The Price We Pay

A couple of hours later they were laid out across the lounge room floor, the missing person books spread out between them. They were opened to various entries. Children of many ages and nationalities displayed and all with the same MO to their disappearances.

Just after Kyuubi had fallen asleep they had found them there next to him, open to various pages, others marked by bits of torn paper. They must have been distracted for a while not to hear the tearing sound. Sasuke wanted to know how the hell he had torn them with only one hand!

Maybe Kyuubi had done it with his sharp teeth. Either way, both were trying to help in their own way.

"Thirteen kids" Iruka murmured in horror and awe. "There's thirteen children captive of this son-of-a-bitch."

"All between the ages five and fifteen, Sakura and Naruto's age." Madara said this.

"No wonder Naruto refuses to even try to leave" Gaara reasoned "thirteen children at this criminals mercy, he'd do everything to protect them."

"Especially since he knows this is the guy who killed his parents" Itachi added, having joined them all a half hour ago to be filled in by his brother. Sasuke had told him EVERYTHING, knowing his brother believed in Kyuubi as well.

"All of them younger than him and Sakura" Kakashi added, anger on his usually calm features. "This bastard has five year olds!"

"Calm down, Kaka, we'll get them back from him. He won't keep them now we know and any he orpaned like Naruto we'll give them an childhood full of fun, not terror and pain."

"You bet your ass you will, I'll make sure of it" the blonde woman spoke out with.

Kakashi put his arms around his love and lover and smiled "you're right Iruka love."

"Should we contact the PI's and Detectives on these cases and tell them we know roughly where the kids are?" Iruka questioned, "I mean they would want to know, wouldn't they?"

"Not yet" Gaara said out "we should wait until they are rescued and safe, otherwise it's just false hope."

Iruka stared at him in disbelief "what do you mean, false hope?"

"We don't know for sure if and when we can possibly rescue or save them
all. I mean we'll try our damnest, but sometimes things don't go the way you planned or wish." He sighed at the scarred mans face, sometimes he forgot how much of an innocent and gentle soul the Doctor was.

So he added for the others mindsake "we'll do it, we'll find and free them, you'll see."

The man looked relieved and over his shoulder he saw Kakashi nod to him in thanks.

"I think you guys are forgetting something." Tsunade spoke out "Naruto won't tell us where they are. He risks the children otherwise."

"We may be able to convince Kyuubi." Sasuke spoke out "he doesn't like this any more than Naruto and I think he'll be more open to other ideas. He wants their freedom and will see this as the opportunity it is. He'll even hide it from him if necessary."

Itachi frowned at his brother "how do you suggest we talk to Kyuubi without Naruto knowing about it? Even if there was a way, how do we wake him and not Naruto as well?"

Sasuke looked thoughtful "Kyuubi always came to Naruto before when one of us called him, maybe when he sleeps like this we can call him and Naruto will stay out while he talks."

Itachi frowned thoughfully and slowly rose from his position, heading towards the table. When Sasuke called his name softly he didn't answer, only crouched beside the doonar and spoke out cautiously "Kyuubi, can you hear me? Wake up, we need to speak to you, but not Naruto."

He repeated this a few times, over and over until the eyes slowly opened, deep red cat-like and mad. "Why do you disturb me, we need our sleep."

Sasuke moved to his brothers side "we know, Kyuubi and we're sorry, but we have some questions that are important and only you can answer. Naruto can't know about this."

The eyes looked at them blankly for a few seconds the he replied "you want the snakes location and how to reach him, do you not."

"Yes" they were surprised by this knowledge "how did you know?"

"You asked my kit many times but he refused each time. Now you think I will be more reasonable, more approachable." When they nodded and looked at him expectantly he sighed, defeated "do you think I would know even though my kit does not? I can not see or know past what he sees or knows."

"What do you mean, he doesn't know? He..."

"We travel from place to place locked in an windowless van, tied to the wall in the back. How would we see where we are going or coming from?"

The fox spirit had a point.

Iruka sighed "what would you suggest then?" Looking at the spirit looking out of the boy, acknowledging the creature for the first time.

The spirit watched them quietly for long seconds, as if trying to unnerve them. Everyone locked eyes back, sensing this was important, the creature was daring them to look away therefore proving they were lying.

Sighing the creature blinked & looked away himself, whispering almost too soft to be heard "there is a way, one way perhaps. It is dangerous, but one nonetheless."

"Tell us" Gaara said firmly.

The creature sighed again & reluctantly spoke "you found the summoning device the snake implanted in my kit?"

Tsunade spoke out "you mean that chip in his brain?"

The creature nodded "it is a signaling device, designed to both keep an eye on my kit and, in case they are separated, signal an appointed time to escape whoever has him and meet in an appointed place.

The snake will wait a day, perhaps two until you THINK you have him back & then he will activate it. For the safety of the others my kit protects & loves, he will seek to escape you and reach that appointed place."

"He won't" Sasuke started, but Gaara interrupted "don't you see, Sasuke, that's the whole idea."

Itachi spoke out to his brother "think Sasuke, we let him go, thinking he escaped. He runs straight to this prick & we follow at a safe distance. Instead of using his power to hide the van as he's obviously been doing Kyuubi only pretends to, allowing us to follow at a safe distance all the way to this...snakes hideout & the location of the other children."

Gaara nodded in agreement to his adopted nephew "then it is as simple as sending in the SWAT team to get them out and capture this guy, once & for all."

Sasuke frowned "but what if something goes wrong; like he keeps Naruto with him when they send the SWAT in and he holds Naruto hostage? We risk him killing him to keep him from us."

Gaara started to say "it's a risk we'll have to take...." however Kyuubi interrupted him "I am not completely helpless, kit. I have merely held back my energy because of the risk of reprisals to my host. If it meant our permanent freedom I can sacrifice some of my little strength to break free."

The possessed boy looked to the adults "however you will have to move fast one I have done so, as both my host and I will be extremely vulnerable. If we are not aided in your mortal hospital we shall slip into a coma and possibly never recover. The longer we are left in such a state, the higher the chance of death."

Gaara nodded "due to the state the children will be in, we will have ambulances nearby anyway."

"Good" the possessed boy nodded.


For the next hour or so they worked on the plan, sorting through the weaknesses and difficulties until suddenly, half way through a sentence, Kyuubi cut off and his eyes slowly closed. They waited to see what else would happen but when nothing did they shrugged and Sasuke theorized “they must have ran out of energy. That or Kyuubi assumed we could work out the rest by ourselves.”

Madara seemed to suddenly think of something and moved to the kitchen counter, pulling things out of the cupboard and fridge, getting busy and active with whatever he was doing. Sasuke frowned at him “uncle...”

“Breakfast” he answered “for all of us, but especially Naruto. When he wakes he’s going to need all the food and energy he can get.” He understood and nodded, asking if he needed any help. Knowing that his nephew wanted an distraction he nodded his consent.

While Iruka sat beside his adopted son, stroking his hair gently, Gaara, Tsunade and Kakashi spoke in low tones. Itachi rose from beside Naruto and headed over to help his younger brother and uncle, the three Uchiha’s soon busy with cooking, cutting, squeezing and setting.

Once breakfast was ready Kakashi and Gaara gently moved the injured boy to a soft cushioned chair pulled up close to the table, Iruka removed the thick doonar and all other supplies while Tsunade wiped down the entire surface with sanitizer and disinfectant. Itachi followed him with a spray-can of Glen-20 and clean coasters and placemats.

While that was going on Sasuke helped his uncle serve each helping on each plate, murmuring to the boy whose was whose.

When they reached the injured boys, Sasuke paused and frowned "why did you give Naruto only a small amount? Shouldn't he have more than all of us?"

"Sasuke he hasn't eaten an decent amount since the night he was taken. The guy rarely feed him enough for strength let alone energy. Because of not enough food his stomach has long since shrunk and will now only accept a small amount inside. If we give him too much it will make him sick. So consequently we have to give both Naruto & Kyuubi small meals rich in nutrition’s and vitamins often, every few hours or so, and whenever he\they starts to feel hungry."

This made some sort of weird sense to him and nodded his acceptance to his uncle.

The meals and drinks were set out in front of each person with utensils and they had only began to eat when Naruto's nose began to twitch and he moaned hungrily, stirring from sleep.

Silently they all waited for him to awake fully, watching blue eyes slowly open all the way and it was then that Sasuke noticed the deep red flecks in the enchanting colour...signs of Kyuubi and Sasuke knew now both were present and how to tell so.

The boy eyed the plate in front of him like a starved man, but didn't make a move towards it or at all.

The group frowned at him, Iruka speaking first "what's wrong Naruto? Why aren't you taking it? It's all right, go ahead."

Still he didn't move.

"Eat something, gaka" Tsunade said gently "you need it."

Still not a twitch. This worried them more, the Naruto they knew was a bottomless pit when it came to food and always wanted more, sometimes putting away six plate fulls in one sitting, yet THIS Naruto was sitting completely still and silent, only staring at it hungrily.

All but Itachi tried to persuade him to eat, the elder boy watching calmly for a few long seconds before going back to his own food.

While cutting a piece of bacon Itachi calmly spoke over the others to the younger and, yes his, younger 'brother' "Naruto, pick up your fork and eat your food. Now."

To everyone's surprise he did so, reaching out with his good hand to pick up the metal instrument and carefully scoop a load into his mouth, chewing slowly before swallowing.

When he didn't stop all eyes turned to Itachi who was still calmly eating his own. Tsunade was the first to blurt out the question on everyone's mind "how did you do that?!"

"You forget what Kyuubi told us" was the calm answer "this...snake was trying to turn them into a weapon and doing it by beating and blackmailing him into submitting. Obviously he was taught to obey every order or command. He wasn't going to do something until you ordered him to. In his mind it is to avoid angering his 'master' and being beaten."

"But we..." Sasuke started to protest, Itachi glancing at his brother in reproach "he doesn't know the difference, it's instinct to him now."

Reluctantly Sasuke went back to his own meal, followed by the others, Iruka and Kakashi keeping a close eye on their adopted son, least he finish and want more. Sasuke finished first, rising to get more and reached for more juice when Madara called out "bring the jug, it seems he's thirsty too."

Turning back the raven found Naruto's glass empty and almost his plate too. Bringing the jug around he refilled everyone's glasses, nearly filling his 'brothers' to the top and locking eyes with him, "would you like more food, Naru, do you think you'd eat it all?"

After a long silence there was a small nod. Sasuke replied with a firm "good" and went to get the saucepan again.

The injured boy ended up with ¾ the amount of food everyone else ate before he was full and at least three times the amount of drink everyone else took. Sasuke understood this, he had very little moisture left in his body and now that he had a source so near his body wanted it more than food.

When he started to nod off at the table once he was done Kakashi rose “I’ll put him in your bed, Sasuke. Is that alright?” While the raven nodded Gaara spoke up “stay with him. We have no idea when this guy will ‘call’ him.”

This time Kakashi nodded.

Madara spoke up “I’ll bring him some more food in a few hours.”

Again Kakashi nodded.

Gently he lifted the weak and sickly boy from the chair into his arms and once comfortable he made his way up the stairs and down the hall.

Sasuke sighed when he heard the door close behind the man he once saw as a second father and turned his attention back to the others as they went back to discussing the missing hostage children.