disclaimer: anything from naruto is not mine. everything else is.

A/N: so i am really proud of how well this story is doing. for only having two chapters out, it has done rather well.

Chapter 3: The Escape

It had been three months. Three months of training with jutsus, finding valuable scrolls, and plotting their escape when they were sure the ANBU couldn't hear them. Today was the day that they finally put their plan in action.

"Ugh, I need a shower." Naruto stated. He was over at Iruka's like he had been every day possible. They had just finished their physical training for the day, and Naruto could tell he reeked. Iruka really knew how to make the exercises hard, even when they were just there to help cover up.

"Well, hurry up, cause I need to take one too. I don't want you to take an hour again." Iruka grumbled as Naruto laughed and entered the bathroom. Iruka shook his head as he heard the water turn on, then went over and started cooking some eggs. Wouldn't do to run away on empty stomaches, after all. He finished the eggs just as Naruto came out of the bathroom.

"Bout time. Go ahead and eat. I'll get some when I get out." Iruka said as he walked to the bathroom. Hearing Naruto's chuckle, he turned around and added, "There better be some left for me, because if there isn't I will make your life miserable." Naruto gulped and nodded. Iruka had already had some fun when Naruto annoyed him too much. Best to just keep him happy.

After Iruka came out and ate they left for one of the training fields. It was time to help Naruto with his ninjutsu. Since it was a Saturday they academy was closed and Iruka would actually be able to help Naruto learn something today.

"Where the heck is he?" Sakura screamed. She and her team were currently looking all over Konoha. Well, most of her team. Naruto wasn't with them, and he had been supposed to meet with them several hours ago. Hence why they were searching all over Konoha, they were looking for their missing teammate.

"I don't know where the dobe is, but he better have a good reason for this." Sasuke grated. He was furious. Why? Because they had been supposed to get a mission, but Naruto was preventing them. With things how they were, it was likely that they would manage to get a c-rank mission for once, and Sasuke was burning to prove himself. Figures the idiot would go and ruin everything for him.

"Is that him over there, with Iruka?" Kakashi suddenly spoke up for the first time. This whole time he had just been following them with his nose buried in his ever present book. In fact, he still had not looked up from it, but when Sakura and Sasuke looked where he was pointing they saw that Naruto was indeed over there with Iruka.

"Naruto!" Sakura screeched as she stormed over to him. Both Naruto and Iruka jumped and whirled around to look at her. "Where the heck have you been, you were supposed to meet us hours ago!"

"Uhh...I was?" Naruto squeaked, fear written all over his face. He knew what was coming. Sure enough, he was sent flying as Sakura slugged him in the face while screaming "Idiot!".

He hit the ground and slid a couple of feet before...disappearing? Yes, Naruto had disappeared in smoke just like what it looked like when one of his shadow clones...died... "What the heck is going on here?" Sakura asked, turning to Iruka, who smiled sadly at her.

"Dang, we were hoping to have a few more hours..." Iruka said, making the others blink in surprise. "We are sorry. I hope to see you all again eventually." then Iruka also disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"What the heck? Iruka sent a shadow clone too?" Sakura asked, confused.

"That's impossible." Kakashi stated, then sighed when his students looked at him in confusion. "Iruka doesn't know the shadow clone jutsu. Which means that it was probably Naruto's shadow clone transformed into Iruka." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"So your saying Naruto wanted it to look like he and Iruka were here together? Why would he do that?" Kakashi shook his head.

"I would think it would be obvious." Sakura and Sasuke stared at him for a second, before Sakura asked why. Before Kakashi could answer however, two ANBU landed in front of the group.

"I'm sorry, but the three of you need to come with us." the ANBU on the left commanded.

"What? Why?" Sakura asked. Sasuke just stared at them in shock. Kakashi just sighed before explaining.

"Because obviously Naruto and Iruka have abandoned Konoha, and they need to question us about their recent activities."

"WHAT!" both Sakura and Sasuke screamed in shock.

Several miles away from Konoha, a young, blond ninja came to a stop on the tree branch he had just landed on and turned to look back the way he had come. His companion landed on the branch ahead and looked back at him.

"Sakura dispelled my clones. They know we left."

"Then we better pick up the pace. We want to be well away from here by the time the Hunter nin start coming."

"Right."

With that, Naruto and Iruka launched themselves away from their trees, traveling faster than before.

"So your telling me that ANBU, the elite of this village, lost track of a genin and chunin? Do you care to explain to me just how this is possible?" Danzo growled to the head of ANBU. The poor man was shaking like a leaf in front of his leader's fury.

"Well, according to what the ANBU tracking them reported, we believe that Naruto had created a shadow clone when he went into the bathroom, then hid when it left. Then when Iruka came in, Naruto created another shadow clone and had it transform into Iruka, and they both hid when it left. When the ANBU followed the clones, they were left free reign to escaped." he said as calmly as he could.

"And how exactly did you miss the pops, not too mention the large quantities of smoke? Danzo ground out.

"Well, they were taking showers, so the water was able to block out the sound and pull the smoke down the drain." Danzo stared at the man for several seconds, his anger rapidly falling away to shock.

"So the ANBU were tricked by simple bathroom utilities? Whatever." Danzo waved his hand before the man could answer. "How far behind them are the hunter nin?" the ANBU head hesitated a moment before answering.

"We...aren't sure."

"What?" Danzo growled, his anger spiking back up. "How hard can it be? I hardly doubt they were able to block their scents."

"The problem is just the opposite, actually." When Danzo looked at him in confusion, the man hurried on. "When we went to both their homes after realizing they left, we found both homes stripped of anything and everything that could be carried. And their scents were picked up leaving from every gate at the same time. Then, just barely out of view, the each scent splits itself several times, each new pair heading of in a different direction. These too together suggest that Naruto create more clones to carry objects that carried his and Iruka's scents. We have no clue which one is the right."

"I don't see what the problem is. Just assign everyone capable of tracking scents on one. Whoever finds the right one can call for back up if needed."

"I already did. But even then, we were only able to cover half of the trails." Danzo's eye widened in shock.

"You mean to tell me that Uzumaki Naruto created over two hundred shadow clones?"

"No sir. That would only be enough to transfer one scent. Since each scent is separate and they travel in groups of two, Naruto had to have created over four hundred shadow clones. And he's still running." the head of ANBU then had the singular experience of seeing Danzo completely and utterly dumbfounded.

Neji's door was flung open so violently it bounced off the wall and slammed closed again. But not before Hinata had stormed through.

"You had a part in this, didn't you?" she screeched at him.

"Your late." Hinata blinked, and Neji looked up from his desk. "I expected you here an hour ago."

"I was on a mission." she growled. "Now answer me. Did you have a part in Naruto leaving?" Neji snorted.

"Of course I did. You don't honestly think he'd just leave, do you? I had to practically push him out the door." Neji's amusement could practically be felt.

"Why?" Hinata yelled. "Why would you do that?" Neji shook his head.

"Please stop yelling. Your going to wake the entire compound." when Hinata glared at him, he sighed. "Would you rather he stayed here and got corrupted by Danzo? Or stuck forever as a genin because he refused to support Danzo? Because that is what would have happened if he had stayed. This way, he gets to leave, and even has the chance to build another hidden village that supports the ideals of the third, and can be a sanctuary for those that don't want to stay underneath Danzo." Hinata blinked.

"Naruto plans on forming another hidden village?"

"Of course he does. Why else do you think he brought Iruka with him? He's going to need someone who can train the locals, and Iruka is the best Chunin instructor that Konoha once had." Neji suddenly grinned at Hinata. "You know, when he finds the place he wants to set up in, he's going to need help. How would you like to help Naruto form a new hidden village?" he asked. "Since I'm the one who's going to be sending people, I can set it up so that you are the only kunoichi there for a while. That would put you at the front of Naruto's female interaction." Hinata suddenly blushed when she realized what Neji was hinting at, and slowly sunk down onto his bed.

"Your really the one who's going to send people to him?" Neji nodded.

"I'm going to be his inside man. I would go myself, but he's going to need someone watching and distracting Danzo for him, so I'm going to fulfill that role. Of course, that puts me as Naruto's only contact at the moment."

"Why?"

"Because I'm the only one he knows he can trust. Which gives us our first mission from him." Hinata frowned.

"First mission? What do you mean?"

"We need to figure out where people's loyalties lay. It takes more than just three ninja to run a village, especially if one of them is devoted to training new ninjas. Your going to need a full team there, which means four ninja other than Iruka. So we need to find people who can go and be your teammates." Hinata slowly nodded.

"I guess that makes sense. When will we be able to join Naruto?" Neji shrugged.

"I'm not sure. He wants to find a place to set up before others are sent. The lower the number in his party, the easier it is to hide. And right now, hiding is of utmost importance."

"Then we better wait to inform the people we choose until the time comes to leave. No need to get them excited too early."

"I agree."

Several miles away from Konoha, an ANBU swore and came to a stop. This was the third time this had happened to him. Dangling from kunia embedded into two trees in front of him were two headbands.

Each bore the leaf insignia.

He had followed the wrong scents.

A/N: i really enjoyed this chapter. it's short, which is kinda disappointing, but it was fun to write. especially since Naruto once again used a bathroom to his advantage. and really, who wouldn't love to see Danzo dumbfounded?

hopefully my chapters will start getting longer from here on out. i feel rather disappointed in myself when i make you month and then deliver a really short chapter.