You're Just a Day Too Late

By Ginta and Hakakku Fangirl

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own this song, "A Day Late," by Anberlin.

A/N: Hey all! Okay, yeah, I'm still writing Scarlet Kunai, don't worry. This is just to keep up the creative flow and all that wonderfulness.

Oh, and for this fic some there are spoilers for Shippuuden characters, but none of the events, save new techniques, and I won't be too specific, so don't worry, 'kay? No big spoilers. I promise.

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It was beautiful. March. Almost time for her birthday. She had just gotten off from her duties at the Konoha hospital. And the pink-haired kunoichi couldn't have been happier. She had wonderful friends, a wonderful team, a wonderful job. An absolutely amazing life.

Naruto was a daily visitor when she worked at the hospital (often times as a patient), Kakashi still head of her team. Yamato had gone back to his own team after Akatsuki had been finished. And Sai…

Sakura smiled. He was waiting for her… Her smiled broadened, and Sakura began to walk faster. She couldn't wait to get home to him.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Wait up, dattebayo!"

Sakura turned, looking over her shoulder to see the man Tsunade was personally training to take over for her as Hokage soon.

"Naruto? Doshite?"

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto bent over, panting, clutching a stitch in his side.

"Naruto?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. If a ninja was out of breath (especially a ninja so hyperactive as Naruto still was at twenty-two), then he must have been running himself ragged trying to find her.

"Naruto, is someone hurt?" Sakura asked. "Is it Sai?" she asked, trying not to panic.

"Iie." Naruto shook his head, face ablaze with a smile. "Guess who's back!"

"Shika-kun and Temari-chan!" Sakura gasped, eyes shining. "Did they really come all the way from Suna? Oh, did they bring the baby? Did Gaara-kun really think it was alright for Temari to travel so far just two weeks after her daughter was born? Do you know yet how long the birth was? I have so many questions! Ino and Chouji are talking about having a baby, I'm going to need to know everything! I--"

"Iie, iie!" Naruto held up his hands. "It's not Shikamaru and Temari!"

"Kankuro-kun?"

"Uh-uh."

"Yamato?"

"Nope."

"…Did Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, and Hinata come back from their mission early?"

"No, no, not anyone we've seen recently."

Sakura thought a moment.

"Gaara-kun? We haven't seen him since he and Matsuri-chan got married two months ago."

"They're back from their honeymoon now, aren't they?"

"Hai, for a few weeks now, but we still haven't seen them."

"Right. But that's not the point. Guess who's back!" Naruto beamed.

Sakura sighed. "Naruto, I'm tired, I want to go home to Sai. And if I haven't figured it out by now, then I don't think I'm going to any time soon."

"Fine, fine." Naruto's grin, if possible, grew wider, brighter. "It's Sasuke!" he shouted.

"Sa--Sasuke?" Sakura whispered, before the world went black.

xxx

"S--Sai-kun?" Sakura moaned, turning her head.

"I'm right here, Sakura," Sai murmured, stroking Sakura's hair from her forehead. Opening her eyes, she saw Sai's worried face. He had come so far in the past seven years…He could show so much emotion in just the simple touch of his hand.

"What happened?" Sakura murmured.

"You fainted," Sai whispered against her hair, kneeling next to the bench Naruto had lain her on.

"Naruto…Did you say that Sasuke-kun is--?"

"Back?" a deep voice said and Sakura froze.

"Sasuke-kun?" She could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

"Hai."

Sai frowned at the man staring at his girlfriend. He was quite sure he didn't like the possessive look on Sasuke's face.

"Come on, Sakura, let's get you home," Sai murmured, picking her up. "You've been working too many hours."

"Hai," Sakura whispered, wrapping her arms around Sai's neck and allowing him to take her to the apartment she was currently sharing with Hinata.

Sasuke smirked again, watching them go. He had already seen Ino and Chouji together, had seen the gold rings on their fingers. He had always liked Sakura better, anyway. And he wasn't about to lose to this guy, Sai.

xxx

Later that night, Sai smiled at Sakura, who smiled faintly back. It was not lie that she had been taking on too many hours at the hospital--she had no missions, what with Kakashi on his solo mission, Sai in ANBU and Naruto training under Tsunade. And with Hinata gone on a mission as well, she had a lot of free time, particularly now that Ino and Chouji were meeting with the Hokage to discuss their options as far as what Ino would do if she and Chouji were to go ahead and have a baby--she wouldn't be able to go on missions, so Tsunade needed to know if Ino would be able to cope working at the Konoha hospital full time until she went on maternity leave.

Yes, Sakura had a lot of time on her hands, and she felt it was best spent in the hospital.

Sai sat next to her on her bed where Sakura lay.

"Are you alright?"

"Hai." Sakura turned to her side to smile at him as Sai lay beside her. "It just came as a shock."

Sai nodded.

"I talked to the Hokage today," he said. "Apparently Sasuke-kun has been her in the Hidden Leaf Village for a year now, being questioned by the ANBU."

"Did you know about it?" Sakura asked, sitting up, but Sai shook his head.

"I'm trained in the art of torture like all other ANBU, but that's not really what I do for the Hokage, I go on missions."

"Oh," Sakura murmured, laying back down. She didn't bother asking Sai about his work. It was classified information, and the fact that she knew he was ANBU wasn't exactly allowed, as they weren't immediate family or both ANBU.

Sai pulled Sakura close to him, kissing her before standing up.

"I have to go."

"Nani?"

"I have a mission, I have to leave at midnight, and it's already half past eleven."

"ANBU?"

"Hai." Sai smiled at her. "Don't worry, Sakura. I'll be back in a few days."

Sakura nodded, standing as well, walking with him to the front door of the small apartment. Kissing him again, she whispered, "Be safe."

"I will." Sai paused. "I think you should talk to Sasuke-kun," he said finally.

"What?"

Sai shrugged.

"It might help. I can tell you're confused."

"Hai…Sai?"

"Mm?"

"I love you."

xxx

"Wait, let me get this straight," Sakura said, hand on her hip; Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Sakura had taken Sai's advice and asked Sasuke the morning after Sai had left if Sasuke would come eat lunch with her so they could "catch up."

"What?"

"You're saying now that you liked me all along?"

"Hai."

"But you just never told me?"

"Hai," Sasuke said, smirking and biting into his onigiri.

"Why didn't you just tell me? Why did you act like you hated me?" Sakura demanded.

So let me get this straight

Say now you loved me all along

What made you hesitate

To tell me with words what you

Really feel?

Sakura frowned. Looking into Sasuke's eyes, she could tell that he wasn't lying to her. Sighing, she remembered how, years ago, she had followed Sasuke around like a lost puppy. And now here he was, the man she had wanted for nearly ten years, just when she finally did not want him even in her life.

I can see it in your eyes,

You mean all of what you say

I remember so long ago

See I felt the same way

"I thought that you had someone," Sakura said coldly.

"Who, Karin?" Sasuke laughed. "I honestly don't think she gives a damn what I do, as long as I come back to her occasionally."
Sakura frowned.

"Isn't that a bit inconvenient?" she asked, voice like acid.

"Come on, Sakura, don't be like that."

Now we both have separate lives

And lovers

Insignificanly enough

We both have significant others

Only time will tell

Time will turn and tell

"Sasuke," Sakura said slowly, deliberately leaving out the friendly "-kun."

"Hn?"

"I don't know what nonsense Orochimaru put in your head, but it is not okay to toy with women like that."

"I'm not." Sasuke looked straight into Sakura's eyes. "Karin knows full well that I don't like being with her, but that I do it anyway. Like I said, as long as I come back to her every now and then, she doesn't care what I do."

Sakura glared at him.

"We used to be close," she said finally. "And there was a time when I would have considered being with you, even if I had to share, even though it would have meant you cheating on another girl."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"But?" he prompted.

"But nothing!" Sakura frowned. "Sasuke, I'm with Sai. I have a life. And it doesn't include you."

"Hn."

Sakura sighed.

"Friends," she said. "That's all you'll ever be to me anymore."

We are who we were when

Could have been lovers but at least

You're still my day-late friend

We are who

We are who we were when

Who knew what we know now

Could've been lovers

But at least you're still my day late friend

We are who

We are who we were when

"So, you're saying that if I had never left, you'd agree what I'm asking?" Sasuke asked, smirking.

"That's not what I'm saying at all!" Sakura snapped. "Besides, if you had never left, you would never had even met Karin, and I wouldn't have met Sai!"

Sakura's breath caught in her throat.

"I would never have met Sai," she whispered; Sasuke looked pleased, though it did not yet know he was wrong.

But thoughts they change

And times they rearrange

I don't know who you are anymore

Loves come and go and

This I know

I'm not who you recall anymore

"You're quite a different woman from the girl I knew, Sakura." Sasuke drawled his words, making the cherry-haired kunoichi shudder at the slow way in which her name rolled off her old infatuation's tongue. She had forgotten just how sexy he could be, even without trying.

And Sasuke knew it as well, just what effect he had on women, so much stronger now that his hair was longer, his skin paler, his frame taller.

But I must confess

You're so much more than I remember

Can't help but entertain these thoughts

Thoughts of us together

'The way his saying my name…I could almost imagine that it's Sai saying it, but without the affection…not without emotion…but so…so possessive," Sakura thought, shivering at the thought.

We are who we were when

Could have been lovers but at least

You're still my day-late friend

We are who

We are who we were when

Who knew what we know now

Could've been lovers

But at least you're still my day late friend

We are who

We are who we were when

My day late friend

"So, wait," Sakura murmured, snapping to her senses as she felt Sasuke brushing his fingers against her collar bone.

"Hn?" Sasuke leaned in and made to kiss her neck, but Sakura moved and he missed.

"All these years, you were with Orochimaru. You never came home, you almost killed Naruto, almost killed Sai. You tried to kill Kakashi-sensei--"

"You still call him sensei?" Sasuke interrupted, amused, but Sakura scowled.

"You tried to kill me!" she finished, not bothering to give the obvious answer to Sasuke's question.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"All for the sake of power," he said. "Tell me you wouldn't have done the same if your brother had destroyed your life."

"This isn't about that!" Sakura snapped. "This is about you running away from us! Trying to kill us! All for your damned power!"

"But I didn't kill you," Sasuke pointed out. "And I'm back now."

"Yes, you're back," Sakura said. "Just when I don't need you. When I no longer want you."

Sasuke feigned looking hurt.

"You shock me, Sakura-chan," he said icily.

So let me get this straight

All these years and you were nowhere to be found

And now you want me for your own

But you're a day late

And my love, he's* still renowned

Sakura scoffed.

"I'm with Sai," she said again. "He's perfect for me. He takes care of me, and he's an excellent shinobi. Better even than you."

"I doubt that."

"Damn it, Sasuke, there are more important things to being a shinobi than skill!" Sakura snapped. "Compassion, understanding. Creativity. Learning without drugs or forbidden jutsu," she added nastily when Sasuke snorted at compassion and understanding.

Sasuke glared at Sakura.

"You think that's how I got my power?" he snarled.

"I know it is!" Sakura snapped. "You think I came straight here to wait for you? I looked at the medical reports Ibiki-sensei and the ANBU filed when you first got back a year ago, and the most recent reports which are from last week." Sakura glared at Sasuke. "You still have the drugs and potions in you system to make you stronger."

"Then prove the jutsu," Sasuke hissed.

"I don't have to," Sakura snapped. "You were with Orochimaru! The snake invented nearly half the forbidden jutsu himself!"

Sasuke smirked.

"You only say that because you can't prove it," he said.

Sakura glared, then seized Sasuke's hands.

"What are you--"

"There!" Sakura interrupted, shoving Sasuke's sleeves up past his elbows. There in the crook of each arm was a tattoo of Manda, the snake he had been taught to summon.

"What about it?" Sasuke frowned. He didn't like where this was going.
"These tattoos are from a Jutsu that will allow you to transform yourself into a snake," Sakura snapped. "You can't do it, though, because the tattoos were never finished."

"Fine. One forbidden jutsu."

"I have more evidence," Sakura smirked. "Do you really want me to point it out?"

Sasuke glared.

"I suggest you leave Sai and me alone," Sakura said softly. "I loved you once. But it was never as much as I love Sai. And you could never love me the way he does."

"Tch."
Sakura shook her head, standing to leave. She had a lot to do to prepare for Sai to come home. And she finally had an answer for the question he had asked her just before he had left last night.

We are who we were when

Could have been lovers but at least

You're still my day-late friend

We are who

We are who we were when

Who knew what we know now

Could've been lovers

But at least you're still my day late friend

We are who

We are who we were when

She was going to say yes. Smiling at the thought, she took out the ring Sai had left beside her night table before making love to her, leaving her asleep in her bed before he had to run to the Konoha gates, already late for his departure. Sighing, Sakura slipped the diamond onto her finger, and warily went to go tell Tsunade the news, preparing for loud squeals at the same time; Ino was working at the hospital today.

Sakura couldn't wait for her lover to come home; Sasuke was only a friend now, but she could care less if he walked completely out of her life again. She had Sai.

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Okay, okay. First Sai x Sakura fic, be nice. Review! New chapter for Scarlet Kunai coming soon!

Fangirl