A/N: Hi again everyone. Time to get the fight started. Sorry for the short chapter, but that's just where the chapter ended. Next chapter is a bit longer. Consider this a transition chapter to an increase in the action. Enjoy!

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Kakashi looked over his finished report with a terrible realization. This is worse than I thought. He got up and raced to Tsunade's office. He tried to think of where Anko might be now, because this involved her too. He didn't have time to search for her at the moment because he had to tell Tsunade what his final report had revealed immediately. He knocked on Tsunade's door and opened it before she could tell him to come in. "Pardon me for interrupting Hokage but we need to talk now."

Tsunade and Shizune looked up at him. "Can it wait Kakashi?" the 5th asked him.

"No. It involves my last mission and my report on it."

She shifted in her chair and looked at him seriously, "What have you come up with?"

"The attacks being carried out on our returning ninja are being carefully plotted and planned. It's worse than we thought. And it has Orochimaru written all over it.

Tsunade sat up and looked at him, "You're sure of this?"

"Yes."

Shizune said, "Tsunade, we need to go get Anko."

Kakashi said, "That's what I was going to suggest since she,"

Shizune interrupted him, "No Kakashi. We have to go GET her because Tsunade sent her on a mission to verify the presence of a possibly developing encampment of these enemy ninja. And now that you've connected Orochimaru to this," Shizune fell silent and looked at Tsunade.

Kakashi was dumbstruck. He felt a great anxious fear well up inside him for his friend's safety. Tsunade had sent Anko right to the enemy, and Anko had no idea what may be waiting for her. All of a sudden he looked at Konoha's 5th and said, "I have to go. Now. Where am I going? TELL ME! TELL ME WHERE YOU SENT HER!"

Tsunade looked sternly at Kakashi for the way he shouted at her. Shizune actually took a step back to put some distance between her and the 5th's angry glare. Tsunade said, "Settle down Kakashi and I'll tell you. I need you to move quickly, but I also need you to keep your head! I fear that we may have more trouble than just trying to find Anko. I sent her this morning. She's been gone since then."

Kakashi was losing his mind. He couldn't leave without knowing where he was going, but he desperately wanted to leave to go save his friend. "Tsunade, you have to tell me where you sent her, NOW!"

Tsunade wrote the coordinates on a piece of paper. "I sent her here first thing this morning. She was only to observe and report back today. Go now Kakashi. And stop at the hospital and get Sakura to go with you. I know Anko can handle herself, but if she tangles with Orochimaru, I don't know what state she'll be in when you do find her."

Kakashi didn't hear another word. He ran out the door and headed to the hospital to find Sakura.

Anko took an attack stance and stared at her opponent. She said, "So you're behind this?"

"It's been a while, Lady Anko," Kabuto said to her as he pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. "I'm sorry that you were sent out here to look in on us. I'm afraid you've seen too much. I can't let you go back to the Hidden Leaf Village because you've seen too much of our little operation here."

"Where's Orochimaru!"

"Oh, here's not at this facility. He's orchestrating the setting up of a few more of these little gems around your precious village. No matter though, he'll see you soon enough. I'll take you to him."

Anko's thoughts raced. SHIT! I had no idea Kabuto and Orochimaru were behind all this! I bet Tsunade didn't know either. I wonder if Kakashi will figure it out? Anko looked at him and said, "I'm not going with you, I'm going home. Just back off Kabuto, I don't want things to get messy."

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave Lady Anko."

Anko stared at Kabuto and said, "And you're going to stop me? You and what army?"

Kabuto said, "We both know I don't need an army. If you won't come with me willingly, I'm going to kill you right here and bring your head back to Orochimaru as a present. He'll be quite pleased to see you again, even if it is only your head that he's seeing."

"You'd better step aside Kabuto. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"You forget Lady Anko that your old master is mine too. I know quite well what you're capable of and I plan on putting an end to all of it, and you right now."

Kakashi ran into the hospital and grabbed the first person he saw and yelled, "Sakura! Where is she?"

A young orderly said, "She's down the hall and to the right. Would you like me to get her for you?"

"No time – I'll find her." He ran down the hall searching for Sakura's chakra signature and finally found her soon after. "Sakura! Come on, we have to leave now!"

Sakura turned to him and said, "But Kakashi, I'm working until,"

"NO TIME! Change and get ready, we've got big trouble. Tsunade told me to take you with me."

Sakura knew better than to disobey her sensei and Tsunade so she said, "Give me five minutes to change."

Kakashi turned to her and said sternly, "You've got two."

"Ok." She was off in a flash and came back with her street clothes on.

Kakashi said, "Come on, we've got no time to lose."

Sakura asked, "Mind telling me what we're doing?"

"When we're traveling. Come ON!"

They ran through the streets until they got to Kakashi's apartment. He said, "One second. I need to get something before we go." He ran inside and was back out in less than a minute. "Let's go."

They ran to the village gates until Kakashi stopped. He said, "We're going to need a little help to do this right," he bit his thumb and did the summoning hand seals to summon Pakkun to help them. Kakashi said, "Pakkun, we've got trouble. We have to find Anko. She's in great danger and I need you to track which direction she started off in."

Pakkun said, "Kakashi – anything with her scent on it?"

Kakashi looked at Sakura and said, "Sakura, turn around."

"Why? What are you,"

"JUST TURN AROUND!" Kakashi yelled at her.

"OK!" she reluctantly turned her back to him. Kakashi reached in his pants pocket and pulled out one of the pairs of Anko's shredded underwear he'd kept and said, "Don't say a word Pakkun – just get to work."

If Pakkun had eyebrows, he'd be raising them at Kakashi right that second, but instead he risked it and said, "Good one Kakashi."

Pakkun took a slight sniff of the underwear, until Kakashi said, "That's enough," finding himself very possessive of this thing that was Anko's.

Pakkun put his nose in the air and said, "This way, come on."

Kakashi said, "Let's go Sakura!"

Sakura asked him, "Are you going to explain to me what's going on? And why is Anko in trouble?"

Kakashi looked at her and said, "Give me a minute." It was then that Kakashi's thoughts took over, and he understood what Anko meant at how badly it would hurt her to lose him. He felt that same pain as he thought that he already may be too late.

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A/N: Another cliffhanger. I'm not TRYING to be evil, it just happens that way.

Next up: The big fight scene escalates, and will Kakashi get there in time to save Anko? See you soon!