Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any Naruto characters portrayed in this fic.
A/N: I would like to bring to attention something one of my reviewers kindly pointed out. The time settings of the story do not strictly follow each other for different characters. Kakashi and Naruto are following the same time intervals as Sakura thus far (Day 5 since they departed Konoha on the mission), but Shikamaru and others in Konoha are experiencing incidents in the time frame of a day later (Day 6 since Team Kakashi departs from Konoha). This will be made evident as the story continues, but I understand the confusion it may create now. For this reason, I will now indicate precise days as from the start of Team Kakahi's mission with Igarashi. 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 2: Flight
Chapter 7: Gaining Ground
Day 6 since Team Kakashi's departure from Konoha
"What's he doing here?"
"K - Kiba-kun!"
"Yeah, yeah, he's a Sannin, but - "
Kiba's rant was abruptly brought to a halt by the silent, yet sudden appearance of a familiar hooded shinobi.
"Why? That is a very good question. I'm afraid I don't know why Jiraiya-sama awaits us."
Ignoring the slightly odd looks he was receiving from his team-mates, Shino led the way towards the main gate. The flowing white ponytail and towering stature that had announced the Sannin's presence served to silence them until they stood in a disciplined row before him. Jiraiya looked uncharacteristically grave, the corners of his mouth slightly downturned in a small echo of the deep frown furrowing his brow.
"Jiraiya-sama? Our orders were to meet you here."
Kiba received a nod in response while Jiraiya scrutinized them carefully. "All right, you three, I'm guessing you weren't briefed before you got here. No surprise there, we've got no time to hang around. I see you're all properly equipped for this mission. Good."
He turned and gestured for them to follow. Exchanging glances, the three young shinobi nodded in swift acknowledgement. "Yes, Jiraiya-sama!"
A few moments later the wide main street was empty, faint chakra traces the only indication that the four-shinobi cell had stood to attention shortly before. Indeed, the pace that Jiraiya set was almost punishing to the younger members of Team 8 as they increased the chakra they channeled to their legs and feet in order to keep up with him. When they were approximately a mile from Konoha, still traveling along the main road, past the small settlements that punctuated the endless farmland, Jiraiya slowed his pace just enough to explain their mission.
"Right, here's the situation. Team Kakashi was sent on a C-rank mission two days ago. They ran into some . . . problems. First, the client was kidnapped. They followed and caught up easily, but, as it turns out, the kidnapping was a set-up."
"A set-up?" Kiba's ears visibly perked. "For who?"
Hinata turned pale. "N - Naruto-kun? Is he . . . "
"That's exactly what we don't know." Jiraiya turned away, a shadow passing across his face, lines etched deep where they were normally barely visible, a marked testimony of the worry he felt. "Sakura got away safe. She's on her way back to Konoha to re-group with whatever search party was sent out, namely, us. That's why we're taking the main road. It's the route she'll be taking back. Once we meet with her she'll take us directly to the site - "
He stopped abruptly, head snapping to the left where he had sensed a sudden spike in a certain chakra signature. Hinata was suddenly right beside him and, when she spoke, there was no presence of the characteristic stutter. "Naruto-kun. Where is he now?"
"Kakashi and Naruto were hit by the enemy's jutsu. A fuuinjutsu that was a modification of the famous 'Flying Thunder God' technique used by the Fourth." He produced a scroll from an inner pocket and tossed it over to the indigo-haired girl. "That's a copy of the markings that Sakura transcribed from the jutsu. The technique tracks unique chakra signatures, in this case, Naruto and Kakashi, and forcibly transports them to a specified area. It seems to draw upon many principles of ninja summons, as the jutsu is activated by a third party and not the target shinobi who are transported."
Kiba cursed violently and Shino spoke for the first time since leaving Konoha. "And so you think they've been transported to Earth country? That's where our mission states we are headed."
Jiraiya nodded. "The co-ordinates are clearly marked on the fuuinjutsu, but it indicates an area outside Earth Country. However, the fact that Naruto and Kakashi ended up so much closer to home than intended comes as no surprise."
"There was a mistake in the jutsu?"
"No. Kakashi's Sharingan has some . . . unique abilities. He would have been able to counter the jutsu, but only so much as his chakra reserves allowed."
Kiba shook his head. "Whatever the case, they're in bad territory. If the Iwa-nin find them - "
"Then shouldn't Hokage-sama have sent an ANBU extraction team instead of us?" Hinata interrupted brusquely yet again, receiving a bemused look from her team-mate.
Jiraiya grunted. "And there we hit yet another snag. The Earth country ambassador met with Tsunade-sama last night. The Iwa-nin are already aware that Naruto and Kakashi are within their borders. Their communication is actually the only reason we know where those two are right now."
Kiba stumbled slightly. "What?"
"Tsunade has explained as much of the situation to the ambassador as possible. Everything about the mission and how those two were set up as spies. He seems to understand, but has made it clear that not all members of the Iwagakure governing council will be willing to take such a tolerant view. Some of them, it seems, are just itching to exact old vengeances from the war. And any excuse looks like a good one. Sending an entire ANBU unit who might engage the Iwa-nin is like an outright declaration of hostility on Konoha's part."
"But then . . . " Hinata's lips set in a tight, tense line.
"They'll wage war on Konoha anyway. And Naruto and Kakashi will be the catalysts." Shino's bleak statement settled a heavy pall of silence over their party.
And yet again, it was Hinata who uncharacteristically injected them with new resolve. "No, they won't. Not if we get to them first. Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei are depending on us."
Jiraiya shot her a glance. Then another. And finally his gaze wandered below her neck-line. The infamous Sannin's final thoughts on that subject were something to the effect of 'Tch. That Naruto. Not only is her passionate devotion obvious, they're practically bouncing out of that baggy jacket. What have I been teaching him?'
Day 5 since Team Kakashi's departure from Konoha
The student whose intelligence was in question was engaged in a task that required all the skill he possessed as a shinobi. Hiding. Or keeping as silent and still as possible while concealing his chakra. He watched as his clone shouted out from the tower, the signal that it had found what it was looking for, and leapt off the platform, heading for the forest. The other clone he had sent out earlier to draw off the patrol had been dissipated some time before. A flood of images had come back to him, of shouting, flashing kunai and crushing earth. It was only a matter of minutes before the patrol would return. In the ring of firelight before him the shapes of the battling shinobi were barely visible, the air thick with choking clouds of dust raised by the earth jutsu of the Iwa-nin as they desperately tried to incapacitate the lithe, dancing predator in their midst. Kakashi was his only point of clarity, the iron-plated, lightning clad fist tearing through the heavy atmosphere, sparking and sizzling with a charge that raised the hairs on Naruto's arms. Feet shifted, chakra laden to enhance their speed, but the silver haired man was always faster, a fine mist of blood and the thump of falling bodies trailing in his wake.
And then there was a moment, one heart-stopping moment, when he stumbled. A kunai winging straight for his throat as he jerked forward, the wielder's eyes wide with terror, barely watching as he swung the blade wildly in Kakashi's general direction. A clang rang through the clearing as one of Naruto's own missiles collided with the Iwa-nin's, knocking the blade off target so that it merely scraped along Kakashi's cheek, slicing through the upper portion of the dark, close-fitting mask. A few moments later, the unfortunate man's arm cracked under a well-placed blow and he collapsed, the armor-plate on the back of Kakashi's glove smashing the bridge of his nose and forcing his head back into an unconscious slump. There was a pause as the fighting died down, the Iwa-nin who had fought bravely to defend their outpost heaped around the central brazier.
Naruto was about to move to his sensei's assistance, despite the plan, when Kakashi's head snapped around and, beneath the torn mask, his nose twitched. Instantly, Naruto was back on guard, chakra suppressed as low as possible. The patrol had finally arrived. Talk about screwed up timing. Turning his attention back to Kakashi, he saw the man tilt his head slightly in the direction he knew Naruto occupied and nod. Phase 2. Gritting his teeth, he watched as Kakashi raised a kunai, in the defensive once more, but making no move to conceal himself.
Despite common opinion, Naruto was no imbecile when it came to battle. Indeed, there was nobody more unpredictable and yet, reliable enough to watch a comrade's back when they were in a pinch. He had known this moment would come, had been prepared for it. Still, watching his sensei's heaving shoulders, listening to his slightly ragged breathing and remembering that near-fatal stumble, Naruto found himself torn between staying hidden as planned or rushing headlong in to assist. Traveling by tree-top hadn't taxed his sensei nearly as much as the fight, which required him to use jutsu, draining his already dangerously low chakra reserves. As if reading his mind, Kakashi stiffened and shot a glance over his shoulder. Naruto knew what that look meant. Stay put. Or else.
The three chakra signatures became more distinct and a second later Naruto heard a muffled curse from one of them as they took in the decimated forces of their camp. There would be no mistaking that the masked man standing in the midst of the wreckage was anything but the culprit. One of the patrol stepped forward and Naruto could see from his ready stance that he was by far the most battle-hardened. A grizzled beard, flecked with iron grey and bisected by a long, white scar on the left cheek and the large indent on his upper bicep, a mark of flesh being blown away by explosives, were as good an indication as any. The dark, hooded eyes traveled sharply from the unconscious shinobi, to the ransacked communication tower, to Kakashi, then fixed with great attention on the Sharingan's slowly rotating tomae.
"So our information was right. It is you. Sharingan Kakashi." His eyes shifted slowly around the clearing. "And that means your partner isn't far away. Tell me, where can he have got to? The nine tails is no small bargaining chip."
Naruto suppressed a gasp. They know! But how? How had a communication from Iwagakure carried such detailed and accurate information? Sure, knowledge of Kakashi was no surprise, but of him? And the man had seemed pretty sure about the Kyuubi. Tsunade had repeatedly drilled into his head that outside of Fire Country, the whereabouts and identity of Jinchuuriki were closely guarded secrets, until said demon host created a name for him or herself in battle. Naruto had taken on Akatsuki and defeated members of that terrible organization on more than one occasion, but those exploits were relatively recent. It should have taken a lot more time for these events to reach the ears of shinobi in other countries. At this rate, he would make the bingo books at S-Rank level. Bringing his attention back to the scene before him, he saw Kakashi's eyes narrow.
"Who I am isn't important. I left these shinobi alive, and that isn't because I'm feeling sentimental. Make one wrong move and whoever finds you will have the fun task of playing jigsaw with your body-parts."
Naruto saw the old shinobi's hackles rising at the taunt. His voice however, betrayed none of his anger. "Alive, huh? How generous. And to what do we owe this goodwill?"
"You received a communication concerning us. I've already taken a copy." He tapped one of the pockets on his Jounin vest that Naruto knew contained nothing but summoning scrolls. "But since I probably won't have the time to read it due to the attention you guys will lavish on me, why don't you spare me the trouble and tell me what it says?"
It was a long shot, and Naruto knew that his sensei was probably aware that it wouldn't work. The Iwa-nin raised an eyebrow while his two younger companions shifted with visible unease and shot each other glances. "Oh? But since you're the spies here, wouldn't you know better?"
Spies? A cold feeling began to unfurl in Naruto's stomach. Someone told them we're spies? The instinct to grab his sensei and hightail it out of there grew stronger. He could tell, from the very subtle body language, that this was news to Kakashi too. Slowly, Naruto brought his hands up to either side of his face and pressed down, thinking as hard as he could. He knew that in the ten minutes it took him to figure things out, that same train of thought would flash through his sensei's razor sharp mind in the matter of a few seconds. Kakashi would plan ahead and, since they wouldn't be able to communicate directly from now on, Naruto had to ensure that his thought processes were only a step behind the older man's. Think, idiot! Right, ok. The message these guys got from Iwagakure told them who we are and that we're spies. But this outpost is at least three days away from Iwagakure. The message was sent before we even got here . . . they were expecting us! But how?
His inner monologue was cut short as the old Iwa-nin spoke again. "It's useless, you know. Iwa was just waiting for confirmation from us. When we sensed the chakra pulse from the forest, we immediately sent out a reply to them and told them you were here. The ANBU units are probably only hours away by now. I can see that you haven't killed anyone, and that might work in your favour. Give yourselves up. I can't promise that you'll live if you don't."
Kakashi tapped his chin, as if thinking it over, then his eye curved in mocking response. "Is that so? And when I'm in captivity, do you think your masters will forget that one of the highest casualties of Iwa-nin was brought about by none other than myself?"
The old shinobi's eyes widened in shock and rage. "Son of a bitch, " he hissed, " You think you can WALTZ in here - "
"One hundred and twenty three."
"What?"
"One hundred and twenty three," Kakashi's voice was low, steel sheathed in velvet. "That's the number of men I killed. Your men. During the war and after, when I joined ANBU. And you'd do well to remember that there were atrocities on both sides." And here, confusing Naruto even further, he saw his sensei gesture to his Sharingan. It did seem to mean something to the Iwa-nin, though, as Naruto saw the anger dissipate from his frame and a calculating look replace it. "No," Kakashi continued, "I don't think I'll take you up on that offer. If you want to take me in, come and get me."
As soon as the words left his tongue, a dark shape lashed out from the shadows behind the three Iwa-nin. The silver-haired shadow clone dropped low, sweeping a leg out to topple one of the younger shinobi, then using the momentum behind the man's fall to crack his jaw with an audible snap. Swearing, the old Iwa-nin moved with surprising speed, hand seals forming in a well-trained blur. A series of tall, earthen spikes shot up around them, spearing the clone which disappeared in a puff of smoke. The jutsu did not stop there, however. The ground ruptured in a heaving line, heading with frightening speed straight to where Kakashi stood. The Jounin's lithe form disappeared in an instant, a small cloud of dust forming where his chakra-powered leap had propelled him out of the jutsu's reach. The skewering rock barely cleared his sandaled foot as he spun in mid-air, and Naruto caught the tail end of his hand seals. A wall of earth, snarling hounds etched into the dark surface, surged up from the ground, blocking off the Iwa-nin's technique. The spikes cracked, crumbling away from the force of the wall's thrust.
Seeing an opening, the remaining younger Iwa-nin raced forward, weaving his way through the pillars his partner had raised. As he ran, a fine cloud of dust gathered and settled around his fist, solidifying to form a rock-like gauntlet. Leaping high, he came down with a fierce blow, burying his reinforced arm into the wall to bring it down. The ground shuddered under the force of the considerable punch, and Naruto clenched his fists as he saw the wall begin to crumble. The old Iwa-nin seemed to see something that neither he nor the youngster had either, as his triumphant look swiftly changed to one of horror.
"Get back! Get out of there!"
Confusion and fear showed clearly on the young shinobi's face as he tugged his hand away from the wall only to find that he was firmly lodged. Naruto felt the electric charge before he saw it, the numerous crackling orbs of energy that condensed from where they had been hidden in the crumbling earth, lancing straight through to the hapless man trapped directly in their path. The sizzling bolt struck him full on, tearing him clear of the wall and depositing him with a muffled, heavy thump at the feet of his superior where he jerked spasmodically for a few moments before falling still. The smell of singed hair and cloth filled the clearing, but from the faint chakra pulse Naruto could tell that the shinobi was alive, if barely.
Kakashi was once more visible, perched jauntily on the tip of one of the spikes. Despite the sweat showing on his partially revealed features, he seemed composed. "What a cute student you have. And he respects you. Mine are rude and rowdy and make naughty jokes about my sexuality - "
He was cut off abruptly by a snarl from the old shinobi who suddenly swung his arms in a wide circle. Thin, almost invisible snare wires shot up from the ground around the silver haired man, slicing forward, trapping him and cutting into his flesh. A dark spray jetted out from where the zinging, snapping wires had snagged his throat, but, yet again, the Iwa-nin's victory was short lived as the rest of Kakashi's form collapsed inwards in the form of the same dark sludge; a mud clone.
"Bastard!" Hissing and spitting curses, the older shinobi was speeding off in a flash, disappearing in the same direction Kakashi had taken. Phase one had worked perfectly. The other shinobi were incapacitated and the only remaining threat was completely focused on Kakashi, the Jounin's earlier taunts and hostility serving to fuel the righteous vengeance that lurked in the heart of every war veteran. He would follow Kakashi, fight him, and only much later, when his mind cleared, would he wonder where the other reported spy had been. And by then, it would be too late to back-track.
The coast clear, Naruto emerged from his hiding place, gingerly dislodging his fingernails from where they had dug into his palms during his sensei's battle. Kakash-sensei's strong. He'll be fine. He's not stupid, he'll know what to do. I have do my part of the mission, or it'll all be for nothing. The heavy steel door of the bunker was draped in camouflage netting, probably to keep the metal from overheating due to its proximity to the brazier. Behind the door, he sensed the two guards' chakra signatures suddenly spike. Now that all signs of the battle had faded, they were preparing to emerge to perform a reconnaissance of the camp. The fact that they had exercised the will to remain at their guard posts meant that they were either experienced and highly disciplined or young and terrified of disobeying orders. Acting fast, he leapt over the unconscious forms of the Iwa shinobi, dragging and kicking them out of the path of any damage he would incur. He could not allow the two shinobi within to open that door. Once they realized that an enemy was still within the camp, there was a chance that they would return to the safety of the bunker and lock him out. By the time he gained entry, they would probably have had ample time to destroy the document he was after. The element of surprise was key. Or at least, according to Kakashi.
Reaching into his pouch, he withdrew the high-powered explosive tags Kakashi had provided him with before they reached the outpost. These were strictly Jounin-issue due to the sheer explosive force contained within, but Kakashi had explained clearly and thoroughly how to use them beforehand. And he trusted Naruto with them, which spoke volumes. Behind the steel door, something shifted. The shinobi within were de-activating the locking mechanisms. There were three vacuum-powered locks on every bunker door, a standard precaution. In the case of an attack, all three locks would be activated, with thirty second intervals between each unlocking sequence once the door was opened from within. The first lock clicked open. He had sixty seconds.
Quickly, Naruto peeled away the thin transparent film that kept the ink on the tags intact. Reaching out with his chakra, he activated first one, then the other. He pulled the small charges out of his pouch and stuck them carefully around the periphery of each tag in the exact pattern Kakashi had indicated. These charges were what channeled and magnified the explosion ignited by the tag. The second lock clicked open. He had thirty seconds.
He darted towards the bunker door and placed one tag firmly at the bottom right hand corner. Pulling a length of wire from his pack, he stretched his arms out as far as they would go, measuring the point to place the second tag on the upper half of the door, precisely one hundred and eighty degrees to the first. A fait whirring reached his ears now that he was so close to the door. Ten seconds. Slapping the tag into place, he leapt away, fingers already raised into the ram seal.
"RELEASE!"
Day 6 since Team Kakashi's departure from Konoha
The place was swarming with ANBU when they arrived. Hawk was a few steps ahead, raising his hand in an 'all clear' signal to give the others indication that Shikamaru had clearance to pass through. He received yet another surprise when he saw the tall figure of Commander Sato approach him.
"Nara-san," was the curt greeting he received. "We have a situation."
He nodded grimly in reply. "Hawk informed me of the murder, Sato-sama. A shinobi?"
"Yes. You may even be acquainted with him."
Shikamaru's head snapped up, eyes searching the Commander's face. "What do you mean?"
"This man was an instructor at the Academy. He taught the youngest recruits. Daisuke-san."
"D - Daisuke-sensei? He's the fifth victim?"
"Unfortunately, yes." The Commander examined him carefully for a moment. Although Shikamaru prided himself on his impassivity, something of the shock he felt must have shown in his face, because the older man slowly turned away. "You may have a moment. The autopsy team has already been called in, but they will not be able to move the body until the room is thoroughly swept for all chakra traces."
"Uh . . . yes, sir. Thank you."
He watched the Commander stride away, back erect, the slight limp in his gait, before facing the small, peach-coloured house. It was one in a row facing the street, the adjoining houses all interlinked. From the outside it looked peaceful enough, the eaves and sills well-maintained and painted in neat, attractive white, window-boxes overflowing with herbs and colour-laden flowers. Shikamaru noticed Hawk's gaze on him and shifted uncomfortably, fully aware that he was noticing all these smaller details to detract from the situation they were facing.
"Did you know this shinobi well?"
"Not really, no. He taught us in our first year at the Academy. I hardly remember him, as a matter of fact."
"Was he a good sensei?"
Shikamaru shrugged, noting the odd phrasing of the question. Hawk sounded entirely unfamiliar with the Academy. "As I said, I hardly remember anything about him. I never paid much attention in class, anyway. I do know that he retired about two years before we graduated. They had a small going-away party for him and someone gave Iruka-sensei too much sake. I remember that because it was the first and only time Iruka-sensei was absent. He was so hungover - "
Abruptly, he stopped. Hawk waited, quietly, patiently. Shikamaru sighed. "Sorry. I didn't know him well . . . it's just . . . "
"He was always there."
A short silence followed. "Yeah. That's it, I think. He was part of the Academy."
"Shall we go in?"
Shikamaru nodded, slightly relieved. They trudged forward, Hawk nodding to the ANBU guard at the entrance of the house. The cat-masked woman pointed them in the right direction. "Through those doors. He's in the living room."
They passed through the small passage, neat and thoroughly swept, the photographs mounted on the wall catching Shikamaru's attention. There were three, the first of Daisuke-sensei as a youngster, distinctive even then with his short, compact frame, heavy shoulders and square face. The second below it showed what looked like a family photo, with a possible father and sister. The third was an Academy photo and his eyes were immediately drawn to Iruka-sensei, looking very young and awkward on the periphery. Following the row of teachers, his gaze alighted on Daisuke as he remembered him. It had been many years. Calculating in his head, Shikamaru estimated that the man would currently be in his fifties. Or rather, had been in his fifties. Hawk had disappeared into the room ahead of him. Following swiftly, he entered, eyes widening slightly at the sight which met him.
The smell was what hit him first, the choking, cloying, metallic scent of blood, underneath which he detected the faint sickly-sweetness of decay. It was everywhere. Scarlet sprayed over the sofa, the faint flower-patterned walls, finely dotting the ceiling and dripping from the lampshade in congealing clots. In the midst of it all, arranged with macabre demureness, sat the corpse of the former Academy teacher, completely unrecognizable. From as far back as he stood, Shikamaru could see the signs of torture. Hands placed carefully on the knees, bloody, empty spaces where the fingernails had been. The shirt, neatly buttoned and tucked into the trousers, bloodstains from the slashed torso beneath soaking through the fabric, dried so hard that he was sure the material would snap if he exerted pressure. Although the legs were also neatly arranged, as if the man were sitting down to dinner, it was obvious that the knees had been broken, the angle of their placement slightly off. And from the neck upward . . .
Hawk stepped forward, bending over the red, fleshy mass. "An explosive tag. He was made to swallow it before the assailant set it off."
Despite himself, Shikamaru felt a cold sweat break out on his brow. "This . . . this is . . . "
"He was angry. Very angry."
"This is . . . treason. This is the work of one shinobi of Konoha against another!" Disbelief had made his voice higher than usual, at least, that's how it sounded to him.
"Look carefully."
He glanced over at Hawk whose eyes had shifted from the corpse to his face, unnervingly steady and focused. "Look carefully at this room. This body. This was not like the civilian murders. Those were clinical, like a mission. You said so yourself."
Nodding slowly, he forced himself to look back at what had been Daisuke. "Right. So . . . this is very personal. Not like a mission at all." He paused, marshalling his thoughts. "The violence is extreme. Aggression, the will to cause immense suffering . . . "
"Hatred," completed Hawk calmly. "The killer hated this man. Otherwise his death would have been like Inoue. There was a personal element to that too, but not on this level."
"Then there's a chance . . . that Daisuke-sensei knew this man well. Hold on!" He held up a hand. "This is nothing like the other killings. How do we know this is even the same person?"
"It's highly unlikely that two different killers would attack in such a short space of time. However, considering the differences in murder and victim, we have to take that possibility into account. Whatever the case, we have to search out all connections that Daisuke had, in Konoha and outside of the village, and whether any of those lead us back to the civilians."
As if by magnetism Shikamaru's gaze was drawn back to the body. "And then there's the arrangement. He took his time about this. The violence is in direct contrast to what he did after. He's not remorseful, no." Thoughtfully, he moved over to the lampshade, gaining a new angle on the scene. "He's mocking us. It's as if he's saying 'Here. A present for you.'"
Hawk was staring at him again. "Yes. And this arrangement was specifically meant for us. It's a message."
"What kind of message?"
"That he's doing us a favour. That he's doing what we should have done."
A/N: Yes, there was a lot of Kakashi action (I am a self-confessed fan-girl, after all) but never fear, in the next chapter, Naruto will get his chance to shine!
