The Search
Chapter 6: The Search
Midnight had already passed, and the Hokage’s office was filled with an unsettling buzz of activity. Hinata, Temari and Choji were sent home while Ino was put on alert so that she could inform the track teams of possible changes.
The sense of urgency was palpable, each minute dragging with the weight of the search for Sarada. Naruto stood near the window, his eyes staring blankly at the horizon. Behind him, Shikamaru and Kakashi were deep in discussion, working to coordinate the next steps of the operation. Shikamaru’s mind was as sharp as ever, his strategic prowess on full display as he worked coordinating the search. But Naruto barely heard their conversation, his thoughts fixated on the fear of losing her. What if it’s too late? he kept asking himself. What if they were all too late?
Shikamaru, sensing Naruto’s growing frustration, laid out the next steps. “We’ve sent out ten teams for the whole night. Each has a Hyuuga, an Aburame, and an Inuzuka as their sensory abilities are crucial for tracking her in the dark. Those teams will be sweeping the area through the night. Then, we’ll rotate them out and add Chuunin and ANBU teams at dawn.”
Naruto barely reacted. His mind was elsewhere, haunted by the image of Sarada’s face, her absence, and the terror of what might be happening to her right now. He felt trapped by the helplessness that wrapped around him like chains.
Kakashi, seeing the toll it was taking on Naruto, stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder—a gesture of reassurance, rare but necessary. “We’ll find her, Naruto. I promise you. Don’t give up hope.”
---
As 3:00 AM approached, the tension was palpable. The search had continued for hours with no sign of Sarada. Naruto couldn’t sit still. He had insisted on being part of the search, but Shikamaru had made it clear he needed Naruto to help him coordinate the operation instead of risking himself out in the field. So, Naruto paced the Hokage’s office restlessly, frustration eating away at him.
“We haven’t heard anything yet,” he muttered, the words coming out in frustration. “What if we’re missing something? What if she’s just out of reach?” His voice was tight with anxiety.
Shikamaru didn’t look up from the map spread across the desk, his expression focused but weary. “The teams are covering all the possible routes, Naruto. You know how vast the area is. We can’t rush this, even if every second feels like a lifetime.”
Naruto’s heart raced, the word patience feeling like an impossible demand. How could he be patient when Sarada’s life was on the line?
---
The minutes ticked by slowly, stretching into hours, the air thick with unease. Naruto could feel every moment dragging as if time itself was conspiring against them. There were no updates, no progress, just a cold, aching silence filling the room. He wanted to scream, but the words felt too heavy to speak.
---
As dawn began to break, bringing a faint light to the horizon, the first Chuunin teams arrived, eager to take over the search. The fresh teams brought some hope, but it was tempered by the knowledge that there was still no sign of Sarada.
The transfer of responsibility felt like an agonizing step backwards. And still, there was nothing—no sign, no trace, not even a hint of where she could be. The air was thick with worry, each minute making the uncertainty worse.
The situation was becoming increasingly dire. The lack of progress was draining everyone’s energy. But with every passing minute, the urgency grew, and the realization set in—Sarada was still out there, and they couldn’t afford to waste any more time.
It was then, with a sickening twist of his gut, that Naruto made the call to Gaara.
“Gaara,” Naruto's voice came out strained. “How’s the situation in Suna? Is everything still stable?” His attempt to sound calm faltered, the crack in his voice betraying the raw emotion churning inside him.
Gaara’s voice was steady but concerned. “The situation here is under control. How is the situation there? Temari told me… Have you found her?”
Naruto closed his eyes, the question like a knife to the chest. He hadn’t found her. The words were so hard to say like they would make the situation even more real. “No, we haven’t. Sarada…” He swallowed thickly. “She’s still missing. We’ve been searching all night and… we haven’t found her yet.” He paused, his heart pounding as he struggled to keep his voice steady. “We’re doing everything we can, but I'd like you to stay vigilant in case Suna needs to act.”
A heavy silence filled the conversation, the weight of the situation settling over both men. Gaara’s voice broke through the silence after a long moment. “I will, Naruto. I'll do what’s necessary. I'll have a meeting with all my jounin and chuunin to inform them of Sarada’s disappearance. I also recommend you to send a message to the other Kages so that you can cover more ground. In that way, the more allies know about her kidnapping, the more likely would be to find her.”
Naruto’s eyes flickered toward the door where Sakura had last been, and for the briefest moment, he considered not telling her, keeping her safe from the pain. But he knew that was impossible. She would find out soon enough. Her daughter was out there, and there was no hiding from the truth.
“Have you told anything to Sakura?” Naruto’s voice trembled slightly, the tension in his chest unbearable.
“No,” Gaara replied, his tone measured. “I decided to wait until I had more information.” Then, with a slight pause, Gaara added, “Do you want me to tell her?”
Naruto looked down at the floor, the weight of the decision pressing on him like a hundred-pound stone. He shook his head. “Mmmm, I think it’s better if I explain everything to her…” His voice wavered, faltering as he tried to gather the strength he wasn’t sure he had left.
“Okay, when she’s in my office, I’ll call you,” Gaara said softly, his voice filled with understanding.
“Thanks,” Naruto whispered, feeling the last of his resolve shatter. As he ended the call, he stood there for a moment longer, staring blankly ahead, unsure of how to proceed. There were so many things he wished he could say to Sakura—things he didn’t even know how to put into words.
But there was no time left to wait. He had to tell her now.
With a deep breath, Naruto turned toward Kakashi, who had been watching him quietly. His former sensei could sense the turmoil swirling in Naruto’s chest.
“Have you sent the message to Sasuke yet?” Naruto said, his voice shaking with a mixture of fear and determination. The thought of losing Sarada, of having to face that reality alone, was more than he could bear.
Kakashi didn’t hesitate, nodding in understanding. “Yes, we sent a hawk at midnight.” He was calm, the steady anchor Naruto needed right now. He knew there was little else to be said. They both knew that Sasuke would come immediately after reading the message. In general, if Sasuke’s presence was required, he would always come back to Konoha, no matter the cost. However, in this case, it wasn’t Konoha who was in danger, it was his daughter. So they were certain that Sasuke would get here as soon as possible.
But now, there was the matter of telling Sakura.
---
At noon, Gaara’s call came through. Naruto was a bundle of nerves, unsure of how to start the conversation with Sakura. With a shaky hand, he reached for the screen, ready to face the hardest part of the day—the conversation that would change everything.
“Gaara,” Naruto’s voice came through, rough and barely able to mask his fatigue. “I’m ready. Please, have Sakura log on.”
“Understood,” Gaara replied, a hint of concern in his voice. “She’s waiting in the meeting room. I’ll connect you now.”
The screen flickered for a moment, and there, in front of him, was Sakura. Her face was already creased with worry, as were the faces of Sai, Shino, and Kiba. The moment the call connected, Sakura's eyes locked onto Naruto’s, searching for any sign, any hint of what was going on back in Konoha.
“Sakura…” Naruto’s voice was low, and it wavered as he tried to gather his thoughts. The weight of everything pressing down on him made it harder to breathe.
Sakura leaned forward, eyes wide, trying to read his expression. "Naruto, what's going on? Gaara told us something happened in Konoha, but… he didn’t say what. Is Sarada… is she—"
Naruto swallowed hard, his throat dry. He could feel the eyes of Sai, Shino, and Kiba on him, but none of them spoke. They were waiting, too. The silence between them all felt suffocating. "Sakura...," Naruto said again, trying to steady his shaking hands. "Sarada... she was kidnapped."
The words hit Sakura like a punch to the gut. For a moment, her eyes went wide, as if trying to process what he’d just said. Her breath caught in her chest, and her hands gripped the edge of the table, knuckles going white.
“W-What?!” she stammered, shaking her head as if trying to deny it. “Kidnapped? No… No, that can’t be—"
"It’s true," Naruto said, his voice barely above a whisper, as the weight of those words crushed him from within. “Sarada was taken yesterday. We’ve been searching for her since last night, but Pakkun lost her scent in the Naka River. We don’t know who did it or why, but... she’s gone.”
Sakura blinked rapidly, unable to process the reality. The words didn't make sense in her mind. She turned to Sai for confirmation, but his face was just as grave as Naruto’s. Shino’s calm demeanor had fallen, his sharp eyes narrowing with concern, and even Kiba’s usual brashness seemed subdued.
“This… this can’t be happening,” Sakura whispered, her voice trembling. Her heart pounded in her chest, her thoughts swirling in chaos. She turned back to the screen, her gaze locked on Naruto. “How could this happen? Why would anyone take her?”
“We don’t know yet,” Naruto cut in, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. His frustration was beginning to bleed through. “There’s nothing solid yet. No leads, no demands… nothing. We don’t know who’s behind this. All we know is that Sarada’s gone, and we’re doing everything we can to find her. But...” He paused, trying to keep his voice steady, but the crack was still there. “But it’s been hours... We’re running out of time, Sakura.”
Sakura felt a cold rush of panic fill her, her mind scrambling to catch up with the reality that was slowly sinking in. Kidnapped. Her daughter. Taken from Konoha. From her.
“No... No, I—I need to go back,” she said, standing abruptly. Her body felt like it was on fire, her pulse racing as her mind tried to process what had just happened. “I need to go back now, Naruto. I can’t sit here—”
“Wait!” Naruto’s voice cut through the storm of her thoughts. He forced himself to look her in the eye, his gaze pained but determined. “Sakura, please… you have to stay calm. Gaara is already on standby, and we’ve got different teams searching everywhere. We have also sent messages to the other hidden villages so that they can warn us if they find her. As soon as we have a lead, we’ll call you. We’re doing everything we can.”
“But I—I need to be there!” Sakura's voice cracked, and she clenched her fists, holding back the surge of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. “I can’t just sit here knowing that my daughter is out there, and—”
Kiba stepped forward, his usual bravado gone, replaced with a rare seriousness. “Sakura, we’re all with you on this. But Naruto’s right. We’ve got teams out there now. You can’t do anything from here. If anything comes up, Gaara will send word immediately. But right now, you’ve to trust Naruto.”
Sakura’s gaze flickered to Kiba, then to Sai, who nodded slowly, his usual reserved nature seeming to soften for just a moment.
“Please, Sakura,” Sai said gently, his voice uncharacteristically comforting. “We need you strong right now. For Sarada. We’ll all be waiting for the moment we can come back. They’ll find her.”
Shino nodded in agreement, though his words were quieter, more deliberate. “Stay calm, Sakura. Konoha is doing everything it can. They’ll be in touch. We’ll know how it’s going while we are in Suna.”
Sakura took a shuddering breath, her body shaking as she processed everything that was said. She wanted to scream, to break down, to do anything but wait. But deep down, she knew they were right. She had to hold it together. For Sarada.
“I don't agree with this, but okay,” she whispered, her voice strained. “Okay, I trust you. When you find her, please—let me know as soon as possible. I need to be there.”
Naruto nodded solemnly, his own heart heavy. “I promise, Sakura. We’ll bring her back. Just hold on a little longer.”
As the screen flickered to black, Naruto let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Behind him, Kakashi remained quiet, his gaze distant as he stared at the map on the desk. But the tension was unbearable. Every minute that passed felt like an eternity. They were running out of time.
The room fell into an uncomfortable silence after the call ended. Naruto stood, looking at the map, his eyes unfocused. He knew the others would take care of Sakura, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the room just yet. Not while they were still searching for Sarada. Not while her life hung in the balance.
Kakashi, though silent, stood by his side. They both knew what needed to be done. The search wasn’t over. They couldn’t afford to waste another moment.
And in Suna, they’d continue waiting, hoping, praying for any sign of Sarada.
---
The search continued, but the feeling of helplessness hung over Naruto like a storm cloud. There were no leads. No signs. And every minute felt like it was slipping away.
---
At about 14:00, a new team of Chuunin had been dispatched to cover the area around the river. Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi were on high alert as they made their way through the dense underbrush, searching for any trace of Sarada. The sun was burning with such an intensity that they got even more worried. The search was starting to get very frustrating, as they couldn’t find anything.
Suddenly, at 16:00, Pakkun intercepted the group mid-search, his nose twitching as he approached. "Konohamaru," he said, his voice steady but urgent. “There is something unusual on the river. A raft, moving downstream, but it seems off. It’s worth checking.”
Konohamaru’s eyes narrowed. “That’s our lead. Stay alert, everyone.”
The team moved cautiously along the river, the sound of the rushing water drowning out most of their steps. As they rounded a bend, Konohamaru spotted it—through the trees and barely visible, there was a small raft drifting lazily downstream.
“That’s it,” Konohamaru said, his voice steady but tense. “Move in, quickly.”
They approached the raft cautiously, their eyes scanning for any sign of a trap. As they drew closer, Konohamaru spotted the steel cage, its cold metal gleaming and boiling under the scorching sun. As they approached, Pakkun’s sharp nose caught a faint, metallic scent—blood. The hairs on the back of Konohamaru’s neck stood on end. They wasted no time and moved the raft to the edge of the river. There, they opened the boiling steel cage carefully.
The sight that greeted them made their hearts drop. Inside the cage lay Sarada. Her small body was crumpled on the bottom of the steel structure, her body motionless. Her skin was flushed and feverish, and her limbs were awkwardly twisted in the uncomfortable cage, bound tightly by ninja wire.
Konohamaru was the first to approach, the words "What the hell is this?" barely escaping his lips before he felt his stomach churn. Pakkun stood by, his nose twitching as he examined the scene, his usual calm demeanor faltering for just a moment. Konohamaru wasted no time. “We need to get her out,” he said, his voice tight with anxiety. Konohamaru carefully shifted Sarada’s fragile body out of the cage, laying her on the grass. He could feel the heat radiating off of her, her body unnaturally warm. He tried to wake Sarada up by calling her and rubbing his knuckles on her chest, but she was unresponsive. His stomach twisted.
Udon stepped forward, his heart pounding in his chest as his hands worked quickly to remove the restraints from Sarada’s wrists and ankles. “Her skin’s burning up, but she isn’t sweating,” Udon muttered, his voice strained as he continued to free her. “She must be suffering from heat stroke. We need to lower her fever”, Udon said urgently.
Moegi leaned in, feeling the rise and fall of Sarada's chest—if she could even call it that. It was faint, too faint. Moegi repeated, the words chilling her to the bone. "She's barely alive."
Udon stepped back, his face pale as he ran a hand through his hair. “What do we do? We need to—”
"You need to stabilize her," Pakkun interjected, his voice grim. "She's slipping, and we don’t have much time."
Konohamaru swallowed hard. “Shit, we are too far to send a message to Yamanaka-san. Pakkun, go to Konoha—now.” But his words sounded hollow. He felt helpless, his mind racing for solutions that weren’t coming fast enough.
Pakkun was already barking orders. “I’ll go ahead and get word to Kakashi so they can send backup and a medic team, fast.”
Konohamaru nodded, his eyes filled with panic as he looked down at Sarada, her fragile body lying limply on the ground. “What do we do? What if she doesn’t make it?”
Moegi crouched down beside Sarada, feeling for the faint pulse again, and then placing her hand on the girl’s chest, trying desperately to keep her steady. The small life she held in her hands was at risk, and it felt like it could slip away in a heartbeat.
"We need to lower her fever. Get water, keep her cool, anything—" Moegi said, her voice soft but urgent.
Konohamaru, shaking, reached into his bag and took a towel. Then, he soaked it with river water and placed it gently on Sarada’s legs. He then saw Sarada’s broken right leg: her knee was too swollen, and it was deformed. The sight made his stomach churn. Sweat beaded on his brow as his fingers trembled while adjusting the towel. But even as he did so, the feeling of helplessness weighed heavily on him.
"Her body’s too hot," Udon said, his voice strained. "We need to get her to a medical team immediately. We can’t wait here much longer."
Konohamaru turned back to Sarada, panic clawing at his insides as he gently checked her pulse again. It was still weak, erratic—barely there at all. She needed help, fast.
"We’re going to get you out of here," Konohamaru whispered, his voice shaking. But in the back of his mind, a terrible fear clawed at him—what if it was already too late?
The minutes stretched painfully long. The search had been relentless, but no one had prepared them for this—no one had prepared them for finding Sarada in this condition.
And then, to their horror, Sarada’s pulse faltered. Her breathing, already shallow and irregular, seemed to stop altogether for a fleeting moment. "She’s not breathing!" Moegi cried, her voice breaking. Her hand hovered over her chest, desperate to feel any sign of life. But there was nothing.
Konohamaru’s heart stopped. "She… she can’t… no," he whispered hoarsely. Konohamaru’s hands shook as he gently touched Sarada, her fevered skin burning against his palms. With grim determination, he tilted her head back and pinched her nose, taking a deep breath before pressing his lips to hers. His heart hammered in his chest as he exhaled into her, praying she would respond, that her lungs would take in the air. He repeated the motion, each breath a desperate plea for life, his eyes never leaving her motionless face. The weight of the moment was crushing, but he didn’t falter, not for a second. Sarada had to survive. He couldn’t let her slip away.
But still, no breath.
Her body was slipping away in his hands.
Konohamaru’s heart pounded in his ears as he performed rescue breathing on Sarada. As more seconds passed, the team’s desperation grew. "Come on, Sarada-chan. Please... don't leave us," pleaded Moegi while seeing Konohamaru trying to save Sarada’s life.
But no amount of pressure could stop the realization from sinking in—they were losing her. The seconds stretched on, torturous and endless, as the sun continued shining, unaware of the battle for Sarada’s life playing out at its feet. And as the fear and helplessness settled in like a cold weight, all Konohamaru could do was pray. Pray that somehow, someone—anyone—would get there in time.