Chapter 29: Sasuke's Kidnapping!

Chapter Summary: Sasuke undergoes his "kidnapping"

Words: 2,161

Published: 9/12/23

Kitten Arina (chapter 1): I have read your warning and I will admit that I personally am not a fan of this pairing. When it comes to the early stuff. Sakura is just to immature in my opinion. While I laugh at some of what she did I grew tired of it awfully fast. Because I became sick of the troupe with Akane from Ranma 1/2 doing the same. Now when Shippuden started we see a little of the same treatment but to a lesser degree so I might be able to get into this pairing for that reason. I won't make any assumptions yet. I am trying to be fair by telling you my standards for me to like this option because if done right I can actually see something that has potential.

Maybe you'll convert to a NaruSaku fan by reading this :) I appreciate your open mind. I think Sakura's reputation was mostly tanked by the anime, but she really suffered when they changed Kishimoto's editors after the Konoha Crush. I've only read a few chapters of Ranma - is Akane really that bad? Anyway, when you eventually get to this chapter, let me know. Shoot me (a review, preferably).

khaeild02: Keep it up bro, I look forward to more chapters

Yes sir :D

scotty26: The actual website is annoying cause of the stupid ads and the app review for whatever reason is just not working for me cause when i type something in the review it goes black…now that you got all the junk that you didn't like out of the way..I feel we are finally moving forward with something…the chapters are starting to look cleaner from the previous chapters prior to the last three chapters. Nothing wrong with them but i kind of felt it was all over the place.. probably told you that already. Anyways good chapter.

I hope the issues with the website and app get resolved soon. I mostly just use this app to write nowadays. There is a little more junk I gotta sift through but it's nothing big - I just hope I don't get crucified for it lol. I actually agree with the chapters looking cleaner now. Have I discovered magic?

Naruto's Apartment, Evening

A knock on the door was just about the last thing Naruto had expected as he tried to rest.

Who could it be? I didn't order pizza...

He put his pajamas on and walked over to the door. He dragged and stood on his stool to look through the peephole, finding none other than Jiraiya outside the door, also looking into the peephole.

Naruto sighed as he climbed down.

Creep. Weirdo. He doesn't belong here!

After reluctantly opening the door, the boy asked, "What do you need, Pervy Sage?"

The aforementioned Sage, in betrayal of all expectations, bore a stony expression.

"Naruto... I've got something I need to tell you."

"What, Shizune's grown another cup size?"

"Come on, man. I'm trying to be serious here."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, thoroughly suspicious. Regardless, he stepped aside and motioned for Jiraiya to come in. He had to remind the man to take off his shoes.

As Jiraiya sat on a chair at the dining table, he cleared his throat, and revealed a scroll to Naruto, placing it on the table.

"This is the summoning scroll for the toads, Naruto."

"Yeah, I know. I signed it a long time ago. Actually, that reminds me, how come I couldn't summon Gamabunta when I was fighting Gaara's sand monster? I used him last time, didn't I?"

Jiraiya cringed. He knew that what he had to say was going to be difficult to hear, and no matter how he said it, it would sting deeply.

"Naruto... Right before you lost your memory, your name had somehow been faded from the scroll, on its own. That's why I rushed back to find you and Fuuka. And of course, I found you, but not Fuuka."

Naruto had a sinking feeling about the insinuatiom Jiraiya was desperately trying to not make, but he wanted the truth, however blunt.

"How come you didn't have me sign it again?"

A heavy sigh. "Naruto, a name in the scroll only fades when the individual is killed. The spiritual release of their chakra from their body severs the link they have to the summons."

Naruto scoffed. "Alright, but I'm not dead. And I wasn't dead. I still don't get why you didn't have me sign it again."

Jiraiya could only look down in shame. "I thought it was better for all of us. You, in your fugue state, were a... Burden that I couldn't afford to carry. Your name not being on the list was a blessing in disguise, the chief blessing being that you hadn't truly died."

The blonde crossed his arms. "Wow. Way to sugarcoat it."

Jiraiya stammered, "Well, I didn't mean burden as in, well, burden... I meant it was a lot of responsibility, and really difficult for me to take care of you and keep you safe!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, isn't it great that I lost my memory? As long as life gets easier for you."

"I'm sorry, Naruto; it was cowardly of me, and I want you to know that the burden of taking care of you and trusting you is something I'll gladly take now. I want you to have your name in the scroll again."

Naruto sighed.

I still haven't told him about Fuuka. That secret's probably bigger than him being a deadbeat. Guess I shouldn't be too mad...

"Whatever. I'll sign."

Without hesitation, the boy bit his thumb to draw blood, and traced over the sloppy signature he'd made years ago.

He then looked up at Jiraiya with wide, curious eyes. "Is that all?"

Jiraiya sheepishly rolled up the scroll. Although Naruto seemed to have accepted the apology, the man wasn't too sure of whether the boy was showing what he truly felt.

Jiraiya offered, "Well, maybe we can hang out. Just you and me together, eh?"

Naruto visibly mulled it over for a few seconds before responding. He had no intention of accepting the invitation, but he didn't want to seem too rude to the man.

After feigned deliberation, he replied, "No thanks, I'm not feelin' it today. I just want some alone time, y'know?"

Naruto blushed when Jiraiya heftly sighed and rose with a sad demeanor.

I hope I didn't hurt him too bad, Jeez...

Hokage's Office, Morning

Naruto droned as he entered the room.

"Granny... Aren't I on vacation...?"

Tsunade wasted no time. "Sasuke's gone missing, Naruto. Most of our current shinobi forces are being exhausted on other missions, and we've decided your relation to Sasuke is going to be of benefit in finding him."

Naruto rubbed his face as he tried to wear off the tiredness in his eyes.

"Well... Do we got any leads...?"

"East side of the Village Gates. That's where he was last seen. Go check it out."

Naruto sighed as he left.

It's always one thing or another... Damn.

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East Village Gate

Naruto convened with Kotetsu just outside the gate.

The man whined, "Ah, I'm really answering to a kid? I thought they were kidding..."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Says a lot about you, doesn't it? What happened here, anyways?"

Kotetsu pointed, "See these footprints? They lead from here into the forest going southeast before they disappear under animal tracks. They're heavy enough that it's someone with strong legs, or extra weight. We're thinking Sasuke was kidnapped."

The blonde responded, "Kidnapped? But why would it happen through here? They wouldn't have left a trail if they left through the north, since the forest is literally right there. Besides, isn't that closer to Sasuke's pad? And I know for damn sure Sasuke wouldn't come through the poor part of the Village. And it'd be a hassle to carry him all the way here."

The man questioned, "Are you suggesting...?"

Naruto replied, "It's a red herring. It's gotta be, right? Sasuke might be a little arrogant, but he's not so weak as to let himself be beat by someone who'd be stupid enough to bring him here. I'm thinkin' they got the jump on him, carried him out, and then came here and made this fake trail. That's what I'd do."

The allure of the mystery had awakened a dormant sense within Naruto - his deep intuition. Though he had few opportunities in life to verbalize it, he'd always been keen of smaller details, even in his fugue state. The sensation was akin for him to watching a juicy steak sizzle on the grill, causing sharp steam to dissipate above it. It made him feel smart.

Kotetsu remarked, "Hmph. You're smart for a kid."

Naruto blushed. "Wh-- no, I mean... I've just got a good hold on geography...!"

"If you say so. Report to the hokage, I'll keep searching here, just in case."

Naruto sighed.

Reporting... Sounds boring. I didn't count on that! Whatever.

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North Wall

After Naruto reported to Tsunade, he was sent to the North Wall - the same wall he'd proposed as the true kidnapping site. He looked over the structure into the woods and beyond, pondering where Sasuke may have been taken.

I think Granny mentioned that the footprints were... Twelve hours fresh, and Sasuke was last seen by Shisui seventeen hours ago. So, where could Sasuke have been taken in that timespan...? Where could they be going? The hills aren't too far, but seventeen hours? They'd have to have taken a vehicle, and that would've been too conspicuous. Come on... If they kept going directly through the forest, as they definitely would have, even if they went in a straight line... They get out of eyeshot of the village wall about fifteen miles down, and if they were walking down the paved area and didn't take any breaks, they'd have gone about... Uhhh... That's six miles every hour, for seventeen hours... Sixty... Ugh... One hundred and two miles. So they can't have gone that far. Assuming Sasuke weighed them down a bit, and they needed food, and sleep... Maybe seventy miles? And in the forest, they gotta walk around everything, so that really brings down the distance they can travel. Maybe fifty miles? I could highball it at sixty. And they'd have gotten a car as they got out of sight of the village... Man, they're long gone. There's gotta be something I can do!

He rubbed his head, trying to conjure an idea as to where Sasuke could be. At that point, he was approached by some of his peers.

It was Kiba who called out, "Hey, I can get Akamaru to help us find the guy."

Naruto turned around. He saw Kiba, Shino, Choji, Shikamaru, Tenten, and Neji standing before him.

He questioned, "Uh... All of you are gonna come...?"

Neji answered, visibly to Shikamaru's dismay, "All of us. This is a sensitive issue, and Lady Hokage wants to make sure we have every advantage in bringing Sasuke back."

Shikamaru stepped forward.

"We may not like the guy, but he's one of us... There's no jonin available, so it'll be you and me leading this squad, and... Ugh, you're taking point."

Naruto smirked. "Well, that's just the perk of bein' a village hero, isn't it?"

He turned to Kiba. "So, how's Akamaru gonna help us?"

"We got Sasuke's genin headband, Akamaru's gonna take a whiff and track him."

To demonstrate, Kiba had Akamaru sniff the headband in question, and the dog barked affirmatively.

In Naruto's mind, something clicked. "Hey, can't we use Kakashi-sensei's summon dogs? No offense to Akamaru, but he's not exactly adept at human verbal communication, is he?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I asked the same thing... Didn't expect you to think of that, though. Apparently the person in possession of the scroll isn't here. What a drag!"

Kiba huffed, "Hey, Akamaru's gonna do better than any of those stupid dogs could, I heard they don't even follow every order!"

Naruto chuckled. "So, what, Akamaru's your slave?"

"Wh-- shut up! Come on, let's just go find that stupid Uchiha!"

As they began to leave, they heard Sakura's voice beckoning, "Wait, hold on!

When the group turned around and spotted her on her wheelchair, Naruto joked, "I don't think that's optimal for the forest, Sakura."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I need to talk to you, Naruto. Alone."

Shikamaru stated, "What a drag... We'll be waiting at the gate.", and led the rest of the team away.

Once they had gone out of earshot, Naruto asked, "So, what is it, Sakura?"

Sakura sighed. "Naruto, I just want you to promise me that you'll stay safe, alright? Keep your guard up, and make sure Sasuke gets back alright."

Naruto blushed. "Well, that's the plan, isn't it?"

Sakura groaned, "Yeah, obviously, but I really want you to know that I'm with you in spirit. So, don't get overwhelmed, or distressed, or desperate. I want you to promise me that you'll stay safe."

Naruto sheepishly ruffled the back of his hair. "I dunno... I'll do my best, I guess. Thanks for--"

"Naruto, I'm being serious! Promise me that you won't be so reckless!"

Naruto was taken aback. His eyes met Sakura's piercing gaze, as he read the emotions she portrayed. Her insistence on his safety had come as a shock, particularly because no one had given him the courtesy of well wishes so honestly before.

His face morphed into a smile as he replied, "Alright, Sakura. Promise of a lifetime - I'll stay safe!"

Nearly tearing up, Sakura smiled back at him.

.

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Hokage's Office, Afternoon

Shisui's body was completely stiff as he faced Tsunade. Inside his heart, he was facing a battle between the vow he had made to himself and the action he knew he needed to take.

"Lady Tsunade... Please, help me."

Tsunade cocked her head. "What's the problem, Shisui?"

"You know what the problem is... Sasuke..."

"Oh. You don't have to worry, Shisui. I've got Naruto, Shikamaru, and some of their genin companions looking for him."

"I know... But I can't shake the feeling that I should betray my vow..."

Tsunade's voice became sympathetic. "Shisui, I won't tell you to break your vow, but I won't stop you if you feel that you need to break it. This is your decision. As your leader, I'll support either one. As your mentor, I'll support either one. As your friend..."

"Please, reinstate me as a shinobi."

I was sick! I felt like Old Snake crawling through that microwave.