Author's Note: So, I have a lot of homework this weekend, which I am totally NOT excited about. -.-
The good news: Spring break is only a week away. :D
So, hopefully I can get the next chapter up on time, but if I don't then I am really sorry. College is annoying. :/
Anyway, thank you so much to Echo Uchiha, BlackRose723, and Evalyd Yamazaki for the amazing reviews! You all made me smile. :)
Enjoy this chapter, and review, if you would be so kind. :)

Sixteen: Return to Konoha

The calmness of the forest was refreshing after the being in the depressing rundown village. Birds chirped from within the trees, and a gentle breeze swirled through the warm air as we leapt from branch to branch high above the ground. I took the lead in the formation, Naruto and Sakura followed behind me, and in the back was Kakashi, the unconscious Jiro still slung over his shoulders. Our shoes scuffed against the bark as we hurriedly raced for Konoha to turn over our hostage and meet with the Hokage.

"So, Kae," Kakashi said, "Tell us about the information you got today."

"Well," I sighed, "I learned that the twins attacked my squad because some mystery man offered to pay them to test out Toshiro's kekkei genkai. They didn't know why he wanted them to do it, but they didn't question it because they needed the money. Anyway, Sakura and I started questioning the villagers about this man, but no one had seen him except for one woman named Mai. She said that as she was walking by, she noticed a flicker of movement off in the distance. She went back to check it out, and that was when she saw him. She said that it was almost as if she needed to be standing in just the right place to be able to see him."

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto questioned.

I struggled to come up with a simplified explanation to give Naruto. "Well, it's like if you were walking past two buildings with an alleyway in between. In order to see something in between the two buildings, you'd have to be standing in the right place to see. If you were standing to close to one of the buildings, you wouldn't be able to see into the alleyway, but as you near the division between the two, you can see into it. Understand?"

"Yeah, I guess," Naruto grumbled, "but I just don't understand how that works with this guy. What was he doing to make himself practically invisible like that?"

"I'm not sure," I answered him, lowering my eyes to the branches beneath my feet. They passed quickly, in a blur, as I continued my travels.

"Do you have any ideas, Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura asked.

There was silence, and I assumed that Kakashi was trying to come up with an answer to her question. After a moment, Kakashi finally spoke, "Did you consider a camouflage jutsu?"

"We did," I answered, "but Ichiro, Jiro, and Mai all saw him, and if it was a camouflage jutsu, then no one would have seen him."

"True," Kakashi agreed.

"Mai also said something about three guys who were watching the man at all times," I added, "She said that they kept their distances from him, but they were constantly checking up on him. The way I see it, they were either controlling the man and using him as a pawn for their own gain, or they were acting as his bodyguards."

"Well, how do we know which one it is?" Naruto demanded.

"The man's obviously got some unique abilities," Kakashi began, "which would make it more likely that he was in charge of the other three, using them for protection in case something went wrong."

"That does make sense," Sakura agreed.

"Though," Kakashi continued, "we shouldn't be too quick to decide on anything. We don't have all the facts, after all. We'll just have to wait and see if the Interrogation Unit can get some more information out of this one."

"Right," I said quietly. I just hoped that there was more information that Jiro could provide.

"Kakashi Sensei," said Naruto, "Why don't you let me carry Jiro for a while."

"What?" Kakashi breathed, obviously baffled by Naruto's offer.

"I mean," the blonde boy continued, "your old body's got to be tired by now."

I couldn't keep the laughter from exploding from my lips, and Sakura's laughter soon followed. I nearly tripped over my own feet as the violent spasms in my abdomen made it difficult to balance on the tree branches. "I'm not old!" Kakashi retorted. Sakura and I continued to laugh, and Kakashi picked up his speed in response, quickly passing the three of us. "I'll show you!"

From then on, it was a competition. The forest was our racetrack and Konoha the finish line.

As the burnt orange sky faded to dark blue, we finally made it back to the village. The stars gave a bright twinkle to congratulate Naruto on his victory. I finished close behind him, then Sakura close behind me. Poor Kakashi had failed in his attempt to prove that he wasn't old, coming in dead last and nearly collapsing after he had passed through the village gates. "This doesn't confirm anything," Kakashi panted, "This guy's just really heavy."

"Yeah, sure," Naruto grinned, giving his sensei an encouraging pat on the back, "You just keep telling yourself that."

"Well, look at him!" Kakashi whined.

I laughed at my best friend. "Yeah, he's certainly bigger than you are."

Kakashi's lower lip jutted outward, and he hung his head in shame. "You guys are hilarious," he whined.

We took turns poking fun at Kakashi for a few moments longer before I finally decided that his expression had become too pitiful to continue laughing at. "Aw, I'm sorry," I apologized to him, ruffling his sagging silver hair, "Should we get going to the Interrogation Unit, then?"

"Yeah," Sakura agreed, "We really shouldn't waste any more time."

"You're right," Kakashi said, "We'll go to the Interrogation Unit. But Kae, you go on ahead to the Hokage mansion. Tell Lady Hokage about everything that happened."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered, "We'll catch up with you later."

"Yeah, Kaeda Sensei," Naruto flashed his teeth in his signature big grin, "We've got it covered! You go on ahead!"

"Well, alright," I sighed. With a wave of my hand, I turned on my heel and began walking the road that led to the Hokage mansion, leaving Squad Seven behind me. A smile formed on my lips as I heard Kakashi mutter something about Naruto carrying Jiro from now on, to which Naruto replied with a confident laugh and an "I told you so."

The streets were empty, and though that was normal for this time of night, the village felt almost eerily vacant. The chirping of crickets in the distance was the only noise that filled the night air other than the gentle scuffing of my shoes against the dirt. I didn't like the silence. It gave me a feeling of foreboding that I just couldn't shake away from my chest. The strange thing about it was I didn't exactly know why I felt this way. Shaking my head, I decided that I was just being paranoid and continued on my way.

I ascended the steps leading to the Hokage's office, and then turned to the right to head down a large hallway. The door to Lady Tsunade's room was closed, so I gently tapped my knuckles against the hardwood. As I waited to be called inside, I stepped away from the door and gazed out a giant window that faced a corner of the village. In this corner of the village, I noticed that most of the house lights were turned on, and there was more activity there than anywhere else in the village. Placing my hand against the glass, I squinted my eyes to try and find out what exactly was happening.

Before I could, however, the door to the Hokage's office had opened. A group of four Jonin ninja jogged out of the room and immediately turned to continue toward the stairs. Confused, I approached the door and peeked inside. Lady Tsunade sat at her desk, her eyes narrowed and her fingers laced in front of her lips. Shizune stood beside her holding Tonton tightly in her arms. I could tell that something was going on, and I wanted to know what it was. I knocked on the door once again. Both Lady Tsunade's and Shizune's eyes darted upward to look at me upon hearing the sound. "Um, excuse me, Lady Hokage," I said softly, "Can I come in?"

"Ah, yes," the Hokage sighed, straightening herself in her seat, "Please, come in, Kaeda."

"You've returned from your mission early," Shizune pointed out.

"Yes," I nodded, "We've acquired some information, and we've even captured one of the men who attacked my squad. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura are taking him to the Interrogation Unit as we speak."

"Good work," Lady Tsunade murmured.

The Fifth had always been impatient. She always demanded specific details relating to any type of mission, and she got awfully cranky when she did not get what she wanted. That was why, when she didn't tell me to fill her in on the information I had received, I knew that something was wrong. "What's going on?" I asked her, my heart beating faster and faster within my chest.

"We're taking care of it," she simply responded, "don't worry about it."

Something in my brain clicked. I didn't know why, at that precise moment, my mind decided to work properly, but when it did, my eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat. My jaw dropped, and my lips parted as I tried to form the words that I wanted to say. I was angry. I was confused. I was terrified. That corner of the village…

… It was where the Isami Clan lived.

"Tell me what happened," I finally managed to whisper.

"I told you," Tsunade grumbled, "don't worry—"

"What happened to Toshiro!" I shouted. My fists clenched tightly at my sides, trembling in a mixture of rage and panic.

With a sigh, Lady Hokage leaned back in her seat and placed her hands in her lap. Her brown eyes lowered to the unfinished paperwork on her desk. Despite her utter hatred for paperwork, it was obvious that it appealed to her now more than ever. Tonton let out a quiet squeal, and Shizune hugged the pig closer to her chest. "He's been kidnapped," was all the Hokage said.

"By who?" I immediately asked her.

"We don't know," she replied, "it all happened so suddenly. But I've got ninja out questioning the Isami clan about what had happened, and I've already sent a few Jonin squads out to search for him."

"I'm going too," I decided.

"No," Tsunade shook her head, "Kaeda, I've sent too many ninja as it is. We need to keep the remaining ninja in the village, so you're staying."

"I'm going," I repeated, turning on my heel to exit the room.

"You most certainly are not!" Tsunade shouted, slamming her fists against her desk. I stopped in the middle of the doorway when I heard the anger in her voice. "You are staying in this village and that's final!"

I was silent. So many thoughts raced through my mind that I couldn't figure out what I wanted to say. I wanted to know how this could have happened. I didn't understand how Toshiro could have just been kidnapped like this. How was it that nobody noticed until it was too late? How could the Isami clan have been deceived like this when they were one of the most revered clans of the Hidden Leaf?

"Kaeda," Lady Tsunade finally said in a low voice, "Go home. Relax. Train Nikko and Hana. Do whatever you want—just don't go after Toshiro. You're in no condition to be chasing after him. You've just returned from a mission, and your emotions are running rampant right now. So stay in Konoha."

When I didn't respond, Lady Hokage continued, "That's an order."

I left the room without a word. My eyes narrowed and a fire burning in my heart, I said to myself, "I don't care about your orders. I'm going to rescue my student."