The Disappearance of Haruno Sakura

By Chemicalisation

The Third Chapter

"Well?" asked Kakashi, sitting back on his chair in the Hokage office. Before him stood three women. Anko and Kurenai who had just returned yesterday from Ishigakure. And Shizune with her ever present notebook.

Shizune peered over her notebook. "There were eight teams which passed through Ishigakure and its surrounding area during the time period Sakura was there. Six teams have already reported back to Konoha that they did not see Sakura or anyone matching her description. Nor did they hear anyone mentioning her even in passing. Hyuga Hoheto, a team member of the seventh team, did see Sakura at around 2 am. According to the travel logs, we can place this on Sakura's last day at Ishigakure. He watched her but then lost track of her. He says Sakura went back into the village but she should have just been preparing to leave Ishigakure at that time."

Shizune looked at Kurenai. "You said it as well, right? In your report? That Sakura wasn't spotted the moment she left Ishigakure? The last time she was seen was by the innkeeper the previous day at 6:00 pm? They discussed her expenses and she promised to leave the money at the counter when she left. And then she was seen by a leaf shinobi just outside Ishigakure. And then when he looked again after ten minutes, she wasn't there."

"So Sakura went back to the village." Kakashi tapped his desk. "At least that is what Hyuga naturally presumed as he did not see any sign of chakra in the surrounding forest area."

Anko coughed. "Did she go back into Ishigakure?" She tilted her head and looked at Kakashi. "Or was she taken back there?"

Kakashi tensed. "You suspect kidnapping?"

Before Anko could say anything, Kurenai cut in. "There is no evidence to suggest that Haruno san has decided to defect from Konoha. But there is also no evidence to suggest that she has been kidnapped or killed."

Anko frowned at Kurenai. "There is a terrorist cell operating near Ishigakure. They weren't on our intel previously. It suggests that they have been newly formed. But Kurenai is right. There is nothing to suggest that they are involved in the disappearance of Haruno. I have questioned some of them. None of them showed any characteristics of lying when I asked them if they were aware where Haruno was. They all appeared to think of her as a smiling medic from Konoha."

"Also," said Kurenai, tapping her chin. "It would not be in their benefit to harm Haruno san or even give the appearance of doing so. Konoha at this point is at the forefront of medical knowledge. Whereas Ishigakure struggles to provide even the most basic of medical care to its people. Those involved in the terrorist cell and their families had also been impacted by the virus."

"So basically we are at a dead end with no way to go." Kakashi noted with a sigh.

"It would appear so," said Anko. She frowned "Although…"

Kakashi leaned forward. "Yes?"

"I was thinking about Haruno's parents." Anko rubbed her chin. "When I first visited them before I and Kurenai left for Ishigakure, I found them pretty strange. They had no concern for their kid at all. They seemed convinced that she would turn up sooner or later."

"You think them too cavalier?" Kakashi narrowed his gaze.

"Well, won't you think so?" said Anko, her expression introspective. "You haven't seen your child for a few weeks now and she has been officially declared missing. Would you, as a parent, not be worried?"

"Anko shared these concerns with me while we traveled to Ishigakure," said Kurenai placing her right hand on her waist. "So I paid them a little visit yesterday to provide an update into the investigation on Haruno san's disappearance. And also to see if they were hiding anything. Of course, I did not tell them about the second part."

Kurenai paused. "No fluctuations in their chakra while responding to questions. They may be a bit strange but they weren't hiding anything. They genuinely did not know where their daughter was or where she could be."

"Another dead end." Shizune atoned.

Anko clenched her fist. "Fuck."

Shizune nodded as if she agreed with the sentiment. "But not all hope is lost. There is still one team which has yet to make contact with Konoha. It is an anbu team and they are on a S-Rank mission. It would be difficult to make contact with them especially if they are trying to avoid being tracked. The good news is that they are expected back in Konoha within the next weeks. They should have passed by Ishigakure. Perhaps they picked up on something."

"Hopefully," said Kurenai. She didn't sound too optimistic.

It wasn't until Shizune, Anko and Kurenai had left that Naruto came rushing in followed by Sai. In hindsight, Kakashi felt he should have at least kept Shizune back to diffuse the hurricane effect of Naruto. Instead this job would now fall upon him.

"Kakashi sensei!" Naruto had a wild look about him. Kakashi frowned and exchanged a look with Sai. Naruto continued. "Why didn't you tell me about Sakura chan!" He slammed his fist on Kakashi's desk.

Kakashi responded calmly. "There wasn't sufficient information, Naruto."

A stillness came over Naruto. "Don't you think that because Sakura chan is my teammate, I should have a say in this as well?"

Sai intervened. "Maybe Hokage sama is right. We can't go after Sakura if we don't know where she is."

Naruto didn't respond. He looked with Kakashi with look of a disappointed father. Kakashi clenched his hands under the desk and then slowly forced himself to relax. Naruto was beginning to look a little too much like the Yondaime, in appearance and in spirit. Kakashi shook his head, ignoring Sai's sharp gaze.

"Kakashi sensei," said Naruto, his voice low and hard. "Sasuke and I will bring Sakura back wherever she is. I will contact him. And he will come back. "

Kakashi flickered his gaze at Sai who stood behind Naruto, a silent but aware presence. He wondered whether it ever infuriated Sai when Naruto talked like that, as if the troubles of the world fell upon him and Sasuke. And no one could ever hope to understand. But Sai was apathetic. He watched the exchange through the eyes of a distant third party.

"Naruto," Kakashi tried again. "Intelligence is expected within the next two weeks. When it comes through, I will send leaf nin after Sakura immediately."

Naruto gaze bore into Kakashi's, his blue eyes almost blazing. "It will be me."

Kakashi sighed. He felt incredibly tired. He had known that being the Hokage would not be easy but right now, the demands of the job were almost crippling him. "It will be you."

"Damn it!" Naruto swore, punching a tree trunk. "Why doesn't Kakashi sensei understand? We can't leave Sakura chan behind!"

Sai sat under the shade of trees which surrounded the training ground, watching Naruto as he ranted and shouted his frustration. Sai didn't really want to be here, not really. But there were times when one didn't have a choice. Naruto, Sai mused, was not really the sort of person who could withstand the process of waiting. And now that Sakura and Sasuke weren't here and Kakashi was the Hokage, it meant the job of calming Naruto down fell upon him. Although why didn't Naruto just go and bother Hinata about it baffled him. But then again wasn't it Sakura who had told him that in a beginning of a new love, people hid their insecurities so they could catch up to the other person?

"Aren't you going to discuss this with Hinata?" asked Sai, almost itching to test the theory.

"Later," Naruto replied shortly.

Would he ever, Sai wondered. No, he won't. Sai had studied the same effect in himself whenever he tried to put his feelings into words. But he had always withdrawn at the last minute. It had been worse with Ino. Much worse. The sort of details he hid from her, convinced that if she knew then she would leave him. It was Sakura who had frowned at him, during one particular conversation at a party where all their friends had gathered. Wasn't it so, she had said. The stronger we feel for the person we love the harder we want to hide from them? She got hold of his shirt and pulled him down to her eye level. If you continue like this, the person you love will cease to see you. When she released him he had gone off like a shot, determined to catch up to Ino who had stormed out of the party just minutes earlier.

"Even Sasuke isn't here!" growled Naruto as he landed a kick on the tree truck. "How can I convince Kakashi sensei if Sasuke isn't here with me."

Sai gave Naruto a sideways glance. Does Naruto think he is alone in this? Out loud he said, "Sasuke left the village because he knew his unpopularity with the villagers would put you and Hokage sama in a difficult position. He did it for you."

Naruto clenched his fist. "I couldn't even protect Sakura chan."

"Hokage sama is only advising you to practice a little caution," said Sai, smothering his frustration. "You must be patient."

"Is that what I am going to tell Sasuke?" Naruto was still, his head lowered to the point his hair covered his eyes. Sai tensed. "That I didn't save Sakura chan because I was told to be patient?"

Sai's gaze flicked towards Naruto and then away. He took out his tanto and began polishing the blade. "But there is something you can do right now, can't you?" he said, his head bent.

Naruto's whipped towards Sai. "What do you mean?"

"Six Paths Sage Mode." Sai turned away from his tanto and met Naruto's gaze. He willed himself not to look away. "You can sense chakra signatures across countries, can't you?"

"Yes," Naruto breathed. He looked at his hands with a sense of awe. He gave Sai a smile which could have outshone the sun. Sai was again reminded of why people loved Naruto, without reason or doubt. He had been one of those people.

Sai leaned back on the tree truck, the hot sun making him sleepy. A warm lethargic feeling came upon him as he watched Naruto's body begin to glow yellow, his expression twisted so sternly that it almost appeared to be a parody of concentration. Sai watched as Naruto glow brighter and brighter and then dimmer and dimmer. An hour passed before Naruto returned to his normal state.

"I can't find Sakura chan," said Naruto, his face pale and sweat poring down his temple. He was shaking and suddenly, Sai felt the need to be away. To have a mountain between them both. Anywhere but here. Because he knew, just knew, the words which were coming next.

Naruto's voice cracked and his next words came out in a sob as if it had to be torn from him. "She's dead."

A/N Right now, I think I am just setting the premise. Although I would like to say that none of the scenes are of filler category. I am actually having tons of fun writing this. I would like to hear what you guys think as well!