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Chapter Three

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the acclaimed god of shinobi, third Hokage of the Leaf and a man of great patience was ready to throw the next messenger out the window. Sitting at his desk, the old man poofed away at his pipe. His wrinkled face gained a few more folds from the stress of the pass few days. His hand stroked his small goatee. Sometimes, he wished he could hang up the Hokage's robes he wore and spend a quiet evening with a cup of tea.

Of course, the Hokage needed to deal with the fact that some of the village's most prized secrets had been stolen. Once his room was cleaned the Hokage checked the true damage. The forbidden scroll along with several documents had disappeared. A frown formed when he checked the safe behind the Fourth Hokage's picture. It had once contained the fortune of the late Fourth, but as to exactly what it had been remained a mystery. Hiruzen agreed only to safeguard the treasure for a better time.

At that moment the Third listened to another report from a team of trackers. They're still uncertain to who dared to invade the village. The few foreign shinobi and kunoichi in town were cleared of all charges. Hiruzen toyed with the thought that an old comrade of his haddone something, but instantly scrapped the idea when the man demanded the head of the invaders.

Sighing, a billow of smoke flew from between Hiruzen's lips. "Your report has been noted. Retire for the night." The squad nodded and left the room. Leaning back into his chair, the Hokage closed his eyes.

"Lord Hokage!" exclaimed a pair of voices. A groan escaped the Third. Somehow during the madness, he managed to finish his paperwork. The next group of people were due the next hour. A frown formed upon seeing Anko and Iruka storming in.

"Anko, Iruka, what-"

"Naruto had disappeared!" shouted the duo in unison.

Slamming her fist onto the desk, Anko stared the old man down. "Tell me this is your doing? You wise up and thought it would be best for him to be stowed away in a safer place than here?" Stunned silence caused the kunoichi to hiss. "Answer me!"

Iruka grabbed the snake mistress from behind. "Settle down! We need to think about this."

"What we need is answers!"

Hiding his face behind entangled fingers, the Hokage closed his eyes. "Anko, I'm unaware of what you're talking about."

With a jab to the Iruka's stomach, Anko broke free. "Naruto hadn't been seen for days."

"Let me start." Pulling the snake mistress back, the teacher stepped forward. "After days of consideration, the teachers- at a narrow vote- had decided to let Naruto join the shinobi core. I wanted to be the one to tell him so I want to his house. First time around I just assumed he wasn't there. By the third time I knock I got worried and enter his house."

"Any signs of struggle?"

"Hard to say. It was a mess."

"Naruto had never been a good housekeeper," noted Anko.

"Finding no trace of him, I went around town and checked at all his favorite places that he liked to go to. I asked if anyone had seen him." Biting his lower lip, the teacher glanced down. "I heard stuff I disliked, but all of them confirmed that Naruto hadn't been around."

"Right around the time the scroll went missing." Huffing on his pipe, the Third shook his head. "Anko."

The snake mistress waved a dismissing hand. "Never had a reason to tell him."

"And as far as we are aware the boy's tenant had not made contact. Though I doubt even she knew about the scroll."

"Lord Hokage." Iruka stared at his leader. "Naruto wouldn't have the skills to break down the gate."

"Unless he got outside help," grumbled the old man.

"Lord Hokage," exclaimed Anko, "you're not-"

"I'm not accusing anyone." Resting his hands in his lap, the Hokage stared right through to their souls. "What I am saying is that it is odd that Naruto would disappear at the same time as the scroll. Maybe they're related or it's a complete coincidence. We need to find Naruto not just for his safety, but also for that of the village. Iruka, keep an eye on the village. Naruto may have never left these walls and it possible that he is hiding somewhere that we're unaware of."

"And me?" asked Anko.

"I want you to gather a team and search for my grandson." Tilling his head down, Hiruzen bit the inside of his cheeks. "If anything has happened to him, I will be unable to forgive myself." Bowing, his subordinates said their farewells. Turning in his chair, the Hokage stared at his predecessor's picture. "Why did you have to get yourself killed?"

Mizuki was in a panic. First the demon brat failed to show up and now someone else had stolen the Forbidden scroll with its secrets. Now half of the shinobi forces scrutinized the village. Of course, the hidden agent went on with his life as if everything was alright.

A paper ball bounced off of his head. Putting on a smile, he scanned the room of this year genin candidates. Most of them he considered to be little more than cannon fodder for the next war. The only kid he'd bet his money on was the last Uchiha.

While he sat down, Iruka stood and announced the teams. Mizuki zoned out to focus on more important matters. Any day now he expected his connection to come by. Biting the bottom of his lip, he thought back on how things could have gone wrong. Naruto was desperate to become Hokage- he held back a snort- so he would have wanted to do this. Based on the information he had, the idiot had little reason to betray him.

"Mizuki."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, the hidden agent gave Iruka a kind grin. "Sorry, I was zoning out there for a moment."

"We can leave now. The teams had been assign."

"Thank you." Mizuki left the school and made his way to his apartment complex. He ignored all of the shinobi scrambling throughout the city. Unless he confessed his plot, he doubted anyone would target him. Great care was given to leave no paper trail and only he and his allies knew of his plan.

Entering his apartment, Mizuki sighed. "Damn it demon. Why do you have to blow it?"

"You're the one who employed the boy."

Tensing, the secret agent scanned his living room. A small couch accompanied by a coffee table took up most of the space. A small radio- one of the few in existence- sat on a nearby counter. Green paint covered the walls while the wooden floor was covered in scratches. A humble room which Mizuki wished nothing more than to burn to the ground.

Yet he appeared to be alone. Though the voice and his own experience told him otherwise. Holding up his hands, Mizuki planted himself on the couch. A moment later a knife or a short sword –he couldn't tell which–went to his throat. He forced his eyes to stay on his radio.

"Let start with the obvious," said the voice. "Why did the blond abandon the plan?"

"As I already told you, the demon had no reason to suspect me. I was one of the few teachers that treated him well." Mizuki hated to cow before this man. Yet he was the weak one here. All thanks to Naruto. "Honestly, the only reason he wouldn't show up is if something else caught his attention."

"You said the boy was one track minded?"

Biting the inside of his cheek, the shinobi thought fast. "Maybe he ran into whoever stole the Forbidden Scroll." His eyes widen. "That's it!" The knife dug into his neck. "Listen. Naruto will do anything to become Hokage and due his lack of social contact with people, you could call him an idiot in a way. Although that's not to say that the demon is an idiot all around."

"Oh?"

"Think about it. It's unlikely, but if the demon did run into the thief, then he might mistake the thief as part of the test. He was gullible enough to believe me."

The knife fell from his neck. "So there's a high chance that an outside force derailed the plans."

"Most likely."

The contact flickered in front of him. Black robes and a mask shaped as a hawk hid his true form. His dark purple hands retreated into his pockets. The contact sat on the floor with his arms crossed.

This could be problematic."

"Meaning?"

"Two other hidden villagers in the last three months have been robbed of their secrets."

"Impossible."

"That is a word for the weak."

Taking a deep breath, the secret agent spread his arms across the back of the couch. "It's probably not inmy place to ask, but got any idea what going on."

"It isn't your place to ask." Standing, the contact glanced to the ceiling. "Your mission had change. For the time being, remain as the teacher at the school and watch as the event unfold. Who knows? Maybe our master can use this to his advantage." The contact flickered away, leaving Mizuki to plan his next move.

Warmth spread through Naruto's body. Sighing in content, he rolled over and snuggled into a soft object. He paused when something poked him in the cheek. Grumbles about annoying Anko escaped the blonde. The sharp poking kept at it.

"Anko." Swiping at the object, he pushed it away. "I know I'm probably late for school, but just a couple more minutes please."

"Sorry kid," said a feminine voice. "You got the wrong person."

Naruto's eyes snapped open as he turned around. Inhaling, he tried to shrink into the covers. A humanoid being towered over him. Dark blue skin contrasted with the green eyes surrounding slitted pupils. Running her clawed hands through her shaggy black hair, the monster tilted its head. Sharp teeth filled her mouth.

"You're finally awake. It took you-"

Screaming, the blond wildly sent an uppercut at the monster. Though when he hit it on the chin, it felt as if he had punched a rock. With a startled expression, the monster pulled back. Naruto leapt out of bed and darted for the door. He took a quick moment to notice that he was wearing little more than a hospital gown.

Where the hell are my clothes?

"Kid!" shouted the monster. "You shouldn't be moving around so quickly."

The blond darted to his right where he was had plenty of well-lit hallways. Sniffing the air, he tried to pinpoint the smell of grass, dirt and fresh air. He cursed when all he got was the smell of fresh cookies.

A person stepped out of the door with a pan in hand and Naruto plowed into him. Yelping, the person and the blond crashed to the floor. Naruto sat up and the words froze in his mouth.

The guy's skin was a dark violet and he was wearing little more than a short kilt. "Good grief." Pulling long, choppy blue hair out of his eyes, the violet man grimaced. His narrow features made his face almost pinch. "Don't you guys know not to run in the hallway?"

"Stop that boy!" exclaimed the monster.

Darting away, the blond listened to the area. Plenty of people walking about. Walls had been painted with murals. Naruto took a little time to check them out. The monster stepped into his path.

The blond darted into the nearest door and fell flat on his face. Does the universe hit me? A growl confirmed his suspicion. Scrambling onto all fours, he crawled away from a massive black wolf.

"How many times do I have to tell you people?" Snapping his fangs, the wolf marched towards the blond. "I want to be left alone after the mission!"

Waving his hands in front of him, Naruto shook his head. "I'm sorry, sorry, and sorry. I didn't know you were resting there."

"Not a moment after waking up and you're already causing trouble."

"Fu!" Naruto glanced to his right to see the verdette sitting on a cushion and book in hand. Diving behind the verdette, he shrank down. "I need help. There's this monster after me and now I got that dog mad at me!"

"Exlodor!" screamed the wolf. "I'm an exlodor."

"A what?"

"Fu!" The monster squeezed to the door frame. Naruto's eyes widened at the being as it stood at ten feet tall. "Sorry for the disturbance. He woke up suddenly and caught me by surprise."

"It's alright, Ivy." Patting the blond on the head, Fu grinned. "Whisker here has never seen a demon so he was just a bit startled."

"Oh." Shaking her head, Ivy turned around. "Well, I go and alert Silver that our friend is awake. Do take care that he doesn't run off."

"I won't." Sighing, Fu folded a corner of her page. "For someone who slept for a couple days, you have a lot of energy."

"A couple of days?" The blond scratched the back of his head. "What happened that…" His eyes widened as images of Silver's sword flashed into his head. Leaping to his feet, he scrambled backward. "Stay back! I can do some major damage if I want to."

"Whiskers-"

"Stay away from me!" Naruto spotted an open window to his right. Lunging at it, he screamed in triumph. It morphed to a scream of pain as electricity coursed through his body. He fell to the floor and stayed there for a moment.

Fu kicked him in the leg. "If you hold still for five minutes I will explain everything to you."

"Can I bite him?" asked Teruim.

"No, you can't bite him. The last guy you bit almost died of blood loss."

"It's his own fault for trying to skin me."

Popping up, the blond glared at Fu. "Okay, I have no idea what going on."

"Obviously." Fu shook her head.

"Mind filling in the details?Last thing I remember was that Silver pierced me with the sword. Not that I'm not happy to be alive, but this is odd."

Sighing, the verdette plowed down on the floor. "I would tell you, but then Father would get mad for not being letting him do the talking. Then again, I can't say I care. Basically, you are currently our prisoner."

"Okay." Humming, the blond glanced down at himself. "Why am I allowed to move around freely?"

"Because you're so small of a threat the weakest among us could kick your ass in." Laying down, the wolf grunted.

Jumping to his feet, the blonde shake his fist of the wolf. "Like to take me on, mutt?"

"Naruto, sit down before I hit you with my book." Grabbing the thick volume, the verdette brought it over her head. The blond gulped and sat down. "Now, you're going to be talking to my father soon. He means no harm and he just want to talk."

Sighing, the blond crossed his arms. "How much time do we have until he gets here?"

"Depends on his mood. If lazy, ten minutes. If on one of his sugar highs, it will be about ten seconds. Most of the time it's somewhere in between."

"I'm not lazy." Leaning against a door frame, the merchant pouted. "Stress can just tucker me out faster."

The blondclenched his fist. "Aren't you a liar? I thought you said you were a merchant."

Placing a hand on his chest, Silver offered an expression of mock offense. "Did I not sell products to people? I'm also curious to how you can insult me with only knowing me for a couple of hours." He tapped his chin. "Then again, I did plunge a sword in your stomach. Naruto, why don't we talk in a quiet place?"

The blond would rather jump out the window, but his previous attempt marked that a dumb idea. Standing, he walked over to the door and stood there. With a wide smile Silver waved for Naruto to follow.

Opening a door, Silver gestured for the blond to enter. Naruto stepped in with his fists ready at his sides. Yet only a low table and a couple of cushions greeted them. Closing and locking the door behind him, Silver sat on a cushion. The blond sat down and glared at the merchant.

"We already know each other." Leaning on the table, Silver offered a wide grin. "So let's hop over to the main point. I am not a rogue shinobi, but a humble merchant with a mission." The blond folded his arms as he frowned. "You see Naruto; I have traveled to various places on this great continent. Each one of them was, in their own way, incredible and enjoyable experience."

The merchant plucked off his eye wear and twirled it between his fingers. "But no matter where I went, I ran in a common problem. Strife."

"Strife?" Frowning, the blond scratched his head. "Like war? Last I heard, none of the nations were at war."

Snorting, the merchant slapped his hand against the table. "Then you're an ignorant boy. The Land of Water had suffered a civil war in the last few years. Minor nations fight skirmishes. Bandits, both normal and shinobi, filled the roads."

"So what?" Tilting his head, the blond frowned. "Bad things happen to people."

"Like an entire village being destroyed just because it too poor to pay ransom?" Silver opened his mouth to continue, but a knock on the door diverted his attention. "Yes?"

"I brought a fresh batch of cookies."

Silver eyes gleamed. "I'll be there in a second." The blond's eyes widened when the merchant vanished from his seat. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted the merchant bringing in a platter of cookies. "Thank you, Gane." The merchant locked the door and reappeared at the table.

Setting the platter down, the merchant shoved a couple cookies into his mouth. "Want some?" Crumbs fell from the merchant's mouth as he held a cookie out to the blond. "It's chocolate chip."

Naruto opened his mouth to deny, but one whiff and his stomach growled. Blushing, he accepted the cookie. The blond sniffed it and found it free of poison. He was glad for his strong scene of smell. From a young age he could identify people from several blocks away. It helped on more than one occasion to avoid people. The merchant smelled of cake and soap. A rather welcoming smell from a welcoming person.

Munching on the cookie, the blond grinned. "This is good."

"I always have them made after a good mission." Swallowing his fifth cookie, the merchant grinned. "Have any favorite treats?"

"Ramen." The blonde grinned split his face. "Best food in the world."

"I'm not sure if anyone here can cook ramen. Never had a reason to eat it." Shrugging, the merchant laid down on the floor. "Though I'm up to try anything new. Wish I could have stayed in the Leaf a little longer, but-"

"Can you get back to your point?" asked Naruto.

"Oh yeah." Grabbing another cookie, the merchant twirled it on a finger. "The thing is, I saw what can happen when wolves set down on the lambs. I wished to help people. So I had decided to become a teacher."

"What?"

"A teacher who would spread the ability of chakra to the land."

Shaking his head, the blond choked down a fourth cookie. "So let me get this straight. You stole from the village so you can teach some villagers how to use chakra." The merchant nodded. "But why would they need to protect themselves? There are shinobi for a reason." He thrust an accusing finger at Silver. "And you honestly want me to believe that you stole those scrolls to hand them out freely. What idiot does that?"

Silver shook his head. "Well, I see that proof will be in order. It's a good thing that we're heading home as we speak." Dropping his hat on the table, the merchant pulled a map of the elemental nations out of it. "We're going to the Land of Water, but before we get there, we'll be stopping in several villages. That would be a good time for you to learn."

Blinking, Naruto pointed to himself. "You want to teach me."

"Well, if you're going to be part of my group, you're going to have to pull your weight."

"I never agreed to be a part of it."

"Too late." Reaching over the table, the merchant yanked down on the blond's shirt to expose his shoulder blade. A black flame was tattooed into the skin. "That there, my boy, is a seal that Gane placed on you. For the time being, you are anchored to me." Silver raised his right arm and pulled down on the shirt sleeve. A flame sat upon his wrist. "I will know if you try to get away."

"And if I refuse to follow along?"

Shrugging, the merchant grinned. "We could always kill you."

The blond tensed up. As headstrong as he could be, he knew rebelling at that moment would mean certain death. Naruto refused to die here. Taking a deep breath, the blond stared down at his hands.

Will you force me to do terrible things?" asked the blond.

"If you mean like kill someone, no. In truth, all I want you to do for the moment is watch me and my group. Judge us by our actions. I hope I can win you over to my side."

Naruto snorted. "Doubt it." He gestured to his body. "Now, about my clothing."

"I threw them away."

"What?"

"I skewered you. Blood covered your clothing and after the beat down form Fu they developed some tears. It would be best that you abandon the clothing rather than keep them."

"So you expect me to walk around in a hospital gown."

"Certainly not." Appearing at Naruto's side, the merchant forced him to his feet. "Just a drab outfit that wouldn't draw attention. Then again,"- the merchant poked Naruto's cheek-", your blue eyes and blond hair would catch most people's attention. Add in the whisker markings and anyone can identify you."

"I know already." Naruto tried to pull away, but the merchant kept a firm grip on his shoulder.

"You're scrawny and short for you age."

"I'm not short!"

Silver yanked the gown up and the blonde felt a breeze between his legs. Two suns plopped on his face as he covered that area. Yet the merchant traced a hand along his bony chest. It pulled away to land upon the stomach.

"You appear to be malnourished. What have your parents been feeding you?"

"I don't have any parents," grumbled Naruto.

"Sorry about that. Why not?"

"Have you heard of the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

"I have."

"It attacked my village thirteen years ago. My parents died right when I was born to protect the village."

Humming, the merchant applied chakra to the gut. A slight, warm feeling brought the blond's attention downward. He opened his mouth to declare the merchant a pervert, but halted upon seeing a swirl and odd writing on his stomach.

"What the hell is that?" screamed Naruto.

"It appears to be a seal."

"For what?!" Pulling away, Naruto reached for his stomach, but the seal disappeared. "Did you plant something to make me explode or something?"

The merchant chuckled. "I can't do sealing. Far too complex for this idiot." Standing, the merchant shrugged. "Yet it is a curiosity. Something we can figure out once we're back home. For now, we're getting out of here."

"Here being?"

"You'll see when we go outside. Now follow me to the wagon. I've got plenty of clothing in there." Walking over to the table, the merchant picked up a few cookies. "Though we can go in a moment. I want to finish these."

The blond groaned. "I'll be out in the hall." With that said, Naruto left the room.

Staring at a cookie in his hand, the merchant smiled. He isn't aware that the Nine-tails lives in his gut. Boy, you're going to give me some real entertainment.

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