SAI
It's been a week since the accident in the marketplace.
I don't want it to happen again. It was embarrassing for me as it was for her. But I have the feeling that she has to go out more.
If she doesn't then she won't be able to be happy anymore. She had cured my problems long ago and now I have to make her happy.
I see her lying down on the sofa as if nothing was important to her. I can't let this go any longer.
"Sakura, do you have any plans for tomorrow night?"
"No. Not really. I was planning to stay home and rest for a while… why?"
"Well I was thinking of taking you to the festival happening in the town center on Saturday. Most of our friends are going, and even Naruto asked Hinata to the festival!"
"Ohh my god, really! He did! Wow that's so cute!"
Silence drops into our conversation and we are suddenly looking at each other to find out what I am trying to say.
"Well I was wondering if you wanted to go out to the festival, but I understand if you don't want to go… I don't want to force you"
But I do want to force her out of this prison she calls home. She spends hours doing nothing. In fact I don't know why she wants to be in such a place.
SAKURA
Oh my god, Sai is going to take me to the festival. It can't be that he loves me. He doesn't understand fully what love is.
But it might be that he is trying to learn.
"I guess you don't want to go" he says upsettingly.
"No, it's not that" I grab him before he turned around to leave. I am not going to mess up my only chance to be with him again. He has been coming to my house more often.
"I want to go with you! I haven't been at the festival for months."
I know I haven't been there for months but I know one thing is for sure, they haven't changed a bit. Konoha festivals are an attraction to the whole fire country.
This is one reason I don't want to go.
Too many people are going to see me…
They are going to see ME!
But I have to say yes to him.
If I ever disappoint him ever again, I wouldn't live with myself. Sai, you are the only reason I want to go.
I know for a fact that you may have never been to these festivals. And I want to show you a good time.
But I don't think I might have as much of a nice time as you.
SAI
She tries to stand up. She makes a yawn and stretches showing to me that she is very tired. I don't want to bug her now so I must leave.
"Sakura thank you for reconsidering. I know we will have a great time."
I have to leave her alone. She has to get prepared physically and mentally for this outing we are going to take place in.
"Sai" she comes to me slowly and looks into my eyes as if trying to find something. After only a split second she just looks away from me, as if my eyes were a repellant. She then quickly wraps her arms around me as I see a tear fall onto the ground from her eyes.
It's like my body is numb now. Its not that I can't move, it's that I don't know how to move now. What should I do?
"Sakura, I would really love to stay here and be with you for tonight but I have to leave now for an early morning mission assigned to me. See you tomorrow night!"
I pushed her off and lied to her in her face. I don't know if what I did was right but I don't like to be in situations like that…
Situations that put me in a position where I don't know what to do…
I rushed to the door and fled to my apartment. It was raining out but I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow, tomorrow is the 'date'.
And I will try my best to make it special.
But now I have to get prepared…
It's not just a walk at night…
It's a festival.
SAKURA
It's now 7pm Saturday afternoon and I am wearing a kimono that I haven't worn for a while.
It kind of looks bigger on me… I HOPE NO ONE NOTICES
I have to buy more cloths…
I NEED TO THROW THIS CRAP AWAY!
Seems the battle is just starting again…
"GAHH! I HATE MY LIFE!"
knock knock
Yet again… another nock on the door waking me from my nightmare…
Now I know it's him…
He always comes to my house…
And now, since today's the day…
I wonder if he had gotten dressed up too…
I open the door only to notice that he is wearing a SUPER KAWAI KIMONO
It's so thin on him…
I can see his muscular body...
But he cannot see my body because of the kimono I am wearing…
"Sakura, so it seems you are ready for our 'date', Right?"
Oh my goodness, he said it-it-it was a date…
What's he thinking…?
WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!
"Ye-yes I am, and I brought money just incase yo-"
"No need for that"
"I brought enough for the both of us to spend"
And with that we went out of my refuge…
And into the open.
SAI
Sakura is holding tightly on my arm…
The maniacal music is killing me…
And the loud noises are annoying…
It's kind of embarrassing to be found here…
I don't know why…
But I don't care…
Why do I care of what other people think…?
This is the message I must send to Sakura's head!
We stop by a stand because Sakura's eyes spotted a fluffy pink bear hugging a heart that said "Aim for me Cupid"
I knew she wanted it because of the way she stopped to stare at it for so long
"Sakura, want the pink one?"
"You don't have to-"
I shushed her again. And I went up to the stand I saw Naruto giving it a try, with out any effort, he threw this ball to a pyramid of bottles and they broke to pieces…
The rules clearly state that all you have to do is knock the bottles over…
I bet he used the Kyuubi's chakra to break those bottles…
But why would he use it just to get Hinata some blue bear…
"Ohh Naruto!"
She hugged him…
And I see them kiss…
I look at Sakura in the background staring at me with her eyes of guilt and wanting…
I must get her that pink bear…
SAKURA
Sai seems to really be jealous of Naruto and Hinata…
He is going to win me a bear…
For ME!
But Naruto broke the bottles…
Must have been the Kyuubi's chakra…
I know Sai won't break them…
But he would try to knock them over…
I think the bottles broke because the manager glued the bottles to make them stand up and never fall down…
But since they broke… he can't just glue them back together to make the pyramid again…
He has to start over with new bottles… Now Sai is definitely going to get me that bear!
It's so sweet of him…
He is getting ready to throw the ball to the bottles. He throws the ball to the bottles…
Sigh…
Sai why are you doing this for me…
I don't know why you are doing this for ME of all people
"Sakura!"
He startled me with his quick presence. I saw him holding the pink fluffy bear in his hands.
"Sai you didn't have to-"
"Just take it… it's a gift… please"
He gives it to me and winks at me as if everything was okay…
I don't know why but I am going to cherish this bear with all my heart and soul. It's the first thing Sai has ever given to me out of love... I think that Sai is learning more and more about love. And I am the reason for this I think. And now I know that Sai is jealous of Naruto and Hinata…
WE WILL BEAT'EM SAI!
Or maybe I am just being too immature…
"Thank you Sai"
"I will name him… um… CUDDLEBEAR!"
SAI
I see her beautiful smile brightening my world now…
She hasn't smiled like this in a while…
She seems tired…
She grabs on to my arm again squeezing it tightly…
"Hey, Sakura want to go sit down near the dance floor"
"Hey Sai, Isn't that Naruto over there with Hinata?"
"Let's go!"
I see Naruto and Hinata again. This time Naruto is getting Hinata something to drink…
Why should I care about this…?
"Hey Sai!" Naruto spots me!
"So how are things going with Hinata?"
I tried to act as smooth and calm as possible
Sakura struggles to stand straight and greet Naruto...
"Hey Naruto, how are you doing"
"Things are going great, sorry but I have to get Hinata some soda…Sakura, you know… those baggy cloths make you look fat! HAHA!"
Oh no, he had angered her…
What will happen now?
She forms a fist and hits Naruto strongly atop his head knocking him down to the ground.
"OWWWWW!"
He-he… that's amusing.
"Sakura, I am sure he doesn't mean it" I say to her, smiling to show that I know it's a humorous event…
She smiles back at me and holds tighter to my arm.
"Sakura, sorry… I didn't mean it… but I have to go get some soda"
"Wait Naruto… I will go with you!"
I have to get Sakura something to drink as well…
SAKURA
Sai left with Naruto to get drinks… I am a little thirsty…
I sit down only to notice Hinata smiling and blushing from afar…
Let me cheer her up.
I get up and walk up to Hinata's table. I tighten my eyes and smile politely.
"Hey Hinata!"
"Ohh. Hey Sakura, good to see you. I haven't seen you for a while."
"Uhh… yeah sorry, but good to see you and Naruto together…"
She blushes and slightly smiles, looking down to the floor…
She is still shy I see…
"Yeah, it's going very well and I love him, so much! How are things going with you and Sai?"
She quickly changes the conversation as if I didn't notice. She pauses slightly and looks down again.
"Well things are going great too… He won me a cute bear!"
"That's so kawai! Naruto won me this bear too"
"I named mine Cuddle-"
I pause for a second, seeing a guy standing next to me.
"Hey miss, I was wondering if you would like to dance"
He starts to harass my arm and touch me…
"GET OFF"
SAI
Me and Naruto, who was still rubbing his head from the hit earlier, had come back to my table to bring the sodas back only to notice that Sakura isn't here…
She isn't here!
"Maybe she is in the bathroom, she does need to loose weight you know…"
"SHUT UP DICKLESS WONDER!"
"Well, forget you then… I am going back to my table!"
"Ohh… wait isn't that Sakura at my table… who's that guy?"
Yet another moment where I don't know what to do…
Its killing me…
I drop the sodas senselessly and run after Sakura.
I felt the air rise up in me…
"Who are you?"
I rushed between them, stopping the menace that had started after I had gone and blocking Sakura's tiny body from view…
She seemed so innocent...
SAKURA
He got in front of me. Halting the harassment that was going on.
"What do you want with her?"
"I just want to dance, man"
"Does your Dick agree?"
"What!"
Sai grabs a kunai that was tucked in his buckle. He Disappeared and reappeared behind the guy, holding the edge against his neck.
Yet another Knight in Shining Armor moment…
Sai places his hand on the other guy's crotch.
"I guess it doesn't, or maybe that's how small and useless you feel inside"
A crowd forms around Sai…
"Hey leave that guy alone… unless you want to go through all of us!"
"Sai just let go-"
Then I remembered that we were ninjas.
"Its okay Sakura"
A man in the crowd had pulled out a chair and was going to slam it towards Sai. He ducked and dodged the attack, grabs the chair and counters his attack by swinging it back the man.
Ouch, that's got to hurt!
"Hey Sai need a hand?"
Naruto had gotten prepared by doing the kage-bushin to equal the odds.
They give a high five and continue the battle, Sai had grabbed Naruto's clone and flung him towards a group of men.
"ODAMA RASENGAN!"
Naruto had ripped throgh the crowd and all of Naruto's other clones had fought with the other gangsters.
Sai pulled out a scroll.
"CHOUJU GIGA!"
A huge cloud had formed as Sai summoned his tigers and rode atop one of them.
Most of the gangsters had passed out but the original guy who harassed Sakura had still been there cowering in fear of the sight of those tigers.
Sai snapped his fingers and the tiger lowered his head, he slid off the tigers back and mounted off. Sai grabbed the guy by his collar and punched him…
"Bring all your friends, it doesn't matter the number. We will take them down one by one!"
Sai threw the man down, and the guy fled into the crowd at the festival.
Sai looks into my eyes, and I look away again…
Why do you do this Sai?
Do you love me?
SAI
I would never ever let a guy touch her like that. I don't know why but... Its so-
I don't know why…
"Sakura, are you okay"
"Now I am!"
It had only been a few moments and then we all sat down and laughed about the event that happened...
"-And he gave me the signal to do my rasengan and threw me to the crowd"
Hinata laughed bashfully as Naruto bragged, I looked at sakura who was still in shock from my battle, she looked at me and smiled back slightly and turned to Naruto's attention…
"Sakura, I wanted to get you something to drink but I spilled it when I noticed that the guy was harassing you"
"Hinata, I hear a slow song coming on!"
Naruto smiles at Hinata and grabs her hand and pulls her from the table dropping her chair to the ground. I smiled at Sakura, thinking now was my chance…
SAKURA
He stared at me for a while, I was getting scared…
"Sakura, care for a dance?"
Oh my goodness, Sai…
What should I say…
He held my hand and pulled me slightly off my chair.
But I don't want to embarrass him.
He is so nice, he is so perfect…
And I am so…
"Sai… I don't want to dance right no-"
"Shush, don't say anything please"
We slowly walked to the dance floor.
He placed his head on my shoulder, with his face buried in my neck and wrapped his arms around my waist. I felt so weak at that moment, and not because of my lack of strength but because I was so shy…
I tried to keep my balance.
SAI
I looked at Naruto dancing with ease, but I followed his movements because I never danced before…
Side to side, then turn, side to side then turn.
It seemed to go like this for hours…
I never had held Sakura this close to me, I don't know…
But it feels so right…
I notice that my shoulder is wet…
What is happening…?
"Are you okay Sakura?"
I unattached my tight wrap around Sakura to see her face…
She was crying…
I look at her eyes and this time she doesn't look away…
She seemed to have a sore throat and was tearing me all over…
"I lo-love you S-Sai" Sakura whispered, barely above a squeak.
I hugged her into my chest and grasped her tightly…
I will always remember those words…
A/N: OK people! Hope you liked this chappie! Chappie 3 will be out soon! Thankies so much Manny for writing this!