~22~

Sai was slumped on the floor by the corner of the room near the balcony entrance. He only managed a few steps from outside. The extreme effort he exerted to get down from the roof finally took its toll on him. His body felt like it was made of lead. If the girl made a move to slay him then, he wouldn't have any strength left to counter.

But she didn't show signs of harming him at all. She even helped him to a more comfortable position and gently placed a pillow between his head and the wall. She walked over to a low cabinet by the door and pulled out a wooden box. She kneeled beside him and from the box, took a roll of bandage, a bottle of antiseptic, a pair of scissors and a small clear jar containing cotton balls.

"Our guests hurt themselves sometimes so this is quite handy," she said with a smile. He said nothing. She dabbed Sai's shoulder with antiseptic before slowly peeling off the blood-dried bandage with moist cotton held with scissors. Sai closed his eyes in an effort to dull the extreme pain he felt during the first few minutes of the activity.

"I work here as a stay-in helper," she began as she continued attending to the wound. "Today's my one day off so no one will bother me. My employers are really kind that way. They..." The words trailed off. Helper. Day off. Kind. Her words didn't make sense to him at all. He opened his eyes and turned his attention toward the make of the room. Directly in front of him by the opposite corner was a green futon with a similarly colored blanket lined with white and pink flowers. Beside the futon was a low table; on top were a book and a picture frame holding an image of four people looking out with smiles on their faces.

Next to the table was the door and next to it was the cabinet from where the girl pulled out the medical kit. On the left side of the room was another cabinet, a taller one which, Sai assumed, contained clothing items. Next to it was a desk that held another lamp, more books and some writing implements. That was it, not threatening at all.

Sensing that she had lost Sai's attention, the girl paused. Sai immediately noticed this and so turned his gaze toward her. "Am I talking too much?" she asked. Again he said nothing.

"I read in a book once that talking to the wounded helps take their minds off the pain," she explained. "Maybe it's not working," she said aloud to herself. Finishing the last knot on the bandage, she slapped her hands against her knees. "There," she said. Sai looked at the properly dressed wound.

"Are you a soldier?" she asked. Realizing she would get no reply, she started piling the medical implements back in the box. She stood up and walked toward the cabinet. "My older brother was a soldier," she said almost sadly while opening a drawer. Sai returned his gaze toward the picture frame on the table: a man, a woman, a younger man and a little girl who keenly resembled the girl in the room with him. He guessed the brother she was referring to was the younger man in an Earth Country soldier uniform.

"You look far too young to be a soldier though," she said facing him. "You don't look any older than me, as a matter of fact." She crossed her arms and blurted out, "I know! You're a ninja, aren't you?" Sai stiffened.

"It's okay if you are," she assured noting his tension. "I just heard they train them really young, that's all." Sai relaxed. She walked toward him again and placing his right arm over her shoulder, she helped him rise. She guided him toward her futon and gently lay him down. "You should sleep," she said. The futon felt comfortable beneath him. He dozed off before he knew it.

"Sai is the name I was given for this mission… I'm nobody. I am a tool for Lord Danzo. I don't exist."

Naruto Ch.303 p4 ©Kishimoto Masashi

23~

Sai woke up in the dark, still feeling a bit tingly from his bandaged arm. The rest of his body felt somewhat better. He had a good sleep, deep and dreamless. He made an effort to sit up then suddenly felt his stomach rumbling. He realized he was hungry. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he noticed the girl sitting by the desk at the corner; her head rested on the desk with her folded arms serving as her pillow. She was asleep.

He held on to the table beside him as he struggled to get up. He fell back, his hand knocking the picture frame down that made a soft flopping sound. "Oh you're awake," the girl said as she rubbed her eyes. "Are you feeling better?" she asked while turning on the lamp on the desk. He felt obliged to give her a quick nod. "Good," she said. "You must be hungry. Wait here, okay?" She stood up and headed out of the room for a moment then came back a while later with a tray of food: a bowl of rice, three small broiled fish, pickled white radish and miso soup. "I don't know how long since you've eaten, but if it's been over a day, you can't eat too much at first," she warned. He knew that much, he thought, taking a sip of miso soup.

After his meal, he rested his back on the wall and watched the girl as she took up the tray and headed out. She came back with a towel and a toothbrush. "It's a good thing you ended up in an inn, eh?" she said with a grin. "There's a washroom just outside if you need it. It's past midnight so no one will see you as long as you keep quiet. I can help you walk." She seemed to have thought of everything that Sai was starting to get suspicious again. Do people really act this way? All his life, he was taught that people from other nations were evil and posed a threat to his country. Is this supposed to be threatening?

He got up slowly, signaling to the girl that he did not need any aid. He made his way for the washroom according to the girl's directions. An image flashed across his mind when he saw his reflection in the mirror by the sink; that of Lord Hisamegoro's facial reaction when Sai's sword entered his belly. He blinked and with his unimpaired hand started wiping blood and dirt off his face and skin.

He came back to the bedroom after thirty minutes feeling more refreshed. The girl smiled at him when he entered. He noticed that she had replaced the green blanket that got stained with his own blood. He felt somewhat embarrassed because of it but not quite sure how he could make amends.

He walked over to where the balcony was but he did not go out. He just stood by the entryway peering out at the darkness. He knew he had to recover soon and get back to Konoha. He faced the girl and wondered why she was helping him. He no longer felt suspicious. In fact, he felt warm inside, warmer than he ever felt in his life.

"What's your name?" she asked. Sai gazed back at the darkness outside.

"You do have a name don't you? She asked again. He faced her again and shook his head.

"Aw alright. If you don't want to tell me then it can't be helped." She pointed a forefinger at herself and said, "I'm Tsugumi." Sai nodded to show his understanding.

"Do you know what a tsugumi is?" She asked. Sai looked around then pointed at a small white fabric lying on her desk.

"That's not what a tsugumi is. I'm going to sew the edges later and turn it into a wiping cloth."

Sai walked over to the desk, took out his scroll and pulled out the brush and ink from its compartment. He had little ink left into which he dipped his brush. With amazing speed, he created a picture on the white cloth. Tsugumi approached the desk and saw a single thrush perched on a leafy branch daintily drawn on what could have been her wiping cloth. "That's right," she said in astonishment. "That's a tsugumi. How did you do that so fast? It's beautiful!"

Sai felt warmer for the compliment but he said nothing.

Continue to Part 24