I really am on some sorta roll. Three chapters in less than a week! I doubt my future updates will be this fast, but for the moment. Yippee me!Once again, thanx for all the generous reviews. They really keep me going. (ex. look at how fast my updates are!)

A/N: I don't really put notes on top, but I'll do it this time. I've decided to start writing a new Naruto fic. There are some summaries of the upcoming fics I have in mind on my pro. Please take my poll, and help me decide which one to start on.

Ok. Now, here you are!

Words: 6442

Disclaimer: Only own the humor, fluff, words, and occasional grammar mistake in this.

Chapter Five—Suspicions

Sasuke was in a pretty bad mood at the moment. First, an unwanted visitor shows up and claims that he knows about the robbery. Secondly, he seems to know Sakura. Thirdly, Sakura is working for someone and is not an ordinary girl. With moves like that, Sasuke supposed she had years of training.

A background check on Sakura would help. But he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to find much. Without another thought, Sasuke picked up the phone and called his cousin. He'd be glad for another chore.

Shisui was whistling down the hallways of the Uchiha mansion. His mood was quite happy even if he was stuck in a place where he'd rather not be in. He waved to the workers he knew, and he sauntered around the mansion. However, he was extra careful to not tread on the hallway outside of the study. There was a certain person he'd like to avoid.

Shisui was knocked out of his daze when his cell phone rang. Quickly he looked at the number and groaned.

Did the man ever hear of a break?

But nonetheless, Sasuke was his cousin, and he was the heir to the Uchiha Corp. Therefore, Shisui had to answer even though his hand was trembling with the want to throw the cell out the window.

"Hello. What a pleasure to hear from you….again." Shisui greeted sweetly.

"What's wrong with you?" Came the stoic reply.

"Oh, nothing…" You're what's wrong with me. Shisui thought to himself.

"I have a job for you."

"Now there's a surprise…"

"..I need you to get information about a person. You may get helpers or whatever else you need to gather the whereabouts, friends, and anything else you can find on the person."

Shisui furrowed his eyebrows. Again with the searching. However, this time, he had a feeling that Sasuke was anxious to get the news. Something big must have happened.

"Who's the person?"

"…Sakura Haruno."

Shisui blanched. Not that sweet girl. What did she have anything to do with Sasuke. Okay, maybe they weren't on the best terms, but that didn't mean Sasuke could just stalk the girl.

"May I ask why her?"

There was a pause.

"She is the lead suspect in the blueprint robbery."

Shisui almost dropped his cell.

That's why she was here in the Uchiha mansion so often? Because she was being questioned by Sasuke? Well, that didn't add up. Especially since she had been wearing a maid costume earlier. But then again, Sasuke had weird ways of trying to make people talk. Still, the girl seemed too nice and sweet to steal.

"Looks are deceiving." Sasuke's voice came across the cell.

Shisui's hand grasped his phone tighter. How did the man even know what he was thinking?

"I'm smart." The stoic voice replied again.

"Shut up!"

"Do the job."

"…Fine."

Click.

The line went dead. Shisui heaved a big sigh.

This wasn't going to turn out good.

Sakura practically jumped up and down in happiness when she saw Hinata and Naruto in her apartment. They had been talking about something along the lines of 'ramen.' Actually, Naruto was doing the talking, and Hinata was taking care of the listening and blushing department.

"Hello you guys! You don't know how happy I am to see you!" Sakura sang out as she waltzed over to her confused friends. She gave both of them a big hug.

"Aren't you so glad that we're together? I mean, as friends. Not as servants, nor maids, and we don't ask each other to make coffee over and over again. We don't have statues against the wall, and when there's gum on our shoes, we don't ask each other to take it off. Isn't this the life?" Sakura plopped herself down on the couch right in between her now, majorly confused, friends.

"Umm yea….Sakura, we are friends…" Hinata stared at the pink haired girl worriedly. Where had she gone to undergo such a transformation.

Naruto on the other hand, had no problem with Sakura's new attitude. He just joined her by giving her a huge hug.

"You're right, Sakura. We'll be friends! Friends forever! And ever! And ever! And ever! And…" Sakura clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Naruto, there aren't that many evers."…Thank god, she thought mentally.

The man chuckled. "I guess you're right. But…" he peered at Sakura curiously. "What happened?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Came her innocent reply.

Hinata and Naruto cautiously sat back a little. Their friend was starting to creep them out.

"Are you..okay?" Hinata asked quietly.

"I'm great. Never better." Sakura smiled as she contentedly slouched into the couch. This was the life. No orders, just regular old friend time on the couch. She grinned as she closed her eyes to let herself enjoy the moment.

Two pairs of round eyes stared at her. This was not Sakura. What had happened to Sakura?

"Aren't you glad we're friends? Even if we aren't rich?" Sakura murmured as she took each friend by the arm and huddled them closer to her. "Isn't it great?"

"Umm..yea, Sakura. Whatever you say." Naruto was scared. Sakura had gone berserk. He shared a helpless gaze with Hinata. There was no getting out now. Sakura had them in a death grip. If they tried to move, then surely, they'd be yanked right back.

So the two friends stayed like that with Sakura for remainder of the day. And somehow, all three managed to fall asleep on the couch.

Shisui didn't like his job at all. He had managed to stalk Sakura back to her apartment. Now it was actually the looking into her room that was hard. He felt dirty. Even if she was the main suspect, she was still a girl. She needed her privacy, and he didn't want to violate that. Still, he needed to find out as much about her as possible.

He walked to her apartment. Shisui couldn't believe his luck. The door was left open. Maybe she didn't mind her privacy that much, after all.

He took a peek. Three heads were against each other on the couch. What were they doing?

Quietly, he placed his hand on the doorknob, stepped inside the room, and tip-toed closer to the couch. He spotted Sakura's pink hair in the middle. Noticing his precious time running out, Shisui took out a camera and snapped a picture of Sakura and her two friends. After getting the photo, he decided to leave. He felt like he was intruding into something that he shouldn't be.

Without another look, Shisui walked out of the apartment. Sasuke had better be positive that she was a suspect.

Sakura woke up groggily as she realized that bright blonde hair was shoved in her face.

Naruto. She presumed.

Not caring if he woke up or not, she pushed his head out of her way. Apparently, Sakura's friendly attitude from before was gone, and regular old Sakura came back. She spotted Hinata on the other side of the couch, dozing off quietly. Naruto had hit his head against the armrest of the other end of the couch, and yet, he still managed to sleep. What a guy…

Sakura got up quietly, making sure not to wake up her friends and walked over to the kitchen. Some coffee would do her good. After a while, a steaming cup of coffee sat in front of Sakura as she pondered upon her situation.

One day down. Six more to go. Oh boy, this week was going to test her patience. Sakura swirled a spoon in her coffee, and she watched the liquid follow her circular movements. What was she going to do?

Tsunade was going to blow up if she knew that Sakura still associated with the Uchihas. Punishment from Tsunade was scary. The woman had killer strength and a nasty temper. Sakura managed to stay on her good side so far. She didn't want to change that.

What about her friends, Ino and Tenten? What would they do if they were in this situation. Tenten would probably do the right thing and leave the Uchihas alone. Ino would probably get her flirt on and meet up with Sasuke and Itachi every day. Sakura grinned. There was Shisui too. He wasn't much of a looker compared to the other two Uchihas, but his personality made up for it. He would make a great friend, Sakura could tell. He was the only thing that was keeping Sakura from dreading to go the Uchiha mansion.

She wondered what he was doing at the moment. Probably getting bossed around by Sasuke. With that thought, Sakura chuckled. Poor guy.

Unbeknownst to her, the said man was staring at her through the window outside. Hesitantly, the man brought the camera up to his face again.

Click.

Sakura finished her coffee, and went out of the apartment. On her way, she noticed the door was open. Boy, that was dangerous. Someone might have came in while they were sleeping. She made a mental note to be more careful next time.

With a sigh, Sakura began to walk outside. She needed to have that much needed girl time. Even if it wasn't with Hinata.

Sakura walked towards the Yamanaka flower shop. Right when she was about to go in, Ino and Tenten came out.

"Whoa, nice timing." Remarked Tenten. She grinned at Sakura as she spoke. "We were just about to get you. Time for some shopping."

Sakura smiled back.

This was just what she needed. Some stress free shopping with her friends.

"C'mon!" Ino linked her arm with hers, and the three girls walked over to the mall. Three girls too carefree to notice that they were followed.

Shisui regrettably trailed behind Sakura and her friends. He snapped pictures of them here and there. After a while of realizing that they were really just going to shop, he picked up his cell and called Itachi.

"What?" Came the elder Uchiha's voice.

"I need some help. Is it possible for you to check up on something for me? Well, actually some people." Shisui said quickly. Asking Itachi for help had almost a success rate of zero.

"Who?"

"Ino Yamanaka and Tenten." Shisui had picked up their names from the girls chatting at the mall.

"Why?"

All of these one word responses. Shisui sighed. That was so like Itachi.

"Because they're friends to Sakura Haruno."

Now that piqued Itachi's interest.

"Tell me, what does this Sakura person look like?" Shisui arched his eyebrows. Why should that matter? But he was surprised that Itachi had any interest in the matter at all, so he kept up with his questions.

"She has pink hair, green eyes…" Shisui was cut off.

"Hn. I got it."

Click.

Shisui looked at his cell phone. That was…easier than he thought. Puzzled, he put the phone back into this pocket. First Sasuke acts weird, and now Itachi is interested in helping. What were the two Uchiha brothers planning anyways?

Itachi hung up the phone. Things were getting interesting now. He finally got the girl's real name. Bye-bye Akari Mao. Hello Sakura Haruno. Fitting name, he noticed.

With a smirk, he went to his computer that sat at the desk in his spacious room.

Fluently, he typed in 'Ino Yamanaka.'

A list of information flashed on the screen. His eyes widened a bit.

He then typed in, 'Tenten.'

Again, informational windows flooded the screen.

Well, well, well. Wasn't this interesting? Itachi scanned the monitor for any keywords. Well, one word popped up in almost every window for both girls.

He searched it up.

Itachi's eyes glued themselves to the screen. Wow. Who knew about this? His eyes roamed downwards. A smirk formed on his face.

Jackpot.

Sasuke was a bit impatient at the moment. He had already ordered Shisui the job of tailing Sakura. He knew that his cousin wasn't pleased with the task. He was also fully aware that if the pink haired girl actually found out that she was being followed, then hell would break loose. Sasuke would kiss the blueprint bye-bye. He'd leave his quiet and peaceful life. And he'd…

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly.

He'd have to forget about Sakura completely.

The idea didn't thrill him. There was a foreign feeling that pricked at Sasuke. To just forget about the girl didn't seem to do justice. There was also the fact that he doubted that the unearthly girl could stay out of his mind. Annoyance at both the thought of forgetting her and his want to not forget was a pain for the normally stoic Uchiha.

There was always the possibility that she really was evil. Someone that worked for an employer to cause Uchiha Corp.'s downfall.

Sasuke's hand tightenend into a fist.

If she really was that kind of person, Sasuke would have to take action. Thoughts of the fiery girl flashed past in his head. Sasuke gritted his teeth. The part he hated the most was the teetering thought nagging at him.

Could he take action against her?

Could he actually create harm towards her? Either physically or mentally?

Sasuke growled underneath his breath. He was not supposed to feel this way. Especially not towards a girl he's only met three times.

Especially not when she could be his enemy.

Sasuke's hands threaded themselves in his hair. This girl was occupying his thoughts lately. A little more than he would deem reasonable.

He wished Shisui would find some information. Any information to prove her innocence. It would be a heck of a lot easier for Sasuke to handle the situation that way. Wouldn't it be great if the thief was someone else? Then he could capture the robber with no hard feelings. Sakura would just be a lady he was associated with in his life.

He wished that was the case. So when Sasuke felt the vibrating phone in his pocket, he snatched it up and put it to his ear swiftly.

"Yes?"

Shisui's sullen voice spoke.

"I have the information." Sasuke's throat visibly tightened.

"And…?"

"I think you need to talk to Itachi about it."

Click.

The line went dead.

Sasuke knew then. He knew that his hope vanished. Ignoring the prick in his chest, Sasuke walked out of the study and made his way to Itachi's room.

Oh Sakura Haruno. What was she doing to him?

Sakura felt weightless as she returned to her apartment. The shopping spree she had with Ino and Tenten had done the trick. She felt relaxed, and her sore limbs from the events that had occurred earlier in the day had loosened.

She actually felt as if she could handle the week working with Sasuke. It couldn't be much worse than the first day, could it?

With a content smile plastered on her face, Sakura walked up to her apartment. Right when she was about to open the door, she stopped. Her eyes trained themselves on the doorknob.

Something was wrong. Her spy instinct warned her. As she stared closer at the brass, she noticed fingerprints. Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal. Everyone had to place their hand on the doorknob to get inside. But due to Sakura's years of spy training, she knew there was more to the story. The fingerprints were slightly blurred, and the once dull looking brass shined a bit more than usual.

Someone had tried to or, Sakura gulped, succeeded in opening the door. The smudged fingerprints meant that the person was nervous. His or her perspiration had transferred to the hands when they had placed them on the brass object. The handle of the door had shined because of the sweat. How had she missed this when she left the apartment earlier? Mentally scolding herself, she crouched down.

Sakura examined the ground in front of the door. Someone had tried to go inside but had a guilty conscience. She spotted a contrast of color against the floor. She picked up the sliver gently. Her eyes narrowed perceptively.

That someone, just so happened to have dark hair.

Now, who could it be?

Sasuke opened the door to Itachi's room and spotted his brother hunched over at the desk. Without turning, the elder Uchiha spoke.

"Ever heard of knocking?"

"Not the time for teasing." Sasuke practically sneered. He wasn't on the best conditions with his brother. His aloof genius of a brother that was perfect at everything, and yet, left the responsibility of being the heir to Sasuke.

"I suppose you're here for some information."

"Hn."

Itachi placed his hand on a manila envelope at his side and stretched his arm out towards Sasuke.

"This is what Shisui got."

Sasuke took the folder and peered at his brother, who still had his eyes on the computer, suspiciously.

"What about what you got?" He detected a smirk from his brother.

"Foolish little brother. I'm still researching. When I feel the time is right, I will show you."

Sasuke growled softly. His brother was usually a pain, but today, Sasuke wasn't in the mood to act along with him.

"When you are done, you will give me the information you got." Sasuke made sure he made his point before walking out of the room. The door slammed closed behind him.

Itachi still sat, unnerved. There was no need for him to dwindle on his brother's attitude at the moment. His eyes glued themselves on the screen, reading.

There were more interesting matters occupying his mind.

Sasuke made his way back to the study. No one dared to disturb him there. The manila folder was grasped tightly in his hand as he walked briskly to the office.

He was quite nervous about what he would see inside the folder, of course, he'd never admit that. His future decisions rested in his hands at the moment. If he saw what he got, it would clear things up. Even if Sakura was not the girl she looked to be, Sasuke would make sure he completed his task. And that was to bring back the blueprint.

His eyes hardened.

No one would deter him from that task.

After making his way inside the study, Sasuke rested himself in the leather chair. Taking out the manila folder, he took out the contents.

Sasuke sat down at his desk and ruffled through the papers.

Notes, pictures, names, and memos littered the space in front of him.

He glanced over at everything.

The picture of her shopping.

The address of her apartment.

The name of her roommate.

Yes, the power of Uchihas were scary.

But in order to get back the blueprint, Sasuke knew these things must be done. Even if they did resemble stalker tactics.

Now all he was left with were three names.

He glanced at them.

Tenten, Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyuuga.

Time to pay some visits.

Ino settled herself behind the counter in the Yamanaka flower shop. Her parents had left to do some grocery shopping, and she was in charge of maintaining order around the place.

With a sigh, she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Her cerulean eyes stared at the street outside the store. People were milling around the city. Some businessmen hurried to catch cabs while mothers wheeled their strollers on the sidewalk. Some teenagers giggled and whispered to each other while walking, and somebody had lost a little white dog who was making good use of a nearby fire hydrant.

Nope, no customers.

Ino had been trained in this line of business. She could tell who would enter the shop and buy some flowers, and who were just passing by. Her eyes picked out potential customers, and she would offer them her services.

Judging from the people outside at the moment, there would be no flowers sold.

As her eyes lazily wandered around the street, she saw a distinctive black car pull up near the sidewalk. The car looked shiny and expensive, and she voluntarily gasped when she saw the passenger step out.

Normally, Ino would think that the man had no intention of coming inside to look at flowers. However, as her eyes met with his onyx orbs, she realized today was different.

Her eyebrows furrowed. What did Sasuke Uchiha want?

Sasuke glanced up at the sign above the shop. 'Yamanaka Flower Shop.' This was it. His gaze met with the girl behind the counter. He watched as she tensed involuntarily. She must be Ino.

After making sure his car was locked, Sasuke proceeded into the shop. There were no customers around.

Perfect. That made talking to her all the easier. There would be no distractions and no eavesdroppers.

As he made his way closer to the counter, he noted her appearance. Like Sakura, she had a certain fire in her eyes that made him doubt talking to her would be easy. Unlike the other girl, Ino seemed to have more of a 'girl attitude.' He saw the way her eyes glinted mischievously. Sasuke smirked. If she was a flirt, then this might take less time than he had originally planned.

"Do you need anything, Mr. Uchiha?" His smirk grew.

"You know me?"

"As does this entire city." Her replies were uninterested, but her eyes betrayed her. They watched him like a hawk, curious about his actions.

"Well, I guess I'm rather popular." He was stalling, and she knew it.

"Cut to the chase. What did you want?" Sasuke stared at her, his gaze no longer light. She asked for it.

"I need to know more about Sakura Haruno." He saw her eyes widen but returned normal in a fraction of a second. Even so, Sasuke was positive that Ino was cautious and surprised at his statement. True to his words, when the girl spoke again, her voice was guarded.

"What do you need to know? She's just my friend." She was a good actress, he'll give her that. But he was Sasuke Uchiha after all, he would not fall under her lies.

"What does she do for a living?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business." Well, he knew now that she wasn't really a flirt at all. This girl was loyal, he could tell. Sasuke gritted his teeth. It would not go well for him if all three girls on the list were like her.

"What do you do for a living then?" Ino shot him a hardened stare. She waved her hands slowly, as if introducing the flowers to him.

"I work in this flower shop."

"I meant, what else did you do?" Ino silently sucked in a breath. She stared at his knowing eyes. He was smart, but she would not give him the upper hand.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because you seem as secretive as Sakura." Sasuke bent over the counter. "Exactly the same as Sakura."

There was a pause until he spoke again.

"What do you guys have to hide?"

Her eyes, as much as Ino hated, could not meet his probing orbs. There was a certain intensity in them in which she could not respond to. She would not respond. That would be the best way to make this man go away.

Which brought her to another question…

"Why are you so curious about Sakura?" She noticed his gaze waver. Could he actually have…?

"Personal matters." Ino nodded her head slowly. The answer wasn't enough, but that moment when he had broken the gaze gave Ino the answer she sought.

"Will you tell me anything?" His voice was not as strong as before, but they still demanded her attention. He met his stare with her own darkened orbs.

"There's nothing to tell." Letting out a deep sigh, Sasuke looked at the paper in his hand. Time to go to his last resort. Bluffing.

"What if I told you that your friend Tenten told me everything?" He remarked casually. However, his eyes were searching. Searching for any type of sign or body movement from the girl. He found what he was looking for.

The girl's eyes had widened, and this time, they didn't mask the sudden rush of fear. He noticed her hand clenching and unclenching as if she was having an internal battle with herself. Sasuke watched as she closed her eyes. After a second or two, she opened them and faced him with her expression from before. Uncaring and uninterested.

Sasuke smirked. She might be good at hiding her emotions, but like everyone, she sometimes slipped up.

Her voice held the same tone, but Sasuke noted that it was strained to a certain point.

"Tenten is my friend, as well as Sakura's. That's all there is to it."

"Hn." Sensing that he was being dismissed, Sasuke began to turn around. Right before he walked out the door, he looked back and flashed Ino a smirk. A smirk that chilled the girl to the bone.

"Ino, it's quite hard to hide things when you are dealing with me." With that, the Uchiha opened the door and walked away. He had purposely used her name like the time he had done it to Sakura. The effect of saying their title made them fear his power. Sasuke knew that would help his mission. Smirking, he got inside the car. This visit wasn't wasted, after all. He had gotten information even without the girl saying anything.

Ino watched his car drive away and sighed. That didn't go well at all.

She knew that she had given something away. The Uchiha seemed too smart to not notice her every movement and expression. But what troubled Ino the most was the fact that he had actually went up to her. He had found out where she worked. Who she was. Her name. And he had linked her, Tenten, and Sakura all together.

The man had power and brains. What a deadly combination. Worridly, Ino furrowed her eyebrows.

What had Sakura done?

Ino knew that her friend was in trouble now. She would not report this to Tsunade since she knew that Sakura would be severely punished if the older lady found out. Ino rested her head in her hands as she stared into space.

This mission had not gone well at all. Orochimaru was expecting a blueprint that he wasn't going to get anytime soon. And then there was Sasuke Uchiha, tracking them all down. Ino gulped nervously. He could actually expose their secret identities as spies.

With a groan, she rubbed her eyes. She was going to lose sleep over this. With that thought in place, Ino let out a whine.

She didn't want any wrinkles from stress!

Sasuke drove and looked at the piece of paper in his hands. Next stop, time to meet Tenten.

He rounded a couple or turns and made it to the written address in a couple of minutes.

As he got out of the car, Sasuke noticed that this girl worked in a weapons store. Judging from the girl at the flower shop, he mentally winced at the thought of what this girl would be like. Surrounding herself with harmful objects, she would be even harder to crack than that Ino girl.

Hardening his resolve, he walked inside. It was dark with a singular light in the middle of the crowded store. Weapons lined the walls, ranging from knives to swords, guns to little round things that looked liked bombs. Sasuke mentally groaned. What in the world was this girl going to be like?

"Oh! Is somebody there?" He heard a voice from the back of the store.

"Hn." He let himself be heard.

"I'll be right with you!" Sasuke heard a crash then an audible "ouch!" followed by some wobbling. A girl with her hair tied in buns hobbled out from the back. She gave him a pleasant smile that soon turned defensive when she saw him in the light.

Sasuke mentally sighed. It didn't help much that everyone knew who he was.

"Do you need something?" Her voice was the same as the other girl's. Tight. Crisp. Straight to the point. She didn't want him there, that was for sure.

Sasuke walked closer to the girl. Well, it was going to be hard kicking him out without him getting some answers.

"I need answers." Direct approach would be the best tactic.

"I don't have them. I have weapons. Go find your answers somewhere else." Sasuke was registering this new information in his head. Not the one about him finding answers at another place, but the fact that all three girls acted in the same manner. Sakura, Ino, and Tenten were all guarded and secretive. They were also tough. He could tell none of them would be a push-over.

"What can you tell me about Sakura Haruno?" Her eyes hardened.

"My friend."

"Is that all? You guys don't do anything with each other?" Sasuke pried. She gave him a smirk.

"I doubt a man like yourself would want to hear about us girls gossiping and shopping."

"I wouldn't mind any information that you give me."

"Too bad I won't tell you anything."

"Hn." This girl was even tougher than the last one. She wouldn't even give him a change in expression. But he wouldn't give up so easily. Again, time to bluff. Or tell half truths.

"I've talked to your other friend, Ino, already." He remarked slyly. He got a slight flicker of the eyes. Wasn't much, but it was better than nothing at all. The girl smirked slightly.

"Do you have nothing else to do than harass us girls?" Sasuke's eyes widened a centimeter. Which was as far as his eyes will ever go. He had not anticipated that blow. That blow to his ego, that is. Sasuke knew his pride was something he needed to learn to control. However, at the moment, all he could focus on was those eyes glaring at him. Those eyes that reminded him of Sakura.

All three girls were alike. All of them had something to hide. And Sasuke could confirm that they worked together. They were more than best friends. The three girls were probably workers. His eyes narrowed. Working together.

Now that was a new thought. What if Sakura had help the day she robbed him of the blueprint? And what if…Sasuke's eyes trailed up to meet the girl's dark orbs. They eyed him in disdain and a bit of uncertainty. What if these two girls had assisted Sakura in her mission? He ran over his thoughts. Both of them had been aware of his appearance and had been on guard when talking to him. Both of them were fierce and spoke little of their bond with each other save for the fact that they were all friends. Yes, it made sense. Sasuke's brain clicked in place. Well, this was a turn in events.

He smirked unknowingly to himself. But Tenten caught it. She tensed. What was he happy about?

Sasuke mentally praised himself. Even without them giving him any answers, he was able to deduct his theory. A theory that was probably true. But in that case…

Sasuke's mood darkened, and the smirk was wiped off his face.

Sakura really had stolen the blueprint, and now, there was no point in returning. The truth was smack dab in front of him, but Sasuke wasn't eager to admit it. This was going to test his patience and his pride. The prick had returned, and he grimaced. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Tenten watched his display of emotions…well, the slight increase of expressions on his face. The man was thinking of something intensely. Something that probably had to do with Sakura. Tenten visibly groaned. Tsunade had warned them of no further contact with the Uchihas. Why in the world didn't Sakura listen?

It was then that Sasuke managed to snap out of his reverie. He clenched his fist. This was rare. Uchihas didn't just blank out. It was not their style and quite unprofessional. The fact that Sakura had this much power over him and that she had practically taken over his mind was unnerving.

This has got to stop.

Tenten watched as Sasuke abruptly looked at her again.

"Thank you for your time. I must leave now." Without waiting for her to say 'bye,' he had already walked out to his car.

Tenten groaned. This was a twist to things. Sakura had better watch out. As a matter of fact, they should all watch out.

Sasuke looked at the last name on the piece of paper. 'Hinata Hyuuga.' A Hyuuga huh? She was probably at her apartment, wait, the apartment she shared with Sakura. It wouldn't be a wise idea to go there seeing as Sakura was probably there too. Besides, she was a Hyuuga.

The Hyuuga Industry was the main rival to the Uchiha Corp. He didn't want them to be involved in this even if it was talking to Hinata. Her cousin was Neji, after all. And Sasuke knew that that man wouldn't let him off the hook even if all he did was talk to her.

The Hyuugas didn't need to know about the Uchihas' problems. Absolutely no need. Sasuke looked at his watch. It was almost 10. The sky was completely dark, and the street lights shone ahead.

He had gathered enough information for the day. Sasuke began to drive home. Time to go rest.

Sasuke pulled up at the Uchiha mansion. He walked towards the main doors and gave the guards a nod before they let him in. The building was quiet. It was late, and most workers had already gone home.

He still had the paper in his hands as he made his way back to the study. It would probably be best to leave this list in the manila folder. Best to keep all of these things in the same place.

Sasuke walked into the familiar hallway. When he stepped in front of the door, he was quite surprised that the door was slightly ajar. Who had the guts to enter the study without his permission?

His question was soon answered when he entered the room. Angry green orbs met his surprised ones. His eyes drifted to her hands where an opened manila folder laid on the desk. Pictures and papers were scattered all over the place. The contents had all been emptied out of the folder.

Sasuke unconsciously stuffed the piece of paper in his pocket. His eyes snapped back to her furious state.

Her eyes burned holes through him, and her hands were in fists. She gave him the harshest glare she could muster. Sasuke had seen Sakura's annoyed attitude before, but her anger was something to marvel at. Or something to be scared of.

But then, she spoke. And Sasuke knew he would not make it through the night without a fight. Verbally…or as he looked at her posture, oh god, was she going to fight him?

"What the hell are these?" She grabbed a handful of papers and flung them at him. Pictures of her at the mall and addresses floated down to the floor. Sasuke eyed them disinterestedly.

"You should know that they are pictures of you." Sakura growled as she stalked over to him. She stopped when she was at a hair's length of him.

"Don't you give me that! You were stalking me."

"I prefer the term, 'gathering information.'"

Sakura bristled.

"Gathering information my ass!" She heaved from her anger. He could sense it radiating it off of her. Not a good sign. But then, her breathing evened. He looked into her eyes and realized that the anger had dissipated a bit. She now looked talkable. And not so yellable.

"You wouldn't answer my questions." He stated quietly. She stared at him as if trying to read his mind and spoke in the equally quiet fashion.

"There's a reason I wouldn't."

"Why?"

She paused. Her head lifted up towards his as she regarded him seriously. The anger had almost completely vanished now, and what was left was a forlorn woman. Sasuke felt a stab of guilt. And then the prickly feeling came back.

"Stay out of my life." Her voice was steady, strong.

"What if I don't want to?" His voice was still soft yet it gained its strength.

"Then we part ways now."

Sasuke's throat clenched. This girl was really something. The prickly feeling was stabbing at him now. Sasuke ignored it. All he could see was her dejected gaze.

"No." He managed to croak out.

"Then no more snooping." She turned around and bent down to pick up the papers she had thrown earlier.

Sasuke waited a bit until he asked her another question.

"How did you know?" The issue he was asking about was obvious. Sakura answered without looking at him.

"You left a strand of dark hair in front of my apartment door."

Sasuke's eyes furrowed. He had left hair? Then it clicked. Oh boy, Shisui was going to get it now. If he wasn't growing old and getting bald then his hair wouldn't have fallen and she wouldn't have known. Shisui was going down, Sasuke mentally noted. He had just given himself a year's worth of chores.

But as Sasuke stared back at the girl in front of him, his gaze softened. A tiny bit.

Just who was this girl in front of him? Who was Sakura Haruno? And why in the world was she so cautious that she had observed the floor for clues? How had she noticed that there was a strange strand of hair out of place?

But there was another question nagging at Sasuke as he stared at the pink haired girl. How could he make the prickly feeling stop?

Wow. I surprise myself. There are more words every chapter.

Again, please take the poll on my profile. I want to see the readers' opinions of which to start first. All summaries are posted on my profile.

Here's the preview for the next chapter.

Chapter Six: Understanding the Uchihas

Sakura didn't know what to do.

All of a sudden she remembered what Mr. Yakamura had said when he had 'lost it.'

A jury room. Three Uchihas. Fainting.

Well, she certainly knew how that felt now.

Of course, she wouldn't faint. Oh no, her pride wouldn't allow her to do that. Especially not her spy pride.

But then again, her spy side of her had never experienced this before.

This fear. This confusion. This anticipation of what was going to come next.

She saw Sasuke's stare, and they caught each other's gaze. A foreign feeling entered her.

Without thinking, she blurted out.

"Please don't kick me out."

There you have it!

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