I don't own anything except for my OCs. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 2
(Prior ten hours before the first chapter.)
Tsunade frowned at the ANBU assembly's reflection in the room. "And no one thought to inform me of this?". None of them said anything. She frowned at their lack of response "What did you do to them?" At that, Morino Ibiki, the head of Konoha's T&I stepped from the dark corner where he had been standing and answered: " We managed to capture one of them but..." Ibiki glanced at the ANBU hesitating. Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "But.." she prompted. "But the creature melted into shadows once we put it into a cell." he finished.
After hearing that, Tsunade's eyes widened and she spun around barking, "Get me Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka at once!"
The ANBU nodded once and flickered out.
Morino's question drew her gaze back to him. "It's one of them isn't it?"
Tsunade could only nod before she collapsed into her chair. 'Waiting for the ANBU to get Kakashi and Iruka is going to be the longest five minutes ever in my lifetime.' she thought, leaning back in her chair before tilting her head back, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.
Luckily, not five minutes later, Umino Iruka opened the door. He wore a confused face as he walked forwards and bowed. "Yes, Hokage-sama?" Tsunade rested her chin on her steepled fingers. Now turning her gaze to Iruka, she asked,"Do you know anything about the disturbances of the animals?" For a moment, Iruka looked thrown off. However, he shook his head.
"Yo," said Kakashi, waving at them from the window sill where he perched. Tsunade and Iruka turned their heads towards him. Kakashi made an eye smile before jumping into the room and walking over and slouching at the front of her desk.
"I want the truth. Do either of you know what's happening to the animals?" questioned Tsunade once more. Iruka shook his head once more while Kakashi frowned. "What do you mean?"
Tsunade waved Ibiki in front as answer. Both Iruka and Kakashi looked at him. Ibiki cleared his throat before explaining. The animals in and around Konoha were acting strangely. Cats were hissing and spitting at everyone before suddenly becoming docile. Dogs were barking and snarling at invisible threats and cowering in the middle of the streets refusing to move. Birds would fly head first into walls and kill themselves, and just recently, a swarm of bees had just upped and left. Generally, the people were becoming increasingly nervous and jumpy. And to add fuel to the fire, there were rumors that something big was going to happen and even the shinobi were more high-strung than usual.
After Ibiki was done, Kakashi and Iruka looked nervously at each other before Iruka hesitantly said," Um, Hokage-sama, I not sure what this has to do with Kakashi and me."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes before softening them. "I need you to help me give your leader a letter." Iruka stiffed before smiling nervously, nodding his head.
Tsunade gave him a scroll. He glanced at it before bowing.
"Anything else?" asked Kakashi, already putting a foot on the window sill, even though half of his body was already dangling from it. Tsunade shook her head before leaning back in her chair.
As if on cue, the both of them then jumped out.
Tsunade looked out the window at their retreating forms. 'If anyone can solve this problem and stop it, it's got to be her.'
After exiting by the window, Iruka and Kakashi traveled on the rooftops heading towards the nearest river. While running, neither one of them said a word, though both of them noticed that the animals were indeed acting strangely as the reports had said they were.
Iruka jumped into the river after checking that no one was nearby. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he felt the water swirl around him, creating a small whirlpool around him. He opened his eyes and tossed the scroll into the water. In his mind's eye, his saw the scroll land safely and dry onto the small bookshelf beside Hanta's bed. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned and waded back onto dry land, following his mate back to their home to change.
After Hanta had finished her lunch, she retired to her room to read in order to pass the time. The moment she noticed the scroll, however, she knew that she need not kill time with books any longer.
Picking it up from the ground, she unrolled it and started inspecting its contents. She ran her hands along each line, eyebrows furrowing. The more she read, the more puzzled she was getting. Why would the animals act like that? Hanta remained confused with the situation until she read a particular line. Running her finger back, she re-read the line several times. Impossible. Animals couldn't turn into elements... but if they did, then what the hell was happening?
Notes: Hanta is one of my OCs, and so is Kage.
Ok! So this is the starting of the plot. I'll try to update frequently after this, but no promises.