Chapter IV

No Clue, No Hope

As soon as the alert was given, the shinobis and kunoichis of Konohagakure mobilized throughout the village without wasting any time. Kakashi and Shikaku joined forces while Shikamaru remained under the sharp protection of the Anbu. The orders were simple: put an end to this disturbing invasion, ensure that no more kidnappings take place, and capture one of these ninjas alive.

The gravity of the situation was felt, and the unrest proliferated like bad weeds. No one had detected the presence of this group, which had bypassed Konohagakure's exceptional surveillance; they had even bypassed the barrier system enclosing the village, which allowed the affected teams to perceive the slightest intrusion between their walls. This group, whoever it was, seemed to possess special techniques and abilities that were granting them such a feat. It was unprecedented, an unreal crisis. Just as mysterious as the motive behind these abductions which were happening in shadows and silence was how the enemy had sneaked in, as if they were completely invisible.

Very quickly, everything was searched, down to the smallest forest, the smallest dark alley, the smallest stream … no place escaped the keen senses of the patrols working hard to put an end to the threat.

Even though he was injured and exhausted due to his fight against this demon born from darkness, Kakashi rushed forward alongside his fellow warriors. Despite the order to work as a team, he did as he pleased. Focused on his goal, he quickened his pace, pushed his limits relentlessly; his body threatened to collapse at any moment, and he did not care. He brilliantly ignored the twinges and the fatigue that were burning his lungs. He clung to this meagre hope of finding Naruto and nourished by this light, he managed to find the strength necessary to continue.

Getting his hands on one of these shinobi was his only chance to rescue Naruto.

With the news shared by the Copy Ninja and the head jōnin, the Hokage preferred to be cautious. Some teams were responsible for counting ninjas in the village, even civilians. She did not write off the possibility that it was not only her soldiers who were the target of these kidnappings.

It was not until the first light of day that the search ceased and the numerous reports were given to Tsunade.

During the night, an attempted kidnapping had been stopped in time. One of the Team 8 members, Inuzuka Kiba, was one of the targets. The alert had not yet reached all units when the wild-eyed teenager was attacked; his ignorance had allowed danger to lurk peacefully, waiting for the right moment to swoop down on its prey. Kiba was alone with his faithful canine companion, Akamaru, when he was attacked. Like Naruto before them, the two had been scratched by poisonous needles that had forced them to slumber.

The young shinobi was a hair's breadth away from being abducted when a team sprung up to help him. Seeing the reinforcements showing up, the enemy kunoichi, dressed in black and whose face was camouflaged by an equally dark mask, mysteriously vanished the second she had disappeared from their field of vision. She had not left the slightest trace of her existence; it was such that she had disappeared into the voids from which she had come.

Immediately, Kiba and Akamaru were taken to the hospital and placed under close surveillance. Tsunade had taken care of them herself and headed the analysis department. By inspecting the insignificant injuries, she had deduced that even the duo's keen sense of smell hadn't detected the presence of this woman looming in their blind spot. The point-blank needle throw was so fast that avoiding or deflecting all the projectiles was impossible. Also, unlike the assault that Naruto and Shikamaru had had, the kunoichi worked alone; logic dictated that the target was already isolated and that the use of a bait to create a diversion was not necessary.

After many examinations and tests, these needles were coated with a powerful and fast-acting drug. As soon as it entered the blood, the substance took only a few seconds to take effect, plunging its victim into unconsciousness. By dissecting its composition, even the legendary expert in medicine that was the Hokage remained speechless; she had not seen anything like it since the Third Shinobi World War. This product was similar to a poison of unidentified origin and terribly effective. The most worrying was the devastating repercussions on the now sick body. This caused nausea, vomiting, migraines and dizziness; to this, a high fever and paralysis in the meridians that prevented anyone from moulding chakra for a long time.

These results scared Tsunade. It only took a tiny scratch of nothing at all to allow this poison to enter the hemoglobin circuit; a small amount of this drug in the blood was enough to render harmless any ninja now unable to use their chakra. Moreover, she had immediately assigned a team to produce an antidote.

During the night, a villager almost eighteen years old had been saved at the last moment… Unfortunately, a person was missing. A young civilian of barely twenty years old had been kidnapped. Her disappearance had been reported by her father devastated in every way possible. Godaime was right; it was not just ninjas that were goals although that made little sense. Naruto, a Jinchūriki harbouring the Nine-Tails in him, it was logical; Shikamaru and Kiba, maybe … but innocent people who were content with a life away from the combats? Especially taking into account the different target profiles? Nobody had the slightest idea in mind as to the real motives behind these attacks…

The darkest remained the bitter failure of capture which could have made it possible to extract valuable information…

The results were one injured, two survivors and two missing.

- XXX -

The last time I felt so miserable, even pathetic, was three years ago. I see myself on that rainy day again, when I arrived too late to rescue Sasuke who had engaged in a fight to the death with Naruto. Although relieved that Naruto was still alive, in my helplessness I contemplated the extent of my mistake; this shameful naivety I had shown, to believe that my words could reach the darkest of my students consumed by nothing but revenge, therefore taking the path of darkness… Just like this fatal day which sometimes haunts my nights, today it's raining cats and dogs.

Since Naruto's kidnapping, a week has passed in which I've remained inactive; a feeling that time has thus stood still. The hardest part was breaking this grim news to Sakura. Unsurprisingly, upon learning that she had just lost yet another of her close comrades, she collapsed in grief in Lady Tsunade's office. As for me, I had contented to leave in silence, my head bowed, and consumed by remorse and regrets. There was nothing more to say; everything had been said. It's all my fault, again and again… Guilt is a terrible poison that plunges me into its ocean in which I'm slowly drowning.

Since then, my mind is tormented and I suffer from insomnia…

I see myself at that time when I had lost Uchiha Obito, then Nohara Rin…

Unfortunately, despite the resources allocated to this alarming case, the investigation is leading nowhere and we're moving backwards; we found no clue, nothing that could lead us on any track. The places where these attacks took place didn't yield anything, even if we've carefully searched the smallest nook and cranny. Nothing at all, nothing. Autopsies are the same. Nevertheless, we learned that the "decoys" had acted against their will, thus confirming part of my doubts. The subjects were under the influence of a powerful genjutsu that forced them to take their own lives using a terrifying and immediate drug. From what I've been told, the counterpoison department has managed to create an antidote for both this deadly drug and the poison found on these needles.

The most important is shrouded in mystery, worse than a thick fog of darkness. We still don't know the origin of these ninjas, where they come from … not to mention that such measures are worrying and call for caution. We're still looking for the motive behind these abductions, to find any links between the targets to explain this invasion and these drastic measures. Nothing. No one has a clue, myself included. All this, the way they managed to enter Konohagakure without being spotted… We're facing a dreadful group, a real threat that doesn't bode well at all…

The village has remained on red alert. Godaime believes that they will launch another assault to complete their mission… But deep down inside, I don't think so. They won't be coming back any time soon as long as we're on our guard.

I fell back into my old destructive habits. My last days consist of getting lost in my thoughts in front of the Memorial Stone; for hours, despite the good and bad weather, I languish and contemplate the extent of my mistakes. I'm dying to be useful, ready to roam the entire Land of Fire and dig into every nook and cranny, even the little-known ones. Alas, without leads, without clues, my efforts would be vain. It cannot be ruled out that Naruto is outside our borders at the moment—rather, I am sure of it. Besides, I don't know the last time I ate or poked my nose into my favourite book.

Hunger is as absent as the most unpredictable ninja that made Konohagakure so alive…

I am pulled from my thoughts when Yamato comes to meet me. I don't look back, for lack of desire…

"What is it, Yamato?"

A silence.

"Lord Hokage asks to see you."

Young, I learned not to hope for anything; enslaved by the pessimist, I always expect the worst. I turn my head briefly to return the gaze.

"We got some news on the case."

At his words, I almost flinch and my ebony eye widens. I am flabbergasted. I didn't expect him to tell me that things had progressed albeit a little. I cling to this vain hope, with all my strength, as if my life depended on it. I use this light to guide me and find my way in the abyss in which I was lost. I implore this information to bring us closer to Naruto…

- XXX -

In front of the door of the Hokage's office, Yamato greets me with a nod before leaving with a gloomy face. It would seem that he's expected elsewhere and seeing his stern look, I dread this summons with Lady Tsunade; he's aware of this new information, that is understood. To give myself courage, I take a few deep breaths before entering.

I am greeted by the darkened faces of Godaime and Shizune; hopes now threaten to be shattered at any moment.

"There's news?" I ask in a feverish voice, taking a few steps forward.

Lady Tsunade nods.

"Indeed. We had urgently sent a missive to Sunagakure. In order to ask for help or to see if they knew anything. Well, let's say we didn't expect that."

She pauses with a sigh. Mechanically, I hold my breath and I frown.

"We're not the only victims," she reveals to me. "Two months ago, Sunagakure was attacked by the same group. Same forehead protectors, same operating modules … but above all, five different targets."

My heart suddenly has a brutal stop. What does that mean? Initially, I could understand that this group could go after Naruto since he harbours the Nine-Tails in him … but including Shikamaru and Kiba, the two villagers and now Sunagakure in the equation… Nothing makes sense; I'm even more lost than I was. No need to specify that I am far from being the only one plagued by these many torments; this new data raises more questions than answers.

However, since our Jinchūriki was targeted, a question must be asked. "Was the Kazegake one of the targets?"

Godaime shakes her head.

"No. However, Kankurō, the Kazegake's brother, does. In all, one civilian and four shinobis were targeted. Of the five victims, Kankurō is the sole survivor. The others were abducted in the greatest of silences as were Naruto and this young girl."

"Why didn't they tell us anything?"

Lady Tsunade lets out a sigh before collapsing in her chair. It's only then that I notice the fatigue that makes her face ugly and the dark circles under her eyes. Apparently, she hasn't taken a day off since this case and her sleep is very similar to mine: absent and cursed by insomnia. This is hardly surprising, after all.

With the loss of its Jinchūriki, the village is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. If the other hidden villages discovered that a small enemy group has managed to penetrate our walls without being detected or that the host of Kyūbi has been kidnapped by the said group in question, this could encourage them to launch an assault and therefore, shattering this fragile era of peace…

Indirectly, I understand why Sunagakure remained silent…

"Such an incident could trigger a conflict, even a war," she confirms after an awkward silence. "It's only because we've experienced the same thing that they've informed us in order to possibly help each other. In addition, by exchanging data, we know that two other small countries have been attacked too. To believe that we're not the only ones and that these kidnappings started a long time ago… However, this is not what worries us the most…"

Lady Tsunade rises from her chair. She walks over to the window and gazes out. The tension is heavy—rather, becomes unbearable. As a result, I notice that Shizune avoids any retinal contact with me, her head down. An uncomfortable ball now squeezes my stomach.

"From what Sunagakure told us," she continues in an excruciatingly dark tone. "They would have found the five missing from the Land of Rivers on their territory. All five were in a pit in an advanced stage of decomposition. Despite post-mortem examinations, they found nothing, except that in all five victims, their hearts were missing."

I clench my fists listening to these sordid revelations; to this, anxieties seize me, invade me and devour me whole. I didn't expect this macabre data that sends shivers down my spine at all. I had no idea that the situation was this serious. Unfortunately, my greatest fears turn out to be a reality. If what Sunagakure said is true, if we don't track them down ASAP, Naruto might just be…

Maybe he already is…

Somewhere, abandoned…

Dead, his body thrown away like trash…

Without realizing it, I start to sweat. I emancipate myself from my sense of sight and hearing; the images are abstract and become dancing mirages while the sounds are chaotic songs, as if my head were underwater. My whole world crumbles a second time and in my helplessness I can only watch it all disappear and be swallowed up by darkness. I have the feeling of being imprisoned in a steel cage from which I am unable to escape.

Yet, I had promised to myself: "never again"; never again will I let my comrades die, never again will I let the slightest misfortune befall them. Especially my precious students who helped me find this light in the blackest of darkness to which I cling so as not to lose myself again. With the darkest of the three, I consoled myself with the thought that he was still alive and could still be rescued—rather, I trusted my team's hothead, Naruto. But right now… The chances of saving Naruto are dangerously close to zero…

I'm slowly losing hope…

"Kakashi!"

I jump, gasping a deep breath of air. Mechanically, I look back at Godaime who pulls me out of my torments of despair. My breathing is jerky, almost hyperventilating. Although I am slowly regaining my composure, the tremors persist.

"I'm sure Naruto is still alive and will be found eventually," Lady Tsunade exclaims before turning to me, gazing at me with her piercing hazel eyes. "Konohagakure doesn't abandon theirs! We will track these shinobis to the end of the world if necessary!"

Despite the catastrophic and desperate situation, her words manage to give me hope. It's true that Naruto is tough and he's the most unpredictable ninja in the village after all. I must have faith in him. That's the only thing I can do for now…

Have faith…

"As soon as we get anything new, you'll be the first to know."

"Understood," I nod.

Surprised, but not surprised, the pessimist is already winning over me… With all my strength, I try to cling to these determined and confident words, to see the positive, but I can no longer do it. Deep inside me, I am at the end of my route, exhausted from believing in hopes hanging only by a thread. Tragedy after tragedy, mistake after mistake, the same patterns keep repeating themselves… I could have done something, but I'm just a fool, the worst fool there is. I didn't know how to listen to my instincts, my intuition; if I had listened to this little voice in my head, my precious pupil would still be among us, safe and not in the clutches of this group which threatens his life if his heart is still beating today…

Because of me, I will have Naruto's blood on my hands.