Flash of Red and Black

Chapter XIII

"Neji, any word yet?" I snapped, my worries finally getting the best of me.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. There's nothing. You'll know the moment I hear," he replied, unperturbed by my harsh tone. I nodded, dismissing him. He could tell that I was worried. Heck, anyone who glanced at my splintering desk could tell I was worried.

Kakashi stepped out of the shadows as Neji vanished.

"They'll be here soon."

"They should already be here."

"If there are injuries, they will be slower than usual, and there are bound to be injuries."

I didn't bother with replying. That was my whole concern, after all. Of course there would be injuries. There would always be injuries or fatigue or chakra depletion. But this time I was afraid it would all be too severe.

I paced in front of my window quietly for a while longer until a chuunin finally burst into the room with the news I'd been waiting to hear.

"Hokage-sama! The teams have returned with their ANBU escorts! Neji-san is headed to the hospital to rendezvous with them now. He already sent word to Shizune-san and Tsunade-sama."

"Anything else?" I asked, and as soon as she gave a negative reply, I was out of the room and in the hospital lobby.

All the experienced medics were dashing around, trying to give first aid to those who needed it while the newer med-nin were helping to move those with fewer injuries to rooms on the other floors. What concerned me the most, though, were the three stretchers that were being carried away. Though both were obviously carrying someone, the people were not visible. All I could see was a bloody sheet.

I didn't let my brain process what that meant yet, though. I just moved on, heading over to Hojo-san.

"Where can I help?"

"Hokage-sama! We can take care of this, so you don't hav—"

"Hojo-san," I cut her off, my voice a bit more dangerous than I meant for it to be. She was startled for a moment, but she gathered herself and replied quickly and calmly.

"We have enough people down here for now. You can help with bandaging upstairs."

"Thank you," I said quickly before dashing away, letting her get back to her duties while I went to see if I could help.

"Ho-Hokage-sama! You don't ha—"

"Don't worry about it. Which rooms have shinobi who still need patched up?" I asked, managing to keep myself from sounding too threatening this time. The young med-nin looked startled, but she listed off the rooms and I headed to the closest one.

"Naruto?"

"Tenten! Glad to see you," I said, giving her a small smile as I moved about grabbing bandages and antiseptic ointment. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt some relief knowing she wasn't one of the shinobi covered in a bloody sheet.

"Aren't you busy, Naruto?"

"Don't worry about it," I said as I started to disinfect and bandage a gash on her brow. We sat there silently for a few long moments while I continued patching her up.

"It was bad, Naruto," she said finally.

"I'm sure."

"The tunnels were horrible and endless."

"All the data's been sent to intelligence, right?"

"Yes," she said, pausing for another long moment.

"What is it?" I asked, finally looking away from the bandages that I was wrapping. She stayed silent for a while longer, but then she looked up, eyes full of more emotions than I could put names to.

"There were shinobi with Sharingan, Naruto. They had the curse marks too," she said, staring me down. I sighed.

"I know. That's why I sent ANBU to make sure you all could get home."

"Thank you," she said, giving a small smile. I stared for a moment before shaking my head and standing, finished with the bandaging.

"My job is to make sure everyone is safe, and this time I failed… But I won't fail again," I said, more to myself before walking out and heading to the next room to bandage another moderately injured kunoichi.

Once I finished bandaging her, a chuunin appeared in the room, though he waited silently to be called upon.

"Report."

"Haruno-san is waiting for you in your office. Shikamaru-san and Shikaku-dono have already arrived."

"Got it. Help out here in my place, will you?" I said before vanishing back to my office.

"Naruto, we've made progress in analyzing the curse-marked subject with a Sharingan."

"Let's hear it."

"Much like Kakashi-sensei, the subject's Sharingan cannot be shut off. Probably because the Sharingan is not fully activated, it does not use much of his chakra, but that seems to lead to all the jutsu being weaker. Also, the DNA within the eye does not match either the individual who has it, nor does it match any known Uchiha. The DNA seems to be spliced together from those of the Uchiha clan and some as yet unidentified source.

"As for the curse-mark, it's even stronger on this individual and does not seem to be negatively affecting his life span. It also makes him more durable, even when it's inactive. The DNA in the mark seems to be a mixture of the Senju Clan, Orochimaru, a different, unidentifiable source, and his own. When inactive, the mark is the only part of his body with that DNA compilation; however, when fully activated, his entire body takes on that mixture."

"So why wouldn't he hold the fully activated curse mark indefinitely?" Shikamaru asked once Sakura seemed to have finished.

"He becomes mentally unstable after a certain interval, about ten minutes, if he maintains the fully-activated curse mark. This appears to cause him to have less control over the power the curse mark gives him and the Sharingan."

"So the longer he has the mark activated, the harder it is for him to fight," Shikamaru said, his brow furrowing, probably trying to think of the best way to use the information to our advantage.

"So, what, we have to make him activate it and survive ten minutes with the maniac, and then we might have a chance of taking him down?" I said, grimacing. No matter how I thought about it, it didn't seem to be a good scenario, and the silence that filled the room seemed to agree.

"Anything else, Sakura?" I asked after a few moments.

"No. That's all we have so far."

"Good work," I said and she gave a nod before leaving to return to her work.

Once she was gone, I turned to Shikamaru, and his expression confirmed my thoughts.

"Stealth is the best way to deal with them, but to hit them with something big enough to take them down won't be easy when trying to remain unnoticed," Shikamaru said, his eyes closed as he tried to come up with a better solution.

"And stealth doesn't make good bait," I said, glaring at the closed door. From the corner of my eye, I saw Shikamaru nod gravely in agreement before calling an ANBU to get his father.

"But if he makes too big of an entrance, Orochimaru will know that it's a trap and, no matter how much he wants the Sharingan, he won't go for it."

"Leave that to me. It is my job after all," I heard from behind me, and I could almost see the light bulb turn on above Shikamaru's head.

"Raikiri. It may not be classified as a 'stealth technique' because of the noise, but it's fast enough to not matter," Shikamaru said as he turned to Kakashi, standing behind me. Kakashi nodded.

"And if speed can't outdo the numbers? We already know that all the bases will be swarming with guys just like him, if not stronger."

"In all likelihood, the closer we get to Orochimaru, the stronger they will get, and we still don't know what kind of modifications he has made to his own body," Shikaku chimed in as he strolled into the room.

I frowned, staring at nothing for a few moments before sighing.

"Shikamaru, Shikaku, the operation starts in ten days. You have five to make your plans. I leave it to you," I said, looking at them until they both nodded. Then they left to plan and I turned to Kakashi.

"Go ahead and go with them… Just don't plan to do anything too risky. Please," I begged quietly and Kakashi gave a nod before pausing. Then he grabbed my hand and squeezed it lightly.

"It'll be fine, Naruto. I won't tell you not to worry, since it's your worrying that seems to save us all, but it will take something much stronger than Orochimaru to take me from your side," he said quietly. I took a deep breath and nodded. He smiled and squeezed my hand a little before following after Shikamaru and Shikaku. After a few minutes of just sitting there silently, I headed to the hospital, deciding it was time to pay Choji a visit.

I walked into the room quietly, not sure if he was awake or not since it was still early, but then I saw Ino sitting in the chair next to the bed, smiling while he talked.

"Hey guys! How are you doing?" I asked, grinning and pretending not to notice that Ino suddenly jerked her hand away from Choji's.

"Good morning!" Ino said, standing up. "I'm going to check on some other patients for a bit before I head over to the training school. See you, Naruto. Later, Choji," she said, smiling at us before heading out, her face slightly more red than normal.

"See ya, Ino," Choji said as she left before turning to me. "What's up, Naruto?"

"Seems like the only secrets she can keep are her own," I said, grinning at him, though I discreetly checked over his condition too. He was more pale than usual, probably because of blood loss, and he had some dark circles under his eyes, but it seemed like he would recover soon enough.

"W-well, you know… It's not official or anything like that," he said as he scratched the back of his head, revealing the stiches on his arm while he grinned back at me.

"Sure, sure. It's not like you surprise her with presents or anything at work, right?" I said, still grinning at him. He just laughed awkwardly, not looking me in the eye. I laughed aloud at his expression before sitting down where Ino was moments earlier.

"Well anyway, how are you doing? Honestly, I'm surprised that you've recovered so much in just a few days."

"Yeah, I'm alright. Sakura and Tsunade are masters at their work, after all, and Ino's been keeping a close eye on me. Sorry for worrying everyone," he said, looking a little guilty.

"Don't worry about that. If I'd been more cautious, you wouldn't be hurt, and three of our people wouldn't be dead. I'm sorry," I said, bowing my head as my knuckles turned white. Then I heard Choji shifting around in the bed and I looked up just as he clasped his hand on my shoulder.

"Naruto, we're all shinobi. It's our job to be ready to give our lives for the sake of a mission. No one blames you for the losses, and you shouldn't blame yourself either," he said, looking at me seriously.

"Thank you, Choji," I said before standing. "Now, you still need rest," I smiled, helping him lay back down before I headed out.

"Oh, one more thing," I called before closing the door. "You should think about making it 'official' with Ino. You might be the only one she's after, but you're not the only one after her. And with her job, you might start getting some competition from the other villages too," I said, giving him a little grin before heading back to my office.

Just as I walked in, the chuunin from earlier dashed into my office, calling for me.

"Hokage-sama! The head of Decryption is here!" I left to lead her in, and I immediately had an ANBU summon Shikamaru.

"Hokage-sama, we have finished decrypting the scrolls that Akimichi-san's team retrieved."

"Thanks for making fast work of it," I said as I started looking through the scrolls she handed me.

"Did anything specific catch your eye?" Shikamaru asked as he walked in.

"Aside from talk about the Sharingan and the curse mark, there was mention of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, and it seemed to have research since the war," she said. Though her voice remained neutral, the crease in her brow betrayed her concern, and I glanced at Shikamaru, seeing that he held a similar expression. For my part, I felt my stomach churn nauseatingly.

"Thank you. Keep up the good work," I said, dismissing her as I turned to Shikamaru who was studying the scrolls.

"Do you think he's trying to regain what power the Sandaime took from him?"

"He's probably trying to do that and more. He's obsessed with forbidden jutsu, and that seal is at the top of the short list," he said, frowning more as he continued looking through the scrolls.

"Naruto, I'm going to the archives. I need to know more about this seal," he said after reading through the scrolls a while longer.

"Let me know if you find anything," I called after him as he left. Then I sighed and stood up to stretch.

Then I decided to head over to the Academy. It seemed about time to have another surprise visit, and I figured that it would help me relax a little.

When I arrived, I saw Iruka-sensei outside having his students run laps around the Academy's practice field.

"Hey Iruka-sensei!" I greeted walking up behind him.

"Naruto! What brings you here?" He asked, smiling at me.

"Just thought I'd come visit. How's everyone doing?"

"Great. Really great. Even the slackers are starting to pay attention in class, and occasionally I see the students practicing together after school. What you've been able to do is really impressive, Naruto," he said, smiling at me with a face full of pride. I smiled back but shook my head.

"I've hardly done anything. And I don't think I ever would have become Hokage if it weren't for you, Iruka-sensei, so you get all the credit here," I said, smiling at him.

"Naruto…" he trailed off. His face was glowing with both pride and embarrassment, but the shook it off for the most part once he saw the students slowly amassing around us.

"Hey everyone! Have you been training hard?" I asked, grinning at the small crowd that encircled us. My question was met with nods and various yelps of affirmation. I smiled and nodded before looking at Iruka.

"So, what's the plan for today, Iruka-sensei?" I asked. He gave me a small smile and a nod before turning to everyone else.

"I was planning to have a skill test today, if that sounds alright with you," he said glancing at me.

"Perfect! Let's see how you guys improved, okay?" I said. There were various murmurs of excitement and a few looked nervous, but I was looking forward to it.

Once everything settled again, everyone spread out into a circle and each student went into the middle one by one to perform his or her best jutsu. When Kyou-kun's turn came, he glanced at me for a second before staring ahead again and creating three bunshin. Just before Iruka called the next person, Kyou gave a little smirk and henged the bunshin and himself into me. I couldn't help laughing a little. Before Iruka could hide his surprise, Kyou dispelled the clones and walked back to his spot, glancing at me. I smiled a little and gave a small nod before turning back to watch everyone else. Everyone's growth was impressive, and even the kids who I knew weren't paying attention in class that first day seemed to put a little more effort in this time.

"Great job guys!" I said, addressing everyone once they were all done and after Iruka-sensei and I gave them some extra pointers. "You've all been practicing a lot, huh? Keep it up. If you want any more help, come see me any time!"

"I-is it really okay, Hokage-sama?" asked a little girl with orange hair.

"'Course it is! Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well…My mommy says that you're really busy so I shouldn't bother you," she said, trailing off.

"It's not a bother at all. Of course, Iruka-sensei can probably answer questions better than I can, but I want to help you all however I can, alright? The same goes for your mother too. If she needs anything, just have her come see me. Got it?" I asked, smiling at her, and she nodded shyly before ducking back behind her friend. Then I looked to Iruka and he gave a short nod before addressing the class.

"Well, class is dismissed for the day. Remember to work on what we told you, and be sure to thank the Hokage-sama for his time today," he said, smiling and everyone bowed and thanked me before rushing around to head home.

"Hokage-sama!" Kyou-kun called, rushing up to me. I smiled at him before turning to Iruka for a moment.

"It's been a while, so what do you say to Ichiraku tonight?"

"Are you sure you've got time for that, Naruto?"

"Don't worry about it!" I said, grinning. "Just stop by my office when you get hungry."

Iruka smiled and nodded before walking back into the building and I turned to Kyou-kun.

"You've been practicing pretty hard lately, huh," I said, grinning at him. He grinned back up at me, nodding, before his face turned more serious.

"It's been hard to practice lately, though, since my mom's been working at the hospital so much and my dad was hurt during his last mission," he said, looking a little sad. I frowned a little before clasping my hand on his shoulder.

"What do you say we go visit them, then?"

"Really! Is it okay?" he asked, obviously excited.

"Sure. Let's go," I said before heading to the hospital. On the way, Kyou told me about the training he'd been doing and how he can reach even the upper branches of trees. I couldn't help being excited for him, and he continued chatting happily all the way until we reached his father's hospital room.

"Tou-chan! I came to visit, and the Hokage-sama came too!" he called, and I followed behind, looking the man over to see the magnitude of his injuries.

"Kyou, Hokage-sama, it's great to see you," he said, smiling at both of us.

"Sorry to bother you while you're resting, sir," I said, inclining my head slightly, but I was met with laughter.

"I'm the one who should be calling you 'Sir.' Please, just call me Shin."

"Shin-san, then. How are you recovering?"

"I should be in top form soon. I didn't have nearly the injuries that Akimichi-san had," he said, smiling at me. I nodded pushing away the guilt I felt for the moment.

"You've been training Kyou-kun well. Iruka-sensei and I were pretty surprised by his chakra control," I said, smiling at the pair.

"Ah, well that's probably mostly Mei's doing. She's always had better control than I have," he said, smiling with pride.

"But you're better at taijutsu! And I've gotten a lot better with that too since you've been training me!" Kyou exclaimed. I didn't doubt his statement at all.

"Kyou, how about you go try to find your mother? She should visit the Hokage-sama too," Shin said before Kyou dashed out happily. Shin smiled after him and I smiled a little too for a moment before looking back at Shin.

"Shin-san, I'm sorry that you and your team were injured. I will do my best to prevent it from happening again," I said, bowing my head. After a moment or two of quiet I looked up to see Shin quietly staring at me with a small smile.

"Hokage-sama, I am a shinobi, and I am prepared to give up my life at any time for the sake of protecting this village and my son. It is an honor to serve as a shinobi of Konoha with you as its leader, and thank you for helping my son," he said, inclining his head. I couldn't keep myself from smiling a little.

"Hokage-sama! It's good to see you. I hope my son hasn't been bothering you," Hojo-san said as she walked into the room, her son trailing just behind.

"Of course not. He has improved quite a bit since last time. I have to say that I was impressed," I said, smiling at her and I could see Kyou grinning next to her.

"He still has a lot to learn," she said, though she couldn't hide her pride. We talked for a while longer, but then I said goodbye to the group and headed back to my office.

I worked on the stacks of reports until Iruka-sensei knocked on my door.

"Naruto? Are you still free for Ichiraku?"

"I've always got time for Ichiraku," I said, grinning at him. We walked there together, discussing his class and their improvement along the way, and I couldn't help thinking that it was nice to have a normal conversation with him on the way to eat at my favorite ramen stand.

"How is Choji doing? I heard he was injured during his last mission," Iruka asked after we ordered.

"Right. Well, it'll still be a few weeks until he's fully healed, but he seemed to be doing better when I saw him this morning," I said, staring at the basket of eggs on the counter in front of me.

"That's good to hear," he said before pausing. I felt him staring at me for a moment before he continued. "But you know, I think you're hurting from his injuries more than he is right now."

I sighed before looking over at him. "You're probably right, but I can't get it out of my head. I should have sent a bunshin with their teams. I knew it was risky, and I could've protected them…Those shinobi shouldn't have died," I said before staring at my fists.

"You know, some of the kids in my class are orphans too, because of the war. For a while, it was really hard to get through to them or to make them even come to class, but since you've become Hokage, they have been slowly changing. They see you as someone who, in spite of everything, has grown up to be such a strong, caring person and as the greatest Hokage this village could ever hope for. They look at you and know that no matter how hard things might be, you will be fighting to make it better, and they all want to work their way up so that they can fight with you. We all share your vision of a peaceful future, so you can't give up on yourself, Naruto," he said, looking at me earnestly. I couldn't keep myself from turning red once he'd finished.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," I said, smiling at him just before Teuchi placed two steaming bowls in front of us. I thanked him and immediately dug in with vigor.

"Ahh, all my students are becoming some reputable people. But I won't lose out to you guys yet!" he said, grinning at me before slurping up his own noodles.

"'Course not! I still need you to help train more awesome shinobi and kunoichi, and you're the best at it!" I grinned before finishing off my bowl and calling for another.

After we both ate our fill, I said my goodbyes and headed back to my office, filled with a new energy. I attacked the piles of paperwork in my office, making good headway until Kakashi and Shikaku showed up.

"We're a few days ahead of schedule, but we've got a plan."

"Let's hear it then."

Sorry it took so long to update. I'll probably be slow once next semester starts too, so I'll do my best to get as many updates out as I can during my break.

Anyway, this chapter is a lot of set up before the action really begins. I should have one more fluffy chapter coming up soon though. I hope you'll be looking forward to the next one!