Author Note: I updated early. Yay! My reason for this isn't very good though, you see, I need all new wiring outside of my house and the internet comes and goes, usually staying on the days when there isn't much wind, which is pretty damn rare in the prairies. Aside from that, this chapter is going to lead up to the evil stuff, though it is rather short. A big thanks goes out to the wonderful reviewers and their awesome feedback! You guys make my day, with or without internet!
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Darkside
To Akatsuki
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Tsunade entered th hospital, Shizune and Sakura on either side of her. Naruto would obviously be plotting some scheme or another that would grant him freedom. Sadly, they were here to stop Naruto's actions that would lead him to trouble... again. The main doors shut behind Tsunade and her followers, shutting them off from outside and throwing them into an absolute mess, a great shock to each kunoichi.
Papers littered the ground, desks, everything. Broken clipboards were strewn about carelessly, no longer of use to anyone; the silence gripped the building, strangling it powerfully. Sakura, gasping as she eyed the mess, wasted no time standing around and jumped over Konoha Hospital's main reception desk, stumbling upon two unconscious nurses.
"There's two bodies back here!" She shouted, though it was hardly necessary in such a hauntingly silent place.
Tsunade rushed over as Shizune wandered further down the main hallway, checking for the pulse of each nurse and delivering her verdict.
"It appears as if they were knocked out quickly, and just recently too." She looked around for any signs of bruising or cuts. "Whoever did this, they used pressure points to render them unconscious."
Shizune bounded toward them, breathing heavily as she ran down the entire length of the hallway– a great distance to travel for anyone. "All patients are safe! The staff here seem to have been put into a state of sleep and there is nobody around here at all!" She inhaled deeply. "What could've happened?"
Sakura stared at the only unbroken clipboard, her eyes widening as worry flowed through her veins. It was Naruto's file, unbroken, with a set of fresh finger prints standing out sorely amidst the small print.
"Naruto!"
The kunoichi ran as fast as she could, traveling through a mess of stretchers, fallen nurses, torn papers, and headed towards room 502. Her lungs wept but Sakura pressed onwards, running tiredly up one flight of stairs after the other. At last, after much of her strength had been exerted, Sakura reached the 'special cases' ward and almost collapsed.
Room 502 looked normal, as if nothing happened, but that's what Sakura wanted to believe with all her heart. The door stood slightly ajar, one of its hinges broken completely off and inside there was absolutely no trace of Naruto, nothing but a few grains of sand that lead to something else.
Gaara.
Sakura nearly jumped. What was he doing here? Did he do all of this? Wait, then where is Naruto? She stepped forwards, standing fully inside room 502, biting her lip as Gaara turned around sharply, his pupils dilated with anger dancing dangerously within them.
"What happened?" She finally managed to choke out. "W-where's Naruto?"
Gaara faced Naruto's empty bed, away from Sakura, clenching his fist as sand spilled out, landing loudly on the ground with a hiss. He arrived too late, and even worse, he had been the one to make Naruto stay in his room. This was entirely his fault.
"He is... gone." Those were the only words that could possibly escape his mouth, unless he wanted to unleash his anger on a confused person. Surely he could grit out some more, and so he tried. "Akatsuki... they took him..."
Sakura didn't even get a chance to react before Tsunade, followed by Shizune, burst through the doorway, concern gracing their facial expressions. Gaara paid no mind to either kunoichi, his mind spinning hazardously, and walked towards what had been Naruto's first escape route. A series of explosions came from the large gates of Konohagakure, they were the ones trying to escape this time.
"Akatsuki is leaving," he said. "...Naruto is with them."
Tsunade's face bunched up in anger as the words Gaara had spoken sank deeply within her heart and mind. There was no time to stop the young Kazekage from actions she knew he would take and, disappearing out of the window, Gaara went straight for the explosions that shook Konohagakure.
"Shizune," she spoke loudly, her voice as sharp as a blade. "We're going to assemble a team of ninja, preferably now. Akatsuki won't get away with Naruto!"
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Shikamaru stood alongside several Konoha ninja that had went to the same academy as himself. Now was not the time to sigh, or look at the clouds all afternoon, but it was time to worry even more for the fate of a one Uzumaki Naruto. Time for him was running low.
"Listen up everyone!" Tsunade's loud voice reached the ears of many. "Your mission is to retrieve Naruto from the clutches of Akatsuki, no matter what! This is important, please hurry!"
Kankurou and Temari, both among those that had been called upon– though they came more on their own free will than anything– looked around for Gaara, hoping he was near by. They heard of what happened at Sunagakure, it was dirty, foul trick. Now Gaara had two things eating away at him– this wasn't going to turn out to be all sunshine and rainbows.
Beside the two sand siblings, one either side, stood Lee, Neji, Kiba, and Sakura. Each maintained a stoic facade, one that could easily hide their emotions. This mission was like no other, it wouldn't be easy. Standing behind the line of Chuunin and Juunin were Kakashi and Gai, both looking casual, calm and collected.
"Now," Tsunade said fiercely, standing in front of everyone. "Go! Your mission begins!"
Nothing but fast movement and blurs could be seen as each ninja departed, heading for Konohagakure's walls where Akatsuki was bound to appear. Temari and Kankurou were having difficulties in locating their younger brother, he probably beat everyone to the bad guys, fighting to free Naruto as Naruto had fought to get Gaara back from their evil clutches.
Absolutely no time wasted away, each second was used to further reach the strong walls protecting Konoha. Shikamaru, along with Kakashi and Gai, followed the other from behind, jumping from rooftop to rooftop only seconds after everyone ahead landed on separate buildings. After a few minutes, both Chuunin and Juunin arrived at a gapping hole where three figures stood, surrounded by a smoldering cloud of smoke.
"I wonder who they are," Lee whispered to Sakura as the line of ninja remained silent, each looking for a proper opportunity to attack.
"I don't know, but we've got to be careful," the kunoichi replied.
Kankurou stepped ahead of everyone, his figure blocking out the unmasked people in front of Neji, Kiba, and Sakura. "The one closer to us is Gaara, I know it is."
"Shhhh," Shikamaru warned. "Listen."
Different voices drifted through the smoke, barely audible. Kiba, with his advanced hearing and with the help of Akamaru– informed everyone of what was going on.
"The smaller one is demanding that they hand over Naruto." Akamaru barked quietly, as if to shadow Kiba's words. "And the two big guys keep on talking about Jinchuuriki and Akatsuki... wait! The small one is going to attack!"
Everyone rushed over instantly, Temari and Kankurou running ahead. The smoke cleared away, revealing Gaara, whose expression was the complete opposite of happy, and two members of Akatsuki.
Itachi and Kisame.
Sand rose from the ground, surrounding Gaara as it danced hysterically in midair. He simply narrowed his eyes, eyes full of anger, and the sand lashed out, wrapping itself around both Akatsuki member's legs. Shocking everyone, save for Kakashi and Gai, and even Gaara himself, the sand was pushed back, having no effect whatsoever.
"Aw, is that the best you've got?" Kisame, smirking manically, said, his sword slung over his shoulder effortlessly. "I'd expect much more from a Kazekage."
"Hey! Don't talk about Gaara like that!" Temari opened her fan, revealing all three moons, and attacked with powerful gusts of razor sharp wind, each dodged by Kisame and Itachi.
"It's no use," Kankurou sighed. "They're just too damn strong!"
Gaara attacked with his sand again, only to have it beaten back once more, this time with Kisame's unique sword. He wouldn't give up, not now, not this time.
"Kisame," Itachi's cold, emotionless voice swept over everyone. "We've got no reason to fight here, let's go."
The tall missing-nin looked disappointed, but remained happy with the nice prize they had captured. He smirked, especially cold towards Gaara, and together both himself and Itachi disappeared in a whirl of leaves with an unconscious Naruto held under his right arm.
Everyone but Shikamaru, Temari, and Kankurou knew where to go next.
"We're going to Akatsuki, to their lair," Kakashi said seriously. No one argued and without any arguments, they set off in search of Naruto.
Continued in chapter 18!