Hello, this is I'mNoOneSpecial again. This work here was one of a few big projects that I had started but didn't know whether to continue or not. Well, here's the first chapter and you guys tell me if I should continue or not.

All reviews and critiques are welcome; please don't hesitate.

Again I own nothing about the Naruto merchandise.

"Shizune! Go see if there are any news from on our ninja who are on mission!"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!" Immediately the medical ninja rushed off, her pet Tonton in her arms and worries on her mind.

For some reason Tsunade was on high alert since this morning: She had assigned additional ninja to patrol the city and guard the gates; several ninja were on stand-by to aid or rescue their comrades currently on missions; courier birds were sent out to get in touch with all the ninja currently out on duty; the ANBU were assembled and ready for action… One would think that the big-chested Hokage was expecting an invasion from her old teammate Orochimaru.

Not much later Shizune came back errand and passed over the reports that she had received; there wasn't anything significant: No casualties; no critical injuries that needed immediate treatment; no requests for back-up; no miss-ranked missions… Everything was going just fine.

Looking over the papers she was given Tsunade pondered what else could happen; she was sure that something had gone wrong or was about to but all the papers in front of her said otherwise.

Leaning back, Tsunade let out a tired and somewhat frustrated sigh.

'Maybe I just got lucky…' Even though it was in her own mind it had sounded doubtful to her. Try as she might, she could not shake off the feeling of impending doom…

"Oh, I almost forgot, Tsunade-sama-" She almost bit her tongue when she flinched back from the intense glare that her teacher was directing at her, "t-there was a letter that just came in…" Quickly she handed it over.

She had no idea what the letter was about, when the assistant had given it to her was already almost on her way to bring the reports to the Hokage.

If only she had known what the letter was about… She would have definitely handed it first! Than perhaps the teams would have made it in time…

…

With great wariness and suspicion Tsunade eyed the letter in front of her; she just had a feeling that screamed that that innocent looking piece of paper contained all the bad news that that she had been expecting since this morning! With the look of a commander who led his troops in a charge against a hostile army she started reading! And the farther she proceeded through the text the more alarmed Tsunade grew; she stared so hard at the letter that it was a miracle that it didn't catch fire! It seemed as though her worst fears had come to pass…

The next second she was on her feet shouting out orders: "Shizune! I want Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino and Team 8 to report immediately! This is an emergency!"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"

Next she called for a specific ANBU to attend as well.

Having given her orders she slumped into her chair, her left hand on her face.

"Why is it that every time I win the lottery or something some sort of disaster has to strike…?"

…

A short while later all the ninja had assembled in front of the Hokage. The ANBU that Tsunade had called for had taken off his mask and ANBU-uniform and changed into the uniform of a regular Jonin; furthermore Tsunade had given him the temporary name Yamato.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly; as you all know, less than half a year ago Jiraiya left with Naruto to train him."

Immediately everyone feared that something must have happened to them; the fact that Tsunade had mentioned Naruto's training journey combined with her grim tone was more than enough proof to that. But what could have happened? Jiraiya was a Sannin and currently the most powerful ninja of Konoha.

"They were last seen in a small town near the border of Fire country. From what I received they had checked in an inn and everyday they would go into the nearby woods to train; but one day they were attacked…"

She paused to let the news sink in before she gave specifics.

"Eyewitnesses claim that they saw Jiraiya fighting off a black demon before he lured it deeper into the forest. Later, a search party found Jiraiya unconscious and critically injured among the destruction of their battle but there was no trace of the demon, and Naruto…"

Here she paused again; perhaps to give her ninja time to brace themselves for the bad news.

"…was nowhere found either."

At once everyone's face grew as grim as that of the Hokage.

"Shizune, Sakura and Ino, you are to heal Jiraiya. It is vital that he recovers and regains consciousness as he is the only one who knows what actually happened. If he doesn't regain consciousness…"

Tsunade hesitated; should she go through with her initial plan? Should she really permit Ino to enter Jiraiya's mind if he remained unconscious? Ino was still a genin and to make matters worse a gossiping hen, and there were some things that Jiraiya knew that were so… delicate, that whatever perverted thoughts Ino would find were the least of Tsunade's worries. And if her suspicions about that demon were correct… Unluckily, right now there was no other Yamanaka available.

"…then Ino may enter Jiraiya's mind upon your decision Shizune." She just hoped that the situation wasn't that bad that this would be necessary.

"This will be an A-ranked mission. As for Team 8, you are on an S-ranked mission as of now: Find Naruto and bring him home safely. You will be under the combined leadership of Jonins Hatake and Yamato. If any of you genin encounter the demon during your search, do not engage it! Inform Kakashi and Yamato and leave the area immediately! Since we do not know what that demon exactly is, it is safer for you genin to avoid it; for all we know it could be a member of the Akatsuki so leave the matter to the jonin and get to safety. You all have an hour to prepare yourselves. Dismissed!"

The genin immediately hurried home to get all the gear that they would need, but the jonin chose to remain behind; they had a suspicion about the demon so Kakashi decided to ask.

"Hokage-sama, about that demon-"

"According to the eyewitnesses it was a small, reddish black humanoid with beastly features and…"

The three jonin looked at her expectantly.

"…four long wavering tails…"

That was exactly what they had feared; it was clear now why Team 8 was told to avoid the demon at all costs.

"But Tsunade-sama…" Shizune didn't want to believe it "How did this-"

"I do not know what happened; in his last report Jiraiya wrote something about some special training or that he was going to try something with Naruto but he wrote nothing specific. That is why it is crucial that Jiraiya regains consciousness, Shizune."

Her assistant nodded, determined to get the old pervert awake.

"I have told you now everything that I know; now move out!"

...

Less than an hour later all the ninja were assembled at the gates of Konoha and almost immediately they took off. All of them were worried for their, apparently lost, comrade but none more than the little Hyuga who silently swore to herself that she would find Naruto.

And now you have to suffer the three words of torment:

To be continued...