Author's Note: Here's Chapter Three. I'm sorry if I took so long to post. Anyways, comments, suggestions, and complaints are allowed. Please review and enjoy.

Disclaimer. But I do own Ayume, Zaku, Natsu and Akuya.

Title: Precious

Chapter Three

Edited by: Black Fox

"NARUTO!"

"Uchiha-san, what is the matter?" Sasuke's teacher asked, approaching the boy to make sure he hadn't gone mad yet.

"I… I… have to go! Naru-chan needs me!" Sasuke exclaimed to himself forgetting he was in a class full of people. Not bothering to apologize for disrupting the class or even excusing himself, Sasuke opened the wooden door with such a force that it was enough to break it apart.

He ran down the hall like his clothes were on fire, bumping into people without care; some even flying towards walls with such force from Sasuke's speed. He passed the staff's room; the doors had been left open, leaving teachers inside the room to see only a blue blur passing.

"Iruka-koi, that's Sasuke," Kakashi in a deadpan voice, pointing in the direction where the blur had past.

Iruka looked at his lover with bewilderment, not quite understanding what Kakashi had said. Kakashi stood up, his eyes (or eye) turning serious. "I felt Sasuke's chakra passing us. It was going haywire, like he was worried or angry. Something must be wrong."

"What do you mean?" Iruka inquired, standing up as well, alarmed by his lover's words.

"I don't know, but I'm intent on finding out," Kakashi answered, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

'I hope that nothing serious happened,' Iruka prayed silently to himself.

~~~~~

"Naruto! Something happened to him!" Sasuke screamed in his mind, one hand clutching at his frantically beating heart, while the other was pushing people out of his way.

After running the long distance to his home, Sasuke finally arrived at the main house of the Uchiha clan. He skidded to a halt, staring at the entrance with growing horror instead of covering the doorway; a large gapping was spaced in the middle of the archway.

"What happened?!" Sasuke spoke fearfully in his mind. He hesitated, walking closer, noticing the tare-like markings of what was left of the door.

"Someone must have kicked the door in or body-slammed it."

"Kakashi-san!" Sasuke exclaimed in a shocked manner, whirling around to face the serious looking ANBU soldier. Sasuke again clutched his heart, but for a whole different reason. He took two long, deep breaths to calm himself, not wanting to show Kakashi just how much his sudden appearance frightened him. Whether Kakashi noticed or not, he didn't show it. Instead, the masked Shinobi ignored the boy and walked closer to the door cautiously.

He knelt down and brushed his fingers against the destroyed door frame looking like some scientist scrutinizing over a specimen. "It was definitely kicked opened. And judging from this, whoever did this must have put a lot of force into it. This whole house was made from strong materials. Not just anybody can kick it open," Kakashi muttered to himself, but Sasuke could hear him anyway.

Sasuke wanted to scream, yell or even curse the man.

"THIS IS NO TIME TO BE EXAMINING THOSE KINDS OF THINGS! NARU-CHAN IS IN TROUBLE! I CAN PRACTICALLY FEEL IT IN MY VEINS!"

But he knew rushing into things wouldn't help. After all, they didn't even know what they are up against.

Sasuke instead settled for approaching the man and telling him his reasons for rushing out of class and into the Uchiha clan's main house.

"Something happened to Naru-chan. I don't know how, but I can feel it in my heart. He's in pain right now." Sasuke's voice was controlled, but no matter what he did, he couldn't keep some tone of worry from coming out. Kakashi could practically feel Sasuke's worry and desperation radiating out of the boy.

"I figured as much. Nothing could make Sasuke like this other than Naruto," Kakashi mused to himself. But despite that, he himself was worried. Walking soundlessly inside, Kakashi indicated for Sasuke to stay behind him. He didn't felt any chakra from inside, but considering that he had no idea what they are dealing with, Kakashi couldn't take any chances.

They noticed one with out of place, it is dark. Too dark.

"The curtains have been drawn close," Kakashi whispered to himself. In all the time that Kakashi knew Itachi, the curtains were never close. He didn't know why, but Itachi kept it that way. Since he never questioned him on how he styled his own apartment, Kakashi gave him the same treatment.

 Kakashi asked Itachi once as to what was the exact purpose of the curtains just hanging and rotting away. The Uchiha's answer was short and, personally for Kakashi, stupid.

"It looks good that way."

Kakashi snorted. Itachi would wear a tube top, mini skirt, and panty hose if he thought it would look good on him. Never mind the fact that it would be really weird on him and Kakashi would just have barfed if he even thought of doing such a thing.

It took quite a while for Kakashi's eyes to adjust from the sudden darkness and even more for Sasuke. When it finally did, Kakashi instantly notice the broken glass on the floor and then- was that blood? Sniffing the air, Kakashi confirmed it. Giving a side-ways glance towards Sasuke, he quickly debated whether or not Sasuke would take it well if he said there was blood on the floor... and on the couch… oh, and on the lamp on the far left of the couch.

"Sasuke, I want you to keep calm. Don't assume much, but there is blood here," Kakashi calmly told the boy, deciding to tell him. Sasuke's eyes widened, looking up to the ninja's calm eyes.

"Is it… is it Naru-chan's?" Sasuke asks, his voice quivering with fear. Fear for Naruto or fear of the intruder, Kakashi couldn't tell.

He didn't answer quickly but finding the switch to turn the lights on. Kakashi surveyed the scene, causing Sasuke to squirm with anxiety. Kakashi took note of every detail in the disaster. He figured that whoever kicked the door opened had sent it flying into the window, which explained the shattered glass. Droplets of blood stained the floor near the shards of glass. Someone had been standing near the entrance way and was hit by the shards.

Two handprints near the small droplets of blood and from the bloody hand prints trailed towards the couch, a smeared marking slid down the side proving that the injured person had fallen unconscious on the floor. Judging from the bloody markings, Kakashi could safely say that all the blood came from Naruto. The hand prints were small, too small for an adult. "Unless it was a midget we're dealing with," Kakashi told himself amused, anything to distract himself from the feelings in his chest. Dread. Extreme worry. Fear.

But it was no use.

"Sasuke, Naruto has been kidnapped."

~~~~~

"This man needs an operation," Tsunade grimly told Itachi, hinting on something.

"I can understand what you're feeling Hokage-sama, but you can not leave this room. We have no idea what we're dealing with," Itachi told her, feeling tired suddenly. Today was supposed to be his day off. He was supposed to be with his youngest son, playing, laughing, and generally spending some time with him.

Itachi's thoughts turned to Naruto. Was he was okay, or was he scared right now? He may even be angry at him for going on a mission when it was his day off, though, technically, he wasn't on a mission, but you get my point.

  A puff of smoke interrupted Itachi's line of thought; around fifteen ANBUs surrounded the Fifth Hokage and the injured man. All were posted at a guard position, some holding their kunai out, ready to throw.

"Wait, it's just me. I have urgent news," Kakashi's voice broke the heavy silence. Itachi raised his right arm in the air signaling the ANBUs to step down and that it is all right, only a few obeyed the others stayed still in position ready to pounce incase the Kakashi before them was a fake.

"Kakashi, what news do you bring us?" Itachi demanded more than asked. He knew that chakra any where and no one, no matter how good they were, could fool Itachi. Itachi suddenly felt a weak chakra pulse beside Kakashi.

"Sasuke?"

"Naruto has been kidnapped," Kakashi informed them, his voice dead serious.

"NANI!" Tsunade exclaimed, standing up and pushing the others aside to come closer to Kakashi. "Are you sure?" Tsunade questioned him, her eyes begging him to say that he is only playing a prank on them.

"Yes, I am very sure."

Then again, when did Kakashi played such a cruel prank on them?

"I followed Sasuke back to your house, Itachi. He told me that he can feel Naruto and that he is in extreme pain. I just examined the house. The door was kick opened; shattering the glass from a window and Naruto seemed to be standing near, injuring him. There was blood all over the place. I really can't tell what happened, but I'm pretty sure that Naruto is alive."

Itachi stared wide-eyed at Kakashi as he explained what he saw.

Naruto? Kidnapped? That doesn't make sense. Why would anyone want to kidnap him? The villagers wouldn't dare do such a sickening thing in broad daylight. Also, there was that thing with the door; not just anyone could kick the door open with such strong force, even enough to send it hurling towards the windows. It would take a man more than brute strength to do such a thing. Unless-

Itachi never finished the thought, as again a puff of smoke disrupted him. This time, the intruder didn't wait to speak up like Kakashi did.

"I have bad news. The one you are trying to heal is a fake," Jiraiya grimly said, walking towards the group. "What? That can't be," Tsunade countered her friend.

"I went back to check if all the gate guards were really dead. One body was farther away from the rest so I went to check if he might be alive. He had no face. That man stole his face, the one he is impersonating right now," Jiraiya threw back at Tsunade, not happy that she didn't believe him. The exact moment Jiraiya said that, the mass of body started to shake as if he was convulsing, only to hear small, painful chuckles coming out of the man.

"Me? Be capable of doing such thing? Don't make me laugh," the man told them his voice coarse. "After all, I'm just a sacrifice."

"Who are you?" Itachi growled out, finally getting irritated with all the things that have been happening.

"As I have already told you, I'm a sacrifice, nobody of importance," the man answered, his mouth twisting into a sadistic smile.

"Who are you?" Itachi hissed again, slowly losing control over his anger.

"Shouldn't you be worrying more about your son? If none of you do anything, you'll lose him. Then again, you must be glad, finally getting rid of the demon from your household. After all, the boy cannot be trusted with a demon with such a great power living inside him. Oh yes, such a gre-."

*SLAP*

" Hokage-sama/ Tsunade!" everyone turn to look at the Fifth Hokage- who walked in two quick steps and just slapped the man across the face- surprised from her course of action. The slap left an angry red mark on the imposter's face.

"Urusai! Don't you dare speak about things you don't know! Don't you dare judge him as if he is some item to be sold off at a market!" Tsunade yelled at the man, not even bothering to conceal her anger. "He is only a child! Just because he carries a demon inside him, doesn't make him one as well! Don't you ever say that again!"

Tsunade whirled around, seething with anger. Jiraiya put a comfortable hand to her shoulder, effectively making Tsunade breath calmly, but her anger is still there.

"Take this man away! I don't care if you put him inside a cell or a torture chamber. Just make sure that he is still alive for questioning," Tsunade barked orders to the ANBU. "The rest of you, go join the other Jounins in the search. I don't care how long it takes; I want you to find those intruders, alive! Bring Naruto back here unscratched, unharmed or I'll be having your heads. Now MOVE!"

Everyone moved, feeling the intense anger of the Hokage radiating like a hot sun. "Itachi, Kakashi, Sasuke and Jiraiya, stay here," Tsunade told the trio and Sasuke in a gentler manner, as gentle as she can be from the anger she is feeling.

"How dare him! How dare he say such things! He doesn't know anything! Naruto isn't a demon. He's a hero to be carrying that demon inside his body! " Tsunade's mind was spinning away with mad thoughts; she didn't notice the looks she was receiving from the others.

"Hokage-sama, what is it you want with us?" Kakashi asks, feeling edgy from all the tension in the air.

Tsunade snapped from her angry musing and turned to face the men and child.

"It is obvious that those three unidentified Jounins were after Naruto. Kakashi, tell us what happened inside the house."

"As I have said before, the broken glass must have injured Naruto. But that is not all. I'm also guessing that he was slashed either near the chest or somewhere in his lower regions, because I saw a trail of blood on the lamp on the far left side from the couch. I can't tell much about what really happened based on a trail of blood, Naruto has a small body, but I'm pretty sure it was from a sword or dagger that did it. Naruto was mostly unconscious when he was kidnapped."

"Could anyone of you tell me a reason as to why they would kidnap Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, bewildered.

"Taking a guess, it must have something to do with the Kyubi," Itachi quietly answered, turning his gaze downwards.

Silence fell inside the room; nobody knew what to say or do. Sasuke watched the adults, impatiently waiting for them to do something. He clutched his chest tightly, grinding his teeth together. The pain disappeared awhile ago, but Sasuke could still feel the intense pain coursing throughout his body. He didn't even want to think of what happened to Naruto now that the pain is gone.

"He could be dead…… YADA YO! Sasuke, don't think like that. Kakashi-san already said that if they wanted to kill him, they could have done that a long time ago," Sasuke berated himself, inwardly shaking his head.

"But what if he is wrong?" a small voice hiss.

Images flashed in his mind, each one more horrifying than the last. His little brother lying still on the ground, blood pooling the floor and dripping from the walls, his once soulful blue eyes dull and lifeless, is staring at Sasuke.

Sasuke shook violently, falling to his knees as he tried to push the images away. The adults took notice of Sasuke, Itachi rushing towards him fearing for Sasuke's sanity.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Get a hold of yourself!" Itachi yelled at him, shaking him to snap Sasuke out of his trance.

Sasuke turned to look at his father, his face pale and sweaty, eyes full of fear and anxiety.

"Otou-san, I saw… I saw Naru-chan… he was lying there, a pool of blood surrounding him… so much blood… he could be dead Otou-san! We have to find him now! We can't loss anymore time!"

"Sasuke, Naruto is not dead," Itachi calmly told Sasuke, looking squarely into his eyes. "We will find him. Alive. Do you understand me?"

Sasuke didn't answer for a while before he slowly nodded his head, calming his nerves down.

"Arigatou Otou-" Sasuke's sentence was cut off, his young body falling limply towards Itachi.

"Gomen, Sasuke. I know that you would want to come, but you can't. It's too dangerous." Itachi softly whispered to the unconscious boy. Lifting him up, he placed Sasuke in a corner, making his position as comfortable as possible.

"Itachi, was that really necessary?" Jiraiya asked the man.

"Yes. I know Sasuke. He's as stubborn as me and will do anything to come with us. When Naruto was only a baby, I would constantly hear him say that he would protect Naruto from all harm. This must be killing Sasuke inside and he could break down any time. One of my sons is already in danger; I don't want another one to join the huddle. Hokage-sama, please make sure that Sasuke doesn't go after us. I knock him out pretty hard, but he could wake at any time."

"I'll take care of him, Itachi. Now go and join the others," Tsunade agreed, waving them away with her hand. Kakashi and Jiraiya disappeared from view instantly.

"Itachi," Tsunade called out. Itachi paused for a while and waiting for Tsunade to continue. "Bring him back, back where he belongs."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

~~~~

"Che! That kid wasn't even a challenge. What could the boss want with a weakling such as him," Natsu spat out, glaring at the white-haired person beside him, as if blaming him for ruining his fun. The white-haired man, Zaku, gave him a glare as well, irritated with having to work with a dumb-ass like him in the joined mission.

"Bakeru. It's not the boy he wants; it's what's inside of the boy. The demon fox, Kyubi."

"You believe that junk? Come on! A boy like him couldn't possibly contain a wild spirit such as the Demon Fox," Natsu snorted out, sneering at the man. Zaku gave him a weird look in return. "What? Is there something in my face?"

"No. I'm just surprise that you can follow with what I'm saying. Considering that your brain size is even smaller than your fist," Zaku commented, turning his gaze away and resting it on a silent figure next to him.

"You want my fist to wreck that lovely face of yours?" Natsu growled out, glaring more at his appointed leader.

"Shut up, dumb ass. I don't have time for you. We have to move to phase three and break the boy apart, before the Konoha Shinobi finds us." Natsu smiled and starts to crack his cracked his knuckles, getting ready.

"Now you're talking my kind of language. I don't exactly like bullying kids, but I have been itching to beat somebody up since we set out for this mission. Ouch! Hey!"

Zaku resisted the urged to slap his companion again. Closing the small distance that separates the two, Zaku deftly grabbed hold of Natsu's collar, dragging the man closer, face to face. It didn't matter that Natsu was three inches taller than Zaku or the fact that the big man could probably break his bones as if he were just breaking a toothpick; Zaku was pissed and if he was piss, It was best to not be around him.

"Look here you idiotic monkey. You have been testing my patience since we left the institute. Not only did you delay us two days, you killed the Konoha guards when I specifically told you to kill only one! Now, not only are Jounins hunting our hides, but ANBUs as well, and probably that Frog-sennin the boss always talks about. It could have been just so easy. Kill one, steal face, make the sacrifice, lure Itachi out, and you, kidnapping the brat. But no! You just have to go and waste more time by playing dolly and injuring the kid, making a mess and giving them clues! To top it all off, you managed to forget the location of where we're suppose to hide! I don't even understand why the boss entrusted that kind of important information to you, let alone agreeing to have you come with us! And now we're stuck here, in an abandon cottage that is in plain sight! Plus!  It wasn't exactly a tea party to clean up your trace and the boy's blood that you carelessly left for the whole Konoha to follow! For all we know, they could already know our location!!!!"

Natsu couldn't do anything but just glare at the pale-haired man. He was smart enough to know when to mess with Zaku and when not to. This being the exact time to not mess with him; besides the fact that what all Zaku said was true.

"Now you listen to me you big oaf. If I hear one more idiotic sound coming from you, just one more, I'll give you pain, so much pain that you'll wish you never ever met me. Akuya here will be doing the breaking and he needs to put all of his energy and concentration into doing so. I want you to go outside and guard the door. If anyone, and I mean anyone at all, comes and starts to cause havoc, then you can start using your muscle and kill them; men, women, child, Shinobi, innocent or not, I don't care. We have to make sure that Akuya finishes his task completely and that no witnesses are alive. Can your small brain digest what I said?"        

Natsu just growled out his answer. Zaku let the large man leave, catching a thick pile of papers thrown to him by their third quiet member, Akuya. The two separated and went to their positions; Natsu outside of the small abandoned cottage and Zaku inside, but in a far corner taking careful watch over Akuya, feeling the surroundings for anyone close within a one mile radius. Akuya acknowledged the two, and then focused his attention on the small shivering figure at the center of the room.

Zaku was the one did all the thinking and made all the plans up, being all brainy and smart. While Natsu was the one assign to bring the boy here, having only brute strength and killing instinct with a small brain to accompany them. The sacrifice did its part and none of them really cared if he was alive or not. And now, with his mind-messing skills, it was time for Akuya to do his part in the mission………whether he wanted it or not.

After what seemed to be forever, Akuya finally took his move, walking close to the small shuddering body and kneeled down in front of him.

"I don't have anything against you, child. But in order to save them, I have to do this. I have to destroy you and revive the Kyubi once again."

End of Chapter Three      

Author's Note: Ne ne ne…. how was it? Reviews, please.