If you recognise it… I don't own it.
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"Naruto" – Yes this is a non-crossover.
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Start-ish – Scene starts as Team Seven returns from the Mission to Wave.
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"Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto's voice was unusually quiet, as the boy sidled up to his teacher's side.
"Hmm?" Kakashi turned a page in his book.
"There's some people watching us." Naruto muttered just loud enough to be heard.
"You sure?" Kakashi looked surprised, "I can't sense anyone's chakra."
"Sensei," Naruto sounded serious, "I know when people are looking at me with hate. I know when people are watching me. I didn't think twice with the first ninjas, because I'm used to it nearly all the time. I know!"
"How many?" Kakashi decided to trust Naruto's instincts. Kami only knew how many times they'd saved the kid's life.
"More than two," Naruto closed his eyes to think, "Less than ten. And all of them hate me. Really, really hate me."
"Chh!" Sasuke snorted, having gotten closer to eavesdrop, "They must know what a loser you are."
"Are you sure?" Kakashi looked down at Naruto.
"I know eyes." Naruto replied cryptically, "It feels like I'm walking past the high class civilian houses." Nervously Naruto rubbed the back of his head. Kakashi blinked slightly, he knew that most of those houses contained people who knew about Naruto's secret, and feared him because of it.
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Insert stuff here.
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"Sasuke?" Sakura's voice reached his ears, "Are you alright?"
"I can't see." Sasuke replied, "There's something across my face."
"I can see fine," Sakura sounded puzzled. "I'll tell you what I see.
"We're in a cart. Its fabric covered. I'm facing towards the horses. You're tied behind me, facing the exit. Kakashi-Sensei is lying alongside us, a bit out of reach. His head is near my feet. He's tied up with a thick rope around his chest and his ankles tied together. He's on a drip. But he's not hurt, so it must be a sedative. Naruto's in the corner, behind Kakashi-sensei. He's bundled up in a sack, and he's gagged. He's conscious." Sakura described simply. "I also think it's about midday, judging by the sun through the canvas. Our equipment is in the corner on a couple of boxes."
"Guess the dobe annoyed them." Sasuke snorted.
"Apparently he agrees with you." Sakura was shocked, "He nodded."
"Has he been awake longer than us?" Sasuke asked.
"Yes." Sakura replied.
"Is Kakashi-sensei going to wake up?"
"Yes."
"How?" Sasuke demanded immediately, before remembering that Naruto could only answer yes or no, "Is the drip a sedative?"
"Yes."
"Is it working?"
"Sort of." Sakura replied.
"How can he answer 'Sort of'?" Sasuke pressed.
"He leant his head to either side." Sakura answered.
"Is the drip inserted?"
"No."
"Why not?" Sasuke forgot the communication barrier again.
"He removed it." Sakura translated, "Apparently with his feet, as he's waving them at me."
"Is Kakashi-sensei actually restrained?" Sasuke led himself to hope.
"No." Sakura smiled slightly, "Again with his feet. He's not wearing his sandals."
"Do you know who they are?" Kakashi asked, without opening his eye.
"Sort of." Sakura answered after a shocked pause, "You alright, sensei?"
"I'm fine." Kakashi replied, "Are they shinobi?"
"Yes."
"Missing-nin?" Kakashi pressed.
"No."
"Leaf?"
"No."
"Sand?"
"No."
"Rain?"
"No."
"Mist?"
"No."
"Clouds?"
"No. Sensei, this would be a lot simpler if you simply freed Naruto." Sakura sighed in exasperation.
"Let's keep our movements as little as possible," Kakashi declared, "Until we know what we're up against. Right now, we have an advantage. I'd rather not move until it is bigger. Grass?"
"No."
"Waterfall?"
"No."
"Rock."
"Yes."
"One?"
"No."
"Two?"
"Possibly."
"He's only seen two?"
"Yes."
"Rank?"
"I think Jonin," Sakura answered, "He's poking you."
"Right." Kakashi nodded, "Now, with as little movement as possible, I'm going to get up and free everyone. We need to keep quiet. Once we're all free, we jump off the back of this cart, and run for it. I want to make one thing very clear, no matter what, you do not stop until you reach the village."
"But sensei…" Sakura stared.
"You are not running away," Kakashi countered her objection, "You're getting reinforcements. I'll stall them as long as possible. You may have managed against Zabuza and his student. But that was when you weren't outnumbered. You are not abandoning your team-mates. You are fetching help."
"Why did they capture us?" Sakura stared at her teacher.
"I fought in the Third Shinobi War." Kakashi shrugged, "They probably want revenge."
"But that was years ago." Sakura stared.
"Revenge doesn't die." Sasuke muttered, "Sakura is there anything we can Substitute with?"
"There's some boxes in the corner," Sakura replied, "But I can't do the seals like this."
"My left to your right." Sasuke answered, "Sensei, if you could deal with Naruto?"
"Once you are free," Kakashi repeated, "You run. Naruto will be right behind you. I'll stall the Iwa nins, until you are out of sight."
"Yes sensei." Sakura nodded.
"Ram." Sasuke muttered. Two hands formed the seal, "Boar. Ox. Dog. Snake." The seals had started slow, but sped up as the pair mentally adjusted to their position.
Once they were free, Sasuke tore off his blindfold, inwardly relieved that he still had his eyes, not that he would ever admit it. The Sharingan was highly prized, after all. Grabbing his kunai and shuriken pouches he attached them, and drew his kunai. He cut through the canvas and jumped from the cart. Sakura was only a heartbeat behind him, her own weaponry reclaimed also.
Kakashi took a bit longer, as he had to free his legs before he could start on cutting Naruto out of his sack. Even under the sack, Naruto was bound hand and foot. He was also miffed. Kakashi left Naruto to deal with the gag, while he jumped out of the cart, raised his hitai-ite and started to engage the ninjas. To his slight surprise they numbered six, but only five started to fight him.
Naruto followed and with half apologetic glance back at his sensei, started off, aiming to catch up with Sasuke and Sakura, who were both running down the road as fast as they could.
"Just hold out Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled over his shoulder, "We'll be out of range soon."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, blondie." The last Iwa nin called out. Naruto turned around cautiously, noticing that there was a fair distance between him and the kidnappers.
Sakura and Sasuke also stopped, partially in curiosity, partially to tell Naruto to hurry up.
"Do you know what this is?" the ninja held up a piece of paper.
"A paper bomb remote detonator." Sakura answered.
"The bomb is strapped to your chest, blondie." The ninja smirked.
Naruto's hand went to his chest; he heard the crinkle of paper as he touched the area over his heart.
"Dammit!" He growled, "Sakura, Sasuke, run!"
"We don't need them anyway." The Iwa jonin shrugged, "Now be a good little genin and surrender."
Naruto sat down on the road, knowing when he was beaten. However, he also knew from a lot of experience how to make things difficult, while still being partially co-operative.
"Come and get me." He retorted, taking off his jacket. He positioned it as a pillow, and proceeded to mimic Shikamaru, watching the clouds. Despite what the enemy ninja had said Naruto didn't trust his words. After all Sasuke was an Uchia, they could be after his bloodline. Every moment Naruto wasted, was one moment longer for his team-mates to get away.
"Get him." The shinobi instructed to two of the others. "And as for you Copy-Nin, stand down. Or you'll lose a student."
Kakashi knew when he was beaten and stopped fighting. Sakura and Sasuke had gotten away; Naruto couldn't. With a bit of luck, Sakura and Sasuke would get to Konoha in less than two days, which should mean that they were still in the Land of Fire. A quick team would be able to get to them in less than one day, so it was unlikely that they would be taken into Iwa territory. Judging by how fast the cart had been moving earlier, these six were more concerned about stealth than speed.
Offering his hands to be bound, Kakashi wasn't surprised when they spun him around and bound them behind his back.
"Keep the little brat quiet," One of them muttered in his ear, "Or we'll make sure he's unable to even think about talking."
They forced Kakashi to walk to the cart. Then he was placed back in the cart, his legs tied together in two places, and another rope wrapped around his torso, making sure that he didn't have any leverage to break the rope around his wrists. They also snapped chakra suppressing cuffs around his forearms. Much to his surprise, none of the Iwa nins had moved towards Naruto, until he was completely restrained and his weaponry removed.
Naruto, for his part, hadn't moved either. Obviously there was a brain behind those often idiotic seeming eyes. Not that Kakashi hadn't noted it earlier; for someone with such low scores at the Academy Naruto had an unnerving ability to think on his feet in a fight. By not trying to go for the paper bomb, Naruto had made sure that they wouldn't try to blow him up. By appearing relaxed, he got on their nerves and loosened lips. By staying where he was, he bought time for Sasuke and Sakura.
Naruto received a very different treatment to Kakashi. Once jerked to his feet, he was carried to the cart. Kakashi was surprised when they tied Naruto's hands in front of him, instead of the usual behind. However it was quickly explained when they cut a hole in a sack, and threw it over Naruto. They'd bound his legs before that, and then again afterwards; Naruto also had chakra suppression cuffs clasped around his forearms.
"Listen brat," the leader barked, as Naruto was almost delicately placed next to Kakashi, "You keep your tongue. Or your sensei gets it."
Kakashi frowned at the statement; you never threatened the target in a kidnapping, when trying to intimidate a lesser target. Was it a bluff? Or were these Iwa nins after the Kyuubi? Naruto barely even blinked at the threat. He choose, instead, to get comfortable in his bound position, obviously expecting a long haul.
"Surprised, Copy-Ninja?" the leader smirked, "Or did you think that we were so blind that we wouldn't notice?"
"Notice what?" Kakashi replied. In normal situations he would be bluffing, but in this situation he really did have no idea what the Iwa shinobi were after.
"The hair?" the leader fell for the verbal trap, although he knew it was there, "The eyes? The smile! Didn't you think we'd notice the son of Konoha's Yellow Flash?"
Kakashi looked down at his wide-eyed student; counting every blessing on his tally, when Naruto showed enough common sense to keep his mouth shut. The surprise, clearly visible on Naruto's face, could easily be explained away.
"And if it wasn't obvious enough," the leader taunted, "You're assigned as his sensei. The only survivor of his father's students. We'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to miss it."
"What do you want with me?" Naruto's voice quavered slightly. Kakashi almost did a double take. He'd not heard that tone of voice from Naruto in a long time. Not since he quit ANBU.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" the leader laughed, "Let's get this show moving! I don't want us to lose our guest, because the brats are fast."
The cart was swiftly sealed, hiding its cargo. Before the leader left the cart, he looked at Kakashi, a superior look on his face.
"The only reason," the leader smiled, "That I've not blindfolded you, Copy-Nin, is that I know you're useless without your Sharingan. And you can't use it right now. So watch over your student. And reflect on your failings."
"Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto spoke quietly after a while.
"Yes, Naruto?" Kakashi looked down on the disturbingly quiet version of the Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja.
"What's going to happen?" Naruto was staring at his feet, "I mean… I'm just an orphan. I'm nobody."
"It's alright," Kakashi smiled, "I won't let them hurt you. They probably won't expect you to know much. My sensei died a long time ago."
"Then why?" Naruto looked up.
"In the Kyubi attack." Kakashi filled in, "During the Third Shinobi War, Iwa had a 'flee-on-sight' order for him. If he appeared on the battle field… they left. They were terrified of him."
"Oh." Naruto looked down again, "So they want revenge. Like Sasuke."
"Yes," Kakashi didn't bother sugar-coating the truth. Naruto knew the truth, so there was no point in lying, "By the way, well done on getting me free, earlier."
"I'm good at knots!" Naruto chirped. His voice was quieter than normal, but the smile was back where it belonged. Kakashi smiled.
"Naruto," Kakashi turned serious again, "I won't lie to you. We're in a dangerous situation. We're relying on Sasuke and Sakura. You need to follow my orders when I give them. Understand?"
"Yes." Naruto nodded, turning to stare at his feet.
For a while, they stayed in silence. Kakashi watched his student for a while. Then he blinked and really looked at him for the first time. The similarity was undeniably there, he could see the Iwa ninjas' point. Age the face a little, grow the hair, hide the whisker marks, and there'd be a miniature Hokage sitting next to him. Inwardly Kakashi frowned. How had he not seen this before? Maybe it was that Naruto was too loud to be connected to the calm, almost sage like man that Kakashi had known and respected. But still, Naruto had the same determination and drive that he'd seen in his sensei.
It seemed so… unnatural to watch a silent Naruto. Iruka had said that Naruto was loud for the attention, but that the kid had never learnt to stop being loud. That apparently took time. Kakashi could believe that.
Mentally Kakashi swore to himself. He was meant to be aloof; friendly, but aloof. He'd gotten too many people hurt by being close to them. But this team, they'd gotten straight though that. It hadn't even taken that long. And he didn't know how. Partially Sakura's kindness, he was sure. But Sasuke's desperate need to be acknowledged as strong had also played a part. And finally Naruto's ability to punch through all barriers; that had probably been the final blow. You either hated the boy or you learnt to love him. Minato had said that your team was your family. Now he realized what it meant. He understood why Minato had always referred to them as his 'kids'. Somewhere along the line he'd become these genins' bigger brother. Possibly more to Naruto; the kid was so desperate for anything resembling family.
Iruka has sought Kakashi out after the true genin test. He'd made things perfectly clear about the relationship between him and Naruto. Harm Naruto and Kakashi would have an angry father after him. Not that Kakashi needed telling. The relationship was obvious.
But right now, Naruto didn't need reminiscing. Naruto was lost, he was confused and scared. Kakashi wondered what the Iwa shinobi had said to Naruto while everyone else had still been drugged. This was not the Naruto he was used to. In some way the child was broken. Despite graduating, he was still a kid. 'Look underneath the underneath', the phrase was taught to every academy student. How many had used it on this kid? How many had seen the insecurity that hid behind the loudness? How many had realized that the mask had gotten stuck? That everyday Naruto was becoming the mask, more and more.
"I don't want to go back there." Naruto muttered to himself.
"What was that, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
"Nothing." Naruto looked embarrassed.
"Hey, Naruto," Kakashi smiled, "How about to pass the time I tell you about my first team?"
"That'd be great, Kakashi-Sensei." Naruto's smile returned to its blinding norm. Privately Kakashi wondered what would happen if Naruto and Gai were ever to meet. The whole world would probably be blinded by the smile.
Leaning back against the wood of the cart, Kakashi started to weave a tale for Naruto. Most of the story was fictional, but there was enough truth in there for Naruto not to notice. After all most of the missions that Kakashi's genin team had been on were confidential, and nothing at all like Naruto's experience of D rank missions. Keeping his voice low, and his tone jovial, Kakashi noted that Naruto was slowly relaxing. A smile hid behind his mask, the more relaxed Naruto was the better.
However Kakashi was inwardly worried, the cart's pace had distinctly picked up. It might be a close run thing as to whether they would be rescued before they entered the Land of Earth, never mind whichever country they would have to pass through first. He suspected Waterfall Country, personally. These shinobi would want to stay as far away from Konoha as possible, but not want to cross too many borders in case of patrols.
When it turned dark, the cart stopped moving. Kakashi kept Naruto relaxed, while he listened for any indicators of what was going on outside the cart. Finally one of the Iwa ninjas entered the cart.
"One of you gets to eat," he announced, "Which one?"
"Naruto." Kakashi answered, before Naruto even registered the question.
"But, Kakashi-Sensei…" Naruto started to object.
"Naruto." Kakashi chided, causing the boy to fall silent.
"Nice to see you have the brat under control." The shinobi smirked, pulling out a ration bar.
The bar was unwrapped and unceremonially stuffed into Naruto's mouth. Careful not to drop a single morsel of the admittedly disgusting tasting food, Naruto managed to eat the whole bar, with unsurprising speed, given his ramen eating times. The face that Naruto then pulled was hardly surprising. Even Kakashi had to admit that ration bars were an… acquired taste, which he hadn't acquired. Nor did he ever anticipate acquiring. In fact he'd once taken Gai's challenge and chosen a ration bar eating competition, and even that nutter couldn't manage more than three. The fact that Kakashi had bowed out after two didn't rankle his pride at all. After all, you were never meant to eat more than one a meal.
A box was placed between the two of them, with a canteen of water on top. Two straws poked out, so that the captives could drink. Glancing at Kakashi for permission, Naruto almost greedily tried to wash out the taste of the ration bar, easily finishing his half of the canteen. Kakashi only took a few sips, just enough to quench his thirst after talking most of the day. Somehow he even managed to drink through his mask.
"Drink the rest, Naruto." Kakashi instructed.
"Are you sure, Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto looked up at him, "You didn't eat. Drink stops you feeling hungry."
"I've had my fill," Kakashi replied gently, "I've survived on a lot less. You haven't."
"That's what you think." Naruto muttered, but knowing a command when he heard one, finished the canteen.
"Well," Kakashi accepted the remark with a smile, "You're growing."
Kakashi frowned when Naruto didn't rile up in response. Turning to see better, Kakashi quickly spotted Naruto's dopey eyes. The genin was desperately trying to stay awake.
"You drugged the water." Kakashi stated, not accusatory, but more as it was a matter of fact.
"Yes," the ninja smirked, "You would be a lot easier to guard if you weren't conscious. We didn't anticipate you'd give the brat so much."
"Would you do less for your sensei's son?" Kakashi asked almost pleasantly, carefully supporting their belief.
"I wouldn't know." The jonin spat, "Your sensei killed mine."
The box was removed, and Kakashi found Naruto leaning against him, fast asleep. Shifting slightly so that Naruto would be more comfortable, Kakashi took as much of a protective position over the boy as he could.
"Don't even try to escape." The shinobi growled, "One of us will be in here all the time, with one of the two detonators."
"I won't let my comrades die." Kakashi replied calmly.
"He's a brat." The remark was fired back.
"Many people would say that," Kakashi sounded proud, "But he's the number one unpredictable ninja."
"He's just a brat." The dismissal was obvious.
"Then what do you plan to do with him?" Kakashi fished.
"If I had my way," the ninja snorted, "We'd be an assassination squad. As it is, the higher ups want him. I don't know why. I don't care why."
Kakashi settled into a light doze, alert for any chance of escape, but also for any danger to him and his self-adopted charge. However the night passed without incident or chance.
"Wolf-San." Naruto mumbled as he stirred in the dawn light.
"What was that?" Kakashi looked down, "You remember?" Kakashi was willing to talk more freely as the cart had gotten moving before dawn, and the pair had been left alone.
"How could I forget?" Naruto looked up at Kakashi, "You White-Masks were the closest thing I had to friends, for a long time. I named you all."
"You knew we were there?" Kakashi frowned; ANBU had watched Naruto almost constantly before he graduated, but no one had ever mentioned Naruto spotting them, unless they were forced to reveal themselves.
"Not all the time," Naruto shrugged, "But you turned up occasionally. You were the easiest to put a face to. The only one I've managed. You lounge the same way."
"Where's your escape kit?" Kakashi changed the subject.
"In my sandal." Naruto replied calmly, "It's only a file though. Doesn't deal with ropes well. And I couldn't use it earlier, while none of you were awake. Too scared of loosing it in my previous sack. Better to lose the shoes and use my feet to free you."
"You only have a file?" Kakashi was surprised.
"I have to pay rent, utilities and food." Naruto responded, "Then I can think about ninja tools. I haven't saved up enough for a bladed escape tool yet. I have enough trouble covering my shuriken and kunai expenses. Never mind paper bombs. I got what I could."
"When we get back," Kakashi smiled, "I'll take you to a shop I know. Good products at a cheap price."
"If we get out of this." Naruto sighed.
"You need to trust your team-mates." Kakashi chided.
"It's not that I don't trust them." Naruto shrugged, "But, Sakura's never been too great at navigation in a forest. If she knows where she is, she's fine. Otherwise, she just picks a direction. Sasuke's the same. Out of our whole year, only Shino, Hinata, Shikamaru, Kiba and I could navigate at all, from an unknown position."
"That was never mentioned." Kakashi was surprised.
"Didn't think they would." Naruto snorted, "Sasuke got lost out there with Ino and Sakura. Guy almost came back traumatised."
"Sakura?" Kakashi frowned, "I thought you called Sakura Sakura-Chan?"
"I only do that to annoy her." Naruto smiled slightly, "At least now. She will never love me, and sees me as an annoyance."
"Then why?" Kakashi was confused.
"Every time Sasuke turns her down," Naruto explained, "She gets hurt. I ask her out afterwards, to make her feel better. I call her Sakura-Chan, because I always have. It's what she expects. When she hits me, she feels better. She's not depressed. I can take it."
"You let her?" Kakashi stared.
"Why not?" Naruto shrugged, "I've taken worse. I once heard that people sometimes need to punch something to make the stress and pain go away."
"Usually something inanimate, Naruto." Kakashi pointed out, "You're not actually helping Sakura, by giving her an outlet. It's becoming instinct."
"But…" Naruto frowned, "I was told that was what you had to do. Provide an outlet."
"Naruto," Kakashi sighed, "When we get out of this, you and I are going to have a long talk."
"If we get out of this." Naruto muttered.
"We will." Kakashi smiled, "I'm afraid I'm in a similar situation to you. Mine is in my sandal, also. Don't try and get it. We don't stand a chance unless we get a distraction."
"You mean I don't." Naruto was calm, "I'm the one with the bomb."
"And it's my duty to look after you." Kakashi chided, "Naruto, you do matter. Is that what the problem is?"
"I don't like their eyes," Naruto confessed, "They're cold. Full of hate. I see those eyes all the time. I just want them to go away. They don't hate when they're laughing. They aren't cold when they think I'm useless."
"I'd better schedule a day for this talk." Kakashi muttered, realizing that Naruto could be quite introspective when he needed to be. "Hey Naruto. How about I carry on from where I was yesterday?"
"Sure." Naruto shrugged. Kakashi was partially worried; it seemed that Naruto was becoming more and more withdrawn as the reality of their situation sunk in. Kakashi told story after story, trying to keep Naruto's dimming ember of hope alive; all the while silently praying for a rescue. This was not the Naruto he knew.
There was a hint of dusk in the air, when the Iwa leader stopped the cart. Naruto tensed slightly as the man climbed into the back of the cart, but the usual Naruto grin appeared.
"Scared, brat?" the shinobi smirked, "Good, you should be."
The man produced a box from a sealing scroll. Kakashi recognised the style of box; it was a poisoner's box. However when he saw the vial removed, Kakashi relaxed a little. It was only a strong sedative, which had a very low mortality rate. The drug only started to depress heart rate and respiratory systems in very large doses. It seemed they were still required alive. The large amount that was sucked into a syringe indicated that the injection was for him. Kakashi almost nodded as the syringe was emptied into an auto-injector; the Iwa ninja may be skilled in poisons and drugs, but did not have the look about him of one who was used to giving injections. Mentally Kakashi prepared himself for the injection, positioning himself so that he wouldn't fall onto the small frame of his student.
He was quite surprised, therefore, when the ninja grabbed Naruto's head, forcing it forward and to the side, allowing the auto-injector access to the fleshy part of the shoulder blade. Naruto's eyes opened wide for a fraction of a second, before closing, as the darkness engulfed him.
"That was an adult's dose." Kakashi stated coldly, "A dose that would have lasted several days." Kakashi had shifted position again, so that Naruto hadn't hit the floor.
"The brat recovers faster than anticipated." The retort came back, "I don't have enough to dose you as well. So you will keep quiet as we travel through Waterfall Country, or we will just kill you. We need the brat. We don't need you. You're just a bonus. The brat won't know a thing, until he wakes up in Iwagakure. I was fed up of his mouth anyway. We're moving to a different cart. In an hour, your people will never find us. In two, we'll be across the border.
"Say goodbye, Copy-Nin. It's unlikely you'll ever see the Land of Fire again." The ninja smirked, as he got out the cart.
Kakashi looked down at his unconscious student.
'Don't worry, Minato-Sensei, I'll look after him. Whether he's your son or not. He's your legacy. I won't let them harm him.'
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"Gai-Sensei," Hyuuga Neji called out to his teacher, "There are eight ninjas fifty degrees to the north. Six Iwa ninjas and two Konoha ninjas. The Leaf Nins are bound, one a Jonin. The other smaller, probably a genin, with a paper bomb attached to his chest. Both are inside a medium sized cart. The Iwa nins are gathered around a smaller cart."
"Yoshi!" Gai declared, "We must go and free our comrades from such an unyouthful end!"
"Yes," Lee chimed in, "We must hurry to prove the Power of our Youth!"
"Tenten free our comrades," Gai instructed, "Lee, Neji and I will detain the Iwa shinobi."
"Hai!" Lee, Tenten and Neji nodded.
In the initial confusion of the fight, Tenten was easily able to slip into the cart. She found Kakashi curled protectively over Naruto… well, as protectively as his bonds would allow.
"It's alright," Tenten moved towards them, "I'm here to help."
"Bomb on his chest." Kakashi stated urgently, turning to face her, "Get it off!"
"On it!" Tenten cut the canvas away from the unconscious boy, slit his t-shirt and pulled off the paper-bomb. Then she wrapped it round a kunai, and threw it out the cart.
"Cut me free." Kakashi instructed, before Tenten could try and cut Naruto completely loose. "He won't be coming round for a while."
"What happened?" Tenten asked curiously, as she struggled with Kakashi's bonds.
"We got ambushed." Kakashi replied shortly, "Don't worry about cutting me. Just get me free."
"Alright." Tenten nodded, before quickly freeing the jonin, leaving small cuts on his wrists.
Once free, Kakashi refused all help in carefully releasing Naruto from his bonds.
"He's just a kid." Tenten stared.
"He's only a year younger than you." Kakashi countered.
"How do you know?" Tenten was startled.
"I can hear Gai." Kakashi sighed, "I am never living this down."
"He is kinda loud." Tenten agreed.
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"D*mn it, Gai!" Kakashi yelled, "Not now! I need a medical kit. He's dying."
"What?" Gai's whole attitude changed.
"I need a medical kit." Kakashi repeated, "Now!"
"Here." Gai was serious for once, "What happened?"
"A second tag." Kakashi started to bandage the wound as best he could, "Low yield. But high enough."
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"Yo." Naruto jumped at the word, before tensing up.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto's voice was nervous.
"It's okay," Kakashi seemed to be smiling, "We're back home."
Naruto tried to get out of the hospital bed.
"Easy!" Kakashi gently put a restraining hand on Naruto's chest, "You're not strong enough yet."
"I need to see." Naruto demanded. Kakashi's smile spread underneath his mask, despite being too weak to actually do anything, Naruto was struggling to get past Kakashi.
"Let me help you." Kakashi instructed.
Quickly, but carefully, Kakashi switched off and removed all the various monitoring devices attached to his student. Then he picked Naruto up, and carried him to the window, dragging the morphine drip along with him. Once at the window, he managed to pull the curtains open with one hand, while still cradling Naruto.
He didn't need to watch Naruto's face to know that the boy was reassured by the sight; he could feel all the tension bleed out of the genin's muscles. Still, he watched as Naruto almost reverently laid his hands on the glass separating him from the outside world.
"This isn't a genjutsu?" Naruto pressed, looking up at his teacher. Hope and fear shining in his eyes.
"Release." Kakashi went through the motions of releasing a genjutsu one-handed.
"Thank you, sensei." Naruto leaned back into Kakashi's hold.
"It's okay." Kakashi returned Naruto to the bed, and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Are you alright?" Naruto looked up, "How did we get away? What happened? Are Sasuke and Sakura-chan alright? How long have I been out? Were you drugged too?"
"Easy," Kakashi pushed Naruto back down on the bed, "Take a deep breath. And quieten down. You're badly hurt."
"What happened?" Naruto insisted.
"Lie down, and I'll tell you." Kakashi bargained, "Naruto, you took a bad injury. It's going to take a while to heal. It'll take longer, if you don't do what I say."
"But…!" Naruto tried to protest.
"Take the mask off, Naruto." Kakashi ordered, placing a hand over Naruto's mouth to shut him up. "Take it off now. Just like in the cart."
"I don't know if I can." Naruto replied honestly.
"Well," Kakashi sat down, "Whenever it's just the two of us, I want you to try. Think of it as training."
"I'll try." Naruto's voice seemed to lose about five years.
"Good," Kakashi nodded, "I'll fill you in. But… every time you interrupt, I will stop for a full minute. Keep your questions for the end."
It took about five interruptions, before Naruto agreed to stay silent. However Kakashi quickly ran through what had happened. Then he answered all of Naruto's questions. Mentally Kakashi noted that the waiting a minute method was a very good method of keeping Naruto from interrupting.
"How long do I have to stay here?" Naruto looked down at his hands.
"Until you're healed," Kakashi replied, "I don't know how long that'll be. The Fox is doing a good job. But it's not a miracle worker."
"Hey!" a cry came from the door, "You're awake!" Naruto turned to look at those entering. It was team ten, complete with Asuma. It was Ino who had spoken a smile on her face.
"Why am I so drowsy?" Naruto ignored them.
"You're on morphine." Kakashi shrugged, "For the pain."
"Get me off it!" Naruto demanded.
"Naruto…" Kakashi tried to calm the blond down.
"Get me off it!" Naruto yelled, "I don't want it! Get it out! Take it away!"
Asuma looked at the scene before them, and instantly shepherded his team out.
"What's up with him?" Ino wanted to know, "The morphine's helping him. He's being an idiot."
"Ino," Asuma sighed slightly, "Naruto's been drugged three times in the last, to him, forty eight hours. All those times, by the enemy. It's understandable that he's reacting like this. Right now, he's not thinking."
"When did the kid ever think?" Shikamaru asked rhetorically.
"I've seen this kind of thing before," Asuma took a drag on his cigarette, ignoring the no-smoking signs around him, "One chunin I knew, got captured and locked up in the dark for a week. Couldn't stand the dark after that. I never found out, exactly why, or what they did to him. All he would say was that he was kept in the dark. Naruto's younger, and had a similar experience. We won't know what happened, until he talks."
"Was it that bad?" Choji stared.
"It could have been," Asuma shrugged, "All Kakashi knows, is that Naruto came round before he did. Managed to annoy them, and got himself gagged. Apart from that, we're clueless."
"Why him?" Shikamaru spoke, "Why the kid?"
"What?" Asuma frowned slightly.
"They caught," Shikamaru almost groaned, "A high-level jonin. And the Uchiha. It's a drag, but I don't understand why they held onto the kid. Instead of Sasuke."
"We're not sure about that either." Asuma lied, "But I do know that Naruto's more dangerous than he looks."
"What do you mean, sensei?" Ino was confused.
"He's smart." Asuma replied, "He's going to be a good ninja."
"He's an idiot." Ino pointed out, "He's always pulling pranks."
"Exactly!" Asuma smirked, "He painted the Hokage mountain, wearing bright orange, during the day, and no-one noticed. Your parents mocked me for a month after one of his pranks."
"What'd he do?" Choji opened a new packet of snacks.
"Found some defective exploding tags," Asuma shrugged, "Only would create a small pop, barely a bang at all. But they'd go off if they caught on fire. That little brat spiked my cigarette packets with exploding cigarettes. Even managed a brand new, unopened packet, without me noticing a thing."
"He could have killed you." Shikamaru blinked.
"Very easily," Asuma agreed, "I'm only lucky that the kid checked that all the tags were small yield."
"Why did he do it?" Ino demanded, "It's like he doesn't care about the consequences."
"Oh he does," Asuma stated, almost coldly, "Naruto never did a single prank in his life, without thinking about the consequences and weighing them up. He had a purpose behind every single one."
"And what was that?" Ino was dismissive.
"To get attention," Asuma shrugged, "I found other ways, when dad didn't pay attention to me, because he was too busy. I never was quite as desperate as Naruto."
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Not quite sure where this would go in the end. But I kinda enjoyed writing the start.
So does anyone want it?