Chapter 10 Rescue

Warning: I am not good with accents, so I didn't try. If anyone is from Africa and is offended I am deeply sorry.

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Sasuke looked out in the distance. There he gasped, in front of him stood a tall, dark man. He wore lanky, loose-fitting clothes that were caked in sand. He walked over towards his quarry, the lion he had shot awhile ago.

Once he reached the carcass, he kicked it, making sure it was really dead. It did not move, it was dead. He grabbed it by its front paws and dragged it from the tree.

"Hey!" Sasuke shouted. "Wait!" He jumped down from the tree.

The man shouted something in African that Sasuke did not understand. But from what his body movements said, he thought he was trying to steal his lion.

So Sasuke stayed where he stood as the man who inadvertently saved his life continued on. And with that shot gun strapped to his back, Sasuke feared that he might shoot him.

"Do not fear him." A man said behind him in an English accent African natives often have on T.V. "He is just trying to feed his poor family."

"Echo!" The man from before shouted. He gestured for him to help.

"You are alone?" The man Echo asked. Sasuke nodded.

Echo smiled from behind, remembering the white man who took him in after his village was burned down and he was all alone. How he hated to be alone.

"You may come with me if you wish." Echo said, walking towards the man with the gun.

Sasuke followed him. Once Sasuke caught up with him he looked at his savior. He was tall and muscular, his shirt was worse off than the other one. His shorts were torn, from the look of it from a fight. His head bore a big nose and a beard, his brown eyes shown sympathy and indifference.

"A crocodile." Echo said, looking down at Sasuke. "It was going to attack some children. It nearly got my legs."

"Wow." Sasuke said.

Echo just chuckled and helped the man.

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"Do you see him?" Naruto shouted at his umbrella.

"Not yet!" It said back. "But we should be able to find him soon."

Naruto groaned. "Do you know how big Africa is?"

"Yes." It said indignantly. "But we are moving very fast and probably could cross every side of this continent within an hour or so!"

Naruto sighed.

"Just keep an eye out!" The umbrella said.

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Sasuke was on the receiving end of weird stares.

"Do not worry," Echo said. "They are not used to seeing people as pale as you."

Despite Echo's intentions, that did not make Sasuke feel any better.

In the village that Echo and the man brought him was small. A few huts, a few children playing soccer and playing with dolls. But the gossiping and conversations amongst the adults were ceased and all eyes were on Sasuke.

A little girl shouted and ran towards the man with the gun. A taller one right behind. "Monturu." The woman said, wrapping her arms around the man with a gun's neck.

"His wife." Echo said to the confused Sasuke. "Monturu has been gone for a week, she thought he was lost and asked me to find him."

Echo gave the lion over to Monturu who would prepare it for his family.

"Come," Echo said to Sasuke. "I will show you to my hunt, uh?"

"Sasuke." Sasuke said.

"Sasuke." Echo said. "Let's go."

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"He's Not in the open!" Naruto roared in anger. "We've got to look in the villages!"

"As you wish." The umbrella said.

They flew down a foot away from a village, the people noticed that he was see-through and cowered away from him, fearing that they had just seen a spirit. Sasuke wasn't there.

They flew to two more, and both times they hit dead ends. But Naruto did not give up, he would not give up.

"Let's give up for today." The umbrella whined.

"No!" Naruto shouted angrily. "We will not give up! We will find Sasuke! And if you try to throw me off like you did Sasuke, I swear if I ever find you again I will tear you to shreds!"

"You're starting to sound like Kyuubi." It retorted.

"Well you deserve to be threatened after what you did to Sasuke and what is happening to both him and me!"

The umbrella remained silent.

"Now lets check out more villages!" Naruto yelled.

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Echo placed a bowl of meat in front of Sasuke. "I apologize for the food. It is all I have for now. I will hunt tomorrow for more."

But Sasuke did not care. He was hungry! He ate the bowl's entire contents and even licked it clean.

"Someone is hungry." Echo said smiling. "I shall get you some more."

He picked up Sasuke's bowl and filled it with more meat. Sasuke ate it all as Echo slowly ate his single bowl.

"Thank you." Sasuke said.

"You're welcome." Echo smiled. He then looked up.

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Naruto sighed happily. He began to become solid looking again.

The umbrella landed a foot away from another village. He walked towards it and looked into huts. He looked into the last one and found Sasuke thanking a tall man.

The man looked up at him.

"Who are you?" The man asked.

"Naruto." Naruto said.

Sasuke turned around and smiled. "Naruto!" Sasuke stood up and ran towards the blonde.

They embraced.

"Is he here to rescue you?" The man asked sullenly, hoping it was true.

Sasuke looked him and said. "Yes, Echo." He smiled and looked and Naruto. "He is."

Echo smiled. "I am glad."

Naruto led Sasuke away from the village, and once they were a foot away Naruto unfurled his umbrella and they took off for home.

Echo stood slanted on the opening of his hut, his arms crossed, and a look of amazement on his face.

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Once they reached home, Sasuke yawned. After Naruto placed the umbrella onto the coat rack, he picked up his tired human and carried him towards their room. Sasuke fell a sleep in his arms.