He starred at his own cold reflection in the mirror, his eyes fixed on his own face. His sharp eyes picked out his thin lips, his blank eyes and pale cheeks. Sai realized himself, for once in a very long time.

Slowly his gaze cast down to table below the dresser's mirror. Aside from the usual woman's grooming necessities, it was lined with photos. Framed pictures of the pink haired kunoichi's parents, herself as a child and of course, the real team 7, were set neatly side by side.

He wasn't supposed to be here.

This was trespassing.

Ah, well, she'll never know.

The young boy focused on the last photograph. He saw the blonde fox boy's cheeky smile and Sakura's ever innocent grin. Their old sensei, the renowned Hatake Kakashi stood behind the group. Though his mouth was covered his eyes showed he was smiling underneath all that.

Sai always envied him for that, the ability to project joy behind all that secrecy while he, himself could not.

Then, he saw him.

The dark haired, red eyed pretty boy standing in the corner. He was grimacing at his teacher, who was giving him a playful noogie.

Uchiha Sasuke.

This was him, the boy he was assigned to replace. He was considered nothing more than a second rate version of him, a shadow, if you will.

Not too long ago, it wouldn't have mattered. After all, his first plans were to kill him anyway. If he had done so, maybe he wouldn't be 'just the replacement.'…but he didn't.

He couldn't.

When questioned, he reasoned it was the bond between Sasuke and his former teammate; Uzumaki Naruto, that touched him enough to surrender his motives.

That was a lie.

Well, not entirely.

It was a bond that stopped him.

It was a bond with the raven haired boy's former teammate.

…but it wasn't with Naruto.

It was with the same, now acclaimed medical ninja, whose room he was trespassing on at this very moment.

It was her affection, her pleading that touched him.

She saw through Sai before anyone else did. She read him long before anyone realized why he was there. She took the initiative. Sakura knelt before him and begged him…

…to spare the life of the one boy she was still so stupidly in love with.

Uchiha Sasuke.

He could have ignored it.

He should have.

He would have.

…if she didn't look to helpless when she asked…

…If she didn't seem so sincere…

…If she weren't so pretty….

…If he had never fallen for her…

He would have listened to his senses.

Sadly, that wasn't the case.

She had entranced him from the very beginning.

Admittedly, called her a "hag" wasn't exactly the right way to show it but what was he to do? He had never felt this way before. He had never felt anything before.

What was he to do?

He caved.

He gave in to her, to them. He submitted himself to their morals, the morals of his team, the morals of Konoha.

And frankly, he wasn't regretting any of it.

As of now, he didn't know what it would become of him. If Sasuke returned, he'd be finished.

And As of now he didn't care.

Maybe it's be better to just accept his position…to "live in the moment." Is that what Naruto called it?

For now, he'd be 'just the replacement.'

Sai will take Sasuke's place in missions. He's take his seat in the mess hall. Heck, as of now, he lived in the young Uchiha's room.

He was agreeing to be Uchiha Sasuke…for as long as he had to be.

He'd be second best. Sai would settle with filling his shoes.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

He was considered the town heartthrob after all.

And maybe…just maybe….

Sai could take Sasuke's place in the young kunoichi's heart.

Even if it was just temporary.

Even for just a little while.

That's what he was…a 'for the meant time' kind of guy.

And Sai wiped away the alien liquid that trickled down his cheek. He dismissed it as fatigue. He turned around to face Sakura's well kept bed. Walking up to the sheets, he carefully lay a single, virgin white rose bud neatly over the covers.

To symbolize all that could still be.