A Quest for the Sake of Friendship

The car-like horse drawn carriage was heading north to the spot Old-Man Musica told them about.

"I'm bored!" Naruto complained.

"Why don't you tell us a little more about where you're from?" Elie asekd.

"Well... The Village Hidden in the Leaves is one of many ninja nations, but one of five that is led by a Kage," Naruto said, "There are five villages with Five Kages that are part of 5 elemental nations known as the the Five Great Nations."

"There's of course where I'm from: The Village hidden in the Leaves of the Land of Fire, led by a Hokage."

"Then there's the Village Hidden in the Sand in the Land of Wind, led by a Kazekage."

"Then there's the Village Hidden in the Mist in the Land of Water, led by a Mizukage."

"Then there's the Village Hidden in the Cloud in the Land of Lightning led by a Raikage."

"Finally there's the Village Hidden in the Stone in the Land of Earth led by a Tsuchikage."

"But it isn't having a kage that makes the nations great, but the fact they're the biggest nations in the Elemental Nation, from obtaining land in the previous 3 great wars," Naruto finished.

"Makes sense..." Haru said.

"So do all the nations have ninja villages?" Elie asekd.

"No! Some found protection other ways, so they don't have ninja villages like the Land of Waves," Naruto replied, "But to keep peace with othjer ninja nations, I thinkg they hired ninjas for quest."

"Makes sense, help support one nation, for protection," Haru said.

"So... what's north from here?" Naruto asked.

"I have no clue," Haru replied.

"Me neither," Elie said, "Even if I did at one time..."

"Yeah, amnesia," Naruto replied.

"We need to find clues on that story Musica told us," Haru replied.

"You could always start with the village."

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

"Did you say something Elie?" Haru asked.

"It wasn't me." Elie replied.

"If you go north to the valley, you could stop at sky village."

They turned to see the Jellybean/Jellyfish like creature.

"You can talk!" Naruto and Haru yelled.

"Of course I can. My name is Griffon Kato, but you can call me Griff," the creature known as Griff said, "You are Haru, Master Plue, Naruto, and Elie, I presume?"

"Ah... yeah..." Naruto replied.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all," Griff said.

"Why'd he only call Plue 'Master' and not me?" Haru thought.

"Well in that case, maybe when we get there, we can find you a new set of clothes, Naruto.!" Elie said.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" asked Naruto.

"Well for one thing, you stand out more than Haru," Elie replied.

"Hey!"

"Plus, considering those clothes aren't exactly in well condition, I take it those are the only clothes you had since coming here," Elie replied.

Elie had a point there. The jacket of Naruto's jumpsuit that he been wearing since their adventures started was warned down and had a few tears.

"Fine!" Naruto groaned.

"It might be the best. If you keep traveling with only one set of clothes, you'll be out of clothes before the year ends," Griff said.

"Shouldn't you be watching the road?" Haru asked.

"Oh, don't worry. I put the horse on Auto Pilot," Griff replied.

The creature they called a horse was was holding a sigh that said 'Auto'.

"A horse on auto?" Haru asked.

"Strange..." Naruto said.

"Hahahahaha! You sure are a funny little guy. Nice to meet you Griffon Jiro!" Elie laughed.

"Thank you miss, but it's Kato not Jiro," Griff responded.

"Puun" siad Plue.

"Yessir! Whatever you wish, Master Plue!" Griff bowed.

"You can understand him?" Naruto asked.

"Yes! Master Plue suggest we stop for a small break," Griff replied.

"Oh goody..."

...

They stopped to have somethign to eat. After that Haru set out the map of Song Continent.

"So where are we?" Haru asked.

"Let me see..." Griff looked at the map. "We are on the southern part of the continent, about half way between punk street and Ska Village. If we keep going North past Ska, we will reach experiment, which is at the center of the continent. It is the largest capital."

"So the city is huge," Naruto said.

"Yes!"

"Maybe after we get the rave stone we can go visit there," Haru said.

"Yeah, but we should keep Plue within our sight at all time," Naruto said, "We don't want to repeat the dog race incident."

"I'll keep my eye on Master Plue until we get there and after we leave," Griff said.

"Uh... yes on keeping an eye on him at Experiment. No on before and after," Haru responded.

"Yeah, I don't feel comfortable about keeping that 'horse' on auto," Naruto agreed.

"Hey Haru! Come here!" Elie yelled.

Haru walked over to Elie.

"Hey Griff, you know any village that might be able to help with my situation when this is over?" Naruto asked.

"What situation is that?" Griff asked.

"Uh... me returning to my world!" Naruto said.

"Oh... well... if I would have to guess, I would think the Village of Wizards would be a good start," Griff replied.

"Village of Wizards?" Naruto asked.

"Yes! They say that the strongest wizards there can control space and time," Griff replied.

"Is it here on this continent?" Naruto asked.

"No, at least I'm not sure. They're mostly secretive about their location. But if you keep searching for the Rave Stone you might gain some clues..." Griff said.

"Well, it's not like I'm planning to go anywhere soon," Naruto responded.

"It looked like you thought I was crazy!" Elie yelled at Haru.

"I don't think you're crazy!" Haru yelled.

The two turned away.

"What was that about?" Naruto thought with a sweat drop.

"Whatever. I'm taking Plue to the hot spring. Don't go running off, jerk-o," Elie pouted.

Elie picked up Plue and stopped.

"Hey Haru, I've been thinking..." Elie said.

"Oh no... now what?" Haru asked.

"Don't you or Naruto ever try twisting Plue's nose?" Elie asked.

"No!" Haru replied.

"None of us ever did," Naruto respndeed.

"Then how about I give it a try! It looks like a drill after all!"

"It's not a drill!" Haru yelled.

"Hmph, fine! I'm off to the hot spring," Elie said.

"Keep Plue above water!" Naruto warned, "He can't swim!"

"Okay!" Elie replied.

"And don't go doing anything crazy!" Haru included.

"I won't! And you two better not dare to try to sneak a peak or you're dead!" Elie warned.

"Who would do that?" Naruto asked.

"I'm ready to go!" Griff said ready for spying.

"Oh no you don't!" Haru yelled.

"So what were you two fighting about?" Naruto asked.

"Oh... Elie seem to have a feeling that she saw the Rave Stone somewhere, catching me off guard, which she mistaken as me thinking she was crazy," Haru said.

"Oh..." Naruto said.

They waited for a bit.

"So what were you talking to Griff about?" Haru asked.

"Oh, I was trying to see if there's a place that can help me return home once we're done here," Naruto said.

"Oh... wait! So you're actually planning to stay here for the whole rave quest?" asked Haru.

"Yeah... who knows, this adventure might help me prepared for when the Akatsuki strike when I return," Naruto said, "Plus we did promise Elie that we will help her gain back her memories."

"Yeah... we did promise that..." Haru said.

"I find it odd that she had amnesia for a year and haven't had any clues of her memory until now," Naruto said.

"Yeah..." Haru said, "So Naruto, are you really going through this clothes shopping with Elie?"

"I'll have to get new clothes eventually," Naruto said.

Just then they heard a scream. They rushed to the hot spring where Elie was covered in a town.

"Elie, what's wrong?"

"Haru! Naruto! I'm sorry! I turned Plue's nose, and he shriveled up!" Elie said.

"Aaaah! Plue!" Haru yelled.

"Master Plue.

"His body is still warm and wet," Naruto said.

Of course Haru and Elie were too busy panicking to listen.

"Try turning his nose the otherway!" Haru said.

"OKay!" Elie tried and Plue deflated even more. "He's worse now!" Elie cried.

"Puun"

Haru was in total shock.

"What are you doing? Now he's really shriveled!" Haru yelled.

"You're the one who told me to turn his nose the other way!"

"Maybe The Nine-Tail Fox has some ideas..." Naruto thought.

"Hmm... maybe he needs something to eat," Haru said.

"Hold on! I'll go change!" Elie said heading to the forest to change.

"I'll go, uh... lok out for her," Griff said.

"Uh, huh. Not a chance. you're staying with us," Haru siad grabbing Griff.

...

They fed Plue 30 suckers and Plue was still deflated.

"He's eaten 30 pieces and still isn't back to normal..." Haru complained.

"Why is he so withered?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe we should calm down before trying anything else," Naruto suggested.

However Elie took Plue and started putting Plue in water.

"What are you doing?" Haru yelled.

"I thought if I bathe him, maybe he's back to normal..." Elie said.

"Are you trying to kill him? He can't swim!" Haur yelled.

"Hey guys... really... we could just be making a big thing out of nothing," Naruto said, "Trust me, I know.

Haru tried pumping Plue with air with a tire pump. "Pumping him with air will fix him right up." Haru said.

"You'll just make him blow up!" Elie yelled.

Elie dug a hole, placed Plue in it and started covering it up. "Bury him in the dirt! that'll make him better!"

"Where the heck you get that idea?" Haru yelled.

They started arguing whether dirt or air would heal Plue.

Naruto got an idea and walked off.

"Dirt!"

"Air!"

"Dir..."

"Ai..."

Haru's and Elie's fight ended when two waves of water hit them.

"Hot!"

"I wanted to use cold water."

"But the only source of water I could find was from the hot spring."

They turned to see two Narutos, each holding a bucket.

One of the Narutos disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Naruto..." both said.

"Now! Here's what we're going to do," Naruto said, "We're going to let Plue rest for the night. For all we know this could be a side affect of the hot spring since none of us know what Plue is at all," Naruto said, "And... if Plue isn't better by tomorrow... we'll take him back to town to have a vetenarian examine him. Got it?"

"Fine!" Elie and Haru pouted.

Haru reached into a bag and pulled out a tent in a can. It was basically just as said. A canister with a tent in it.

Haru threw it and a huge round tent popped out.

"I'm going to bed!" Haru said.;

"Fine! Good night! See if I care!"

"Hey Naruto, how about we roast some marshmallows?" Griff asked.

"I'm in for that," Naruto said, "I'll summon some shadow clonse to gather some fire wood."

...Later...

Naruto was sound asleep in a tree. Griff was floating in the air sound asleep.

Elie was still alive and look at Plue, who was still deflated.

Elie sighed. "Sorry Naruto, but I'm not going to risk Plue getting worse," Elie said picking up Plue and ran off.

She reached as far as unable to see the camp, but had to stop because the rocky terrain was tearing up the soles of her feat.

"Aw man. Why didn't I put my shoes on before I left?" Elie asked. She looked at Plue and sighed. "Well, I can't just sit here..." Elie said, "I need to get Plue help and fast."

Elie continued in agony.

Then a large shadow creep up on her. Elie turned to see a huge three eyes insect like monster.

"No way... a m-m-m-monster?" Elie asked, "Why now?"

The monster moved forward to attack Elie and Plue.

Haru jumped in front of with his sword drawn causing it to stop.

"If you know what's best for you, you better leave!" Haru threatened.

The monsterous bug tunred and left.

"Haru..." Elie said as Haru sheathed his sword.

"Naruto saw you leave camp with Plue. When you didn't come back, he woke me up," Haru explained.

"So Naruto forced you to come?" Elie asked.

"No... I agreed to go," Haru said, "He ended up being right. All we needed was time to calm down."

"Yeah I guess..." Elie said as she sat down.

Haru noticed Elie's feet.

"Look at your feet. They're all scraped up," Haru said, "Let me take a look at them."

Haru torn off the sleves of his shirt and wrapped them around Elie's feet.

"Haru, I'm sorry..." Elie apologized.

"It's okay... I should be the one to say sorry," Haru respodned.

...

Naruto was keeping watch from his tree top.

"Sometimes when a friend have an argue, they're just expressing how much they care and concerness," Naruto thought.

Naruto thought of Sasuke.

"Isn't that right... Sasuke..." Naruto said.

...

Haru had to carry Elie back to camp as the sun rose. When it did, an amazing thing happened. Plue was back to normal.

"Hey, what do you know? Naruto was right," Elie said.

"Either Naruto is getting smarter traveling with us, or he's getting lucky," Haru said.

"Thank goodness! I was so worried! I'm so sorry!" Elie cuddled Plue.

"Puun!"

"Come on! Let's get back to camp before Naruto send his personal search squad," Haru said.

"Yeah!" Elie agreed.