A evening talk

An evening talk


Evening descends on Konoha.
On one of the higher trees surrounding the shinobi village sits a young Kunoichi and watches as the shadows on the Hokages' faces grow longer.
Her thoughts swirl in her mind. Never before had she felt this confused and scared. Not even when HE had left the village all those years ago.
He.
Yes, there was him, but there was also… HIM.



,Sakura, I need to talk to you…'
,Sai…? He WHAT…?!'
,Yeah… he was protecting Sasuke… And he told me not to say anything to you because he wanted you not to worry about him… I only became a part of the team recently when I replaced Sasuke. So, I don't really know everything that's going on… I don't really understand people either.
But…
Even I can tell that he really loves you!'



She smiles.
,Naruto…'
Then, the smile vanishes and she lowers her head again. Not only her thoughts were in turmoil, but her feelings as well. On one had, there was Sasuke. She had fallen in love with him when she still was a kid. During all those years that followed, her love hadn't diminished at all. Instead, with seeing how amazing Sasuke became, it grew.
But now, she was not so sure anymore. Not after what he had done…


,Stop, Sasuke…'
The mumbled words of a blood-covered girl lying on the floor. The lightning-covered hand racing towards her heart…



,Oh Sasuke… what became of you?'
The first shock came when he ordered to kill one of his team-mates. Sakura doesn't know wheter she would have really been able to o
Because the second shock followed close up.
He tried to kill her.
If it hadn't been for Naruto, she would have been dead by now. And even she was able to feel the darkness of Sasuke's chakra.
,Sasuke-kun… what did Madara do to you?'
It was all the fault of the Uchiha's former leader. That much was clear. But that fact didn't help at all. Sasuke had made it all too clear that he wanted to destroy Konoha. Madara probably had only influenced him in the beginning. But now, Sasuke most likely followed him of his own free will.
And that was what hurt the most.
What was more cruel than fighting a friend who turned evil by his own free will…?
Then there was Naruto. He is the total opposite of Sasuke. Where Sasuke is night, Naruto is day. Yes, in terms of coolness he couldn't compare to the Uchiha. But he was so bubbly, always cheerful. No day passed on which he didn't smile. Sasuke was different. She had felt the weight of pain he carried with him. Naruto too had suffered. Yet he never got weighed down by it.
,I… I don't know what to think. I love them both…'
Sakura buried her face in her hands. A single tear dropped onto her knee.
,I just don't know.'
Her heart seemed to rip appart. Naruto or Sasuke? The clumsy, a little idiotic, good-natured boy, or the cold, distant and utterly amazing Uchiha?

Suddenly, a voice pierced through her thoughts.
„Sakura? Are you alright?"
She looked up. A pale boy with black hair, wearing a very short shirt, stood beside her.
„Sai. What are you doing here?"
The Root member sat down and gazed at the faces of the five Hokages. After a moment he said: „We wanted to ask you if you wanted to have diner with us. When you weren't at home, Naruto got worried and wanted me to help him search you."
„I see…" The pink-haired girl smiled. „That's typically Naruto."
„But is everything alright with you?", Sai asked. „I saw a tear dropping on your knee. In a book it says, people only cry when they are very sad, angry or in pain, or when they are very, very happy. Though, you don't seem happy right now…"
Sakura looked again at the rock faces. „It's true… I feel pain." She laid a hand on her chest, over her heart. „Right here. It feels as if my heart is being ripped appart."
„Do you want to talk about it?", her teammate asked. „The book said, this sometimes helps."
When she looked at him, she smiled again, a sad smile. „I trust you Sai. You know how to keep secrets and you know what has to be kept secret. I will tell you."
And she told him. Told him about her love for Sasuke, her feelings towards Naruto, the pain they both caused her, and her inability to tell which one she loved more. Sai kept silent, listened, waited patiently for her to continue when she had to search for words.
After she finished, both were siltent for a while, contemplating on Sakura's words. For a moment the Kunoichi felt unsure wether it was right to bother Sai with her problems. After all, he had his feelings ripped out of him by the Root Anbu and was only now slowly rediscovering them. But then he spoke up.
„A difficult matter indeed", Sai stated. „And as both you and Naruto know, I am not good with people.But my brother once told me something I only begin to understand now…" The shinobi laid his head back and closed his eyes. He exhaled deeply, then opened them again. „It was something like this: In matters of love and friendship, listen to your heart. It will never lie, even though certain things may take time." He looked at Sakura. „ After our mission to Orochimaru's lair, I have been thinking on the bond between the three of you, and wether I could find a place to become your teammate. If I wanted to become your friend. When I tried to follow my brother's advice, my heart told me to run the Way of Ninja along you three and help you to be together again. In short… listen to your heart, Sakura. It will tell you which path to take. In the end, you'll reach your goal, no matter how long the read has been."
The pink-haired Kunoichi was, in two words, baffled and touched. Baffled, because noone had ever heard speak Sai so much in one piece before. And touched… because Sai wasn't exactly the person you'd expect saying such deep and caring words. It seemed to be a side to him nobody knew. But what he had told her seemed to be worth trying. She lowered her head and sank into thought. Sai noticed this, so he remained silent and gazed at the giant stone portraits.
Sakura's thoughts began racing through the past. Events that had happened, things she had learned over time. The slaughter oft he Uchiha clan, leaving Sasuke behind all alone… Naruto's harsh past and the fact he was the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki… Sasuke's departure and Naruto's attempt to bring him back… how, after having passed Kakashi's bell test, they had gradually grown together, only to be ripped appart by fate…
Black hair flowing in the air, and bloodred eyes, staring at her full of hatred…
Blonde spikes, an almost always smiling face, and a unceasing devotion to the own Nindo…
And long, flowing black hair, powerful white eyes, glances from the shadows and a love confession in the face of death.
No, as much ass he had gotten to like him, Naruto wasn't hers. Sakura resurfaced from her thoughts and smiled at the pale boy next to her, glad to have reached a desicion to this painful situation.
„Thank you, Sai. I now have made up my mind. Without you, that question may have tormented me for a lot more time."
„So, what's your desicion?"
You'll find out soon enough. All I say ist hat there is a girl I don't want to take away theone she admires." The Kunoichi stood up. „Thank you really much. You helped me a lot." Sakura bowed down and gave Sai a kiss on the forehead. Then, grinning, she dashed off. „You know what?! You're getting better at reading people!", she shouted back at him, before disappearing.
The black-haired Ninja remained sitting for a while.
On his chees shimmered the faint pink of a blush.