A/N: Written way back when last summer, sitting at a computer, somewhere in the Florida Keys. Just a drabble, I suppose, involving reversals and replacements and relearning and retreats.

Summary: There are some things you can't learn from books, and then there are things you can't learn at all.

Durcham's Axiom:
If you view your problem closely enough you will recognize yourself as part of the problem.

Book Learning

Tuesdays were usually reserved for training with kunai, but Sai caught sight of Naruto down at the pier, again, staring at the water, again, so he decided to go see what was wrong. Because something was always wrong when Naruto sat on the pier, back in that dejected little slump of his, and if something was wrong with Naruto he should really find out and make it better, because that's what friends did, right?

So he took a step off the right side of the path, and then another, and then he stepped over the edge of the hill and now his legs were going too fast, too fast, but he didn't really care because he was going to help Naruto and that was more important. 'Friends are important,' his book said. So he listened.

And suddenly he was standing behind Naruto, feeling his lungs working fast in his chest but not really paying attention. Naruto didn't move, didn't speak, didn't even acknowledge his presence, even though he was sure he knew he was there.

He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to begin speaking, but Naruto cut him off.

"Dickl--"

"He was always sitting here, you know? Just staring at the water."

He had been interrupted, and the book said that interrupting was a rude thing to do, but if he said something about it he might end up interrupting Naruto because he probably wasn't done talking. So he shut his mouth and listened.

"I'd go over and yell at him for being boring and invite him to do something else, just to get him to look away from the water. I didn't understand what was so interesting about water. Still don't."

"Dickless, it is strange to hear you speaking philosophically. Also, you interrupted me."

Naruto's shoulders hitched in a half-laugh. He seemed to lack the energy to become angered by his remarks, which was unusual. Narrowing his eyes, he counted off the symptoms on his fingers- Naruto was acting tired for no reason, speaking cryptically, and refused to respond to tried-and-true button-pushing. He was at least 38% certain he was exhibiting signs of depression. The brochures he had read on depression said that friends and family should confront the person if they thought they might be depressed, and that avoiding the subject of depression could make it worse. The best course of action was obviously asking Naruto about it, which he commenced to do. "Dickless, are you depressed?"

"Dunno."

"I need you to tell me when you need help. I want to help you."

That got Naruto's attention, and he turned to look strangely at him. "That sounds like something out of a brochure."

"It was a phrasing recommended to me by a brochure on depression which I procured from the waiting room of the psychological department when I visited for a routine checkup, if that is what you meant."

Naruto snorted and turned back to the lakeview. "Figures."

He tried a different tactic. "Would you like some ramen?"

Naruto shrugged dismissively.

"I would like to extend an invitation on my behalf requesting that you come and eat ramen with me, preferably somewhere which is not here."

"You sound like you actually care. Are you slipping?"

He blinked in confusion. "My concern is genuine, as it appears to be warranted. It is an obvious part of comradeship. I do not understand what you mean by 'slipping'."

"It means when--" Naruto sighed in exasperation and got up, running one hand through his hair, the other shoved in his jacket. "Whatever. Let's just go get ramen."

They walked there in relative silence, punctuated only by their footsteps and Naruto's pointed "You're buying."

~owari