Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Brothers Don't Share Everything ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

Author's notes: This chapter ran kinda long, and as a lot (seemingly) happens I used multiple points of view to convey everything. Hopefully I didn't confuse anyone. *cracks knuckles* This chapter was definately fun to write and I can't wait to get the next chapter up.

This chapter has not been betaed! I'm kind of in need of a beta reader actually. If anyone is feeling up to the job please feel free to drop me a line, just visit my author's page for contact information. Thank you.

Disclaimer: Naruto and it's characters are the creation of the talented Kishimoto Masahi, I'm just toying around with their emotions for a bit.

Chapter Two

Apparently a witch hunt was what the Godaime had in mind when she sought the identities of the Root ANBU. Once Sai had agreed to speak with the Hokage things got just a little - strange.

Team seven arrived at the Hokage's office and after Sai had given his agreement to aide the Hokage Team seven was debriefed and dismissed - Sakura and Sasuke that is. At one point Kakashi arrived and slipped unobtrusively into the office as well. Sasuke, much to his dismay, had only taken notice of him when Tsunade turned from addressing her aide and order Kakashi to inform and retrieve the Special Investigations Unit immediately.

--

"Team Seven, I am sure I do not need to remind you of all the possible scenarios that could occur if word of what has just happened here was to spread." A chorus of "yes Hokage-sama" immediately followed. Tsunade took a moment to look each of the shinobi gathered before her in the eye. Of the four standing before her there was only one whom she trusted, implicitly, to keep mum on the situation.

Sai would not have a chance to speak to anyone until he had told her and the Special Investigations Unit the entirety of the knowledge he possessed, she would personally see to that. Her apprentice, though utterly trustworthy, still tended to divulge the most classified of information when gossiping with the Yamanaka girl, or any other member of the Konoha eleven for that matter. And while none of them were remotely likely to be in cahoots with Root there was no telling who could overhear them.

The Uchiha had proven his loyalties to Konoha, and despite his behavior in the past, Tsunade was inclined to trust him with the very lives of her most precious people. There was, however, a tension permeating from the Uchiha that she suspected had absolutely nothing to do with the graveness of the matter at hand, and entirely everything to with the presence of Team seven's fifth member. Given his readily apparent dislike and mistrust of his teammate Sasuke could not be counted upon to make rational and unbiased decisions in regards to the safety of said teammate. Tsunade was having a very hard time envisioning Sasuke stepping in to protect the life of Sai at perilous risk to his own.

Naruto was clearly the only one suitable for the task she had in mind, even though it put his life in even greater risk than Sai's. Despite being loudmouthed and reckless at times, Naruto was the least likely to let any information slip, in this circumstance and would protect his teammate with his very life. Naruto was the best choice for this mission. Decision made, Tsunade braced herself for the wave of indignities that were about to assail her ears. She could only hope that besides tactical planning, strategy, and politics, Jiraiya had also thought to educate Naruto in advanced covert communication. There was a single code system that Tsunade and Jiraiya had used to communicate with one another over the years, it was one they had developed.

Jiraiya had at one time taught it to his apprentice, the Yondaime, and Tsunade had in turn taught it to Shizune during her apprenticeship as well. It was sheer luck that Tsunade had yet to get around to teaching it to Sakura as well. Would it be too much to hope for that Jiraiya had taught Naruto as well? There was no time to dwell on the matter.

"Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto," Tsunade barked, her voice ringing with every ounce of authority that her office commanded. "You have successfully completed your mission to detain and retrieve the rogue nin Sai without harm to the village and its people. Because of the nature of the mission you were deliberately misinformed as to the severity and ranking of the assigned mission; you will instead be receiving payment for a B-Rank mission. The interrogation and subsequent trial will be handled by the Special Investigations Unit. Haruno and Uchiha you are hereby ordered to return to your homes for the evening and to mention not a word of what has transpired to anyone you may come into contact with, including each other. Dismissed." The shocked expressions of the teens before her were enough to make her heart clench, but she refrained from giving any visible sign that she regretted her actions.

"Oi hag, what the hell is the meaning of this?" Naruto demanded, anger and incredulity written clearly across his face.

"Shishou…" Sakura whispered in dismay.

"Well, what the hell is going on?" Naruto continued. "You make it sound as if Sai's some sort of…of criminal!"

"That's because he is. Sai, you have already admitted to your contributions to the faction known as Root and have agreed to give willing testimony of the organization. By Konoha law you are now obligated to divulge said information before the Hokage and Special Investigations Unit. If you fail to comply you will be branded as a traitor of S-class, charged with conspiring against the welfare of Konoha, and you will be dealt with accordingly."

"I understand." Sai responded monotonously, his tone and face devoid of all emotion as he accepted his fate calmly. Tsunade had to hand it the teen, despite the alarming turn of events the ex-Root member had managed to keep a calm façade, only his slight pallor belied his actual state of mind. No doubt the boy was thinking it to have been too good to be true that he would somehow be labeled as anything but a traitor.

"Obaasan," Naruto began before Tsunade tersely cut him off. "A village is only as strong as its Hokage Naruto." Tsunade snapped in a cruel parody of Naruto's earlier words. "I would be doing Konoha a great disservice if I ignored the actions of those who threatened it."

"But Sai-"

"Silence! The Hokage's word is law, and I am Konoha's Hokage Naruto, not you. Haruno! Uchiha! What are you still doing here, you were dismissed! Shizune, escort them out and send in the ANBU posted outside."

"Yes Tsunade-sama." Shizune demurred and made her way to door, tapping the two stunned teens on their shoulders and motioning them to the doorway. She really didn't want to have to resort to bodily escorting them out, but she would if she had to.

--

While he could not find it in him to stand up in defense of the ex-Root ANBU, Sasuke found himself sympathizing with the teen's plight. He too had been on the receiving end of a charge of treason, yet somehow his experience didn't quite compare to the events unfolding before his eyes at this very moment. What was happening now left a bitter taste in his mouth that left him wondering what was fair and just about this. Would Sai even stand a chance at a fair trial or had he already been sentenced and condemned to death? This is what he had wanted though, for Sai to be treated accordingly, and this was how traitors were treated right? Why then did he find himself regretting ever wishing this fate on the teen who was his teammate?

It was clear from the expression on Tsunade's face and the stance of her assistant that this was no joke. Reluctantly Sasuke turned to leave, nodding at Sakura and Naruto, trying to silently convey that now was not the time to argue this choice of action. The Godaime had revealed a duplicity he would never have attributed to her, a pupil of the Third. She had wanted Sai brought to her with no fuss and no possibility of harm to Konoha and she had cleverly manipulated team seven into doing it for her.

Shizune stood by the open door, and as Sasuke exited into the hallway he heard rather than saw Sakura whisper to Naruto and tug his arm, urging him to leave.

"Uzumaki, you were not dismissed, you will remain here for the moment. I have one other assignment for you to complete this evening." Tsunade's words made Sasuke stop and turn back around to face the occupants of the office. One of the two ANBU guards from the hall now stood by Sai whose arms were now tied firmly behind his back. Naruto hadn't moved an inch from his spot before the Hokage's desk, despite Sakura's futile attempts to tug him along. He stood there, head bent and blonde bangs shrouding his face from view, his hands clenched into fists and held at his side. Sakura still stood by his side, her hands clutching the blonde's arm. Sakura might as well have not been there for all the attention that he paid her.

The Godaime herself looked unfazed as she sat behind her desk, chin propped on her hand, her eyes never straying from the blonde before her.

Just when Sasuke thought the situation could not become anymore tense he was shocked into paralysis by Naruto's next words.

"What if I refuse your mission?" It held the infliction of a question yet something told Sasuke that it was more a statement of fact than a request for an answer.

Complete and utter silence fell upon the room that Sasuke had just exited in response to the teen's reply. No one dared to breathe. While a part of his mind reeled in shocked at what was happening in front of his eyes Sasuke's instincts kicked in. The blonde idiot had opened his mouth and turned a bad situation into a worst-case scenario. There were Two ANBU, Shizune, and the Godaime herself along with who knew how many other shinobi in the building and immediate area; could he protect Naruto or had the blonde's idiocy done them in?

"By law you are allowed to turn down any mission that you think you would be unable to complete." Tsunade responded calmly, no sign of irritation or surprise in her voice. "Of course, it will be noted in your record and could possibly affect any promotions you might receive in the future."

Naruto's head jerked up with a start, eyes gazing in wide-eyed disbelief at the thinly veiled threat. Some shinobi might be satisfied remaining at Chuunin level, in fact the majority would never be capable of surpassing that level, but for someone whose dream was to become Hokage it was the equivalent of a death sentence. Rage on behalf of the blonde dobe filled Sasuke until all he could see was red. An angry hiss filled the hallway and with a start Sasuke realized it was emitting from him. He had to calm down, as gratifying as the mental image of hitting the Godaime in the face with a fully charged chidori was, he knew there would be serious repercussions. With more effort than he would care to admit Sasuke restrained himself from lunging at the Hokage, for now.

An eternity seemed to pass before a wide grin spread across Naruto's face. "It was just a question, Hokage-sama." Naruto began, his grin growing wider as he continued. "You know I'd never turn down a mission, not when I'm going to be sitting where you are one day."

It was then that Sasuke remembered that smiling could be just another way for one to bear their fangs at an enemy, and Tsunade was now Naruto's enemy.

--

With an ominous sounding thud the door to the Hokage's office shut behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know that along with the Hokage's assistant Sakura and Sasuke had left him; abandoned him to his fate. He stole a glance out of the corner of his eye at the last person standing by his side. Naruto didn't appear to have known of this plan of the Hokage's, and it didn't sound like he would have brought him to her if he had. But Naruto's dream was on the line and experience had taught Sai that people would do whatever it took to achieve their goals, and becoming Hokage was Naruto's lifetime goal.

The ropes that bound his arms behind his back were reinforced with chakra and had been expertly tied. It would take him more than a few minutes to escape from these restraints. Next to him Naruto gave an involuntary twitch of shoulders that spoke volumes of the rage he held in check even though the smile had yet to leave his face.

That's right, Sai thought, a smile can hide a lot and Naruto-kun is very adapt at that art. Across from him the Godaime raised her head from it's perch on her hand and flexed her fingers. Now he would find out his fate, but before the Godaime could even open her mouth the blonde beside him began firing off questions in rapid fire succession that left Sai struggling to keep up with them all.

"What the hell was all that about Tsunade-baassan, why the hell did I have to put up that ruse for Sakura-chan and Sasuke? What are you really planning? What if I hadn't known you were up to something! And why the hell is Kakashi-sensei dressed like an ANBU?" Naruto then turned his attention to the ANBU guard standing next to him. "Oi Kakashi-pervert, you better not be tying up Sai for any of your perverted games!" Naruto turned his attention back to the Godaime clearly awaiting a satisfactory answer to his questions.

Kakashi-sensei is the guard next to me? Sai thought in confusion But he left to retrieve the Special Investigations Unit and the guards never left their post outside the door, how could he be the guard? Sai turned to look at the ANBU standing next to him, a dazed and confused look stealing across his face. The ANBU obliged his curiosity by pulling the cloak's hood back and pulling his mask off to reveal none other than Hatake Kakashi.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted the teen, his one visible eye crinkling as he smiled.

"But you, I mean…I don't understand." Sai stated, annoyance at what appeared to be an incredibly well-planned joke creeping into his voice.

"We do not have much time, so allow me to be brief." Tsunade began her tone serious but with a hint of softness to it that spoke of her regret at the necessary subterfuge. "In approximately two minutes the Special Investigations Unit will arrive here under escort by Hatake Kakashi." At this Sai turned quickly to the ANBU standing beside him, his mask and hood were already back in place giving no indication of the ANBU's true identity.

"Genjutsu then? You have someone else posing as Kakashi-sensei Baa-san?" Naruto asked his brows pinched in thought.

"Yes, Kurenai is Konoha's best genjutsu user and as a close acquaintance of Kakashi she is the most capable of pulling off the ruse." Tsunade confirmed.

"But why all the effort?" Naruto wondered aloud before his face seemingly lit up. "You think someone from Root is involved?"

Sai's eyes widened at the revelation, not at all surprised that Naruto had apparently caught on to whatever scheme the Hokage was devising, but at the sheer effort the Hokage was exerting to maintain his safety and how seriously she was taking the matter.

And Danzou-sama thought she, as a student of the Sandaime, was too soft and incapable of holding her office.

"Our time grows briefer by the moment so allow me to explain, without interruptions" Tsunade added as she saw Naruto about to interject again. "Sai, I apologize for the scare you must have received a moment ago but it was entirely necessary. In order for Sakura and Sasuke to convincingly pass on the story of your arrest and trial for treason they had to be made to believe it completely. Despite ordering them to keep their silence the first thing Sakura is going to do upon returning home is to confront her parents and then to call Yamanaka Ino, who will in turn have informed the rest of your peers within an hour. The Uchiha, after having his perceptions of people turned around is likely to seek out Kakashi, failing to find him he will without a doubt seek out Shikamaru for his input." Tsunade smiled then. "Sometimes the quickest way to get someone to do something is to tell them not to."

"In any case news will be circulating the shinobi forces and by this evening all shinobi will be fully aware that the Godaime is on a witch hunt for all Root members. Sai, being the only known Root member, has undoubtedly been under heavy surveillance by his former Root comrades and the moment he was brought before me today was most assuredly noticed. So far my guards have picked up no signs of uninvited guests and eavesdroppers but that won't last for much longer."

"Due to the extensiveness of Root's infiltration in the ranks I cannot be entirely sure which shinobi can be trusted except for a select handful which is why Kakashi and Kurenai, among a few others, are involved in this ploy. I have no doubt that a few of Root's members hold very influential positions in the village and Sai's word will not be enough to bring them to trial, or in the case that they should hold fanatical opinions as Danzou did, to justice. Despite the numerous studies that have proven the contrary, many people still firmly believe that a confession obtained through means of torture and interrogation will be more truthful than a freely given one."

"This way if Sai fingers some big cheeses then the people and the council are more likely to believe him rather than them." Tsunade nodded at Naruto's observation, taking no offense to the mild interruption. "This is where you come in Naruto."

"Huh?" Naruto wasn't the only one confused at that statement. Sai's eyes had progressively grown wider as each second passed and he now looked like a distant relative of an owl.

"It would be too easy if all members of Root were known to each other, I highly suspect that Danzou and his immediate followers deliberately kept the identities of some of its members secret, for just such an occasion. They will be the ones most likely to cause us trouble for I suspect that, if not tonight, then sometime soon they will attempt to assassinate Sai while he is in our custody before he is able to divulge too much information. Naruto, your mission will be to remain with Sai at all times and to protect him from any attempts on his life."

Sai closed his eyes and shook his head. If the Hokage persisted in saying any more shocking statements he feared his eyes might just pop right out of his head. Would Root really come after him, one of their own? But I'm not one of them, not anymore, he thought, and that's the problem.

"Sai," Tsunade addressed him, her voice sounding almost motherly. "I'm sorry to do this to you, and it's not too late to back out of this now. There are other routes open to us but this is our best option to…err well….root out all of Root's members. If you would prefer-"

"Hokage-sama I am a shinobi of Konoha." Sai interrupted. "I have sworn to put my life on the line in order to protect this village, it was why I joined Root to begin with, and this mission is no different from any other mission I might receive." Tsunade nodded approvingly at his choice of words.

"Besides," Sai couldn't help but to add "I get to keep blondie here as my personal bodyguard for the time being, that's going to be fun."

A decidedly evil grin spread across Tsunade's face as she turned her attention to the blushing blonde before her, Kakashi's stifled laughter ringing in the background.

"Oi Sai, you pervert!" He glanced at Tsunade for assistance but actually recoiled at the sight of the wicked look on her face, she would be no help. Why the hell am I surrounded by perverts!"

"Denial does not become you Naruto-kun." Sai teased the pouting blonde beside him. Really, with Naruto as his bodyguard things could get quite interesting.

"Sai you are the - Gah, Never mind!" Naruto turned away from Sai with a huff turning his attention back to the Godaime and the situation at hand. "Won't it be suspicious that I'm staying with him and keeping an eye on him?" Naruto queried.

"Normally, yes brat it would be. But the council, and Root, would expect the Hokage's named successor to keep a personal eye on the prisoner suspected of high treason in place of the Hokage herself" Tsunade grinned.

"Successor, you mean I'm your…?" Naruto trailed off in shock.

"Well who else did you think I would name as my successor brat, the Uchiha? Pft!"

"Tsunade-neesan, I…Thank you." For once a genuine smile spread across the Kyuubi holder's face immediately eliciting an identical one from Sai. He was happy for the blonde, he could think of no other person more worthy of the title and he was honored to have been present when Naruto heard of the news. He just wished it didn't have to be under this kind of circumstances.

"Of course you won't be able to actually succeed me until you hit Jounin, at least, so you better train hard for your test!"

"I'm gonna pass my jounin test with flying colors hag, you better believe it!" Naruto cackled in glee, but the moment was interrupted with a soft but sharp knock on the door.

"Now gentlemen, it is time to escort our prisoner here to his cell and the act to continue." Sai and Naruto nodded once in understanding. Once again Naruto appeared to be silently fuming at the Godaime, all traces of his earlier joy gone from his person. The ease with which Naruto slid from one mood to the next was alarming to Sai. Naruto was clearly much better at hiding his true feelings than even he had given him credit for.

It was a good thing that some of his surprise was evident on his face because just then another knock was heard at the door, this one louder and ringing with authority. Tsunade instructed the visitor to enter and Shizune walked in followed by four other shinobi. Behind the four shinobi who made up the Special Investigations Unit, Sai caught a glimpse of two more figures. Two more ANBU had been summoned to serve as escorts to his cell.

Two Root ANBU.