Kakashi's POV

The apartment is quiet. Quiet, like it has been for weeks. I'm used to this silence. Akari hasn't been up to making noise in the morning, and I've learned to live with that. But this silence... it feels different. Empty, even.

I slide out of bed, pulling my mask up over my face. Stretching, I make my way to Akari's room, intent on getting her up before noon today. "Akari, it's time to--"

She's not here.

Her room is empty, the sheets on her bed tossed around wildly and crumpled, as though she was flailing around. Her sandals are kicked against the door, where she probably left them last night, her clothes tossed at the foot of her bed.

I would think she just left early without telling me if not for two reasons. One, Akari never leaves without saying goodbye. Two, she left Masaki's headband behind. It sits on her nightstand beside her own, untouched since yesterday. She's had it with her every time she leaves the apartment for weeks. She wouldn't just leave it behind for no reason.

Which means she didn't leave of her own free will.

And what's more, this chakra residue... it isn't just Akari's. I don't recognize it, but it feels off. Like it's been modified. Like how Sasuke's chakra felt while the Curse Mark was acting up. But it isn't Sasuke's.

"Orochimaru..."

***

Third Person POV

(Hokage's Office)

Lady Tsunade slumps at her desk, her dizzying headache enough to make the room spin continuously. Piles of paperwork the size of a small child sit untouched to her right. Every single piece of paper needs her signature by the end of the day, and she hadn't begun at all.

This is what she gets for spending the night before drinking, well past midnight.

Shizune enters, ready to warmly greet her mentor. But she sees the sorry state the Hokage is in, and loses all traces of sympathy. Clutching Tonton closer to her, she trides forward and stands directly in front of Tsunade's desk, a stern glare etched onto her features.

"Lady Tsunade! You can't sleep off your hangover now!" she admonishes. The blonde woman only grunts and drops her head onto the desk, blocking out the stinging light.

"Honestly," Shizune sighs, shaking her head. "I told you making that bet was a bad idea. You may hold liqour well. but ten bottles of sake? You were never going to survive that!"

Shizune continues to go on and on about the Fifth's bad habits, but Tsunade drowns her out, rubbing her temples to drive away the pounding in her head.

Then someone poofs in.

"Lady Tsunade," a breathless Kakashi says, quickly bowing. "We've got a problem--"

The door is suddenly thrown open, and Sakura, tears streaming down her haggard face, dashes in, nearly slamming into Tsunade's desk. "Lady Tsunade!" she cries, oblivious to the others in the room. "Sasuke! H-H-He's gone to Orochimaru!!"

"....."

"......"

"....... Oh shit."

That's Kakashi.

Tsunade rises to her feet, slamming her palms down on the desk. "This is unnacceptable!" she declares. "We're going to get that traitorous bastard back! Any means necessary!'

"Shizune!" she snaps, and her assistant jumps. Tonto squeals quietly, burrowing into her arms for protection. "Get Shikamaru in here right now!'

"Hai, Lady Tsunade!"

Shizune dashes from the room, already calling for a messenger.

In the startling silence that follows, Sakura collapses to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Kakashi wants to comfort her, but he knows it's his duty to report what he knows before anything else. "Lady Tsunade," he says calmly, his cool demeanor having returned. She glares up at him, her face flushed from anger and frustration. Her menacing brown eyes narrow as she sees him hesitate.

"It's not only Sasuke who Orochimaru is in danger of getting his hands on," Kakashi continues. Sakura's sobs abruptly cut off, her ears trained on her Sensei.

"What do you mean?" Tsunade asks, her hands curling into fists atop her desk.

"Akari Yuki," he says. "She... she was kidnapped from my apartment. There are signs that one or more of Orochimaru's henchmen were involved."

"Akari?!" Sakura gasps, hands flying to her mouth to hold back her surprise.

"This is ridiculous," the Hokage growls, holding her head between her hands, fingers threaded through her blonde hair. "How could so much happen within our own Village?"

"Yo, what do you need me for?"

Shikamaru is standing in the doorway, looking more than just a little ticked off. He'd had his breakfast interrupted and can't imagine why the Hokage would summon him, of all people.

Lady Tsunade draws herself up to her full height as he approaches, readying herself for what she's going to say. Shikamaru glances at the other two Shinobi also gathered here, his eyes lingering on Sakura's huddled form and the distressed look in Kakashi's visible eye. What could have happened?

"Lat last night," Tsunade says, regaining the Nara's attention, "Sasuke Uchiha left our Village. I have no doubt in my mind that he's going to Orochimaru."

"Left?!" Shikamaru questions, almost flinching at the statement. "Why?!"

"Revenge..." Sakura says quietly. "He needs power for his revenge, and he thinks Orochimaru can give it to him..."

This clears up some of Shikamaru's confusion, and he's able to pull on a lazy, uninterested face. It's his way of coping with the madness of what's going on.

"This will be your first mission," Tsunade says, folding her hands in front of her mouth, watching the Nara intently for his reaction. "You will track Sasuke and bring him back to the Village. But you must do this quickly. There's a high probability of running into trouble."

"Trouble?" Shikamaru asks, narrowing his eyes. Beads of sweat form on his forehead at the prospect of "trouble" from one such as Orochimaru.

"It's likely Sasuke is being guided by Orochimaru's henchmen," Tsunade explains, watching as the young Chunin goes pale. "And I know what you're going to ask for. But I can't give you Jonin, or even Chunin to accompany you on this mission."

"What?!"

"As you know, Asuma, Kurenai and most of the other high ranking Shinobi are out on missions. The only reason Kakashi is here is because he's still not fully recovered from his encounter with Itachi Uchiha."

"I'm staying?"

Looking at him from the corner of her eye, Tsunade glares at the silver-haired Jonin. He has no right to question her actions, or the reasons behind them. "Yes," she says. "I cannot allow you to leave the Village when I myself know how badly you were wounded from that encounter. Your Ninja capabilities are still not what they should be."

"But--"

"Enough," she growls, silencing the distraught Ninja. She turns back to Shikamaru. "There is another part to this mission."

He raises an eyebrow, wondering how he can handle anything else.

"Another young Ninja was taken from the Village last night. She is presumed to be with Sasuke, and whoever is with him from Orochimaru's men. We do not know her condition, and that's part of the reason you need to complete the mission as quickly as the situation allows."

Shikamaru sighs. What a drag... "Who is it?" he asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Akari Yuki."

The Chunin blanches. He tries to say something, but just as quickly closes his mouth. The look in Kakashi's eye makes sense now. He cares for Sasuke, sure, but Akari is a different story entirely to the Jonin. Shikamaru's seen how he acts with her, and came to the conclusion long ago that their relationship resembles that of a father and daughter's. This must be killing him, not being able to go.

"You have thirty minutes to gather up any and all Genin you think you'll need. And leave immediatley after!" the Fifth orders.

"I'm doing this because it's two Leaf Shinobi," Shikamaru says over his shoulder, halfway to the door. "And because my best friend is in more trouble than she's ever been. So I know this is a mission I can't fail."

"Nicely said," Tsunade says, sitting back in her chair. "And there's someone I'd like to recommend to you."

"...You don't mean...?"

She nods. "Naruto Uzumaki."

"What a drag..."

***

Akari's POV

It's dark, and cramped.

I can't do more than shift position. I can't stretch out my legs or arms, or they hit solid wood. I try to press against the wood, but it won't give. And I can't get enough room to put any force into my kicks.

What's worse is that I can't feel any of my chakra.

I perform a few handsigns, but nothing happens. There's nothing in the tank, as it were. But I don't feel weak like I normally do when I'm on empty. It's just... there is absolutley no chakra in my body whatsoever.

I press my fingers to my temples, trying to recall what happened, why I'm here. Last night... I came home from the hot springs with Kakashi. I went to sleep. And then... a hand was pressing down on my back. Someone said something, a jutsu maybe. And then I blacked out.

And now I'm in what feels like a circular wooden crate, as black on the inside as a moonless night.

I can't believe Kakashi didn't come running in. Or maybe he did and... I can't finish the thought. If he did come into the room, but I'm still in this situation...

No. They must have done something so he wouldn't hear. He didn't come into my room last night.

Why does that make me feel better? To know that Kakashi has no idea what's happened to me? I guess because it means he's alright. I couldn't bear it if something happened to him, again. I've lost too many people I care about. I can't lose Kakashi too.

Slowly, my eyes adjust to the dark. With the barest amount of light, I can tell that I was right. It is a wooden crate. But the lid is weird. It looks like something other than wood, but I can't make it out.

If I strain my ears, I can just make out the sound of voices from the outside. Four, if I'm hearing them right. Four... four unfamiliar voices. Well, one sounds familiar. Must be the one who knocked me out last night.

If I'm right, there's three guys and a girl. They don't sound that old. Like, a year or two older than me. So... thirteen, fourteen? Why would kids almost my age want to kidnap me? And how the hell did they do it?

"Come on, Fatty!" the girl yells. "Get a move on! We've got to get these two to Lord Orochimaru ASAP!"

We're moving. We have been for at least as long as I've been conscious. I guess someone is carrying the container I'm in. It's uncomfortable at best. I can feel it every time this person pushes off from a branch (I guessed we were travelling by tree from the rustling of leaves and branches so close to me) and when they land. Each impact jostles me more than the last. I grit my teeth as my head bangs into the lid, silent curses running amuck in my mind.

"I can't believe we had to use the second stage of our Curse Marks," one guy huffs. All of them sound exhausted, and I get the feeling that while I was unconscious, they got into a major fight. Obviously, they won, or they wouldn't be talking so freely. God, I wish they'd been taken out.

"We're gonna have to stop, Tayuya!" the same voice says, and an obnoxious female snort answers him. But she agrees nonetheless. "Yeah, guess you're right," she says.

I hit my head again as the person carrying me drops to the ground. Whoever they are set my container down, and someone sits on top of it. From the voice, I'd guess it's the girl.

"It can't be helped," she sighs, I'd guess kicking her feet. Dull impacts down on the wood just behind my head in rhythmic passes. They do nothing for my growing headache. "We use too much strength when we fight at the second stage."

"What bothers me is that we can't use our bodies," a male voice answers. I'm starting to be able to distinguish them by their voices, and figure out where they are accordingly. Even if I don't know my surroundings, I know where the enemy is. It has to count for something.

"There wasn't any other way against two Jonin," a different voice answers. "If we'd tried to conserve our energy, we might've been defeated."

Two Jonin? Were they Leaf Village Shinobi? Is someone looking for us, or did it happen by chance?

But I was right. They were in a fight. And they don't sound too eager to take on another opponent. If only I could you my chakra. I'd impale the hell out of them with my ice spears.

Because of the rhythmic kicking, I can tell the girl, Tayuya I think, is still sitting above me. Perfect. I pound my fist against the lid, and I hear a satisfying thump as she jumps and lands back on the container.

'Who the hell are you?!" I demand, pounding the lid again. "What's going on?"

"Oh, she's awake," Tayuya sighs. Another kick hits the container, this time much harder than before. The force of the kick sends my head into the opposite side, thus encouraging my headache to continue and grow worse. "Bitch," I growl under my breath.

"Wasn't she supposed to stay knocked out until we made it back?" one of the guys muses.

"Does it matter? She can't get out."

That doesn't sound promising.

"Still, she's gonna get bitchy, I'm sure of it. Ain't that right, Yuki?"

"Shut it, Tayuya," I snarl. Oh if only I had just a little bit of chakra. It would be worth passing out again if I could scewer these punks.

"How long have you been listening in?" If I'm right, and I'm pretty sure I am, this voice comes from a guy about five feet in front of my container. Again, this really doesn't help, but keeping track of what voice belongs to what body helps keep me focused.

"Long enough," I reply vaguely. I pause, then grin nastilly to myself and say, "Which one of you is Fatty?"

An annoyed grunt sounds from about three feet to my right. So that's Fatty. Ok, Tayuya is sitting above me, Fatty is three feet away...

"That one's your fault, Tayuya," the fourth and final person says, their voice humorous. "Not my problem is the girl tells the truth, Kidomaru," Tayuya replies airily.

Ok this is helping. Kidomaru, six feet away, close to the one that's five feet away. Now who's that guy? C'mon, just say his name!

"Sakon," Kidomaru says softly. Oh, that's it then. "Intruders, five yards away."

"Understood," Sakon says. In the next instant, I hear a massive explosion that rocks the very container I'm trapped in.

I can hear at least the three guys get to their feet. Tayuya remains sitting, apparently comfortable. "Eh? What's this?" Sakon asks, disappointed. "Poked the bush and got two bugs instead of rabbits."

Two, against four? Not good. I wouldn't even like those odds if Kakashi was one of the two.

"Wait! We didn't come here to fight! We came to negotiate."

My hearts jumps into my throat and ceases to beat.

That voice...

Shikamaru.

"Slothy!" I shout, twisting around and pressing my mouth to the wood, trying to make sure my voice is heard. "Slothy! What are you doing?!"

"Akari..." His reply is soft, uncertain, like he isn't sure it's really me.

"Dammit, Slothy! Get out of you daze and move it! These four took out two Jonin and they're all still standing! Just go!"

Tayuya kicks my crate again, once more knocking my head. This time it leaves me a little senseless, and though I can hear the sounds of fighting and shouting, and the arrival of two or three more voices I recognize, it all sounds indistinct, washed out. I can make out no words, or specific actions. I only know that when we start moving again, we're missing a member of the group.

"Where's Fatty?" I growl, realizing it's his gait that's no longer with us.

"Dealing with Slothy and his friends," Tayuya sneers. She's the one carrying me, and also the first one I'm going to beat the crap out of once I get out of here.

"Only I can call him Slothy, bitch," I inform her haughtily. She growls out a response I don't catch, then says, her voice so strained as to keep her anger contained, "Take the brat, Kidomaru! I can't take her! Give me Sasuke instead."

In the admist of her tossing me, that one name bounces around in my head, unable to settle even when I land in someone's arms.

"Sasuke?" I repeat, shifting again so that my legs are beneath me. "Why would you have Sasuke too?" I ask.

"Lord Orochimaru desires his body."

Despite how incredibly wrong that sounds, it isn't what bothers me about that sentence. The name "Orochimaru" does. I really should have said something to Kakashi.

"So that's who you all work for? That traitor?"

Kidomaru chuckles. "You see him as a traitor, we see him as our leader. And yes, it's who we serve. Who you're going to meet very soon."

I swallow thickly, not at all excited by that idea. That's the man who killed Third Hokage...

"Hey, Kidomaru," Sakon says, his voice annoyed more than anything. "Jirobo's late..."

Late? We've only been moving for a few minutes. How is he late? Unless... Unless he's so strong they expect him to kill my friends so soon, so easily.

"Nah," Kidomaru replies breezily. "He's already here."

Indeed, a fourth set of footsteps appears behind us. But something's off. Because all I can do is listen, I've been taking care to memorize how each of their footsteps sounds. And while whoever's behind us has Fatty's weight, his steps are different. You wouldn't notice if you were only going off what you see, but hearing is a different thing. And while I can't hear as well as Kiba, I'm better than the average Genin as pinpointing specifics in sounds themselves.

This guy isn't "Jirobo" by any means.

"What took so long?" Sakon asks.

"Sorry," "Jirobo" replies. "It took some time to take those bastards' chakra away."

"Yo, Fatty!" Tayuya says, as annoying as ever. "Don't be so slow! And that the coffin; that's your job!"

"Yeah..." he says.

I can sense how Kidomaru's arms stiffen around my container; damn, they've caught on.

"Hey, Jirobo," he says, I think calling over his shoulder since his voice isn't facing me anymore. "You're being pretty obedient today."

"....what...?"

I feel Kidomaru spin around, slamming me against the sides of the container in the process. "I'm saying I can't let you carry this coffin," he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. "Cause you're not Jirobo."

"Damn!"

I'm tosses once again, ending up, presumably, with Sakon, since I know Tayuya still has Sasuke. "Sakon, Tayuya, you guys go on ahead! Let me handle it this time!" Kidomaru insists.

They must agree, because soon the sounds of fighting fade from my ears, and I'm left with unsettling silence.

At least I can take comfort in the fact that they beat that Jirobo guy. Only, I counted four voices, four footfalls amongst the fighting we've just left. I can't be sure who's even with Shikamaru, because I only caught snippets of their voices, but I'm sure there were fours other with him. Now there's three.

What happened to my friend?

And what's going to happen to the rest of them?