In which Yugito meets an unexpected group and Naruto skips school.

Warning for depictions of death in this chapter.

O-O-O-O-O

Upon arrival, the village leader gave Yugito and her team a rundown of the situation. In the end, he added nothing new to build on from A's original explanation. With no leads, Yugito had her team do periodic patrols of the area, using C's sensor abilities to track the people of Shiokaze.

Since then, no one else had disappeared. Once, C had sensed a stranger's chakra signature nearing the village, but when they gave chase, it vanished. The mysterious signature never resurfaced again, no matter the place or time of day.

Safe for the first time in months, the villagers thanked them, providing them with food and shelter. While Yugito was glad to see the people happy, she knew their mission was not yet finished.

It wasn't until a month later that C sensed anything out of the norm. They were jumping through the trees on their normal night patrol route when C froze. He stopped, standing upon a branch.

"What is it? Do you sense something?" Yugito asked, standing next to him. Darui joined them on C's other side.

C nodded. "I sense three strangers," he explained, a frown on his face. "They have huge chakra reserves. One feels vaguely familiar but I'm not sure why. I don't think they are from Kumogakure though. I remember the chakra signature of all our jounin and a lot of our chuunin."

"Vaguely familiar?" Darui asked. "What does that mean?"

C's frown deepened. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "It would be from a few years ago if I can't remember it anymore."

Yugito closed her eyes as she made a plan. C and Darui waited patiently for her orders.

"Let's prepare for an ambush," she decided. "Don't attack yet, though. It's possible they're not enemies. I'll go in first and scout the situation before we can make a plan. Now, can you tell me exactly where they are, C?"

"One second, Captain." With that, C closed his eyes as he focused on his targets. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and pointed somewhere to the West. "I felt three signatures close together," he said. "Approximately 1,375 meters straight ahead. They aren't moving. I assume they've set up camp."

"Thank you, C," Yugito said. "Now, you two stay here. I'll come back as soon as I can survey the situation and plan an ambush. If they see me and a fight begins, rush in to help."

"How will we know if you need our help, Captain?" C asked.

"You'll hear screaming," she said.

C nodded while Darui hummed at her response. She smiled. I like these guys. They take everything at face value.

With that, she leaped through the canopy in the direction C had pointed to. Once closer, she landed on the ground. She proceeded by foot, using chakra to muffle her footsteps, until she saw a light from a campfire a short distance away. I guess there's a clearing nearby if they've set up camp.

She crouched down and hid her chakra signature, peeking through the foliage to try and catch a glimpse of her targets.

'Yugito-chan,' Matatabi interrupted as Yugito began crawling forward.

'Matatabi?' Yugito stopped to talk. It was rare for the bijuu to interrupt, especially in the middle of a mission. 'What is it?'

'Isobu-kun is nearby.' Her voice was full of fondness and exasperation at the same time. It reminded Yugito of how she referred to Killer B when talking to other people.

'Isobu?' Yugito paused to remind herself where she had heard the name before. 'Isn't that the Sanbi? Is Yagura nearby?'

Matatabi grunted her assent. 'He is. I sense Son Goku and Kokuo are nearby as well, but I can't seem to talk to them. I'm not sure if they're ignoring me or just aren't able to sense me.' The bijuu sounded annoyed more than anything.

'Wait... Son Goku and Kokuo? The Four-Tails and the Five-Tails? Han and Roshi are here, too!?' Yugito asked with a frown. 'Why are they with Yagura? Aren't they supposed to be in Iwagakure?'

She had no idea what Han, Roshi, and Yagura could be doing together. They were friends in the Room, but that didn't explain why they had set up camp in the Land of Lightning. Maybe they have a mission from Iwagakure and they bumped into each other?

Matatabi purred, deep in thought, before answering. 'I don't know, Yugito-chan,' she admitted. 'Do you want me to connect you to Isobu-kun?'

'You can do that!?' Yugito asked incredulously. After so many years, she couldn't believe she was learning new things about her bijuu.

'Sure. One second.' Matatabi quieted as she searched for a connection.

Yugito frowned as she waited for Matatabi to finish the link. I'm learning so many new things today.

'Hello?' an unfamiliar voice greeted shyly. Yugito jumped in surprise.

'Hello?' she answered reluctantly. 'Who are you?'

'My name is Isobu,' the mysterious voice said. 'You must be Yugito-chan.'

'Oh, uh, yes, that's me.' Yugito's day was feeling stranger by the second. 'Are you the Sanbi?'

'I am,' Isobu confirmed, sounding pleased. 'You want to speak with Yagura-kun, right? Let me connect you with him.'

'Wait... uh... Yagura?' Before she had a chance to react, she heard the voice of someone familiar.

'Huh, so Isobu wasn't playing a weird prank on me,' Yagura's familiar voice commented. 'How are you doing, Yugito-san?'

'Yagura!? What are you doing here?'

'What does it look like I'm doing? I'm camping! I should be asking you the same thing!'

Yugito snorted. 'For your information, I'm on a mission from the Raikage. Why are Han and Roshi with you?'

'They're on a mission with me.'

'Since when?'

'Since around a year ago.'

'That long!? Why didn't you three tell the rest of us anything!?'

'It was Han's idea to keep it a secret,' Yagura explained, sounding exasperated. 'He didn't want the others to worry and Roshi agreed. I thought it was a bad idea but decided to keep their secret, anyway.'

'Bastards.' Yugito clenched her jaw, annoyed at the lack of information. She couldn't believe they would withhold such critical intel from the rest of them. She vowed to force a confession out of them in the Room later.

'So what brings you here, Matatabi-chan, Yugito-chan?' Isobu asked, returning to the original conversation.

Yugito was snapped out of her annoyance. 'People have been disappearing in a nearby village,' she explained. 'But we haven't been able to find any leads.'

'Disappearing?' Yagura sounded unnerved at that explanation for some reason. 'Have people nearby been disappearing?'

Yugito grunted her assent. 'Yes. A lot of children, too, many of them with kekkei genkai.'

Yagura and Isobu considered her words. Yugito waited impatiently for their reply, grimacing in annoyance.

'I think our mission might be the same,' Yagura finally said. 'We're chasing after someone that might be the culprit for your case.'

Yugito's heart began beating faster in her chest. 'Do you want to work together, then?'

Yagura paused to consider her offer. After a few seconds, he grunted in assent. 'Han and Roshi are sleeping. What do you think about waking them up?' Yugito could effortlessly imagine the mischievous grin on his face.

Yugito smirked. 'Sure. What do you have in mind?'

O-O-O-O-O

Han woke up with a startle, his instincts screaming at him that he was about to die. In a fighting pose, he bolted awake and spun around to see where the attack was coming from. At his side, Roshi did the same, staring off into the thick forest.

A flash of black lightning flashed through the air. Han and Roshi managed to dodge, avoiding dying by mere inches.

"What's going on? Are we under attack?" Roshi asked. "Do you think it's-"

Before he could complete his thought, another flash of lightning appeared. It hit their campfire, causing the flames to rise, blinding Han before he had the chance to avert his gaze. He winced and jumped away, hoping Roshi and Yagura were safe.

It only took a second to regain his sight. When he did, he locked eyes with Roshi, who stood on the other side of the clearing, rubbing at his eyes and wincing. He glanced desperately around the area, blinking rapidly. Wait, where's Yagura?

Panicked, Han looked around the clearing, searching for his friend. He was dismayed to find Yagura facedown on the ground, the tip of a kunai held up to his throat. Han blinked when he saw the person threatening him. Yugito-san!?

"Stand down or the old man dies!" Yugito shouted in a threatening voice, tightening her grip on the kunai.

"Old man?" Yagura looked more offended at the insult than at having his life at risk.

Han gaped at her, eyes wide as he assessed the situation. He wasn't sure if Yugito knew the person underneath was a disguised Yagura but he didn't want to take any chances. He stared at Yugito, looking for a hint on how to respond.

Yugito smirked in satisfaction, sending him a covert wink. Han felt a weight lift from his shoulders. So Yugito doesn't plan to hurt us. That's a relief.

Yugito glared at them one last time before turning her attention to the forest. "C! Darui! Come out!" she shouted.

At her words, two young men exited the forest. One held a sword in front of himself while the other was frowning, his body ready for a fight. They nodded at Yugito before joining her side.

"Really Ya-Kaito, couldn't even keep watch?" Roshi huffed, arms held up in surrender.

With the kunai held up to his throat, Yagura smirked. "What can I say? She's talented."

"We just want to talk," Yugito ordered. "Now stand down. I'll let the old man go if you cooperate."

Han sighed, but did as told, kneeling on the ground with his hands up. Roshi copied his lead a small distance away. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Why are there three Iwa-nin in the Land of Lightning? Are you responsible for the disappearances in Shiokaze Village?" the blonde man asked. Han frowned. Disappearances?

"I'm actually from Kirigakure," Yagura interjected. "And we got lost on our way to the hot springs."

Yugito pushed the edge of her kunai up to the skin, close enough to shave. "Stop trying to be funny," she ordered.

Han wondered again if Yugito knew it was Yagura in disguise. I think her actions would be the same in either case.

"We're hunting for someone," Roshi admitted, almost reluctantly. "A missing-nin from Konoha."

"And it might be at least part of the reason why people are disappearing," Han added.

The dark-skinned man spoke up for the first time. "Who?" he asked, taking a step closer to Han, sword held in front for self-defense.

Han shared brief conspiratorial glances with Roshi and Yagura before answering. While Roshi seemed reluctant to reveal their plans, Yagura's eyes narrowed, urging him to reveal the truth. Han sighed to himself. I guess we can't keep it a secret anymore. I know I can trust Yugito.

"We're searching for the legendary sannin, Orochimaru," Han confessed.

"Orochimaru?" the dark-skinned man repeated, sounding skeptical. "What do you mean you're searching for Orochimaru?"

Yagura rolled his eyes. "What's hard to understand? We're looking for Orochimaru! We suspect he has something to do with the disappearances you're investigating."

Yugito pushed the edge of the kunai to Yagura's neck until a bead of blood dripped down. "How do we know you're not the ones responsible for it?" she asked. "Is there anything to prove you're not guilty?"

"Do you know who Orochimaru is?" Roshi asked, speaking to all three of the Kumo shinobi, face calm and collected.

"Of course," the blond man answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "He's a missing-nin from Konoha and a hero of the Second Shinobi War." At his side, the other man nodded, seemingly also familiar with Orochimaru.

Han grunted his assent. "Do you know why he became a missing-nin?" he asked.

The men shook their heads while Yugito's frown deepened.

"He was doing experiments on human subjects," Han explained, feeling bile building in his throat. "Especially children with bloodline techniques. He was caught red-handed but managed to flee the village."

From across the clearing, Han saw the dark-skinned man bite his lip while the blond clenched his jaw. In front of him, Yugito tightened the grip on her kunai. More blood dripped down Yagura's neck, but she ignored it. While Yagura seemed calm about the situation, Han gulped. I hope she doesn't kill him by accident.

"So you think Orochimaru is nearby and you're trying to capture him?" Yugito asked, although she already seemed to believe them.

Han and Roshi nodded while Yagura tried to shrug from where he was held captive.

Yugito bit her lip. Looking satisfied, she nodded at her teammates and pulled her weapon away. She stood up, allowing Yagura to sit up and massage his neck with a wince.

"It seems like we have similar goals," she said. "In that case, we may as well work together, don't you think?"

Han and Roshi gave out huge sighs of relief while the two men frowned at her decision.

"Yugito-san, don't you think we're trusting them too much?" the blond man asked as he took out a kunai from his pouch. "How can we let them go?"

At his side, the other man seemed to agree with his assessment. He fell into a defensive stance, sword held in front of him.

Yugito rolled her eyes. "I don't trust them," she said. "But I doubt they'd be much of a threat to me. Just look at the old man! Besides, we have an alliance with Iwagakure. Allied villages team up every once in a while, too."

At that, Yagura grinned at everyone in the clearing, stretching his arms out in front of him almost lazily. "We don't want to fight," he said. "Maybe if we work together, we'll be able to solve the situation. Now, why don't we all settle around the fire and exchange intel? That's nicer than pointing weapons at each other at least."

With that, he moved closer to the fire, rubbing his hands in front. Han and Roshi hesitated for a second, glancing up at the two men, before crawling toward the fire as well. The two Kumogakure men glared at them on the ground before joining them warily a small distance away.

"Well, if we're going to work together, we may as well introduce ourselves," Yugito said. "My name is Yugito and these are my teammates, Darui and C." She pointed to the dark-skinned man before introducing the blond. "Now, who are you?"

"I'm Han," Han said. "And this is Roshi. He's my-"

Darui's eyes widened, interrupting Han before he could finish the introduction. "Wait! I remember where I saw you before! You were one of our proctors during the chuunin exams in Iwagakure!"

"You just realized it, Darui?" the blond, C, asked, an incredulous smirk on his face. "I noticed it the first time I saw him."

The other man, Darui, frowned in embarrassment. "Sorry, that was a while ago," he muttered to C before turning to Han and Roshi. "What are you doing here now, anyway? Shouldn't you be in Iwagakure?"

"We ran away from home," Roshi answered.

Yagura chuckled at that, entertained by Roshi's choice of words. "My name is Kaito," he said, blowing into his hands to warm them. "We're bounty hunters."

Yugito's eyes widened in surprise before shifting her face into a furious grimace. "You are?"

In an instant, the mood shifted. While it was rare for allied countries to team up, it was unheard of to see shinobi from hidden villages cooperating with bounty hunters. Han shuddered at the expression on Yugito's face. She's going to make us confess later, isn't she?

Roshi rolled his eyes and sighed. "In that case, we're the worst bounty hunters in the world, Kaito. We haven't collected a single target."

"If you guys are so inexperienced, then why are you searching for someone so legendary?" C asked, a judgemental frown on his face.

"We need the money," Han answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "We wanted to collect a target with a big reward and thought Orochimaru would be a good option. Konoha is well-known for paying out bounties in full."

"Plus, being known as the guys who captured Orochimaru would be great publicity," Yagura added. He glanced up at C and Darui, looking almost bored. "If you lot are searching for someone kidnapping people, chances are that we're hunting for the same guy. Last we heard, Orochimaru was slithering around this area."

C and Darui frowned at Yagura's words before turning their attention back to Yugito, waiting for her orders. Yugito closed her eyes, mulling over the situation.

"Yugito-san!" C shouted when he saw Yugito was still considering a team-up. "This is a terrible idea! They could be lying! How do we know they're not the ones responsible for what's happening in Shiokaze?"

Roshi shrugged before speaking up. "Why would we lie? We heard rumors that a scary guy with long hair and an affinity for snakes was prowling the area. We have conflicting reports about him having a base in the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Hot Water. We set up camp here based on its proximity to both countries."

"If you don't want us nearby, we can go our separate ways," Han suggested, trying to keep the peace. "We don't want to fight. We'll set up camp in the Land of Hot Water instead if you prefer."

"Or we could get rid of you now and save us all the trouble," C said with a grimace, pointing his kunai threateningly. "You're just a bounty hunter." He laced the last two words with disgust and disdain, sneering down at the three men on the ground.

Han resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Whatever you say, boy.

"Or we could team up and make Orochimaru regret ever taking anyone from this village you're guarding," Yagura retorted with a scoff. "He's a legendary sannin, but we're not half bad if I do say so myself." He lounged back on the ground, leaning on his unscarred arm.

"I guess that's an option, too," Roshi said.

Darui and C glared at the three jinchuuriki before turning to Yugito, awaiting further instructions.

She rubbed at her chin and closed her eyes, deep in thought, before opening them and nodding. "I know you three are just bounty hunters, but I think you can still be useful. If we work together, we might be able to figure something out," she decided. "Why don't we team up?"

"But, Yugito-san!" C interjected. "You can't truly believe everything they're saying, can you?"

"I'm sorry, Yugito-san but they are just bounty hunters!" Darui added.

Yugito shook her head. "No, I don't trust them," she said in a tone of voice Han might have actually believed. "But if even part of what they're saying is true, we have an obligation and a responsibility to the people of Shiokaze. Don't we have a duty to chase any lead for the safety of our citizens?"

At that, C and Darui quieted, chastened. While they were still grimacing at Yugito's words, they didn't argue with her. She nodded at them with approval before turning to Yagura. Han and Roshi frowned at that. When did Yagura become our leader? He's the youngest one of us three!

"How exactly do you propose we work together, Short Stack?" Yugito asked, sneering down at him.

Yagura sulked at the nickname before his face transformed, and he pasted a smirk on his face. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he asked through gritted teeth.

O-O-O-O-O

Sasuke's not here yet.

Naruto tapped his pencil on the desk, glaring at the door and waiting for Sasuke to walk in. At his side, Hinata pushed her fingertips together, absorbing his nervousness. Only a minute was left until the start of class and the other boy had yet to arrive. What gives? He's usually here way earlier than me!

Naruto was beginning to get worried. Sasuke always arrived at the classroom at exactly the same time every day to the point it was almost comical. On the rare days Naruto arrived earlier, Sasuke would glare back at him before sitting somewhere at the front. If Sasuke arrived first, then Naruto would stick his tongue out before sitting next to Hinata. It had become a daily tradition.

Naruto couldn't remember a single day Sasuke had ever missed class. He knew he would never skip class on an exam day either. Sasuke was too focused on impressing his father and brother to do so. So why isn't he here?

Under the table, he began tapping his leg, making the desk he shared with Hinata shake. It was a testament to their friendship that she said nothing in response. Naruto glared at the door once more. It slid open, but instead of Sasuke, Iruka stepped inside, holding a stack of books in his arms. Naruto's face fell. Where is he?

"All right everyone, please get settled down!" he ordered as he set the books down on his desk. "Class is starting any second now!"

Sure enough, with those words out of his mouth, the bell rang. The other students, most of whom had been spread throughout the room ran to their seats. Naruto watched them move, biting his lip and hoping Sasuke was just late.

"Let's get started," Iruka said, his clipboard ready to take attendance. "Stand up." The class stood up at once. "Bow." They greeted their teacher with a bow of their heads. "Sit down."

Naruto collapsed on his seat. He bit his lip and began to tap his fingers on the desk surface. He was unable to listen as Iruka began the lecture, reviewing key information for the exam later that day.

"Hey, Hinata," he whispered to his friend, trying to be discreet as Iruka talked.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" she asked in a soft voice. While she did not seem as anxious as him, she had not stopped pushing her fingertips together since they had noticed Sasuke's absence.

"Where do you think Sasuke is?"

She bit her lip before answering. "I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe he's just late?"

Naruto hummed to himself. "Maybe."

He tried to pay attention to Iruka's lecture, but he couldn't. He had a strange feeling that something was wrong and Sasuke's absence was only a part of it. Auntie, Uchiha-san, and Itachi have been acting kinda weird lately, too.

Unable to focus, his eyes wandered throughout the classroom. He swallowed, focusing on his breathing before he had a panic attack. I'm worried over nothing. Sasuke probably just broke his arm or fell down the stairs or something.

Despite reassurances to himself, the sense that something was wrong remained. He spent the entire morning class fretting, tapping his pencil on the desk, and grimacing. After what felt like years later, the bell rang, dismissing them for lunch.

"Our exam will start after the break!" Iruka called out as they left. "You can go home as soon as you finish, though."

In a daze, Naruto walked by Hinata's side, his bento box in his hands. They said nothing on their way outside, staying silent until they sat under the shade of their favorite tree.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, sitting closer than usual. "Are you all right?"

Naruto grimaced. "I guess. I'm just... worried," he confessed. "Cause Sasuke's not here. He was fine yesterday and he wouldn't skip class without reason, especially on a day we have a test, ya know?"

Hinata bit her lip, fidgeting with the lid of her bento box. "I know what you mean," she said. "I don't think Sasuke-kun has ever missed a day of school before."

Naruto sighed. "Hopefully, he just broke his arm or something. And he'll be here for just the test."

"Uh... yeah... hopefully," Hinata frowned, seemingly unsure if she should agree with Naruto or not.

Despondent, Naruto and Hinata ate their food, saying little. When they finished, they sat side by side in silence, unsure what to talk about.

She bit her lip again, seeming to consider something. "Naruto-kun," she began. Naruto turned to her. "I heard something happened in the Uchiha district," she said.

"What? Something?" Naruto's eyes widened and he leaned forward until his face was only a few inches away from Hinata's. "What do you mean something happened?"

Hinata swallowed, her face turning pink at the closeness. "I heard my father talking about something bad happening in the Uchiha district," she explained. "But when I asked what, he told me not to worry about it. I didn't really think it was important, but with Sasuke-kun not here, I'm starting to wonder..."

Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest as he pondered the situation. Something happened in the Uchiha district? Like a fire and that's why Sasuke's not here?

Unable to get the worry out of his mind, he leaned against the trunk of the tree. He glared at nothing and chewed on his lip. Hinata had nothing to say, either, because she continued to push the tips of her index fingers together.

With no more words exchanged, they returned to the classroom. When they entered, only Shikamaru, Chouji, and a boy wearing sunglasses were there. Hinata and Naruto sat down near the front, ignoring the other three children in the classroom with them.

Seated, Naruto kept his gaze focused on the door while tapping his foot desperately under the desk. His pulse quickened every time the door opened, expecting Sasuke to walk in. When he didn't, he only grew more and more anxious. Where the heck is he?

Finally, their lunch break ended and Iruka walked in, sliding the door open and closing it behind him. "Well, is everyone here?" he asked. "It's time to start the exam, so please, students, sit down!"

Everyone followed his orders, heading toward their usual seats. Naruto clenched his hands again, feeling his pulse quickening.

Satisfied that everyone was ready, Iruka pulled out a folder from his desk. "Well, I think it's almost time to start. Does anyone have any last-minute questions before I hand these out?" He blinked before turning his attention to a student. "Yes, Ino?"

"Iruka-sensei, where is Sasuke-kun?" Ino asked.

Naruto's back straightened and he turned to look at the blond girl. Ino had stood up, staring at Iruka expectantly. Next to her, Sakura bit her lip, wringing her hands.

Iruka sighed before pasting a smile on his face. "I don't know, Ino," he admitted. "Worry less about Sasuke and worry more about your exam. Anyone else have any questions? About the exam?"

He looked around the classroom but no one else raised their hands. Satisfied, Iruka walked down the aisles, handing out an exam booklet to every student. "You may start as soon as you get your papers," he said. "Make sure you write your name, Kiba." He glared at a brown-haired boy, who smirked.

Numb, Naruto took the exam paper in his hands and scribbled his name on the top corner. He read the first question, but the words washed over him and he understood nothing. He tried again, but it was impossible to decipher the meaning.

Worried, he bit his lip and looked up at Iruka, who was watching everyone from his desk, on the look-out for cheating. Tentatively, he raised his hand.

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto swallowed before answering. "Can I go to the toilet? I'm not feeling well."

Iruka sighed but nodded his assent. "Sure, Naruto. Just leave the exam here with me before you leave. I'll give it back when you return."

"Thank you, sensei." Grateful, Naruto stood up, placing his test face down on Iruka's desk.

Without looking back, he ran to the toilets. To his relief, the restroom was empty. He headed to a stall and locked it behind him. I'll just go and check everyone's okay and then come back and finish the test, he vowed.

Inside the stall, Naruto stood on the seat and began to pull himself up to reach the window. He paused, one hand on the windowsill. If I leave early, Yugito's gonna give me shamisen lessons 'til I die.

Naruto shook his head to get rid of the thought. Making sure Sasuke was okay was more important. With no more hesitation, he pulled himself up the window and crawled outside, landing on the grass with barely a sound.

Wasting no time, he left, walking through the foliage to avoid detection. Thankfully, all the instructors were inside and he met no one on the way. Once outside the school zone, he began running, not sparing the Academy a glance back.

As fast as he could, he ran the long distance to the Uchiha Quarters, avoiding anyone on the way. To his relief, he saw few people and those he saw parted when they saw him approaching. He arrived at the Uchiha Quarters faster than he had ever done before.

He froze a long distance away from the entrance when he saw two men wearing full shinobi uniforms. Except for Hinata and himself, he had never seen a non-Uchiha anywhere nearby. To his relief, the two men didn't appear to see him. Biting his lip, he crawled closer, using the foliage for help.

When he was close enough to listen in, he stopped and looked through a gap in the leaves, straining his ears to listen.

"Is that everyone, sir?" the first man asked. He was wearing a white mask and his voice was deep and weary. An ANBU?

"Yes," the second man responded, sounding equally tired. From a distance, Naruto saw he was wearing a bandana over his head, deep scars adorning his face. "Most of the corpses have already been taken care of."

Corpses? Naruto's heart began to beat faster inside his chest and his breath became more frantic in panic. To keep his location secret, he slapped a hand in front of his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to listen to the rest of their conversation.

"I heard rumors only one boy survived," the voice of the masked ANBU said. "Is it true?"

The other man grunted his assent. "It's true. Taken to the hospital first. The kid was unconscious and is resting now. Not sure how he's gonna react when he wakes up."

"What's the kid's name?"

"Sasuke."

Naruto froze and he heard nothing else. The world seemed to stop and he had no idea what he was supposed to do. What do they mean Sasuke's the only one left? What about Auntie? And Uchiha-san? And Itachi?

Tentatively, Naruto opened his eyes, feeling his body shaking in horror and shock. Through the foliage, he could see that the ANBU had vanished. Meanwhile, the scarred man was writing something on a clipboard, shaking his head.

"And then there was one," the man muttered to himself.

With that, he stepped underneath the yellow police tape to enter the Uchiha Quarters. From his position, Naruto saw other shinobi he had missed earlier, some wearing ANBU masks, moving around inside the compound. His stomach roiled when he saw white sheets covering what looked disturbingly like unmoving people. He bit his knuckles to stop himself from shouting.

Shaking, Naruto crawled back, making sure no one saw or heard him. Once he felt himself at a safe distance, he stood up and ran in the direction of the hospital. As he ran, his mind raced with the possibilities of what had happened. Is Sasuke okay? And what happened to Auntie, Uchiha-san, and Itachi? That guy said corpses. Does that mean...?

Increasingly panicked, he ran faster, heading to the Konoha Hospital as fast as he could. When he arrived, he slammed the door open, barging in and running to the receptionist's desk.

"Where's Sasuke!?" Naruto yelled at the confused woman at the reception. Panting, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and tried to force his heartbeat to slow down as much as possible.

"S-Sasuke?" the woman asked, glaring at him in a combination of disgust and bewilderment. "Why do you want to talk to him? He's resting!"

Naruto exhaled deeply to regulate his breath and bit his lip. He had never said the words out loud to anyone. But if it'll convince her to let me see him...

"Sasuke's my friend," he explained. He hoped she would assume his red face came from exertion instead of embarrassment.

The woman scoffed. "You? His friend?" Naruto looked up to see her shaking her head. "Even if I believed you, Sasuke Uchiha is not taking visitors right now. He's recovering. Come back later."

Naruto gritted his teeth and slammed a fist on her desk, making the woman flinch. "He's my friend!" he insisted. "I wanna know if he's okay, ya know!"

She sighed, sounding increasingly exasperated. "Kid, I can't let you in. If you don't back off, I'll have to call security on you. Now leave!"

Eyes wide, Naruto took a step back away from her desk. He forced his fists into his pockets to hide their shaking. He scowled at the woman, who had crossed her arms in front of her chest and was staring at him in disdain.

"Fine," he growled. "I'll leave."

With that, he stomped out, slamming the hospital door shut behind him.

Fine. If they won't let me in, I'll let myself in. He glanced around the streets, but no one seemed to be looking in his direction. Trying to look inconspicuous, he walked down the alleyway next to the hospital, hands in his pockets.

Keeping his eyes and ears on the lookout for anyone, he searched for a way inside. He found one quickly: a small window almost two meters off the ground. It was too small for most adults to fit through, but for Naruto, it was perfect.

He got a running start. With a grunt, he jumped up, grabbing the windowsill with his palms and pulling himself up. He looked inside. The lights were turned off but he could see shelves full of cleaning supplies. A supply closet?

Wasting no more time, he crawled through the window. He grabbed onto the ledge before landing on the floor with barely a sound. He paused, waiting to see if anyone had seen or heard him, but he sensed no one. Relieved, he walked to the door and opened it a crack.

For some reason, the hallway was completely empty. He gulped. Where are all the doctors and nurses? Shouldn't there be more people walking around?

Hesitantly, he stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. He paused in case anyone had heard him before turning right. As he walked, he checked the names on all charts hanging from the doors, but he saw only blank pages or unfamiliar names. He climbed to the second floor, keeping his senses focused on avoiding anyone, but all the staff seemed to have vanished.

Naruto had almost reached the end of the hall on the second floor when he found the name he was looking for. Sasuke...

His heart began beating faster inside his chest. With trepidation, he stopped and pressed an ear to the door, but he heard only silence. Is it empty?

He slid the door open a crack and peered inside. There was no movement and he only saw hospital curtains surrounding a patient. He could make out a silhouette of someone sleeping on one of the beds.

"Sasuke?" Naruto whispered, but no one responded. He gulped and opened the door another crack, sticking his face inside, waiting for a reaction. When nothing happened, he entered fully, sliding the door closed behind him.

His heart pounding inside his chest, he took tentative steps toward the person lying on the bed.

"Sasuke?" Naruto repeated, voice louder than before. Still, no one answered.

Naruto reached the divider giving the sleeping person privacy. He hesitated, his hands squeezing the curtains for a second before moving them aside. His heart seemed to freeze when he saw Sasuke on the bed.

While at first glance the other boy seemed to only be sleeping, Naruto saw hints of more. His eyes were sunken, his skin paler and more ghostly than usual. A bandage was wrapped around his upper left arm.

Naruto gulped before walking to Sasuke's side. He thought about shaking Sasuke awake to force an explanation out of him but he stopped himself.

What did that guy mean when he said there was only one boy left? Is Auntie...

Naruto shook his head to stop himself from speculating further. No! That guy must've been wrong! Forcing himself to breathe slowly, he pulled a chair to Sasuke's bedside and waited for him to wake up and explain everything.

O-O-O-O-O

Sasuke's eyes sprang open and he stared up at the ceiling. He gasped, snippets of the nightmare from the night before rushing into his consciousness. Trembling, he sat up. A dream?

He winced at a sharp pain in his left arm. He glanced at the injury as the memories began to rearrange themselves in his mind. No... not a dream.

"Sasuke!"

Before he had any time to process, Sasuke glanced at the person calling his name. To his surprise, he was met with sky-blue eyes, full of both worry and relief.

"N-Naruto?" Sasuke stuttered. What is he doing here?

"I'm so glad you're awake now, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. Despite the relief in his voice, the other boy sounded more worried than he ever had before. "I ran to the Uchiha Quarters to look for you but this guy said-"

Eyes widening, Sasuke pushed the blankets back and stood up. He made to run to the door, not bothering to look for his shoes. Before he had taken two steps, however, he was pulled back by an iron grip on his arm.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, grabbing onto him. "Where are you going?"

Sasuke growled, trying to pull himself away, but he was too weak to do more than struggle feebly. "Where does it look like I'm going?" he shouted. "I'm going home!"

"You can't!" Naruto tightened his grip, stronger than before.

Sasuke snarled, gritting his teeth in anger and frustration. "Why? Leave me alone! I'm going home!"

"I don't think you can go there now!" Naruto answered, eyes shiny.

Sasuke froze and he turned slowly to look at Naruto, eyes open wide. "W-what do you mean I can't go?"

Naruto looked down, biting his lip. "I went to the Uchiha Quarters before I came here, ya know," he explained. "And... these two guys... they were talking about corpses."

A shudder ran down Sasuke's back. "C-corpses?"

Naruto nodded. "I overheard them. They said... only one was left. And they said your name. That you were the last one. Is that true? Are you-" He gulped and looked away, afraid to complete the sentence.

Numb, Sasuke stared back at Naruto. Only one? I'm the only one left? Am I... Mom... Father... The last spark of hope that anyone had survived disappeared.

With that thought, everything that had happened the night before rushed into his memories at once. He felt tears building behind his eyes, overwhelmed. In the back of his mind, he knew he should be embarrassed about crying in front of Naruto, but he didn't care about that at all. He broke down, weeping as tears rolled down his face onto the floor.

Surprised, Naruto let go of his arm, making Sasuke feel strangely untethered. "S-Sasuke," he asked. "Wh-what happened?"

"He... he killed them," Sasuke whispered, looking down at the floor through eyes blurred by tears. "I'll never see them again." Saying the words out loud only served to make the loss feel more real.

"K-killed?" Naruto's voice shook. Sasuke could only nod in response, unsure how to explain or where to begin.

"You mean... Auntie is..."

Sasuke nodded again, neither of them wanting to complete the sentence.

"Mom... Father... They're gone," he muttered through his sobs. "Everyone. He said... I was going to be the last one..."

"L-last one?" Naruto stuttered, his voice sounding choked. "Is that why-?" He broke off.

Sasuke heard Naruto swallow but he ignored him. Sobbing, he collapsed on his arms and knees, running out of energy to do anything else.

Naruto squatted down at his side a second later. He placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, making him flinch. With no other words, he pulled Sasuke into a hug. Sasuke struggled against the gesture, but he was too weak to break Naruto's embrace. Reluctantly, he allowed Naruto to wrap his arms around him.

Sasuke froze when he heard Naruto's breath hitch as the other boy began to sob onto his shoulder. He's... crying, too?

Not knowing what else he could do, Sasuke returned the embrace, grabbing onto the back of Naruto's shirt with his fists. He stared off into space, sight blurry. Together, they knelt on the floor, not knowing what to say.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: I'm sorry.

You can talk to me or scream at me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.

Next chapter: life still goes on.