"How do you know my name?" Akito said surprised. 'Does… does he not remember me' naruko thought saddened. Akito tried to get up and run but naruko hit him on the back of his neck knocking him out.
Naruko tied Akito up to a tree when all of a sudden naruko heard someone shout "naruko!" She looked up to see kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei" naruko said. Kakashi looked at Akito and said "naruko who is that? And why did you tie him to that tree?" "Kakashi-sensei there is something important I need to tell you" naruko said. "What is it?" Kakashi said.
After a bit of talking kakashi said "are you sure of this naruko?" "Of course I am. I even wrote down every piece of evidence I found. I'm one thousand percent sure that he is one of the thieves but I have reasons to believe that he isn't doing this out of his own free will" naruko said pulling out the journal and handing it to him. Kakashi took the journal and started to read it. Kakashi was surprised on how much information she got while him, sakura, and sasuke were barely able to get any.
He closed the journal and said "you've gathered a lot of information, I'm impressed naruko." Naruko smiled a bit, looked at Akito, and said "if I'm right about this then maybe he can help us by telling us where to find the rest of the thieves or who they are."
"Maybe but something tells me that you know who this guy is" kakashi said. Naruko frowned and said "I do. This it Akito, he's my childhood friend and for years I thought that he was died. I don't even know how he's alive but it seems like he doesn't remember me."
Kakashi, hearing the sadness in naruko's voice, went over to her, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said "it'll be ok. From the evidence you gathered and if he helps us find these criminals he won't be thrown in jail." Naruko smiled relieved that Akito wouldn't be blamed or thrown in jail.
When Akito slowly opened his eyes he saw two people standing right in front of him. He tried to get up but couldn't since he was tied to the tree. He looked back at the two when he heard naruko say "Akito."
Akito was surprised when he saw that both of the people in front of him were shinobi. He heard that shinobi were sent to the town to catch them but what surprised him the most is that naruko, the girl he's been talking to, was one of the shinobi.
Seeing that Akito was scared kakashi said "calm down kid. We just wanna talk." "Wait, if this about me stealing from people I didn't have a choice!" Akito shout. "Akito calm down, we know" naruko said shocking Akito.
"H-how?" Akito said. "I've been having naruko keep a close eye on you for a while. She found out what's going on so you don't have to worry. We know that you didn't have a choice" kakashi said.
Akito sighed relieved. "Akito we have a couple of questions we wanna ask you" naruko said. "What is it?" Akito said. "How many criminals are there?" Kakashi said. "In the town or all together?" Akito said surprising both naruko and kakashi.
"What do you mean?" Naruko said. "Besides me there's two thieves in the town but we were not the only ones doing this. There are five more people" Akito said. "Do you know where they are?" Kakashi said. Akito didn't reply.
Naruko knelt down and hugged Akito. "It'll be ok Akito. I know that you're scared of what they'll do to you. I heard all the threats they made. Me and my team can help you but you are gonna have to tell us who or where they are. Don't worry about what they'll do, I'll make sure nothing happens to you. I promise" naruko gently whispered in Akito's ear. "Ok" Akito said.
Naruko let go of Akito and stood up while kakashi looked at naruko surprised at how she said that in a gentle and loving tone. She normally wouldn't do that. Akito told them who the two criminals were and where they could find them.
"It's that all?" Kakashi said. "Yeah" Akito said. "Alright naruko go ahead and untie him" kakashi said. Naruko went over and started to untie the ropes. "Akito when we head back to the village you are gonna have to come with us" kakashi said. "Ok" Akito said.
As naruko untied the ropes she felt her heart beating fast knowing that Akito's is gonna be going with them back to the village. When naruko finished untying the ropes both her and Akito stood up. "Come on let's go find sakura and sasuke" kakashi said.
When they found sakura and sasuke, sakura said "sorry kakashi-sensei but we lost the thieves." "It's fine sakura. Me and naruko already know where we can find them" Kakashi said surprising sakura and sasuke. Sasuke looked at Akito and said "who is this?" "This is Akito. He's a friend of mine and he just so happens to know where we can find the thieves" naruko said shocking sakura and sasuke.
Kakashi pulled sasuke and sakura off to the side while naruko and Akito started talking. After kakashi explained to sasuke and sakura about what's going on sakura said "wait, so let me get this straight. For the past week while we've been trying to find where or who these thieves were you've had naruko keep on eye on this guy?" Kakashi nodded his head. "And how do you know if he's just saying that he'll help us only for us to find out that he's lying?" Sasuke said.
Kakashi looked at naruko and Akito then said "well naruko has gathered enough information to prove that these thieves are making Akito do this. He even confirmed that it was true but most importantly naruko trusts him and I trust her judgment"
As they made they're way back to the town, sasuke had been keeping a close eye on Akito since he didn't trust him. "Akito" naruko said. Akito looked at naruko and said "yes." Naruko pulled out the photo, handed it to him, and said "this belongs to you. It fell out of your pocket when you left the cafe." Akito took the photo and said "thank you naruko." Naruko looked away blushing and said "you're welcome." Sasuke didn't like how naruko reacted when she'd talk to Akito. It made him wanna use the Phoenix Flower Jutsu on Akito but for obvious reasons he couldn't do that.
When they got back to the town team seven immediately apprehended the thieves and turned them into the police then they made they're way back to the village. The whole way back to the village naruko kept talking to and standing close to Akito much to sasuke's dismay.
After they got to the village kakashi and Akito went to the hokage's office. After a while naruko had been called to go to the hokage's office. When she got there Tsunade said "at least you didn't keep me waiting." "Why did you wanna see me?" Naruko said. "It's about Akito" Tsunade said.
Naruko panicked a bit and said "did something bad happen?" "Calm down brat. Nothing bad happened I just wanna ask you something" Tsunade said. Naruko sighed relieved, and said "what is it?" "Since Akito has no where to go I've decided to let him say in the village but I want someone to watch over him and make sure that he's not up to anything. So he's gonna be staying with someone and from what kakashi told me I figured that it be best if he stayed with you for the time being" Tsunade said.
Naruko felt her face become hot as her heart beat sped up. 'A-Akito is gonna be staying with… me' naruko thought. "So what do you say brat? Do you want him to stay with you?" Tsunade said. Without hesitation naruko immediately said "yes." Tsunade smiled and said "Shizune will take you to where Akito is and remember I want you to keep an eye on him but also don't treat him like an outsider or make him feel like he doesn't belong here." "Ok" naruko said then left.
