Sudden Upheaval

The delegation stayed in a large house with a courtyard. For security reasons, it was not located in the core area of Kumogakure Ninja, but in a corner on the edge of the village.

"From 8 PM to 11 PM, you few will be on night watch," Sakura Haruno instructed her combat team members. "Sai, you'll be on watch from 11 PM to 2 AM..."

Just then, Shizune Earth Flow rushing over, holding a piece of clothing in her hand.

"Oh no, there's a hole in your trench coat!" the woman exclaimed anxiously, shaking her coat. "Ming needs to wear it to a formal occasion!"

Sakura Haruno took the coat, and sure enough, there was a long tear on the back of the trench coat, which greatly affected its appearance.

Was it because she was caught in the aftershocks of the blade's force during her previous two battles with Killer B?

The girl frowned.

Wearing only a tight-fitting outfit without a coat would look a bit unladylike; and when it comes to sewing, typical tomboys like Sakura Haruno and Shizune know absolutely nothing about needlework.

As for using Transformation Technique or something similar to cover it up, that would be even more inappropriate in that situation.

"I'll do it," Sai suddenly said, as he was still hesitating.

"You know how to sew?" Shizune and Sakura were both a little surprised.

Sai nodded.

"I learned this from my older brother," he said slowly, recalling the past with a calm expression.

"Brother?"

"Yes, his name was Shin, my older brother." Sai reached into his ninja tool pouch, pulled out a picture book, and said calmly, "Because of his weak health and serious illness, my brother died a long time ago."

The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.

Sakura Haruno and Shizune exchanged a glance, speechless for a moment.

"I learned my drawing and needlework skills from my brother." The boy flipped through the sketchbook he always carried with him, turning all the way to the blank space in the middle, lost in memories, and murmured, "Although we're not related by blood, Xin was a very gentle, kind, and good brother to me."

"He must love you very much," Sakura Haruno whispered.

"I don't know," Sai said, his eyes lowered. "In Root, Shin and I are both emotionless ninjas; we have no love in our hearts..."

"How can a person not have feelings?" Shizune retorted, frowning. "You've broken free from the shackles of your Root! You no longer need to suppress your emotions!"

"But I don't exist as a human being." Sai's expression remained calm and indifferent.

"I was once Danzo's hands and feet."

"After leaving the Root, I was lost for a while... I didn't know what I existed in this world for, until Lady Sakura Haruno pulled me back."

He turned to look at Sakura Haruno, knelt on one knee, and said expressionlessly, "So now, I am merely a tool of Lady Sakura Haruno."

Sakura Haruno frowned.

She was not interested in this kind of inexplicable loyalty, nor did she like treating people as tools like Danzo.

They don't believe that people can be without feelings.

"You're wrong, Sai. You're not an emotionless tool..." The girl shook her head and said slowly, "Just now, when I was 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, there were still sincere feelings buried.

"Did I just... laugh?" Sai was taken aback.

Sakura Haruno nodded. "That's right! So, the bond between you and your brother hasn't disappeared; it's always been deep within your heart... Think about it carefully."

She felt that Sai could still be saved, so she gave him a few more pointers.

"And also, don't presume to treat yourself as my tool..." She said sternly, pointing at him as she added, "You should be yourself."

"Yes!" Sai replied.

He stood up, took Sakura Haruno's trench coat, and turned to leave.

That night.

The autumn night breeze is a bit chilly.

Sakura Haruno lay on the bed, but for some reason, she, who usually slept very well, tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

"Strange..." She bit her lip, staring at the ceiling, vaguely falling asleep and waking up several times in a row, "I feel a little panicked..."

Why... do I have this ominous feeling?

The girl rolled out of bed, put on her pajamas, and stepped barefoot onto the cold floor.

"Who's on night shift?" Sakura Haruno walked down the deserted corridor, the autumn wind ruffling her slightly disheveled hair and tickling her face. She shook her head, feeling still a little dizzy and half-asleep.

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but the atmosphere in the air feels a bit strange.

"Is everyone... asleep?"

The courtyard was unusually quiet.

A figure suddenly flashed past the wall, breaking the silence. "Who!" Sakura Haruno shouted, instinctively giving chase.

Hearing the sound, the man did not flee, but turned to face Sakura Haruno. He was wearing a robe, with a swirling mask on his face, and his whole body was shrouded in darkness.

Only a scarlet eyeball was visible through the mask.

The Masked Man with whom Sakura Haruno has interacted several times.

"Madara Uchiha!"

Sakura Haruno was startled and shouted loudly; her Chakra surged fiercely involuntarily, and she was about to rush forward when she saw the Masked Man's Chakra gather in his eyes and release a Genjutsu.

With Sakura Haruno's resistance to Genjutsu, ordinary Genjutsu, even if released through the Mangekyō Sharingan, might not have any effect on her; so she only paused for a moment before rushing forward without any hindrance and punching the Masked Man!

It struck his phantom.

"Tsk..." Sakura Haruno curled her lip.

It's that etherealization trick again.

If this man doesn't want to fight, there's really nothing you can do with him.

The Masked Man had no intention of fighting. With a few leaps, he dodged around a corner and disappeared.

"The feeling of this Chakra..." The girl stopped here, "It must have been a medium-to-long-distance teleportation."

He's no longer here.

So... where is everyone else? She's running around at such a high speed, making so much noise, how come no one reacted?

"Shizune?"

Even if everyone's fast asleep, shouldn't the person on night shift check on things?

"Sai!"

She turned her lazy mind around, remembering that it was Sai's turn to keep watch at this time, and shouted loudly.

"Sai, where are you!"

"No need to shout." Suddenly, someone burst in, their figure dark and indistinct in the night, speaking coldly.

"Sai is here."

The person threw out a dark, round object.

Roll to Sakura Haruno's feet.

By the moonlight, Sakura Haruno could see what it was.

One head.

The boy's eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the girl.

That is...

"Sai?!"

Sakura Haruno gasped, her sleepiness vanishing instantly!

[Third update. I feel Sai if Sai were a girl, she would be the kind of person who is exceptionally virtuous, cute, and emotionless.]