Chapter Text
Itachi Uchiha exits the inn through the large hole blasted through the wall, and his partner follows right on his heels. He doesn’t even glance back at his brother, just leaps through the circle of black flames and flees.
Naruto steps forward, eyes wide. Jiraiya’s arm snaps out to halt him before he can get any closer to the strange fire. “Don’t touch it!”
The boy stops immediately, stunned by the sharpness in the man’s voice. Jiraiya pulls out a scroll from his belt, then knees down on the floor. The scroll is covered in black writing Naruto doesn’t understand, but when Jiraiya presses his hand against it, the black flames are sealed safely into the scroll. He rolls it back up and returns it to his waist.
What the hell was that? Naruto wants to demand. He has a dozen questions he wants to ask, but there’s something much more important that steals his attention.
Sasuke is slumped against the wall on the floor, motionless. Naruto falls down by his side. His heart jumps into his throat at his teammate’s battered, lifeless body, because he remembers this scene. He’s been here before. He remembers holding Sasuke’s senbon-littered body in his arms, tears hot against his cheeks and blood slippery on his hands. He remembers the anguish that spiked through his heart, at the realization that he’d lost something he hadn’t realized he’d miss.
No, Naruto thinks, the same desperation rising in his chest. Sasuke looks the same as he did then—bruised and beaten and so very, very still.
Naruto sees Sasuke’s chest move, and his breath escapes him in an overwhelming wave of relief.
“Sasuke?” Naruto says. His hands hover uncertainly over the other boy’s body, shaking slightly. He looks worse than his battle with Haku, Naruto realizes. Even more fragile. Naruto can’t stop seeing the way he was carelessly thrown around, can’t stop hearing the sound of his screams and his bones breaking.
At least, with Haku, it was a real fight. This was just a beatdown.
Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke’s brother. Naruto can still see his cold eyes—the expression on Sasuke’s face as he glared into them, with more hatred than Naruto thought a person capable of feeling. They were complete opposites as they faced off, despite their eerily similar appearances. One made of ice and the other made of fire.
Naruto shivers as he remembers the words. Naruto is the prize the Akatsuki is after.
Why? What did that mean?
For now, Naruto tries to shove down the questions spinning in his brain. He tries to stop the sounds of Sasuke’s screams from echoing in his ears. He’s never heard anyone scream like that before, in utter and complete agony. And for it to be Sasuke, who is always so cool and composed no matter the situation…
Jiraiya walks over to his pupil, the expression on his face grave in a way the blonde’s never seen before today. “Naruto.”
Naruto ignores him. He clenches his teeth as Sasuke remains unmoving, fear replacing the previous relief that he’s alive. Naruto grabs him by the shoulders and shakes him. “Sasuke! Sasuke! Wake up, you bastard!”
Jiraiya places a hand on Naruto’s shoulder to stop him. “Naruto,” he repeats, firmer this time, “stop. He could have a concussion.”
Naruto stops shaking him immediately, but keeps his hands on Sasuke’s shoulders. Jiraiya crouches down next to him, his mouth tightening as he looks at Sasuke more closely, and Naruto watches him anxiously.
“What is it? He’s gonna be okay, right?”
Jiraiya places his fingers on the side of Sasuke’s neck, waiting. After a few seconds, his expression eases slightly and he pulls back. “His pulse is strong. Still, his breathing is rattling slightly. He could have a punctured lung. He needs to be taken to a hospital, immediately.”
Naruto feels alarm go through him. Punctured lung? That doesn’t sound good at all.
Jiraiya shakes his head. “What was the boy thinking, running in after Itachi like that?”
Naruto scowls, anger sparking slightly at the disapproving tone. “Why did you let him, then? You just stood there while he was getting the crap beaten out of him!”
The white-haired man winces. “Naruto, I—”
He never gets to finish whatever excuse he’s going to make. At that moment, a large green blur crashes through the open wall of the building where the two missing-nin just fled through, yelling out a war cry. Jiraiya has no time to react as a foot collides full-force with his face.
Naruto leans instinctively over to shield Sasuke. The green blur is Gai-sensei, standing splendorous in his garish jumpsuit. “Ha-ha! Victory is mine, you foul—”
His eyes finally catch up with his mouth as he processes the scene in front of him: Jiraiya shoving himself off the floor with an irate expression, stemming the rapid flow of blood from his nostrils and a large boot print on his right cheek.
“Oh,” Gai says, eyes widening and the grin slipping from his face. “Oops.”
“Oops?!” Jiraiya repeats angrily. His voice comes out thick and garbled, his hand pressed against his bloody nose. “What the hell was that?!”
Gai laughs awkwardly as Jiraiya pulls out some gauze to staunch the blood and wipe off his face. “I am deeply sorry!” he says loudly. “I was using the reflection of my headband to see inside and spied two shadowy figures! I mistook you for the enemy!”
“The enemy is gone,” Jiraiya grumbles, still glaring. “You better hope you didn’t break my nose. You knew they were coming here?”
The jounin-sensei nods. “Yes. They came to Konoha first, looking for Naruto. Sasuke overheard and went chasing after them.” His expression sobers, becoming pained, as he looks at the dark-haired boy’s battered body. “I tried to reach him in time to stop him. I see I came too late.”
Naruto’s mind is abuzz with questions. He’s so confused. “Konoha?” he says, eyes wide. “Is everyone okay?”
“Kakashi went head-to-head against Itachi. I’m afraid even his elite moves were no match for the likes of him. He was hurt rather badly.”
Naruto straightens, blue eyes widening. “Kakashi-sensei?! Is he—”
“He’s going to be alright,” Gai is quick to reassure him. “Don’t you worry! Nothing can keep my rival down for long!”
Naruto feels some of the fear in his chest dissipate at the words, but he still feels extremely worried and anxious. Sasuke being taken down so easily is one thing, but Kakashi is another. He feels chilled by the idea. And the knowledge that someone so powerful is after him… what would have happened if Jiraiya didn’t show up?
That shark guy would have cut my legs off, Naruto thinks, recalling the words and the sword slicing down. I probably would have bled to death.
He shudders at the mental image.
Gai’s eyes fall back down to Sasuke. “Itachi did this, I presume. Is the damage bad?”
“He needs medical attention,” says Jiraiya. “He came rushing at Itachi. Foolish kid. Don’t know what he thought he could possibly do against him.”
“And you didn’t do anything,” Naruto snaps, once again angry at the man for reproaching Sasuke’s actions. In a different situation, Naruto would enjoy telling Sasuke how thoughtless his actions were—perhaps it would take the arrogant bastard down a peg or two. But not now. Sasuke is seriously hurt, and Jiraiya didn’t even try to step in to help him out.
Jiraiya winces slightly. “I was trying to give Sasuke a chance to fight his own battle. He told us to stay out of it.”
“He was being an idiot! You weren’t supposed to listen to him!”
The Toad Sage looks at him for a moment, and there’s regret on his face, but he says nothing to the words. With a grimace, he looks away from Naruto to Gai. “Itachi put him in some sort of genjutsu. I don’t know what it did, but the way he screamed… there could be mental damage.”
Gai’s eyes widen slightly. “A genjutsu, you said?”
“Yes, why?”
“Kakashi was hit by a genjutsu as well.” Naruto catches the worried grimace that flickers across Gai’s face. “If they were one and the same… no, it doesn’t bear thinking about now. Give Sasuke to me. I’ll take him back to Konoha.”
Naruto tenses, drawing closer to his teammate. He doesn’t want anyone to take him from him. He needs to know he’s going to be okay.
Gai’s face softens when he sees the genin’s expression. He crouches down on the floor next to him, at the boy’s level. “Naruto,” he says. The gentleness in his voice is off-putting from someone usually so loud and upbeat. “I’m going to get him help, but I need you to let me pick him up. I promise to hurt him as little as possible.”
Naruto hesitates, but he lets his hands slide from Sasuke’s shoulders. He scoots back slightly, allowing the older shinobi to take Sasuke into his arms. He’s careful as he picks the boy up, doing his best not to jostle any of his injuries, but Naruto still can’t help but wince.
“You don’t think he’s coming back?” Gai asks. His voice lowers slightly as his eyes flicker briefly to Naruto. “You think they were after him because…?”
Jiraiya nods. Naruto grinds his teeth, feeling a burst of frustration at everyone still keeping secrets from him. He thought he was finally done with that when he learned about the Kyuubi, but still, the adults continued never telling him anything.
“Get the kid to the hospital,” Jiraiya says. “I don’t expect they’ll try to capture him again, but Naruto will be safe with me.”
“Wait, what?” Naruto’s eyes snap away from Sasuke’s unconscious form. He pushes himself off the floor to stand. “What do you mean? I’m not leaving Sasuke!”
“Naruto, we need to find Tsunade. The village is vulnerable to an attack so long as it’s without a Hokage. It’s imperative one be instated as soon as possible.”
Naruto isn’t sure what ‘imperative’ means, but he doesn’t care. “Then you go! I’m going with Bushy Brow-sensei!”
“I can’t go by myself,” Jiraiya says. “I need you, Naruto.”
“Why?” Naruto demands. “I don’t even know this lady you’re looking for!”
Jiraiya’s expression grows firm, his eyes narrowing. “You’re coming.”
Naruto matches the look with his own fierce glare. He’s opening his mouth to snap out another refusal, annoyed at the man for trying to order him around, when Gai speaks up again.
“Naruto-kun,” he says. “There’s nothing you can do for him. I will get him to the hospital and will make sure he’s taken care of. The woman you’re looking for, Tsunade Senju, is a brilliant medic. If you can get her to return to Konoha, she can heal your friend up easily.”
Naruto wavers when he hears this, biting his lip. He doesn’t want to leave Sasuke when he’s so injured. But if going with Jiraiya is the best way for Naruto to help him…
He takes a few steps forward and looks down at his teammate’s pale face. His eyes catch on the trickle of blood near the corner of his mouth, his broken wrist and the harsh redness of the skin at his throat. He looks breakable, like he did in the Land of Waves, and it’s so very wrong.
“Okay,” Naruto says, jaw clenched. “Fine.” He looks back at Sasuke and says fiercely, “You need to get yourself better, bastard. You promised me we would have a fight, remember? No backing out!”
Reluctantly, feeling a strange ache in his heart, Naruto steps back. He watches as Gai gives a nod to Jiraiya, repositioning Sasuke so his head leans against his shoulder. He leaves the building the same way he entered it, through the large hole blasted in the wall.
Jiraiya places a comforting hand on his student’s shoulder. “Come on,” he says. “Let’s get going. Before the inn’s manager comes up here and attempts to make us pay for all this damage.”
