Updated 06/2020
You Must Believe in Spring
.
.
Seasons In-Between
Wednesday, March 25th 5:45 PM
Konoha, ANBU Base/Infirmary
Sai had been summoned back to base by Lady Tsunade.
Shizune had asked him to wait in her office before hurrying off to fetch her, mumbling something about Hinata and Sakura and rides home.
idly wondered if he should approach Hinata for his mission, as she appeared to be close to Dr. Haruno, and could prove to be a valuable resource for information. Unfortunately, he didn't think his tangential and largely anonymous dealings with her were enough connection to begin a conversation about Dr. Haruno. Here was and yet another female he would have trouble initiating a conversation with.
An idea came to him in a flash. The books had said to approach a female by her friends. Kiba was her friend! Cheered by the possibility of getting to hang out with Kiba and learn some new catch phrases, he resolved to set out in search of the Inuzuka. He remembered it was socially acceptable to text such a request, and pulled out his phone.
"I have some questions for you. Are you free tonight?"
The reply came a moment later. "Not tonight, bro – sorry. Taking Tenten out for dinner. Catch me tomorrow."
Sai was disappointed, but perhaps this would work in his favor. Kiba would surely have more interesting stories after spending a meal with a woman who was more armed than most platoons. Also, he had called him 'bro,' which he was certain was a mark of friendship.
Energized by this positive development, was almost smiling when Lady Tsunade arrived.
"I have an assignment for you," she said without preamble. "Dr. Haruno has had a trying day. I have instructed her to meet you in the staff lounge when she has finished. You are to escort her home and see that she is not approached or disturbed by anyone for the remainder of the evening."
Sai raised an eyebrow. "Who would disturb her?"
Tsunade looked at him levelly. "No one as long as you are on watch; understood?"
"As you say, Lady Tsunade," Sai bobbed his head.
"Dismissed," she waved her hand.
Sai was waiting in the lounge when Yamanaka Ino came striding in, and looked Sai up and down.
"Waiting for a doctor?"
"Yes."
"Injured?"
"No," he shook his head. "Waiting to escort Dr. Haruno home."
"Not tonight, you're not," she snorted. "She's had a shitty day; I'll get her home and you can try again another day."
Sai cocked his head to the side, confused. "I am unsure what you believe I am attempting, but I am afraid it can't be postponed. I was assigned by Lady Tsunade to make sure she gets home to her apartment safely and remains undisturbed for the duration of the evening."
Ino waved her hand at him absently. "Lady Tsunade should have known I was going to stick around and wait for her; she didn't need to assign a body guard. You can head on home. I've got it from here."
"No I can't," Sai shrugged. "Orders are orders."
"They are, huh?" Ino eyed him warily. "I'll give ROOT credit. They bred some good little soldiers."
"You are Dr. Haruno's friend."
"I am. And?
"And I would like to help her. I want to understand."
She arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Understand what, exactly?"
"Everything."
"Everything," Ino repeated flatly. "You want to be a little more specific?"
"Yes."
She waited for him to elaborate. He stared back at her.
"And by everything you mean, specifically…?" she prompted.
"Everything." He replied with a nod.
Ino sighed. "You are a strange one, aren't you?"
"So I've been told," Sai shrugged.
"Did you ever think of going right to her?" Ino crossed her arms and stared at him.
"I saw her strength and I am bad with women. I suspect I'd be unconscious before I could make my intentions known."
"Fair enough," Ino granted. "And what are your intentions?"
"To understand."
Ino pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers.
"What about you?" Sai asked.
"What about me?"
"You do not seem as violent. Perhaps we can be friends."
"Perhaps we can," she smiled impishly. "What do you bring to the table?"
Sai stared blankly at her. Was he supposed to ask these kinds of things over a table? Was this dinner conversation and not staff lounge conversation? Come to think of it, was there such a thing as staff lounge conversation? Luckily, Ino continued.
"You are on Kakashi's team which means you are probably talented, but who isn't in ANBU? Why would I help you understand my best friend? What is your goal?"
Sai perked up at this. Goals were good. He understood goals.
"Because I am working with an entire group of people that have a relationship with her," he explained. "I didn't join ANBU from ROOT until after Uchiha was gone, and Dr. Haruno's commitments to her studies distanced her from your group of friends. She is clearly about to become an important person in the dynamic here. If I know Dr. Haruno better, I can also better understand and fill in what happened five years ago and better understand my team mates. One in particular."
Ino nodded slowly. "Interesting theory…" She checked her watch. "Fine. I'll give you a shot. Sakura is going to ride home with me; you can follow from a safe distance and stay out of sight. Meet me at the breakfast place down the street from the hospital tomorrow at 8:00 AM. Depending on what you can show me, I'll decide whether to help you or not."
Sai readily agreed to Ino's terms, and was out of sight when Sakura joined Ino in the lounge three minutes later, looking like she had been ready to go home several hours before.
Once he verified the two women were safely back in their own home, and he had completed his allotted watch, he went directly to his apartment and began to prepare. If even Jiraiya had deemed Ino as 'fearsome,' then he could leave nothing to chance.
