"Are you clear on the mission, Captain?"
Yamato gave a clear nod of confidence. "Yes, Lord Danzō. We are to escort Naruto Uzumaki to Kirigakure for questioning and retrieve our captured shinobi."
Danzō nodded back. He handed the man a closed envelope. "Give this to Sai. He has special orders for this mission. Do not interfere."
Yamato slipped the envelope into his back pouch. "Is there anything else?"
"Negative. When you leave, send in the next group."
Yamato gave a quick bow of respect before quickly exiting the office. Danzō continued on with his daily duties until the next mission recipient entered.
It was Neji Hyūga.
"Lord Danzō. As requested, I've come for the mission."
"Good. I won't waste time. It's rather time sensitive." He handed the Hyūga jōnin a manila folder. "This is classified information. Gather a team of your choosing, no matter the number of personal. You have ten days to get to Tenchi Bridge to gather information from an Akatsuki informant. From there, mission depending, you'll pursue one Sasuke Uchiha. I understand he's a former comrade of yours. I'll leave it to you if you capture or kill."
Neji glanced up at the elder. "Has he been branded a rouge shinobi after my last mission?"
"This mission will determine that. I had intentions to brand him but I decided to give the boy one chance for redemption. The information he has on Orochimaru would be invaluable. If you can somehow convince him to forgo his path and return to the village. Outstanding. If not, it's no skin off my back."
Neji nodded. "Understood, my lord. I'll gather up a team and set off at once."
"Good luck."
In the passing days, Danzō had done so much as the stand in Hokage. He was by no means the official leader of the village, but he was treated like it. The respect he deserved was finally being given.
The transition was smooth. Mostly. News of the switch was made to the entire village through word of mouth. Not the best way. An official announcement would have been best but nothing truly goes as planned.
That's why Danzō always created contingencies.
And he would never lose.
-With Naruto-
His heart ached as he stood in the rubble of his home. It was destroyed in the explosion that he tried to fight off. A point blank miniaturized Bijūdama. The same one that annihilated an entire island. And he tried to deflect it.
Dumbass.
This was his home for years. It was given to him by the Third after he was lied to about Jiraiya's departure. It was his safe place. The only place he could truly be himself.
Then Sakura fixed it and made it perfect.
Why did everything go to shit?
Naruto sighed as he sifted through some the burnt and shattered wood, trying to find whatever survived. Obviously, there wasn't much. A few different miscellaneous items like scrolls or decorations from Sakura's remodel.
Then he found it. The one thing he dreaded and hoped would survived. His father's box.
He dusted off the inscription and held it in his hands. The contents were safe, he could feel it. He gripped his mother's scarf around his belt.
Were they proud of him? Could they be proud of he was now?
The lid slowly opened and Naruto stared at the journal. His father's journal.
Mixed emotions filled his soul. This book has been in his possession for three years now and never once did he think about reading it. He left it behind from his training for a specific reason.
He was scared to read it.
Feared what his father thought.
About him. About what he did to his son.
Was it irrational? Probably. But Naruto did not know his father like Jiraiya or Kakashi. They both highly praised him. Naruto knew nothing. Inside the journal were his father's most private thoughts that his mother probably didn't even know.
He felt more alone now than he ever did in his life. He didn't even feel like himself. He didn't feel like Naruto. But someone else entirely.
"Fuck it. What did you know, old man?"
Naruto took the journal and kunai out of the box and placed them on his person. He decided he would start reading it on this mission. What else could hurt him now?
"…Naruto…"
He may have spoken too soon.
His body stiffened. The soothing voice calmed and sent adrenaline though him. It was the one person he wanted to see. He needed to see. Why was she here?
"…Sakura…"
She had her geared packed. She was going on a mission. And by the amount she had, it was a longer one. Sakura noted the same thing about Naruto.
"…Going on a mission?"
The girl nodded. "Yeah…it's the Sasuke mission. Neji is leading it."
His heart wrenched at the thought he wasn't going. But he knew Danzō wouldn't let him on a goose chase like that. Not anymore.
"Hard to believe it's been three months already."
"Yeah…"
He's never seen her so broken. She's never seen him so hollow. Both shells of their former selfs. Together, they were whole. Apart, they were empty.
He didn't want to lose her. An idea came to mind.
"Sakura…I-"
"Don't apologize…" Sakura simply wasn't in the mood for it. "Just…don't. A simple apology isn't gonna change anything."
"…I know." Naruto reached deep into his soul and pouch. "I know an apology won't do anything between us…I'm honestly not sure if I can do anything to make amends for what I did. But I want to give you this."
It was the yellow lily that she had given him all those years ago. Still preserved in the special chakra paper. It looked as if it was freshly picked.
"This…has been with me since that day. It's kept me whole in the darkness. I…want to give it back. To show how sorry I truly am. And when you're ready…you can give it back and we can try. But, if not…then you can destroy it."
Naruto held out the flower for Sakura to take it. She was not in arms length. She would have to get close to him to grab it.
She hesitated. Fear and confusion held her back.
Naruto could tell she was afraid. He didn't blame her. With the roles reversed, he would be fearful too.
Naruto placed the flower on the rubble. Of their home and their love.
"If I take that flower…that person who said you would become…is that what's going to happen?"
Naruto stared at the flower on the rubble then at the object of his affection. The one thing he knew that would keep him while. Keep him away from the darkness.
Now, he was about to lose them both.
This was his punishment.
"…I think it's already happened…I don't feel like myself anymore."
Guilt and conflicting anger. Sakura could see what this was doing to Naruto. But she couldn't bring herself to do anything. She was too angry at him. But her anger toward him only made her more angry and upset with herself. She desperately wanted to hold him and make him feel better.
But she couldn't. She was just too damn angry.
Sakura didn't want to hurt him. But she needed to say one thing to him.
"…You're a…monster."
Sakura couldn't bare to see his face. It would shatter her. She rushed to the flower, grabbed it, and sprinted away. Tears streamed down her cheeks, creating a trail as she ran.
She ran away from him. Just like everyone else.
A waste of time.
And it wasn't long before Naruto cried too. For the life he had lost.
And the monster he had become.
-Main Gate-
Yamato had been appointed team captain for this mission simply because of his ability to the Kyūbi suppressed. But that didn't mean he was the overall leader. No matter what, he would still follow Kakashi to the ends of the earth without question. Which is exactly why he wanted his former mentor to come on the mission.
Kakashi recommend that Gai come along for extra security. His strength surpassed Kakashi and Yamato by a mile. And with enemy still possibly in the area, it was the smartest choice.
And having Sai with them helped with that service. He could use his special ink technique to draw scouts to survey the area. The possibilities were endless for his technique.
Not to mention the 'special assignment' Danzō gave him. He had to be on the mission.
While he was still confused by the next choice for this mission, he understood the reason behind it. Danzō instructed that he bring a Yamanaka along to prevent any mental probing or something of that nature that the Mizukage could try.
And when Yamato approached Inoichi about who to bring, Inoichi directed his own daughter to the mission. He was confident in his daughter's ability. He said she needed the experience of a mission of this caliber. And that it would help keep her mind off the death of her sensei.
The team stood there, waiting for their final member to arrive.
"Don't tell me Naruto has taken after you, Kakashi." Gai commented.
"I certainly hope not." Kakashi retorted without lifting his eye of his book. But he was hardly reading it. His mind was elsewhere. Specifically on his students.
What the hell went wrong?
Was he to blame for all this? For Sasuke's turn? For Sakura's fall from grace? For what Naruto did? Was there anything that he could have done to prevent all this?
Those were only questions now. From a man who had already lost so much. Losing his team was one he never thought possible.
"Finally." Ino saw their final member approaching them. "Took him long enough."
He kept his head covered with the hood, not allowing anyone to see his face. He brushed passed them without a word, moving onto the path.
"Hey! What gives? Not even an excuse?" Ino shouted in annoyance.
Naruto remained silent, continuing on.
"Let it go, Ino." Kakashi commented. "Naruto's…been through a lot recently. I'm sure he has a perfectly good reason."
"Just like you, Kakashi?" Sai's dry and bland voice sullied his attempt at some humor. The group was quiet. They simply began to follow Naruto's lead. "Interesting. I read in one of my books that humor at someone's expense is a good way to ease the tension."
"Well, maybe try a different tone. Ya know, actually have tone in your voice." Ino thought the comment was good, but it lacked a good tone to carry it out.
Sai noted the advice. "Hm. Tone. I'll have to try that out as well. I appreciate the advice."
The lack of tone made him sound sarcastic and insincere. "Sure. Whatever."
Sakura's description of Sai was accurate, Ino noted. Honestly, she didn't believe Sakura's new teammate was so…empty. It was annoying to listen to his voice. No emotion or tone to his words.
Kakashi, Gai, and Yamato remained in the back, keeping their distance from the younger generation.
"An interesting team we have here, Tenzo." Kakashi commented.
Yamato chuckled. "Yeah. No offense to them, but they certainly weren't my first choices. Sai has a special assignment from Lord Danzō and Ino was recommended by Inoichi."
"It's a simple mission." Gai stated. "They'll do fine."
"I agree. This next generation certainly…has something we didn't."
"Oh? And what, pray tell, would that be?" Yamato questioned.
"…The ability to survive."
-Sasuke Retrieval Mission-
It didn't take long for Neji to come up with the team for this mission. The mission orders didn't specify on the limit of shinobi to assign, so Neji took that as an invitation. He created a super team.
His first choices were his team. Rock Lee and Tenten. For obvious reasons. He knew them best and trusted them the most.
Next came Shikamaru Nara. His genius and strategic mind were invaluable. Ever since their shogi match being promoted to Chunin, he knew they would be paired up on missions for the foreseeable future. He believed they would pair well together. He recommended that Chōji and Ino come along. Neji didn't argue. But Ino was already assigned to something else. All was left was Chōji.
Tracking shinobi were needed. This was a retrieval mission. If the target somehow got away, they would need to follow their tracks. Kiba had the ground with his nose, Shino had the air with his insects, and Hinata was added sight in places they could not see.
Then came medical. Combat was almost a guarantee with a mission of this caliber. Sasuke was directly connected to Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin. They were not going to come out of a fight unscathed. Sakura was the clear choice.
But Sakura was also the only person that had a true connection to Sasuke. Sakura was going to be the only one that will be able to say anything of meaning to him. But if he truly has turned away from his home, nothing was going to work.
This mission was about bringing Sasuke back to Konoha. Sakura was an essential part of that. But she wasn't the only one. Naruto had the clearest connection with Sasuke and he wasn't here.
He wasn't allowed to be here.
And that made it feel empty. Like it wasn't going to work.
And it clearly was affecting Sakura.
It also could be the death of her mother by said teammate.
Neji simply couldn't tell.
Sakura walked behind the others, trailing them through the land. She could hear them talking about randomness. There were blurts about recent events, but nothing she considered worthy.
She wasn't worthy.
She called him a monster.
She knew it would hurt him deeply. She wanted to hurt him just enough so that he understood that what he did was wrong and couldn't be forgiven.
But when she said that…it hardly made her feel better. It only made her feel worse.
She instantly felt unworthy.
Unworthy of everything.
For the briefest of moments, Sakura saw what her mother saw in Naruto. The demon that was sealed in him. She didn't see the difference. In the pure instinct, Sakura let her anger loose on him.
And now, she regretted all of it.
Nothing seemed worth it anymore.
-Days later, Kirigakure-
Through the thick blanket of mist, the team was able to find the entrance to Kirigakure. It wasn't easy. On the contrary, it was rather difficult. It felt like they stumbled on the village by accident.
Even through the thick mist, Kiri shinobi had halted them from reaching the gate and immediately searched them. It was expected as foreigners, especially foreign shinobi. But it just displayed the Kiri shinobi acclamation of living in these blinding conditions. The team was by no means being extravagant with their movements.
"Welcome Konoha shinobi." Ao called to them from his position in the mist. He appeared suddenly before them. "We've been expecting you."
Yamato stood before the team, as his responsibility as the leader. "Thank you. I apologize. We would have been here sooner, but it is not easy to navigate through this mist."
"Understandable. It takes us years to learn the terrain through memory and association. I did not expect you to find us. That's why I had my shinobi come to you."
Yamato raised his brow. "Are we not close to your village?"
Ao chuckled. "Heavens no. We are still over 5 miles away. Please, keep close. It's easy to get lost."
The escort was simple. The team of Kiri shinobi surrounded the Konoha team in a diamond formation and led them through the mist. It wasn't until they reached the real entrance that the mist was finally thin enough to see clearly in front of them.
Kirigakure had a natural cover like Konohagakure did. It resembled a large dome around the village, only leaving an opening towards the sky for sunlight. The cylindrical buildings were constructed in such a way that made the village seem larger than it really was.
Ino was in awe at architecture. This was her first time inside of another Great Village. Her first time truly away from the Land of Fire, honestly.
She wished she could've experienced this with her team.
"I understand this may have not been the easiest thing to accomplish, but the Mizukage appreciates you coming all this way to answer our questions."
"It was truly no trouble at all." Yamato stated. "The only difficulty was leaving so soon after the recent attack on our village."
Ao nodded. "We heard through our intelligence. My condolences for your lost lives."
"Thank you." Kakashi chimed in. "And allow me to offer my condolences. I was the one who created the treaty with Tazuna."
"Ah. So, you're Kakashi Hatake." Ao confirmed. The man's reputation was heavy and well known. "The Mizukage might want a word with you as well."
Kakashi nodded. He was more than willing to answer any questions that were needed. It was his suggestion to Shikaku to use the Land of Waves as an outpost of sorts. He felt responsible for the destruction, if though it was brought upon by a Tailed Beast.
The team was escorted through the village with Ao leading. It was not lost on them that the villagers were stopping whatever they were doing and watching them.
Naruto hated the stares. Hated having all eyes on him. But this felt different. This wasn't out of hatred or malice. Simply curiosity. It was a good change of pace. Regardless, he kept his hood up.
They came to largest building in the village center, obviously the where the Mizukage was. The escort continued through the halls up to the top floor where the beautiful Mizukage was waiting with her door open.
"Welcome, Konoha shinobi. I appreciate you and your team making the trip like this. Especially after what happened in your village." Mei greeted.
"Greetings, Lady Mizukage. My name is Yamato. I am the Captain of this mission."
Mei nodded. The team seemed to a bit on the younger side, especially the one Naruto Uzumaki. She read his profile in the Bingo Book but he was certainly more than expected in person. Much more handsome for someone so young.
"Well, shall get down to business?" Mei had her eyes fixated on the one in question. "Naruto Uzumaki, I presume?"
The teen under the hood gave no response, only stepping forward to stand before the female Kage.
Mei seemed interested by the act and waved off the shinobi that moved to protect her. She knew he meant no harm in it. "Ao, come in with us."
"Hey! Hold on!" Ino spoke without thinking. She had to finish now. "There's going to be two of you. Naruto needs someone in there with him."
"You're more than welcome to join, young one." Mei stated. Her curiosity for her sudden abrasiveness peaked. This was the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi. From her understanding, no one in Konohagakure really cared for the boy.
Ino looked at her mission leader and he nodded, agreeing with the idea. Truthfully, he was going to push for someone to be in there with Naruto. He was going to put himself or Kakashi in there but Ino would do. It would be good experience for her. And the rest of them would be right outside the room in case of an emergency.
The door closed behind Ino, and dread filled her. She felt like she was making a diplomatic mistake. But then again, this whole situation didn't feel very diplomatic.
"Naruto Uzumaki…"
The teen stared from underneath his hood. Somehow, it was shielding most of his face.
Ino stared at Naruto from the corner of her eye, trying to hide the fact she was scared for him. But at the same time, she felt afraid of him. He killed Sakura's mom; her second mom. She was just as angry as Sakura.
But Ino wasn't completely blind like Sakura was. She knew Naruto wouldn't have done it if he could've stopped himself. That damn Kyūbi had him in his grasp and made him do those things.
He was, quite literally, on the demon's time.
"This isn't an interrogation." Mei assured. "Please, drop the hardcore attitude. I just have some questions about what happened to the Land of Waves. Those were people under my jurisdiction. I knew a lot of them personally because that was my home…"
A revelation that was quite interesting. "…I knew people on that island, too."
A small breakthrough, and some connections were made. "I had a feeling you were the reason behind the name of the bridge. Who did you know?"
"Old man Tazuna…Inari…his mother. Did they survive?"
Mei let out a heavy sigh. "There were no survivors.My shinobi pulled three living bodies from the water. Two Konoha and one Iwa. And we found another on the mainland side. A rouge shinobi…."
Naruto's eyes shot up. Sakura told him what she did for them. The stories matched up. "Haku? Is she alive?"
A surprising revelation. "How do you know of her?"
"It was because of her that my team made it out. More importantly, she stopped the Akatsuki from capturing me."
"The Akatsuki?" Ao questioned. "That group was there as well?"
Naruto nodded. "They tried to take advantage of my weakened state. It was because of my team and Haku that I wasn't captured. But she…"
Mei leaned forward slightly, interested greatly in the story. "She who?"
Ino watched intently, listening to every single word with great interest. She felt horribly out of place being in this room. But hearing the details of the destruction of the Land of Waves were something that had plagued her mind since she heard the news. Sakura didn't want to talk about it.
"My team's mission was to aid in the liberation of our forces from enemy capture. My mission was to seek out the Yugito Nii, the Nibi Jinchūriki. Our battle caused the destruction. I…tried to redirect the blast but…I failed." Naruto's eyes fell back underneath the shield of his hood. "It's my fault your people are dead…"
Mei took in the information, trying to conceal her surprise. "The blast from the Bijū?"
He nodded. "Yes. It was forming and I used my strongest technique to hit her from below. I planned for it to shoot into the sky. From what I pieced together, the blast wasn't fully charged. I caused it to misfire with my attack."
Mei glanced back to her deeply trusted advisor. She could the slight protruding veins around his covered eye. Once the veins disappeared, he nodded his head slightly. He was being truthful. It also confirmed their own suspensions.
"Is that all that happened? It was not intended?"
Naruto shook his head. "No. I tried to avoid as much collateral damage as I could. This was my first time fighting like that…I'll know better for next time."
Mei raised her brow. "Next time?"
"I'm bound to fight another jinchūriki. I'll learn from my mistakes."
"…Embracing the tradition, I see."
For the first time in this meeting, Naruto's eyes moved up to stare straight through the Mizukage. Her status meant nothing to him. She was merely another that followed the trope and put that label on him.
"…In a manner of speaking."
Mei could only wonder the things this boy in front of her could do. The power of a jinchūriki was near limitless. Especially considering who this boy's parents were and the legacy of their strength. Naruto Uzumaki was certainly a interesting young man.
If he had only been born a few years prior…she'd definitely go for him. Jinchūriki or not.
"We'll, I think we've learned what we wanted. You are free to go."
Ino couldn't stop herself. "Really? All this just for a few questions?"
"Well, I could imprison your friend here for the deaths. And hold Konoha accountable for the reparations of their lives and the lost revenue that the Land of Waves brought us. But, the whole ordeal was completely accidental. I can't hold what happened against him. Especially since he tried to avoid it." Mei stated. "But I will need to talk to your captain out there to further iron out details. Send him in, if you wouldn't mind."
Without further word, Naruto swiftly left the office. Ino remained for a spilt second, processing all what she had heard, before following Naruto out of the office.
Ino stepped out of the way for Yamato and Kakashi to enter the office. Gai remained in the waiting area. She quickly noticed that Sai was not there.
"Where's Sai?" She asked.
"He said he needed to use the restroom." Gai stated.
Ino nodded and took a seat in the waiting area. Naruto remained standing for a moment, seemingly contemplating something. He glanced down the hall.
Haku…
Hearing that she was here somewhere, he felt the need to see her. Their time was limited together and through fighting they learned to have a mutual understanding of each other. He thought she could somehow help him like he did for her after Zabuza died. His life was such a mess, he would do anything to have it all back the way it was.
But doing this himself might make matter worse for him and the others, or cause an international problem by simply wandering another village.
Fuck it. Don't care.
"Naruto! Where are you going?" Ino called out as Naruto made her way down the hall, leaving the building.
"Ah! Damn teenagers!" Gai was quick to follow the two. Inside a foreign village, they needed to be careful. Something small could end in catastrophe.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Sai closed the stall door behind him. He waited patiently til the suspicious Kiri shinobi left to silently unroll his scroll. He had already pre-drawn the small snake. He channeled chakra through his scroll and brought the being to life.
"Go. Accomplish the mission."
The snake slithered off the paper and into a nearby crack.
-Mizukage's Office-
"Well, we have found ourselves in a very interesting situation, gentlemen." Mei stated. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Lady Mizukage…" Kakashi began. "Allow me to formally apologize for the incident. It was under my recommendation and action that caused the Land of Waves to be destroyed."
"I am aware, Master Hatake. But, like I stated to your jinchūriki, I am not one to hold a grudge. It was an unfortunate accident that led to this destruction. Should you have been there? Not without our input and permission. But I am looking in the best interest for my people. Including ourselves in your conflict will not end well."
Yamato stepped forward slightly, causing Ao to do the same. "Then what is the best course of action here? We want to keep the peace as well."
Mei smiled. "Good. And I have something in mind. See, we have a prisoner here from Iwa. Kurotsuchi, the granddaughter of the Tsuchikage." She could see the surprised looks on the Jōnin's faces. "She survived explosion, along with the two Konoha shinobi. Our intention is to release everyone…under one condition."
Kakashi and Yamato glanced at each other. "Name it." Kakashi said.
Ao quietly smirked to himself. Mei was usually rather submissive and didn't think yelling authoritative orders at her subordinates would get anything done. She felt it was in becoming as a young, beautiful woman. But everyone had that side of them. And Mei was certainly a terrifying Kage when she wanted to be.
"Kirigakure is to remain neutral in this war. Our borders are not to be disturbed again. Any thoughts of coming into my territory again will result in your village permanent end!"
Both Kakashi and Yamato had stared into death's face. And had never faltered. But they both felt their hairs on the backs of their necks stand. While amazingly beautiful, Mei was downright terrifying.
"…We understand. Konoha will not enter your borders without permission again."
Mei's demeanor completely dropped and the beautiful woman with an equal smile returned. "Good. I hope our relations don't decline like Iwa and Kumo. I'd hate to see us pitted against each other, especially after this."
"As would we, Lady Mizukage."
"Please, Master Hatake, call me Mei." She added a small wink.
Flabbergasted, Kakashi simply nodded. "Of course…Mei. And Master Hatake was my father. Please, just Kakashi is fine."
Content with the proceedings, Mei went on with her Kage duties. "Perfect. Ao, iron out the details with these two then send them on their way."
"As you wish, m'lady." The man stepped forward and motioned for the two to follow. "Come with me, we'll continue in the conference room."
The trio promptly exited the office and followed the hallway down to the empty waiting area.
"Where did they go?" Yamato's battle instincts took over.
As did Kakashi's. "Where did you take them?"
Ao remained stoic. "Kiri is not responsible for their disappearance. I haven't the slightest idea where your comrades are."
Near conveniently, Sai seemed to have wondered back from the bathroom. He was adjusting his pants as he walked towards them.
"Sai! Where are the others?" Yamato questioned.
"Hm?" Sai took notice to their absence. Finally. "I don't know. I've been in the bathroom. The food I yet yesterday must not have been good."
"We have to find them! This won't be good."
"You're exactly right." Ao stated, his authority shining through. "You are in foreign territory. My shinobi don't take kindly to strangers snooping around. They usually act first and ask later."
While they weren't worried about Naruto and Gai, they could handle themselves in most fights. It was Ino that caused them the most worry. She skill set wasn't the most diverse to handle large scale fights.
Something Asuma failed to reach her. And probably Chōji and Shikamaru as well.
-With Ino-
Trying to keep up, Ino did what she could to try and stop Naruto from doing something completely stupid. Gai really didn't do much. He seemed to just follow in case something were to happen. And yelled at him to do something, but Gai continued to keep his distance.
'You're no help, Gai sensei!'
"Naruto! Where are you going?!"
Ino's drew more attention to them by the locals. Even with her lack of experience, she knew they needed to keep a low profile.
Naruto remained focused. Following his senses and his gut feeling, he made his way through the village towards the hospital. Haku was there. He was sure of it. Surviving a fight against the Akatsuki is no easy task. She certainly had been injured.
"Naruto! Stop!"
Ino forcefully pulled on Naruto's shoulder, twisting him back to her.
"What do you want?"
The first words he had spoken to her. "Where are you going? Where could you possibly go in a foreign village?"
"I know someone here and I have to see them."
Ino recalled the conversation with the Mizukage. "That rogue ninja? What's she got to do with all this?"
"Nothing. I just need to see her. Now, leave me alone."
Quickly, Naruto continued on. Gai and Ino were left standing in the middle of the road.
"Damn him!"
"Naruto seems to have made up his mind. This could end badly."
"Now, you speak up?!" Ino had no time to comment further. Why was she the only one concerned with this situation? "Gai sensei, can you go back and find Kakashi sensei? He'll be able to talk some sense into Naruto. I'll keep following him and make sure he doesn't do something stupid."
Gai nodded. "I'm on it!" The screaming power of youth carried Gai back to their comrades.
Ino only sighed and ran to catch up to Naruto.
-Inside Kirigakure Hospital-
Haku continued on with her physical therapy. The medical staff here were kind enough to set up a program for her to help rebuild her strength.
"Good job, Haku. At this rate, you'll be back to fighting shape in no time." The physical therapist smiled.
For who? Fighting for myself or the Mizukage?
"Hey! You can't go in there!"
The door opened wide and Naruto stepped in, with Ino huffing right behind him. The doctor stared hard at the foreigner.
"Who are you? And what you doing in here?"
"I came to speak with Haku."
"This is not a patient you can visit, only the Mizukage can come unannounced. Nurse, call for security!"
"Wait!" Haku called out, halting the nurse. "I know him. He's an old friend."
"Don't care. I have my orders from Lady Mei herself." The doctor proclaimed. She motioned for the nurse to call for security. "You, Konoha shinobi, will be arrested for trespassing inside this village and imprisoned until further notice."
Naruto chuckled. It made Ino uncomfortable. "Yeah, that's not how this going to work. Your Kage invited us into your village. Now, either get out and let me speak to Haku or…well, just get out and you won't find out."
The doctor blinked, realizing the threat that was made against her. She glanced back at Haku.
Haku nodded. "It's alright, Izumi. Like I said, he's an old friend."
The doctor, Izumi, still felt uneasy about this, but trusted Haku's words. Naruto stepped aside and allowed the doctor to pass by him. His cold aura shook her to the core.
She didn't want to leave Haku alone with him. But she felt like she had no choice in the matter.
Just before Naruto could close the door, Ino forced herself inside. Much to Naruto's displeasure.
"Why are you here?" Haku questioned.
"…I never got to thank you. You saved me and my comrades that day."
"A debt had to be repaid. Your words changed and saved me. I'm still looking for that some special someone to protect again. But, because of you, I have the chance to find them."
Despite his hard and unwavering expression, Naruto almost looked disappointed. "Good. Glad to help."
And Haku noticed this. She knew what it was like to hide behind a mask. "That's it? You came all this way just to say thanks?"
His words betrayed his heart. So much to say but no courage or will do so. "…Yeah. A debt had to be paid." He turned to leave. "I'll be seeing you…Haku."
The closed slowly behind Ino, who was confused and intrigued by everything that had just transpired. They quickly made their out of the building and were met by the others.
"What's going on?!" Yamato shouted.
"What do you think you're doing, boy?" Ao confronted Naruto head on. "This is a foreign village! Do you have any idea what you could have done here?!"
Naruto stared at the man. He shook his head and moved past him. There was nothing to say to justify anything. It was time to go.
"Hey Kakashi sensei?"
"Hm?"
"What day of the month is it?"
Kakashi was perplexed by the question, only to realize the meaning behind it. "The second to last day of the month. Tomorrow is the end of the month."
For the first time since being on this mission, Naruto smirked.
"Perfect."
-With Neji-
The bridge was smaller than what he was expecting. It was narrow, only big enough for maybe two carriages to pass over at a time. Over a large cavern that a river ran through at the bottom.
The team were all in place. Hinata, Lee, Kiba, and Chōji were stationed underneath the bridge as the initial attack force. Tenten and Shino were the long range attackers, they oversaw the entire process. Shino had bugs placed on the opposite side, waiting for the informant to arrive. Neji, Shikamaru, and Sakura stayed back, hidden in the tree line. The brains and medic of the operation
"Someone's coming." Shino whispered from his position.
A hooded figured slowly strolled into view and made his way onto the bridge. He remained unmoved by the gusts of winds, blowing off the hood. Revealing the face of the masked informant. The same one that met with Itachi and Kisame on this very same bridge.
"…Kabuto…?!"