happened.

"Sakura" The said girl turned around and looked at him, waiting him to go on.

"Take them off"

The pink haired looked at his hands and notice that little detail. She sighed and reached for his hands in those gloves and with a little smile tugging at her face, she cut the chakra threads and freed his hands.

"Happy?" Sakura turned on her heels and vanished from his sight, leaving only the sound of the door shutting up.

The Sharingan user looked at his hands and ran both of them in his unruly hair with what seemed to be a sigh. He dragged himself to the shower, got strip in seconds and got in.

He smirked at the past scene.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

11:15 a.m.

Neji and Tenten were at the monitors' room already, checking out the panel and the current movements of their fellow ninja. Tenten was reluctant to direct any word to the Hyuuga that was out of the mission, making things more difficult for the chocolate haired.

It would've been easy if he only had to ambushed some enemy and make them surrender. But no. We are talking about a girl who happens to be mad at him and on top of all, was Tenten.

As if he wasn't antisocial enough!

Neji cleared his throat and made his way to the weapon mistress.

"Something is wrong Neji?" Tenten's blunt question sounded, never taking off her sight from the monitors where Sasuke and Sakura were displayed.

"Let's talk Tenten. I just—"

"There's nothing to talk about, unless it's about these two" The girl tilted her head to one of the monitors.

Neji frowned and with a tough movement grasped her wrists. For a moment both of them looked each other without a blink; the impassive gaze of Tenten pierced in Neji's narrowed eyes.

A couple of minutes passed in that position and no one moved from their place; a glaring contest was already set and neither of them wanted to be the one to back off from the stare of the other.

"Tenten—"

"Wha—"

The next thing they knew was that their lips were pressed against each other. Neji's lips were looking for a response in hers...

...and found it.

He smirked in the kiss and took her waist possessively at the time his team-mate put her thin arms around his neck.

The hell of morning knives were over officially.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

4:12 p.m.

Well formed legs crossed one over the other, and the owner sipped her tea slowly, never taking her eyes off of the figure lying in the sofa looking intently at her.

Sasuke was strange since breakfast.

Sakura put her cup of tea over the tea table in front of her wearing a poker face. Sasuke, who was lazily playing with some shuriken looked at her, up and down. His eyes once emotionless, now were different and Sakura wonder what was going on for she couldn't understand a behavior so foreign coming from him.

The pink haired shifted in the couch and took the magazine she was reading before and opened it right in middle, where an article about new ways of surgery called her attention.

For a moment, she chose to push aside those thoughts and with a sigh continued reading.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He never noticed how well her legs look.

Sasuke shook his head and felt lightheaded... maybe the medicine had something to do with it or maybe just the sickness, whatever it was he felt a little dizzy and not like himself.

He managed a smirk while playing with a shuriken. He wasn't sure why, but today Sakura was different... Her eyes were brighter, amazing green; her hair looked silkier and suddenly Sasuke felt the urge to touch it---

But wait; why was he, from all the people thinking?

He blinked trying to compose himself... seemed kind of impossible; something inside him stirred and his penetrating gaze lingered again in the curvy form of the medic-nin.

She was a woman; he a man.

Sasuke reached for his forehead and swept some sweat from it.

What's going on...? His breathe quicken, his heart started to pound very hard.

He looked at her again, this time with a little devious smile he never knew he had.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Too distracted for her liking, she cursed mentally for she didn't see it coming.

Sasuke was in front of her, mere inches away, the shuriken long forgotten on the floor; obsidian eyes inspected her face.

"...Sasuke...?" Sakura gripped harder her magazine unconsciously, her brows knitted.

The raven haired ninja approached to her ear, "What? Do you fear me... Sakura?", his voice blunt as ever but from it oozed amusement.

Sakura searched for his eyes with a raised pink brow, "Why should I?", she looked around her and took notice of his strong grip on her forearms.

Sasuke gave her a low chuckle and put behind her ear a lock of hair, at the way she stiffened he smirk.

"You are..." He leaned closer and closer, Sakura's green eyes got wider and tried to back away but couldn't for the position in the small couch.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and bumped some chakra in her hands, tossing him aside with such a force that he landed on the other side of the room cracking the wall.

Raven locks hid obsidian eyes. Sasuke wiped away some dust of his face and stood up staggering until he found his equilibrium.

"Who the hell are you?!" Where's Sasuke-kun...? The medic-nin stood in a defensive stance, and reaching for one of her pockets she put out her black gloves. ...Never thought I will need them on my vacations...great...

"We are locked in here Sakura; the two of us..." Sasuke smirked and lifting his head, his Sharingan eyes whirled around madly.

Sakura shook her head with a lazy smile. "Tsk, tsk, Sasuke, what happened to you?" She crackled her knuckles. I will find it soon, but now...

"You can't scape from me Sakura; not anymore"

And he launched at her.

"Someone have taken the wrong medicine"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

4:17 p.m.

Beep

Beep

Beep

Bee—

"Hey Neji, look at this..." Tenten pressed some buttons on the panel, choosing the room the red let started beeping, "they'are destroying the house... Tsunade-sama won't be please" She sighed absentminded.

The Hyuuga crossed his arms over his chest. "The chakra field can stand them both without problem; we don't need to worry"

"Yeah, but the house—is not Konoha's property, you know... I don't want to pay the damages with my paycheck"

Neji pointed to the display, "they will"

"Tch, yeah right..." Tenten crossed her arms in the Hyuuga's fashion and sat in a chair watching the blows and yells on the monitor like an action movie. The corners of her mouth curled up.

"Call the others Neji, they sure will enjoy this" She never took away her sight from the screen.

"Hn"

Neji stood up and made his way to the door.

"Don't forget the popcorn!" Tenten yelled.

A/N: And that was the sixth chapter:DDD

What's going on with Sasuke? Is he really Sasuke? What will Sakura do?

Stay alert to the next chapter!

.Claud-kun.