Twenty: Picture Perfect

Mission?!

Sai was released from the hospital a few hours before Naruto and Hinata were to leave out on their mission to the cloud village. Ino was called to the Hokage office, so Sai decided to see Naruto and Hinata off.

He waited by the gate for the two. All the while, he was thinking about what happened when he woke up in the hospital.

/flashback/

'B-beautiful!?' Sai thinks looking down at Ino.

He notices how peaceful she looks lying beside him. The light moans she makes every now and then whenever she stirs a bit in her sleep. He reminisces on her beautiful eyes and longs to see them once she awakens. His eyes then begin to travel down to her lips. He bites his bottom lips in curiosity.

'Her lips look so soft. I wonder if they are as soft as they look.' He raises the hand she is using to hold his and brings it to his face. He rubs his thumbs across her soft and delicate skin getting lost in the feeling of how comforting her touch is and how angelic she looks while asleep.

Not noticing that Ino I starting to awaken, Sai's lips pucker as he brings Ino's hand forward. Ino's eyes flutter open just in time to see and feel Sai's lips on the back of her hand. She immediately turns deep red. 'Oh my god. He kissed my hand. I think I'm about to faint.'

'Wait...am I talking to myself again?'

Sai ends his soft gesture and looks back down at Ino only to to green orbs looking back at him with a soft and yet confused gaze. He panics a bit and and tries to let her hand go while apologizing.

Ino stops him by putting her finger on his lips. She bites her bottom lip in bliss wondering how Sai's lips would feel pressed against her own.

Sai watches how she bites her lip and is turned on a bit.

Okay...a lot.

Ino's hand rests in his lap and she begins to speak but realizes where her hand landed.

Sai's man parts get just as excited as those of you who are reading this, and jerks a bit hitting the palm of Ino's hand.

Ino jumps and she and Sai look away in embarrassment.

"I...I have t-to g-go!" Ino says and hurriedly departs leaving Sai and his little friend there wondering what the heck just happened.

/end of flashback/

Sai is brought out of his thought by the arrival of Naruto and Hinata.

Naruto greets him, "Hey Sai. I see you're doing better. Wait...were you blushing you cheeks are pink?"

Hinata looks up at Sai and giggles. Sai frowns at Naruto, "Shut up dickless. I came to see you and Hinata off."

He looks over to Hinata, "Please make sure he doesn't get reckless. Last time he did I ended up in the hospital kissing Ino's hand."

His eyes then widen as he realizes his slip up. Hinata stares wife eyed and Naruto, didn't hear a word. He stands there fuming at the "dickless" comment. Hinata channels her 'Inner Sakura' and playfully wiggles her eyebrows at Sai who backs away from her in embarrassment.

He stutters, "Y-you guys s-should get own w-with your m-mission."

They agree and depart. Sai watches as their silhouettes disappear in the horizon. Just as he turns and walks away, he bumps into someone. He instantly grabs her by instinct and locks eyes with the green eyed beauty.

Ino blushes and greets him, "I...uh...h..hey Sai...k-kun."

Sai notices their position and let's her go, "S...sorry beautiful...I mean Ino...it's not that you not beautiful....I mean...you're always beautiful...and...uh...I'm just going to stop talking now."

Ino mentally skips around a field of meadows in bliss at the comment Sai made about her. She regains her composure and tells him, "Uh. Lady Tsunade has a quick mission for us. It will only take a day to complete. So, we may want to go ahead and prepare."

Sai pulls out a scroll from his pocket. "I try to stay prepared at any given time because Lady Tsunade hands out missions these days like they're candies. You never know when you will be called for one nowadays."

Ino giggles and Sai says to himself, 'Wow. Even her laugh is beautiful...wait what?!'

'Oh no. You heard yourself.'

'Naruto?!'

'The one and only.'

'How'd the hell you get in my head?'

'Well...I'm more of the Naruto in you.'

'Really?'

'Yep...there's a little bit of Naruto in everyone.'

Sai smirks mentally, 'Kinda makes you wonder how much of you are in Hinata.'

'And I'm leaving now.'

Sai chuckles to himself and tells Ino he will wait at the gate for her.

Ino leaves and meets up with Sakura at her house with the mission scroll.

"Take care of my teammate. He's still a work in progress. He may express himself in a way that will completely offend you but don't take him seriously." Sakura says.

Ino smiles lightly, "I don't know forehead. He calls me beautiful all the time. And I feel his smile is genuine. He's actually a cute and nice guy."

Sakura raises a teasing eyebrow, "Hmmm....is my little Ino-pig falling for my teammate?"

Ino blushes deeply and waves her hands in front of her face. "I...its not...l...like...that!"

Sakura waves her off while walking away. "Yeah yeah. Your mouth says one thing. But you don't have to be a Yamanaka to know what your brain and heart are feeling."

Ino's eye twitches and she finishes preparing for her mission. She meets back at the gate with Sai who is talking with Shikamaru. He sees her and smiles. "Ready to go?"

She nods. Shikamaru bids them farewell and the two set off on their mission.