A/N: Alas, I am here, and still clinging to reality. Haha, not really. But never fear, I'm not giving up! If any of you doubted me, minus 3 points! If you still held hope I would return, umm...kudos. :D But enough of this pathetic drivel, it's time for chapter 11. I, once again, apologize for the long wait, but I've been in this 'slump' that could only be caused by 3 things: Jiraiya's fate; Stressful decision on who to cosplay; Holidays. I must admit, I wanted to play Guitar Hero much more than update. Lo siento.

Onward! Oh, and there will be an immensely large amount of suckish flashbacks. I wanted to write one story without resorting to those horrible insights of the past, but...I guess every story needs one, right? Beware.

I don't own Naruto.

Techie and the Agent

Chapter Eleven

Nostalgia Brings You Back

Sasuke was anxious. Quite frankly, he had been waiting far too long for the new squad to form. It had been over 2 weeks since Naruto was kidnapped by Orochimaru and the team had made the decision to follow up on them.

It's too bad that they had lost so much precious time.

Upon returning to Konoha's base, Tsunade had went into a fit of rage. She declared the mission a state of emergency, and ordered all agents to return to the base, except if it was necessary to stay in duty.

Kakashi was resting, as his chakra was enormously depleted (although it was odd, seeing as he never gave hint to being weakened after the fight). A new captain for the squad was created, a man named Yamato taking his position.

Shikamaru declined going after Orochimaru and Kabuto with the team, stating that fighting was not his forte. Sasuke agreed silently; Shikamaru was useful, but not when combat was a given.

Neji had taken to staying in his room, up all hours of the night reading his scrolls. Something had put him off, Sasuke was sure, and now the long-haired man needed to restore his sense of balance. The Hyuuga required stability to function properly, Sasuke mused.

Sai had started an annoying habit of always being in the same room as Sasuke, much to the latter's hatred. Every time Sasuke would move to another room, it always seemed like Sai would follow. When the Uchiha had confronted the other raven-haired boy, he had merely grinned in that ferrety way of his and said "I'm just collecting research." Research, my—

"There you are, Sasuke!" His thoughts were cut short when a girl he recognized as Tenten strode up to him. He had been lounging in the break room, although his thoughts were not on the Call of Duty 4 game in front of the group, but rather the dangerous mission around the 'metaphorical' corner.

He raised a hand in greeting, not unlike how Kakashi normally did. "Hello, Tenten."

She didn't seem happy, as her frown placed upon her normally pleasant face hinted. "We've got the plan and the group ready, you might want to come with me." She set her lips in a grim line, and led Sasuke to the conference hall.

The long mahogany table was filled to the brim with strange adults, all talking at once to each other and yacking on their cell phones simultaneously. 2 or 3 pagers went off, and Sasuke had to poke a finger in his ear to keep it from ringing. "Uh, Tenten..."

"This way." He followed her past the table of people (who paid him no mind) and through another door. Tsunade was waiting patiently along with the majority of Konoha's work force.

"Close the door," she instructed briefly. He did so and took a seat in front of the president.

"Who were they?" he asked curiously, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the strangers. He could feel many pairs of eyes on him as he spoke, and he knew they were calculating whether he was in a good mood or not.

Tsunade sighed tiredly. She had never looked so old to Sasuke. "Those were higher-ups who insist on running this place altogether. Word got out that the last of the Biju files was stolen, but kept within the walls of the CIA, and they kept a close eye on me since then. Now that Naruto has been captured, they decided to invade our institution and are now trying to cover up the press and media from ever finding out. But they never miss a chance to harass me and threaten me with my job." She smiled dryly.

She started again, this time with a much more upbeat tone. "Now, the Advisors and I have come up with a foolproof plan to relocate and save Naruto Uzumaki. Do you swear you will never reveal any of this information to anyone outside of this room?"

He was puzzled. He had never needed to take a pledge before, except when he was a child and was being sworn in to the corporation. "I swear."

"Good. Then here's the plan, and listen well:

"Your new squad has been altered and multiplied for optimum safety and efficiency. I will never make the mistake of sending Naruto out on a mission again, if he should ever return. Not until the Akatsuki and Orochimaru have been taken down and destroyed. I am not afraid of the consequences, I am merely worried about the fatalities.

"Yes, I said fatalities, and I'll tell you why. This isn't an easy task, nor is it a common one. We are dealing with murderers, people, not ordinary cops or any other pointless person. I may have given you the wrong directions before, but I will not make that mistake again. Therefore, I am sending only the best on this reconnaissance mission. You have all sworn that you will do your very best, so I have no doubt in your talents. I have seen you all grow tremendously.

"Now, on to the groups. Team 1 will consist of: Lee, Neji, and Tenten, with Gai as your leader. Team 2 will consist of: Sasuke, Sai, and Hinata, with Yamato as your leader in substitution for Kakashi. I want you to reacquaint yourself with your team if you haven't done so recently already, and then we may begin."

Sasuke turned his eyes onto the shy, stuttering Hinata, Neji's cousin, and his doubts immediately heightened. She may be talented with chakra use and her family's trademark eyes, but she was nowhere near her cousin's level of skill. He hoped she wouldn't become too much of a nuisance.

He ignored Sai, who was grinning again, and then turned his attention back onto Tsunade. She hastily took a swig of her sake (which she always said was tea, in her defense), and straightened her spine.

"You will travel north, to Orochimaru's suspected hideout. I know where this area is, because a trusted source has informed me of it. It may take a few days to find the exact location, but hopefully we can save time if we get this done soon. When you reach the base, I will make sure you have the supplies needed to infiltrate it and scout for Naruto. He should be somewhere underground, because if I know Orochimaru," her amber eyes glinted briefly with the slightest inkling of nostalgia, "he will want something extreme."

"I will plant devices on you that will track your progress, and Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji will guide you through using earpieces and microphones. They will stay back at base. If you do not find Naruto within a half hour, they will direct you further under my orders. If you are to be captured, I will not condemn you if you resort to using your talents. I have faith in you all." She paused in her speech, and turned her lips upward in a faint smile. "Nothing will go as planned, I am sure of it, but we can only try our best. If nothing else, I will send the whole freakin' United States Army after you to help you along. Nothing could be worse than letting File Kyuubi become exposed."

Sasuke stayed behind as the rest of the agents filed out of the room. "Tsunade, can I ask you something?"

She looked up, and she didn't seem surprised to find him still there. "Oh? What about, Uchiha?"

"Do you think Naruto will die?"

Her eyebrows slanted downward. "The probability of that happening is 97 percent, actually. He's being held by a mass-murderer and medical prodigy, and I have no doubt that Akatsuki will at one point get their hands on him as well. I've heard of an invention that extracts memories, and if that is used on Naruto, then there is no hope for the world any longer."

Sasuke looked down at his feet. "Why doesn't Naruto remember reading the file? When I asked him, a while back, how he had hacked into the database, he went...berserk on me."

"Ah," said Tsunade all-knowingly, "that is a secret that I cannot tell you. For now, Sasuke, make do with what you know and use it to your advantage. You are a smart boy, Sasuke Uchiha, and I put my full trust in you." She walked forward and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Does Naruto mean that much to you?"

----

"Taka was picking on me again, so I punched him," an 11-year old Naruto replied sulkily, twirling his shoes in the playground wood chips in a bashful attempt to avoid his teacher's gaze. Iruka frowned.

"You know fighting at school is against the rules, Naruto. I know you are having a tough time with your rent, and I wish I could help, but...that is no reason to start violence in the playground. You could have seriously injured Taka."

Naruto looked up at his teacher's eyes. "You don't understand! He was saying some stuff about me, and I didn't care much, but then he was calling Sasuke names, and..."

Iruka placed a hand on the boy's head, effectively earning a halfhearted glare. He knew Naruto had trouble controlling his actions, and although he cared about the blonde like he would his own son, fighting at school was against the rules. He bent down to eye level and gave him a quick smile. "Just don't do it again, Naruto."

Naruto waved over his shoulder as he ran across the playground and entered the school. A small, pale boy was waiting for him around the corner.

"Hey, are we ready to go, Sasuke?" Naruto fixed a strap on his backpack as he waited for his friend to answer. Sasuke bit his bottom lip and looked away, staring at a spot on the wall near the cafeteria. "I'm glad you didn't get in trouble..." he mumbled quietly.

He wasn't sure if Naruto had heard him, but the other boy's face split into a wide grin. He grabbed the shoulder strap on the other boy's bag and led him to the front doors where the school bus waited to bring them home, a small bounce in his step. Unwillingly, a small smile crept onto Sasuke's face as well. Whenever you were around Naruto, you couldn't help but feel happy.

----

The current Sasuke rubbed at his eyes tiredly, shaking away the memory. "Yes," he decided, "he does."

Tsunade nodded in an 'I thought so' way. She left the room to face the businessmen outside. Sasuke waited a moment or so before following.

He was anxious, because his one and only friend might not see the light of day again.

"Zetsu sure is taking awhile," said a disgruntled auburn-haired man. He shifted his legs into a more comfortable position on the plush sofa he sat on. "Konan, you told Kabuto the right information, did you not?"

A blue-haired woman scribbled down some notes on a piece of paper before looking up at her leader. "I specifically told Kabuto that we would find Sasuke Uchiha, but I did not promise bringing him to Orochimaru, just like you said, Pein."

Pein swirled the drink in his left hand while the other hand traced the piercings along the bridge of his nose thoughtfully. "You know, Kabuto isn't nearly as perceptive as snake-man makes him out to be. He shouldn't put so much trust in one person."

He stood up as soon as the door opened, and Zetsu entered the room carrying a body. Konan hurriedly took Naruto from the black-and-white man's arms. "Good work, Zetsu. No harm, no foul?" said Pein appraisingly.

Zetsu gave no indication that he respected the Akatsuki's leader; he merely stood there. "It was easy enough, I suppose." "The little brat was no problem, but we had to avoid Kabuto, which wasn't so simple."

Pein nodded and waved his hand at Konan, who took off down an adjoining hall and headed towards the dungeons. Pein watched her go as Zetsu disappeared from the room.

"This is going easier than I expected," Pein said to himself. "I do hope Kakuzu finishes that machine in time..."

----

Konan shifted Naruto's weight upwards again, hooking her arms more securely around his chest and under his knees. He wasn't very heavy, but she wasn't very strong and so the task of carrying an adult male down the stairs wasn't very easy.

----

A small, scraggly little girl with vibrant blue hair was sitting on the asphalt, her ragged clothes covered with dirt and her scuffed-up knees visible from under her too-short dress. She was immensely thin, and was shivering from the cold gusts of wind that blew through the city.

She waited, and waited, for her family to return. They were out scavenging for food in dumpsters, and she was instructed to stay behind at the "house" to guard their small amount of supplies from other beggars. The home in question was located in a deserted alley, mostly made up of random pieces of plywood leaning against each other and covered with ratty blankets.

Amongst the poverty, the sickness, and the harsh way of life, the little girl loved her family. They were hodgepodge, and biologically unrelated, but those two were the closest things to brothers she had ever known. She would do anything to keep them safe.

Finally, just as a small drizzle started to pick up, two youngsters made their way to the small hut, their arms full with discarded food.

"Nagato, Yahiko! About time!" she cried, getting up from her place on the ground to help them with the bundle. Yahiko sat himself down under the roof of their house and hastily dug into a half-eaten bag of potato chips. "Sowwy, Kowan," he said, his mouth full with food. He swallowed. "The dumpster was locked, so we had to break in, but look what we got! Somebody threw out their old sweater." He took an old woolen sweater from the pile and slipped it over his body. It was a tight fit, as it might have belonged to a 5-year old, but he grinned nevertheless.

Konan repressed a shiver as another gust of wind struck the tiny shelter. Yahiko frowned, and took the sweater off. "Here," he said, thrusting it out to her, "you can have it. You need it more than me." She looked at him suspiciously, but took it anyways.

"T-thank you, Yahiko."

The ever-quiet Nagato was propping up an extra blanket against the direction of the wind, and settled himself down in his nest-like bed. He said nothing about the food, and hadn't even touched his portion of the chips Yahiko had offered. "Hey, Nagato, aren't you gonna eat?" he was asked.

"No."

"Hmm, okay then, weirdo. More for us!" Nagato's lips turned upward in a tiny smile, but he hid it behind his long mop of black hair that covered his face. He despised the way they lived, but he wouldn't want to be stuck with anyone else.

Konan peeked over her shoulder at the now sleeping boy, and she was grateful that he had willingly left to go find food with Yahiko. She looked towards the sky, as the small amount of rain let up and the moon shone brightly. Maybe, she thought to herself, our lives will change. Maybe we'll have a real home, with real clothes and food. Maybe we don't have to sleep outside anymore. Maybe, we can be happy...

She fell asleep, surrounded by her family, the small, dysfunctional family, that she would never trade for the world.

----

Konan quickly pushed the memory away before she tripped over a step. She regained her balance and made her way towards the row of cells. She didn't like it down here, as it radiated torture and death in every corner. Pein might have approved of the living standard down here, but she would never subject their prisoners to such horrible conditions if she wasn't forced to.

She placed the unconscious man on top of a small cot in an empty cell, carefully shifting him to make him comfortable. His face held a serene look in his sleep, and it made her smile. This one's special, I can tell...

Sometimes, she regretted her past decisions and wished that she had never joined this organization. Their goals were cruel and their means of fulfilling these aspirations were ruthless.

But something deeper burned within her, something stronger than guilt or regret. It filled her with such happiness that could never be described, and it made her head feel light and her stomach flutter. Her life was never the same after Yahiko died, but whenever she was around Pein, she could still feel the presence...of family.

Naruto grunted suddenly, and shifted onto his side. She shut and locked the cell door, and started up the stairs once again. Akatsuki's goal was almost complete, and the key to gaining world domination was asleep in their dungeon right now. She could hardly wait to see Pein's face as their goals were finally achieved. She would do anything for him, after all.

A/N: Aaaand, done. XD I can't believe I've been forgetting to thank my (small amount of dedicated) reviewers...! Holy bajeezus...Well, this is me, saying thank you for taking your time to tell me how much you like this story, even though it's very slow (yet very fast...?) and is confusing, even to me. Thanks for staying patient while I deal with writing this baby out. I intend to finish it, but I don't know how long it will take. So, once again, GRACIAS! Care to review once more? I know you want to...