A/N:

Guess whose back? Back again?

haha

I honestly have no excuse other than severe writer's block. I do love this story and promise to finish it, but I can't promise when. Extremely sorry to keep everyone waiting. I feel I should mention I re-wrote this multiple times, even now Im not really happy with it- but I feel I owe it to everyone who spent their precious time to read The Bush Clover to finally update. As usual please let me know what you think in the reviews, if you have any feedback on my writing I'm always open to suggestions (just try not to be too cruel haha)

** Important to note: You will need to read Chap 27 to relate to this, Sai POV of the same timeline***

The alien sound left his lips before he could even think about it. His body shook as it took over, eyes squeezing shut on their own.

He was laughing?

It was nothing like his attempts before, nothing like the "haha" the books talked about.

He had obviously been amused before, with a team mate like Naruto- his life was not exactly lacking in its comedic moments.

But this laughter was different, it wasn't a sound expressing his finding a situation funny (or stupid- that happened a lot as well) those laughs as genuine as they were, were nothing like the feeling taking over him now.

It felt as though for a fleeting minute nothing else mattered, there was no way to describe it other than the fact that it felt ridiculously good.

Just when he thought the feeling would wind down, she joined him.

Hers was a laugh made to be heard. Bright and cheerful, like dandelions blowing in the wind.

He watched amidst his own laugh as the corners of her eyes crinkled prettily. His arms wrapping around her without so much as a second thought.

Her face was flushed as she leaned her forehead against his in an attempt to catch her breath.

She was so close he could count each individual eyelash framing her blue-green eyes.

That's when it suddenly dawned on him- that they were alone, in his room, in his bed…and close enough for him to – he swallowed hard then- count her lashes.

Then there was no turning back after that- it was all that he could think of: Her.

Her pink lips, parted, panting softly.

Her body flush atop his, the soft curves pressing into his lean frame.

Her waterfall of golden hair that fell like a curtain on either side of his face.

Her faint scent of flowers and something that he could only describe as Ino invading his senses.

The previous feeling faded in an instant to the rising tide of a far more aggressive one, this feeling coursed through his veins and made his entire being thrum like the strings of an instrument too tightly wound. His heart hammered against his chest, so loud he was sure she could hear him.

The shift in the atmosphere was immediate.

She seemed aware of it too now, her eyes darkening and face flushing in a way that made heat pool to the pit of his stomach.

He found himself staring at her lips, fighting the urge to .. to… to what exactly?

He wanted her.

The thought frightened him.

He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his entire life.

His breath hitched as she inched closer, the fraction of space between their lips felt electric.

He tore his eyes away from her lips in an effort to hold himself sane, only to get transfixed by her eyes.

At that moment something hit his window with a sharp tap, jostled he felt her shift against him. Her thigh brushing against him in a way that took every ounce of his will power not to brush back.

She almost immediately sprang up, "I'm so sorry!"

Sorry?

Of course. He had made her uncomfortable. Anyone would be uncomfortable after that.

The sudden loss of her warmth and nearness was causing his brain cells to start functioning again.

He felt a cold wave sweep over him, trying and failing to think of anything that might diffuse the situation.

She was already scrambling away from him.

She was leaving.

His mind was flickering past every minute he had shared with her.

He had scared her and now she was leaving.

Desperation clawed at him.

He felt ashamed of his own bodily reactions.

"W-wait. Beauty I-I…" He started to get up.

He would explain to her, would tell her that it was some stupid biological reaction- that's all it was he told himself again. Somehow even in his head he didn't sound convinced.

"No don't get up!" She shook her head frantically, "It's fine, you don't have to explain anything. I left dinner downstairs, I should get going. See you tomorrow. Kay."

She left without even waiting for a response, leaving him to stew in his own self loathing.

XX

Sai slumped back into his bed and sighed as he used his arm to cover his face.

Over the past few months Ino had become an increasingly important person to him, a rare someone he could be himself around other than his team mates- and now he'd gone and ruined everything.

He swung his arm away from his face and against the concrete wall. The resulting thud coinciding with the sound of his front door slamming shut as a certain blonde rushed out of his premises.

He dragged himself to his window, even though he was sure she had already long disappeared from sight.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." He muttered under his breath and tapped his forehead repeatedly against the cool glass.

That's when he noticed the pine cone on his window sill.

XX

He went completely still for half a beat.

Years of training kicked in, over-riding his mind's urge to fixate on the situation that had transpired between him and Ino.

His eyes darted to the nearest pine tree, a good 30 meters away.

He should have picked up on this.

Hell, if Danzo saw this he'd be rolling in his grave.

Sai mentally kicked himself, his tanto and paints were no-where within reach. He used one hand to open his window, while using the other to reach discreetly for a kunai he kept on his side table.

Not ideal but it would have to suffice.

"I know you're still there." Sai spoke into the stillness of the night, before leaping down to the curb below.

"You're not as perceptive as the word on the street", a tall man landed to Sai's right, "I assumed you'd notice me a lot earlier…Root."

The last word seemed to be thrown at Sai like an insult, or at least that's what he could gather from the tone.

The man was dressed in all white- a poor choice for someone sneaking about at night in Sai's personal opinion but that was none of his business- and more curiously he wore a mask without any slits for the eyes- again not very practical but who was he to judge.

"Anbu? I wasn't aware the Hokage had me under surveillance.." Sai thought out aloud ignoring the Anbu's opening statement almost completely.

"He doesn't." The reply was cold and curt, the turning swiftly he lunged at Sai, "However, that doesn't mean you can just do whatever the hell you want!"

Sai blinked, barely side stepping in time to avoid impact, "I..donot follow. What are you talking about?"

"I saw you with her." The Anbu's voice had an edge to it as he prepared to strike again.

"Her..?" Sai frowned clearly confused.

"Don't act dumb. Miss Yamanaka, what did you plan on doing to her?!" The Anbu rounded him.

Miss Beauty?

Sai felt his face color, "I.." his voice trailed off unable to really quite answer that question in all honesty.

"Disgraceful. What kind of man takes advantage of a woman like that?" The Anbu continued, lunging again this time faster, punctuating his words with strikes "It must be. What you've been. Plotting all along. Luring her here. Day after day. until she let her guard down."

Advantage? Plotting?

Sai opened his mouth to retort but was cut off when he was forced to block another strike.

"Using people like objects…I suppose that's to be expected from Danzo's lap dog" The Anbu hissed.

"I don't want to be practice for your social skills, Sai."

Her words resonated in his head as if on cue.

"I'm not using her!"

Sai snarled and struck back. His anger shocking even himself.

The sudden shift to offense caught the Anbu by surprise and knocked his mask clean off.

Dark eyes met pale ones.

Hyuuga.

The Anbu leapt back to put more space between him and Sai.

He rubbed his jaw gingerly where Sai's strike had landed, "Oh so you can fight? Good, then I won't have to hold back anymore!"

XX

Sai winced, his chakra network gone to shit as a result of the gentle fist.

The Hyuuga Anbu seemed depleted as well, both arms bleeding and covered in bruises.

They both fell to the ground panting in unison.

"Well that didn't go according to plan." The Hyuuga chuckled darkly.

"Ah did the plan involve me dying?" Sai asked genuinely curious despite his vision already blurring.

"Not at the start at least." His breathing was labored, "I didn't expect to see the two of you like that and it…well…"

"Miss Beau- Ino you mean?" Sai turned his head so he could face who he was talking to.

"I've been watching her, for a while now… she is..so kind .. she's one of those women … with a penchant for the broken and the damned… I see how she dotes on you…devoting all her time to fixing you…thinking that maybe if it's her you'll change.." He snorted, "and I know your type too. Men like you, you suck the life out of strong women until they're nothing but a hollow shell of their former selves."

Sai was suddenly hit with a wave of de ja vu, he remembered the conversations he had with Sakura when Naruto was in love with her- how he'd watch her waste away prioritizing Sasuke Uchiha.

Was this karma?

Was he now doing to Ino what he vehemently condemned Sasuke for doing to Sakura when he had turned?

That didn't make any sense.

Ino wasn't in love with him.

Ino couldn't possibly be in love with him.

"Be honest Sai.. do you love me?"

Their altercation in Suna flashed in his mind.

His stomach clenched.

"I would never hurt Ino." Sai blurted, whether to his former attacker or to himself…he wasn't really sure, "She is..precious to me…a friend."

"You try to bed all of your precious friends then?" The Hyuuga gave a sardonic laugh.

Sai felt his stomach clench uncomfortably again, "That is… I…"

"Do you even know what it means to feel for someone?" He asked, "Do know what it's like to think of someone more times than you can count? To want nothing more than to be by their side? To have a million things to say but losing any and all ability to speak because when she looks at you- you forget even to breathe?"

"I've read-" Sai started to speak but was silenced by the scathing look thrown at him.

"You think you can know a person's feelings by simply memorizing some lines off of a psychology book?" The Hyuuga dragged himself to a sitting position fueled by his anger.

Sai felt as though someone had slapped him. The words unhinging his deep rooted insecurities.

"If she truly is special to you- you'd want her to be happy." He continued.

Ino's laugh flashed in his head.

"I want her to be happy." Sai spoke in earnest.

"Then you should stay away from her. No good will ever come from her getting attached to you." The Hyuuga was now standing, practically towering over Sai's fallen form.

"Right now she's too blinded by the thoughts of saving you to even think of herself. The future of her noble clan rests on her shoulders, she is the Yamanaka Heiress. It is best you realize that the two of you are from different worlds to begin with. I could offer her the status, comforts and the pedigree of the Hyuuga blood line… You on the other hand have nothing to offer her, not even a last name."

That was when Sai felt his resolve completely shatter.

A/N:

Yes yes over dramatic I know. I can't help it I've been watching a lot of trash on TV :P

Please take the time to leave a review, they're what drove me to continue writing and mean the world to me.

Thank you again for reading! I shall update this later with replies to all the reviews ASAP xoxo Love you all for bearing with my procrastinating ass.