.: Sorry for another later update. The end of the semester is approaching for me, so work and exams are piling up. But I hope to get back on a regular schedule by May. And to be honest, I am not really satisfied with this chapter. It did not live up to my expectations, but maybe you will feel differently about it. Let me know! :.

The Archangel of the Hidden Leaf

Chapter 16:

She, An Empty Canvas

With a sketchbook in hand, Sai walked back to the training grounds where Naruto, Kakashi, and Captain Yamato were at. He wore casual clothes since he was not doing any shinobi duties today, sporting dark tints that were neutral to the eye. Not even his headband was worn on his head. When he came by yesterday, he watched Naruto struggle to cut the waterfall more. Seven whole days he spent upon the branch. It was disheartening to see him struggle, especially for Sakura when she came to watch and drop off her food pills.

Sai followed the beaten path he had formed through the forest. His footsteps had flattened the same line of grass for many days that it was now recognizable. The sounds of his feet touching the ground were quieter each time he came by. It led him from his home provided by the Foundation to the training grounds. A part of him wondered if Sakura found its since she came to the same spot on the edge of the copse as he did. Whoever was first, though, was always a gamble. Yesterday was the only day this week he did not see her, but it was also the first time he laid eyes on a different female.

He distinctly recalled being unable to see her face properly. What he did distinguish was the way her dark hair flowed down her back and how thin her limbs appeared. Her skeletal structure too obvious to be healthy, and how carefully Kakashi held her verified that. When Sai reached the edge of the training grounds, he looked out to see how the waterfall had completely vanished without a trace. The distant roar he could hear previously was gone. In its place stood a big crowd of Shadow Clones that all resembled Naruto. Had he finally cut the waterfall in half? How long ago?

The clones were grouped in pairs of two. One clone held his palm out to harness chakra while the other stirred its motion into a rotating blue ball. It was the creation of the Rasengan, Naruto's preferred jutsu. One by one, the pairs began to strain from the effort and stop to catch their breath. Sai was unsure what was happening or what Naruto was trying to accomplish.

"It's gone," a gasp sounded behind him.

Sai, now alert, turned around to be greeted by Sakura. She wore casual attire like he did and carried her basket of food pills. A black cloak with a hood covered her shoulders and ended at her midriff (probably to prepare for incoming rainstorms that were making the air more humid than normal.) The absence of her Leaf headband caused her pink hair to fall over her forehead and shoulders more naturally. Her green gaze looked past him and toward the training grounds where the immense waterfall once stood tall and wide. It was an object that was impossible to miss, and seeing it gone as if it never existed to begin with was a sight that was hard to digest at first glance.

"Sakura," Sai greeted, suppressing his initial startlement from her outburst. "You did not come yesterday."

She moved her free hand to grip the handle of the basket, too but stepped forward to join him. "Sorry. Lady Tsunade had me do a special task for her," she explained, seeing the crowd of Shadow Clones he was also watching.

"At the hospital?"

"Yeah. I had to help perform autopsies and prepare bodies." She plucked a food pill from the basket and held it up. Sai noticed for the first time how she had bags under her eyes. Considering she had to help at the hospital, he wondered how late she had to work. And she still took the time to make food pills for Naruto. He was not sure how long it took to make an entire basketful, but she was willing to sacrifice sleep. "Naruto will have to take a break from training tomorrow," she continued, inspecting the quality of the brown ball. "The funeral for the two chunins is taking place then."

"I see," Sai replied, eyeing the snack. He had tried one earlier in the week and felt sick to his stomach immediately afterward. The taste was foul and strong enough to bring a bought of nausea even if no food had previously been consumed. He could not understand how Naruto bared to eat them for the sake of replenishing his energy.

One of the pairs of clones that was still standing suddenly got blown away from the Rasengan that was forming in a palm. It had glowed brighter and larger right when the explosion happened. Any clone in the vicinity endured the force and tumbled away. When they landed, the ones who had not burst into smoke all looked even more exhausted with heaving chests. Some were stuck laying down and others were on hands and knees. Kakashi and Yamato did not flinch. They instead watched as Naruto got frustrated and tried to figure out what went wrong.

Before the two of them could react, a rustle in the brush made them swerve their attention to their right. The explosion Naruto had caused must have startled an animal, but they were both shocked to see a girl stand up. Her brown curls, pallid complexion, and bony arm gave the both of them instant recognition. For Sakura, a gasp accompanied by an elated smile was her reaction. "D-Dolia!" she stammered, dropping her basket and gripping the twigs of a prickly bush. She wanted to go to her but thought twice since the brush between them was thick.

At the sound of her name, Dolia twisted her head to reveal her featureless face to Sai for the first time. The sight forced him to take a step back as a dreadful expression crossed his own face. She was far away from him yesterday, and even though he thought it was peculiar to not be able to make out any details in her face, he never in his life expected there to not be a face at all. He could not distinguish any eyes, nose, lips, or brows. It was all just blank, just like an empty canvas waiting to receive fresh paint from his paintbrush. "Sakura," she breathed, opening her mouth just enough to show Sai that she had at least one regular body part. He could detect teeth inside and a tongue, but how they looked, he had no clue.

Sakura may have decided against trekking through the rough flora that could be full of thorns and unseen critters, but Dolia did not even think about it. She trudged through every bush, fighting to get through one step at a time. "Careful!" Sakura warned. "Don't hurt yourself. There could be thorns or snakes."

The warning did not heed for her. She pushed aside the bushes and trampled anything underneath her feet, all to come out the other side and throw her arms around the pink-haired medical ninja who had nursed her back to health and gave her a name. The gesture surprised Sakura at first. Her nose and mouth nuzzled into her shoulder since she was shorter than her, but her bony arms tightened around her back. Sakura relaxed as she felt the warmth of her body against her own, wrapping her own arms around the friend she thought she could never see again. Her fingertips felt the soft strands of her hair, remembering when they were tangled mats that dangled down to her waist forty-eight hours ago. Feeling how they were still groomed proved Dolia was taking better care of herself.

Sai kept quiet but contemplated making a quiet escape. Something about this human did not sit well with him. He stared at the misshapen orbital bones that peered over Sakura's shoulder. For the first time, a pang of familiarity tingled in his gut. This was not the first time he encountered her, but yet he could not put his finger on when.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura questioned, beckoning her off her but keeping her hands on her arms. Getting a better look had her notice the little flower that was tucked into her hair just above her ear.

"Uh," she sounded, trying to collect her thoughts. She turned her gaze back to the circle of totems. Kakashi stood next to it with his novel in hand. She pointed to him. "Kakashi. He's watching me," she explained, shifting her gaze to Sai. At the sight of him, a hint of disappointment influenced her next whisper. "Where's Ino?"

Sakura opened the view to Dolia by stepping aside slightly. "She's on a mission right now, so she won't be back for a little while. But this is Sai. He's a friend."

Sai stood rigid. Coming face-to-face with this girl was unnerving to him. Because of that, he did not greet her. He just stared at her missing face, trying to find her eyes at least. There were subtle movements – blinking? – and in those instants, he thought he could see them, but then they disappeared again.

Dolia saw the basket of food pills on the ground, recognizing them from her stay at the hospital. She pictured when Naruto barged in and dropped them all over the floor. "Are those for Naruto?" she asked, bending down to pick up the basket.

"Oh, yes. I bring him some every day to help with his energy levels," Sakura answered, offering to take them.

"I can take them to him. I have to go back anyway," she said, moving her hand to the handle to hold it by her side.

Thinking this was a temporary goodbye indicator, Sakura slipped off her black cloak and held it out for her to take. "Then have this, too. It's going to rain soon."

Dolia smiled and grasped it. "When will I see you again?"

"This evening when I get the basket back."

She nodded and hung the cloak over the crook of her elbow. "I'll be in the tree over there," she directed, walking past them both to return to Kakashi. But she halted and looked over her shoulder to add, "I missed you."

Aw… Sakura thought.

"I missed you, too," she replied with a warm smile.

On that note, Dolia focused back on her return. Sakura watched her get closer and closer to her sensei, creating a pregnant silence between herself and Sai. "Remember when I asked you about that word? Pareidolia?" she asked him.

"Yes."

"She's the reason why."

Sai watched as Dolia was placed in the tree that stood next to the circle of totems with the help of Kakashi. Once again, she was too far away to have her hidden features be noticed. Now he understood why she was so mysterious to him. The mention of pareidolia struck a chord with him. Not only did it explain her name, but it also made him look up at the sky toward the clouds. Something he enjoyed was trying to decipher shapes in them that were familiar to him. Finding those shapes even though they did not truly exist was his mind experiencing pareidolia. He realized that he was doing the same with Dolia.

"Who is she?" he questioned. "A patient of yours?"

"Well, yes, but you've met her before, too."

"I have?"

"Don't you remember that day with the creature?"

He nodded once, and in the middle of nodding, it suddenly hit him. Her empty canvas once had black eyes and teeth stained with blood. He had indeed encountered her before but seeing a pristine image veiled the monster underneath. The reason for the bizarre difference baffled him.

How is it possible? he wondered. Perhaps he would have to read more books because the only possibility he could think about was kekkei genkai. And if it was, it would be the strangest one he ever saw. The artist in him wanted to take out his paintbrush and gift her with eyes, a nose, and lips since her face was as blank as his scrolls.