Two soldier pills. Taking just one was plenty of damage even for himself, but two? For a Genin? . Kakashi wrung his hands together, trying to direct his need to fight to himself.
This one is on me. He thought bitterly. I should have prepared them better.
His three students were now in a forest with a rogue Sannin and he was here, waiting on a hard, wooden chair for the Hokage to reappear from his office where he had closed himself and Ibiki off from the rest. Kakashi had quietly trailed them and they didn't stop him, until they reached door to the office. He had to wait, the Third told him.
Kakashi spent five minutes pondering before he was sure that he had waited enough. Patience was never his strong suit and if it were up to him, they had already been scouting the forest and evacuating the students. It had been years since Orochimaru had shown up in Konoha, but the threat he posed was etched upon Kakashi's mind.
What worried him the most was the state of his team. Ibiki let him read the whole letter in the bar and the content weighed on him like lead. His trio of idiots had once again managed to get themselves in life threatening danger. Kakashi wasn't sure if he wanted to throttle them or the people who kept on trying to harm them. He was going to throttle someone and that person might even be the Hokage if he didn't hurry the Holy Hell up.
Just as he was about to break the door, it opened. Ibiki ushered him in. Inside, the Hokage was bend over a map with various figures placed on top. In the far corner of the room stood a full team of ANBU Black Ops. Arms relaxed at their sides, backs straight and with the typical porcelain masks covering their faces. Kakashi thought back to his own mask, taken in by the Hokage, and gave them a quiet salute. The captain of the team nodded minutely.
"Kakashi." The Third leaned back and brought his pipe up.
"I will cut to the point. Sasuke Uchiha was targeted by Orochimaru himself. A Curse mark was placed on his neck but luckily Ketsueki Chi from Team 11 managed to get rid of it, using one of her clan's Blood Seals."
Kakashi nodded, feeling awkwardly targeted under the Hokage's unwavering gaze. "Yes..."
"Orochimaru then most likely tampered with Naruto's seal. We are not sure what he did or how, but I doubt the Genin know that either."
Kakashi nodded. In the letter, Chi had left a message saying that Naruto had a 'stomach ache'. He was just glad that the giant fox living in said stomach was still there and not rampaging through the village.
"I am sending the ANBU in, as well as guards disguised as Genin to blend in. The Exams must continue."
Kakashi wanted to scream but he was only allowed to nod again. The Hokage sighed and finally looked at Ibiki.
"That other boy, Kabuto, according to your team he is an accomplish of Orochimaru. Make sure Iruka knows and get more guards in the tower. Capture Kabuto, but make sure to take him alone. Orochimaru can't find out about our knowledge of him being here. "
Ibiki nodded and a long silence fell in the room. Each was occupied with their own thoughts. Eventually the Hokage waved at the team of ANBU and they left without a sound. Kakashi's lone eye remained on the map. The Forest of Death was huge, with some parts still not mapped out for safety reasons. He followed the broadest path from the entrance all the way down to the other side. A small circle was drawn there.
Ketsueki clan.
He had never been inside the clan district, but instead had trained his Sharingan eye with the Genjutsu's surrounding the wall. The scent of blood was strong there and there was danger behind every tree and in every hidden spot. He once summoned one of his Ninken there, the poor dog landed and promptly activated a trap sending a hundred arrows at him. It was only because of Kakashi's Sharingan that he got saved.
"You two can go." Hiruzen interrupted their daydreaming. A ring of smoke rose up. "Make sure you're prepared once the five days have passed."
Kakashi nodded and left first, afraid of what he might say if stayed too long. He still had two more days until he was allowed to go to his students. He needed to prepare.
"I need to show you something..." Ibiki mumbled remaining in the room, fumbling with something inside his jacket. Hiruzen waited until Kakashi was far out of range and then dismissed all his guards with a tap of his pipe. A vase with one extravagant, rare flower consisting of a single leaf disappeared, there was a soft tap in the air vent above their heads and the door changed color. Ibiki turned his eyes upwards, inwardly cursing the incompetence of the ANBU. For all that they were highly trained assassins and great spies, they had absolutely no common sense or creativity. He also suspected that Anko's Christmas present to the Corps last year might have influenced them. He glanced at the Hokage who was massaging his forehead and felt pity.
When the last ANBU had left the room in the shape of a paper plane, the Hokage turned to Ibiki. "What is it?"
The Special Jonin pulled a thin envelope out of his pocket. "Got this in the mail, yesterday."
He left the envelope on the table and turned around. "You know, it seems like Genma was right after all. I have become quite protective of those brats and I don't care who is threatening them, I will kill them all."
Hiruzen's hand froze on the paper and he didn't move until the other man was out of the door. Then he opened the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper. The message was short, the handwriting familiar and it was enough. The Third intertwined his fingers and leaned on his hands.
"It seems like everyone is out for a hunt."
In the Forest of Death~
Chi could not remember a time where she was more tense then today. Her heart was racing, blood thundered in her head and sweat had soaked her haori. Every shadow was an enemy, every sound was a bomb and no one was to be trusted. Ryuya's weight on her back was the only thing keeping her grounded.
Naruto was still struggling to balance himself. He kept jumping too high, resulting in him nearly falling off the branch he wanted to jump on. After the fifth time he tried to adjust his strength but then he could barely reach the other tree. He settled for an awkward single step in between the jumps. He blamed his troubles on Orochimaru and a lack of food. On cue his stomach rumbled loudly and the entire group came to a slow halt, as if they just realized that they were starving.
"Let's see what we got." Sakura suggested, already patting her seals. Her body was on fire and she needed something to drink.
The rest soon followed and the supply was gathered in front of them. Shinji groaned as she looked at the meager bunch. Between the six of them they had one package of crackers, two large, wrinkled apples and a juice box. Sakura managed to find one sealed bag of nuts and Chi had chopped liver in a vacuum sealed bag. Not even Sasuke could stop himself from wrinkling his nose.
Naruto crouched down and sniffed. "Oi Chi, can't we go to your place?"
Chi rocked back on her heels, closing her eyes as if she had a headache. She probably had, Ryuya figured. The veins in her neck were swollen and Chi had tried to avoid as much sunlight as possible on the way.
"I don't think so. We'll be late and we're not allowed to leave thi-" The words died on her lips.
The group looked at her in confusion. Chi slid Ryuya off her back and turned around. She walked two steps back and turned right. She tilted her head for a moment and then went the opposite way. The wind rustled through the leaves, hitting them in their faces and then Naruto got it too. He jumped up, hand ready to form a seal.
"Guys?" Sakura stepped back warily and her knee nearly gave out from exhaustion. Shinji and Sasuke each got one of Ryuya's arms around their shoulders and retreated to the safety of the massive tree.
There was a moment of dead silence. Sasuke felt as if his head was going to explode. There was a dull ache in his stomach, a knot that was pulling him over. His Sharingan activated on its own. There were no signs of any danger around them. He pulled a kunai out of his pouch and held it tight.
"Guys." Sakura urged, voice tight.
Chi slowly turned to them. Shinji gulped when she noticed the bright yellow eyes. Chi's pupil was nearly gone and from a distant she looked as dangerous as a wild animal. Sakura forced herself not to reach for a kunai.
"There are more people here." Naruto jumped back on the branch. "Some other group has joined us."
Chi nodded "They feel like ANBU."
Ryuya relaxed "So they got our message and now they send us help!"
Sasuke turned his Sharingan off "How do you know it's them?" And why are you both so nervous?
Chi averted her eyes. "I spend a lot of time around them."
Shinji frowned but then perked up. Owl must be here then. Chi still has her blood. They were safe now. It didn't explain why the two were so tense. Chi was still expressionless, the yellow of her eyes just as bright. She jumped to another branch and waited for the rest to catch up. Shinji sighed and lifted Ryuya up her back. Sasuke wordlessly offered Sakura his back.
The remainder of the trip was quiet with only a few moments of nerve wrecking tension when they encountered other Genin teams. They hid themselves high between the leaves and prayed for the best. It luckily did not come to a fight. In fact, they were barely noticed. Soon the finish line was in sight and the group of six sped up.
"Still clear, thank God." Shinji sighed when she landed on the ground.
Sasuke let Sakura slide down and immediately went for the door and pushed it open. They entered warily, unsure of what to expect. The room they ended up in was circular, made of stainless steel and completely empty. Along the walls steel staircases and balustrades spiraled upwards. At the opposite wall was a huge engraving of an elderly warrior posed to strike. The door fell shut with a loud bang, startling the Genin.
Sakura was the first to speak up "So, now what?"
"The scrolls!" Naruto piped up. "Maybe we can open them now!"
Sakura put her hands in her side "Naruto! They told us not to. What if we get disqualified?"
"Well, one way to find out." Shinji chirped and opened both scrolls with a flick of her wrists.
Ryuya's protests went unheard and the paper unrolled itself. A 'pop' resounded and smoke engulfed them instantly. Naruto shrieked and jumped in the smoke while Chi and Sasuke pulled out their weapons. Sasuke activated his Sharingan and got a kunai out while Chi yanked her kyoketsu-shoge out of her belt.
She squinted, sent a quick prayer, and gathered as much chakra infused oxygen as she dared in her lungs. The gust of wind that followed not only got rid of the smoke, it also stripped Ryuya off Shinji's back and send both girls flying backwards. Naruto was protected by a different figure.
"Jeez Chi, what did I tell you about chakra control?" Iruka stood straight, hair completely blown back and looking as disheveled as he usually did during morning PE.
"Ouch-Yeah Chi, what happened to that lesson?" Shinji scrambled to her feet, eyes sending daggers at her teammate.
Chi wanted to reply but her attention was drawn to Ryuya's small figure, rubbing her bandaged leg.
"Damn!"
Chi ran to her. Shinji swore (which earned her the Raised Eyebrow of You're In So Much Trouble from Iruka) and went to check as well.
Sakura rocked back on her heels and pushed her hair out of her face, wistfully rubbing the short strands between her fingers. Iruka glanced at her worriedly and nodded to himself. The Genin had definitely learned something and it was more than he could hope for. At the edge of his sensory field, he noticed a brief spike of chakra. Of course, he was not alone.
Time to see what else they learned, about Orochimaru.
In the Hokage office, that evening~
Hiruzen was looking over the village from his window. The panoramic view was the best at sunset. Golden rays over the streets and a red sky as backdrop, not to mention the mountainside with the carved faces of the Hokages. His village was beautiful even with its dark and nasty secrets. He could almost see the red lines running over the roads, the cracks that revealed the history of Konoha.
Konoha was made out of broken pieces, welded together by unspoken agreements. The blood that stained his own hands was just as real as that one the hands of their most dangerous criminal and the regular Jonin teaching young children.
He learned to live with it, they all did, but some came to enjoy it. Orochimaru was part of the latter. Though the Hokage had to admit that it wasn't senseless killing. Orochimaru had a goal, he wanted immortality and was willing to sacrifice everything and everyone. As a young boy he already possessed strange features but the various experiments he subjected his body to turned him into a physical monstrosity. It pained Hiruzen to see him, even now after all those years.
He found a stain on his thumb. It was ink and would be quite difficult to wash off. His latest messages were of great importance, not just to him, but to the whole of Konoha. They were directed at the only two people Hiruzen knew, who could stop Orochimaru and were still alive. In the back of his mind a headache started to build. It was one he hadn't felt in years. Not since his team graduated, to be precise.
The last rays of the sun shone in his eyes. Tomorrow he had a long day ahead of himself. For tonight he decided to go home on time and enjoy some dinner in his house. For now he was content to look over his village so full of contradictions.
A smile tugged on his lips. It was truly a beautiful moment.
That night in the upper floors of the tower~
Naruto was unable to sleep quietly. Sakura and Sasuke both discovered that. It started out pretty well, with the blond diving in bed and curling up in the far corner against the wall. Five minutes in he farted. One hour later he was snoring. Three hours later and he started to toss and turn. Four hours later and Sakura had to stop Sasuke from smothering him. Then Naruto started to talk. It was mostly incoherent mumbling but Sasuke was pretty sure that it was a dream about ramen seeing as the boy was drooling.
They decided to just leave him and went to the hallway.
As Sakura was about to close the door, she noticed a small zip lock bag hanging from a thread at the door handle. It contained two pair of ear buds and a small note reading 'S & S, Team 7' in Chi's unmistakable sharp scrawl. The duo was flattered and send an appreciative glance at the door on their right.
Team 11 had spent a considerable less amount of time in the infirmary. Ryuya's leg had to be healed with the aid of the lead medic and both Chi and Shinji had shown clear signs of dehydration and exhaustion. The latter two were send away quickly after getting an IV-drip. All they needed was rest and food. Ryuya was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of the time.
Sakura rubbed her arm. Iruka had all but teleported her to the medics when she finally collapsed in a shivering heap after the debriefing. Sakura had spent the better part of the afternoon and evening hooked to multiple machines. They only let her go to her team's room because there was not as much damage as they had expected. Apparently Chi's chakra had kept the potent pill's effects at bay and saved much of Sakura's muscle mass. The nurse had tried to explain the how and why at Sakura's request but it turned out that sleep was a much more important subject. Sakura slept like the dead for hours.
Naruto was checked but an ANBU had quickly stepped in and whisked him away for a private conversation. He returned noticeably more subdued and quietly ate his meal. Sasuke was checked over twice and then told to sit and eat. It was fine with him.
The group of six didn't speak much and when it was time for bed, they all behaved like zombies. In Sasuke and Sakura's case, they still did resemble the living dead. Though Sakura had slept a lot, she still felt as if someone had stuffed cotton in her head. Her eyes were puffy and red and she could have fallen asleep right there on the ground. Sasuke opened the door again, not looking much better and they entered their room.
Naruto's silhouette against the faint moonlight was still and it seemed that he finally became quiet. His teammates crawled in their own beds and put the ear buds in. Better safe than sorry was the motto of the past three days and they were not about to change that.
In the end it was a good decision on their part because around two in the morning, Naruto started to shift. Sweat pearled on his forehead as he tossed his suffocatingly thick blanket off. A low, anguished moan escaped him. His hands clenched into fist. He turned on his stomach. The little opening above the window blew fresh air over the sweat stains on his back. He groaned again and curled up into himself.
His left arm came up and punched straight through the foam of the mattress, out on the other side. Splinters of wood fell out of his hand as it healed at an accelerated pace. His face turned, one eye opening partly and revealing an iris in the color of desert sand. His pupil contracted and turned into a narrow slit. The room's temperature shot up. Sakura squirmed in her sleep and turned on her side, uncovering her back.
A shape appeared in the room. Tall and gaunt, it came close to the boy's bed. Moonlight reflected on a white mask and a strand of blond hair for a split second. The shape towered over Naruto's writhing shape. A hand came to rest on Naruto's forehead, firmly pinning the boy in place. There was a brief flash of purple and Naruto's body relaxed. The boy became completely limp and soon he breathed the same way his teammates did. The shape let him go and left the same way it came.
Neither one of the Genin noticed a thing.
