Earlier that day.

Though bothered by worries for Haku he still had responsibilities to his other students. They had two months to train and get themselves ready for their next war patrol. He arrived at training ground twenty five about a quarter to ten and was pleased to see both his students already there. Not surprisingly he found Sakura pestering Sasuke and the Uchiha trying to ignore her. Spotting his arrival Sasuke hurried over to him, no doubt eager to start training. Not surprisingly Sakura was right on his heels.

"How are you two feeling? Did you enjoy your time off?" Nartuto asked trying to seem upbeat.

"It was fine." Sasuke shrugged.

"It was really great to be back home again." Sakura said cheerfully. "Sensei any word on who are new member will be?"

He quirked an eyebrow at the question. "New member? Aren't you hoping to get Haku back?"

Both of them looked surprised at first. Sakura then looked uncomfortable, while Sasuke smirked at him. "I guess it's true then. Niisan said you actually came to see him to try and get Haku released." Sasuke shook his head. "You're probably about the only person who's not in the Circle who could do something like that."

"Naruto-sensei," Sakura spoke a bit timidly. She wasn't related to a Circle member. "Is it safe to even mention him?"

Naruto sent her a severe frown. "Are you afraid to even say his name? Haku is your teammate. Are you going to just pretend you never knew him?"

"Yes," Sasuke said unapologetically. "He was our teammate now he's a nonperson. He never existed."

A, 'nonperson' was what you called someone who was arrested by the ANBU. The second you were arrested you no longer existed in society. Even mention of your name could get you in trouble. Friends cut you out of their memories and conversations. Parents packed away your things and tried to forget. Everyone pretended that the nonperson had never been. It was just safer that way. A week ago they were comrades ready to risk their lives for one another, now they won't even say his name. Is this really all there is? Am I supposed to play along and forget him too? He grimaced at the thought. I wouldn't have abandoned him on the battlefield am I really supposed to just abandon him to the ANBU when I know he's innocent of anything?

"Naruto-sensei what sort of training do you have in mind for us?" Sakura spoke up, clearly eager to change the subject.

He let out a sigh. Whatever he decided to do wouldn't involve his former teammates. He might as well take care of his duty to them and worry about Haku later. "All right, I want to start with some basic ninjutsu training…"

XXXXXXXXXXX

He had tried to do this the right way. He'd spoken to the head of the ANBU and been denied a meeting with the Hokage. There were no other legal avenues to go through. It wasn't as though he could go to a lawyer or judge. That led him to try the wrong way. He was a ninja, one of the elite Jonins of Konohagakure. He'd used his skills on many questionable endeavors. Now he would use them on a rescue mission he had no doubts about. He knew where Haku was being kept. Before going on patrol he had marked each of his students so he could track and reach them by body flicker in case of any emergency. Following the seal on Haku had led him to cam six. Other than the barbed wire and minefield to look at the place you would think it was just a low rent district somewhere in Konoha. There were eight identical four story buildings. All of them of a basic rectangular design, all made of simple red brick, nothing really ominous or noteworthy about any of them. But this place was the stuff of nightmares.

Taking a deep breath he body flickered to where Haku was. He found himself in a lab with three startled men in white lab coats. Before they could make any noise or set off any sort of alarm he knocked them all unconscious. With them out he stopped and looked about the lab. There were large pieces of equipment everywhere, all of them humming and with various lights flashing. It took just a moment to sort things out.

"Who are you?" He jumped around to confront the person. He immediately saw she was not threat to him. She was a prisoner. She was lying naked on a metal table with her wrists and ankles bolted down. She was young, a teenager, she seemed attractive, or would if it weren't for the scars on her body and being able to count her ribs. Her blonde hair was cut extremely short and across her forehead were stamped the numbers 11756 in thick black numerals. She had green eyes that somehow seemed to look right through him. She didn't seem afraid, just curious. "Who are you?"

"Never mind who I am, who are you?"

"Prisoner 11756." She rattled off automatically.

He slowly shook his head and came to her side. "What's your name?"

She stared at him. "Is this some kind of trick? I'm nothing, I less than garbage, I don't have a name I have a number."

He didn't really know what to do. He was wasting time but he felt a need to see if he could help this girl. "Did you ever used to have a name?"

She continued to stare at him and he saw confusion and mounting worry. "Will I be punished if I say?"

He shook his head. "No of course not."

She hesitated before whispering an answer. "Temari, I used to be called Temari." She chuckled. "I used to be a princess once, back in Suna."

Naruto gasped. He'd heard of her! She was the Kazekage's daughter! She's been captured fighting outside the walls of Suna. She'd been spared on the orders of the Hokage because it amused him to keep one member of the Suna nobility alive. She'd been one of a bare handful of prisoners to be kept alive and returned to Konoha. Looking at her he wasn't sure whether to call her lucky for that.

"What year is it?" She suddenly asked.

"Year? It's 1293."

"I'm fifteen," she said suddenly. "I've been here three years, it seemed so much longer."

"I'm looking for someone. A boy fifteen years old, his name is Haku, he is new here."

"You're here to rescue the new prisoner?" Naruto nodded. She stared up at him and hope replaced fear and curiosity. "If I tell you where he is will you do something for me?"

"I don't think I can rescue you too." He said sadly. Trying to rescue Haku was desperate enough, but trying to carry two people to safety was far too much.

She smiled. "That's o.k. I gave up on ever seeing the sun again a long time ago. If I help you please kill me."

He was immediately reminded of the ninja he'd killed a week ago in Lightning. He'd chosen a quick death over being a prisoner. There were times when death really was a mercy. "All right I promise, if you help me find Haku I'll end your life quickly and painlessly."

She nodded eagerly. "He's behind that vault door there, it's a giant freezer."

"A freezer?!" he hurried to it and was quickly able to unbolt it. As soon as he got eh heavy door open he was hit by a wave of subzero cold. Sure enough chained up inside was a naked Haku. Wires connected to his skin monitored his vital signs. On his forehead the number 54238 had been tattooed. "Haku!"

The boy was alive and looked up at him. "Se… se… sensei?"

Naruto quickly tore off his iron bonds and got him out of there and wrapped up in a white lab jacket. "What in kami's name were they doing to you?"

"Te… te… test… testing… m… my i… ice ability."

Naruto felt disgusted and dirty to know he served a village that would do this to someone.

"Your promise!" Temari called to him pleading. "Please keep your promise."

He came to her side and took out a kunai. "I will."

Seeing the kunai in his hand a smile split her weary face and tears of joy came to her eyes. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! May kami bless and keep you for this my savior!"

He had done a great deal of killing since leaving the academy. He had also done his share of mercy killings like this one. He had never had anyone be so grateful to him for it. He had never felt so guilty for performing it. "I'm very sorry." He did what he could for her; he made it a quick and clean job.

"Naruto-sensei, why have you come here?" Haku asked.

He smiled at the older boy. "Because as long as I am your sensei Haku I will not abandon you. I never abandon a teammate or a comrade no matter what the danger." He went over to Haku and put an arm around him, he seemed barely able to stand. Naruto hadn't really planned this out very well. He'd hoped to somehow get in undetected, rescue Haku, get out undetected, and help Haku make a run for it. But that was out of the question now; Haku would need some time to recover. "All right plan B." With an arm around Haku they body flickered away.

XXXXXXXXXX

30 MINUTES LATER

Anko was furious. She could give a damn about the dead girl or the escaped prisoner. But someone had broken into the camp that was her responsibility. This would damage her reputation and standing with him. "Bring in an Inuzuka now!! There is no way in hell the bastard who did this is getting away with it!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Anko glared at the ANBU. "You had better be absolutely sure about this!"

The ANBU nodded. Inuzuka Tsume spoke with finality. "There's no doubt both of them are in there."

Anko had brought five full squads of ANBU with her. The only problem was she didn't dare use them. "Damn it all." She'd wanted to fix this on her own, but that would be impossible now.

"What are your orders Anko-sama?" Tsume asked. Tsume was not eager to assault this place, but then again Anko was never known for restraint.

"For now, do nothing at all. Stay in the shadows and watch until I return." With that Anko was gone.

Tsume shook her masked head. "I guess she can be restrained when she really has to be." Passing on the order the ANBU scattered about the perimeter of the Namikaze estates.

XXXXXXXXXX

Minato was very surprised when a servant told him there were two visitors for him at the front door. That was nothing compared to his surprise at seeing who the visitors were.

"Hokage-sama! What are you doing here?" Minato quickly bowed as the Hokage and Anko entered his home.

Orochimaru laughed and displayed a wide and playful smile. "Minato-kun, it seems your son has been a very bad boy."