~26~

Naruto and Sakura stood inside Tsunade's office with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. The rest of their friends would be equally shocked once they hear the news. Sai is dead.

Danzo, who was standing before them, relayed the news himself. Tsunade was behind her desk with arms folded. Shizune was standing behind her. It was as they feared after all.

"Another shinobi who was with Sai just returned to headquarters. He saw him get killed," Danzo said.

Naruto buried his hand in his pants pocket forming what seemed like a clenched fist from outside. "If you hadn't taken him back..."

"What, child?" Danzo asked sternly. "Would he have lived? For how long? He is a shinobi just like you are." Naruto held back. Sakura was crying behind him. Danzo was disgusted with their behavior. They were supposed to be trained ninjas and they shamelessly show tears.

"He was a fine shinobi," Tsunade said somberly.

Right then, an Anbu appeared. Finding a bunch of people in the Hokage's office, he approached Tsunade and whispered in her ear. Tsunade's eyes widened as she turned her face to look at Danzo. She whispered her orders to the Anbu before he disappeared.

"I felt obliged to be the one to tell you," Danzo said. "It's a great loss to all of us." He said then headed for the exit.

"Wait, Danzo-san," Tsunade said. Danzo turned around. "You may want to wait a little," she said. Danzo's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm a busy man, Tsunade-hime."

A knock on the door, then it slid open revealing two Anbu from the regular unit; between them stood Sai. Everyone in the office couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"Sai!" Naruto exclaimed. Sakura cupped her hand to her mouth. "Sai, it is you, right?" she asked. Sai still had his Anbu mask on but his form and outfit were identifiable.

"Come in," Tsunade said motioning with her hand for the newcomer to enter.

He did not know why they were calling him Sai or if it was actually him they were addressing. He immediately spotted Danzo inside so he let himself be led in by the two Anbu who took him there.

Danzo was at a loss. Did Sai's memory return? Ikioku, who was in his chamber right at that moment, assured him that the procedure was a success. He had stationed Root shinobi by the wall to watch out for Sai's return. How did he get passed the sentries?

"Take off your mask," Tsunade ordered. Sai looked at Danzo who nodded his consent. He took off the mask.

"Sai! It is you!" Naruto was about to jump at him but he dodged jumping far back to the wall.

"Why are you being so cold for? Everyone was worried about you, you know?" Naruto said quite surprised at Sai's reaction. "What's wrong, Sai?" Sakura asked. The others were equally curious.

Both Tsunade and Danzo were analyzing the scene. Danzo figured Sai's memory was still absent. Tsunade looked at Danzo, then at Sai. "Do you know who these people are?" she asked Sai as she pointed to Naruto and Sakura. "Yes," Sai said not taking his eyes off Naruto who stared back at him.

~27~

"Who are they, can you tell me?" Tsunade asked. She seemed to have caught on, Danzo realized. He had to think fast.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Sai answered. "Age 16, a genin, member of Team 7 under jounin Hatake Kakashi. He's a jinchuuriki, the human vessel of the nine-tailed fox.." The young ninjas gaped at the textbook description of Naruto. Sai proceeded to cite Sakura's profile. Everyone looked at Danzo in disbelief.

"What's wrong with him?" Sakura asked.

"What did you do to him?" Naruto demanded springing forward. Sai leaped between him and Danzo, his hand reaching for his short sword. Naruto stopped in his tracks.

"Danzo-sama," Sai said. "What is your command?" His hand was still resting on the hilt of his tanto though he did not draw it out.

"Stand down," Danzo ordered behind him. Sai released his grasp on the sword but he remained between his master and Naruto.

"Naruto!" Tsunade shouted. "Get a hold of yourself!" Naruto gritted his teeth.

"Danzo-san," Tsunade began."I don't know what's going on but will you allow us to ask Sai a few questions?"

Danzo considered if this was as an opportunity to end the fiasco. If he ordered Sai to start revealing even a small thing about Root, he would surely obey. His action just then proved that. He will go into paralysis and be taken back to Headquarters first. It was a risky option, especially with Tsunade present. She was not only the Hokage but also a very skillful medical ninja. Besides, he did not want Sai or any of his subordinates to end up that way.

On the other hand, what harm could it possibly do for him to answer some questions? He doesn't know anything. And he, Danzo, could make up innumerable explanations for his current condition and Sai would not contradict him. "Of course, you may ask him what you want," he said.

"Sai, don't you remember us?" Naruto asked. Sai didn't understand the question. What was he supposed to remember?

"I will ask a question," Tsunade said with authority and turning to Sai, she asked, "Is there anything you want to know?" Danzo's nerves faltered. Of all the questions...

Sai looked at Naruto then at Sakura. "Why do you keep calling me Sai?"

"That's your name," Sakura answered. "You're a member of our team, don't you remember?"

Sai was confused. Or maybe they were. Wait. Wasn't he told he lost a year of his memory? They said it was a failed mission outside the country. What did it have to do with these two? "I have no association with the jinchuuriki," he declared. Danzo was pleased.

"Oh yeah?" Naruto said. "Then why do I have this?" He fished out something from his pocket, the thing he held on to earlier when he learned Sai was dead. It was Sai's picture book.

Continue to Part 28