Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Alpha and Omega ❯ Never Coming Home ( Chapter 7 )

I do not own Naruto

 

“Talking”

`Thinking'

 

Never Coming Home

Tsunade's POV

 

Tsunade had to act quickly if she would catch them. Problem, the village was short on jounins for such a mission. But she also couldn't let Orochimaru get the Uchiha the Kyuubi and her own secret weapon Rei. That girl had more than met the eye and if he found out she was from the Hiryuu clan he'd feel like it was Christmas morning. Konohoa wouldn't have a chance.

 

There had to be a solution. Tsunade thought for a moment before speaking.

 

“Sakura I need you to find some people for me. Get Shikamaru and tell him to get three or four superior genin for an A ranked mission. They need to leave as soon as possible. If Orochimaru gets Sasuke, Naruto, and Rei we will be in a lot of trouble. Also tell him to meet me at the gates I'll fill them in there.”

 

Sakura nodded Tsunade could see she was trying desperately to pull herself together.

 

“I only want the strongest. This mission could be very dangerous. I don't want you to go either. I want you to stay here. You aren't ready. I know your going to want to go very much but I need you to stay here.”

 

Sakura didn't protest which was good for Tsunade.

 

“Go!” she waved Sakura away.

 

Sakura ran down the hall.

 

Tsunade went in her office and breathed deeply to keep herself from breaking something. She had to get word to Kakashi. She was going to have to pull some Jounin from missions. This was going to have to take priority.

 

“Tsunade-sama what do you think will happen?” Shizune asked from the doorway.

 

“I think that if Sasuke is determined to get to Orochimaru, and those two haven't talked him out of it, then they will get to Orochimaru. I can only hope that this is not the case. My instincts tell me that they will not be coming back. No matter how many jounin, genin, or chunnin we send. They made their choice. But my heart wants me to at least try.”

 

 

Naruto's POV

 

They were running. Not just regular running but so very fast he wasn't sure if he could keep up. Just when he thought his legs might fall off they took to the trees.

 

“They are coming aren't they?” Naruto whispered to Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded, “We knew this was a possibility.”

 

Naruto desperately hoped they didn't have to fight any of their comrades. Even if just for a second he felt animosity towards the village he didn't harbor any sort of anger for his village friends. He knew he had a way of changing people. He didn't want anyone to ever feel like he felt as a child and the only way to change that is to make sure the upcoming adults had open minds. Like Hinata, maybe now she will believe in herself and her power as a Hyuuga ninja. Maybe she'd have some hope and someday extend that hope to someone who needed it.

 

Suddenly they stopped.

 

“We are going to split up. We will distract the pursuers. You three will continue to go in the direction of Orochimaru.” Sakon said to them.

 

Naruto figured Sakon was the sound groups' leader. He, Rei, and Sasuke nodded.

 

Sakon whispered something in Sasuke's ear. Naruto assumed it was the directions.

 

Then the four sound ninja were off going west, while they headed north out of the fire country.

 

Things were unusually quiet between the three. There was no joking, laughing, bickering, nothing. The silence was deafening to Naruto. He couldn't believe everything was going to be ok when they were on such pins and needles.

 

“Sakon said not to stop for very long. We better get going if we are going to make it. Otherwise we'll be dragged back to Konohoa and only trouble will ensue.” Sasuke said.

 

Naruto noticed that the old Sasuke had resurfaced. He wore that mask not to reveal any emotion. His face was blank not even his eyes betrayed what he felt inside. Naruto could tell from the way his fingers were shaking slightly that he was afraid.

 

Naruto only nodded he didn't want his voice to falter when Sasuke and Rei needed him to be strong.

 

Then they were going again.

 

 

 

Kakashi's POV

 

Konohoa. He was back here again. Another mission, still no reconciliation with Iruka. His heart burned when he thought of the shinobi. Somehow he was going to make it up to him.

 

Kakashi was drowning in his thoughts when the little hairs on his arms started to stand up. The closer he got to Konohoa the more he felt the panic. Chakras going insane, people moving very quickly as if something had gone wrong.

When he reached the gates he saw them, Lee, and Sakura.

 

His stomach did a back flip.

 

`No please No'

 

He stopped in front of the two young ninja

 

“Going out?”

 

“Kakashi-sensei…” Sakura said clearly trying to keep her composure.

 

“Naruto, Sasuke and that girl Rei have left with the sound ninjas.” Lee said, “Tsunade sent Shikamaru out on his first mission. He took Neji, Kiba, and Choji”

 

Lee looked hurt that he wasn't quite ready to go out on missions yet. Not since the accident with Gaara. Tsunade did the surgery on him and it was a success but he was still going to have to take some time to heal.

 

“How long?”

 

“Late last night was when Sasuke and them left, Shikamaru's group left about half and hour ago.” Lee answered.

 

Internally Kakashi was breaking. First Iruka now his “children”, he'd become attached to team seven. He wanted to throw back his head and cry, and scream.

 

`Why does everyone I love leave me?'

 

Sakura was nearly expressing what the jounin was thinking. She didn't scream but the tears flowed freely from her eyes. Against all shinobi code he pulled her in for a warm hug. She was momentarily surprised by his actions. The copy ninja was known for his humor and his amazing ninja ability. Not really his compassion. But Sakura accepted, she squeezed him so hard he coughed a bit.

 

“Sakura” Kakashi said softly looking down into her eyes, “I will go after them and do my best but I can't promise that I'll bring them back. Sasuke has his mind made up and Naruto would do anything for him.”

 

Sakura nodded and cried silent tears. He let her hold on a little longer. In the world of shinobi's hugs didn't come often so he let her savor it.

 

Slowly he peeled himself away from Sakura. She wiped her tears and tried to look brave. He assumed it was for his sake.

 

“Be careful Kakashi-sensei,” She murmured.

 

Kakashi took a few steps into the forest and summoned his ninja tracking dogs. The small one, Pakkun, that helped find Sasuke before looked up at him expectantly.

 

“I need you to find Sasuke again, but also Naruto. They should be traveling with a girl and four sound ninja.”

 

Kakashi was surprised Pakkun didn't ask questions.

 

`Do I look that tired?'

 

The dogs were off in all directions leaving Kakashi in their wake. It was only a few minutes before he heard howling. They'd picked up a trail. He darted off towards the sound.

 

Shikamaru's POV

 

Shikamaru stood opposite the four sound ninja. As usual he'd made sure everyone knew that this mission was troublesome. He knew these were the ninja who helped kill the third. Now they were helping kidnap Naruto, Sasuke, and some girl they brought from Otaku Rei.

 

This fight had been going on awhile. As far as Shikamaru could tell it was just a diversion. These shinobi didn't fully engage in it. They were prolonging it. Shikamaru knew it was to let the three Konohoan ninja get farther away. Nothing could be more frustrating at this point. They wouldn't fight them completely but they also couldn't get by them.

 

“Giving up?” Sakon said mockingly?

 

Shikamaru just shook his head no. They would never give up on Naruto. Shikamaru knew how special Naruto was to the village. He always managed to change someone's mind or heart. He always managed to bring out the best in people. Because of it Hinata and Neji actually got along. They were starting to treat each other as brother and sister. Neji was treating everyone else differently also. The typically standoffish Neji joined in more conversations. Shikamaru even found Neji hanging out with other ninja his age. Without Naruto that would have never happened.

 

Naruto helped Shikamaru realize that being a ninja was important and not as troublesome as he'd once believed. He was the best friend a person could ever have. Loyal to the end and this must be why he chased Sasuke to Orochimaru.

 

Sakon stood on a tree branch directly across from Shikamaru.

 

“Why are you chasing three people who do not wish to be chased?” He inquired with that same sickening smirk on his face.

 

“They went through so much trouble to sneak out of the village to get away from you so why are you chasing them?”

 

No one from Shika's group took the bait.

 

“Think about it? You're fighting for three people who went to Orochimaru willingly. That means they don't need you chasing them. If they wanted to stay in Konohoa, then they would have stayed. But they didn't.”

 

“They'll come back.” Neji fired back at Sakon's taunting.

 

“What makes you think that?”

 

“Naruto went after Sasuke; I believe he can bring him back.”

 

Sakon laughed and sat down on the tree branch. The informal gesture was insulting. He was sitting during a battle which meant he didn't take their threat seriously.

 

“Went after? I don't know where you got your information but it is all wrong. You see he went WITH Sasuke not after him. We've been searching for Sasuke for awhile we found out he was in Otaku and waited for him to return to Konohoa. We watched the three of them carefully waiting for an opportune time to get Sasuke alone. What we noticed was Sasuke didn't just hang out with Naruto and Rei.” Sakon paused.

 

Shikamaru didn't get what he was saying.

 

Sakon rolled his eyes at their naivety, “When Sasuke came to leave with us those two forced him into letting them come along because they love him. The three of them have some kind of twisted relationship. Even if you catch Naruto he will not come back to Konohoa without Sasuke. Naruto and Rei would follow Sasuke to the deepest, hottest, darkest pits of hell. Sasuke will not go back to Konohoa without enough power to kill Itachi. So maybe you should just give up now.”

 

Shikamaru was stunned. He knew that Naruto and Sasuke had a deeply complicated relationship. He'd always assumed because Sasuke was always so distant and angry Naruto tried extra hard to show Sasuke a bit of light.

 

“So now what will you do?” The look on Sakon's face was pure satisfaction. He thought his little speech would discourage them from chasing their friends.

 

It didn't matter why they went what mattered is that Naruto understood that he was needed and wanted back in Konohoa. If Sasuke needed power they would help him find it. Just not at the hands of Orochimaru. They wouldn't know if they didn't chase them.

 

“If you want to just give up and run back we'll give you a head start.” Kidoumaru the sound ninja with the six arms laughed.

 

Shikamaru only smiled. With their lack of concentration he'd had time to catch them in Shadow bind.

 

“We are going to go after our friends.”

 

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

 

“But first we are going to kill the four of you.”