Disclaimer: I still don't own anything Naruto, except my own brainchildren.

Warning: Spoilers up to the chapter 288.

Something I Ate at Dinner

The hissing rain was deafening, in a way that made his whole head whirl.

His left ear was humming a symphony to itself, but his right ear still functioned somewhat. If only there wasn't that persistent--

It took Sai a minute to realize the persistent sound was someone calling his name. He turned his head sharply and saw a pink shock of...oh god. The world was sloshing up and churning against the walls of his consciousness.
"...move. Just lie back and take it easy, okay?"

Sai nodded just enough to let Sakura know he heard.

"The--"

"The mission's over with. We're done. We're going home,"

"No, the target," Sai said, a little panicked, "Has he...?"

"He didn't get away. Naruto got him,"

There was a pause.

"Wha-?"

"Naruto killed him."

Sai could only see the top of the pink head, but he could see how it trembled, even if the voice didn't. He shook his head. If only he could think through this fo--

"Yamamoto-san--"

"I...I thought he was his friend,"

The fog was thickening in Sai's brain, muffling everything.

"He was."

"Then why did he kill Sasuke? He said he was willing to do anything for--"

Sakura's face, lined and dirty and tear-streaked and worried, loomed suddenly in view.

"He chose you over him."

The volume made him wince. Sai had to close his eyes for a minute.

"We all did," she added, softer.

"But...why?"

"Don't you see? Even if you don't recognize it, this," Sai faintly registered a palm on his chest, "between all of us—you, me and Naruto. This is friendship.

"Naruto chose you over Sasuke, because he acknowledged you as a friend. And for a friend, he is willing to sacrifice anything,"

The rain, wet and warm, was gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"Even his brother."

Sai could feel the warm rain roll down the sides of his face.

"Thank you," Sai whispered, closing his eyes.

A/N: Simply because you know Kishimoto-sensei is going to pull something like this on us.

In the grand tradition of cheesy anime, there are only so many options for good battling evil. In the case of the Rival/Enemy, the hero will convince him of the evils of his ways, after which the Rival/Enemy will transform into the Loyal Sidekick and cheerfully never take center stage again. In the case of the Ally, there are more options. If the Ally has beenpossessed byevil spirits, the hero will defeat said evil spirit while spouting pithy epithets of the Power of Good Over Evil(TM). The Ally will return to his former role as a partner of Good, and all will be as before. Usually, this option applies to weaker characters, who are more vulnerable to the evil influences of ...Evil. Stronger Allies will either go over to the Dark Side of his own free will (ah, but we must not forget the seductions of Evil!), or also be possessed by very strong evil spirits. The resulting battle between Hero and Dark Ally will be greater, with the Hero tearfully reminiscing over past adventures. Finally, thehero will inflict a fatal wound on the other.The Dark Ally will suddenly remember said past adventures, repent, and be transformed to Good...and then fall over dead (or be beamed into the sky, surrounded by bright light), a smile on his face.His last words will be, 9 out of 10 times, "Thank you, for all you've done,"

In light of this, and how certain past incidents have resolved themselves in Kishimoto-sensei's grand epic, it seems that Naruto is following in the footsteps of other cheesy anime. It also seems that Kishimoto-sensei is setting up this current arc for not one, but two of the possibilities mentioned above: the enemy turned sidekick, and the death of an ally. Thus, I have beaten Kishimoto-sensei to his own ending. :cue maniacal laughter: Although I hope, fervently, that I am wrong, and that something surprising happens. Like that Naruto also deserts for the Sound village, or that Yamamoto is revealed to be the spy, and that Konoha is actually in league with Akatsuki via the ANBU and possibly Root. Now that would make for an interesting story. But Kishimoto believes in the purity of the world, even with what is going on all around Fire Country, and so such skedaddles will probably not happen.

Ah well, one can wish.