Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

AN: I edited it into the AN at the end of the last chapter, but in case some of you haven't read that—I was bored and made a Jiraiya Tribute AMV, the link of which you can find in my profile. If you enjoy stuff like that feel free to take a look. It's my first, but I think I did reasonably well. Now, without further ado, have fun with the next installment of T7A.

Team 7's Ascension

Chapter XIX - Fallen Leaves I

As Team Seven hauled themselves into the checkpoint, the shinobi they had fought alongside—especially those whom they had banded together with at the very beginning of the invasion—welcomed them with tired but proud grins.

It was the kind of acknowledgement Naruto had craved for as long as he could remember. But while it felt good, the revelations of the day weighed heavy enough to hamper any enjoyment he could take from it.

"Ah, there you are." The bandages around Kotetsu's nose were soaked with blood. "I don't have much time, so let's make this brief. If you have serious injuries go to the field hospital and get a check-up. Also, technically only Chūnin and Jōnin are required to work after a battle of this scale. You're still Genin so you can go home—if you still have one…"

Kotetsu frowned as he looked at the surrounding debris. "In any case, check in with your Jōnin-sensei, or the mission center in two days at the latest. Until then, rest up. We've hard times ahead."

Sakura bowed slightly. "We'll be off then."

They walked out of the small encampment in South Konoha and made their way through the village. Kotetsu's words proved to be true when they arrived at Naruto's place. The whole block, his apartment included, was nothing more than a heap of rubble.

"This is…" Sakura trailed off, lost for words.

Naruto scrunched up his face in annoyance. "There wasn't much of value in there…but fuck, this is one more strike against Orochimaru. And if I have to train day and night—that asshole's going down."

A sentiment both of his teammates shared after they reached their respective homes. Sakura's place had been struck by a similar fate and the whole Uchiha compound had been burned to cinders. As they walked the streets, listening in on the conversations around them, it became clear quickly that the invader's reach had extended far deeper into the city than any of them thought possible at first.

Had anxiety clouded Konoha before, so was it now visible fear. There had never been any doubt about the danger Orochimaru presented, but seeing how much of Konoha had been reduced to rubble made it even more apparent what damage a nukenin of his strength could bring forth. Also, even though he lost, his infamy as the orchestrator of the invasion rose to new heights in what barely amounted to three hours after the battle had ended.

Having lost any possibility to sleep in a familiar place, Team Seven mirrored the actions of a large part of Konoha's population. They requested supplies at the emergency center, then pitched a tent outside of Konoha as the village itself was closed off until the leadership was sure that no enemies remained inside. There, chaos reigned and a veritable sea of people crowded together.

"So, how do we go on from here?" Sakura asked once they had all changed into the slacks the emergency center had given them.

"First we have to verify if what we learned is true." Sasuke lay down, folding his arms behind his head.

"You think Kabuto lied to us?"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. "It's always possible. I don't trust strangers."

"He did heal us," Sakura said.

Naruto snapped a ration bar in two and chewed on one half. His lips wrinkled at the taste. It was like eating dry dirt. "Which doesn't make him a saint," he said after taking another bite that caused a dust explosion in his mouth. "Sasuke is right. We should check at least."

Because not doing so would once more show that he was only guided by emotions, and not particularly good ones. His rage, he reflected, had been extremely premature, and he put a lot of it at the feet of the invasion. Shinobi were calm, collected, rational. A mindset vital for Kakashi-sensei's rescue, but hard to achieve.

"How do we check?" he asked after finishing up the ration bar.

"Jiraiya-sensei or Hokage-sama," said Sakura. "We should try Jiraiya-sensei first. I doubt the Hokage has time for us right now."

Sasuke yawned, gazing into the glass lamp between them where a seal produced contained fire. "The same could be said for Jiraiya. He's a Sannin."

"It's the only option we have right now."

"We have to find him first. Any ideas where to look?"

Sakura pulled the blanket tightly around her body. It was surprisingly cold outside for this time of the year. "We have to ask around tomorrow. I'm sure he played a reasonably big part in defending Konoha. We're bound to find out eventually."

The plan made, Naruto stopped fueling the seal on the lamp with chakra and darkness spread. Still exhausted from the day-long battle, Naruto's teammates soon drifted off to sleep. He lay awake for quite a bit longer, staring at the tent's black ceiling, the events of the past hours repeating in his mind.

Aside from Kakashi, there had been another revelation that pressed on him. Kyuubi, the Bijū in his gut which had healed him with an abnormal efficiency. He should have died from that wound…every normal person would have.

But while his injury had made him just as acutely aware of man's mortality as Orochimaru's presence back in the forest, his survival also served to prove his own defiance against the Shinigami's law. He glanced in the direction where he knew Sakura and Sasuke to be. They would die should an attack like that ever hit them.

A thrum of determination surged up inside of him. He would make sure that it never happened.

On the next morning, as an orange sun simmered above the village, Team Seven packed up their stuff quickly, leaving the ocean of tents in front of Konoha's main gate behind. Contrary to the people around them, who had nothing else but ration bars, they even had breakfast.

"Where'd you get this?" Naruto asked the question for her, ripping the oily crust from a chicken leg with his teeth.

Sakura shook her head, smiling at his obvious enjoyment. His regressing table manners were another story, but war made people hungry, she supposed. She was sure they made an odd sight as they walked on Konoha's main street where the repairs had already begun.

"Does it matter?" Sasuke shot them a smirk.

"It does if you stole it," said Naruto, waving his chicken leg through the air, pointing it at Sasuke like a sword. A splatter of fat flew at Sasuke. His Sharingan flared into existence briefly. He dodged the fat, then let his eyes turn back into their usual onyx color.

"Naruto, eat and stop playing," Sakura said, gripping both of their shoulders. "Sasuke, your Sharingan is great, we get it. And yes, we are grateful to you for providing us with this bountiful feast. Now let's ask around for Jiraiya-sensei."

"I'm not much help in asking anyway," Naruto said.

"Why's that?"

Rubbing his stomach, Naruto smacked his lips. "Because I eat for two."

"Ah, right. Sorry, slipped my mind."

"No worries."

Sakura exchanged a glance with Sasuke. She sincerely hoped that their actions in this invasion would reflect well on Naruto. He could do with some friendliness, and not just from the people he fought with. He had definitely earned it.

They asked several shinobi and even a few civilians. All of them had heard of Jiraiya's heroic deeds, but none of them knew of his current location. It took almost an hour of information gathering before they pieced together all the clues and got a rough picture of what had happened to the Toad Sage and the rest of Konoha.

It must've been quite the battle. A shiver crawled down her bones just thinking about it. Maybe, their fight with Kimimaro wasn't so bad. Compared to facing the two previous Hokage, Orochimaru, or even Orochimaru's summon, their battle definitely lost out. Which was a good thing, mind.

"We should look at the hospital," Sasuke said.

She nodded at that. "It's as good a place as any to start. With his enemies, I wouldn't be surprised if he got some serious injuries."

Having made their decision, they walked on toward the Hokage Tower, next to which the field hospital lay according to what they've learned from a pair of Chūnin. The good mood—a rarity in itself—that had pervaded at the beginning of their self-imposed mission changed into tense, nerve-crushing silence the closer they came though. Soon they would learn if Kabuto had told them the truth.

The tang of antiseptic greeted them as they walked into the palisaded camp. Straw mats were lying everywhere, countless injured shinobi resting upon them. Team Seven walked between the rows of patients, careful to step around the working medic-nin that tried to ease or save lives. Jiraiya's white mane was nowhere to be seen though.

"Hey, guys."

They turned toward the familiar voice that had called them. There, on a lumpy mat, Chōji sat up with a tired, shy grin. Sakura glanced at her teammates. The memory of what had transpired in the Forest of Death was still fresh, much like the wound across the stomach the Akimichi had.

But apparently Naruto wasn't out to treat him with cold contempt like he had done in the forest. He returned the smile, then frowned and stepped up to him. "Looks serious," he said, pointing at the bandages around Chōji's rotund midriff.

The Akimichi shrugged his shoulders. "Got hit with a spear. But that's not so bad. Many here have it worse."

"It'll be okay?"

"Yep, I'm to leave tomorrow."

Naruto nodded. "That's good. Say, you've seen an old man with long, spiky white hair around here?"

"You mean Jiraiya-sama?" Chōji's head moved from left to right. "Sorry, but I only woke up this morning. I've no clue if he came in or not. You could ask Ino though."

"Ino's here, too?" Sakura pushed Naruto a few inches aside. "Where? Why?"

"Somewhere over there," Chōji said, pointing at the other side of the field hospital. "Don't worry though. It's not her." His expression darkened. "One of the Oto-nin got Neji with a poisoned kunai. It isn't life-threatening, but he's still got a fever from it. Ino renews the cold cloth every thirty minutes or so."

Relief flooded Sakura and she exhaled loudly. Then she glanced at Chōji, who seemed lost in his stare at the other side. "That's pretty detailed," she said.

"She saw me some time ago."

And he had very good view of it from his position, Sakura thought. But that was none of her business. Chōji's forlorn gaze might tug at her heartstrings, but she had other matters to worry about.

"Thanks for telling us, Chōji," she said. "Was good seeing you."

Sasuke addressed both of them as they moved toward Ino. "That was friendly."

Naruto glanced at him and emotions Sakura couldn't even begin to describe swirled behind his eyes. "He made an awful decision back then, and part of me still wants to rip him to shreds for it…"

"But?"

"But another part wonders how I'd feel if you two would start ignoring me. It's not something I care for, and I can't bring myself to crush someone who's lived with that feeling for the past month."

"Hn. You start writing poetry next?"

"Fuck you."

Sasuke laughed, then let severity enter his voice. "But I can see where you're coming from."

They soon arrived in front of the mat where Ino tended to Neji. The Hyūga squirmed around on the mat, his eyes closed, murmuring incomprehensible words. His lips were an unhealthy looking mixture of purple and blue, remnants of the poison; his pallid skin glowed sickly under the lantern that hung from the wooden post next to him.

"Ino," Sakura said, stepping forward.

Ino's head snapped up and her eyes widened as she saw them. The stool she sat on scraped back as she jumped up, throwing her arms around Sakura. "You're alive. Thank Kami, you're alive," she muttered into Sakura's pink hair.

Sakura leaned into the embrace. It had been so long since she had shared such a hug with Ino, and the pure relief of seeing her alive overcame any reservations she had in an instant. Behind her, she sensed Naruto and Sasuke stepping back a few feet, giving them space.

She pushed Ino at arm's length and examined her, looking for any injuries. Ino's legs still hadn't been healed which would make walking difficult, but other than that and the rings beneath her eyes, she spotted nothing new.

"Have you slept?" Sakura asked.

"When I had time. I'm responsible for this." Ino lifted the cloth from Neji's forehead. She dipped it into a bowl of water, then wrung it out and put it back in its place. "It has to be changed every half an hour."

"That's quite some dedication." The corners of Sakura's lips lifted up into a grin. "So, Neji?"

"He's a dick," Ino told her flatly. Then her features softened. "But he fought with us, bled with us. Now he suffers because of it, and for that alone he deserves care."

Ino's words struck her speechless, and for a while Sakura just stood there, staring at her old best friend. A bittersweet smile played at her lips. If there was one thing that could make a person grow up, it was the threat of imminent death and the suffering of people around her.

Sakura was brought out of her musings when Ino tugged lightly at her hair.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"You didn't listen," Ino said, smirking. "Why are you here?"

Sakura scowled at her, mentally retracting any thoughts about maturity. Ino was still a brat, albeit a perceptive one. "We're looking for Jiraiya-sensei."

"The Sannin? Big guy, white hair?"

"You've seen him?"

Ino nodded. "He's been here yesterday, but only for a few minutes. They brought him in, did some emergency treatment, then left."

"You know where we can find him?"

"I do, but I doubt it would do anything for you. He looked pretty banged up. The head medic who treated him said that he'd be out for days, possibly weeks."

"Fuck."

Ino swatted at her head. "Don't let Naruto's language color yours."

Sakura grinned. "Too late. Anyway, where did they take Jiraiya-sensei?"

"You still want to try?"

"It won't hurt."

"Can't argue with that," Ino said. "They talked about bringing him to the hospital room reserved for the Hokage."

"—that does sound somewhat impossible to get to."

"I told you."

"You did. Well, I guess we have to try a bit harder now than we've thought." After a moment of silence, Sakura gave Ino a long hug, before looking her in the eyes. "I'll have to go now. Take care, you hear me?"

"You as well. And don't let the boys run roughshod over you."

"I won't." Sakura promised, then turned around and walked away. She was nearly at the exit of the field hospital when Sasuke and Naruto joined her. "Where've you two been?" she asked.

"Talking with Shino," Naruto replied.

"He's here, too?"

"Yep, and whoever planned the layout for this camp is an idiot. He's sleeping next to the latrine. It reeks like a mule shit over there."

Sakura poked her finger against his cheek, pressing into one of his whiskers. "Stop cursing." She laughed, then increased her pace.

Behind her, she could almost envision how Naruto glanced at Sasuke, an expression of befuddlement plastered across his face.

What Sakura had told them about Jiraiya's whereabouts after her talk with Ino proved to be the truth. They had made their way to Konoha's general hospital, but no matter how much they pleaded with the ANBU guard, there was simply no way into Jiraiya's room.

"So, what now?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke had to admit that this was a good question. They had banked on finding Jiraiya to get to the truth as it was more likely to get it from him, than getting to see the Hokage in the near future. He frowned, looking at his teammates. "There's not much else we can do. Let's try for the Hokage."

"I hope we get some good news from him." Naruto exhaled loudly. "I want answers, damn it."

"And we'll get them. But definitely not here," Sakura said.

The walk over to the Hokage Tower was a short one, and they soon arrived in front of the Hokage's office, where two ANBU stood guard and several Chūnin walked in and out at various paces. Inside, however, they saw neither hide nor hair of Konoha's venerable leader. In his stead, on his chair even, sat an old woman with a severe countenance that held the administrative Chūnin around her at bay.

Utatane Koharu. Sasuke had heard about her before—from various sources. His Sharingan blinked into existence for only a split-second to take in everything about her. But that alone was enough to make her look up. Her eyes bore into his, and a wholly unpleasant feeling crept up his spine.

That woman was a spinster, albeit a dangerous one. And she could be as dangerous to his health as Kimimaro had been, perhaps even more so. She rose from her chair—the Hokage's chair, Sasuke reminded himself—and did so with poise and exactness that belied her physical age. There was a grace and fluidity to her motion that made him very aware of just how many senbon she could skewer him with should he make the wrong move. The many needles in her bun were definitely no decoration.

"Uchiha Sasuke," she said as she halted in front of them. Her gaze lingered for a moment, then wandered over to his teammates. "Haruno Sakura. Uzumaki Naruto. Follow me."

He saw the exchange of worried glances between Naruto and Sakura as all three of them followed the older woman into an adjacent room. It was a worry he shared—they shouldn't even have been a blip on her radar. The chamber they entered was small in comparison to the office. A wooden table stood between two leather couches, a tea set on it, and on the wall in the back hung four portrays, one for each Hokage. A map of the Elemental Nations had been stretched over the wall to the side, across the large window.

"Sit," she said, indicating the couch opposite of the one she took. When everyone had settled down, she observed them for a minute, maybe more, before she continued to talk. "I do not have much time, which is the reason I have to make this short." She cleared her throat. "After listening to the reports of several distinguished sources, and factoring in your deeds from the Chūnin Exams, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Chūnin, effective immediately."

He didn't need the power of his Sharingan to see Naruto's and Sakura's shoulders tense. They had expected a lot—he himself had thought up a storm about the possible scenarios. None of those, however, had featured this. Maybe they should have. But with all that went on, rising in rank didn't even register with them.

"Thank you," he said, dipping his head slightly. "A question if I may?"

Koharu furrowed her brow, but nodded. "Certainly, Uchiha-san."

"Is it possible to speak with Hokage-sama?"

He had no clue how she perceived his inquiry, or what she just thought. But even though he couldn't read her thoughts, it wasn't hard to see that the question had displeased her somehow. As she narrowed her eyes, the wrinkles around them tightened

"The Hokage has important business to attend, especially now. I am here in his stead, so any question you have for him, you can also pose to me."

"It is of a very sensitive matter."

"You have heard my answer," she said.

Naruto, who had sat still till then, chimed in. "Can't you make an exception please? We really need to speak with him."

Sasuke groaned inwardly. No way that woman would let them to the Hokage any time soon. Well, only one way now. She was, as she rightly pointed out, the Hokage's proxy for the time being. "Let me be blunt then," he said, staring her dead in the eyes. "Has Hatake Kakashi been taken captive?"

The silence was deafening, but her expression told enough bad news to tide them over for a few lifetimes. "And where would you have acquired such information?"

As none of them answered, she shot out of her seat, towering over them.

Sasuke had never been one to remain in a position of weakness while others loomed above. He, too, rose up. And had Koharu still been younger, she might have been taller than him. Age was a great equalizer, Sasuke mused as they stared each other down. She could still kill him easily. He had no illusions about that. But an Uchiha never lost in a stare-down. "Your reaction was answer enough," he said.

"I will not repeat myself—where did you get this information?"

"Is it that important?"

His Sharingan sprung to life the second Koharu moved. He saw the path of the needle, but wasn't even close speed-wise to have a chance at dodging it. It dug into the pale flesh of his throat, drawing a single drop of blood. He smiled at her; cold, befitting of an Uchiha. It was arrogance born from the knowledge that he wasn't alone. A fact that didn't escape her either, as Naruto's kunai was at her throat and Sakura had a knife hovering next to her ribs. Could she still take them? Definitely. But would she bother? Probably not.

It seemed as though their show of unity worked on her. She moved back, as did Naruto and Sakura. Then, in a blur of motion, she flicked her hand. The senbon passed by, slicing open a slight line on his cheek, and hit the wall behind him, still quivering in the wood even seconds later.

A Chūnin entered the room with an apologetic expression. "Koharu-sama, you are scheduled to meet with Konoha's merchant guild in five minutes."

Koharu waved the Chūnin out of the room, then turned back to them as the door closed. "Keep your secret for now, Uchiha-san," she ground out between pursed lips, glancing at the clock above the door. "But beware that actions have consequences. Dismissed."

Sasuke bowed his head, then strode out of the room, down the stairs and into the yard where he let fresh air burst into his lungs like a drowning man starved for oxygen. The sweat on the back of his neck cooled quickly. His teammates soon caught up with him.

"Are you insane?" Sakura asked, looking at him through wild emeralds. "That woman could've killed you in a second."

"We have our answer now," he replied.

"Why didn't you tell her about Kabuto?"

That was a good question, too. Sasuke stared at her. Why hadn't he? "That would have made me the loser in that conversation," he answered after a moment of contemplation.

Sakura shook her head. "Were you in the same room as me? You definitely didn't look like a winner in there."

He made to defend himself, but stopped when he saw Naruto who gazed at the clear sky with a forlorn expression. "You okay?" Sasuke grunted out.

Naruto uttered a weak laugh. "I had really hoped that Kabuto lied to us. Now we're back to square one. Kakashi-sensei's imprisoned, Jiraiya and Jiji lied. Nothing changed."

Sakura squeezed his arm, pulling him into a short hug. "Let's talk this over when we're back at the tent, 'kay? This isn't the place."

That was something Sasuke could agree on. They needn't know, but he felt Koharu's gaze on him and he was sure that he'd see her standing at the window above if he were to turn around and look up. Phantom pain stung at his cheek, validating his earlier thoughts. That woman was a warrior spinster alright.

Sitting back down, Koharu calmed her breath, returning the senbon back to the collection in her bun. A door opened in the wall beneath the Hokage portraits and Danzō entered the room through a secret passage. He ambled over to the couch and settled down next to her.

"Is this the kind of assessment you wanted?" Koharu asked in a clipped tone. "And a fake meeting, really?"

Danzō poured himself a cup of tea. "I wanted to observe their reaction to the promotion. I didn't anticipate them knowing about Kakashi." He narrowed his eyes. "I, too, would like to know where they got their knowledge from, but forcing the issue wouldn't have worked. You saw the Uchiha boy."

"Am I to believe you know nothing?"

"Cease looking at me like that," Danzō replied, thumping his cane on the ground once. "I have nothing to gain by revealing the information I myself proposed to hide from them. I will, however, have an agent follow them from now on. This development is unforeseen, and therefore risky."

"That seems to be for the best," Koharu agreed. "Rebellious behavior of this kind is permissible once, and that only because the knowledge they acquired is damning. I will not tolerate it a second time. I have half a mind to rescind their promotion."

"It wouldn't be undeserved. I apologize for the trouble, Koharu. Young prodigies can be…difficult to handle sometimes."

She didn't trust Danzō's words and posture one bit. The apology was calculated, and to her own shame it worked. "I remember you staring much the same at me until Tobirama-sensei reprimanded you. In fact, you bore the same wound back then as Uchiha-san does now."

"As I said, prodigies can be quite difficult."

Koharu shook her head, then rose from her seat. "Hubris, Danzō. Hubris." Her features, which had softened over the course of the conversation, hardened. "We should get back to work now." She glanced at the large map that hung at the side of the room. "The vultures are already circling us."

"I will report to Hiruzen then."

Back in the camp, many fires had sprung up over the day, and now that the immediate scare of the invasion had passed, the smell of food wafted through the narrow passages between the tents. After searching through the ruins of Konoha for a day and finding no more enemies, the leadership had reopened the gates for civilians. For most though, this wasn't a reason to celebrate, because once inside, cruel reality stared them in the face. A family from the outer circles who hadn't lost their home was a rarity.

But beside all the misery that loomed over them, Konoha was more than wood and mortar, more than its buildings. As not just civilians had lost their home, but also a sizable portion of Konoha's military, more than at any other point in time, the two sides of the village's population mingled. The noise rose in proportion to the tales told around the fires, and now that the marketplace was reachable once more, alcohol and food made the rounds. Adversity proved to be the bond that glued everyone together.

Naruto didn't care for those bonds. He had, once, but that was in the past. Sasuke and Sakura followed him as he walked past hundreds of people brimming with hope. They found strength in the actions of their heroes. He would have done the same, but the selection of heroes to admire had shrunken down rapidly in the last two days.

And even hadn't he felt betrayed, what was there to celebrate? Kakashi-sensei was still imprisoned, and he doubted the retreating army of Suna would be gentle with him, now that they had cashed in a beating no citizen in the Land of Wind would forget anytime soon.

"Chin up," Sakura whispered in his ear as she drew level with him. "They're watching, and not everyone loves you."

She was right, he found. People had their eyes focused on him as he passed them. It almost made him laugh. How would he react? How would their Jinchūriki act after such a victory against not one but two invading forces. He followed Sakura's advice and faced them with a stony expression. He wouldn't look depressed after such a win, no, but no one could expect him to be happy either.

Back in their tent, Sakura wove four different Genjutsu around it to conceal the sounds from inside. Her illusions weren't the strongest, as far as he could tell, but the sheer mass she could hold at the same time made them effective. It was, apparently, a feat singular to Sakura as it relied heavily on chakra control. More so than just the usual spinning of Genjutsu. Once everything was ready, she directed a searching gaze at him.

Naruto shoveled his feelings aside, trying hard to bury them under a layer of apathy. This wasn't the time, he told himself. It would come someday, the moment when he had a reckoning with his surrogate grandfather and Jiraiya. But that wasn't now. He took a deep breath. "I'm fine."

"Naruto…"

"There are more important things to worry about," he said. "Like Kakashi-sensei. He's been captured, and I doubt they handled him with satin gloves." Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who wore an uncomfortable expression. "What?"

"Kakashi will be waiting for quite some time," Sasuke said.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

"I doubt they hold him near the border. He's somewhere in the Land of Wind. And with the war that just broke out, how likely is it that they're going to invest in rescuing him? It makes no sense from a leadership position."

"Are you saying they won't try? Even though they know he's been captured?"

"Don't get angry, Naruto," Sakura said, trying to placate him with her hands. "That won't change anything. I'm sorry, but Sasuke is right. I can't see them sending a squad of ANBU—the least of what you'd need to free him, I'd wager."

"But…Fuck, there has to be something. Can't we ask—" Naruto interrupted himself. They had already had one rough encounter with Konoha's leadership today. He doubted a second would go over any better. "Isn't there something we can do?"

Silence spread like a fog, clouding his mind, darkening his thoughts. Kakashi-sensei had been an ass. But the man had grown on him—a weird uncle if nothing else. Naruto dug his nails into his palms. Fuck. There had to be something. Family was sparse in his life, and he didn't intend to lose more of what little he had. Even the weird uncle. Could he ask his friends to lean on their parents? They fought with Kakashi-sensei, haven't they?

Sasuke broke the silence, clearing his throat. His face was devoid of any emotion—the picture of stoicism. Naruto doubted even a Yamanaka could read him at the moment. "There is a way…it's just an idea though. You have to decide for yourself if it's worth it."

"What?" The question shot out of Naruto before he had any chance to control himself.

Sakura had, apparently, understood where Sasuke was going. She nibbled on her bottom lip as anxiety clouded her eyes. "This—I don't think this is a good idea, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked at Naruto. "We save Kakashi on our terms."

Naruto's throat dried up. It wasn't that he hadn't had the same idea for a few fleeting seconds, but he had discarded it earlier as immaterial. "That would make us—"

"—Nukenin," Sasuke finished. Still not one muscle moved in his face. "It's the only way I see right now. Konoha won't sanction a rescue with its current manpower. If we want Kakashi out, we have to do it ourselves."

Sakura shook her head. "This is treason, Sasuke. Naruto's a Jinchūriki, you're the last Uchiha. They'd never let us roam long enough for us to get to Kakashi. The Oi-nins would be after us the moment our disappearance is known."

"Your point being?" Sasuke stared at her. "My loyalty is to you and Naruto, perhaps even to Kakashi. Not to Konoha." His statement froze Naruto's insides. Not in a hundred years had he expected to hear these words from his teammate. Sakura, likewise, gaped at the Uchiha.

"This…"

His lips twitched into a smile. "Like it or not, that's what you get. My loyalty's never been to Konoha in particular."

Naruto grinned at him, though his lips quivered. What a loaded statement.

Somewhat unsure, he glanced at Sakura. "You up for it, Sakura?"

Sakura's eyebrows twitched. Hadn't she just spoken with Ino about not letting them run roughshod over her? Then she thought of Kakashi-sensei. "You know what this will mean for us, right? What consequences this will have…Even if we manage to rescue him—which isn't a given, mind—we'll be branded as traitors. Our friends won't know the details. They'll think we betrayed them."

"We can explain it later to them," Naruto said.

"Like Jiraiya-sensei and Hokage-sama might explain it later to us?"

"That's—"

"It isn't different and you know it." She looked at Sasuke. "Traitors, Sasuke. Nukenin, like Itachi."

His eyes remained black though his response was biting. "I haven't slaughtered you yet, have I?"

"Look," she said. "I'm not saying these things because I'm against rescuing Kakashi-sensei. My life is with you two. If you go, I will come along and wouldn't have it any other way. But I want you to think about this."

"Sakura—"

"I said, think. And I didn't just mean it as a platitude." Naruto looked at her and saw unshed tears in her eyes. Red had crept up her cheeks. She looked scared. "If we do this there's no going back," she continued, her voice quivering. "We can't half-ass this. This isn't just training, or a stupid C-Rank mission. We're marching into the lair of the fucking enemy."

Minutes passed in quiet contemplation after her outburst. Sakura took deep breaths during that time, calming down. "Are you absolutely sure about this?" she asked them after wiping her eyes.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who hadn't moved an inch since the start of the conversation. They needed no words, not anymore. He turned to Sakura, smiling tiredly. "Team Seven is the only family I have. I intend to keep it together."

Next to him, Sasuke nodded.

Sakura blew air out of her lips; a weary smile stole itself across her face. "Let's talk treason then."

Jinchūriki—the power of a human sacrifice. Inconceivable force, condensed tight enough to fit into a vessel without breaking it. Being him created controversy, no matter where he went, and deeds didn't count for much when one's body played host to a Bijū.

Conversations around fires ground to a halt when he passed by. Stares followed him each step of the way. He adjusted his path, relaxed his shoulders, eased his breathing. Soon, they'd brand him a traitor. Then, at least, their perception would be justified for once.

Besides, he had other things to worry about. Kakashi-sensei's health for one. How to actually get to him for another.

Insanity would have made things easier, he guessed. Riding on the coattails of Suna's retreating army sounded interesting—the sheer audacity of it intrigued him. A coup at any rate if they ever were to make it into the Land of Wind that way.

But while he may represent the power of a Bijū scaled down to human size, Sakura and Sasuke did not.

Speared by a bone as large as a grown man, his wound had healed half an hour later. Had the same happened to his teammates, none of them would be alive right now. How large then was the chance of their survival were they to use Suna's retreat as a cover?

Life had already stacked the odds against them. No need to help it fuck them over any further.

"Uzumaki-san?" Naruto looked up as an unfamiliar voice interrupted his thoughts. The face it went with belonged to one of the Genin alongside whom he had fought the previous day.

"One and the same," he answered. "It's Naruto though."

"Just saw you walking there and thought I'd say hello. You really saved my hide yesterday."

Involuntarily, Naruto's lips twitched into a smile. Scratching his cheek, he said, "—wasn't just me. Sakura and Sasuke helped too."

"I know, but they're not here. You are." The Genin held up two white bottles. He looked older than him by a year or two. "You want some? My treat."

Naruto hesitated.

"Come on. It's the least I can do."

"Ah, why not. What's your name by the way?"

The Genin took a long sip, then belched. "That stuff gets me all the time," he wheezed. "Name's Saburo. Come on, let's get to the others."

"Others?"

"Yep. My teammates. They probably want to thank you. Also, it's more booze. Ah, and my sensei, of course—I'm sure she's grateful too." Saburo leered at the air in front of him, before taking another swig. "She's a babe, you'll see."

Naruto grinned, took a first tentative sip, then waited for Saburo to look away before spitting it out. "I'm definitely interested," he said, following him.

And he was, just not in the way Saburo expected it. Inside of Naruto, earnest surprise and genuine happiness at being talked to in a normal way warred with the knowledge of what he was about to do. At any other time, he would've jumped for joy, indulged in this experience as long as possible. Now, however, he had an objective. Team Seven needed information, and Saburo had handed him the keys to them if he played his cards right.

They reached the group of other people a few minutes later. One other boy and a girl sat around a fire, while an energetic woman with short-cropped, white hair entertained them. "You should be more aware of your surroundings, Koji," she mumbled around the food in her mouth. "There's no telling when an enemy might steal your food."

"—Sensei!"

The woman turned around, a greeting on her lips. It never left her mouth, however, as she froze the moment she noticed Naruto. The narrowing of her eyes was barely perceptible, but for someone who had learned from Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya of the Sannin, it wasn't hard to recognize the signs. Naruto groaned inwardly. This wasn't what he had hoped for.

"Yo, Sensei! I brought booze and company," Saburo shouted, procuring more white bottles from beneath his wide sleeves. He threw them toward the Jōnin, who picked them out of the air without effort, her gaze never leaving Naruto.

"I can see that." Her voice was clipped. "W—"

"Oh, it's Uzumaki-san." The girl at the fire jumped to her feet. Black hair cascaded down her back as she walked—nay, sauntered—over to them. The metallic bracer on her right hand glinted so close to the fire. For a brief moment, Naruto's concentration wavered.

"Hi," he said, waving his hand. He would've said more, but his mouth was surprisingly dry; and his arm, still hanging in the air, felt more like a useless lump than anything else.

The Jōnin glanced at her. "You know him, Chiharu?"

"We told you, Sensei, didn't we? Our big fight during the invasion?"

"You mean…"

Chiharu grinned. "Yup. He's a member of Team Seven."

"I found him wandering the camp and thought we could do with more company," Saburo chimed in.

A terse silence permeated the air as the Jōnin looked him up and down. Then she dipped her head the fraction of an inch. For many that would've been an insult. Naruto though was more than happy with it. Much more could've happened, and none of it positive.

"I formally thank you for watching out for my Genin, Uzumaki-san. The battlefield is brutal, and I'm glad they all made it back to me in one piece."

A faint blush crept up Naruto's cheeks as he noticed that Chiharu was watching him. He took a deep breath. One thing at a time, he told himself. "There's no need to thank me. They watched my back and I watched theirs. Give and take, that's what they teach us at the academy, right?" He scratched the back of his head. "And it's Naruto. I'm not big on formalities."

"Naruto." The Jōnin nodded, testing out the name. "I'm Maki Noriko, Sensei of Team Six."

"Nice to meet you," Naruto said as the sweat on his back cooled under the fresh evening breeze. He bowed, low enough that his hair fell over his eyes, concealing how his gaze lingered on Chiharu's legs.

"Let's celebrate," Saburo said, taking another swig from his bottle. He seized Naruto in a one-armed hug, stumbling with him over to the fire.

Naruto went with him, a laugh bursting out of his mouth while a cold shiver thrummed in his bones. The objective raced through his mind. Kakashi-sensei—information. He couldn't let himself be distracted. The Jōnin would know from where the Land of Wind could be entered, hopefully. It was all just speculation anyway. No one would do it, right? And who didn't indulge in fantasies of revenge after such a battle?

He directed a look skyward. The stars glowed with an ethereal light that brought neither joy nor contentment to his heart.

Kami-sama forgive him, they looked condemning more than anything else.

Ruins passed Sakura by in a blur as she jumped over the few rooftops in North Konoha which hadn't broken down. The monstrous hole that had been ripped into the wall by Orochimaru's summon remained in the tail of her eye as she hastened to get outside the village. Her destination, just a mile shy of the wall, neared with each leap.

Moments later, her feet touched the lush grass beneath and she surveyed her surroundings. Trees reaching far into the sky circled the small clearing. In its middle, charred wooden beams lay in a heap. She inspected them closer, getting a rough understanding of how the structure must have looked once—a shed, nothing more.

Rubbing the tiredness out of her face, she sat down on a toppled trunk to wait for her teammates. Why Naruto had chosen this place as the meeting place eluded her. She just hoped that he got the information they needed to infiltrate the Land of Wind without marching headfirst into the Shinigami's loving embrace.

The last night in Konoha. Her head spun just from thinking about it. Losing everyone but her team was a very real outcome of their venture, and if they failed to rescue Kakashi-sensei, then all would be for naught. But these fears couldn't be what shook her resolve. She wouldn't let them.

As a sudden breeze stroked her cheek, she jumped to her feet, pulling a kunai out of her dress. Sasuke touched down in front of her, holding a scroll in one hand and three lumps of black cloth in the other. He had also slung a brown backpack over his shoulders.

"It's me."

"I noticed," she said, putting her weapon away. "You found much of use?"

The lumps turned out to be traveling cloaks. He let them fall to the ground, tossed the scroll on the pile, then began rifling through his pack. "A fair bit," he said, reaching her a bundle of clothing. "Here, get dressed."

She glanced at the things in his hands—pants, a long-sleeved shirt, white bandages—then looked at him. "Why?"

"We're becoming outlaws."

"And we have to look uniform?" she asked, noticing that he wore much the same.

He shrugged in response. "Black is less conspicuous than your red dress."

That actually made sense. Sakura took the clothes from him, threw off her old ones, and changed into the attire that would probably be hers for the unforeseeable future. When she was wrapping the bandages around her legs, the third member of Team Seven arrived. He opened his mouth to greet them, but before any words left his mouth, Sasuke shoved an identical bundle of clothing into his arms. Naruto took it, stared for a few seconds, before shrugging and starting to change.

"Time to start," Sakura said after he had finished. "Have you found a way?"

"I have, but let's get to that at the end." Hesitance laced the reply, only underlining his dissatisfied expression. "It's a possibility, though not what we had hoped for."

An unpleasant chill surged through her blood. Naruto sounding like that was never a good sign for things to come. "Okay, if you think that's for the best…I'll start then—don't worry, it's good news. I found them; they made it through without any crippling injuries."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

"They're in the Hyūga compound. It's the least damaged residence in Konoha and large enough to be called a district on its own. Hinata told me her father supplied guest lodgings to the other major clans."

"That's surprising. I didn't think the Hyūga would go for that," Sasuke said.

"I doubt he did it free of charge," Naruto said. "He'll cash in on favors soon enough."

"You're doing them a disfavor. Hinata was really happy with her father. She told me he lets Tenten and Lee stay, even though they're not from any clan."

"Maybe, but enough of her old man. What did she and the others say? You spoke to them, right?"

"Just small talk, anything else would have been suspicious. They're holding up well, considering they had to fight too."

Naruto's mouth relaxed into a weary smile. "That's good."

"It is," Sakura said, sharing the sentiment. Making sure that all their friends had survived had been one of their main concerns, no matter that they'd betray them soon enough. "Shikamaru said something weird though," she added. "He wished me luck on my journey."

Sasuke's head snapped up. "What?"

"Does he know?" Naruto asked, mirroring the panicked reaction.

"I don't think he knows about the particulars, but he somehow guessed that I'd be away for quite some time. No clue what tipped him off."

Naruto groaned. "We have to hurry then. I don't believe he'll tell on us if he knows, but I don't want to risk it. Sasuke, you found everything we need?"

"Mostly." Sasuke pointed at the scroll he had brought with him. "I've got rations for a week and enough weapons to last us for a while." Then he picked up the cloaks, threw one over his shoulders and chucked the other two at them. "Put them on. They're important."

"For what?"

"These," Sasuke said, holding up three slips of paper.

Naruto took one to inspect it. His gaze rove from left to right and back, following the squiggly lines that criss-crossed over the paper. Sakura, too, got a peak, but nothing she saw made any sense to her. It was a seal, that much she recognized.

"I…" Naruto trailed off, gave the paper a last glance, then handed it back. "I have no fucking clue what that thing does."

"Doesn't surprise me," Sasuke said while applying the seals to each of the cloaks. "Uchiha-made and there are only a few in existence—channel some chakra into it."

Sakura dredged up a morsel of the energy inside of her and guided it through her fingertips into the seal. Like she thought, the thing was ridiculously complex and apparently rather chakra dependent. The amount she had tried to use at first failed to work and the seal demanded greedily for more. Beside her, Naruto's cloak lit up in a blue glow for a second. Well, it wasn't a secret that Naruto had chakra to spare. Soon, her own did the same and she slipped it over her lithe frame.

Naruto held his at arm's length, his brow furrowed. "What did that do?"

"Anti-Byakugan seal." Sasuke put up his hood. "I saw a lot of Hyūga posted alongside the walls. They're making regular scans."

Naruto scrambled into his cloak. "Haven't they already seen us here then?"

"Let's hope not."

Sakura groaned. "Now we really have to hurry. Naruto, I hope you've got a route. Otherwise we can scrap this whole plan."

"I met a few of the Genin who supported us yesterday…their Jōnin-sensei had some interesting ideas."

"And he told you?" Sasuke sounded skeptical and Sakura couldn't blame him. Naruto seldom got the best reception in Konoha.

"She," Naruto corrected. "Maki-san was…nice after she learned that we helped her team."

"Nice?"

"It's not important." Sakura wondered why regret suddenly flickered over Naruto's face as he spoke. "Anyway," he continued. "We got talking about how to pay Suna back…there are three options—one insane, one suicidal, the last difficult."

"Sounds like good odds. Make this quick, we have to leave soon," Sasuke said, casting glances around.

"We'll die if we try the Land of Rivers. It's going to become a battlefield and there's no way we can smuggle ourselves through two armies. Another possibility is the Land of Rain, in theory, but they have closed their borders a few years ago. There's no way we can simply march through."

"And the last option?" Sakura asked.

"By sea. There's a port city called Bōeki Toshi at the southern coast of the Land of Wind. It's apparently huge and Suna doesn't have much authority there."

"So what, we need a boat?"

Naruto grimaced. "Yes, but remember what Kakashi-sensei taught us about wartime protocol?"

"No ship leaves a harbor without a permit from either Konoha or the Daimyo's court," Sasuke said.

"—but we don't have that," Sakura said. This wasn't good. Glancing at Sasuke, she saw that he wasn't bothered by the new information.

"You said you had a plan," Sasuke said. "What do we do?"

"No way in hell will we get a permit from Konoha. But I know someone at the Daimyo's court who might help us."

"The head advisor in Tanyu? Are you sure? What you told us about him isn't exactly a glowing recommendation."

Sasuke frowned. "'Might' is also rather vague."

"It's the only way I have. That man is interested in having someone in Konoha who owes him."

"And you want that someone to be you?"

"Not much of a choice, have I?" Naruto's voice was laced with distaste. "I don't know if there's another possibility, but if there is, I haven't found it. Time's running faster than I can catch up."

With a sigh, Sakura pulled her hood up. The dark cowl fell over her head, covering her pink hair. "Not much to it if that's the only way." She glanced at them. This was it, the moment they left Konoha for good. "We got everything we need. Last chance to back out now."

Sasuke snorted. "I refuse to have scavenged my burned down clan compound for nothing."

Naruto took a few seconds, looking around the clearing. "Mizuki told me about the Kyuubi here…" He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Let's go, Kakashi-sensei is waiting."

And as all three of them leaped into the woods, speeding toward Tanyu, the absurdity of their plan began to settle in. They had been invited to a deadly game where everyone but them brought their own dice. A spark entered Sakura's eyes as she noticed Naruto's determined expression and Sasuke's aloof self-assuredness.

If there was anything Kakashi-sensei had taught them, it's that one could play dirty in multiple ways. Everyone brought weighed dice to the table? Fine, Team Seven would provide the beaker with a smile.

Night had long fallen over Konoha when Danzō pushed the door to Hiruzen's office open. Rhythmic thumping accompanied his gait as he entered with measured steps, passing three hidden ANBU on the way to his long-time rival's desk. Hiruzen sat bowed over a slew of documents and scrolls.

That late, most of the staff had already left the building. A good time to deliver news such as the ones he had.

Additional witnesses would only hinder the proceedings.

Hiruzen glanced up from the papers, eying Danzō who had already seated himself. "Do come in…" he said, laying his brush aside.

Danzō spared the documents a short glance—orders to send more troops to the borders—then leaned forward, putting more weight on his cane. Hiruzen, who understood the meaning of it immediately, flicked his wrist and his guard melted out of the shadows, closing the door behind them as they left the room.

He activated a seal matrix on his desk and lines of black ink exploded outward, stretching over the carpet, crawling up the walls until the whole office was filled with them. The hairs on Danzō's neck rose as Hiruzen channeled more chakra into the seal, bathing them in a blue effulgence that threatened to blind him.

Once the light died out, Hiruzen took his pipe, igniting the tobacco inside with his thumb. "What happened?" he asked, after taking the first puff.

A wise move. Danzō had no lost love for such an unhealthy habit—it polluted the body, scrambled the mind—but he knew it kept Hiruzen calm. A docile Hokage was far easier to deal with than an enraged one. He gave him a few more seconds to indulge, then spoke, "Team Seven deserted Konoha."

But even the finest tobacco in the known world couldn't palliate a statement such as this. Hiruzen stilled in his chair. He gripped the pipe tighter, pressed his lips together. Gray eyes focused on a point at the wall behind Danzō.

"Kakashi…" he murmured around the stem. "They have learned of his imprisonment."

"I had an agent follow them. They intend to infiltrate the Land of Wind and rescue him on their own."

A sharp breath escaped Hiruzen; plumes of smoke smothered the air. "We have to bring them back at once. This plan is suicide."

"It might be wiser to let them go on this venture," said Danzō.

His rival's reaction was harsh, but not unexpected. Hiruzen's gaze snapped from the wall to him. "Has long age made you daft?" Genuine anger crept into Hiruzen's voice. "This isn't just any team. Naruto might as well be my grandson and that is besides being the Kyuubi's Jinchūriki. Sasuke…the last loyal Uchiha. I promised Itachi to take care of him, and you willingly want to invite his wrath on us? No, we cannot let them leave."

"Tobirama-sensei chose you because he thought you the wiser of us two." Danzō's features hardened. "Think, Hiruzen. Show me he has not erred. Leave personal matters out of governing the village."

A prickling sensation rose inside of Danzō, working its way up his spine as the tense silence crackled on his skin. Entering into a contest of wills with Hiruzen was always a gut-wrenching, nerve-fraying experience. None of it showed through. Decades of experience have made him a master at masking his emotions.

Hiruzen ended the pregnant pause. "What, then, is it that makes you believe this to be a good idea?"

"They are dissatisfied with Konoha, but they ultimately left because of Kakashi and not the village. Envision the consequences if we brought them back now—we could control them for a while, but our actions would only breed more dislike, eventually culminating in hatred." Danzō relaxed slightly as he talked, sinking a bit deeper into the chair. The worst had been weathered. "Can we afford to ostracize a Jinchūriki and the Uchiha with war on our doorstep?"

"What are your motives?" Hiruzen asked bluntly.

"Konoha's survival—as always."

"You never handled dissent with velvet gloves before…but that is beside the point. Their goal is almost impossible to achieve, and if we want them to fight for us, they first have to be alive. Kakashi and Jiraiya did good work, but I doubt Team Seven is ready for a mission of this caliber."

Danzō nodded, his lips twisting upward by a fraction of an inch. "They won't be unsupervised, of course. My agents will continue to follow them, which should tip the chances in our favor. Kakashi will be back with us, Suna will be weakened once more, and Team Seven…they will be indebted to us, because despite their treachery, we will welcome them with open arms."

"I would have to disguise their leaving as mission then."

"That would be for the best."

In the next minutes, Danzō waited patiently as Hiruzen mulled over the available options. "Very well," he said, after a while. "Send your agents after them."

"I already did."

Hiruzen didn't reply for several seconds and smoke blasted out of his nose. "How long have you known about their plan? Answer me, Danzō. I will know if you are lying."

"Since they visited Koharu yesterday morning."

"I see...You are dismissed."

Danzō rose from his seat and ambled over to the door, exiting the office without another word. Everything he could've said would have only served to enrage Hiruzen. As he walked through the empty corridors of the tower, the tenseness left his shoulders, even though a bad feeling settled in his gut. Hiruzen wouldn't forget, that much he knew.

He had barely taken two steps outside the building, when one of his agents touched down beside him. "Send a second squad to follow Team Seven. Make sure they are experienced." The man nodded, then vanished in a cloud of smoke.

A slight breeze whizzed past Danzō as he continued his march back to the headquarters.

AN: My thanks go to DLP for being awesome.