Just A Failure? Chapter 4: Leaving, a naruto fanfic

A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates. Been busy and stressed. Trying to update. R&R please.

'Shut your eyes let darkness lead the fight, say goodnight
The rest will watch their future die, buried alive! say goodnight
It's time to let out the dead, dead come alive, we wave the flag for the rest of our life
So shut your eyes let darkness lead the fight, say goodnight, say good night'

They finished the mission without any problems.

They were given the next two days off.
As Naruto walked back to his house, he slowly realized that he was going to leave. He had decided it that first night of the mission. He wasn't sad about leaving. The place had never really been a home to him. People hated him.

He packed a few things on auto-pilot. He exchanged dirty clothes for a few clean pairs then showered before putting his pack back on and walking back out of his house.
The blond wouldn't miss this place. Or his so-called friends and comrades. He would leave his headband for someone to find. They wouldn't be able to identify it as his, but he would leave it.

He wore bright orange pants and a black shirt with a swirl on it. He walked, not feeling a single thing. It was likely he was numb. He realized no one cared about him. Not really. He would leave and they would all be better off for it.

Having spent so many hours in the Hokage's office, he knew where he would go. First, he would travel south through Fire country and then into Tea country where he would travel to the port city. Once there, he would travel to Sea country, Haha Island. From there, he would find someone to take him to Marsh country. And from there on, he would walk to Demon country.

He smiled, a sad and twisted smile. He was likely going to his death. But perhaps not. There would be much the demons could teach him. Of that he was sure. Of course, they would likely try to kill him, but that was where nine-tails came in. By that time, he hoped to have been talking to the beast. They did speak as it were, but speaking more. He would get the fox to teach him control of their chakras. To fuse and meld their chakras. Without Naruto, the fox would cease to exist.

He spoke to the fox on occasion. Soon, especially while traveling, he would begin to speak to him constantly. He would learn and the fox would be his teacher. It would better their survival. He would learn much. After staying in Demon country, he figured he would travel to Lightning country, simply because he had always wanted to see it.

Finally, he was near the eastern gate. The gate was open as it was midafternoon. Benches lined the street.
He reached up and untied his headband. The headband he had worked so hard to get. He stared at it a moment, still he felt nothing. He laid the headband on the bench before continuing down the street and out the gate. It would probably take about a week for him to reach Tea country. Maybe a little bit longer.

He walked down the road, not once looking back.

'There's a black flag hangin' over this town, get down! (get down!)
There's a black flag hangin' over this town, get down! (get down!)
There's a black flag hangin' over this town, get down! (get down!)
There's a black flag hangin' over this town, get down! (get down! get down!)

In the land of the weak, we'll put you to sleep, put you to sleep, yeah, put you to sleep
Walk to the sky as you beg for your life, beg for your life, yeah, beg for your life'

Always, Neji's thoughts returned to the blond. He had been quiet all mission. Very unusual. He never once donned his orange jumpsuit either. Sometimes he had to be asked a question two or three times before he even noticed someone was talking to him.
But what bothered him the most, was that it was that failure. He thoughts never failed to drift to him. No matter what he was doing, his thoughts always drifted to him.

For the whole two days they were given off, Neji trained. Tirelessly. He returned home both days with new bruises and cuts.
Yet no matter how hard he worked himself, he thought of Naruto.

He thought of the change in his clothing. He thought of the change in his eyes. The emptyness, the pain, the sadness. The quiet.

These things haunted his dreams. The scene would be the first day Naruto had changed from his normal attire. Except this time, he went over to the blond. He knelt infront of him and peered into his eyes. The blond's normally cheerful and happy baby blue eyes were empty, yet full of pain, loneliness, and sadness.
This dream continued to haunt him well after the mission. Sometimes, the blond would say things like "Why didn't you take my hand?", "Why are you so cold to me?", "What did I ever do to you?", and lastly, "Why won't you save me?"

The ones where the blond spoke to him haunted him the most. His voice would sound tired, scared, and just plain defeated.
Naruto was always cheerful, always happy, always saying "Believe it!" and "I will be Hokage someday!"
Everyone always scoffed at him and laughed.

His dreams haunted him.

Training began again, as did missions. Still, his dreams haunted him.

None yet knew, but Naruto was gone and not coming back. He told no one and no one suspected. Would any notice his absence? Would any care? How long would it take for someone to notice?
A week passed, and no one has begun to look for the blond. Only four people have noticed his absence: Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, and Iruka. The only four that have noticed. Yet none mention it beyond, "He's probably sick or something."
Iruka is to busy with things at the Academy to go check on his former student, sure Kakashi would notify him if something had happened.
Yet Kakashi is preoccupied with keeping his own mind whole, the missions have been weighing more heavily as of late and he has been losing his grip more often, despite Jiraiya's books.