Author's notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Edited by Izanagi-MS.
Day of Naruto's Mission - Training Ground 11.
Fugaku shunshined into the training ground, exhaustion evident on his face. The weight of his duties as Konoha's police chief while mentoring a student was taking its toll. He was already mentally preparing an excuse for his tardiness when his gaze suddenly fell on the empty field.
"Where's Naruto?" he thought incredulously. "He's never late for training, and he'd practice while waiting for me."
Pulsing some chakra to his eyes, he scanned the clearing with his Sharingan in case the boy had decided to pull one of his latest pranks on him, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. Fugaku's ever-stern face grew even more steely as he pondered what happened to his prodigy student.
"Perhaps something detained him?" he wondered.
He decided to wait, but time passed and Naruto still didn't appear.
"Well, police duties can wait. I need to find out from Minato what's going on with my student," Fugaku decided as he took off toward the Hokage's office.
When he arrived, he wordlessly passed the secretary who sputtered out warnings and entered his friend's office. Inside he found Minato immersed in battle with the bane of all leaders – paperwork. At the sound of the door, Minato looked up from the latest stack of documents and to his old friend.
"Something wrong, Fugaku?" Minato asked. Seeing the confusion on his friend's face, he added, "Shouldn't you be training Naruto right now?"
Fugaku closed the door behind him and dragged a chair over to the Hokage's desk, plopping himself down with a tired sigh as he rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes.
"That's exactly why I came," Fugaku spoke up. "Why didn't Naruto show up for today's training? After his first meeting, the boy's never been late, let alone never shown up for training."
"What're you talking about?" Minato raised his eyebrows. "I saw Naruto leave the house after breakfast, heading towards your training ground." He scrunched his face in thought, he knew his son. Like Fugaku mentioned, Naruto never missed a day of training.
"You're probably right, Minato," he replied, not taking his eyes off the Hokage's face. "But that doesn't change the fact that Naruto didn't show up for today's training. I myself have been late a few times because of my duties at the Police Force, but even then, the boy always trained alone while waiting for me."
Minato was instantly on alert. He stood up and walked over to the window overlooking the village, pondering his next steps. Flaring his chakra in a unique pattern, his protection squad was immediately summoned.
"Hokage-sama!" the guards cried, kneeling before their leader.
"Split up and coordinate with all the ANBU squads patrolling the village, find out if they've seen my son," Minato ordered in a firm voice, his face hidden as he looked at the village he had sworn to protect. "Keep the matter on a need-to-know basis. You may inquire to ordinary squads, but reveal little information."
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" With that, the squad of 4 dispersed in their respective shunshins to complete their mission.
For a minute, both men were immersed in silence, until Fugaku finally decided to break the ice.
"What're your thoughts?" He asked, getting up from his chair and walking over to join the man in looking over the village they'd sworn to protect.
"Hmm.." Minato sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this. As you mentioned, my son's never late. If he is, he always informs us using clones." His face shifted into a glare. "Speaking of which, I'm still angry with you for using that technique to train Naruto. Not to mention the risks of learning such a jutsu at that age, his pranks have evolved further."
"Hmpf," Fugaku grunted. "I did what I thought was best. Thanks to those clones, the boy can absorb knowledge like no other and gain months of experience within days."
"Maybe you're right, Fugaku," Minato replied, turning towards the man. "But it was still dangerous!"
Fugaku sighed and looked away from the village, turning his gaze to Minato.
"We both know the boy is destined for great things. Coddling him won't do any good if he's to reach his potential" Fugaku replied, watching the ANBU members jump across the rooftops.
Both opted to wait in silence…
–
"Cat, report! Any news from Squad Three?" The ANBU squad leader inquired, one finger on the microphone attached to his radio. His face concealed under a boar mask with red highlights as he squatted on a tree branch.
"Squad Three reports observing the target having headed towards Training Ground 11, taichou (captain)" a female voice responded.
"Understood. Continue the search and gather all the information" the captain ordered. "Rat, what about Squad Twelve? Do they have any leads?"
"Nothing, taichou. They haven't encountered the boy at all today," the male voice replied, his tone filled with concern. "Something's not right here."
"That's for sure, but there's no time to dwell on it. Continue the search on your own and gather more testimonies" the captain ordered.
He then turned his attention to the last member of his team.
"Dog, report!"
"Squad Eighteen observed the boy heading towards the village gate with Fugaku-sama," the female voice reported, raising the captain's concerns even further.
Mulling over his next steps, the squad leader sighed. None of it was adding up, why would the boy's mentor intentionally divert him from the attention? Was there tension between the Uchiha Clan Head and the Hokage? Directly charging the man would do no good either. He'd have to tread carefully from here.
Tapping his mic, the captain issued his commands. "Everyone, continue your investigations for 10 minutes. Converge on the Hokage's office in 15 to report."
"Hai, taichou!" the team members responded in unison, everyone preparing to converge.
–
Ten minutes passed as silence reigned in the unlit office, reflecting the tenseness of its inhabitants. The sun was setting and no word had been received as to Naruto's situation. Suddenly, the Hokage's guard appeared one by one in the blink of an eye, each kneeling before their leader. Minato and Fugaku immediately focused their attention on the shinobi.
"Do you have any news?" the Hokage asked hopefully. Inwardly, the man was trembling like a leaf as he wondered what happened to his son. Fugaku on the other hand opted to remain expressionless, but much like Minato he was worried about his student.
"Hai, Hokage-sama. Cat, report!" The squad leader ordered.
"According to the ANBU team patrolling the area around Training Ground number 11, the boy was seen heading in that direction," Cat reported. Choosing her next words wisely, she added, "One of them even testified that he saw the boy and Fugaku-sama walking together towards the village gate."
"Confirmed," Dog added, feeling the eyes of the leader and Fugaku on her. "Another squad observed the target at the village gate. The boy was then seen quickly running out the gate." After a moment of silence, she needed to gather her thoughts. She continued, "I questioned the guards at the gate. According to them, the target went on a mission. He had an authentic mission scroll, so they had no reason to refuse his departure."
"I checked Fugaku-sama's alibi, and indeed many people confirm that the man was seen in two different places, which may suggest that he used clones," the Rat masked agent spoke, nervous to be accusing the Uchiha clan head. "However, the fact that he himself appeared here with a question about Naruto contradicts this hypothesis."
"I confirmed the information gathered by Rat. It all checks out, Hokage-sama. Something's off here," the squad captain announced, grateful to have his face concealed by a mask as he felt the withering stare of the Uchiha Clan Head.
"I was expecting some good news like Naruto hanging out with Izumi, but this just worsens my fears," Minato thought, a pit forming in his stomach. "Fugaku shows up at my office and claims Naruto didn't show up for training, which is suspicious in itself. Then the ANBU squad informs me that my son met with Fugaku, or at least someone who impersonated him."
"Fugaku?" the Hokage asked, sharing a side glance with the number one culprit, who, until now, had been standing in silence, observing the whole scene carefully.
"Something's wrong here," the man replied after a moment of thought. "Naruto didn't meet with me. It must have been someone who impersonated me. But why?"
"Hmpf," Fugaku snorted in his mind, with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Situation aside, my student should have known better! The boy couldn't tell the difference between me and a fake? I'll have to step up my efforts during training."
"We need to gather more information." Minato turned to the dog-masked agent. "Dog, do the gate guards know the purpose of the mission my son supposedly received?"
"They only remember that it was a support mission for one of the genin squads," she replied.
"From what I know, none of them have requested assistance of any kind" Minato thought aloud as he recalled the inflow of missions from today. Such a request would've surely landed on his desk.
"What could this mean?" Fugaku questioned. "I assume there was no such mission, right?"
Minato nodded, confirming his suspicions.
"Naruto's disappearance remains amongst us," he ordered. "If anyone asks about Naruto, say he didn't show up for training. Dog, head to the gate and tell the guards that the information about Naruto's mission is to remain between them. Understood?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" the ANBU members answered in unison, their voices echoing in the office before they dispersed.
"What now?" Fugaku broke the silence, his question hanging in the air like a heavy stone.
Minato sighed and furrowed his brows, trying to hide the anger and worry that were tearing at his heart. "Fugaku," he announced in a firm voice, "I'm entrusting you with a personal mission. You are to find and bring my son back home."
Fugaku nodded. "I understand," he replied with seriousness in his voice. "He will be returned safely."
His words hid not only concern for Naruto, but also a desire to discover the truth. Who was behind this deception? Who had impersonated him, and for what purpose had they led the boy out of the village? Was it possible another village was involved? These questions plagued Fugaku, and now he has a chance to find answers.
Molding his chakra, his body began to split into dozens of crows which flew out an open window like a black storm. Caws could be heard echoing out in the surrounding areas as civilians and shinobi alike looked up to witness the strange sight.
Minato was now left alone in the office, dark thoughts circling his head. "Someone deliberately wanted to take my son out of the village," he whispered to himself, nervously tapping his fingers on the desk. "And they had the Hokage's seal... who could it be?"
His thoughts immediately went to Danzo. The old warmonger had always wanted the Sandaime's seat, and even more so after he inherited the village. Was he trying to get to him through his son?
He clenched his fists, eyes shutting themselves as he grit his teeth. He was frustrated.
Frustrated over his son's disappearance.
Frustration over his inability to monitor the events of the village he was entrusted.
Frustration from failing as a parent.
Electric blue eyes stared determinedly out across the village.
He'd become lax in the recent years of peace, but he'd remind the world of why he was the Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō.
–
After a conversation with the guards who confirmed Naruto's departure from the village and his general direction, Fugaku headed towards the location indicated on by the copy of the mission scroll retained by the guards. He still couldn't narrow down the motives his imposter had for wanting to take the boy outside the village borders. Whatever the case, he knew his perpetrator's intention could not be good for Naruto.
"Faster," Fugaku repeated to himself, his form just a blur moving from tree to tree, the wood crackling and denting under the weight of his jumps.
Halfway there, he noticed new traces; clear imprints of a young person's feet on the soft earth. No child had any business in this part of the woods, so it could only be a shinobi's tracks, hopefully Naruto's.
"The traces are fairly spaced. Given their small frame, whoever created them must've been in a hurry" he thought with satisfaction. "The boy didn't spare any chakra on the rescue mission. He traveled as fast as he could."
Finally reaching the scene of the tragedy, he discovered the dead genin squad and the diplomat they were supposed to protect. The sight was gruesome, even to Fugaku who had witnessed countless horrors from the 3rd Shinobi World War, but what caught his attention was the wooden spikes.
"This is no ordinary nature transformation" he thought, sliding a hand over one of the spikes. His eyes narrowed as he felt the surface and realized it was wood, not stone or rock like he originally thought which removed any Doton users and potentially Iwagakure. "No one's possessed Mokuton (Wood Release) since the Shodaime, at least for all we know. Mokuton has only existed within the Senju clan, so the chances of it emerging from another clan are basically nonexistent. But the Senju clan has diminished greatly and none of its members have been left unaccounted for besides Tsunade, so who could this be?"
There was no explanation for it. Even if she were to gain Mokuton, Tsunade could never commit such an atrocity, especially to her own village, and all members of the Senju clan had been accounted for. Realizing he was getting nowhere, Fugaku moved on from that train of thought, instead focusing on the one thing that wasn't there: Naruto.
"This is where he landed," Fugaku thought, kneeling down to examine the fresh tracks on the forest trail. Following them, he saw traces circling around the victims, perhaps him checking their conditions. "Most likely everyone was already dead before he arrived."
Finally, he reached the body of the Jounin. The death of such a trained shinobi shook Fugaku, especially in these times of peace. His opponent must've been at least Jounin level, but then again there was no way for him to confirm the number of assailants. For all he knew, this was a coordinated effort with someone from amongst his village.
"If Naruto met such opponents, he would have no chance against them," he thought regretfully. His gaze then fell on another set of tracks, the clear footprints of two people who had met at this place.
"There was a confrontation," Fugaku murmured, identifying two distinct sets of tracks: a smaller set and a larger set facing opposite of each other, meaning there was only a single attacker. He noticed a large space between the smaller tracks and a deeper indentation where they resumed, suggesting that Naruto had jumped back and tried to avoid the fight. This thought calmed his heart a little - in the face of such a strong opponent, the boy had reigned over panic and acted wisely.
However, further examination of the scene of the tragedy turned relief into bitterness. The attacker had easily caught up with Naruto, probably paralyzing him with the power of his chakra. The difference in strength must have been enormous.
Looking to his left, he noticed the boy's tanto discarded on the floor a few feet away, the blade clean of any blood. Kneeling down and placing a hand to the floor, he noticed dried blood staining the blades of grass. "Given the boy's blade is clean, this could only be his blood," Fugaku thought, his heart aching. Looking away to recompose himself, he noticed animal prints approaching the area, then what looked like something being dragged across the floor.
Given there's no body, maybe Naruto is alive! Looking back to the larger tracks, he noticed they suddenly terminated. Odd, with no trees close enough to jump to, the attacker had to have created a trail.
Storing that detail away for later, Fugaku went back to the animal tracks, giving them a thorough inspection with his Sharingan. The prints gradually became deeper, suggesting that the animal was carrying the boy's weight. Although the difference was subtle, Fugaku's Sharingan allowed him to see this detail.
The man immediately followed the trail which led into the depths of the dense forest. After fifteen minutes of following the trail, he noticed that the prints were becoming increasingly rare, perhaps from other animals who avoided the clearing where the battle took place.
"Hmph," Fugaku snorted with frustration in his voice. "No matter what, I will find you eventually!"
–
After hours of relentless searching with his Sharingan, Fugaku reached a place where the tracks diverged into several different paths, each with the same depth. The experienced tracker was surprised.
"An animal that can cover its tracks in such a sophisticated way?" he wondered, staring at the paw prints. "Is it possible that I am tracking a creature of similar intelligence to the summoned animals? But what would such a creature be doing alone in this forest?"
Making a quick hand sign, Fugaku decided to create Shadow Clones, one for each path. He sent them in different directions to explore all the possibilities.
"Hmph! Petty tricks," the man thought, impatient to receive the memories of his clones.
After a few minutes, his last clone dispersed. Each of the trails terminated after another hundred yards, all except one. The man immediately headed in that direction.
–
A day had passed and no luck. It finally dawned on him that he had been tricked. All the tracks he had followed connected to each other, creating an endless network of false corridors.
"Hmph!" he growled, punching a tree in frustration. He realized that he had fallen into a trap set by Naruto's kidnapper. With all the time he'd wasted, Naruto could be god's knows anywhere. "I've failed my student," he thought, closing his eyes to stop the tears that threatened to fall.
After taking a long moment to gather himself together, Fugaku decided to return to the scene where it all started. There, focusing his gaze on the first traces of the creature that had taken Naruto away, he discovered something surprising.
"Is this some kind of joke?" he thought in disbelief, realizing that the animal had been trying to cover its tracks from the very beginning. "I would never have thought to hide clues in such a way."
A careful analysis of the paw prints led Fugaku to the discovery of another, hidden path. This one seemed to be the answer to all his questions. With renewed vigor and hope, he followed the new trail without hesitation.
"It's interesting that this trail doesn't show any signs of hampering," Fugaku thought as he progressed along the trail, Sharingan active. "It looks like the creature I'm tracking didn't expect anyone to discover these clues."
Finally at noon, over half a day since he began the investigation, Fugaku stumbled into a clearing and saw his student about 20 yards away. Naruto was walking cautiously through the dense forest, bandages plastered to his head and stomach as his face was etched with worry.
Fugaku breathed a sigh of relief that his student was alive. Oh how he wished to pay back the kid for worrying everyone, but he opted to watch his student from hiding in case of any unknown assailants. While he didn't see any people, he noticed a small silver wolf cub following the boy's side. This sight surprised him a little, but he quickly dismissed his concerns and shunshined right in front of Naruto.
The man's sudden appearance startled the little wolf, and it decided to disappear in a white puff of smoke, returning to its world.
"Huh? Fugaku-sensei, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked, confused by the sight of his mentor. According to his information, Fugaku didn't have time to accompany him.
"Naruto!" the man shouted, looking sternly at the boy. Under his mentor's piercing gaze, Naruto felt chills down his spine and involuntarily flinched.
"H-hai?"
"The mission you went on doesn't exist, boy." Fugaku announced, "I didn't send you on it."
"NANI?!" Naruto couldn't stop the stupid look that came to his face. "But IT was you! You looked exactly the same, and the mission document was authentic, with the Hokage's seal!"
"That's exactly what worries your father and myself, boy," Fugaku replied, calming down. The situation in which someone had access to the Hokage's seal and was able to impersonate an elite jounin, and the head of the clan at that, did not bode well.
"Ano, Fugaku-sensei, am I in trouble because of this?" the boy inquired meekly as he looked down. He was just promoted to chunin, he didn't want to lose that so quickly.
"No, at least I don't think you'll have any problems." Fugaku said, then added a heavier tone of voice. "That doesn't change the fact that you should know better! How could you not recognize an imitation of your mentor?"
"Gomen," the boy replied, lowering his head again.
"As a result of this, your training will be much more difficult and demanding from here on out, boy," Fugaku replied sternly, activating the Sharingan to reinforce the message. Not believing his own voice, Naruto could only nod, giving a sign that he understood.
Sighing to himself, Fugaku created a hand sign as a clone poofed into existence, giving it a short nod. "Why the clone, sensei?" Naruto inquired as it ran off. "You're forgetting Squad 16. We cannot leave our comrades nor the diplomat to the forest. They will be given a proper burial" Fugaku replied solemnly. Death amidst war was a given, but amongst these peaceful times?
Clapping his shaken apprentice on the shoulder, Fugaku marched off. "Let's return to the village. Your father is surely still worried."
They walked the whole way back in silence. Naruto felt the weight of the events on his shoulders, and Fugaku's anger inside did not make it easier for him.
–
"Naruto!" Minato cried out in relief when he saw his son in the doorway. Jumping from his chair, all anyone could see was a white and yellow blur as he embraced his son. "I was so worried!"
"Tou-san, I'm sorry," the boy whispered within the arms of his father.
"You don't have to apologize, son." Minato replied firmly, releasing the hug to hold his son at arm's length. "I know you're not to blame for what happened."
"That doesn't change the fact that I should have sensed something," Naruto sighed.
"You may be right about that," Minato agreed, then added with concern, "but everything indicated that this mission was authentic. That worries me even more."
Walking back behind his desk, he sat back down in the chair and gestured for his son to sit down opposite him. "Tell me everything that happened today and yesterday during your so-called mission. Leave out NOTHING."
It took Naruto twenty minutes to explain everything in the smallest detail. Minato did not interrupt him once, immersing himself in silent contemplation of each event. Fugaku also listened attentively to the boy's story.
"Naruto, what was heard in this room remains a secret. No one but me and Fugaku will know the truth about this situation, and it better stay that way," Minato announced, addressing the boy. "I suggest you see your mother soon lest she charge out of the village to find you herself." He then turned to his friend and spoke, "Fugaku, we need to talk about this situation."
"I understand," the boy said, getting up from the chair and heading for the door.
Left alone, they could finally discuss the details of Naruto's experience.
"Madara Uchiha," Minato said in a tired voice. "Would you believe me if I said this isn't the first time I've heard of someone impersonating the legendary Traitor of the Uchiha?"
"What do you mean?" Fugaku asked, feeling a slight fear at the mention of that name. Standard to the academy curriculum, shinobi and kunoichi were raised on stories about the power of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, about their deeds, and the times they lived in. Over time however, Madara's name receded into history as the village decided the tales of a traitor were not suited for developing the next generation. But for Fugaku who was an Uchiha and understood the powers of the Sharingan, having obtained a Mangekyou himself, Madara's feats put the entire clan to shame.
"3 years ago, on December 10th." Minato said it with sadness in his voice. At these words, both men were filled with painful memories of that day. The wounds from that night had not yet healed in the hearts of the people of Konohagakure.
"What does Madara's name have to do with that day, Minato?" Fugaku asked impatiently, not liking the direction the conversation was going.
"That tragedy was caused by a person who introduced himself as the Traitor of the Uchiha," Minato replied seriously, convincing Fugaku that it wasn't a joke.
"He would've been alive for over a century, he is well dead by now," Fugaku affirmed, and after a moment of thought, he added, "Unless someone is impersonating his name... But what would be the purpose of that?"
"The purpose is less important than his current interest in my son," Minato replied with anger in his voice. How dare someone target his son?
"According to Naruto's story, Madara believed that the boy had failed him... What could that mean?" Fugaku wondered for a moment, frowning. "Is it possible that someone is manipulating Naruto, using Madara's name?"
"It's possible," Minato agreed. Lost in thought for a second, both suddenly looked up with realization. "His Sharingan…"
"I always thought it weird that Naruto awakened the Sharingan, even with myself being a distant relative. Even more so that his Sharingan was awakened at birth…" Minato trailed off.
"You believe he had a hand in the boy's awakening of it? That means Naruto's part of a much larger plot" Fugaku continued grimly, confirming what Minato was now fearing.
Silence ensued in the office, both men completely lost as to the motives of Naruto's assailant and his plans for the future.
–
Hidden by the roof's darkness as civilians and shinobi mingled in the lights below, Zetsu watched satisfied from across the street as Konoha's great leader tired himself of theories as to what was going on.
"It's only begun" he announced, looking down at the scroll he held, so similar to one he'd delivered days earlier.