The Red String of Fate: New Generation

Ino Is Missing - Mizuka

Mizuka dropped the boys off at Kakashi's office, only to find Naruto and Sai there already. Sai looked as if he might throw up; Naruto looked impatient.

"Kakashi, what in the hell is going on?"

He was pacing behind his desk.  When he looked over at her, she could see a glint of anger in his eyes.

"We're waiting for Shikamaru to return, but Ino has been kidnapped. We believe that she's still in the Land of Fangs, and we believe that the Hokkaido clan took her, due to what her teammates reported, that a large dog dragged her away."

Shikamaru burst into the door. Kakashi stood up abruptly.  Shikamaru was laden with a large backpack and a map.

"Good luck! Dismissed!"

Mizuka bent down and quickly kissed her boys goodbye, telling them she would be home with Auntie Ino soon and to be good for their Daddy. Turning, she blew Kakashi a kiss over her shoulder, dashing out behind the rest of Team Shikamaru.

They took off out the back gate, heading south at break neck speed.  Mizuka could tell that Sai didn't want to talk; he was at the front of the pack, even though Shikamaru was the captain of this mission.  Nobody was going to stop him; they all loved Ino as family, but Sai had the most to lose if this rescue mission took a tragic turn.  Mizuka always teased Ino about her 'casual' status with Sai, because they all knew that was a joke, even if the couple didn't realize it.  He was connected to her on another level completely.  They had to find her, no matter what.

She looked over at Naruto, who had a look of determination on his face, as did Shikamaru.  She couldn't lose her beloved student.  She couldn't.  She put on a hardened face and pressed on with the rest of Team Shikamaru.

***

It was getting dark when they reached The Land of Fangs; they had travelled for an entire day before they had reached the village's borders.

"Okay, let's split up. Sai and Naruto, head out to the forest and see if you can find some trace of her, Mizuka and I will talk to the villagers and see what we can find out. If you find her, hit us up on the communicator."

Sai and Naruto sped off in pursuit of their friend in the forest, leaving MIzuka and Shikamaru in front of the village gates.  This was the best plan of action; Sai was too upset and Naruto was too... Naruto to calmly gleen information in the village.

"Shall we?"

Mizuka waved an arm in front of her, gesturing toward the village. They started on their way.

"Who do you think we'll have to talk to, Z?"

She sighed.

"Probably the daimyo of the village. I would rather not, I heard they aren't very friendly here-"

"Mizuka Haruno?"

Who in the hell... She turned to find a familiar, friendly face.

"Takeshi!"

The shinobi scooped her up in a hug.

"Wow! You look great! But I guess I shouldn't be swinging the Hokage's wife around in the air, huh?"

She couldn't help but laugh at the rugged shinobi with the burned patch on his face. He was still so handsome. A member of Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds, he had dark skin and a ruggedly beaten shinobi body. His hair was wild with red dreadlocks and a small, well groomed black patch of hair under his lip and yellow clan markings on his right cheek. She turned back to her team captain.

"Shikamaru, this is Takeshi Raiju. We're old friends from way back. I healed him when I was on my travelling tour with Lady Tsunade. Takeshi, this is Shikamaru Nara, advisor to the Sixth Hokage and also a friend of mine."

"What are you doing here?"

"We're staying the night here before heading to Sunagakure, what is the wife of the Hokage doing here?"

"Today, I'm part of Team Shikamaru. One of our kunoichi has been kidnapped and we're trying to locate her. Have you happened to have heard anything about a clan here with large dogs? The Hokkaido clan?"

Takeshi's eyes lit up.

"There were some guys with clan markings and big dogs walking around the edge of the village.  That might be them. You two need a hand?"

"We've got two more shinobi out that way looking for her, but we can always use an extra hand."

"Goto? You ready to help these Leaf shinobi?"

Takeshi's friend stepped forward.  He, too was had dark Kumogakure skin and was rugged looking.  She felt extremely fortunate that she had run into allies in this unfriendly land.

"Yeah, let's go!"