Summary: ANBU is the division responsible for rescuing people from human trafficking, finding homes for those subdued to a hopeless life to feed crime and drug-lords. Sasuke Uchiha was the best agent of his time and he had a mission he couldn't fail: save a boy named Naruto Uzumaki, the key to a past he couldn't unfold.

General Warnings: violence, prostitution, abuse, alcohol, drugs, sexual intercourse, death, human trafficking, age gap, my first attempt of Drama.

Chapter 3 – Naruto Uzumaki.

The roar of the car resonated across the sand impeding its passage. Sasuke attempted to drive smoothly but the loose soil hindered the task, causing the car to tremble noisily as it struggled and failed to maintain speed. Captain's eyes focused solely on his front, his mind running wild with the responsibility in his hands.

"Oi, where's everyone?" Naruto demanded angrily. "Where you takin' me, asshole?" he yelled at Sasuke, nervous and agitated with his current situation. He didn't know what would happen to him and that uncertainty disturbed him more than his previous assuredness of death.

"We're heading to Suna," the captain eventually answered, as impatience consumed him with worry. He needed to take the kid to Master Jiraya for protection; it was vital to fight Akatsuki.

"WHAT?! I'm not going to that shithole!" the boy exclaimed through gnashing teeth, and then proceeded to unlock the car's door in attempt to run.

Sasuke saw the action from the corner of his eye, immediately slamming the brakes to a forced stop. But that was a mistake Naruto was expecting the captain to make, so he easily opened to door and hopped out of the car, running on the scalding sand as fast as he could.

Naruto was small for his age; his body was short and slender, but also agile. After eating and resting, the young boy could prove to be a challenge for the ANBU's captain to reclaim. Sasuke groaned and cursed his stupidity, turning the wheel to the right to follow Naruto over the sand's mountains.

The engine roared louder to climb the sand, managing in time to see Naruto sliding down the dune to his left. Sasuke abandoned the vehicle to run after the boy under the sun, slowed down by the shifting sand, he saw the kid sticking his hand into his pocket to retrieve a handful of leaves, which he stuffed into his mouth.

It didn't take long, however, for Naruto to lose his stamina and fumble to an exhausted stop. When he turned his blue eyes behind him, Sasuke was there, tall and dark in his uniform, extending/spreading his gloved palm, "Spit!" he ordered in a tone that made the younger tremble in the inside. "Now, Naruto."

Naruto looked at him defiantly and gobbed out the mixture of chewed leaves and spit, smirking at the knowledge he had defied the man in his own orders. Sasuke didn't lose his composure at the gesture; it was too immature and childish to be taken seriously, although it was something of a relief to find a hint of ferocity still remaining in Naruto.

"We'll go back to the car and talk. I have questions for you and I'm sure you have some for me as well." His tone was stern and impatient; the last thing Sasuke needed was to waste time.

"I have my questions and you have yours too, blahblah. I wear a fancy scarf that makes me look cool," Naruto scoffed, mimicking the other's words with a mocking sneer.

They walked back to the car and continued on their initial route on the desert, heading to Suna. Naruto crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks, unwilling to cooperate with Sasuke. As far as he knew, the captain could be just like those guys, intending on selling him or using him in some way or another.

"So," the older started, clearing his throat in order to soften his voice. "Tell me what those leaves were. If you answer me with the truth, I'll tell everything you want to know."

Naruto hummed over the bargain, weighting the pros and cons of trusting the guy. Of course, it was the man who had saved and fed him, who had promised to protect him and had run after him in a desert under a scalding sun, not to mention the feeling in his gut telling him to trust the man. The blond boy mused, smirking at Sasuke's slightly apprehensive eyes.

"We gotta deal," he told the older with a grin splitting his face. "Just promise I'm not gonna be in trouble if I tell you."

"I assure you, Naruto. Whatever you might have done in the past, it doesn't matter anymore."

Blue eyes frowned at the expected answer, but his mouth opened without restraint, "Those were basils I stole from the truck when you weren't looking. I was thinking only of myself and those were the only thing that fit my pockets, I'm sorry Captain Nori*."

"It's Captain Inari, smartass," Sasuke responded to the boy's mischievous smirk. "It's fine as long as you realize your mistakes. Do you have any more with you?"

"No sir Captain. I stuffed it all in my mouth. You can look my pockets if you want to," the boy said as he turned his pockets inside out.

"I trust you, Naruto," Sasuke told him with a ghost of a smile on his lips, "And I want you to trust me. Can I count on you to be honest with me?"

Naruto bit his lower lip in thought, then nodded his head with conviction. "Yes sir, I promise."

"I'm glad you're willing to cooperate," Sasuke said with his eyes on the road. "I want to know if the information I have about you is correct." The boy nodded even if it seemed like Sasuke wasn't paying attention to him. "Do you know your full name?"

"No, Naruto is all I got. Because I was found behind a ramen shop."

"Hn." Dark eyes glanced to the monitor showing no threats in the 500m area around the car, "How old do you think you are?" he asked casually, trying to understand the boy's mind.

Naruto shrugged unconcernedly. "11, 12, doesn't matter. Not like anyone throws me birthday parties on a dumpster." Sasuke would have pegged the boy as 10 based on the maturity of his face, although with his small size he could have passed for an eight-year-old. Despite his youthful appearance, the notion of an innocent child dissipated from the Captain's mind as they talked.

"Did you ever go to school? Can you read or write?"

"Pft, as if," Naruto chuckled humorlessly. "I went to school once, but you don't learn how to survive there. I don't need to write or read to live."

"And how did you survive on the streets on your own?"

Naruto seemed unfazed by the direct question as he shrugged his shoulders. "Doing stuff, begging, stealing, whatever got me money."

"Hn. I don't have more questions. What do you want to know?"

The blue orbs shone with the opportunity, his mouth moved faster as he spoke question after question. "What's your real name? And why do you have a mask? Who were those people with the animals' masks? Why do you guys do it? Are you the good guys? Why are we going to Suna and why am I the only one separated from the rest? You need to answer the truth, Captain."

"Fair," Sasuke agreed. "My real name is Seaweed, me and the other people with the masks work for UNBA, an organization responsible for buying little kids and selling them to the circus so they can become happy clowns, bearded women or flying men. I'm taking you to Suna because you're special, Naruto, you'll become the biggest attraction there and that's vital for the world." His voice dripped sarcasm and disdain, his hands gripping the wheel harder at each spoken word.

The initial amazement in Naruto fell, died with the other's answer, leaving him dumbfounded. "WHAT?! What kind of bullshit it is that, you fucking ass?"

The older man sent a death glare to the boy, no amusement on his features. "If you lie to me, I lie to you. It's simple as that."

"I wasn't fucking lying!" Naruto yelled in protest. "You fooled me you bastard and I believed in you! How could you do it? I thought you wanted to help me!" Fake tears fell down his cheeks, causing him to look pitiful, annoying the Captain enough to make him roll his eyes.

"Don't bother trying, Naruto, I can tell when you lie. If you want real answers, you first give me real answers or you can shut up and I'll take you to Suna in the dark." That was final.

The kid was taken aback by the answer, irritation running up from his stomach to his mouth. "That's not FAIR!" Sasuke cringed at the yell piercing his ear, then softened his face to entreat Naruto again.

"Listen kid, I can't help you if you don't want me to help you. I'm not asking you to tell me how your life on the streets was, I already know the pain and the loneliness." He, as ANBU, saw the harsh reality.

Naruto fidgeted with his thumbs, uneasy to say the truth. From experience, the truth was never a good option, lying was better, but he didn't seem to have a choice here. He looked at the man and sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll answer the truth."

He looked at through the car's glass to the same scenery. "Naruto Uzumaki, 13 or 14 as far as I know. I can read and write, and count, never went to school. There was an old lady who gave me shelter and food, taught a bunch of stuff including history and literature." He smiled fondly at the memory. "She had a son that never visited her, but one day he did and found me so he kicked me out and sent her away. I don't know what happened to her."

"I'm sorry," came a soothing response, making Naruto hum. He flinched when he felt a gloved hand running through his disheveled hair, but spoke nothing. "Do you know her name?"

"Biwako."

"I can contact her when I return to Konoha, if you want me to," Sasuke offered.

"Nah, it's fine," Naruto answered nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hn." Then Sasuke smirked seeing the boy sigh in relief. "One more thing, Naruto." The smirk widened as Naruto's shoulders tensed. "Toss the leaves in your palm outside and tell me where you got them."

"Shit," he mumbled, ill-tempered, and opened the window to toss a few more leaves he had hidden in his fists. "Those guys with the guns gave them to us, okay?"

"Naruto," Sasuke warned only once, making the boy groan and hit the back of his head on the seat in annoyance. "First tell me what those leaves were."

"Those were coca plants," he answered easily. "They grow in a farm on the border of Konoha. Don't know who plants them, just that the guy makes a lot money with powder, but if you're fast enough you can get a few leaves," the boy said proudly as he remembered how he got away without a scratch.

"How long have you been chewing coca?"

"Not long enough to get me addicted if that's what you want to know," Naruto answered smoothly. The truth was he had stolen it more times than was entirely safe considering the risks of getting caught, but it was still the least harmful way he had found of fighting the hunger and the pain.

Sasuke didn't comment on that, silencing himself as he sent a message to Sakura to remind her to test the children for drug intake. Naturally Sakura answered 'politely' asking if he wanted to teach her how to do her job.

"Alright Captain Nori," Naruto giggled to himself. "I answered your questions now I want my answers."

"My name is Sasuke, you can check the documents in the glove box if you don't believe me. I work for ANBU, a division under a global human rights' organization. We are specialized in saving children and adults from human trafficking and returning them to their homes if possible. If not, we provide them with new homes and a better path through education."

"Cool! So you kill the bad guys and rescue people," Naruto exclaimed making shooting and explosion sounds with his lips. "Hey, did you save me before? Was it ANBU that killed those guys in the alley? Oh man, that was a close one. I really thought I was dead."

Sasuke frowned at the unusual question. "No, I didn't save you before and I doubt it was ANBU," he answered, feeling guilty over the notion that Naruto had almost died before he was even aware of the boy's existence.

"Whatever, you didn't say why we're going to fucking Suna. It's a shithole!"

Sasuke knew about the difficult situation of the Wind country's capital. The city was entirely corrupted, with half of the population living under the poverty line; only the rich elite had access to clean water and quality food. That, mixed with the high temperatures of the desert and the drug-oriented chaos, made it a veritable hell to live in.

"I'm taking you to a man named Jiraya in Suna. From there, he will take you to a small village called Oto, where you'll start your new life," Sasuke answered accordingly, leaving unnecessary information aside. Naruto didn't need to know the details of the operation, why it was vital he stayed in Oto under Jiraya's protection against Akatsuki.

"Eh, okay, but why me?"

The captain gripped harder on the wheel, unconsciously speeding the car. "My mission is to take you – Naruto Uzumaki, male, 14 years old, blue eye and blond hair, tan complexion and the appearance of a child – to Suna in safety." He glanced at the disappointed boy. "I don't know why 'you'. I'm only following orders." He lied at the end, convincing himself it was for the boy's wellbeing. Naruto didn't need to know he had a highly specialized crime organization after his head.

The blond kid shook the tightening feeling off his chest, instead looking at the route displayed on the car's monitor. "Sasuke, why are we contouring the desert? Isn't it faster to take the HO-76 Route?"

"Faster, but easier to get target. We'll go to the north to the village of Ishi to rest for a night, then we head south to Suna," Sasuke explained calmly, attentive to the radar.

"Where's Ishi?" Naruto asked out of curiosity.

"It's in the border of Wind country, close to the Land of Earth."

"Captain Inari," Sakura's voice reached his ears through the device. "The results of Naruto's blood analysis are concluded."

"Send the information immediately, Kono-hana."

"Yes, sir."

The boy looked at him with an arched eyebrow, but the captain ignored him in order to access the report Sakura had sent him. He stopped the car and downloaded the file, frowning at what he read.

"Look at me," he asked the boy, touching under his eye to observe his pupils. "Did you chew coca when you were encaged?"

Naruto avoided his eyes, feeling uncomfortable with Sasuke's gloves on his face. "Can you blame me for that?"

"No, it's just…" it was impossible, their analysis were precise. "Step out of the car for a moment."

Goosebumps ran up the boy's spine, a knot formed in his stomach as fear tormented his mind. 'Sasuke wouldn't drop him in the desert, right?' he tried to convince himself, unsuccessfully. Naruto needed to run, but he had no more leaves to chew and Sasuke had a gun and a sword, so it was futile to try to escape alive.

"Calm down, Naruto," the man said softly. "I want to take a blood sample from you, it won't harm you."

"Why?" he asked in a tremulous voice, slapping away the hand that attempted to touch him.

Dark eyes softened at the frightened boy. "Because I want to know if you are sick, so I can heal you."

"I'm not sick!" he declared. "You can't cut me because I'm not sick!"

"I will not cut you," Sasuke explained. "I'll use a needle, a small one, you won't feel it." He

tried to reassure the kid, attempting again to touch him. It had been easier to take the first sample when the boy was sleeping.

Naruto permitted the gesture, forcing himself to calm down at the other man's warmth. Sasuke stepped out of the car with the boy, getting a sterilized needle and a syringe. He murmured sweet nothings to the boy, helping him to relax his body as he took the blood.

"I feel dizzy," he admitted as he looked at his fingers, seeing them blurry. His body stiffed when he felt the needle moving inside his veins. "I don't like it." His voice hitched with panic. "Make it stop."

"It's over already," Sasuke said, staunching the miniscule puncture with a cotton ball and covering it with bandage. "It's already over, Naruto," he whispered soothingly, holding the trembling boy. "Do you want to hear a tale?"

Naruto nodded, flashes of a dark place repeating in his mind. It was scary, so scary, but Sasuke's voice brought him a little of peace. He soon found himself entertained by the story:

'The Emperor Ichijo, who reigned at the end of the tenth century, dreamed one night that he received a divine command to have a sword forged by a certain smith named Kokaji Munechika of Sanjo in Kyoto. He sends his vassal Tachibana Michinari to order the smith to make the sword.

Kokaji Munechika was troubled by the Emperor's order, for he had no assistant of sufficient skill to wield the counter hammer. In despair, he comes to the Inari Shrine to pray to his patron, Inari Myojin, the God of Grain. There he is accosted by a young boy carrying a bundle of rice ears. To Munechika's surprise, the lad calls him by name and tells him that he need not fear obeying the Imperial order, as a skilled assistant will be forthcoming. Munechika asks in amazement how the boy knows of his tasks.

"Heaven has a voice which is heard upon earth. Walls have ears and stones tell tales. There are no secrets in the world. The flash of the blade ordered by him who is above the clouds is quickly seen. By the grace of the Emperor the sword shall be quickly made," the boy replies and tells Munechika to go home and prepare his forge, and then vanishes.

After all preparations have been made, the Imperial messenger Tachibana Michinari arrives to take delivery of the sword while Munechika awaits the arrival of the promised assistant.

Suddenly on the hanamichi, there appears Inari Myojin in the guise of a fox, the animal sacred to him. He joins Munechika and together they forge the blade. When it is done, Munechika engraves his name on one side and offers it to his assistant, who places his on the other. The fox prophesizes that this sword will bring peace and prosperity, and then vanishes.

When Munechika examines the blade to discover the name written there, he finds "Kogitsune" or Little Fox and it is by this name that the sword is known ever after. In the end, Munechika joyfully delivers the weapon to the Imperial messenger, fulfilling his duty.'

Sasuke sighed in relief to see the boy wasn't trembling or pale anymore. He took his sword and showed to the kid, smiling as his blue eyes took in the inscription 'Kogitsune'. Naruto gasped and grinned at the Captain, a new sense of hope blooming within his chest.

…

Naruto napped with the car's rocking, a small blanket covering his body. Sasuke had placed the blood sample on the computer's analyzer and the results mirrored the ones Sakura had sent him. There was no mistake.

Sasuke looked at the sleeping boy, more questions arising in his mind about the kid. It shouldn't be possible for an orphan child, who lived on the streets and who was visibly malnourished to have an immune system in perfect condition. He had no diseases, which was a relief, but too unusual to be believed. Even the drug tests came out negative, which should have been a mistake considering the small dosage of coca leaves he had taken shortly before having his blood drawn.

However, nothing. It didn't make sense.

Sasuke would have liked to run more accurate and deeper analysis to understand how he boy's body functioned. It could be the key to understand why Akatsuki was targeting him but for the time being, it was impossible due to the scarce of resources. He would leave the information in Jiraiya's hands and hope for the best.

…

A few hours of silence later, Naruto was utterly bored. His legs drummed on the carpet, anxious to move but locked inside the small space. The silence irritated his overactive mind, making him imagine various scenarios and revive painful past experiences.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Sasuke asked, watching the boy 'dancing' on the seat.

"No," the boy said quickly. "How long until Ishi?" he asked impatiently.

The Captain smirked at the childish question, and considered answering with a typical 'Soon,' but he chose honesty. "Two days."

"What?! But you said we would rest for the night there. How am I gonna pee or take a dump?"

"I did tell you we have a chemical bathroom installed in the back of the car." The Captain retrieved a squared object from one of the many compartments and handed to the boy, "Here, have fun."

The blue eyes took in the dispositive with care, widening to realize what it was. "Wow, a tablet! I never saw one so close! How do you use it?"

"There is a small button on the side, turn it on and find out for yourself."

"Awesome!" His eyes glinted at the mobile, his fingers fast to explore what it could do, busying himself with the infinite games and possibilities the device provided. He was too absorbed in a non-ending game when Sasuke stepped on the breaks, causing both to suffer inertia's influence. "What the fuck?!"

Sasuke ignored the outburst to hop out of the car, fuming at whom he saw. "What are you doing here?!"

Karin took off the helmet to look at her captain dead in the eye, seriousness and determination glowing in her ruby orbs. "Captain Kono-hana sent me to enforce the boy's safety, Captain Inari," she said getting off the motorcycle.

"Go back, Genkuro. This is my final order." Sasuke said coldly, angered by the disobedience of his primary orders. It was his mission. "You need to assure the safety of the other children."

"No sir, Captain Kono-hana has the situation under control. It's a better option to be here with you, my Captain." She kneeled in front of him, showing her respect despite her words.

The feeling of metal touched her neck, making the woman grit her teeth in frustration, the blade of the sword as cold as Captain Inari's voice. "I don't want you here, Karin. You'll only get in the way, you're too weak to protect me," he said arrogantly, trying to humiliate the girl.

Karin stood up when the blade left her neck, then silently mounted the vehicle and left. If Sasuke thought of her as useless and weak, then there was nothing she could do against the orders of her superior.

The Captain watched the cloud of sand that billowed in the wake of the girl. "I'm sorry Karin, but I can't let you die on me. I'm capable of protecting Naruto on my own." Without looking back, he entered the car, dismissing the questioning eyes of the boy.

*Nori means seaweed

AN: Great news everyone, I have a Beta (breather) now and she's absolutely amazing, so cheers for her! So I reposted the improved version of the previous two chapters.

Here's the list of the correlation between characters and their codenames until now. I'll update it as the story goes.

Captain Inari – Sasuke

Inari Ōkami is the Japanese kami of foxes, of fertility, rice, tea and Sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success, and one of the principal kami of Shinto. In earlier Japan, Inari was also the patron of sword smiths and merchants.

Genkuro – Karin

Hair-cutter: kitsune who made a habit of tracking down women in Tokyo, and cutting off their hair. Throughout the play, it is learned that kitsune are feminine in nature.

Koan – Suigetsu

Buddhist priest: a kitsune who would wander around, telling others he was a Buddhist Priest to be invited into homes, where he would tell sermons and be treated as a proper guest.

Gengoro – Juugo

Express messenger: a kitsune known for having the strength, speed, and vitality of three people.

Kono-hana – Sakura

Konohanasakuya-hime is the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life. She is often considered an avatar of Japanese life, especially since her symbol is the sakura (cherry blossom). Kono-hana is also the goddess of Mount Fuji and all volcanoes.

Gyosha – No one specific

Means driver according to google translator.