Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Gentle Lesson: The Restoration of the Hatake ❯ Lost Forever ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: kakashidiot
Just when they think they're on the right track, Team 7 are sent on an 'dumb' mission - or is it important?
The Sand siblings give advice. Gaara remembers a moment which reveals more!

Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Adventure / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.01.2006 | Pages: 12 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 586 | Status: Work In Progress

Don't own Naruto… probably just as well….
 
 
Lost Forever
 
 
“WWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!” Naruto's bellow could be heard throughout the entire village of Konoha.
 
 
It reverberated down to the dungeons where countless criminals shook their fists and swore - “Damn that Uzumaki brat!” It flew to the heavens where the crows cawed “Idiot! Idiot!” And the cry filtered through glass panes to Iruka in a counseling room - where he smiled - warming his patient's heart.
 
 
Even Kakashi heard it - hidden under his blankets once again. And a tiny part of him was warm for awhile thinking, “Yep, that's Uzumaki Naruto for you. The number one noisy and hyperactive ninja, who never fails to surprise you…. some things haven't changed, I see….”
 
 
“What do you mean it's `classified'? How can baka-Sensei BE classified? What the hell?”
“NARUTO!” Sakura bellowed, punching her tall teammate's arm.
Sasuke shut his eyes and murmured, “Be quiet, dobe. Let Tsunade-sama finish her piece.”
Shizune carefully placed a stack of folders beside Tsunade and retreated unnoticed to the corner of the room.
 
 
Team 7 stared at Tsunade. The Fifth Hokage - the Godaime of Konoha - unfazed placed her elbows on the worn wooden desk and shut her eyes.
 
 
“I can't tell you much - I shouldn't be saying anything, but your sensei is right now with a specialized unit of nins….”
“Specialized?” asked Naruto, blinking.
 
 
What a blonde! Sakura sighed in disgust.
 
 
“You mean, ANBU, right, Tsunade-sama?”
Shizune's eyes widened at the pink-haired Jounin's words.
Tsunade merely inclined her head and said nothing, face inscrutable.
“Or something even more specialized than ANBU?” asked Sasuke.
Naruto's face fell as he realized what was not being said.
“You said it,” Tsunade sighed theatrically, shrugging her shoulders. “Not me.”
“How can a person stay in there so long?” asked Sakura, as she saw her patient's faces pass before her eyes.
 
 
The eyes.
They were always so dead.
It was her job to not only heal them physically - but often, with Iruka, she would sit with them trying to help them learn to put the pieces of a normal life back together.
Trying was the operative word.
It didn't always work.
 
 
How many times have I walked into an apartment with a pool of blood on the floor?
 
 
Not you too, Kaka-sensei….
 
 
Sakura battled hard to keep the tears from coming.
 
 
Kaka-sensei….
 
 
“Sakura,” Naruto's hand squeezed her shoulders, his bright blue eyes so full of understanding, they cried too. “We'll get him back! I'll get him back, I promise.”
It was déjà vu. It was as if it were only yesterday that he was promising her to bring Sasuke back.
And he had.
 
 
“Sakura.”
But this time it isn't Sasuke - it's our sensei. To walk such a path alone….
 
 
“We don't know where you live. Or what your face is like. Or how you got your Sharingan. Or what you were like as a kid. Or your family….” She sighed deep from her heart. “Never mind. I guess old habits die hard.”
“Yeah. I'm pretty….”
 
 
What had he meant to say?
 
 
“Perhaps it's just as well that Team 7…” Kakashi didn't finish. “Maybe a new sensei would -“
Sakura glared at him and he fell silent.
“No one else is weird enough.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her.
“No one else is good enough.” She smiled. “You once said to us that we were your proud team.”
 
 
But he was -
 
 
“I know that you're our proud sensei.”
 
 
And although his mask covered his face, for a moment, Sakura saw happiness and content on his face. His eyes curved up in crescents.
 
 
His eyes were always sad, apathetic and unreadable. Don't let them lose their fire….
 
 
“Sakura.”
Sakura looked up into dark eyes.
 
 
Another pair of unreadable dark eyes. Sasuke's lips turned up into a small smile - which reached up and warmed his gaze.
“Don't worry. Naruto isn't alone, right? We'll find him - and bring him back.”
A pause.
“Like you did for me.”
Another pause.
“We owe him - so much.”
Tsunade coughed.
“Well - on the one hand, I applaud you - but -“ She straightened, putting on her stern face. “You guys are going to be busy in the next few days.”
 
 
“WWWWHHHHAAAAATTTTTT!!!!!! THE. HELL????”
 
 
(sounds of Sakura and Sasuke beating on Naruto)
 
 
Five minutes later, Tsunade sat back, huffing slightly, thinking that she was too old for this - and glaring at Team 7.
“Forget him - and focus on this mission! I pulled this out specially for you!”
She waved the mission scroll. Team 7 perked up at the sight of an `A'.
“An A-rank. Very, very important that you don't fuck this up.”
Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura gulped simultaneously.
“The mission is -“ Tsunade said solemnly. “Taking these two scrolls to Sand and to Mist to be signed by the kages.”
 
 
Konoha jumped as a shrill cry reverberated from Tsunade's office.
“WHHHHHHHAAAAAATTTTT!!!!!!!!!”
 
 
A day later on their way to Sand, Naruto was still complaining.
“Idiot old hag! Just you watch! It'll be a damn boring mission better suited for Genins - we'll be wasting our talents when we should be looking for Kaka-sensei!”
Sakura sighed.
“If he wanted to be found he'd have found us easily enough - I don't think finding him will work.”
Naruto blinked than turned away with a sniff.
“I'll find baka-sensei and knock some sense into him - just you wait and see! And the old hag too!”
Sasuke smirked as he watched Sakura's eyes harden in response to Naruto's enthusiasm.
 
 
So this is the power that brought me home… May we bring Kakashi-sensei back too! I owe him - more than I want to admit.
 
 
“- Eh, Sasuke?” asked Naruto, punching his teammate on the arm.
“Eh? What did you say, idiot?”
“GAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! Don't pull Kaka-sensei's attitude on me!”
“Guys!” snapped Sakura, glaring at the two young men, with a stern, `don't-mess-with-me-it's-too-early-in-the-morning' look.
“Eeeep!” Naruto froze mid-punch.
Sasuke flipped up to a tree.
“Race you to Sand, dead last!”
“SASUKE-TEME!!!!”
 
 
The trip to Sand took a day and a half for the energetic Team 7. They knew their way well - how many times had they traveled this road ever since that first time when Kakashi had led Naruto, Sakura and Temari to Sand to back up Gaara - the Kazekage?
 
 
Sakura sighed as she remembered their hasty entrance into Kankuuro's sick room.
 
 
And Obaa-san had mistaken Kakashi for - White something or the other….
Obaa-san…
Kaka-sensei….
Who was it that she thought you were?
 
 
Before they knew it, the hidden paths, unfolding before them, revealed thinning trees, then a sandy wasteland. Eventually, they reached a broad cliff face - seemingly flat, but in reality terraced with various walled sentinels protecting the thin walkway into the village. For a hidden village - it was more hidden than most.
 
 
Walking through the town, after showing their passes, Team Kakashi was glad to note that reports had been true - Sand was recuperating well. Already the visible traces of war had disappeared - the rubble and the trenches.
 
 
As they paused before the Kage's office, the sound of Temari and Kankuuro nattering at each other told Team 7 that for Sunagakure, it was business as usual.
 
 
“It was stupid, that's what it was! Stupid! Absolutely -“
”Temari… chill, `kay? I'm fine - just -“
“Just totally screwed, that's what! Never take a bet like that again!”
“But - you've done that kind of thing -“
”NOT on a mission!”
“Ehh…”
“Temari.”
“Why - I - (whap) - put - (whap) - up with you - (whack) -“
“Temari.”
“ - I - (whap) - don't know. You're so - troublesome!”
“Temari.”
“Gyah hahahaha!!! You're talking like him now - that's rich, really rich - ACK!!!”
 
There was a silence followed by Gaara's deadpan voice - with just a hint of laughter.
“Temari.”
A pause.
“Heeeeelllllp!!!”
“Temari. Go get a medic before he dies on us…”
 
 
At this point, Sakura burst in, followed closely by Naruto. The blonde haired young adult cracked up in maniacal laughter. Sasuke trailed in trying to give the meeting some semblance of order.
Gaara was sitting stiffly in his chair, with a small smirk on his face. Kankuuro's face was firmly stuck in the floorboards - Sakura rushed over to him. Naruto just stood there and laughed while Temari sniffed, resettling her fan across her back.
 
 
Sasuke stood there and blinked.
“Sakura! Just the person I need!” Temari smiled. “It's Kankuuro…”
”What happened?” asked Sakura - poking at several skull bruises expertly. “Other than your fan, that is…”
“Dune jumping.”
”Eh?”
“Dune jumping.”
 
 
Naruto burst out laughing again. Sakura relieved some fo Kankuuro's more `dangerous' cuts and Gaara just watched her with some relief.
Fifteen minutes later, they were all seated in GAara's private eating room - seated at a table, sipping at their tea from a battered tea set.
Gaara laid down the scroll and without further ado, pulling his brush and ink bottle to him, signed his name.
 
 
“Ehhhh…. What's that?” asked Naruto, squinting at the heavily decorated scroll.
“Naruto!” screeched Sakura smacking the blonde man's face into the table.
 
 
The tea cups rattled, the table legs creaked.
Kankuuro gulped.
“You'd THINK a Jounin would know better,” the scary medic berated her maverick teammate.
“Hmph. Idiot. As usual.
Gaara looked up with a smile.
“Don't worry. It's okay - Naruto, it's a treaty between Leaf and Sound - and when you carry it to Cloud - it will be a treaty between us three - to signify the end of war.”
Naruto's eyes widened with respect.
“We need a camera….” Temari said to Sakura under her breath.
Naruto looked slightly mollified.
“Well, then - I guess I understand - but still - isn't our sensei more important than any old treaty?”
“Your sensei?” asked Kankuuro.
Temari's eyes widened.
“Hatake-san?”
 
Suddenly she was back - it seemed like ages ago when they had politely `exchanged words' on the borders of Sand and Rock.
 
 
And the kiss.
 
 
She was placing a kiss on his lips. His lips - neither too thin, nor too full. Just perfect. Perfectly placed, Open, warm and inviting. Tasting of eggs and rice. Normal. Beautiful in perfection but a short-lived moment.
 
 
And now he was gone.
 
 
“Is something wrong?” she asked, frowning.
 
 
I feel sorry for them - to lose a friend. To lose a sensei like him. A famous ninja with a name that was known even afar off. How could they have forgotten? But then… time does funny things. War separates and anxiety can do much damage to tenuous relationships such as theirs.
 
 
“He's not been seen around for an age, baka-sensei!” growled Naruto. “When I find him….”
Sasuke snorted.
“Feh.” He paused. “Easier said than done. Our sensei seems to be in some sort of specialized unit… a specialized ANBU unit. Or so we think…”
“I haven't seen him around,” Kankuuro said. “ANBU, eh?”
“ANBU…” Temari shuddered.
“I'm worried, too,” admitted Sakura. “I've seen -“ She stopped.
Gaara frowned.
Sasuke and Naruto looked at him expectantly.
 
 
The solemn young man lifted his eyes in thought.
“Tall? Silver-grey hair? Dogs?”
“Yeah! Yeah! You've seen sensei?” asked Naruto - blue eyes shinging with excitement and hope.
Gaara looked down at the brown liquid thoughtfully - his mind suddenly back to that one dark night.
 
 
“Kazekage!”
 
 
That was the last thing he heard before the tense silent forest blew erupted. Ripping through the trees, the explosion flung rocks, earth and shinobi apart.
 
 
But he was young, resilient (although low on chakra) and desperate.
 
 
So he survived. Yet again.
 
 
The dark forest revealed in eye-blinding white, once again regained its cloak of midnight. He stood there - shivering in shock and exhaustion - wondering how the hell to find the unit again.
 
 
If I can EVER find them.
If there IS something to be found.
 
 
Then, without a sound, a kunai in a black gloved hand descended - pinning Gaara defenselessly against a tree - at his throat.
 
 
There was a tense moment of heart beats and panic - dark eyes met in one moment of full knowledge.
 
 
He saved the moment - the blood sliding down his neck to soak into his collar.
 
 
For a moment, there was silence.
Broken by a thousand birds flying overhead.
Very fast.
 
 
Chip Chip Chip Chip chipchipchipchipchipchipchipchip
 
 
For a moment, the sky lightened - he wondered for a split second.
 
 
Was the sun already up? No.
 
 
It was a pale light - flickering - not pale and steady like the moon either - as it's round face rolled out from behind the clouds.
 
 
Suddenly, in that moment, he was back in the Chuunin Exam - that fateful day - when he first tasted failure.
 
 
The day that he had learned the truth. That the power of love makes you stronger.
 
 
Naruto. Sasuke.
 
 
A chirping sound - and a slice into his dark tomb. Now before him - that jutsu, puncturing through flesh and bone. The kunai fell unheeded.
 
 
It could have been him. That was the shock.
 
 
Ribs cracking, blood spattering forward - the taste of tang. Withdrawing from the now eviscerated chest, the black glove pulled away, pulling out an ivory katana without hesitation.
 
 
The first shinobi, falling away, gave him a full view of the moonlit clearing, filled with dark shadows - darting here and there - faster than the eye could see.
But for the white-haired, white masked hunter, they were easy prey.
Moonlight reflected the soundless downward swing of the blade. As it fell, chakra poured out - not only along the blade (an unnerving sight) - but chakra glow streaked out behind the ANBU.
 
 
For a moment, he thought - in a flight of fancy - it reminded him of the streak a burning stick leaves behind in the air before extinguishing.
 
 
This chakra streamed from black-gloved arms, tightly clad legs - a well-defined torso. And from the wildly waving white hair.
 
 
Even to him - he who thought he'd seen everything - been everything - it seemed unnatural.
The white chakra - the presence of such a vicious capable killer - fear prickled his skin as a heavy killing intent filled the clearing - filled his senses.
He shivered.
 
 
The pale shoulder turning with the swing revealed the ANBU Leaf swirl.
 
 
In truth, it brought little relief.
 
 
Killers are killers. Although, it's good to know he's on my side. To go up against him….
 
 
The blade swung down - smooth and sharp - bursting through shoulder bone,
flesh, ribs and down, sideways through the heart. Chakra cut through the body like a knife through butter.
 
 
Two dark shadows converged on the Leaf ANBU - but one never made it - disappearing under a mass of fur, claws and fangs, which leapt from a bush to the left.
 
 
A nin-dog - huge, wild - nothing like Akamaru.
 
 
Was it even a dog?
 
 
By the time the white blade had bisected the third enemy nin, the prone ninja was easy prey - totally crippled by bloody fangs.
 
 
The fifth Oto-nin bolted, followed by two other dogs.
 
 
“I'll take care of it,” he said, hesitantly.
The white-haired ANBU didn't even reply, as he cut off two of the heads - somewhere three dogs were howling.
 
 
The ANBU turned after he had efficiently packed the heads away in a canvas bag. Flat eyes glittered from behind the mask.
No words were said - but only a bow.
 
 
The man darted away.
 
 
Gaara shuddered.
 
 
“Kazekage! Kazekage!”
“I found him!”
“He's safe! Thank the kami!”
“By the gods - look at this mess!”
They found him in the clearing, still standing there, frozen.
 
 
“Gaara!”
“Yo! YO! GAAARRRAAAA!”
 
Gaara looked up and blinked.
He shut his eyes again. They were all staring at him expectantly.
 
 
He sighed.
“Even if you find him - I don't think he'd be the one you remember. It happens. It would best to let him go.”
 
 
Sakura shivered.
“Sensei….”
“You sensei is gone.”
“WWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAATTTTT!!!!”
“NARUTO! Show respect, baka!”
“Naruto is right.”
“Sasuke?”
“Sakura. Naruto brought me back. So did he. So did you. Nobody is lost case.”
“Ermmm…” Kankuuro mumbled. Temari pinched him under the table.
“It is true that persistence is a good trait for a ninja… but…. ANBU…”
 
Gaara said nothing.
 
 
“Well…. Naruto is also right. Perhaps, you can do for him, what you did for me. For Neji. For us all… but it will be a long uphill fight. Last I saw him, he was ANBU alright. And a very good one. It was - I couldn't connect him with your sensei for a long time…. But in a roundabout way, I found that the only two people who can complete this assassination jutsu - what is it… Chidori… Raikiri… is Sasuke and his sensei, Kakashi-sama….”
He stopped.
“He's a great ninja. But Tsunade told me, that the past holds too much meaning for him. But such a great name as his - his face and his attributes - who can blame him… right?”
 
 
Temari shifted.
“I always wanted to know why Oba-san attacked him the way she did way back when he came with you guys to heal Kankuuro…”
“Yeah… me too,” Sakura nodded.
”Eh? What did she call him?”
“White Fang.”
“White Fang. I think I've heard that name before…” Sasuke frowned. “My Father mentioned it with disdain… but then Father…. He was not an easy man to please.”
“Same here,” snorted Temari, breaking the solemn moment. “It was always, `Temari, get the fan out of here' or `Temari, what the hell… you call that a win?”
“Hmmmm…. My dad was just glad I got into the Academy at all,” Sakura said. “But then he got worried about me a lot…”
“Eh….” Naruto scrunched his nose. “Yeah… Iruka-sensei was always on my case.”
“And he isn't now?”
“KANKUURO!!!”
“C'mon! Every time I enter Konoha, you know what I hear? It's always SOMEONE calling `NNNAARRRUUTTTOOO!!' And it's most often Iruka-san… trust me… I won the bet last time - ask Temari…”
“That was chance, punk… it won't happen again next time!”
“You wanna bet.?”
 
 
The meeting ended up with a friendly, not-so-friendly tussle between Naruto and Kankuuro. Sasuke just stared. Sakura broke it up.
 
 
As they watched Team 7 depart the next day in the early morning, Temari, Gaara and Kankuuro smiled. Those ninja always lifted your spirits.
Naruto. Sakura. Even Sasuke.
From their vantage point on the wall, they could see Naruto already beating on Sasuke - Sakura was at her boiling point. Her shriek blasted back to them.
 
 
“Do you think it'll be okay?” asked Temari.
“The mission?” Kankuuro asked. “Sure.”
“No, dummy… finding Kakashi-san…”
“You've got a soft spot for him, don't you…”
“Shut up, Kankuuro.”
“It'll be okay.”
The two siblings broke apart at Gaara's soft voice.
“It's their luck, isn't it? You watch. It'll turn out okay…”
 
 
But still, it couldn't leave his mind.
The flat eyes and the white mask.