You're the one... who hurt Sakura, Naruto.
Naruto...
you...
don't...remember anything...?
Then...that bridge... and that crater...
Yes, you did it...
And Sakura's wound as well...!
That's right!
Sakura didn't want to hurt you...
so she lied to you.
I'm also responsible for Sakura getting injured.
And here I was assigned to Team Kakashi...
for a time like this...
I have special powers...
with which I can control your Nine-Tails power.
So you don't really need to worry.
At least... while I'm by your side.
In other words, I didn't have to go to the trouble
of telling you the truth at this point...
But why did I tell you?
There's no doubt that using that power
might be a quick way for you to save Sasuke.
But strength gained from relying on the Nine-Tails...
is not your true power.
You'll end up tormenting yourself if you rely on the power...
of the Nine-Tails from here on.
And it could turn into a power that hurts your friends.
Like what happened this time.
You should already have vaguely picked up on it.
But you didn't attempt to stop the release of the power...
That's because you were impatient, right?
I will now completely suppress your Nine-Tails power.
But you're sorely mistaken...
if you think that will make you weaker.
You should be sufficiently powerful...
without having to rely on that Chakra.
I think you've got the wrong idea about this.
The source of your strength isn't the Nine-Tails Chakra.
It's the power of your own Chakra...
that can withstand the formidable Nine-Tails Chakra.
If you want to save Sasuke, do it with your own power.
If you want to see Sasuke...
do it with your own eyes, not the Nine-Tails'.
And if you want to protect Sakura...
do it with your own power, not the Nine-Tails'!
Right!
The Unfinished Page
Kabuto... Take care of that after we get back.
No, you see...
if I don't wash these off as soon as possible,
the cutting quality will deteriorate just like that...
It's okay... The pain's starting to go away.
Are Naruto and the captain still at it?
Oh yeah...
Come to think of it, the thing I picked up earlier...
It's gone...
Here it is...
Please go on ahead.
I'll catch up once I've tidied up.
I'll help.
This...isn't printed.
Did you draw this, too?
Yes.
Wow, it's a picture book, huh?
Can I take a look at it along the way?
I can't let you see it.
It's not finished yet...
And I don't hand this over to people.
This is my older brother's book, so...
Just as I thought, it's gone...
How can I... be sure that's true?
I lost it back then, huh...?
Is something the matter, Sai?
No... It's nothing...
I see...
More importantly, Master Orochimaru...
When we get back, can you give me...
an intact male corpse as quickly as possible?
Don't you still have bodies in stock?
Yes, I do...
But I'm out of the fifteen to sixteen-year-old...
We lost one in the incident earlier, so...
It doesn't feel right...
unless they are always stored properly in order of age inside the scroll.
Kabuto... Are you type-A blood?
No...I'm AB...
I see... That's surprising...
Not really.
Okay, shall we get going pretty soon...?
We have a little further to go before reaching the hideout.
First, take a look at this diagram.
This is a diagram of a formation for cornering an enemy.
In actual missions, various scenarios can develop...
depending on the number of enemies and number of allies.
First off...
What's the deal...
with this book...?
And then... in a scenario like this...
Hey, are you liste--
Both of you, come here a minute!
Hurry!
Is something wrong, Sakura?
Look at this.
Oh! That's Sai's...
That's the picture book we picked up that Sai drew, huh?
What's in it?
If we figure that out,
we might be able to find out a little about Sai...
Right. That's what I was thinking, so I tried reading it, but...
What kind of a story is it?
Actually... I don't really know...
Why?
What do you mean?
There are no words or dialogue at all...
You're right...
It kind of...
looks like a story about the two boys on the front and back cover...
And...it's got the story of the two boys...
starting from both title pages of the book...
and progressing to the middle...
When you look at the book starting with this boy with black hair...
the next page...
always has the same boy on the right page...
And there's a different person drawn on each left page...
See...?
Huh...?!
This is... Go back!
I knew it...
This kid...looks a little different when you go to the next page.
You're right...
And look...
He has the same weapon as the guy drawn on the previous page...
Hmm, it looks like it's a story where the boy defeats enemies...
Look at this...
After fighting,
he takes the enemy's weapon and armor...
Just as I thought...
The next page... and the next page, too...
Oh, come to think of it!
I knew it...
The positioning is reversed...
but this boy with the white hair is the same, too.
So it's a story where these boys grow by battling enemies, huh...?
Just a minute...
If they're defeating enemies from both sides...
then what happens at the end?!
That's the problem.
Look...
What's up with...this picture?
This is a strange picture.
In this picture book...
only the facing pages in the middle are incomplete...
This is...kind of creepy...
He said it wasn't finished...
But why isn't there a face drawn in...?
Doesn't...the guy with the black hair...
kind of look like Sai?
You're right.
Did he draw himself...?
Then who is this boy... with the white hair?
I can't let you see it. It's not finished yet.
And I don't hand this over to people.
This is my older brother's book, so...
Could it be...
It's Sai's... older brother...?
If you have a brother, you should be able to imagine
what it would be like to lose him, right?
Yeah, well...you could say that...
My brother's dead, after all.
Then this...
These facing pages in the center...
It's Sai...and his older brother...
Let's go.
Yes, sir.
Over there, huh...?
Sai's older brother... Don't tell me!
Could it be...?!
It appears my clone has located the hideout.
Let's get going.
That's...
You're late...
What's this feeling? What's this chill and sweat?
I'm not supposed to have any emotions.
Don't tell me that just by looking into his eyes for an instant
I feared him within the depths of my soul that even I can't perceive?!
Is he Sasuke Uchiha,
the man Naruto has continued to search for all this time?!
Next time: "Infiltration: The Den of the Snake!"