Angle - SaiNaru Fanfiction ch2

ANGLE
Chapter Two: Are?

"BAKA! YOU'VE GOTTEN BLOOD ALL OVER SHIZUNE-SAN'S BEST KIMONO! IT'S COMPLETELY RUINED!"

"Welcome back, how did the mission go?"

The second Sai stepped inside the door, Sakura swooped down on him like an avenging angel, unknotting his obi and pulling the entire kimono loose from his shoulders to investigate his chest for a wound. On finding only blood-soaked black material beneath she flung the kimono to the ground and punched the wall beside her, a furious blush rising to her cheeks.

"AND IT'S NOT EVEN YOUR BLOOD!"

Oblivious to her anger, Sai began to wipe the make-up off, smearing red lipstick and white paste together with his fingers. The mixture, he knew, was poisonous if ingested so as though to add insult to injury, he carefully scrubbed the make-up off his hands with the sleeve of the bloodied kimono. Once he was in some semblance of clean, he crossed the poky little flat they'd "taken up temporary residence in" (or, as Naruto pointed out, squatted in). They were crashing in a tiny abandoned apartment at the edge of Nokemono with boarded-up windows and a leaky ceiling. The floorboards groaned under Sai's slighty weight as he padded across the floor to Yamato - a forlorn shape bundled into a sleeping bag. He was lying in the corner, the only dry part of the broken-down room.

Their team leader was still visibly ill, with chalky skin and dark rings beneath his heavy-lidded eyes. He offered Sai a tired smile as the boy sat down beside him, which was not returned. Silently, Sai pulled Tsukeru's dented hitae-ate from his pocket and dropped it in Yamato's lap.

"The mission was a success. Missing nin Kaji Tsukeru was terminated," said Sai simply, watching Yamato's dazed expression as he turned the battered hitae-ate over in his hands. There was still a film of grime over the metal, now mixed with the make-up they'd had to wear and a few flecks of dried blood.

"The poison didn't work?" he asked faintly.

"He suspected us and tried to force me to take the poison," said Sai. "We were spotted by Takigakure ninja. I recommend leaving at first light."

"We can't do that," said Sakura sharply, "Yamato-sensei is in no condition to move. He can hardly stand, right, Naruto-kun? ... Naruto-kun? Are you okay?"

Naruto forced a stiff smile onto his face and shrugged, though his face was still flushed with confusion and frustration.

"You have been working as a team, haven't you?" asked Yamato, attempting to make one of his blood-curdling faces. On his sickened features, however, it translated itself as a slightly surprised expression. Coughing miserably, Yamato drew his sleeping bag tighter around him and rolled over. Even lying down, he shivered with sickness and fatigue and his breath came in long, shallow drags. "I can't think straight... until I'm well enough to take charge, Sai will be team leader."

"What?" asked Sakura.

"WHAT?!" howled Naruto.

"When the team leader is incapacitated," Yamato recited, "the next most qualified must take over the position. Rule 5 of the shinobi code. Sai-kun outranks you, Sakura. Don't underestimate him."

Sai smiled blankly at Yamato, either choosing to ignore the murderous looks his teammates were shooting in his direction or just being oblivious to them.

"Thank you, Yamato-sensei," he said tonelessly. "Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan, we will leave at daybreak. If Yamato-san can't walk, we will have to carry him. It's far too dangerous to stay here any longer than we have to. Until then the guard-watch for tonight remains."

Sakura glared at him, "I'm on duty tonight. Is there any particular part of the village you want me to keep an eye on?"

"ANOU SA! ANOU SA!" roared Naruto. "THAT'S NOT FAIR! SAKURA'S BEEN WORKING HARD ALL NIGHT LOOKING AFTER YAMATO-SENSEI! She needs a break, it's not fair to ask her to stay up all night, especially if she's going to have to look after Yamato-sensei until we get to Suna!"

"Naruto-" started Sakura, startled.

"This bastard's not even thinking about the team, just the mission! He can't do that! Kakashi-sensei never-"

"We're not in Kakashi-sensei's team now, Naruto-kun," Sakura said firmly, resting her hand on his shoulder. "We're just going to have to follow orders."

Sai looked from one to the other, completely unaffected by Naruto's outburst and Sakura's deceptive calm.

"You're right, Naruto-kun," he said. "The medic should always be well-rested and ready for battle. You will take her place tonight."

Naruto, trembling with rage, could find nothing to say. Letting out a feral snarl, he turned and slammed the door behind him. Seconds later, dust fell from the roof as scrambling sounds sank from above.

Sai’s blank gaze lifted to the rafters.

“Hm,” he said, and left it at that.

*** (ah, first line break of the fic, I’m ashamed)

Naruto let out a small, exasperated sigh as he stared out at the moonlight Nokemono village, willing himself to stay awake. His eyelids were drooping and his aching sight was already blurred. He’d given up on watching the sleeping village, and instead had been focusing on a spot above the waterfall where, in Konoha, the Hokage monument would be – instead of his eyes, he depended on his ears, but even they were beginning to fail him.

“’Nother hour,” he mumbled to himself, pushing the thought of the day’s walk to Suna to the back of his mind. His chin dropped to his chest once more and his eyes slid closed.

“AHH!” he shouted suddenly, springing to his feet. “NONONO! Have to stay awake! Ganbatte, Naruto! I have to be strong for Sakura-chan! I have to be alert! I have to keep a watch out for Taki ninja! I have to-“

“Oi,” said a soft voice by his ear.

Naruto froze mid-rant. “… Taki ninja-san?”

“Be quiet,” said Sai’s voice quietly, “or I will have to kill you. Sound travels further in this kind of area. Stop broadcasting our location.”

Naruto’s face contorted into another deep scowl. “What do you want?” he muttered accusingly.

“Go to bed, Naruto-kun,.”

“HUH!?” Naruto squawked. At the subtle change in Sai’s expression, he dropped his voice to a furious whisper. “I knew it, you’re just a weird pervert!”

“Naruto,” said Sai, with another perfectly empty smile. “You aren’t capable of keeping an adequate watch. I’m taking over.”

“What?!” hissed Naruto. “I was doing fine before you came up behind me like that!”

“You’ve been watching the waterfall for the last ten minutes. If ninja were going to attack us, they wouldn’t come from there.”

“YOU WERE WATCHING?! You really are a weird pervert! Aren’t perverts supposed to peek in bath-houses at naked girls?!”

Sai’s eyes were cool and emotionless as ever. “I don’t know,” he said. “Are you going to go to bed?”

“Hell no, not around you,” said Naruto, “I’ll be lucky if I ever sleep again! I’m keeping watch. I don’t care if you want to stay out here or not.”

Sai sat down.

“Damn,” hissed Naruto.

Naruto returned his gaze to the waterfall, determined to hear the tiniest hint of trouble before Sai. His eyelids dropped gently, and did not open again as he tried to focus all his sapped energy on tuning into the night-time silence of Nokemono.

Half an hour later, as Sai watched the faint pink outline of dawn spread across the horizon, Naruto’s head thumped against his shoulder. His eyes were still shut, and his breathing had fallen into the gentle, peaceful rhythm of sleep.

*** (another, cringe.)

“Naruto-kun… Naruto-kun… oi! Wake up!”

Naruto’s blue eyes snapped open.

“I WASN’T SLEEPING!” he snapped.

Sakura punched him, hard, in the shoulder.

“Keep your voice down!”

“You too, Sakura-chan?” asked Naruto, sounding hurt. “What’s up?”

“I don’t want Sai to hear us. He left to scout the area about half an hour ago – to make sure the road was clear – he could be back any time. Look.”

Sakura held a clear glass vial of blood with what looked like a spring of heather floating in it in front of Naruto, then lifted it higher to catch the morning sun. As the light caught it, the blood turned transparent and then, to Naruto’s surprise, turned a watery brown.

“… what was that?” he asked.

“It’s Yamato-sensei’s blood. I took a sample after he passed out last night. If you put chuzuko into blood and expose it to sunlight, it immediately turns brown if there’s poison in the bloodstream.”

Naruto gaped.

“But he hasn’t fought any enemy ninja!”

“Exactly,” said Sakura. “And Yamato-sensei’s a stickler for the rules. Since he’s sick, who’s in charge?”

“You don’t mean…” Naruto spluttered for a second. “Sai-bastard!”

“Don’t say anything, okay? Give me time to think of a plan,” asked Sakura. “As far as I can tell it’s not intended to be a lethal dose, it’s just supposed to slow Yamato-sensei down. Damn it.”

She smiled sadly at Naruto.

“We just have the worst luck in teams, don’t we?” she asked distantly, jade green eyes fixed on the floor.