'Sup people!

All right, the "Technical Difficulties" have eased a bit so we finally found the time to upload this new chapter.

I apologize for the delay and I'm happy that you guys care so much about the fate of these characters but, like a great author once wrote.-

"Sometimes, when you're reading a book, you begin thinking so hard about the characters and the story that you might forget all about the author, even if he is in danger and would very much appreciate your help."

Note. - No, we're not in danger. I was just trying to make up an excuse for my co-writer's "EMOtiveness".

Chapter Four

xX The Lost Children Xx

Kakashi checked his watch as he neared the spot where the rest of his team was supposed to be waiting for him. In his head, he was already making up an excuse for his delay.

"12:55 p.m.?" He said calmly. "Good, I'm only two hours late."

He turned the corner, expecting Naruto and Sakura to yell their usual "You're late!" greeting.

"I know, I know." Kakashi smiled and scratched his gray hair. "It's just that there was a big hole in my shoe this morning, so I…"

How come they hadn't interrupted him yet?

Perhaps because there wasn't anyone there to begin with.

"All right kids." He sighed. "Joke's over, come on out."

Kakashi looked around and waited, expecting them to jump on him at any moment.

Only that they never came out.

There was not a giggle, not a sound. No movement of any kind. It took him a while to realize that he was the only one standing there.

"Strange…"

Where could they be? It wasn't like them to skip on missions just like that. And even though he knew Naruto was stubborn and Sasuke could be too arrogant some times, they'd always waited patiently despite all of his delays.

So if they weren't avoiding their responsibilities, then what had happened to them? He would understand if one of them were sick but, all three of them?

"Something's not right in here." Kakashi told himself.

The bean planting mission would have to wait; right now he had to find the rest of his team.

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"Kakashi, please wait up!" Iruka called out as he ran after him.

"I'm kind of in a hurry." Kakashi said briefly. A nice way of saying he just didn't have the time to deal with him.

"I won't take long." Iruka promised. "I just wan to know if you've seen Naruto around."

"No, I haven't. We're supposed to have a mission today, but he hasn't shown up yet."

"That's strange." Iruka frowned. "We were supposed to meet at Ichiraku Ramen yesterday, but he didn't show up either."

"He didn't?" Kakashi's only visible eye widened. He knew, as well as everyone else, that Naruto would never, EVER, turn down an Ichiraku Ramen invitation.

Now it was more than clear that something was wrong.

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"Naruto, are you in there?" Iruka called as he knocked on Naruto's door.

Just like at Sasuke's house, there was no response from the other side.

"Naruto!" He tried again. "Can you hear me?"

The knob suddenly turned and the door swung open.

"God, I'm so glad that you…" Kakashi stared at him from the other side. "How did you get in?"

"The window." Kakashi shrugged.

Iruka stepped inside, the house was a complete mess. An unmade bed, heaps of dirty clothes, cluttered ramen bowls and a pair of boxers spinning on the ceiling fan constituted most of the decoration.

"What's that?" Iruka kneeled down to examine something on the floor.

"Well." Kakashi sighed. "Unless he's under that enormous pile of dirty clothes, I doubt he's…"

"Tonight at midnight in Konoha's forest." Iruka mumbled.

"Did you say something?"

"What? Oh, no. Just... thinking out loud." Iruka slid something into his pocket and stood up. "Let's go see Hokage-sama, she might know something."

"Yeah…" Kakashi looked at him suspiciously.

He'd seen Iruka hiding something but decided not to ask. If it were something important, he would find out sooner or later.

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"Please, just calm down a bit." Tsunade begged.

"Calm down? My son has gone missing! How do you expect me to calm down?" Inuzuka Tsume yelled at the Hokage's face.

"Yelling at me won't solve anything!" Tsunade yelled back. "So shut up already and let me think!"

She was trying her best to be patient, but her best didn't seem to be enough. She'd already dealt with the Aburame, the Yamanaka and the freaking Haruno that morning, so having to deal with the Inuzuka and Nara now was more than she could take.

"Would you mind thinking faster?" Nara Shikaku asked. "My wife is freaking out already."

"Hokage-sama." Kakashi called from the door. "May we come in?"

"Let me guess. Your students are missing too."

"Too?" Kakashi looked around. Gai, Azuma and Kurenai were there, as well as Tsume and Shikaku.

"It seems all of our students have disappeared." Kurenai informed him. "They were last seen two days ago, then they left without a trace."

"Why, oh why?" Gai wept in a corner. "My poor students. What could have happened to them?"

"I assure you that's not going to solve anything Gai." Tsunade told him. "Now, if we could just be quiet for a moment…"

"Tsunade!" The doors burst open and Hyuuga Hiashi stepped imposingly into the office.

"God must really hate me." Tsunade sighed, whishing that the ground could somehow open under her feet and swallow her whole.

"Where are my daughter and nephew?" He asked with an air of arrogant superiority. "Have you sent them on a mission without informing me? I demand to know!"

"Whoa, he demands to know?" Tsume frowned. "Who does this guy think he is?"

"I beg your pardon… lady." Hiashi looked down at her. "But as head of one of Konoha's most important clans, I have certain privileges. Of course you wouldn't know anything about that, being who you are."

"Yeah? Well…"

"Please, that's enough." Tsunade said wearily. "The truth is… the truth is that we don't know where they are."

"You don't know?" Hiashi frowned.

"They've disappeared, and it's not only them. All day long I've received reports from parents and sensei alike. 12 kids are missing so far, they can't be found anywhere. All we know is that they were here two days ago, and then they simply vanished."

"Two days ago? No, that's impossible." Hiashi shook his head. "Hinata couldn't have disappeared two days ago, she was home yesterday."

"She was?" Tsunade's eyes widened.

"Yes. Hanabi went out on a mission early that day and said Hinata had slept in her room because she was not feeling well." He explained. "I went to check on her later but she was not there. That was when I noticed Neji was gone too."

"So your daughter told you Hinata was there. But did you actually see her?"

"I… I…"

"Did you?"

"No, I did not." He admitted. "But, why would Hanabi lie to me?"

Why would Hanabi lie? That was a good question. Where could the lost children be? That was another good question.

Why had they left? How had they left? Why all of them at the same time?

They were all good questions, but questions were not what they needed.

"Tsunade-sama." Iruka, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up. "I think I have something that could be useful." He walked to Tsunade and handed her a piece of paper.

"An invitation?"

"Yes, for a Halloween party. That's when they were last seen right? Two days ago?"

"Food, drinks and music." Tsunade read. "How come I was not invited?"

"Those kids are missing and you're worried because you didn't get invited?" Tsume asked furiously.

"That's not it. I just think it's strange because I get invited to almost every single party and I don't remember hearing anything about this one." She explained. "Iruka, where did you find this?"

"At Naruto's house, it was on the floor."

"Let me see that." Tsume snatched the invitation from Tsunade's hand. "It says here there was a costume contest. Last time I saw Kiba he was sticking a lion's mane around Akamaru's head."

"Come to think of it, last time I saw Shikamaru he was wearing some crazy clothing too." Shikaku added.

"So let's suppose they all assisted this party. It's the most logical hypothesis we have." Tsunade said. "The question now is.- Why didn't they come back?"

"A party?" Kakashi asked. "It sounds more like a really elaborated trap. Those kids weren't chosen randomly, there has to be a motive behind all of this."

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"Listen up!" Tsunade shout so her voice could be carried across the office and into the ears of all the ninja who stood before her.

"Some of you already know about the situation, but I'll repeat it one more time. 12 of our ninja have gone missing and we have reasons to believe that they might be in danger. We will search the forest at a 30 mile radio, if they are still not found, then we'll make it 50 but we must find them at any cost."

"I have given each of you their files and pictures so you'll know how to recognize them. If you see anyone who's even remotely similar you must immediately report to me. Remember that even though they're full fledged ninja they are still children. They're vulnerable and they need our help. Finding them is our priority and we will stop at nothing until we get them back. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" They answered in unison.

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Leafs flew and branches snapped as the shinobi of Konoha made their way through the forest.

Trees were bared under the Hyuuga's piercing eyes. Kikaichu swarms darkened the skies as the Aburame searched from above, while the enhanced nose of the Inuzuka and their ninja dogs strived to pick up a familiar scent.

Here and there, rocks were lifted and caves were searched. They looked in all places, but could find them nowhere.

There was no trace, nothing useful. Nothing but the question that hung over their heads.

Where could the lost children be?

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Disclaimer: No, we do not own Naruto. But that's pretty obvious.

Ten. - So the grownups finally noticed, let's just hope they can find them before it's too late.

Glacia. - If I know you well enough (and I am sure I do), you are going to make it really hard for them to find those kids. Are you not?

Ten. - Hey, anything to keep the readers entertained! And now that I've mentioned the readers, I would like to apologize to them once again. I know it was a HUGE delay for such a short chapter but thank you so much for waiting.

And now, to Alita and Emily from… uh… Alita n' Emily, silverokami2009, , afrodude, 0.O, redfox-akatsuki, Lulusi227, Angel ov Death, Bambi-Birthday, sunshinelexi, Sasuke's Pal and Shizuka Taiyou...

Thanks a lot, you guys rock!

Chapter 5 will be uploaded soon, so please don't start hating us, okay?

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