Chapter 3: Being Lost

Konoha, Hospital, Entrance

Natsuki's eyes traveled from the papers in her hands to Kyuubi to the door the medic-nin run through. Her nii-sans just told her to ask that woman about her bloody pants. She was supposed to meet up with them, right after her questions were answered… But she forgot where. And to make matters worse, she kind of got a mission from that nice lady, which she should at least complete after Natsuki wasted her morning.

"Do you know where that room is? 309, ya know?" She asked the still scared genin. Surprisingly, the boy with the book answered… in a creepy voice…

"Go to the third floor, and then turn right, after you pass room 341 you take the hallway to the left. It's the fifth room on the right."

Not only Natsuki stared blankly at him. His other two teammates had a 'What the bloody hell' look on their face as well and even Fluffy eyed him weird… It sounded like he studied the hospital over years.

"Ehm… Can you draw me a map or something? I am like… pretty bad with directions. And where are these stairs?"

Before any of the genins could answer- screaming and yelling erupted from the fourth floor. Everybody in the hallway covered their ears. But still they could make out something about being 'lazy' and 'better explaining things' as well as some terrifying cries of horror…

The genin looked at each other and nodded before changing their minds. The boys took her arms, while the girl took hold of Fluffy, who tried desperately to cover his sensitive ears and they run down the hallway.

"If Sensei asked, Shizune-sama asked us to escort you upstairs, okay?" The boy to her right asked, while the one on her left smiled… creepy…

She just nodded and hoped her nii-sans would just pick her up soon!

Konoha, Hospital, Room 418

Shikamaru sat in the corner of the room, farthest away from a certain angry blonde. She had yelled at him for whole four minutes and 37 seconds without stopping. He already considered on trying to escape… if it wouldn't annoy her even more.

But finally- four minutes and 39 seconds sharp, she took a breath. And Shikamaru used this one. He didn't know if he would still live the next time she inhaled…

"I am sorry, Ino. I-"

"That's enough," Shizune cut in while stepping forward, Shino stood behind the medic-nin with a safe distance between him and Ino. But for now they needed to know what was going on, the rest could wait. "What happened on the roof, Shikamaru?"

"I wanted to look how Kurenai-san was doing, but then I saw Asuma-sensei and Genma-san on the rooftops across the street." Ino looked at him…sad? Confused? He couldn't place the look in her eyes. "I caught them with my Kagemane no Jutsu… but that Asuma-guy broke it and threw me into the water tower without even touching me. It wasn't…normal."

"When was that? What were they doing?" Shizune kept questioning. There had to be a reason for a 'dead' person to walk around. And if somebody tried playing tricks on them, in the name of a dead shinobi who fought for his village, he would pay a deadly price…

"I think it was this morning… or close to noon… And they just looked down the street and said something about "the revenge for the fox" and "grabbing something to eat"." Shikamaru stared at the ceiling, while trying to remember the details. "Whatever Jutsu they used to disguise themselves, I couldn't break it. It was like the chakra, all the chakra for that disguise was coming from somewhere else."

"That sounds pretty weird." Ino replied dryly. Chakra from outside the body was more than just a weird thing. It wasn't right. Chakra came from the physical and mental energy of a person. And to forge it correctly you needed to balance it all the time. The chakra couldn't just come from somewhere else or at least not to 100 percent.

"The revenge for the fox?" Shizune asked "You are sure he said these words?"

She on the other hand was already going through the meaning of these words. Did they mean Kyuubi? Or even Naruto? Or was it just another random person with the nickname of fox? Tsunade just told her that Naruto came home every year and she said his visit would be soon. Or was it now?

"The laundry can wait until tomorrow. Shino, can you show your genin a picture of Asuma and Genma and tell them to look for them?" They watched him nod quietly and Shizune continued "They are to not engage them, just to report back, when they see them. They shouldn't receive that much attention from foreign shinobis being only little genin"

"That shouldn't be a problem." If they go and look separated, he added in thoughts.

"Please, also report to Tsunade-sama, Shikamaru. Ino and I will have to check some antidotes and other drugs to make sure, it wasn't faked by our visitors… Just in case"

Konoha's newest smoker just blinked at her. "I was just knocked out cold. Shouldn't you give me a check up or something before sending me back to duty?"

But everybody just ignored him. Shino listened a while to the medic-nins' conversations about what herbs and drugs to check first, before they parted ways at the end of the hallway. He kept thinking about Asuma and begged to Kami that Kurenai-sensei hadn't seen him. It would confuse her just more, and she was already heartbroken.

But as he reached the reception his thoughts took a complete 180 degree turn.

Where the h*ll, did these brats go?

Konoha, Training Fields, in front of the Memorial Stone

Naruto and Ryouta were bored, bored out of their minds. Why was it that Natsuki hadn't returned by now? It was already starting to get late afternoon… Did something happen? Each of them wanted to search for her, only to be stopped of the other. They just didn't know what to say, if they were to bump into a conversation about a woman's period.

And even though they were on a Training Field, none of them wanted to train in a Hidden Village. They couldn't use all the jutsus of the persons they disguised themselves as, not to mention that they couldn't use their own moves, while using said disguise.

So they just said there and watched sky for about three hours.

"Okay, we left her alone with that fur ball today morning and the sun's going to set soon…" Ryouta started again.

It was just like throwing a coin. Every minute one of them would voice his opinions, fears, and hopes, about what could have happened to their little sister. And every time the other would try to calm down the other…

"Okay, we should really look for her."

…until the other was to scarred himself.

"And if they still speak about, you know what, we will just pass by accident and leave again" Ryouta added.

"Sounds great to me"

Konoha, Hospital, Room 309

"I told you, we would have to go left after we passed room 341." Hashi said in a bored voice.

"No, you didn't. You said 375!" Haru replied with an angry red face.

"What is more annoying is that these damn rooms are not even close to being in order!" Hana just added.

Natsuki looked from one genin to the next, all the time questioning their ability to survive longer than two minutes alone in a room. Kyuubi just sat next to her feet. After they got lost the third time in this hospital, he escaped Hana's grip and stayed as far away as possible from the girl who nearly hugged him to death.

Ignoring the angered team, Natsuki knocked on the door and tried to enter a moment later. But the door was locked. Turning back to the fighting teenagers, she waited for a moment of inhaling before speaking.

"Ehm, guys…?"

"You are Shino-kuns kids, aren't you?" Another voice behind them interrupted her.

They all turned around, just to see a blonde woman. Her hair was hold by two piggy tails and on her forehead was a seal in the shape of a diamond. Her bust girth was amazing and looked even greater in the gray, short kimono and a green jacket she was wearing.

Natsuki's eyes went wide. That woman looked exactly like the Fifth Hokage! But she couldn't be… could she?

"Hokage-sama!" Haru and Hana exclaimed, while Hashi just nodded respectful.

Well, so much for she couldn't be the Hokage…

"Shino is looking for you. If you don't want to get in trouble, you should hurry" Tsunade said. Haru and Hashi run already back to the stairs, but Hana looked concerned at Natsuki and the papers for a moment, but before she could say something, the Sannin interrupted her again. "It's alright, I will help her out."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" With that Hana hurried to catch up with her teammates.

"Ehm… this nice lady wanted me to…" Natsuki tried to explain. She didn't know what to say, she felt save with the Hokage, but she couldn't help but be scared of her in the same moment.

"It's alright, darling" she bit her thumb and put it on the door, which opened at once, before taking some of the papers from the little girl. "Just throw them on the chair. Shizune is going to order them again anyways. Will you come with me for a little walk?"

Natsuki just nodded. It wasn't wise to decline the request of a very mighty person. So, she did how she was told, took her Fluffy in her arms, and followed the Sannin. It was awkward at first. So many people just greeted her, because she went with the Hokage through the village. But all the time they just walked in silence, until they reached an old apartment complex. It was in the middle of the village, but it looked like it was empty since ages. She remembered her onii-san looking said at it, but before she could ask the woman about it, they already went inside.

"What kind of place is this?" she asked the older woman, while she hugged Fluffy closer to her chest.

"I will show you" she just answered without turning around, "Come on"

With a more awkward feeling n her belly than before in the village, she followed the Sannin towards a big door. Words like demon and monster were sprayed on it. It made her feel uneasy. A thought, small nearly unnoticeable began to develop in her mind. It was more like a question, but she couldn't shake it off. Was this were her onii-san lived?

"You may enter first." The Hokage said silently, but Natsuki didn't move.

"Why did you take me here?"

"Because" Tsunade kneeled down in front of the little girl, "you and your brothers and even the little Kyuubi in your arms need a home. I need to speak with one of your brothers. You will be in too much danger, when you keep traveling and there are really bad people out there that could hurt you any time, Natsuki."

With that she pushed the door open, just to reveal a clean and completely comfortable apartment, hidden behind the ugly disguise.

"I don't know if Naruto wants to live here again, but I always tried to keep it as clean as possible. But it does not have enough space for you four, when Kyuubi wants to go back to his human appearance. If you want to, you could also move into the Hokage Tower, for the time being."

Fluffy jumped out of Natsuki's arms, who was stunned speechless. Her brothers never really spoke about their past. It was weird to meet somebody who seemed to know more about them than she did herself!

Fluffy just stretched and soon stood straight in his human form in front of a totally calm Hokage. He smirked evilly, before sending his chakra out for Ryouta and Naruto to come. After all he still had to stick with the rules.

"What do you have to offer, woman?"

Sorry, for not updating earlier! I just had to write semester test, then I was gone over the whole vacations, then I got a new sister (YAY! I am a BIG sister now! :DDD), and then I had to write the next semester tests and kind of forgot the whole story…

I AM TOTALLY SORRY!

Please don't be angry with me!

Greetings, Penny