Something was wrong, she thought, everything felt floaty. Green flashes and blue streaks whirled overhead like a kaleidoscope of paint smears. Was this a dream? She felt weightless, as if she was flying. No, not quite, someone was holding her. Momoi squinted and tried to focus her vision in front of her. Slowly, the ambiguous picture before her crystallized. They were racing through a forest, the shadow of a large mountain looming farther in the distance. What was the last thing she remembered?
She had been talking with Mitsugi, when suddenly something hit her from behind. After that it had all gone dark. Momoi shook her head and tried to break free of the grip that kept her from moving.
"Fuck, the brat's awake," her captor hissed.
"Make sure you don't drop her. Lord Chikanori will have our heads if the sacrifice is damaged."
Momoi stopped struggling for a moment as she digested those words. Sacrifice? They were going to sacrifice her!? She couldn't die, not after she finally made friends! Naruto-sensei had told her that she had to fight, that she had to struggle. If she just let herself get taken now, then she could never call herself a ninja. Her hair rippled, sensing her trepidation, and began to snake its way towards her captor's hand. Like a snapping turtle, it suddenly lashed out and wrapped around the man's wrist.
"Fucking little bitch has got me!" he shrieked, trying to extricate his hand. "Help!"
They stopped moving as her hair grew and began to mummify the abductor more and more. Momoi willed it to squeeze with all the force she could muster, the man letting out a strangled scream as he was brought to his knees. She could break his arm and escape, all she had to do was-
Her ears rang as a fist clubbed down on the side of her head. Everything exploded into whiteness before black spots began to dance at the edges of her vision. She felt her body sag as a deep ache began to radiate from her temple into her brain. The hair bindings went slack as her concentration faltered. One of the men yelled something at the one carrying her and drew a knife.
Are they going to kill me? She wondered, feeling far more calm than she should have.
The knife came down on her, but not with the intent to kill. A distant realization dawned as the kunai sliced through the locks of tangled hair. They were trying to keep her from trying anything else. As nausea began to creep up her throat her vision grew dark. Soon it was consumed by a wall of blackness…
It was odd, being half-conscious. Somewhere in the back of the young girl's mind she could tell they were moving, and, at times, she could even catch glimpses of their surroundings. But it was though a great blanket of fog had come to rest on her mind. It muddled her thoughts and prevented her from so much as twitching a finger. Her stomach roiled as they were lurched from side to side. There was something she needed to be doing, but what? Her instincts screamed at her that something was wrong but not what that something was.
She was alone again, just like before.
How many days had she spent surrounded by unfriendly people, or utterly alone, abandoned? Back then she had felt like a stranger in her own life, as if she was just some ghost who hung around. When she had run away to go become a ninja, a part of her had hoped her parents would send someone to bring her home. But no one had even slowed her down as she made her way to the capital. She was so unremarkable that no one paid her any mind.
Guess I am a good ninja, she thought bitterly.
She didn't want to be alone at the end. If she was going to die she at least wanted to do it in the company of another person. Her eyes fluttered open and the blurry image of the mountain was now like an ominous wall that rose above her. They were getting close.
No… can't give up. I won't just lay down and die! She tried to muster her chakra but the blow to the head prevented her from focusing. If her hair started growing now it would surely alert the kidnappers. She had to be smart, she had to be like Naruto-sensei.
She would bide her time, and wait. Her hair could grow in a matter of moments, but it needed to be done where she could surprise her foes and catch them off guard. She was better off alive than dead because she tried to escape from her captors. She could do this.
She could do this.
0-0-0-0
Ashiya was in chaos as Naruto got back. The White Lily Palace was on full-alert, swathes of armed guards taking up positions around the walls and the courtyards. Naruto leapt over the white stone walls and sped into the palace proper. With blinding speed her navigated the labyrinthian corridors and arrived at the nursery. Taruho and Iruka were missing, but there was no signs of a struggle. A guard turned the corner and recoiled as he nearly ran into Naruto.
"L-Lord Uzumaki, sir, we-"
"Where are Shion and my children!?" he grabbed the man by the scruff of his uniform. "Are they safe!?"
The man cowered. "Y-Yes m'lord, they are. Both Lady Shion and your children are safely taken care of. But we believe that members of the Cult of Chozotl ambushed the students and abducted one of them."
He let the man go as realization sunk in. How could he have been so stupid!? It had just been a ploy all along. But how could they have known? Just how many steps ahead of them was this cult? Questions for later, one of his students was missing.
"Who was taken?"
"Momoi Ado, according to one Mitsugi Bruise they attacked out of nowhere and stole her away. Captain Mizuno was the first to give chase and is pursuing them at the moment while Lady Tenten is organizing the response team. Another student, Kugo Kaoru, apparently ran after the kidnappers as well."
Shit, that didn't leave them much time. Naruto chewed his lip as he considered what to do, before finally settling on a decision.
"Go inform that guard that Captain Teuchi will return to the palace in a bit, he and the other officers will coordinate the security effort. I want Shion and my children in the bunker until we have word this is all over. I'll go to Tenten and we'll pursue them together."
"Sir!"
The two broke away in opposite directions. It took nearly five minutes for the blonde shinobi to find his comrade who was instructing a platoon of guardsmen. As he touched down, Tenten turned and threw him into a brief hug.
"Tenten, it was a distraction- I don't know what to say," an apology didn't feel fitting, but this was all his fault.
"Don't say anything," she put a hand on his shoulder. "We couldn't have seen this coming. But right now we have a missing student and as teachers it's our job to get her back. We need to focus."
"Right, you're right. What's the plan?"
"Mizuno is in pursuit and is leaving us a trail to follow. No one has heard from Kaoru since he ran off to try and save Momoi. Last anyone saw, he wasn't injured or being attacked."
Naruto swore under his breath. "Alright, we'll follow in Mizuno's footsteps and try to catch up. If he hasn't gotten a bead on Kaoru we can split up to try and find him as well."
"Sounds like a plan."
The two ninja vanished, following the tracks that lead up to the mountain. Mizuno had at least left recognizable clues in the form of sword slashes on the tree trunks. It made for a simple trail to follow. Naruto felt his heart beat like a drum as they made what felt like agonizingly slow progress towards the enemy. It was made all the worse by the lurking feeling of fear in the back of his mind. Something wasn't right about this whole situation, but the pieces weren't fitting together.
The summoned mosquito thing had been a distraction, that much was obvious, but why? They seemed willing to murder a potential sacrifice so did that mean they were already at max capacity? And then why Momoi? The girl may not have been a fully-fledged shinobi, but she was trained and possessed a rare ability. There were easier targets to go after. Or, he thought, maybe the fact she had a rare ability was why they needed her. He didn't know much about the specifics of a sacrificial cult ritual, so maybe they needed someone special to complete it.
Damn it! If he had just not pushed those stupid mock missions of his students maybe they'd all be safe.
"I know you're not blaming yourself, Naruto," Tenten said curtly. "This isn't your fault."
"I know, I know! It's just… I can't help but feel responsible."
"We're teachers, they're our students, of course you'd feel responsible. But don't let that get in the way of the mission. The only way we can make up for this failure is to make sure everyone gets home safe and sound."
He sighed. "You're right, Tenten. Thanks. I still get a bad feeling about this. It feels like we're in the dark on way too many things."
"We are," she agreed with a solemn nod. "But they've forced our hand. I wouldn't be surprised if this is their way of forcing us out. We may very well have been manipulated."
"But we still need to walk right into this trap to save our kids?"
"It would seem so."
He smirked, and punched his fists together. "Then let's go full steam ahead and knock these bastards into next Tuesday! Believe it!"
Tenten just gave an exasperated smile and shook her head. Even child rearing, marriage, teaching, and murderous cults couldn't change the infamous Troublemaker of Konoha. As they went deeper into the forest the cuts and markings grew more and more numerous. The foliage required a multitude of turns and shortcuts that Mizuno, thankfully, made sure he communicated. They reached a clearing where a shallow cut into the tree turned them off to the West. However, another marking pointed them North up to the mountain.
A pair of boot tracks were still slightly visible in the dirt. One belonged to Mizuno and another belonged to whom Naruto presumed was Kaoru. Oddly enough, Kaoru's tracks seemed to vanish right before a shallow puddle. He and Tenten shared a look. Maybe Kaoru went upwards into the trees or maybe Mizuno caught up to him. It was yet another piece of the puzzle that would go unsolved for now.
"Tenten, how do you want to do this?"
"There's a bend to the West that links back around to a path in the North. One of us can go investigate that trail then link back up. Maybe Kaoru was taken one way while the kidnappers went the other?" she shook her head. "I'll head West, and you go North. You're better suited for taking on these guys anyhow."
"Right, be careful."
The two split up once again, each one investigating a different path. Naruto had the unnerving feeling that this was just the beginning of a very bad day. He would never be able to forgive himself if he lost his students because of his own shortsightedness. He wasn't going to let some cult bastards take away his kids, that much was for sure. If he could fight Pain and win then this would be no bigger concern.
Ready or not, here I come.
0-0-0-0
The mineshaft before her was like the unfathomable maw of some great beast. With the lingering head injury, it was hard to see through the murky darkness. Momoi and her abductors had reached the mountain and with it the entrance to their lair. Everything still felt dreamlike and surreal. As she was pulled into the darkened passage, the distant sound of clanging echoed from deeper within. Was the mine still being used?
Someone to her right muttered something that sounded like "gag" and almost immediately after a cloth fell over her face. It served to completely black out her vision, but each passing second brought more and more clarity to her mind. She could hear clanging, the telltale ring of pickaxe on rock. There were miners around, but surely they would've seen this happening? Were they in on it?
The clanging reached a crescendo before it began to fade away. They were heading deeper inside of the mine. The air down here was thick, and warm, not unlike the summer days spent at home after a rainstorm. It smelled so strongly of spices, herbs, and blood that it coated the inside of her throat in an unpleasant, cloying blanket. Eventually her captors slowed down, and she was tossed onto the floor. It was only quick-thinking that allowed her to lean back to avoid smacking her chin on the stone ground.
"This the kid?" a snide voice intoned. "You numbnuts sure this is her?"
"Yes, asshole, we're sure. Matched the description he gave us and everything. If you're so damn concerned about it just wait until he gets here."
"Well 'scuse me for not wanting to fuck up twice in a row."
"That's your problem," her captor snarled. "Now, I intend to report to Father Chikanori of our success. Take the girl to the cells below."
"Yeah, yeah."
Another pair of hands lifted her up, much more roughly this time. She was carried over the man's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The air grew more oppressive as their journey continued, and she was vaguely aware that they were descending downwards. Just how deep did this mine go?
"No hard feelings kid," the man spoke up, startling her. "Simple business is all."
"Sure feels personal…" she muttered in response.
"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here. You gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette, just rotten luck that you get to be Humpty Dumpty. What we're doing her is just though, it's good."
"Killing-" she grunted as he shifted her. "Killing people is good? Don't make me laugh!"
If she was going to die, the least she could do was mouth off to her murderers. What were they going to do? Kill her more? The man made a displeased sound in the back of his throat.
"Like I said kid, it's just how the sausage is made. The world needs guidance, it needs something more than greedy daimyos or power-hungry kage. Believe me, I've seen what men in power are capable of," he spat on the ground.
"So, obviously, the solution is to summon some evil god?"
"Mouthy brat, aintcha? You misunderstand. What I want is one true ruler who is purely just, purely fair. One who doesn't derive authority from the people or a sword or some bloodline power. A god's ruling is just, because it is divine. This new world will know no injustice or unfairness because it will not exist."
"You're insane!" she kicked, struggling to get free.
He snickered. "They all say that, but at the end they understand. You will too. If it's any consolation, I'll try to remember your name. I'm pretty good at remembering the others."
He chucked her to the ground and pulled the bag off. The man before her was older than Naruto-sensei, with crude features reminiscent of a caveman. The sneer he leveled at her felt slimy and physically repulsed her. Despite that, he was obviously someone of decent form. His chest was almost as big as a furnace and his biceps dwarfed her head. If she had any illusions about beating him, they vanished the moment she got a good look at the man.
He was shirtless, with a variety of symbols, tattoos, and scars upon himself. She could recognize some as belonging to other lands, while the one at the center of his chest was simply the kanji for "Purpose". He caught her looking and wagged an eyebrow.
"Been around the block kid. A lotta blocks, in fact. I've seen a thing or two, and let me assure you that this is legit. Chikanori is a slavedriver but the man has vision. He really believes, you know?" he turned to her, a genuine question in her eyes.
"No offense, mister, but believing doesn't mean you can kill people."
"It's Roebuck, kid. None of that 'mister' crap. Point is: so few people really strive for anything anymore. They do what they do because they fear losing their lives or their material objects or their friends. None of them live for a reason, a higher purpose. I've spent all my life looking for that kind of purpose, and I've finally found it."
That was all well and good, but he was still a vicious murderer who needed to be stopped. The room he had dropped her into was more of a hole in the corridor, mined out some time ago by the looks of things. It was cramped and didn't feature anything more than a bucket in one corner and a pile of loose straw in the other. Strangely enough, most of the wall seemed composed not of stone but of some kind of strange black glassy material.
"It'll be a bit before preparations are made, so sit tight. Don't worry, you'll have some company soon," the man chuckled darkly.
"What do you mean?" he began to walk away and she stood. "Hey, answer me!"
"Ninja Art: Sanguine Cage!" spears of thick, coagulated blood sprung up like a thicket of reeds in front of her. It soon solidified into a substance not unlike the odd material in her cell. She punched at it and hissed as the hardened blood proved stronger than expected.
Roebuck whistled a jaunty tune as he walked away, leaving the girl alone. She lean back and sighed, feeling tears sting at the edges of her eyes. Angrily, she rubbed them away. This wasn't the time to act like a child and cry in the corner. She needed to act. Her hair rippled and grew another few inches in response to her emotions. What good was it though, they would just shave her head again. She ran a hand along the wall and yelped as a sharp sting jolted her hand.
She pulled it back and discovered a thin line of blood on her palm. She looked back to the wall where the black glass dripped with fresh life fluid. Experimentally, she touched the craggy outcropping and discovered that it was razor sharp. Her mind churned with thoughts, but she quelled the onslaught of ideas with a deep breath. What would Mr. Uzumaki or Kaoru do? She didn't even know how she got down here, so fighting her way out would probably be a bad idea. Her hair ruffled and extended outwards curiously.
She moved to stem its movement before a sudden idea struck her. With a glance to make sure the coast was clear, she focused her chakra into the follicles and had them begin working away at the wall. The material proved easier to chip apart than expected, but it still took concentration to do properly. After nearly ten minutes of meticulous work, she had a rough sort of blade forged from the stone.
She could bide her time and wait. Wait for the right moment. Her hair wrapped around the blade and tucked it safely inside of its folds. With a bit more concentration, she reshaped it back to roughly how it was when her kidnappers cut it off. The razor sharp implement laid hidden a thought away from her hands. With any luck, they wouldn't check her hair for anything suspicious.
Now she just had to wait.
0-0-0-0
The path Mizuno sent him on diverged a great deal from the mountain trails. Perhaps that was on purpose however, especially if the enemy was attempting a bait and switch. He followed the periodic cuts until he arrived at a small lake surrounded on all sides by more forest. There was no indicator of what had caused Mizuno to come this way.
Naruto stepped closer to the beach, straining for any clues he could see. When nothing came apparent, he decided there was only one course of action left. The blonde man sat down upon the sand and concentration, pulling in natural life energy and blending it with his chakra. For moments he breathed softly and rhythmically, being very careful to do it properly. After a few moments he opened his eyes and felt his view shift.
The whole land breathed with life, from the smallest bug to the most towering trees. He needed to refine his sensory power. He focused deeper, and pulled his concentration into the lake and surrounding beach. What was Mizuno trying to tell him?
It was then he felt it. A growing chakra signature from the bottom of the lake. Naruto's eyes opened just in time to see the water begin to roil and bubble, as if boiling in a pot.
Enemies? Did Mizuno try to catch up to them? Naruto wondered as he raised himself. Keeping up Sage Mode while in combat was nigh impossible, but it would aid him here.
The water exploded outward before sucking back down, creating a whirlpool. The swirling waters coalesced, forming into an amorphous blob that quickly began to take shape. Naruto recognized the technique even before the water fully completed its transformation into a dragon. With a warbling roar the Water Dragon Technique came down upon him. With an errant twitch Naruto leapt into the air overtop the jutsu. He formed a hand sign and a dozen shadow clones appeared around him.
Spears of water, thickened and darkened with what appeared to be blood, launched themselves from the lake. Three clones were destroyed as they were torn to shreds by the flechette. The two foes were in the basin of the lake, residing in some kind of secret channel in the lakebed. A rasengan bloomed into two of the clone's hands, doubling then redoubling in size as natural energy reinforced the jutsu. As a duo they smashed the violent orbs of chakra into the water and turned it into a churning maelstrom of froth and vaporous spray. The Big Ball Rasengans exploded, driving a massive crater into the lake and sending the water careening out of the way.
The two men at the bottom of the lake wore the black cloaks he had come to associate with the followers of Chozotl. With a frown he raced downward as the water began to refill the empty space. One of the men chucked a kunai at the blonde ninja, managing only to peg another clone. Eight clones smashed into the mud and silt with another force to create a shockwave. The two cultists were tossed into the air with enough force to rise above the swiftly returning water.
Naruto leapt after them, drawing a kunai of his own. One of the men performed a quartet of hand signs and pushed his palm out. "Ninja Art: Enshrouding Blood Serpent!"
A snake made of pure blood burst from his arm and speared towards the blonde man. Its head jerked to the side as it suddenly changed course, eliminating two more clones in one swift blow. As it came back around it took away one more, but was stopped as it came into contact with the real Naruto. He pushed natural energy into the kunai and stabbed down onto the "snake's" head, disrupting the technique.
The vine of blood rippled, then lost shape as it came undone. The cultist made a choked noise as his face turned suddenly pale, then sallow. His eyes rolled back into his head as he came crashing down into the water. Naruto fell onto the lake's surface, taking a moment to breathe as he took the moment in.
"He used his own blood for the jutsu, and he had no way to replenish it," a weakness? He filed it away for later as he faced his final opponent.
The man performed a series of hand signs and smirked as the water once more began to bubble. The Water Prison jutsu completed and the blonde man was ensnared in an orb of chakra infused water. The cultist cackled at his prize and took a step forward as "Naruto" kicked and tried to break free.
"Can't have you dying yet, golden boy. Our Lord has need of you," the man snickered. "But a little bit of drowning can't hurt."
"Couldn't agree more," the real Naruto replied from behind him as his clone dissipated.
"What-!?" The man never finished as Naruto's fist came down on top of his head.
The unfortunate cultist was sent to the bottom of the lake with one blow, slamming into the lakebed with enough force to stick there. That was two more kidnapping murderers taken care of. Naruto felt his Sage Mode disappear as he heaved a sigh. With a jump and a dive he returned to the water and quickly swam down to the secret channel he had sensed earlier. True enough, there was a small opening covered in sand. A kick and a push allowed him to spear through the muck into a tunnel barely big enough to crawl through. Earth jutsu no doubt.
"Hang on Momoi, I'm coming," Naruto huffed.
This must've been what Mizuno found. He needed to catch up with his comrade and make it there in time before something terrible happened.