OMG! I updated. Please don't kill me I know I take forever but thanks to those that are still following my story.
Warnings: I didn't send it to the kind person who offered to beta for me, I know I should have.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Please read and review, let me know what you all think.
"Are you sure you want to share what the kid suspects?" Tenzou asked his boss worry clearly in his voice.
"Yes."
"But it's not even for sure, the Nara kid is only speculating and what if he's wrong?" Tenzou continued trying to convince Kakashi to wait.
"He's not wrong and now that I've had a few days to calm down and process the information, the pattern is brazenly clear. I know you're worried that they'll tell Jiraiya, but I can almost guarantee that Tsunade won't let that happen, at least now yet." Kakashi answered as the car pulled up to the Federal Building.
"I hope you're right." Tenzou stated quietly.
"Part of me hopes I'm right as well, but the other part thinks Jiraiya has a right to know, that keeping this from him is only going to cause more damage." Kakashi responded exiting the vehicle.
"Tenzou you go ahead and head to the office, I'll have Anko drop me off once I'm done here."
"Kakashi, are you sure?"
"Yes" was the only reply Tenzou received as he watched his silver hair boss walk away from the car and towards the waiting purple haired guard.
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"Honey, Jiraiya called to say that they still haven't made any progress finding Iruka." Hiro informed his wife.
"Do you think it was our fault that Iruka got taken?" Grace asked quietly as she continued to stare out the library window.
"Of course not, why would you even think that; the monster that took our son had no rhyme or reason, Iruka was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I know you're probably right, but did I, did we make our son an easy target?" Grace inquired softly.
"I don't understand why you would even think that," confusion clear in Hiro's voice.
"Because we gave him everything, we set no limits for him, no rules or regulations, we would have given him anything he asked for, would have denied him nothing. Yet all he wanted was his books, more and more books, all he wanted was to lose himself in knowledge. And instead of us pushing him to go out and expand his horizons, to explore the world, to have new experiences we allowed him to live in his own quiet one. Whereas other people were pushing their kids into taking self-defense classes, or having martial arts experts train their children we didn't push." Grace responded.
"Honey, there was nothing wrong with that, would you have preferred if Iruka had been in the tabloids, for being wild and reckless, or that we would have had to bail him out." Hiro countered.
"Of course not but maybe Jiraiya was right, maybe we did coddle him too much, maybe it would have been better if we had told him the truth; if we had allowed Jiraiya and Tsuande to be part of his life as more than just acquaintances, if we had allowed them to help raise him. You know that woman would have made damn sure Iruka could defend himself in any situation."
"Probably, but Grace at what cost? I have no doubt Tsuande would have made a warrior out of Iruka, but our son is a scholar not a fighter, his heart is too big and soft for that, he feels too much to ever physically hurt someone."
"I know, but I would rather have him here dealing with his guilt than the alternative." Grace finished as she headed out the door.
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"Kakashi, took you long enough to come see us, you went to speak to the Nara kid days ago." Tsunade reprimanded as Kakashi walked through her office door.
"It's good to see you too, and I was waiting, I needed to decide how much to tell you." Kakashi responded looking at Morino.
"What! You don't get to decide, I want to know what that damn Nara kid found." Tsunade demanded.
"It's that bad?" Morino asked watching the haunted look in the silver hair man's visible eye.
"Worse."
"What the hell are you and that brat talking about?" Tsunade shouted slamming her hands on the desk.
"Kakashi didn't come sooner because whatever the kid figured out will be devastating." Morino explained as he walked over to Tsunade's secret stash of sake, he had a feeling they were going to be needing it.
"I left my head of security with Shikamaru following up on a lead but so far they've come up empty." Kakashi began, "Genma did say that after having to deal with Yoshino he understands why Gai took some sick leave."
"Stop stalling Kakashi, and just tell me, whatever it is you need to tell me." Tsunade asked quietly, " You wasting time isn't going to change anything, or make the blow less painful."
"Shikamaru identified a pattern to the kidnappings, he was able to find what connected all the victims." Kakashi started, only to be interrupted by Tsunade.
"We all knew there had to be a pattern, we just couldn't see it, so the kid is smarter than all of us, I don't see how that's a bad thing." Tsunade replied trying to convince herself that was all the information.
"It's not, and I hate to have to tell you this,it's about the pattern itself, the motive for the kidnappings, the reason the victims were chosen is going to be devastating."
"This whole mess is devastating Kakashi, 12 families have already been destroyed, 12 young lives have already been cut short, 12 sets of parents have had to bury their children, no parent should have to outlive their child; and now we have a new set of parents wondering if they will have to say goodbye as well. So I don't see how it can possibly get worse." Tsunade countered.
"It's Jiraiya." Kakashi stated quietly.
"Excuse me?" Tsunade questioned confused.
"The reason the victims were targeted was to get to Jiraiya, each victim was somehow closer to Jiraiya than the previous, with Iruka obviously being the end game." Kakashi replied watching as both Morino and Tsunade paled.
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"So kid any other ideas?" Genma asked as he poured himself a fresh cup of coffee.
"No, and I don't understand why there are no records of flights to that god forsaken place. It's not like the kidnapper just teleported over there and back." Shikamaru growled out clearly frustrated.
"Unless the bastard is an alien with alien technology there has to been a some kind of record somewhere. Now if he is an alien from outer-space that would be cool." Genma chuckled the senbon that was always in his mouth making a clicking sound.
"Are you sure you're Hatake's head of security and not some nutcase who just wondered in from the street?"
"Lighten up kid, the situation is already depressing enough; now since we can't seem to find any sort of paper trail on this side, I think I'm going to fly out there and take a look around."
"Then I'm going with you," Shikamaru informed Genma.
"No, you're staying right here and seeing if your friend has made any progress." Genma informed him.
"I think I'd be of greater help with you, Shino and his dad have everything covered on their end." Shikamaru argued.
"No, and that's final, I'll have Kakashi send over either Anko or Tsume to keep an eye on you just in case the kidnapper figures out you're on to him."
"You're being unfair." Shikamaru pouted.
"No, I'm being cautious, there is no way in hell I'm exposing you to unknown dangers, the last thing I need is your mother gunning for my head." Genma finished ending the discussion.
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"No, you're wrong Kakashi, I'm sure it's all just a coincidence, the fact that all the victims are somehow connected to Jiraiya, after all he's a rich and powerful man who has tons of connections so I'm sure his path has crossed with a number of people." Tsunade stated, a plea in her voice as she grasped at straws.
Morino handed her a cup of sake as he took the seat next to hers.
"Tsunade, listen as much as I wish the kid was wrong I've looked over all the information he's pieced together and there is no other possible conclusion, his theory is solid." Kakashi answered his voice quiet and full of regret.
"Morino why didn't you know, why didn't we see it?"
"Because we didn't look deep enough, because we were too close and our feelings were running too close to the surface to be objective." Morino explained.
"But there's more isn't there Kakashi, as horrible as it is to think that we might have to tell Jiraiya that Iruka was targeted and kidnapped because of him, there's something else you're holding back." Morino asked the silver haired man.
"The toxin he uses, the one the medical examiners have been unable or unwilling to identify, it has no known antidote and it's always fatal. Shikamaru explained to me that the 60 days the victims live after their initial kidnapping is borrowed time, the kidnapper injects the toxin day 1 and then extends their lives by bleeding them so he can prolong their suffering." Kakashi explained.
"Oh God, Iruka!" Tsunade exclaimed quickly downing another cup of sake.
"Fuck!" Morino growled. "So no matter what we do, that boy is as good as dead."
"He can't know," Tsunade stated tears gathering in her clear blue eyes, " we can't tell him, it will kill him."
"Which is why I debated for so long what information to share with you, I didn't want you to have to carry this burden as well." Kakashi stated reaching for his own drink.
"You two do realize we can't really keep this information from him, no matter how much you want to protect him, he has not only the right to know as our commander in chief but also as that boy's family." Morino argued looking at Tsunade.
"Of course we can keep it from him, when Iruka isn't found in time Jiraiya will grieve for him and it will break my heart, but I will not have him consumed with guilt as well." Tsunade growled.
"What if we find Iruka, there isn't any antidote to counter the toxin, do we tell him we knew all along the victims were sentenced to death from day 1 as he watches Iruka die painfully?" Morino asked.
"Damn it Morino, I don't know, it's been 20 days since Iruka was taken and we are no closer than we were when this whole nightmare started, what's to say we even find him before it's too late."
"If we do, they are working on an antidote as we speak, but there is no guarantee that they will have one in time to save Umino if he's found." Kakashi interrupted the growling battle between the blonde and Morino.
"What! Why the hell didn't you start with that, give us some hope? Who's working on it, let's bring them in so they can have all the resources they need." Tsunade huffed.
"I didn't start with that, precisely because I don't want you to get your hopes up, especially if there's a good chance of them not succeeding; and they won't come in, there is nothing that you can offer them in terms of resources that they don't either already have or have something that is better." Kakashi finished.
"So the Aburame's are working on it then." Morino interjected.
"What are your plans Kakashi? If Jiraiya asks you if you've found anything new, what do you plan on telling him?" Tsunade asked the weight of knowledge already heavy.
"As much of the truth as I can, that I'm working on avenging not only Rin but all the victims, and hope like hell he doesn't press the issue." Kakashi replied as he got up and headed for the door.
"Sounds tricky, but I guess it's the best we can do for now. Morino I want you to press everyone get them to go over everything again and contact Genma if he needs assistance investigating any leads the Nara kid finds send Kotetsu and Izumo those two need something to do besides drive me crazy. I'll work on keeping Jiraiya in the dark and if the worst happens I'll work on damage control." Tsunade stated quietly dismissing the others.
Thanks for reading, please review.
I know it's shorter than what I'm used to posting but I've been having some problems with the nerves in my hands, hopefully now that I've had treatment I'll be able to get back to writing.