Chapter Two
Tensions arose among the higher-ups and precautions were quickly placed. More Anbu patrols became stationed within the even more secure walls of the headquarters of the Leaf village. Tsunade was up to her eyeballs in paperwork and bodyguards. Every person who entered and left the building were questioned and searched. Every window and door secured with a key. The place reflected more of a jail than anything else.
Naruto had been sent to the hospital just in case. Though Tsunade managed to stop the bleeding and heal the fracture the doctors still felt that it was necessary to keep him under further observations. So that place ended up being where the young boy slept for the next two nights. Friends came in almost every hour of the day just to check in on him before getting back to other duties. The one's who visited more of course were those of Team Seven. They brought him manga, ramen (secretly), and talked about the happenings outside of the four walled room.
A couple of times too, the intelligence unit came in to question him on what he had seen and heard the night of the attack. Everything was still a little foggy considering the fact that through most of the incident, Naruto had been lying on the floor bleeding with an injury impairing his senses. All he could say was that the attackers were all men, pretty strong, skilled in infiltration, and had come out of nowhere. Because of the blinding amount of light that temporarily made both the Jinchurukii and Hokage blind, they could only make out the shapes of the intruders. The men were heavily set, obviously training their bodies every day to maintain such fitness, and looked to have worn masks to conceal their identities. This seemed to put the unit at a dead end for the information was vague at best.
Once considered "healthy" enough to be released from the hospital confines, Naruto speedily traveled to Granny Tsunade in hopes of seeing her condition. Even if the others had told him that she looked and seemed healthy, he wanted to confirm with his own eyes the truth of the matter. Eyes cannot see everything.
Bursting through the door, slamming it against the wall, Naruto stood just outside the frame before jumping inside with as much energy as possible. Tsunade didn't look surprised at the sudden intrusion. She had already heard him coming since he left the hospital because of a report from one of the dozen Anbu present around the village just for her.
"Granny Tsunade! Are you okay?!"
Shaking her head and with an amused smile, the seemingly young woman stood up from her chair and went to stand in front of him, just to reassure him that nothing was wrong. "I'm fine, Naruto. Calm down will you. The only one that got hurt was those guys and you." A relieved look passed and plastered onto the boy's face, settling there for the duration of time he continued to stay in the room. Night fell once again.
A week passed by soon after. Nothhing eventful happened and the Anbu slowly dissolved into just a handful watching over Lady Tsunade. Tensions dwindled down till it looked like Konoha will continue to see some more peaceful days. Sadly, Mother Nature begged to differ and the quiet village experienced a heavy rainstorm. Water levels began to rise in the rivers and solid grounds became heavily mudded terrain. Everyone found it hard to travel along these paths so trading activities slowed immensely.
Thunder drummed away and lightning danced across the sky to the rhythm. Rain pelted the roofs and windows and people still left on the wet streets. Flooding was a highly possible risk. And from the windows of Tsunade's office were Shizune, Tsunade, and Naruto. There was nothing else to do except sit around talking. However, it started to grow late and Naruto though it best to leave for home. So saying goodbye to the two women, he sent out the windows and into the darkness, home.
And from somewhere within that darkness were the darkly clad figures of the wanted criminals who had assaulted him and Tsunade not but a week ago. They had found the opportunity of using the storm as a cover-up to finish up the job. By killing the Kage of the Hidden Leaf, suspicions would arise and cause nations to point fingers at one another while the real culprits made their escape. A fourth war would break out and the five nations would destroy each other, allowing for the next generation to take over. New villages and people could arise from the ashes of their predecessors, and a new age of rule can be born. The men smiled evil grins at the prospective future shining so close in front of them. Just kill the Hokage swiftly, escape, and they would be home free.
With that goal in mind, the men passed under the noses of the cold, soaking, irritated Anbu and into the darkened halls of the building. Finding it fitted them best to disguise themselves as members of the village, they create the hand signals.
"Henge." They whispered. A puff of smoke surrounded them before they emerged once again. There stood Naruto and Sakura, smiling. The other men chose to be weapons concealed within the weapon pouches. All of them had seen enough of the two to understand how to talk and act around the Hokage, to seem like the originals. That week spent not attacking was spent observing.
For the last step, they would have to wipe out not only the Kage but her assistant as well. This would pose a problem seeing that the woman had been trained by Tsunade herself and is already a medical ninja, which put them at a disadvantage. Thinking through the plan once more, they revised a couple of things before being satisfied enough to continue on.
There was a womanly scream and sounds of struggle. Lightning flashed by the window and illuminated the room long enough for Tsunade to suck in a breath. Standing in front of her with a kunai in hand was Naruto, blue eyed, blonde, and in his signature jumper, grinning. Sadly the man who had transformed into Sakura lay injured already on the ground of the office floor still breathing. Shizune was not far from the fallen body, bleeding and unconscious with heavy wounds, mainly from her abdomen and neck.
With a cold hard glare at Naruto, she sneered. "Why Naruto?!" Her senses had become dull enough that she could not recognize that the person standing in front of her was not the person she was questioning. "You left, I saw you leave. But this, this is what you do instead?!" She gestured at Shizune. "You're going to kill me and Shizune. And for what?! For what reason are you doing this?! Have you finally lost your mind to that Demon Fox in you?!"
'Naruto' merely laughed at her. That hardy laugh once full of mischief and fun now seemed foreign to the kage. He pounced on her and struggles continued between the two. The imposter managed to hold off Tsunade enough that he gained an upper hand long enough to immobilize her. With a quick punch to the nose, palm jam upward on the jaw, and some jabs at the stomach, Tsunade went down with eyes rolling into the back of her head.
"Perfect. Just stay like that Granny Tsunade. It won't be long till this is all over for you and we'll even let you sleep through all of it."
The lights were flipped on and a hiss of annoyance escaped through the mouth of 'Naruto'. Looking up, there was Anbu corps with weapons raised along with Gai, Kakashi, Shikimaru's father, and the Torture and Interrogation Force commander. The looks of utter shock at seeing a fellow Leaf shinobi being the perpetrator left them speechless. So using that time of confusion, the imposter jumped back and out the window unscathed, running through the night.
"After him! Do not let him escape the village at all costs. I want Naruto Uzumaki captured!" Was the order yelled that echoed into the chilly, windswept night.
Meanwhile in his home, peacefully washing his clothing in the bathroom sink, white shirt and blue boxer on, was the real Naruto. He hummed away at a song out of key and out of the beat but still with a smile on his face. Next thing he knew, the door to his apartment was kicked off the hinges. Black gloved hands shot out to grab him.
"Ahhhh!" Naruto looked up to find the white animal mask of the Anbu staring down at him as a cold sweat began to form. "What's going on? Why are you here?"
"Naruto, be quiet." The voice of his teacher spoke out from the darkness that seemed to grow even blacker. "You are under arrest for the attempted murder of the Hokage." The last part was spoken in a quiet whisper, so quiet that it took Naruto a moment to process.
Eyes growing wide and his struggles becoming more increased, he couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips. "What! Why would I attack Granny Tsunade of all people?" Attempting to shake of the hands around his arms, "Where is she?!"
"Where is who?"
"Granny Tsunade! She will tell you that I didn't do it! I've been at home since twenty minutes ago!"
Kakashi wanted to reach out a hand to Naruto and tell the Anbu to realease him, but the commander placed a firm hand on his right shoulder and brushed past him. It was a subtle warning not to do what the sensei so desperately wanted to do. This could not end up as a repeat of what happened to his last student, of what had happened to Sasuke. He had not been there to save him from Orochimaru but losing another student would probably be the breaking point for him.
The man, burly and intimidating, leaned down to Naruto's level and fixed him with a steely look. "Naruto Uzumaki, you will be put in level 5 holding until the morning when you will be judged in front of the elders and council, where they will decide your fate. And pray to God that they have enough mercy on you." Then with a single punch to his stomach, Naruto was knocked out cold, diving into the oblivion of sleep and carried to the cells with the howls of wolves far off in the distance being the only sound heard from miles around.