[…Partners…

Naruto had paid for Sakura's ramen. He had a few missions and just had been paid.

"Hey Sakura-chan, do you want me to walk you home?" Naruto said while looking at her with hopeful eyes.

She gasped. The last two days she had been sleeping in the hospital and she didn't have a place really. And now that Naruto was pointing out this things, she remembered she didn't have any money either. Of course being an angel had his advantages but the indispensable were, well, indispensable. --U

In fact the clothes she was wearing now were provided by the hospital. She was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Pretty lame huh?

"Umm, I'm not from this village, Naruto, I don't really have a place" She half lied.

Naruto's face changed from hope to worry.

"What?!" He half-shouted "It's around midnight!!! You can't wander around, as if it was nothing!!! Come with me, well, my house it's not bi, but I think at least you will have a place to sleep. Come now!!" He was smiling, pleased that he could help.

"But Naruto, I don't want to bother you, you've had already done a lot of for me and-"

"Don't mention it!! Sakura-chan"

She smiled at his comment.

"Come on, this way" He seized her hand and dragged her to an empty street.

Naruto's apartment wasn't bug big as he had already said, it barely had enough room for all the things he had.

"I'll show you my bedroom" he said walking ahead of her to his bedroom.

She blushed. 'Why does he want to show me his bedroom? Is he expecting that we will sleep together?'

Naruto walked through a corridor and she, instinctively followed.

Still thinking furtively, she almost ran into him when he stopped abruptly and opened the door for her.

His room was small with just a drawer and a bed at the left, a small closet at the right and a big window in front of the bed. But what impressed her most was the mess of clothes and rolls that covered the floor that it was almost impossible to see the wooden floor.

"Hehe. Sorry for the mess"

She saw his face at the corner of her eye. He was as red as a tomato as he picked up the clothes and stuff around all the room.

She watched him, smiled and started picking things up too. About ten minutes later, they had finished cleaning.

"Hehe sorry 'bout that" He sweat dropped.

"It's ok, Naruto, you are a boy. Human boys don't have the-" .Damn She had slipped 'human boys' and was expecting Naruto's next question.

"What do you mean with human boys?". He looked confused now.

"It's like…" She had to think and fast…"You know, boys are always messy, the boy who's not is not human, I mean Not normal!" She managed to lie, and for the looks of it, Naruto bought it easily because he started to laugh suddenly.

"I knew Sasuke-teme wasn't normal!!!" He continued to laugh vigorously "I knew it!!"

She smiled. He was sure a laugh.

"Well. You'll sleep here Sakura-chan, if you need something; I'm at the end of the corridor, in the living room"

And before she could protest, he was vanishing from the doorway, his steps sounding on the corridor. She turned and started to get ready for bed. She turned to the window, slide it open and drew her gaze up to the black sky.

"Please, don't leave me alone" her voice was a whisper. Suddenly she felt a warm sensation through her body as the voice she loved so much answered her.

"I will always take care of you, my beloved girl"

And she walked to the bed, still having the feeling that by now had extended to her heart. She drew the covers over herself and drifted to a peaceful and quick sleep.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Sakura-chan, may I come in?"

Sakura opened her eyes slowly and sat up in the bed.

"Of…of course Naruto" she muttered, sitting up on the bed, sleepiness still on her voice.

She heard the door click open and Naruto entered the room balancing a tray in his hands.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan. Did you sleep well?" He smiled while setting the tray in Sakura's lap.

"Yeah, thank you very much!!" She said smiling when she got a good look at him. He still had his pj's on and that funny hat of his.

"Oh Naruto!! You didn't have to do this!! You are so sweet!! Thank you very much!!"

And before Naruto knew it, she seized him and pulled him into a hug, carefully enough to not to disturb the tray in her lap.

He blushed deep crimson and when she released him, he was still shocked, out of daze.

"You…you are ve…very welcome" he muttered.

"Where did you sleep?" she said swallowing one bit of ramen that were in the tray.

'who eats ramen as breakfast? Seriously…' Inner Sakura complained.

'shut up!!' Sakura said shushing her inner-self. Wow, she could be mean sometimes.

"Oh…in the sopha.."

"Where?" she asked confused, she couldn't make any of the words he said.

He swallowed the big bite that he was chewing.

"I slept in the sofa, hehe sorry" He said continuing to eat his ramen. She looked at him; he seemed so innocent and crazy. He was always happy and smiled around her.

Then there were loud bangs on the front door.

"Naruto!!! Open up the damn door, right away!!!"

He jumped at the second of the loud annoyed voice. He got up and went to open the door.

"Ino? What the hell do you think you are doing? Trying to break my door?"

"No you idiot!! Come on, Lord Hokage wants to see you right away!!" she barked and started to pull him. "Come on, change!! I have no time to waste!!"

Sakura could hear the voice of the girl down the corridor, and Naruto storming back to the room.

"Hey Sakura-chan, I have to go to see the Hokage, wanna come?"

She stared confused and nodded, she had no idea what was a hokage but she didn't want to stay alone in his house, either.

"Ok. I'm going to change" and with that he ran out of the room.

"Naruto? What the..?" the girl that was shouting entered the room.

She seemed surprised to see a girl there…

"Oh my …holy crap!! Did you sleep with Naruto?... I can't believe it!!" She practically shouted.

Sakura shook her head vigorously.

"No…no, Naruto was very kind to offer me a place here, since I don't have one" Sakura said calmly.

The girl sighed deeply.

"Oh well, I'm Ino Yamanaka by the way" The girl said, stretching her hand out.

Sakura took her hand and shocked it while saying her name.

"Are you a ninja?" Ino asked.

"Um…yeah…" Sakura lied, but her inner-self (that sometimes was right) told her it was the right thing to say.

"Cool, but I don't remember you at the academy?"

'Damn.' Sakura thought, slapping herself mentally. She didn't know that the had academies to become ninjas.

"I was a shy girl" She lied again, 'Yeah, and you suppose she will fall for that?' Inner Sakura shouted at her, fists on the air.

'Well, time to use our magic!!' She didn't like to use it very often. It was not secure but due to the situation, she had not real alternative. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again and looked at Ino straight at the eyes.

"Oh, I remember you! I think I saw you sitting always at the corner" Ino said normally.

'Yeah!! Who rules? We do!! Kya!!' Inner-Sakura said cheerily, dancing around Sakura's mind. Sakura smiled. This was something they did to make sure they weren't discovered.

This "magic" placed memories on the person they chose just by concentrating their energy (a.k.a charka) and looking them straight in the eyes.

"I'm ready!!" A familiar voice half-shouted.

"Oh Sakura-chan, I see that you know Ino now. Well, let's get going!!" he said grabbing Sakura's hand and stormed out the house.

ON HOKAGE'S OFFICE

"Hey old man!!" Naruto greeted when they entered to the Hokage's Office.

"Naruto…when will you learn to show some respect!! You are…who's this girl?" Lord Hokage stopped to look at Sakura.

"Her? Oh! She's Haruno Sakura, she is staying with me" Naruto said pointig at her.

'Doesn't he know that point at people's faces is rude?' Inner-Sakura shouted' I'm gonna kick him right in the face if he does htat again, that will teach him a lesson, Kya!!'

"Are you a ninja?" Lord Hokage asked.

"Yes, sir" She didn't expect him to remember every student that had graduated.

"Oh well, where is your headband or your ninja tools? I don't see them anywhere" He asked putting his finger tips together and frowning.

'he's getting suspicious, better think of a good lie, he's old, he may have a lot of experience on this, so come on Sakura, think!!' She thought desperately.

"Well, you see, Sir. I was on the forest and someone attacked me. I lost my headband and I used all my weapons. I couldn't recollect them after the battle because I was unconscious in the hospital"

"Indeed, they reported me that a battle was fought on the forest two days ago,. So, I suppose it had been yours. Well are you from Konoha?"

He was still suspicious Sakura could tell, so she didn't let her guard down.

"Yes, sir I left years ago but the day I was coming back, the battle happened"

'my god! I'm good at lying!!' Sakura thought happily "I mean, not that it is good haha' she thought immediately, thinking in her boss.

"I never heard of a clan called Haruno…"

'damn!!'

"I can't remember much, unfortunately, sir" She said, looking down, as in shame.

"Cut it out now old man!!! Not everybody have a huge clan like you or Sasuke-teme!! She doesn't remember much because of the battle, so leave her alone already!!!" Naruto yelled angrily at the Sundaime.

He didn't like him pushing Sakura so much because the nurse had told him she had a slight amnesia problem back in the hospital. (Yeah, right)

"I see, well we'll provide you a new headband and tools. Would you like to serve Konoha as a part of our village?" He asked smiling.

"Yes sir, I'll be honored" Sakura said bowing In respect.

"Well, I think you can join Naruto and his team, they have an open spot"

"Yeah!! " Naruto shouted, punching the air in a triumphant way.

"Well, Naruto, here is your mission" He said handing Naruto a scroll. "Take it to Kakashi, and leave right away"

"See ay, Old man!!" Naruto said running towards the door with Sakura behind him.

"Narutooo!!!!!"

"Wow, I can't believe it!!" Naruto's shout was very loud. He smiled widely. "I didn't know you were a ninja Sakura-chan! And the best part is that we are going to be mates!! Isn't it great!!"

"Of course it is ,Naruto" Sakura said half-laughing at his happiness.

'Yeah and I have to put more with the dumb a-'

'Inner-Sakura!!' Sakura shouted to her inner-self.

'Hmp' inner-Sakura stomped and left.

"would you shut your mouth at least a moment? Your yells annoy me"

Sakura turned at the sound of the familiar voice.

Sasuke was standing behind her, hands in his pockets and looking expressionless.

'Does he always looks like that' Sakura thought.

"Teme!! Sakura-chan will join our team, isn't it great!!" He yelled at his face with a big smile.

"Hn…I didn't know you are a ninja" He said looking at her.

"Well, neither did I" Naruto said looking puzzled "Why didn't oyu tell me yesterday?"

"Well I didn't think it was so important since almost everybody here are ninjas"

Sasuke frowned. 'She's hiding something'

"Hn…are you from Konoha?" He asked suspiciousness floating on his voice.

"Yes, but I left years ago that's why you don't remember me" She said confidently. She was starting to believe in her own story.

"Who said I didn't remember you?" He said a pleased grin adorning his features. He wasn't expecting that, but it was enough for him.

Sakura was in trouble now.

"Well, since almost anyone remembers me I supposed you didn't" She thought she had convinced Naruto and she pleaded Sasuke believed it too.

"That explains it!" Naruto said, punching Sasuke on the upper arm,. Sasuke didn't even move. 'Maybe that's it, I don't pay attention to everybody, just the ones that I consider strong and she doesn't look like it' Sasuke thought.

"Well, well, look at that, who's this lovely young lady?"

Sakura lifted her gaze to see a tall handsome, silver haired man. He was gorgeous, really.

"She is Sakura-chan!!" Naruto yelled back, jumping up and down "She is going to be in our team, Kakashi sensei"

'Sensei…' Sakura thought

"Oh what a surprise, why haven't anyone informed me of this? He asked. As if she had been summoned, Anko appeared with a scroll in her hand.

"Kakashi, this if for you" and a second after, she disappeared. Kakashi chuckled softly.

"Ok. So Sakura, you are the third member of my team. Team 7. I'm Hatake Kakashi and I'm your sensei, interesting story you have, well, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura, let's go. We have a special mission" Kakashi said eyeing Sakura carefully.

Then when they were about to go on a loud scream stopped them.

"Sakura!!"

Sakura turned around. Ino was running towards them with a bag in her hands.

"Oh, Hi, Ino. What's the matter?" She said quietly.

"Here, Lord Hokage sent this for you" she said handing her the bag. "He said you would need it"

Sakura opened the bag and saw a bag like the one Sasuke and Naruto were wearing on their legs, a headband and a new outfit.

'My outfit!! I forgot everything about it!! Maybe that's why Kakashi-san said I had a interesting stor. God!! I need better lies, I mean, covers for my infiltration here!! Oh and I have to use-'

"Sakura"

Sasuke's voice got her out of her thoughts;

"Are you going to come or what? We are going to be late" His cold voice rang in her head.

"Yes, but I have to change first" She said immediately running into the first bathroom she saw.

She slide out of her jeans and pulled off her shirt as fast as she could.

'I have to find out who is my assigned boy, but I have to have some money to at least help Naruto with the food, he had been kind enough to accept me in his place. I need to do something for him, then I will search for my assigned boy' She thought while changing. She was now wearing her usual attire. When she got out she found the boys sitting at the Village's doors, waiting for her.

"Sorry, guys" She said blushing. :"We can go now"

Sasuke and Kakashi got up instantly, but Naruto was just staring at her.

"Wow Sakura-chan, you look like a real ninja." He said smiling.

Sasuke frowned in annoyance, even if he had his back turned to them.

"Come on!!" Kakashi said "I can't explain the mission without you, guys"

"Come on, Sakura-chan, we don't want to miss this believe me" He said grinning "I messed up several times already"

Sakura chuckled at his comment. While walking, Sakura felt a strong gaze upon her.

She turned and found Sasuke staring at her with narrowed eyes, then he turned away slowly, as if it were normal to stare at people, but Sakura just dropped it away, thinking it must be the fact that he just didn't trust people so easily. But she didn't really know that his real motive was that he sensed something about her. Suddenly he grinned, eyes closed.

'Now that's she is in my team, I will be able to know what she hides, maybe and just maybe, she has something to do with you, big brother…'

HOPE YOU LIKED IT FOLKS.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!

Sonamy out