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Divulgence and Protocol

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Sasuke ran at breakneck speed, oblivious to the throng of people around him. He charged towards the main gate, which was shut tight due to the security breach. Undeterred, he leapt on the top of a small building for a foothold, repeating the action on higher, surrounding structures. He jumped from the roof and, gathering chakra in the soles of his feet, landed on the fence and sprinted up the side. He cleared the top, passing Genma, and soared down into the thick forest beyond. "I'll find you," he hissed, jumping from tree limb to tree limb. He would reach the Higashi Forest in an hour, two at tops. He couldn't lose Itachi's hot trail – for two and a half years since being under Orochimaru's tutelage he'd been trying to pinpoint his brother's location. However, the whereabouts of Akatsuki's headquarters was unknown even to the most insightful ANBU Tracker. Now, he had a definite lead, imparted to him by his target. "You'll regret sending me that note," he said, a deranged grin carved into his face as he headed eastward through the dense foliage.

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Itachi jumped down from the canopy and landed in a sun-dappled clearing between the trees. He had been traveling for an hour since placing the genjutsu on that man with the cart. He had no doubt in his mind the stranger had succeeded in delivering the letter to Sasuke – Itachi's illusionary techniques were second-to-none.

He surveyed the area; yes, he'd undeniably have an advantage in this environment with its ample amount of camouflaging shrubbery and flammable tinder. He bounded to a leafy limb and nestled himself against the bark. He yawned, closing his heavy eyelids. Listening to the birds and hushed wind, he nodded off while reflecting on the inalterable choice he had made, and the inescapable events certain to snowball owing to it.

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"Why can't we go after him?!"

"I will not dispatch the ANBU Black Ops to find an ex-missing nin who went to the Higashi Forest on his own accord. Do you know how huge that area is?!"

Naruto and Saukra confronted Tsunade about retrieving Sasuke as she sat in her office twenty minutes after he had taken flight, but the meeting wasn't going anywhere. "But he's tracking Itachi! Don't you think that's dangerous? And doesn't ANBU wanna arrest Itachi? He's an S-Class criminal!"

Tsunade removed her reading glasses. "Though it's probable he wrote it, we've no tangible proof Itachi is the author of this note," she said, indicating the scrap of paper on her desk. "I can't disrupt ANBU's operations and send them off on a potential wild goose chase."

"Then classify it as an A-Rank mission and let a shinobi squad find him!"

"Naruto!" she hollered, slamming her palm upon the table. She sunk back in her chair, compressing her temples. "We all want Sasuke returned safely, but I don't want this to turn into a repeat of that disaster when you and the others tried retrieving him before. I'll deploy an ANBU Tracker Unit when we have concrete evidence Itachi did indeed write the letter, but until then my hands are tied."

"Forgive me asking, but why were there so many Black Ops in Sasuke's room if you don't have proof Itachi wrote it?" Sakura pressed with veiled calmness.

"Because about ninety percent of the evidence points to him, mainly the intricacy of genjutsu used on that man and the description he provided to us."

"Did he say the stranger was wearing an Akatsuki robe?"

She nodded. "Yes, yes. But even with that, there's no evidence that this alleged Akatsuki member was responsible for the genjutsu or if it even was Itachi."

Naruto snorted. "What's your deal with this 'proof' and 'evidence' junk? We both know Itachi did it!"

She glared at him. "He is our main suspect at this moment, yes. However," she walked over to the window, "we've nothing with which to compare the handwriting. The only letter ANBU possesses that possibly shows his penmanship is a suicide note purportedly written by Uchiha Shisui."

His cerulean eyes widened. "Purportedly'? And who's Uchiha Shisui?"

"His cousin. Shisui was in the Konoha Military Police Force years ago, while Itachi was the captain of the ANBU squad. One day, Shisui was found dead in the Naka River with a suicide note in his pocket." She returned to her desk and lowered herself. "Out of everyone who knew him, nobody could figure out why he'd take his own life, so foul play was assumed."

"Itachi was a suspect?" Sakura whispered.

"Yes. The Police Force tried indicting him, but they weren't able to collect any substantial evidence in the short time between that and…."

"The slaughter?" Naruto interjected.

She nodded. "In murdering his clan, he annihilated any and all employees of the Konoha Military Police. Since it had been an Uchiha organization, nobody resurrected the force, and ANBU took over their duties. Based on the records ANBU collected from the Konoha Police Station after the massacre, there had been an important meeting in the village the night Shisui supposedly drowned himself – neither Itachi nor Shisui showed."

"And… and Itachi could've copied Shisui's handwriting with the Sharingan…" he concluded quietly, insightful to her intimation.

"Exactly."

Naruto imagined the scenario: had he already killed Shisui when he put him in the river, or did Itachi drown the man? He shivered at the thought.

"In conclusion, that is the only note ANBU has that's conceivably Itachi's. Notwithstanding, if he did write it, it's a forgery of Shisui's penmanship, so it's useless for comparison. Also, the note we found today never references Sasuke – we can't be certain for whom it was meant."

"C'mon, Grandma Tsunade! It's obvious! If that guy was under a genjutsu he wouldn't make a mistake with the delivery location!"

"But we must look at all likelihoods, unbiased," she explicated laboriously. "For all we know, the note could've slipped out of his pocket while he was in Sasuke's room but was intended for someone else, or the wind could've blown it in there and he went in to recover it."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable! You're basing everything on protocol! You're a ninja – you need to rely on your gut sometimes!"

Her eyes half-focused solemnly. "Well… it did mean something significant to Sasuke."

"So why can't we go after him?"

"I told you, I can't make any moves until we have a water-tight lead," she remorsefully answered. "If I had one, I would send out every ANBU and shinobi to look for him."

"Granny…."

She pressed her hand against her brow. "Please, Naruto, don't make this any harder for me."

He stood there, processing everything she had told him. He inclined his head and turned to exit. "I just… I just wish you'd reconsider," he said as he peered at her over his shoulder. He and Saukura uttered no more and left.

They walked in bleak silence, thoroughly at a loss as to what to do. Their friend could potentially be dead, and all Tsunade rambled about was procedure. "I guess… we can only wait until he returns," Sakura offered with little conviction.

He tightened his fist. "Listen, Sakura, I need to do something, okay?" He darted down the hall and called back, "Don't wait up for me!"

"Wait! What are you doing?" but he vanished behind a corner.

He descended a flight of stairs, keeping his hand tightly clamped. Once at the bottom, he took a cursory glimpse to see if he'd lost Sakura. He unfolded the note he had discreetly hidden in his fist after he'd swiped it from Tsunade's desk. He evaluated the words, hoping somehow to decode the exact location to where Sasuke was headed. "Think you can run away again, huh? Well, you're in for some bad news," he said with determination. He'd find that jerk, even if it meant combing the Higashi Forest for days.

He detected approaching footsteps and swiftly slid the piece of paper into his pocket. From behind the corner emerged Neji, glowering at him reprovingly. "That's classified evidence, you know."

Naruto feigned surprise. "What are you talking about, Neji?" he asked, hoping his perspiration wasn't visible below his forehead protector.

"Don't play dumb!" he snapped. "I saw you hide the note in your pocket while I was headed this way."

His heart sank, recalling the Byakugan's meddling ability that allowed the Hyuga bloodline to peer through solid objects. "I need to find Sasuke!"

"And what good does stealing the letter do?"

He extracted it and gazed at the message. "It's the only link we have to where he's going, that's what."

An embittered smile settled over Neji's face. "He certainly has a habit of deserting Konoha, doesn't he?"

"So, you know he left again, then?"

He sardonically guffawed. "How could one not with all the commotion? ANBU officers have been swarming this place for over an hour."

"Oh, yeah… what happened to the prisoner they caught in Sasuke's room?"

"He was arrested," he disclosed. "He's to be formally questioned by Morino Ibiki."

"The head of ANBU's Interrogation and Torture Unit? Poor guy."

"But that's aside from the point! You stole a piece of evidence! I've a good mind to report you for interfering with an investigation."

His jaw locked with resolve. "And how many times do I have to tell you?!" He brandished the crumpled piece of paper. "This is my only lead! I might never find Sasuke without this!"

Neji's brow relaxed slightly. "Naruto," he began solicitously, "I realize you mean well, but we mustn't interfere with this. This is between the brothers - it's out of our hands."

"So you're gonna do nothing?!" he screamed, his eyes glossing with tears. "Maybe it's your damn fate to actually do something for once instead of just ranting about fate and going along for the ride like a fatalist!"

"I don't follow that creed of destiny anymore –"

Naruto grabbed Neji's shirtfront. "Listen to me: Sasuke might die. I have to save him! I don't care if you think it's none of our business!"

The other scowled. "Even if we find him today or tomorrow, he will die eventually. There is no getting around that. We all will."

"I know," he gnarred. "I just don't want him dying prematurely!"

Neji's eyes flashed with outrage, but the emotion diffused. Pushing the other's hand away, he asked, "And what exactly can we do?"

He glanced at the letter again, wanting it to unveil a solution, but no such thing happened. "I don't know," he moaned, sinking against the wall and gripping his hair. "I don't know."

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