I don't own Naruto or Kishimoto.
Naruto: Paths Less Traveled
Chapter 4
Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Team Baki arrived in Suna just before sunset. Kakashi spent a few minutes summoning one of his nin dogs and ordering it to report back to Konoha on their progress, before joining the rest of the group in the grand entry lane.
"...and we'll arrange for lodging for the night for both of you," Baki was telling Shikamaru. "In the morning, we should make sure you and Kakashi-san are properly outfitted for our foray into the great desert. We'll more than likely be spending at least a few days away from the village."
Kakashi chose that moment to interject, "Actually, Baki-san, I had hoped we could spend some time interviewing members of the village's guard, in case one of them happened to catch sight of Naruto while he was leaving." He glanced at Gaara before continuing, "After all, we don't have very much to go on at the moment, so any information we can add before setting out can only help."
Baki nodded. "A sensible recommendation, and one I don't think we'll have difficulty accomplishing within our schedule. It's best we delay our departure until tomorrow evening, so as to avoid having to travel in the open during the hottest part of the day. Now then, Temari will see that you're both quartered while I report to the council that we've returned and request authorization to continue our mission. I doubt they'll refuse, given the circumstances, but we all have to keep the system operating smoothly. The marketplace opens early here, so we'll come to meet you at sunrise."
Kakashi nodded in return. "Please pass our greetings to your council, on behalf of Konoha, and our gratitude for their hospitality." Shikamaru gave a slight bow to Baki before he and his team continued further into the village, leaving Temari behind.
If Temari was feeling put out about being made to play hostess, she didn't show it. "Our guest quarters are this way. Follow me." With that, she turned and began walking toward the northern quadrant of the village.
oooooo
Shikamaru woke an hour before sunrise the next day and began preparing himself for their extended journey. Temari had said very little to them last night while playing guide, and nothing to him directly. Probably because she was still irritated about that crack he'd made on the way out of Fire Country, but that didn't concern him.
After washing and eating a quick breakfast, Shikamaru stepped out of the small quarters and found Kakashi already waiting in the hallway. He blinked in barely contained surprise at seeing the man who had a whole time zone named after him showing any sign of punctuality. To be fair though, the situation really was that serious.
Baki and his team arrived well before the sun had peeked over the village's shield wall. "The council will honor the Hokage's request for cooperation, and has offered to cover any equipment expenses we might incur while we get you prepared for the desert."
Kakashi's eye closed into the shape of a crescent in that way it always did when he smiled. "It's always nice when everyone plays well together. Where should we start?"
Baki gestured to the street behind him. "The markets are near the village center. We'll get you fitted for robes first, then we'll stock up on rations and water."
"Sounds good," Kakashi said. "How will we carry out the questioning of the village guards?"
"Actually, we've made appointments to meet with some of them later in the morning," Baki replied. "We went ahead and pulled detachment records and identified the members that were on guard duty during the night of the event. They'll meet us in the Kazekage's tower."
Shikamaru grunted to himself. "Are you sure we won't just be wasting our time? After all, we don't even know when or where Naruto was supposed to have left from, so it's unlikely the guards will have anything useful to tell us."
"Naruto left from the main village gate at late evening," Gaara responded. "As I said before."
"My apologies," Shikamaru replied with a shrug. "I just assumed since Naruto apparently made it without resistance that nobody was watching."
Kakashi glanced at him sharply but made no comment. Baki stared at him intently for a few seconds but declined to speak, having apparently thought better of raising the issue for discussion. Gaara's siblings settled for glowering at him.
"Well," Kakashi spoke a little loudly, in an attempt to diffuse the tension. "Why don't we go meet your outfitters, Baki-san?" As they turned, Kakashi fixed Shikamaru with a look that promised words later.
It was going to be a fantastic morning.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.
oooooo
Konoha had felt strangely quiet lately. If anyone had asked, Sakura would have told them she was relieved to have a break from the usual insanity, but in truth the whole situation felt so wrong she couldn't bring herself to properly savor it.
She knew exactly why. Naruto hadn't been coming by to see her lately, and after enduring months of a loud-mouthed hyperactive blond constantly trying to get in her good graces, his absence seemed almost lonely. There was something else, though. The village continued to operate normally, but there seemed to be a pall over the place that couldn't be defined.
Despite that, she refused to give in to her own doubts, and made her way to the Hokage's tower with determination in her steps. She was back on active duty, Tsunade-sama had agreed to train her personally, and she was going to show the Sannin her very best. Entering the Hokage's tower, Sakura made for the stairwell that lead to Tsunade's office.
When she entered, she found Tsunade at her desk examining another one of Konoha's endless proposals. While it was a common occurrence, the Sannin seemed to be going through her routine more industriously than Sakura had ever seen before. There was also a conspicuous lack of alcohol.
Tsunade glanced up briefly as Sakura closed the door behind her. "Oh, Sakura. I'm very sorry, but I'm going to have to postpone our appointment today. There's just too much here that needs to be done yesterday for me to take any time off right now."
Sakura nodded, and tried to hide her disappointment. One shouldn't feel entitled to the Hokage's attention, after all. "I understand, Hokage-sama," she replied. Feeling a slight burst of inspiration, she continued, "Um, do you know if there's any sort of self-study I should be doing in the meantime?" Studying was Sakura's best strength. If she could get a head start, she'd be that much better off when Tsunade was able to see her.
Tsunade grunted softly. "I'd tell you to find Shizune and see what she could do for you, but I need her here. Why don't you go down to the hospital and do some volunteer work? They can always use more hands."
Sakura nodded again. "I'm sure they'll give me some useful practice," she said diplomatically. She turned to leave, when a thought struck her. Turning around, she asked, "Oh, Tsunade-sama, I was wondering... um, can you tell me where Naruto is? I haven't seen him for a few days, so I thought maybe you had him working on something with Kakashi-sensei."
The Hokage's reaction was pronounced, and very odd. She stiffened in her seat, and stared at Sakura with mild shock. Sakura began shifting nervously under Tsunade's gaze, when the Sannin finally spoke. "...Meet me and Shizune for dinner tonight. We'll talk then." With that, she returned to her paperwork, putting the girl out of mind.
Sakura left, feeling more confused than when she'd started that morning. As she started down the stairs, Shizune appeared heading up to her level. "Oh, hello Shizune-sempai."
"Good morning, Sakura," Shizune responded dully. "Were you just leaving?"
Sakura looked hard at Shizune for a moment before she nodded slowly. "Tsunade-sama says she's too busy to make our training time, so she's sending me to the hospital to get some practice."
"I'm sure it will be very helpful," Shizune agreed. She continued up the stairs as they spoke, and was now passing Sakura on her way to the upper tier hallway. For some reason, she seemed to barely be paying any attention to what was going on around her.
Sakura turned and asked, "Ne, sempai. Tsunade invited me to join you both for dinner tonight, but I forgot to ask her where she wanted to go. Do you happen to know where she's planning to be?"
Shizune turned around and looked at Sakura for a moment before answering, "We usually meet at Ishida's place. Around 7:30."
Sakura blinked. "Ishida's? Isn't that the shinobi bar?"
Shizune nodded. "Tsunade often feels the need to unwind after a day in the tower... and I think I could use the chance to relax also."
Sakura looked at Shizune for another minute. Although the girl was collected as she always was, there was a slump in her shoulders that Sakura had never seen before, and dark bags under her eyes. "Ano... sempai, is everything alright?"
Shizune started slightly at the question. "You were just with Tsunade, weren't you? Didn't she tell you?"
Sakura tilted her head slightly. "She didn't tell me anything, only that I should meet her and you for dinner tonight if I wanted to find out."
"Oh." Shizune glanced at the floor for a second before continuing. "Well then, you should definitely try to come."
Sakura nodded uncertainly. "Alright, I'll see you there," she promised.
But Shizune had already turned away, and did not reply.
oooooo
The first guard they interviewed had nothing of substance to report on Naruto's departure from Suna. Neither did the second guard, nor the third or fourth, and as the fifth one was stepping out, Kakashi began to notice a pattern.
When the original fifteen individuals who'd been sent to meet them were all cleared, and with no new information to show for their efforts, Baki decided to call for the guardsmen who had been off-duty on the night that Naruto disappeared.
Three hours past noon they finally completed their interrogation, and had gotten exactly nowhere. Kakashi spoke for all of them. "This is ridiculous."
Baki nodded reluctantly. "It seems Naruto and Gaara are stealthier than we gave them credit for."
Kakashi looked at Gaara speculatively. "I didn't know Gaara was a stealth specialist."
Kankuro glanced at Gaara and shrugged helplessly. "He technically isn't. But he has a history of disappearing when he doesn't want to be bothered, and most of the time nobody goes looking for him."
"And you'll recall that nobody considered Naruto to be a stealth specialist either," Baki added.
"Even so," Shikamaru interjected, "you'd think somebody would have kept eyes on a foreign visitor, even if we are allied villages."
Baki sighed. "I'm afraid I must agree. It is most worrisome."
"I was thinking of a different word for it, myself," Shikamaru noted.
Temari snarled at him, "I swear to the gods, if you don't cut that shit out..." She raised her fist threateningly. She had been sniping at Shikamaru for much of the day, since their first conversation that morning.
Kakashi placed his arm between them. "Let's stay focused, people. The fact of the matter right now is that we haven't gained anything here, and the day is slipping away fast." He looked to Baki. "We can either continue with our original plan or take it back to the drawing board and see what we come up with. Depending on what actually happened, we risk losing more time either way."
Baki nodded. "I agree. At this point, I'm beginning to suspect we would accomplish nothing in the desert but to possibly give ourselves heat exhaustion." He looked between everyone in the party for a moment. "I say we start over. Throw everything we can come up with on the table and go with the most plausible course of action."
"I concur," said Kakashi.
Shikamaru nodded. "I agree, also."
Temari and Kankuro looked at Gaara warily before also throwing in their support. Gaara remained silent, but nodded once when all eyes turned to him.
Kakashi nodded firmly. "It's settled then. If you don't mind, I'd like to confer with Shikamaru here before we begin. We'll return to the tower in an hour."
oooooo
Kakashi herded Shikamaru into his apartment before closing the door behind him.
"What the hell are you playing at?" He certainly didn't waste time coming to the point.
Shikamaru studied Kakashi - what little he could see of him - for a moment. "Doesn't it strike you as odd that we are here on the word of one genin whose story has zero corroboration and no evidence of any kind?"
Kakashi's expression didn't change, but the skin around his eye tightened imperceptibly. "As a matter of fact, it does, but at the same time I understand exactly what's at stake if he's right, and it's not something we can dismiss out of hand. Do you have an alternative conclusion?"
"I think we're chasing phantoms here," Shikamaru answered. "In fact, I'm starting to think Naruto might never have come here at all."
Kakashi continued to stare at him. "Explain," he said.
"Consider what we know," Shikamaru began. "We get a report from Gaara that Naruto wandered out of his village, into Suna, and then into the desert, and nobody but Gaara saw him do it. Nobody, not even his own family, can substantiate any of this. That report also tells us that Naruto died in the desert, alone, where nobody can see him. Naturally, we have no body to verify that with either. And now here we are, in Suna, and nobody can tell us anything about what he was doing here and when he left."
Shikamaru noted Kakashi's attention – good. The masked nin could clearly see where he was going and just as clearly didn't like the implications any more than he did. He decided to lay it all out at once and be done with it.
"I don't believe for one second that a person could walk out of this village in any direction without being immediately exposed to a dozen pairs of eyes at any minute, unless they managed to go under the mountain. There's no cover out there, and I happen to know that the moon passed its full during the timeframe Gaara tells us this thing happened in. The fact of the matter is, I think Gaara made this whole thing up, and he's leading us by the nose to keep us from finding out what actually happened with Naruto."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "Alright, so you think Gaara's lying to us, and lying to his own family and countrymen by extension. Now, can you think of a reason why he'd agree to do it?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "No. That's what's been bothering me. At first I thought I was worried about Naruto and what could have happened to make him want to kill himself, until I eventually realized that it wasn't his part of the story that seemed wrong, it was Gaara's. I have no idea how or why he came up with it."
Kakashi looked away, his gaze going out of focus. After a minute, he looked back at Shikamaru. "If Naruto is alive, and Gaara is lying about him being dead, then Naruto must have asked him to come to us with that story. And that means..." Kakashi's eye widened. "It means Naruto wanted to distract us. He must have decided to go after Sasuke alone."
"That's crazy," Shikamaru stated flatly. "Not even Naruto is stupid enough to go rolling headfirst into a village run by Orochimaru for the sake of... shit." He put his hand against his forehead. "He really would do something like that, wouldn't he?"
"We need to report to Tsunade as soon as possible," Kakashi said with a hint of urgency creeping into his voice. "Also, I think we need to confirm your theory about Gaara. If Naruto really did put him up to this, we need to know everything he knows."
"How do you plan to do that?" Shikamaru asked.
"That's easy," Kakashi answered. "We'll ask him."
oooooo
No jingling of bells announced Akatsuki's second visit to Konoha. Having discarded the foolishness of presenting themselves in full regalia, Itachi and Kisame opted for a more subtle infiltration. However, this also meant that Itachi was forced to enter the village alone – Kisame's attributes were too distinctive to be covered up by anything less than a full henge, which would be noticed immediately even by inexperienced chuunin. To compensate, Kisame was waiting in concealment near the recently damaged section of the village's outer wall, maintaining contact via two-way radio, so that he would be able to intervene in the event that Itachi's cover was blown. Such a thing was unlikely in the extreme, but the ranks of Akatsuki had not survived for so long by taking unnecessary risks.
To prepare, Itachi had disguised himself with a standard ANBU kit, coloring his hair an unremarkable shade of brown and smoothing over his more distinctive facial features with some carefully applied cosmetics. With a change of civilian clothing and a more subtle shift in posture and carriage, the missing nin vanished – in his place was a travelling merchant, on vacation out of Grass Country, but also hoping to establish a few new business contacts. He had even acquired a container of rice he could present as a 'sample' for any local retailers, should anyone question the legitimacy of his presence.
As he entered and registered his visit with the chuunin at the main gate, Itachi quickly noted the village's state of repair. Little time had passed since their previous visit here, shortly after Orochimaru's failed attempt to eradicate his former home, but signs of progress could be seen everywhere. The northern market district, which stood closest to the village coliseum and had taken the worst brunt of the assault, was already more than half rebuilt.
It was clear, however, that the local populace had not forgotten their recent brush with destruction. Many citizens went about their business with a slightly furtive look about them, shoulders hunched down while they cast frequent glances at the rooftops, as though expecting to see foreign shinobi rain from the heavens at any moment. Local ANBU patrols were operating more heavily than was normal, and in full view of the public – obviously a measure that had been focused on bolstering the perception of security, rather than achieving it in truth.
It was just as well that Kisame had been pressed into remaining out of sight, as he would be quickly spotted under the eye of so many patrols, and many in Konoha would not welcome him gladly should they recognize a member of Akatsuki once more within their midst. Unfortunately, he and Kisame had no leads, which left Itachi with no choice but to make use of his contact within the village to accomplish their task.
It was well known to the hidden villages of the Five Countries that Itachi had murdered his entire clan in cold blood shortly before fleeing Konoha, and that there was a standing warrant for his execution. Nobody knew the reasons, however – thanks partly to the fact that there had been only one witness, and that child had been far too young to understand the currents which had led to such an event. In a very real way, Itachi's loyalty to Konoha had never wavered. He did what he did for the same reason all shinobi performed the tasks they were given.
Orders.
Granted, Itachi's orders were of the sort that could never be openly sanctioned by a respectable administration, such as the one that operated under Sarutobi. Orders like those were not filed and were not spoken of. They did not exist. The specifics of his case reinforced this truth with the fact that the particular orders Itachi had been given came not from the office of the Hokage, but from the underground branch of ANBU directed by Shimura Danzo. Only Danzo remained aware of Itachi's continued allegiance to his home village. Through Danzo, Itachi was kept up to date on current events, and conversely, Danzo was made aware of the movements and actions of the organization to which Itachi now reported. In this way, Konoha could be prepared for the day on which Akatsuki began to strike openly.
But then Naruto had gone missing, and Pain had learned of the event from sources Itachi had not been aware existed within his home village. His only option was to consult with Danzo and determine the best form of damage control they could implement before matters went straight to hell. But first, he needed to deflect his comrade's attention in a manner that would avert any suspicion regarding his divided loyalties. The former swordsman of Kiri could be a brute, but he was no fool.
"Kisame," Itachi spoke sub-vocally into the receiver clipped to his collar.
"Here," came the soft reply.
"I am going to attempt to infiltrate the public administrative offices. I will need to deactivate and conceal the radio to avoid arousing suspicion. If I do not re-establish contact within twenty minutes, I will meet you at our secondary rendezvous point."
"Understood," Kisame's voice came back through the earpiece. "Good luck."
Shutting off his radio, Itachi unclipped the receiver and earpiece and placed them in the inner pocket of his pack. Hefting the load more securely onto his shoulder, he made his way to the Hokage's tower.
oooooo
Danzo looked up from his desk as someone – a mere merchant civilian – entered his office unannounced. His administrative assistant could be seen through the open doorway listing to the side in his chair, obviously in no condition to respond to orders. As the stranger closed the door behind him, Danzo straightened himself and prepared for violence. "I hope you realize that by intruding upon me in this fashion you have signed your own death warrant."
"My death warrant is a matter of record in every village within the Elemental Nations, Danzo-san," the voice of Itachi replied. As he met the man's eyes, Danzo was able to recognize the features of Konoha's most effective living field agent.
"Itachi," he said with a sigh. There was no need to berate the man for risking exposure this way. Both of them knew he chose to return only in times of extreme crisis. "I presume you have heard the news regarding the disappearance of the Kyuubi's vessel."
"The leader of my organization has learned of the boy's departure via unknown contacts within the village," Itachi said. "My partner and I have been assigned the task of locating and capturing him."
Danzo sighed again, this time in frustration. Those bastards in Akatsuki were too damned good at penetrating village security. He hadn't even been aware that there was a leak. "Unfortunately, not even my ROOT agents know exactly where the boy is now, but there is a report in the Hokage's office that he traveled to Suna and wandered into the desert to die."
He watched Itachi closely. The man hadn't reacted in any obvious fashion, but there was a tightness around his eyes that hadn't been there before. He knew the implications. Danzo continued, "However, while a team was dispatched to verify Suna's claims, we believe this was a pose designed to give the boy additional time to reach safe cover. The Ichibi vessel's report was filled with gaps, and his responses to requests for details are invariably vague or evasive."
Itachi gazed at him steadily. "You have a conclusion, Danzo-san?"
"Uzumaki may have thought he was being very clever, concealing his true aim under this guise, but he is only a genin, and a poorly developed one at that," Danzo said with a disgruntled tone. Many in Konoha's upper echelons knew Danzo's views on the 'correct' form of education and training the Uzumaki boy should have received… and that those views had been largely ignored by the Sandaime. "The most reasonable conclusion was that he intended to travel in the opposite heading of where that report was meant to lead us. Considering his history, it was safe to assume he would travel to the location of his first mission out of the village, in Nami."
"You have sent agents to apprehend him, then," Itachi surmised.
"Of course we have," Danzo assured him. "However, the boy has covered his tracks surprisingly well. We know he visited several shops in Nami, but we can't determine whether he made contact with any of his prior associations there, and as far as we can tell he only lodged for one night. He may have already left, and in that case there's no telling where he'll pop up next."
"Can you provide a list of these shops he visited?" Itachi asked.
Danzo grunted. "It would be easier if you hadn't rendered my assistant catatonic. Give me a few moments." He lifted the nearest stack of papers on his desk and began thumbing through them. The reports had come in only a day ago and so they should be… there. Danzo removed several sheets and passed them across his desk. Itachi picked up the stack and began scanning through it.
"It's fairly sparse," Danzo admitted. "One thing we did learn is that one of those shops belongs to another missing nin, out of ANBU, no less. He goes by the moniker Kensu. He's not one of ours, and that name doesn't match any of the missing nin we have on file. Apparently, Kensu was a skilled infiltration expert. If he is assisting Uzumaki, we may need to update the boy's description for our hunter teams."
"Have your agents interrogated him?" Itachi asked.
"No," Danzo replied. "We did not want to risk exposing our presence in Nami. The situation there is still sensitive due to the late Gato's oppression, and we have an alliance to maintain."
Itachi nodded silently and continued to read, displaying one of the qualities Danzo appreciated most in the 'rogue' shinobi. Itachi did not waste time asking inane questions or objecting to an unwanted reality. He absorbed new information, reoriented himself, and continued forward. After another moment he looked up. "Given what you have collected here, I'm certain we can leverage what we need from this Kensu. However… I'm curious to know why you have not chosen to include the Hokage in the planning of these operations."
Danzo narrowed his eyes. "You know as well as I, that woman cannot be trusted to do what is necessary for the safety of this village. When she learns that Uzumaki is still at large, she will squander vital resources attempting to retrieve him. I will not permit her to drain Konoha's strength on a wild goose chase. My ROOT agents are sufficient to the task."
Itachi tilted his head slightly. "And what role will the Toad Sage, Jiraiya play in all of this? Is it possible he can locate Uzumaki-san before we make contact with him?"
Danzo shook his head. "His last report placed him somewhere in Lightning Country, evaluating the current state of the Nibi vessel's training. Undoubtedly he is aware of the boy's disappearance, and it's likely he even knows that we have a team officially searching for him in Suna. But I'm sure that he remains unware of ROOT's movements, and in any case he will need time to disengage from his cover assignment. No, he will not come in time to prevent you from capturing Uzumaki. Your best hope is that the boy has truly disappeared… but I doubt he will manage to evade you for long."
Itachi nodded slowly. "Then we will continue our search in Nami. When we have a lead on Uzumaki-san's whereabouts, I will send messages through the usual channels. Let us hope your agents can locate him swiftly." As he turned to leave, Danzo cleared his throat, halting him.
"One more thing, Itachi," he spoke quietly. The Slug Princess may roast him over the coals for this, but anything was better than letting the Kyuubi fall into enemy hands. "By all means, do what you can to see that Uzumaki returns safely to this village. But always remember that Akatsuki cannot be allowed to tap the power of Kyuubi. We must prevent this at all costs."
Itachi turned and fixed Danzo with a hard gaze. "If we are forced to that end, I will eliminate Uzumaki-san myself."
"Konoha will endure."
oooooo
Kakashi and Shikamaru entered the council chamber of the Kazekage's tower to find Baki and his team already present. Kankuro and Temari were talking quietly in the corner while Baki pored over maps on the table's surface. Gaara sat motionless, as though carved from stone.
Kakashi came to a stop next to the seat opposite from Baki and opened the discussion. "Shikamaru and I have compared notes, and we have a few questions." He waited while the siblings came back to the table and Shikamaru took the seat beside him, before fixing his gaze on the red-haired jinchuuriki. "Gaara. How long have you been working with Naruto to keep us away from Konoha?"
The reactions were immediate and telling. Kankuro and Temari rocked back in their seats. Baki's eyes widened before he turned to fix the youngest Suna nin with a questioning glare. "Is this true, Gaara?"
Before Gaara could respond, Kankuro stood up. "Wait just a second! What the hell are you accusing us of, asshole? You think you can-"
"Kankuro, enough!" Baki commanded, cutting off the tirade before it gathered too much steam. "I am certain Kakashi has an explanation." As he spoke, his glare turned to the Copy Nin. "He will provide it now."
Kakashi took his seat next to Shikamaru. "Let's review the facts, everyone. Gaara reported to you that he met Naruto here and then watched him leave, and that he intended to die. You came to us with the same story, only none of you actually saw Naruto, and Gaara has been less than forthcoming with any details that could have aided our investigation." His gaze returned to Gaara. "You took your brother's word without question, and he dragged us out of the way so that Naruto could follow his real purpose."
"That's a lie!" Kankuro thundered. "If Gaara says that Naruto died, that's what happened!" He rose from his seat with his fists clenched. Baki stood and caught him in a stranglehold before he could make a move.
"Kankuro," he bellowed. "These are our allies and they have legitimate concerns! You will not compromise our integrity in this manner!"
"Stuff it old man, that bastard thinks he can-"
"Have a care, genin," Kakashi spoke quietly, but firmly. "You are dangerously close to committing gross insubordination."
"To hell with insubordination!" Temari threw in as Baki struggled to restrain his other student. "Kankuro's right! You insult our honor and you think we'll just sit here and take it quietly?" She gripped her fan tightly and set her foot on the table, ready to leap into action, before abruptly going rigid.
"Success," Shikamaru grunted. Kakashi glanced down and saw that he had his hands clasped in the Ram seal under the table.
Temari's eyes tracked to the shadow nin. "When I get out of this bind, I'm going to kill you," she hissed.
"No," Gaara said, the first word he'd uttered since the meeting began. "Kankuro, Temari, sit down. Now." He looked to Baki and then to Shikamaru. "Release them. I will prevent further hostilities." Sand swirled threateningly around his seat.
Baki stood back, letting Kankuro out of his headlock, and Shikamaru lowered his hands into his lap. Kankuro and Temari sank into their chairs, both of them glaring daggers at the Konoha shinobi.
Kakashi drummed his fingers on the tabletop as he stared at Gaara, unaffected by the loathing of his siblings. "Well?"
Gaara nodded. "What you say is true. At Naruto's request, I intended to mislead you for as long as possible, so that he could proceed with his plan unhindered." He gestured to his siblings and sensei, who stared at him in shock. "My comrades are innocent in this. They did not share in my intent." He paused, before turning to look at his teammates. "Sensei, Kankuro, Temari… forgive me."
"We're going to need more than that," Shikamaru pressed. "How did Naruto communicate this plan to you? Where did he go, and what does he intend to do?"
"Naruto sent me a messenger hawk with a note telling me of his plan," Gaara replied. "He did not provide any details about his own intentions. Only that he would leave Konoha, and never return. He felt that if you were convinced he'd gone to his death, you would either let the matter rest or be forced to search for him in Suna. Either way, he would not be in danger of being captured."
Kakashi's head sank to his chest, his eye closed tightly. This was worse than he could have imagined. That a Hokage's son could abandon his own village… it was unthinkable. Yet Kakashi could well guess what had propelled the boy to such a decision. Growing up with the hatred and contempt of his fellow villagers, even shinobi who should have known better… he knew what that kind of rejection felt like. He'd seen what it did to people, even good men like his father. The result was always one of two dead ends: become a victim, or become a monster. And considering whose footsteps Naruto was likely to try following…
Kakashi came to a decision. "This subject is quickly rising above our pay grades and cannot be resolved here," he said, raising his head. "We must continue this discussion in a more official capacity. Baki, you and your team will return to Konoha with us and report to the Hokage everything you know about the situation."
Baki rose from his seat again. "Kakashi, I agree we need to re-approach the issue, but surely-"
As he spoke, both of Gaara's siblings added their own shouts to the argument, generating a loud clamor in the normally silent council chamber.
"You can't just-"
"How dare you-"
"Sabaku no Gaara," Kakashi called above the din, rising from his seat. "You have confessed to perjuring yourself before the Hokage, and you are called upon to submit yourself to the judgment of Konoha." As the rest of the Suna nin grew quiet, Shikamaru rose to stand beside him, his expression grim. Kakashi continued more quietly, "If you or your comrades attempt to resist, we will consider your actions a declaration of war." His gaze passed across the four of them, settling on Baki, who swallowed visibly. "Considering the current state of our treaty and the circumstances of our previous conflict, I can assure you that Suna will not survive a re-initiation of hostilities."
Baki glanced at the members of his team nervously. The man was trapped, and he knew it. "Kankuro, Temari, stand down." He looked across the table at Kakashi. His tone was resigned, but his eyes showed only rage. "Prepare your gear. We will return to Konoha."
oooooo
The first thing Sakura noticed as she pushed open the door to the shinobi bar was the smell. The air of the main hall was filled with a bewildering mixture of aromas. In addition to the tang of alcohol was the cloying smell of sweaty, dirt-covered bodies that had come in fresh from the field, still carrying the signs of exertion. A cloud of smoke hung in the air, making her nose itch and threatening to make her eyes water. She subconsciously began breathing shallow, to save her poor lungs from being overexposed to the noxious atmosphere.
The next thing she noticed was the noise. Groups of shinobi were clustered up at the bar, at various tables, and around the games in the back corner, and all of them were shouting and laughing at the tops of their lungs. That didn't matter though, because the music being piped through the sound system was so loud you couldn't hear anyone more than three feet away anyway. The jumbled mix of messages pouring into her ears nearly made Sakura experience a wave of vertigo.
She felt exposed here, like an outsider. Every one of her senses was telling her she had no business being here and that she should go someplace more appropriate, like a nursery. But Tsunade had wanted to meet her here, and she and Shizune seemed to think it was important, so she would have to risk it. Raising her head, she began sifting through the crowd, looking for those distinctive blonde pigtails, her eyes daring anyone to protest her reasons for being there.
After a few minutes Sakura noticed the set of private rooms connected to the main hall, and decided she would look through those next. After clumsily intruding on a post-mission celebration, a post-mission memorial, and one young couple who really shouldn't be doing that sort of thing in public, she finally found Tsunade and Shizune tucked into the very back room behind a heavy drawn curtain.
The setting was much more relaxing in this confined space. The room was small, only able to hold a maximum of five before it would start to feel crowded, and the curtain went a long way to suppressing the boisterous racket coming from the front. Sakura let herself in and bowed slightly to the Hokage and her top assistant, before taking a seat on one of the low cushions around the table. Shizune nodded back to her, while Tsunade tilted her head back, draining the contents of the saucer in her hand. As Sakura looked at the table, she noticed that the two had already consumed a respectable amount of liquor, judging by the number of bottles standing on the wooden surface.
Tsunade let out a sigh and lowered her saucer to the table. "Thank you for coming, Sakura. I'm sorry we couldn't talk earlier, but… well, news of this kind deserves a proper setting." Shizune glumly nodded her agreement and drained her own cup.
Sakura began to feel something cold in her gut. "Tsunade-sama, I'm not sure what you're talking about."
Tsunade picked up a bottle and poured a drink for Sakura. As she handed her the saucer, she continued, "I wish there was an easy way to break this to you, Sakura. Especially after that whole mess with the Sasuke mission." She looked up as Sakura's breath hitched, the returned to pouring her own drink.
"We had a visit from the Suna kids a few days ago – you know, the same ones you had to deal with in the chuunin exam?" Tsunade gulped her drink and took a deep breath. "They came to tell us that… that Naruto…" Abruptly, her breath came out in a shuddering gasp. She threw her hand over her eyes, but Sakura could see the tracks forming on her cheeks where tears were falling.
The cold feeling in her stomach started to grow. "What, Tsunade-sama? What about Naruto?"
Shizune put her arm around a suddenly sobbing Tsunade and cast a sympathetic gaze in her direction. "He's dead, Sakura. Naruto's dead."
Sakura blinked.
And blinked again.
"What?" she asked blankly. It was all she could muster in the face of such a world-shattering announcement. Tsunade might as well have told her the sun was going to explode tomorrow. "But… what?"
Shizune nodded slowly, her own eyes watering up as Tsunade's shoulders heaved under her arms. "We got the story from Gaara. He told us Naruto wandered into the desert and never came back."
Her mind was whirling. Her ears were filled with rushing noise. "But that's not right…" she mumbled to herself. "That can't be right. That can't… no! No!" She was suddenly standing without any recollection of performing the act. "You're lying!" she shouted. "You have to be! How could you be so mean?!"
"SAKURA!" Shizune bellowed, shutting her up. Tsunade turned back from her niece's shoulder to glare at Sakura with red eyes.
"You think you're the only one here who's lost someone they care about, child?" she said bitterly. She spoke the word child as if it were the worst insult she could conjure. "You think the rest of us don't know what that's like?"
Whiteness clouded the edges of Sakura's vision. She felt removed, as though someone else was controlling her body and she was just a spectator. "But, but… I saw Naruto just the other day, and he was fine! He's probably out training! You're just covering for him because he's got some secret assignment and-"
"Enough!" Tsunade yelled. "I didn't bring you here so you could stand there and give me this kind of bullshit! This entire week has been HELL for me! How would YOU like to be stuck in the same god-damned village that killed the only people you care about and turned the rest into monsters?!"
Tsunade was ranting now, building force as she poured her misery onto the pink-haired teen. "I gave twenty years of my life to this fucking hole and what did I get for it?! A fucking bloody vest and a brother who was dead before his tenth birthday! My best friend turned into a fucking psycho and turned my teacher into a pincushion, and my other friend grabbed me and threw me in that chair which has a fucking CURSE on it, and then that blond brat had to come along and make things all HOPEFUL and OPTIMISTIC and, and… god DAMN YOU, NARUTO!"
Tsunade swung her fist as she yelled the last, crashing into the table which promptly became splinters. Half-filled bottles of sake were thrown and shattered against the room's walls. Sakura remained standing, struck dumb by the display.
Tsunade sat with her head lowered, trembling violently. Shizune reached for her hand and cradled it in her lap. It was pierced with ceramic shards from where she'd punched through her own drinking saucer. Blood had started welling up around the wounds, causing Tsunade's face to turn white as she watched.
Shizune started carefully removing the shards as she spoke. "You have to understand, Sakura. Tsunade-sama has lived a life full of loss. Many say she's cursed to live with horrible luck her entire life. Whenever fortune turns in her favor, that's usually a sign that something even worse will come along, to compensate."
Shizune swallowed and wiped her eyes roughly with a sleeve before returning to her ministrations. "Naruto was a lot like Dan and Nawaki." Her words were tumbling out now, as though she were afraid to stop. "They both wanted to be Hokage, too. They both wanted to give their lives to protect this village and the people in it. Tsunade became convinced that Naruto was her chance to make up for all the horror and misery she'd carried since the Third War. Do you have any idea how horrible it must be for her, now that he's gone too? Can you even imagine?"
Sakura had to force herself to breathe. Sure, the story was tragic and sad, but they didn't know Naruto like she did. She knew Naruto better than anyone. She just had to make them see. "This isn't right," she said. "Naruto isn't like that. He can't just, just, be GONE, you hear me?" She waved her arms, as though doing so gave her the strength to go forward. "He IS going to be Hokage! And he WILL bring Sasuke back! And he's going to take me out to get RAMEN! He promised he'd do it, and he NEVER breaks a promise! That's his nindou! Don't you see?! He PROMISED!"
She cast about for more denials, anything to throw at these two women who were so obviously wrong and Tsunade was still crying and now Shizune was crying and her cheeks felt wet and oh gods why was this happening how could Naruto be gone and what was she going to do now that she'd lost both of them and… and…
It was too much. Sakura ran.
Well guys, I hope you like the new chapter. I worked really hard to get this out in a more reasonable timeframe, and man it was hard. Writing powerful scenes demands a delicate touch, and I got more of them here than I originally expected. I'm also trying to be careful with the characters. As the story develops, they're being yanked in directions they've never felt before, and I want their responses to be believeable. Please gimme feedback. As always, I'm happy to receive constructive criticism that might improve my writing and style.