That Porcelain Smile

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Sakura, Sai, or anyone…cause I suck like that….

Chapter 3: Silken Problems

She couldn't stand it anymore. Her body burned in a way that made shivers run up and down her spine. The sweat trickled down her body and she felt close to breaking.

"Hey Ugly! Get out of the steam-room before you faint!" Sai's voice came through the wood door and she sighed. So much for a nice relaxing spa treatment.

Sai stepped back as the wooden door swung open to reveal a very sweaty, angry, towel-clad kunoichi. "I was just fine in there! You know, you should try spa treatments…you are way too tense!"

The girl grinned as Sai's left eye twitched a bit. "Go take a shower and put some clothes on, Stinky, we're going out." With that he turned and left. Sakura felt her anger bubble up inside again at his arrogance and her new nickname but did as she was asked.

The cold shower felt good against her steam-cooked flesh. Sakura washed and clothed in only minutes before popping out of the bathroom and into the room. Sai was standing in plain black pants and a nice white shirt, his headband tucked safely away in his bag.

He couldn't help but look at her. She looked pretty good in her ankle length red skirt and white halter-top. Her hair was back and her headband, also, was hiding in her bag. "Let's go, Ugly." He grabbed her hand in his, gently, and opened the door. It was a short walk to the main street but already Sakura was running from stall to stall admiring all the clothes and jewelry and wares. She may be a ninja, but she was still a woman.

"Sakura, dear, why don't we get some lunch?" Sai looked to the excited young woman at his side. She looked up at him with puzzled eyes but remembered that they were a 'couple'. She smiled back at him and nodded heartily. He led her to a quaint little dango shop and sat her down at a table before seating himself on her other side.

Tea and dango arrived almost the second Sai sat down. He was impressed with the speed of the waitresses. The two ate in silence, and Sai blinked as he looked beyond Sakura to a man hidden in the shadows. He could feel the man staring and made a mental note to be wary of his presence. "Sakura, lets go look at some more shops?" Sai asked, hoping that the pink haired girl would get the hint that there was a tagalong.

"Alright." She smiled at him. He wasn't sure if she caught it or not, but he was sure that they were safe as long as they were in public. He paid and they left, hand in hand.

"Oh my!" Sakura was holding up various silk ribbons at one stall in the road. She was in heaven while they were shopping. Sai couldn't help but think at how cute it was that she was so easily excited. Sakura picked up a beautiful dark blue silk ribbon and stared at it in awe. It had dark embroidered black flowers that looked a lot like cherry blossoms. She stared at it silently for a while before setting it down and smiling softly to herself. Sai wanted to know what she was thinking about. Did it remind her of that Sasuke bastard?

Sai didn't know how wrong his thoughts were. Sakura wasn't even thinking of Sasuke, surprisingly. When the pink-haired kunoichi picked up the beautiful ribbon, her thoughts were on the dark blue color and the black cherry blossoms. They reminded her of herself and Sai. She never wanted to admit it, but he was attractive despite his careless attitude. She could actually picture a future by his side, even though she'd never admit it out loud.

When Sakura turned to look at Sai, she was surprised to see, on his face was a conflict in his mind. His face was low and his eyes were vacant, showing he was deep in thought and his eyebrows would furrow and relax and then furrow again, revealing he was in a mental conflict. She giggled mentally at the sight. He was cute when he showed his emotions, even slightly. "Sai?"

Her voice brought him from his thoughts. He looked into her jade eyes and his worried argument within himself faded. "Lets go to another stall?" She offered her hand and he nodded. "Sakura? Why don't you go check out that stall over there? They have nice jewelry." She nodded and bounced off through the crowd to the stall just feet away.

While her back was turned, Sai bought the silk ribbon and stuffed it into his pocket oh so carefully. He liked the small smile and peaceful face she had when she held it, and even if it was Sasuke she was thinking of, he wanted to see that face more often. After thanking the vendor, he walked up to the pink head he noticed in the crowd.

"Sai! Look! Isn't it pretty?" Sakura was holding up a silver chain on which a black onyx dragon laid. She had bought it the second she saw it and was struggling to put it on.

"Let me help." Sai took the jewelry from her hand and turned her back to him before gently pulling her hair off of the back of her neck.

Sakura felt shivers go down her spine as his soft fingers brushed the back of her neck to move her hair. 'He's just acting romantic, it's just an act…just an act…' She was mentally telling herself this, but couldn't help loving the feeling of his hand on her neck. She took the hair he moved in one hand and waited as he latched the clasp.

"There." His voice was soft and almost surprised. Sakura could feel his breath on the back of her neck and her heartbeat began racing so fast and hard she was almost sure he could hear it. The crowd around them had disappeared.

Sai watched as Sakura turned around to face him. His breath was caught in his throat as he gazed at her beauty. There were no sounds, no backgrounds. All he could see and hear was her. She had a slight blush across her pale face.

Sakura stared at the pale man in front of her. His eyes were full of emotion, so unlike him, but she liked it. They were so close together that if she took a deep breath, they would have been touching.

Before either of them could think anymore, minds clouded with an unknown feeling to either of them, Sai bent his head down, lips meeting hers gently in a kiss. Sakura didn't think, but closed her eyes softly, and returning the kiss.

Suddenly, the two were ripped apart. Sai was flung back into a pushcart and Sakura was thrown in the opposite direction into a wall. A VERY angry black-haired, red-eyed man stood glaring at Sai.

"Sasuke?" Sakura's voice quivered as she looked up from the hole in the wall she was now sitting in. The red-eyed man turned and looked at her with a snarl on his face.

"Sakura, I'm gone for a few months and you replace me with that wannabe look-a-like?" His voice was deep, angry, and hurt. He turned to Sai again and ran at him with his fist ready to punch.

Sai jumped out of the way and turned on his hand to deliver a kick to Sasuke's head but Sasuke arched his back and Sai's foot went over his face. Sasuke did a back flip before running back towards Sai, fist poised. Sai jumped over him and ran to Sakura. He grabbed her wrist and did a hand sign before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Sasuke cursed out loud as he looked around the frightened crown for the familiar pink hair but couldn't' find it, all he could see were the many frightened faces of the onlookers.

Sai and Sakura appeared inside their hotel room. Sakura let go of his hand before silently walking into the bathroom and locking the door, never looking at him. Sai felt his heart drop as he looked at the closed door and sighed. He pulled out the ribbon and set it neatly on the bed, before writing a note and leaving it next to the ribbon. He needed to go to the spa and take a steam. He needed to think.

Sakura sat in the bathtub for an hour, just staring at the wall and replaying the fight today in her mind. It had been 5 years since she last saw Sasuke. 5 years since he tried to kill Naruto and Sai and her.

After she was wrinkled and soaked thoroughly, she stood and dressed. Walking out of the bathroom she noticed she was alone. Sai wasn't there but on the bed was a note. She picked it up and saw that he had gone to the steam room. Her eyes landed on the silken ribbon and she picked it up, fingering it gently. "Sai…"

(END! Okay, okay, so short chappie but I UPDATED! YAY! I had some fun writing this, but it was also challenging too since I don't write action scenes with battles much but I liked how this turned out. I also loved the romance/fluff in this chapter. YAY!

-Amori