BIG HUGE THANKS TO: Kakashis-First-Kiss who beta-ed this story way fast, and who's idea it was to post it tonight.

THANKS TO: txgirl123, ExplodingChickenOfDoom, Anonymous Sister of the Author, Dreamsofdragons, DarkRavie, KitsuneyJenfner, and Lady Renyel of Arella for reviewing! I love reading my reviews and they are the reason I keep writing!

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A shrill scream pierced the night as Sakura looked through Naruto's bedroom window. She'd still been angry at him for saying those things about Sasuke, so she hadn't bothered to come and check on him when she was supposed to. Now, half an hour late, after being chastised by Kakashi, she looked down on where Naruto lay with a bloody glass shard in hand.

She jumped down to the small balcony and found the window unlocked. Rushing into the room, she found that Naruto still had a pulse. Quickly she worked to close his wounds, replacing the blood he had lost. After the wounds were closed she lifted him from the floor and raced towards the hospital, all the while knowing that if she'd showed up when she was supposed to Naruto wouldn't be almost dead.

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Tsunade pursed her lips as she looked down at the bed were Naruto lay. Along with replenishing Naruto's blood, they had given him drugs to keep him asleep until it could be decided what to do with him. It was obvious that he couldn't stay alone. Tsunade glared at her student. It was equally obvious that she couldn't leave Sakura in charge of watching him and Kakashi was needed for missions too often.

While Naruto couldn't be left with Sakura or Kakashi he couldn't stay at the hospital. Tsunade still had no idea what exactly Orochimaru had done to Naruto, and she didn't want the boy's current state to be known to the whole village. This left only Sai. Tsunade was reluctant to send Naruto with the smiley boy; if Sai knew something that meant Root knew something, but then that meant that Root already knew the situation.

She sighed; it would be nice if Orochimaru could be content being a normal missing-nin and leave the village entirely alone instead of still managing to create problems. She'd have to look into having ANBU move Orochimaru up on their hit list, not that it really mattered. They never got anyone worth getting anyway. She shook her head to clear it of Orochimaru and called for Shizune to bring Sai. She glanced over to where Naruto lay, the long pale cuts that she and Sakura couldn't heal and Kyuubi wouldn't heal running from Naruto's wrist all the way up to the bend of his elbow, shining in the moonlight. Tsunade sighed again. It was going to be a long night.

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The bath water was warm, but it still but set Naruto's pulse racing.

"Just a snap of my fingers." Naruto could hear that voice. He froze unable to move forward.

"Come here, pet." Naruto stepped back shaking his head, his body shivering. His back something warm and solid and he spun still wrapped in his delusion to see Sai cold face.

Sai could see the fear alive in Naruto's eyes.

"No." Naruto gasped, unshed tears making his eyes dance, "No."

"A bath is hardly something to be afraid of; if you are going to living my house you're going to be clean." Sai's smile never wavered as he took a step into the room forcing Naruto one step backwards, one step closer to the tub.

"No." Naruto whispered, a single tear running down his check.

"Undress or I'll undress you. I promise I won't hurt you." Naruto bit his lip, and turned to stare at the bath. He shut his eyes and his mind to the glowing golden eyes that haunted him, and in their place he put Kabuto's soft eyes. He let himself feel the water trickle down through his hair and the soft sponge press against his back. He sighed letting the image go and slowly began to undress. He could feel Sai eyes watching him, but he knew that Sai had orders never to leave him alone.

Sai watched Naruto shrug out of his clothes. As the boy's shirt came off his thin arms were exposed: arms that, in spite of Kyuubi's healing chakra, still bore faint pink lines. Sai watched Naruto hesitate before stepping into the warm water.

Naruto jumped as he felt a cool hand touch his shoulder.

"Would you like help with your back?" Sai voice was the same unrevealing tone as always. Naruto didn't move for a moment, and then he silently handed Sai the sponge and leaned forward. Sai ran sponge down Naruto's smooth back.

Naruto closed his eyes and let his mind drift. Sai's soft hands on his back were replaced by Kabuto's.

"Yes, I love you. More than I have ever loved anyone." It was Kabuto's words that echoed through the small bathroom now, and Naruto felt hot tears trickle down his face. The tears didn't go unnoticed by Sai who wrapped an arm around Naruto to wipe one away.

"You're crying." Sai stated bringing the finger to his mouth and tasting the salty water, "Why?" The seemingly normal question gave Naruto a pause. How do you explain heartsickness to a person who has been taught to feel nothing?

"Because I miss him." Naruto whispered. Sai cocked his head.

"And that makes you…," Sai casted around for the right word, "sad?" Naruto nodded. He stared at the wall.

"So sad it hurts." Sai was still confused. Why should Naruto be sad that he wasn't able to see an enemy anymore? And why should it hurt? Wasn't sorrow, like any other emotion, just a figment of your mind?

"Why do you miss him?" Sai asked. Perhaps knowing that would make the rest make more sense.

"Because I love him." Nope, that definitely didn't help.

"How did you love him? Show me." The idea of feeling an emotion so strongly it could actually hurt intrigued Sai.

Naruto sat perfectly still. How could he 'show' Sai how he loved Kabuto? The feeling of Kabuto's lips on his came instantly to his mind; the feeling was more than that. Naruto paused, Sai wouldn't understand anything besides a physically attachment. He spun in the bathwater and kissed Sai without warning just as he had once kissed Kabuto.

Naruto pulled away leaving a very shocked Sai, so shocked in fact that he had forgotten to plaster his customary smile on and was left with his naturally emotionless expression. A thought was forming in Naruto's head. He was sick of being heartsick, was sick of not being able to move on. Maybe, just maybe, if he could love Sai than maybe he could make Kabuto nothing more than painfully memory.

He leaned up again and wrapped his arms around Sai neck kissing him hard. Coming out of his shock Sai kissed back unsure what else to do. Naruto gasped as his knees slipped on the smooth bottom on the bath and with arms still around Sai he fell back into the tub. Sai landed gracelessly on top of Naruto who, after getting his breath back, kissed Sai again.

Sai found an odd thing happening: his mind was racing and instinct was taking over. Soon his sopping clothes were pulled from his body and tossed from the tub. His hands explored Naruto's perfect body.

Naruto gasped as he and Sai moved as one. He felt bitter disappointment that even here, entwined with Sai, it was Kabuto that he saw. As he arched his back in pleasure it was Kabuto he saw above him clouded by the steam rising from the hot bath; not Sai. Even as his world flashed white he had to bite his lip hard enough to draw blood not cry out Kabuto's name. And as they lay together in the cooling water a single tear escaped, unnoticed, and fell down Naruto's wet face.

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AN: I haven't been murder for my bad grades just yet, mainly because my parents haven't seen them '-.- So this is just a warning that I may not be able to post for a while… a rather long while. -Morana