DISCLAIMER:

I do not own Naruto and never will. That privilege belongs to Kishimoto.

Warning. This does not take place in Mangaverse. Non-massacre because I honestly do feel that it is really tragic and is the turning point for many events. So allow me to present to you my take on the events that might have unfold should that tragedy not strike. Enjoy.

Sakura poked the rice balls that she had packed into her bento box as she sighed. It has been weeks since those letters stopped arriving. After Naruto's proclamation that she should 'give as good as she gets', she sent a scathing letter back which she stuck onto the hospital's entrance with explicit instructions to her staff to not remove it.

Dear Jackass

I could eat out of an alphabet soup

And shit

Smarter statements than that

Sure enough, she received an equally insulting letter the next day pasted onto the same spot.

I am handsome, charming and intelligent

I guess

Opposites do attract

Word spread fast in Konoha and soon enough everyone knew that Haruno Sakura, Head Medic of Konoha Hospital and apprentice to the Godaime has a mysterious admirer flirts with her via love letters pasted on the hospital door.

"It's not love letters damn it!" Sakura cursed, downing her sake.

"It might as well be; at the way the two of you written to each other" Ino shrugged as she sat cross-legged on her futon. "That's why you asked me to sleepover tonight, isn't it? To talk about him" she winked saucily at Sakura who scowled.

"No, we just have a ..tentative correspondence I guess" Sakura protested. "Besides, it has been weeks since he wrote back" she muttered under her breath.

"I heard that, Forehead" Ino smirked at her best friend who suddenly found her ceiling exceedingly interesting. "It couldn't be..." she trailed off. 'You actually enjoy the letters", she said disbelievingly, raising her pale hand to her mouth.

"So what if I do? It was rather nice to trade barbs with someone else. That's all" Sakura crossed her arms defensively. "Anyway, have you been to the new restaurant downtown yet?"

Ino recognized the change in topic but decided to just drop it, for now. She is absolutely sure that Sakura is beginning to fall for the person behind the letters. Now, it is just the matter of finding out who he is. It has been weeks, yet she is nowhere near to finding out his identity. Yamanaka Ino is not the Konoha's gossip queen for no reason, she told herself as a mad glint entered her blue eyes.

"I know that you know what I don't know" Ino shot him a stern glare. "Stop looking at clouds. I know you must have figured it out a long time ago"

Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome" as he kept his eyes on the clouds above him.

"Well?" Ino demanded as she tapped her foot impatiently.

"Look, it isn't any of our business. He means well, I know that for sure"

"Aha! So you do know who he is" she grabbed Shikamaru's collar and begun shaking him vigorously.

"I'm still not going to tell you who he is. It's their privacy and you know that" Seeing Ino's crestfallen expression, he hastily added, "I know that you are just looking out for Sakura but she'll be fine. If anything, I worry for him"

Ino harrumped in reply, knowing that she'll not get anything else from her tight-lipped teammate.

"Fine" she conceded as she laid down beside Shikamaru. "But you owe me a shopping trip for this."

"Tch. Troublesome"

"Ugly. Why are you poking those innocent rice balls for?"

Sakura looked up immediately to see Sai's pale face inches away from hers. Startled, she jumped back in surprise. "You got to stop doing that" she groaned.

Sai was first introduced to the Konoha Twelve when the Danzo incident happened. After the Uchiha Itachi was ordered to massacre his clan as per Shimura Danzo's command, he went to the Hokage after much deliberation, hoping to settle things in a diplomatic way. As loyal as he is to Konoha, Itachi selfishly also wanted to have his clan alive and well in Konoha. He knew that the fire of Konoha burns bright among his clan members, as misguided and corrupted the clan elders were, he did not want the entire clan massacred due to their pointless ambition.

With the backing of the Sandaime, Uchiha Fugaku managed to overthrow the clan elders and ensured that the coup will never happen. And from then onwards, Sandaime had taken steps to better integrate the Uchiha clan into Konoha as it was Konoha herself that drove away the once loyal clan with her citizens' suspicions.

Having lost a considerable amount of political clout, an enraged Danzo bid his time in the shadows, focussing all his time, effort and money into the Root organization. Finally, he struck during the Chuunin exams which both Konoha Jinchuuriki and Itachi's younger brother was going to participate. The former for his power and malleability, and the latter as part of his revenge against Itachi for foiling his well laid plans. Collaborating with the disgraced Konoha traitor, Orochimaru, they invaded Konoha.

Much to Danzo and Orochimaru's despair, the invasion failed with one of them losing the use of his arms and the other his life. Following the Sandaime's death by the hands of his former student, Tsunade was stepped up as Hokage when she swiftly executed Danzo as a traitor to the village.

In an effort to disband the Root and assimilate them into the Konoha troops, members of Root were temporarily added to each genin team. And that, was exactly how Team Seven was saddled with a temporary teammate, Sai.

….

Sai sat down next to Sakura, stealing one of her rice balls as he did. At her indignant look, he shrugged and said, "I read that friends eat each other's food all the time" with a blank look on his face.

"You shouldn't believe everything in those socializing books that Kakashi got for you?"

"Why not? Kakashi senpai's books are great."

There was silence between them as the both of them just sat and enjoyed the brief breeze which instantly freshened up the humid air.

"Ugly."

Sakura turned to glare at Sai. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

Sai threw her a Isn't it obvious look then shrugged, "Kakashi senpai's book says that friends give each other nicknames with opposite meanings"

Her mouth formed an 'O' as a light blush dusted her cheek. Sakura had always thought that Sai was attractive with his pale complexion and hard angles. It didn't help either that he bore a slight resemblance to her childhood crush. Hey, there was a reason why she fell for Sasuke in the first place.

"Wait a minute" as realization dawned on Sakura. "When you called Naruto dickless, you actually meant – " her voice trailed off. She shook her head violently as she tried to get the imagery out of her head when she made an 'Eek' face.

In an effort to divert her attention elsewhere, she asked, "So how was your ANBU mission? It has been weeks since I saw you around"

"Did you enjoy the poems I sent you?" he asked instead.

"Huh? Hold on. The poems you sent me? So it's you! The taunting letters" She jumped up and pointed a finger accusingly at him. "You..you..you jerk!"

Sai blinked impassively at her, "But Kakashi told me that I have to send love poems to woo you."

"Kakashi said that?" she deadpanned then cracked her knuckles loudly while muttering under her breath what she would do once she gotten her hands on him.

"Love poems?!" she shrieked, suddenly recalling an important titbit of information besides that treacherous former teacher of hers.

"Yes. The next step would be bouquets of plants and moonlight serenades outside your window. Would you prefer belladonna or cow grass?" he queried innocently.

Sakura sent him pummelling onto the rooftop floor in reply. "Forget all those. You. Me. Dinner tonight at 8. Pick me up from my house" she huffed as she turned to leave.

"Ohh, but that's the fourth step. A date comes later. You are domineering, Ugly" he called out behind her.

Without looking back, Sakura threw a kunai at him as a small smile crept onto her face. A date it is then.

Author's Note:

Yayyy. I finally finished it! Now that I got this plot bunny out of my system, my muse is demanding that I start updating my other fics haha. It made sense to me that Sai was the one behind it. I mean, ink? That practically screams Sai to me already. I hope you all enjoyed this short fic. I had a blast writing it and I hope that you all did too. It was actually based on a true story with the same insults. Just that it was a prank instead of a socially awkward attempt at courtship. Reviews please! Oh, and I am currently writing a new Harry Potter/ Ouran High School Host Club crossover so feel free to check it out. Thanks and much love to everyone who took some time off his/her busy life to read my fic!

Written at 5:09 PM