A/N: Hey Everyone! So I lied, this chapter isn't that much longer and it didn't come out as fast as I wanted it too, please forgive me! I've been so enticed with this new drama that I completely forgot about writing. Nevertheless, the drama ended so here I am, back to writing! I apologize again and hope the next chapter will come out quicker. Thank you to everyone that read and reviewed, I'm so grateful to have such lovely readers! On to the story though!

Disclaimer: Don't own. Period.

Warnings: A little ooc for the characters maybe, but it's necessary for the story development.

Chapter 10

A New Start

...

"You're a lord as well?" Naruto stammered out as the other began walking away. "Wait! Aren't you going to ask me who I am?"

Gaara stopped in his tracks but decided to humor the blonde, honestly he didn't care much for other people but he hated creatures that preyed on the weak. "Who are you then?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, thank you for saving my life," He responded and bowed to show respect. Gaara could have sworn he heard that name somewhere before but disregarded it and continued on. His brother wasn't exactly a patient person. It was bad enough he had dragged Kankuro out to the Uchiha's land but if the red head didn't make it back on time, he would never hear the end of it. Besides that factor, they needed to leave as soon as possible before any castle guards found out that they were there uninvited. He proceeded to walk away when he heard a set of footsteps rushing after him.

"Gaara! Wait, let me go with you!" Naruto stated, finally catching up with the Western Lord. He couldn't just stay there with a dead body lying only a few feet away.

The redhead paused, amused by the boys actions. This Naruto was too trusting to strangers, even calling him by his first name as if they'd known each other for years. He contemplated the idea of taking the blonde with him, not exactly too fond of it but…there was something different about this kid. He didn't trouble with a reply but simply nodded his head in agreement. Maybe Naruto was the change that everyone needed.

The blonde sighed with relief on having a destination to go to now. He happily followed after Gaara thankful that he could at least get some much needed information now, about this new world. Unfortunately, he was bummed to see that the other wasn't so talkative. Thirty minutes into their journey and neither of them had spoken a word yet.

"So Gaara, what were you doing in these woods?" Naruto asked, trying to start some sort of conversation to ease the thick atmosphere.

"I should be asking you that question Uzumaki, seeing as you had a trained assassin after you." Gaara replied back dully. "I can see that you clearly aren't from around here, and you lack any fighting skills what so ever."

At that point an angry scowl marred across the blonde's face. Of course he couldn't fight off trained assassins. He never had a reason to fight off a trained assassin, considering that they never bothered to kill him before. Naruto pursed his lips in annoyance and decided to just keep his mouth shut. He didn't exactly understand what was going on, and frankly didn't want to discuss his whole life story to a stranger either. Even if the stranger saved his life, he wasn't going to cling on to every word the guy said.

Naruto understood that he had to do what was best for survival. Walking behind the redhead he felt so lost and confused at the world. He came to a decision that he utterly hated the feeling. Why couldn't that bastard Sasuke just leave him alone? Naruto didn't belong in this demon realm and as the seconds ticked by, he felt more and more unwelcomed. It seemed like someone was etching away his previous life and slowly replacing it with this fantasy new one. He was in a different land with no one he knew. The only person who he could take solace from was the teme that brought him there. Maybe Naruto was being weak, maybe it was all too much but the boy didn't know how to handle the situation anymore. It was as if the silence confirmed the reality of his situation. Reluctantly, a lone tear slid down Naruto's cheek as he trailed after Gaara, his frustration finally finding a release.

Gaara heard a small sniffle and stilled, repressing all motion to move forward. He turned his head slightly to validate the sound of a sob. Naruto almost bumped into the other's form as he stopped too. He didn't even notice that more and more tears were gliding down his cheek as he looked to the redhead. Angrily, he wiped his face away of the moisture, embarrassed that Gaara not only saved him but had to see him cry as well. Naruto felt his pride dwindle down by the second, and the feeling of being useless only resurfaced more.

"I don't know what happened, and I won't bother to ask. But, let me tell you Uzumaki, life goes on." Gaara explained, looking up to the endless clouds of blue in fascination. "If all you do is cry and feel sorry about the situation, nothing good is going to come out of it. I've learned from personal experience that life will move on without you, whether you choose to follow her or not."

Naruto listened intently to the words flowing out of Gaara's mouth like liquid fire. Everything he said was true, and as much as it hurt to hear the truth, it was exactly what he needed to keep moving on. He didn't need to cry and wish that things could be different because, there was no way to change it at that point. He needed to move on.

"Come on, we have to keep going." Gaara ordered. Naruto nodded absentmindedly and paced forward to catch up with the Lord, feeling a bit more assured.

At last, Gaara advanced the two out of the maze like forest into an open clearing where two huge black horses stood. Naruto's gaze shifted back and forth from the majestic animals standing with such grace in the open area. He was positive that his mouth was probably hanging agape but truly, Naruto had never seen anything so stunning.

"Are those really horses?" the blonde asked, intrigued by the grand appearances. They were bigger but still had the notable long mane and strong bone structure. The aura though, that radiated off the animal was just so enticing.

"No." Gaara stated out simply. That word left no more room for conversation and Naruto literally bit his tongue from retorting back. What was up with people and their one word replies? He couldn't decide if Gaara's limited vocabulary was as bad as Sasuke's grunts.

"They're not horses per se but breeds from the Arion lineage. They're the most sought after Arion horses in the land because we're the only kingdom that can breed them." A voice sounded from behind them. Naruto quickly turned and came face to face with the stranger.

"Who's this kid you brought Gaara?" the brown haired guy mumbled out, arms crossed over his chest.

Naruto eyed, who he could only think, was an acquaintance to Gaara. The other had shabby brown hair and odd purple markings lined across his face. Unlike Gaara though, he had so much more of a vibrant personality and physically was more built.

"My name is Naruto." He replied back bowing a little, not sure of the proper customs yet. "Who are you?"

"The name's Kankuro, I'm Gaara's brother." He replied back. Naruto stared in shock as the two held no resemblance at all. It seemed his expression must have been funny, seeing as Kankuro laughed heartedly.

"Yeah, I get that look all the time. Just wait until you meet Temari." He replied back with a broad smile. "So, why are you here?"

The blonde opened his mouth to reply back but then closed it suddenly to halt his thoughts. What was he supposed to say? You're brother saved me from a deadly assassin sounded to suspicious, and he really didn't want Kankuro to think that he was a culprit.

"He's a wanderer and wants to travel with us." Gaara answered plainly, leaving no room for questions. "Let's get going."

The older brother shrugged uncaringly and made his way over to the black beasts. Kankuro easily hopped onto his black Arion horse, rubbing the animal soothingly as it trotted in place. The redhead did exactly the same but as he mounted, Gaara slowly held his hand out for Naruto to take. The blonde understood the motion and quietly sighed to himself. Looking back at the forest of trees, he had only wished that Sasuke would come running out of it and begin scolding him for breaking their deal. Sadly, that was only his fantasy; he'd probably have more luck of seeing a dragon run out of the forest instead. Hesitatingly he turned back to the Lord and grabbed hold of the offered hand. Gaara hoisted him up onto the horse effortlessly and slid both arms under the blonde to grip the reign tightly.

"Hold on," Gaara commanded and whipped the reigns to signal a go. Suddenly the horse jerked forward and ran. Naruto couldn't even begin to describe the speed of power the animal held. He had never been on a horse before but he was positive that they didn't go this fast. The force of the wind speed was hopelessly pushing the blonde against the redhead's chest much to his discomfort. Regardless, Naruto held on to the saddle's front and kept quiet as the animal carried them off to who knows where.

Even with the horses running at full speed, the travel time to the western kingdom was still pretty lengthy. Half way through the trip, Naruto unconsciously dosed off, still wondering mindlessly about Sasuke's wellbeing.

...

Sasuke jerked awake suddenly, a chilling feeling spreading its way throughout his whole body. He lifted his upper torso sluggishly into a sitting position and tried to remember what had happened. For some odd reason, his head was throbbing painfully and there was a dreading feeling in the pit of his stomach. The Uchiha definitely knew something was wrong, the only problem was figuring out what. The last thing he remembered was yelling at Itachi and then going to see his father …with Naruto. Instantly, the raven jumped out of the bed and ran towards the door. He had to find Naruto, knowing his father, there was an unlimited amount of possibilities that the blonde was in danger. Just as he opened the door, a figure he definitely didn't want to see was coincidently blocking his path.

"Itachi, get out of my way!" Sasuke yelled at his older brother. The only thing running through his mind at the moment was finding his blonde. He had to find Naruto!

"Naruto's gone." Itachi murmured out to his otouto, seeing his panicked state.

Sasuke barely heard those two words as he locked eyes with Itachi. "What?"

"He's gone," Itachi said again and observed with pity at Sasuke's shocked expression. He noticed his brother's head bow down and watched the other crumble carelessly to the floor. The older man sighed with disappointment, watching his younger brother act so un-Uchiha like. Love did such horrible things to people and yet, everyone yearned so much for that feeling. Seeing that his brother needed a bit more time to adjust, Itachi turned to leave when Sasuke mumbled out something incoherent.

"What did you say?" Itachi asked, looking back over his shoulders. Fortunately, Sasuke hadn't lost all of his Uchihaness and refused to shed a tear.

"I don't believe you! Where are you hiding him?" Sasuke replied back furiously. After years of chasing after the blonde, he was not going to let his brother and father stand in the way of his life. There was no way Naruto would just…leave him.

"Whether you believe me or not otouto, it's still not going to change the fact that Naruto's left. You can search as much as you want, and you'll never find him." Itachi stated as emotionless as ever. "Father gave him a choice to stay here, with you, or his freedom and of course, Naruto chose his freedom."

Sasuke looked up, dumbstruck as the words his brother mouthed out sank in. He stared into Itachi's eyes for any lies and turned away, knowing there was no way he could even read his brother's expressions. "That's impossible Itachi…Naruto…"

"Naruto left without hesitation. He mentioned something about going to find his father instead of wasting time here, as a prisoner." Itachi continued. "He didn't love you Sasuke; he was only staying because he was unwillingly brought here. Forget about him."

The younger brother turned away completely from Itachi, actions speaking louder than words. The older Uchiha understood entirely and gently closed the door, leaving the younger man to mourn as he pleased. Walking away from the room, Itachi felt a sting of guilt, constantly stabbing at his chest. To say that Itachi enjoyed his brother's pain would be a lie. As much as he loved teasing Sasuke, there was a limitation to the endearment. It didn't matter though, regardless of his thoughts, he had to follow orders for now, until everything began to unfold.

...

Sasuke pressed his back against the wooden doors and slid down into a sitting position as he heard Itachi walk away. Sasuke was aware that he must have looked pretty pathetic to be this heartbroken over an idiot but things just didn't add up right. He knew his dobe, and going back on his word was something the blonde never did. Even if he wanted to leave, Naruto agreed to Sasuke's terms of the deal, and would stick through to it. There was no way the blonde would just leave.

The raven ran sweaty hands through his dark locks, aimlessly thinking over what Itachi had said. Then again, he did take Naruto against his will, into an entirely new world. If it was any other sane person, they would have left at their first chance at freedom. Maybe Naruto wasn't all dumb and loyal after all. Sasuke rubbed his temples at all the intruding thoughts and thumped his head against the door. He didn't know anymore, he didn't know what to do. Even if there was a possibility that Itachi was lying, where was his Naruto?

...

"Naruto, were here."

Naruto easily stirred awake and opened his eyes to see a giant gate, blocking an entrance to outside travelers. He jumped slightly when he heard a slow creaking sound and suddenly, the gates gradually opened to the most amazing sight the blonde had ever seen. There were endless vendors lined up on opposite sides of the streets, different buildings everywhere in many shapes in sizes. He felt as if he stepped back into the renaissance time period or something, seeing everything so undeveloped. Was this really the Underworld?

"Look everyone, Lord Kazekage is back!" a street vendor shouted happily. Others begin to notice their beloved Lord as well and began cheering loudly.

"Everyone must love you here Gaara," Naruto said to the redhead as the horses made their way through the crowded streets. Many commoners bowed their head in respect while others presented various goods to give to their lord.

"It wasn't always that way," Gaara replied as he reached over the blonde to grab an offered fruit from a random vendor. "Here."

Naruto took the apple like fruit and bit into it carefully. It was fairly sweet and very ripe as he continued to munch on it. He took in all the surrounding, the variety of colors and people that inhabited the place. The houses looked like they were made from a sort of clay material and were built very closely to each other. Everyone looked so happy and everything was simply lively.

"It's so different here," the blonde pointed out. He didn't receive a reply as Gaara maneuvered them out of the busy area, into a more remote forest. He noticed Kankuro quickly ride up beside them, as the vast amount of space finally allowed him so.

"The castle is sectioned off from the main town, so if anything ever happens, it would be more convenient that way. "Kankuro explained. "We're almost to the castle though so hang in there."

Naruto nodded and kept silent as the older brother strode ahead quickly just as jovial as the villagers. He frowned vaguely to himself, there was such a tense atmosphere between Gaara and him, to the point where it was undeniably uncomfortable. They rode on forever in quietness; the horse slowing down to a snail like pace. The blonde constantly listened to the sounds that nature had to offer, seeing as it was the only thing he was familiar with. Being so distracted, it wasn't a surprise as he gasped when Gaara prodded his side to get the boy's attention.

"We're here." the redhead indicated, nodding his head forward towards a distinct object in the distant.

Naruto squinted his eyes and noted what the Lord was signaling to. As the horse came closer to their destination, the magnificent castle that stood amongst the throngs of greenery became more and more breathtaking. It looked to be made of the same material as the small houses but was much more luxurious. There were splashes of indigo on the roof tops and beige bricks aligned on top of each other creating a massive stair way leading to the entrance. There were at least ten guards outside awaiting the Lord's return as he noticed the horse had come to a halt. He felt Gaara easily slide off the horse onto the ground, and saw Kankuro do the same. Naruto carefully lifted his legs and heaved it over the large horse, landing on the soil with a soft thud as well.

"Welcome to the Western land Naruto," Kankuro invited as he walked over to comfort the blonde. "Or as we like to call it here, Suna."

Naruto gulped slightly at the change of scenery but, replied back with a huge brightening smile. Unrelatedly to all that had happened, he would have to make the best out of it.

...

A/N: So the chapter is over! I felt as if this was more of a filler and I'm sorry if the story is going at such a fast pace. I'm trying to slow it out because I really want to develop the characters and bring depth to the story line. I'm already writing the next chapter so hopefully it comes out faster. Thanks for reading and please do review!