Mentally Yours, Chapter Seven….about time…
Their walk to Kakashi's office was silent except for their footfalls. Naruto kept his gaze on his feet. His mind reeling over the conversation Sasuke had with his brother. Was the man Itachi called 'snake' the cause for Sasuke's occupancy here? Why did Sasuke want to find him?
Naruto's mind was so entangled with these thoughts that he nearly bumped into Iruka. They were standing outside Kakashi's office door. Naruto curiously looked at Iruka's face; it was taught in concentration, his brow creased and his eyes hard. Naruto wondered what type of person this doctor must be to make Iruka this tense.
They shuffled into the office. Kakashi was sitting stiffly behind his desk; his eye was narrowed and trained on a man in a black trench coat. The man was towered over Naruto, fixing him a curious gaze. Naruto unconsciously gripped Iruka's shirt as he stared back into those morbid eyes.
Their staring contest was interrupted by a knock on the door. Gai waltzed in with an apathetic Gaara trailing behind him.
"Kakashi!" Gai exclaimed, "I have brought Gaara, although it was difficult to separate him from his beloved Lee—"
"That's enough Gai," Kakashi interrupted, "you are dismissed."
Gai saluted, and marched out the door. Kakashi finally removed his gaze from the stranger. He motioned for Gaara and Naruto to sit in the two chairs in front of his desk. Iruka nudged them a bit, and they both sat down.
"This," Kakashi gestured towards the man, "is Doctor Pein from Akatsuki Institute."
The man nodded at Iruka and the two boys, "I am here because the Psychology Institution of Konoha has sent me." He handed a form to Kakashi.
"You'll read on that signed form the procedures for their evaluation," he waved his hand at the boys, "You'll also notice the procedures for what will done if they match the criteria."
Kakashi scowled, "You come here, interrupt my schedule, all because you want them to," he scanned the paper again, "draw pictures?"
Dr. Pein smirked, "Yes."
Kakashi sighed, "Fine. Iruka escort them to the art room."
"That won't be necessary, Dr. Kakashi," Pein flicked open his briefcase, produced two sheets of paper and a box of crayons.
Kakashi sighed and sat back in his chair, "Very well." He swiped some papers off his desk so the boys would have a hard surface to draw on.
"You two," Pein began, "are to draw your interpretation of what your alter personality looks like." He handed the bemused boys the paper and set the crayons on the desk.
"This is ridiculous," Iruka murmured.
The boys each grabbed a crayon and started to draw on their piece of paper. Three minutes passed until both of them finished. Pein collected the drawings, studying each one with interest.
"I will contact you tomorrow," he said, "to tell you the results." Pein carefully placed the pictures into his case, bowed slightly and strode out the door.
Kakashi glared into space for a moment, "You two are dismissed. Iruka, you stay."
Naruto and Gaara shuffled out the door, departing down opposite hallways. Naruto had no doubt that Gaara was going back to Lee. He had no idea where he was going though until he halted in front of two big doors.
The library was empty, not even a librarian was present at the counter near the doors. There weren't many shelves, or books. The air was stale; full of dust. Naruto snuffed back a sneeze. He weaved through the wooden shelves, listlessly gazing at titles of the books.
He was about to go down another aisle when he saw the boy from his art class sitting at a small table. Sai, Naruto observed, was engrossed in a ragged looking book. His dark eyes never moved from the pages, not even when Naruto took a seat next him.
"What are you reading?" He asked.
Sai lifted the left side of the book up so Naruto could just barely see the title. Sai's eyes did not even twitch off the page.
"Love: What it is and isn't." Naruto read aloud. "That's a strange book for you to be reading."
This time Sai did take his eyes off the book, "Why? I'm human too I think. So I should be able to…love. Right?"
Naruto blinked, "Of course you're human. I just meant…" he trailed off, "I don't know what I meant…sorry."
The pale boy smiled awkwardly and looked back at his book, "It's actually quite confusing," he said.
"What is?" Naruto asked.
"Love," Sai snapped the book shut, "I've read a lot about it, but it doesn't come close to explaining what I'm feeling."
"Who are you in love with?"
The library doors opened just as Sai's mouth did. A broad young man walked into the room. His cat-like eyes fluttered around the room, then lit up when they say Sai sitting in the corner.
"Sai," the man started, "I knew I'd find you here. You're grandfather is here to see you." The man's eyes then flicked onto Naruto, "Oh, you're talking to someone. I'll wait outside then." He turned and quietly shut the doors behind him.
Naruto watched the man leave. He looked at Sai who had just stared at the table the entire time. The deep blush was highly noticeable on his white face.
"You like that nurse?" Naruto pointed at the door.
Sai nodded, "Yamato Tenzou, is the man I'm in love with. At least, I think its love. I've never felt this way before."
"I guess we're in the same boat," Naruto muttered, "I was never in love either, and now I don't know how to respond to these feelings."
Sai quickly looked at Naruto, "I read that love is powerful force and it makes people the happy. But if we don't know was love is then will we ever be happy?"
"Other things can make people happy too," Naruto sighed, "like drawing or ramen."
"I can't remember the last time I felt happy. Just a faint collections of smiles and laughs, and a slight fluttering in my chest. Now, every time I see Yamato, I feel a stronger fluttering, and I blush."
"Well, someone who is very much in love, told me that you will know when you're in love," Naruto smiled brightly at Sai, "I think that's all me and you can count on."
Sai nodded, and gave Naruto a small smile, "I think I'll go now. Thank you." He whispered and left the room.
Naruto's smile drooped after the doors swung shut. He dropped his gaze to the book Sai left on the table. He flipped it open and skimmed the pages. The technical terms and absurd ideas made him push the book away.
Naruto made his way from the library to his room. Cradled by his blankets and pillows, the day's events played in his head; in slow motion until he fell asleep. Dreams of Sasuke and a snake, an ominous doctor, a blushing Sai and a nine tailed beast danced around.
End Chapter seven.
Something for you guys to munch on for a bit. I have no excuse as to why I've taken so long, only that I got bored. But I was reading the past chapters, which shows horrible writing on my part and figure I should continue to redeem myself of bad writing skills.
The Yamato/Sai pairing is in here just to show that it does exist and more people should fall in love with it like I did. I spit on KakaYama. That's all I have to say about that.
I do plan on writing the eighth chapter, so no worries. College sucks guys, don't go…nah go, get an education. I personally hate it. Probably because I don't know what I want to do with my life.
2009 has been a sucky year. Friends dying, and empty wallets and bank accounts, my sister could've been killed by a drunk driver, all of it is not fun….oh boy.