Surprise! School is still bat-shit crazy! Since this not my first time at the rodeo, you'd think I'd be used to it, huh? Nope, not even close. Let me know what you think and enjoy!
-BB
The Mission
Kakashi was already in the waiting room pacing by the time Shikamaru made it. When Shikamaru had confirmed his fear, he cursed and teleported to the hospital, demanding answers as soon as he materialized. He was told that Shizune was working on her now, and Lady Tsunade would be arriving shortly. When Shikamaru asked for an update, Kakashi tersely gave him the information, so that he could notify the rest of their people. Too busy being in his own grief, he almost missed Sauske and Sai sitting on a bench with a dazed looks on their faces. Sauske was covered in blood, so he figured he'd been the one to bring Sakura here.
"Sauske." Kakashi stated, "What the fuck happened?"
"She was attacked by Jugo. He almost looked… reanimated. She was pulling her punches and almost got gutted by a poison blade trying not to destroy her apartment building and kill those in it. She probably saved her own life by pushing chakra into the wound before passing out. Luckily Sai heard the commotion and ran to the location. He was able to subdue him until ANBU arrived."
"Since when is Jugo dead, Sauske?"
"I have no clue. I haven't kept up with them. Chances are he's not the only one."
"Motherfucker! Sai. Go to ANBU. Now. Tell them every fucking thing."
"Yes sir." Sai quickly left the hospital. Naruto, Ino, and Hinata burst in next.
"Where the fuck is she!" Naruto now worked with Kurama, but that didn't mean that when he was upset he didn't take on the characteristics of the nine tails.
"Naruto. You need to calm down. She's in surgery. Tsunade or Shizune will send someone to update us."
"Naruto, please calm down. I'm positive that Lady Tsunade and Shizune will do everything they can for her. Sakura wouldn't want you to be this upset." Hinata quietly informed Naruto. At Hinata's words, Naruto focused on his breathing and slowly Kurama's traits receded. Hinata quickly grabbed his hand, and at her touch, Naruto turned and buried his head in her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. Hinata closed her eyes and tried to keep herself together when she felt his tears hit her neck.
"Naruto…" Ino said brokenly as she put her hand on his shoulder. The next commotion was in the form of a blonde haired Hokage.
"Move!" Tsunade barely kept herself from shoving the civilian into another dimension. As she ran into the hospital, she saw some of the Konoha Eleven. She knew it was bad when she sensed the Kurama's chakra suffocating the room. "Fuck! Move out of the way!" Tsunade picked up speed as she barreled through the front of the hospital and prayed she'd made it in time. Everyone in the waited room seemed to release bated breath when they heard more than saw Tsunade.
"Lord Sixth." Kakashi nodded when one of his guards appeared. Apparently, there was information he needed to know. He looked at Shikamaru who immediately stood up and quickly walked towards him. Kakashi put his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder and teleported them back to his office and saw Ibiki waiting for them.
"What do you have, Ibiki?"
"Jugo is not dead, Kakashi. Orochimaru's curse mark had been evolved."
"I figured as much. There's no way Orochimaru would kill someone that valuable to him. What's changed?"
"We don't know yet. The area where his curse mark was known to be has completely changed."
"Interrogation?"
"We've been looking for Ino, and before I came up here I was told she was coming here from the hospital."
"Good. Keep me updated."
"Yes sir." Ibiki disappeared in a puff of smoke. Shikamaru sighed and wondered aloud.
"What the fuck is going on? Why would that psychopath attack Sakura out of all of us? The intent was clearly to kill."
"The intent was to poison and capture her, then use her as a negotiation tool." Kakashi said quietly. "Somehow, Orochimaru knows what Sakura is to me." Shikamaru turned and faced Kakashi.
"And what is Sakura to you, Kakashi?"
Kakashi laughed bitterly. "You of all people already know the answer to that question, Shikamaru."
"At this point, it's our groups worst kept secret. Even Naruto suspects something."
Kakashi sighed and leaned back on his desk crossing his arms and legs. "Sakura wanted to wait another six months or so. We've only been together for six months."
"Why does that matter? Kakashi, you of all people know what our life expectancy is. And I'm surprised Sakura wanted that. She was the most affected by Neji and Tenten's short lived relationship."
"She did it for me. For this very reason. She wanted to go public before we left, and I basically dissuaded her telling her all of what comes with her publicly being mine. This was one of the risks. But how in the fuck does Orochimaru know what's going on in my village to this extent? Who would betray us?"
"Maybe it's not betrayal as much as someone like Jugo on surveillance. That evolved curse mark… we don't know what the fuck it does. Sauske made it sound like she was snuck up on. She was only in her underwear, as if she was attacked after she'd gone to bed, or tried to, anyway. She clearly realized someone was in her apartment before she fell asleep. Otherwise we'd be sending out a search team."
Kakashi's eyes closed at those words. He should have gone home with her first, then come back to the tower to hear the report. Shit. How many times would he continue to fuck up with the people he loved? Hadn't he learned this lesson with Obito? Rin? Minato? His Dad? Things had to be different when this was over. "Let's head back to the hospital."
"Kakashi, wait. I need to run something by you. Gaara… he's still here."
"Shikamaru. We cannot involve Suna in this."
"Why not? This is a different ball game now, Kakashi."
"We let Orochimaru live. We'll have to put him down. Let's go."
Shikamaru knew that was the end of the discussion. Kakashi put his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder again and returned them to the hospital. Unfortunately, they teleported right into a war zone.
"Sage Art: Rasenshuriken!" Kakashi turned to see Naruto slicing through the front of the hospital, trying to keep the attackers away from civilians and Sakura. The ninja attacking were forced outside of the building. Naruto had only broken the front windows on the hospital, making sure the building remained structurally sound. Kakashi looked around to see who was currently fighting.
"Fang Over Fang!" Looks like Kiba and Akamaru had returned from the reconnaissance mission and straight into a fight.
"Fire Style: Fireball Justu!" Kakashi heard Sauske's voice behind him, followed by a scream. He didn't seem to be using the Sharingan or Rinnegan, and Naruto was in Sage Mode only. This hadn't gotten out of hand just yet.
"Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll!"
Kakashi saw a tiger rise from the paper, and then went into action. "Kiba! Sai! Shikamaru! Go stand guard in front of the OR!" The men moved immediately, and Kakashi picked up where Kiba and Sai left of.
"Purple Lightning!" Kakashi put his hand right through the heart of a ninja wearing a Sound hitate.
"Naruto! How many of them are there?"
"Fifteen to Twenty! We've taken out the majority already."
"Leave one alive, he'll need to be interrogated." Shortly after Kakashi joined in, the fight was over. He was dragging the only living ninja towards an ANBU operative.
"Take him to Ibiki and Ino immediately. Once they have what they need, kill him."
"Yes sir." After hearing his fate, the Sound ninja tried to fight back, but he was knocked unconscious by the ANBU agent who disappeared immediately after.
"Why did they attack the hospital? To finish Sakura off?" Naruto asked as his Sage Mode markings disappeared.
"To complete the original mission, which was to kidnap her. They must not know that she is in no state to travel." Kakashi thought, then followed up with what he now understood to be true.
"Jugo was the leader of this mission. He's in our custody. Since he didn't show up with Sakura in a reasonable amount of time, they came to the most logical place."
"Looks like something has pushed Orochimaru's patience," Shikamaru stated thoughtfully.
"More like he happened upon an opportunity. Someone is watching the village, more specifically your group and teachers. He found out about Sakura and me somehow and was hoping to use her to get his way."
"Kakashi!" Yamato was running towards them with a vial in their hands. "This was found on Jugo."
Kakashi cursed as this made his theory accurate. It was the antidote to what Sakura was poisoned with. They didn't want her dead, they just wanted her subdued with the possibility of death if she didn't comply. "Yamato. Deliver that to Shizune or Tsunade personally. No one else is to accept it, understand? They are in operating room 3."
"Yes sir!"
