Falling for Temptation (A Kakashi Hatake story) Naruto fanfic

Chapter 57: Right Minus Wrong

A/n: Photo above is from Lucia, it's how I imagine Kallias. (I know it conflicts with all previous descriptions, but all previous ones about his appearance are him in a disguise since he's technically a criminal.)

Tsunade's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, gone?" she demanded, striding towards Areayis. "She was under strict surveillance!"

Areayis stepped forward, clutching something in her hand. "I found this," she said, holding up a small, worn wallet. "It was on the floor by the window."

Tsunade's mind raced. "Damn it," she muttered under her breath. She took the wallet from Areayis and opened it, staring at the photograph of a younger Nhira with her brother, their smiles bright and full of life. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut.

"Send out search parties immediately," Tsunade ordered the ANBU. "We need to find Nhira before it's too late. And make sure the hospital is secure; we can't let anything else slip through the cracks."

As the ANBU moved to follow her orders, Tsunade turned back to Areayis. "You did the right thing by coming here," she said, her voice softer but still edged with tension. "We'll find Nhira and bring her back safely."

Areayis nodded, her expression determined. "We will, Tsunade-sama. We have to."

With that, Tsunade left the room, the photograph still clutched in her hand. The echoes of the past were loud in her mind, but they only fueled her resolve to prevent history from repeating itself.

•

Kakashi stood by Nhira's hospital bed, his face etched with worry. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. He'd come to check on her, only to find her gone.

"She's not here," he muttered, disbelief turning into panic. He rushed out of the room and almost collided with a nurse. "Where is Areayis?" he demanded, urgency in his voice. Guy's student had been the last person he met as he left Nhira's room earlier.

The nurse pointed down the hall, and Kakashi sprinted in that direction. He found Areayis in the lobby, pacing nervously. Her unusual appearance stood out, even in the shinobi world, but her eyes were what Kakashi focused on—they were filled with fear and confusion.

"Areayis!" Kakashi called out, breathless. "What happened? Where is Nhira?"

Areayis looked up, relief and anxiety mingling on her face, almost guilty. "Kakashi-san, she's gone. I think..." She hesitated before telling him about the picture she found.

'That witch. I came here to help her and yet-'

Kakashi's heart pounded in his chest. "Damn it," he swore softly. "Tsunade-sama knows?"

"Yes," Areayis confirmed. "She's already ordered search parties."

Kakashi turned on his heel, heading back toward Tsunade’s office. His mind was racing. The thought of Nhira, driven to such desperate measures, tore at him. He couldn’t let her face this alone.

Bursting into Tsunade’s office, he didn't wait for pleasantries. "Tsunade-sama, I'm going after Nhira."

Tsunade looked up from her desk, her face stern but understanding. "I figured as much. Since I can't stop you, I want you to do this right. Assemble a task force and bring her back."

An hour later, Kakashi and his team—comprising Guy, Yamato, Areayis, as the young girl had insisted—gathered in the security room to review the CCTV footage. The grainy images showed Nhira in her hospital bed. Then, inexplicably, she sat up, her eyes cold and distant. She struck the two ANBU guards with swift precision, rendering them unconscious before slipping out of the window.