Seven.
"Bad choices make good stories."
― Oliver Markus Malloy
A.
He's not sure what's going through his head as he rushes over.
Naruto doesn't want to get his hopes up. Zabuza could only have minor news—something that edges them closer to the truth but still not far enough—dragged out from the screaming lungs of a tortured boy in desperation. Naruto knows all about those kinds of confessions, having watched from the sidelines often enough back in the day. Sometimes, the spilled words are reliable, other times not. Zabuza did promise that he wasn't going to go that far though, but who's to say? Naruto knows nothing about him in reality, besides his apparent dedication to finding Haku.
Who knows what the man gets up to, when the curtains are drawn?
His fears aren't laid to rest when he arrives. Gaara's posted up by the door, one leg raised up and arms folded. He nods companionably when Naruto appears, standing up straight to greet him with a twisted scowl.
"Details?" Naruto asks warily, knocking on Zabuza's door firmly in the code they established yesterday.
"None." Gaara confirms testily.
So they're going into this blind. Great.
Whatever Zabuza has must be pretty good, since he would only tell them in person.
Naruto's not expecting for someone other than Zabuza to open the door. That's probably why he doesn't react as violently as Gaara does. Gaara pushes him to the side and has his piece out immediately; Funny, Naruto wasn't aware that he had it on him — wait, where the fuck was he hiding it if not on his hip? But that isn't important right now. Right now, the girl that stands in front of them has her eyes blown wide, letting out a startled: "Whoa!" as she throws her hands up in surrender, stumbling back into the hall in haste.
"Who the fuck are you?" Gaara demands firmly, clicking off the safety while slowly advancing. The girl flinches, stepping back further into the house, eyes darting around for a means of escape.
Naruto's frozen, blinking in surprise at the sudden turn of events. Obviously he's still thrown off from the morning he's had, which is why he can't form the words to either calm Gaara down or question the girl himself.
That won't do.
All at once, he collects himself, stepping forward to take control because he knows for certain that Gaara will shoot if he doesn't like her answer and he's not dealing with that. Naruto calmly places his hand on the gun, not taking his eyes off the girl, pushing it down so it's pointed more towards her stomach instead of right between her eyes. He hears Gaara grunt angrily but the other man says nothing, apparently content to let Naruto lead.
"She's about to piss herself." Naruto says to Gaara over his shoulder. "Chill, and then maybe she can answer us."
The girl glares, face aging in seconds from the weight of her brows. "As if." She huffs in irritation, looking at Naruto like he's stupid. She juts out her chin and sets her jaw, staring deeply into Naruto's eyes to show that she's by no means afraid.
She swings her gaze back to Gaara, scowling hard. "You better stop pointing that gun at me, cowboy." She hisses dangerously. "If you want to keep your hands, that is."
Naruto's brows shoot to his hairline, not expecting that kind of vitriol at all. Gaara grins wildly, eyes taking on a scary edge that Naruto decidedly doesn't like.
"Oh yeah?" He replies lowly, voice little more than a growl. "Try it."
"Alright, alright!" Naruto exclaims, waving his hands wildly. "Both of you, calm down!"
He steps in between them to make his point, effectively defusing the situation since Gaara sucks his teeth but instantly retires the gun — like Naruto knew he would; he didn't think the other man would allow himself to risk shooting Naruto on accident, and he was right — and the girl just crosses her arms huffily as soon as she's not staring down the barrel.
"Let's try this again," Naruto begins slowly, as not to rile her up again. "I'm Naruto. This is Gaara. We're looking for Zabuza, since this is his house. Is he here?"
He waits patiently, staring at her expectantly since she and Gaara are still having a tense staring contest over his shoulder.
Finally, the girl rolls her eyes, letting her arms fall to her sides with a sigh. She nods, taking a step back to let them inside.
"He's taking a piss." She says crudely, shrugging as she leads them to the living room. "He said you guys were coming so that's why I answered the door."
"That was stupid." Gaara rebutts gruffly. "We still could have been anyone."
" Anyone wouldn't have the code, dumbass." She fires back, gritting her teeth. "Fucking lighten up, will you?"
Naruto places a hand on Gaara's forearm before he can reply, sending him a warning look. Gaara grunts but deflates, managing to keep calm despite himself.
"Sorry," Naruto says lightly. "We're a little on edge. It's been a stressful week."
Honestly? That's an understatement.
The girl rolls her eyes, lazily shrugging and mumbling a curt: "Whatever." as she plops down on the furthest end of the couch, staring at her nails.
Naruto eases down into the armchair, not at all surprised that Gaara chooses to lean on the armrest instead of sitting near her, even though there'd be plenty of space between them. The girl snorts—probably two seconds off from saying something else that will start a fight—but she doesn't get a chance before Zabuza's making his way into the living room. He raises an eyebrow at the black atmosphere that surrounds them, sharing a long-suffering look with Naruto that almost feels like camaraderie.
"Have I missed something?" Zabuza asks carefully, swinging his eyes between Gaara and the girl slowly, back and forth.
Neither of them deign to answer; Gaara waves his hand limply in dimissmal while the girl sucks her teeth and shrugs. It's up to Naruto to say, after biting down a heavy sigh:
"Nothing important." And then, after Zabuza nods and goes to sit, he follows up with: "What's up? What did you find out?"
"Who "A" is." Zabuza replies immediately. Naruto's brows raise in surprise and he shares a quick look with Gaara. The other man looks just as quietly pleased as Naruto feels.
"Really?" Naruto questions excitedly, sitting forward in his chair. "Who are they? Do you know where they are?" He'd be ready to go to them right now, if it meant finding out answers. This is great, he thinks, glad that he has someone like Zabuza on his side who works so quickly and efficiently. If the older man wasn't caught up in the business he spoke about, Zabuza would make a great P.I.
"Right here." The girl says, whistling softly to get his attention. Naruto turns startled eyes to her, not at all expecting that answer. Gaara stiffens beside him, sucking his teeth as he crosses his arms, thoroughly put out since he'll have to play a little nicer now that they know this girl has information they need. "I'm "A", short for Anko. I was supposed to meet with your friend before but I'm sure you already know that. I heard what happened and thought I'd come here to help."
No wonder Naruto had no idea what the initial stood for. Anko isn't a part of the Uchiha Clan; come to think of it, Naruto's never seen her around Konoha before this, and he's usually aware of it's permanent residents. He's not sure if she belongs to any clan, or at least none of the big five.
She doesn't look like the kind of girl who grew up in the trenches. Sure, she's a bit rough around the edges—crass, abrasive, and most importantly, fearless—but she doesn't have the aura of someone who lives like they do. There's a darkness within her that can't be ignored though, one that makes Naruto hesitant to underestimate her or brush her off just because they aren't exactly the same. He's not sure what it is, but it certainly gives him pause.
"It's nice to meet you, Anko." Naruto says genuinely, sticking his hand out for her to shake. "Thanks for agreeing to meet with us. I really appreciate it." At first she sneers, seemingly to cover up her surprise that he's doing such a thing. She waits so long to meet him halfway that he almost pulls back, irked that she left him hanging like that.
Her grip is firm as they shake hands, but she mumbles out a borderline embarrassed: "It's nothing." to his knees instead of his face.
Naruto can't help but feel a tiny stab of pity. It seems she isn't so used to people being nice to her. He wasn't even using any of his patented charm, and she's already averting her eyes.
It's fine. He'll take what he can get.
"Do you know who's been taking the girls?" Gaara asks bluntly, skipping the pleasantries to get down to business. Naruto might chastise him for being rude if he wasn't so hungry for answers himself. That was the whole point of locating her. They need to to find out what she knows. Still, there's a reason why people say you catch more flies with honey instead of vinegar.
"I do," Anko confirms, shrugging. "I can't believe it wasn't that obvious to you guys, though. I mean, the only one that's crazy enough to do something like this on such a large scale is Orochimaru, yeah? And from my understanding, your clans have been at war with him for years. You gotta know what he's capable of, at this point."
What?
But Kabuto said—
Oh, that lying son-of-a-bitch .
Naruto's going to kill him. To think that he believed him for even a second, actually falling for that spiel about cleaning up the streets and worrying about missing youth. Worse still, Naruto let himself be swayed to the idea that the Uchiha were possibly behind it—let himself fall for Kabuto's cheap misdirection, let his mind cast doubt on his brothers, took the word of a known snake for the gospel instead of thinking clearly and for himself. Tch.
He's going to break that fucker's nose the first chance he gets.
But he has bigger things to worry about now. That can wait until later.
"You're sure of this?" Naruto questions, even though he's positive he knows her answer. He believes her, he does, but such accusations need to be backed with proof. He can't go around wildly pointing fingers if he plans on keeping them. They have to be able to prove that Orochimaru's behind this if they have any hope of something being done about it.
"Yeah." Anko replies confidently . "I am. A hundred percent."
"For what purpose?" Gaara asks her, brows low on his face. Naruto was about to ask the same, if the other man hadn't beaten him to it.
Anko's face changes suddenly. Transforms, he should say. Her face greys like the sky before a storm, features twisting with some complicated emotion that Naruto couldn't hope to name. A shiver runs up his spine at its intensity. He's wary of her answer, worried about what she knows that could possibly cause her to make her that face.
"Sex trafficking, mostly." She says numbly, like she's reading off a script. "Some organ harvesting for the ones that won't fetch a good enough price."
…
...
Fuck, Naruto thinks, not expecting that.
He's not sure why; that's what predators do, especially to young girls. Orochimaru is just the type of freak to do something like that. Something so heinous and horrible would only happen under his banner.
It angers him, to think that these girls have been used and abused in that way and no one was aware of it.—
Wait.
Does that mean that Haku and Temari have been—?
Gaara rises quickly from his perch, setting into pacing back and forth on the wood floor hard enough that it creaks. He must have thought the same as Naruto right then, face twisting angrily at the implication.
There's a deep horror in his poison green eyes, too—fear and disgust for what his sister may have gone through.
Naruto looks away from him, swallowing heavily. He doesn't like that fact that Gaara's fists are shaking or the grim-set line of Zabuza's mouth as he reaches the same conclusion.
"I know what you're thinking," Anko mutters softly, mindful of changing mood in the room. "But that probably hasn't happened yet."
"What do you mean?" Zabuza asks carefully, the only one able to find his voice. Naruto's heart is thumping painfully in his chest as he lets himself think of too many scenarios and Gaara looks to be two seconds away from punching something.
"He doesn't let anyone in the clan touch the merchandise. He needs them perfect for the clients." Anko continues tonelessly. She sounds so far removed from the words coming out of her mouth that it worries Naruto. "He only sells them off at certain times so we should still have a little time, but not much. If the people you're looking for are alive, he'll still have them."
"How do you know this?" Naruto asks, trying and failing not to sound distressed. That may be a loaded question, if he's honest. He has the distinct feeling that her experience might be first hand, given the odd and detached way she's speaking about it. He hopes it's not true, but Naruto's no fool. He knows just how cruel life can be, especially around here.
"I used to be one of Orochimaru's favorite girls," She confirms with a seemingly easy shrug. "And then I wasn't. He let me go once he got bored. But I saw plenty while I was stuck there. Heard a lot, too. I know how it all works."
Gaara stops pacing abruptly. He shares a look with Naruto, lips parted, eyes a little blown wide. Zabuza shifts uncomfortably in his seat but says nothing. Naruto clears his throat awkwardly, unsure how to respond to such a statement. He knows better than to apologize for circumstances he wasn't aware of and couldn't control—his words won't mean anything to her, won't help her scrub off that brand or sleep any better at night. She's not telling them this for pity's sake, only for credibility.
"Okay. I understand." Naruto says, nodding. "Does he keep them somewhere special before he...sells them? Or are they are at his house?"
It will be difficult if the latter turns out to be true. Naruto isn't lacking courage but walking into an enemy's hold won't be easy no matter who they are or what they know.
Anko shakes her head, leaning forward to grab something off the coffee table. She spreads out a map, tapping one of her long nails on a spot circled in red ink near one of the corners.
"He changes his safe houses every few months." She explains, "This one in red is his most recent. When he's ready to sell the girls, he'll have them moved to the wharf to be sent off by boat, but we can find them here, first."
"Okay." Naruto says. "How long do we have to plan for this?" He didn't expect to get this close to finding his friend today — not by a long shot — but this is better than anything he could have hoped for.
In his excitement, he almost misses the complicated expression that passes over Anko's face.
She looks away before she speaks, mournfully informing them that: "He's...moving them at the end of the week."
What? The end of the week?!
That's way too soon, Naruto thinks, blinking in surprise.
"That soon?" Zabuza mutters in disbelief. Gaara sucks his teeth in irritation, though it's empty anger. His eyes are distant as he tries to figure out their next move.
Anko nods grimly before continuing. "I don't think we have time to do something big." She says seriously, voice filling with deep emotion. "We have to go as soon as we can or we'll never find them." Then, quieter, she adds: "It'll probably be just the four of us."
She says it hesitantly, like she knows that wasn't the answer they were hoping for.
It's not her fault; she can't control how these things go. Besides, they're glad she's giving them this information at all.
But shit, Naruto thinks, this gives them no time to plan for this operation. He's used to swift action but this is borderline insane. They can't just walk into one of Orochimaru's safe houses like they own the place and live to tell the tale. That's not how this works.
(They'll have to figure something out, though. He's determined to do this and he won't let anything stop him.)
The fact that the deadline for this rescue mission is way sooner than they anticipated isn't their only problem, as they come to find out. Another look at the map tells them that the safehouse is too far south. That isn't Orochimaru's territory anymore. That's inside —
"Kumo Territory," Naruto says with a heavy sigh.
He really can't catch a break, can he?
"Kumo?" Gaara echoes lowly, wariness seeping into his tone. "Shit."
"Yeah." Naruto replys, rubbing his temples.
"What's wrong with the Kumo?" Zabuza asks, looking between them in question. He doesn't know as much about the clan relations to understand their meaning. "Are they hostile?"
That's one way to put it.
The Kumo, the last of the remaining families. The ruling clan of southern Konoha — firmly gripping their territory just like the Yakushi have the east, the Sarutobi have the west, and the Shukaku have the north.
(As for who owns the "heart" of Konoha — that's firmly Uchiha.)
There's a few things that Naruto knows for certain about the Kumo: First, they're all insane. Second, they live for a good fight. Third, they certainly don't play nice with their neighbors. They're one of the only clans that enjoy being openly antagonistic.
"They sure are." Naruto replies blandly. "However we end up doing this, we'll need to be extra careful." He pauses, sighing deeply from his nose.
This just keeps getting messier and messier, huh? Well, he's in too deep to back out now.
This is a problem though. If Naruto and company get caught poking around in enemy territory, there's not telling what could happen.
He might still be considered Uchiha and the Kumo will end up retaliating under the false impression that he's a part of a covert attack force. Or, they could end up believing him if he says he's acting alone, but that would still lead to some horrible punishment.
Either way, he knows that he can't involve the boys in this. No way. They don't know the meaning of subtle and he'll be damned if any of them get hurt because of him. If the axe is to fall somewhere, let it be on his head. This is his mess to clean up, so he'll do his best not to inadvertently start another gang war in the process.
"I'll make some calls." Zabuza says after a few moments of silence, interrupting his thoughts. "I know we said we might not have time to get backup, but we should at least try. This kind of thing requires manpower."
No one argues with him, but the deep frown on Zabuza's face isn't going anywhere. "It's short notice, but I'll see what I can do."
"I should probably do the same." Gaara adds, face set with determination. Naruto knows that Gaara would rather it be just the four of them like Anko does, but he's wise enough to take Zabuza's suggesting seriously. "Give me an hour and then we'll work out more of the specifics."
"Okay," Naruto mutters in agreement, having nothing else to say. He's too shell-shocked from how fast this is moving, too addled by the mess that is his life. Not to mention the fact that he has no idea who he should call, but he'll pretend like he does.
At least he can rest easy a bit, knowing that the others have that covered.
Too bad his nerves won't let him relax, despite knowing that Haku's within arms reach.
Well, he sort of is; his friend is in the clutches of one gang while being held in another rival gang's territory. Naruto just has to go in there and get him out.
Easy, right?
It doesn't matter, though. No matter how hard this gets it won't stop him. Naruto only knows how to deal with complicated situations, you know? This will work itself out, somehow. The drama in his life always does.
That's not entirely true, but that's what Naruto chooses to tell himself.
So what if only a small part of him believes it?
B.
His phone rings after the tenth straight minute of staring into space, startling him. A welcome distraction from his straying thoughts that produce no helpful answers. He jumps at the loud vibration at his hip, sliding his phone out absently to check who's calling, sighing when he sees that it's Neji on the other end.
Naruto isn't exactly trying to have a conversation with him right now—especially since he's trying his hardest not to include the group in his plans—but more so because it hasn't been long since he left the compound and he's nowhere near ready to talk about what transpired last night.
Anyone else and Naruto would let the phone continue to buzz and he'd act as if he didn't hear it. But it's Neji on the other line, and Naruto can't willfully ignore him no matter what's going on. Knowing him, the other man probably has a good reason for calling and Naruto's curiosity wins out in the end. He'll kick himself for this later, but he scrambles to answer before the third buzz rattles around in his pocket.
"Hello?" Naruto greets, rolling his eyes at himself for being so eager.
"Hey," Neji answers evenly. If he's as nervous as Naruto, he's doing a good job of hiding it.
"What's up? Everything okay?"
Neji pauses, sighing so softly that the phone barely picks it up. Naruto feels his brows raising, looking to the screen to make sure they haven't been disconnected. "Neji? You still there?"
"Sorry, I'm here." Neji replies with an awkward chuckle. He seems hesitant and Naruto isn't sure why. Luckily, he doesn't have to wonder for long. Neji clears his throat and follows up with: "I don't mean to bother you—"
"You aren't." Naruto interjects. He's still waiting for Gaara and Zabuza to finish so they can get back to business so it's not like he's super busy at the moment. Anko's watching TV, not too keen on talking to him alone. That's fair, because what could they possibly talk about at a time like this? Various past traumas? No thanks.
He'll take talking to Neji over that any day.
"Alright." Neji replies, sounding pleased. Just two words from Naruto and his tone lightened considerably. Damn, he's really into him, huh? "I know you've been under a lot of stress and I was worried when you rushed out earlier. I wanted to make sure everything was okay, if you have time to talk?"
Naruto can't help the small smile that curves on his face. Neji fretting over him never fails to send the warm tingles all over his body. The idea that the other man couldn't wait more than two hours to check on him is, dare he say, cute? God, what is wrong with him?
"Thanks, I'm fine. I appreciate your concern." He replies, shuffling his feet. He knows what Neji's really worried about, though, that why he adds, quieter: "Don't worry, you guys didn't scare me off."
He knows he hit the nail on the head when Neji pauses again. The other man is probably choosing his words very carefully. Or, he at least tries to, because he ends up settling on a kind of lame, adorably hopeful: "Really?" which Naruto can't help but chuckle at.
"Yeah," He breathes after a moment, resisting the urge to fiddle with his hair like some high school girl talking to her first crush. Ugh, he's such a dork.
"That's...good. I'm glad. I know you weren't planning for this to happen and neither was I, so..."Neji mutters, trailing off.
"I mean, we're definitely going to have to talk about it at some point," Naruto continues for him awkwardly, biting his lip. If he had his way, they'd avoid the topic until the end of time, but that's just not realistic. Especially since he's so damn stupid and can't do anything right. "But I've calmed down some and I'm not freaking out anymore, if that's what you're worried about."
It's somewhat true. He's freaking out for a different reason, now. He can't worry about getting spitroasted when he knows what kind of danger Haku's in. All his personal dealings will have to go on the backburner for the foreseeable future.
Neji goes to say something more, but then Naruto's phone is ringing with another incoming call. He looks to the sky in exasperation, quietly praying for God to help him when he sees that Sasuke's calling him now, too. What kind of freaky sixth sense shit is this? Why did they both know to call him even though he was trying not to involve them? Either someone is playing a joke on him or the ball's too far in his court and they're too anxious for his next move to leave him be.
Probably the latter, if he's honest.
"Hold on, Neji," Naruto says around a defeated sigh. He just can't catch a break, huh? This is exactly why he doesn't need two boyfriends. He doesn't have time for this. "Sasuke's calling. Is it okay if we threeway?"
As if he even needs to ask.
They already did, didn't they?
Neji's thinking the same, based on the small noise that rumbles in the back of his throat. It'd be the perfect joke, but the other man is wise enough not to make it when Naruto's just barely come to terms with what's transpired. "That's fine." He says instead, voice betraying nothing.
Smart boy.
"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto greets, covering his face with his free hand when a wave of embarrassment hits him. He's partially convinced that they'll be able to sense his blush through the phone. "Neji's on the line, too, just so you know."
Sasuke pauses briefly, muttering out a quiet: "Okay," He's then addressing Neji when he asks: "Is that why you went downstairs?" with a light snort of amusement.
"Yeah." Neji replies with a small laugh, "I guess we had the same idea."
"Great minds." Sasuke chuckles softly.
Naruto can't help but blink stupidly as they talk calmly to each other. What's this? They're friends again? All it took was getting him into bed and then everything is fine? Well, hell, they should have done this sooner!
Ha.
Not a fucking chance.
Maybe they got the opportunity to talk while he was gone. That would be nice, if they began to work out some of the complicated feelings and hang-ups they have with each other. Or, maybe they both really, really needed to get laid so they could just like, calm the fuck down? He's always happy to help! It also could be that he had the right idea to tell them to "take care" of each other in his absence. Maybe they—
Nope, nope! Let's not go there!
He's already red enough as it is. He can't let himself think of how hot it would be to see them—
Focus, Naruto!
"Are you calling to ask how I'm doing, too?" Naruto asks, grateful that his voice comes out normally, not at all betraying his straying thoughts.
"Somewhat." Sasuke replies simply. "Who called you earlier?"
Tch. Nosy.
At least Neji's more subtle with his inquiries. He gets points for that.
"I was also wondering—" Neji begins slowly, fishing for a bite.
"My wife." Naruto quips dryly, rolling his eyes. "She sent me to go pick up some milk and I haven't been back since."
…
…
He's met with utter silence on both ends, making him sigh. "It was a joke, guys." When neither one speaks, he sighs again. "Jeez, tough crowd."
" Naruto —" Sasuke begins, voice dipping in warning. Naruto huffs, annoyed that he's being pressured twice over to spill the beans.
"Not that it's any of your business, but—" How should he put this? He doesn't want to tell them that's he's going straight into enemy territory because they'll never let him do it alone. "I may have found where they've taken Haku. I might be able to find him soon."
"That's good, isn't it?" Neji asks him. "But you don't sound very thrilled."
Dammit, of course he can hear the hesitance in Naruto's voice. Observant fucker.
"Something's wrong." Sasuke concludes. "Otherwise you'd have gone straight to him."
Shit. They know him too well.
"Getting him out might not be so easy." He admits despite his reservations, rubbing his fingers together in nervousness. Naruto closes his eyes and accepts his fate, knowing that he's not getting out of this conversation without telling them something substantial. "He's uh, um, sort of in Kumo territory?"
He's met with silence again, but this time it's much more tense and charged. Ugh, why can't he keep his big mouth shut? Now they'll never let it go.
"Don't jump to conclusions." Naruto says hurriedly, wary of the quiet. They're both capable of anything when they aren't saying a word.
"I've jumped." Neji says flatly.
"I've landed." Sasuke adds, quite unhelpfully. "You're not going by yourself." He says it with such fierce finality that Naruto almost waivers, but he stops himself.
"Who said I'm by myself?" Naruto replies, jutting his chin out in defiance even though Sasuke can't see him. Shit, he shouldn't have said that, either, because now they're going to ask what he means by that.
"Who are you with?" Neji demands, voice taking on the same sharp edge that Sasuke's has.
See?
He's done it now. They've placed their cards down in defense mode. They'll no doubt end up on the warpath if they think he's walking into danger and that's the last thing he wants.
"Calm down," He says, even though he knows it falls on deaf ears. "I'm with friends. People I can trust."
Maybe? Jury's still out on that one. He doesn't trust anyone, not fully. Not even himself.
Gaara sort of checks out, as well as Zabuza, but he's unsure of Anko's motives or alignments. She says she wants to help but this could be a set up, now that he thinks about it. She might still be forcefully under Orochimaru's thumb and she's leading them into a trap.
He hates thinking this way, but he hasn't made it this long without cover all of the bases.
"Who could you possibly trust more than us?" Sasuke scoffs, sounding offended at the implication. Naruto's a little offended too, because he's making it sound like Naruto doesn't have any other friends. He does, but most of them aren't equipped to help in the situation he finds himself in. It's not everyday that normal people go on infiltration and retrieval missions.
Sasuke does make a damn fine point though. Naruto can say with certainty that the Uchiha have his back. No matter what he says they won't leave him alone, so maybe he should go ahead and use it to his advantage? But it feels wrong. If something bad happens, It feels like he'll be throwing a grenade and walking away from the carnage.
He's here for Haku, nothing else, but he can't knowingly lead his old friends into danger. He could potentially ruin already tense relations between the clans if they're caught invading the Kumo's territory without permission.
Should he try asking for permission? No, that won't work, either. The current head, Darui, isn't known for being friendly or rational, for that matter. If Naruto tells him that Orochimaru's set up shop in his neck of the woods, it won't end well. No, the only way to guarantee Haku's safe passage is to do it himself.
Naruto's got to get these two off the scent, at least a little. He combs his brain for a suitable compromise. He can't let them storm the beaches with him, but they are the only people he can fully rely on to get him out of a pinch.
"You're right," He says, feeling his soul shriveling having to do so. "But we're not starting a war just so you guys can play white knight."
"That's not—" Neji begins, but Naruto isn't finished.
"I know, I know. I'm only half kidding." He continues, talking louder so they can't cut him off. "Look, how about this? When we're ready to go, I'll send you the address. If I don't give you guys an "all clear" within an hour, you can...come help, I guess. How does that sound?"
It better sound good because it's the best he can offer. Hopefully it won't take them long to secure the captives and they can be in and out with as little issues as possible. Probably not, but Naruto's gotta keep hope alive.
Sasuke sucks his teeth, mulling over it. Neji's probably doing the same, too quiet on the other end, making Naruto tap his foot. "Or, I could not tell you anything. That works too." He says, not content to wait.
"No, that works for me." Neji agrees quickly. He knows that Naruto's losing patience and he's not going to push for more. Naruto can't help but be grateful for that.
"Sasuke?" Naruto asks, wary of the other man's silence. "What about you?"
"...Fine. That's fine." Sasuke says finally. Naruto wonders how hard he had to bite his tongue to agree to this. He's glad that neither of them can see the tiny, victorious smirk that buds on his face.
"Alright, it's a promise. If either of you go back on your promise, I'll never forgive you and never speak to you again. Do I make myself clear?" He's being dramatic but it seems to be the only thing that works.
They both mutter their agreements and Naruto can't help but feel a bit powerful. Holy shit, he won an argument with both Sasuke and Neji? Unheard of. Unprecedented. He's really moving up in the world. Or, they're so eager to please him with this new dynamic they have that they're willing to try anything. It doesn't matter which, as long as it works.
"Cool, I'll give you guys updates when I have them, okay?" Naruto says. He thinks for a moment, before 'eloquently' adding: "And we can talk about...other stuff later, too. Preferably after Haku's safe, if that's okay with you guys."
He's sure they know what he's referring to when he says "other" stuff.
"Of course." Sasuke replies immediately, even though he sounds a tad disappointed that they aren't going to be getting matching tattoos of each other's names anytime soon. If Neji's also disappointed about that, he doesn't say.
"You're not going tonight, are you?" Is what he asks instead, concern coloring his tone.
"No, I don't think so. That's a little much even for me. Probably in the next day or two, though, depending." Naruto answers, shurgging. They don't have much more time than that. "Why?"
"Your mother called to make sure we hadn't killed you." Sasuke answers bluntly, never one to beat around the bush. "Since you didn't go home last night. She said we have to send you back in one piece of there will be hell to pay."
"So, You should probably go home soon." Neji immediately adds. He knows full well what Kushina's wrath is like and he has no interesting in fanning the flames. "She's not kidding and I'm not dealing with that."
Naruto can't help but laugh, shaking his head as he comes down from his chuckles. "Still afraid of her, huh?" He questions playfully.
Sasuke chuckles, throwing back a light-hearted: "Like you aren't." his way before they hang up.
Damn, he's got him there.
…
He makes a quick stopover at his house while the others are still making their calls. Kushina hugs him for far too long when he enters, slapping him upside the head for not telling her he was staying out all night.
"You've done this to me twice now," She says, only half angry. "If you're staying in my house you're going to tell me where you are, understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." He replies automatically, not trying to worsen her wrath. "Sorry, I was with the boys."
His mother blinks, looking at him oddly. "The boys?" She repeats slowly, tilting her head to the side. "I thought they were threatening you?"
"That was mostly just Itachi. The rest of them didn't know about the note." He informs her. She nods, subtlety patting him down to make sure he's unharmed. "But yeah, uh, we talked so all of us are pretty good now, I think? For the most part."
He went a little further than talking with some of them.
But he'd rather die than tell her that.
"And Sasuke?" She asks, tone annoyingly hopeful. "Did you talk to him, too? How did he react?"
He shouldn't be surprised. Kushina loves Sasuke like a son, just like Mikoto loves Naruto like one of her own. Of course she'd want them to work things out between them. He doesn't have the heart to tell her that even though they've talked, he has no plans to fully mend his relationships with any of them. He just can't afford to do that right now, or at all, since he's still planning to leave once all the dust settles.
So, instead, he says: "Nothing crazy happened. He's...going to try to be better, so that's good. I'm glad I went, honestly."
That part isn't a lie. He may not have planned for things to work out the way they did but at least some good came out of it. He's glad he got to see Mikoto and spend time with Choji, Kiba, and Shikamaru. Hell, it wasn't so bad seeing Fugaku too, even though the man scares the shit out of him.
Kushina pats the side of his face, smiling gently. "That's great, honey." She murmurs. She smooths down his collar, face suddenly taking on a more complicated expression as she stares at him, making him raise an eyebrow.
"What?" Naruto asks, confused. "Do I have something on my face?"
"No, but you do have a hickey." She informs him, laughing at the look he's sporting. "I didn't see it because of your hair. Don't make that face; you're an adult, you can do whatever you want." She pauses, eyes taking on a devious glint. "I didn't take Sasuke for a biter. It makes sense, though."
"I'm leaving." Naruto says, horrified beyond belief. "I'll be back later tonight."
Kushina laughs at him again, shaking her head. "What? You think I don't know you have sex? Grow up, will you?"
"Bye, mom." Naruto says loudly, plugging his ears dramatically.
"Aw, you're embarrassed. That's so cute." Kushina replies playfully, pinching his cheeks. "Also, for future reference: if you're going to have threesomes in her house, make sure Mikoto's not home next time. She's a horrible gossip."
Naruto nearly chokes on his tongue, only able to nod in response. God, strike him down right now. He can't take this. The last person who should know what he gets up to when the sun goes down is his mother, for fuck's sake!
Does this mean that Mikoto's told everyone? Goddammit!
"I've always been more of a Neji fan myself, but if you guys find that this works, I'm not against it." She continues like it's not killing him inside.
"Please stop," He begs. The first half of her statement gives him pause, and he finds himself asking: "Wait, you knew about me and Neji before this?"
"Oh honey, it was obvious to everyone how he felt about you. You're the only one that missed it." The amount of pity in her tone should offend him, but everyone knows he's an idiot. She's probably right.
"I never expected you to go for both of them, though." She gives him a thumbs up that shouldn't have him laughing as hard as it does. "A bonafide power move. Didn't know you had it in you. Mama's so proud."
He chuckles again, pecking her cheek and bidding her goodbye. "Thanks, I guess?" He says, not sure how he should feel about this conversation.
"Is there a special name for it if it's three guys? I'll google it and get back to you." She mutters, mostly to herself.
Naruto can't escape fast enough.
He throws the door open without another word and flees before she says something worse.
Her mocking laughter follows him down the walkway.
C.
It doesn't go as planned.
Well, there wasn't that much of a plan to begin with—the timetable Anko laid out for them didn't leave much wiggle room. They end up agreeing to go the next night. They have to act fast or they'll miss their chance, and Naruto would rather die than let Haku slip through his fingers when he's so close.
Still, it's probably his own fault that things turn out the way they do. Either it was the countless mistakes he made leading up to this point—both years ago and days before—his refusal to accept help when it was being so freely given, or his over excitement due to the prospect of having Haku within arms reach.
In truth, it's all three. Some strange mixture of stubbornness and bad luck gets him, in the end.
See, it starts like this:
...
The best Zabuza can do on such short notice is a large, white van. It's better than nothing, since they'll need a way to shuttle all the captives once they find them.
Anko bluntly tells him that she doesn't have anyone she trusts enough to ask for help. Her tone is odd when she says it, so Naruto doesn't press and leaves it at that.
Gaara's only option with the time they have is the same as as Naruto's—he calls on his clan, but only as a last resort. His brother is a rational man, among other things, so Kankuro knows to leave this is Gaara's hands since the Shukaku have way too much on their plate right now, making their attention a tad divided.
That means it's just the four of them. Technically, at least. They could call either group but that only seems like it will cause more problems than it would solve, so they'll try to avoid that.
These aren't very good odds, but Naruto's way too blinded by obligation and determination to be swayed into thinking this through.
So, despite this being a terrible idea, they go.
...
It's nearly three am when they set off. They drive slowly and do their best to stay off the main roads. Naruto keep his eyes locked on the rearview mirror until they arrive at their destination, watching for any cars that might be following them for a tad too long, suspiciously turning all the same corners.
He sees none, but that brings him no comfort.
They park the van a block away, wary of any watchful eyes.
Zabuza is the logical choice when they have to decide on who stays outside. Someone has to act as lookout and, if necessary, a quick escape. It can't be Gaara and it can't be Naruto—they'd lose their minds if they had to stay behind and Anko knows how to get into Orochimaru's dens better than any of them. They need her with them for this to work.
"I'll leave the car running," Zabuza says gravely, roughly clapping Gaara on the shoulder. He turns and does the same to Naruto a moment later. "I'll wait for the signal to pull up. Don't fuck this up."
Naruto nods curtly in response. "I won't." He swears seriously. He can't promise that this will go well, but it doesn't matter. Whether this goes smoothly or not, there's only one option—he has to get Haku out no matter the cost.
Gaara barely acknowledges Zabuza, checking his gun over instead.
"Ready?" He asks without looking up, not content to waste anymore time. He's been quiet all night—too focused and alert. The look in his eyes isn't good at all but Naruto won't comment on it.
"Yeah, let's go."
They exit the car as quickly as they can, staying low behind other cars on the street as they make their way to the safehouse.
Two of the street lamps are blown out, so it's easier to stick to the shadows.
The streets are bare. Not a soul milling about besides them. The neighborhood is a little sketchy—cracked pavement, overgrown grass, condemned houses, and a old, weathered neighborhood watch sign that shouldn't be as ironic as it is.
This quiet corner on the map seems truly abandoned. The perfect place for no good deeds to happen under the cover of night.
How Orochimaru found this place is beyond him. Did he pick a safehouse in Kumo territory to throw off the scent? It's true that no one would coming looking here. It's the type of neighborhood where people mind their business and don't call the police.
Stll, It makes Naruto wary; regardless of the look of the place, it shouldn't be this easy, he thinks. There aren't any lookouts outside, no guards posted by the door, no alarms to trip that are hidden in the grass. He doesn't know how to feel about that.
Wait, yes he does. Fugaku would never leave any entrances unguarded, regardless of the hour. That's one thing he knows for certain.
Either Orochimaru isn't as cautious in terms of security or someone already knows that they're here and it's a trap. Both are highly possible, so he keeps his eyes trained on the bushes and all the dark houses they pass, waiting for any strange movement so he can jump into action.
"I think a lot of these houses are abandoned." Anko whispers, as if sensing his thoughts. She takes a quick look at the some of the boarded up windows and "no trespassing" signs posted on some of the doors. "I guess that explains why no one heard anything."
"Yeah," Gaara agrees lowly. "I don't see anyone coming around here willingly."
They're close enough to the house now to see that the front door is reinforced—heavy oak replaced with painted steel, a three-lock system in place that sets off warning bells. If Naruto didn't know about the girls, he'd think they were walking into a drug house.
That means this has to be the right place, because the only reason to have that type of door is to make sure whatever's inside stays there.
Naruto never planned to walk right in, anyway—he's a lot of things, but he's no Rambo—they still might need to get that door open, though. It'll be the easiest way out once they've found the girls. He files that thought for later.
"We can try a window." Anko suggests confidently, trying to remain in high spirits despite the severity of the situation. "Hopefully we'll find the right room on the first try."
There can only be so many rooms in a one story house. Unless there's a basement.
From the look of the place it doesn't have one, but Naruto will be sure to check anyway.
They sneak around the right side of the house, coming upon a small window that's low enough to climb into with ease. It's locked, but Anko can take care of that; she wastes no time, takes out her tools so she can get to work on picking the lock, throwing anxious looks over her shoulder even though Naruto and Gaara are standing guard behind her.
Naruto is about to tell her that she doesn't have to worry—if someone were to run up on them now, the two of them would definitely see it and they'd be able to handle the matter accordingly—but he doesn't get the chance. The lock clicks open after a few moments, the window swinging inwardly as if inviting them inside.
The three of them share a look. Now they have a way in, but the pitch black room hidden beyond the window is nowhere near inviting. They have no idea who—or what—lies inside, but they have no choice to find out.
Naruto takes a deep breath and places his hands on the window sill, hoisting himself up and over in one quick, decisive moment.
His mother's gun is brought from his hip immediately; He's on high alert, spinning in a slow circle, wary of the gathered shadows and small pockets of light that look too much like sharp, smiling teeth in the darkness.
Only illusions in the end, because after careful consideration he can confidently say that this room is—
"Clear." He motions to the others, deflating with a sigh of minor relief.
He's landed in the laundry room. Nothing of note lies inside. A good place to start off so they can get their bearings, but they should move along quickly.
Anko follows him inside next, landing gracefully behind him, feet silent like a cat. Gaara brings up the rear, quietly pulling the latch shut without locking it behind him.
Cool, cool, they're in.
"Alright," Gaara says lowly, minor excitement creeping into his tone despite the persisting dark look in his eyes. "We'll keep this as quick and clean as we can. Sounds good?"
He looks to Naruto for confirmation and Naruto can only nod stiffly in response, fingers curling around his gun tightly to hide his nerves. He's not sure when he became the unofficial leader of this small outfit, but Anko's looking to him like he's in charge as well, so that's why he says, firmly:
"Of course." They don't have time to waste, not with two clans breathing down their necks, ready for action. "Remember: the girls come first. We get them out no matter what. Keep that in mind in case something goes wrong. Do what you have to do to make sure they get out safe."
He doesn't like the way he sounds right now: too cold and clinical. He sounds way too much like the trained soldier he used to be and it's making him uncomfortable.
They get the message though; if it comes down to it, one of their lives may be forfeit. It doesn't matter as long as they finish what they came to do.
Anko whispers her agreement, looking around at the blackened room to avoid meeting their eyes. Her clenched fist isn't shaking, so he'll take that as a good sign.
Gaara's jaw is set when he nods. He grips Naruto's shoulder in some awkward mix of comfort and warning, as if Gaara's trying to ease his anxiety while also telling him not to die. It's somewhat cute to Naruto, but also makes it glaringly obvious that Gaara isn't used comforting others or showing his affection. He doesn't have time to worry about it now, but if they make it out of this he'll make sure to give the man a nice hug.
Everyone deserves a nice hug every once in a while, right? Especially someone has jaded and closed off as Gaara.
Naruto pats his arm in reply, managing a small smile despite himself
Then, they're off.
The door creaks softly as Naruto pushes it open— his weapon going first, his body soon to follow. They spill out into darkened hall toe to heel, pressed close to the wall so the wooden floors don't protest loudly, announcing their presence.
Naruto looks to the left, eyeing the front door since he had plans to open it. It doesn't look like that's going to work, not if the heavy padlocks hanging on it are any indication. There's three separate locks which means three separate keys. God knows where he'd find them in this house, so that's out.
It'll be a hassle to get everyone out through the window, but it looks like they'll have to do just that. Shit.
There's another door directly across from the laundry room. It's silent—like the rest of the house—no light coming from beneath it. Naruto gets a strange feeling from looking at it, so he shakes his head when Gaara asks if they should try and open it.
He doesn't think they'd keep the "valuable merchandise" so close to the front, even with the exit as locked down as it is. No, the girls will be kept deeper inside. That's just his hunch but he's sticking with it.
Gaara still wants to check closer to the front, so they do. Naruto's slides his hand across the wall as they move, careful not to stumble since there's barely any light to be found. Since the house is so small, the living room and kitchen area is comprised of a wide open space with no walls separating the two.
There's a widescreen TV on it's perch, crisp scenes from some late-night show playing idly with the volume set to low. Naruto stops short when he looks to the couch, breath catching when he sees two people lounging, bodies twisted in sleep. One goon snores while the other drools, but luckily, neither of them stir. Naruto and the others back pedal quickly, silently agreeing to stay away from the front area.
He doesn't feel so bad about the front door now that he knows about the two goons on the couch. There's no way they'd get past them even if they did manage to get the locks open. It's just not possible to be that quiet with so many people.
They have no choice but to turn around, passing by the door Naruto's too hesitant to open.
There's only two other rooms to try in the small house. He's not sure what he'll do if they happen to be empty, but his heart begins to beat harder at the thought of it, fear creeping into his veins that this could be all for naught.
What if Orochimaru already sent the girls off? What if this is the wrong house and Haku and Temari aren't even here? What if this is a trap, and Anko's going to betray them any second?
(Shit, he didn't think this through. They shouldn't have done this alone. He should have let—
No, he's got this. Everything is fine.
Naruto doesn't need anyone to clean up his messes. He can do this himself. )
They make it to the end of the hall slowly, more alert now that they've come across the opposition. There's another set of rooms across from each other again—one on the left and one on the right. Naruto hesitates on which to pick. They don't have time for his indecisiveness, so he forces himself to try the door on the left.
He levels his gun as he wraps his fingers around the doorknob, sending a look over his shoulder to Gaara at the last moment for reassurance.
Gaara's gives him a hard look in reply, nodding sharply, raising his own piece in preparation. Anko swallows roughly, looking between the two of them briefly before she swings her eyes to the door as swings open.
Someone rushes towards them from inside the room.
The subtle sound of bare feet running against carpet is the only warning he gets before a solid right look is catching Naruto in his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He's just able to stifle his gasp as he's pushed backwards.
But the pain in his middle is nothing compared to the panic in his mind when he thinks that his body is going to hit the opposite wall and make a hell of a lot of noise.
He can't allow that to happen, can he? Absolutely not.
Naruto's feet dig into the floor, causing him to slow his momentum enough to stumble back instead of crashing to the wall.
He feels exhausted immediately; tensing his muscles that hard to fight the force of that punch took a lot of energy. A normal person might have let themselves crumble to the ground, but Naruto?
He's honestly surprised he pulled that off. It's been a long time since he's took a direct punch that well. He wonders if being back in his hometown gives him an automatic stat boost? Things to think about later.
Anko's eyes are wide, her face losing it's color as she watches the proceedings. The look she gives Naruto — after he manages to keep quiet despite being violently hit — would be hilarious if not for the offending force that's still trying to attack them.
It doesn't matter though—Gaara springs forward immediately after the girl punches him, grabbing her by the neck as she tries to swing again at Naruto's unguarded face, pushing her back into the room she just sprung out of.
The girl chokes at the sudden force of it. Her feet dangle off the ground slightly—causing her to kick and claw at Gaara's wrist as he holds her.
Naruto would try and protest if he wasn't so focused on getting air back in lungs. He swallows a cough, pushing past the burning tightness in his chest to slowly follow Gaara inside.
Anko looks sharply up the hall, towards the living room. She waits to see if the goons have woken up from that ordeal—it still made quite a bit of noise, even though Gaara and Naruto both did their best to suppress it.
She waits to see if they're already standing up, alerted, waiting around the corner—
But nothing stirs.
No one's heard enough to discover them yet.
Her eyes stay trained in the direction of the living room, body stiff and still like a statue. She notices Naruto's look of question when he realizes she's not coming in behind him, and she shakes her head.
"Take care of it." She whispers fiercely. She pulls out her gun and clicks off the safety, pointing it up the hall. "If either of them move, I'll end them."
Naruto can only nod, knowing full well he won't be able to to change her mind. He turns around, ready to calm Gaara down and tell him to let the girl breathe, goddammit, but it seems his services aren't needed.
Gaara already put the girl down and started talking to her while Naruto was speaking to Anko— about what, Naruto isn't sure. Maybe Gaara's calming her down so she won't try to attack them again.
But then the girl loops her arms around Gaara's neck in what can only be described as a loving hug, much to Naruto's confusion. Curious still, Gaara willingly returns the hug, mumbling something into her shoulder in a voice Naruto's never heard before—too wrecked, too gentle, too kind and apologetic for him to be talking to anyone other than—
Naruto pats around the wall until he finds the light switch, revealing two sets of girls huddled in opposite corners.
He counts about fifteen girls in total, ranging in age from about thirteen to twenty. They're shaking, eyes round from fear as they watch what's happening in front of them.
Naruto can't even begin to describe his relief.
They've found them.
The girls are safe—well, maybe not safe , but certainly alive. For a moment there, he wasn't sure if they'd find any traces of them before Anko told them about Orochimaru's plans. He's heard plenty of stories about young girls going missing that are never seen again.
But here they are, present and accounted for. A little banged up and frightened, but whole. He wants nothing more to get them back to their families as soon as he can.
The girl Gaara's hugging pulls away, smile on her face and tears in her eyes, looking over to Naruto in slight apology.
It seems that Gaara's automatically forgiven for trying to choke slam her, but that makes sense. Naruto knows who she is immediately—the eye color is different, as well as the hair, but looking at them now, Naruto can definitely see the similarities between Temari Shukaku and her brother.
"Sorry for punching the shit out of you," She says softly, embarrassed laughter in her tone. "But you took it like a champ. I can see why Gaara brought you along." Temari squints, taking an abortive step forward now that she can see him in the light. "Wait, you're Naruto Uzumaki aren't you?"
"In the flesh." He confirms with a lighthearted salute. There's no point in lying. Everyone knows how notorious he is around here, by now.
Temari nods sagely, leaving it at that. If she's wondering why her brother is in league with someone like him, she's not going to ask right now.
She turns back to Gaara, patting the side of his face affectionately. Gaara leans into her touch with a heavy sigh, brows furrowed as he takes in her warmth.
Naruto's honestly not sure if he should be watching the two of them. This is a private moment that he hates intruding on, but they have to get moving.
"Gaara." He says quietly, garnering the other man's attention. Gaara's eyes snap open, looking at him blankly before his eyes sharpen with resolve.
"Right," He says, nodding once in confirmation. He's regarding Temari when he says: "We have to go. Can you convince the girls to come with us?"
"Yeah," Temari replies easily. "I didn't know who was on the other side of that door, but I thought I'd try to overtake them and steal their keys or something." She says with a grin, surprising them. "This works out much better. Now we don't have to escape on our own."
Naruto chuckles at that, amused. That sounds more like the Temari he's heard about. Tough as nails and ready for action no matter what.
She had no idea if the plan would work, but she was going to try it anyway. It's oddly reminiscent of their own plan, funnily enough.
Gaara's looking at her with something that might be reverence—eyes warm and pleased as he gazes at his older sister with pride for her tenacity.
(Naruto would comment about cute he is around her, but Gaara most likely wouldn't appreciate it, especially not at a time like this.)
Temari looks to the girls behind her, beckoning them to stand. They hesitate, looking back and forth between Gaara and Naruto with poorly disgusted mistrust.
Naruto can't blame them; the men here probably haven't been very kind to them. Not to mention that Gaara grabbed Temari by her freaking neck before they figured out that they were on the same side.
But the girls get up anyway on unsteady legs, watching through their lashes, shoulders rolled to make them appear smaller.
He feels bad, seeing them so frightened. But he can't stop and offer comfort when they're not in the clear just yet.
Naruto wastes no time cutting open the zip ties around their wrists. He feels a surge of hot rage when he sees the angry-red marks that persist despite their hands being freed, but stamps it down as quickly as it comes.
It's only in the next moment that he realizes, coldly, that:
Haku's not here.
He'd been too distracted watching Temari and Gaara's reunion to notice before now, too overjoyed that the girls are ok. He looks at each girl that he cuts loose, subtly checking them over for any injuries, heart sinking to the depths when none of the eyes he meets brighten with recognition.
He's. Not. Here.
His throat begins to tighten, brain scrambling to make sense of this.
Where is he? Where could he be? Where, if not here with the rest?
Does that mean—?
"Naruto," Gaara begins lowly, eyes searching the room when he realizes the same thing. Naruto shakes his head sharply, trying not to panic.
"It's okay," He says evenly.
It's not. Not at all. He's about to entirely lose it but he can't afford to. He has to keep a level head and see this through.
There's other places in the house that remain unexplored, he reasons. They haven't exhausted all their options yet.
But now that they have the girls secured, getting them out is top priority. He can't risk this many lives for one person, no matter how much he wants to find him.
That's why he turns to Gaara and demands: "Go. Take the girls and get them to the van. Take Anko with you. I'll follow as soon as I can."
Gaara immediately refuses, stepping away from Temari to grab Naruto's arm in warning. "You're not going alone," He tries.
Where has Naruto heard that before?
Naruto shakes him off, ready to wholeheartedly disagree, but Temari quickly cuts in.
"If you're looking for Haku, he's just across the hall." She says matter-of-factly. Naruto raises an eyebrow at her while Gaara blinks, both of them looking to her in question. She shrugs, explaining:
"That's who you're looking for, right? He talked about you." When Naruto doesn't reply, she continues.
"They didn't keep him with us since he's a guy and technically a prisoner. They weren't planning on sending him off with us, if you know what I mean."
Thank god, he thinks, deflating. Naruto doesn't want to know what they were planning to do to his friend after the girls were sold. He won't worry too much about it, since now he has the power to stop both of those things.
He'll ignore the absolute fucking rampage he was about to go on as well. At her words, he corks that anger up and sticks it on the far end of his mental shelf with a sign that reads "to be explored later."
It's not good to keep these feelings bottled up, but such conversations are better held outside of the lion's den. Or, maybe he'll save it for his therapist back home. Either works.
"Alright, then." Gaara says, pulling out his phone and tapping out a message quickly. "I'll tell Zabuza to pull up."
He's already moving out into the hall, flicking the light back off as he leaves. He stops only to usher Temari in front of him so he can literally watch her back.
Naruto looks to the girls, pressing his finger to his lips so they'll remain quiet. He motions for them to follow Gaara, waiting until they've moved out into the hall single file before he exits behind them.
Anko smiles at him in the darkness, pleased, only for her face to fall when she sees the look on his.
"What's wrong?" She whispers, brows furrowing.
"Haku's in the other room," He explains, "I'm going to get him. Go outside with the others."
Akno hesitates—mouth twisting like she's about to say something—but she buttons her lips at the last second and nods instead, squeezing his shoulder in support. It's over as quickly as it started, but Naruto does feel minorly comforted by it.
"If you don't see me in ten minutes," He adds gravely. "Tell them to pull off."
Anko's eyes widen slightly, but she still manages a level reply.
"Okay…" She trails off, raising her gun and looking away. "Make it quick. I'm not leaving you unless we absolutely have to."
Naruto doesn't bother responding. If he does happen to be caught, he hopes the others have enough sense to leave him behind. As long as the girls are safe, as long as Haku's alive and makes it out of this, he doesn't care what happens to him.
That's a lie, but it's not like anyone's going to call him on it.
Anko makes her way back up the hall. She sends him a look — a quiet, deeply regretful, look, but Naruto waves her off.
He waits for her to reach the laundry room before crossing the hall, twisting the door open slowly, unsure of what he's going to find inside.
The room is just as dark as the rest of the house—the small sink and clawfoot tub that he can barely make out let him know that this is the bathroom.
No movement.
It doesn't seem like anyone's in here.
Naruto doesn't immediately sense anyone inside, but he forces himself to think rationally.
Haku's probably asleep, he tells himself, or he's pretending to be. He doesn't know that it's Naruto who's come looking for him and he probably doesn't want to draw attention to himself.
Naruto feels around on the wall, looking for the lightswitch, flicking it on as soon as he closes the door behind him.
Haku's got his knees to his chest, looking no worse for the wear, one wrist hanging limply from the small, wall-mounted radiator by the sink. It rattles loudly when Haku flinches back sharply in sleep-addled panic, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the sudden light shining too brightly overhead.
They both freeze, staring at each other in tense silence.
Haku gasps, eyes filling with overwhelming relief that comes in the form of tears. "Naruto?" He whispers in disbelief, his free hand shaking as it reaches for him.
Naruto flings himself forward without hesitation, throwing his arms around Haku tightly, holding on for dear life. Haku melts into him immediately, shuddering as he rests his head on Naruto's shoulder. He's got the front of Naruto's shirt in vice-grip while his lips spill out heartfelt, grateful words.
"I knew you'd find me," He sobs softly. Naruto buries his face in Haku's hair and thanks God for the first time in a very long time, willing down his own tears as he holds his friend as close as he can. He's almost afraid that this is an illusion and Haku disappear if he blinks too hard.
"I knew you'd come." Haku babbles. Tears fall freely, staining the ground in his image. " I should have never come here by myself." He speaks quickly, voice so cracked with sobs that it's hard to understand him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"
"It's okay." Naruto assures, feeling the strangest urge to laugh wildly, despite himself. Haku couldn't have possibly known how bad Konoha was, especially since Naruto was hard pressed to tell him about this place.
There's so much that Naruto's experienced here that he couldn't bear to tell anyone. Someone as kind and sweet as Haku can't even fathom the horrors these streets hide, and Naruto will do his damndest to assure he doesn't have to see any more of it.
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault. " He says gently.
Naruto's pretty sure he's never been so happy in his life. Haku's here, alive , despite someone's best efforts. He can't ask for more than that.
His friend is a bit bruised and beaten—there's a cut on his forehead that needs to be checked out, the old blood that spilled from it causing Haku's hair to stick to his face. He's thinner than he was, too: Naruto doubts the goons worried too much about feeding him since he was a prisoner and slated for death.
"Naruto—" Haku begins, but they've already spent enough time here.
"We'll talk about all that later, okay?" Naruto says, voice soft yet firm. "Let's get you out of here first."
Haku sniffles, nodding weakly. Naruto wastes no time freeing him, using his trusty knife to break the zip tie that cutting into Haku's wrist. He frowns deeply at the red marks—all too tempted to stomp back to the living room and make those men pay for hurting his friend— but he refrains, gathering Haku in his arms instead so they can escape.
Haku's a bit unsteady on his feet. He probably hasn't used his legs much in the past few weeks so it takes a few tries to get him upright.
Naruto's okay with having to shoulder his weight—he'll be doing a lot of that in the coming days anyway, since it will no doubt take some time for Haku to recover from this ordeal both mentally and physically. It takes a bit of adjusting, but he manages to get Haku draped across him while holding his gun with his other hand.
Haku flinches at the sight of it, looking at him with wide eyes.
"You didn't shoot anyone, did you?" He whispers quietly, gaze fixed on the gun.
"No," Naruto replies lowly, glad he doesn't have to lie about such a thing. "I tried my best to avoid that."
"Good," Haku says, looking at him with unbridled happiness. "That's good."
Haku smiles softly, closing his eyes and pressing his head against Naruto's shoulder. Naruto can't help but feel pleased, too; he didn't have to rely too heavily on his old self to get the job done. There's something revolutionary about that, at least to him. There has to be a happy medium for this somewhere, isn't there?—a way to use the skills he has for good, instead of recklessly hurting people wherever he goes.
Maybe he can really change this time. Maybe things will actually be different, once this is over.
Naruto feels hopeful for the first time in a long time. Maybe this time, he can —
But he has to think about that later. He still needs to get Haku out of here before they can get to the "skipping town" part he's been talking about this whole time. Naruto forces himself to focus, trying not to get caught in another swell of emotion.
They exit the bathroom as quietly as they can.
The hall is still clear when they make their way back to the laundry room. Naruto pauses every few seconds, ears straining to hear any movement. There's none, but that brings him no comfort.
Haku's eyes are darting back and forth as well. He's holding his breath unconsciously and Naruto would tell him to stop so he doesn't hurt himself, but they're inside and near the window soon enough.
In the time it took for Naruto to retrieve Haku, it seems that Gaara and Anko managed to get the captives outside quickly and efficiently. Naruto can't help but grin at that. Their team might have been small, but they were well suited for the operation that was just carried out. Naruto will definitely have to buy the two of them a beer, as well as Zabuza for providing the car and most of the information that got them here.
"There's a big white van outside," Naruto informs Haku, cupping his hands so he can boost him up to reach the window. "I came with some friends and they're already inside. As soon as you land, I want you to run straight for it, alright? I'll be right behind you."
Haku nods slowly, biting his lips in nervousness. Naruto watches him try to collect himself, smiling in encouragement when Haku's gets his legs over the side, swinging them slightly as he prepares himself to drop.
He sends one last look to Naruto before he drops down, landing softly in the grass. He follows Naruto's instructions, taking off towards the van as soon as he's outside. Naruto grins, hopping slightly so he can reach the window's edge, pushing himself up with his arms and bracing one of his feet against the wall so he can pull up.
That's as far as he gets.
He didn't hear anything behind them— how he missed the warning signs is anyone's guess—but suddenly someone grabs at his leg just as Naruto's halfway out the window, jerking him backwards.
He stubbornly digs his fingernails into the windowsill, eyes trained on Haku's retreating form as the other man makes his way from the side of the house in what feels like slow motion.
Naruto can see to the street from this angle. He can the van's door is thrown wide open — Temari's beckoning wildly for Haku to hurry up as she leans out of it. Naruto makes eyes contact with her for a split second—her eyes blowing wide when she realizes he's half-stuck inside, struggling against someone.
Haku notices her face, too, right as he gets to the curb. He turns, shock and grief covering his face when he sees that Naruto isn't behind him. He's not quick enough to do anything—not scream, not cry, not run back to help— before Gaara's pulling him inside the van by his collar and shutting the door with a echoing slam.
Naruto manages to catch Zabuza's eyes in the driver's seat, the older man looking just as devastated as Haku as he comes to the grim understanding that—
Naruto's not going to make it.
That much is obvious.
The hand on his leg becomes two and pulls at him harder. He kicks wildly, trying to loosen the hold on his ankle, but it's not working very well.
He manages to yell out a guttural: "Go!" while he's still hanging out of the window, feeling momentary relief when he sees that Zabuza's heard him and the other man nod stiffly in reply. In the next second, the tires are screeching to life and the van is swerving off down the street in a scene that could have come straight out of a movie.
Not a bad exit, he thinks. They managed to get all the girls out, plus Haku and Temari, with time to spare. Almost flawless execution, if he says so himself.
Except for the part where he's suddenly being pulled back by the hair, only to be roughly thrown on the floor. The window slams shut quickly now that he's not half-hanging out of it.
He grunts, bones protesting the rough treatment, coughing when his attackers kick him in the stomach as soon as he lands.
Naruto blinks up at the ceiling, winded, swallowing thickly when he sees that someone's leaning over him in the dark. The gun the man holds glitters dangerously in the moonlight.
"Who the fuck are you?" The goon demands, kicking him again for good measure. Naruto doesn't bother answering—he's going to be killed regardless. He knows that.
He might as well hold his tongue and refrain from snitching on himself while he's at it. "Answer me, motherfucker!" The man screams, aiming the gun at Naruto's forehead.
"Fuck!" Someone calls from the hallway, distracting them. He barrels inside the laundry room not a moment later with colorful curses on his lips. "The girls are gone!"
The first goon looks to Naruto in fury, his gun shaking in his hands from anger as he steels himself to shoot Naruto between the eyes.
Well, there are worst ways to go out.
That's what Naruto's telling himself, at least, while making peace with his fate with an almost unnerving level of calm. He'll die knowing that he saved children from sexual slavery. He couldn't ask for much more than that.
Not to mention that one of his best friends in the whole world is safe because of him, and Gaara got his sister back.
That's good.
That's good enough.
There's more he wanted to do but he guesses this is as far as he goes. At least he has no regrets.
That's a lie, obviously. He has plenty, but it's not like there's anyone around who will call him on it.
"Wait," Another voice says. A light flickers on in the room, bathing them in harsh fluorescent light. This voice sounds startlingly familiar to him, which is unexpected. Naruto narrows his eyes, combing his brain as he wonders where he's heard that voice before.
He can't quite see him from his place on the ground, but that doesn't matter since the new voice comes inside to loom over him, looking down at Naruto's prone form with a promising smile.
"I know you." The new voice says in a curious tone, grinning wider when he sees that Naruto recognizes him, too.
It's one of the twins who attacked him years ago, under Suigetsu's order. Naruto has no hope of figuring out which one. He looks older—face blotchy and gaunt from years of drug use—but Naruto would recognize his face anywhere.
He's dreamed about their faces too many times—every single person who was there that day— to be anywhere close to being mistaken.
Fuck.
"Don't kill him yet," The twin continues, barking orders to the others like maybe he's in charge. "We can have fun with this one."
He gives Naruto an odd look when he says it, hanging back while the other goons tie him up. If Naruto wasn't already about to vibrate out of his skin, he might find the man's gaze uncomfortable.
"What's an Uchiha doing on this side of town, I wonder?" He asks in an overly saccharine tone that makes Naruto sick. "Well, we'll find out, won't we?"
Naruto's being forced to his feet in the next moment, trying and failing to think of something witty to say in reply— anything, really. If these are to be some of his last words, he wants them to be absolute zingers— but Naruto can't manage to form the words before someone's smashing their gun into the side of his face, knocking him out cold.
…
So yeah , it doesn't go as planned.
He's not sure what he expected. Smooth sailing? Not fucking likely.
He should know better, at this point. Still, It went better than he hoped. That counts for something
He knew this was a suicide mission from the start. The fact that he's going to be the only casualty isn't so bad when you think about it.
It's only with Naruto's last coherent thoughts that he remembers—
He never had the chance to call off Neji and Sasuke's promised backup.
Shit, shit, shit, shit—!
If they come looking for him, who knows what could happen. Hs efforts to avoid all out war are going to be for naught, once they realize he's been taken.
…
Damn, this really won't end well, will it?
