Author's Note: As always, welcome back for the newest chapter! I promised that this one would come out sooner than the last few updates have been. Hopefully I can keep it up.
We're almost at 1,000 followers on this story. That's amazing, and I wanted to thank you all for showing the story so much support. It really means a lot and I almost can't believe we've gotten this far.
I just wanted to note that these next 2 chapters (this one and the next) will be very dialogue heavy. In a way, it's setting the stage for the action that is about to come. I'm actally currently working on the fics first fight scenes as we speak.
Feel free to leave a review, or shoot me a PM if you have anything you wanna talk about. I read them all and answer any questions you have. Anyway, enough rambling. Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 22: Formation: Akatsuki Assault Squad!
A shadowy figure appeared on the other side of the rocky divide that led into the heart of the Sand Village. Sasori watched with mild interest through the grainy winds of the desert as the bulky silhouette trudged along, slowly becoming more discernible. Walking casually out of the village was none other than Itachi Uchiha, carrying an unconscious Gaara over his shoulder. From the looks of it, even though he did his best to hide it, the raven-haired missing-nin was struggling with the extra weight.
"That was… rather fast." The puppeteer said slowly as the younger man came within earshot. Looking past his partner, and based on the lack of urgency in his movements, it was likely that no one was coming after them. The Land of Wind's ninja village had been infiltrated, their leader pilfered in the waning hours of the day, right under their noses. The first part of their mission appeared to have been a resounding success. "Seems you weren't lauded as a prodigy of the Uchiha for nothing."
Was that a compliment, or a snide remark? Itachi could not tell, though he was too exhausted to care. That justu took far more out of him than he'd like to admit. "You told me that you don't like to be kept waiting." Was his simple reply. "Even so, I ran into a little trouble along the way."
Based on his counterpart rapidly twitching eyes, and the touch of blood that was splattered across his headband, Sasori could have guessed that that was the case. "Oh? And what kind of trouble was that?" The leader of his former village didn't have any visible cuts or punctures anywhere on his body that could explain the source of his partner's bloody headpiece. "Yura should have made sure that your only obstacle would be the Kazekage himself. All of the guards should have been incapacitated before your arrival."
The taller man said nothing and began walking ahead, gaze transfixed on the starry sky. The sun had set during his confrontation in the village, and now he basked in the beauty of the heavens. Its wonder helped him take his mind off of this cruel world. Along with the troubling things, he had to do for the sake of his goals. It was a subtle reminder that there was more to life than darkness. After a moment, he finally decided to speak. "You don't have to worry about that. I took care of it, just a minor inconvenience. We need to go. Everyone is awaiting our arrival so we can commence in the sealing of the One-Tails."
Itachi heard his counterpart grunt gruffly from behind him. Shortly after, the hunchback's metal tail slowly crept alongside Itachi. Both he and the tail stopped. Taking the message, Sasuke's brother took the unconscious Jinchuriki from atop his shoulder and placed it into the awaiting artificial appendage. The tail wrapped itself snuggly around the unconscious boy and returned to its position behind Sasori.
"Thank you." One of the last Uchiha says with an appreciative nod of the head, not expecting his usually angry and unaccommodating partner to do something… nice?
"Hmph." The shorter of the two growled harshly. "I just don't want you do slow us down. You weren't gone for very long, and yet you still look half-dead." He said, commenting on the former leaf shinobi's baggy and bloodshot eyes. "And if there's one more thing I hate more than being kept waiting, it's making other people wait."
"Of course." Itachi said coolly, knowing that calling the puppeteer out on his lie would only cause more tense sparks to fly between them. "Let us make our way to the meeting place."
Though Sasori didn't say answer verbally, he received his indication of acknowledgment by way of a stiff nod. "Now that your target has been captured, we can work on acquiring mine… Itachi, tell me, what is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki like?"
He paused slightly before speaking as if to moderate his words before he spoke them. "Naruto Uzumaki… is a hotheaded and emotional child who acts rashly with little regard for his own safety." He said with an even tone. "To put it simply, he is a fool."
Sasori could smile if he could do so. "Hmph, seems to me like he will be an easy one to capture. Good."
"Even so, I think it would be unwise to underestimate him."
"And why is that?" The puppet master asked with a touch of edge to his voice. "You said it yourself, he's a foolish and immature brat."
"The last time I encountered Naruto was nearly three years ago. From the intel that we have gathered, he has spent that time alongside the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. Not only that, but the boy was also showing signs of being able to all upon the Fox's chakra at will. It would be not only foolish but dangerous to underestimate the child after being under the tutelage of such a shinobi for that long of a time."
"Hmph." Another grunt dipped in disdain.
"I suggest that we wait on going after the Nine-Tails for the time being. It is as our leader said, it needs to be the last of the beasts to be sealed away."
"Yes, but if you are so worried about the boy becoming stronger under the watchful eye of the Hermit, then it would be in our best interest to capture him now! The longer we wait, the harder it will be to capture him. Isn't that what you were implying, Itachi?" He shot a glance over at his partner, observing his expression.
Itachi resisted the intense desire to purse his lips together. What could he say on the matter that would make the situation any better? By his own admission, that was perhaps the most logical choice to make. 'I usually don't make mistakes like that. What's wrong with me?' He suppressed the urge to sigh in resignation.
"Perhaps… you're right."
"I'm glad we're in agreement." He did not sound glad. "Then, after the sealing of the One-Tails we… make out way to the Hidden Leaf Village."
Naruto was staring blankly at the ceiling of his apartment as he laid in his bed. Sleep had been hard to come by last night. Something that, while he wasn't a stranger to, he thought was long in the past. 'Heh, having a bed again after so long of sleeping on the floor or the cold ground. Another thing that should make me happy about being back. And yet, I can't sleep at all…'
Something about it was different this time. Usually, it was the nightmares that caused his earlier case of insomnia. Every time he shut his eyes, his mind would replay that fateful day in the Land of Waves. How many times did he have to see Tazuna's severed head? That look of absolute terror on the old man's face? Blood dripping from the fresh and gruesome wound? Oh, how those memories had plagued him. 'Had' being the keyword. The blond hadn't had a dream like that in a long time. Sometimes, his old friend would cross his mind, and he would feel a momentary bout of sadness, having lost his friends. But a nightmare? No, not in a long time.
It was his unease. A heavy feeling in his gut, as if his stomach was made of lead. Naruto had tried to convince himself that the uneasiness he felt was from returning to the village after a long time. Perhaps being among the villagers that despised him for his entire existence was the source of the discomfort? No… he wasn't buying it. Never once, not even as a child, had being in the village made him feel like this. The people of the village made him feel unwanted, unloved, unnecessary, and even invisible, but never did he have this sense of dread. Something was wrong, he just didn't know what.
The bright light of the morning sun began to pierce its way through the blinds on his window, briefly blinding him. 'It's morning already?' He thought to himself, trying to focus on something else. 'Great…'
It was actually getting closer to noon, he just didn't know it yet.
Just then, a knock came out his door. He glanced over in that direction, before rolling off his bed. Slipping on his shoes as he walked over to the door, he tried to guess who it was. Maybe Jiraiya hadn't left the village yet and came to say goodbye? He grimaced as he wrapped his hand loosely around the cold metal knob. With a twist and a pull, the door swung open…
Revealing one of the members of the now-defunct Team 7.
"Morning, Kakashi-Sensei. What's up?" Naruto asked in a nonchalant, friendly tone.
"Naruto." The one-eyed Jonin acknowledged with a nod. "Do you mind if I come in? I wanted to talk to you about something."
Naruto shook his head, stepping aside and gesturing one of his mentors into his apartment. "I'd offer you a seat at the table, but you'd probably want to stand, leaning up against my wall with your arms crossed, looking all cool. Isn't that right, Sensei?" He teased lightly.
Kakashi didn't show it, but he was now resisting the intense urge to do exactly what his student had just described. 'Am I really that predictable?' He thought to himself.
No, now wasn't the time. The two had something serious to discuss. "Actually, I think I will take that seat. Thank you."
The blond gave the older shinobi an odd look but obliged as they both sat down across from each other at Naruto's kitchen table. "What did you want to talk about, exactly?" He had an idea, and while he didn't really want to have this conversation, Kakashi wasn't exactly giving him much of a choice.
"I talked to the Hokage, and you were right. She was afraid that if word got around about the Akatsuki killing innocent people in Wave while trying to get to you, it would have just caused more harm than good." There was a sad look in his eye. "Still, I would've liked to know. They were my friends, as well… I'm sorry that you had to go through that." He said with sincerity.
Naruto gazed into that lone eye. It spoke volumes. It was filled with compassion, empathy, and sadness. But beyond that, something else. Understanding? Recalling on a memory from long ago, the bell test, Kakashi had told the fledgling Genins about the memorial stone in the training grounds; and how most of the people he cared about had their names etched into its surface.
"The pain gets easier to deal with, as hard as that is to believe." Kakashi was doing his best to be reassuring, but his awkward demeanor told Naruto that his teacher was not very good at being comforting and reassuring. Expected of a hardened shinobi with no children of his own. It wasn't exactly something that he had much practice in.
"I know it does." Naruto confirmed, opting to stare down at the table as he absentmindedly ran his finger along its wooden surface. "At first, it was really tough to deal with. I know they weren't my real family, but I never really had any family to begin with." He grimaced, pressing his finger into the table with more force than he probably meant to. "Besides you, Sakura, Sasuke, and Iruka, they were some of the first people to actually accept me for who I am. To treat me like someone who mattered. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but it felt like I lost a part of my family."
"Is that why you said what you did at Ichiraku yesterday?"
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, finally looking up and making eye contact with his teacher. What did that have to do with anything?
"I lost some people that I was extremely close to when I was younger… some really good friends."
That caught the blond's attention, as he was now staring intently at the Jonin. Kakashi took this hint and continued speaking.
"Do you know what I did when that happened?" The question was partially rhetorical, but he gave the Genin a second to think about it anyway. Again, he took the uncertain look his student gave him as a sign that he should just continue on with his story. "I joined the ANBU Black Ops. I was even a captain at one point."
A memory flashed in Naruto's mind. "You know, someone in the ANBU actually mentioned that. They seemed pretty fond of you. Say, do you know of anyone named Uddo?"
Kakashi blinked. "No, why do you ask?"
"No reason…" He shook his head. "Why did you suddenly join the ANBU after you lost people close to you?"
The Copy Ninja let out a deep sigh, signifying that even he was uncomfortable digging up old memories. "I think for similar reasons that you're trying to get Sakura, Shikamaru, and Hinata to back out of our little squad."
Naruto's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything,
Kakashi gave his pupil a knowing look before continuing. "In the ANBU, I took the most dangerous and exhausting missions that I possibly could. It was one after the other. That way, none of my friends or comrades would have to take those missions. I didn't want to lose anyone else, so I risked my life to ensure that they stayed as safe as possible. I even insisted on taking a lot of solo missions. Anything That I could do to potentially make life safer for my comrades, I did."
"And that worked, right? You were able to keep them safe?"
Kakashi gave his trademarked eye-smile, which reassured the blond of his decision. Though, that feeling was quickly stomped into the ground as his question was answered.
"Nope. They still continued to die. I nearly ran myself into the ground with missions, and my actions were inconsequential and completely meaningless. I made no difference at all."
"Is… there a reason you're smiling about that?"
"I just don't want you to make the same mistake that I did, Naruto." There was a touch of longing in his voice like he wished that he could go back and change how he did things. "You're trying to save your friends by not letting them go on any dangerous missions. I know you don't want to lose any more of your loved ones, but it won't work doing it that way. They'll just be assigned to some other dangerous missions. We are a ninja village, high-rank missions come in every single day. Your friends are strong, but in this world, there is never a guarantee that nothing bad will happen."
"T-Then what should I do?" There was a sense of hopelessness in his voice. He had been sure that if he kept his friends away from missions related to the Akatsuki, that they would be safe. But Kakashi was right. There are other A, and even S, Rank missions out there that have nothing to do with the criminal organization. His friends were strong and capable shinobi. Maybe not now, but one day they would be assigned to missions with similar degrees of danger. He was only one man; he couldn't possibly take every risky mission the village had to offer.
"You trust them." The smile that showed through the scarecrow's lone visible eye was genuine now. "By letting them go on missions alongside you, you can have each other's backs. They're going to get assigned to difficult missions regardless, wouldn't it make you feel better if you were there with them? That's how you ensure that they stay alive. Allow them to go on this journey with you. Believe it or not, they want to protect you just as much as you want to protect them."
"I… guess I never really thought about it like that." The Genin said as he lightly scratched his cheek.
"Neither did I. I had to learn the hard way; through trial and error."
"You know, Sensei, I think you're right." With a jolt of energy, the blond sprang to his feet, the sudden movement nearly startling Kakashi. "I gotta go find the rest of our team and apologize for the things that I said."
The Jonin put up a hand in protest, afraid his energetic student was going to sprint out of the apartment. "Actually, while I think you should definitely trust them as members of the team, what you said wasn't exactly wrong." His pupil gave him a perplexed look. "Those three are certainly strong, but what you said to them was necessary. They didn't seem to be taking the threat of the Akatsuki as seriously as one should. I think it will be a good wake up call."
"You don't think any of them would consider dropping out of the squad."
Kakashi shook his head. "Not a chance. As long as you're one of the Akatsuki's targets, I don't think a single one of them would reconsider being a part of a team that's main goal is to keep you safe. Don't underestimate how much your friends care about you."
The boy smiled cheerfully at that comment. "Well, still… I could have been a little nicer about it. I think the five of us should go out to lunch today. My treat, and I won't ruin it this time around. What do you say, Sensei?"
"Your treat, huh?" Kakashi asked in a mocking tone, standing up from the chair he had been sitting in. "When did you become such a show-off?"
"Heh, well, if there's one thing my book is good for it's the money."
That reminded him. "Actually, there was something else I needed to talk to you about, Naruto."
"Huh?" The blond blurted out through squinted eyes. "What is it?" He was clearly already thinking about all of the food that he was going to eat.
The look on the blond's face made Kakashi rethink what he was going to say next. 'I wanted to ask him why he seemed to be upset whenever his book gets brought up, but that would probably just ruin the good mood he's in.' Subconsciously, the Jonin patted the pouch that had the novel safely tucked away, opting to save the conversation for another time. "Actually, it can wait. If we leave now by the time we get everyone rounded up, it'll be time to eat."
"Now you're talking, Kakashi-Sensei. I'm starving!" He exclaimed, opening the door to leave his apartment.
To their collective surprise, the remaining member of Team 7 was waiting on the other side of the door. From what Naruto could guess from her outstretched hand, she had just been about to knock. Even in his newfound excitement, it was near impossible to miss the grave expression she was wearing.
Something had happened. Something bad.
"Sakura…" The boy said slowly, Kakashi looking on just behind him. "Is everything okay?"
She broke eye contact for a split second, then brought her gaze back up. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on… but whatever it is, it's not good." She had just been at the Hokage tower when many of the workers began to scramble around frantically. She couldn't make out any details, but from their facial expressions and rigid postures, she knew it wasn't going to be good news. "Lady Tsunade has asked for our immediate summons to the tower."
"That can only mean one thing…" Kakashi trailed off, finding no need to finish the sentence. His students knew exactly what he was talking about.
Naruto ground his teeth together with enough force that the sounds of scraping rattled his ear. He had known that this day would come soon. Though he hadn't expected it to come so suddenly.
"Akatsuki…"
"The Kazekage was abducted from the village without anyone even realizing it? How is that even possible?" Kakashi, the usually laidback shinobi, blurted out.
"That's hard to say." Tsunade answered unsurely, gauging the groups varying reactions to the news. "The Sand Village has no leads, only several corpses at the village entrance proving that someone had infiltrated the village from the outside. Though, how they were able to bring down one of the 5 Kage without alerting anyone I have no idea."
Not one, but two bombshells had just been dropped on Naruto's head. First, he had heard the news that Gaara had been named the Kazekage. That wasn't exactly something he had expected. Sure, Gaara was immensely powerful, but so soon? Didn't the village still hate him? These were questions he barely had time to ponder since the second piece of information was that he had been captured.
"There's only one group that's capable of something like this." The eerily calm Genin said, causing the two higher-ranked shinobi to look his way. "Is that why you called on us?"
Tsunade nodded gravely. "Yes, we have reason to believe that this was the doing of the Akatsuki and that they are after the monster that is sealed inside Gaara."
'So this is the power of the Akatsuki, huh?' Shikamaru thought to himself, wide-eyed and in stunned silence. 'It almost seems unreal that anyone could do something like that.'
From the looks on their faces, the 2 kunoichi who rounded out the squad has similar feelings to that of the Nara. Terrified awe.
"If I'm not mistaken, isn't this very similar to the disappearance of the Third Kazekage?" Kakashi asked. "How do we know that this isn't somehow related to that?"
Tsunade nodded, acknowledging Hatake's logical approach. "The Sand has expressed similar worries, but there is no way to be certain. Even so, whoever is responsible would be immediately classified as an S-Rank threat. You five have been assembled to do just that, combat S-Ranked threats to the village and our allies. The Fifth Hokage looked at each of the ninja before her. "You will officially be dubbed The Akatsuki Assault Squad. Your mission is to find and rescue the Kazekage and return him to the Sand Village alive." Her words seemed to snap the three Chunin from their thoughts. "You are to meet with the leaders of the Sand and swap any relevant information on the situation." Turning to the squad leader, she continued. "Kakashi, there may still be a scent that you can track at the crime scene that can put you on the abductor's trail."
Kakashi nodded in agreement. "That was exactly what I was thinking.'
"And if we can't track them? What happens then?" Naruto asked, addressing the elephant in the room. "These aren't exactly favorable circumstances. This plan is just a big shot in the dark."
Tsunade let out a deep breath. "Based on the information that we have, this is our best course of action."
The blond let out a huff of frustration but otherwise didn't say anything. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the Sannin was right. The Akatsuki were careful not to leave behind anything that could be used to find them. And if by some stroke of luck trackers were able to piece together enough evidence to find them… it would be too late.
"Though it isn't hopeless." The Hokage, upon seeing the grim expression Naruto was wearing, managed a hopeful smile. "Jiraiya is already out looking for any information that could be helpful to you. If he finds anything, he will be in contact via messenger toad."
That seemed to raise everyone's spirits, at least a little.
"Now, I want your team to leave the village by the end of the hour. Gather all of the materials that you need quickly. And remember, this is an S-Rank mission that will take several days to complete. Keep that in mind as you gather supplies. Is that understood?"
A resounding 'Yes!' flooded the Hokage's office, followed by the departure of the newly formed Akatsuki Assault Squad.
Shizune, who had remained quiet the entire time beside the Hokage, finally decided to say what she had been holding in. "He definitely has changed, but do you really think he's ready to take the Akatsuki on so soon? He just got back to the village."
Tsunade sat forward, resting her chin atop her interlocked hands. "You know, I wasn't sure at first. I was afraid he was going to be the same reckless kid that he's always been, and that would cause him to put himself in dangerous situations. But, did you see him just now? He was calm, composed, and thinking rationally. A little frustrated, but considering the circumstances, who in his position wouldn't be? A far cry from what he was like the last time I saw him." Despite the circumstances, a grin formed across her features. "No… I think he's ready."
"I supposed you're right…" Shizune agreed though he tone suggested she was still not convinced.
"The team we assembled is one of the best groups the Leaf has to offer." The Sannin cut in, trying to quell her assistant's rising doubts. "Though, my only worry is… will they even encounter the Akatsuki? Was it even them to begin with? There's a good chance that even Kakashi won't be able to find any leads to their whereabouts."
"A suggestion, M'Lady."
"Yes?"
"I believe that team Kurenai is set to return soon. They're the most capable team we have at tracking, should I arrange to have them sent as back upon their immediate return?"
Tsunade turned the idea over in her head. It still wasn't the most ideal situation, but… "It may very well be too late, but that's still our best bet. Make it happen, Shizune!"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"
"Also, send word to Jiraiya." She called after her apprentice. "I want frequent and detailed updates about his efforts to learn more about the Akatsuki!" The odds were stacked against them. If they were going to have any hopes of recovering the Wind Shadow, it had to be a collaborative effort.
'So… the time has finally come.' The host of the Nine-Tails thought to himself on his way to the village gates. 'So much has happened since I left the village with Sensei. And it all has led up to this, the reason why I worked myself into the ground for the past two years.' He unconsciously clenched his fists.
"Tense about something?" Jiraiya asked, landing beside him from out of nowhere.
Naruto, who didn't even flinch at the man's arrival, gave him a look of annoyance. "Yeah, you should know why I'm tense. You heard what happened." Looking at the Sage a bit closer, something seemed off about him. "Granny said you had already left to collect information. Are you a Shadow Clone?"
"Hey, you aren't the only one that could use them. They aren't called the Uzumaki Shadow Clones. They're pretty handy, you know?"
The blond grinned, shaking his head slightly. Even during moments like this, his teacher still had the gall to act like an idiot. "Don't ever change, Sensei." Naruto whispered.
"Huh?!" The Sannin practically shouted, cupping his hand around his ear. "Speak up, kid. I'm not as young as you; hearing gets worse as you age. You should be more considerate of your elders."
Naruto's eye twitched. "Ah, shut up!" He yelled back, pointing the finger at his Godfather. "What do you even want, huh? I have a really important mission that is about to start, and you're distracting me! How am I supposed to get in the zone now?!"
Just like that, the goofy expression disappeared from Jiraiya's face. It was like a switch he flipped on and off and completely random times. What a weird guy. "We've put a lot of work into preparing you for this." Jiraiya stated the obvious. "How are you feeling?"
"Yeah, I know. It almost doesn't feel real." His student acknowledged. "And I never thought it would come so soon."
"You're ready for this." The Sannin's wide smile shined through the serious and dark atmosphere that surrounded their current circumstances. "You've exceeded my expectations. I just want you to be careful. Don't do anything reckless."
"I know. I'll remember what Boss said. I can't let my emotions guide me. If I do, I'll already be one step removed from what I'm trying to accomplish. That can't happen, I won't let it."
"Good. This is your power, not the Fox's. You don't have to rely on that other power to fight your battles for you. You're plenty strong on your own." High praise coming from the Toad Sage. "I'll let you know if I find anything, or if things have changed."
"You be safe, too!" Naruto blurted out, assuming that his teacher was going to leave at any moment. "Don't do anything too dumb. If you plan on engaging the Akatsuki, or even Orochimaru in the future, I want to come with you! We'll do it together, okay?" Such sincere eyes. Naruto wasn't good at telling people how much he cared for them, but his actions spoke more than words ever could.
"Of course." Jiraiya was the same way. Words were hard to come by. But, in this moment, for his adoptive son, he would give it a try. "Your father would be so proud." Naruto's eyes widened. Jiraiya made a hand sign. "I love you, kid. Good luck, I'll keep in touch."
The clone dispelled, leaving a cloud of smoke and a stunned teenager in its wake. Naruto's eyes were hazily focused on the remnants of his cloned mentor. There was a feeling welling up inside him, his hand absentmindedly gripped at his chest. It felt utterly alien to him. What was it? It was indescribable.
"I… love you, too." He finally managed, but no one was going to hear him.
"Naruto! Over here!" A voice called out.
Looking up, it appeared he wasn't the first one to arrive at the village entrance. "Sakura." He acknowledged, making his way over to his partner while they waited for the others to arrive.
She was sitting, back pressed against a tree, her travel bag resting at her side.
"You got here pretty fast." He acknowledged. "I thought I would definitely be the first person here since all of my things are still packed up."
She shrugged. "I knew we were going to get a mission like this sooner or later. I had already had a special bag packed up with a mission like this in mind."
"Prepared as always." The blond noted, leaning up against the same tree Sakura was at.
The pair succumbed to a period of moderately tense silence as they watched the leaves on the trees rustle from the wind. The beauty and calmness of the afternoon were almost eerie. It was starkly contrasted against what they and the Sand Village were going through. Mother Nature apparently did not care about what happened with its people. She would do what she pleased always.
"How are you holding up?" Sakura asked, deciding to break the silence.
"You mean about Gaara?" To which the kunoichi nodded. "I'm… worried, and angry that Gaara has to keep going through terrible things like this. He and his siblings were a massive help to us when we tried to bring Sasuke back. Without it, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee, and even I could have died." Despite his words, he didn't let his feelings show on his face. "But If I let all of what I'm feeling guide me, then I'll only hurt our chances to save him."
Sakura managed a smile. "Wow, you really have changed, Naruto." She stood up, resting her hand reassuringly on the blond's shoulder. "I think Gaara is in great hands, and I know you'll do everything in your power to save him."
"Thanks, Sakura. We're going to be there for him this time. I know it."
"You bet!" There was a determined look in her eye. "And, after this, we can work on getting Sasuke back!"
Naruto immediately lowered his gaze. Biting his lip, he was mentally battling with the idea of telling Sakura his new views on the matter. Would it upset her? Make her hate him? Still, didn't she have the right to know that some things have changed. Yes, she definitely did.
"Actually, about that… Sakura?"
"Yeah?" She asked, a newfound smile present on her face.
Just as he was about to say something, his ears perked up from the sounds of incoming footsteps. Turning his head towards the road going into the Leaf, he spotted the remaining three members of the Akatsuki Assault Squad. Their presence reminded him of why they were there in the first place.
'If I tell her and she gets upset by the news, that would be bad for the mission.' He rationalized to himself. 'That would be bad for Gaara, and his tailed beast.'
"Actually, never mind. It's not important right now. We have a Kazekage to save."
"You two ready?" Kakashi asked.
"You're joking, right?" Naruto asked with feigned annoyance. "We were waiting for you guys. I'm always ready!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes at his student's antics.
"If we're all ready to go, I think it would be a good idea to leave now." Shikamaru cut in. "If I'm not mistaken, Temari left the village a few hours ago. She was a liaison between our two villages for the upcoming Chunin Exams. If we leave now, we can probably catch up to her relatively soon. She will be a great help navigating the desert if there are any sandstorms."
"Sounds like a plan." Kakashi agreed. Looking at his subordinates, he asked the all-important question. "Is everyone ready to go?" The response he received was four swift nods. "Alright, let's make our way to the Sand Village."
The group traveled in relative silence for what seemed like a long time. Each of them still processing what was going on. To say you're going to do something is one thing when that moment finally does arrive it hits a bit different. They were going after an organization that had the power to snatch one of the five Kage out of their respective village, the only witnesses being corpses.
"I feel like we're making a mistake." Naruto said what had probably been on everyone's minds. They all looked at him, prodding him to continue his thought. "There's no guarantee we're going to find anything in the Sand Village that will be able to lead us to Gaara. What if this is all just a big waste of time."
"We know that it could be a long shot." Sakura acknowledged. She didn't look nearly as confident as she did before. "But it's as Lady Tsunade said, it's our only course of action. We have nothing else to go on."
"Yeah, but…"
"Look on the bright side." The genius of the group cut in. "With Kakashi-Sensei's nose and Hinata's eyes, we're bound to find something that can help us find them. As good as they are, they're still capable of making some sort of mistake."
"Shikamaru's right." The lone Jonin reassured. "It's not hopeless. I'm sure we'll find something."
"I hope so…" The blond trailed off, not willing to think about what would happen if they were wrong.
"Hinata?" Shikamaru's voice rang through the forest. It had been a while since they left. According to his calculations, they should just be caught up.
"She's just up ahead." Hinata announced to the group, her Byakugan actively scanning for any signs of life ahead of them. "We'll be there in about 2 minutes."
A few moments later, the team dropped from the heights of the tree branches down onto the forest floor. The sudden rustling caught Temari's attention, who had just appeared to be casually strolling along a narrow dirt path in the direction of the Land of Wind. Upon seeing the arrival of her allies, her neutral expression deepened into a noticeable frown. It was as if to say: "Oh God, what the hell happened?"
Upon seeing the downcast face of her brother's former savior, one Naruto Uzumaki, her heart sank even further. And if it could get any worse than that, the single word out of the Genin's mouth put the final nail in the coffin that represented her hope.
"Gaara…"
With haste, Naruto's team relayed the bad news to the sister of the Kazekage. They ensured that Temari knew what was happening and promised to reveal the rest of the information along the way. They didn't have time to stop and have a conversation. Every second wasted further diminished the chances they could complete their mission.
"I had a bad feeling that something like this was going to happen!" The Kazekage's sister exclaimed, joining the Leaf shinobi as they jumped through the trees. "Who could've done this?!"
The news had hit her hard, but Gaara was her brother. No one was going to fault her for that. Even so, Temari was an exceptionally strong-willed kunoichi. Having the ability to keep a level head in the direst of circumstance was one of her best traits.
"We're not entirely sure, but we have reason to believe that it was the Akatsuki." Shikamaru answered, his tone softening as he addressed the grieving Sand Sibling. "They could be after the demon sealed inside Gaara."
She gulped. "Was anyone in the village hurt? Are they safe?"
The Nara grimaced. "From the report, there were several casualties at the village entrance. The guards who were stationed there were completely wiped out. There were also a handful of casualties inside the village walls. Someone had apparently tried to stop whoever captured Gaara from leaving the village. Though, the report didn't list the names of anyone. I'm sorry, Temari."
Temari pursed her lips, unwilling to even think about the possibility that she could've lost more than Gaara. "H-He-"
"Don't you worry one bit, Temari." Naruto landed right beside her. "Gaara is going to be just fine. We're going to get him back for you, and we'll make those guys pay for hurting the innocent people of your village."
Her eyes widened slightly at his declaration. "Naruto… Uzumaki." She would never forget what the boy before her had done for her family. Because of him, Kankuro and her were able to have a real relationship with their younger brother. The constant fear of being around the redhead was replaced with laughter, love, and joy. Before the Uzumaki entered their lives, the things they now call reality were nothing more than mere fantasy. If anyone could save her little brother… it was him. She smiled for the first time since hearing the news. "Thank you."
"We'll keep this pace for a few more hours, then we'll take a break to rest." Kakashi commanded. "We have to get there as quickly as possible, but we'll be useless if we exhaust ourselves in the process. Is that understood?"
"Yes!"
"If anyone needs rest, you should get it now." The silver-haired shinobi advised. After traveling at high speeds for several hours, everyone agreed it was time to find a spot to rest their weary muscles. The team, and Temari, found a decent sized clearing to set up their camp. "We'll pack up in a couple of hours and then keep moving. It takes three days total to make it to the Sand from the Leaf. We still have a long way to go and not a lot of time to waste."
Everyone appeared to be taking that wise advice, unpacking the necessary belonging, rehydrating, and even pulling out a few snacks for a quick meal. He counted 1, 2, 3, 4… only 4. Where had he gone already?
"Uh, did anyone see where Naruto has gone off too?"
"He's up in the tree." Hinata said immediately, Byakugan not even activated.
He looked up and, sure enough, she was right. The Uzumaki was sitting on a high branch, cross-legged and unmoving. 'Was she watching him?' Kakashi thought to himself, slightly off-put. He'd do his best to ignore that. 'I'm sure he's got a lot on his mind. And with his stamina, I doubt he needs the rest. He might even think that we're slowing him down.'
It couldn't be further from the truth. Well, not entirely. Naruto was not in the least bit tired. Compared to the training Jiraiya had put him through, this was nothing. The equivalence of a light training session. Still, that didn't mean there was no reason for him to stop. This gave him some time to get in a little bit of meditation. He needed to relax, take some deep breaths, and think about their next course of action.
'I'm no Shikamaru, but there has to be something else we can do. I know it.' Only calm, rational thoughts. The second he lets his mind start racing is when he fails Gaara, the One-Tails, and the entire world. 'To go all the way to the Sand Village just to maybe find where to go after that, it would take way too much time. Who knows what they're even planning or how long we even have until the worst happens!' Nothing was coming to him. No 'eureka' moment where everything aligns perfectly, and the answer just appears before him. 'There's nothing… It's impossible.' The moment the depressing thought crossed his mind, he hated himself for it.
Could he really be so useless? So pathetic? It was just like that day.
'No… this is going to be different than Wave. I'll do everything I possibly can to make sure that happens.' Suddenly, an idea came to him. 'I'm sitting here by myself when the smartest person I know is right below me. If Shikamaru and I talk it out, maybe he'll think of something!'
Naruto went to stand up as he opened his eyes… then rose an eyebrow. 'Oh?' He thought to himself. Of all of the times for it to happen, he hadn't expected this right now. Interesting.
"You'll do everything you possibly can? Are you sure about that? Naruto…"
"Long time no see, Nine-Tails… What do you want?"
Author's Note: And The Akatsuki Assault Squad (AAS) is born! While the team is young, I think they are talented and their skillsets far-reaching. I thought hard about who the fifth member would end up being. It was between Neji and Hinata because of their Byakugan. I ultimately went with Hinata because I didn't want to break up Team Guy. I feel their composition is invaluable to the Leaf. Considering Team Kurenai already has 2 trackers, Hinata's presence would be missed less than Neji's. Just my thought process, let me know what you guys think.
As you probably noticed, the pacing has picked up a little. They're already on their way to find Gaara. But this time around the circumstances are different. How will they track them without the scent that Kankuro managed to swipe in canon?
And what does that damn Fox want? You'll have to find out next time on Chapter 23: The One Who Knows All.
AntiCreator - Thank you for the support and encouragement. It means a lot, and I definitely agree with you.
TrenchcoatMan - I'm going to try and keep strengths consistent with canon, unless I make certain deviations that will be noted. So, yeah, even in sickness Itachi mops the floor with Gaara and Kankuro pretty easily. Small reserves, but extremely dangerous.
Marcosreis - I appreciate the support. I honestly write for readers like you!
AkashimaUchiha - The plan is to complete it, but pretty much all writers say that. Just know that I will do my absolute best to continue to the end.
zafnak - Yeah, poor puppet boy :(
Maybe if he had time to put on the face paint he would've stood a chance.
ThelittleKing - Yeah, I very much enjoy putting emphasis on how much he's changes. A lot of words (150K as of now), events and character development have led up to this point. I'm making sure it all sticks.
Omar - I meant that they didn't have a significant impact on the story post- Wave Arc. Helping rebuild is very minor and not even noteworthy.