Warning: Character death. Also some implied stuff. And general vagueness.
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Ever since he was a child, he had this great ability to depict reality in his drawings. Sometimes Sai remembers, how it amused his brother to no end.
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The pain woke him up. It was overwhelming, vibrating in every single cell of his body, and for few moments Naruto couldn't remember who he was, less what had happened to him. He groaned, or rather tried to; the sound which emerged from his throat was more like a soft whimper. Although it hurt almost too much to even think obout it, he opened his eyes.
Amarant and golden flowers bloomed in the darkness, which veiled his vision. He blinked slowly, but it only brought more red and yellow flashes, and - it seemed impossible to him - even more pain. Then it hit him.
"I... can't..."
His voice, changed beyond recognition, vibrated through his skull. It was the most unpleasant, to say the least. Something shifted by his side, and he felt a warm hand on his face. He wanted to jerk away, but he couldn't. Then the faintest smell of cherry and vanilla reached him, and he sighed.
"Sakura... Chan."
"Shhhh. Don't talk, Naruto. It's alright already." Her hands on his face, pulling his damp hair away from his eyes.
"Sakura-chan..." He tried to clear his throat, but turned out to be too difficult. She lifted his head carefully, and gave him some water. Her warm touch soothed him. "I... Can't see you."
"Don't worry, you'll be okay."
"Oto... Konoha..."
"Shhhh..." She caressed his hair slowly, and he got the feeling that it eased the pain just a bit. "You're safe... We're all safe. Konoha has defended itself." She hesitated a little, but it was too painful for him to notice. "Sasuke came back."
"How..."
"It's alright. He's injured, but he'll be fine. Both of you will. You'll see him when you'll get better. Which will be soon."
"Sai..."
"He's alright." He heard something strange in her voice, but it was too difficult for him to guess what exactly it was. "He made it back just in time." Chuckle; he relaxed. Sakura was happy, so it really was alright. "He complained about how you were too heavy to carry. He told me what happened. You'll be alright", she repeated, and he believed her. She wouldn't lie, not with this voice of hers. Not possible.
"I want to... See you", he said softly. The pain was fading a little, or so it seemed.
"You will. You have to rest, Tsunade-shishou will fix you. Just... Sleep", she added, and again there was something strange in her voice, something incredibly sad. If only he could concentrate. If only it didn't hurt so much when he tried.
"Kyuubi... I can't feel him", he whispered. "Did he..."
"Shhhhhh." A pause; he didn't know if it was hesitation or something else. "I'm sure he's alive, maybe he's too weak for you to sense. Or maybe it's the seal. Don't worry about it now, okay?"
He was silent for a moment, trying to gather his strenght. If only it didn't hurt so much.
"I thought I'd die", he said eventually. "I even..."
"Shhhhh. Sleep, Naruto", she said, and he felt her touch on his face again, the touch he loved so much, the touch he thought he'd never feel again. He had a sudden urge to stand up and catch her in his arms, and never let go - but he couldn't really move. He promised to himself he'd do it later. And see Sasuke.
"I told him... To tell you... I didn't suffer. That... I died quickly."
"Naruto... Sleep", she said. Her voice was sad, so sad he wanted to cry himself.
"He told me... To shut up." He paused. It was difficult to speak. "Sai... He changed."
"...You think so?" She was surprised. Just a bit.
"...Yeah. He... Understood." He remembered that moment; they had just stopped for a moment, for Sai to rest a while before picking Naruto up again and continuing to Konoha. But when he said it, the ROOT shinobi was silent for a moment, then stood up abruptly, lifted him and went on carrying him, with only a 'Shut up, dickless, you're heavier when babbling' as an answer to his protests.
"I told him... When we met Kakashi-sensei..."
"Sleep, Naruto. You'll tell me later."
"About that monument... What I said... When I still didn't know... What it was... For the dead..."
"Stop, Naruto."
"He said... He doesn't... Believe... In such... Things..."
He breathed in her smell. It wasn't really difficult, just painful. But it didn't matter. It was alright. She was there.
"Sakura...Chan... I..."
"Shhhhh."
"I... Love you. I'll... Never..."
"Never leave me again", she said, and he could tell she was crying. "Ever. I love you."
He felt her breath oh his face, her delicate, warm hands in his hair. Her soft lips on his.
He never felt something wet falling on his cheek, and calloused, cool fingers closing his eyelids slowly.
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Sometimes Sai tries to remember, if it was since his brother's death that he started to mimic reality not only in his drawings.
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END
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