Chapter 3: Treachery…

The Head of the Brigade picked up Naruto by the collar of his jacket. He flexed his bicep, sending out a small shockwave that blew the wind away, knocking out Naruto. Sora, slowly gaining consciousness, could faintly see what was happening before her. She staggered to her feet and stumbled to the Brigadier's feet, tugging on his pants' leg. The Brigadier glanced down at Sora and called over a medic.

"Sir isn't that-"

"Yes, it is. Hurry up and treat her wounds, this guy must have done this to her," the Brigadier turned to Sakura. "Until we get answers, you'll be restrained in our local cells until we can come in contact with our advisor, Akihiko."

Sakura, wanting to boast out about how this is all wrong and that she and Naruto are innocent, decided to remain silent and let things play out for a bit. Naruto dangled from the man's tight grip like a rag-doll in the wind. "Naruto, what are we gonna do… Kakashi- sensei is still out there but I don't know if he's alright… I've got to be strong…"

"You girl," the Head Brigadier said, causing Sakura to jump, "wasn't there another one with you and this boy? That puny brat with the ponytail… What was his name again…Boro-or- something? Doesn't matter, he'd better stop hiding or we'll take him down too."

Sakura's face drew in shock, "Would he really kill one of his own village members?"

The Head Brigadier and the group escorted Naruto and Sakura to the nearby jail cells of East Town until contact could be made with the Hidden Mist Village, but to no prevail. "Come in, this is the Squad 13 to Base, do you read me?"

-No response

"Again, do you copy?"

-No response

"Sir!"

"Yes, I know… this strange fog is interfering with the signal…" the Head Brigadier held a stern face. "Hojo, Narukami, report to me on the double!"

"Sir!"

"I need you two to deliver a letter to the advisor," the Head Brigadier pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and commenced writing vigorously. In a matter of seconds his masterpiece was finished, handing it to Hojo," make sure you don't fail at any cost. We can't afford to lose any more assets as is, so MOVE!"

The two ninja's dispersed into the fog, the medic continued to check Sora's condition, which seemed to worsen. The fog began to thicken to the extent that it could be seen seeping through the windows in wisps of air gusting through the cracks. Sakura watched the medic heal Sora, but with amateurism. "Mr. Brigadier, sir?"

The Head Brigadier turned to Sakura with a lit cigar in his mouth, "what is it girl?"

"I have great healing abilities; I can heal Sora a lot better than your friend there."

The Head Brigadier glanced at the medic shaking in his boots, breathing heavily. "No, your abilities do not even compare with his… though; he is exhausted from constant fighting back at the village… damn riots…" He let out a sigh of cigar stained breathe, "Release her, and rest up for a bit, Johns."

The medic nodded and pulled out the key to the cells. With a swift movement, Johns unlocked the gate and waved Sakura out. "Hurry, she's catching a mild fever, this fog seems to have some connection to it. Many people back in the Village have the same problem… but, we're not sure why…"

Sakura nodded as she rushed to Sora's aid, "Observation: These two know Sora… and whatever's in the fog is causing people to get sick… could it be that someone is causing this… almost like Genjutsu..

The Head Brigadier could only watch as the room slowly filled with the mysterious fog, and Johns meditated in a chair to regain his strength.

Meanwhile…

"Argh... where am I?" Taro slowly stood up in a small clearing on a hill outside of the Hidden Mist Village. "How'd I get up here…? Gah, my head's killing me… and I can't remember a thing." Taro scanned the area for clues of his spontaneous movement, but with nothing to find. "Sheesh… if only... Sora! Naruto! Where are you?!"

"It doesn't matter how much you mutter to the wind, it will never reply," a familiar voice answered as Taro spun around searching for the source of the voice. "You, you're the one I've been looking for, Taro. You see, as I tried to explain earlier, your village is in danger. The mission you are currently on was only a diversion for a greater threat to make its move. Your village elder has been kidnapped. Who did this? I know, but there's a catch."

Taro found the person speaking to him from the fog surrounding the clearing. "Oh yea, and how do you expect me to believe you?"

The man walked out from the fog and toward Taro, revealing to be the Mysterious Man from the Cave. "I have no reason to deceive you, Taro. I come as a friend. You see, the kidnapper actually has a close connection to you. Only you can stop him, Taro, for the kidnapper is the same man that murdered your family all those years ago, in cold blood."

"How do you know that?" Taro exclaimed in a puzzled manor, slowly backing away from the mysterious man. "How do you know about my family?"

The mysterious man didn't reply, but gave a simple sigh and turned around. "Back when my family was alive, they were the top police force of my village… but they weren't pleased... highly unpleased… word got out they were planning something big, and they were ordered to be killed… to this day only two survive… the killer and a younger child… your case is similar to that, but in my case, it was out of an order. Your case however, was out of envy and hatred."

Taro fell down walking backwards, he slowly crawled into a tree behind him, "N-no you're wrong! My family would never hate or envy anyone or anything!" Taro clinched his head denying the mysterious man's claims.

"How about I tell you this simple and clean," the mysterious man walked up to Taro and pulled him to his feet. The mysterious man patted off the dirt that accumulated on Taro's jacket, then spoke, "the head of your family, your father, was planning a coup against a neighboring corrupt clan that overpowered most of the smaller lands in the Land of Waves. He would have been a hero… if only, the night before the invasion was scheduled to happen, a lone assassin came and slew him and the rest of the clan, overlooking one small child… you." The mysterious man turned to the Hidden Mist Village and pointed to the tallest building, the Hokage's office. "If you seek revenge, go to the Hokage's office, but if you seek truth, come with me."

Taro took the moment to weigh his options carefully, finally coming up with a reasonably decision after minutes of thing. "I would like to-"

"Taro, wait! Don't move, this man may speak of the truth, but he hasn't told you the complete story!" a voice shouted from the bushes. Kakashi stepped forth and pulled Taro away from the mysterious man. "That superpower of a clan he speaks of did have your family killed, but they weren't the one's to decide whether or not they lived, it was an act of survival. The clan, the Konosuchi, used to regulate trade between the islands of the Land of Waves. But, due to constant invasions from rogue ninja, they had to raise taxes on goods, which eventually sapped all the wealth of the smaller clans that relied heavily on the Konosuchi trade network. Your father would have been a hero, but only short lived, for a greater threat came and killed them off months later. A crime lord, famously known in the Anbu as the Crimson Blade, reigned upon the land and brought despair to its people. He is the one responsible for your family's death; he threatened the Konosuchi into doing many things that hurt their good name... one of his more recent deeds is the kidnapping of the village elder in order to reap the Hidden Mist Village of all its wealth, money, and reputation. But what has really shocked me is that none other than you show up to bring justice to this land… am I right, Itachi?"