A/N: Basically, I got sick of people saying Sasuke and Sai were alike.
Warnings: Shounen-ai kiss. If you don't know what shounen-ai is, that's not my problem, so no flames.
If you were to ask who Sai of the ANBU ROOT division resembled, nearly all would tell you that his characteristics were similar to that of Uchiha Sasuke. Both had the same pale, nearly flawless skin, the same dark hair and same cobalt eyes. They would also mention the personalities of the two shinobi as being similar. The confidence in their skills, and the cold attitude that drove most people away.
Yes almost everybody would tell you that Sai was like the Uchiha.
Uzumaki Naruto was probably the only one to have ever known both of the males and tell you they were nothing alike.
He would tell you that, physically, Sai did not look like Sasuke at all. Sasuke's hair was a bluish-black that shined in the sunlight; Sai's was a deep, dark onyx that could only glow in the ereathral light of the moon. Though their eyes were both like shards of purest obsidian, Naruto would say that Sasuke's were dulled, scratched and pitted with revenge; a revenge that plagued his thoughts, tainting his very being and eventually driving him from the village.
Sai's eyes, though once dull and emotionless, now were filled with a kind of hope. Hope for the friends he was denied by the ROOT, for the art shinobi had told Naruto long ago about his life previous to joining with team 7. The emotion of love would every once in a while play through those dark orbs, and it brought a smile to Naruto's face when he saw it, knowing that the other boy was finally living again.
Once, not that long ago Naruto would disclose to you, Sai's smile had been fake. A grin that never could reach up to his eyes, which was the most likely reason for him to shut them tight when he did. Sometimes it was heartbreaking to watch, others it could be considered down right unsettling. But just like Sai, Naruto knew the best way to startle a person in the midst of a battle was to smile. But at least Sai could smile, even if it was a false one. Sasuke had never smiled in Naruto's memories of him, not once since the day his clan was slaughtered by his brother, Uchiha Itachi. More often than not, a scowl would mar an otherwise rather handsome face, and sometimes a smirk would break through, but only during the times that the the Uchiha was belittling Naruto.
Sasuke's skin was pale. Not overly so, but just enough to contrast with his dark hair and eyes. It was hereditary, Naruto discovered after encountering the eldest brother, and not just from Sasuke shutting himself away from everyone like Naruto had thought once.
Almost everyone would say that Sai's skin was nearly was white as snow, but Naruto dismissed this commonly used cliche, prefering the think of Sai's skin as the same shade as the parchment he painted upon. There were times when Naruto wanted to take a brush and ink to the older male's skin, to try and create an amazing piece of art, but at the same time, not wanting to stain the skin he knew was flawless from the times they had gone to the bath houses together. Sai was a long distance fighter, preferring to send in his creatures of ink rather than fight himself. This caused him to almost never become wounded in a fight, and preserved his beautiful skin.
Sasuke was cold; nearly icy in his demeanor towards others especially those that attempted to give him pity. For those that did they would get and anger so fierce it could virtually give them nightmares for years to come. Sai was neither cold nor warm, his personality taking on the form of whatever suited the situation. Only to Naruto and occasionally Sakura had he given any small amount of warmth in his attitude. Most of the time though, his comments would land him with an abused head, or worse a black and purple cheek courtesy one kunoichi.
It was times like those that Naruto wanted to hit the rose haired girl for wrecking the delicate skin.
One thing that Naruto, and only Naruto, could compare was the touch of their lips.
Naruto had once kissed Sasuke, purely on accident due to the boy in his class pushing him into a lip lock with the Uchiha. Sasuke's lips had been hard and chapped, the complete opposite of what the shameless girls that stalked the Uchiha thought. Naruto didn't pretend in his disgust of kissing the other boy.
The one who Naruto enjoyed kissing was Sai. His lips felt soft, warm, and gentle against his own. It was addicting, kissing the other, and he could never get enough of him. Naruto adored the looks of love he got from Sai, the same ones he knew were reflected back from his own cobalt blue.
Yes Sai was nothing like Sasuke. To believe that was to believe that Sai was the replacement for Sasuke.
Naruto would not say that, would not believe that.
Sasuke was not the one he loved. Sasuke was not the one he spent nearly every moment he could with. Sasuke was not the one to stand by him no matter what. And Sasuke certainly wasn't the one Naruto wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Pale arms snaked around him waist, one sleeved in black, the other mostly bare and the hands gloved with the dark fabric encasing all but the thumb and forefinger. He was pulled back to rest against a chest, and a head of dark hair rested on his left shoulder, cheek against cheek.
"What are you thinking about," a voice murmured his his ear.
Naruto turned around, his arms wrapping themselves around the taller one's neck. "Just thinking," he whispered back, face pressed into the others chest. He inhaled the other boy's scent. "Nothing much."
A hand cupped his chin, tilting his head up to meet the other's eyes. Cerulean and sable. Sai leaned down, his breath ghosting over Naruto's face before their lips connected, shooting sparks of pleasure down Naruto's spine. "I love you," he muttered against Sai's lips.
"I love you too."
Sasuke wasn't any of that.
Sai was everything.
A/N: My first ever SaiNaru. I hope you liked it R&R