The Way Into Mist Village (Naruto)

50: Onward to Stone Village

[OP: "The Valley Reprise"--The Oh Hellos]

Everyone paused.

"Whoops..." Naruto said uneasily.

"Why did you do that?!" Sai exploded.

Sakura was shocked at him. "I didn't mean to." She backed up a little nervously. "Why did you keep pulling at it? It was fine."

"Hey, dude, it's not a big deal," Wally began.

"I'm going to go get it." Sai started to walk toward the edge.

"Sai, you can't get off the path!" several people began to say at once.

"I have to get that book!" Sai protested, sounding like a kid who lost their favorite toy.

He sounded on the verge of a breakdown.

"Why does he care so much about a  stupid sketchbook?" Sasuke said in the background.

"Not that it would matter to you," Shoto said, not making eye contact, "but that book is his only memento of his brother's that he has. Sakura really should have been more mindful of that."

"I think Naruto was at fault too," Dabi commented. "But it's no big deal--Shine can get it back."

"If he'd calm down," Shoto said.

Shine and Wally were trying to make sure that they didn't accidentally push each other off the path by accident.

Sai tried to get past them, but Wally grabbed him. "Sai, listen, it's fine."

"It's not fine!" Sai was starting to sound like he was having a panic attack.

Shine held out her hands, and the book appeared in them.

Then she walked up to Sai.

"Sai, Sai, here," she said, to get his attention.

Sai glanced at her blankly. "I have to--huh?"

"I got it, see?" Shine held it out. "It's fine...a little dusty now, but thankfully it didn't land in anything wet, looks like. I was going to tell you I could get it, but I didn't get the chance."

"Oh..." Sai took it. "Thank you, Shine-sensei."

"Geez, all that fuss over that?" Tenten said.

"Please stop," Momo said to her. "That book is more valuable than anything else he owns. Leave him alone. I would have felt crushed on his behalf if it was lost permanently... In fact..."

She walked up to Sai.

"Do you want me to make a safety bag for that?" she asked. "So as to keep it more dry, just in case that happens again? I'm sure Shine can just find it if it gets dropped, but I worry for the condition it would be in. I can make some insulation for it."

"That would be nice." Sai was starting to calm down a little now.

"Camie, why is that so important?" Ino asked her

"His brother gave that to him," Camie explained. "It's super sweet. Sai painted their story in the book. Couldn't get the face right for a while, but Naruto helped him figure that out. It's like proof of his life or something..."

"Oh...wow," Ino said. "No wonder. But that's kind of sad too... He said his brother died because he got sick."

"Yeah, it was totes tragic," Camie said. "But they would have had to fight to the death anyway if he didn't die, so, like...was it better than that? The Foundation was so messed up."

"I didn't know that." Ino pursed her lips. "That's awful...but...he seemed so fond of his brother. Surely he wouldn't have--"

"Nah, he wouldn't have," Camie agreed. "He wasn't gonna go through with it, but his bro was going to fake it and then just die of his illness... Didn't quite go the way they thought though, I think. I guess Shin knew Sai would never do it."