Chapter 3: Rescue Mission! The Konoha 12 Rally!
The street had been cleared. Flak jacketed Jonin and Chunin stood guard to keep back the curious, while the owners of the Noodle Shop looked anxiously on to see what would become of their lives and livelihoods.
Lady Tsunade, Fifth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, stood directly in front of the glowing bright blue portal into which Team 7 had so mysteriously vanished. Jiraiya and Shizune stood on either side of her, along with various other high ranking ninja and clan leaders she had summoned to the scene.
What is that thing? And what does it mean? Could this be the work of Orochimaru, perhaps a prelude to another attack on the village? After all, if people could disappear through the portal there is no reason others couldn't come back through it, launching their assault into the heart of the village itself. Or is it the Akatsuki, some plot to get their hands on Naruto?
"Lord Hyuuga, what can you see?" Tsunade said.
Lord Hyuuga had his byakugan activated, "Some sort of chakra pervades it, but of a type I have never seen before. It appears to be a one way portal only."
"So the reason that Kakashi and his squad haven't reappeared is because there is no way back."
"It seems so, Lady Hokage."
Tsunade could barely restrain from breathing a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn't have to mount a constant guard in case of attack from out of this thing.
"There is something, else Lady Hokage."
"Yes?"
"The chakra maintaining this portal is deteriorating, it will not remain open for very much longer."
Jiraiya adjusted the scroll he carried on his back, "If I go in right away I should be able to find them fairly easily, then it'll just be a matter of finding a way to get us all back home."
"You're not going through that portal." Tsunade said flatly, "I know how you feel about Naruto but I'm not going to risk one of the strongest shinobi in the village at a time when we're still so critically weak."
Jiraiya's face was a mask of fury, "You can't just abandon them! Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Sakura, are you just going to turn your back on all of them and leave them to their fate. That's not the leaf shinobi way and you know it."
"As the Hokage I have to make a judgement on whether the risk is worth the,"
"As the Hokage you're supposed to care for and protect the people of this village-"
"Don't," Tsunade could feel her own anger rising now, building up inside her chest, "don't you ever, ever, dare suggest that I don't care about this village, or about the people in it. I care about Naruto just as much as you do but that does not mean that I am going to let you risk yourself on a fool's errand trying to rescue him."
Jiraiya slumped forward with a heavy sigh, "So we do nothing. We list them missing and then forget all about it."
"Of course not." Tsunade smiled, "I'm going to send a rescue, just not with you in it. Shizune, I think we've seen all there is to see here. I'm going back to my office and I want you to find a couple of people for me."
Tsunade knew that Shizune had found the first of the people she had asked her assistant to fetch when the door to the Hokage's room was thrown open with a bang and a big man with a pudding basin haircut and incredibly thick eyebrows fairly leapt into the room.
"I just heard the news, is it true Lady Hokage?" the Leaf Village's mightiest beast of battle looked shocked at the thought, "Is it true that Kakashi and his squad have just, vanished?"
"We don't know how it happened, Guy," Tsunade said, "all we know is that they have disappeared through some sort of chakra gate, and we have no idea where they went."
"But we have to go and get them," Might Guy said, "we can't just turn our backs on fellow ninja in need."
Looks like I made the right choice. "No, we can't. That's why I'm appointing you to lead the rescue mission. I'll give you a chunin second in command," there was a knock on the door and Shikamaru Nara, looked as bored as he ever did, strolled on in through, "that chunin, to be precise."
"Huh?" Shikamaru said, "What about this chunin? All I know is that I was called here to see you about something?"
Guy rounded on him, his flak jacket flying as he spun about to face Shikamaru, "You're working with me now son, so let go all restraint and unleash all the power and potential of your youth, what do you say?" his teeth gleamed as he grinned.
Shikamaru stared at him without saying anything for a moment before looking down at the floor, "What a drag."
"All right, both of you listen up." Tsunade said, "As you know, the village is stretched to breaking point at the moment so I can't let you have any more jonin or chunin level ninja. You can take any genin volunteers you can but you have to move quickly, that portal isn't going to stay open forever. You're mission is to locate Squad 7 and then find a way of bringing them back to the Leaf Village, understand?"
Guy gave her a big thumbs up, "Perfectly ma'am don't worry about a thing you can count on us." His teeth gleamed again.
"Then get to it."
"This is such a drag." Shikamaru muttered as he followed Guy out the door, "So, where are we going to find anyone dumb enough to volunteer for a mission like this with no prep time and no information."
"I've got a few good ideas." Guy said.
Team Guy stood staring at their sensei and Shikamaru incredulously as they were told everything that was currently known about the events surrounding the disappearance of Team 7.
"Now Lee I know that you aren't in the best shape after your surgery," Guy began.
"I am in perfect shape sir!" Rock Lee yelled, snapping off a salute, "Filled with passion and in the prime of my youth! I promised to love and protect Sakura always, I must go!"
"That's my boy Lee." Guy did the thumbs up-teeth shine combo for the third time already that day.
How often does he do that? Shikamaru thought doesn't he ever get tired of it? As for Lee, figures I guess. I did ask who'd be dumb enough to volunteer for something like this.
Neji Hyuuga cast a sideways glance at Tenten before he said, "Naruto did me a great service, one I would repay now if I could. What do you think, Tenten?"
"Me? I," Tenten looked surprised to have been asked her opinion, "I don't know."
"Come on guys," Lee said, "with Guy sensei in charge what could possibly go wrong?"
Everything? Thought Shikamaru.
"I will go." Neji said.
"And so will I sensei." Tenten added.
"Great," Guy did the gleaming teeth thing- which was really starting to grate on Shikamaru- for the fourth time, "I knew I could count on all of you. Shikamaru, you got any more ideas?"
"Choji Akimichi, Ino Yamanaka, Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga and Shino Aburame." Shikamaru replied tartly, reeling off the list of all the remaining members of the 'rookie nine' on the basis that they all brought something he wouldn't mind having to the table, even as he knew that they would never get even half of them, let alone the whole lot.
What he hadn't counted on was Guy taking him dead seriously, "Great idea, I'll get round them all and pick them up. The rest of you meet outside the Noodle shop and great ready to move out."
"Yes Guy Sensei!" Lee bellowed.
When Shikamaru had suggested the entire rookie nine, he hadn't expected Guy to take him seriously. As he and Team Guy assembled at the drop off point, he took solace from the fact that most of them would surely refuse to volunteer for such a bad prospect of a mission. And yet every last one of them came, every last one of them. Hinata, looking pale as death but strangely determined all the same. Kiba, grinning in that slightly feral way he had. Shino, inscrutable as ever. Ino, muttering distractedly about Sasuke- figures, thought Shikamaru- and Choji chewing on some chips.
"Good job all of you," Guy said, "with the combined power of your youth you'll be absolutely irresistible."
Yeah, yeah can we get out of here? Shikamaru thought, When Lady Hokage finds out that taking all the best genin in the village was my idea she'll kill me. This is such a drag.
"I hope that Naruto is all right when we find him." Hinata said.
"Don't worry," Shino said, "he is more capable than anyone could have guessed."
"I'm sure Sasuke's looking after him." Ino said.
Kiba laughed, "Have you seen the guy lately, he doesn't look like he can take care of himself."
"Shut up, Kiba."
"All right team, listen up." Guy said, "Before we get started I just want to say one thing to you-"
"Wait, Guy wait."
Iruka and Konohamaru jumped off a rooftop and landed on the street beside them.
"Is it true?" Iruka asked, "Is it true that you're going after Naruto and the others?"
"It is, we're going to find them and bring them back home safely." Guy said.
"You gotta rescue Naruto, you just got to." Konohamaru said.
"Don't worry," Guy said, "every last member of Kakashi's team will be home safe and sound before you know it, and that's a promise." Guy gave them both the thumbs up and his teeth gleamed again, "Now, Neji, lead the way."
And so, while Iruka and Konohamaru looked on, the rescue party leapt through the glowing blue portal and out of sight.
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the fic thus far, I'm glad you're enjoying, and you are completely right about the Thestrals, the whole thing just completely slipped my mind.
