He watched as the salt stream from her ocean-tinted eyes, not comprehending how this situation really even came to be.
The two were just hand in hand yesterday, smiling, and laughing.
Sai was an observant Shinobi, how did he not notice her unhappiness?
Possibly because he didn't realize his relationship was now a battleground.
"But why, Ino?" He asked again, more stern this time. It was starting to irritate him that she couldn't give him a direct answer. Every second that dripped by, made Sai's stomach churn even more.
"I'm sorry Sai...I just...I can't- we can't be together anymore," She wouldn't look at him, just stared at the cup of matcha tea in her hands, that she was clenching to for dear life. He stared at her perplexed, watching her movements trying to think back on every book about relationships and what this all could possibly mean.
"So, what was all of this to you?" He pushed his cup to the side, placing his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers in front of his face.
"What?" Her tears stopped for a moment, "What? You think this was some game for me?"
"Well..you have dated a lot of guys in Konoha...was I just a way to pass the time?" He spat out, anger welling up inside of him. Sai had known the feeling of anger, encountered it many times. Just not with her. Not with the blonde beauty that delved into him without any jutsu.
Ino glared at him, more tears falling down her face, "So you think I just date guys to pass the time?" She stood up, platinum falling over shoulders, her nose and cheeks rosy. He wanted so bad to just wipe the tears away, and hold her. But his anger for her at the moment was keeping him at bay.
"Ino..." He whispered, but not loud enough for her to hear. What else could he possibly say, he had never been in a situation like this before.
Ino walked to the door of his apartment, reaching for the knob and stopping. She turned to look back at him, her eyes radiating pain.
"Sometimes life just isn't fair..." Ino uttered, Sai raised an eyebrow at her last sentiment. Theblonde turned back to the door and exited without another word.
He sat in solace, the afternoon light creeping through the windows. At least his apartment had a light in its life, his was now gone.
Staring down at his own cup of now cold matcha, he grabbed it and sloshed the liquid around deep in thought.
Just like that she walked out of his life, this was the first time someone willingly exited his life. Everyone else had been killed.
He stood, leaving the cups on the table and walked over to his little art corner, sitting down at the stool he had in front of the easel. Placing his hands on his head grabbing his hair, the young heartbroken shinobi groaned. Though, he didn't know that was what he was feeling.
Sai stared at the floor, and started to feel very heavy, his chest allowing only small breaths. Quickly he sat up straight, gulped down a deep breath, then started to reach for his brushes and paints, quickly setting them up. He stopped for a moment, feeling something he had never known before welling up in his chest, his vision started to blur around the edges.
Trying his best to ignore it, he quickly started to paint. It seemed to work, though he was using a lot of dark tones, so he tried to use a light purple. What was his usual abstract art was now turning into flowers. He took his brush and dipped it in black, scribbling all over the paper before dropping it and starting to sob. The tears just flowed from his eyes like some river, streaming down his face only to meet their fate of being wiped away. He grabbed his chest, his chest heaving, pleading for air. He could feel his body shaking, the whole situation scaring him even more.
He slammed his arm into the easel and paper sending it crashing to the ground and yelled.
He was on his knees, still sobbing, ink now spilled around him and even made its way to staining his face, hands, arms, and clothes. He stared at the ground with blurred vision, trying to asses exactly what he was feeling. This feeling was similar to seeing Shin again, except the wound felt deeper than before.
A knock on the door snapped him out of his frenzy, he quickly rose wiping his face and taking in a few deep breaths. He stared at the door for a moment, hoping whoever it was would just move along. Another knock finally led him to open it with shaking hands.
"Hey Sai! Us and Yamato were going to have dinner would you like to join?" It was Sakura and Naruto, Naruto had his arms crossed with a pout adorning his face. Probably upset because he asked Sakura on another date and she somehow turned it into a Team dinner date.
"I-Uhm..." He was a bit frazzled, feeling almost as if he could start to cry again.
"Sooo...yes or no?" Sakura questioned, "Why are you covered in paint?"
She stood on her tip-toes and peered behind him into his room, "Why is your room a mess? Is everything okay?"
Sai stared back to the corner, seeing one footprint trail to the door. He must've stepped in some ink. He turned back to Sakura and Naruto, feeling the tears welling up in the back of his eyes.
"Sakura-chan.." He started, and then shut the door quickly, leaning against it as more tears finally made their way out.
"WHAT THE HELL SAI!" Naruto yelled through the door, "You don't have to be rude about it!"
"Sai!" Sakura yelled, "What's going on?! Don't make me break this door down!"
He knew she would do it too, being on the receiving end of Sakura's fist before led him to slowly reopen the door. Wiping his tears again, the best he could.
Sakura barged in, and stared at the disheveled corner of his room. Ink and a now broken easel laid on the floor.
"What happened?" Naruto questioned, and looked around.
"Where is Ino.." Sakura mumbled angrily, as she started to assess the situation. Her eyes looked to be raging with fire, as they moved from the ink splattered corner, to the table of two now cold matcha filled cups.
"I-I'm not sure Sakura..." Sai slumped his shoulders, he walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge, "She...said we couldn't be together anymore...I don't know what happened. I tried to paint to not think about it, and that happened. Did she say anything to you, Sakura?"
Sakura stared at him like he was some wounded puppy, she had never seen him upset before. And it was actually pretty alarming.
"You've never dated anyone else before have you Sai?" Sakura asked, and he shook his head no. He was experiencing his first heartbreak, all at the hands of her bestfriend, "That pig..."
Naruto and Sakura stared at each other, Naruto releasing a small huff "Well..Im guessing you probably don't want to get dinner Sai"
"I don't either, I have to go," Sakura spoke, and like that she quickly dashed out the room.
xxxx
"Ino, why?" Sakura questioned as she sat on her bestfriends bed shaking her head. She had arrived as Ino was in the shower, and just sat on the bed till she came back into the room. Spooking the blonde.
"Sakura, you wouldn't understand," Ino moaned, brushing the long golden locks out. She was keeping her eye contact on her reflected self through her vanity mirror, her back turned to Sakura.
"What do you mean I 'wouldn't understand?' You have to have a reason. Sai is really upset Ino," Sakura demanded, her hands clenching into fists.
Ino stopped brushing her hair, and turned from her vanity set to face her friend. Her eyes looking glassy, her face twisted into a scowl.
"You think I'm not?" Ino snapped, setting the brush down and putting her hair into a messy wet bun, "It's not like I wanted to Sakura, It's just..."
Ino stopped, and put her face into her hands starting to shake, "I don't even understand Sakura.." She looked up to her pink haired friend, tears streaming down her face, "There was a clan meeting..and I'm the successor of the Yamanaka clan, and they all got on me about needing to be more serious, and finding someone to help carry on the Clan name. They want me to follow in my fathers footsteps, basically."
"So...Sai can't carry on the clan name?" Sakura asked, Ino blushed and wiped away her tears.
"I'm not even thinking about kids right now!" She exclaimed, and sniffled wiping away an escaped last tear, "My mother brought up Sai at the meeting...and suddenly everyone started to chatter. They want to do an arranged marriage...to ensure our bloodline stays strong. I defended him Sakura, I did. But you know how the elders can be... Sakura I didn't want to break up with him. I was forced too".
"You didn't tell Sai any of this...did you" Sakura questioned but sounded more like a statement, Ino looked to her sadly and shook her head no.
"I mean, how do I even go about saying that? I'm not some child, I can pick who I wanna date...but...it was either break up with or be disowned by the Clan...and I have to ensure I don't shame my fathers name".
Sakura slightly understood, Inoichi was a very famed Yamanaka Clan member, his name was known through a few nations along with Shikaku's. They ranked top in the Intelligence Division, and successfully ensure Konoha's survival a few times.
But Sai was also from ROOT, and was a pretty amazing Shinobi in her eyes. She wondered why they would make her have an arranged marriage with someone else though.
"You should talk to him Ino," Sakura urged, staring at the blonde seriously, "He's upset...I don't ever think he's felt this way before..he-" She stopped, not wanting to mention his room.
"He?"
"He's...just really upset Ino" Sakura spoke, looking away from Ino, "You do know you're the first person he's ever been like this with. He's been so much more...alive the past few months with you. And I didn't think you could have that affect on someone.." Sakura gave a small playful smile to her friend.
Ino looked to the paper flowers that sat in a glass jar on her vanity set, "He made me really happy Sakura...but I cant be disowned by the clan. I have to think about what my father would want..."
Sakura stood, walking over to her friend and wrapping her arms around her. It wasn't exactly an easy situation to give advice to, she could only hope Naruto wasn't giving Sai terrible advice. She took a step back, placing her hands on the shoulders of her grieving childhood friend, "Ino".
She looked up to the sound of her name.
"You told me what the last thing was he said to you on the battlefield. He's proud of you Ino, and Sai is a great Shinobi. You just have to show the elders that. Your father would want you to be happy, that's exactly it Ino. He knows you'll make great choices. I'm sure he would've loved Sai".
Ino stared at her friend, her eyes wide, and slowly a smile curved her lips, "Thank you, Sakura".