Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any Naruto characters portrayed in this fic.

A/N: Hope you had a Merry Christmas, readers! The timeline of this story follows the time-skip, after Naruto develops the Rasen-shuriken technique, but after that deviates from canon. Reviews and feedback appreciated!

PART 1: Rift

Chapter 4: In a Strange Land

Kakashi awoke just after midday, when the stifling heat and blinding brightness of the sun had become too strong to ignore. He must have made some sound when he came to, as the first thing that met his vision was a pair of large blue eyes, blazing with well-meaning, if rather intrusive concern, barely inches from his face.

"Mm . . . Naruto?"

"KAKASH-SENSEI! You're awake! Thank Kami, I was beginning to think you'd sleep forever!"

He chuckled weakly. "Aah . . . easy on the volume, Naruto."

"Oops!" The heavy stage whisper made a hasty reappearance, "Sorry Kakash-sensei. How are you feeling?"

"I think I'm past the worst of it . . . " He made a small attempt to rise, quickly arrested by Naruto's firm hand on his shoulder.

"No way, sensei, Sakura-chan would never allow you to get up in this state."

Kakashi's breath caught in his chest, grey eye widening slightly. "Sakura!"

"She's not here," responded his student, grimly, "I remember her getting out of the way in time. She called to me, but . . . " He broke off, hand still on Kakashi's shoulder, eyes heavy with an emotion the older man couldn't place or felt comfortable acknowledging.

"I warned you too," The reprimand in his voice felt half-hearted, and his tone rose slightly, more angry with himself than with the boy in front of him. "You should have thought about it. You should have gone back like Sakura, not charged in head-on. You could have put yourself in unnecessary danger."

The young shinobi squinted, ruffling the hair on the back of his head. "Yeah, well, I don't think as well as Sakura-chan, you know that. And besides," and here the playful, almost imbecilic nature shifted abruptly, the same emotion Kakashi had seen earlier returning full force, alight with protective fierceness, "'Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash', right Kakash-sensei?"

"Naruto . . ."

"No." He rose, stance firm and unyielding, "I know you tried to shield me from the jutsu. Just because things may have happened before . . . " He gestured haphazardly, "I'm stronger now. And you're not just my teacher, you're a team-mate. It's can't be so . . . one-sided. I've got your back, and you've got mine. Right, sensei?"

Sitting still for a moment, the mask rendering him more expressionless than Naruto had ever seen, Kakashi nodded in wordless, sincere assent. A grin split the youngster's face. "Great. Now . . . um, could you take a look around? I've no idea where we are and . . ."

He trailed off hopefully, gaze following his teacher's scrutiny of their surroundings with mounting eagerness. He saw, in the moment that Kakashi spied the mountain range, in the slight narrowing of that eye, that the situation was far from good. "We're in Earth country, north eastern sector. I managed to veer us off course. The jutsu was aimed at releasing us somewhere outside even Earth Country borders."

He looked up at Naruto, who had been rendered temporarily speechless, gaping in shock. "E - Earth Country? How . . . ? Wha . . . ? What the hell?"

"A displacement jutsu." Kakashi's voice was low. "I've . . . seen it done many times when I was younger. My old teacher was a master of them. Whoever did this simply drew off those techniques and altered them slightly to suit their own purposes."

Naruto had both hands clasped to either side of his head again. "Wait. Just . . . slow down a minute. You're telling me someone just . . . just drew some fancy symbols and dropped us here?"

"No. Someone mastered an extremely complex jutsu, many years in the making, and engineered the situation for us to be in the right place at the right time."

"But WHO could have done something like that? And why?"

Kakashi's eye curved upwards. "Well . . . not to seem full of myself or anything, but . . . I am the infamous Copy Ninja . . ."

Naruto's chest puffed out in automatic response. "And I'm future Hokage!"

"Naruto . . . you haven't actually done anything yet -"

His student did not seem to think this worth his attention. "Huh. Let me tell you, you lazy, porn-reading - "

"'Suavely nonchalant and romantically inclined'. I think those were the terms you were looking for."

"Whatever." Naruto squinted at him suspiciously. "What did you mean about that, anyway? What you said about 'veering us off-course', or some shit?"

"That 'shit' is in my left eye socket. The Mangekyo Sharingan, to be precise."

"It distorts space, or something, right?"

"Right, partially. I was able to identify the jutsu at the moment it hit us. Furthermore, I was able to counter the displacement to an extent. So we were dropped in a place closer to Fire Country's border than the jutsu-creator intended us to be."

Naruto grinned and slapped him rather painfully on the back. "All right! Way to go Kakash-sensei!"

"Don't lower your guard," came the sharp rejoinder, "All I did was buy us some time. Whoever did this wants us away from Konoha at this time. Do you understand now, Naruto?"

The smile faded and his student's face darkened. "You mean . . .?"

"I mean we have to get back as fast as possible. It won't be easy." He sighed heavily. "The Iwa-nin are none too trusting of us. The peace-treaty between our countries is tentative at best. We have to move unseen and take a route as far from any towns or settlements as possible."

Naruto's clone chose that moment to reappear. "There's a path not far from here. It becomes a road after a bit." Pointing vaguely to the east the clone shrugged. "Only thing is, it leads directly past a watch point. There's some kind of pass through the mountains. Probably swarming with enemy shinobi."

"Not enemy . . . yet." Kakashi seemed thoughtful. "That's obviously the route we can't go anywhere near. I know that mountain pass. It's not as heavily guarded as the south pass into Fire Country. If we can find a way through we'll find ourselves north of the Hidden Waterfall village. If their ANBU track us, however, we may have to move further east. North of the Hidden Sound."

Naruto stiffened at this, lips drawing into a thin line. Catching his reaction Kakashi shook his head. "No. Our priority is the village and what could be happening there as we speak." His gaze softened when he saw Naruto's downcast expression. Placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder, he shook him slightly. "There'll be plenty of opportunity for that. Our village may be counting on us, Naruto. As future Hokage, you have a responsibility to be there to help."

His words had the desired effect. "Kakash-sensei . . . you're right!" Galvanized into action, Naruto sprang to his feet, eyes blazing anew. "Let's not waste more time! What's to do? Name it, sensei!"

Under the mask, Kakashi's mouth twitched, but his voice was business-like. "I'll make an inventory of our equipment and what we'll be needing for the journey. You set up some wire traps around this clearing, twenty foot radius, hunt us down some supper and send another clone to scout around for an alternate route to the mountain pass."

Seeing Naruto making no move to follow his instructions, Kakashi blinked innocently. "Is there a problem?

"A problem? Why'd you dump me with all the legwork and hard labour?"

"That's because I'm older, more experienced and an expert at planning infiltration operations."

"Or maybe because you're still an invalid," came the sly reply.

Kakashi eyed him blandly. "Or maybe you still haven't gotten over that hunting incident. You know. The one when you mistook the sounds that couple were making in the bushes for a pig and you - "

"I'm going already! Sheesh . . ."

Left alone, the jounin cast a speculative glance at the mountains ahead, their peaks crowned with pastel cloud and indistinct in the mid-morning sun. He hadn't mentioned to Naruto his growing worry that the release of the jutsu might have created a chakra flare. If there was a shinobi outpost not far from here, there was a chance that they had sensed the flare and would send in squads to investigate. However, had that been the case, they would have arrived while he was still unconscious. Kakashi, however, had only made it this far by planning for the worst. He knew that he was in no state for a full-on battle just yet and required at least a day to recover the chakra he had expended while using the Mangekyo Sharingan. In this sense, he was almost completely reliant on Naruto to handle an attack from Iwa-nin, should they come under fire. Hand suspended over his back-pack, he froze momentarily, eye widening for a second before curving into a soft, proud, genuine smile.

For the first time in many years, deep in enemy territory and at the mercy of a hostile jungle and possibly lethal shinobi, Kakashi felt . . . somewhat secure. After all, Uzumaki Naruto, number one unpredictable ninja and future Hokage, had his back.

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"How's he doing?"

"He's seems all right. Fell asleep after breakfast."

"Good. Thank you, I'll take over from here." Sakura's expression as she mounted the stairs to Igarashi's room was grim, her mouth set in a hard line. As frail as the man seemed after the sudden onset of his illness, she had no further time to waste acting as nursemaid. Her friends' lives could depend on whether she joined up with that search party or not. There was no more time to waste. Pushing open the door, she entered the small room unannounced. Igarashi was still asleep, so she shook him awake gently.

"Mmph . . . what is it?"

"Igarashi-san? It's me, Haruno Sakura, your escort."

The merchant opened his eyes blearily, blinking back a rheumy film to regard her with bloodshot irritation. "What is it? I was resting . . ."

"I'm sorry, I know you're still ill, but I'm afraid we have to leave very soon. In fact, I'd like to get moving after lunch."

He stared at her as if she'd grown antlers. "Are you mad, young lady? I'll have to stay in bed for at least a few days. Don't presume to tell me about my own body, I know it very well, thank you."

Sakura swallowed her harsh retort with an effort. Her medic training was really going to have to serve her well in this case. "I am a medic-nin, Igarashi-san -"

"Well then, you should know better!"

"I do know better." She took a breath, "There's been an incident . . . a problem has come up with this mission."

"There is no problem! My money is safe and all you and your team need to do is get me to my home! Speaking of which, where is your team leader? Shouldn't Hatake-san be making these decisions?"

Sakura's face fell. "Igarashi-san . . . you really don't remember anything that happened in the forest?"

For the first time, the merchant's belligerence faltered, expression taking on a distant, pained quality. "W-What? The forest? I remember . . . being taken. I couldn't see him . . ."

"We've been over that this morning," she reassured him, "There's no need for you to talk about it. I know that you never saw his face. I mean . . . after. When Kakash-sensei rescued you."

He shook his head slowly, slight fear showing in his glance. "No. Nothing . . . what's happened? Tell me! Where is Hatake-san? He promised . . . you all promised to see me home safely!"

"We did, and you will," she replied firmly, "But you need to know that Kakash-sensei and Naruto were . . . hit by a jutsu. There's no sign of them in the forest where we found you, or anywhere nearby."

"Hit by a jutsu?" His voice had faded to a whisper, "Are they . . . did they . . . ?"

"They're alive." The conviction in her voice did nothing to reassure her own doubts and fears, and she knew that her reply had come too fast. Fingers digging into the bedside table, she continued, "I've sent word to Konoha. A search party will be sent out to look for them. And Igarashi-san, " She caught his eye, let him see the steel beneath her patient facade, "I will be in that search party. To do that, I must get you home and safe as soon as possible. I hope you understand the extreme urgency of this. I will help you pack and prepare, just get dressed and make sure you have something to eat and take your medication after. We'll be leaving in two hours."

She rose from her position beside the bed. The merchant stared at her, mouth working in helpless despair, "But -"

"Don't worry about walking," she cut him off, "I'll be carrying you on my back."

Turning on her heel, determination in every line of her frame, she strode out of the room. "Carry me on yo -" Igarashi's disbelieving exclamation was cut off yet again as he spied the place where her hand had rested on the small table beside his bed. There were deep impressions in the wood, five places where it had cracked and splintered effortlessly under the pressure of her fingers. Damage that she hadn't even realized she had caused in her distraction. And those marks told Igarashi very clearly that this 'young lady' could carry him with her little finger if she wanted to.

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Inoue Kenzo's wife was staying with a relative not far from the house she had shared with her husband. Shikamaru had decided on questioning her first, as her husband's death had been the most distinctive from the four victims, providing that much needed hint at a personal motive. He knew that he most probably would not get anything very intelligible or accurate from her, considering the considerable trauma she had been through, but it seemed that not all shinobi were as sensitive to civilians' lack of experience with violent death as he was. His conversation with his superior officer at the Konoha Policing Department had given him a clear display of just that.

Commander Sato Benjirou was a war veteran in his late fifties' but he looked well-preserved for a shinobi that had never retired from active duty, choosing instead to settle for a Commander's position in the police force. He looked much the way Shikamaru had expected him to, well-groomed, straight backed and alert, his greying side-burns and the heavy scar over his closed right eye, running all down his face to pull his lip up slightly into a perpetual grimace, lent him a distinguished rather than decrepit air. He had nodded curtly upon their introduction, giving Shikamaru a once-over that was blatant in its assessment. The young chunin took no offence, there was obviously none intended, simply a habit of old.

"Commander Sato, it's a pleasure to be working alongside you."

"Hm, yes. I've read your file. Very promising too. Your case notes were also helpful." Sato tapped the beige file that Shikamaru had delivered to his office the previous day. "From the material you have so far, I'm assuming you're going to visit the murder sites and thereafter, interview any next-of-kin and witnesses."

"Yes, sir."

"I suggest you start with the spouse of Inoue Kenzo. From the information we have, he was a singular victim."

"She might not be a reliable witness so soon after -"

"Nevertheless," Sato interrupted him, "We are working against time constraints. We have no suspects, or any evidence that points to one. For all we know, this killer might strike again, very soon."

Shikamaru nodded, quelling his doubts for now. As if reading his mind, Sato raised an eyebrow. "Is this the first time you've worked a case like this?"

"Yes, Sato-sama."

"Well then, a word of advice. Investigating a murder requires the same level of discipline and clinical thinking that any mission does. The fact that you're out of the field should not impact on your methods. Be cunning where you have to, do not hesitate to set traps or manipulate circumstances should you require them to work in your favour. Be ruthless if you have to, use every resource you have available to catch your criminal. There are civilians involved, men and women who might be nervous or defensive towards your questioning. Be prepared to adapt and use different personas to gain their confidence. To the farmer, be another man of the earth. To a trader, talk shop as if you were in business all your life. Never make promises, no matter how hard the victim's relatives or friends may exhort you. They would be well within their rights to take it up with the relevant authority should you fail to deliver on that promise." He gave a grim smile. "And that's where the similarities to a field mission end. You are dealing with people, people you risk your life protecting on every mission you undertake. Yes, we shinobi may see and do things civilians may never conceive of in their wildest imaginings. But as long as they are talking to you, dealing with you, they must never be aware of that fact."

With those words ringing in his mind, Shikamaru had stepped out of the offices into the foyer, to be accosted by the Hawk-masked ANBU. Slowly, he nodded in greeting.

"Nara-san. I am to accompany you on your investigation of the murder scene."

"Good. I'm heading over there right now. Inoue Kenzo's place. But first, we'll drop by the wife. Ask a few questions."

"Yes."

They took off, Shikamaru not bothering to send his silent traveling companion more than a cursory glance. Hawk was of medium height, compact and muscular in build and dark-haired. He carried the standard ANBU-issue tanto in a sheath on his back, but Shikamaru could see numerous scrolls, both carried out in the open and many hidden on his person, hinting at a proficiency with any number of sealed weapons or summoned animal companions. If sealed weapons were involved, the technique resembled that of Ten-Ten's from Team Gai, and Shikamaru wondered whether Hawk was any relation. Speculation would do him little good, however. Each ANBU was as trustworthy as the next in terms of their secrecy and strict following of orders. He wasn't even sure what that would mean to him as the shinobi heading this investigation.

They arrived at the address Shikamaru had been given, and, from the small map of the settlement in the valley, he could see that Inoue's house was not visible, but just around the corner where the walking-path that served as a street took a sharp turn to the right. "Right, let's get started."

Taking the lack of response from Hawk as a go-ahead, Shikamaru knocked politely and stepped back from the small front stairs. After a short pause, the door was answered by a pleasant-faced woman in loose fitting, fashionable trousers and a summer blouse. Her face took on a serious cast as she noted Shikamaru's chunin vest and uniform. He raised a hand in casual greeting, giving her a small smile. "Good afternoon. I'm Nara Shikamaru."

She nodded uncertainly. He saw that she made no move to invite him in. "Yes?"

"I'm investigating the incidents surrounding Inoue Kenzo's death. I understand that his wife, Inoue Saya, is at this address?"

"She is." The woman hesitated, obviously deciding on the most polite way to deny him an interview. "I'm sorry, she's not very well right now . . ."

"Your name is, ma'am?"

"Um . . . I'm Chihiro, her cousin."

"I'm afraid this is urgent, Chihiro-san. I understand that she's suffering from terrible trauma, but we need to move forward with these interviews as soon as possible if we're to progress with the case." Seeing her still seemingly uncertain, he nodded reassuringly. "It's all right. Just a few routine questions. We have her written report, so I won't ask her to go into any great detail."

This seemed to strike the right chord. Nodding, Chihiro stepped aside from her position in the doorway. "This way, please, Nara-san. Is it all right if I stay with her during the questions?"

"That's fine. I'd like her to be at ease."

Once inside, he was led to a small, airy sitting room with light, tasteful furnishings, a pair of glass doors open onto the small, neatly tended lawn. Another woman sat on a rush mat just within the doors, staring sightlessly outwards. From her haggard appearance and the deep lines of grief on her comparatively young face, he guessed correctly that this was the widow of Inoue Kenzo. Casting a glance over his shoulder, he saw that Hawk was nowhere to be seen. Probably listening close by. For which he was very thankful. No matter how comforting his manner, he would never get anywhere in his inquiries with an ANBU hovering over his shoulder.

"Saya?" prompted Chihiro gently, "There's a young man here to see you."

Looking up, the cool, empty gaze took in his shinobi uniform and a slow nod was given in assent. He stepped forward, taking the lead. "I'm Nara Shikamaru, Saya-san. Pleased to meet you. I have a few questions for you. Some general information that could help us find some evidence as to who did this to your husband."

She stirred, a slight frown on her brow. When she opened her mouth to speak, her lips stuck together slightly, as if parting after a long period of silence. Her voice was hoarse. "I . . . I filled in a report."

"I know. These questions are related to different things." He settled in a kneeling position on the mat before her. "I offer my sincere condolences for your loss. In my line of work, I know what it's like to lose someone you care for deeply. But I think you'd like me to get to the point, Saya-san. So I will do just that." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Chihiro give a slight nod of approval.

"Let's start with your husband's work environment. I understand that he was appointed a position in a fabrics trade company?"

She nodded. "He handled most of the finances. Kenzo was . . . good with numbers." Her voice faded to a whisper.

Shikamaru nodded encouragingly. "That's right. Was it a very competitive trade?"

"Yes . . . but not that way. Nobody would want to hurt Kenzo because of business. He was just . . . he was quiet. He kept to himself. Kenzo didn't cause any trouble."

"I see. Did you notice anything unusual in the past few days? Any people you didn't recognize coming to visit or hanging around the house?

She shook her head. "No. I . . . nobody."

"Any correspondence? Was he behaving differently or upset about something?"

"No." A sudden thought seemed to strike her. "Wait. On the day it . . . happened. There was something . . ."

"Yes?"

"I don't think it's important. But Kenzo . . . he seemed upset."

"Did he mention why?"

She nodded, brow crinkling in recollection. "Well, to tell you the truth, I was a little concerned when I heard too. He told me about the other . . . murder. That lady with the two little children." Her mouth spasmed slightly and she looked at the floor. "Those poor things."

"I'm sorry if this is difficult for you. I promise I won't be much longer, but this may be important, Saya-san."

According to Shikamaru's facts, the mother of two, Matsuo Fumiko, was the third victim, but the first body to be discovered due to her son's return from the academy. The first and second victim, the landscaper, Nakamara, and the carpenter, Tanaka, had been discovered hours afterwards, as they lived and worked under fairly isolated circumstances. So it made sense that the only death Inoue Kenzo was aware of was the one publicized in Konoha at the time, that of Matsuo Fumiko. Glancing up at Chihiro's closed expression, Shikamaru made an accurate guess that Saya's cousin had not informed her of the other two deaths so as not to upset her further.

"Anything, Saya-san. Any details may be useful."

"He said . . . he said that it was terrible. Those two children would be orphans. He was depressed . . . I saw him drink sake after lunch."

"Did he know the lady who passed away?"

"I . . . no." She shook her head, "Kenzo would have told me if he knew her. He was a quiet man . . . he was gentle. It must have upset him to think of those children." Here she looked up at him and he saw then, that her eyes were brimming with tears. "You see . . . we were going to try for children of our own . . ."

She broke off, overwhelmed by memory and bitter emotion. Chihiro rose hurriedly. "Nara-san . . ."

He held up a hand. "That's all right. I'll be going now. Thank you, Saya-san, I appreciate you finding the courage to speak about this."

Chihiro saw him to the door, waving gratefully, and he sighed once the door was closed, smoothing a hand over his hair. Hawk appeared noiselessly beside him. "Inoue may have known Matsuo. His response to the news of her death is otherwise illogical."

Shikamaru nodded. "I got that much. I'm a guy. If I were in his shoes, it wouldn't occur to me to imagine my own future children as those orphans and get depressed enough to take to drink. She may have been thinking about it quite a bit after he died. So naturally, her thoughts and wishes are subconsciously transferred to him."

Hawk nodded. "That is not unusual in many cases of witnessing the traumatic death of a loved one."

Casting his companion a curious glance, Shikamaru nodded. "Absolutely right. Let's go. The murder scene is up ahead."

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