Still disguised as Sukea, Kakashi loitered in a dark alley shortly after Naruto's disastrous introduction to him. A slight smile threatened to tug on his lips that he swallowed down. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he leaned against the brick wall of the dingy alley.
He watched with a hawk eye, rarely blinking, absolutely fixated on the lit-up bar from across the street. A mouse was scuttling past him when it paused. Standing to its hind legs, the mouse watched Kakashi. Its beady eyes were inky and body papery before it set itself back down to run across the street and into the open doors of the bar.
Kakashi chose not to lament on whether or not Sai could recognise him. Instead, he kept his attentions stuck on the comings and goings of the bar. His heart rate sped up when he locked onto the object of his attentions.
Naruto. Sure, she looked different , brown hair in plain girly yukata. But from the stature of her body, the curl of her lips to point of her nose recognise her in seconds. The man from earlier in the bar seemed to be talking to her before he latched an arm around Naruto's waist. Another girl, presumably Sakura, was looking all kinds of faux pleased as she walked alongside them.
Kakashi stepped out away from the wall, bringing his hands together to silently henge. A slinky black dog poofed into existence. Haku looked up, confounded for a moment, most likely sensing the sudden spark in chakra. The man looked towards the alley as he and his entourage continued to walk at a leisurely pace. Kakashi and the dog quickly slinked back into the shadows, hiding them from view until the man decided the shrug off the disturbance and continue basking in the attention of the two women.
Kakashi and the black dog looked at each other silently until Kakashi whispered, "go." The dog wasted no time, trotting briskly into the streets to hide in the shadows away from streetlamps a reasonable distance away from Naruto.
With a sigh, Kakashi shoved his hands back into his pockets to wait for a sign of Ino and Gato, only feeling slightly more at ease now. Perhaps his intervention was unwarranted, but the extra security was a soothing balm on his restless heart.
Almost half an hour since Naruto's departure, the man that was obviously Gato exited the bar. Kakashi began following them, but it wasn't far until he suddenly faltered. Memories from his henge that had poofed out of existence appeared in his mind with utmost urgency. Kakashi spared Ino one last glance before he shunshined the trail his henge had mapped out for him. He arrived at the Inn where Naruto's misadventures began in less than a minute, where an aggravated Sakura was stalking around.
She halted. "Sukea!" She screamed in surprise. No longer was she in disguise. Instead, she was in her usual shinobi gear, her pink hair reflecting the moonlight in all its glory. Kakashi paused, anxiety and impatience growing higher as he was accosted by his old student.
"Sakura," He stated. "I'm Kakashi. We need to get Naruto immediately, I don't have much time. She has already been taken by Gato's henchmen." Sakura ogled him, taking in the revelation that the handsome young man from her early days was actually Kakashi. Before she could process that she was looking at Kakashi's whole face in the flesh, dread overcame her features.
"You don't mean-"Sakura started before cutting herself off. "Do they know she's a kunoichi- no that's stupid question. Of course they know." Sakura fretted. Not bothering to continue the conversation Kakashi immediately returned to chasing Naruto's trail, ignoring Sakura's calling out after him.
When he made it to the tree where his henge had left off, he hit a dead-end, with only the lingering scent of Naruto to follow. It was faint, meaning some minutes had passed. If he didn't pause to indulge Sakura, maybe he would have made it in time. Kakashi cursed loudly, punching the tree, the truck cracking loudly.
"Kakashi-sensei…" a soft voice murmured, making his head snap up. Sakura flinched as his eyes landed on her with unconcealed rage. "What is it!?" He finally barked as the girl remained silent. Sakura swallowed. "Naruto will be fine. She's stronger than all of us."
Kakashi's face scrunched up. It's not Sakura's fault. She didn't see what he saw. Naruto was not fine. A familiar mouse scuttled past him again, bringing attention to Sai, who had stayed silent until the moment.
"I have Ino's location. It is most likely that Naruto will be in the same spot." He affirmed stoically as a small frown graced his face. "We will be able to make it there within 10 minutes if we run now." Sakura nodded her head agreeably.
Kakashi remained silent. It's not fast enough. He lost time tracing Naruto. If he was faster, he would have saved her before she was carried away. And even worse, if he had continued to follow Ino, he would have already been there to ambush the bastards that took Naruto. He failed tremendously.
His fists clenched so tightly that his nails broke the skin.
It was unbearable. Her clothes itched on her sensitive skin, her hair felt slick and greasy through the sheen of sweat.
A foot tapped impatiently in her clouded vision. "All you need to do is ask, little bunny." Haru echoed. His voice was muffled over the intensity of feeling overwhelming her head. "Fuck off!" Naruto screamed automatically while her head screamed back at her to give in.
"Those clothes must be so irritating. I could help you right now if you would just give in." He continued offering all kinds of lewd relief. She would rather die than have him touch her body again. Naruto shifted uncomfortably, mentally swearing as the fabric irritated her further. She flinched as his voice cooed at her.
"I can see just how desperate you are Naru-chan." She glanced up at the mention of her real name. His pupils were so blown she couldn't even see the colour of his eyes. He licked his bottom lip lecherously. "I'm not a patient man by nature, and something tells me you're the same." He got up from the chair and crawled over to her on all fours. He leaned into her ear, licking the cuff of it. Naruto shuddered, clenching her eyes shut.
Kurama. She prayed, trying to find that place in her mind. When she opened them again, she wasn't in the cursed room with the sick pervert, but she also no longer saw the sun-drenched temple of her friend's design. Inky black flames were spitting from the ground, engulfing the outraged demon fox.
"Kurama, what is going on!?" Naruto called out as the fox swayed his tails heavily. Pure chakra poured from his mouth in a magnificent golden flame, attempting to tame the black that was threatening to consume the whole temple.
"Naruto." He growled. His eyes narrowed at her as his tails beat down once more. "Someone has corrupted your seal. I can break it. I would be able to do it faster if you gave me your chakra," Kurama snarled.
" WHERE IS YOUR CHAKRA " Kurama's voice thundered, reverberating so loudly in her head she winced. Still feeling feverish even when in the confines of her mind, Naruto pulled at her hair in frustration. Sato must have put something on her, much like the temporary seals she has been using throughout this whole mission. Only the one that he used was against her will that she couldn't just break with a single burst of power.
He may have repressed her chakra, that was obvious, but it wasn't foolproof. Turning on her heel Naruto began to run, thinking about the untamed chakra she was able to leak out like water during her confrontation just moments prior. The seal was faulty. It had to be, there was no way someone would use a seal intended for restricting someone that would still allow the victim to pour out chakra. She needed to find the source of the leak.
Running down the large temple steps away from the raging fires of Kurama. She didn't know where to go. As she ran further from the temple, her mind became darker, steps on solid stone turned into strides in shallow water puddles, it became harder to see where she was, but she didn't need to be able to see to know this was abandoned cellar hallways Kurama once resided in.
Through the feverish heat threatening to consume her body, Naruto focused on sourcing her chakra in the most familiar way she knew, drawing it into her hand. This was her body, this was her mind, if anyone could find what was wrong, it was her.
The blue, glowing chakra began to form, much to her relief; it poured dripping from her hands as she attempted to keep fuelling the bubbling bulb. Her run began to grow stagnant as she started tripping over herself.
And then it sprouted. Like the pressure had broken, her rasengan did not form into it's regular rounded shape, but rather more like a meek semicircle that had sprung a leak. Blue chakra poured in a never-ending rope, glowing dimly through the dark hallways lighting her way.
The further in she ventured, the brighter her ribboning chakra would become until she reached a black mass. Like a lifeline, the chakra poured from the dark bulb from a single crack, vibrating into her hand, thrumming with energy.
Without pausing to think, Naruto shoved her hand in ripping and digging while gritting her teeth. The orb tore into tendrils much like the inky flames that Kurama was battling, except these were smaller and denser. They tried to wrap around her arms, unforgiving as they pulled at her as she dug relentlessly.
Groaning in aggravation, Naruto pulled her arms back, clenching her fists, she pounded at the damned black abyss. Punching with her fists, screaming until her voice broke. The chakra leaking from the crack reacted to her. It's thrumming intensifying until the orb was literally pulsing, expanding, and shrinking with each beat.
It blew up, blue light exploding in all its gloriousness. Naruto winced, raising her arms to protect herself from the unleashed power of her own core, expecting to be burned by the brightness. Instead, soothingly she was engulfed. The heat from the cursed blood she was forced to consume began to cool as she could hear Kurama roar triumphantly from afar.
After exiting the bar with Gato, Ino and he made idle chatter. He didn't take her to her own home. Of course he didn't. After an intense make-out session that was more labor than pleasure, 'Zabuza' has taken her back to his humble abode.
This was the climax. There was no doubt in Ino's mind that that this was when Gato would lead her to the trafficking ring. It would be crucial moments between when Gato opened the front door to let her in, to when Sai, Sakura and Naruto would follow, rescue her and capture Gato.
But something was off. From the first room in the house to the long shady hallway he escorted Ino down. She expected to be attacked, drugged, or restrained. Instead, Gatō took her to a rather extravagantly decored bedroom, large enough to fit a cosy tea table where he had left her to put on the kettle.
Ino tapped her fingers impatiently, this was definitely his hideout wasn't it? A couple minutes go by from when Gatō had sat her down. He was now leisurely drinking his tea opposite from Ino, all while looking at her peculiarly. "You must drink something that isn't alcohol Mina-chan, I need you to be sober for this."
Perhaps the tea was drugged. When the attackers aren't being outwardly aggressive, it's not really in Ino's interest to go ahead and drug herself. Gato sighed as she made no move, and why should she? She had discovered his lair, hadn't she? A large part of her job was over if you asked her, but where the hell was her backup?
The large man stood up. His face was unusually contemplative. He paced the room for a couple strides before his head snapped at Ino. "Minako-chan…" he started, frowning. Ino raised an eyebrow. "Zabu-kun?" She questioned cutely, tilting her head.
"I must admit it to you, Minako-chan… I hold you in the highest regard…" he trailed off again, a frown harrowing his face. Ino resisted cringing outright. What on earth is going on? Why would he be going to such an effort for a village girl when the most logical thing for him to have done was capture her outright. Realisation began to creep on Ino.
"Would I be wrong to assume you hold the same feeling for me as I do for you?" He questioned almost hesitantly. This was really happening wasn't it?
"Of course, I do Zabu-kun," Ino cooed, "whenever I see you my heart feels like it's going explode. Today has been one of the happiest days of my life!" Ino cried passionately. And like she was a cat playing the fiddle, Gato's face broke up into the most enormous, most genuine grin before he faltered.
"You're not like other girls, Mina-chan…" He whispered breathily. "I'm afraid I haven't been all too honest with you." He actually looked embarrassed. His cheeks were still flushed from the booz that was probably clouding his judgment. Ino stood from the table immediately, her cup of tea tipping dramatically.
"You are promised to another woman, aren't you, Zabu-kun!" She wailed. "All you men are the same!" She even managed to tear up.
"Mina-chan! No! It isn't like that. I'm not involved with those other women." Another slip up. It would be all Ino needed. If the others were going to take their time coming to her 'rescue she might as well start ahead of them.
Pretending to take a deep breath to calm her nerves, Ino closed her eyes and brought her hands together like a silent prayer. "Minako-chan, please listen to me. My real name it's-"
And then she broke the seal.
She opened her eyes, locking onto Gato's, who was at this moment was looking torn and heartbroken. Only for a split second did they widen in shock before Ino's physical body fell crumpled to the floor as she successfully mind transferred into Gatō.
'Gato' grinned. She took a quick look around the room before dully noting that this room really held nothing of importance other than the occasional suspicious pill. Ino quickly departed, opening door after door until coming across a locked one. Frowning, she patted Gato's body down, grinning when she felt the clunking of keys.
When she finally opened the door (after some fumbling for the correct key), her grin grew so broad it could split Gato's face. Paper stacks and books piled onto a desk, why this must be his office. Humming to herself, Ino shut the door behind her before she let her eyes drown in the sights.
Opening the desks drawer, she found payrolls, client names and payments, multiple locations of other small civilian villages that they were no doubt occupying. These idiots really thought they were invincible, that no one would care about missing common folk. All this information and the only security for it was a key? Ino scoffed.
As she shuffled through the papers, only pausing as she heard the stomping of feet in the hallway. Her mind instantly drifted to Sakura and Naruto. Had they finally arrived? But obviously, neither Sakura or Sai would be so loud during an infiltration… Naruto, on the other hand. Possibly.
"I can't believe it. Do you think all those girls are actually ninja? Why the fuck are they parading around and civilian girls." She heard from the other side of the door.
"Haru, you idiot. They were obviously bait for us, and if what I saw with you and Gato tonight was an indication of anything you two fell for it. All our hard work would have gone up in flames if this one didn't stupidly go rogue."
Ino stiffened. Who went rogue? No, she didn't even have to think about it. Naruto. What have you done. Quickly she piled the papers she decided were most valuable and sealed them away before stomping to the door.
"Shit, boss is here already? I thought he would at least try to have some fun with the tramp first." The voice she recognised as Haku (or rather Haru) hissed. Ino slammed it open, making both men jump to attention.
She looked at them blankly. "Who's this." She demanded, obviously referring to Naruto, who was lying limp in Haru's arms. "It's U-Usagi, sir. One of the girls you were mingling with tonight. I believe they were h-honey traps." Sato stammered.
Haru, less threatened by Gato's presence, interfered. "What happened to the other chick who was hanging off you all night, boss? She was a kunoichi too, wasn't she?" He questioned. Ino contemplated denying it for a moment but decided the safer route to go was on the edge of honesty.
"Yes." She stated. "I have dealt with her. Give this one to me." She demanded, attempting to glare the man down into submission. Haru looked at Ino skeptically before bursting out into a laugh. "Good joke boss!" He cheered and winked, making Ino falter in her menacing. Fuck, well that didn't work.
"Don't worry, I'll keep it business as usual. I don't think this one would be a good sell though, ninjas never are. This one in particular, looks an awful lot like Konoha's Uzumaki girl, don't you think? Whiskers and all." He frowned down at the girl in his arms.
Ino didn't reply. She continued to glare at the man while her mind raced on what to do. Sato looked at her apologetically. "Don't worry, sir, I won't allow him to get too carried away." Then both men entered a room leaving Ino alone with her shaky legs. She struggled processed how the fuck she was going to handle Gatō and his two lackeys with only an unconscious Naruto as backup.
Sweat piled into her hands as she quietly retreated to Gato's bed chambers, where her own body laid dormant. She checked on her unconscious body, pulling out her weapons to lay them into her limp hands. She scoured the room for its assortment of drugs. If she could just knock Gatō out and jump back into her own body before he suffered any detremental side effects, she might be able to pull herself back into her own mind without suffering a loss of any time.
Gulping, Ino came across a promising common drug that usually takes about 15 minutes to set in, but that's 15 minutes Naruto would be left alone with that obviously unhinged maniac. That's too long, but the longer she waited the more time she will have lost. Tensing her jaw she swallowed a single pill. Confident she would be waiting a while to start feeling the side effects. The last thing Ino expected was to be knocked immediately, her mind vanishing into darkness, not able to process how to get back home until the jutsu wore off.
Violent red oozed out of Naruto, a menacing aura to be caught on the wrong side of. It had been a long time since she felt this burning hatred that Kurama fuelled on. She could smell the fear consuming the room, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Haru certainly didn't care about degrading her. Her eyes snapped open, the animalist glow of human eyes.
"Y-you-"Haru began, his voice quivering as he fell on his ass to scuttle back to the nearest corner of the room. "You are what ended this fourth shinobi war!?" He yelled. "Y-you're a MONSTER ," his voice shrilled even higher. His eyes darting across the room for an exit. In his panic, he momentarily forgot about the one and only door to the room, which was conveniently to his left. When his eyes landed on it, he was on his feet in seconds, a stumble of a run as his legs refused to cooperate with him.
An arm shot out of Naruto's back at lightning speed, blocking his way out. Haru cried in despair. "Let me out, you monster!" Monster, monster, monster, he sure was a broken record. Haru began fumbling around his trousers, pulling out a single kunai. "I will kill you, you crazy bitch!" He squealed, like that was an original insult he hadn't already used on her repetitively.
Haru ran at Naruto. She could admit he was moving a lot sturdier than before. Maybe all his fear was being masked by his rage for being confined here with her. As he got closer, he reared his arm back to make a feeble slice at her neck.
Another arm shot out of her. It fisted around Haru, midrun. Clenching and restraining him. Slowly the grip tightened until Haru was almost suffocating. "P-please." He rasped. "Please- I," he gasped for breath, "I'll give you anything."
Begging . He was begging her for his life. After he tried so hard to make her beg for him. How sweet irony is. The large hand clutched around him, giving one last final squeeze, smooshing him as though he was soft butter.
The arms retracted, but blazing red chakra continued to ooze hungrily from Naruto. Kurama was not satisfied. He wanted them all to pay retribution for what they did to him and his container. The door slammed open, and Naruto weakly looked up to see who Kurama's next victim would be.
Brown hair, an adorable beauty mark, clothes splattered with blood and a blazing purple hand. Kurama retreated immediately, the eerie red chakra dissipating in tune to the fading glow of the electric purple chakra that was once burning fiercely on the newcomer's hand.
"Naruto!" He yelled harshly, almost like a bark. He ran to her, shrugging off his green jacket to wrap around Naruto's ripped clothes before engulfing her into a tight hug, his arms quivering around her.
" Sukea? " she asked, her voice scratchy and tired. Amongst the tangy scent of blood, there was a stronger scent that was just so familiar to her. It made her feel warm, safe, and most of all, happy . Her eyes finally shut peacefully as she allowed her head to rest in the crook of his neck.
When Ino woke up, her head ached aggressively. She was wrapped in a blanket being rocked around in someone's arms. Blearily she opened her eyes, immediately recognising the vibrant green of the eyes staring down back at her.
"Sakura?" She murmured. Sakura looked worried until Ino uttered her name. Sakura blinked, then she blinked again before tears pooled into her eyes, her bottom lip quivered, and her nose ran. "Ino, I was so scared when I saw you unconscious. You idiot! Why would you take foreign drugs in another person's body while doing the mind transfer jutsu!?" Sakura wailed, Ino blushed, feeling a little embarrassed.
"I didn't know what to do, alright! You and Sai were taking your time, and I came across Naruto knocked out by those other two sleezebags after going through Gato's office!" Ino exclaimed before she jerked up, looking around. They were walking back towards the Inn. Naruto, still out cold with an unfamiliar guy tenderly clutching her and Sai carrying a bound Gato.
"Gato!" Ino yelled. "I got everything from him! Clients, locations, upcoming orders! H-his pocket- there's a scroll!" Ino continued pointing animatedly as Sai raised a brow and slunk his hand into a bulging pocket pulling at a scroll that was undoubtedly Ino's handiwork.
She beamed. "We won, didn't we?" Ino grinned up at Sakura. Sakura sniffed and wiped her eyes onto her shoulder in an attempt to act like she didn't just break down and smiled gently back at Ino. "Yeah… I think we did." They savoured that moment, smiling tenderly at each other before Ino decided to quip.
"So who's the love-struck pretty boy holding Naruto?" She gestured lazily to the extra man. Kakashi turned to look at her, glaring blandly at the girl, looking severely unimpressed. Ino raised an eyebrow daring him to comment, instead, he turned back to looking straight ahead, pretending he wasn't glimpsing at the girl asleep in his arms.
Ino looked back at Sakura to explain the woman's face now as pink as her hair. "Him?" She squeaked, "that's Kakashi-sensei…" she muttered, probably feeling embarrassed for Ino. Ino blinked, turning to stare obnoxiously at Kakashi. Her eyes pivoting between the man and the woman in his arms.
"Ohhh…." She echoed delightfully.