AN: okay- I'm going to assume if your reading this you've either already read Iroka's "To draw a Goddess", or just clicked it cause Saihina is for the win and you're curious. You can probably understand the fic if you never read Iroka's, however i do recommend reading her's since she came up with the original story: and its a nicer prep, i didn't re-write her chapters for this fic (too lazy!). If you have already read it: this chapter picks up after ch. 3 in to draw a goddess.

EDIT: Also- while the pairing is SaiHina- there will be plenty of other character interactions; team oriented stuff among the konoha 11. Now without further ado, I present:

Wrath of Guardians

inspired by Iroka's "To draw a Godess" by Redchinese

Ch. 0 : contact

Hinata stared at the plain apartment door, glaring at it and all it represented.

"Are these the photos you were talking about earlier?" Sakura stared in guilty curiosity.

"Yeah." Naruto snickered.

She couldn't breath, skin re-colouring at the recollection.

Neji ran out, rasping "I'm going to be sick!"

Kiba leered at the pages upon pages of her, "who can be sick of these!?"

"I know she's cute, right?" Naruto smiled patting a blushing Lee on the back.

"No really you know the things I'd do to this girl if I ever met her?" Kiba smirked.

Sai observed her, face unfeeling and Hinata's own burned, insides churned. How?

"Sai, you're sick for drawing these! She's not even a blonde like me, it made my poor Neji sick!" Ino slapped Sai and left the bar to chase after Neji.

All this sunk so slowly, but it finally hit rock bottom in Hinata's mind"H-H-H-H-hooow?"

She clenched her teeth and felt her nails bite into her palms, as the blank door continued to be unchanging, like Sai's pale face.

How dare he!
The plain door rattled under her knocks, Sai got up from his seat.

"I-I want them destroyed Sai," cheeks red, voice fluctuating, hands shaking.

And here he thought she finally mustered the courage to talk to him, even when demanding something, her killer sense was comparable to a caterpillar's.

Sai fake smiled and went through by the book pleasantries, "Hello to you too Hyuga-chan, would you like to come in?"

This seemed to have done something, her hands clenched and voice returned surer,"No-Sai I mean it- please bring them here so they can be destroyed- right now."

"No," Sai's expression did not change from his expressionless one.

Hinata's forehead creased from her pinched brows.

" You have to Sai, If you don't then I'll confiscate them myself," never mind getting back the pictures like she originally thought- those pictures of her shouldn't exist, especially not in the hands of someone as alien as the root ninja.

The ink-nin leaned away from the doorframe nonchalantly, walking back in, "interesting that you think you can, would you like some tea Hyuga-chan?" He's not sure why he was trying to play host, it obviously was useless in welcoming angry guests, but Sai could guess from Hinata's ire that some caffeine would help process the emotions that she gave off.

Hinata's hands clenched harder, as she was forced to follow, then closed the door behind her, slipping off her shoes (she shouldn't have bothered, but old habits die hard). "No Sai, I-I'm not staying here more than I need, show me where you're keeping those pictures." His apartment was dark and unwelcoming anyways; the soulless paintings on the walls made the already small kitchen feel more claustrophobic.

He put the empty kettle on the counter and leaned against it as he examined her.

Hinata stood uncomfortably in front of him arms crossed, face settling into an expression with semblance to his own.

He felt displeasure at that for some reason, "I won't let you destroy those pictures Hyuga-Chan."

Her calm facade easily feel into a frown, "You will, you have no right to keep them."

His eyebrows raised slightly, "No right? I drew and painted them myself, by law they are my own creative property."

She threw his reasoning back at him, "By Konoha law men aren't allowed to oogle nude women! You've done worse by making those pictures!"

"And how have I done so? I did not intentionally spy on you Hinata."

She made a sound of disbelief, not only was he perverse, he wouldn't admit to it when the proof was shown in front of everyone, Hinata was done reasoning with him.

"Show me where the paintings are."

"No"

She spun away to the hallways, "then I'll find them myself!" Sai caught her shoulder before she could reach to first closed door of the hallway.

"I said no Hyuga-chan, this is my home, you aren't allowed to do as you please here."

She whirled back at him, shaking his hand off while anger scrapped at her words like never before, "Oh and you thought you could on my family estate!?" There was nowhere else he could have drawn those- Hinata didn't make it a habit of appearing nude in public.

Sai's expression changed into one a tad guilty, "if you'll believe me, I meant no disturbance by going to your family properties-I just wanted to draw something different than usual. The clan compounds were the only places I didn't- "

She cut him off, "I don't care- it doesn't matter if you didn't intend harm by trespassing onto the compound. You've still caused it but spying on and drawing me! People aren't like objects that you can draw and paint whenever and however you want!"

"I... don't do that often, if you're offended because I didn't ask- I'm sorry there was no time."

No time? Kami she's never been this close in wanting to hit a person, but she held back, "I'm- I'm not upset you didn't ask"

Sai's face turned quizzical at her, "I'm upset you had the nerve to do it at all!" then opened the door and dived in before Sai could stop her.

Turns out she got the room right the first try, Sai's studio was surprisingly large, paintings and scrolls hung on every wall, and the pornographic pictures of her hung dead centre.

He wasn't lying either, he didn't draw people often: at all in reality. The absence of painted figures was what made the drawings of her nude form the main interest of the whole room, it made her skin crawl.

"You don't like to listen do you?" Sai shut the door, wondering to himself why he didn't feel anger at her seeing those precious paintings of his.

Hinata on her part was shaking, from what Sai did not know, just that she was marching purposely to the closest painting of her.

He snatched her hood before she could touch it, causing her to accidentally choke with a squeak

"-ack-Sai! Let go!"

He didn't, giving the hoodie one hard tug, sending her tumbling backwards into him. Sai wasn't sure if some part of him did that intentionally, he just knew the feel on her weight against him was strangely pleasant, and instantly missed when she pushed back, cheeks ablaze from whatever ran in her mind.

"Wha-What is your problem!?"

"I could say the same to you," Hinata's eyes narrowed, "why do you hate those pictures so much?"

Her gaze turned incredulous, "Y-you want me to explain that? Isn't it obvious!?"

Sai lips dipped in all seriousness, "Not to me," he then turned and sat down carefully on the adjacent sofa, gesturing to the other end of the couch.

"Please, I'd prefer we talk about this instead of doing anything rash like trashing my studio."

Hinata shoulders remained knotted, and chewed the inside of her lips, "why should we talk? There's nothing to talk about Sai. Those drawings need to go, I don't want anything from your studio, just those pictures gone."

Sai for a first time, sighed exasperatedly, is this what tiredness and frustration feels like at the same time? He decided he didn't like the feeling.

"I wish to discuss this because I don't want them destroyed, I've hanged them there because I feel like they've been my best work yet. Isn't there a way we can work out a compromise for whatever reason you wish to pulverize them?"

Hinata's small pert lips ground to a line, "No, Sai I'm not compromising," but she could feel her initial anger abating, Sai was trying to be civil. Maybe he really couldn't understand unless she spelt it out, perhaps this is what Root left all its operatives to fall to.

"I don't know why you think those are your best paintings, and I can't bring myself to care since I just don't feel that way- those paintings are an embarrassment to me, do you understand? That's why I want to get rid of them. Like- how would you feel if someone took something private from you that you didn't want to share, and showed it to the world? Take that and multiply it by a 100 and that would be the equivalent of what I feel. Y-you have to get rid of them if you won't let me." She emphasized this throughout by pointing to his chest, the painting and herself.

He frowned at her repeated pointing, disliking the way it seemed like a raised weapon when it was not. So he snatched her pointed hand as she finished, and suddenly she had a knee between his legs, a loss of breath, and his consternated gaze washing over her.

"What exactly are you embarrassed about?"

Looking away from his black sight, she tugged at her arm in annoyance, his grip tightened.

Seeing as he still didn't understand, Hinata tried to spell it out again,"... No one wants to be seen naked in front of their friends- you had no right to draw and show those pictures." Long purple locks swept invitingly across his chest as she admonished, Sai snatched one between his finger.

"Show them? I had no intention of showing them- they were for my eyes alone. Why do you think I was to the bar? It was to collect the very private thing you spoke of, that Naruto stole from me."

She coughed at that and gulped for air, only to inhale more of the Sumi scent that clung to him.

"Tha-that's not better, and don't try to pin this on Naruto-kun." What does he mean 'that very private thing'- those are pictures of me; they had nothing to do with his privacy!

Sai's lips twitched at her defensiveness, it irked him, and that itself irked him. He could tell for a while now, whatever reason it was, something about this opinionated, guarded and stubborn Hinata killed all his inhibition, as much as those pictures. More than the pictures even, all of these urges came so quickly and strongly that it left him no chance or desire to stop. So he replied back the way he saw fit, he was done with trying to understand or restrain his own behaviour.

"I'm not pinning the responsibly on him, but he is part of the problem- if I created your source of embarrassment- then Naruto is the one who spread it."

She tugged hard on her arm, feeling her anger at the monotone boy rekindle, "Liar-you are trying to pin it on him! Naruto-kun wouldn't have gotten those pictures or had a chance to show anyone if you didn't draw them!"

Sai's lips curled and something like distaste landed at the back of his tongue, "But he did see them, and appreciate them plenty- enough to think of bringing it to the rest of the boys for their mutual enjoyment yes?"

Hinata's face turned red with indignity, "So what?! Leave Naruto-kun out of this! This is your problem Sai!" Who does he think he is?

The post-root ninja breathed out, eyes turning cold," So that's it, place all the blame on me so that your 'Naruto-kun' remains a saintly angel in your mind?" He could have continued, except Hinata chose that moment to slap him, hard.

He didn't turn his face back to her, instead rolled his eyes to her. She tugged at her arm furiously, face contorted by indignation, anger, and something else.

"Let me go now Sai!" He- He's such a terrible person! Of course it's his fault! He knows nothing about me- how can he make such a judgement?

Sai's not sure why he said the next thing; he just knew he had hurt Hinata again some how.

"Why do you love him so much Hyuga-chan?"

Hinata stared blankly at him, and her patience ran out, "I'm not answering that question-you- I'm done- let go!" What the hell?

Sai still didn't loosen his grip, "Is this that private thing you talked about-something you can't share with others?"

Hinata deflated, wanting very strongly to just sit down and cry or to choke the person interrogating her, "Well, what do you think Sai?"

"I don't know," Hinata looked at him, frowning lips and angry eyebrows stressing her porcelain face.

"I think you do like him, care a lot even, otherwise you wouldn't blush so much around him, and your friends wouldn't tease you. But I'm trying to understand why, because from what I can see, he's done nothing to deserve your affection. I guess you could initiate more with him now by revealing that you are the girl in my pictures. When he first saw them, he expressed explicit interest in the you I drew. But I don't think he should get that, not when he couldn't even recognize you the whole time he had those pictures."

Hinata looked at him and he scrutinized back, "why do you even want to know about my relationship with Naruto-kun? Because regardless of what you think- that's my business with him, not yours."

"I'm trying to understand the source of your embarrassment Hyuga-chan. Maybe it has to do with everybody there seeing my drawings of you nude, maybe it's just the fact that Naruto liked them and caused you to feel flustered. Whatever the reason, I still feel like you shouldn't be embarrassed. The reason Naruto and the boys admired those pictures were because they thought you looked amazing- though slighted by the fact that they looked from a sexual perspective. That's their fault not yours. I don't see what you need to feel ashamed about- I drew you because you were perfect. You made that small pond into something beautiful and otherworldly."

Hinata took that all in, and tried her best to not internalize it or blush (which wasn't working by the way). This was what Sai felt about her-and it both creeped her out and flattered her. She has never been told that she was perfect, and as nice as it was, it came from the wrong person's mouth.

"..I-look Sai, even if you think so highly of what I was doing on the pond, I can't agree or appreciate you recording it up there. I'm still embarrassed by them because I don't want naked pictures of me anywhere! I don't want anyone to see me naked!"

Sai replied perplexed at her, "No one has seen you naked- I did."

She glared at the ridiculousness of his words, but he continued, rubbing her silky locks of hair between his fingers, "My canvas is just a surface area to try capture what beauty I saw. And as much as I want to keep those pictures, they're nothing in comparison to the real thing."

The blush splashed on her cheeks again, and she bit her lips viciously.

"D-don't try to flatter, you still shouldn't have peeked at me."

His lidded eyes lingered at her reddening lips, where her teeth almost drew blood. Then he replied, realizing why he didn't look away, "According to social codes perhaps, but, I would have regretted it if I looked away, I don't resist drawing when I need to."

Its one of the few places he had always been honest.

Hinata huffed at his gall. "You're perverted, I know that, it doesn't mean you can get away with it! You'll get in trouble!"

He replied, quieter and an octave lower, "if trouble means having you here," she felt his grip re adjust, thumb digging under the coat sleeve to stroke skin. "I'll have to do that more often." The feel of her ivory skin had given him an idea, and he knew it then, he had to draw her again.

The Hyuga on the other hand felt her insides churn, Sai's burning eyes set off all the bad alarms, this had to stop now.

AN: for anyone's who's interested- this chapter alone is where I diverge from both canon Sai and Iroka's.