A/N

Here's another chapter, even though I know you are all dying to know what happens to Naruto. Oh no, Hinata and Sakura are all depressed now, oops, you need to read. Hope you like it, this is the third one I've worked on today, so my creativity may be running dry. Lots and lots of emo stuffs, and more stuffs of other stuffy qualities. Anyways, read, enjoy, review, tell me what you think. Personally, I hate portraying Hinata being sad, it just isn't right. Anyways, I hope you like it, even if you don't, it's a necessary increment in the evolution of the story.

Chapter 38 Agony of Defeat

Tsunade

I left the Anbu Headquarters almost an hour later, after heated discussion with Danzo. I was shaking my head, stomping furiously through the streets to my office. The stuck up Anbu leader refused to believe that the ninja may have been human. He believed that they were all Living Clones. The idea was preposterous, it took large amounts of skill and chakra to control one, not to mention a whole army of them. I strode imperiously through my office door. Shizune was there, with TonTon, filing, sorting and signing papers. She looked up, looking concerned and slightly bemused. She set down the sheaf of paper that she had just finished signing. I sat down in my desk chair, rubbing my temples, before she spoke.

"So, what's Danzo done this time?" She asked, crossing her legs as she sat.

"He's being arrogant, that's what he's done. The man that we caught, he died before we could extract the memories, even though he had none, from his brain. Danzo is now convinced that all of the ninja who've attacked are Living Clones, you know, the jutsu that lets you make a double, an exact double," I explained, Shizune nodding as I went.

"Well, it's difficult to make and control one of them, but he thinks that all of the ninja are Living Clones. Do you have any idea how difficult it would be to control them all? I'm not sure it's even possible!" I exclaimed, Shizune sitting calmly, shaking her head politely.

I leaned back in my chair, listening to the scraping and thumping sounds from far above, where workers no doubt fixed the roof. I yawned, and blinked tears of sleep from my eyes. It was going to be a long night, a night through which I would probably be awake. I turned reluctantly to Shizune, who held the small pig in her arms, her ebony hair messy and unusually unkempt. My head pounded from the argument with Danzo and the exertion of fighting the ninja. Now I was annoyed, tired, and irritable. I felt like banging my head violently against the table, hoping to gain some respite from the throbbing, twitching pain that surrounded my entire body.

I was increasingly annoyed, my twitch growing worse as time went on. At one point, I do believe that I actually did slam my head against the desk. After maybe another half an hour, I couldn't take it. I stood up, tensing all the muscles in my body at once, the pain subsiding briefly, then flaring back into unyielding fullness. Shizune followed me as I stomped from my office, trudging noisily down the stairs and out the front door. I walked into the now biting cold air, walking off the unbearable tension in my legs. I had no particular destination in mind, so I walked, heading around the village. I passed houses with all lights out, shops with lights on, and the gates. Twice around the town, and I stopped, as I saw figures approaching the front gates.

Shizune and I cautiously went over, and waited as the slowly moving shapes drew nearer. Soon enough, I could make out details of the several figures. A shock of white hair, a metal fan, white robe, pineapple spike hair, it had to be. It was the recon mission, and they were obviously tired. Shizune came to the same realization, and she and I ran over to the hobbling group. Kakashi collapsed, as did Hinata. They sunk to the ground, kneeling in the half an inch layer of snow. Sakura and Neji were panting heavily, Lee and Gai on the verge of exhaustion. Temari carried Shikamaru over her shoulder, and Asuma limped behind them all. How the hell had this happened? And where was Naruto? Why wasn't he with the others?

I voiced this concern aloud, but it took the weary and wounded group several minutes to formulate a coherent response. Sakura leaned against the side of gate, breathing hard. Asuma did the same, lighting a cigarette. I asked again, and Lee collapsed as well.

"They, there were at least forty, took, Naruto," Kakashi gasped, pushing himself with trembling arms to a sitting position.

"They took Naruto?!" I asked in shock and disbelief.

Sakura nodded, and I scowled violently. I clapped three times, and four Anbu ninja appeared at my side. I turned to them and explained the situation, ordering them to take all the members of the recon group to the hospital and have them treated. The Anbu, after having received their instructions, nodded and each helped two of the ninja to their feet, carrying them in the direction of the hospital. The streets were empty, void of people, although not at all surprising at three in the morning. Shizune and I followed the injured procession, asking questions as we went. In ragged gasps, the group recounted the events of the night, explaining how they had encountered the ninja, and how Naruto had been kidnapped.

I clenched my fists in rage, stomping through the road. This couldn't be happening, how could it? These ninja, whether Living Clones or not, had the guts to attack me, in my office, in my village. They had the strength of number to defeat seven jonin and three chunin, capturing one and leaving the rest injured and exhausted. This was bad, and we had to get to the bottom of it before anyone else went missing. Sakura was crying, her eyes puffy and red, and she tried to walk on her own, despite her trembling limbs. Hinata wasn't crying, but looked sick. Her face was white as a sheet, her eyes wide and wavering. She was limp, letting the Anbu carry her without resistance, but worries and fears raced behind her pale eyes. The rest were to exhausted to show emotion, and were carried to the hospital.

When we reached the building, I made several hasty explanations, and had them all admitted. Normally, I would have healed them right away, but I had no idea what was wrong with them, and I was far too tired. Their injuries didn't seem to be severe, so I reckoned that the typical healers could deal with them. Sakura, Hinata and Temari were all delivered to one room, Asuma, Kakashi and Gai to another. Neji, Shikamaru and Lee were sent to another room, and several healers entered each. I visited each room, first Kakashi's, then Neji's, finally Sakura's. By this time, Hinata was actually crying, tears spilling violently from her eyes. She heaved with shallow, ragged breaths. She shuddered and shook, curling into a ball on her bed.

I looked at her with concern and apology. She was tearing herself to pieces over Naruto's capture, and she was obviously sick with worry. She pulled the covers over her shoulders, sobbing violently into her pillow. Her crying was now muffled by the soft cushion, and I sat down on her bed. I put a comforting hand on her shoulder, feeling her shaking. I ran my hand through her hair, trying to make her feel better.

"Hinata, Hinata," I whispered, trying to quell her sobbing, but to no avail.

"H-He-He's gone, I-I, I couldn't, he-" She shuddered, her breathing still rasping and harsh.

"You did all you could, everyone did," I comforted her, and she shook her head, still face down in the pillow.

She sobbed even harder at my words, clenching her fists to the side of her head.

"I-I couldn't, I-I failed, he-he's gone, he-he couldn't, if-if he," She tried to explain, her talking interrupted by shallow, ragged breaths.

"He couldn't have done anything more than he did, neither could you," I explained, eliciting a turn of the head.

Her face was streaked and stained with tears, which seemed to have no intention of ceasing. She looked at me with despair and hopelessness. I didn't know what to do, I was at a loss for anything to do. I merely looked at her, and her breathing evened out, just a little.

"D-Do you r-really think, really think so?" She asked, her eyes overflowing with liquid sorrow.

I nodded, dumbstruck. I didn't know what was wrong, whether it was the fact that Hinata tore herself up over Naruto's absence, or whether she was so insistent on trying to save him, but something about her left me speechless. I tried to form words, words to reassure her, but they seemed to slip from my grasp.

"Y-Yes, I do," Was all I could manage, and she made a teary smile.

She didn't speak, but I could tell that she was hanging on my every word. I forced a smile as well, putting my hand on her shoulder again.

"Naruto's going to be fine, we'll get him back, don't worry," I reassured her, and her tears subsided from a torrent to a trickle.

She lay back, still crying, but now obviously less distraught. I felt her pain, wondering how much she really cared for the boy. I remembered when my love had died. I had been broken that day, the pain never ceased, haunting me forever, and I prayed that that would never happen to this fragile girl. She didn't deserve that, she deserved Naruto, and I silently cursed the ninja that took him. Damn them, they deserved to burn in hell for what they did to this girl.

"Hinata," I asked softly, "Does Naruto love you?"

She looked surprised, confused, then sad.

"I-, yes, I think he does. I don't think he's realized it completely, but I think he does," She explained, and I smiled at her.

"And, I take it, you love him back?"

She nodded, her tears stopping, and a small smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah, yes I do," She admitted, then after several seconds, tears leaked from her eyes.

"But-but now," She started to cry again, and I put a hand on the side of her face.

"Hinata, is Naruto dead?" I asked, and she looked confused.

"How, how should I know?" She asked, looking up at me, and I shook my head.

"You do know, if he were dead, you would be able to tell. Now, is Naruto dead?" I explained, and she carefully shook her head.

"Is that what your heart tells you?" I asked, and she nodded.

"Then Naruto's still alive. I'm organizing a large force to retrieve him, but you won't be included," I explained, and she looked hurt.

"Why not?" She almost bawled, and I shook my head.

"Because, you don't need to be hurt any more, you should stay home and wait for him to return. I know it hurts, but there's nothing more you can do," I told her, and she blinked tears from her eyes.

Further protests spilled incoherently from her mouth, and I shook my head, smiling comfortingly.

"Hinata, you need to rest. You've been on the go for a long time, you'd wear yourself into the ground if you went on this mission, and we don't want that," The girl nodded, looking pleadingly up at me.

"I guess, but Tsunade, don't you dare, I mean, please, don't let him die,"

A/N

There you go, a depressing chapter. It actually made me cry to write it O.o So, how'd you like it? Too sappy? Too emo? Just right? I know you're gonna review, so I'll stop asking questions, so you can just click the magical button right down there, see, that one, yeah. Yeah, alright, tell me what you thought, and leave feedback. Thanks a bunch!

~Matthew-Kami-Dono~