Sai (Naruto)

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Sai
(サイ)

Sai by Masashi Kishimoto
Debut Manga Chapter 281
Shippuden Episode 1
Profile
Age Approx. 15-16
Known relatives Older brother (deceased; not blood-related)
Information
Current rank ANBU
Current affiliation Konohagakure, Root
Current team Team Yamato (Yamato, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sai)
Signature jutsu/Kekkei genkai

Sai (サイ?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto.

Contents

[edit] Background

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Sai is the newest member of Kakashi Hatake's Team 7, recruited to join Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno to replace Sasuke Uchiha. Little is known about Sai save that he was orphaned as a child and was brought into Root, an independent subdivision of the ANBU, which trained him to have no emotions whatsoever. Sai at some point in time met an older member of Root who took a liking to his talent in drawing, and Sai came to think of him as a brother within the organization. Eventually, his brother died of illness, and Sai was once again alone. For the purposes of joining Team 7, Sai was given the name he is now known as, his actual name being unknown.

Because he has no emotions, Sai met with hardship when he first joined Team 7. He initially tried to seem more caring by smiling, though his teammates came to dislike it due to his obvious insincerity. After spending more time with Naruto, Sai began to break out of his emotionless shell and started to value the concept of bonding with others. In doing so, Sai was able to start giving genuine, albeit awkward, smiles. Sai has since tried to increase the number of people he bonds with by giving others pet names, though his habit of naming people as he sees them ("fat," "ugly," "hag") found little success. More recently, he has learned to call people the opposite of how he sees them, earning him more of a liking from others.

Sai is a talented artist, and claims to have drawn thousands of pictures. Despite the magnitude of pictures he has drawn, he has never given one of his works a name, his lack of emotion making it impossible for him to give something a title. His drawing abilities are also the source of his jutsu, and by drawing things with a brush on his scroll he is able to bring his drawings to life. In doing so, Sai is able to create birds that he can use for flight, creatures that he can use for attack, and clones of himself to be used for reconnaissance.

[edit] Part II

[edit] Sasuke and Sai arc

Sai is assigned to join Team 7 by his superior Danzo, and first introduces himself to Naruto by attacking him. After later meeting Sakura and temporary Team 7 leader Yamato, the group sets out to meet a spy of Sasori who has infiltrated Orochimaru's ranks. Soon after leaving Konoha, Sai begins to bad-mouth Sasuke Uchiha, earning him a punch from Sakura. Sai's standing with the team doesn't improve as their trip continues, as he often insults Naruto's manhood by questioning whether or not he has a penis.

Upon reaching the designated meeting place, Yamato goes ahead disguised as Sasori so that he can meet the spy. When the spy, Kabuto Yakushi, arrives with Orochimaru to kill Sasori, Yamato calls in Sai, Naruto, and Sakura for help. Soon after, Naruto and Orochimaru do battle, signaling the start of Sai's real mission. After leaving Yamato's side and deciding not to save Sakura from falling off a cliff, Sai watches Naruto and Orochimaru's fight from the cover of the neighboring trees. When Orochimaru eventually repels Naruto, Sai approaches him with a proposition from Danzo. Orochimaru accepts, and Sai accompanies him and Kabuto back to their hideout.

Along the way, Kabuto creates a Sai lookalike with a corpse and leaves it behind to throw off anyone who may be following them. Once arriving at Orochimaru's hideout, Sai is introduced to Sasuke, who has been training under Orochimaru for the past two and a half years. Sasuke seems indifferent to him, expressing discontent towards Orochimaru instead. When Sai mentions that he might get along better with Sasuke than he did with Naruto, Sasuke fixes him with a stare, startling Sai due to the amount of fear it gave to his emotionless self.

After his meeting with Sasuke, Sai is lead to his own room by Kabuto, who locks Sai in when he leaves. Soon after arriving in the room, Team 7, having put extra precautions into following Sai, arrives and confronts Sai about his defection to Orochimaru. Because he has been caught, Sai divulges the information about his true mission: to ally with Orochimaru on Danzo's behalf so that the two may join forces in destroying Konoha. Disgusted by the ramifications of this plan, Team 7 takes Sai from Orochimaru's lair and restrains him. With Sai out of the way, Team 7 prepares to go looking for Sasuke, hoping to bring him back to Konoha. Sai, however, doubts their success, stating that Sasuke no longer cares about them. Naruto, in response, states that he used to hate Sasuke, but over time he has formed a bond with Sasuke through their shared experiences and as such he will do whatever it takes to bring Sasuke home. Naruto's dedication to retrieving Sasuke strikes a chord with Sai, who is left without words as a result.

Sai finally showing a true smile.
Sai finally showing a true smile.

Just as Team 7 is about to leave Sai, Kabuto arrives and releases him, hoping that the two will be able to defeat Naruto, Sakura, and Yamato easier as a team. Before any fighting can begin, however, Sai, moved by Naruto's words and hoping to understand the concept of "bonds" better, helps Yamato immobilize Kabuto. After extracting some information from Kabuto, Naruto and Sai break away from the rest of Team 7 to find Sasuke. While they rest, Sai remarks how Naruto reminds him of his older brother, bringing an actual smile to his face as a result of his brother's memory.

Sai's happiness is short-lived, as Orochimaru soon arrives in an attempt to see where Sai's loyalties really lie. With Naruto's encouragement, Sai leaves the scene with the assignment to find Sasuke ringing in his ears. As Sai searches the numerous rooms of Orochimaru's lair, Naruto is rejoined by Sakura and Yamato, forcing Orochimaru to retreat. As Yamato goes through the belongings Sai left behind, he finds a bingo book that has Sasuke listed as a target, indicating that Sai's actual mission has, from the very start, been to kill Sasuke.

As Team 7 splits up again to catch Sai and stop him from accomplishing his mission, Sai finally finds Sasuke asleep in his room. Sasuke, however, is quick to notice Sai's presence and asks what he wants. Sai responds by saying that he is going to bring Sasuke back to Naruto instead of carrying out his mission, willing to fight to protect the bond that Naruto would give his life to defend. Angered that Sai woke him up for a discussion about bonds, Sasuke attacks Sai, destroying the room and causing a large crater to be left in its place. Team 7, attracted to the scene of the attack, confronts Sai about his actual motives. Upon learning of what Sai was trying to do, Sai is welcomed back into the ranks of Team 7, and the group joins together in an attempt to defeat Sasuke and bring him back to Konoha.

As the group surrounds and attacks Sasuke, Sai's attack is the only one that manages to be effective. After Sai is congratulated by Sasuke for this feat, the latter uses his One Thousand Birds Current to throw the group back. Uninterested in having a drawn out fight, Sasuke prepares to finish the group with a single attack, though before he can do so Orochimaru and a freed Kabuto arrive to stop him, and the three disappear. Team 7, having failed their mission, return to Konoha.

[edit] Hidan and Kakuzu arc

As Team 7 recuperates, Sai uses his spare time to read up on relationship skills and gaining people's trust at the Konoha library. As one could expect from someone who learned to communicate with others via a book, Sai initially has problems putting what he read into practice, but Naruto tells him not to worry about being formal. During Team 7's dinner with the members of Team 10, Sai puts what he's learned into practice, though finds little success.

Sai later comes to Team 10's aid in their fight against Akatsuki members Hidan and Kakuzu. Because Shikamaru Nara is separated from the rest of the group, Sai and Sakura are sent as backup for him, though upon arrival they find that Shikamaru has already defeated his opponent. Sai returns with everyone else to Konoha, having not taken part in the battle.

[edit] Current arc

After returning home, Naruto, Sai, and Sakura go eat ramen. Naruto has trouble eating his food seeing as the nerves in his arm had been cut, Sai ends up interrupting a tender moment between Naruto and Sakura (who was about to feed Naruto his ramen) by stuffing Naruto's face with noodles because he read in a textbook that he should help his friends. While usually true, Naruto goes off on him for ruining the moment.

After finishing their ramen, Sai witnesses Konohamaru's demonstration of his new technique (a girl on girl version of the sexy technique using a shadow clone), and unlike Naruto and the others he shows absolutely no emotion or reaction towards the technique. When Konohamaru breaks out a boy on boy version, to show that Sakura can be just as perverted as Naruto, Sai's only reaction is to notice that one of the boys looks like him (the other being Sasuke). When Sakura attempts to dismiss her reaction, Sai and the others seems unconvinced.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Sources

  • First Official Data Book (秘伝・臨の書キャラクターオフィシャルデータBOOK Hiden: Rin no Sho Character Official Data Book?)
  • Second Official Data Book (秘伝・闘の書キャラクターオフィシャルデータBOOK Hiden: Tō no Sho Character Official Data Book?)
  • Jump's 2nd Great Hero Book's Mini Data Book (秘伝・翔の書オフィシャルキャラクターデータBOOK mini Hiden: Shō no Sho Official Character Data Book mini?)
  • Naruto anime and manga Guidebook (秘伝・翔の書オフィシャルキャラクターデータBOOK mini Hiden: Shō no Sho Official Character Data Book mini?)
  • Taken directly from the Naruto manga chapters and anime episodes.
Characters in Naruto
v  d  e
Ninja: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno & Kakashi Hatake
Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka & Asuma Sarutobi
Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuga & Kurenai Yuhi
Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, Tenten & Might Guy
Gaara, Kankuro & Temari
Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade & the Third Hokage
Zabuza Momochi & HakuKabuto YakushiSai & Yamato
Ninja groups: GeninChuninJoninHyuga clanUchiha clanOther clansMinor enemies
Akatsuki: OrganizationHidanKakuzuSasoriOther members
Countries: Land of FireLand of SoundLand of Wind
Animals: Tailed beastsSummons