This would make a great series.

Cute, we all love Sai!

I had read this before, and now I read it again, been impressed again, and unwittingly I have noted the same thing.

Love it!

Ink bleeding out of the brush into the cup of water, like fresh blood in the shower?

Oh, the subtle hint.

Oh, the characterisation.

Thank you, thank you!

You wrote this on a WHIM?

How sensitive your whims must be, how insightful!

"like fresh blood in the bottom of the shower"

WHAT a simile!

A subconscious flow in this story runs deep, what goes around comes around -Sakura's promise to Naruto, vice versa; how Sai couldn't understand Naruto's promise, then ending tracing his exact footsteps. And what would this mean to Sakura later? She might be guilt tripped further. Complex bonds, got that part right.

I noticed you wrote this '06, seeing how the manga played out just recently three years later, you were pretty accurate in how the story developed -Sakura's angst over the promise she made Naruto keep.

I just developed an interest for Sai this summer and had been catching up all those years of the manga I missed. It's quite astonishing to me how long he's been in the series, seems like just yesterday to me. Sai always feel new, perhaps because he is always portrayed as a temporary replacement for Sasuke.

It was very beautiful, and from the other reviews as well it was very like Sai. I hope you continue to write more about him, or at least Naruto-realted. )

How beautifully sad. I loved the part when Sai wishes for Naruto to come through the door: it was perfectly in character,

This has got to be my favourite Sai story. The characterization, the writing style, the symbolism... all very beautifully done! I love how you implied that Sai named his paintings now with the last sentence. Wonderful!

Wow! You totally captured Sai's psyche - his trying to grapple with human emotions and connections/bonds with others. His questions on why anyone would go to such lengths for someone else and finally falling victim to it himself. Excellent!

That was beautiful! -

... oh... i'm always a sucker for a good sai (and a little bit of Sakura) fic. _

Okay, despite reviewing on your LJ already, I've decided that good authors that write in-character stuff, even if it's not a romance or smut or pairing, deserves more reviews! So, this is another just to up that number because this is an in-character, plausible and well written piece and it's amazing! And instead of rotting my brain in the fandom, it revitalized it!

AMAZING! It deserves lots of gold stars! GIR!

You wrote with a lovely detachment befitting of Sai, and yet at the same time with a closeness to the emotion and situation at hand. I actually don't know Sai's character very well (I don't read the manga), but from what I've gathered from past readings of his characters, you did an excellent job capturing it. And the last line was wonderful in encompassing the entire shot :)

Excellent work.