Chapter 30, Part 2: The Unfinished Page
Before the team resumed their pursuit, they came across a gruesome sight near the edge of the crater left by Orochimaru's technique: Sai's body, impaled and lifeless.
Sakura gasped, rushing forward, but Yamato held out an arm to stop her. "Wait." He approached cautiously, examining the corpse. "Look closely."
Upon closer inspection, the body began to ripple and dissolve, collapsing into a puddle of black ink.
"An Ink Clone," Kakashi stated, his eye narrowing. "A decoy. He wanted us to think he was dead, or at least delay us while he escaped with Orochimaru."
"That bastard," Naruto growled, his grip on Nozarashi tightening. Yachiru, perched on the massive blade, poked the ink puddle with a stick she'd found.
"Ew, he turned into goo," she remarked cheerfully. "He's like a melted candy, Kenny!"
Naruto grunted, his anger simmering. "He played us from the start."
Sakura looked down at the puddle of ink, her expression troubled. Near the remains of the clone, half-buried in the dirt, lay something familiar. She reached down and picked it up. It was Sai's sketchbook.
Later, the team took a brief respite near a riverbank to regroup and plan their next move. The atmosphere was heavy with betrayal and frustration. Naruto sat by the water, skipping stones with a scowl, Yachiru beside him trying to skip a rock bigger than her head. Yamato and Kakashi discussed strategy nearby.
Sakura sat under a tree, Sai's sketchbook in her hands. She opened it, her curiosity overcoming her anger.
"This book..." she murmured. "He said he hadn't finished it yet."
The pages were filled with drawings, starting from both ends of the book. On one side, the protagonist was a boy with black hair—Sai. On the other, a boy with white hair. Each page depicted them fighting various enemies, growing older and stronger with each turn.
"What is it, Sakura?" Yamato asked, noticing her absorption.
"It's Sai's book," she replied. "Look. It tells two stories. One about Sai, and one about this other boy—his brother, I think."
Naruto walked over, peering over her shoulder. Yachiru hopped onto his head to get a better look. "His brother?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah," Sakura said, flipping through the pages. "See? They fight different opponents, take their weapons, and keep moving forward. The black-haired boy starts from the front cover, and the white-haired boy starts from the back."
Yamato leaned in. "So they're meant to meet in the middle?"
"Exactly," Sakura said. She reached the center of the book.
The left page showed the white-haired boy, grown older, smiling warmly, wearing the Anbu uniform they had seen in Sai's other drawing. He looked confident, happy.
But the right page—the page where Sai should have been—was blank.
An empty, white void where the reunion should have taken place.
"It's... unfinished," Sakura whispered, a pang of sadness hitting her. "The story just stops."
"It's empty," Yachiru observed, her voice losing its usual playfulness. "Like he got lost on the way."
Naruto stared at the blank page, his expression softening slightly. He remembered his harsh words to Sai the night before. 'You're just a ghost, haunted by a bond you're too cowardly to even admit you cherished.'
"He couldn't finish it," Yamato observed quietly. "Because his brother died before they could reach that point."
"So that's why he's so obsessed with bonds being a weakness," Sakura realized. "It's not just training. It's grief. He buried his feelings because he couldn't handle the pain of this... this empty page."
Naruto looked away, his gaze drifting across the river. "He ran away from the pain," he muttered. "Just like Sasuke." He clenched his fist. "But running away doesn't fill the blank space. It just makes it bigger."
"We need to find him," Kakashi said, joining them. "Not just because he has intel on Danzo, but because he is still a member of this team. And we don't leave comrades behind to be consumed by the darkness."
Naruto looked back at the sketchbook, at the smiling face of the brother Sai had lost. For the first time, he felt a flicker of something other than contempt for the pale boy. It wasn't quite sympathy, but it was understanding.
"Let's go," Naruto said, his voice firm. "We're crashing Orochimaru's party. And we're dragging that idiot Sai back, whether he likes it or not."
"Yeah! Let's go get the picture boy!" Yachiru cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
Meanwhile, deep within Orochimaru's hideout, Sai walked down a dimly lit corridor with the Sannin and Kabuto.
"So," Orochimaru hissed, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "You say you have information on the ANBU black ops?"
"Yes," Sai replied, his face a mask of placid obedience. "Danzo-sama wishes for you to have this data to aid in your... mutual goals."
"Mutual goals," Kabuto scoffed. "You mean destroying Konoha."
Sai didn't respond. His mind was miles away, thinking of a sketchbook left lying in the dirt, and the unfinished story of a bond he had tried so hard to forget.
Why did I leave it? he wondered. Was it a mistake? Or... did I want them to find it?
He pushed the thought away. He was Root. He had no name, no feelings, no past. Only the mission.
"Come," Orochimaru commanded, leading them deeper into the darkness. "We have much to discuss... Sai."
____
Chapter 30, Part 3: The Ghost and the Viper's Den
The forest clearing was quiet, save for the rhythmic rushing of the nearby river. Team 7 had stopped to regroup, the tension of the chase hanging heavy over them.
Sakura sat beneath the shade of a tree, Sai's black sketchbook open in her lap. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she flipped through the pages. Naruto stood near the water's edge, Nozarashi resting heavily on his shoulder, his cold blue eyes scanning the opposite bank. Yachiru was busy weaving a flower crown out of weeds near his feet.
"It's strange," Sakura murmured, breaking the silence.
"What is?" Yamato asked, stepping closer. Kakashi looked up from his map, his single eye attentive.
"This book," Sakura explained, tracing a finger over a drawing of an armored samurai. "It's not just random pictures. It's a story. Look."
She held the book up. "It reads from both ends towards the middle. From the front cover, it follows a boy with black hair—Sai. From the back cover, it follows a boy with white hair. On every page, they fight enemies, gain new weapons, and grow older."
"His brother," Kakashi noted, recalling Sai's dossier and the conversation from the night before.
"Right," Sakura nodded. "They get closer and closer to the center of the book. It looks like they're supposed to meet in the middle."
She flipped to the center spread.
The left page showed the white-haired boy, now a young man in ANBU gear, smiling warmly, his hand reached out.
The right page—Sai's page—was blank.
A stark, white void where the reunion should have been.
"It's unfinished," Sakura whispered, a wave of pity washing over her. "The story just... stops."
Naruto turned his head, his gaze landing on the blank page. He didn't move closer, but his sharp eyes took in the detail instantly. "Because he died," Naruto stated flatly. "The white-haired one. He died before they could finish the picture. Before they could meet."
"That's why he's so empty," Sakura realized, closing the book gently. "He buried his emotions to stop the pain of that blank page. He's trying to erase the fact that he's alone."
"He's weak," Naruto grunted, turning back to the river. "But... I get it."
Yachiru looked up, placing the weed-crown on the pommel of Naruto's sword. "The picture boy is sad. We should go get him, Kenny. Maybe if you beat him up a little, he'll feel better!"
"We're getting him," Kakashi confirmed, his voice firm. "Yamato, how is the signal?"
Yamato held up his hand, focusing on the chakra signature. "Strong. The seed Sai swallowed is transmitting perfectly. "
The Serpent's Lair
The air was cool and smelled of damp stone and old snakes. The corridors of Orochimaru's hideout were a labyrinth of twisted tunnels and flickering torchlight.
Orochimaru walked ahead, his footsteps silent. Kabuto followed, clutching his injured arm, casting suspicious glares at the boy walking behind them.
Sai walked with his usual placid expression, taking in the surroundings. 'So this is the lair of the Sannin,' he thought. 'Danzo-sama's intel was correct. It is a fortress.'
They reached a large, ornate set of double doors.
"We're here," Orochimaru hissed. "Prepare yourself. You are about to meet someone far more... temperamental than I."
The doors creaked open. The room beyond was vast and dimly lit. At the far end, sitting on a raised dais in the shadows, was a figure.
"You're late," a voice cut through the darkness. It was cool, smooth, and laced with an arrogance that bordered on boredom.
Orochimaru chuckled.
"Am I mistaken? Or weren't you supposed to be here to help me hone a new jutsu this afternoon...?"Sasuke
The figure shifted.
"There's that insolent tone again," Kabuto said
"Try not to be too upset," Orochimaru said, his golden eyes gleaming. "I thought we'd do something different today. So I brought along a little present for you."
He stepped aside, revealing Sai.
Sasuke's eyes, the Sharingan already active and glowing red in the gloom, locked onto the newcomer. "Who is this?"
"He is a leaf shinobi, just like you," Orochimaru explained. "I thought you two might like to get together and reminisce. Swap stories of home."
Sai stepped forward, his fake smile plastered on his face. "So, I presume you are Sasuke Uchiha. My name is Sai. It seems I'm the sort of person that people don't like right away, even if I wear a smile."
Sasuke said nothing. He just stared.
"Naruto took an instant disliking to me as well," Sai continued, his tone conversational.
At the mention of the name, the air in the room shifted. It grew heavier, colder.
"However," Sai went on, oblivious to the shift. "I have a funny feeling that you and I will get along better than I did with him."
Sasuke slowly stood up. He walked down the steps of the dais, his movements fluid and lazy. He stopped a few feet from Sai.
"Get lost," Sasuke said.
The pressure coming off him was immense. It wasn't the chaotic storm of Naruto's Reiatsu; it was a focused, freezing killing intent.
"You mean a great deal to Naruto," Sai said, trying to maintain his composure. "He thinks of you as a brother. At least, that's what Sakura told me."
Sasuke stared at him. "As far as brothers go... I have only one. The one I must destroy."
Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes widened. The Sharingan spun.
Genjutsu.
Sai gasped. The room vanished. He was floating in a void of blood-red clouds. Behind him, a massive, demonic spectre of Sasuke rose, its eyes burning with hate, a colossal aura that radiated pure, concentrated death. The intent wasn't just to scare; it was to crush.
Sai fell back, his knees hitting the stone floor of the real world. He was sweating, his breath coming in short gasps. His fake smile was gone, replaced by a look of genuine, primal terror.
'I... I have no emotions,' Sai thought, his mind reeling. 'I can feel nothing. And yet... just by meeting his eyes... I somehow fear Sasuke. From the bottom of a heart I didn't think I had.'
"It's probably not a good idea to provoke Sasuke too much," Kabuto sneered, enjoying Sai's terror. "He's even more difficult than I am."
"I don't care about this guy," Sasuke said dismissively, turning his back on the trembling Sai. "Come on, Orochimaru. Let's go."
Orochimaru laughed softly. "Very well." He turned to Sai. "This will be your room. Stay here and keep quiet. We'll let you know if we need you."
The heavy doors slammed shut, the lock clicking into place. Sai was left alone in the darkness, the image of Sasuke's terrifying eyes burned into his mind, warring with the memory of Naruto's brutal, overwhelming presence. Two monsters. And he was trapped between them.
The Surface
The landscape had changed. The forest gave way to a barren, rocky wasteland filled with towering, jagged stone formations.
Team 7 stood at the base of a particularly large cluster of rocks.
"This is the place," Yamato confirmed, his hand resting on the stone surface. "The tracker signal is coming from directly below us. About twenty meters down."
"Finally," Naruto growled. He hefted Nozarashi. "Stand back. I'm going to cut us a door."
"No!" Kakashi ordered sharply. "Naruto, think. If you smash through the ceiling, you'll alert the entire base. We need to infiltrate quietly. We need to find Sai and get intel before we start a war."
Naruto scoffed. "Sneaking around is boring. And slow."
"It's the mission," Kakashi insisted. "Yamato."
Yamato nodded. He performed a series of hand seals. "Earth Style: Earth Flow Divide."
The rock beneath their feet rumbled softly. It didn't crack or explode; it simply parted, flowing aside like liquid to reveal a dark, smooth tunnel leading down into the depths.
"There," Yamato whispered. "Quietly."
Naruto rolled his eyes but lowered his blade. "Fine. But the moment I see a snake, I'm chopping its head off."
"Fair enough," Kakashi agreed.
Sakura took a deep breath, her hands clenching into fists. 'Sasuke-kun... you're down there. I know it.'
Yachiru hopped onto Naruto's shoulder, peering into the gloom. "Ooh, it's dark! Like a haunted house!"
They descended into the tunnel, leaving the sunlight behind. The infiltration of the serpent's den had begun.
----
Chapter 30, Part 4: The Hollowness of Root
The tunnel opened into a long, dimly lit corridor lined with identical wooden doors. The air was stale, smelling of earth and old secrets.
"He's here," Yamato whispered, signaling for a halt. "Behind this door."
Naruto didn't wait for a plan. He stepped forward, Nozarashi resting on his shoulder. "Knock, knock," he grunted, and lashed out with a kick.
CRASH!
The heavy wooden door flew off its hinges, shattering against the far wall of the room. Dust billowed out.
Inside, sitting on a simple bed by candlelight, was Sai. He looked up from his sketchbook, his expression utterly unfazed by the violent intrusion. He closed the book gently.
"I had a hunch you'd find me here," Sai said, his fake smile appearing instantly.
Yamato moved first. "Wood Style: Smothering Binding!"
Wooden slats erupted from the floor, coiling around Sai and pinning him to the wall before he could even reach for his tanto.
"We're not doing this here," Kakashi ordered, sensing the claustrophobic danger of the tunnels. "Yamato, bring him. We need a secure location to talk."
Outside the Hideout - Rocky Canyon
The team relocated to a secluded rocky area outside the hideout's entrance, under the open sky. Sai sat on the ground, his back against a rock wall, still securely bound by Yamato's wood. The sketchbook and his bag lay on the ground nearby.
"Start talking," Kakashi ordered, his single eye cold. "What is going on here?"
Sai looked at them, his smile unbreaking. "I'd expect no less from the Hokage's elite. I take it that fake body didn't fool you then?"
"Spill it," Naruto growled, standing over him, his massive presence casting a shadow. "Why betray the village? Why side with the snake?"
Sai's smile widened slightly. "If I were you, I'd take care not to make too much commotion. Things could turn quite ugly."
Naruto scoffed. "Ugly is my specialty. Answer the question."
"My true assignment," Sai began, his voice calm and matter-of-fact, "was to form an alliance with Orochimaru. And to orchestrate a conspiracy with him... so that together, we could destroy the Hidden Leaf Village."
Sakura gasped. "Destroy the village?! But... you're a Leaf shinobi!"
"Wait a sec," Naruto interrupted, his eyes narrowing not in shock, but in cynical understanding. "You seriously think that mummy-wrapped bastard Danzo would destroy his own power base?"
Sai blinked, surprised by Naruto's lack of outrage. "I am not finished. The other half of my mission was to gather intel on Orochimaru. In short, to report his activities back to Lord Danzo."
"That's right, Sai," Yamato said, tightening the wood bindings. "Keep talking. Own up to everything you've been hiding."
"So let me get this straight," Sakura said, her brow furrowed. "You found Orochimaru and made sure you earned his confidence... just so you could defeat him later?"
"If the Leaf Village did fall," Sai explained, "we fully expected Orochimaru would try to betray us. But this way, we make sure we always have the advantage over him."
"I understand," Yamato muttered. "So Danzo wants to take over the Hidden Leaf by letting Orochimaru weaken it first, then stabbing him in the back."
"That's such a dangerous mission!" Sakura cried out. "What if the village fell? Innocent people would get hurt!"
Sai looked at her, his expression blank. "Do you understand what you're doing? Didn't you stop and ask yourself why?"
"No," Sai replied simply. "I follow orders."
Naruto let out a low, harsh laugh. "Of course you do. You're just a tool. Danzo says 'jump,' and you ask 'off which cliff?'"
"Oh, and one other thing," Sai continued, looking directly at Naruto. "Sai is just a made-up name I was given for this mission. I'm nobody. I'm merely a tool for Lord Danzo. I don't even exist. So no matter what you say or do... it's meaningless."
Sakura stared at him, horror and pity warring in her eyes. She looked down at the black bag Sai had dropped. The sketchbook was lying there.
"Then why the book?" she asked quietly.
Sai's gaze flickered to the book.
"What about the book?" Sakura pressed, picking it up. "Why do you treat that picture book with such care?"
"A bond we shared?" Sai asked, tilting his head as if trying to decipher a foreign language.
Yamato stepped forward. "Sorry, Sai. We had a peek inside."
He signaled for Sakura to open it to the center. To the drawing of the smiling older brother... and the blank page opposite him.
"You struck down your own brother in your drawings," Yamato said, misinterpreting the earlier pages of combat.
"You're wrong," Sai corrected, his voice devoid of inflection. "This book was going to be a present for him. But right when I was about to finish drawing the final pages... my older brother... well... he succumbed to illness."
Sakura looked at him, her heart aching. "But... you don't really mean you can't feel any emotion about anything?"
"Yes, exactly," Sai said. "I meant what I said."
"You say that," Sakura argued, her voice trembling. "But if you have a brother... try and imagine what it would feel like to lose him! Surely you should be able to do that!"
Sai closed his eyes for a moment, a look of genuine confusion crossing his face. "Well... it's just that... I simply didn't know what kind of look a person makes when he loses his brother."
Naruto watched this exchange, his face impassive.
"What are you trying to say?" Sai asked Sakura.
"I'm saying," Sakura said firmly, "that you can't bear to part with that book because it means something to you! It means you're somebody's younger brother, and you don't want to forget that! Don't you understand, Sai?"
Sai looked at the book in Sakura's hands. The drawing of the brother he couldn't remember clearly anymore.
"He was your family," Sakura continued. "The bond you shared with your older brother must be incredibly important to you. Losing that book means erasing that bond... and you don't want that to happen."
Sai stared at the dirt. "A bond...?"
"You're pathetic," Naruto's voice cut through the emotional moment like a blade.
Sai looked up.
"You cling to a book because you're too weak to face the reality," Naruto stated coldly. "You let Danzo hollow you out until all that's left is a drawing of a dead guy. You talk about bonds being weak, but that book is the only thing keeping you from being completely empty."
"Why does it matter to you?" Sai asked, his fake smile returning, though it looked strained. "Sakura told me about you. About Sasuke Uchiha. She says you consider him a brother. Yet he betrayed you. He hurt you. Why do you chase him? Why risk your life for someone who doesn't respect you?"
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"Why stand up to Orochimaru?" Sai pressed. "Why risk your life for someone who doesn't want to be saved? Why would you... when no one is even ordering you to do so?"
Naruto stepped forward, looming over Sai. The air in the canyon grew heavy, the golden pressure of his Reiatsu leaking out just enough to make it hard to breathe.
"You think I'm doing this for him?" Naruto asked, his voice low.
He thought of Sasuke. The arrogance. The weakness. The way he ran to a snake for power instead of forging his own.
"It's funny," Naruto said, his tone devoid of the warmth Sai expected. "There was a time when I hated Sasuke's guts. He was a genius, I was a loser. We didn't have families. But that didn't make us close."
He looked Sai dead in the eye.
"I'm not doing this because he 'accepted' me. I'm not doing this because we held hands in the sunset," Naruto scoffed. "I'm doing this because I made a promise to her." He jerked a thumb at Sakura. "And because I don't break my word."
His grin sharpened, becoming predatory.
"And Orochimaru?" Naruto chuckled. "It doesn't matter how strong he thinks he is. It doesn't matter what jutsu he has or what experiments he runs. I'm going to beat him into the dirt. And I'm going to drag Sasuke back by his neck if I have to."
"If I can't use my arms, I'll kick him to death," Naruto declared, his killing intent spiking. "If I can't use my legs, I'll bite him to death. If he cuts off my head, I'll stare him down from the afterlife. It doesn't matter how much he fights me."
He leaned in close to Sai's face.
"I'm going to beat Orochimaru. And I'm going to finish this mission. Once and for all."
Sai stared at him, wide-eyed. He didn't see the logic of a shinobi. He saw a monster driven by a force of will that defied all of Root's training.
Tbc