Same Soul • Sasunaru

32. Purple Bruises.

Naruto's POV (Japan Universe)
Namikaze Residence
Osaka, Japan

I'm tired of being used and abused.

Stepped on and hidden from world's truth.

🖤♟🖤♟

"I don't know how else I can apologize to you, Sai. I feel like the worse person in the world for letting that happen to you. For letting...Sasuke do that to you." I avoid looking at his pale face and focus fiddling my fingers instead; laying my legs out flat on top of the bed's comforter. I never had the chance to apologize to Sai after Mrs. Hyuga's Christmas Eve party and the Winter Concert. I've neglected our friendship, and never even considered his romantic feelings for me. Even if he's weird and assertive sometimes, he's still a human being.

He shifts his legs beside me on-top of the mattress; laying his back against my head board. A plastic grin stretches up his face. "No worries, Naruto-kun. You don't need to worry about me. I think you should worry about yourself right now. The Anbu has kept me from taking my emotions too seriously. So...how are you feeling about everything?"

How am I feeling?

Out of all of this, nobody has asked me that question. Nobody has bothered to ask me if I'm okay. Everyone's too busy using me for their own personal gain, everywhere I go...my own family, the Uchihas, the Anbu, the Akatsuki; it just never ends for me.

"I feel like...I'm just a stepping stone people stomp on on their way to reaching their ambitions," I tell him. My eyes swell; my breathing becoming uneven as I begin to cry. I was just a staircase for Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha to get to my father. "You're the only person who hasn't done that to me, Sai. Even if I'm just some information broker for the Anbu, you put aside your job to protect me."

Without me catching eye of it, Sai swings his arm around me and holds my opposite shoulder. I'm shocked by his sudden comforting touch; and a burning sensation tingles through my cheeks. The last time he tried to comfort me, it was with an attempted kiss that he nearly felt obligated to do. But after what he's been through, he's starting to understand relationships better.

Maybe me and Sai can work this out...he cares for me so much more than Sasuke does. Have I really been blindsiding him this whole time?

Before I could react, he puts his fingers underneath my chin and forces me to meet with his eyes. Chills run down my arms from the feeling of brisk skin. The look on his face is something I've never seen from him before. His eyes are half open like he's full of passion and lust. The way he's laying his eyes on me lets me know...he's gonna kiss me.

Is he out of his mind?! The last time he kissed me, I punched him in the face so hard he fell on the ground! Why is he willing to take this risk again for my affection? Sai must be an extreme forgiving person...I envy that so much. I remember he wasn't even mad when I hurt him so horribly the day before the Christmas Eve party.

My eyelids drop as he draws my face towards his; his warm breath tingling on my lips.  A rush of warmth and anxiousness runs through me until I realize that this kiss isn't happening very timely, and I open my eyes. Sai leaned away from me.

"I-Ino Yamanaka..."

My eyebrows knit in confusion; my back relaxing to it's normal position. The familiarity of this name is driving me crazy, but I don't know where it comes from. I realize Sai's looking down at his hands to shy away from my reaction, as I wait for an explanation.