Chapter Two: The Game Begins
The room was warm and humid with the cloying presence of ANBU agents everywhere. Officers who thought they were too smug to look at the lower-downs hurried about the room in a snooty manner carrying stacks of papers and small boxes. Uzumaki Naruto paused at the door, gave himself a moment to take his breath, and scanned the seats in the theater for a place he might sit without attracting too much attention to his tardiness.
Rei, the attendant who had brought him here, scurried off urgently to a back office that sat somewhere behind the top row of seats. From the looks of things, he had been sent to retrieve a few people from their beds this morning and he had made Naruto the last one on his list. As Naruto looked around, he found that many of the agents that had been collected for the early morning briefing were people who he knew- at a previous stage, anyway.
Suddenly, an officer announced something from the lectern at the center of the room. It jolted Naruto's early-morning dizziness and sounded like it was addressing him personally.
"Operatives, take your seats and quiet please- the briefing is about to begin. We were waiting on one operative, but he's finally arrived, so now, we can begin. I know that all of you had to wake up awful early this morning, but we have an emergency situation and urgent action has been called for in the face of a new and alarming crisis," The ANBU commander announced.
Naruto's attention was still busy wandering fields of flowers when he noisily, and with great frustration, snaked his way between the legs of a few anonymous members of the audience at the back row and took his seat to the listen to the emergency alert.
"One of our highest-ranking politicians, an apprentice to the Hokage, has been stolen away from us! Kidnapped from within the last twenty-four hours, as we can surmise," He continued.
The amphitheater suddenly became a beehive of whispers and gasps. Noise emanated as light suddenly does from a firefly.
Naruto scratched his right cheek and yawned, nearly thinking it was a good idea to rest his head on the shoulder of the young, attractive blonde next to him. That was until he was jolted awake by the next few words.
The question came from a familiar face- a bowl haircut, a pair of unique, dark eyes…
It was Rock Lee. He recognized the face almost instantaneously. Had he been selected for this as well? His presence meant little to Uzumaki, but his question struck the magnitude home.
"Apprentice? You can only be referring to Haruno Sakura? Am I right?" Lee asked alarmed.
Naruto looked up at the commander, watched for his confirmation.
"That's right. Ladies and gentleman of ANBU, Haruno Sakura has been kidnapped."
"Within the last twenty-four hours? That's insane!" A burly voice cried.
It was Akimichi Choji, another blast from his past, sitting further up at the front rows.
"From right under our noses? Impossible!" Another familiar voice exclaimed.
Inuzuka Kiba, Naruto learned, was a part of the party as well.
Naruto swallowed his time, feeling nervousness crawl into his lungs and spark away at the muscles that held his shoulders high. Haruno Sakura was missing- kidnapped, even.
He was certain how he felt about it, but his old comrades, friendships he had had in another lifetime, sure knew how they would react to their beloved princess missing.
"Enough squabbling," The commander ordered. "This is a shock to all of us. Now we must focus on bringing her back. Her rescue is an objective undeniable to Konoha. This is purely a Konoha matter. The Lord of this country would care little for this and so, he hasn't been told. For us, however, the loss of Sakura could spell a total disaster for us all."
'A total disaster?' Naruto mused in his thoughts. He had no idea that Sakura was so important to the entire village. But for what reason was Sakura so important?
"Our lady, Sakura, apprentice to the Hokage, had been privy to some very powerful and top-secret training. She cannot be allowed to remain alive with her captors for long lest they discover her techniques and replicate them. This is why she must be found as soon as possible. We are devising a rescue team made purely of ANBU operatives who had had some involvement with her in the past. I know that we normally don't include those personally affiliated with the victim but this is the Hokage's order. Involvement of the named is compulsory. I will step down and Lieutenant Mizuho will read the names of the team."
Suddenly, Naruto noticed someone standing to the side and slightly behind the announcer at the back of the stage. It was a tall, feminine shadow. A woman he had seen oftentimes before. He could feel her eyes staring back at him from within the darkness and for a second he thought he could feel her expectations, her loss at losing her loved apprentice.
At that point, the gruff ANBU commander swapped places with an attractive red-haired woman holding a single sheet of paper. She took the stand immediately and began saying:
" These are the names of the men and women that have been selected by high command to be tasked with the investigation, rescue and, if needed, the destruction of Haruno Sakura. All named personnel are to stand and leave the amphitheater through the doors to my right and take a seat at the meeting table inside.
"Aburame Shino is called- for his tracking capabilities and keen sense of direction."
Without another word, Shino immediately got up, and made his way to the doors.
"Akimichi Choji is called- to handle logistics and home-base duties for the team."
Choji, seemingly rounder than he had been in the past, also got up and left the room.
"Hyuga Hinata is called- a nimble scout with reconnaissance abilities."
Hinata stood, looked about the room for a second, then turned and left.
"Hyuga Neji is called- an heavy assaulter also equipped with reconnaissance abilities.
Neji stood and followed his cousin before she had reached the doors.
"Inuzuka Kiba is called- adept at intelligence gathering and counter-intelligence measures."
Kiba, still a gruff figure with long, dark hair, stood up, pooch in hand, and left the theater.
"Nara Shikamaru is called- a quick thinker and dependable point man."
Nara's hair was slightly longer, but otherwise he seemed the same after all these years.
"Rock Lee is called- another heavy assaulter, trained in explosive martial techniques."
Lee got up and, in a stylish manner that attracted everyone's attention, leapt up towards the ceiling and descended again towards the double doors that led outside the room.
"Tenten is called- with a steady hand and proficiency in most weapons, she is the sniper."
Tenten, in a contrasting anticlimax to Lee before her, plainly got to her feet and left the room.
"Yamanaka Ino is called- Doubling as an assaulter and team medic."
Ino similarly got up and left the room.
Most predictably, his name was called last… and with no formal introductions.
"Uzumaki Naruto is also to report to the meeting room. That is all. All other operatives are to remain in normal duties unless otherwise ordered."
Naruto stood up robotically, considered for a second whether or no he should really be here, and then decided that it was worth going on to see just how this mystery had developed.
And as he left the room, he knew he could feel the Hokage's eyes piercing him from behind. Did she really want him here? Did she despise him? The three of them, including Sakura, had once shared a precarious relationship in the past. He wondered if she remembered this.
"Alright, people," The commander called, retaking his position at the center, "The rest of you have been selected as reserved personnel: you can all go back to sleep unless we need you back for the mission. As always, this operation is top secret and there will be no talk of this outside your duties. Dismissed."
The amphitheater's audience broke without another word. Each of the deadly, highly disciplined occupants of the room left their seats and sought the doors they had been ordered to leave through. Only a small portion of them, Naruto included, went deeper into the building.
And from further behind the Hokage in the shadows, Kakashi's voice whispered, "I hope you're doing the right thing, Tsunade. He has very deep feelings for that girl. He could get attached."
And Tsunade murmured back, "He's the only one that loves her as much, if not more than, me. Kakashi, I know I'm doing the right thing. If anyone can bring her back, it's that boy."
The meeting room was slightly cooler and much less populated than the room before and, as he entered, all suddenly went hush quiet, as if a murderer had entered their midst.
He looked about the tables and saw only familiar faces look up too witness his entry. It was an awkward reunion of sorts. In fact, he realized he had felt much more comfortable in the previous room. Now, as he always has been, he was again the center of attention.
His eyes darted around the room, trying to hide their nervousness, although, in a room so small, he had little doubt that his friends couldn't smell the sweat behind his neck. He didn't know why they made him feel uncomfortable; he just knew he couldn't look at them after the incident involving Sasuke years ago.
At the center of this small, meeting room was a large, dark oak table. It was ornately designed and very well polished. The boy had little doubt that it regularly housed the highest commanders of Konoha's ANBU during important conferences. Now, what it held at it's edges, was a parade of young men and women, barely out of high school, but each one trained to kill.
There were eleven seats at the table, one of which were placed separately at the far end of the table and built differently, more elaborately than the other ten. He knew that the lone seat at the top was probably reserved for Tsunade, so he took his seat in between Hinata and Ino at the other, bottom end of the table.
For a second, he thought he heard Ino grumble and Hinata gasp as he took his seat.
Then awkward seconds rolled by.
Since Sasuke had left, the ten young adults seated around the room had nearly forgotten each other. Ragged bonds and childhood friendships were still there, but, since turning adults and since Sasuke's defection, they had all changed, matured, become more grounded.
They all remained quiet, glancing about the faces in the room and pretending not to have noticed when another member returned a glance. Naruto, kept his eyes on the table below him, not wishing to lift his chin. Besides, the sudden announcement of Sakura's kidnapping and his lack of sleep had combined to grill him with an unbearable headache.
He didn't know what to think. Then, a thought struck him.
'I have to talk to these people. If I'm going to work with them to bring back Sakura, I cant stay quiet with them for the entire mission.'
And as he lifted his face to greet Hinata, who was quietly staring at her two clasped hands, the doors to the room broke open and interrupted him.
It was Tsunade.
"Okay, boys and girls, let's get this show on the road."
She was a beautiful woman dressed in smooth, green robes. Her long, yellow hair was held in a simple manner, trailing down to the small of her back in locks and turns. Her stride was smooth and confident, almost cold, and her glasses seemed to steam with her urgency.
All ten members of the table, with Naruto being the last one, stood from their seats in respect as Tsunade took her position at the head of the table.
"Be seated," She replied to their gesture.
The ten did so.
"Firstly, before I begin," Tsunade quipped, licking her lips in a slight, seductive manner, "I am assuming you all know why you are here. What the ten of you are about to attempt and why."
"We're here to rescue Sakura!" Lee cried, his words not being entirely ridiculous given the mood of the people around him. He had said it with the tone in everyone's mind.
The other nine nodded.
"She has had secret training. She knows forbidden techniques," Shino added ominously.
"Yeah- what's the deal with that?" Kiba demanded. "Forbidden techniques?"
"Settle down, everyone," Tsunade said quietly without losing her authority. "First I must ask all of you who are unwilling to participate to leave the room now, because once I start talking and you hear what I have too say, you will be forced to stay and swear an oath of silence."
When Tsunade paused and saw that everyone had willingly remained, she continued.
"Good. My advisors and I have predicted that the kidnapping had occurred late last night at her home. At this moment, there are ANBU agents at her home searching for any clues or leads that could point to her kidnapper. Morino Ibiki is leading the investigation there. From what we know, Ibiki has reported that there was no sign of a struggle, no violence and no sign of a forced entry into Sakura's home," Tsunade recited duly, feeling a sense of regret.
"Wait, hasn't Sakura lived with you since you started training her, Hokage-sama?" Neji asked.
"A common assumption. The truth is that she insisted she remain in her own home far from this building, a few blocks away from the central markets," She replied.
"No sign of a struggle? How do we know she just didn't decided to get up and leave?" Ino interjected, suddenly developing a bad feeling in her stomach.
"Because of this," Tsunade announced, slapping a single sheet of paper onto to the table.
Everyone had been talking, except for Naruto, until the evidence had been produced.
"This is a letter, left by Sakura's kidnapper. Sakura's mailman found it nailed to the front of her door early this morning. In fact, it's only been about three hours since this letter was discovered today. It's written in plain black ink and its handwriting is too generalized to recognize. Anyway, the letter says:
"You
have one week after the day this letter is found.
The girl will
die.
Unless you send the Kyubi to come get her."
With that, the team stopped and stared at Naruto, who was concentrating hard on the wood of the surface in front of him. His fists clenched tightly, out of view, below the table.
"It makes no mention of who the letter is from, but the advisors and I have drawn two highly-possible predictions based on the facts we have available. The first known fact is the skill and incredible power with which her kidnapping must have taken place- Sakura would have most definitely put up a fight, but she was clearly overwhelmed. This suggests a very powerful and very organized agent or, more likely, agency. The second known fact is that it asks for Naruto and refers to him as the 'Kyubi'. Few people in Konoha know this, and even fewer outside Konoha. The third known fact is Sakura's training. If the enemy knew what…"
"And what has Sakura been learning, Miss Hokage?" Kiba called again, eyeing her down this time. He was annoyed at all the secrets their government had to keep from them.
"Sakura has been training, very recently, in containment techniques. She has only just learned how to deal with demons by sealing them in a host. Such is the essential training that a future Hokage must know. She has also been taught how to release sealed creatures," Tsunade said in a firm, businesslike tone.
Naruto groaned inwardly at the mention of the girl's role and training.
"Sweet mother," Choji grumbled to the boy next to him.
"This is crazy. I didn't know what that girl was capable of doing…" Shikamaru agreed.
"And the only two suspect organizations that come to mind are-" And Tsunade was cut off.
And for the first time since he had entered the Hokage's command center, since he had entered the meeting room and reunited with them all in this one room, Uzumaki Naruto chose this moment to speak and let the concern he had been pretending not to have be heard.
"The Sound Ninja or The Akatsuki or both of them working together," Naruto called with eyes closed in anticipation of the difficulties if he was right. "It has to be them."
"Exactly," Tsunade agreed, looking again at his pained eyes.
"Sonuva…" Neji was about to swear, but was interrupted by the Hokage.
"Well, that's all we have for you people. The rest is up to you," Tsunade added.
"When do we begin," Naruto asked quietly and with a slight tinge of hidden rage.
"Tomorrow."
"Why not now?" Neji cried.
"On the night she was kidnapped, a guard mentioned in his report that several shadows were spotted in the vicinity of our walls, heading south east away from Konoha. They didn't seem intent on attacking us, they just appeared to be 'passing through', and so our watchers did nothing. This is our first lead and we've sent scouts this morning to look around the area and see if they're still inside our borders. They'll be back by this evening to report on their findings. In the meantime, the ten of you will eat, sleep and prepare yourselves for tomorrow. If they're still around, we'll send you to interrogate them, and if the scouts see nothing, then we wait until Ibiki or someone else can turn up another lead for you guys to follow."
The rest of the conference was mere small talk and confirming questions and within half an hour, the entire team had left to pursue their own activities within the village. It may well have been their final day in their home and they would try to make the most of it.
Naruto, however, hanged behind, waiting for all of them to leave so that he may ask the woman at the head of the table his own, personal questions.
"Why us?"
Tsunade looked up above her glasses and seemed surprised to notice that he had remained and that the room had not been empty as was her assumption. She sighed and replied:
"Because the ten of you were her friends. Your knowledge about her must have some way to help in the search. She couldn't have left the country if the kidnapping was only last night, so we need quick eyes that know where to look and what to look for."
"Okay, that's understandable. But, why me? I'm sure you remember what my past involvements with her had been like. Isn't there a rule against letting me in on the operation? And don't say it was just because of the note. We both know you could send someone in disguise, or a look-alike to play my part. Was I really the best choice?" He asked.
"Because of the last three words Sakura spoke to me the night she was kidnapped."
"What were they?" Naruto asked.
"She said: 'I… love… him…'"
"Who?" Naruto asked; his curiosity more than piqued at this point.
But he received no answers from the Hokage. She simply stared at him through her glasses until Naruto conceded and nodded his head in surrender. He knew that she would never tell if she had decided not too. Such was the close bond between her and her apprentice.
He got up to leave and made his way to the door, and, with another glance at Tsunade, who had already returned to shuffling her papers and rearranging her things on the table, closed the doors and left the building.
"Go find her and ask her, Naruto," She whispered as she stood up. "Ask her yourself."