Hello everyone! Yes, I've finally gotten around to posting something new! This little fanfic just popped into my head about an hour ago and so I typed up this little prologue thing. There will be more chapters to come, and soon I promise! So yeah, it's SaixSakura. I actually like Sai a lot and I think he and Sakura could get along pretty well. Or at least once he stops insulting her XD Besides that, it's pretty short, but oh well. Enjoy!

Even with this annoying girl squealing in his ear, Sai still managed to keep his paintbrush steady. "Why won't she go away? Can't she tell I'm ignoring her? Or am I doing something wrong again?" Though his face was nonchalant, Sai was mentally pacing, trying to figure out how to make this blonde hag go away.

"Oh Sai, what are you painting? A tiger? A flower? C'mon, you can tell me!" Ino giggled as she leaned on Sai's shoulder.

He resisted the urge to leap up, push this eye-sore girl into the river below the bridge, and then take off with his art supplies. Naruto would probably let him hide out at his place...but did Sai really want to wait in that idiot's apartment for several hours? It was dirty, it smelled horrible, and Naruto would be there asking repulsive questions, including the constant pestering of whether Sai had drawn nude pictures of Sakura.

Sai sighed when he thought of that girl. Everyone noticed Sakura for her bright pink hair, her talents in the medical department, and being Tsunade's apprentice. Well, not everybody. The guys certainly didn't daydream about her and Tsunade operating together. More like they were daydreaming about Sakura taking care of them at the hospital without the old hag in sight. Maybe Sakura…

"What about forehead?!" Sai dully noticed that the steady drone in his ear had turned into a roaring hurricane. He quickly figured out that he had spoken aloud at some point.

Sai mentally groaned. He thought that maybe that lazy-ass deer boy could be right for once: women were troublesome. Not all of them maybe, but most of them. Mustering up another plastic smile, the shinobi faced the terror known as Yamanaka Ino.

"I was thinking that maybe Sakura has that disgustingly fake pink hair that everyone loves, but I prefer your beautiful, natural blonde locks." Natural my ass. If her hair isn't bleached then I'm going to be the next Hokage. Sakura's on the other hand is perfect. I just wish I could draw it right… Sai let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Hopefully she'll go back to her giggling about Kami-knows-what and leave me alone to some extent. The poor boy was horribly wrong though.

Sai could see Ino's blue eyes narrow from the corner of his own eyes. "Liar." She hissed. "You said something about Sakura taking care of guys at the hospital." The artist could hear her teeth grinding.

More flattery? Or should he just tell her off? The latter sounded very appealing, but it could have harsh consequences. Like having a bruise the size of Suna on his face and then having Naruto bringing it up whenever possible.

Well, flower-pig couldn't do a whole lot to him. She was an average ninja at best, and Sai doubted that she would kill a fellow shinobi. He hoped.

He flashed another smile in her direction. "Did I? Well, I was just hoping that maybe I would be lucky enough to be treated by that hag. Hey, anything's better than you!" Did I overdo it? What if she still doesn't get that I don't want her around? Maybe I should keep at it for a while longer.

"In fact, Akamaru would probably be a kisser than you. What with your big, fat lips and huge nose getting in the way." Another grin. He watched as Ino turned a violent shade of red and, shakily, stood up.

"Sai…" The rage in her voice was obvious. Heck, you could be deaf and still feel the waves of anger coming off of her.

Something dropped onto the red bridge. Looking over his shoulder, Sai could see a wide-eyed Sakura with a basket full of groceries at her side, vegetables and bread spilling out on the planks of wood. Only after examining the contents of her basket did he notice her talking.

"What was that Hag?" He asked politely.

Sai still couldn't hear what she was saying, so he resorted to reading the small, but full, pink lips of the wise apprentice of Tsunade.

"Run. Fast. NOW."

Glancing between the two kunoichi, Sai recognized the emotions of anger and hate when it came to Ino and…fear for Sakura? She was rarely scared of anything, though scared was a light term when it came to the terror written all over her face.

"Sai, I would run very quickly to some place very far away and very secure. That was stupid, but especially so since it's Ino we're talking about. NEVER insult her looks. If you live through this, that would be something important to remember from now on." Sakura managed to choke out that last phrase as Sai flew past her, painting abandoned on the bridge.

"SAI!!!!" Ino looked like a Shinigami, ready to take vengeance on the world. Except this world consisted of only the artist known as Sai.

As she watched her best friend take off after her teammate, Sakura sighed and began to pick up her groceries. To get involved in this would mean death. She should warn Tsunade to take Sai off any upcoming missions she had him in mind for. She should also begin to prepare a hospital room for him.

With another sigh, the pink-haired medic continued to walk across the bridge towards her apartment. Once she put away her things, Sakura would head off towards the Hokage Tower to warn the 5th.

Some would've laughed at her seriousness. Those people had obviously never met a ticked-off Ino. To those who did now of this terrifying female, this would be a good time to see a movie in a nice, dark theater where nobody would recognize them. Or perhaps request a mission to Kiri. Whatever hid you from the wrath of the flower-girl.

Hope you liked it! Yes, I'm aware that Inu was being a little AU, but I just love the image of a Shinigami Ino, which is how I picture her when she's pissed off at Sai XD Ah, the joys of being a fanfiction writer. Please Review!! ~Zuki