That night Sakura had finished burying the three dead kitties and was trying to figure out what to feed the two that still lived when the doorbell rang. Opening it up she found Tenten standing in the door.

"Sakura, you suddenly left and I got really worried. Naruto said you got in a fight and said you needed to be alone, but I was worried about you. What happened? And…what are those?" Tenten suddenly picked up one.

"It's a cat, I don't know what breed but there are two awaiting my attention. Oh….what can I feed them?" Sakura said.

"I think I've seen this kind before….In a zoo maybe….or was it at the pound…? I can't remember now." She gave Sakura a silly smile.

"Would you mind helping me get them settled in?"

"Not at all. Um, say, where are your parents?" Tenten asked, looking around the empty house.

Sakura, too, looked around. "Good question." Thinking long and hard, she remembered something her mother had said a few days ago and again this morning. "Ah, yes, they went out on a cruise for their anniversary. They won't be back for a good while."

"'K, I think it'd be best to give them warm milk with honey, to suckle. They aren't out of that stage yet, maybe a few more weeks. Gosh, these kittens are pretty big for their age." Tenten remarked. Sakura could feel the work piling up on her shoulders. "What will you call them?"

"Uhhh…I haven't thought about that yet…" Sakura confessed. "Keikai and Merodi, both are japanese for melody."

"I like that." Tenten agreed as she prepared the milk.

"May I ask….Tenten-senpai, do you like Neji-kun?"

Tenten almost spilled all the honey into the milk. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you wanted to go on a double date because you were afraid of what would happen if you went alone, which means you are afraid that Neji would say that he hates you." Sakura said.

"Why'd you take Naruto?" Tenten said, evasively.

"Because he was the only one I could think to ask. I don't love him….we're just friends. The guy I like….he's a human ice box." Sakura vented bitterly.

"Sasuke-kun, eh?" Tenten asked, handing her a bottle.

The other girl nodded and took the warm milk to the kittens for their feeding.

"This one here….the one with more spots….she'll be Keikai." Sakura declared as the kitten suckled on the bottle.

Tenten and Sakura spent the next few hours making beds for the two cats and feeding them again before Tenten headed home, leaving behind a grateful Sakura.

Sakura woke extra early the next day to feed the kittens and get breakfast ready, something her mother usually did. After saying goodbye to Kei-chan and Mero-chan, Sakura locked up and left. After walking for a minute she realized she forgot her lunch and ran back home to get it. Quickly she picked it up, shoved it into her bag and raced off again.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called from behind her. Turning around Sakura noticed both Naruto AND Sasuke were coming towards her. Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for them.

"Hey, Sakura-chan…" Naruto started.

"Yeah?"

"What happened last night?" He asked as they fell in line.

Sakura's expression was a troubled one. Sasuke completely ignored the two as he walked. "Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." When they looked over, she wasn't crying but her whole face was cloudy. Naruto looked at her worried.

"Sakura-chan…." Sasuke began. Sakura looked across at him. "What's that thing following us?"

Turning around, Sakura found a cat. "Kei-chan!" The two boys looked surprised.

"Kei….chan?" They said in unison.

"My….um….cat." Sakura stammered. Wait…where's Mero and how'd Kei get here? Bending over, Sakura held her hand out to Keikai. The cat came bounding over and ran up her arm, hiding behind her hair. "Kei…chan…?"

"Wow, Sakura-chan, that's a pretty big cat." Naruto commented.

"Y-yeah…"

"Hn." Sasuke grunted and continued on. Sakura sighed and walked with Naruto, eyeing her crush's back.

"Um, Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

A slight blush crept across Naruto's cheeks, "Would you….like to make a band….with me?!" He asked, his voice a little to loud. Sasuke completely ignored the two. (Three if you count Kei-chan)

Oh, Sasuke-kun….

"Sakura-chan?"

"Sure Naruto, I'd love to."

"REALLY?!?!" The idiot exclaimed.

Sakura twitched and clenched her fist. Naruto missed this and continued to rant on. Losing her cool, Sakura gave him a good hit that sent him flying into Sasuke.

"What the heck, bastard?" Naruto yelled at Sasuke.

"Hn, I should say the same thing to you!" He rebuked.

"Sakura-chan, why'd you have to do that?" The blonde whined. She glared down at Naruto who shut up there after. In a quiet voice as they untangled themselves, Naruto whispered, "I think she's still mad…"

"Hn."

"Ya know Sasuke, you could pretend to care a bit more."

"It's not like she's my friend or anything. Besides, I hate fangirls."

Sakura, hearing this, felt a twinge inside herself. That's right, Sasuke hates me, just because I like him. Holding back tears, Sakura continued on, leaving the two in her wake.

She found Mero-chan at the school gates being held by Tenten.

"Thanks Tenten-senpai." Sakura said, taking the cat from her friends hands. Now she had a cat on either shoulder.

"Are pets even allowed in school?" The older girl asked.

"Well…..Kiba's got Akamaru and that creepy Shino guy always has some bug in a pocket somewhere…" Sakura shivered involuntarily.

"Oh, look, Mr. Ice Box." Tenten whispered.

Sakura turned around and snickered.

Sasuke glared at her, "You evil person." Sakura laughed. His hair was completely messed up and his shirt was dirty on the front.

"Sasuke-kun, let me get that for you." Stepping closer, she brushed off some of the dirt. "You might wanna fix that hair of yours in the bathroom," She told him quietly. Sakura missed it, but he blushed a bit, his heart beating faster. Why? Sasuke wondered. Why?