PLEASE READ:

This was probably a dumb hope, but would anyone be willing to participate in a fan art competition for this story? I won't give out details on this unless I get at least 10 people or close :P It could be fan arts or AMVS. The prize would be a one-shot to two-shot Fanfiction of any topic or pairing you want, fully literate and written to my best ability. There would be a runner up prize as well. I'll give more details if anyone cares . For right now, Please only tell me if you would join, don't go start drawing ;

I skipped the part where they go to the hot springs for obvious, (hopefully,) Reasons xD

I'll be gone for a week, reply after!

Sai, Sasuke's replacement, was horrible.

Most of our trip was utterly silent walking. Every once and awhile, someone would ask a question, or Sakura and I would chat. Sakura knew the exact location, but Yamato seemed to have other plans. He led us into thicker, darker woods that made it seem like it was night time. It was late afternoon. There was just enough light to see decently.

"Yamato, where exactly are you taking us?" Sakura asked, a few minutes after recovering from the sight of a spider.

"Somewhere to stay for the night. We'll need to plan how this meeting works out." He replied. His pace through the winding branches and bushes hadn't slowed all day.

"We have to stop for the night?" I whined, shoving a branch out of the way, and restraining from hitting Sai with it, simply out of hate. "We don't need sleep! We're supposed to be finding more information on-" I tried to argue more, but Sakura cut me off.

"I know you want to learn more about Orochimaru, so you can find out where Sasuke is," She judged my reaction before continuing. It must not have been bad. "But we could be meeting anyone. You wouldn't want to be killed on the spot."

"Why are you so worried about that traitor?" Sai asked, still sounding somewhat amused with himself.

This is the main reason I hated Sai.

I snarled back, "He's not a traitor, and you don't have a right to know!"

Sakura and Yamato sighed sadly, nearly in unison.

It continued. "Why don't I? I'm helping you. I'm his replacement." Sai retorted.

"Hardly!" I replied, not bothering to hold back the branches now. It slowed him down. "You're nothing like him! You can't call yourself a replacement!"

"You're right." Sai answered. "Leaving to serve Orochimaru, betraying Konoha, I wouldn't want to be anything like that gutless little homo."

Let him have it. Kyubbi growled.

I stopped dead in my tracks, and I saw Sakura stop too.

"Why you-!" I spun around to punch him, and he made no defense.

I was about to give him what he deserved, but Sakura looped her arms around my shoulders from behind, holding me there. I didn't fight back much, but she wasn't weak little Sakura anymore, either.

"Naruto, forgive him. Sai, take it back." She said calmly, trying to make a temporary peace.

Sai smiled that creepy smile. "Sure, I take it back."

I didn't do anything, just continued to fume in Sakura's arm lock. Yamato must have been annoyed.

"Naruto." She ordered.

"Fine. I forgive you, asshole."

She let me go, then glared at Sai.

She punched him, instead. Hard. Hard enough to send him to the ground.

I backed up a step.

"He may forgive you, but I don't! Don't ever judge Sasuke, you never knew him!"

Sai rubbed the side of his face, hesitantly standing back up. He wasn't grinning anymore. "Faking your emotions really works, doesn't it?

"I'll take you all back to Konoha if you don't stop behaving like children!" Yamato yelled over everything, causing us all to turn and bow our heads.

Kit, After everyone falls asleep for the night, use me, and make that penis obsessed freak feel the wrath!

I'm seriously considering it.

Good.


Maybe a half an hour later of awkward silence and slow walking, we reached an empty clearing in the middle of the woods. It must have been a man made clearing, it was unnatural to have a break in this thick of woods.

"This is it." Yamato said, motioning around us.

"Sorry Sensei, but there's nothing here, and we didn't bring any-" She would probably have gone on to say we didn't have any sleeping mats, and that he told us not to worry about it.

"I know. One moment." He stepped to the edge of the clearing, and lifted his arms.

Sakura and I stared in awe, Sai not as much, as our replacement Sensei literally grew a place for the night. Not just any place, a small yet two story wooden shelter. He made the wood come out of the ground.

"We'll stay here." He concluded, ignoring our shock behind him. He started towards it.

"Er, right." Sakura muttered, following him.

I followed behind her, and Sai followed behind me.

Still considering it, kit?

I'll give him one more strike.

Hmph.

Honestly Kyubbi, why would you care about Sasuke?

It's not the Uchiha, it's the fact that grinning boy is pissing off you, which annoys me, which is not okay.

I don't annoy you?

You have your moments, brat.

Right.

The wood house was empty inside, but spacious. The entire top 'floor' was one room with a window on the back wall. There would be enough room for us all to sleep comfortably on the floor, but we still lacked some sort of sleeping mat or bag.

We left our backpacks on the top floor.

"How'd he do that?" I mumbled, barely coherent.

"The second Hokage could control the wood element. I didn't think it was possible for anyone else." Sakura answered. "It must just be rare."

The downstairs was just as big, but split into two rooms, one nearest the entryway and one further back. In the center of the first room, there was a lamp, lit. While we had gone upstairs, Yamato had sat near it.

"Sit down, everyone. Planning time." He ordered.

Everyone did as told, Sakura kneeling across from him on the opposite side of the lamp, and Sai and I on either side of her.

"Sasori, one of the Akatsuki members was the one who gave you the information, correct Sakura?" Yamato began.

"Right."

"I assume you knew we couldn't just show up there. They expect Sasori. Which is what we'll have to give them."

I started, "But, Sakura killed Sasori. We can't get him to-"

"We'll make a new Sasori. I'll transform into him. But you'll have to tell me everything you know about him. The way he acts…looks…" He trailed off.

"I can do that!" Sakura answered with a head bob.

Yamato looked around at the three of us, eyes lingering on me the longest. Then he said suddenly, "Explain upstairs."

"But we're all already down here." I said, shaking my head. "Why do we have to go upstairs?"

"Sakura and I will. I want you two to stay down here and get over your childish hate for one another."

I felt my mouth drop, and I tried to shut it so I could protest. Strike. Anything. Something so I didn't have to be alone with-

"I don't hate him. I like him. He just hates me." Sai murmured. "Either way."

Does this count as a strike?

Maybe.

"Whatever! You can say what you want, but I'll never stop hating you after what you said!" I growled, remembering how he insulted Sasuke.

I guess the double meanings in his insult didn't make sense to him, but they did to me.

"My point." Yamato sighed. "Well, you heard me. Come on Sakura."

"Coming," Sakura answered, getting up to follow him.

"No!" I reached over and grabbed her ankle, nearly hitting the lamp. "You can't leave me alone with him!"

She could have tripped, but shook her ankle free and glared. "Naruto, don't be a baby. You might like Sai if you knew him better."

"Sure…" I said under my breath, sarcastically.

It wasn't that I couldn't handle being alone with him, I could take care of myself. But if I proceeded to "Take care of myself" He might piss me off to the point of me inflicting pain on him. Then I could kiss my chances of bringing Sasuke home goodbye.

Or it could just be that I hated him to the fiery pits of hell and back.

"Don't kill each other, bond." Sakura muttered, walking away from the desperate me, following Yamato.

I dropped my grasp and slumped to the ground, turning to glare at Sai.

He was still grinning.