Naruto,

You have my deepest apologies for this incident, as does Sakura-san. Extend to her my regret, and should she need anything I can supply, please see that you notify me. As an update on the search, no. No one has seen Ino here. As you know, my team is out there searching to the best of their abilities.

I really hope we find her soon.

-Gaara

No PS. Naruto felt like he'd aged ten years in the last few days, and getting this little regret note from Gaara wasn't helping. He always gave Naruto a PS. He knew it made Naruto happy, made Naruto feel human, feel like Gaara was still human. Most of the time.

The jinchurriki closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face, then thought about Ino.

He still hadn't told Sakura. He didn't want to, because Sakura was already in enough pain. He'd tell Itachi, but Itachi wasn't really anywhere to be found these days. He hid in his compound, and nobody could find him, not even Shikamaru.

Blue eyes opened, looking up at the pictures on the wall. From this angle, the sun from the window poured in, glinting off the glass covers, and half of them were unidentifiable to him. But he knew each picture, had spent hours staring at them, memorizing the details when he was supposed to be doing paperwork. He knew which one to look at, which shoulder was that of his kin, his father.

He swallowed. "What do I do?" he whispered. Of course, there was no answer. He'd never, ever gotten an answer.

xXx

Her head was pounding painfully, and fingers were gently pressing against her temple. She felt sluggish, and dehydrated. The back of her throat tasted like iron.

"Hey," a voice murmured, but she drifted away from it, and the agony.

When she came back again, she managed to open her eyes. Someone was tilting her head, and spooning broth into her mouth. "Hey, Blondie, don't…"

For a while, she floats in cushioned darkness. It's comfortable, and weightless. Sometimes Sakura's there with her, and Sasuke. Sometimes she dreams the things she did as a child. Of marrying Sasuke. Of having children. Of being a celebrated kunoichi, like Tsunade.

She was staring up at Kisame's face, dazzled by it. One hand reached up shakily to brush his cheek, and her eyes slipped closed.

She wondered, what happened?

Sasuke doesn't stop when she gets in the way. Sasuke stabs her in the back three times. She counts each one, knows the feeling of his blade in her skin more intimately than anything else. Kisame's face is all rage, and he's lunging. There are the shouts of others, and they draw Sasuke off.

"Blondie," Kisame whispered in her ear, holding her head in his lap. "Hey, fight this. I have to get you back, I have to… please…"

Sakura sits on a bed, a hospital bed. Her stomach is oozing blood, one hand glowing green and pressed to it. The other is covering half her face while she looks up at Ino. "Why," she whispers, brokenly, "why aren't you here yet, Ino?"

The black, the void, was welcome when it came.

xXx

She lay there on the hospital bed, unresponsive. Hadn't moved since the baby was removed from her. Naruto sighed, staring in at the male kneeling beside her bed, trying to get her to talk. Shikamaru hadn't succeeded yet. Not in bringing her out of her gloom, or in finding Itachi when he needed to be found.

Someone stepped up beside Naruto, and a hand pressed against his shoulder in reassurance. "I'll do what I can, Hokage-san," Tsunade murmured. "But… I don't know how much that'll be."

Naruto nodded, staring sadly at his best friend in the world, and fought back tears for a moment. "Thank you, Baasan." He turned and looked at her, feeling just as much a little boy as he always did when their gazes met. "I'm sorry, everything's falling apart, and I should have listened, but he was-"

"Sasuke," Tsunade interrupted flatly, "Is a dangerous man. Yes, you should have listened. Yes, you shouldn't have lessened the security measures. Yes, you should have adjusted the intravenous injection like I told you. But no, Naruto, this isn't your fault. Sasuke made his own decisions. He made himself the enemy of this village, he made himself a monster. It is no one's fault but his own."

Her fingers squeezed gently on his shoulder, and she released him. "I'll go talk to her now. You have use of Shizune if you want it. She went to the Tower already."

He nodded, and watched his predecessor walk into Sakura's hospital room and speak quietly with Shikamaru. The Nara frowned, but nodded and got up, shortly joining Naruto outside. "Hokage-sama."

Naruto didn't answer for a moment, watching Tsunade checking Sakura over in the room, until she slapped the pinkette on the cheek gently. The Hokage drew a slow breath, and exhaled it. "I want the council in my office ten minutes ago. Fetch them all, as well as Shizune, and Ero Sennin."

"Hai." Shikamaru bowed and left to do as he'd bid, and Naruto clenched his fists in anger.

"I'll make him pay for this, Sakura-chan," he whispered to his reflection, as the lights had gone out inside.

xXx

Naruto eyed the assembled bodies before him. Koharu. Homura. Shikamaru. Ibiki. Shizune. Jiraiya. Gai. Kakashi (with his arm in a cast and strapped up to rest over his chest). The Hokage drew a deep breath. "Koharu and Homura. I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here as well."

"We can guess," Homura replied quietly, eying him curiously. "But our council was disbanded, Hokage-sama, by Tsunade-sama. For your sake."

"You were disbanded because of Danzo's influence," the blond refuted. "And because Tsunade-hime was unwilling to risk the lives of her loyal nin for your egos." He held up a hand when Koharu opened her mouth, eyes narrowing angrily. "I offer you both a seat on the council. As one. You will hold this position together until you no longer want it. This is not an order- you may choose to turn it down. However…" His gaze softened. "I need you, your experience. I know your hearts are in the right place, they have always been. My father regarded you as trustworthy, and I shall do the same. What do you say?"

The duo paused, staring at him (as everyone else was) for long moments. They exchanged a look, and finally Homura nodded. "We accept."

"Good." Naruto gave them a tiny smile and turned his attention to Shizune. "I would have liked for your master to be part of this meeting as well. However, she is busy trying to help Sakura-san, and unable to attend. As such, you will report verbally back to her, and make sure she comes to talk to me when she has a chance next."

Shizune bowed, looking sad. "Of course, Hokage-sama."

He nodded. "Thank you."

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "Hokage-sama, while I am… most pleased to be here, of course, flattered, really-"

"You're here because I want you to go after Sasuke," Naruto interrupted, knowing where his teacher was going with that.

Again with the gaping. Shikamaru looked downright alarmed, and Jiraiya's face had gone ashen. "Hokage-sama," the Nara began.

"This mission is important," Naruto said, and drew a deep breath. "I need Ibiki-san to assemble a Hunter team. A specialized interrogation one. This team will be accompanied by Jiraiya, as a failsafe. If you are unable to capture and interrogate Uchiha Sasuke, you are to put. him. down. I don't care what is necessary, but you do it, and all of you will come back alive. This is non-negotiable. This mission will take place, and these things will happen. Am I understood?"

Homura's eyes were wide as he opened his mouth, then closed it when Koharu elbowed him. He nodded hesitantly. Jiraiya's jaw was set, expression grim, but he nodded too. So did Shikamaru, looking old somehow, and Gai, looking sad. Shizune made no response, but she didn't deny him either, Ibiki of course had already inclined his head. And Kakashi…

"Naruto-sama. May I speak with you?" he asked, quietly. "Alone."

Naruto clenched his fists tighter, hiding them in the folds of his robes, and nodded. "Yeah. Shizune, go make your report. Gai, escort Koharu and Homura home. Ibiki-san, you have a team to assemble."

The three bowed and left, but Jiraiya, Shikamaru, and Kakashi didn't budge. "Have you thought this through, Naruto?" Jiraiya demanded immediately. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"I know," Naruto replied angrily. "I can't sit here and watch him kill anyone anymore! I can't be soft-hearted. I can't be lenient. I've given him too much mercy already! Because of my mercy, Sakura's baby is dead, almost a dozen of my men have been slaughtered, spies got into my village! Ino is missing."

Kakashi reached out and grasped his shoulder. "She will be found, Naruto. She's just as strong as Sakura, in her way."

The younger man nodded, irritably. "I know, I know, I just…" He exhaled and looked at Shikamaru. "Actually, that brings me to my next request… I want you to find her. You, Choji and Asuma. Will you-"

"Like you even have to ask," the Nara snapped, and smirked at him. "We're already packed, and planning to leave tonight." When Naruto glared, he shrugged. "I knew you'd send me. I'm the most suited for the job."

It was true… "But you're bringing Kiba too."

"Kiba?" Shikamaru looked surprised, but then his face cleared. "That's smart. He's a very experienced tracker, and he and Akamaru are already familiar with her scent."

Naruto nodded, and sighed. "You'll start at the battle site the others described. Tell your team and depart within the hour. You are to also notify and cooperate with any Suna search teams you may come across. Dismissed, Nara."

The strategist bowed and left Naruto alone with his two teachers. Jiraiya sighed. "Naruto... We'll stop him, I promise."

"Yeah. I trust you, Ero-Sennin," the Hokage murmured, trying to smile.

Jiraiya just patted his shoulder, expression grim, and left. Kakashi watched the blond sit once they were alone. "Council?" he asked, single visible brow lifting.

Naruto nodded. "I need the help. I need to consider all sides of the problems I face, but sometimes I can't come up with it all on my own. So I'm building a council. I hope that you will be on it. Gai, Baasan and Shikamaru too."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Not Jiraiya?"

"He wouldn't accept. Besides, I need him to continue tracking Akatsuki." Naruto narrowed his eyes at his former teacher. "And that's not an answer, sensei."

"Maahh..." Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "It's a very serious offer, you know. I don't know what I should say..."

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. Kakashi would never change. "Well, think about it. Decide by the end of the week."

"Hai." Kakashi paused, thoughtful. "I haven't seen Tenzo around lately..." He looked at the blond, who strove to remain blank-faced, and smiled again. "I'm going to visit Sai and Kotetsu. Would you like me to tell them anything?"

The Hokage considered that briefly before shaking his head. "No. I'll try to visit them tonight. See you later."

Kakashi nodded and left. Naruto sank back into his chair with a sigh, head hanging low.

xXx

She came to consciousness by slow degrees, each moment lighter than the last, until she stared up at a bleary, dark colored ceiling that swam sickeningly with every inhale.

Nearby, there was a fireplace aglow with dying embers, and beyond that, a dark figure with even breath. Ino spent several minutes remembering who that back belonged to, and slowly pushed herself upright.

Her shirt was torn to shit, she saw once the thin blanket fell down to pool in her lap. Only the sleeves remained, kept together by a thin swathe of fabric stretching over her collarbone. Her breasts had been bound in thick bandages for modesty instead, and darker bandages stained with blood bound her ribcage and back, by the feel of it. Her left hand was also bound up.

She had tried to block his blade with that hand.

Pushing the thought away, the blonde carefully stretched out her arms and legs, wincing with every ache. She could move, could run, but she probably shouldn't just yet. Besides, she wanted answers first. Why Kisame had saved her, for starters.

She let out a shaky breath and glanced toward the blue man again. Now that she was paying more attention, she could pick out the lines of his own bandaging in the dim lighting. One leg, both arms, his neck. Uchiha had done a number on him, it would seem.

Ino bit her lip. "Kisame-san?" she whispered into the late night quiet. "Are you awake?"

A beat longer passed with no reply, before he looked over his shoulder at her, grey eyes assessing. "You lucid yet?"

She nodded, and watched him roll over completely and sit up. "Where are we?"

Kisame snorted, crawling the five feet to her bedroll. "Ame. It's been nearly a week, before you ask. I'm honestly surprised you even survived. Or I would be if I didn't realize you were self healing the whole time."

Feeling a flush creep into her cheeks, Ino looked away from him. "Um. It was Shikamaru's idea, to teach myself to do it subconsciously. In case I was ever wounded and abandoned without hope of a quick enough rescue." It also explained her low chakra levels.

"That's the smart teammate of yours, right?" he asked.

She ignored that question and forced herself to meet his eyes again. "Why did you save me, Kisame-san?"

A dark sapphire brow arched as Kisame leaned back on his hands. "I've been working for your Hokage for a year and a half now. As a spy, and informant."

Her eyes got wider with each word. "What?! Why? How?" she demanded, thoughts whirling. Naruto had employed him?

Kisame shrugged. "Convenience? Can't really give me asylum without starting another war with Mist. Considering his worst criminal just escaped, and one of his top medics has gone missing, that's the last thing he needs right now."

Though she knew he was right, she still didn't understand why he would go to so much trouble for her. Also... "Why Ame?"

He smirked at her like she was adorable. "It's Akatsuki's back yard, of course, so the last place they would look for me."

She paused, surprised. Akatsuki operated out of Ame? But... She shook her head; that wasn't what she'd meant. "No. Why not Konoha? You could have left me outside the gates. And where's my team?"

Kisame sighed and scrubbed a hand through his ear-length mess of blue hair. "It's not that simple. Uchiha tried to take you with him, I don't know why, and by the time I caught up, this was closer. There were Suna nin when I left, though, so your team should be fine."

The blonde stared at him blankly. "He tried to take me with him?" A nod. "But he'd just tried to kill me!"

"Yep."

"That's- that makes no sense!"

He snorted. "Tell me about it."

Ino have him an incredulous look. "Literally. None at all. Why would he-"

"I already said I don't know, didn't I?" he demanded in irritation.

She held her arms up in surrender. "Yes, yes, sorry. I just... This is all such a mess. Everyone is probably worried about me, and my team-" She cut herself off as startled realization dawned.

Her team. If she'd really been gone a week, then they would surely have set out to look for her by now. And if they were smart, and Shikamaru definitely was, then they'd have brought along a tracker, preferably someone familiar enough with her to make the difference... "Oh my god, they're going to bring my ex!" she yelped, interrupting whatever Kisame was saying.

He stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "That's what you're worried about?"

The kunoichi glared back. "Yes! I hate him and he's a total man whore!"

The expression on Kisame's face was some strange mixture of disbelief, exasperation, and amusement. "Kid, I would kill to have your worries."

"Nobody asked you," she shot back in embarrassment. In an effort to change the subject, she eyed his torso. "Let me check your wounds."

"Are you kidding me? You're barely awake!" he protested, shifting slightly away.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. You did a good job with my bandages, and I'm mostly healed. The least I can do in exchange for all the help is make sure yours are fine too."

The nukenin looked unconvinced, but with a little more wheedling, she managed to get him closer. Carefully, she began to remove his bandages, starting with the ones around his neck. Once they were clear, the slowly developing knot in her stomach solidified, and she sat back with a sick feeling.

Beyond the most recent injury, there were deep scars on his upper body, places that he must have been laid out for weeks, they were so bad, and others where deadened skin had obviously been scraped out.

She lifted her eyes to meet his shadowed ones, but then quickly focused on the injury she was tending. This one wasn't so bad, a sword slice dipping down from neck to almost his solar plexus, but it was shallow. He'd obviously dodged enough to make the wound nonfatal.

She closed her eyes and focused on her chakra to determine if she had enough to heal him. Then she opened them to eye his arm and leg. "Are either of those any worse than this?"

He hesitated. "My leg's rather inconvenient."

She nodded and looked at it. "Um." The problem was it was on his thigh...

"Uh huh. Look, I'm sure you're a nice kid and all-"

She glared at him for the insinuation and bent to the task, unwrapping his leg to get a better look. This had been a kunai stab, and was a bit deeper than the chest wound. "I want to wash it out first, before I do any chakra healing."

He nodded and shifted as if to get up, but she pressed pointedly down on his knee. "Where do you keep the water."

Amused, Kisame settled down again. "Pot by the fire. Should be warm."

She looked to the glowing embers, spying a dark cooking pot in the shadows. With a sigh, she climbed to her feet and went over to stoke the fire back to life. There were a few unused logs nearby, so she plucked one up and put it on the renewed flickering flames. It caught quickly; very dry wood.

As she set the pot into the groove for heating, she decided to get more answers out of him. "When you said this was Akatsuki's back yard, did you mean their main hideout?"

"You're the least subtle shinobi in the world, you know that?" he drawled in response. "I didn't think that was possible, after meeting Naruto."

Ino shot him a glare. "I wasn't trying to be subtle, jackass. Keep it up and I will paralyze you."

Kisame grinned and held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Yes, their main hideout is here, and before you ask, yes, Naruto knows about it. Why do you think Konoha is no longer allies with Ame?"

She hadn't even known, actually, which made her wonder what else Naruto was keeping quiet. Except, so far, he really had been a wonderful Hokage. She shouldn't worry, because even if he kept things from her, he kept nothing from Sakura. And that was what mattered, wasn't it?

xXx

Yeaaahhh…. This one hasn't been beta'd, since it's like five in the morning and I didn't feel like it. I'll get around to it tomorrow. Or… some time… Anyway, yay update after for, like, forever? Hope you enjoyed the read! I had lack of computer for nearly a year (over a year?) and then a bunch of life issues on top of that (I lost my friggin' mind…)

But. Um. Yeah! Review/comment/whatever it is for this site? They inspire me! Usually...