Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto of any of the characters

A/N: Well, here's the first chapter of Wants and Needs. The pairing will be SasuNaru, but there will still be some SaiNaru. Here's the chapter, feel free to criticize. (I need it XD)

As for when this takes place, about a month after the failed Sasuke mission in Chapter 309.

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Chapter 1: The New Team Seven

Sai barely managed to dodge the kunai; he was too busy laughing to himself. He felt it skim his bare stomach and imbed itself into the tree trunk with a dull thud. He looked down to see a fuming blonde; he still didn't know why Naruto got so mad when Sai mentioned his penis.

"Naruto, don't throw kunai at your training partner," Kakashi said dully, turning to the next page of his Icha Icha Paradise book. He hasn't even looked up from it once. Sai would've asked him what it was about, but Naruto and Sakura immediately said, "Don't ask."

It's been a month now since they came back from the failed Sasuke mission. They've been training everyday to get stronger for next time; a little more than a month remains until Orochimaru takes Sasuke's body for his own.

Sakura trained with Tsunade sometimes, but when she didn't, Kakashi trained with her. Naruto was intent on getting stronger without the nine-tailed fox, and Sai simply wanted friends and to learn more about emotion and human nature, and to also get Sasuke back to Konoha.

Naruto just huffed and returned the other kunai to the pouch strapped to his right leg. "And Sai, don't tease Naruto," he continued. Sai just looked confused. "He's sensitive about it." Flip.

Naruto was about to start yelling there's nothing to be sensitive about, but Sakura appeared, looking tired and sweaty from her training with the Godaime.

"Training ended early," she explained. "So I came here to see if you guys were still here or not." Naruto just smiled at her. He used to have a crush on the pink-haired girl, but those feelings changed and he now considered her a sister, at the same time realizing he liked guys. Or Sasuke, to be more specific.

"We were just finishing up, Sakura," Kakashi stated, closing his book and looking at with sadly with his one visible eye. Naruto just rolled his eyes at his sensei's behavior about the stupid perverted book.

Sai smiled. "Naruto and I were just going to get some Ichiraku ramen. Would you like to join us, h-…er..Sakura?" It's obvious Sakura caught Sai's slip-up by the faint twitching of her eyebrow. He just kept on smiling.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, and Naruto whirled around to glare at his new team member. "No, we're not, I don't know where you got that idea," he snapped. He'd gotten used to Sai, but he still pissed him off. Naruto just spun back around and headed home, Sakura and Sai falling into step alongside him, while Kakashi just disappeared in a poof of smoke.

They were about to part ways when Ino and Chouji called their names, rushing up to them. Shikamaru trailed behind them slowly, lazy as ever, and looking warily at Sai. Ino just attached herself to Sai's arm; Naruto scoffed, Sai blinked, confused at this action.

"We haven't talked since Yakiniku Q, how have you been?" Ino asked, mainly at Sai. Naruto couldn't help but sneer at her; first she was all over Sasuke, and then when he leaves and another good-looking guy comes in, she's all over him. Did I just call Sai good-looking? Ugh.

"We've been training, Ms. Beautiful," Sai answered, smiling innocently. Sakura glowered at the pair, but her and Naruto instantly go on alert when Sai turned to Chouji. Sai…remembers what not to call Chouji, right? they thought.

"Nice to see you again fa-" Naruto instantly jumped on Sai, hugging him in a way that his shoulder is crammed up against Sai's mouth, acting excited. Chouji just stared at Sai threateningly; he's not an idiot. Shikamaru was just watching the clouds, bored.

"We were just going to Ichiraku!" Naruto pulled away from Sai, glaring at him. Sai smiled sheepishly and shrugged. Now he remembers. "Come with us," he continued, turning to face Team Asuma.

Ino, who had let go of Sai when Naruto hugged him, grabbed his arm again and smiled at him in what she thought was a sexy way. "Sure, want to go guys?" She turned to her other two teammates.

"Yeah!"

"Troublesome."

They were all sitting on the stools, eating ramen (or cramming it down their throats, in Naruto's case.) "When are you guys going back to get Sasuke? That's what you've been training for, right?" Shikamaru asked, yawning.

"In a few weeks," Sakura answered, glancing at Naruto, who was staring at Sai. Sai pretty much ignored Ino, still confused as to why she was holding onto his arm. He glanced at Naruto, and when their eyes met, he smiled.

Naruto just flushed a little and huffed, turning back to his miso ramen. He better not think I'm interested in him or something, he's stupid like that. And I'm not anyway. I love Sasuke. Ever since that kiss when we were twelve. But he's gone now…

He could feel himself getting depressed again, but glared at his ramen. We'll get him back this time, for sure. Sakura just watched as Naruto blushed, stared at his ramen, then glared at it like it had done him a personal wrong.

"We'll bring him back to Konoha this time, for sure!" Naruto said, smiling confidently, not sure who he was exactly talking to. Sakura smiled to herself, nodding in agreement.

"Of course we will, Naruto," Sai agreed, smiling again. Naruto just grinned at him and started in on his second bowl, Sakura continued to watch him. She frowned as she watched Sai take a bite of his ramen, glaring into it, then at Naruto.

"Sai, let's go for a walk," Sakura said. It was more an order than anything. Ino glared at her, mouthed, 'Big fore-head,' and let go of his arm, letting Sai join Naruto. When they were far enough away from Ichiraku, she looked at him. "What's wrong, Sai? You didn't seem to happy back there."

"Nothing's wrong. We're all getting stronger, we're going to go get Sasuke and for sure bring him back. What could be wrong?" Sai smiled, but Sakura frowned. This smile was too forced, even for Sai.

"Don't lie, Sai…Just tell me what's on your mind. I'll try to help."

The smile slid off, and he frowned, not sure himself why he was mad. "I just don't want Sasuke coming back to Konoha. I know Naruto's fond of him, but we don't need him here."

He doesn't realize he's jealous of Sasuke. She let out a sigh, and put a hand on his shoulder. "We have to get him back, Sai. You must understand that. He means a lot to us, to Konoha. Losing him to Orochimaru would devastate us. We'll see you at the bridge tomorrow morning." She let her hand slide off as she gave him one last comforting smile and walked away.

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"Late again," Naruto muttered, leaning against the railing of the bridge. Sakura just let out a sigh and watched Sai out of the corner of her eye, who was watching Naruto intently.

Just then Kakashi appeared with a poof, for once his Icha Icha book tucked in his back pocket. At the serious look in his visible eye, Naruto and Sakura closed their mouths, refraining from shouting their usual, "You're late!"

"The Hokage wants to see us," Kakashi said, looking at them. "It's about our Sasuke mission." Sakura glanced at Sai and saw him visibly tense, but his face revealed nothing. Instead he smiled, as did Naruto.

In the Hokage's office, all four gathered around her desk. Naruto grinned, "Tsunade-baachan, what's this about? Are we leaving soon?" They instantly knew something was wrong when Tsunade-sama didn't yell at him for his usual rudeness.

She stood up and gazed at them. "You all know we're having a few ANBU keeping a close watch on Sasuke and Orochimaru, so we'll know if they happen to move locations, correct?" They all nodded, beginning to frown.

"Earlier this morning," she paused, rubbing her temples as if to make it all go away. She sighed, and began again. "Earlier this morning, they discovered Sasuke gone." Immediately they all made noises of anger, Naruto punched her desk. "SHUT UP!" They all did so. "They discovered Sasuke gone, but they found Orochimaru and Kabuto. Dead."

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Yay, first chapter. Short first chapter, the others will be longer. XD I wanted this to be SaiNaru, but my reviewers for OoaK demanded SasuNaru. Plus after I've written this chapter with no Sasuke in it, I wanted SasuNaru as well lol. Sasuke will appear next chapter, and Akatsuki in two or three chapters. The same rule goes for this story as well, I must get at least one review per chapter for me to go on. I'm only saying it this one time. No reviews, no story. R/R