Chapter 505: Sudden Change
The delegation stayed in a large house with a courtyard. For safety reasons, it was not in the core area of Cloud Ninja, but in a corner on the edge of the village.
"From eight o'clock to eleven o'clock tonight, you guys are responsible for the night watch." Haruno Sakura instructed her subordinates in the combat group, "Sai, you are responsible for the time slot from eleven to two o'clock..."
Just as she was speaking, Shizune walked over hurriedly with a piece of clothing in her hand.
"Oh no, there's a hole in your trench coat!" The woman shook her clothes while saying anxiously, "You have to wear it on a formal occasion tomorrow!"
Haruno Sakura took the clothes. Sure enough, there was a long tear on the back of the trench coat, which greatly affected its appearance.
Was it affected by the aftermath of the sword energy during her battle with Killer B two days ago?
The girl frowned tightly.
Not wearing a jacket and only wearing tight clothes would seem a bit insufficiently dignified; as for sewing it up, standard manly girls like Haruno Sakura and Shizune completely didn't know needlework.
As for using Transformation Jutsu or something to cover it up, it would be even more inappropriate in such an occasion.
"I'll do it." While struggling, Sai suddenly spoke.
"You know needlework?" Shizune and Sakura were both a bit surprised.
Sai nodded.
"I learned this from my elder brother." He recalled the past, his face calm, and said slowly.
"Elder brother?"
"Hn, his name is Shin, my brother." Sai reached into his ninja tool pouch, took out a picture book, and said calmly. "Because his body was weak and plagued by severe illness, brother died very early."
The atmosphere instantly became a bit cold.
Haruno Sakura and Shizune exchanged a glance, speechless for a moment.
"My drawing skills and needlework were all learned from brother." The boy flipped through the picture book he carried close to him, all the way to the blank space in the middle, fell into memories, and murmured, "Although not related by blood, Shin was a very gentle, very kind brother who was very good to me."
"He must have loved you very much." Haruno Sakura said softly.
"I don't know." Sai lowered his eyelids and said, "In Root, Shin and I were both emotionless ninja, there was no love in our hearts..."
"How can people have no emotions?" Shizune frowned and retorted, "You have been freed from the shackles of Root! You don't have to suppress your emotions anymore!"
"But I don't exist as a human being." The expression on Sai's face remained faintly calm.
"I used to be Danzo-sama's hands and feet."
"After leaving Root, I was confused for a period of time... I didn't know what I existed in this world as, until Haruno Sakura-sama pulled me over."
He turned to look at Haruno Sakura, knelt on one knee, and said expressionlessly: "So now, I am just Haruno Sakura-sama's tool."
Haruno Sakura frowned.
She was not interested in this inexplicable allegiance, nor did she like treating people as tools like Danzo did.
Even less did she believe that people could have no emotions.
"You are wrong, Sai. You are not an emotionless tool..." The girl shook her head and said slowly, "Just now when you were flipping through the picture book, I clearly saw you smiling."
That was a very natural smile.
That smile proved that deep in Sai's heart, sincere emotions were still buried.
"Did I... smile just now?" Sai was stunned.
Haruno Sakura nodded: "That's right! So, the bond between you and your brother has not disappeared, it has always been hidden deep in your heart... Think about it carefully."
She felt Sai was still salvageable, so she pointed out a few more sentences.
"Also, don't arbitrarily consider yourself my tool..." She kept a straight face, pointed at him and added another sentence, "You should be yourself."
"Yes!" Sai replied.
Saying that, he stood up, took Haruno Sakura's trench coat and turned away.
It was night.
The autumn night wind was a bit cold.
Haruno Sakura lay on the bed, for some reason, she who always had excellent sleep quality actually tossed and turned unable to sleep.
"Strange..." She bit her lip, looked at the ceiling vaguely falling asleep and waking up again, several times in a row, "Actually feeling flustered..."
"Why... is there an ominous premonition?"
The girl turned over and got out of bed, wearing pajamas, stepping barefoot on the cold floor.
"Who is on the night shift?" Haruno Sakura walked in the empty corridor, the autumn wind stirring the girl's somewhat messy hair, brushing against her face itchily. She shook her head, feeling herself still a bit dizzy, not fully awake.
Wonder if it was an illusion, the atmosphere in the air was a bit weird.
"Is everyone... asleep?"
The courtyard was unusually quiet.
A figure suddenly flashed past the wall, breaking the tranquility. "Who!" Haruno Sakura shouted loudly and subconsciously chased after.
The person didn't run upon hearing the voice, turned around and faced Haruno Sakura. She saw him wearing a robe, a spiral mask on his face, shrouded in darkness.
Only a scarlet eyeball was revealed from the mask.
Precisely the masked man Haruno Sakura had dealt with several times.
"Madara Uchiha!"
Haruno Sakura was startled and shouted loudly; her chakra subconsciously surged out fiercely, about to rush up, when she saw chakra condense in the masked man's eyes, releasing a genjutsu.
With Haruno Sakura's genjutsu resistance, ordinary genjutsu, even if released through the Mangekyo Sharingan, might not have any effect on her; so she just paused for a moment, then rushed up without any obstacles, hitting the masked man with a punch!
Hit his phantom.
"Tsk..." Haruno Sakura curled her lips.
It was this blurring move again.
If this man didn't want to fight, there was really nothing much to do about him.
The masked man had no intention of fighting, jumped a few times, flashed past a corner, and disappeared.
"The feeling of this chakra..." The girl stopped tracking here, "Should be a medium-to-long-distance instant movement."
He was no longer here.
Then... where are the others? She ran at high speed here, making such a big commotion, how could no one react?
"Shizune?"
Even if they slept dead, the person on the night shift should come and see the situation, right?
"Sai!"
She turned her lazy brain, remembered it was Sai's time for the night watch, and shouted loudly.
"Sai, where are you!"
"No need to shout." Someone suddenly broke in, a shadowy figure in the night, speaking coldly.
"Sai is here."
The newcomer threw a dark, round thing.
Rolled to Haruno Sakura's feet.
By the moonlight, Haruno Sakura saw what it was—
A head.
The boy's eyes stared wide open, dying with a remaining grievance, looking deadly silent at the girl.
That is...
"Sai?!"
Haruno Sakura gasped, her sleepiness completely disappearing instantly!
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