Lightning In The Hidden Leaf

16 - Everyone's at Fault

Before Calista has time to think, she is running behind Kakashi, his hand held tight around her wrist.

"Kakashi! Let me go."

She tries to free herself but his grasp is too strong.

"I want to help you Calista, but I can't do it here."

"You need to let me go so I can own up to whatever it is happened."

"You'll be exiled. Probably even executed."

"Kakashi, please!"

He stops and let's out a breath.

"I'm sorry," he says.

"Sorry? But you're not the one who did any--"

Blackness consumes Calista again only this time, she rests peacefully, her mind given a break from the stress and panic. Kakashi puts one arm under her neck, the other under her knees and carries her into the unknown of the forests that surrounds the once peaceful village.

*****

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED OUT THERE TONIGHT?" says Tsunade, spittle flying from her lips.

"My Lady, I --"

"This was YOUR responsibility, Iruka!" she continues, still yelling. "You were suppose to be watching her and immediately let me know of anything suspicious."

"I didn't report anything because there was--" 

"And do background checks! Talk to her about her past! Did you do any of that?"

He turns his face away from Tsunade, unable to face her with the truth. He thinks about what Calista told him when they first met. She didn't disclose the identities of her previous clan in order to protect them. And Iruka respected that. But now...

"Lady Tsunade, may I speak?"

"It better be good, Iruka. We have three people in critical condition right now. Only you and several ninjas were there when this happened, it could have been a lot worse. THAT is on you."

He grits his teeth. "I didn't report anything suspicious because there was nothing to report. The way she acted tonight... that wasn't her. Something was wrong."

"And those are things that are important to consider too, Iruka," she says sighing. She pours sake into a glass that's typically used for tea. She notices Iruka watching her and she quickly makes the bottle of sake disappear, as if that changes what's in her cup.

"We don't discriminate here. If she was unwell or in some type of trouble, we would help her but we cannot do that and protect the village without that information which is why a background check is so critical. Do you understand what I'm saying, Iruka?"

"Yes," he says with his head down.

Tsunade notices Iruka's remorse and decides to soften her tone. She takes a seat at her desk. "So now that we are here... tell me everything you know."

Iruka takes a breath while he decides where to begin. "Calista grew up in the heart of the land of lightning. It was hard to survive there so she left, returning every so often to see her family. But when her parents died and her brother disappeared, she decided to live her life as a traveler in hopes of finding her brother's whereabouts. At some point though, she came into contact with this new clan but she would not disclose their identity."

"And why the hell not?"

"She said she left on good terms with them. She ensured they were not rogue ninjas and out of respect, she wanted to keep their identity private. She vowed she would be as loyal to us as she is to them."

"Don't you see what she done, Iruka? She earned your trust with some beautiful words and--"

"My Lady, I don't mean to interrupt," says Shizune, "but I was there the night you assessed Calista. If memory serves me correct, she said something similar to you then but you also overlooked it. It looks like we all did."

Tsunade turns around in her chair, her back to her subordinates, as she gazes out the window. She's quiet for some time.

 "We were lucky tonight. But let this be a lesson learned. For all of us." 

Iruka let's out his breath knowing that that's as close to an apology he will ever get from the hokkage.

"What I can do to make things right?" says Iruka.

"Well, the injured have already been taken to the hospital and are being looked after. Calista is not an official citizen of this village, but we did take her in and therefore it is our responsibility to find her. We don't know what she is capable of or what her motives are. For all we know, she could have some personal vendetta against this village... therefore, we will have to shut down the village, recruit patrol to protect the village and send a team of skilled shinobi to find Calista. Iruka, I would like to stay close to HQ as you have valuable information regarding our culprit. With that being said, I would like you to find Kakashi first and tell him I need him. I want him to lead this mission."

Iruka hesitates.

"What's wrong, Iruka? I gave you my orders."

"My Lady... Kakashi isn't here."

"Ok," she says slowly. "And where the hell is he?"

He gulps. "When Calista attacked, several shinobi went after her but she escaped... with Kakashi."

"Do you mean Kakashi escaped to go GET her? Because surely someone as skilled as Kakashi wasn't captured." 

The short pauses after every word is fueling her anger. Tsunade is at the point where she can easily be set off. He knows she is not going to like what he has to say about Kakashi.

 Iruka isn't sure what to do though. He can't lie to the hokkage about something so serious but he doesn't want to get his comrade in trouble either.

"Well, Iruka? I don't exactly have all night here."

Dealing with Tsunade is scarier than Kakashi, he decides.

"Well, it appears as if... Kakashi helped her escape. But I can't say for sure--"

"GOD DAMN IT ALL!" says Tsuanade banging her fists down on the table which leaves a crack in the wood. Iruka gulps. "Do you men think with what's in your head or in your pants? For fuck sakes. Well... get Shikaku for me then."

"Right away," he says only happy to leave her office.

"But Iruka," says Tsunade before he's lucky enough to leave. "If you see Kakashi... tell him to come to my office. Immediately."

He nods. "Yes, my lady." 

Now Iruka runs out of her office before she thinks of something else to say.