Chapter One
Two and a half years. 30 months. 912 days. 21,900 hours. 1,314,000 minutes. That is how long it's been since that day. That fateful day when Sasuke left Konoha, his friends, his life, behind. That is how long it's been since Naruto Uzumaki lost his best friend in the entire world. And he was determined to get him back.
A slight breeze fluttered through the forest. Past hundreds of trees, it finally found what it seemed to be looking for. It rustled the nearby leaves, making an ever so quiet sound as it did so. Naruto Uzumaki woke with a start. He sat up quickly, woken by the sounds of the leaves. Looking around, Naruto's heart seemed to race in his chest, punching him from the inside. Seeing that there was nothing nearby, he got up slowly, stretching. He walked over to his pack, grabbing his orange jacket; he threw it over his shoulder, zipping it up half way, leaving his black T-Shirt visible. Reaching into the back pocket of his jeans, he grabbed the roughly drawn map, unfolding it and staring while he searched for food in his pack. He devoured an apple, and was reaching for another one when he heard the branch snap. Stopping instantly, Naruto's ears perked up at the sound, trying to find the source. He stood there, motionless, waiting desperately for something, anything, to happen. As quietly and as slowly as he could, he reached for his kunai pouch which was still strapped to his leg. Pulling one of the razor sharp knives out, he quickly threw it. It flew like lightning through the trees, nailing the small rodent in the head, killing it instantly. Naruto walked over to the body, staring at it with a cold look in his eyes. He had long since gotten used to seeing death. Turning around, Naruto found his way back to his pack. Tossing it onto his back, he headed out.
He walked. For days on end, Naruto walked, never running, stopping only when he was too tired to move on, he walked. Finally, after two weeks, he reached the spot. The spot where his life was torn apart. The Valley of the End. The name seemed so appropriate to Naruto at this moment. This was the point in his life where his best friend in the entire world left him. He had tried to bring him back, threatened to break every bone in his body to do so, but it didn't work. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he could not bring Sasuke Uchiha back home with him. Sighing, Naruto moved on. Out of the Fire Country, and into the Sound Country. Into the country that had stolen his past, his present, and his future. As he walked, it started to rain. The previously sunny sky was shrouded with darkness as the clouds enveloped him. As the rain fell, a single drop of water on his face, tracing a single, wet line, dribbled all the way down to his chin. Blinking furiously, Naruto continued walking.