𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐊

06 ‒ the painter and his painting

Sakura frowned.

Her emerald eyes were watching the scene from the Hokage Tower.

The sight made her clench her teeth, she watched as Ino's team joked around with their sensei present.

Why couldn't she also have this?

It wasn't like she was asking for much was she?

Both of her teammates left in search of power, one for revenge and the other to bring him back.

As for her sensei, who knew what had happened to him.

He simply disappeared.

"Sakura-san,"

She turned around to see Shizune, her master's other student call her.

"Yes, Shizune-san?"

"Tsunade-sama wishes for you to be in her office." The black-haired woman answered.

Sakura looked back once again at the team which looked happy and walked out of the room without a change in expression but her hands remained clenched tightly.

...

Sakura sat on the stool awkwardly, beside her was a paper-pale guy named 'Sai' who had been assigned to be her partner.

They were sitting in a popular cafe which she always visited with Ino.

"So..." She tilted her head to face him, "Sai?"

"Yes," He answered. "Ugly?"

The pinkette blinked in surprise and rage took over her but she was in public, she could not afford to ruin her reputation over a nickname, so she sighed to calm herself.

"Tell me why did you call me... ugly?"

Sai gave her a small smile and she instantly knew it was fake. 

How could she not know? Ever since she became the personal apprentice of the fifth hokage, everyone had been trying to curry favour from her.

"According to this book," He fished out a small book from his pants pocket and continued: "In order to grow closer to others, one must give them nicknames."

Sakura sweatdropped hearing his reasoning.

"Listen Sai, you cannot call people nicknames like that." She said.

"Why?"

"Because they are offensive and will hurt people's feelings. If you want to get closer to people through nicknames, give them names which will make them happy."

"Ok then... Pinky."

She closed her eyes and Sai explained: "Your hair is pink and unique, so I'm going to call you that. Is that ok?"

Well, at least he tried, Sakura thought as she nodded.

...

It had been a few months since their first meeting and they had been getting along pretty well.

"Pinky,"

Hearing that awfully familiar nickname, Sakura turned around to face him. "Hmm?"

"We have a mission soon,"

"Eh??" She let out a confused noise, "But we just came back from one!"

Sai next to her and answered, "Our success rate is better than others, what others do in a week, we do in two days."

"That's true..."

Sakura hadn't realised having a great partner in a mission could change your entire perspective.

Back when she was in Team 7, whenever she had to do a mission, she hated every second of it. She knew how much she envied the bond Naruto and Sasuke shared.

Those two were great at working together despite how much they clashed and she wanted it.

Now that she finally had it, it made her feel happy.

"Sai."

The male looked up from the painting he was making.

Sakura gave him a bright smile making the male's eyes widen in surprise at the words that left her mouth.

"I'm so glad that you're my partner."

...

"Hey Sai!" Sakura called out.

"What is it Pinky?"

"When's your birthday?" She asked, her hands moving to fix the hair which fell on her face.

"Why do you wish to know?" Sai questioned instead of answering making the pinkette frown.

She elbowed him gently knowing her strength had improved too much, "Obviously so we can celebrate it!" She rolled her eyes.

"Celebrate it?"

Only seeing his confused face did she realise that she had forgotten about his lack of social skills and how he didn't understand the most common things.

"Birthdays are days when you were born so they are special and they must be celebrated," Sakura explained to the clueless boy.

Sai nodded in understanding and wrote down the new information in a journal that he had been maintaining ever since he had met Sakura.

"My birthday is on 25th November."  He answered as he closed the book.

"Not that far away then," Sakura murmured to herself before looking back at Sai. "What do you want as your gift?"

"Gift?"

"Yeah," She nodded her head and watched as he wrote down in his little book again.

She knew first-hand how observant he was and how well he managed his emotions, but to think he was believing everything she said, he seemed to be a little naive.

"Gifts are given as a form of appreciation."

Sai stopped writing and removed a piece of paper, it was a thick paper, no doubt used to make paintings. He handed it to her and watched as she took it from his hands.

Sakura gasped in surprise as she saw the painting, the painting was of her. And it looked gorgeous.

"This..."

In her hands was a portrait of her, her hair was painted in the perfect shade, her eyes looked alive and she was smiling, it was as if it was a photograph instead of a painting.

"I made it because you said people can also be a subject of my paintings."

Hearing Sai's words, Sakura was moved. 

To be drawn by a painter without being asked to be in it was an honour and she was glad that she could experience this honour.

"What's the title of this painting?"

A troubled look came across his face making the pinkette look at him.

"I do not feel emotions hence I am unable to title it..." He answered honestly.

When she heard it, Sakura let out a giggle: "Dear Sai, if you hadn't felt any emotions then you wouldn't have listened to any of my advice, especially wouldn't have made me the muse of your painting."

Sai looked conflicted for a second before he smoothened out his expression, his eyes held a thoughtful look and Sakura felt as if there was a change in the boy who stood in front of her.

"Shade under the red silk." He said, "That's the title."

"Is that so..." She murmured and stared at the painting in her hands.

"Sakura."

Hearing her name being called out instead of the nickname, she looked up and her green eyes stared at his black ones.

Sai smiled genuinely for the first time in front of her.

"Thank you for being my partner."

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒

‒ Sakura and Sai's friendship is underrated.