This chapter is freakishly uplifting, compared to the last. Then it gets mushy. You've been warned, I guess xD

EPIC FILLER CHAPTER! Remember that?

"Iruka?" I hadn't found him at his house, so I had carefully snuck into the locked academy. It was after hours and getting dark.

I was walking down hallways, resisting the urge to reminisce about being a student here. And resisting the idea to think of a certain nameless kid who was like god, and pushed me into a certain someone.

Coming here made me feel a little less depressed. Like I was fully healed, but there still wasn't a sun in my sky.

Everything in the academy was mostly dim, besides the smaller lights for the janitors. I did however, notice a bright light coming from one of the classrooms. When I opened it and peered around it without fully entering, I saw Iruka at his desk, rubbing his head in irritation. Too many papers to grade, I assumed.

"Hi Iruka." I said, coming all the way through the door.

I must have nearly given him a heart attack, because he jumped out of his seat and took up a defensive stance, starring at me. I stood stalk still and watched him.

A few seconds passed, and Iruka calmed down. "How on earth did you get in here?" he asked, shaking his head. He returned to his seat, sighing in relief.

"Um…It's not too hard to break in. Sorry." I rubbed the back of my head. "And you weren't at home, besides that."

He looked up from his seemingly endless reign of papers. "Did you need me for something?"

I'm sure he was both surprised and happy that the attitude I had shown him earlier was gone. After remembering this was the last thing Sakura would want, and after everything Yamato had told me, it made it so much easier to feel better.

"Well…The ramen, sounds good." I grinned sheepishly, and now I could see his surprise on his face. He smiled back slightly.

"I have so many papers to grade…" Iruka muttered. "And I wanted to check on Kakashi. He'll be getting out of the hospital tomorrow, but that's based on his own judgment. Wouldn't want him to make it worse." Iruka seemed to forget he was talking to me, because he suddenly said, "Oh right, I'm really busy."

I put on a joking pout. "Come on, let the papers wait! I bet Kakashi would love it if we brought him ramen."

"But I promised the students I'd-" He began.

"I was kidding, 'Ruka!" I cut him off before he could answer. "That's okay, but can we go tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "If you really wanted to go tonight, you could ask Sai."

It felt like he dropped an anvil on me. "How do you know about him!?" I growled.

I watched him almost smile. He was completely reassured I was the old Naruto, mood swings and ramen craving returned. "Kakashi told me he'd be joining the team, last I visited him. I didn't hear much about him, but since he's a teammate, you could get to know him better."

Iruka had been the only person who didn't call him replacement. It made me wonder whether or not he considered it, or it just came out. Either way, it sounded better to me. "If you knew him, you'd think otherwise." I muttered.

"Well I don't know him, and since you've only been on one outing with him, you probably don't either. Too well, anyway." Iruka replied, writing something on a paper, and shoving it aside. "Besides, he might pay, if you don't have any money."

I didn't. And for sure he'd pay. I tried to not think about what had happened in Yamato's wood house, and tried to think about what he had said in one of Orochimaru's rooms. He wasn't terrible, and teammate - Not replacement- he would be, for a while.

"Actually, I think I will." But where to find him?

As if reading my mind, Iruka said, "Oh, Kakashi said he lives somewhere in the district two down from yours, at least on a regular basis. Sometimes he's with Root, but since he's been made a part of your team…"

I grinned. "I think I can find him. See you, Iruka." We both waved slightly, and as I walked out his head turned back to his papers. I almost left, but poked by head back through the door.

"Hey, don't think this means you're out of ramen forever." I said in a semi-serious, mostly joking tone.

"I wouldn't dream!" Iruka answered, waving again as I left.

I knew Iruka was referring to the district two down from the one I use to live in, not the Uchiha district. It was isolated from the rest, hidden in what seemed to be an alley in the main district of the village.

When I reached that living district, he wasn't hard to find. The houses were tiny, but two story. Stacked in two stories, but only about three hundred square feet. They were all identical, but he wasn't hard to find because he was outside his. I was more curious than I was surprised, because he was sitting on his tiny porch- painting.

He was so enthralled in what he was doing, he didn't notice me until I was on top of him. He blinked, looking a little surprised when he noticed my head poking down at his work.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Um…Nothing really." Sai answered.

And he wasn't lying, because it was just a massive swirl of colors, bright and pastel, heavy and light. "Why are you here?" He asked, still looking surprised.

I sighed. I considered making up something lame, but I decided Iruka was right. "Do you like ramen?"

He put his brush down on the rack at the base of his canvas. "Yeah, but-"

I tried to be subtle about the fact I wasn't too happy about it, but content. I knew he was apprehensive because of my three day absence, all due to Sakura's…I will not think the word. "You. Me. Ramen. You buy. We clear?"

"Naruto?" Sai gave me a sarcastic look.

I sighed again. "Would you be willing to buy me ramen? Iruka's busy." He didn't need to know Iruka's real reason, or mine. After what he had told me about his mission to murder Sasuke, and then to defile ANBU orders…

We were both silent for a moment.

I felt like he knew my real reason without me having to tell him. "I'd-" He thought twice about it. "Sure."

We were silent the entire way, but when we got there and had food in front of us, I decided it was time for me to drill him.

But he drilled me instead. "So. Naruto, why don't you fill me in?"

I raised my eyes from stuffing noodles down my throat. Real. Food. I needed it more than I thought. I almost forgot why I came I was so caught up in the heavenly substance. "Mm…Fill you-" Swallow. "-In?"

"On second thought, eat it first." Sai muttered shaking his head. I continued without argument.

I ate two more bowls, one more than I usually did. I knew I would be feeling the sudden change in my stomach soon, the bad way, but I didn't worry about it. Ramen was so worth it.

"Are you done now?" Sai had only eaten one bowl, and I wasn't sure how that was possible.

"Can you afford more?"

"No, probably not."

"Thank you!" I grinned and pushed my bowl to one side.

"Sure!" He answered, smiling back. I almost stopped but decided it would be rude. He had his now- as much of trademark as Sasuke's smirk- grin on. "You and ramen…it's like girls and chocolate on PMS."

I glared slightly. That wasn't exactly flattering, but it was true. "I actually had a reason for this beside comfort food," I added. "But you first."

"I'd like it if you filled me in, in exchange for ramen. You know, Sasuke and Sakura. From the beginning." His grin faded, and it sort of surprised me.

"Oh." And I knew what he meant. "Everything?"

"If you're okay with it. This is ramen I gave you." He almost smiled, but I couldn't do it.

Most of the story was embarrassing, torturing embarrassing. But despite that, no one had ever asked. I found myself wanting to retell it all, so I could freshen the good times in my memory. Even to Sai.

So I started talking without further prompting. I didn't leave out anything. I started with how I found my self staring at Sasuke ALL the time. I even worked in the part about how people would beat me up at night. This wasn't the case anymore, but that lead us off topic and he asked about Kyubbi. After explaining, I could not drag myself away from the subject.

I told him about Sasuke's mean, cold personality, and how it was shocking to have him suddenly be so nice to me. At least, kinder, although the level of kindness was gradual. I told him when the starring got worse, about my mirror experiment. I even described my face to him. I mentioned how I was stupid to have not figured it out then. When I got into the mission about how we first met Orochimaru, Sai was surprised. He didn't know I had come in contact with him that early. I told him about how Sasuke had caught me watching him, and watched back.

I cringed at describing the memory of Sasuke taking Orochimaru's fatal cut for me. I finally blushed when I described how it all suddenly snapped for me, I was in love with him. I told him about all the fear and desperation. Even when things got mushy, Sai's listening gaze never faltered. I told him about the hug, and the kiss on the forehead. Then about the following silence, how he would never come near me.

The best part for me was when I told him about Sasuke's confession during our spar. I told him every detail. I think I may have gotten to indepth about the sensory, but I didn't care. I repeated what both of us had said to and about each other. I suddenly lingered away from that event, and began to describe Sasuke. The good Sasuke, the real Sasuke. Every reason I loved him. In mid-conversation, Sai's eyes widened and I stopped.

"What?" I whispered, but I didn't wait for him to say anything. I tapped my hand to my cheek and half groaned.

Tears.

"You don't have to keep going!" Sai said suddenly, slightly raising his hands.

But I wanted to keep going. I realized this was good, exactly what my mind needed. I needed to get it all out, no matter how hard it was. Kind of like admitting to myself I loved Sasuke. The moment I got out what was bottled up, I felt happier.

"No, I want too." I shook my head, liquid flying off in the process.

He nodded.

I picked up where I left off, taking deep breaths. I continued about what happened after our sparring, then went on to Sasuke's mansion. I didn't describe it much, just told him about my nightmare, and how Sasuke had been there the moment I woke up. I even mentioned how I still slept there.

Then suddenly the tears turned hot and I was angry. I started describing Sasuke's brother Itachi, and about what happened when I encountered him. How Sasuke showed up and things got ugly.

I vaguely described what happened afterward, but skimmed to when Sasuke had woken up from the Mangekyo effect. I told him about how even before that, his good personality had been reverting. I told him about his drive to kill his brother, and how he very suddenly became hostile. I described everything I had missed in the back story, about Orochimaru, the curse mark, and the promise for power. The next morning Sasuke was gone, and I was on a mission to bring him back from heading to Orochimaru.

He didn't need me to tell him I had failed. I continued, wearily now, afraid to drag up the last memories I had. The last time I had spoken words to him. I told him about the fight, the wanting to kill me. I mentioned that I still didn't know why. I told him about losing, and how that was it. I was near Konoha and Sasuke was long gone by the time I was conscious. But I was alive.

I stopped talking, panting slightly because I had barely stopped to breathe.

The loose, empty feeling hadn't come, even after saying it all. Sai unintentionally told me what I was missing.

"Sakura?" He was hesitant.

"Yeah, one second."

Sakura wasn't a huge part of the story, but I rethought the story, and skimmed. After I had composed it in my head, I continued talking.

I explained how up until the point of me going after Sasuke, she had been completely oblivious to Sasuke and I, and that we went through a stage where we somewhat isolated from her.

I threw in Yamato's comments about her real feelings, and did a run through of what had happened earlier this afternoon. Then I mentioned when she started to spill what I had missed about Sasuke and the curse mark. She had willingly told me in the middle of the night, and continued on over worrying about Sasuke, despite what she was really hiding.

I skipped ahead to when I came back from my battle with Sasuke, and how I had admitted Sasuke and my relationship in the hospital to her. She seemed a little shocked at first, but then quickly agreed to do anything she could to help me.

She continued to promise this. I told him how she meant "Anything," Even what she had done nearly four days ago.

I threw in the rest of Yamato's comments about what had happened, and how the fake Naruto was Itachi, then finished.

"What was that all about?" Sai asked, after a long moment of silence.

"I had to get everything that was bottled up out, so I would feel better." And almost as quickly as I had finished, I did. Everything I had been storing inside of me suddenly dropped, and I felt lightweight. Much better.

"I think I understand it all." Sai replied. "I know what you mean."

"But the story still isn't over." I answered confidently. "That isn't the end, and the end will be better, I'll make sure of it."

EPIC FILLER CHAPTER, OH NO.