Yamato, Naruto, and Sakura find Sai and restrain him for his treachery, though his mission is revealed to be to kill Sasuke rather than take him back alive. As they prepare to search for Sasuke, Sai questions Naruto's reasons for wanting to have Sasuke back, to which Naruto responds that the two formed a bond that he refuses to have broken. Intrigued by this concept of bonds, Sai rejoins them, even helping in capturing Kabuto. The group splits up, and Sai is the first to find Sasuke. Although Sai attempts to capture him on Naruto's behalf, Sasuke proves too strong as he overwhelms the assembled Team Kakashi. Despite this turn of events, Naruto refuses the Nine Tails's power before Sasuke enters the youth's mind and suppresses the Tailed Beast. As Sasuke prepares to kill them all, Orochimaru and Kabuto convince him to let them live so they can take out the Akatsuki for them before the three leave with the mission a failure.