Chapter One:Trapped
The groups footsteps echoed throughought the night, and with each step the tension of knowing that the person they were looking for could appear infront of them at any moment. "Let's stop here." Naruto commanded the group. The four other figures stopped and sat down in a thick patch of grass near them. "We will begin to look again in the morning, besides we have little to no information on the people he has been traveling with." Naruto paused for a moment. "They've got to be strong or useful in some way...Sasuke always was a loner." He said standing up and getting a tent to set up.
Naruto was now 19 years old, His blonde hair had grown longer and his eyes had a more mature look to them. He was appointed the sixth hokage at the age of 18 and had been in office since then. When he became Hokage he had vowed to become an even greater hokage than the fourth.Even after he helped defeat Akatsuki many still doubted he had the strength or ability it would take to surpass him. Naruto set the tent up and went inside and unrolled his sleeping bag. He changed into more comfortable clothing and tried to go to sleep.
"Sasuke, Why do we have to confront them, I mean..." Suigetsu began to say but abruptly stopped as Sasuke let out a small growl.
"And I've also told you, I dont want them to get in the way just like last time." Sasuke said watching as the lanterns in the tents were slowly extinguished one by one." Get ready, In five minutes we go for it." Sasuke said, Ever since Naruto had interrupted his fight with his brother, Itachi, A few years before Sasuke had wanted to get back at him. He wanted to get a message across to Naruto to let him be, he did not want to go back to Konoha. He relaxed a little as he watched Kiba walk out of one of the tents with Akamaru walking next to him.
"I'm Thirsty lets go find somewhere to get a drink." Kiba said walking towards the edge of a lake near their campsite. There was a rustle in the trees behind Kiba, He turned to look but nothing was there. "Hmm, Must have been the wind." With this thought in mind he bent down and scooped his hands into the water. The water tasted sweet because they had not stopped much to drink during the day and Kiba was parched. "Wow, that felt good." He said sitting down his eyes intent on the reflection of the moon in the water infront of him. "It's a full moon tonight, The reflection is beautiful." Kiba said to Akamaru. The dog looked into the water and howled in a low tone. Kiba began to laugh as he stood up. "We better be getting back to the camp." He said, turning as he heard the sound of a plop in the water. He didn't see anything so he continued to walk. The hilt of a sword hit him in the back of the neck and he fainted.
Naruto still hadn't been able to get any sleep. He sat up in his sleeping bag and looked at the full moon. "Since I can't sleep I might aswell go to the lake and get our water supply for tommorow." He thought to himself as he walked out into the night. There was a slight breeze which made the tree leaves rustle, so even if he were being watched from the bushes it would have been hardly noticible. He sat down at the edge of the lake and began to fill canteens."Hmm, You chose to spy on us now have you?" Naruto said into one of the bushes behind him. The forest stayed still, the only movement was Naruto who was still filling canteens. "Give it up, I already know your there,Sasuke." Naruto said smirking.
"Well, the rumors i've heard are true. You sure are making a name for yourself, Uzumaki Naruto."Sasuke said walking out from behind the tree which he had been hiding behind."How many times do I have to tell you, I don't want to go back to Konoha. I have other more important things to worry about then some village who's Hokage is a Jinchuriki."Sasuke warned.
Naruto felt the words like a sharp blade piercing his heart. "I'm taking you back to Konoha whether you like it or not, Sasuke."He said in a low tone.
"Try all you like, You won't be able to take me back no matter how hard you try."Sasuke smirked as he heard the sound of fighting back in the direction of the tents."Looks like the fights started, I'll see you around then." Sasuke said. "Oh and before I forget, here's your friend."He added pulling Kiba out from behind the bushes and laying him at Naruto's feet. He gave a small salute, and vanished.
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled into the forest. He would find Sasuke later, now he had to get back to the tents. When he came to the tents what he saw took his breath away. All the supplies they had brough with them had been burnt, nothing was left. Except for the four that had came with him, who were all laying on the grass not moving. Naruto ran to them. "No! They couldn't have!" He knelt down next to Neji who was laying in the grass. He still had a faint pulse. That was good, He proceeded to check the others pulses unfortunately the results were all the same. Thats when the realization hit him, He couldn't leave them there, and they were in no condition to travel. Which means they would have to survive in the woods until they could heal and head back. The real question floating through Naruto's mind was why had they left them immobile? If Sasuke had wanted to kill them he would have done it.Naruto wasn't sure his reason's, but he knew something was wrong.