A/N: Hello again, everyone! So a LONG time ago I wrote one of my first stories for Sai and Ino called "When He Falls." Well, in that story I promised the writing of a short summarized idea present in the last chapter, but, unfortunately, as I wrote it I began to struggle with my confidence in its concept and the quality of its writing and eventually abandoned it for a long time, leaving that promise unfulfilled. Right now, I can't say for sure that that story will still be written to completion and posted, but I do apologize for making such a promise without ensuring that I could see it through and I hope that perhaps this story will make up for that, at least a little bit. I especially say so to Lemonchello, who reviewed that story very kindly, and to whom I specifically directed that promise to. Again, I apologize, and if Lemonchello happens to read this, thank you for your support on my last story and I hope that you enjoy this one as well.
I truly hope you all enjoy it as well! 'Till next time! :)
Complete your mission without question. There is no need for emotion, no need for sympathy or compassion, for sadness or regret. You serve your village in any way possible and you don't look back.
That's what Sai had been taught all his life. He didn't particularly mind it either. All the books he had read only taught him that feelings were complicated and pointless. Whether it came to decision making or personal motivation, they only served to make things worse, and they certainly would have gotten in the way of his work as part of root. The short time he had spent around Naruto and the others didn't change that, it didn't make him doubt that those things were true, but, rather, just made him think about them more.
Of course all that thought always led to the same conclusion, but he always came back to the one-man conversation anyway. Today in particular was no exception. As Sai walked through the forests surrounding the Hidden Leaf Village, which served as good inspiration as well as a good place to think, he found his mind wandering to a topic that had long been puzzling him.
He had recently been sent to assist Team Asuma in their bout against two members of the Akatsuki, but he hadn't really done much. By the time he and Sakura had gotten to Shikamaru, he had already defeated his member and succeeded in a goal Sai didn't particularly understand.
Asuma had gone on an initial mission alongside his students some time before the fall of the two members, and had perished in the battle. Since then, all of Team Asuma had been out for revenge on the people who had killed him. Sai understood that people tended to want to hurt those who hurt them or the people they loved, it was a common trope in literature, but he didn't understand why.
Hurting that person wasn't going to undo the hurt they caused, and it almost never seemed to make the characters in the story actually feel better. It only seemed like a pointless and time wasting pursuit, whose effort could be better focused somewhere else. He just didn't understand. Soldiers were replaceable, and people died everyday. What made it so different when it was close and personal?
In his own way, Sai did wish he knew the answer to questions like these. If not so he could fit in and feel normal, then at least so that they would stop plaguing him the way that they did now. It was almost getting to the point where not having emotions was almost becoming as distracting as having them. Almost.
As if summoned by his very thoughts, a new distraction appeared suddenly in the sound of a girl crying. Sai wasn't quite sure why, whether it was his innate curiosity and desire to study people or because the crying was interrupting his peace, he followed it in an attempt to find its source.
"Good morning, Asuma Sensei." For some reason, Sai froze where he stood, the sound of Ino's voice shocking him more than it should have. How could she be talking to Asuma? He was dead. She did know that, didn't she? Sai was suddenly very concerned for the poor kunoichi's mind.
"How are you today?" Ino continued, pulling Sai out of his confused and concerned thoughts. He managed to inch his head just enough so that he could see, while still not alerting Ino to his presence.
Ino was kneeling on the ground in front of a small circle of stones adorned with various colors of flowers. In the center of the circle was a picture of Asuma himself, with a smoke in his mouth, of course. "I ran into Kurenai Sensei this morning. She seems to be in good health, but she's been really upset now that she's growing a belly." Ino continued, turning her head downward toward the ground. "She thinks it makes her look more fat than maternal, but I know you would've thought she looked beautiful."
Ah, so she did know that he was dead. Thank goodness, Sai really didn't want to have to subdue her; it was his first day off in quite some time, and would likely be his last for the same period.
"Oh!" Ino exclaimed, lifting her head suddenly, and causing Sai to reach instinctively for his tanto, only relaxing when Ino turned back toward him with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. "These are for you. I picked them out myself first thing, so I know they're the best of the bunch." Ino said as she laid the flowers down in front of Asuma's picture, moving with a gentle grace Sai never knew was possible. She moved slowly, deliberately, like he was afraid that the flowers would break if she did any less. Even Sai, through all the haze of his past and natural apathy, managed to think that there was something quite beautiful about it.
"You know, Sai called me beautiful again today. I'm not really sure he means it, but it was nice to hear it from him anyway." Ino brushed her hair back as she spoke, revealing a slight blush to her cheeks. At first Sai thought she had somehow heard his internal musings, but quickly realized that was not the case. He wrinkled his nose slightly, he thought he had been more careful about hiding his true feelings about her than that. Clearly he needed to work on it a bit.
"Hey, Asuma Sensei, do you think… I could really beat Sakura? She was there that day. Neither of us really did much, but would you still have been proud of me? Would you have taken us out for barbecue again? I wish… we could do that again." Ino's voice became more strained as she spoke, and she turned her head downward once more, resting her hands, which were balled into fists, on her legs. "We avenged you. We defeated the man who killed you, so why… Why does it still hurt? Why… aren't you here with us?"
On the last word, Ino's voice finally cracked, the even voiced facade she had built breaking apart. Each tear glistened briefly in the sun, before shattering as they came in contact with the ground. One after the other they continued to flow, and Ino's heartbroken sobs quickly followed suit. The sight made Sai feel odd, and it suddenly struck him that the scene before him was far too personal for him to have not overstayed his welcome, and he had seen far too much already.
If he had any more knowledge of emotions, if he hadn't been so busy theorizing and attempting to understand his own odd feelings, he might've stayed. He might've stayed and comforted her, held her as she cried, or at least reminded her that she wasn't alone, but that wasn't the case. As it was, he did what felt right: he turned and fled as quietly as possible.
He wondered if he would be able to paint when he got home.
The Land of Silence was an odd place. Whether he wanted to or not, Sai had called it "home" for quite some time. In a strange way that he really didn't appreciate or want to accept, he liked it there, he wanted to go back.
He knew that this was just an after effect from being underneath the genjutsu for so long, and it was supposed to fade with time, but he wished it would fade faster. He wished it would happen faster, because, every now and again, he got to thinking. Lately he hadn't been able to paint, to go on missions, or even to leave his own home.
He knew those thoughts were not his, but sometimes he wondered if it would be better for him to go back. Back to where he no longer had to think for himself, to where he didn't have to feel the pain in his chest any longer. The pain of the life he had lived, of the pain he had inflicted on others, and that which he had been subjected to himself. The pain of seeing his brother again, of having to fight him, having to see him die all over again. His brother had finally seen the drawing that he made for him, that should have been enough, he should have been happy, but he wasn't. It had been two years since that day, and only now was Sai starting to really feel that pain, to understand it.
Emotions… were complicated, confusing, difficult. Some days Sai didn't understand why he had ever wanted them in the first place. Some days he regretted ever making the change at all, wondering if this decision was the right one. Would he really be any better than who he was before, or was he only kidding himself, pretending like he really fit in with anyone here?
But then, there was one person who seemed to take away all these fears. Somehow, when he least expected it, she had come into his life and changed everything. It was shortly after Sai had been freed from that Land that he had gone out on his promised date with Ino. In all honesty, he really hadn't wanted to, but a promise was a promise, so he had gone. It wasn't particularly fun or interesting, but it had given him a strange feeling that he felt the need to explore.
They hadn't gone on another date since, but Ino was a regular around him. Whether she was stopping by to make sure he was well fed during his "inspired art days," or he was at her flower shop taking in the sights, it wasn't odd to find them together, even if they weren't an actual couple yet. Maybe it was because she had literally been inside his head, but Ino just seemed to get him. She didn't always get it right, and she was always very much herself, but that seemed to bother Sai less and less as the days went by. She was also the only one who could manage to pull him out of his house on the days when he was consumed with thought.
"I keep telling Sakura to give up, but she's insistent that she can cook better than me! Even poor Choji can't take the strain much longer... " Ino's voice reached his ears as she padded the silence of the day with idle chatter. It passed quickly through Sai's brain without actually understanding much, but Sai imagined that she already knew this would happen. He often looked to her to fill his surrounding area with noise on the days when he found himself stuck in his own head. No matter how much he tried, Sai just couldn't seem to shake those thoughts.
The fact of the matter was that the Land of Silence had affected Sai more than he ever cared to admit. It was a relatively short period of time, but for nearly the whole duration he had been psychologically tortured and physically beaten, all to the end of making him truly believe that he was all alone in the world, and Gengo was the only person he could rely on. It was relatively short, but it had felt much longer, and Sai had emerged from the experience different.
It was so much the feeling of being alone, Ino and his friends had made sure that he knew that wasn't and never would be true, but, rather, the familiarity of that feeling. Going through the genjutsu was hard, but coming out of it had been harder, as his mind was raked through all the memories he had forgotten, all the experiences that made him who he was. Namely, the death of his brother, Shin. The first moment that he had felt that sense of hopeless loneliness, one so strong that he had gladly given up his emotions just to be rid of it.
He didn't want to do that again. He didn't want to lose the people close to him, but he didn't know how to make peace with the life he had led up until now either. With all those painful memories and experiences given new meaning by his returned emotions, he couldn't seem to reconcile the man he used to be with the one he was now. He couldn't even seem to grieve his brother properly either. He felt pathetic, less human than he had in ages, but he didn't know what he was supposed to do about it either. He wished someone would tell him, but he couldn't bring himself to ask.
"Sai, is everything alright? You've been really quiet today, even for you." Ino asked tenderly, stopping in place and turning toward Sai, gently grabbing his hand. Her hand was warm in his and, without really realizing it, Sai slowly brought her hand up to his cheek, relishing in how it seemed to ground him back to reality. To her credit, Ino allowed it, only smiling at him and waiting patiently for him to speak.
"I..." Sai began, before telling her everything. It was much easier to talk to Ino than he would've thought, perhaps it was because she had already been in his head once. No matter the reason, Sai found himself admitting to his recent feelings. It was odd and messy, and he wasn't always able to describe them properly, but he hoped that he was able to get his point across. "I just… feel lost." Sai said, finishing what was no doubt a senseless tirade. Ino looked at him, carefully considering what he had told her.
"Sai, let's build a monument for your brother." Sai stared at Ino, slightly shocked by her words, before agreeing to give it a try.
The walk to the forest was silent, but tense for Sai. He wasn't particularly sure what was to come, or how it was going to help, but he trusted Ino. Eventually they found a nice spot in the midst of the trees where the grass was perfectly green and the sun shone down peacefully on the floor. They had stopped at Ino's family flower shop to pick up some choice flowers with, what Ino had decided were, "The proper meanings for a situation like this."
Together, they picked and arranged stones and decorated it with the flowers: A crimson rose for mourning, lilies for restored innocence, and zinnias for friendship and remembrance. They had just been on their way out, when something had caught Sai's eye: The white roses. He had picked one up and asked what they meant, to which Ino replied: "They're used by people to honor their fathers when they pass."
He had taken those too.
"So… how am I to proceed from here?" Sai asked, once the monument had been finished.
"Well, it's a little awkward at first, but you just… talk to it, or to your brother, to be more specific." Ino replied with the blatant honesty and slight oversimplification of someone who knew well what they were doing.
"Right..." Sai turned toward the monument, an odd feeling rising in his stomach. Ino had been right, this was awkward. He was unsure of what to say or do, and the circle of stones in front of him suddenly seemed very intimidating. He couldn't even bring himself to look at it.
"I- I can go if you want." Ino said, already getting up to leave. At this, Sai whipped his head around making a clumsy grab for her hand, but managing to get a hold of it.
"Please… stay." Sai breathed out, looking directly at Ino, the plea reflected in his eyes. Ino smiled down at him, walking forward slightly to lessen the over extension of Sai's arm, and sitting down on the grass once more. Slightly calmed, Sai turned back, facing the same dilemma as his body stiffened again.
"Just do what feels right." Ino said in a soft voice, gently moving Sai's hand over her own heart. "In here."
There was a sadness in her tone that Sai, for once, understood. He had seen her speaking with her deceased sensei a long time ago in this very forest. Back then he hadn't done anything for her, but he still had the image of her tear stained face etched in his mind. He had done what he felt was right back then too.
"What feels right?" Sai questioned quietly, more to himself than anyone else. He fixed his eyes ahead of himself once more, but, instead of looking at the monument itself, he focused on the empty circle of space created by the stones. It looked… sad. "Lonely" being the word that came to Sai's mind.
He didn't want his brother to be alone. In a slight daze, Sai reached into his pocket, pulling out a small picture book. Opening it to its middle pages, Sai studied the image it held, before setting it down in the empty circle.
"Good morning, Shin. My brother." They were simple words, and it was technically the afternoon, but they were all Sai needed to let his mental dam break. He told his brother of everything that had happened since their parting. How he had been overcome with grief only to lose his emotions, how he had done things he now regretted without blinking an eye, but also how he made friends who were important to him, and how he wished his brother could have met them.
He wasn't really sure how long he simply sat there speaking freely, saying things he never would have if he had remembered that a living person was still nearby, but he hadn't. The more he spoke, the more time passed and the sun began to set as darkness fell on the forest, and the more he forgot about Ino's presence. He had forgotten, and, yet, the cold that followed the falling of the sun only stood to make the warmth of her hand in his all the more clear and comforting.
By the time he had finished, Sai's throat was dry and he was panting for breath, but his shoulders felt much lighter than they had in a long time. From behind himself he heard the sound of a match being struck before the small area of the forest was alight, the warmth of the fire barely noticeable, but it was enough to remind him: Ino was still there. She had heard everything, every harsh detail, every dark thing he had thought of been through. All of it. He was almost too afraid to look at her, but he had to know, so he turned.
There were tears welling in her eyes, but, despite their quantity, they had yet to flow. Her face however, was bluntly marred with fear and a certain level of disgust. He knew it. There was no way that this peace he once had could have lasted, but then she did something he never expected.
In a sudden act that normally would've had Sai jumping away, Ino practically tackled him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and whispering, "I saw glimpses of your past before, but I never knew. I'm so sorry, Sai." Slowly and with a great deal of uncertainty, Sai brought his arms up around Ino, returning the gesture. Catharsis was the only way to explain the feeling Sai felt at that moment, as he felt warm tears slip past his cheeks. It wasn't particularly happy, angry, or sad, it was just pure release. Release of all the pain and the doubts, of all the things he had kept inside for so long.
This was his home. This was where he belonged, and he wouldn't trade it for anything.
In that moment, Ino had become so much more than just his friend; she had become his guardian angel, and Sai was left to wonder one thing:
When had she become so beautiful?
The Fourth Shinobi World War. It had been two years since then, and it had lasted only a few measly days, a week at the most, but no one, not a single soul in Konoha, would ever forget it. Ino certainly wouldn't. She couldn't. Not after everything that had happened.
It seemed like the people she loved most were always leaving her. First her sensei, and then her father, and in the worst way imaginable. On the worst days, she could still hear her father's voice ringing in her head, see the cracks in her sensei's body after he was artificially brought back to life. Fighting him was one of the hardest things she had ever done, but she had done it. The War had been won, Naruto had been admired once more as a hero, Sasuke had once again left, and life for the Village moved on.
Ultimately, everything returned to the status quo, and, in some ways, it was as if the war had never happened. People still walked in the streets, children still grew, people still fell in love, and the sun still rose and set without fail; but then there were other times. Times when the screams and cries of those who had lost could still be heard in the streets, and they were reminded that people who once were suddenly disappeared, leaving behind gaps that could never be filled.
It was hard, and some days were harder than others, but Ino would always be thankful that she had Shikamaru and Choji. If it hadn't been for them supporting her, sharing in her struggle, she was certain she wouldn't have made it through in one piece. Even if it took putting her pieces back together to get there. It had taken time, more than she thought that she could give, but, eventually, she found a way to feel whole again, and she felt stronger for it. Of course, she would've preferred that her friends and teammates didn't have to understand what she went through, but if it was inevitable, then at least they were together through it.
She still missed them, dearly, desperately, but the sun, for all its rising and falling, had finally shined on her world again. Of course, there was one other person Ino had taken to in the days that followed: Sai. She didn't want to be too hasty, but she was pretty sure she was falling in love. After getting to know Sai for some time, Ino felt really embarrassed that she had ever justified her interest in him by saying he looked like Sasuke.
He understood the struggles of loss that she had been through, and, though he still sometimes struggled with emotions, he always gave it his best and seemed to have some innate connection with her. Maybe it was because Ino had been in his mind, which was a link that ran both ways, but she didn't really mind. There was more to Sai than just the memories she had seen in his head. He was surprisingly sweet, if you could accept that it was the thought that counted, and she found herself wanting to be around him more and more. She had been debating whether or not she should tell him for weeks now, but it just never seemed like the right time.
Fortunately, the Rinne festival had finally rolled around, and Ino figured that now was as good a time as any to tell him. The streets were being decorated, which Ino would soon have to help with, the snow was falling, and the air was thick with the chilly holiday spirit. It was, in Ino's opinion, very romantic, and she couldn't wait to celebrate the season with her boyfriend. (Yes, they had finally gone on that second date)
Sai was actually supposed to come to her flower shop/house combo to help her put bouquets together in just-
"Fifteen minutes?!" Ino shouted in disbelief at her clock. She had spent too much time musing and not enough time cleaning up and moving boxes like she was supposed to have been doing. Attempting to make up for lost time, Ino began frantically moving boxes and tossing them into the back room. She'd deal with them later.
Somehow she managed to move the bulk of the boxes fairly quickly, but in her haste failed to realize that she had lazily dropped one of the boxes and failed to pick it up earlier. With another opened box in her hands, Ino tripped over the one on the floor, falling to her knees and spilling the contents of the box.
"Ouch, stupid box." Ino whined as she stood up, rubbing her knees; that had hurt. With an annoyed sigh, Ino leaned down to collect the loose items… and froze. The box had been full of Rinne festival decorations. Fake flowers that would last in the cold when tied to light poles on the streets, and pictures of potential arrangements that could be done with them. That wasn't what caught her eye, however. It was something else.
In the midst of the items that had been strewn across the ground was a picture of Ino and her father from before the war. With shaking hands Ino picked up the picture. She looked so young and immature, scowling and embarrassed next to her smiling father who had placed one hand on her head, likely ruffling her hair, while the other was making a thumbs up. The light streaming through the window revealed the presence of words written on the back of the picture. Ino flipped it over, quickly recognizing her father's handwriting, and read.
"Rinne festival coming up soon! Can't wait to make bouquets with my precious, beautiful daughter!"
She read the words again and again, running her fingers across the ink, she could already feel tears pricking at her eyes. She remembered this year more than she cared for. Her father had approached her with the idea of doing bouquets for the Rinne festival like they once had when she was a child. Alas, Ino had thought herself too grown to show the same kind of excitement, so she had met him with general indifference, if not outright disdain.
"Dad, I'm too old to be doing dumb stuff like that anymore! None of my other friends spend time with their dads; don't you think there's a reason?"
That's what she had told him.
The Fourth War broke out not a week or two later.
She hadn't meant it. If she had known what was going to happen, she would have told him how she really felt. She would have told him that she was so excited to spend time with him again.
"Why didn't I tell him how excited I was? How happy he made me when he asked? Why… did you have to die?"
It wasn't fair, but it was all her fault. How had she let herself forget? The room seemed to become cold and empty as Ino sat on the floor of her flower shop, examining the picture again and again, her frame barely visible from the outside. She didn't hear when the little bell on the door rang, nor did she hear the small "Ino" whispered by the man who had come in. But when he lovingly took her hands in his, before wrapping his arms around her, she felt the love and warmth that radiated from every action.
Sai didn't say any words, or try to comfort her in any other way, but he held her there for as long as she cried, for as long as she continued to ramble senseless, unconnected strings of thoughts and words. He stayed, even when he examined the floor and seemed to understand the truth of the situation, he stayed; and that meant more to her than anything else ever could have. And when she fell asleep right there, she half registered when he carried her all the way up the stairs and tucked her in bed.
"I wasn't a very good daughter, was I?" Ino finally worked up the courage to ask the question that had been burning in her mind.
"I'm sure your father is very proud of you." Sai responded, not quite meeting her eyes.
Ino pouted slightly, eyes downcast. "Why? Because we won the war?"
That's what everyone had said; it never did her much good, and it was far from comforting, but it seemed to be the only thing anyone could say. For a moment, Ino wondered if perhaps Sai wasn't quite the right person to have such a conversation with. She was quickly proven wrong.
"No. Sai stated, the somber shake of his head contracted by the small smile that had appeared on his face. "Because you are the daughter he loved unconditionally with all his heart. The one he was willing to sacrifice himself for, if only it meant your happiness and safety. I'm sure that he was able to see the truth behind your words, so please do not worry, Beautiful."
"Sai..." Ino stared up at him in amazement, tears once again pricking her eyes.
Sai looked down at her in confusion. "Did I say something wrong again?"
More awake than she had been, Ino laughed a true and full laugh, lifting herself up to wrap her arms around Sai's neck. "Not at all. That was perfect."
Ino pulled herself back slightly, looking into Sai's eyes and wondering if he knew just how wonderful she was. Before she knew it, Ino found herself leaning forward, moving closer… until she saw the look on his face. From the curve of his eyebrows and mouth, to the revealing nature of his deep, black eyes, everything in his face showed confusion.
Perhaps he really hadn't realized exactly what it was he had said, or maybe the action itself didn't make sense to him, but, in any case, something about it didn't feel right. Just before she made contact with Sai's lips, Ino changed gears, purposefully overshooting and pressing a kiss to his forehead instead. "Thank you for everything, Sai."
Rather than responding, Sai opted to sit there while staring doe-eyed at Ino, an almost feverish blush rising to his cheeks. With that, Ino finally allowed herself to drift off to sleep, pleasant dreams of her father filling her mind.
And when she and Sai finally shared their first kiss as they put together Rinne festival bouquets and flower decorations, she could finally say that everything felt right.
The boy with the pale skin and the girl with the golden hair. The once emotionless tool, and the most emotional girl in the village. Sai imagined that they must have looked quite the pair as they ran down the Konoha streets, hand-in-hand, but he didn't particularly mind.
"Sai, where are we going?" Ino yelled, dodging innocent bystanders as she struggled to be heard over the wind rushing past their ears.
"That would ruin the surprise!" Sai shouted back, an unusual amount of mirth evident in his voice.
He couldn't quite explain it, but he had been dangerously happy recently. At first he thought that an enemy opponent might have placed some sort of genjutsu on him, but a quick visit to Konoha hospital cleared that theory of suspicion, so he was thrown back to square one.
Well, that wasn't necessarily true. After describing a symptom set of a fast heartbeat, fluttery feeling in his stomach, and the constant desire to see Ino, despite how that only seemed to make his symptoms worse, Sakura had given him an odd look and a clean bill of health. Unconvinced, he had tried to argue on the point, to which Sakura had responded that if he was too dense to understand it, then she wasn't going to explain it to him. He had responded by saying that the fact that Sakura knew about it told him that, at the very least, it had nothing to do with cooking. She had hit him and told him to ask Ino to be his date to her teammate's upcoming wedding, which was easily the biggest affair in the Leaf in quite some time.
He had debated and pondered over it for days, totally unsure of whether he had indigestion or would be in desperate need for medical assistance in the near future. Then Naruto and Hinata had gotten married. The whole time he couldn't bring himself to take his eyes off her. The way her hair was done, the special clothes she wore, the sheer look of happiness on her face, all of it combined to make a near heavenly sight. And Hinata had looked quite nice too.
Admittedly, Sai had often wondered what the point of a thing like marriage was. He knew that it was a promise of sorts between two people who loved each other, but he didn't much understand why. Promises were almost always broken, that was just a fact of life, and, to Sai, it seemed a bit short sighted to tie yourself to one person for the rest of your life, even if only in theory. How could you guarantee that you wouldn't get sick of the other person just a few years, or even months, in? How could two people know that they were right for each other, or that they were really in love with one another? What even was love? It was only at that wedding, however, that he got the answers to those questions.
He had seen how happy his teammate was, perhaps more than he had ever been, and, just like that, he began to question everything he thought he knew. He had seen them walking down the flower laden ground, preparing to solidify their love and start a whole new life together, but he didn't pay it much mind at the time. He didn't pay it much mind, until he had looked down at his hand, the one that was warm as it curled around Ino's. He was exactly sure when they had done so, but he knew that, despite the odd looks they had been receiving from every side, the once self conscious and socialite girl hadn't even hesitated or attempted to release his hand. In fact, she only seemed to move in a way that ensured people would see their interlaced fingers as they held fast to one another, leaving little room for doubt or speculation.
He was a little ashamed to admit that he had some surprise at the action. It wasn't just because Ino once had a shallow tendency and tended to put a lot of weight in the opinions of others, but, rather, because Sai didn't exactly consider himself a prize to be shown off either. Compared to Sakura who had Sasuke, not that he was particularly fond of the man, and Hinata who had Naruto, who was only the biggest hero in the Village and future Hokage, Sai didn't really seem like much. He wasn't really a special, powerful hero, nor he wasn't particularly popular. He had been raised in the darkness, and held more skeletons in his closet than he cared to admit. He wasn't an inspiring figure that reached out to others, but someone who needed to be reached out to.
He truly believed he wasn't much of anything, but Ino had chosen him anyway. She had stayed by his side, showing him off proudly when he was sure no one else would have. It was there, in that moment, that Sai realized: He never wanted to go another day without Ino by his side. He was desperately, hopelessly, and happily in love with her, and nothing would ever change that. It didn't make any logical sense, and it certainly didn't make much sense to him, but he was completely sure of it. And as he watched Naruto and Hinata seal their marriage with a kiss, he imagined what it would be like for Ino and him to be there in their place.
With that in his mind, he had held tight to Ino's hand and started running the moment the event was over, but not before he had done one quick sketch.
"Can I open my eyes now?" Ino asked from behind Sai, eyes closed tightly as he guided her steps forward through the lush terrain. They had finally stopped running some time ago, which was when he had switched to slowly leading Ino instead.
"Almost..." He drawled, extending the word until she was finally where he wanted her to be. "Now."
Ino breathed in sharply, gasping at the sight before her. They stood atop a fairly sized cliff, overlooking all of Konoha. It was one of Sai's favorite places, his own secret garden of sorts; and now, it was theirs.
"Do you like it?" Sai asked, moving forward to encircle Ino's waist, hugging her from behind. She crossed her arms over his, nodding her affirmation.
"I love it." She said, as a slow breeze blew past them, gently moving through her hair and causing ripples through her dress. They stood there together in a comfortable silence for some time, the sky growing more pink as the sun began its daily descent through the horizon.
"I feel the same way." Sai said, breaking the silence. Ino turned in his arms to face him, a questioning but mused look on her face. "The same way you feel looking at this view, is how I feel every time I look at you. I think- no, I'm sure… that I love you with all my heart, Ino."
"Sai… I- I love you too." Ino said, returning his feelings with a smile. Overcome with joy, Sai picked her up, spinning her around before setting her down and reaching into his pocket, and, using his signature jutsu, brought the small image of a ring to life.
"Ino Yamanaka, would you marry me?" He asked her suddenly, right then and there. Right when Ino was about to respond, he cut clumsily across her. "I'm afraid I didn't have time to get a real ring, but we could get one just like this if you wished. Or, even better, I could design you a new one, or a thousand new ones if you wanted. Anything to get you to say yes, to stay by my side forever. I-"
"Sai." Ino interrupted his tirade, tenderly bringing a finger to his lips. "What are you doing?" There was an evident kindness in her voice and a sparkle in her eye that told Sai she was not upset, but rather making sure he knew the answer to that question as well.
He did. For once, he really, truly did.
Moving Ino's hand away from his face, Sai looked directly into her eyes and replied earnestly.
"What feels right."
Hearing this, Ino brought her hands to Sai's face once more, this time bringing it down to meet her lips. When she finally pulled away, there were tears running down her face.
"Am I to take that as a yes?"
Ino smiled wide, the now starry sky reflected in her eyes. "Yes." The one word was all she said before kissing him again.
The boy with the pale skin and the girl with the golden hair. Sai truly believed Ino was the sun to his moon, the light to his darkness, and he couldn't imagine a day without her.
Yeah.
Sai was really starting to like this "having emotions" thing.