Chapter 44

Trigger Warning: This page contains descriptions of violence which may be triggering to some readers.

"Please sir… please spare us." the fisherman hugged his wife as the Sound nin approached. A Sand ninja jumped in front of them. His weapon clashing with the Sound nin as both their arms shook from impact.

The boys looked around at the chaos exploding around them, feeling disoriented.

Despite this Shikaku had a clear idea of every order and tactical movement he'd made. He was sure it was about time now that the leaders had gathered as he'd requested.

A Chuunin came gasping towards Shikaku. He'd been expecting the news 15 minutes ago.

"Shikaku-sama! The reinforcements have arrived!"

"Good, they'll be on standby for possible engagement very soon. Give the same order for everyone else. Let's hurry." Shikaku turned to the boys and dashed forward.

Kakashi and Naruto ran while carrying the injured girls. Sasuke and Shikamaru following close behind as they ran behind Shikaku.

Bits and pieces of scenery flashed by, the damage the fighting brought Wave was huge.

Crashed shop windows. Burnt houses. Dead citizens strewn on the streets, one shoe lost from the panic of tripping as they ran from the bombs. Naruto flinched at seeing the man's empty eyes and passed by.

Suddenly the sky exploded in sound. The bomb exploded near them, and Naruto dove for the dirt causing Hinata to crash down rolling off his back. Fumes smoked up from the ground as the explosions went off.

"Keep running!" Shikaku shouted back through the noise and ran.

"Come on Naruto!" Sasuke grit out.

Shikamaru scrabbled up and helped Naruto steady himself. He secured Hinata on Naruto's back then ran to the direction where Shikaku-san had went.

A large crowd was gathering next to the meeting tent. As they came closer, some of the people in the crowd turned. The boys recognised them. The sand siblings were in full armour. The examiner Anko and Ibiki-san was here. Along with many other ninja with head gears from Mist, Sand, and Fire.

The highlight of Shikaku's preparations was almost complete. If this worked as he'd predicted, using his plan, a successful ceasefire and rescue would be the outcome. Shikaku pushed back the rage he felt behind his eyes and stood at the tent entrance.

"Kakashi, take the boys to where Yoshino is, Tsunade-sama's slugs will be there to heal the injured girls. The rest of you be on standby with the others."

Kakashi nodded while the boys followed him.

When they neared the side of the tent where the slugs were healing the injured. A bunch of clan heads were already there on standby. The look on Hiashi-san's face turned from stern to furious as they approached.

Ko started running down the hill to catch her, his hands shaking over her choke marks as Hinata shook in his arms.

"Hinata-sama!" Ko shouted out in horror seeing her battered injuries

Ino's mother sobbed, wrapping her arms around Ino. She pulled her close, frantic, rocking her as Kakashi laid her down.

"Ino! My baby."

Ino and Hinata wept unable to hold back the terror they'd felt. They groaned from pain.

"Medic!" Ino's mum waved the slugs down in a hurry, asking them to start healing the girls. A crowd of reinforcements had formed. Murmuring around, focusing on them with bursting questions.

Yoshino-san grabbed the boys with shaking arms, and wrenched them into her arms. She hugged then tight and kissed them on their heads.

Ino's mother was in tears as she also hugged the boys. Sobbing great big sighs while thanking them profusely.

"W-we need to find.. Siata-chan!" Hinata spluttered out despite the pain. Ko leaned in and Neji crouched, helping Ko and the slugs to heal her.

"Siata?" Neji turned on his byakugan.

Yoshino-san whipped her head around with a look of dread.

"Where's Siata?! I thought she was with you?" said Yoshino-san.

"Someone's taken her…. We need to find her fast- she's badly injured. They're getting away with her as we speak!" Shikamaru said, panic thick in his voice. Time was running out.

"What happened to you guys?" Kankuro asked.

"The Sound ninja kidnapped us due to a personal grudge. They torchered Hinata and Ino then.." Sasuke blanked out remembering the images. He turned away looking out towards the horizon searching.

Kakashi stepped in, patting Sasuke's back to assure him. He knew the situation had escalated to levels so bad it was hard to process things. He looked towards the tent where the meeting was still occuring.

"Siata tried to bait the man into hurting her to buy time. She managed to interrupt the chakra blocking seal and let us out. But while we were escaping a man in an orange mask snatched her from us and lead us here to the fighting." Kakashi finished explaining and the surrounding ninja exploded in horror and fury.

Naruto shouted beside Sasuke, "Let's just go! We're running out of time." Kakashi nodded in agreement and started summoning his nin dogs.

Suddenly a shadow loomed over him and blocked Kakashi and the boys.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Didn't you hear orders to stand down and wait?" Suigetsu leaned on his sword.

"Who are you?! Get out of the way. We have to go save Siata-chan!" Naruto glared.

"Even if you know her general location, you will have to go through that," Ko-san, pointed.

The battle field was a thicket of puppets and sound ninja still fighting.

"It will be more efficient and safer for your friend Siata if we go with the plan. Subduing the fighting as fast as possible." Ko explained. It made perfect sense.

Shikamaru scrunched his face. He knew what Ko-san was saying was right. He had to make a rational choice. A rational choice… his hands shook remembering how she'd smiled before she'd jumped in. One of her rarer ones.

That soft look seeping out from that hard amused veneer she usually had up. The quiet look on her face that had his stomach lurching into panic. There'd been a finality to it. Like she was taking everything in about him for the last time.

He smashed the tree he paced under. He hated just standing here. She might be bleeding internally to death somewhere from the electricity. Could people survive that amount of electricity though?

His mind sped before him before his heart was ready, but he couldn't stop himself. Her skin had been so burnt. She'd been barely breathing. Calculate the factor that she'd been tortured the worst out of all them. And taken by someone who'd been meticulous enough to kidnap them including Kakashi, a jounin. With a personal grudge against them. By now she'd be-

STOP IT. JUST STOP! She's alive, I know she is! Shikamaru screamed internally. Forcing his mind to sharpen into a cold calculative space he knew would help her best in this situation.

Focus on getting her back. Get ready to fight. His body moved on auto pilot as he gathered the weapons from the surrounding area.

Yoshino-san jumped forward, "Then for now let's get ready for battle. And to make finding her faster, can you show us what the man that kidnapped her looked like?"

The shock of the attack. Being outnumbered in foreign territory. At first they had struggled against the enemy. But they'd managed to hold out. And now with the reinforcements here it was only a matter of time before they took the upper hand.

Anyone who'd fought in the war remembered, Nara Shikaku was an excellent strategist. Cold efficient calculation.

There were times when even Hiruzen thought Shikaku had made the cruellest of choices. But after the war he realised the worst choices were made in peace times. When they were full of riches and excess. By people with unrushed, deliberate planning.

Shikaku's voice made Hiruzen snap up his gaze and nod as the strategist entered.

"Hokage-sama."

"Shikaku," Hiruzen greeted him as the final member of the meeting sat down. "tell us why you've called us?"

Sitting in the table was Hiruzen, Mei, Zabuza, Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"I'd like to propose a diplomatic truce with Sound." Shikaku proposed.

Mei barked out a laugh and shook her head. "Well I disagree. We strike them and kill them all when we can. How dare they knowing how important this wedding was. This is a direct attack on Mist, and we will administer justice."

"I also disagree with a truce. The group of mercenaries the Sound hired is bad news." Jiraiya's shadow clone added, "better to squash them now while we're at it.."

"Fighting them will send a strong message for Sound to never try this again. A truce at this point makes no sense. I heard this is the second time they've invaded you," Zabuza spoke grinning.

"The way I see it, It makes others wonder how weak Konoha has gotten."

"What did you say?" Tsunade's shadow clone grit her teeth.

"I'm simply stating the obvious." Zabuza grinned.

Shikaku-san spoke up louder. "I suspect, once they realise our reinforcements they will see they're outnumbered. Sound will most likely take a profitable decision and try to retreat. And they will most likely pull out every measure to do so. I have an idea on what they might be trying to achieve already. So far I've confirmed one hostage, Uchiha Siata a Konoha ninja. I suspect they are gathering many more as we speak. Hokage-sama how will you proceed?"

The tent went silent. Mei's gaze flickered to Zabuza.

She knew that girls name. Uchiha Siata. It was one of the genin who saved Zabuza and Haku's life.

Jiriya and Tsunade's eyes sunk.

They'd seen war, and knew hostages were often left to die. Winning was more important than saving those who may not fight any longer. This was why they hated war. Why Jiriya had left Konoha after the war ended.

"It is not a war yet." Hiruzen finally spoke out. "But the decision still stands. We will still go all out and completely annihilate them. Sound has provoked us too much for this to be handled with diplomacy. Shikaku prepare for it."

Shikaku's heart dropped at the order.

"You haven't said anything about the hostages." said Zabuza

Shikaku froze, unable to make himself leave despite the order. Holding onto hope.

Seeing Mist's support for the diplomatic route may push the Hokage into trying also.

Just a bit more, A bit more from him. He knew his Kage.

"Hokage-sama, as you've stated- this is not yet a war. Simply a mad man- Oruchimaru who's amassed mercenaries. And outcast ninja for a personal grudge." Shikaku added.

It was really ridiculous how far his student had fallen, simply for revenge on him. Hiruzen took a moment to think. The tension high in the room, then he let out a sigh.

"…depending on the number of hostages that are alive. We will agree to a truce."

Shikaku flapped open the tent and stepped out, shouting orders as the leaders got ready.

"We've waited long enough! I'm leaving!" Sasuke pulled at Suigetsu in the background.

"What did he say oyaji?" Shikamaru noticed first and looked at him expectantly,

"Did Jiji come up with some awesome plan datebayo?!" Naruto jumped up.

"How many people are coming with us? Is it a special ANBU force?" Sasuke rattled out excitedly.

Shikaku shook his head, "We will try to negotiate."

"Huh?" said Naruto.

Shikaku looked out and saw the Hokage-sama assess the other side.

"Everyone gather around! Be ready to support Hokage-sama at any time! Gather around!" Shikaku shouted and had to go to help in the negotiation processes.

The boys hurriedly followed desperate to know what was going on.

At a distance they could already see sound ninja gathering at one place. Where Oruchimaru was. On the other side stood Konoha, Sand and Mist ninja.

All ninja temporary stopped fighting as they waited for their leaders to speak.

Shikaku made it through the thicket of the crowd with the boys and Kakashi. They reached a higher point on the hill, where the ally leaders were standing. Shikaku pointed to the boys to standby and gathered himself forward.

Everyone they knew was there. It was an impressive turn out of skilled ninja gathered, and facing off eachother. In the sea of faces, they tried finding Siata, or the orange masked man. Leaning sideways to look between shoulders and heads if it was her.

Neji supported Hinata to sit up by her request and Ino as well. Sasuke grit his teeth as he stood with Naruto frustrated that he couldn't do anything at the moment. Kakashi sensei continued to search for Siata in the crowd along with Shikamaru.

Everyone looked up. From either side of the battle the leaders finally revealed themselves. Standing face to face at a distance ready to talk.

"It is pointless Oruchimaru. You're outnumbered and surrounded. Your personal grudge against me is selfish. And has doomed your entire nation to war and death." Hiruzen started off first his voice echoing loud for all to hear.

"Is that so sensei? But I'm not so sure we'd be dying just yet... Let us make a truce. The Land of Sound will agree to not attack the Leaf, Mist, or Sand ever again. A non-aggression pact."

"How can we trust your words!" Mei spat out at him.

"Because I will show you the proof here now! We will retreat without harming any of the citizen's you see here suffering today."

"Ha, so your taking them as hostages. You coward." Gaara said plainly.

"Take it as you will. The civilians are of no value to me. Killing them will be easy. It is your choice to make."

The leaders glared at eachother in a standoff of wills. But slowly, the sounds grew louder. Screams and yells of begging mothers. Crying children. Men on their knees shouting at the Hokage to spare them. The ninja looked at the Wave civilians captured. Then stared at the Hokage expectantly.

They were all bloodthirsty ninja ready to rip into the Sound. But.

Naruto's eyes widened. He recognised Tazuna-san in one of the hostage civilian groups. He could see Inari bawling his eyes out and screaming for his grandfather as his mother held him back.

"We agree to the truce." Hiruzen said and a breath everyone had been holding released. The citizens brightened and they were slowly readied to be let go.

Some shuffling occurred and the hostages were all bunched up in front of the Sound ninja. Like a protective wall as the Sound slowly retreated back.

Sasuke's eyes scanned the crowd of hostages. His eyes filtering through every face looking back and forth in a frantic pace.

"Wait. Some people are missing. Siata's not in there." Sasuke informed Yoshino-san and Shikaku-san had noticed as well.

The sound ninja were almost past the safe point distance where they could safely retreat.

"Wait." Shikaku spoke up, "we seem to be missing a hostage. A ninja from Konoha called Uchiha Siata. She is included in the truce as well."

Oruchimaru shrugged chuckling. Looking as if he had no idea what Shikaku was talking about.

"If I knew I had an Uchiha as one of the hostages I would have thought twice before agreeing to the truce. But I tell you now none of us know where the girl is."

"Cut the crap! You kidnapped us and torchered us with sound ninja!" Naruto shouted at him.

The sound ninja were getting on edge as the tensions started to rise. Oruchimaru simply smirked but refused to say anything. Hiruzen watched his student stop in his tracks of retreat and start contemplating.

If they started a fight now, all the hostages will likely be killed. Naruto stared back and forth from Inari to Tazuna-san to the Hokage. No this just wasn't right! They had to stop the fighting… But Siata! Naruto squeezed his hands tight his eyes wide in worry.

"Oh silly me!"

A voice spoke out loud from the crowd and people turned to see who had spoken. Shikamaru stilled. He recognised that voice. That man.

A man in an orange mask was perched on a high tree holding something up by the hair, "I forgot I had this in my pocket! Are you talking about this?" Tobi giggled.

A shocked murmur rippled through the crowd.

The girl looked almost unrecognisable. Whipped up into a bloody mess with flesh flayed everywhere. Blood slowly dripped down from her toes.

Yoshino-san gasped, covering her mouth.

"GIVE HER BACK!" Shikamaru ran forwards as well as Naruto and Sasuke who was quickly tackled by other sand and mist ninja.

"Get off me! I'm going to kill that bastard" Sasuke shouted at Suigetsu who held him down.

"Calm down~ Do you want to get all the hostages killed? If you attack them now its game over."

"Oruchimaru! The truce was to safely return all hostages." Hiruzen ordered.

"Release her," Oruchimaru waved uncaring, as if he had no idea of her kidnapping.

What was happening? Shikaku frowned then looked to the Orange man who still dangled Siata by the hair. Shikaku's hands fisted, gauging the masked man's reactions.

Was the Orange mask independent and acting by himself? His actions didn't make any other sense otherwise.

"But the deal was to release all the hostages wasn't it? A hostage for bargaining one's life means a hostage needs to be alive! This one's dead." Tobi raised the girl higher by her hair and shook it.

For several horrifying moments the body didn't respond at all. Then it coughed out blood, her arm twitching. Killing intent exploded from her allies.

"SHES ALIVE! GIVE HER BACK TO US NOW!" Shikamaru shouted pulling at the arms that restrained him.

"Yes, the deal still stands, she's alive. Give her here." Shikaku acted fast.

He quietly stepped forward and moved closer so that he was standing with the group of hostages now. His outstretched hands towards the man.

"Tobi, give him the girl." Oruchimaru grinned tight, his tone pissed off.

Of course. It made sense, Oruchimaru wouldn't risk his entire man power over one nearly dead hostage. That masked man was unpredictable.

Shikaku gazed up, his face a mask of fury as he stared at Siata's capturer. Shikaku stepped forward, a kunai in his hand.

"Ok~ I was playing~ just playing!" Tobi jumped down from the tree with Siata,

"I'm sorry! Don't be angry alright? Tobi's a good boy!" Tobi faced Shikaku.

Shikaku breathed out a heavy sigh and lifted his hands. Ready to receive Siata as the orange masked man came closer.

Tobi had a painful grip on her hair, and she winced up at Shikaku who met her eyes.

Shikaku waited. Forcing himself not to dash forward and tear her away from the man and cause an international crisis.

Instead he stared into Siata's warm dark eyes and nodded reassuringly.

It's going to be alright Siata. Everything's going to be-

"Whoops."

Both Siata and Shikaku's eyes widened. Shikaku jerked into a halt as time seemed to grind to a stop. The crowd gasped behind him.

But Shikaku's gaze fixed on his daughter as Tobi stabbed Siata's neck then slit her throat.

Blood exploded from her neck and spurted all over Shikaku's shocked face. This could not be happening, Shikaku's shadows shot out reaching for Siata as Tobi danced back. Shocked outrage exploding on every face in the crowd.

"NO!" Shikamaru roared diving forward.

Shikamaru moved before he realised it, heard the sounds of footsteps coming after him. Thoughts obliterated by the need to kill the man. And Siata. Siata's slit throat. When he came back to himself, there was chaos, people holding him down.

The weight of too many people dragging him down. The hard grip of his captors against the thrashing of his shadows and strain from his resistance. As his muscles tensed and heaved – in that moment he understood what had just happened. What it all ment. She was dead.

She's dead.

"SIATA!" Naruto choked on his breath and pulled back, stepping back, shaking his head. Unable to accept this.

Sasuke stared completely frozen unable to think and process what he was just seeing. His eyes slowly bleed into red as his mangekyou burned this memory inside him forever.

Siata. Her head… was dangling.

Sasuke's ears muted all sound as the sky started warping. He took a step back.

Her head... her head wasn't connected to her shoulder. No. Sasuke's shoulder stabbed in pain, and he gripped his arm unable to look away from her. When he saw her eyes glazed over and unfocused he threw up all over himself.

"My hand slipped! Just kidding! Too bad she's dead now~~~ How's that! How does that make you feel losing something precious for the greater good huh?! Yeah you feel that! You feel that!" screamed Tobi. And that sparked the ally's anger even more.

Everything became tense as the Sound ninja fixed their weapons towards the hostages.

"Everyone stand down!" the ninja shouted trying to control the situation.

"Yes calm yourselves you fools!" Oruchimaru burst out hissing and glaring at Tobi then at Hiruzen, "He is a mercenary and acted alone."

"Your mercenary, your side Oruchimaru! How dare you!" Shikaku shouted.

He shot out his shadows further. Tobi shushined away from him along with Siata's dangling body. Safely back towards the sound ninja who whipped out their weapons towards Shikaku.

"…Fuck! You sick psycho! Complicating shit!" Deidera shouted at Tobi, swirling in the sky.

"It's just one girl." Oruchimaru chuckled, quickly stepping forward trying to control the situation. He signalled the sound ninja. They descended on the hostages viciously, with full intention.

Ninja's pulled out their weapons. Killing intent and panic so thick and sharp in the air it made some civilians pass out. A mother gripped tight onto her child who started crying.

"All these lives on the line… decide quickly Sensei. One step over the safety line. And the agreement is broken" Oruchimaru pointed towards the civilians and grinned.

Hiruzen watched him. Then raised his hand. "Let them go. Everyone is to stand down and let the Sound pass. Secure the hostages and make sure they are safe. No one is to attack them or cross the safety line."

A cut throat tension between them maintained as Sound slowly itched away, retreating. Safely. Protected from any harm.

Many eyes watched in pure fury, standing just behind the line in frustration. They looked dumb as they tracked Tobi while he disrespected Siata's body. Playing with it as he retreated, lifting her arm for them and waving it goodbye.

The anger slammed through Shikamaru's body blinding his vision, his mind. He tore out from his captors grips and started running. Running and roaring at the man shoving through the crowd towards her.

"Deidera Senpai! I wanna watch the girl go surfing! Surfing!" Tobi jumped up to wrap a long rope around the birds neck and on the end was a huge hook. He slammed Siata onto it making her chest plunge through it and securely hook on.

"I'm ready Deidera Senpai! Let's go~!" Tobi waved excitedly.

"…you don't get to get a ride psycho! Shit. Kakuzu's going to be so mad we botched this job- again!" Deidera shouted and started to fly off making Siata's body drag and tumble in the dirt like a lump of dead meat.

"No! Wait for me Senpai! Tobi's a good boy! Don't leave me behind!"

"A…aaah..! Ahhh!" Yoshino-san sank to her knees fisting her painful chest.

She cried out and she couldn't look away. Couldn't look anywhere else. Watching Siata's dead body smashing up into awkward angles as it dragged through the dirt. Yoshino couldn't stop shaking her head in disbelief as great sobs racked her body. In agony that Siata was being taken away from them like this in her last moments. Unable to do anything but watch them take her. Her fingers fisted the dirt.

Naruto raced to the Hokage in panic. Rushing to the front where the Hokage was watching on as the Sound retreated.

"Jiji… what the hell…?!" Naruto shouted, his eyes wide in disbelief at what Hiruzen was doing. Or wasn't doing.

Naruto pointed a shaky finger at the large bird dragging Siata in the dirt as it flew away. And the thousands who stood and watched motionless.

"Look... look at what they're doing… look at what they're doing to her… Jiji?! Let me just go after her she's right there-" Naruto looked around wildly for someone to agree.

"Naruto!" Hiruzen let out a low sharp breath, making Naruto flinch.

"She's already dead."

Naruto choked. His body shaking uncontrollably as he looked again towards Siata. Dust rising off the dirt as her body lifelessly dragged on the ground with zero resistance.

Like some soulless, empty, tattered thing. Dead.

Naruto's breathed caught in his throat and his foot itched back a fraction.

"I'm sorry. Naruto." Hiruzen said quietly.

"No." Naruto shook his head. "No."

Hiruzen looked up.

"I'm truly sorry."

"NO!" Naruto shouted.

He stepped away from the Hokage, seeing something he'd never seen in Hiruzen before. Something hard and unnegotiable in his eyes. Naruto's veins boiled in something sickeningly hot.

He turned around and ran out towards the sea of the crowd. Letting his sandals slap against the dirt as he dashed away, chasing after Siata.

Hiruzen's shoulders sank. Then he signalled the ANBU to go after him.

Ino shook her head in disbelief and started bawling.

"Y-You can't be serious! We got out of that torture room thanks to her. And now we're… really going to let them get away doing this to her?!" Ino slipped as she tried to lean her arm on the floor, trying to shiver upright and run towards Siata.

She continued to fight as more and more people held her down as she thrashed. Her tear soaked eyes watching Siata's body slide further away eating dirt. Dirt.

"S-Siata-chan… I-I'm so sorry….! Siata-chan…" Hinata cried, her body wrecking with convulsions.

"Hinata-sama!" Ko pushed her down with Neji who vibrated in anger.

Temari and Gaara stared in disgust at what was happening. Unable to do anything but watch and let them go. As the enemy humiliated their comrade in the worst way.

An ANBU dodged Shikamaru's shadows as he thrashed against them. Trying to contain him from going after the Sound ninja.

Ensui finally smashed his fist into Shikamaru and Ox administered the sedative. Shikamaru gasped falling to his knees. Ensui painfully looked down at him as he blinked falling asleep.

Sasuke broke free and started running faster after them, his breaths harsh. But it was too late. He snagged the piece of Yukata that'd ripped off and sank to the ground and screamed.

Authors note:

Happy new year for 2020 :D Hope to see you next time and thank you for reading and commenting!