SAI
It's December 23rd…
It's cold out. And snow had risen up in a matter of days.
I see people as I pass by, wearing their thick coats outside and playing in the snow are some children, practicing their aiming in long range snowball fights.
Wintertime have come so quick, and time passed so fast these few weeks that I couldn't remember anything exciting since the festival that occurred as of 2 weeks ago.
I am heading to Sakura's house to see how she is doing, ever since she had said those words to me, I had tried to put them together in her head, but she seems to avoid them and changes the conversation quickly… I am in a quandary… does she love me? All I know for sure is that she is going through some real hard changes.
She has problems with her dietary habits, her appearance changed as well, now she is shorter and skinnier than she was in the festival. She seems weaker; she is more concerned with her looks and is now even more pressured to go outside than she was before.
I wave to Naruto. Who would be the only person I know who would stupidly wear a tee-shirt on a snowy cold day like this…
"Hey Sai!"
I smirk at him. He doesn't seem to notice any of my facial expressions I make to him at all, he is very ignorant. I have been with Naruto for so long and I still have yet to understand how he can be such an idiot at times.
"Baka-Naruto… why aren't you wearing a coat?"
"It's such a nice day. I could care less about the cold weather… I can embrace it!"
He smiles at me and suddenly looks at me as if he were confused.
Kakashi appeared out of nowhere and taps me from behind. He smiles at me. I notice his habit of coming late for missions and other important events. I see him in the memorial grounds in the morning replacing withered flowers with new ones. He seems to have lost someone important to him as well.
I pass my noticeable fake smile to him as he tries to mimic it back at me with more enthusiasm.
"Sorry I was late, I got lost in the road of life"
"LIAR!"
Naruto is so stupid, how Kakashi he lying if we all are lost in 'the road of life'…
Kakashi turns to me and makes a serious face.
"Sai, I have forgotten that you don't really celebrate holidays because of your ANBU years, but tomorrow is a special day for all Konoha residents… tomorrow is Christmas eve, and the day after that is Christmas…"
"Christmas?"
"…The most memorable time of year. Last year you missed Christmas because you were on that long week Mission in the hidden mist village with Neji, weren't you…"
"Yes, I heard of this holiday, but I never had gotten the chance to celebrate it as a kid, my brother told me of this Christmas, he told me how he saw families celebrate it together around a tree"
"You don't need family to celebrate Christmas, it's a time to be together with friends and loved ones… and giving gifts to show how much you care for that person…"
This might be my chance to show Sakura how much I care for her, Sakura is so nice to me. I need to show how much I care…
"Baka-Naruto and Kakashi… sorry but I need to go… "
I run off to the marketplace. I need to find the perfect item for Sakura. Naruto and Kakashi wave at me from a distance…
SAKURA
The days are flying past me so fast.
Naruto and Hinata are going out and most likely going to celebrate Christmas together.
I want to do the same for Sai, he has been so kind as to spend countless hours with me making sure I ate well and was prepared for missions…
WHO THE HELL IS HE TO BE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO?
He shouldn't be telling me what I should be doing, he isn't better than me. Maybe he thinks I am not good enough to take care of myself…
Or, maybe I am just a little too nervous and need some more rest.
I could spend an eternity in this bed but could never have a care in the world.
I don't know why but… I just can't fall asleep anymore.
It used to be so easy to just rest and forget about my mistakes.
Too many things to do every minute of my life…
I need to get most of my friends some gifts, but I don't want to get them anything…
It's so annoying, but I have to get them something…
I know for sure that they are going to give me something. Especially Naruto and Kakashi, Naruto is going to get me some type of doll for sure, he always gives me toys…
I AM NOT A KID ANYMORE!
And Kakashi is the nicest because he always knows how to cheer me up…
The last Christmas gift that I got from Kakashi was a set of ribbons. He had noticed that my ribbons had ripped during most missions and he gave me a multi-color set.
What about Sai, he hasn't celebrated Christmas.
He never had a family or friends to celebrate it with.
I must get him something, even if I don't get anything from him… I am going to get him the best Christmas gift he could ever receive in his whole life!
I KNOW EXACLY WHAT TO GET HIM!
YES!
I am not going anywhere lying down on this bed. I need to get out of here and find him his PERFECT gift.
Time was passing by, and days were forgotten real quickly. I don't even remember the festival that well.
I WAS HARRASSED BY A GUY!
That's all I can remember, it was so STUPID AND WRONG for him to do that to me!
Sai was so sweet to beat him up for me… but that's as much as I could remember. I woke up in my house lying in my bed.
OHH MY GOD, Sai is so sweet, sweet enough to carry me home and place me in bed that day.
I have been mean to him all this week, because of him bothering me and telling me what to do, him and BAKA-Naruto with his stupid annoying voice…
I EAT WHENEVER I WANT TO EAT!
Sai had been sweet enough to buy food for me and stay and check on me to see if I ate it all. And when he saw me not eating, he would feed me himself.
I KNOW HOW TO FRIGGIN EAT DAMMIT!
Let me get out of this house…
I can't wait till I give him a gift for the first time in his life. He would be so happy when he receives it.
SAI
I don't know what to give her.
I search the counter aimlessly looking for a priceless jewel to give to Sakura. But the cashier stares at me impatiently and taps his fingers on the glass countertop.
Yet another moment where I don't know what to do and it's as simple as this.
A girl comes from behind me staring at this gold bracelet that glimmered with shine, and circling it was precious green hearts that resembled Sakura's eyes.
"How much is this one?"
"Which one, the Fine emerald encrusted bracelet?"
"Yes, I want it… I don't care how much it costs!"
"HEY! I wanted that one!"
I stare at her confused as to what she was trying to say to me. Then I look away as if she never said anything to me at all.
"SO FRIGGIN RUDE!"
I try to ignore her and pay attention to current events…
I see the cashier type some numbers down in his keyboard and suddenly he stopped and looked at me impatiently again.
I don't like it when he stares at me like this. It gets me nervous, I know that in missions I try to act unexpected and unnoticed but here it's different. Here I have to do what is expected of me as if it were written on the walls of every room I walk into…
How am I supposed to know how to purchase jewelry, I never been to this part of the marketplace.
A crowd forms in back of me and I get more impatient, what am I supposed to do!
"Hey slowpoke, look at the cash register and pay the guy!"
I look at the digital screen and feel slightly embarrassed at its simplicity, but I saw the numbers on the LED screen.
I have never seen so many zeros since the last time I saw Naruto's report card.
Luckily I had brought a chunk of my life savings so I can get this gift.
Still staring blankly at the screen I remember that I have to pay the man as much money as it said there.
Sakura would love this gift, and I know neither Naruto nor Kakashi would beat the cost of this gift.
I pay the cashier and slowly try to slither my way passed everyone in the jewelry store.
This could be the most value I ever put on a simple object, it was cased in a bluish box with a ribbon around it. But I knew it had to be placed in another box. It would be too obvious for me to give her this box…
I walk around and see a packaging depot located conveniently near the gift shop next to the jewelry store. And next to it was a wrapping and ribbons department.
SAKURA
Now it's the December 24th…
I had to leave the village to get this gift for Sai, it was kind of hard…
This reminds me of the times me and Ino went out to malls to shop for cloths...
But that doesn't happen anymore ever since she had gotten married with Choujii.
Hehe! And I thought they would never fall in love with each other!
But at least she found love; I am still left in the dust by all my friends. I lack strength, ability, and last but not least love.
I went to the rice country to get this gift for Sai, I had been so mean to Sai, and it was worth it to see him happy.
I walk towards home only to see that every house in the street had been lit up with candles and decorations and such…
I look at my house. It had been so noticeable. There weren't any decorations neither outside the house nor inside the house.
It's so noticeably ugly and plain… just like me…
Just because I had been careless enough not to put up any decorations, maybe it would have looked a lot better if I had worked on it at least a little.
I open the door… there isn't anything to do in this plainly ridiculous house at all…
I close the door and I turn the lights on. Thinking it was like back when I used to live with my mom. It had been a lot easier for me to come home and feel relaxed, when I would go back home I would turn on the lights and see my mom surprising me with gifts and hugs. I felt so warm and loved.
But all that changed when the war happened about three years ago. My mom had fought along side with Kakashi and some other Jounin along with the chuunins in a battle to fight Orochimaru. He had completely possessed Sasuke's body and plotted a war against Konoha with his new found powerful sharingan eyes.
Sadly my mom had fought with Orochimaru head on and lost her life trying to protect me and the other chuunins from the summoning of the 4th Hokage. She had given her life…
I remember that on that same day I had a training session with the Hokage. But I didn't say goodbye to her.
WHY DIDN'T I CARE!
NOW I DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO CARE FOR ME AS MUCH AS SHE DID!
"GAHHH! I HATE MY LIFE!"
I shouted loudly and forgot that the walls were thin…
I quickly peeked outside to see if anyone noticed. No one notices that I am killing myself here alone.
Why don't I just sleep the day away…
I have nothing to expect today, I am so fucking tired. But I bought a gift for Sai, Naruto and even Kakashi…
Sai had been so nice to me since these past few months…
He had been taking care of me… I shouldn't see it as a bad thing…
All I have been doing these days is telling him and Naruto to go away…
I had been shunning him and never noticed that he only tried to help me…
WHY AM I SO FUCKING STUPID!
I don't want to make him feel alone, and I was supposed to make him feel welcome to the team, and he tried to warm up to me but I blocked him off
I DON'T WANT TO THINK OF MY MISTAKES ANYMORE!
Goodnight Sakura, maybe tomorrow would go better than I think it would…
SAI
Now today is the final day…
Naruto had reminded me earlier to tell Sakura about a party being held in the town square, I wanted to go because I've never been to a Christmas party, maybe I can persuade Sakura to go with me…
The day to take action to what I had been preparing for…
I had a huge box for my small bracelet. It's going to be surprising for her to find such a small valuable item in such a big box…
I hope I am completely prepared for this…
I am in front of her house but I don't know if I should knock this early. It seems wrong to interrupt her in her sleep. She didn't like it the other times I did this to her, she had literally tried to push me out.
But today I have a better reason…
And this time I am not going to wake her up…
I don't need her to notice me on this special day.
"CHOUJU GIGA!"
Hopefully I didn't wake her up yet, but I need to get in her house. Somehow.
I looked around the neighborhood and saw that everyone's house had chimneys with smoke coming out of them, except for Sakura's house.
She could care less if her house freezes, I made the fire for her the other day, and it must have put it self out…
I climb on top of my tiger and with a swift leap from its hind legs it had leaped to the roof of her house, thank goodness Sakura had an old fashioned brick chimney, I could easily slip my self through its hole to enter her house.
I drop the gift down the hole first. Then it was my turn to go in, I slipped down with ease as I suspected. I noticed that Sakura had been sleeping as I entered her room.
I prepared a note for her before I came here so that I can leave it on the gift.
It was short but it had all I had to say to her on it.
I saw her tiny frame moving around in the bed.
She isn't asleep after all.
"Why I am so hard for me to show him how much I care, does he care for me as much as I do for him?"
I heard Sakura talking to herself. this is yet another moment in which I don't know what to do. My body is numb with confusion. I hate these moments so I quickly moved across her bedroom door. I saw that there were already two presents wrapped up next to her door. Mine was a lot bigger than theirs but I am sure it had more value too. I placed the big gift next to her bedroom door and quickly but swiftly fled into the empty living room and sat down and waited until she got up.
SAKURA
This had been a long night…
Another night with out sleep, and I know that I have to get up and give out my gifts. I probably have two gifts waiting for me at my doorstep as always…
Naruto and Kakashi always snuck in my house through the chimney to sneak me a present.
You can always notice when Naruto comes in though, because he always thumps his head in the fireplace. And his annoying voice would yell "owww!"
I get off my bed expecting the same thing to happen as it did every year since I moved in.
I unexpectedly found a third gift from…
Sai!
HE GAVE ME A GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS!
He must really care for me!
Ohh wait, there is a note on the top of it…
The note reads:
Dear Sakura,
I know you have been going through some bad times. I just want to tell you that I notice that you have been in pain lately. You had helped me so many times in finding my true feelings that it is hard to find a way to express how much I care for you…
I come every week to see if you are okay…
Today is a special day I am told, and so I bought you this gift to show how much you mean to me
"Oh my god...!"
Sai is so nice to me, and I had been so mean to him, I had shunned him and backed him away from me, but he truly cared for me...
I clawed my way into the huge box only to find out that it had another smaller box inside it…
A small box, but what can it contain inside…
IT CAN'T BE!
I opened the smaller box and dropped it in shock
"How could he… it's so shiny and pretty, why would he buy me such a valuable gift…"
"Because I want to show you how much I care."
It can't be…
I never heard his voice in my house still, he heard everything I said about him.
I couldn't sense his chakra when he came in neither…
Usually Naruto's unbelievable chakra is boldly noticeable…
But Sai must have wanted to surprise me with this…
SAI
I walk up to her and she looses balance and almost falls to the ground, I dip to the side to grab her so that she won't hurt herself as much as she already is.
I smile at her tenderly so that she would know that she is okay with me…
"Sai… I have a gift for you too… it's on my bed…"
"You shouldn't have done that for me… you could have hurt yourself"
"It was worth it"
Unlike mine, her present was wrapped up perfectly and was smaller and rectangular shaped, I was curious to what it was…
I grabbed her legs, lifted her up and placed her on my lap while I sat down on the bed comfortably, she looked dizzy and might faint on me… I didn't want that to happen…
"What is it?"
I asked her in order to wake her up from her daze...
"You are going to have to find out for yourself"
I ripped the ribbon and unwrapped her present neatly to reveal a sketch book with a golden cover and a titanium spring for the pages, it was thick mostly from the golden edge of the pages, it had struck me when I saw it came with a golden feather and a ink bottle inside the box as well…
I looked at her in excitement but she had already fainted in my arms…
I now know that neither me nor her are going to attend the party this Christmas…
She wasn't ready to go to such an event in her current condition…
Even though she was asleep in my arms, I hugged her. She became flushed as I cradled her in my lap while I stroked her arm tenderly and cared for her while she slept.
A/N: My buddy Manny and me are working on this one together! I hope you enjoyed it! Chappie 4 will be coming very soon! Please review!