Naruto 298

COVER
298- Secret Mission
Like the other side of the moon... the other side of the mask is unseen. as soon as you peek at it, everything starts to move!

PAGE 1
Yamato's bunshin witnesses Sai's betrayal!
yamato: he was prepared at least since the hot springs, but...
yamato: well, i guess it's okay. i'll follow them like this.
yamato: no matter how you look at it, pursuit is the best option.
unknown: btw, what of sai?
naruto: (the bridge..)
yamato: as for sai, he's currently on the move w/ orochimaru.

PAGE 2
naruto: what?
sakura: what does this mean?..
yamato: you two follow me.
(team 7 arrives at the battleground)
naruto: the ground's still soft (here)
naruto: and the bridge is broken... all this destruction... what the hell happened?

PAGE 3
yamato: you dont remember?
yamato(think): just as jiraiya said
naruto: now that you mention it, why was i unconscious?

PAGE 4
sakura: orochimaru knocked you out...
naruto: so thats it... damn it

PAGE 5
sakura: sai's belongings are scattered about.
yamato: that he would leave the things he dropped...was even that (emotionless) guy tense before orochimaru, i wonder...
sakura: you know what happened, right?
yamato: yeah b/c w/ this wireless radio (here) i've been in contact w/ my mokubunshin that, up till now, had been stationed here...
sakura: did something happen to sai?
yamato: sai, after exchanging words w/ orochimaru, left following orochimaru & kabuto..
naruto: what does this mean?

PAGE 6
sakura: the subject?
yamato: looks like the conversation was too far away and couldnt be heard...
naruto: i wonder what were they talking about?
sakura: Could he have been threatened into going with them?
yamato: no..it didnt seem that way.. he approached orochimaru himself to hand him something.. as though if it were in order to team up w/ orochimaru..
naruto: wai.. wait a minute! no matter how much of an asshole he was, the idea that he would betray us..
sakura: no.. there is a chance..

PAGE 7
fb tsunade: he is the man that long ago contested the late sarutobi-sensei for the position of sandaime hokage.
fb tsunade: unlike the 3rd, he is an unwavering rationale thinker. an unbending leader of the militaristic hard-line faction and sai's superior.
fb tsunade: he despises i who am the granddtr of shodai hokage and who was taught by the 3rd, a moderate.

PAGE 8
sakura: yamato-taichou. you know about the man known as danzou..
yamato: i do.. he was the 'hawk' that opposed sandaime hokage..
naruto: so who is this guy?
sakura: sai's superior.. an old man who has a low opinion of the 3rd's will
yamato: using sai, danzou may be up to something..
yamato: there's a chance that danzou may have ordered sai to carry out a secret mission outside that of the teams'.

PAGE 9
naruto: then sai, instead of our mission, was working on accomplishing a completely different mission!?
sakura: i see..
yamato: this is just a hunch, nevertheless, thinking the unthinkable, brace yourselves and listen.
yamato: danzou may want to destroy (the current version of) konoha..

PAGE 10
naruto: eh?
yamato: he could be thinking of conspiring w/ orochimaru to have him attack konoha again in order to overthrow tsunade from the position of hokage
sakura: after the collapse of the (current) order/structure, he can build the village to (reflect) his ideals
sakura: to set the (outside) stage for a second chance of being hokage...!
yamato: the reason danzou has started to move now is mght be that he saw orochimaru's failed attack on konoha last time and
thought that at this point negotiations w/ orochimaru would go smoothly
naruto: ..no..no way... then sai's secret mission is...
sakura: could be to get in good w/ orochimaru and become a mediator for danzou...

PAGE 11
kabuto: orochimaru-sama
oro: i know (already)... we are being tailed
kabuto: are we simply being tailed or is it "glue" (to sai)...
kabuto: what should we do?

PAGE 12
oro: either way, one corpse might be necessary... right, kabuto?
yamato: the way things are, we probably will have to deal with sai
yamato: right now, my bunshin is pursuing them but we dont know what might happen...

PAGE 13:
yamato: we'll be going after them immediately!
naruto: all right! let's g... ...!?
naruto(think): huh..?
sakura: naruto!?
sakura: naruto, are you okay!?
sakura(think): he still hasn't recovered from the previous damage...

PAGE 14
sakura: indeed, i understand the sooner (we chase) the better, but if naruto's in this condition...
yamato: if that's the case, we'll leave naruto here and go
yamato: he should have enough strength to return to the village by himself
sakura: if it were kakashi sensei, he would never say it like...
naruto: b/c it's me... i'm okay...... i can go..!
yamato: i've been teamed up w/ kakashi while in ANBU... i know what kind of person he is

PAGE 15
yamato: indeed, i am kakashi's replacement
yamato: but i am different from him
yamato: saying "i wont let you guys be hurt".. i'm sorry, but dont make me laugh
yamato: you guys are no longer beginner ninja who need to be protected and
yamato: at any rate, you guys need to surpass kakashi and become ninjas that can carry the village on their shoulders.
yamato: compassion and "being taken care of" are not the same.
yamato: if we dont pursue him now, we'll never get a 2nd chance to catch him.
yamato: if we hesitated here, it'd be the end.
yamato: there wont be a 2nd chance to face orochimaru..
naruto: sakura-chan...

PAGE 16
sakura: ...yeah
yamato: that is (sai)!

sidetext: the shocking scene that awaited bunshin-yamato!...that guise, to deceive, a traitor's sorrowful last days!?
preview: to naruto, the sudden death of sai, (brings) resentment!! the end
next issue: the hanged boy!!