Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Shippuden, though I wish I did. And another thing, some names of the places in the Fire Country were pulled out of my imagination.

After Sai returned the books he had borrowed from the library – as what Sakura asked him to do – he went home again, pondering on the events of that morning. The death of that raccoon had left him in anagrams. It was not that he didn't have his fair share of witnessed deaths, or kills to say the least, but for an unfathomable reason, that animal's demise had disturbed him completely. When he would remember that unmoving body, his mind's eye kept on roaming about, and an almost unbearable pain would hit him somewhere in the middle of his gut.

Eyeing his almost bare room, he proceeded to his closet, took out his ANBU uniform and laid it on the table cluttered with his paints and brushes. He paused, stared at the sparse furnishing, and instantly remembered how Sakura's room looked when he had visited last night. She had her bed near the window that led to her balcony, a dresser and a closet adjacent to it. There were no carpets. He could remember that well since it hurt when she had shoved him to the floor.

Then without thinking, he pushed the table he had in the center of the room to the far wall, then rearranged the brushes and bottles of ink on them. Studying his handiwork and feeling quite satisfied with it, he began to dress.

He had no idea why he felt like doing what he just did, but nevertheless, he gave the table one last look, and leisurely made his way to get a mission..

The sun was hidden behind some very menacing clouds in the horizon when he had set off for the Hokage tower, his backpack feeling incredibly lighter without the books he always preferred to carry around wherever he went. Hurrying his pace, he reached the tower in a few minutes to find Sakura standing in front of the Fifth

Tsunade raised her head when Sai walked in the room. "It's not like you to be late for assignments."

"Sorry. I had thought to push my work table to the wall, and had to tidy it a bit while I was at it."

Tsunade paused at what he said, shook her head in bewilderment and pointed to the space in front of her. "Stand in line, Sai."

Sai took his place beside Sakura, who was looking at him disapprovingly, and listened as the Hokage explained the mission she was about to assign them.

The Hokage was reading a very thin folder laid open in front of her. "The Feudal Lord of the Fire Country has asked our services for this C rank mission about a number of squatters in the Mukagawa Ravine east-northeast of the Village half a day away. It has a narrow but active river flowing along the downslope channel. At first the Feudal Lord was not really concerned about these squatters, until they started to grow in numbers. The terrain there is not safe; the water level rises there with the littlest of rain, and what with the rainy season here, the government has asked them to move six months ago, into shelters located about a day away from the ravine. They obeyed, of course, but they were back after a few months." Tsunade flipped through the folder to the next page. "The government has once again ordered them to leave, and they have, but with the chance of them once again returning, they want us to isolate the downslope channel by destroying all means of getting there."

Sakura raised her hand.

"What is it, Sakura?

Sai watched Sakura talk as she gestured with her hands like she always did when she was drawn in a conversation. "These means of getting there, do you mean stepping stones or hanging bridges?"

"All in all, there are twenty-three means of passage down the ravine. All of which are narrow stone staircases embedded within the face of the slope."

Sai blinked. "Team Seven is missing two members."

This seemed to amuse the Hokage to no end. She looked at Sakura and Sai then back again, was silent for a moment then said, "That will be taken care of soon. You will leave the Village tomorrow at dawn as a three-man cell. I'm giving you three days to finish this mission, though I have no doubt you'd be able to finish it in two, but I'm giving you leeway."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "A leeway for what?"

"A handicap."

And as if on cue, there was a loud crash from outside, and the air suddenly smelled suspiciously of tobacco smoke.

Sakura's face lit up like a bulb, and she bolted to a dead run to the window. She laughed at what she saw, looked over her shoulder at Sai and exclaimed, "He's home!"

Sai titled his head to the side inquiringly, and suddenly, almost subconsciously, the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile he did not even need to will himself to show.

Sakura catapulted out of the Hokage Tower as fast as she could and was just in time to see an unconscious Naruto being gently laid down on the ground by a giant toad smoking a pipe. Hesitating a bit, wondering if she could approach her teammate, she took a tentative step forward but was surprised when Sai dashed on ahead of her.

Looking up at the Toad, Sakura bit her lower lip and went after Sai, who was now crouched over Naruto's unmoving body. "Master Gamabunta… Naruto…?"

The toad placed the pipe to his mouth, breathed in, then puffed out rings and rings of smoke that made Sakura's eyes water. "He'll live."

Sakura pressed her ear to Naruto's chest, looking for some signs of life, but what she heard was something different altogether: Naruto's growling stomach.

As if to punctuate that, Gamabunta leered down at the blonde boy, beady eyes full of amusement. "He collapsed of hunger, the fool."

This made Sakura pull back, face flushing at how embarrassing Naruto could be sometimes. But as she examined his stained face carefully, smudges of dirt on his nose and forehead protector, and on those cheeks with markings that strangely resembled whiskers, she admittedly thought he did not look harmed, though oddly malnourished.

"Did he starve himself on purpose?" was Sai's silence breaker. It had to be the weirdest question he's asked to date.

Sakura scoffed. "Who would be stupid enough to starve themselves to death on purpose?"

Sai looked at her meaningfully. "I've read in a book before that people – well, women more specifically – tend to intentionally avoid food intake to become slimmer to please to opposite sex. In reality, I had started to doubt that theory when I first met you because you eat like a pi– "

Sakura did not even let him finish. She silenced him with a good bop on the head with her knuckle. Sai let out a strangled moan and fell sprawled on Naruto's still unconscious form.

Gamabunta had his pipe halfway to his mouth as he watched them with observant eyes, as if enjoying the little play unfolding before him.

"You do not talk that way in front of a woman, you spineless fish!" Sakura screeched, so infuriated her teeth shook in her mouth. Although what Sai had said about women was about ninety percent accurate, with Ino as a perfect living example for that, she most certainly did not eat like a pig! In fact, she believed she ate in moderation, except for sweet dumplings, of course. And she ate with feminine grace, she did.

Well, except for that time when Captain Yamato treated them out to a Hot Spring Hotel dinner on their first ever mission together. But that was a totally different story. Sai had no right to make fun of her eating habits. And she was about to tell him that with another punch when suddenly, Naruto opened his blue eyes, only to find Sai still sprawled on top of him.

Sakura could have sworn she felt the ground vibrate with Naruto's shivers.

"Get off me, you! How many times do I have to tell you that I don't swing the bat that way!" Naruto hollered, shoving a very confused-looking Sai away.

Sai sat up on the ground, still rubbing his cheek where Sakura had landed her judgment, and smiled. "Welcome home, Naruto."

Naruto stared at him for a full minute, and his own face broke into a wide, toothy grin. "I'm home, and you'd better believe it!"

Gamabunta, having found out that the fun part was over, sniffed loudly. "I don't even see why it had to be I who had to escort you home, you little brat, when it's your fault that you refuse to eat for three days when you know you have to maintain your strength for training."

Naruto scratched his head ruefully. "Humans don't usually eat grub like that, Chief Toad. At least I don't. If you want to keep your stamina up, nothing beats an Ichiraku Special ramen!"

The giant toad narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't care if you prefer stuffing yourself with sodium your body doesn't even need. I'm off now. Let me remind you that this summons from Tsunade is the only reason why you're off on a break from your training, so the moment this mission is done, the Toad Sage will be summoning you again to the mountains. Do you hear?"

Naruto's eyes closed naughtily as his grin widened even more. "Loud and clear, Chief Toad."

And with that, a loud sound and a lot of tobacco smoke, the toad was gone.

Sakura sighed, crossing her arms across her chest and shaking her head. "So Master Tsunade was referring to you when she said the other member for this mission was already taken care of. And now I know why she said handicap."

Clueless, Naruto tried to get up on his feet, but was hindered when his stomach began to growl loudly again. "I'm totally fine. I just need three – no, make that four bowls of miso ramen from Ichiraku and I'll be back to normal."

Sakura didn't have the slightest doubt that Naruto was telling the truth. The boy's recovery pace was unbelievably fast.

"Come on, Naruto. Let's report to the Hokage and ask for the start date of the mission she's assigned to us. Then we have to get you to the hospital as soon as possible."

"Not the hospital! Ichiraku!"

Without even having to ask, Sai had reached out his hand at Naruto. "The village hasn't been the same without you," the former ROOT member said. "It was too quiet."

Sakura blinked rapidly several times as she watched Sai's body language towards Naruto, who had accepted his help to stand up. While the two had started hating each other – or rather, Naruto hating Sai and Sai not really caring – the male members of her team seemed to have created a bond that made Sakura feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Perhaps now that Naruto was here, even for just a little while, bringing Sai to recognize his emotions would be a tad easier.

Naruto wavered a little, his usual perky face now somewhat looking dead. "I need food…"

Sakura gritted her teeth, stalked towards Naruto and grabbed him by the ear. "After we see Master Tsunade." She dragged him inside the tower, Sai trailing behind them silently.

Sakura looked over her shoulder for a second, and watched Sai with half-closed eyes. Having been teamed up with Naruto for over five years now, she had been a witness to the boy's strange talent of making friends. No one could resist loving or hating Naruto. But up to now, she had always wondered how he was able to reach even Sai, who practically had zero skill in human relationships. But as she let go of Naruto's ear, pushed him inside the room where Tsunade was and followed after him, she decided that she didn't care. What she once thought as a nuisance to her life was starting to be one of the most dependable aspects of it.

"You look half-dead," was what Tsunade said when she saw Naruto nearly keeling over.

Naruto, still grinning from ear to ear, gave Tsunade a casual salute. "And you look as pudgy and well watered as ever, granny."

Then it happened in a flash. One moment the Hokage was on her chair, the next she had her face inches away from Naruto's, sharp brown eyes narrowed into evil slits and a grin that made Sakura's skin crawl.

"Why did I even bother calling you back?" Tsunade muttered, almost incoherently. She straightened up, stared Naruto up and down, then returned to her chair. "If we weren't short on manpower, I would have enjoyed the peace and quiet that's brought about by your absence."

Naruto still continued to grin. "I missed you, too."

Tsunade raised the folder she was reading earlier to her face, and Sakura could have sworn she did it to hide a smile on her lips. "I've already briefed your teammates about the mission I want you on tomorrow. At this state, I doubt you'd be able to digest anything I would say to you. I'm ordering you to head to the hospital after you're dismissed."

"I want ra – "

Tsunade still had her face hidden behind the folder. "We don't always get what we want, Naruto. In your state, abruptly eating solid food after having starved like that would mess up your digestive system, so it's best you stock up on liquids in the hospital first. By the looks of you, I'd say you haven't eaten anything for half a week."

"Three days," Naruto corrected.

"That's practically the same thing."

"No, half a week is three and a half days."

Tsunade slammed the folder on the desk, this time really annoyed. "Get your stubborn butt down to the hospital before I tend to you myself!"

Sakura jumped. "Understood, ma'am!"

Sai merely stared.

Naruto on the other hand, suddenly started looking around the room. "I don't see Captain Yamato here. Is he on a mission?"

This made Tsunade fall silent. "He is in the Sand, making amends for what happened two days ago."

Naruto was puzzled. "Is everything all right with the wedding? Come to think of it, why are we going on a mission with the wedding just days away?"

"It's a long story. Have Sai explain to you everything when you get to the hospital."

"But – "

"Dismissed!"

"But – !"

"Get out of here before I send you back to Sage Fukasaka weeping!"

At this tone, even Sai, who gave the littlest of reactions to everything, jumped, grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his nape, and dragged him out of the room in a flash. Sakura hurried after them walking backwards, bobbing her head and apologizing profusely as she did.

When the three got to the hospital, Sai was the one who sat on the stool beside Naruto's bed to make sure he did not run away. Sakura, on the other hand, had set off to gather supplies for their mission tomorrow.

Naruto was watching his IV dripping slowly, once in a while sighing, and sometimes sitting up only to drop back down lying on the bed. Sai, all the while, watched the curtains flap in the gentle breeze entering the window. He only looked at Naruto when he would initiate a conversation that usually lasted a few minutes, and then both of them would fall silent again.

Naruto once again sat up, scratched his head. "I'm bored."

"And hungry, yes?" Sai asked, his gaze traveled from the window to Naruto.

"Very," the blonde said, rubbing his stomach which had started to growl again.

Then they were silent once more.

After a moment, Naruto leaned forward and asked, "What happened in the Sand? Is Gaara all right?"

Sai nodded. "He is fine."

"Then why is it that Captain Yamato had to be sent there to… what did grandma Tsunade say again… to make amends? Did something bad happen?"

Sai could only nod again. "As a matter of fact, yes."

"Tell me already! What happened to Shikamaru and Temari's wedding preparations?"

Sai felt a nagging feeling in his stomach, a very, very bad feeling. "I think it's because I did something that wasn't supposed to be done during these occasions."

Naruto nodded eagerly, leaning even closer, almost toppling his IV. "Let me guess. Did you make Temari mad that she decided not to marry SHikamaru? Coz if that's the case, that would really suck."

Sai scratched his cheek with a finger, a trait he had sort of developed when he felt a bad feeling. This must be what Sakura meant when your body memorizes actions to associate with certain feelings. "I don't think she's decided anything of the like, but yes, I did get her angry."

Eyes widening, the blonde sat back. "You didn't!"

"I did."

"How?"

"I drew her a painting."

Naruto paused, trying to ponder what Sai had said. "And she got mad because of that? I don't believe – wait, you're Sai. You can anger almost anybody with that insensitivity of yours. What kind of painting was it?"

"A self portrait of a very fat Temari wearing a wedding dress."

It took several seconds before Naruto got to digest what Sai had just said. When it finally sunk in, he was wallowing on the bed with laughter.

The very bad feeling in Sai suddenly melted away with this. "So you get it? I read in a book entitled Sense of Humor that making fun of friends strengthens the bond you have with them."

It took time for Naruto's laughter to subside, and when he finally calmed down, he clamped a hand on Sai's shoulder and said in a very serious voice, "You only do that when you want to die a painful death."

Honestly confused, Sai narrowed his eyes and frowned. "But you thought it was funny, right?"

"To me, yes. But you never say, or even imply to a girl that she's fat!"

"But Temari isn't fat. At least I don't think so. It was a joke."

"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret here." Naruto motioned for Sai to come closer. When Sai leaned forward, Naruto whispered in his ear, "All jokes are half meant."

Sai sat up straighter. "But I don't really think Temari is fat."

"But Temari thinks that all jokes are half-meant, so even if she did recognize your joke, she must have thought you think of her as fat."

This made the conversation very hard to follow. "But even if I did, which I don't, I don't see the reason why she has to get that angry. She attacked me with her fan and completely destroyed the Kazekage tower in a matter of minutes."

This made Naruto's jaw drop. "Was Gaara all right?"

"I told you earlier, he's fine, but now the wedding is postponed until the renovations are done."

Naruto put a finger on his lip thoughtfully, as if in deep thought. "How do I make you understand how to deal with women…? Ah, I got it." He faced Sai again. "Will you be willing to tell Sakura that she lacks feminine curves and has a flat chest even as a joke ?"

"Of course not."

Naruto nodded in approval. "See? You won't tell Sakura those things because you know as well as I do that she will pummel you to the ground until your bones are nothing, right?"

Sai shook his head. "No. I won't tell her that because her curves, especially her hips, are very appealing, and her chest is to my liking."

Naruto stared at him as if he had sprouted antlers.

All Sai could do was stare back as a very new, unfamiliar feeling sprouted not in his gut, but somewhere near his throat. It was not a good feeling, and not a bad feeling, or maybe it was both, but he just could not put his finger into it. He was about to assess it more when Naruto suddenly pointed a finger at him and screamed happily.

"Oh, my god! So you aren't gay?"

Sai furrowed his brow and another feeling so different from the one he just felt, this time coming from somewhere in his head that made his temple throb and teeth grit together tightly. He smiled stiffly. "No."

I would wonder if anyone here has realized that Naruto is homophobic? LOL

Anyway, I used the phrase "Believe it!" for Naruto's dialogue on the first part because I thought it to be really awkward to use dattebayo in the story. Though I watch the Japanese version of Shippuuden, I watched the English version of Season One when the young Naruto always uses "Believe it!" as his verbal habit.

Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews, story alert and favorites! It's kinda starting out really slow, but I'm really aiming to develop Sai's character first in the plot before I rush into things. Please bear with me!