A Growing Affection

Chapter 70: Gathering the Troops

"What?" Tsunade grunted, looking like she had been punched in the  stomach. Then she forced her surprise and fear away, and demanded,  "Explain."

"We went to the waterfall lagoon this morning," Hinata  started. She took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. Then  she gave Tsunade and Shizune a quick rundown of the morning's fun, and a  more detailed accounting of the battle.

"... he dragged Naruto into  the ground," despite her best efforts, Hinata was crying with  frustration and worry by the end, "I was ready to go after them, but one  of Naruto's clones grabbed me and flash-stepped me away from the beach.  He told me that I had come back and get reinforcements. So I ran back  here as fast as I could."

Hinata wiped her eyes with her wrists and glared at the Hokage again.

"We have to go, we have to save Naruto," the pale beauty insisted.

"It's  not that simple, Hinata," Tsunade sighed. During the tale the elder  medic had remained composed and thoughtful, though she too struggled.  But now the Hokage was in full leader mode, thinking strategically.

"What? Why not?"

"Hinata,  Itachi gave us the locations of fourteen different Akatsuki safe  houses," Shizune put a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder  while she explained. At the same time the healer began to subtly close  the cuts and bruises the Hyuga heiress had acquired during the battle  and her heedless escape.

"They could have been heading to any one  of them," Tsunade nodded, "or none of them. On top of that, only one is  in the Land of Fire. We can't just send a whole platoon into another  country; it would be considered an act of war. Well, we might be able to  get away with it in the Land of Air if we send Temari."

"The  extraction takes at least three days," the Hokage said reassuringly,  "And if Itachi's report is correct, even longer if they don't have at  least nine rings. So our best bet right now is not to rush in too fast."

Hinata looked down so they couldn't see her eyes. She nodded once, and turned to leave.

"Excuse me, Lady Tsunade," the Chunin said hoarsely, "I need to go clean up and get into my uniform."

"Go ahead," the Sannin agreed, "We will let you know if we have any more questions, or if we find out anything."

Hinata hurried out, not noticing that her aches were mostly gone.

"I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade, I can't wait," the teenaged Chunin whispered fiercely, as she ran down the stairs.

"What  now?" Shizune asked after watching the girl leave. The Hokage did not  answer in words. Instead she took an ornate key from inside her shirt  and opened the bottom left drawer of her desk. The inside of the drawer  was filled with an unusual crystal, and the leader of the Leaf Ninjas  invoked an elaborate Ninjutsu. The protective material melted away,  leaving behind only a small, black candle. Shizune closed the door and  the window shades as Tsunade set the talisman on the desk. She wrapped  her fingers around the chakra-laced tallow, and stared intently at the  wick.

"I am Tsunade Senju," she flinched, hating using her  surname, "the fifth Hokage of the Konohagakure. I request an emergency  meeting of the Conclave of Shadows."

A black flame instantly  appeared on the dark string. Instead of casting light into the room, it  sent out a thick outline. The silhouette crept up the empty wall to the  right of her desk, and then began to deepen and change. A black and grey  door formed on the blank space. Once the portal was fully revealed,  Tsunade stood, releasing the candle. She walked intently over to the  previously hidden exit, and turned the handle.