~6~

Sai struggled to keep his head clear. He could not have heard right. Eliminate Naruto? Kill him? "But didn't you want Naruto protected, Danzo-sama? He is a jinchuuriki, the country's ultimate weapon," he said, in an attempt to opt out discreetly from this unbelievable mission.

But Danzo was quick to read his intention. "The jinchuuriki is no longer valuable to the safety of the country," he replied. "In fact, he has proven to be the opposite. Konoha had been attacked on various occasions because he exists. With him gone, the village will be safer. The Foundation can then concentrate on other and more effective means to protect the village and the country."

Sai kept silent. He wished he did not know who Naruto was. He used to be handed a sheet of paper with a face and a name unfamiliar to him. Or someone would get identified within the bingo book and be marked as his next target. He never once cared to know who they were, if they were bad or good, if they had families, or if they had friends. He only knew they were a threat to the country and must be terminated. This time, it was someone he knew and knew to be a good person with the same noble interest that everyone in the village, including the great Danzo-sama had - to protect his land and the people dear to him.

Furthermore, he owed a debt of gratitude to Naruto. *He once had blank pages left in the middle of the picture book he made of him and his brother. He had long forgotten what he wanted to express on those last two pages but he finally finished it during his first assigned mission with Team 7. It was Naruto who made him remember that he also once had formed a special bond.^ That kind of bond...he would have wanted to form more of those if he was given the chance, but apparently, it will not happen now. Slowly, Sai bowed his head. "Forgive me; I cannot do as you ask."

"I see..." Danzo said. "So you value the jinchuuriki's existence, do you?"

Sai had expected his head to get cut off immediately after he refused. But Danzo-sama was still talking and apparently, he was asking him another question. "Yes, sir. I believe Uzumaki Naruto can still be of some use to the country," he replied, taking his chances. A few streaks of blood ran through both his arms as droplets of the same red liquid trickled on the ground just where the wires were binding his wrists.

"I understand your sentiment and I will consider your opinion on the matter," Danzo said to Sai's surprise.

"However," the old man continued. "You will still have to prove yourself. There are a few other subjects who are contributing to the degradation of Konoha's morals." He moved forward and dropped a sheet of paper on the ground within Sai's line of sight. "Choose any one of those and consider yourself redeemed."

~7~

Sai scanned through the names on the sheet. Haruno Sakura, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, Rock Lee, ...;the list went on. None of the jounins were included for elimination. Perhaps Danzo acknowledged that they were still essential to the protection of the village.

Unfortunately, none of the chuunins merited the same consideration. Sai kept silent. What a fool he was to even have thought he had a way out of this. His fate was decided the moment those chakra wires circled his wrists or perhaps even before that.

"I'm sorry," Sai finally said with resignation. Danzo turned his back and headed for the exit just as he gave one final sentiment. "It's too bad, young one. I had placed great value in your abilities but you exercise poor judgment. None of those you consider friends care about you or your whereabouts."

As the door closed behind him, the wires jerked with tremendous strength cutting through what's left of the skin and through the ligaments that attached hand to arm's bone. Blood spurted out and quickly created a large pool of blood beneath him.

He sat there staring at the detached pair of hands as blood continued to spew out of his wrists. The entire room was circling around him. He won't be able to weave signs, much less paint anymore, he thought. He found humor in the ridiculousness of those concerns. Pretty soon, his body would run out of blood and he would surely die. Why was he thinking about not being able to paint? Danzo's final words echoed in his head.

"None of those you consider friends care about you or your whereabouts."

Sai considered the validity of those words. He had exerted some effort in trying to form a kind of friendship with the other young shinobi of the village, most of whom were on the list that was still resting on the ground in front of him, now soaked in red. At that moment, he could only recall their laughs whenever he didn't get a joke that was supposed to be funny, or the strange look they gave him whenever he said something inappropriate. It was easy to accept that none of them ever completely trusted him much less considered him a friend.

He lay down as he felt dizziness overcome him. He felt his body getting numb. "Even so," he whispered to himself. "Even so..." It was nice to watch them. It was nice to see their smiling faces and witness how they cared for each other. It would have been nice to observe those things for a little while longer, even if he remained just an outsider.

Fear crept at him now, not for himself, but for Naruto and those on the list. Maybe he shouldn't have refused so easily. If it wasn't him, someone else would be assigned to take them out. If he had chosen a target, he would have had a chance to go and warn everyone at least. He cursed his stupidity. It's too late even if he pretended to fear death, call out to Danzo-sama and swear to do as he was bidden. He lost his hands; even if he's still breathing, he was now useless as a ninja. He's as good as dead to the Foundation.

He felt dizzy but his mind was still trying to think of a way to warn them. There was none. And so Sai just stared blankly in the darkness trying to recall all the memorable adventures he shared with the young ninjas of the Leaf. He did this until all strength left him. He closed his eyes and darkness took over.

Minutes later, two men entered and carried Sai's body out of the chamber. Danzo never left the room contrary to what Sai saw. There was no sign of blood, no loose body parts. His hands were still firmly attached to his arms. He was caught in a powerful genjutsu, an illusion, by Danzo. The old master had very quickly lifted the bandage across his left eye just as he ordered Sai to raise his head to face him at the onset of their meeting. Sai was trapped the moment their eyes met.

Continue to Part 8