I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. If I did, do you really think I'd be sitting here typing at 2:05 in the afternoon in my pajamas eating Ramen? The answer is yes, but that's beside the point.
WARNING: Extremely Fluffy
"Konoha's beauty never ceases to amaze me come autumn." Sakura mused, stretching her arms behind her back. Sai looked up from his sketch book and smiled at the pink haired woman. After seven years since he first joined Team 7, Sai's communication skills and understanding of emotions improved greatly. Sakura approached her teammate and plopped herself on the ground next to him. "How's the sketch coming out?" she asked, craning her neck over to see it.
Sai slowly handed her his sketch book, rather proud of his creation. His smile widened as she looked at his drawing and gasped. Sai had drawn an incredibly realistic portrait of the village and the surrounding scarlet and titian colored leaves. The sky was a perfect azure and completely cloudless. But even better was the detailed sketch of Sakura, standing on the cliffs edge of Hokage Mountain. Her light amaranth hair billowed behind her in long thick locks from an oncoming breeze. Her arms were wrapped around her chest on her face was a small, blissful smile. Sai had even managed to capture her emerald eyes perfectly. They were the exact shade of green and sparkled with life. The picture could have passed as a photograph if it wasn't colored with pencil.
"What do you think?" Sai asked, anticipating her reaction. Sakura handed him back the pad and grasped his hand with both of her smaller ones, staring into his dark eyes. "Sai, the only way to put it is that you're a master at your trade." She gave him a light squeeze and giggled. "I love it." The artist nodded his thanks and stared at his drawing of the beautiful woman. "Sakura," he started, looking back at her. "May I ask you something?"
"Go ahead." She answered, once again staring out at Konoha's beautiful view. A chilly breeze made the trees whisper and rustle, making the forest look like and ocean of auburn. "What exactly is love?" Sakura tilted her head back, making her long pink hair cascade down her back and sighed. Sai's breath caught at the beautiful sight, which he found much more stunning than the trees. "Well, let me find a simple way to put this." Sakura opened her eyes, which began to take on a dreamy look.
"Love is when you care for someone or something deeply. It means that you can't get enough of them and they mean everything to you. You'd give your life for them and you'd do anything to see them smile. It's because that smile is worth more than all of the jewels and gold in the world."
"When you really love someone, it's like you give them a part of you and they give you a part of them. It's your job to nurture and care for that part, and if the love is true, they'll do the same for you."
"And how do you show someone that you love them?" Sai asked, intrigued by the kunoichi's heartfelt sermon of this unfamiliar emotion.
"There are tons of different ways to show your love for someone. To show them vocally, you simply say nice things to them and assure them that you'll always be there for them. Let that person know that you care for them."
"And there are physical ways as well?" Sai asked. Sakura flushed slightly as she thought of that. (Pervert!)
"Yes, there are physical ways. For example, what Kakashi likes to read about in his Icha Icha books." She grimaced to show that she didn't approve. "Those stories are mostly about lust, which can be mistaken as love."
Sai nodded to show that he understood.
"But," She continued, "There are sweeter, truer ways of showing love. Like holding someone close to you and wrapping your arms around them."
He looked at Sakura's small frame and a thought hit him. What would it feel like to hold her? Not thinking twice about, Sai crawled over to her and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her onto his lap, making her squeal slightly. She seemed to fit his frame perfectly, like she was meant to be there. "Sai! What are you doing!?" She shrieked, trying to release herself from his grasp.
He held tightly until her attempts to escape ceased. She must be enjoying this if she hasn't planted a chakra enhanced fist on my face. Inside, Sakura knew that she was enjoying Sai's impulsive action. Never before had she ever been treated in such a tender manner. "Go on. I'm only testing what you say." Sai told her. Sakura relaxed slightly and continued her explanation.
"Holding someone is a way to show that you care. And so is holding their hand. But the biggest way to show love in an appropriate manner is…" Sakura didn't know if she wanted to risk continuing. "Please continue." Sai said quietly, bringing his face closer to hers. Sakura felt her face flare up and knew that her face must match her hair at the moment. "By kissing them."
Sai sealed the distance between them and touched his lips gently to hers. Her eyes widened at the feeling of her teammates surprisingly soft lips. His lips began moving on hers and her eyes fluttered shut, her mouth moving in sync with his. She was actually enjoying herself. Once they ran out of breath, they broke apart, both panting softly. Not wanting the moment to end yet, Sai leaned in and kissed her again. Once. Twice. Then a third.
"I love you." Sai whispered into her pink her, inhaling its scent. Sakura looked up at him. "Did you only to that only to test out what I say?" Sai shook his head. A small smile played on his lips as he gently kissed her wide forehead that Ino had often made fun of. He found it quite cute and thought that it made her look smart. "Then why? Do you really love me?" She asked warily.
"Of course." Sai replied, twirling her hair around his finger. "I just wanted to make sure that I didn't do anything wrong and that I showed you my love in the exact way you wanted." Sakura smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think I finally know what exactly love is." Sai said, before sealing his lips over hers once more.