Author's Note: Nothing in the Naruto universe belongs to me. From here on out, the fictional story that does not follow the cannon is all that I have contributed to Massashi Kishimoto's work.
Alright, I'll make this quick, there is only one main pairing, if you can call it a pairing, and that's NarutoXSakura. This is a rewrite of the origional version of this fic, and I've tried to embellish and fix the errors in my writing. If you a see a mistake, please contact me so I can correct if for other readers's benefit. Also, if you have any comments or critique, you are welcome to drop me a quick review. Thank-you!


Naruto stumbled on the wet dewed tree foliage, his blood splattered slightly on the wood, staining it with speckles of red. He stopped for a moment to try and regain his composure, but his thoughts wouldn't allow him to relax his tense muscles and racing heart. All of the adrenalin made sure that his panicking body wouldn't calm easily, and every passing moment seemed as epic and long as the one before it.

He could tell that Danzo's forces were gaining on him quickly, being highly skilled in tracking, and that this time he had absolutely nobody to run to. Jiraiya was still away on his trip to parts unknown, not giving him any clue as to where he was or even inkling as to when he would return. Danzo had convinced the council that Naruto was too much of a threat to keep in the village, using his slick tongue and shadowy minions, and much too valuable to other nations to be allowed to flee. The old bastard had convinced the main part of the council to have Naruto executed. It was only through a hurriedly scribbled note from Tsunade that he had the small amount of lead that he had, and that was quickly slipping through his fingers.

Naruto cursed when the following enemy had almost caught up to him, the silent assassins slicing through the dusk. It had taken a lot out of him just to escape their grip the first time and was pretty sure that if he became captured again, he wouldn't be so lucky. Kami, what was he supposed to do. Even if he crossed the border, there was a high possibility that the trackers would follow him.

Naruto ground his teeth as he forced his tired limbs and aching muscles to moveagain. He was trying for the nearest border of Wave country. According to Tsunade it was least likely to expel him if the government discovered his identity, and for the time being, that was good enough for him.

Dammit, the Akasuki was bad enough; he didn't these idiots on top of them. He relaxed slightly as he crossed the boundary lines of Konoha. The shinobi appeared to halt close to the line, but Naruto didn't waste time to check. He was officially on his own. Unless he found Jiraiya before he returned home, nobody from his village could help him without being vulnerable for being charged with treason.

With the stars overhead, he had no idea of how far he had exactly gone; with no map, he had only his shaky memory of the countryside to guide him through the landscape. In the dark, every tree looked identical, and Naruto's sense of direction was severely impaired.

Near sunrise, Naruto arrived on the outskirts of a small fishing village. The tiny town was crammed into the nook of a shallow bay that let out into the sea, the water held a slight mist to it that was illuminated by the sun. Narutowent to a stream before entering the village to wash his clothes and wounds and to remove his headband. As he peeled off the sweaty and dirty stained clothes he saw thatparts were butchered and blood streaked. He had some money with him, it would be best to buy civilian clothes as soon as possible to remain inconspicuous. It was best if nobody in this country knew he was a foreign shinobi, it would only raise more questions that he would have no way of answering. If he wanted to avoid arising suspicion of small town's xenophobic villagers, blending in more solidly would be a necessity.

After making himself more presentable, washing his hair, face and clothes, Naruto walked slowly into the village. Nobody seemed to notice him too much, nothing greater than the usual interest of a stranger in a close-knit community, so he guessed that it was safe to continue on. He found a garment shop and purchased two sets of civilian clothes to replace his shinobi ones. After ducking into a deserted alley, checking to make sure that none were watching, he changed into one of the sets, sadly placing his old clothes into the bottom of his pack where his gear and headband were stored.

Naruto then walked to another shop to purchase traveling equipment that he hadn't been able to bring with him. After making his purchases, Naruto realized that he need to rest a night or two before continuing to where ever it was he was going. He asked the shopkeeper as casually as he could muster, "Excuse me, where could I possibly spend a night or two. I've been on a long trip to visit my uncle and I have an even longer way to go."

"Well, I believe there is one Inn down the road on the northern outskirts of town. You could try them; it isn't much, but then again, there aren't many travelers through this part of the coastline," the owner said, vaguely pointing his hand in a general direction.

"Thanks, for the directions and the gear," Narutosaid as he exited the shop. He followed the man's advice and arrived at the Inn. The outside was in slight need of repair, some of the paint peeling- likely due to the persistent moisture that the air always held-but the opening path was well swept and clear. As he entered, he caught the attention of the young man at the desk who quickly shuffled the book he was reading under a nearby stack of papers that did little to shroud the cover. With the quick look Naruto received, he identified the text of one of Jiraiya's more recent installments to his pornographic series.

"Can I help you sir," the acne faced youth asked politely, observing Naruto up and down.

"Yes, I would like to rent a room for two nights."

"Of course, here is your key. You pay the bill when you check-out, and room service will be more then happy to help you with anything else." Smiling, he pointed in the direction of the rented room. "Will there be anything else?"

In a fake serious tone he replied, "Only one. I'd be more careful reading that book that you're hiding under the papers. Something tells me it'll get you hit one of these days."

The employee blushed slightly, "I'll certainly take your adice. Are you a fan?" Naruto rolled his eyes and ignored the question.

Turning, Naruto shifted his pack to the other shoulder as the previously discarded book was quietly shifted back into a readable position and the man's mind quickly became absorbed into the printed story. In doing so, he missed Naruto's muttered 'pervert' as the blond walked away.

After entering his room on the second floor, Naruto tossed his pack in on the bed and flopped down next to it. His body was worn, and he desperately needed to sleep, but his mind would not allow the rest of him to let go and revel in the temporary relief of unconsciousness. Even after the sun had set and his room was cast in darkness, not having enough ambition to turn on the light, the thoughts in his head swirled with turmoil.

Where do I go from here? I could try to find pervy-sage, but that could take weeks. I don't have that much money; I might have to settle down for awhile and then keep trying to find him.The blonde sighed; it was going to be a long night. Down on the bottom floor he heard yelling, words like 'filth', 'pig', and 'in front of customers', floating up through the ceiling like a creeping breeze.

Rolling off his side and standing up from the bed, he walked over to the solitary window that looked out over the sea and minimal urban scenery. The soft murmurs of waves coming ashore created a light white noise in the background for the otherwise mute city. It was way too quiet for his taste.

Nothing I can do now, might as well think about it tomorrow, he thought giving in. He carefully stripped down to boxers and a t-shirt, his body protesting the slightest stretch in any direction, and rolled back on to the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Without the light pollution of larger civilization, his eyes made images on the blank canvas. Pictures that held familiar forms, but the blurred details made them warped and unrecognizable to his mind.

Watching the swirling imagery, he felt the hours tick by, his body physically demanding sleep, but his mind completely fascinated by the show. Slowly, Naruto felt his body calm, and his thoughts grow unfocused. Giving in to the sheer exhaustion of his latest experiences, barely hours before the dawn, Naruto let the dreamscapes of his unconscious mind take control and fell into unconsciousness.