Author notes: Wow, I'm up to chapter 3, and if I'm right it's my longest yet
Author notes: Wow, I'm up to chapter 3, and if I'm right it's my longest yet. So I hope everyone is enjoying the story, and starting with chapter 4 I'll try to respond to reviews /criticisms as long as they are valid and make sense, otherwise, you will be ignored. And as I don't really want to rant all that much, here you go with the story. Again, cannon up to 311ish, so if you're past that you should be fine. Oh and while I've been reexamining the manga, the words should be mostly the same, if not the meaning being exactly the same, so read it for the inner thoughts, if not for the dialogue.
Chapter Three: What Books Don't Teach
"W-w-what was t-that?" She's all flushed in the face, oh no maybe she got sick on that last mission. Before I know it, I'm at her side, reaching for her forehead to check for a fever. She jumped in shock at my sudden movement, but almost started to lean against me. As my hand brushed through the few hairs that graced her forehead, she tensed on me. Then she slapped me. She slapped me so hard my head spin. All I could do is look at her in shock. Why did she slap me, all I was doing was making sure she was okay. It's not like I was trying to kiss her or something like that. I just wanted to make sure she was healthy.
So I looked back at her, a little hurt, and still shocked. And I was surprised. She was staring back at me, a look of pain and shock on her face much like my own. Her cheeks had lost some of the crimson that had rested on them, but she still look seemed to be distant. "Um sorry about that Naruto, I guess I'm not feeling like myself today or something." She turned her back to me and started for the door. I simply nodded and followed, cupping my stinging face with my hand.
We stopped at the library; she muttered something about a book she had to reserve and left me outside. I was glad she didn't drag me in there. All those books they scare me. I was glad there was a bench I could rest on, knowing Sakura she wouldn't rest until she had every book she wanted. Sadly it also left me alone with my thoughts. Those words that Sauske said to me, that he would do anything for revenge. He doesn't care what happens to him as long as Itachi dies, and he'll give his body to Orochimaru freely.
I'm not sure why he would be willing to give that snake his body. He should know that Orochimaru will just use it to destroy the village. He will bring the destruction of his home and his friends and all for the chance to kill his brother. Damnit why does he have to be so obsessed with that damn snake and revenge. If Sauske only would have asked us for help, we would have agreed without hesitation. But I can't beat the success he's had at the snake's hands. He's faster, too much faster than I am, and he's improved the chidori. How the hell am I going to bring him back? How? Sauske.
"Naruto!" I hear Sakura's voice call out to me, so I look over at her. She's starting to act normal now, no flush or anything like before. She must be feeling better or something.
"Ah?" What's Sai doing here? I thought Sakura and I were going to go to the hospital together to see Kakashi. "What in the world is Sai doing here?"
"Well I ran into him at the library so I though I'd invite him along with us." She was smiling.
"Aw man and I was hoping it would be just the two of us, kind of like a date you know."
"Well if you had enough time on your hands to think that up you should use it to study ninjutsu or something." That hurt, I know she didn't mean that I wasn't good enough to get Sauske back, but that's what I heard.
"Studying right." I tried to make my voice sound annoyed and I think it worked because she didn't react hurt. "How can you even stand it in there, it's so uncomfortable."
"Well maybe it would do some good for you if you did visit the library once in a while. You have to train both the body and the mind Naruto." She smiled again. "I mean you're already so stupid."
"Sakura! That's going a bit far isn't it?" She doesn't have to say it that way, I may not be bright, but I'm not stupid. Man this is really making me feel down. Why would she go and say something like that?
"N-Naruto, Sakura?" Huh, Sai is speaking, and he's not acting like an idiot or anything like that either. "I wanted to know if you would mind if I joined the conversation. I was looking at this book about getting to know people better and stuff. Well it said that friends often have nicknames and such for each other, it creates a bond of closeness, making them better friends." He was smiling as he said this, it was a small smile but it was real.
"Wow Sai, I didn't think you cared a lot about that stuff." I couldn't help but smile in return at his openness.
"So that's what you were doing in the library, and what all those books were for."
Another genuine smile fixed on his face. "Yeah. But the more I tried; I still couldn't come up with any nicknames for the two of you."
"Nicknames aren't something you can just make up, usually they just naturally happen." Hands behind my head grinning wildly at my teammate, I could see how he was trying to bond with us, and it was working.
"Well a good place to start would be to look at someone's attributes or characteristics. Take Naruto for example." What me? Why does she look at me? "He could be something like Stupid Naruto, or Idiot Naruto." She was smiling at me.
"Oh come on Sakura! That's way overdoing it!" I was pouting at her, but what else could I do, she's not going to feel sorry for it, and it's almost in a little way true.
"Okay, thanks, I think I got the hang of it. Ugly Dog." What the hell is he thinking, he just insulted Sakura, he just insulted her and smiled. Oh no, she's going to kill him, she will kill him and not think twice about it!
"SHANNARO!" Oh no I have to do something drastic before she kills him. I have to stop her from beating him dead, I must hold her back. This is going to hurt me a lot more than it will hurt him.
As I prepared to bite the bullet for Sai, I had to tell him. "Sai that is way, WAY overdoing it!" She was going right for him, so I had to do it; I had to block her way. So I did, I blocked her way the only way I knew how, with my face.
"Huh Naruto, what do you mean?" He's clueless, he insulted Sakura and she doesn't know it? How can he be that dense, my face is being clawed at while she tries to get at him, and he's confused as to why? He deserves to be hit; he deserves the pain I'm sparing him. "Was something I said wrong? She looks like an ugly dog."
Oh god no, he just made it worse, that's it, there is no way in hell that I'm taking anymore beatings for what this, this moron says, let her at him. Hell let me at him, he insulted Sakura's beauty he deserves pain! I step out of the way, my face is sore from both the earlier slap and Sakura's desperate clawing. I let her at him, and she beats at his face. For once I'm glad it wasn't me who's in pain. Well not as much pain I guess.
After a thorough beating, she grabbed his ear and dragged him off towards the hospital. "Come on Naruto, Kakashi is waiting for us."
"Uh sure thing Sakura, I'm coming." Sai for his part remained quiet the whole way there.
