A Day Late
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Chapter Four
Sakura ran frantically to the gates of Konoha, her pink locks blowing behind her. She didn't know what to think at the moment, so many thoughts were racing through her mind.
"Sai." Sakura panted, a sheen layer of sweat now coated her forehead.
Sakura itched to get to gates before anyone could stop her, her thighs screaming in pain as she ran faster than she ever had. She heard Naruto calling out to her from a ways back.
A single silhouette of a man was leaning up against the gates of Konoha; the guards seemed to be missing.
"Sai!" Sakura cried out, slowing down as she approached the gates. "Oh, Sai! Where have you been? I have so many questions to ask—,"
Sakura was cut off as Sai stepped out from the shadows of the gate and placed a bruising kiss upon Sakura's lips.
"Sakura," he said against her mouth. "I've missed you, so much."
When they parted from their kiss, Sasuke stood off in the distance. Shock written all over his face. She really has moved on, he thought. I'm too late.
"Tsunade-shishou!" Sakura cried happily as she barged into the Hokage's office with a trailing Sai, and a slightly grumpy Sasuke. "Tsunade, look, it is Sai!"
Sai smiled; unlike the fake smile he used so many years ago, this one was sincerely real. "Hello, Hokage-sama. I'm sure you'd like to know where I've been, and I will tell you; but if I may ask, I would like a day to rest. If that is okay."
"Of course, of course." The Hokage said, shifting her eyes from Sai to Sakura. "If you could wait outside my office for a moment, I'd like to speak to Sakura."
"Of course."
"Sakura, I know that you're happy that Sai is back," Tsunade said once he had left the room. "But he seems a bit off. He seems…distant. Not the same as before. Now, maybe it's just me but I don't think he is the same. Try not to get too involved with him until I'm able to figure everything out, okay Sakura?"
"Hai, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura said quietly, her head hanging low. "You're right, I shouldn't accept him back so quickly. There might be something…something wrong with him."
"That's all Sakura," Tsunade said to the girl. "Please send Sai in, and if you can, report to Naruto that Sasuke will be staying with you; I know you want to stay with Sai but I'd like him to stay at the hospital for a while."
"Hai." Sakura walked out of the room.
Tsunade could hear soft murmuring from outside her office door before it finally opened to reveal Sai; a sadistic smirk across his face.
"Hello again, Tsunade." He said again.
"Naruto," Sakura greeted, face blank. "Sasuke."
"Hiya, Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled. "How…how's everything going?"
"Okay, I guess." She looked towards the Hokage Tower. "Sai is going to be in there for a while, for questioning. Tsunade-sama wants to keep him in the hospital for a few days too, to make sure he is healthy."
Naruto nodded thoughtfully, "That's a good idea. Who knows what that guy could have gotten into while he was gone, right?" He laughed nervously.
"Hn."
"Oh," Sakura's eyes widened, realizing that Sasuke was still there. "Tsunade says that you're to stay with me, Sasuke. I don't know why the sudden change of plans, but yeah. Sai will be in the hospital for a day or two, then moved into his old home out in the forest."
"Teme!" Naruto cried, smacking the Uchiha on the back. "Great news! You wanted to stay with Sakura-chan too!"
"Hn," Sasuke looked away. "Shut-up dobe."
Sakura ignored Naruto's comment and started to head towards Naruto's apartment. "Well, are we moving your stuff or not? I haven't got all day."
"Now, Sai," Tsunade leaned forward on her desk. Sai was sitting in a chair on the other side of the desk. "I have a few questions that I'd like to ask, before I check you into the hospital for a normal procedure."
"Go right ahead." The man's face was as blank as ever; Tsunade was slightly taken back, he hadn't acted like this in over a year and a half. Since Sakura started to show him emotions.
"Well," the Hokage cleared her throat. "The first one is quite obvious: where did you disappear off to?"
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that," he said, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever. "It is a very personal problem that I'd like to remain private."
"Hm, okay. But sooner or later you're going to have to tell Sakura." Tsunade said. "Do you know what you put her through? Do you?"
"I'm afraid I don't."
"You know, you're being a real bastard right now Sai." Tsunade growled, standing up from her chair. "Sakura suffered from an extremely severe case of depression. I'm surprised that she acted the way she did to you! If I were her, I wouldn't have talked to you at all! You're lucky she loves you so much."
"Are there any more questions, or can I leave?" his tone was annoyed, like that of Sasuke.
Tsunade stared at him for what seemed like forever, before letting him go to the hospital; telling him she would question him later.
"I swear," the Hokage grumbled, reaching for a bottle of sake. "If that boy breaks her heart one more time, it'll be the last of him."
"So," Naruto rested on what would be Sasuke's bed, in Sakura's large apartment. "What made Granny Tsunade decide that you would stay here?"
Sakura had just left the room, to make a few sandwiches for the three of them for lunch. Leaving Naruto and Sasuke to talk with each other.
Sasuke glanced towards the door that the pink-haired girl had just left from, "I don't think she is ready to accept that Sai is back, and so suddenly. She acted like something was wrong with him, that he wasn't his normal self. Maybe she just wanted me to look after Haruno while he was getting settled in."
"Oh," Naruto looked out the window. "I guess that's a good assumption. I wouldn't have thought of that."
"Hn, of course you wouldn't have."
"I hope you guys like turkey sandwiches!" Sakura called from outside the room, opening the door a second later carrying a tray with three turkey sandwiches and three cups of tea. "And some tea, sorry that it's all I had; I haven't gone shopping this week for food, been too busy with everything…you know."
"Oh it's alright, Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled, gratefully accepting his sandwich.
"Hn." Was all Sasuke said, Sakura supposed that it was a 'thanks'.
Plopping down onto the floor, Sakura looked up at the two boys; Naruto on Sasuke's bed and Sasuke in a chair next to a small desk. She took a small bite out of her sandwich and chewed slowly before asking them, "What would you guys like to do today? I mean, I'll probably have to go talk to Tsunade-sama about…well you know, and I'll go visit Sai. Then I've got a late shift at the hospital."
"Tsunade-baa-chan is working you too hard, Sakura." Naruto said carefully. "You should ask for a few days off, to hang out with us! With Sasuke back and all, we can finally be Team 7 again! Believe it!"
Sasuke scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Do you really think we could become Team 7 again, dobe?"
Sakura's eyes narrowed. "You don't think Kakashi-sensei would let us become Team 7 again, Sasuke?"
"No, I don't." he responded, glaring back at the girl.
"Well, if you two don't want to do anything," Sakura stood up, taking the tray and sandwich plates from her two friends. "I'm going to go find Tsunade-sama and see how Sai is doing."
"Whatever." Was Sasuke's reply.
"Have fun Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled at the girl. "Don't do anything you shouldn't."
Sakura laughed, exiting the room; leaving the two best friends alone again.
"We should go check on her later, when she is at the hospital. I want to see how she is holding up, after noticing that Sai isn't the same guy she remembered."
Naruto was astounded that those words came from Sasuke Uchiha's mouth; he would have never guessed that he cared about their female teammate. "Yeah, sure, that's a good idea, teme."
The sun was blazing high in the sky as Sakura slowly walked to Tsunade's office; the pavement slightly burned the soles of Sakura's feet as she walked.
Sakura sighed, as she wiped off the sweat on her brow. "It's suddenly so hot today…"
The pink-haired girl slowly staggered off to the shade, in hopes of it being cooler than walking in the blatant sun. She leaned up against a wall that was cool on her back; she closed her eyes.
She wasn't sure how long she had been leaning up against the wall, but when she finally opened her eyes, the sun was setting. The temperature of the air had changed drastically, going down at least 20 degrees. The girl rubbed her eyes free of sleep and walked towards the nearest store to buy something to drink before heading off to the Hokage Tower.
As Sakura walked, she noticed that the streets of Konoha were empty; with it being the most beautiful time of the year usually the streets were bustling with people. There wasn't a person in sight.
"Must be the heat." Sakura murmured.
As she finally made her way to the Hokage Tower, she sighed.
"Shizune! Please tell me you know where Sakura is?" a very drunk Tsunade called from inside her office.
"N-no, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune appeared in the doorway of the office. "I don't know where she is and how many times do I have to tell you that sake isn't good for you!"
"Well, when you find her," slurred the Hokage, "Don't let her go near that Sai person. He's bad news."
Shizune was astounded, Sakura loved Sai; she wouldn't be able to stay away from him.
"Something is wrong with how he acts. It isn't what I remember." Tsunade slowly straightened up; reaching for a glass of water on her desk in hopes it would sober her up a bit. "Shizune, please, get me some coffee; black."
"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Shizune left the doorway, which soon was replaced by a very tired looking Sakura.
"Sakuraaaaaaaaaa," Tsunade drawled out the name, smiling sloppily. "How nice of you to stop by! I have a mission for you; something in town that you'll have to do for a while."
"Nice to see you too, Shishou." Sakura smiled lazily, slowly making her way to the chair she always sat in; her favourite chair. "Elaborate; I'd love to know what this mission is all about."
"Welllllllll, Sakuraaaaaaa, I need you to keep a close eye on Sasuke. Train with him, eat with him, talk to him, et cetera et cetera," Tsunade drawled on. "Make sure you are with him at all times. I need you to keep a close eye on him for a while; your hospital shifts will be covered so no need to worry. Think of this as a mini vacation!"
"Hai, Shishou." Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry to be leaving so soon, but I'm going to go see Sai at the hospital."
Tsunade's eyes widened as Sakura got up out of the chair.
"No!" the Hokage was suddenly extremely sober, more so than she had ever been in the past few years. "I mean, no. Sakura, he isn't in the best shape at the moment. He needs time to rest; get used to the surroundings, you know, get used to being back in Konoha."
Sakura slightly raised a single eyebrow at the older woman, "O-kaaay. Sure thing. I guess, I'll uh, be leaving then, to tend to Sasuke."
Tsunade sat down in her chair, brushing her hair with her fingers; sighing. "Good, Sakura, good idea."
The pink haired girl quietly walked out of the room, leaving an eerie silence about the room. The rays of the sun were slowly fading away in the room; shadows were invading the room slowly.
"You know, nurse, I think it would be a good idea right about now to release me from here." A man purred into the ear of the nurse that was serving him. "I have to see my sweet, sweet Sakura-chan."
"S-Sai," the nurse stuttered, "The Hokage told me not to release you, not until she deemed you able to leave."
"Do you think, maybe," Sai leaned in close to the nurse, his lips against her ear, "you could be persuaded, to release me early?"
"I-I don't t-think that that would b-be such a good idea," the nurse became suddenly afraid of the patient.
"What's your name, anyways?" Sai cooed against her ear.
"S-Suki," the girl stuttered, attempting to pull away from the mans grip. "I-I really have to go, but I'll t-try to tell the Hokage that you would like to be released."
Sai placed a bruising kiss upon the girl's lips, slowly lifting her up onto the bed on which he was currently laying on.
"I never said you could leave." His voice was husky; wanting. "I haven't been with a woman in a long, long time Suki. I think my Sakura-chan wouldn't mind sharing me for just a moment. What she doesn't know won't hurt her."
The girl let out a moan as Sai kissed her roughly; he was on top of her now, slowly unbuttoning her blouse.
"Oh God." Sai muttered as led a trail down her neck. "You're so beautiful, Suki."
"P-Please," Suki whimpered, trying to cover herself up. "I-I have a husband!"
"Mmm," Sai smirked, placing a kiss upon her neck. "I see. Well, in that case, I will have to postpone this until later then. Suki, you are a beautiful woman, your husband is very lucky to have you."
Sai slowly removed himself from being on top of the nurse, who was shaking slightly. He smiled sadistically. "I hope everything works out for you and your husband; if you need any help you know where to find me."
The girl quickly straightened up and scurried out of the room, leaving Sai smirking to himself. He situated himself back on the bed and closed his eyes, unaware that a pink-haired girl had been standing outside of the room the whole time.
First off I'd like to appologize for taking forever to post this, I was suffering from a slight writers block. Second, I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing on the last chapter; thank you :)
And thirdly, we find out that Sai is pretty much a jerk (-sad- even though I love him dearly.) I hope you enjoyed this chapter; I won't promise anything but I'll try to have a new chapter up in the next few days. Please tell me what you think of it!
Suzie.
