Chapter Eighty-One: "Bread Crumbs"

At The Hokage Mansion; A Day Earlier)

It was a bright sunny morning in the village of Konohagakure. Children were playing outside; birds were standing on trees and chirping; and shinobi of all ranks were hard at work, either training on practice grounds, or completing various missions…

Well, ALMOST all shinobi. For Tsunade, today's "hard work" merely consisted of alcohol consumption (as usual), interrupted by periodic confrontations with her worst enemy: paperwork. Then again, didn't that describe what she did every day ever since she decided to become Hokage? Were it not for the counsel of Hiruzen and Jiraiya, she would have never even considered accepting the position in the first place. Then again, the Hokage's mansion always came stashed with the best sake in the Hi no Kuni, if not the entire ninja world; how could she ignore such a powerful incentive?

An incentive which is constantly taken away by Shizune, lamented Tsunade, Damn it, I can't make up my mind when drunk! How does Jiraiya handle it? Speaking of Jiraiya, where in the world is that white-haired pervert? I could have sworn he was here last night sharing a drink with me together!

Ah, who cares? If I catch him conducting his usual so-called "research," he's going to have a conversation with me; not eye to eye, but eye to fist!

But there would be no time for contemplation or random fits of violence, as a messenger bird flew in carrying a small piece of paper on its leg. Strangely enough, the Godaime immediately sobered up, read the contents of the message, and displayed a myriad of reactions. The first was general happiness.

"Good to see that the negotiations went well; once again, you have proven that you definitely make a great Hokage, let alone a mere ambassador…You haven't caused any international incidents; what could possibly go wrong?" Little did she know, when she said the last sentence, she had spoken too soon.

Next was confusion as she spoke aloud, "An investigation of the kidnappings in Iwa? You already got what you wanted out of the negotiations; don't push your luck! Naruto, were you drunk when you made that decision?"

Oh, if only she understood the irony of her last statement. After writing her response on a spare piece of paper and attaching it to the messenger bird, Tsunade could do nothing but say, "Screw it, I need another bottle of sake."

(Present Time; Iwagakure Border)

A mysterious brown hooded figure had finally made it to the main entry of Iwa. Upon arriving, he found two Iwa Jounin standing guard by the main entrance. They were the same Jounin who gave a cold reception to Naruto and his entourage. But before he could present his travel pass, he found himself rudely interrupted.

"Let me guess," one of the Iwa Jounin sneered, "Are you another one of those meddling Konoha ambassadors?"

"Well, you're only half right about that assumption," admitted the mysterious figure, who whipped out two stacks of paper, each titled "Icha Icha Tactics: the First 20 Pages." At this point, both Iwa Jounin gasped and were left speechless, until one of them was brave enough to exclaim, "Are you…the one and only legendary Jiraiya-dono? You're a celebrity among the male shinobi in Iwa, and we're your biggest fans!"

"Was there ever any doubt?" asked the recently revealed Jiraiya, "Anyway, I've got a rich client in Iwa who's willing to pay handsomely for the fruits of my … ahem…research…" After revealing his travel pass, he continued, "Now, would you kindly let me pass?"

After checking the travel papers (and the Icha Icha excerpt), the Iwa Jounins could do nothing but allow Jiraiya passage. Once Jiraiya had entered the village, he made himself inconspicuous at the tea house, where he was then joined by another mysterious hooded figure. The difference between their disguises was that this figure was entirely shrouded in black, wearing a purple bandana and a brown burlap backpack.

"Welcome, stranger," said the mysterious figure, "What're ya buying?"

"And that…is the correct password, Merchant," replied Jiraiya, "Isn't it a beautiful "Daybreak" today?"

Understanding the cryptic response, the Merchant nodded and said, "Yes, it is a wonderful "Daybreak" today. But you cannot 'appreciate' it fully at this location; it's…it's too crowded. Off to the Red Light District, stranger…" He then rose from his seat and blended in with the crowd, apparently trying to lead our white-haired spymaster to another rendezvous point.

And Jiraiya, acting in accordance with his "lovable but occasionally annoying pervert" label, was all too enthusiastic to follow. This was too good of an opportunity to miss; from his perspective, you could mix business with pleasure!

(Iwagakure; Crime Scene)

"Run that by us again," Shikamaru asked wanting to ascertain that he heard right.

"Did I stutter," Naruto remarked cynically, "Let me repeat that: I said Ni Ketsueki has been confirmed dead for over three weeks. That means that the Ketsueki we've been seeing since our arrival here is an imposter."

"More troublesome issues to deal with," Shikamaru replied, "Just when we thought the kidnappings alone were bad enough, we come across a murder!"

"That being the case," Chouji asked, "How are we to handle the matter then?"

"Right now we have two things going on here," Neji spoke in, "First, the kidnapping of the children and now a fake Iwa kuniochi running loose around Iwagakure. Do you suppose this imposter is in link with the kidnappings?"

"I wouldn't put it past her or him. The imposter though was rather interested in me while I was in my Uzumaki Naruto form and it wasn't just because I was an "orphan"," Naruto replied, "That makes me suspect that there's more to these kidnappings."

"What do you want us to do?" Lee asked.

"You guys can start by investigating that building down the block there from where the arrow was shot," Naruto instructed as he looked straight ahead from where the arrow was shot from.

Shikamaru was quiet for a moment before he deduced, "Judging from the distance between the orphanage and that building, it's over one hundred yards. You believe the arrow was shot from that far?"

"There's no other building facing it, though I suspect that the seal writings written on the arrow played a role in all this," Naruto replied.

Shikamaru nodded and gestured to Chouji to follow him. Chouji complied and went over to stand next to Shikamaru.

"Neji, Lee; I want you both to find out more about the staff in the orphanage. I have an intuition that one, if not a few of them, were involved in the kidnappings. If you find anything out of the ordinary, if possible, check it out. But if it proves to be more than what you guys can handle alone, report back to me," Naruto instructed.

Neji and Lee nodded. Before Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, and Lee left for their intended locations to investigate, Naruto had one more instruction. After hearing him out, they departed for their assigned locations on investigation.

Being alone now, Naruto headed out to find the only weapon expert of his entourage. But heading out would have to wait, as a messenger bird landed in front of Naruto, who picked up the piece of paper attached to the bird's leg. Upon reading it, he frowned deeply and said, "Your timing couldn't be worse, kaa-chan!"

In his frustration and anger, he then crushed the piece of paper in his balled fist, intent on overcoming the new obstacle he was now faced with.

(At The Tsuchikage Tower)

The Tschikage and Ounoki were listening to the reports being given to them by Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi and Tsuchiko about the recent kidnappings of the orphans at the orphanage. The news of those children being abducted right under their noses disturbed them, especially considering the fact that they were the same children Naruto clearly became attached to. And both the Tsuchikage and Ounoki didn't put it past them that Naruto wouldn't stay silent to this.

"This is indeed troubling. Orphans or not, those children are still part of this village and I want them found as soon as possible," the Tsuchikage replied after hearing the full report.

"After hearing that Naruto was at the scene right after the kidnapping took place, I'm quite sure that he's going to do his own investigation behind the kidnappings," Ounoki said.

"Let him if he does," The Tsuchikage suggested.

"Aren't you worried of this turning into an international incident if we allow him to get involved in this," Akatsuchi asked with a surprised tone.

The Tsuchikage shook his head, "So far, our own ninjas have proven to be unsuccessful in finding leads behind these abductions. And right now, we could use the extra help and if Naruto is willing to lend the help of both himself and his entourage for the benefit of this village without asking to pay in return, I will allow it."

"What? Are you serious," Kurotsuchi asked incredulously.

"The fact that he's been hanging around those children and been inquiring about the kidnappings gave me the impression that he already started his own investigation and wants those children found as much as we do. The thought that this is the son of the man our people hate most that's helping us is quite the irony. Give him whatever support he needs so long it doesn't go against my orders or authority," the Tsuchikage instructed.

Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi and Tsuchiko looked at their leader dumbfounded for a moment before their expressions changed into shock. Tsuchiko then argued, "You actually want us to help him? I thought that this investigation was our responsibility. We don't need the help of outsiders like Naruto-"

"Do not argue with me!" the Tsuchikage sharply interjected, silencing Tsuchiko, "Do as I instruct you and relay this to our other ninja! If the son of the Yellow Flash is seen trying to sincerely help us and our people, it'll cool off the bad blood our people still have towards a man who's been dead for years! It's high time we stop holding on to past grudges and move on!"

It was quite clear to everyone in the room that the Tsuchikage believed in Naruto. But recent events that transpired had truly affected the way the Tsuchikage viewed the Namikaze. Tsuchiko sighed and relented, "…As you say, Tsuchikage-sama."

(At the Konoha Training Grounds)

Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger!

"Katon: Gokayaku no Jutsu (Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu)!" yelled Udon. As expected, he breathed a huge spherical fireball which quickly neared Kakashi's direction. Focused on his book with a nonchalant demeanor, Kakashi easily dodged the fireball, letting it hit the tree instead.

"I'm actually impressed, Udon-san; you've already managed to learn how to increase the size of the fireball. Your speed, on the other hand…," Kakashi said.

"So I failed?" asked a suddenly depressed Udon.

"Not really," replied Kakashi, "Look at the tree behind me. See the size of that burn mark? I haven't seen a burn that huge ever since Uchiha Sasuke's fireball!" Moving closer to the tree, he continued, "All in all, I'd say that today has been a wonderful learning exp-"

Unfortunately, he wouldn't get the chance to finish his sentence, as two actions suddenly occurred simultaneously: the Icha Icha Paradise book in his hands suddenly poofed, turning out to be Konohamaru in disguise, and the tree adjacent to the burned tree poofed as well, revealing itself to be Moegi in disguise!

It was Moegi who made the first move, yelling, "Doton: Chidokaku (Earth Style: Moving Core)!"

This caused the ground in Kakashi's surrounding area to be lowered, essentially trapping Kakashi in a box-shaped chasm. Not wasting any time, Konohamaru followed up, "Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Release: Water Trumpet!"

This jutsu launched a large jet of water to fill up the chasm created by Moegi. Things looked bad for the white-haired Jonin. If Kakashi didn't get out of the chasm quick, he could possibly drown. He looked up to look for a possible escape route, only to find the only opening blocked by three grinning students.

"You've been beaten, sensei, give us the bells already!" yelled Moegi.

"Now, I'm actually even more impressed than ever," commented Kakashi, "Udon, you maneuvered me close to Moegi by forcing me to dodge your Katon, in turn, setting me up to fall into Moegi's chasm. Konohamaru, you got close to me by turning yourself into my book, substituting yourself in place of the original. As for the combined efforts of both Konohamaru and Moegi, you both had a wonderful sense of timing. I WOULD say that you three won, but…"

Kakashi then activated his Raikiri, piercing the earthen walls of the chasm and causing it to fall apart, in turn, leading the three students to lose their balance and fall down. "Lightning beats earth, and as I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted, I'm afraid to say that you three still have much to learn. Test failed!"

"They weren't that bad, Kakashi-san," commented Haku, who was revealed to have been watching the entire battle from the perspective of her Makyo Hyosho (Demonic Ice Mirrors), "They used the elemental jutsu that we taught at the right time and at the right place!"

And it wasn't just Haku who was spectating; Ryota herself popped out of the ground using Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu (Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique), apparently ready to give her own input on the situation.

"Wasn't it your idea for a joint training session, Kakashi? Let them pass!" urged Ryota, "They've shown teamwork, which was what you were looking for in the first place, right? Besides, the sooner you pass them, the sooner you can return to that book of yours!"

They know my weakness well, thought Kakashi and submitted, "Fine, I'll let the kids pass."

(Meanwhile)

Shikamaru and Chouji were in the apartment building complex Naruto told them to investigate. Both boys carefully looked around the building but found nothing out of the ordinary. Shikamaru suggested that they check the room that the arrow was supposedly shot from. There was no sign that the door to the apartment was tampered with and after picking the lock and gaining access to the apartment, they found that the apartment itself was vacant.

"This is nice," Shikamaru remarked cynically.

"Looks like a dead end to me," Chouji added as he and Shikamaru looked around. After a careful search, they turned up empty.

"This is troublesome. Whoever was here made sure to clean up their tracks. Let's go ba-"

Shikamaru stopped speaking when his eyes caught something from the corner of the entrance.

"What's that," Shikamaru wondered as he went over and saw some sort of card lying on the floor. He picked it up and examined it. He blushed lightly with a look of clear disbelief.

"You can't be serious," Shikamaru said dully. Chouji went over to this friend and inquired, "What?"

"Who does this looks like to you?" Shikamaru asked as he handed him the card. Chouji took the card and examined it carefully. His eyes widened upon further examination of the person on that card with a blush of his own now on his face.

"No way! Is that-"

"I'm certain it is! My question is why is she doing this kind of stuff in Iwa and how did that card wind up here?" Shikamaru asked.

"At least that explains why we haven't seen her around for a while. We'll have to bring this to Naruto's attention," Chouji figured. Shikamaru took the card and placed it in his Chuunin vest pocket. The two boys left the apartment and closed the door behind them.

(Elsewhere)

Lee and Neji were back at the orphanage, looking around the area as Naruto instructed them to. The front of the orphanage seemed normal so far, all of the caretakers were sitting down and enjoying their lunch break. As for the amateur investigators, Lee was enthusiastic as usual; Neji, not so much.

"Hey, Lee," said Neji, "We've been found by Tsuchiko and her friends."

"Really, Neji-kun? Again?" exclaimed Lee, "Their flames of youth must be-"

"Don't even bother saying it," interrupted Neji, "If you think I'll tolerate another outburst about youth, you're-"

But before Neji could complete his tirade, he found himself interrupted by Makoto, the elderly head caretaker, who politely asked, "Excuse me, am I interrupting something?"

Before Neji could respond properly, another caretaker joined the conversation to add her own input, "Wait a minute, you're one of those intrusive Konoha ambassadors! You're not welcome here!"

"Easy there, Megumi; let's not be hasty towards these youngsters," calmly said Makoto, "These ninjas are affiliated with Naruto-san, who has done our budget a huge favor by paying for the living costs of Tsukiiwa, Zoe, Kaito, Ruki, and Seto! At the very least, we can return the favor by accommodating their needs within reason of course."

He then turned his back to face Neji, asking, "How can we help you? Do you have any questions for us to answer?"

In relief, Neji sighed. It was good to know that not everybody in Iwa was a prejudice, Konoha-hating citizen.

"We wish to investigate the crime scene on Naruto-sama's behalf," explained Neji, "As you can see, we are-"

"All I see is that you are asking us to violate procedure by letting you trespass private property," retorted Megumi, "Only an Iwagakure shinobi is allowed the privilege of investigation, and you are certainly not an Iwagakure shinobi!"

Bureaucrats, complained Neji, why did we have to be the ones to deal with bureaucrats? Surely, this cannot get any worse!

But unfortunately, Murphy's Law took effect.

"Perhaps you can excuse us this one time?" pleaded Lee, "Our flames of youth and determination would be an asset to the overall investigation!"

Even worse, contemplated Neji, I had the worst luck to be partnered with a happy-go-lucky idiot!

"However," reassured Makoto, "if you fill out the proper paperwork with the Tsuchikage's stamp of approval, an exception can be made for you and the rest of your entourage so that you can be granted "independent investigator" status. This clause was made to accommodate shinobi who were allied with but not directly affiliated with Iwa. While I personally don't wish to impede your investigation, I find it more important that you don't get yourselves in trouble with the authorities."

"Actually, the authorities have already given their approval," responded an unknown voice, "or more precisely, my uncle has given his full approval."

Lee and Neji then turned their attention to the unknown voice of approval, which belonged to Tsuchiko, accompanied by both Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi.

I take back every nasty thing I said about bureaucracy, mentally sighed Neji, It really did work out in our favor. If those three didn't arrive, I would've been forced to distract the caretakers by irritating them with Lee's endless speeches about hard work and youth.

"Yosh," exclaimed Lee, "Our youthful flames did pay off after all!"

"Indeed it did, my green-clad friend," replied Akatsuchi. Neji was about to thank Tsuchiko for her timely arrival until she raised her hand and said, "Let me make this clear to you: We don't fully trust Naruto, and we certainly don't fully trust the rest of his entourage, including you two. However, Tsuchikage-sama has complete faith that Naruto is an asset to the overall investigation. For your own sakes, you two better live up to that expectation as well. We've been instructed to give you support, so long as it doesn't conflict with Tsuchikage-sama's orders."

"So, does this mean we are allies of convenience?" asked Lee.

"Despite how unlikely we are to say it, the answer is yes," reluctantly admitted Kurotsuchi, "But anyway, less talking, more investigating."

"My sentiments exactly," agreed Neji, "anyway; Lee and I plan to investigate the crime scene upstairs-"

"We already know that, and we just want to let you know that there's no need for that. We've already checked it out ourselves," responded Tsuchiko, "There was no blood or torn clothing. I doubt there's anything left to observe upstairs."

In frustration, Neji sighed and replied, "Ahem, Byakugan, remember?"

"The Hyuuga has a point," admitted Akatsuchi, "let's see what he and his green-clad friend are capable of."

"Lee, why don't you inform these three about our current findings," suggested Neji, "I'm heading upstairs."

And so, Neji went upstairs, leaving Lee all alone to torment Tsuchiko, Kurotsuchi, and Akatsuchi with a long report of Naruto's findings, intertwined with occasional outbursts about youth, hard work, and determination.

(Upstairs)

It's just like Tsuchiko said, thought Neji, It's odd, even after we found the arrow embedded into the wall of the room the orphans were in, there was no blood or torn clothing to suggest foul play.

It was then that he paused and recalled an important statement made by Naruto:

Whoever the kidnappers were caught my disguised kage bunshin off guard and somehow managed to get a hold of the children and move them out this room…without alerting anyone in the orphanage.

"Naruto-sama has a point," admitted Neji, "if the kidnapper tried to exit the orphanage through the window or the door, he would have been easily caught. Perhaps it was some sort of invisibility jutsu? But that's not even possible; I would've ended up detecting the perpetrator's chakra with the Byakugan?"

But after further forethought, Neji corrected himself, "No wait! There are other things that my Byakugan can see besides chakra!"

Activating his Byakugan and taking a closer look, he then made his way to the cellar and found a door leading into a secret underground passage way out of the orphanage.

Naruto-sama was right, thought Neji, This was an inside job after all! I must inform the others before it's too-

Unfortunately, Neji's train of logical thought was interrupted by Megumi, who rushed from behind to attack Neji with a kunai. Thankfully, the Byakugan provided enough warning for Neji, who counterattacked with a properly timed Hakkeshou Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation).

"Caretaker-san, I already got permission to conduct the investigation upstairs," calmly stated Neji, "Why did you try to attack me?"

"Know…too much…," muttered Megumi, "Know…too much…"

She then proceeded to perform a set of hand seals, revealing that the foundations of the room were covered with explosive tags. But before she could ignite the tags, Neji acted more quickly and disabled her promptly with Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms).

She just tried to destroy the evidence and silence me at the same time, concluded Neji, since when does an orphanage caretaker know so much about ninja techniques? It's quite shocking…

But what happened next was even more shocking; after impact from Neji's technique, Megumi collapsed. Neji checked her heartbeat to see if she was okay, and discovered that there was no pulse at all.

She's dead, observed Neji, That's not possible! Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou was meant to stop opponents from using ninjutsu, not to kill them! I better check on Lee; hopefully, he and the other three ninjas are having a better time downstairs than I am.

(Five Minutes Earlier; Downstairs)

"And that was when we found the room," explained Lee, "empty of the five children and filled only with confusion, sorrow, and unyouthfulness!"

Apparently, Lee was expecting a tearful response and a standing ovation from Tsuchiko, Akatsuchi, and Kurotsuchi. Instead, he ended up receiving three stoic expressions, which was not a good sign for the green-clad hero. Wait…was Akatsuchi sleeping? But before Lee could make a conclusion…

"Stop using the word 'youth' so often," replied a bored Kurotsuchi, "Anyway, are you done explaining your side of the story?"

"Yes, that would be all," sighed Lee, making sure to hide the fact that Naruto discovered Ni Ketsueki's corpse. Though it is unyouthful of me to blatantly deceive these three people, reflected Lee, Naruto-kun has his reasons for instructing us to do so.

(Flashback)

Before Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, and Lee left for their intended locations to investigate, Naruto had one more instruction, an instruction which shocked all four of them after hearing it.

"Naruto-sama, you want us to deliberately hide the fact from Tsuchiko, Kurotsuchi, and Akatsuchi that we have Ni Ketsueki's corpse?" questioned Neji, "You already concealed evidence by keeping the arrow to yourself; I thought you were trying to establish trust with Iwa, not break it down!"

"You miss the bigger picture, Neji" replied Naruto, "Before I can return the evidence to the authorities, I need to make my own proper conclusions about the evidence. Besides, if those three ninjas personally know Ni Ketsueki as a friend or a family member, there may be a conflict of interest for them; telling them of her death may cause them to overreact and cloud their judgment with feelings of sorrow and vengeance."

"And we all know what happens when people succumbed to their feelings of vengeance," acknowledged Chouji, who recalled Sasuke's desertion.

"Why not just give the evidence up first and then ask to examine it?" suggested Shikamaru, "You could still make your conclusions then!"

"Soujiro had forged the Tsuchikage's seal of approval to fool Tsuchiko and her colleagues into participating in the Nami no Kuni mission," retorted Naruto, "Assuming that the crime was an inside job, wouldn't the kidnappers do the same thing by destroying or altering the evidence I give back to the authorities?"

At this point, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, and Lee could do nothing but comply with Naruto's instructions.

"Well, it may be troublesome," groaned Shikamaru, "But no one said that this mission would be easy, let alone trusting Naruto's crazy plans."

"I for one," affirmed Lee, "pledge to trust Naruto's plan and execute it perfectly, or else I'll perform three hundred laps around Tsuchi no Kuni!"

"You do realize that the Tsuchi no Kuni is slightly larger in geographical area than the Hi no Kuni," warned Neji.

"Why, Neji-kun," responded Lee, "The bigger the challenge, the better the opportunity to test my burning youth!"

He missed the point, lamented Neji.

(End Flashback; Present Time)

But before Lee could reminisce any further, Tsuchiko replied, "Well, if you're done explaining, we'll be on our way to interview the witnesses who-"

Unfortunately, before she could finish, she was then unexpectedly stabbed in the back with a kunai by Izumi, a random orphanage worker, who grinned with a maniacal expression.

"Izumi-san," yelled Makoto, "What have you done? These shinobi are just trying to do their jobs!"

"They…know…too much…," muttered Izumi, "Know…too much…"

He was then joined by two more caretakers, Hiyoshi and Jiro, who were armed with kunai and chanting the same mantra of madness, "Know…too much…Know…too…much…"

This is bad, thought Lee, They've gone from being uncooperative to trying to kill us! Yosh! What a day!

"Stand down!" ordered Kurotsuchi, who pulled out her own kunai and entered into a defensive stance, "We don't want to hurt you." She then turned her attention to the elderly head caretaker and advised, "Old man, get to safety!"

Not knowing the full situation but still fearing for his life, Makoto heeded her warning and hid underneath the orphanage reception desk. As for Akatsuchi, he tended to Tsuchiko with a concerned expression and said, "You wait right here; I'll go look for a medic-nin!"

"Your concern is misplaced, because you forget that I'm a medic-nin!" replied an annoyed Tsuchiko, "He missed my vitals by a few inches; I'll be fine in fifteen minutes! As for you and Kurotsuchi, subdue the hostiles as peacefully as possible! I'd hate to be forced into killing our fellow villagers!"

In response, Akatsuchi promptly nodded, activating Doton: Goremu no Jutsu (Earth Style: Golem Technique) to block the kunai that was suddenly thrown by Hiyoshi and Jiro.

Not wasting any time, Kurotsuchi followed up with Yoton: Sekkaigyo no Jutsu (Lava Style: Quicklime Congealing Technique), aiming at Izumi, Hiyoshi, and Jiro. But naturally, all three enemies dodged the blast.

"Is that…all you got…slime?" mocked Hiyoshi.

"I prefer calling the technique 'concrete'," retorted Kurotsuchi, "Take this! Suiton: Mizurappa! (Water Style: Water Trumpet)!"

She then aimed water at the concrete, expanding and hardening it greatly and finally immobilizing all three hostiles. It was Lee who finished the combo, yelling "Konoha Senpu!" and kicking Izumi, Hiyoshi, and Jiro! The strength of the impact was so great, that it pushed all three enemies out of the concrete, crashing into the ground unconscious with a huge "thud"!

Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi then rushed to all of the defeated caretakers, attempting to verify if they were still alive. No pulse. No pulse at all! Kurotsuchi then glared at Lee, saying, "Nice job messing it up, Konoha jerk. As much as I want to thank you for assisting us, you just killed off our suspects! You're under arrest for-"

She was then interrupted by Akatsuchi, who replied, "Don't be so hasty, Kurotsuchi; our green-clad friend may be a murderer, but he still has diplomatic immunity as a Konoha ambassador!"

"Diplomatic immunity my ass," retorted Kurotsuchi, "He's still responsible for-"

"You juveniles!" yelled an irritated Makoto after getting out from his cover, "You got rocks and concrete all over my beautiful mahogany floor! And what's worse, what has happened to my employees?"

"Actually, if you paid a little more attention," interrupted Tsuchiko, who seemed to have already recovered from her injury and in the middle of examining the bodies, "You'd realize that these three "employees" have been dead for at least a day! Liver temperature doesn't lie, and I certainly don't lie!"

Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi were stunned. Out of the entire group, Tsuchiko was the one who usually voiced the most hatred towards the Yondaime Hokage, and by extension, Konoha. Yet, here she was, willing to temporarily put aside that very hatred to find answers.

She really is serious about following her uncle's orders, reflected Kurotsuchi, It would be best not to argue with her.

"I actually agree with you on that one, Tsuchiko-san," calmly replied Neji, who was walking downstairs carrying Megumi's corpse, "You don't seem to be the type who would frequently lie; would you be so kind to examine this caretaker? She attacked me upstairs, only to unexpectedly collapse dead after I used Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou."

Great, he had the same problem we did, lamented Tsuchiko, but we might as well get this over with.

She then pressed her finger to the location of Megumi's liver, once again intuitively measuring the liver temperature.

"It's just like our corpses over here," replied Tsuchiko, "The Hyuuga wasn't the one who killed the female caretaker; she was dead for at least a day!"

This then prompted a question from Neji, "Caretaker-san, which of your workers were assigned to the night shift on the night of the kidnapping?"

Returning to his usual calm state, Makoto went to the schedule sheet on his desk, examined it closely, and replied, "Unless I've grown too old, I'd say that Megumi, Izumi, Hiroshi, and Jiro were the ones assigned to the night shift!"

"And that's not all," continued Kurotsuchi, "look at the amount of money in their pockets! Even I don't make this much money in one mission!"

True to her word, the dead caretakers did have a lot of ryo in their pockets.

A hidden tunnel, hostile caretakers who tried to kill us before quickly dying themselves, and cash, reflected Neji, Now, we have motive, means, and opportunity! Coincidence; I think not!

"Neji-kun, are you thinking what I'm thinking," asked Lee.

"You don't even have to ask," replied Neji, "Lee, we have to go and inform Naruto-sama about this!"

"You do that," acknowledged Tsuchiko, who sealed up the corpses in a scroll, "As for us three, we've got to go back to the Tsuchikage Tower to tell my uncle about this. Kurotsuchi. Akatsuchi. Move out!"

With a nod, both parties left immediately via dust shunshin.

But unbeknownst to anyone else, a mysterious figure sitting on a distant roof five blocks from the orphanage said, "Hmmm…It seems that I still don't have complete control over the corpses…But still, the combat data will still prove useful as part of my ninja info cards!"

(Later; Unknown Cave)

"Where…where are we…?" asked a very dazed Tsukiiwa. Of course, once Tsukiiwa observed her surroundings, it became obvious that she and her friends were locked away in a holding cell with a group of children who were also kidnapped. Seto and Kaito were huddled together for warmth; the same thing applied to Zoe and Ruki.

"Quick, Tsukiiwa, there's no blankets in here," urged Zoe, "If you don't huddle with us, you'll die from the cold!"

"Never mind the cold," replied Kaito, "What happened last night?"

As Tsukiiwa huddled with Zoe and Ruki, she tried to recall everything as best she could, but could only remember fragments. "There was…an arrow…shot at Naruto-niichan…He puffed into smoke, and then there was more smoke from another direction! Then everything went black…"

"Naruto-niichan died and became a ghost!" sobbed Ruki, "He's going to haunt us for not being strong enough to protect ourselves; despite his noble efforts, we're all surely doomed!"

Afterwards, it wasn't just Ruki who was sobbing. Soon, Zoe, Kaito, and Seto too succumbed to their feelings of despair, crying their hearts out.

"Calm down, Ruki," reassured Tsukiiwa, "I'm sure that Naruto-niichan will rescue and save us from the kidnappers!"

"Who is this Naruto, and more importantly, who are you guys?" asked an unknown voice, "By the way, my name is Ishida."

It was then that Tsukiiwa and her friends turned around, finding the voice to originate from the older boy of another group of children in the opposing cell (consisting of the five kids from Chapter 79).

"Why, we're Uzumaki Ninja trainees!" proudly stated Tsukiiwa, "trained by the illustrious Naruto Uzumaki-"

"Uzumaki," interrupted Ishida, "That name sounds familiar; the guards kept talking about looking for an Uzumaki."

At this point, Tsukiiwa gritted and inwardly cursed, "Damn you Ni Ketsueki! It was you all along?"

(Back In Iwa)

Shikamaru and the others, minus Tenten, returned to the hotel room, apparently ready to report what they found. Unfortunately, with Naruto yet to arrive, the others could do nothing but share their unique experiences.

"So what happened with your portions of the investigation?" asked Shikamaru, "I'm sure we all had our moments of shock and surprises!"

"So you had a thrill, big deal," commented Kiba, "Shino and I had the most boring time ever; we just ran in circles doing the perimeter check Naruto asked us to do."

"Shock doesn't even begin to describe what Lee and I experienced," remarked Neji.

"Really!" exclaimed Naruto, who suddenly showed up, "Tell me all about it."

And so, the Konoha Genin and Chuunin began explaining their wild investigations, with the exception of Kiba and Shino, starting from Neji and ending with Shikamaru. Once it was Shikamaru's turn to explain, hilarity and embarrassment ensued.

"Naruto, perhaps you can explain the meaning of this card that we found in the apartment. More importantly, what is SHE doing here in Iwa? This better not be a practical joke on your part!" Shikamaru requested as he then produced the card he found, handing it over to Naruto.

Naruto smiled and chuckled, stating, "Shikamaru, I assure you that this is no joke; in fact, you could call this the best lead we have so far!"

"A 'best lead'," repeated a puzzled Chouji, "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Trust me, Chouji," answered Shikamaru, "At this point, I don't think any of us will ever fully understand the method behind Naruto's madness."

Naruto then shook his head, remarking, "Madness? No, if one were to describe the work Moteki no Panda-ko-chan has done, it would be described as sheer brilliance. In a way, she lured the perpetrators to leave behind bread crumbs."

"Moteki no Panda-ko-chan?" snorted Kiba, "What sort of girl has that kind of ridiculous name?"

It was then that Naruto showed everyone the card of Tenten dressed and styled as a true seductress, responding, "This 'ridiculous' girl!"

It was then that a myriad of reactions took place.

Shino had raised eyebrows while Kiba blushed in surprise with widened eyes.

Damn! Tenten is hot! thought Kiba, No wait! What am I thinking!? Must stay loyal to Haku! Must stay loyal to Haku!

Even Neji blushed after being caught off guard at how beautifully feminine and enticing Tenten looked in that card.

I'm definitely going to have to resist the temptation of abusing my Byakugan, admitted Neji, Such behavior would forever shame the good name of the Hyuuga clan! (A/N: Road to Ninja irony)

Lee looked at the card questionably and with a shocked expression, exclaimed, "What on earth is Tenten-san is doing, working in that unyouthful line of work while we're here in Iwa?"

Naruto could only smile in response, until his expression became more serious. He responded to Lee, saying, "This is the secret mission I gave Tenten; none of you are not to approach her in person, otherwise, her cover will be blown."

"You're putting Tenten in a dangerous situation," warned Neji, "If she comes to any sort of harm because of your plan-"

"Haven't you learned to fully trust Naruto by now?" questioned Shino, who had remained silent until now, "By now, you should know that Naruto has his ways of making events happen as planned."

"…" was the only response that Neji could give.

"Thank you, Shino," said Naruto, "Now, just as Tenten has her part to play in this investigation, so do the rest of us."

"What would you have us do, Naruto-sama?" asked Neji.

It was then that Naruto adopted an even more serious expression, answering, "Before I do that, there's something else I have to tell all of you. Kaa-chan has just sent a messenger bird informing me of an incoming gift for this mission."

"Are we getting Hyorogan (Soldier Pills)?" asked Kiba.

"Not quite."

"Increased rations for the mission?" joyously asked Chouji.

"No."

"ANBU reinforcements?" anticipated Shikamaru.

"Negative."

"Green spandex suits?" guessed Lee.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

Neji was about to add his own input until he changed his mind, saying, "Just what gift did Tsunade-sama provide us, Naruto-sama?"

"We've got…a time limit of 6 days before we have to pack up and return to Konoha," responded a deadpan Naruto. It was then that chaos and dissension ensued among the would-be heroes.

"If that's true, we've already used up the first day; we've only got 5 days left!" Neji realized.

"Oh, the humanity!" Kiba remarked.

"First, we discover a kidnapping, then a murder, and now this? How troublesome…," Shikamaru muttered.

"YOSH! I'll do 500 laps around Iwa or Konoha if we don't complete this mission!" Lee shouted.

"I'm hungry; does anyone know where the nearest bag of potato chips is?" Chouji asked.

"Enough!" silenced Neji, who sought to be the voice of reason once more, "Naruto-sama, in the off chance that we fail to complete the investigation in five more days, what will you do about it?"

At this point, everyone else in the room stayed quiet, awaiting Naruto's reaction. Would Naruto directly disobey an ultimatum of this magnitude from the Godaime herself? Given the drastic actions that Naruto committed thus far to expedite the investigation, disobedience wouldn't be a surprising choice of action. Then again, Naruto was Konoha's most unpredictable ninja; anything could happen.

"Failure is not an option," calmly asserted Naruto, "If this mission fails, if we are unsuccessful, I will take full responsibility and return in disgrace to Konoha for not being able to rescue those children and orphans who were counting on us. I'll see to it that no fault or reprimand falls on any of you. And as a self-imposed punishment for failure if it so happens, I will forever renounce all of my aspirations and effort to become Hokage."

Now this was something that everyone else in the room could not bear to hear.

"You…not becoming Hokage?" commented Kiba, "That's just absurd!"

"Has the springtime of your youth gone dry?" cried Lee, "Naruto-kun, please reconsider!"

"I don't usually agree with Lee," admitted Neji, "But he's got a point this time. Aren't you taking to this a bit too extreme?"

"There's nothing extreme about taking due responsibility for one's failure," replied Naruto, "The moment I got involved in this investigation was the moment that I bore the responsibility of those children's lives. How can I be entrusted to protect the village as Hokage if I can't even save the lives of those missing children?"

"Shikamaru," insisted Chouji, "You're just as smart, if not smarter, than Naruto. Maybe you can persuade him to-"

"Chouji," replied a more serious Shikamaru, "Naruto was serious about this mission from the very start; I highly doubt that any of us could change his mind at any point. Naruto's life is his own; whatever he does after this mission is his own decision. The only thing we can do for Naruto is to support him in this mission to the very end."

"Either way," responded Shino, "we're all in this together already; there's no time to debate or panic. As much as we wish the time limit never happened, it is not for us to decide."

"Right you are, Shino," acknowledged Naruto, "Because all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. Anyway, here are your following tasks."

"Neji, you, Lee, and Shino will be dispatched to investigate the passage way that you found at the orphanage. I doubt that they would leave the secret passageway unguarded and absent of booby traps, so go prepared with plenty of chakra and kunai!"

Lee responded with enthusiasm (as usual), Shino remained silent (but deep in thought), and Neji face-palmed himself at the thought of booby traps, thinking, As though the undead orphanage workers weren't dangerous enough, we got stuck with the most unpredictable part of the mission…AGAIN.

Naruto continued, "As for you, Kiba, I'll give you a task far more interesting than a mere perimeter check. Alongside Shikamaru and Chouji, you will return to the apartment building complex to find more leads as far as a scent."

"You hear, that, Akamaru?" asked Kiba, "We're on a real mission this time, let's go!"

After receiving the bark of approval, Kiba then rushed to be the first out of the door, only to bump his head against the wall.

"How troublesome," replied Shikamaru, "Kiba, the door is THAT way."

And true to his words, the direction of the door was in the opposite direction.

"I knew that," lied Kiba, "Now let's go!"

Thankfully, he walked this time and exited the door. Once everyone else but Naruto had exited, Naruto could do nothing but chuckle, "They never change, do they?"

(Later, At Naruto's Hideaway House Far Outside Of Iwa)

Tenten was carefully examining the arrow and seals on them. She was still in her elegant Chinese dress, ready to go back undercover should Naruto request her to do so. But still, Tenten was focused on the current task at hand: solve the mystery behind the arrow.

Even I don't usually use this kind of weapon, reflected Tenten, I usually just barrage the enemy with kunai, shuriken, staffs, maces, and swords, hoping that I can score free hits and keep my distance, but a single arrow with a written seal? That's just rare and requires a higher skill level to utilize…

"But I might as well incorporate it in my arsenal for future purposes," acknowledged the weapons mistress, who then opened a scroll and drew every exact detail about the arrow, including the seal.

"Having fun with your new toy?" teased a familiar voice. Tenten gasped and turned around, discovering that Naruto had been observing her work. But thankfully, she quickly regained composure and resumed her alias, saying, "Why Naruto-sama, what a surprise! How may I be of service today?"

"Good to see that you've mastered your disguise," replied Naruto, "but first, let me see what you've found out about the arrow."

Tenten then switched back to her usual serious expression, ready to explain her discoveries.

"As you can see, Naruto, I've found that the arrow's blade was induced with chakra, which aided in its being fired in its straight precision."

"So chakra isn't just used to make weapons sharper," concluded Naruto, "it's also vital for speed and precision."

In response, Tenten nodded in approval and added, "That's right; and it won't stop until it reaches its target, which would require a seal of some sort to serve as a beacon or radar for the arrow to follow."

"Then that means that the seal was placed in the room on the wall the children were in while they were out with my clone," concluded Naruto, "Anyway, remember Ni Ketsueki?"

"Yeah," acknowledged Tenten, "what about Ni Ketsueki? Is she the one responsible for the kidnappings?"

"Well, in a way, I would say yes and no," uneasily replied Naruto, "The corpse that Shino and his team found was Ni Ketsueki, who has been dead for three weeks."

"What?" yelled Tenten, "But if that's true, that means the Ni Ketsueki we've all known-"

"Was a fake," finished Naruto, "I know that. Anyway, it's highly probable that the one who killed her was also involved in the kidnappings. It's also no coincidence that when we checked the building where the arrow came from, we found that the culprit left behind a business card with your picture; therefore, allowing us to narrow down the list of suspects to the nightclub customers. This is where your hard work will finally bear fruit. Where are the hair samples from all the male customers you serviced with massages?"

"In the drawer below," answered Tenten, "How is it relevant now?"

"When I performed the autopsy on Ni Ketsueki's corpse," elaborated Naruto, "I found small remains of a paralysis drug, one that was far more potent than the one Anko-chan usually uses. Plus, there were male pubic hair samples and residual deposits of semen around the genital area, thus confirming Shino's suspicions that Ni Ketsueki was raped before she was killed."

"So you want to compare the culprit's hair samples with the ones I gathered," concluded Tenten, "I see now."

"Anyway, I need you to immediately return to the nightclub to resume your "Moteki no Panda-ko-chan" alias," instructed Naruto, "Once I find the matching hair sample, my shadow clones at the nightclub will inform you which person or persons you should target for immediate capture."

"They don't allow kunai, shuriken, swords, maces, or senbon at the nightclub," said a confused Tenten, "Are you implying that you have an alternative weapon prepared?"

"Yes," answered Naruto, "You're going to use this weapon." He then handed Tenten a Sensation Lotion bottle labeled, "For the customers of the month".

Immediately figuring out the function of the lotion and understanding that there was no time to waste, Tenten got up from her seat to get to work.

(Later That Night)

Once again, at the red light district, the brothels, casinos, and bar were active and lively.

However, this time, Tenten was on standby, because she was apparently on her "evening break", or so the schedule sheet claimed.

What she was really doing, however, was waiting for Naruto's signal to arrive.

Peering out of the window in her break room, Tenten noticed that all of her previous customers (or more precisely, Naruto's suspects) were mingled with other people inside the lobby, vulnerable for capture.

"But I'd draw unnecessary suspicion to myself if I acted too soon," reflected Tenten, "Damn it, Naruto, you better hurry soon with your analysis!"

Of course, little did Tenten know, the delay in Naruto's results would soon prove to be the least of her problems.

(Lobby of Nightclub, Private Table)

"Now, these places are where Akatsuki's hideouts are located, stranger," answered the Merchant, who pointed to a few locations on the map he was holding, "I almost died trying to tail the Akatsuki members one by one while remaining undetected; so you owe me one! Anyway, the first hideout is at Mountain's Graveyard, which is in between Takigakure and Otogakure. Three others are scattered at the eastern portions of the Lands of Earth, Wind, and Fire. And as for the last one, it's located in central Amegakure. Do any of these places hold any significance to you?"

"Just the last one," replied Jiraiya, who was in the middle of drinking from a cup of sake, "It brings plenty of happy memories for me! There was Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan! Ah…Good times…"

As Jiraiya recalled years ago, all three of the Ame Orphans founded their own tiny organization, which was also called Akatsuki. Surely, the peaceful Akatsuki these kids created couldn't be the same as the shadowy, malevolent Akatsuki of today, right?

After laughing alongside Jiraiya, the Merchant then adopted a more serious expression, "You did remember to bring the payment, right?"

"Don't worry about it," reassured Jiraiya, who then pulled a very thick stack of paper, stapled and labeled Icha Icha: Tactics, the Complete Rough Draft, "You're the kind of guy who's easy to negotiate with."

Nodding his head, the Merchant accepted his reward, muttering, "Come back anytime, stranger." He then proceeded to make a discreet exit, leaving little evidence of his presence at the nightclub.

"Well, I got my info on Akatsuki," reflected Jiraiya, "But there's no need to leave so soon; I've got time to kill before Tsunade kills me for being absent from the village for too long!"

Thankfully, all worries of getting killed evaporated quickly, as Jiraiya was suddenly greeted by the nightclub host, who said, "Good to see you, Jiraiya-dono! You have been a faithful regular for all eight years; and since today is the eighth anniversary of this establishment, you have been selected as the lucky winner of tonight's raffle, which entitles you to a free massage session from any one of our servant girls! Take your pick!"

"I graciously accept!" answered Jiraiya, who flipped through his brochure to celebrate his good fortune, carefully reading each entry.

"Let me see…"

"Origami no Aijin…She's wonderful, but I'm looking for something new…"

"Sode no Shirayuki…She hasn't failed to amaze me yet…"

However, it was the last entry which caused the most shock to the lovable perverted Sannin.

"Moteki no Panda-ko-chan…Wait a second…that looks like Maito Gai's student, Tenten! No, it must be my imagination!"

More importantly, thought Jiraiya, Why is she here in Iwa in the first place?

"So it's settled! You will get your massage from Moteki no Panda-ko-chan!" exclaimed the host, not aware of Jiraiya's instant outburst.

(Nightclub, Tenten's Break Room)

Of course, the commotion did not go unnoticed by Tenten, who began to have a look of despair in the face of this new development.

"Damn it, Jiraiya-sama!" cursed Tenten under her breath, "If I'm forced to go out and talk to you, you'll end up blowing my cover by accident! Even if I tried denying my association to Konoha, I would look even more suspicious! You have the worst possible timing ever!"

But I knew the risks of going undercover from the very beginning, Tenten reminded herself, all I can do is be prepared to improvise on the spot and trust that Naruto has a backup plan!

(In The Lobby of The Nightclub)

Jiraiya was just about five feet from Tenten's private room until he was interrupted by a very angry, seemingly drunk red-haired man.

"Hhhheeyy misssteerrr! *Hic*" slurred the redhead, "You owe me *Hic* money!"

"Do I know you?" asked a confused Jiraiya.

"Nooooo," admitted the redhead, "But you'll *Hic* remember me forever after I beat the crap out of you!" He then proceeded to throw a punch at Jiraiya, one which was dodged.

Unfortunately, that punch then hit the mustached customer, who proceeded to retaliate by attempting to punch back the redhead, evolving into nothing more than a violent bar fight. With a nearby crowd of bystanders focused on the fight while the workers tried to intervene and stop the fight, a certain blond haired Namikaze grabbed Jiraiya, knocked him out, and absconded with him before anyone else notice.

(Nightclub Basement)

Jiraiya woke up and reflexively set his arms in a defensive position, expecting a sudden explosion or a beating. What he got instead was Naruto, sitting in front of him with a deadpan expression and tired look in his eyes.

"You'll never change," Naruto remarked.

"Where have I heard that before?" joked Jiraiya, "Anyway, I'm surprised how you delayed me from encountering Tenten; was it because of your kage bunshin?"

"In a way, yes," admitted Naruto, "I simply had a kage bunshin henge into your image; then, that kage bunshin went and stole that drunken man's wallet, creating a reason for him to enter the nightclub and create a diversion."

"Gaki, you never fail to amuse me," thought Jiraiya. He then transitioned to a more solemn expression, asking, "But seriously, Naruto, what is Tenten doing in Iwa; and more importantly, what are YOU doing in Iwa?"

In response, Naruto sighed and replied, "Ero-jisan, despite all your experience in espionage abroad, you neglected to update yourself on domestic affairs."

"Come again?" asked Jiraiya.

"My point, ero-jisan," elaborated Naruto, "is that you don't know about my Iwa diplomacy mission and kidnapping investigation! Now listen carefully, because I don't have much time!"

He then proceeded to explain the mission from its very beginning, with Jiraiya listening to every word being spoken.

(Meanwhile, At Tenten's Break Room)

Tenten was relieved to hear from Naruto's shadow clone that Jiraiya had been silenced before the entire mission fell apart. But the sudden bar fight Naruto's clone instigated to prevent Tenten's cover from being blown forced the nightclub to close early for the night in order to clean up and make the needed repairs so they could be ready for the next time. That meant Tenten couldn't have her regular customers, Naruto's suspects, come for their sessions.

"That idiot uncle of mine," Naruto muttered as he suddenly appearing in the room, "His folly just cost me precious time we I don't have."

"What do you mean?" Tenten inquired.

"Clearly I forgot to inform you that two days ago I sent a letter informing kaa-chan of all the events that happened here and the investigation I started. In response, kaa-chan slapped us with a six-day time duration while here in Iwa and since her reply was sent yesterday and arrived today, we had five days left. But ero-jisan's careless blunder cost us, narrowing the time we have left. Kaa-chan made it clear that she wants us to return soon," Naruto explained.

"But why? I mean…we're so close to solving this case," Tenten replied.

Naruto sighed, and said, "In her reply she said that I already got what I wanted out of this diplomacy mission and that I'm pushing it with this unofficial investigation that we were neither assigned or hired for. She's ordering us to return back at the end of the six days regardless whether or not we complete this investigation. She said that finding those children is the responsibility of those Iwa ninja though she's only allowing me the time she gave and not a day more. I wanted to argue but…"

Tenten saw that Naruto paused momentarily in mid sentence. She asked, "What will you if we run out of time?"

Naruto answered, "…I can't disobey a direct order while on this diplomacy mission as such actions would be a serious violation to both Konoha shinobi and diplomacy regulations. If we fail to find and rescue those kidnapped orphans and children before our time runs out, I'll accept full responsibility for those children's lives and return to Konoha in disgrace. As my punishment if that should happen, I'll irreversibly forgo all of my efforts to become Hokage."

"Tsunade-sama would forbid you from ever becoming Hokage?" Tenten asked in disbelief.

"No! This permanent punishment would be self-inflicted and I already bound myself to my word that I would go through with it," Naruto corrected. Tenten looked at Naruto with a shocked expression.

"You would go so far as to sacrifice your dreams for those orphans and the rest of those kidnapped children?" Tenten asked.

Naruto sighed as his expression changed to a more somber one. He then replied, "Tenten…I dragged you and everyone I brought along with me as my entourage into this investigation and rescue mission despite the fact that no one in Iwa asked for my help and by extension, yours or the others' either. I influenced and made you take on this role as a seductress in order to lure in possible suspects. I even went as far as to have Tsukiiwa and her friends play a role in helping me with this investigation even though I knew they were potential targets for the kidnappers.

"In the process, I became careless and underestimated the kidnappers' ability to catch me off guard and kidnap Tsukiiwa and her friends while under my watch and supervision. I carry a heavy guilt and responsibility for letting that happen and if anything happens to them because of my careless mistake, it's only right that I be made to atone and pay a severe price for my folly."

Tenten saw the full gravity of the situation now and the plight Naruto was in. She saw that his conscience wouldn't let his own actions go unanswered for. Yet still, she didn't want to see him stay in the predicament he was in.

"Even though what you say is true Naruto," Tenten encouraged, "what's also true is that because of you and what you had all of us do, we found and discovered so much more about these kidnappings and murder than all of the Iwa Jounin's efforts combined in such a relatively short time. It was through your leadership and skills that we managed to get this far and like you said, we can begin narrowing down suspects who so happens to be the men I catered to. We will succeed with you leading us. You never lost a fight, so don't let this be your first defeat!" Tenten looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I believe in you Naruto!"

Naruto smiled brightly, feeling much better than he did previously.

"Thanks! I needed to be reminded of that. And you're right. I never lost a fight yet and I won't let this be the first I lose to! We will succeed!" Naruto said optimistically. Tenten smiled and remarked with her alias, "Now that's the Naruto-sama I remember. I'm happy I was able to be of service in replenishing your spirit my lord."

Naruto laughed heartily. A moment later a thought come to Tenten's mind.

"By the way, why was Jiraiya-sama here?" Tenten asked.

Naruto calmed down from his laughter and regained his composure in time to reply, "He came to meet one of his secret informants concerning a dangerous crime organization known as Akatsuki. He didn't stay long to tell me anything further than that except that he was given good leads on them. And speaking of leads, the others should be making some progress finding further leads of their own right about now I hope."

"What do you want me to do in the mean time?" Tenten asked.

"Since the club is closed for the night due to what happened earlier, return back to the safe house and continue further examinations on the seals on that arrow. You'll return here tomorrow night to resume your alias," Naruto instructed. Tenten nodded and began gathering her things to return back. As she turned to ask Naruto for a favor, she found that he was already gone. She muttered that she would just have to ask him when she gets the time to as she continued packing the rest of her belongings before leaving.

(Back Inside The Cave)

Tsukiiwa was the only who was still awake with all of her younger sleeping friends handled around her trying to stay warm together in the cold and darkened cell. She stayed strong outwardly for her friends' sake, but inside Tsukiiwa was truly scared for what might happened to them. It was after everyone else fell asleep that she allowed her pent up tears to fall down her face.

"Naruto-niichan! Please, save us!" Tsukiiwa cried lowly.

As Tsukiiwa cries in secret, Naruto and the others are working hard to find and rescue them, but time is running out. Will Naruto succeed in finding and rescuing his young friends or will he run out of time and be forced to return back in disgrace to Konoha and relinquish his goals to become Hokage as penance? Find out next time.