Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto or any of the characters from the original series! Okami Etsu and the Onizuka's are mine however - so please ask nicely before borrowing! Any characters and situations herein are purely fictitious, and any similarity between those and persons living or dead is coincidental.

Suspicions

'Ugh! Yuck!' Iruka covered his mouth as a wave of nausea swept over him from the foul antidote.

'Sorry...' Etsu apologised with a wry smile as Iruka staggered to the kitchen doorway.

'Nnnnn. It's ok...' Iruka gulped down a few breaths of clean evening air.

'Better?' Etsu looked worried.

'Uh-huh.' Iruka nodded, leaning against the doorframe. 'When do you suppose the others will get here?'

'I have no idea... Lady Tsunade did say she'd be back as well, but who knows?' Etsu looked at the clock. 'I'm guessing something came up.'

Iruka eyed the clock with a frown. Something may have come up, but surely they'd have heard by now... Lady Tsunade had left three hours since, with a promise she'd be back shortly.

A surge of chakra announced the presence of two ANBU operatives.

'Okami Etsu?' The taller of the two asked in an emotionless voice. Iruka gasped and looked at Etsu.

'What?' Etsu's eyes narrowed dangerously, an ominous presence seemed to have crept into the house with arrival of the two ANBU.

'You are under arrest. On the Hokage's orders.' The shorter one spoke, equally emotionless. Iruka gulped audibly and backed into the nearest kitchen cabinet.

'Oh really?' Etsu smiled deceptively. Iruka winced, whatever the presence was, it was getting angrier.

'You are a traitor. If you won't come willingly...We have orders to kill you.' The taller one stepped into the kitchen.

'Fools.' Etsu growled. Iruka noted the faint smile playing on Etsu's lips before darkness engulfed the kitchen. A wave of energy surged through the kitchen and Iruka heard the sound of two people hitting the ground outside. Iruka felt something brush against his hip, near to the pocket of his uniform pants. He touched the pocket and felt the outline of a small envelope. The darkness vanished. A brindle cat trotted smartly past the two ANBU and disappeared into the night. The taller ANBU struggled to his feet and dashed into the kitchen, followed by his partner.

'Where did she go?' They both turned to Iruka. There was no trace of any chakra left in the house, barring Iruka and the two ANBU.

'I don't know!' Iruka gasped, wide-eyed. He didn't need to see their faces to read their suspicions.

'Watch him.' The taller ANBU ordered tersely, before disappearing to search the house. The shorter ANBU glared at Iruka from behind his mask. After what felt like an age the taller one stalked back into the kitchen and marched over to where Iruka stood.

'You are coming with us.' He grabbed a handful of Iruka's shirt roughly. Iruka suddenly felt his sandals being shoved into his hands. Slowly he lifted his feet up high enough to hook them on without bending. The two ANBU marched him through the village and up to the Hokage's office.

'What are you doing with Iruka-sensei?' Lady Tsunade snapped as they entered her office. Iruka stiffened as he realised how many jonin and tokujo were in the room. He groaned as he realised whatever was going on must be serious for this many high-ranked shinobi to be present.

'Iruka-sensei has nothing to do with the situation.' Lady Tsunade sighed, her voice tinged with annoyance and frustration. 'Am I to take it that Okami Etsu escaped?'

'Yes. Though what jutsu she used to accomplish that is beyond me...' The taller ANBU huffed in annoyance.

'Maybe it's just as well she did escape.' Kakashi snapped his book shut and glared at Lady Tsunade. He was the closest jonin to Iruka and the two ANBU.

'Damn you Kakashi!' Lady Tsunade looked furiously at the silver haired jonin. 'On top of having enemy shinobi near the village, we now have a rogue ninja to find and capture! Your obstinacy is noted!'

'Shut up!' Anko growled from her position next to Kakashi. Her tone held a note of warning, and the look of anger on her face would have sent the nine-tailed fox scuttling for cover. Kakashi merely shrugged.

'Kakashi... So help me, I am warning you...' Lady Tsunade stood up and strode round her desk.

'Huh.' Kakashi folded his arms, but his look of disapproval stayed plain. Iruka blinked, he was beginning to feel giddy with tiredness.

'What's going on Lady Tsuande?' Asuma asked. 'First you're putting together a team to guard Etsu-san... Then you want her arrested? And now she's turned rogue?'

'Has Etsu-san really turned traitor?' Kurenai looked puzzled and distressed by the idea. 'I didn't know her personally, but I wouldn't have said she'd given any indication of...'

'It would seem so.' Lady Tsunade snapped tiredly. 'ANBU found two witnesses who swear there was no camp, no large group of enemy shinobi and that Etsu was with the band who attacked Iruka...'

'What? But Iruka-sensei said...' Asuma frowned.

'No but's, Asuma.' Tsunade growled dangerously. 'I've heard enough of Okami Etsu tonight to last me a lifetime... I wouldn't have believed it myself, but the evidence is damning.'

'It's a bit strange though...' A new voice rose over the general muttering in the room.

Iruka looked startled as he noted the presence of the young Nara heir. Shikamaru stood slightly behind his father Shikaku, quietly eying the assembled jonin and tokujo.

'As Kurenai-sensei said - Etsu-san has given no indication of being traitor before today, and she works closely with ANBU. Maybe if she was working with genin or even chunin she might have kept such tendencies hidden, but not jonin or ANBU.' Shikamaru shrugged lazily. 'Besides, she always reported directly to you or Lord Sandaime. And neither of you noticed anything either.'

'Shikamaru has a point...' Shizune nodded thoughtfully. 'And I've been on missions with Etsu-san. I would have said her loyalty was beyond question...'

'I worked with her too...' The shorter of the two ANBU with Iruka noted. 'But that doesn't mean she isn't a traitor.'

'Enough.' Lady Tsunade roared, thumping her fist into the desk. 'I want Etsu-san apprehended as soon as possible. Asuma, Kurenai, Gai - you three will assemble your genin teams immediately for a search and capture mission. Ibiki, assemble a team from TI and go with them. Ebisu, you will take over Kakashi's squad - Genma, go and tell Team 7 I want them here now...'

'Yes, Lady Hokage.' Genma disappeared promptly.

'Lady Hokage.' Asuma, Kurenai, Gai and Ibiki acknowledged their orders and took their leave.

'Shikaku, see to it that all available jonin are on standby - I'm raising the village to level 3 alert. If anyone see's Okami Etsu, I want her detained.' Lady Tsunade looked thunderous.

'Of course.' Shikaku nodded grimly. He beckoned to Shikamaru and Inoichi to follow him. Ebisu coughed slightly and exited the room dragging Raidou and Aoba with him.

'What do you intend to do now?' Kakashi snapped in annoyance, ignoring Anko's irritated attempts to silence him. Izumo rolled his eyes and Kotetsu looked pale. They were the only five left, apart from the two ANBU...

'Arrest Etsu-san and interrogate her, if possible. If Etsu chooses to make that too dangerous, then our only other option is to kill her...' Lady Tsunade glared at the stunned jonin, daring him to oppose her.

Iruka gave a startled cry as the Hokage's words penetrated his befuddled mind... He shrugged off the ANBU who held him and stepped forward. Unfortunately the ANBU's hold was less to do with restraint and more to do with support. Suddenly the room span out of all control and the floor was rushing up to meet him.

And that's it for chapter 12! Little bit shorter than previous chapters, but this was a natural ending point.

As always read and review! ^_^