Kidnapped
Bruce was terrified, and rightly so. Naruto was somewhere in the midst of these streets in the hands of Gotham's residents. He trusted Naruto, he knew he could take care of himself, he at least had the sense to wear his utility belt out that morning. In total honesty, he could've taken Naruto out with him for his nightly runs three months ago and the tiny blonde would've been just fine. After Jason though, he was putting anything up to chance with his sons ever again.
Nightwing landed next to Batman on the roof. "I've looked everywhere and I- I- Oh god I can't find him." Distress filled Nightwing's voice as he ran hand through his hair, and glanced around the streets surrounding the building.
"He isn't here." Batman ordered the Batmobile next to him. "Check the streets to Blüdhaven, Alfred keep in touch with Gordon and get me in touch with Superman and anyone else from the League, I'll head down to metropolis and check the roads. Jason, anything new?"
"Not yet, I'm gonna continue past the southern limits onto the back roads leading towards Dalmen city." Even Jason sounded stressed and worried.
"Let me know if you find anything." With a flurry of his cape Batman was in his vehicle and driving off.
Later Superman flew outside of the Batmobile, looking through multiple buildings at a time. "I still don't see any sign of him Bruce. He was only walking right? He can't have gone that far." The words, though meant to be comforting, came out puzzled and riddled with hidden concern. "I know you don't want me to ask this but what happened between the two of you? Is it possible he could have runaway?"
"Nothing happened!" Batman took a sharp turn, flipping switches a little more aggressively than usual. "Absolutely nothing happened!"
"Bruce I know you probably don't want to admit it but it might give us a clue-"
"Nothing happened Superman." Batman growled out. He glared from his seat in the Batmobile. An audible sigh left Superman's mouth knowing he probably wouldn't get anything out of the caped crusader.
"Are you sure? It really might-"
"I'm not lying Clark." His voice was softer now, filled with distraught emotion. "Truly, nothing happened at all."
It was clear Batman was frantic and lost. Bruce; was frantic and lost. To him it was Jason all over again, and his gut was telling him Naruto was in serious danger.
"Alright." Superman's voice was calm and understanding. It was in moments like these Bruce really treasured Clark's friendship, Clark communicated so much empathy with a single word. Addressing the rest of the bat family, Superman cleared his throat. "I don't think he's in metropolis. But don't worry, any of you, we will find him."
Naruto was terrified. He knew that leaving the house this morning without telling Bruce wasn't the smartest idea, but he really thought he could catch the criminal who had been defacing his locker this morning. He had a whole plan and everything. Except on the way to school he'd been mugged, which wouldn't have been a problem except it wasn't just any old mugger. It was by the penguin, who had caught him and sent him with his goons to be delivered to a center outside of Gotham that would keep him until Bruce payed for him back.
Naruto escaped from the trunk with little problem because they hadn't bothered checking under his jacket, a serious problem with their security if you asked Naruto. So with his utility belt Naruto was out of the trunk within a minute after he'd woken up. Except he had no idea where he was. It was going to get cold eventually so Naruto picked a direction and started walking.
When Naruto thought about it, it was a mistake to sneak out of Sasuke's house three days ago and not put his utility belts tracker back in it's spot when he got back. He absent-mindedly wondered if Bruce would be proud or upset he'd done it without Bruce noticing.
Naruto shouldered his jacket, the cold was starting to settle in and the sky had turned to a purple-red. He glanced around at the trees high above him, at some point he'd turned onto a dirt road with a sparse forest to his right, he could faintly see a house through the trees. Gathering his courage he set out towards it. He needed a place to stay the night and hopefully a phone to call Bruce and tell him everything that had happened.
He put a few rocks in his pocket just to be safe, but with his utility belt he'd most likely be ready for anything anyways. The house was less a house and more a fancy ranch style home, it looked to be a country home Bruce might buy and rent out if he randomly decided he liked the county or for the purposes of keeping up his playboy façade.
Slowly he headed up the road, around the circular garden and up the marble steps. Don't idiot. There's a bad feel to this place. Naruto brushed the words away, this was hardly a house from a horror movie. After ruffling his hair and shaking, up his clothes he proceed to ring the doorbell. It took a few moments before a young man, around Jason's age answered.
"Hell'o, suppos' your on the run from somin' huh?" He had an accent Naruto couldn't fully place, it sound like a mix between western and something european but it mixed in such a way it was hard to tell. "We always get a bunch, herd here like Zeb-ras."
Naruto cocked his head at that. Zeb-ras? Talk about talking funny. Stop being rude ya' twit. You talk funny too. He shook his head, where in the world were these thoughts even coming from?
"I was hoping to find a place to crash for the night." If the guy was gonna call him out on something he couldn't disprove, he might as well get to the point. What was that saying? Don't look the gift horse in the mouth. And that saying totally fits well with any of Batman's principles. Shaking his head again, seriously what was with the strange thoughts, they did have a point though. Naruto would have to be extra careful.
"Zach, love. Who's at the door?" A woman who looked to be in her mid forties answered the door and for some reason Naruto felt the creep factor raise about three notches. She glanced at the small child in front of the house. "Oh! Another guest, we have another young girl with us right now, why don't you come in. You look all disheveled and dirty, probably hungry too. Zach and I do just adore company." She ushered Naruto in without a second glance.
"Lil, give im' a bit o' space. He only just got here, no need tah bom'ard im' just yet." Zachary pushed the door closed, locking it with an audible click which only served to send shivers down Naruto's spine.
The two accepted Naruto into the house without question immediately making space for him next to the girl that poked around his age, she looked at him with wide curious eyes, studying him and poking at his jacket and clothes. When their creepily accepting caretakers had moved into the kitchen she finally spoke.
"They're creepy yeah?" She unconsciously scooted closer towards him, glancing from the kitchen to the door in which he had come from. Naruto only nodded as he warily glanced around the room. He couldn't quite put his finger on what is was. But something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
"So what brings you here?" The girl asked, leaning on her elbow.
Naruto took a moment to consider his options. He'd already created three viable plans to escape with her and five for just himself. Batman would have come up with more. Still she seemed trustworthy enough and he might as well keep up the story. "Running away, you?"
"I was done with the newest foster home." Naruto gave her a strange look but she only shrugged. "What's your na-"
"Oh dear child!" Lil exclaimed giving the girl next to him a smile. "You must have manners, you don't just go around asking people personal questions." Placing down a bowl chicken salad, and a bowl of mashed potatoes. Zach brought in the green beans and blueberry pie. Naruto gave Lil a funny look, how was that personal? He shrugged it off.
Lil reached out and grabbed the plates from in front of the children, serving the children equal portions of all the food. "Eat up!"; she smiled. "If you eat everything I'll give you a big slice of pie, maybe even two for extra veggies!" Seating herself the two adults began eating, while the girl next to Naruto looked deep in thought, poking at the chicken and then sniffing it. Her face contorted into horror.
Naruto stabbed into the chicken and lettuce going in for a bite. "NO!" The small girl beside him roared knocking the fork out of his hand and glaring at it in disgust as it flew across the room. For a few moments there was silence.
The girl turned her eyes slowly towards their captors, she looked terrified. "We have to get out of here." She whispered before all hell broke loose. Zachary lunged for Naruto, who tackled the girl, and was already pulling out batarangs. Lil growled as one hit her in the arm.
"Fine. We'll do this the hard way." she smiled.
Naruto scrambled up pulling his sort of friend along with him as he ran into the kitchen, yanking on the handle of the screen door. It was locked. Improvising he picked up the toaster and threw it at the window. Jumping out the glass hole he ignored the glass he felt lodge in his foot and kept running, dragging the girl behind him.
A gunshot resounded and Naruto pulled them both to the ground, the tall grass temporarily hiding them. "On the count of three we're going to run to the right for three seconds and then go back down. Each time we get up I'll let you know what way we're going." Naruto whispered and the little girl only nodded.
Within a few minutes they'd reached the forest and began sprinting, Naruto trying to head back the way he had came by going the long way around the house back through the sparse forest and down the road, keeping in the trees. When he felt they'd gone far enough he slowed to a stop.
"Oh god." The girl said. Holding her chest and collapsing onto her butt. "That was a lot of running." She picked up her feet and winced. "There's totally glass in my foot."
"Mine too." Naruto eased himself down next to her unhooking his utility belt and fishing around in it. Pulling out bandages, cream, alcohol and tweezers. "So what was that all about?" He asked.
"In my last foster house they were gardners, and it smelled exactly like one of the plants I was told never to touch." She shuddered and looked at her savior with a look that told him was wasn't getting any more info on the topic.
"Let me treat your foot." Naruto reached out but she slapped his hand away. Holding her hand out instead.
"I've got it, I have way more experience with medical things than you do anyway."
"How would you know?" Naruto asked pouting, and reluctantly handing over his supplies. She gave him a sarcastic smile.
"Because of how you hold those tweezers." She glanced down at what he'd given her. "You have any swabs or stitches in that magic thingy of yours?"
"Magic thingy?"
"You just pulled a ton of stuff out of there I don't think should ever be able to fit in there."
Naruto shrugged pulling out what she had asked for. "I don't know, Da-, er, my mentor just gave it to me and it kinda just fits…" Handing it over he watched intently as she worked on her own feet, clenching her teeth. "I have pain killers and some food too." He said. "But there for adults."
"Then what's the point of having them?" She growled, giving him a threatening look. "Pain killers are pain killers. Water?" Naruto shook his head. "You have food, pain killers, weird boom-a-rang things, and alcohol, but you don't have water?" She gave him a glare but swallowed four pills and handed him the same before setting to work on her foot.
An hour later Naruto was pulling himself upright testing the weight on his foot. "We need to keep moving, we aren't that far from their house, and I can't get far enough." The girl nodded and lifted her self.
"I never did get your name." She said dusting off her dress and combing her fingers through her oddly colored hair.
"Naruto." He held his hand out. "Yours?"
"Sakura." She shook it. "Looks like we're stuck together huh?"
Naruto smiled. "Well let's be friends."
Sakura scoffed and began to fit her sock back over her foot. "What do you think me taking that glass out of your foot was, kindness? It's not like escaping death together causes bonding or anything." Setting off in a slow hobble she called back. "You coming or what?"
Shaking his head Naruto scrambled to catch up with his friend.
