Sorry this one is so short! I just didn't want to make you all wait while I took a few more days to write the next section. Hope you enjoy :)

Clarity

Sai did not breach the topic until later that morning. He was silent as Sakura sealed her house and placed extra security around her study, while they strolled through the market and grabbed breakfast, or even as they went about their own respective morning workouts. Though when he did finally speak he went straight to the point. It really was something she both hated and loved about the aloof man.

"Sakura you know that there might be nothing you can do for Kiba. It may simply be an illness of the mind so why are you going so far..." Sai's words were not what she wanted to hear at that time.

"I don't know! Okay, Sai...I refuse to accept that his problem is beyond my capabilities. Kiba doesn't deserve this and I...I..." Her own words suddenly cut off by the overwhelming surge of emotions that struck her unexpectedly.

Before she could even react Sai had pulled her into a rough embrace. His strong hands holding her firmly against him as she began to breakdown. The stress of the last week finally taking its toll upon her and leaving her too weak to protest.

Once more Sai had fallen into his deep silences that characterized him so well. He knew Sakura didn't need to hear his opinion or to talk it out. She was fully capable of dealing with this all in her own mind. All Sai wanted was to comfort her and not be a burden by intruding upon her own thoughts. This small act was about all he could offer to her.

If there truly was a solution she would find it.

Almost an hour later Sakura let out a deep sigh and slowly pulled out of his embrace. She now felt no resentment towards Tsunade for sending him. She could only be grateful she still had such a good friend to lean on. Lately it seemed that her old life was simply fading into a thing of the past.

Somehow during that time their hands had come together and Sakura found herself staring intently down at the large pale fingers that intertwined with her own. These days so many of her old comrades had drifted away or settled down. She had stayed so busy that it had never even registered in her own mind what would happen after wards. So now she sat there being comforted by a man she had not seen in many months, a man who might her last true friend only because he too could not maintain any normal healthy relationships himself.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to love him at that moment. He knew her so well, maybe even more than she did herself. With all the uncertainties surrounding her it seemed the most logical thing. She found her mind racing to the not so distance future and truly felt that if he was by her side she could prevail.

But that was all cut short by the stabbing pain shooting through her palm as Sai gave her hand a small squeeze. The hand that she had sworn a blood oath with. An oath she could not so easily avoid. With a new clarity of mind brought upon by the subsiding pain Sakura was able to push aside all the crazy desperate thoughts Sai had conjured and she finally had a breakthrough on Kiba's case.