Bright green eyes greeted the dawn, opened wide. A mouth opened in a yawn, and two arms pulled pink sheets closer to a thin body. Haruno Sakura snuggled into her pillow a bit more, smiling. Turning over and sitting up, she yawned a second time, throwing her arms wide as if to tell the world she was awake. Pushing the sheets off her legs and sliding her feet into a pair of cute bunny slippers, she stood and walked to the door.

"I'm up!" she called, before slipping quietly into the bathroom. She hugged herself. Today was a missionless day, full of leisure, fun...

... And training... Always training. Couldn't Sasuke give it a break with the training constantly? Since Naruto had stopped coming, it was just her and him... Not that those few hours before Kakashi would turn up weren't pleasent, but in most of their spare time, he trained. And with Naruto gone, and Kakashi busy, who would he train with but her?

Unfortunately, she always ached all night, until she could finally sleep. By morning, she usually felt better. She turned the tap on, put hetr head in the water and proceeded to wash her hair. And while she watched the clear fluid flow into the hole in her sink, mixed in with soap and foreign, sweet-smell shampoo, she pondered: Why Sasuke? Why not Naruto, or Kiba, or... even Chouji? What made him different?

Well, for one thing, he looked absolutely wonderful. A kind of effeminate, yet masculine, grace and strength. He would flow for one move to the next, like a waterfall in a tornado... But if he was horribly disfigured, would she still love him?

He was dark, brooding and self confident. He was mysterious, and had barely spoken two words to her every day until a few days ago. He was self-hating, he was proud, he was the powerful male figure in her life. Naruto was the kind of person she might want as a friend, but he was there... He had inspired her to work hard, graduate... Was he worth it?

Yes. Sakura's whole body and mind agreed with that answer... because it wasn't his mystery, his beauty, his power...

It was him, everything about him that made her heart sway and blood rush to her head. And he'd never be anyone else, no matter how much he could change. Always. She smiled, and turned the tap off. Sasuke was Sasuke, and that was why she loved him...

        ~~~~~~~~~

        Unlikely Alliance

        Chapter Three: Ramen

        V. 2

        ~~~~~~~~~

"Naruto! Wakeup wakeup wakeup!" Ino whacked Naruto, multiple time, over the head with a pillow. "Do I have to let the smell of burning ramen wake you up?"

"RAMEN!?" Naruto sat up quickly. "Wherewherewhere!? RAAAAAMEN!"

"Idiot!" Ino whacked the excited boy over the head. "No ramen for breakfest! Sakura's treating you for lunch, remember? Now get in that shower, I'll see you in an hour!" She stormed off, muttering annoyed. "We only have two hours, so get prepared! I'll have a good suit ready!"

Naruto scratched his head, pushed the covers off, stood and made his way to the bathroom.

~~~

Ino opened the closet, and looked through the large selection of clothes she'd bought Naruto only the day before. Shaking her head, she rifled through the clothes, soimetimes picking out choice sets. 'Well, I have an hour... That's more than enough...' she thought gratefully, as she pulled out a green dress shirt. "This'll look good..." she decided out loud, smiling appreciatively. Returning to the clothes, she picked out another two before taking a break.

Stepping quietly to the kitchen with ladylike grace, she took the electric kettle off the heater and filled two mugs. Dropping one teabag into each, she walked to the frdge and took out the milk taking out the teabag and poured some milk into each mug. Then,. she proceeded to dump the teabags into the garbed, and stir some sugar into each mug. Finished, she smiled and returned to her chore...

~~~

Naruto sighed as he wrapped the towel around him and started brushing his hair. Contrary to popular belief, Uzumaki Naruto DID know how to comb his hair - He just didn't bother. Now, though, was an important time: His and Sakura's first date! Smiling, he clothed himself and walked out the door... After opening it, of course.

Ino greeted him in the hall, leading (Or dragging, to be more precise) to the kitchen, she sat down and gave him a cup of tea. Staring at it blankly, as if searching for floating ramen noodles in the mug, he asked, "What's this?"

"Tea, you moron!" Ino whackred him over the head for the second time that morning. "Drink it, you have a while before lunch and you need to be awake for it!"

"Oh..." Naruto said, before sipping a bit and putting it down quickly. "It's HOT!" he said, surprised. Ino resisted the urge to swear, and looked at him conscendingly.

"Haven't you ever drank it? But it's traditional to drink it at your- Oh...You didn't have a ninth birthday, did you?" Ino looked down, embarraesed at her blunt, unthought assumption.

"I did, I just didn't do anything but train... Ichiraku-san gave me an extra bowl of ramen, though..." Naruto smiled a bit at the fond memory. "I guess that was the statrt of things getting better, right? Now I've got a few friends, some clothes, and I'm having a mug of tea! So, things have gotten a lot better since then... People aren't breaking the winmdows with stones anymore either..." he added under his breath.

Ino, shocked a little at this memory, shook her head and decided it was time to end THAT conversation. "Let's try some of your clothes on, 'kay:? See what looks nice for Sakura..." Ino got up and headed to the other room. Naruto flinched as she passed. Sje stopped and looked at him strangely. "What?"

"I thought you were going to hit me, or drag me by my ear or something..." Naruto said. Ino rolled her eyes.

"I'm not THAT violent..." she mumbled.

~~~~

Naruto sat on one of the benches at Ichiraku, looking around. Finally spotting Sakura, he called out and waved. She nodded to him, and mad her way through the crowd. Plopping down beside him, she grinned and signalled the server. Then, turning her head, to Naruto, she said, "Good morning, Naruto... How's you're day been?"

"Fine, 'cept Ino dragged me all over the house-"

"Ino? What?"

"- to get me ready, made me tea and made me try on all these clothes to get a good one, then she pretty much kicked me out the door, with barely any toime to greet Yamanaka-san"

"What? Why-?"

"Then, she yelled after me all the way down the street. as IF I would forget my way to Ichiraku.... I go here every day, so... Sakura-chan, why are you looking at me like that? Did Kakashi-sensei not tell you?"

"Tell. Me. What?" Sakura's eye was twitching now, and she was shaking. What did Ino have to do with this? Why would he greet 'Yamanaka-san', when both of Ino's parents seemed to hate him? Why hadn't he showed up for training? Or missions? And why hadn't he been at his house? She would've asked him tthe day at Concussa, but he had been unconscious.Now she was annoyed.... What had Kakashi sforgotten to mention?

"Well.... I- Umm... Seen Nidaime's nose lately?" Naruto shrugged sheepishly.

"Should I have?" Sakura was getting more and more annoyed as the conversation continued.

"Ummmm..." Naruto looked at the countertop. "Only if you've been poking around the bushes at the bottom of the monument..."

Many times, Inner Sakura had a difference in opinion with Outer Sakura. Sometimes, Inner Sakura felt about somethign so vioently and passionately that she burst into Outer Sakjura's place, and out her mouth. This was one of those occasions.

The expletives that came from the mouth of the slightly uncute girl at the counter not only made her well-known companioon freeze with froight, it also caused some people to wander off quicker than normal, and was also the reason that people who had arrived after Naruto and Sakura arrived got their ramen first. Safely to say, it scared the server away from those particular seats.

Sakura finally finished shouting, lookig disgusted at herself, then looked at Naruto in a way that demanded information. So scared was Naruto that he spilled everything from his punishment to the shopping spree to that morning's tea drinking. So flustered was he that Sakura took pity on him and forgave him, then attempted to swallow all the information he'd given to her.

"So... You're living with Ino, her parents like you, she's buying you clothes and making you tea... AND THIS IS PUNISHMENT!?" She yelled.

"Well, I don't get to come on missions or anything, neither does Ino..." Naruto said turning red in his shame.

"Why's Ino off missions? Babysitting you?" Sakura joked, cooling down. Ramen man decided this was a good time. Naruto and Sakura ordered, then Naruto answered.

"Something to do with some chairs broken, verbal attacking of two teachers, and screaming... From what I heard from Kakashi-sensei, she had a wild night..." Naruto smiled weakly.

Sakura just stared for a second, then shook her head, not connecting thhese behaviours to her newfound relationship at all. Stupid Naruto...

"I see... So you're stucj at Ino's because..."

"WhenI graduated, I stopped getting welfaremoney, 'cause officially I had a paying job. So, take away my Genin pay, can't pay rent or food. So, I need to stay ayt Ino's until te punishment's over," Naruto shugged. "BNot a big deal, especially considering what might've happened, right? 'Course, they'll fix the statue, and Ino's family have paid the money for the broken stuff... So in a few weeks, I'll... be back home!" Naruto smiled, but Sakura could see what the thought of leaving that house seemed like him. A family who accepted him into their house and looked after him... It was cruel to give that to him, and then take it away after a few weeks. If that was his real punishment, Godaime-sama must have gone psycho... Naruto sure had it rough.

"You're lucky Ino's looking after you. She's nicer than I thought she was..." Sakura reflected for a moment, then decided to decided more later.

"Yeah..." Naruto smiled for real this time, his eyes showing his approval for the 'Psycho Sasuke fangirl' of earlier times. Whatever had happened with her that night, musyt have had a good effect on her... But she'd always been nice, Sakura thought, remembering her days as 'Forehead Girl' and the theeat to her self-esteem called Ami. Well, Ami still hadn't grduated, and Sakura had. That said a lot about the self-proclaimed 'Ultimate-awesome ninja-girl'.

The two sat in silence for a feww seconds, then started small talk. Weather, birds, ferrets...Debating whether a rose or daffodil was more romantic.... That sort of thing. and once naruto had finished his fifth bowl, and Sakura her second, she handed over the money and said her goodbyes. Naruto just sat there, until he spotted a familiar face.

"Oy, Ero-sennin!" he called out to his perverted sensei, and Jiraiya looked back at the boy he'd passed by without noticing.

"Hey kid!" he vcalled back, before sitting down. "You know why I love women? They are like a cool suimmer breeze, flying undrr your shirt and swirling up under you're neck, or the unabashed waters of a warm shower, exploring every detail, never leaving a spot unexplored. A man's eyes may drift from place to place, but a woman notices everything... So fresh, and soft like milk... Or chocolate milk, if you like their type. I like all women, if she can please the eyes. THAT is yor lesson for today. Now, how is your situation?" Jiraiya looked into his young pupils eyes, smiling. "Problems with one of the opposite sex?"

"I'mn stuck in a house living with one!" he blurted out. "She complains when I shower, complains when I get dressed, complains when I'm late..."

"Ahhh... Well, maybe she is not ready for you to leave yewt... Maybe she is not finished...Oh wait, kid, you're too young. Tell me why you're 'stuck' in a house with a girl... No, wait, describe her to me... Is dshe shapely, warm and cuddly? Or the quick, violent lustre?"

"Well, she IS really violent, although she's got nice hair... And she dresses good..." Naruto's eyes widened when he realised his sensei's meaning. "Hentai!" he said, smacking him ovetr the head.

Jiraiya smiled, and stood. "Well, I have research to do... Unless you're planning on showing me that jutsu?"

"NO!" Naruto glared and stood. "I haveta get home- Or, where I'm staying, to train!"

"Yes, Naruto, go train with your lady friend... Just make sure no-ones watching!" Jiraiya winked, and disappeared.

"Pervert..." Naruto grumbled under his breath, collected his thoughts, and walked off to go find Ino...

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

Done, finally! Today, I woke up and realised Jiraiya hadn't appeared yet, so I brought him in! I have a bit of trouble with him, so any suggestions... I know he wasn't in Plan, so he might make an appearance there too...

So was this chapter better than the original, or the last? Anyways, I don't think I'm goign to get all my writing done by Monday, but I will try!

- Alden