Naruto 299

To be finished before bed, promise.

Page 1:
Title: The source of your power!
Sidebar: Happiness, sorrow, dreams, and hope! With all sorts of feelings visible in those whiskers(?), he begins another day!

Page 2:
Text: Holy shit, Sai's been hung! (Or more traditionally: An unbelievable shock! Sai's been hung!)
Yamato: Orochimaru...what've you done...

Page 3:
SFX: Grab
SFX: ::skin pulling/wounds opening::
Sakura: Urgh!
SFX: slip
Naruto: Sakura-chan!

Page 4:
Naruto: Sakura-chan...
Yamato: The Nine-tails' chakra has seeped in through the wound...
it's like a poison.

Medical jutsu of Sakura's level can't just heal a wound like that.
...I can't believe that Naruto can handle it.

Page 5:
Sakura: This...
Sakura: Orochimaru got me earlier.
It hurts a little, but...it's fine...

Naruto: Don't overdo it, Sakura-chan.

Yamato: Let's rest here for a moment.
Sakura, you're out only medical ninja, and thus are vital to our mission succeeding.

Page 6:
Sakura: I'm fine!
Din't you just say we needed to hury, Captain?

Yamato: I did say that...
but when you rush in unprepared, bad things happen.
There's a difference between being in a hurry and being rash.

Naruto: Yeah, yeah! Sakura-chan, you're our only medical ninja AND the only one with the freaky strength!
You're our most important member!

Sakura: I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME A FREAK!

Yamato: Naruto! Since Sai's deserted us, you'll be my battle buddy from now on.
I need to go over some attack patterns with you, so come over here.

Naruto: Okay.
Yamato: Right about here should do it.

Page 7:
Naruto: Right! Whatta we do first?
Yamato: Hold your horses, there's something I need to tell you.

Yamato: The person who REALLY injured Sakura
was you.

Page 8:
Naruto: Actually...come to think of it...

Jiraiya: Naruto...don't you...
don't you remember anything?

Page 9:
Naruto: Then the bridge, and the blown-up ground...
and Sakura-chan's wound...
Yamato: Yep. It was you.

Yamato: She lied so you wouldn't feel bad.

I have a special ability to keep you...the Nine-tails' power under control.
So you won't have to worry about losing control again...
BUT...

That's only while I'm near you.

Obviously, I didn't need to tell you any of this,
but the reason I did...

Page 10:
Yamato: Obviously, the Nine-tails' power has the potential to be a shortcut to saving Sasuke.
But if you keep relying on it, you'll never end up using your true power.

You'll just end up hurting yourself,
and your friends,
like earlier.

I'm sure you noticed it welling up bit by bit...
but you got impatient, and let it take over you.
Right?

I'm going to keep the Nine-tails' power completely repressed for the time being...
But seriously, if you think that's going to weaken you, you're completely wrong.

You're strong enough without its powers.
Or don't you think so?

Page 11:
Yamato: The source of your strength isn't the Nine-tails' chakra,
but what endures it...
YOUR chakra.

If you want to see Sasuke again,
save him with your own power.

See him again with your own eyes, not the Nine-tails'!

Page 12:
Naruto: Right!

Page 13:
Orochimaru: We're no longer being pursued...
I guess it worked, then?

Kabuto: It certainly shouldn't cause any suspicion.
Orochimaru: Still, brilliant as always, Kabuto.

Kabuto: Well, after working with you for so long,
I've had the chance to make a LOT of corpses.

Oh yeah...

Page 14:
Kabuto: Can I have him assist me with my experiments?
He'll have plenty of free time when he's not relaying information to Danzou.

Orochimaru: Whatever. I really don't care.

Yamato: So this is a fake after all...
Must have been Kabuto's jutsu.

Page 15:
Yamato: The head's attachment is unnatural... but if it hadn't been for that...
I'd have been totally duped.

So they found me out...
I really thought I was okay, but now I've got to be a lot more careful.

Sakura: What's...what's with...

Page 16:
Sakura: ...this book...

Page 17:
Yamato: So that should work.
Damnit, listen u-
Sakura: Hey, guys!
Come look at this!

Hurry!

Naruto: Hey! That's Sai's...
What's..with that picture?

Text: The picture book is...?

[fin]