Chapter 23: Chapter 22 - Memory
Chapter 22 - Memory
Naruto's attackers were brought to the Interrogation Force holding cells. Once emergency treatment was given Ibiki Morino started the interrogation. After an the first one broke. It was the unknown ninja. He had turned out to be the weakest of them all. He had a name now, Danno Nakahara. He was a chunin assigned to search for any weaknesses in the village. His job was to find a easy way into the Hyuga compound then plot an escape route for the trio.
Minato didn't find joy in being right about the Cloud's true objectives. Instead, he only found rage. He had already received his reports from the Hyuga and the ANBU pursuit team but they only gave him part of the picture. A picture that he needed to see for himself. He needed to know how he could prevent it from happening again. He needed Inoichi.
Inoichi Yamanaka was summoned shortly after Ibiki started the interrogation. Minato wanted to see what the men knew. Most importantly he wanted to how Naruto got caught up in this. He had to know if it was part of the plan or coincidence. He had to know how badly was Naruto compromised. It was his job to protect his son. This knowledge would help him do that. Only Inoichi was skilled enough to get it for him.
Inoichi understood Minato's rage. If this had happened to Ino I would be far worse. He would gladly break through Dao Kazami's defenses and get that information. It was the least he could do as fellow father.
It took a couple of hours but he finally broke through. Once he was inside he was able to get what Minato needed. All that was left to do was relay it to the Hokage. Inoichi found Minato in his office going over reports. He was scrutinizing every detail. It must be the reports about tonight's incident. Inoichi thought as he approached his leader.
Minato's expression was one that Inoichi hoped he'd never see again. It was a mixture of rage, shame, frustration, and pain. He shared his Lord's rage. What those men did tonight was unforgivable. A true shinobi does not attack a defenseless child. They especially do not kidnap children in the middle of the night. Inoichi hoped that Lord Hokage would kill them for what they've done. That was up to his master though . . .
Minato looked up from his scrolls. He acknowledged Inoichi then rose. "Do you have it?" He asked. Inoichi nodded. Minato put the scroll down then signaled for Inoichi to approach. "Show me." He commanded.
Inoichi approached Minato, placing his hand on the man's head. Minato's eyes closed as Inoichi made the connection. His world exploded and was reformed as he experienced the memories of Dao Kazami. Foreign images, sounds and smells flooded Minato's brain. He became a bystander watching the scenes unfold around him. He was aware of himself yet was overtaken by what unfolded around him. A part of Minato didn't want to see his son's kidnapping, but he had to protect his son. If these memories would help him do that then he was willing togo through this for them.
Suddenly, Minato was in the Raikage's office. Three ninja who were sent to the Leaf stood before their leader. They waited silently for their master to speak. As Minato watched, the Fourth Raikage glowered at his men. Ei had not changed much since the time that they had fought. He was still the same hot-headed man that Minato met so long ago. He had liked him back then. Now, all he could feel was rage. Ei. Minato thought as the scene started to play.
"You three are to head to the Leaf Village. The Hokage wants peace. We'll give it to him for a price." Ei gave the men an evil smile. They smiled back, acknowledging their master's true intent.
Minato stared at the image of the Raikage. He clenched his fists as he thought, So, you never wanted peace after all. An image of Naruto being taken away flashed in the back of his mind. You bastard!
Outside, Inoichi flinched. He could feel the Hokage's anger through his jutsu. While he wasn't an active participant he felt everything that Minato felt. Meaning Minato's rage lashed out at him. Which made this experience that much more painful for the Jonin. He did not enjoy experiencing his friend's anger or his sorrow. Still, Inoichi pressed on. He had a job to do. Minato needed to see what happened.
Neither Ei nor his men noticed the Hokage or his outburst. They continued on without any interruption. "Your target is the heir to Hyuga clan, Hinata Hyuga. The Hyuga will be proclaiming that child to be the next heir the day of the signing. This ritual will isolate the clan from the rest of the village. Providing you the perfect opportunity to take her."
It disgusted Minato how easy it was for him to talk about hurting a child. It was something a Hokage would never do. A Hokage's duty was to protect the next generation, not destroy it! To Minato, it didn't matter if the child was Leaf or not. He would never do this. Minato was guilty of the deaths of many but he would never be guilty of this.
Dao stepped forward to take the file on Hinata Hyuga. He studied what info that they had on the girl before returning it to his master. Through the jutsu Minato could hear his thoughts. Hmmm . . . She will not be much of a threat. However, her family is formidable. We will need to proceed with caution. "We will capture the girl." He promised his master. The two behind him nodded in agreement.
Ei grunted. "Even if they are distracted it will not be easy. Minato Namikaze is shrewd. He may even suspect our true objective. He will not be fooled easily. Do what you can to avoid conflict with him. This mission's success relies on it."
The men acknowledged his command. They were about to leave when he stopped them. "There is one more objective:" The men waited patiently for the Raikage to continue while Minato felt a pit in his stomach. Naruto. Fear overcame him as his enemy spoke about his son, "The Hokage has a son. He should be about the girl's age. Find him. Take him if you can. But get me something on the boy." The memory ended as the men left the room.
Minato felt sick. Ei specifically targeted his son. It was his worst nightmare. Minato knew that someday Naruto would be targeted because of him. That he could get hurt or worse. Naruto didn't deserve this kind of attention. He wasn't responsible for his father's sins. It wasn't his fault that his father was the Hokage. He shouldn't have to pay for them. I must protect my son. He thought as a new scene unfolded around him.
It was now late in the evening, the festival was wrapping up in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. There were still random villagers scattered throughout the streets. Most had already gone home for the night though. It was quiet and peaceful. It gave the men the perfect cover.
The three men knew that the ANBU were all around. That they were on high alert. They had to be careful. One slip up and the mission was over before it began. The enemy was all around them. So, they were careful to hide their tools and their identity. They opted to use disguises instead of transformations. This way the ANBU would not notice their chakra. They made sure to blend seamlessly with the villagers. That way they could get close to their targets without detection.
They pretended to be celebrating the festival. They made sure not to make a direct course towards the compound. They weaved and bobbed along with the remaining crowd. They cheered and drank along with them. Kazami had a sake bottle full of water to emulate the appearance of drinking. He nearly fell over as a member of the ANBU drew near. Making him look harmless. The others emulated him as they waited for the guard to pass.
They made it all the way to the Hyuga compound without being hassled. Upon reaching the location, they changed in the shadows. Before heading out, Nakahara pulled open a map of the compound that he had made earlier. They studied it closely. Kazami would take the main gate. Toujin would take the side. Nakahara was to be the look out. He used his jutsu to scan the area for ANBU and Hyuga before signaling to begin the capture.
The group sprung into action! Quickly and quietly they headed towards the main house. It was completely quiet within the compound. No one bothered them as they progressed. Soon, Kazami was upon Hinata. She was sleeping in her room unattended as if nothing was going to happen. It appeared that Hyuga were unaware of the threat in their midst.
Minato froze as he saw the girl's face. It was not Hinata! It was a girl from the branch family. She was about the same age as the young heiress but her eyes were already sealed. She was dressed up as Hinata and was placed in her room. The only they added a night cap to cover up the cursemark on her head. Minato knew the girl. Her name was Kasumi Hyuga. Hinata was somewhere else.
Kazami was unaware of this as he took the girl. He placed her under a genjutsu then ran off. Kazami did not notice the hat the hat the girl was wearing was covering up something important. Something critical to his mission. It wasn't until he met up with Toujin that he realized the truth. Toujin pulled the hat off to reveal the cursemark. She was a fake!
At that moment the men knew that they were had. The mission was a failure. This was not Hinata! Kazami dumped the girl. They had to get out before they were surrounded. It was almost too late. The Hyuga were all around them. The only escape was the wall behind them. They leaped over the wall then ran for their lives.
Nakahara joined them as they ran towards the village walls. They were being pursued by both the Hyuga and the ANBU. The men weaved and bobbed as they tried to shake off their pursuers. Yet they were almost cornered. They had been unsuccessful in shaking their pursuers.
In the distance Minato heard a familiar voice. His blood went cold. Naruto. Minato thought as the men reacted. They saw an opportunity to escape. Nakahara informed the trio that the voice belonged to son of the Hokage. That child would be a hostage to help them escape. Then they could deliver him to the Raikage. It wasn't the original plan but they had to bring something home or suffer the consequences.
They headed directly towards the child. They hoped to surprise the boy then escape. What they found was a different matter. The boy had a guard. Nakahara had figure out this ahead of time. This mistake ended up leading them directly into battle with Kakashi. For he would not let the child go easily.
Kakashi ordered Naruto to run as he faced the men. Naruto ran as fast as his little legs would carry him. Meanwhile, the men fought for a minute then Kazami broke free. He grabbed the Naruto then took off. Naruto screamed as he tried to break free of his captor. However, this was quickly silenced as Kazami ran. Minato's heart leapt as he watched the men manhandle his son. They were traumatizing him and there was nothing that he could do about it. This was the past after all.
Naruto's plight distracted Kakashi for one second. That was all the Toujin and Nakahara needed. They knocked out the jonin then escaped. They didn't have time to kill him. The others were still pursing them. They had to get out of the village before the alarm went out. They had to get away before the Hokage found them.
Nakahara lead the group to a hole in the barrier he had found. They snuck through it just as the alarm finally went out. The trio ran as quickly as they could with their pursuers on their tail. However, only the ANBU continued the pursuit. The Hyuga had pulled back. Leaving the men to their fate.
The scene dissolved back into Minato's office. Minato blinked for a minute as he regained his bearings. Inoichi gave him a polite smile as he waited for his master. The tonight's events were disturbing for the young father. Inoichi didn't need to be a mind reader to know how the Hokage felt about his son. Everything that he did for that boy shouted to the world his feelings. Minato adored that boy and wanted to protect him no matter the cost. Inoichi was glad to assist in however he could.
Once Minato was fully aware of his surroundings he thanked the Yamanaka. This information was valuable. He understood now how his son became a target. It would help him protect Naruto in the future. It would also shape his response to the Raikage. Minato had to tread carefully. He might want blood for his son's suffering, but the village couldn't afford war. Not now at least. He had to to avoid war at all costs. For Naruto, if for no one else. He did not want his son to be caught up in another war.
Minato would have to prepare his response carefully . . .
Please note that this chapter originally had answers to your reviews. That has since been removed. It worked at the time, but now seems redundant. This story is complete and there is no need for this anymore. I thank you for reading and reviewing. Please go on to the next chapter!
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