Taming Your Demon (Sealing Series Part I)

Family Squabbles

Making his way from Danzo's tent to the outskirts of the village, Sai bumped into something solid, which for whatever reason was sitting right smack in the middle of his path. He had been watching the surface of the stream as it flowed parallel to his path, but he was not that deep in thought. Surprised, he looked down to find the deformed Hygua sitting on his haunches in front of him. Sabui's kyphotic curved back caused the young man to squat in an awkward position as he stared up at Sai suspiciously.

"You should watch where you are going kid." Sabui narrowed his one white eye at Sai and readjusted the mask on the right half of his face. He was not use to the controlled deadpan look that was a constant on Sai's face. Every ninja, even those as calculating as Sasuke, could not help but wince just a bit when they first saw him.

But Sai's pale white face showed no reaction. His stone black eyes were cold and distant, as though nothing sat beyond them. He just stared at Sabui blankly. "I am always very cognizant of my surroundings. It is you who appeared suddenly in my path."

"You're a strange one." Sabui sneered. He usually reveled in the disgust and fear that his appearance stirred in those who encountered him. It was his power. Even the Hyugas, though they were all very good at hiding it, stared at him a little bit longer and a little harder than they did the average passerby. But this kid looked at him with the same dispassion as he did the rest of the world. He decided he did not like the boy as he watched Sai walk around him to continue his journey without another word. "Where are you going? And what did that Danzo character want with you? Why were you in his tent?"

Sai stopped but did not answer the questions. Eventually, he asked, "why are you asking me these questions?"

Sai turned his hollow eyes back to Sabui and the two boys sized each other up. Unbeknownst to the other one, both boys shared an odd feeling of deja vu. At some point in their lives, they had stood in front of each other sizing each other up like this before.

"HEY! SAI!" Naruto's voice traveled from the woods before he appeared out of the shadows with Sakura and Hinata.

"We've got to talk to you." Sakura led the way to Sai's side before she noticed Sabui standing nearby and slowed her approach hesitantly. "Danzo... What can you tell us about him?"

Sai tore his eyes from Sabui and looked at Sakura blankly. "Nothing."

"What do you mean? You use to work for him, didn't you?" Naruto demanded. "You have to know something!"

"So you're back on his side then?" Sakura asked accusingly. She balled up her fists and scowled at her teammate. Sai did not react. He stood very still staring back at her as though catatonic.

"It's not that I wouldn't..." Sai replied, his words were pressured as though struggling against some unseen force. "It's that I can't."

"He has a curse mark placed on him." Sabui interjected cooly from the side of the conversation. Now that he had a chance to think, he remembered where he had seen this kid before. "It prevents him from speaking of Danzo. Every member of the foundation has one."

"What? How do you know?" Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sabui as the stranger finally gained his full attention. "And why are you really hanging around the hidden leaf village all of sudden? The night you were brought here, you said the Hyugas were not your family. You've had plenty of chances to slip away. So what's stopped you from leaving already?"

"Naruto." Hinata placed her hand on his arm softly. "Sabui left Sasuke after he joined the Akatsuki and..."

"WHAT? Sasuke joined the Akatsuki?" Naruto turned from Hinata and growled down at Sabui who met his stare with equal disdain. "Why are you spreading that lie?"