[3]:Tsunade

After running as fast as they could with two unconscious tag-alongs, Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata finally made it back to Konoha. A few other search parties had already gone out to locate the other members of Shikamaru's team and brought them back, making this group the last to return. Chouji and Neji were in the worst condition, with Tsunade herself overseeing Chouji's treatment and Shizune overseeing Neji's. Kiba and Lee both needed to stay in the hospital one night, maybe two, to recuperate, and Shikamaru's finger injury was already treated enough that he was only still the hospital by choice now, since he was waiting to hear how his friends were.

Because of this, the staff was stretched a bit when Kakashi came to the hospital, but he got ahold of an unprejudiced doctor who would stabilize Naruto before he got worse. Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata refused to leave the room until they got a sign that Naruto was in the clear or not. Kakashi's clone took Sasuke to the prison hospital, since they would be the best at ensuring he didn't get out anytime soon under his own power. The clone even left orders to keep him locked up until Kakashi or Tsunade said otherwise and to disregard any orders from anyone else.

Naruto was bandaged, stitched, connected to tubes and machines, and unconscious, but by some unfathomable reason, he was still alive and even breathing under his own power. "Well, he should be in the clear now. All that's left to do is keep him nourished and on painkillers, and wait until he wakes up. He'll probably feel like hell but at least he'll be alive." The doctor told the others.

"Thank you Doctor. I hope you don't mind us waiting here for him to wake up." Kakashi replied.

"No problem. Now, I think I've earned a coffee break. Bye." The doctor said before leaving.

The three shinobi turned to Naruto, as if they thought he would open his eyes any second now. So far that was not happening.

An hour later Tsunade had a free moment and decided to go check on Naruto, whom one of the nurses informed her was brought in and stabilized but showed no activity.

When she got to the room, she saw Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata sitting around keeping an eye on Naruto, each with a drink in their hands. "Please tell me how Naruto is." She started.

"By all facts, he should be dead, but somehow is still alive." Kakashi answered. "I don't understand it, but I am certainly glad it's true."

Tsunade's eyes widened, and she immediately began a diagnostic scan jutsu over the blonde boy. "His pulse is steady, he has some broken bones that are mending, some torn muscles that are doing the same..." She paused, looking like she was now seeing something rather unpleasant. "Signs of damage to internal organs? Missing epidermis on multiple areas on the torso but lower layers of skin growing in? Low blood pressure? What happened to him? Did someone drive a pike thru his chest?"

"Not exactly a pike, but yes." Kakashi regretfully admitted. "And... it was done three times."

"THREE TIMES?" Tsunade shouted, causing Sakura and Hinata to jump back.

Kakashi sadly nodded, unable to make eye contact. "Sasuke used the chidori technique, something I regret teaching him, on Naruto twice... and... he tricked me into striking him a third time."

Tsunade had never seen the technique, but on her trip back to Konoha Naruto had described it to her as a lightning sword his sensei used for close range kills. He sounded like he hoped to learn it once they got back to Konoha. "Tell me where the bastard is so I can punish him accordingly." Few had any doubt what exactly she had in mind.

"He's in the prison hospital right now with the caretakers there ordered to place him in a cell once he's stable." Kakashi answered. "You should know Hokage-sama, I saw a strange chakra at work in Naruto's wounds, and I don't mean the chakra you're thinking of. This was a completely different one."

Tsunade was instantly alerted, and glanced over towards Sakura and Hinata. "Could you two please leave the room for a moment? This is going to be a classified talk."

The girls nodded and left the room. Tsunade looked back at the one-eyed jounin. "Continue."

Evening came and Tsunade was worn out. The last thing she wanted to deal with was an emergency council meeting that she didn't even order. In fact, she was strongly tempted to use her hokage authority to call it off and tell them all to wait a night on whatever it was they wanted to yammer on about. There was only one thing that made her want to go now in the first place.

The summons note, which read 'Tsunade Senju, you are hereby ordered to attend a council meeting at 6:00 PM tonight and drop whatever previously scheduled distractions you may have at said time. Failure to comply is not an option and will result in penalization.'

Tsunade was pissed and offended to read that. To think someone had the audacity to actually order her around as a subordinate and not even leave a name for themselves. Whoever sent this needed to be taken off their high horse and have said horse shot, and that alone was why Tsunade was going in the first place.