And the chaos never stops! Obito's plans just really screw with Naruto's day huh?
Naruto Hirashined them home, back to the Uzumaki compound, where the quartet split up and Naruto and Kakashi made their way to the Hokage Tower.
As usual they were waved past by the guards and Naruto knocked on the door three times, shifting from foot to foot, and a moment later the door swung open and Jiraiya let out a relieved noise, "Thank Kami you're back-are Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan okay? Did everything go well? Did you find that Fu-san you mentioned?"
"No." Naruto let out a heavy breath as she and Kakashi made their way into the room.
Tsunade was sat at the desk, hat laid on the table but she stood when the two shinobi made their way into the room. "What happened? I assume he didn't just lead you there for no reason."
"He left two bodies there." Naruto forced her voice to stay even and calm. "The bodies of Iwa's two Jinchuriki, for me to find."
"Shit." Tsunade closed her eyes and sat down again, an angry look on her face. She was silent for a moment before she slammed her fist into the desk. "Damn it he's taunting us. Taunting you."
"He did it today because he knew somehow that you were giving me the news today." Naruto added. "So yeah, definite taunting." she ran her fingers through her hair, shaking her head. "I have the bodies, I stored them in a stasis seal." she placed the scroll down on the table."
"Well fuck." Jiraiya grimaced, "What do we do now?"
"We assign a team to take the scroll to Iwa to give it to the Tsuchikage." Naruto said firmly "Along with a letter I'll be writing today offering a full explanation as to what happened and offering our condolences and support in bringing those responsible to justice."
Tsunade watched Naruto for a moment before nodding. "Do it. Do you want me to pick out the team."
"Yeah." Naruto nodded, "I think that would be the best idea, I need to try and find a way to track down Fu-chan. I don't plan on allowing them to get a third Biju. Especially not at the expense of my friends life."
"Good." Tsunade's fingers drummed on the table. "I assume you'll want to alert Suna, Kiri and Kumo."
"Of course. They need to ramp up security on their Jinchuriki. Send them letters with my Kunai sealed into them-they might not like it but I'd feel better knowing that as soon as the Akatsuki show up they can call for aid from someone who can get there in an instant."
"I'll draft up those letters." Tsunade nodded, "You write the better to Onoki Naruto-chan." she paused, "You've done well today. You've handled yourself wonderfully. I'll need a full report of what happened of course."
"I'll write up my report once I've written the letter." Naruto bowed her head slightly. "Permission to go home and get on with it Baa-chan?"
"Of course. Kakashi-kun what about you? It might save time if you report on your trip to the Valley of the End so that Naruto-chan can focus on the events before she returned home in hers."
"I'll stay here and report then, and after that I'll check on the others."
"Thank you Kakashi-sensei." Naruto gave a small smile before Hirashining home and moving automatically to her desk, letting out and exhausted breath.
What had started as an amazing day had turned into a waking nightmare.
Kami but how had this become her life?
"Brat take a moment to breath. We'll figure things out."
"We still need to find Fu-chan but I don't even know where to begin."
She groaned to herself, "I just wish there was some way to talk to her, or even Chomei."
"I know brat, but it's never that easy-"
Kurama's voice faltered, "Wait... wait a second. I can, if I need to, reach out to Shukaku and Isobu in the shared Jinchuriki mindscape. I had to establish the connections through meetings in person but we have met Fu-san in person. I might just be able to open it up and pull them through."
"Wait you think that's possible?"
"I make no promises but I can try to establish a connection. You focus on your letter for now but it might just be possible, at least if we can do that we'll be able to communicate with her even if we don't know where she is."
"You're the best Kurama I love you so much."
Naruto let out a genuine breathless laugh, "I'll write up this letter. You do what you can."
Naruto felt herself perking up as she pulled out a scroll and a pen, tapping it against her lip before she started to write.
'Dear Onoki-sama.
I shall not mince my words or show you any disrespect, I am well aware of our villages history and the remaining animosity, I have no doubt that you won't be pleased to receive a letter from not only a village you hate, but from the daughter of a man you despise.
I'm sure you recall the last letter that was sent to you warning you of the Akatsuki's existence and their plans, though I know not how seriously you took it, and I write again with dire news and much sadness, for they have began with their schemes, and I am afraid that their first victims are your Jinchuriki.
I'm afraid that I don't know their names; I never had the pleasure of meeting them, but I'm sure they they were brave shinobi and they deserve the utmost respect.
They also deserve to be laid to rest in their home, which is why, sealed in the seal that will be delivered alongside this letter, is their bodies.
I would like to assure you that Konoha had nothing to do with their tragic deaths, I myself was trying to track down a close friend of mine, a Jinchuriki who was kidnapped by the Akatsuki, and the bodies were left at the feet of the Madara statue at the Valley of the End. I assure you that I have treated their bodies with as much respect as I would any Shinobi of Konoha, and despite our rather fraught history I hope that Iwa and Konoha can work together, and I would offer our support in any actions you take to bring justice for your deceased Jinchuriki.
Yours Sincerely, Namikaze-Nohara Naruto.'
Naruto stared at the paper, examining it critically. She'd had to stop on several occasions to think, reread and make corrections, but it looked about right to her.
She let out a breath, standing up as she folded it carefully-and then there was a faint tugging sensation and Naruto's eyes narrowed.
What the hell else could happen? Had today not already proven itself to be the worst day in the history of bad days? What else could it be?
She groaned to herself, dropping the letter back onto her desk and Hirashining to the Kunai that had been activated-and her eyes widened in shock and horror as she looked around.
They were in the prison, Naruto realized that much instantly, and Sasuke was on the floor, his face pale from what Naruto could see, a terror in it, and his Sharingan was active. His head was bowed, looking down at his lap, and in his lap was Karin, skin paler than she'd ever seen it, blood coating her face from a head wound, and her clothes were soaked in blood from a wound in her stomach.
She cursed instantly, eyes flicking towards a faint groaning noise-and there was Sai, he was hurt too though not as badly it seemed, he also had a
head wound, and a wound in his shoulder.
She took all of that in before Sasuke even spoke, and his voice was panicked and frantic, "I found them like this-I asked around because I couldn't find either of them, someone said they saw them moving in this direction, all of the guards are dead."
"You have got to be kidding me." Naruto cursed loudly as she surged forward, dropping to her knees next to them, dropping a kunai as she did "I'll Hirashin you both to my mom and come back and get Sai and then I'll see if I can find any surviving guards." She grabbed onto Sasuke's arm, flashing through handsigns.
The scream her mom let out was near ear shattering, but Naruto didn't falter.
"Karin-chan needs help mom. And Sai-san will too. Sasuke-kun can you-"
"I'm staying with Karin-chan." Sasuke said quickly, voice tight even as Rin pulled herself together and started calling for other medics to come, while Sakura dropped to her knees next to Sasuke and Karin.
"What do you want him to do?" Itachi had been relaxing, leaning against the wall but he'd straightened up at their arrival, "I'll do it."
"Go to Baa-chan. Tell her she needs to send Anbu to the prison now."
"On it."
"I'll come with you to get Sai." Rin spoke quickly. "Sakura-chan is working on Karin." sure enough Sakura's hands were glowing green over Karin's stomach as Sasuke still clung to the unconscious redhead.
"Right." Naruto nodded, grabbing her moms arm and Hirashining them back to the prison, releasing her moms arm so that the woman could rush forward and drop to Sai's side to help him as Naruto herself took off through the prison.
There hadn't been many prisoners in the first place, and while all of the guards she came across were dead, bodies slumped to the floor with cut throats, none of the prisoners seemed to be missing, the cells that showed any signs of life had their prisoners.
So it hadn't been some big jailbreak. Naruto wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not but she grimaced, shaking her head as she headed back to her mom and Sai, glancing into the cell that they'd been outside of-that one showed signs of having been lived it.
That meant that there had been an escape, just one. But who?
Naruto grimaced, shaking her head as she focused back on her mother and Sai.
"Is he okay?"
"He will be." Rin lifted her head to look at Naruto, "Whoever did this they were fast."
"I might be reaching a bit," Naruto scowled, "But given everything-"
"Obito. You think it was Obito." Rin finished, "I admit the timing is pretty suspicious. Any surviving guards?"
"Not a spark of life in any of them. Only one prisoner's been freed, do you know who was in this cell?"
"I don't know. And I wouldn't want to guess until we know more."
"I'll get you back to the hospital and then come back here and wait for the Anbu to arrive."
"Be careful."
"The threat's gone." Naruto shook her head, "I should be safe enough." she crouched down next to her mom, grabbing her moms shoulder as the woman grabbed Sai tightly, and she Hirashined them to the hospital, where Karin had been pulled from Sasuke's arms and was now in a bed, Sakura still leaning over her with glowing hands, Sasuke stood shaking next to the bed watching.
Naruto wished she could stay and comfort him, but she knew she had to go back to the prison to meet the Anbu when she arrived, so after catching his eye and giving him a weak sympathetic smile Naruto Hirashined back to the prison, moving towards the entrance-and it was less than five minutes later that Kakashi and a man Naruto didn't recognize arrived, though that probably made sense given the fact that he was wearing an Anbu mask-the only real feature she could see was messy brown hair.
"Itachi told us there was an attack of some kind." Kakashi said quickly, "She sent us straight here. What happened?"
"I don't know exactly. Sasuke managed to track Karin-chan and Sai-san here, from what he said they were already down and whoever did it was already gone by the time he arrived, both of them are injured-" the man next to Kakashi tensed, that was somewhat interesting, she could feel concern radiating off of him, specifically at the mention of Sai.
Hadn't Karin said that Sai and his brother had been taken in by an Ex-Root nin back when she'd first told them about him? That would make sense, clearly he already knew Kakashi.
"Are they okay?" the Anbu's voice was tense, and Naruto nodded.
"They will be I think. Sakura's working on Karin-chan and Sai-san is being seen to by mom."
"Rin-chan will heal him." Kakashi laid a hand on the Anbu's shoulder and the man visibly relaxed.
"Right."
"We'll go to the hospital to check on them after this. I don't know who was kept but one person has escaped from what I can tell."
"Take us to the cell then." Kakashi's face was grim, "We'll see who thinks they can just escape our prison."
