Chapter 10: sarutobi-sensei

-Half an hour later-

"You say he's gone?" Hokage-sama was eerily still. 

"Yes, he hadn't appeared for so long, he would need access to food and water to be able to survive, however the shopkeepers had not reported any signs of the boy approaching the market. I assumed he'd be in his apartment but it was empty, his clothes, his weapons, his..." Iruka trailed off as he realised that the boy owned basically nothing else.

Figured. 

Senseis were usually in charge of distributing things anyway.

Hokage-sama pinched the bridge of his nose, "Did you check around the-" The Kage sighed tiredly, "-the Akasen?"

Iruka balked, "T- the Akasen, sir?" What was a child doing in a place like there? Suddenly, he recalled the foreign phrase Naruto had spoken and those outer Nations looking people and oh. Ohhh- everything made sense. Where else would Naruto go anyway if not there? 

"I told him not to go there anymore but I'm sure he still does. Naruto doesn't know that I can watch him from afar." He pointedly looked at the crystal ball. "He goes around to the back and sometimes the workers feed him the leftovers. I don't really blame him if he did go there though, they're the only ones who'd accept him. And I hadn't wanted to restrict his only source of genuine kindness either."

The Hokage looked worn down and absolutely done. His sentences weren't uttered with the same wise elegance, instead, they were verging on annoyed and fatigued.

Iruka felt- not a smidge- but a river full of guilt- not only for further burdening the Hokage, but also for never taking note of Naruto's... well, Naruto's existence.

There was a gentle knock on the Hokage's office door but the chakra signature behind it was all but bleeding with impatience. 

"Come in, Kakashi." The Hokage sighed again.

"Hokage-sama." The Hatake instantly slid into a one kneed position, head bowed- an instinctive move for ANBU- before the Hokage wrinkled his brows. That's when Iruka remembered that Kakashi was supposedly forcefully dismissed from ANBU.

"After-" The ANB- Jonin's voice suddenly turned strained, "After I had returned from my mission, I had found out about Naruto's disappearance and found his last presence in the outskirts of the Akasen. He is not there anymore. However, I have retrieved a note from a prostitute." 

"Give it to me." The Hokage breathed in deeply, eyes clenched shut in barely concealed irritation. "Give the darned letter to me."

A wad of folded paper appeared in Kakashi's hand, raising forwards to the Kage like an offering.

-Hiruzen-

Sarutobi-sensei, it started. 'It was written by Tsunade,' he realised with mild surprise. Hiruzen could already feel the word 'Sensei' glaring up at him in a mocking, derisive way. He knows Tsunade hadn't called him that this entire time.

Sarutobi-sensei, always making a fool out of me with your wise words. Telling me to give that orphan a chance, and not even a few hours later the boy shows off how right your words were.

I'm ashamed in the way I'm leaving with him, but I'm more ashamed in the way Konoha had cast aside such a hidden gem. 

How much time has passed since I caught the traitor? And by that, I mean, how much time has passed since I had left with Naruto? How long did it take for you to notice his absence? How long did it take for you- or anyone- to go check up on him?

I want to know just how badly Konoha had screwed up so I gave myself an alibi here in Konoha for the next month or so. You received reports that I was working and studying but if you had checked up on me, you would've noticed it was merely a clone. If you had just approached me without shame, you would have noticed.

I'm writing this now with my freshly sanitised hands, the stench of rat had never befitted the Slug after all. It has been a mere quarter hour since I dumped the trash into Ibiki's place - glad to know the decent shinobi was still alive- so I'd expect it'd been a minimum of half a week since we had left. One day to check up on Naruto and another to find it in this area. I would go on about the absurdities of why Naruto, an eleven year old kid, was friends with half the prostitutes and underground yakuza but for your sake, I won't.

If you find this letter and more than a fortnight has passed don't wh how will you how can you bot don't you dare both come after chase a- I'll say one thing and one thing only. It's something that I realised I've been repeating a lot since the first letter you sent me.

Disappointing .

You care for the boy, don't you, Sarutobi-sensei?

Either sides of your answer to that question would lead to just one thing: leave us alone.

If you care for him, let him go where he wants for once. He won't be in danger if he's with Shizune and I. If you don't care for him, then why even bother reading this far? From what I could deduce, you were one of the few who showed Naruto care; if even that was fake, let him be.

There were things you have taught me and now, I will apply your wise teachings. 

The Council had requested and I had agreed. Then, just moments ago, I had requested and you had agreed.

Don't- The letter hissed up at Sarutobi, -be a hypocrite.

Sincerely, 

The letter ended the same way Sarutobi's had.

Legendary Sannin

Senju Tsunade

-Iruka-

The Hatake Jonin then promptly gave a stiff bow, flickering out of the area.

The Kage threw the letter onto his table, and Iruka's eyes latched onto the scrawl, immediately jumping to-

If you find this letter and more than a fortnight has passed-

They both cast a glance at the calendar. 

Iruka's heart dropped (in guilt).

It had been exactly thirty one days since Mizuki had been imprisoned.

It had been exactly thirty one days since Naruto had left.

Disappointing. 

They could both hear Senju Tsunade's voice ring.