Chapter 3: Unidentified! Everyone's a Suspect!

Hinata Hyuga looked up to where the dripping blood had been coming from, expecting to see a small animal or even some random ninja dead like any other day, but what caught her sight was something she would never forget.

The blood was everywhere, smeared roughly over the pale white wall. Impaled into the high wall by a green handle katana (which her mind worked out as a form of display) was a young teenage boy who looked no older than she was. His sun-kissed blond hair was damped to his face. His cerulean blue eyes held no warmth, but were no more than lifeless orbs that showed his death. His whisker marks were barely visible as the blood stained across his face and dripped from his forehead. His once cheerful and peace-filled smile was now no more than an empty grimace upon his face. The boy's clothes stained with his own blood as his empty hands fell slack at his sides.

Her eyes widened in horror. She felt like breaking down, like throwing up, but it was like her body had yet to register what her eyes were seeing. She felt bile rise in her throat as she wanted to fall to her knees, but couldn't. Tears of shock and anguish mixed with disbelief brimming passed her eyes and dripping onto the ground as she couldn't tear her gaze away from the mutilated body of the blond boy. Finally her mind caught up to her eyes as she let out an ear-splitting scream that was heard all over the village.

"AHH!" Hinata screamed, louder than she could ever remember doing in her entire life. The volume of the scream let out only a mere fraction of what her heart was feeling as she looked up at the boy.

Naruto Uzumaki was dead.

In the Hokage's office, Tsunade was desperately trying to even out her temper and her daily hangover. It was tough, especially since Gaara and his siblings came with terrible news that no one in the Hidden Leaf would want to hear.

The Hidden Sand had been placed on lock down after the deaths of not only Elder Siblings Chiyo and Ebisu, but also Gaara's own sensei Baki. There were others that had died as well, but she didn't catch their names. It seemed that the Hidden Sound was getting out of hand if they could just waltz into the Hidden Sand and slaughter its people before Gaara and the others had took actions.

But something in the back of her head just didn't believe the story. Something just wasn't clicking. It was almost like-

A scream of unparalleled sorrow and volume broke through her thoughts. The ANBU hidden in the shadows of her office were already out to defend her as Shizune came bursting through the door carrying Tonton.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune called as she panted.

"I heard it, Shizune. Let's go!" Tsunade said as she moved swiftly from behind her desk and out the door. Something was wrong, and the cracked picture of a happily smiling Naruto and herself was proof enough.

She only hoped her luck wasn't that bad…

At the Training Grounds, all Genin teams and the Sand siblings were assembled, yet they weren't exercising or anything more than sitting on their asses as they waited for Naruto and Hinata. Kiba made many lewd comments that he was smacked for, and even Kankuro joined in on a few really good ones. Ever since the party last night everyone felt more at ease with each other, even if a few of them couldn't remember much of the night.

Kakashi sat next to Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Neji as he read his book. He had been a bit worried when most of the kids showed up at Training Ground Ten with bottled water and medicine, but was told that they all had "a long night", which for just about any normal person translated to "I have a hangover, and if you fuck with me now, I'll kick your sorry one-eyed ass". So naturally he had to be overly loud when telling them that they needed everyone to be there before they got started, and then even louder when someone sarcastically replied that they didn't catch his words from behind his mask. It was a good thing he carried a megaphone in a sealed scroll in his scroll pouch…

Asuma sat next to Tenten, Ino, and Choji as he smoked his cigarette. Choji happily told him about last night while Ino lazily nodded like Shikamaru would have done. He was fairly impressed that his students could get as shit-faced as they did without having called sick for the day. That meant that next week he'd have to take them out and show them that he was still better than "they're too young to wipe their own asses" young asses. He may have been older than most of their fathers, but he still had it. It wasn't the fact that he was having a mid-life crisis either. Nope, that he nothing to do with proving he was still a "spry young rooster out on the prowl for chicks". He had Kurenai, and him tappin' that up-tight and prudish ass was proof enough. 'nough said…

Kurenai sat with Shino, Gaara, and Temari as she felt like lecturing the kids on such lewd acts and under-aged drinking. What did they think they were? Adults? Sure they could go out into the world and kill for their paychecks, but drinking, kissing games, and the possibly of sex? That was where the line had to be drawn! She would be having a very prudish conversation with Naruto Uzumaki when he arrived. Having a party while they, as in the true adults, were out drinking and having sex with one-nightstands and their relationship partners. The noodle-lovin' boy had to have lost his mind…

Gai stood in the center of the field as he loudly excited his pride in Lee for having earned a kiss, chastise or not, from, everyone at the party before it was over with. While the game was a point to make kissing the same gender not fun, Lee loudly excited that Naruto was the best of all, and everyone else had to grudgingly agree, especially Ino. Gai had been so proud when he found out that Lee had also coped a feel for Tenten as well, but when Tenten overheard and exclaimed that she had thought Lee was Naruto when he had his hands up her shirt, Lee had taken a very large and very blunt weapon to the head right before Gai met the same fate. She then waved the large bat around, telling everyone that if they so much as thought to breathe a word of it she'd kill them personally. They had all simply nodded and moved away from her… well all except Kankuro who, for some reason, was slightly turned on when the woman with weapons wasn't his own sister.

However, before she could hit Kankuro over the head for not being Naruto, or even Neji for that matter, a loud and agonizing scream was heard from the village. Kakashi snapped his book shut as Rock Lee and Gai stopped pretending to be unconscious in their craters. Asuma inhaled his cigarette deeply and then flicked the remaining bud away as Kurenai stood amongst the startled Genin, thought they were only slightly startled by the sudden volume.

"Who in the hell was that screaming?" Temari asked as she was sure that wasn't an everyday occurrence.

"It sounded like it came from the old town square." Sasuke said as Neji nodded in agreement.

"That sounded like it was Hinata." Kiba said, his advanced senses having recognized the voice which screamed.

Gaara stood as he led the others toward the scream, intend on finding out exactly who created it, and why.

"So tell me again where you've been this morning, Sai?" Danzo asked with a cold and narrowed look at Sai, who only grinned back with a poker face.

"I told you, I was taking care of a problem on the way here, Danzo-sama." Sai said in mock politeness with his grin still in place. If it weren't for Sai being his most trusted agent, he would have had the boy retrained for showing disrespect with his fake smile, and his narrow eyed look of self-satisfaction.

"What problem, Sai?" Danzo asked forcefully as Sai merely waved his hand at the dense chakra Danzo was giving off. He wasn't intimidated by it at all, but he knew he was on very thin ice with his fun.

"I told you, Danzo-sama, you'll see in a moment." Sai said as Danzo gritted his teeth, and was about to back-hand the boy through a shop as they walked down the street, but stopped when he heard a mighty scream of despair.

Shame he hadn't caused it…

"Ah, there it is… So beautiful…" Sai said in mock affection as he reveled in the scream. Danzo thought it over, and smirked as he began to hobble toward where the scream had come from.

Maybe he had caused it after all? Even if it was only indirectly…

"ACHOO!" Jiraiya sneezed as he sat up on his futon. He had been asleep all day and night with his illness, but he could tell that he was getting over it. It was just a shame that Kakashi had caught a worst illness than him from their last mission together. Though Tsunade said that Kakashi wouldn't be showing signs of illness until at least today. He'd have to bring the boy some… "worded art" to help with the healing process. After all, proper blood flow was important to any human body…

"Still feeling un-well, Jiraiya-sama?" a voice came from outside his bedroom door as it opened to reveal Anko grinning down at him like she did when torturing a spy. It unnerved him slightly, but turned him on so much more.

As if reading his mind, Anko brought up her foot and stomped it into his male parts repeatedly with her grinning widening each time. She simply loved causing the old perv pain.

"I-Is there an r-reason you're here…?" Jiraiya asked in a slightly higher voice than his normal one as he clutched at his precious parts. He knew he'd never be the same again…

"Not really, only to warn you that if we fine and upstanding ladies of society catch you peeping ever again, we'll chop apart your man bits. Got it?" Anko said alluringly as she smiled down at Jiraiya. He had a feeling that she'd take great pleasure in fulfilling that threat and so would a long list of women, Tsunade being up top in gold letters for her years of faithful service at being on that list.

Before he could get out any emasculent words of submission, a piercing scream of woe washed over them. Anko licked her lips at it, but Jiraiya jumped up with a serious face, though he was back at his knees coughing when he had. Anko helped him back into bed as he knew he wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Go on without me. I'm in no condition to follow after you. I haven't even gotten my medicine or any true clothes. Come back and tell me what's happened, won't you?" Jiraiya said as Anko nodded, out the door in a flash as she rushed to whatever poor unfortunate soul made that scream. She was sure that even though she was enjoying their agony, that somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she wouldn't be for long…

As people, ninja and civilian alike poured into the small town square, each of them gazed up at the body of Naruto Uzumaki in shock and a range of other emotions. While only a fair few were happy to see the boy finally dead, they quickly found themselves morose at the sight of the young girl kneeling under his crucified body crying.

The first of known people to arrive on the scene were Gaara and his two siblings, Temari and Kankuro. All three of them looked up at the body of their friend while features of shock and anguish. Gaara dropped to his knees, clutching his head as Temari and Kankuro comforted him, though they were unable to turn their gaze away from crucified body of their friend; the one responsible for having saved both Gaara and their family.

"Impossible…" Kankuro breathed out as he patted Gaara's back. Temari could only nod in agreement as she gazed up at the body in horror.

The next to arrive was Anko. While she had been grinning the entire time she made her way there, as soon as her eyes took in the sight of Naruto's dead body, she sobered up, and broke down crying right next to Gaara and Hinata. The only person who gave her hope. The only one to smile through out all life had thrown at him. The one who made her believe that just because Orochimaru was evil, didn't mean she was too. He had been her guiding light, and someone had stabbed through him like a rock breaking a light bulb.

"No way… I-It can't be!" Anko sobbed out as she cried.

When Asuma and his team arrived with Kurenai, Kiba, and Shino not far behind they each had to wade through the crowds of crying and sorrowful people in order to get to the front. Once they did each of them were wide-eyed at the sight before them.

Asuma's cigarette fell from his mouth as his jaw dropped in horror. It wasn't long before he too dropped to his knees with tears in his eyes. He pounded at the ground beneath him with his fists as he though of yet another person he had loved like family being murdered by those that simply won't be normal and follow the law. The boy had never did any real harm to anyone, and yet some punk had come along and murdered him just like Orochimaru had his dad. Naruto had loved his father like a grandfather, and Asuma had to admit that if he ever had a son he would have wanted him to be like Naruto. The boy had been an example to them all, following the law, and still smiling when others had downed him. Asuma decided then that he would stop being lazy, and crush any law-breaker that crossed his path. Orochimaru had been allowed to go free when his father had failed to do so, and now Naruto was dead from an unknown criminal as well.

"No! Never again!" Asuma shouted out as he gazed up at Naruto's body through tearful eyes.

"Impossible… Naruto? He was m-murdered?" Ino asked in shock as her eyes landed on Naruto's impaled form.

Ino's tears fell silently as she placed her hand over her heart. True she didn't have much of a connection with Naruto. He hadn't really changed her life or anything, but just seeing him around the village; helping people and happy to do so, had given her a bit of comfort in her choice to be a ninja. It had only been once, but she had been in a funk over whether she still wanted to be a ninja three weeks ago. Naruto had found her, and the two talked; mostly because he won't take "no" for an answer when he saw her crying. She had told him how some of the older kunoichi had said things to her that hurt her feelings, but he told her that she made a great ninja. He had encouraged her to continue doing what she had wanted, but not because he was being nice. He had actually thought she made a great kunoichi, even if he said that she needed to stay out of the flower shop and gossip circles, and do more training. So now that he was gone, what did that mean for her? Even she had to admit, she had begun to fall for him…

Shikamaru was shocked to his very core. The Ninja Academy had told them to prepare to see their best friends dead in the line of service, but he had never actually thought Naruto would be one of them. Then there was the fact that they were inside of their own village. They had all just been partying together just last night! Shikamaru dropped down next to Asuma as his shock washed over him. Was no place safe anymore? Was this the truth of the ninja world? It was with these thoughts that Shikamaru made two promises to himself. The first was to stop being lazy and start using his vast intelligence to help protect those he cared for. The second was to use said intellect to find the one who killed Naruto.

Choji could do nothing aside from stare up at Naruto's body.

Shino hid all his emotions well, but the shaking of his body told the entire story of his shock and sorrow.

"No way…" Kiba said as he gazed up at one of his best friends, who was now dead. Naruto being dead was supposed to be an impossibly. They had all just joked about it last night!

Kurenai couldn't do anything but try and comfort both her Genin, and Asuma. She hadn't really known the young Uzumaki boy, but from Hinata's love of him, and Asuma's care of him, she felt that he had to have been a good person. She settled for hugging Hinata as she patted Asuma's back.

It took Sasuke and Kakashi a while to get through the crowds of crying women, and solemn men as they moved to the front of the crowds. When they got to the front, they met the same sight that everyone else refused to believe.

Kakashi was speechless. Here was his one of his only three students crucified upon a building, and just after Sakura had been imprisoned and waiting for her execution. It was like his sensei and teammates all over again… At the mere thought of reliving his teammates deaths with this fresh new one, Kakashi lowered his mask and vomited blood onto the ground. His hands began to shake violently and his legs gave out underneath him.

"No, dammit… Not now…" Kakashi said as he coughed up blood while some of the ninja around helped him to the hospital.

Sasuke was hit the worst. Here was the only person he could or would ever call his best friend. The only person that made him believe killing Itachi was possible. The only one who could ever get a positive emotion out of him, even though he annoyed him. Sasuke, through tearful eyes and a heavy heart, staggered up beside Hinata and dropped down next to her. He cried worst than the night his family had been killed by his own brother. Had his brother come back to take away the only happiness he had left?

"No, Naruto! Why? Why, you bastard?" Sasuke yelled to the heavens as he cried, pounding his fist into the ground. He could just imagine Itachi killing one of the only people he called friend, telling Naruto how weak he was against the Uchiha might. That bastard!

"What the hell is going on here? Clear the way!" Tsunade yelled as she came upon the crowd. The large crowd of saddened people parted a way as Tsunade walked up.

It was when she saw what was before her that her heart stopped at the very sight. Shizune gave a gasp of shock and covered her mouth at the sight. Tsunade didn't breakdown, though. She knew that there would be plenty of time for that later in the day. So as the tears rolled down her face, she strutted forward with a stone face as she moved to stand next to both Hinata and Sasuke. She couldn't breakdown looking up at Naruto's impaled form. No, she was the Hokage now… she had to set a good example…

"I want this village on lockdown! All civilians out of here! Ninja, secure the village, and prepare a message to the Fire Daimyo! Move!" Tsunade commanded as her voice stayed a solemn steady and her face a river of tears.

The ninja did as they were commanded, but each gave a look back at Naruto's dead body before they went off to do their duties. He would be avenged, they each swore to themselves as they moved about quickly. The only one that hadn't moved were the those still crying in front of the pool of Naruto's dripping blood. Asuma and his team, Kurenai and her own, Sasuke, Anko, and the Sand siblings.

Team Gai had just made it when the other ninja were leaving.

"What happened? We fell behind due to people traffic?" Tenten said as they ran up to the others, not noticing the dead body crucified on the wall.

"Hinata-sama, what happened?" Neji asked, shaking her lightly to get her to notice him and stop crying, "Please, Hinata-sama, answer me!"

Lee tapped Neji shoulder, and Neji looked up only to see Lee wide0eyed and crying as he pointed up at something. Neji followed Lee's gaze and his own pupil-less eyes widened in horror as he and his team noticed Naruto's dead being.

"T-That's… i-impossible!" Neji said in disbelief as he gazed up at the body. It had to be fake. It simply couldn't be real. It was an illusion, some kind of trick. It couldn't be real!

"Ahh! He was murdered?" Tenten said as she too gazed at Naruto's still bleeding form in utter horror. Naruto couldn't be dead! He was too important, and too good to have been murdered like this! It all had to be a bad dream! A horror nightmare that she hoped she woke up from soon.

Once everyone was cleared from the area, Tsunade was about to address them with some words to move on, but a mocking voice came from the far entrance of the area interrupting her.

"My, my. What's all this racket so early in the morning?" the mocking voice said as every turned back to see only a grinning Sai with a pleased looking Danzo behind him. Sai seemed to look up at Naruto's dead body as if just noticing it, and his grin grew.

"Oh that. Yes, it certainly is a tragedy." Sai said a mock cheerfulness as Hinata's face turned from sorrowful to grief-ridden anger.

"Argh! It was you!" Hinata yelled out as she remembered Sasuke and Shikamaru talking to her and the others about the guy that had threatened Naruto secretly. It had to be him!

Hinata was a blur of motion as tears fell to through the air behind her in her enraged and grieving state. She had crossed the distance between them and Sai before most could react with an open-palm strike already reared back. Her hand glowed brightly with blue charka as it took on the shape of a lion's head.

She thrust forward with her full might, and right before she hit Sai's smug face her attack just seemed to stop short and her arm was caught by someone.

"Shikamaru! Lee! Let go of me!" Hinata yelled as Shikamaru held her in place by her shadow and Lee held her arm.

"We can't let you do that, Hinata, and you know this!" Shikamaru shouted back as the others stood shocked by her actions.

Hinata struggled against their hold as Sai chuckled lightly while looking down at her.

"Lee, stand aside. He's a murder!" Hinata shouted as Lee only shook his head sadly.

"I know how you must feel right now, Hinata-san, but I can't allow you to do this. Attacking another Konoha ninja is against the law, and punishable by incarceration. We don't know who might have murdered Naruto, but we must allow him to live if he did it." Lee stated with a sad look in his eyes, but glared slightly as he glanced at Sai fron the corner of his eye.

Sai only scoffed at Hinata before turning away while Danzo moved off to the side to watch the events transpire. Sai began to walk away and Hinata glared at him in pure hate as that smug fake smile stayed in place. When she moved forward slightly, Lee tightened his grip on her arm while Shikamaru re-enforced his jutsu's strength. Lee shook his head as he gazed down at Hinata, hoping she would give up.

"But he's a murder, Shikamaru! Let me go!" Hinata shouted in grief as Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

"You know that I can't, Hinata!" Shikamaru yelled back as Hinata grew an more firece look on her face.

"Stand aside, both of you! I'll kill him!" Hinata yelled as Lee grabbed her other arm just in case.

"Let him go!" Lee yelled at her as she glared at him.

"Can't you hear me! Move!"

"Can't you hear us! Remember your senses!"

Hinata only seemed to grow madder and more enraged as her entire body glowed with charka. Shikamaru cursed lowly as he could feel her breaking free of his jutsu. Lee increased his own chakra output as he matched hers. Before anyone knew what had happened, an explosion from Lee and Hinata occurred, creating smoke, and kicking up winds as the two when in opposite directions while Sai still walked away like nothing happened. Hinata readied herself in the air as the top half of Lee's jumpsuit was destroyed. Lee flipped through the air and skidded across the ground as he landed just short of Sai.

"You dare use such jutsu within the village?" Lee asked in shock as Hinata only galred at him while her palms were a swirling concentration of chakra.

"I see then… How reckless… That leaves me with no choice…" Shikamaru said as got up from having been knocked back like his fellow non-Jonin ninja. Lee nodded as he opened two of the Eight Gates and hopped high into the air while Shikamaru surged forward.

Hinata and Lee moved toward each other, both of them with their attacks at the ready. Right when they were about to collide, dark shadows from the ground moved about them both and wrapped themselves tightly around the two young ninja. Shikamaru stood between them as the shadows moved from under him to secure the two.

"Shadow Binding, complete." Shikamaru said as he stood to full height.

"Calm down now… both of you." Shikamaru said as Lee and Hinata looked at him in shock. Since when had Shikamaru been so powerful?

"S-Shikamaru?" Hinata gasped out as Shikamaru sent her a sharp look.

"Someone, place these two under arrest." Shikamaru said as Lee and Hinata looked at him in shock once again.

"But, wait a minute-" Hinata said as Tenten and Kurenai took hold of her. Lee only closed his eyes and accepted his fate as Choji and Gai took him.

"In times like these we should not have to take up arms against our own." Shikamaru said to Hinata as Tsunade nodded and stepped next to him.

"Especially when your first priority should have been getting Naruto's body down from there." Tsunade said as she and the others looked to see Asuma, Neji, Gaara, and Sasuke getting Naruto's body down with great and gingerly care.

Hinata only gazed up at them coming down with sobs of heartache and grief. She took one last look as Sasuke closed Naruto's eyes and tried hard to compose herself. Naruto wouldn't want her to be a wreck after his death.

Sai turned about to her and Lee as the two were carried off to one of the holding cells in the Uchiha district. He gave them both a mocking grin and a close-eyed look as they both openly glared back at him heatedly, though both turned their faces from him as they knew they had done just what he wanted.

"Thank you, Shikamaru Nara. I'm sorry you had to waste your grieving time on those two and their childish fighting." Sai said as Shikamaru didn't even turn to him while he spoke. He only watched as Naruto's body was created delicately with the sword that had impaled him now laying atop his body.

"You know… Sai, was it? It looked like, just for a second, you were gonna kill both Hinata and Lee." Shikamaru said as he glanced back Sai, whose hand was at his side in a hold to grab the short blade on his back. Sai didn't even flinch at the accusation as his eyes stayed extremely narrowed and his smile stayed in place.

"Now… whatever could you be talking about?" Sai replied smoothly as Shikamaru finally turned to him with a sharp look in his eyes.

"Play innocent if you'd like, but I'll tell you this; if any of my friends are hurt by you, I'll kill you myself." Shikamaru said calmly as Sai grinned at him.

"Oh my, how scary." Sai commented mockingly, "Well then, I suggest that you had best keep an eye on all of them; you don't want any misfortune to befall them now, do you?"

Sai and Shikamaru stared at each other for the longest of times before they turned away, Sai walking off as Tsunade placed a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. Only Tsunade noticed Danzo slip away into the shadows as she narrowed her eyes at his exit.

"Good work, Shikamaru." Tsunade said as she gazed down at him.

"I should have done more." Shikamaru said, more to himself than Tsunade.

"Listen, why don't you-"

"If you don't mind, Lady Tsunade, I'd just like to go home for the day… and curl up in my bed, and cry…" Shikamaru said blatantly as Tsunade nodded.

Shikamaru walked off as Tsunade sighed and ran a hand through her blonde hair. She was sure she was going to get gray hairs soon. She was getting far too old to be losing those she cared for.

"Lady Tsunade! Come quick! Training Ground Seven is completely destroyed!" a random ninja yelled as he jumped down from the rooftops.

Tsunade's eyes widened at what could be a clue to Naruto's mysterious assassination and the murder. She quickly turned on heel and moved toward the training ground like a train off it's tracks. She would figure out all of these mysterious and sudden occurrences. It all made no sense, but she promised herself to get to the bottom of them.

If only for Naruto's sake… and the sake of everyone in the village…