Consequences of Disappearance

Kushina Uzumaki's Sealing Space.

Minato, looking utterly lost, watched as Kurama went berserk and unleashed a full barrage on Anju.

"What's going on?" Minato looked completely baffled.

Once Kurama had finished venting, Anju deliberately added a few more bruised, swollen patches of color to his own face.

If he did not change how he looked, Kurama's venting would never stop!

Anju glared bitterly at Minato. "You father and son really are alike!"

"What? You've met Naruto? Is he well behaved?"

The moment Minato Namikaze heard Anju mention Naruto, he immediately perked up.

"Yeah, very well behaved. So well behaved he left the Uchiha Clan Residence on his own, then got drugged unconscious and taken away," Anju said offhandedly.

Minato Namikaze's face changed drastically. "What? Naruto was drugged unconscious and taken away? Where was he taken? Didn't Third Hokage send Anbu to guard him?"

As he fired off question after question, Anju's little fox body was grabbed straight up by Minato Namikaze.

"Hey, don't look at me like you're interrogating a criminal. I'm just a Chakra body in the Sealing Space like you. Could I have someone kidnap Naruto?"

Anju chuckled. "As for the Third Hokage, you can ask him yourself. As for how to go, that's simple—use Kushina's Shadow Clone."

"But Kushina has already left on a mission just now. If she appears in the village now..." Minato felt somewhat uneasy.

"Heh. Your son is in danger, and instead of going to find him immediately, you're thinking about something else." Anju rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, if I tell Kushina, she'll abandon the mission without hesitation and go straight back to the village. She'll even dig you out and use Flying Thunder God to return."

Minato's face grew even uglier.

"I'm calling her, then," Anju said.

"Don't! I'll ask Kushina to lend me a Shadow Clone."

After Minato finished speaking, he began forming hand seals to contact Kushina.

In front of Kushina, he did not mention a word about Naruto being abducted, only saying that he needed to return to the village to handle something.

But he refused to say what that something was.

Although Kushina was puzzled, her trust in Minato still made her create a Shadow Clone. After it was infused with Anju's Chakra, Minato Namikaze borrowed Flying Thunder God and returned directly to their home in Konoha.

Soon, Kushina's Shadow Clone in a ninja flak jacket was transformed by Minato into Kushina wearing casual clothes.

The ninja guarding the Hokage Office found it somewhat strange when they saw Kushina Uzumaki suddenly appear in front of the Hokage Building.

Why had Kushina come to the Hokage Building at this hour? Did she have business with the Hokage?

"Go inform the Hokage."

Kushina walked to the entrance of the Hokage Building and spoke to another ninja.

The ninja found it a little strange, because every time Kushina came, she would barge straight into the Hokage Building without the slightest courtesy. Now that Kushina was asking them to report her arrival, it seemed very formal.

In truth, Minato was already extremely anxious.

He had not left a Flying Thunder God formula on Naruto. If he had known there would be a kidnapping, he definitely would have left a Flying Thunder God formula on Naruto.

He knew Third Hokage had the Crystal Ball. As long as he used the Crystal Ball, he would be able to know where Naruto was right now.

"Lady Kushina, the Hokage requests that you come up."

The ninja soon returned.

By the time he finished speaking, Minato had already vanished from the entrance of the Hokage Building.

"Lady Kushina's Body Flicker Technique is amazing."

"Yeah, seriously."

The other ninja also sighed in admiration.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door of the Hokage Office.

"Come in."

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe and looked at Kushina, who obediently opened the door and entered, and choked on the smoke.

Since when had Kushina become so polite?

"Kushina, is... cough, is something the matter? Is there some difficulty with the mission? Why did you come back early?"

"That is not it, Third Hokage. I came here because I need you to use the Telescope Technique to find Naruto."

"Oh? What happened to Naruto?"

"He's missing."

"Cough, cough, cough!" After a fit of violent coughing, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened by half an inch.

"What? How is that possible? How could someone go missing in Konoha... how could something like that happen to Naruto?!"

When Minato Namikaze heard Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, his emotions eased somewhat.

For Third Hokage to react like this meant this matter had nothing to do with him. Thank goodness, thank goodness.

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a while, then said, "Kushina, because the Crystal Ball broke two days ago, I cannot use the Telescope Technique right now. But it does not matter. I will dispatch the Anbu to find Naruto. Don't worry—in Konoha, no one can disappear without a trace."

"Someone!"

At Sarutobi Hiruzen's command, an Anbu appeared in front of the desk. "Mobilize two Anbu squadrons and find Naruto!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Wait. Send one more squad."

"Yes, sir!"

After the Anbu vanished with a Body Flicker, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his gaze to the silent Kushina. "Kushina, can you tell me how you discovered Naruto was missing?"

"Third Hokage, please, I'm begging you to find Naruto."

Minato Namikaze looked somewhat dejected.

Just then, Kushina's Shadow Clone suddenly vanished with a poof.

In the Hokage Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen froze for a moment. So this had been Kushina's Shadow Clone.

Then Sarutobi Hiruzen called another Anbu over.

"Go. Call Danzo here! Now!"

"Yes, sir!"

After the Anbu left, he could not sit still at all. He rose and went to the other side, summoning two ninja to call the two advisors to the office.

"Danzo, you really know how to make trouble for me!"

Meanwhile, at the Uchiha Residence.

Mikoto Uchiha looked at the sky growing darker and darker, then called over Uchiha Sasuke, who was in the courtyard.

"Sasuke, why haven't I seen Naruto?"

"Hmph, I don't know!"

"Sasuke, don't be stubborn. Tell Mom where Naruto went."

Sasuke fidgeted a little. "That Yellow-hair said he was going home."

"Sasuke, why didn't you say so earlier? Naruto's mother went out on a mission. There's no one at his home right now!" Mikoto could not very well blame her own son, so she turned her gaze to Itachi in the courtyard. "Itachi, go to Naruto's place and have Naruto come back for dinner."

"All right, Mother."

Itachi did not refuse and went straight out.

Sasuke was a little unhappy.

"Why does he have to come to my house for dinner?"

"Because his mother asked me to."

"But..."

"Sasuke, Mom already promised Aunt Kushina. Naruto will be staying here for the next few days, so you two need to get along, all right?"

"Hmph, he kicked me in his sleep yesterday!"

"All right, all right."

Before long, Itachi returned.

"Mother, Naruto didn't go home."

"Hm?!"

When Mikoto Uchiha heard her son's words, she panicked a little. "How could that be?"

"Maybe he was too busy playing and didn't go home. Hmph!" Sasuke said with a completely indifferent look.

"Mother, I didn't find any sign of Naruto in the nearby parks either." Itachi Uchiha also sensed that something was wrong.

"I'm back."

Just then, Uchiha Fugaku's voice came from the entryway.

Mikoto glanced at Itachi. Itachi turned and explained the situation to Fugaku.

After Fugaku finished listening, his expression changed.

His political instincts were not poor.

He had already realized something was wrong.