Chapter 4
Meanwhile Raven was sitting in his room when Sasuke walked up to the doorway. Sasuke knew what it was like to hide one's feelings but Raven couldn't hide for him. Sasuke knew full well what the effects were on the team when one wasn't focused.
"Hey Raven can I talk to you?"
"Sure dad." said Raven and as Sasuke walked in Raven saw his expression and knew something was up. "What's going on dad?"
"I was wondering if you were close to Nika."
"You already know don't you?" asked Raven reading past his father's question.
"I have an idea." said Sasuke. "If so you should tell her."
"Thanks dad." said Raven smiling. He should have known that he couldn't hide his feelings from his father who had been crushing on his mother but wasn't as open about it was she was.
The next day Nika was already in her chair and was notably excited when Marrette walked in with Azariah and Raven, who blushed when she looked at him. "Hey guys."
"Hiya Nika!" how are you feeling?" asked Marrette knowing that she had been down for the last couple of days and usually hid it with a happy expression.
"Great, a lot better than I have been the last couple of days."
"Well that's good." said Marrette but Raven could tell there was something different than the girl that he had talked to that morning.
Flashback
Raven was getting ready for school to find out what team he was going to be on hoping that he was on the same one as Nika when the phone rang. Raven picked up the receiver that was next to the door and barely had time to say hello before there was a very excited Jinchuriki waking him up.
"Whoa Nika what's got you so excited?" asked Raven
"You'll see when you get here. Alright?"
"Fine Nika." said Raven sighing. Whatever it was it was something that made Nika forget about the last two days which usually took about a week. "I'll see you in a bit." He said then he hung up. It wasn't until he got to the school that he realized something was off about his crush.
"Yeah. Have you guys seen Iruka Sensei?" asked Nika confusing the others.
"Not…not really why?" asked Azariah
"Oh nothing. I'll be right back." said Nika and she left while Raven looked at the other two.
"Okay is it just me or is Nika much more, happier than lately?"
"I dunno." said Marrette shrugging
"Marrette you don't think she's acting weird?" asked Raven confused, then he turned to Azariah. "What about you Azariah?"
"Just a bit, now that I think about it." said Azariah agreeing with Raven.
"I mean it's weird this whole thing here and she called this morning nearly bouncing off the walls. Normally Nika is much more collected than that." said Raven
"E'yup… something's up." said Marrette.
"Question is what?"
"Heh beats me." said Azariah. Just then Naruto ran into the room and came straight to the three of them. That was when Raven realized what it was that was going on.
"It's them again isn't it?' asked Raven "The ones that tried to take the wolf before."
"No kidding."
"Well what are we going to do? We don't even have a Sensei yet." said Raven
"I don't know." said Marrette worried as well.
"Unless… Naruto are you our Sensei?" asked Raven finally putting his parents' actions together and the fact that Nika had called him that morning with good news.
"No easing this down." said Naruto slightly panicked. "So yeah I'm your Sensei."
"I understand. Does Iruka Sensei know we're leaving?"
"No time, let's go." said Naruto "He'll understand."
"Alright." said Raven turning to the others just as Iruka walked into the room. He was shocked to see Naruto there, however when he saw the expression on his former student's face he nodded.
"Well let's go!"
"Right." said Raven and the four ran out of the room and to the side gate when Raven saw both his parents and Kakashi standing there as if they had known what Naruto was going to do. "Dad?!"
Sasuke turned to see Naruto running with his son and other two. "Iruka already know Naruto?"
"Well… sort of."
"Then let's go." said Kakashi
"Right." said Naruto and the group ran out of the Village limits and through the forest toward the east gate.
"How did it happen, Naruto?" asked Sakura while they ran.
"I'm not sure! But whatever the reason we have to stop them!" said Naruto thinking about what had happened with Gaara and the other Jinchuriki. Sasuke smiled at the blond in spite of himself. He knew full well that if Naruto was like this with Nika, who wasn't even related to him by blood, then Raven would be in good hands.
"Are you sure it's the same group that killed her parents?" asked Sasuke
"Pretty positive."
"How did you know?" asked Sakura. "I mean the last time…"
"It was them Sakura." said Kakashi thinking about when he had last saw his teacher's brother in law. "I saw the signs after Nika disappeared."
'So that's how Kakashi and dad knew about it.' thought Raven
"How did they get into the village though?" asked Sasuke. "That's what I want to know."
"An inside job?" asked Raven
"Now that makes sense." said Sakura. "Naruto?"
"Possibly someone betrayed the village and now Nika is in danger." said Naruto causing Kakashi to shudder at the sound of danger in Naruto's voice and knew that if he wasn't careful the nine tails could go on a rampage even though Naruto was in full control of it now.
"Naruto you had better calm down. I know you're worried about Nika but you're not going to do her any good if you lose your cool." said Kakashi
"Who said I was losing my cool?" asked Naruto smirking.
"No one said it dobe, but the way you were acting Naruto… well I know better than to stay in your path when you're like that." said Sasuke smirking
"Well you always were a smart guy Sasuke." Naruto looking back at his raven colored friend.
"Shut up!" shouted Sasuke as he felt the familiar spark that had been his and Naruto's bond since they were kids.
Raven smiled at his dad and Naruto's joking, know that his dad was trying to calm Naruto down but keep him focused at the same time. Just then Raven spotted Nika's headband that he had made for her when they were kids and pointed it out to the others. "Guys down here!" he called causing them all to land around him.
"What is it Raven?" asked Sasuke
"I made this for Nika when we were seven. Right before we started at the academy." Said Raven holding the black and silver band up.
"Can you track it?" asked Sakura
"I can try." he said, doing the seals.
"What's he doing?" asked Kakashi. He noticed that Naruto was confused as well, but Sakura just looked around
"It's a jutsu that only my family knows. I don't know just medical jutsu. My dad taught it to me when I was young." said Sakura. "It's a tracking Jutsu but only Raven has been able to master it since my grandfather."
"Really? How interesting." said Naruto.
"Yeah Raven's the only one to master it completely." said Sakura. "Nor even my grandfather could do it when he wanted. Raven however can."
"Actually it's more like when I'm really focused, like right now." said Raven
'He's more connected to Nika than I thought. More than Sakura and I. it's more like with Hinata and Naruto.' thought Sasuke. "Have you tracked her?"
"Yeah they went back toward the village. Toward the Black Hills." said Raven though he could tell that Naruto was a little disappointed that he couldn't tell him where she was exactly.
"Well try your best okay?" asked Naruto with a look in his eye that Sasuke hadn't seen there for a long time.
"If they're in the Black Hills then that means…?"
"That they have a base or someone let them in." said Kakashi. "Sasuke you and Sakura had better go and inform Lady Tsunade at once. The rest of us will continue to look for Nika."
"Right." said Sasuke and Sakura in unison.
"Naruto you had better go into Sage mode." said Kakashi as Sasuke and Sakura left. "Raven Azariah Marrette and I will go ahead and. You'll be able to find us either way."
"Right, good luck." said Naruto then he begun taking in Nature Energy.
"Let's go." said Kakashi and the four left while Sasuke and Sakura made their way back to the village hoping that they weren't too late.
