Being on the same team as Naruto was confusing.
Danzo had told Sai the boy was a jinchuuriki, and therefore dangerous, but so far he just seemed like an idiot. He relied heavily on his emotions, and let them cloud his judgement. After all, anyone with common sense could tell that Sasuke Uchiha was a missing nin, and a traitor to the village. Yet Naruto kept defending him, claiming he was his “best friend.” Sai didn’t understand the concept, but did understand that Sasuke was a threat, and one that had to be eliminated.
After getting hit by the pinkette, Sai decided to keep his mouth shut for the time being, after all, he had a mission to complete.
Sai couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Why?
Why was Naruto trying so hard?
Why was Sasuke so important that Naruto would risk his life to save him?
This bond they had, Naruto would put everything on the line to keep it. Danzo’s mission for him was to eliminate the threat that was Sasuke Uchiha, but for some reason, he couldn’t do it. He wanted, no, needed, to understand the bond between Naruto and Sasuke. The Uchiha claimed he had severed their bond, but that didn’t stop the blonde. If anything, it only made him fight harder.
Sai didn’t understand, but he wanted to. He wanted to understand the anomaly that was Naruto Uzumaki.
Friend.
Friend, that’s what Naruto called him.
Sai had never had a friend. Shin wasn’t his friend, he was his brother, his only family. But Naruto was different. He was bright, yes, but was so much more, and Sai hadn’t even begun to get to know all the layers he was hiding.
But, friend...he liked the sound of that.
Naruto smiled a lot. Sai started to notice this. His smile it made his stomach feel weird. He had the strangest sensation, almost like there was something inside of his stomach, a fluttery feeling that occurred at the sight of that grin. Sai was confused, he wasn’t sick, this only occured when the blonde flashed that well known smile.
Perhaps he’d have to look into this. For now though, he had a mission to do.
It kept happening. If anything, it only got worse. Naruto’s smile seemed to have some weird side affects on Sai’s body. Now, not only did his stomach get that fluttery sensation, but his temperature seemed to rise, his heart raced, and he couldn’t seem to speak when it occurred.
He was very confused, what was wrong with him?
Maybe it was because Naruto was a jinchuuriki?
He would check with Sakura if it got worse.
It was a spur of the moment decision, but Naruto has been busy with training nowadays. And for some reason, Sai felt himself miss that bright, shining smile, even if it made him feel strange. He decided to bring a snack to blonde, and check in on his improvement. Grabbing some onigiri and food pills, courtesy of Sakura, he made his way to the waterfall where the Uzumaki was training.
Nodding at Yamato, Sai took a seat on the ground at the base of a tree. Looking up, he realized Naruto was training with clones, his shirt currently off. For some reason, Sai found himself staring at the blonde, waiting for him to take a break.
A few minutes later, Naruto’s clones disappeared with a poof , and he came jogging back. With a shout and a smile he greeted Sai. However, Sai found himself in the most peculiar of positions. For some reason, his mouth went dry, and he found himself unable to swallow as his gaze took in the shirtless form of his teammate.
His eyes locked on a droplet of water, unable to look away as he watched it run down the large expanse of honey colored skin, sliding down the toned abdomen of the blonde. His body felt like it was on fire, and he couldn’t help but let out a shaky breath.
“Sai? Sai? SAI?”
Upon hearing Naruto scream, Sai snapped out of his daze, looking up, only to freeze as blue eyes stared in his own. Naruto’s face was so close to him, he could see a small splattering of freckles, as well as the light flush that had been worked up from the blonde’s training. Once again his breath was taken away, and he could only blink helplessly at the boy.
Hearing someone clear their throat, Sai turned and saw Yamato staring at him with an unfamiliar expression on his face. Shaking his head, Sai turned back to Naruto, “I brought some snacks, I thought you could use some.” Bringing out the onigiri, he felt his cheeks flush as Naruto’s hand brushed against his, excitedly taking a bite out of the snack. “Thanks Sai! I really needed some food!” Naruto flashed a smile and dug into the rice ball eagerly, as Sai felt satisfaction and an unknown, but pleasant feeling wash over him. That was what he had come for after all, that shining smile that made him feel weird. As he listened to Naruto prattle on about his training, he spotted Yamato staring at them out of the corner of his eye. Confused, he ignored it and focused on the blonde in front of him, a gentle, almost unnoticeable smile on his lips as he listened to him.
In the corner of his mind, however, he made a note to visit Sakura. He hadn’t had a reaction as bad as earlier before, and he was starting to worry for his health.
Sai didn’t understand.
He had finally went to Sakura, telling her he had been having some health issues. After she asked him his symptoms, he explained everything, and how this all seemed to happen around Naruto. To his surprise, however, Sakura had looked at him wide eyed, before asking him to sit down.
For a second he was scared she would tell him there was something wrong with him, and he would have to stop being around Naruto, but what she said next confused him. Sakura told to him that he might have a crush on Naruto, and explained that having a crush meant being attracted to someone, and that you liked them as something more than friends. Then she explained love to him, and said that it was possible he had different feelings than friendship for Naruto. The conversation wasn’t long, but he was still confused about love, and crushes, and Naruto. He decided to head to the library, maybe there would be books on “love” and “crushes” he could read to understand what he felt for the blonde hair, blue-eyed jinchuuriki.
Huh.
Sai was stumped.
After reading about love, which first of all seemed very confusing and sometime painful (?) he wasn’t quite sure why people fell in love. However, all the books he read described fluttery stomachs, which was referred to as “butterflies” sai learned, an increase in heartbeats, flushed cheeks and the loss of breath as side affects of “love.” That perfectly fit what Sai had been feeling for the last few weeks, and Naruto has been the center of these emotions.
Sai wasn’t sure how to feel about his newly discovered “crush” on his teammate, but he was glad that he wasn’t sick, or having any abnormal health issue.
He did it.
Of course he did.
Only Naruto could come back right in the nick of time.
Only he could could single handedly defeat the leader of the Akatsuki.
Only he could talk the leader into restoring the lives of those he had killed.
Only he could save the leaf village, and return with a smile on his face.
Only Naruto could make him feel this way.
He couldn’t describe the relief that rushed through him as he saw the blonde stumble into the village, Kakashi supporting him. He felt his whole body release the tension that had built up in apprehension of the outcome of Naruto’s fight. Watching people cheer on Naruto, watching the corners of his lips pull into the most dazzling, brilliant smile, Sai realized the true extent of his feelings.
I’m in love with Naruto.
His breath caught as the thought crossed his mind.
He was, he, he loved Naruto.
He wasn’t sure when it happened.
But somewhere along the line, with those ethereal smiles, bright blue eyes, teasing remarks, missions for the village, saving the village, and words of hope, Sai fell in love with Naruto.
He radiated hope.
Hope for the future.
Hope for change.
Hope for a better tomorrow.
Naruto was his first friend.
The first person to knock down his walls.
The first person to try and get to know Sai.
The one to save him from the emotionless prison he had locked himself in.
He was his first friend,
And first love.
Sai was in love with Naruto Uzumaki,
And he was okay with that.