The Village Hidden in the Sand's Top Secret Archives
The figure watched the guards from the shadows. There were two more rounds until the lazy guard showed up. He took twice as long as the other guards to trade watches, and they left it unmanned because they didn't think there was much to steal in the archives anyway. The figure scoffed in distaste. It amazed him how little some of the guards were allowed to know, and how easily his companion inside could sneak them in. He tensed. Almost time now. In seconds he would be able to signal his companion and they could make off with the artifact unnoticed just like always. He wondered when they would start catching on. He waited anxiously for the signal, and suddenly everything went horribly wrong.
The guards were right in the middle of changing watches when the barrier that had been concealing him from their sight shattered. He stood frozen in shock his face totally exposed. The guards gaped at the youth that had appeared out of nowhere. To the guards it was like the shadows had just suddenly fallen revealing a brunette boy with semi-dark skin and piercing gold eyes. He was wearing green camo pants tucked into black boots and a faded black T-shirt. His hair was swept in a ponytail and, it didn't take long for them to register the wicked looking Daggertail* in his hand. "What the…" one of the guards said. Before he could finish the sentence the youth sprinted toward the South wall. "After him!"
The alarm went up and the boy could hear several of the guards in the facility tailing him. His eyes roamed around the walls looking for the exit they had pinpointed in case their attempt failed. He looked back "Shoot," he said. Some of the guards had broken out their puppets and were gaining on him. "C'mon, c'mon," he thought trying to speed up his pace. The stupid artifact could be gotten a different way later. It wasn't worth hashing it out with the guards yet. The ground suddenly shook beneath him and a whole wall by the guards blew out behind. He stopped, looked back and grinned. Better late than never. He picked his pace back up and headed to the window that was his escape route.
He was nearly to victory when he saw the puppet out of the corner of his eye. It shot poison darts at him aiming to kill. He acted quickly and whipped out his daggertail in front of him deflecting all the darts except one. He made it to the window and rolled out onto the ground. "Argh!" He grabbed his arm where the dart had struck him, but kept moving. He couldn't afford to be captured and his remaining teammates were capable of getting out themselves. He could already sense their chakra disappearing. He grunted again half in pain and half in exasperation. The mission had failed, and this was going to get ugly fast. He was gonna kill her when he got back. He kept moving before the poison could slow him down and disappeared into the trees.
Naruto stayed silent while Sakura explained their revelation to Shizune. "I see," She said. "We'll send a message to the Kazekage immediately." Just as Shizune prepared to file her report for Gaara, a sand shinobi came flying in. "Lady Shizune!" He stopped in the middle of the room gasping for breath. Shizune looked at him startled. "Are you alright? What happened?" The shinobi bowed low to the stunned group. "Milady, the south archives was just attacked by the thieves. They failed." The group was stunned to say the least. "What happened?" Sakura inquired. The shinobi panted out his response. "The guards… were preparing to switch… watches… when a boy materialized from the shadows… He looked no older… than Kankuro. The guards gave chase…, but he escaped after an explosion blocked our puppeteer guards… Lord Kazecage… expects another attempt on stealing the item… He wants Naruto Uzumaki… and Sakura Haruno to report immediately to the sand… to help capture them."
Shizune nodded. "You have done your duty well. They will leave with you immediately." Naruto and Sakura nodded. "Well, if they weren't noticed before they sure are now," said Naruto. "Wonder what went wrong?"
Yore left the tree she had been hiding in as soon as they had emerged from the tent. She leapt across the familiar buildings and through the window into Danzo's office. "Lord Danzo." she said grimacing behind her mask. She hated calling him that. Danzo acknowledged her. "Yore, what news do you bring?" Yore rose and faced her "master." "The sand shinobi returned to Shizune a short while ago. It seems they have a lead in their case. Naruto and Sakura left immediately with him. What do you wish me to do?" Danzo eyed her. "Nothing. This affair of thieves does not concern me. I see no reason to pursue it, and the Kyuubi container will be secure in the Kazekage's village. You will resume your task when they return." Yore frowned. "Danzo-sama I feel I must again warn you about her…" Danzo slapped his student across the face knocking her mask off. "You will do as you're told and I will hear no more of your ridiculous theories!"
Yore gripped the cheek he had marked with the slap. "Hai Danzo-sama. I will do as I'm told." She said. She tried to still her shaking hands. Danzo narrowed his eyes. "Good. You may leave." She fled to the roof a good distance away from his office. She took deep breaths making the red that had entered her vision die down. The dragon had made contact with the boy. That much she was sure of. Yore clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. She would not sit idly by when her own dreams were filled with blood and fire. She would do as Danzo said for now, but she would not let phantoms rule her. She would stop the dragon even if she had to watch Danzo bleed to do so. She did not feel quilty.
Gaara sat in his office going over reports. These thieves were giving him a headache. It was a miracle they had slipped up this time, but no one was sure what the boy they saw had been after in the first place. He sighed in frustration. His guards seemed so incompetent lately. They had a few faces, but they still weren't sure who any of these people were except for the blonde girl, Tia, from his village. They also still had no idea how many people were in the group. The girl who had been arrested with Tia was another troubling matter. The girl's name and face had been run through almost every database he and his research team had access to. It was like someone had picked any information on the girl clean from every record imaginable. He had a few hits with the boy's physical description linked to the Shimari refugee camp in Iwagakure, but none of their faces matched. Gaara heard a knock from his office door. "Come in," he said.
His sister's head poked around the door. "Anymore hits on the male?" she asked. Gaara frowned. "No, and the guard didn't recognize any pictures from the refugee camp. Did you finish checking the ninja databases for the girl?" Temari walked into the room and stood in front of his desk. "I did." Gaara sighed. "Did you check all of them?" Temari nodded. "All of them." "What about the databases outside the Sand?" he questioned. "By all of them I mean all of them."
Gaara looked up in surprise. "Even Kumogakure's database?" She nodded. "There's still no record of her anywhere." Gaara turned his chair around and faced the window. It was getting late. Naruto and Sakura would be there before long. It had already been three days since he sent out the messenger. Since they had been the ones looking at the files he hoped what they had found would help solve the whole matter or at least unravel some of the mystery before a Kage Council was called. "Temari!" She snapped out of whatever she had been thinking. "Yes?" "I need you to search through the rest of the databases; the ones that don't have anything to do with ninja. She could have left her village's notice before she actually became one." Temari bowed low. "Of course, you can count on me." There was another knock at the door.
"Come in," said Gaara. One of the sentry's that watched the gate entered. "Kazekage-sama, I've been instructed to inform you that Naruto Uzamaki and Sakura Haruno have arrived." "Ah, Good," said Gaara. "Tell them to report here immediately and I will debrief them. Oh, and tell Rowen to go home and rest. He deserves it after all the errands I've sent him on to the leaf." "Yes Lord Kazecage." The sentry went to retrieve the two Konoha ninja.
Gaara noticed his sister still standing in the room. He blinked. "Temari did you have more business with me?" She looked uncomfortable. "Gaara," she said. "I don't doubt your reasoning, but why did you specifically want Shizune, Naruto, and Sakura to look at the thefts when you have a whole village of people here more than qualified to do the same?" "Y'know I was kind of wondering that too Gaara, or did you just want to flaunt the fact you got in the Kage position before me in my face?" Gaara turned his chair around and directed a ghost of a smile at the hyperactive blonde who had just bounced in the doorway.
Temari whipped around. "You! Show some respect to our Kage!" Sakura sweatdropped behind Naruto. "It's fine Temari. He is a friend after all." Gaara said. He turned his attention to his two comrades from Konoha. "You are welcome to hear my answer to Nee-san's question." Temari huffed. Gaara made a serious expression.
"I chose to use you two because I am currently having trouble putting any faith in my council or sentries to handle things of this nature after the incident with Sasori and Diedara. I chose Shizune, quite frankly, because I don't trust Danzo's motives. What he wants is a war, and I'm not too sure he won't get just that. Even with your cheerful personality Naruto, I'm sure that even you have noticed the unrest the Akatsuki and Sasuke have brought about already."
The two ninja looked at the floor. He could tell the mention of Sasuke made Naruto and Sakura uncomfortable. Sakura glanced at him. "We have discovered that one of the thieves may be using Genjutsu to sneak themselves past the guards." Gaara frowned. "I worried as much after the description my guards gave of the boy materializing out of thin air. Even with that information I doubt he himself is the user judging by how surprised the guards said he looked when he realized he was visable." Sakura looked grim. "What do you need us to do?" He gave the konoichi his full attention. "You have had a long journey so tonight you will rest. We have already saved a room for you at the inn." Naruto blushed. "You mean one room for both of us?" Gaara smiled. "Yes," he said calmly. "I'm sure you'll have fun." Temari stared at him and Sakura looked at the floor cracks. Naruto turned at least three shades of red. Gaara coughed and they focused on him again. "Tomorrow at 2:00 you will help start searching the area around the Archives to see if you can find anything at all that would be helpful. I may or may not join you depending on the amount of paperwork I have at the time. Until then you are dismissed."
"Hai," said Naruto and Sakura. Temari led them out to take them to the inn. Gaara looked out the window again and narrowed his eyes. Everything was all so strange and menacing. First the Akatsuki, then the thieves, and now the possible threat of a fourth ninja war. There was also the issue of the chakra he kept detecting around the archives. It was menacing and familiar. The scary part was he wasn't the one who recognized the chakra. Whatever remnants of chakra the Shukaku had left behind in him reacted violently to the almost ancient scent. There was something foreboding and dark in the air. He could feel it, and he couldn't help but wonder how far down the dark path they would all get dragged.
Naruto gritted his teeth while he teased Temari. He felt like his head was going to split open. This could not happen to him while he was in the Sand. He needed this nipped in the bud NOW. All the random images of the black-haired girl were driving him nuts. The fact he was sure he should know her bugged him even more. This, however, was not the point. The point was he was on an important mission and his head felt like it explode any minute. "Are we almost there?" he asked Temari. "Yeah," she said. "It's right around the corner. Tell the attendant you're the guests from Konoha and she'll give you the key. Sakura nodded at her. "Thanks Temari!" Temari nodded and left. They checked in with the attendant and went to the room. Both were relieved to see two beds on opposite sides of the room. "I'm going to shower." announced Sakura. She shot a glare at him. "Don't you dare mess with the toilet." He chuckled. "Course not. You'd pound me." He planned on sleeping, though he wished for once it would be dreamless. "Naruto?" He looked at his teammate. "Yeah?" She smiled. "Sleep well." She disappeared into the bathroom. Naruto sighed and closed his eyes in frustration. Even in his dreams he wasn't allowed to rest.