Chapter 3: A Loss, A Raid, A Hope

Xx--xxx--xX

Click!-click! There was a soft noise coming from the window. A soft clicking sound. Whatever it was, it was keeping her up. Instead of letting it be, she yawned and walked over. Her silky nightgown occationally touching the floor. For a minute the sound stopped. 'Maybe I can get back to bed.' Yet, just as she turned around, the clicking began.

Enough was enough. Sakura flung open the windows, only to be met by a small pebble to the head. In surprise and anger, the pink headed girl glared down at the colperate. "Naruto!" she hissed, "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Sakura-chan!-come quick! I have something to show y-" the blonde stopped just in time to find a shoe flying at him. His feet moved fast enough to dodge it, but not the book. "OW!" this time his voice rose above a whisper. Naruto's fingers rubbed his head. He felt a little bump forming where it hurt the most to touch.

"It can wait until morning!"

"No, it can't!" Sakura stopped in mid throw of a larger item. "It has to do with Kakashi-sensei."

"Naruto?" the girl pulled back in the small drawer. "I'll be right down." The curtains closed and Naruto waited outside. Just over the trees he could see the sun begining to rise.

It only took Sakura five minutes to get dressed and brush her hair. The door handle jiggled and she stepped out into the street. It was a brisk morning with a cool air. Summer would be settling in soon. The sky was beautifully painted with golds, oranges, pinks, and reds. Sakura smiled and watched as the last of the purple faded with night. Now morning was upon them.

"What is it?" Naruto snapped back to reality. He had been thinking. About the books Kakashi and him found two weeks ago.

Naruto looked at Sakura. Apparently she had not eaten, and her eyes showed werriness. In a kind voice, but it still showed his excitement, he spoke to her, "Come to the memorial stone. Something happened only an hour ago." Without another word, Naruto was off down the streets. Leaving his friend throughly confused.

Ishida would be angry. It wasn't something he could help though. What he had done was fix something that wasn't right. But why had Naruto showed up. Kakashi sighed. He wasn't afraid of Ishida's wrath towards him. It was what Ishida might do to others just to get Kakashi to behave more.

The silver headed ninja held in his breath and turned the doorknob. But he only got it half way when- "Where have you been?" Ishida's eyes were lit like fire. An anger burned into his scowl. The red head had shoved his face into Kakashi's.

"Correcting a mistake," the jounin pushed past him and headed into the kitchen.

But the red hair on Ishida just stood up. But before he could say anything, Kuzu spoke for him. "How dare youz be so disrepectful to Master Ishida. Nowz, are ya gonna tell him where you were?"

"No." Kuzu burned up inside. He had never wanted to call Ishida, Master Ishida. But if that meant saving his own hide, then he would have to. But now the new member was talking back to him. 'Who does he think he is? I was here first!' Misha just stood there. He smiled inside. Kuzu was a little full of himself. He knew it upsetted him for Kakashi to be so calm and disobedient.

Ishdia had enough of people fighting his wars. So he stepped in and spoke a few words of his own. "Kakashi, I needn't know where you were. You came back, and I guess that's all that matters," he gave him a milignant stare, "but I warn you, do it again, and it'll be the last of you!"

Kakashi looked at Ishida. "Don't worry, I won't disobey you." Ishida saw that fear had striken Kakashi to listen to him. He had realized this way back.

The red headed leader stood so that he could see all of them. "We're leaving for our next target. We may not get much, but at least they'll fear us. That's what we want. If one village get's too confident, than that's it. Now get ready! We leave tonight."

The two brothers scrambled out of the room. They couldn't wait to get moving. If it had to do with gold or getting rich, the foreigners were there.

Now only Kakashi and Ishida remained. The silver head looked at his former friend, "So, where are we going this time?"

"You'll find out," Ishida went to leave, but turned around to face the jounin. "I expect you to follow orders Kakashi. This raid should go smoothly and we'll be in and out. But if you feel you can't do it, tough." With a scowl fading to a smile, the red head left the room. Kakashi pondered on the words of his new leader. 'What does he mean?'

"Who could do such a thing?" Sakura shouted in amazement when she saw the memorial stone defaced. The small tips of her delicate fingers brushed over the spot. The name of her beloved teacher had been scratched away. The young girl couldn't understand who could have done such a crime of disrespect to Konoha and her late sensei. But when she looked to the blonde next to her, she was even more surprised.

Excitement and eagerness were crossed in his eyes and face. A slight smile was being formed by his lips. Sakura grew angry with the boy. "Ow! Sakura-chan! That hurt worse than the book."

"What are you smiling about?"

"Don't you see?"

"Of course I see," she halfed screamed, half cried, "Somone has scratched away our sensei's name. Showing great disrespect for him. What I don't see is what your happy about!"

Naruto sighed. Of course she didn't understand his thoughts. 'She can't read minds! Or can she?' The genin turned to his friend. The glint of excitement still in his eyes. "Sakura-chan, this isn't disrespect. If it were, only a little bit of name would remain. So that they knew who was being scratched." This made the pink headed girl think. A question formed in her mind, that she needn't ask. For the answer came, "I think it's a sign that Kakashi-sensei is alive!" This time he jumped a little.

The young girl smiled. "It's a possibility," then the smile was gone, "but how do we know that it's not some trick? I think we should inform Tsunade about this and ask what she thinks."

Disappointment fillled Naruto's heart. If Sakura did understand, then who could. Sakura saw this and placed a hand on his shoulder. In a sort of mumble, the blonde said to her, "Just try to think, think that there's still some hope."

"Naruto," her face softened, "I know it's hard to except. But we must move on." But the boy's eyes did not look into hers. Instead they gazed at the spot on the stone. Sakura knew he needed to be alone. So she left him to his thoughts and went to get the Hokage. 'I'm sorry Naruto. It must be hard for you. I know it's harder than it is for me. But Tsunade will know what to do.'

The genin stood there. Still hope raised in his heart. He could not let the feeling go. It clung to him with all its might. Grasping his heart. The smile returned upon the boy standing there. Something good was about to happen. It was the same feeling as when the shadow swept over the stone.

Suddenly Naruto's stomach tightened and twisted. It felt horrible. 'Again! Ugh, I feel terrible.' His orange arms wrapped around his stomach. then the wind blew. It brought with it, many cries. Many cries that were formed from the village.

The blonde's head raced with terror. "What's going on?" Without knowing what would be ahead of him, Naruto's feet scrambled and raced across the yard. Then he froze. Fear stopped him, for one of the cries was that of Sakura.

The people of Konoha couldn't believe what was going on. Even the ANBU teams were being beaten away like flies. Tsunade watched from the tower as a small group of four shinobi raced over the wall. Her hand touched the cold glass. Outside the shinobi began to terrorize the Hidden Leaf Village. It was finally Shizunei's touch on the shoulder that brought her back to reality.

"Hurry! We'll fight beside you." Tsunade nodded at her assistent. She hurried out of the tower and into the streets. Ready to protect her people.

Explosions could be seen from over roofs. They weren't normal. Black chakra eminated from them. Buildings were torn apart by it. One touch of the chakra would splinter wood into a million pieces.

The shinobi wielding the chakra had large red hair. Tied back into a ponytail. Upon him he wore an outfit made of entirely black. His feet kept sandals on. But his face was a clear as day. Many of the ANBU members couldn't believe that he was still alive. What sent shivers up their spines, was his calm, cold voice. As it rang with laughter. "Ha, ha, ha! I've waited for this day so long!"

The ANBU members noticed that he needed no handseals. For his chakra was strong enough already. They bagan to scatter, hopefully Ishida would follow them to remote parts of the village. Away from citezans. But alas their plan was for not.

For Ishida still stood in his place. He walked down the street with one hand sliced into a building. As he walked, the house was torn to pieces. Wood, glass, metal, all of it went flying. Destroying other shelters. Yet as that house ceased to exist, he went to the next. Slowly he was working his way down the streets.

One of the ANBU leaders met with a group of five others. "We have to ambush him!" one shouted. "Sneak up and take him out!" "No, evacuate the village. Let him destroy lifeless houses." The leader thought. For a moment it all seemed to might work. But then he remebered the killing of Hatake Kishi, and her brother. "No, if we do a fullfrontal attack, he'll just take each of us out. Remeber, he is stronger than any one of us," he continued, "A surprise attack wouldn't work either. He's grown up in the woods and would spot us out before we had a chance to even move. If we evacuate in mass numbers, Akira Ishida will just go after them. Ecacuating in small numbers would take too much time."

"So nothing will work against him."

"Exactly!" But the leader stopped talking. None of his group members had talked. The voice had come from above him. Even though they had their masks on, he could sense their fear. Then what he had dreaded to hear. The calm laugh. He looked up.

Ishida was looking down on him, while hanging upside down. The leader only got to look though. For Ishida was quick and fell down. Right in the middle of the team. His hands heavy with chakra. Slicing away the ANBU members and letting the tree soak up the blood.

Each of the six members hit the ground with a dead THUD. Ishida sat on the tree branch. He had spun around and now stood there crouching. His arms still out from the attack. "Finally some blood."

On another side of town, several shinobi were having quite a bit of trouble. For the Toshibu brothers, Kuzu and Misha, were tearing apart the town. They were like large bulls. No one knew quite sure how to deal with them. They used no ninjutsu. So this made it a little easier. But their strength was too much.

The Konoha shinobi struck in and backed away. Much like a wolf would do. But it was taking too long. For after each strike, the brtohers would tear apart another object. Then they stopped. A sound had disturbed them. They looked towards the gate of Konoha. There was Ishida. Standing upon the gate and blowing a horn. It sounded across the village. That was the signal that blood had been shed, and now the shinobi would be even more fierce.

Kuzu smiled at this. He was holding back as Ishida had instructed. But now he could go full throtal at the attackers. And before either him or the shinobi knew it, he deep in their group and fighting them off.

Misha did not want to attack. He stared at Ishida. Then pain. Something had struck his left arm. A thin clean cut was stroked with blood across his shoulder. Before the foreigner knew it, several other shuriken were whizzing at him.

At first Kakashi was blinded. He had no idea where he was. But the defense force of the village they were at was so strong. Yet none of the shinobi trigured in his head. All he knew was that they were attacking. Several he had killed, not wanting to though. That was the only thing he could do. Trying his hardest not to kill any of them proved difficult. For it was the way he was trained.

Still so many attacked the silver head at once. Out of all of the black shinobi, he was the only one to wear a mask. It fully covered his face, except his one eye. Ishida had cut his hair down. Now it was only unruly enough to run your fingers through.

Kakashi fought every attack. Once in a while staining his kunai with blood and not the sparks of metal. It wasn't until he cut her, that he knew where he was.

The jounin had been so blinded by the fighting, he didn't even recognize his former student. Sakura had been sent to the scene to help. Out of all the attacking shinobi, he seemed to know the place more than anyone. When ever they pursued him, he would leap across the roof tops, sometimes looking back. His feet still knowing where to go.

So Sakura had gone to the spot where he currently was. At first she thought she knew his way of fighting. Then it struck the girl that he was stranger and that would be perposterous. Sakura got ready to attack. She watched as several shinobi tried to get close, but they failed. One lost his life. The pink headed girl thought that was enough.

She jumped at him. Her kunai ready, and her strength building up. Her arm pulled back. When it had enough strength she thrust it forward. Luckly the dark shinobi was busy with another. Or so she thought it lucky.

But this only made him more ready to attack. As Sakura closed in on her target, he spun around. Only by instinct did he slice her. His kunai gently pressing against her skin as she fell. A small trickle of blood running down her chest. Little by little did it dawn on both of them what had happened.

Kakashi's eyes widned and he heard his heart pound quicker than it had before. As his kunai moved away from the falling girl, she hit the ground. Blood spilled onto the road. "Sakura!" the jounin whispered to himself. His heart filled with fear. As did his face. But only the one laidback eye stared into the open sky. It was too late for him to turn to look at her. Yet he heard her cry of pain. It would echoe into this mind forever.

Several shinobi ran to the girl, others began their attack on the jounin. But the silver head was too quick for them, even in his stunned state of mind. He lept back away from the team of shinobi and ran towards the stone. Sakura lay on the ground, clutching the wound. If they didn't get her help soon, she would bleed to death.

Naruto stood there. The wind blowing against his face, the sky above sheltering the clouds. Destruction and cries eminated from his village. Yet he couldn't move. His feet frozen in place. Like all the weight of his body adn heart, had fallen. Now he stood there. Not sure what to do. Questions racing through his mind, images of his friends falling in battle terrorized the boy. Fear had frozen him, but hope would soon move him away.

As the blonde stood there, something had come through the trees. It was moving a good speed. All Naruto could recall was a flash of black and silver. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground with a kunai to his throat. But it did not press and spill blood. It just sat there. Naruto felt his heart beating against his chest. As his eyes met his attacker's.

They stared at each other. So much was happening. Naruto's smile wouldn't come. He was still shocked from impact. The silver haired attacker stared at him. 'Please, no blood,' was the only thought that Kakashi had. And to his relief he saw none.

Naruto recognized the laidback look he had. It was him. He was sure of it. Naruto's mouth wanted to splurt out so many questions. He wanted to know. But nothing came out. They just sat there and stared at each other. It wasn't until Kakashi had finally grasped the whole conncept of what had happened that he began to move. The kunai was away from Naruto's throught, and he lept back into the trees.

Naruto turned on his stomach and reached out for him. Wanting to call out. Yet still silence kept him at bay. 'It was him! I'm sure of it. He's alive. Alive!' Naruto was finally able to smile. It was true, Naruto had been right. He was glad. Then a horn sounded off in the distance. The destruction of the village was ending. The shinobi stopped racing into danger. For the enemy was leaving. Sadly, and thankfully, only twelve had died. No citezans. Just six ANBU members, and six shinobi of Konoha.

Kakashi listened and ran towards the horn. Ishida had already moved back into the forest. Kuzu was close behind, but there was no sign of Misha. Finally the small group had stopped. It was back at the hideout. Ishida immediately went inside. Kuzu went to patrol. Looking for his brother, and making sure no one had followed him. When Kakashi did return, he went to Ishida.

Pulling off his mask he had questions to ask his 'leader.' "Ishida!" he had promised that Kakashi would never see them again. That was has he had proposed. That Kakashi would never have to face Konoha. That he would never have to face Naruto, "Ishida!" He didn't want to be alive, not in their eyes. It would make it only harder. But now Naruto would know for sure. He would look for his sensei. That's why Kakashi had always obeyed. Because he knew if he didn't, Ishida would poison Konoha. His powders only had to get in the air. Then they would kill.

One more time he called out, his voice filled with rage, "ISHIDA!"

Naruto scrambled off the ground and rushed to find Sakura, Tsunade, hell anyone. He had to tell them that Kakashi was alive. He had too.

Hope and happiness started to fill the boy. But knowing he was alive answered one question, and brought upon him so many others.

Face the foot style, how'da like it?

Sorry, if you ever saw the movie Kung-pow, you'd understand.

Anyway onto business! Tell me what you think about this chapter. If there's anything, anything, you don't like, let me know. I want you, the readers, to enjoy this story.

Next chapter: The Importance of Books

Read on...