I give you, Chapter Twelve! Thank you for your constant support and patience! :)

Arc I: The Direction of Home

As The Years Pass
Chapter Twelve

The realisation hit the rest of the Konoha ninja like boulders amid a rockslide. Sakura shook her head in disbelief, glancing from her sensei to her friend.

"Naruto?" She reached out to touch his shoulder when no response came.

Naruto didn't lift his head. His eyes were in shadow, and he appeared frozen in place, his hands clenching in his lap. He could feel Kakashi's gaze burning intensely into him, and he was sure the veteran ninja could hear his heart beating hard against his rib cage. Each was waiting for the other to move.

Kakashi took a slow step closer.

Naruto leapt to his feet with a yell, hurling the canteen of water in his lap towards the Konoha Jounin. Water spiralled from its open top and splattered to the ground, stray droplets hissing menacingly as they were entrapped by the fire's flaming tongues.

Kakashi swatted the canteen from the air with the back of his hand, as if it was nothing but an annoying fly, and brought his hand back with a snap to grab Naruto by the wrist. The blonde had dived towards him, flinging a hastily clenched fist at the Hatake's nose, hoping to catch him off guard with a quick attack. He should've known better of his sensei, though; nothing ever caught Kakashi by surprise, not when it counted.

The Jounin caught his wrist with a sure hand, and yanked his ex-student towards him roughly; Naruto toppled slightly and stumbled forwards. Suddenly, Kakashi's knee slammed into his stomach. He coughed, lurching to the side; Kakashi's elbow smashed down between his shoulder blades – Naruto may have been his former student, but his mission took priority over compassion.

Watching them, Sakura gasped at the pain she saw flash across Naruto's face; she didn't know what she should do. What could she do? She couldn't go against her sensei. There was a sick feeling rising in her throat; what was Kakashi doing? That was his student!

But before she could do anything, there was a hand on her arm, and Ino was whispering next to her, "Don't worry, Sakura. You know Kakashi won't really hurt him."

She blinked sideways at her rival, and bit back the uncertainty she felt; her hand to her lips, as if pushing back a wail of anxiety, she said, "I hope you're right, Ino." She turned back to the scene in front of her, just in time to see Naruto fall to the ground with a thud, wincing.

All credit to the blonde, he hit the ground and immediately rolled to the side, springing back to his feet with more dexterity than Kakashi remembered him having. The Hatake moved one leg back to steady himself as Naruto leapt towards him with a steely grit in his eyes, resigned to the fight.

Kakashi brought up a palm and shoved away Naruto's returning fist, quickly shifting his centre of gravity to catch the leg swinging up into his stomach. For a split second, his eyes met Naruto's, but then Naruto puffed out of existence in a burst of smoke.

Feeling his fist jerk to a close around nothing but space, Kakashi span on instinct, whipping a kunai from his pouch and deflecting the sudden flurry of shuriken slicing through the air towards him. Their sharp points flashed in the light flickering through the forest canopy, and the clangs of metal meeting metal rang in the Jounin's ears as he batted the weapons away.

The last shuriken quivered dangerously as it crashed down into the ground, and before Kakashi could react, still following the momentum of his last lunge, he felt an elbow dig hard into his lower back; he grunted, but didn't stagger under the blow. Instead, he lashed out backwards with his heel, and caught Naruto hard in the knee. He heard Naruto hiss out a curse, before the tell-tale noise of a clone dispersing punctured the sound. Two other clones its place, leaping at Kakashi with a cry of purpose. Kakashi fought them off with ease, and this time three clones took their place.

The Jounin sighed, and stared the three clones down in sudden disappointment, before intoning to his left, "Why are you hanging back, Naruto? This isn't like you. You don't just let your clones do the dirty work."

Naruto himself crouched behind a tree a small way away, grunting in irritation. Kakashi knew exactly where he was, of course he did, but nonetheless, the blonde didn't give himself away.

"You know full well," the middle clone answered his former sensei, "that I don't want this."

The Copy ninja shook his head slowly, almost regretfully. "I have to take the scroll back, Naruto. You know that."

"But I don't want to fight you!" The clone cried out. "I mean, that's just messed up!"

Suddenly a scowl of anger flashed across Kakashi's face. "You're on your own now, Naruto!" The Jounin barked. "You don't get to choose who to fight!" And in a flash, all three of Naruto's clones exploded from existence. Naruto gasped and stumbled off his knees, but he couldn't escape the sharp blow that caught him in the jaw. His head rebounded off the tree inches from him, the smell of wet bark assaulting his nose, and he felt a hand grab him by the collar, throwing him back into the clearing. Naruto hit the ground with a harsh, heavy smack, and he cried out angrily, tasting a hint of blood in the back of his throat. He shuddered, and rolled onto his side.

Kakashi was standing a few feet from him, looking down at his prone form expectantly. "Get up." He demanded shortly.

Naruto looked up at him with a mixture of irritation and confusion on his face. "What are you doing?" He demanded of his sensei. "You could've taken the scroll just then!"

However, his teacher just continued to stare down at him. "Get up," he said again. "I'm teaching you a lesson."

Naruto gaped at the Jounin, before slowly, gradually, clambering to his feet. "Your lessons never used to be this harsh," the blonde grumbled before Kakashi silenced him with a short jab of his hand.

"You don't get to choose your fights out here, Naruto," he explained. "You know that, yet you expect me not to fight you. I'm on your side, you know — but as of right now, I'm your enemy. And I can easily kill you if you keep screwing around! So stop holding back, and fight!"

With that, Kakashi lurched forward, and delivered a swift kick to Naruto's navel. Naruto gasped in pain and surprise, and away to his right he heard Sakura cry out involuntarily; he didn't look at her. He stayed bent over for a few moments, catching his breath, and then slowly he met Kakashi's eyes with a scathing glare. He got the message loud and clear:

Fight me.

With a feral yell, Naruto launched himself at the Jounin, unleashing a flurry of blows that put his usual speed to shame. He could hear nothing but the blood pounding in his ears. His feet dug into the ground as he pushed himself harder; he began to throw out fierce, jabbing punches that Kakashi had helped him develop long ago. Of course, Kakashi knew every move, every feint he made. But pretty soon, he guessed — no, he knew — Kakashi would slip.

He didn't have to hold out long. In a stroke of luck, Naruto managed to slam his heel into the Copy-nin's ankle, and the Jounin staggered. Seeing his chance, the blonde flicked a blade from his sleeve and thrust it downwards into Kakashi's shoulder; however, just in time, the older ninja managed to twist his torso, and the kunai only sliced past his skin, leaving a thin cut instead of a stab wound. Naruto, however, smirked. Kakashi's momentum twisted him to his left, and left him open for a fierce right hook to the jaw.

Kakashi swore as he was thrown backwards, and his back thudded with a hollow sound into the dirt. He rolled back to his feet with a well-practised precision, and began to chuckle. He rubbed the side of his face gingerly as he smiled at the Kyuubi vessel.

"Better," he said. "Much better." Then he let his hand drop. "But…"

Naruto's eyes widened as he realised his mistake. There was a short tug on the back of his pants leg, and a soft fizz of a timed fuse. Before he could do anything to stop it, the stunner bomb exploded with a blast of heat, fire and pain.

Naruto collapsed to the floor with a strangled cry, feeling the skin of his calf singe and burn. He crashed into the ground, gripping at his leg, before he felt the pain overwhelm him. His vision tunnelled, and he pressed his cheek into the cold earth to slow the sudden dizziness that was encroaching upon him. He heard slow steps, and then saw Kakashi's feet treading across the ground towards him. He swore beneath his breath, and tried to clutch the scroll through his jacket. Even the curses in his head were growing faint and disjointed, though, and as he felt Kakashi prise his fingers from his bounty, he knew he had lost, and fainted.

...

Naruto's return to consciousness was slow, but painless. His eyes fluttered open with a tired groan, emanating from the depths of his dry throat. It took a few seconds before he realised someone was sat dutifully beside him. He blinked up at their familiar face, waiting as their features morphed into focus.

"Yo," Kakashi greeted with an amused smile, evident by his upturned eye. "Welcome back." For just a small instant, Naruto was puzzled, but after another moment his brain caught up with him, and everything came flooding back. He winced as he became aware of the dull ache in his leg. Kakashi noticed the flinch, and reassured him, "Don't worry, you're already healed, it'll just take a while for residual pain to leave."

Naruto nodded absentmindedly as he dragged himself to a sitting position, before casting his ex-sensei a sideways glance. "You've taken my scroll, then?"

Kakashi nodded. "'Fraid so," he replied, "It's on its way back to the Daimyo as we speak."

The blonde ran a tired hand through his hair and tired not to think about how much the Tsuchikage had promised to pay him. "I needed that, you know."

"I know," Kakashi answered quietly. "I'm sorry." An uncomfortable silence threatened to fall, but then the Jounin began to chuckle. He rubbed his cheek. "You can slug pretty hard, you know. I think my jaw's bruised."

"Really?" Naruto asked, brightening up immediately at the thought of landing a good blow on his superior. He leaned forward eagerly, with a canine grin on his face. "Can I see?"

"No."

"Dammit!" He pouted slightly in disappointment, before growing serious again and sighing in defeat. Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" he asked meaningfully. Naruto was about to say 'yes, of course!', but something in his throat just wouldn't let him get the words out. The Jounin sensed the hesitation, and he nodded knowingly. "What is it?"

Naruto cast him a sidelong glance, and for a moment he didn't reply. He was slightly suspicious, and Kakashi didn't know why. But then, he asked quietly, "Kakashi-sensei, what do you know… of poisons?"

Kakashi frowned, and for a second his grip on the blonde's shoulder tightened. "Why?" he asked. "You're not—?"

"Oh! No," Naruto replied hastily, shaking his head. "It's… someone else. I— I had hoped, with this mission's pay, I could get a remedy. But it's not that simple…"

There was a slightly guilty twinge in Kakashi's chest, but he brushed it off as he inquired with puzzlement, "Why not ask Sakura, Naruto? You know she's the main medic around here. I'm not sure I could help you."

Naruto shook his head earnestly. "It's complicated, Kakashi. Sakura-chan… I can't tell her. It would be too painful for her, for me. I…" he fixed Kakashi with an imploring gaze. "I need your help, sensei."

There was a peculiar sensation boiling in Kakashi's gut. Naruto's words, and the look upon his face, caused an ominous feeling to bubble into existence, and he almost wasn't sure what to say. But one look at Naruto's face told him what he should say.

"Of course, I'll try my best."

Naruto's face split into a wide, relieved smile. "Thank goodness," he said happily. "Thank you."

Kakashi just smiled in return, before he grew serious. "So," he asked, "What is it?"

Naruto, however, still denied him the information. "I can't tell you here," he replied. "I'm afraid I'll have to take you with me, only for a little while."

The Jounin responded to his words with a cautious look, but dutifully agreed. "Okay," he said. "Let's go."

Five minutes later, Kakashi was bidding a quick farewell to the rest of his team. "I'll be back in a day or so," he said. "Start back to Konoha without me, and I'll catch up." When they asked him what was going on, however, he just replied, "I'll be informing the Daimyo that we took care of his assailant, that's all. There's no point all of us going onward now there's no threat."

The team accepted his words without question, and bid him goodbye, but as Naruto and Kakashi left, the younger slipped his old sensei a sideways glance.

"And when do you expect to inform the Daimyo, Kakashi?" Naruto said with a short chuckle. "We're going in the wrong direction for that!"

Kakashi shrugged as they bounded through the trees. "I'll see to it on the way back. Now, are you going to tell me just what's going on? Or—" he added pointedly, "should I ask who?"

Naruto sighed, and averted his gaze. "Not just yet. Wait… wait until we get there," he replied. "Besides, I've no doubt you're already putting two and two together. Right, sensei?"

...

Kakashi didn't know what to think. He was actually speechless – well, almost. He stared with both shock and seriousness at his former student, almost not comprehending what he was saying.

"…You're sure it's Sasuke?" The Jounin asked. Naruto shrugged, trailing over the wood grains in the table with his eyes.

"Why wouldn't it be?" he asked the older shinobi. "It's not like Orochimaru would send someone out to get close to me; as far as that snake's concerned, I'm doing him a favour by distracting Akatsuki. Besides, if he were trying to pull something, how on earth would he know I would end up passing this way? Kaiya-san found him before I was even in this country. And what benefit would it be to him, to poison his prize student?"

Kakashi had to admit, the boy spoke sense. "So," the Hatake intoned. "Where is he?"

Naruto lowered his head and gritted his teeth, feeling almost ashamed for keeping his friend hidden away. "He's in the back room," the blonde said quietly. "He… He hasn't regained consciousness at all."

Kakashi's gaze was empathetic as he replied softly, "You know you can't expect him to have changed, Naruto."

The blonde nodded slowly. "I… I know, sensei, I just— nevermind." He stood from the table. "Come on." Kakashi rose dutifully from his seat and followed Naruto down the hall, towards the door at the very end. There was a heavy sense of quiet enveloping the room, and the sound of the door handle clicking open was loud in the muffled air. Naruto stepped wordlessly to the side and let Kakashi move into the room.

Sasuke was a stranger. Not literally, of course, because Kakashi could still remember his student; he could still remember the features of his face, could still remember the colour of his hair and skin, the shape of his jaw and the arrogance, the reserve, within his eyes. But Sasuke's eyes were closed, and his face was relaxed except for an uncomfortable, pinched grimace around the corners of his mouth. There was no fight in his posture, no distance in the way he held himself.

But it wasn't just because he was unconscious that these things stood out to Kakashi; the Jounin hadn't seen his former student in a number of years, and those years had shaped the youth far more than Kakashi could have thought. There were minute changes to even his sleeping form, and Kakashi doubted all of them were due to the poison coursing through his body.

Sasuke's face seemed paler, rings of fatigue deep-set around his eyes, and the blankets failed to hide the awkwardly prominent jut of his hips and torso. His lips were parted slightly in sleep, but were cracked around the edges. His arms were tucked closely about his sides, and his hands were clutching weakly at his coverlet. Bruises, dark but yellowing, stood out starkly on his forearms.

Kakashi sunk to his knees, brushing Sasuke's lank hair off his forehead, feeling the Uchiha's skin with the cool palm of his hand. He glanced over his shoulder. "How long has he been running a fever?" he asked the blonde hovering by the door.

Naruto shrugged slightly. "Ever since Kaiya found him. Once we figured it was snake venom, she was able to get a good enough antidote to bring it down, but it hasn't gone completely. I don't know what else I can do for him, sensei."

Kakashi nodded, taking the information in. "Let me see his wound?" he asked, already gently pulling the blankets down. Naruto moved around to Sasuke's other side, and folded back the covers from the bandaged wound on the Uchiha's thigh. Although Kaiya had obviously only changed the bandages that morning, there was already a dark, pinkish-yellow stain seeping through the crisp white of the cloth. Naruto grimaced with queasiness.

"Before we realised it was snake venom, the wound wouldn't close," he explained. "Now we've got a better remedy, the swelling's gone down, and Kaiya-san has managed to use medical tape to pull the flesh together, but it's only done so much good. The edges of the wound have begun to clot, but pus and other gunk is obviously still trying to get rid of the poison."

Kakashi nodded absentmindedly, a concentrated frown pulling at his brow. He said to Naruto, "Get me a small bowl of warm water and some clean cloth; I'm going to have to undress and clean the wound to look at it properly." Naruto did as he was told, bringing the items to him in no time at all. He crouched back on Sasuke's other side, and watched Kakashi begin his work.

The Jounin unwound the soiled bandages with a smooth, fluid motion somewhere between a gentle pull and a sharp tug, the scabbing edges of the wound sticking to the dressing. Small droplets of fresh blood budded as the clots were torn open, and Kakashi had the dab them away with his damp rag. Once the bandage was off completely, the Hatake began to wipe away the wound's leakage and bent closer to inspect the weeping gash. With deft fingers, he peeled off a few strips of medical tape, placing them into the bin nearby.

"You should only tape up the edges of the wound at this stage," he told Naruto. "Because the body is still trying to expel the toxin, taping the wound up fully just makes things messier. Taping up the edges still coaxes the wound to begin to close, but allows the pus to do its job – quicker, in fact." Naruto nodded, paying careful attention. Kakashi was silent for a few more moments, his fingers prodding at Sasuke's flesh, observing the wound.

After a moment, he beckoned Naruto closer. "There," he said, "see how the pus has a bluish tinge? Combined with the intensity of Sasuke's fever, I can make a pretty accurate guess at the kind of poison that he's infected with."

The blonde's face lit up. "Really?" he asked. "It's that simple?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Luckily, yes," he said. "I'll write down the name of the antidote that should work. It's brewed from a combination of flowers indigenous to the mountains of Kumogakure, which produce antiseptic oils when crushed. It's costly, but it works."

Naruto began to laugh in relief, but then he stopped short, and his face fell. "Well, how much?" he asked with dread. "If it's a huge amount, I don't know how long it's going to take me to get that much. Is… Is there a chance he could die if I take too long?"

Kakashi sighed, crouching on his haunches. "It's possible," he said slowly, watching Naruto's face fall further as he surreptitiously reached into his pack. "…So I guess you need this more than I do."

Naruto's jaw dropped as he stared at the all-too-familiar scroll in his former sensei's hand, and with a cry he leapt to his feet, jabbing his finger in the man's direction. "Kaka-sensei, you—! You lair! You said you'd already sent it back to the Daimyo!"

The Jounin placed the scroll upon the floor. "That's not of importance right this minute, Naruto," he said quickly, motioning the boy to sit back down. "Now, pay attention, this next bit's important too." Naruto sat down obediently, and leaned in closer. Kakashi indicated the wound with his fingers as he spoke. "Once the antidote's been administered – you'll have to do that twice a day for a while – this discharge from the wound will stop, and his fever will cool down. Once that happens, Naruto, the pus won't be protecting the open flesh from dirt and grime anymore, so you're going to need to clean the wound thoroughly with warm salt water, to kill off any bacteria, alright?"

Naruto nodded, "Alright, got it. What next?"

"Finally," Kakashi said, "you will have to stitch the wound together properly."

A slightly queasy look flashed across Naruto face. "Stitch?" he asked. "Like— Like needle and thread, stitch? Through his skin?"

"'Fraid so," the Jounin said, with a covertly amused tone to his voice that Naruto almost didn't catch. But he did, and the Jinchuuriki scowled at the man crossly. Kakashi simply carried on, "Once that's done, bandage the wound up and change the dressing as needed until it's healed."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "That's not so bad," he said. "Sounds pretty simple." Then, he paused, his look dropping and his eyes trailing over to search Sasuke's face. "When… will he wake up, d'you think?"

"Well," Kakashi replied slowly, "he could regain consciousness any time after his fever subsides."

For a moment, Naruto didn't say anything.

"You know, Naruto…" Kakashi continued softly. "You can't expect him to stay. You can't expect him to wake up and suddenly be different."

The youth sighed. "I know, Kakashi," he muttered, still searching his comatose rival's face. "But… something has to be different, right? I mean, he's run away from Orochimaru. Why would he do that if nothing had changed?"

Kakashi shook his head, before reasoning carefully, "I know you want to think that, Naruto, but you don't know for sure that's what happened…" It was clear Naruto was adamantly trying to ignore his words. The Jounin sighed, and stood. "Just be careful, okay Naruto? And if things don't turn out the way you hope, try not to be disappointed."

Naruto looked up at him then, a curious expression halfway between solemnity and reassurance flitting over his face. "You forget, Kakashi," he said. "If there's one person I know better than myself, it's Sasuke. He wouldn't run from something unless he had no other choice. He's here, away from that snake-bastard, and he's going to heal. That's already more than I could've hoped for."

The Hatake looked at him for a long moment, trying to find the right words to say, but in the end he just settled for a nod. "Alright, Naruto," he conceded. "I have to admit, you're already handling this better than you would've just a short while ago."

Naruto grinned, getting to his feet. "Thanks, Kakashi. I've had to grow up fast. But I think I'll be okay for now, I've got Kaiya-san to help me." He glanced out of the open doorway as he spoke, catching sight of the clock hanging in the hallway. "Speaking of which, she'll be home soon." He picked up the scroll from the floor. "I'd better go cash this baby in and swing by the pharmacy." The blonde made to walk past Kakashi, but the Jounin suddenly caught him by the arm.

"Wait a moment, Naruto," he said. "That's another thing I've got to talk to you about."

"What?" Naruto asked, surprised. "Talk to me about what?"

Kakashi motioned into the kitchen. "Let's get more comfortable, first. Then I'll explain." The youth followed him obediently, and once they were both seated at the table once again, Kakashi continued, "You've got to start taking missions from other countries, Naruto."

"What?" Naruto questioned. "Why?"

"Because," the man replied, "The number of missions in Iwa taken on by mercenaries has risen, and other countries – Konoha included – are getting suspicious. They think that the Tsuchikage is freeing up his own ninja to train them for some secret operation. Do you see what I'm getting at, Naruto?"

The blonde nodded slowly. "But that's ridiculous," he rebutted. "The Tsuchikage isn't planning something—"

"That's beside the point," Kakashi cut him off. "Regardless, what if another country decides to strike at Iwa? Thinking they can pre-empt an attack? A lot of wars are started because of misinterpretation. I was ordered to neutralise the mercenary, you know. Kill, if necessary!"

"Oh…" Naruto was silent for a moment, the weight of his error washing over him. Then, he looked up. "Wait a moment," he said. "How do you know Iwa's mercenary status? I thought that was kept within a village."

Kakashi suddenly chuckled, watching Naruto blink in puzzlement. "Kami, Naruto. You still barely know anything at all, don't you…? Listen." He lent forward. "Each mercenary is registered with a special regiment office, somewhere near Kumo. It keeps track of all the missions that mercenary undertakes, through logs the villages send off each month. You with me?"

The Jinchuuriki nodded again, but there was something he couldn't get straight in his head. "If I'm registered, though, how come you didn't know it was me? I mean, you wouldn't've been given orders to kill me if you had known it was me—" he blanched "—would you?"

"Oh, no!" Kakashi corrected him quickly. "Of course not, Naruto. For your own safety, mercenaries are only registered by number. And besides, you're very lucky it was me on this mission. Usually, it's down to ANBU and ANBU alone to deal with mercenaries. So, as much for your own safety as Konoha's, don't stick to Iwa anymore, alright?"

"Okay," Naruto consented. "I understand."

"Good," Kakashi said, relieved. "Now, I'll make sure my team doesn't breathe a word of your whereabouts, either. We don't want Akatsuki knocking down your door with Sasuke still in the state he is. Or at all, if we can help it."

Both Kakashi and Naruto stood from the table simultaneous. They both knew their rendezvous was reaching its end. Naruto began to escort his former sensei to the door.

"Thank you, Kakashi," Naruto told him earnestly. "Really."

Kakashi brushed it off. "Don't worry about it," he said. "And I have your mercenary number now, too. I'll have a word with the Black Ops, see if I can get you taken off our tracker, and I'll keep an eye on you through the logs. Just don't move off radar without leaving a sign, or a scent for Pakkun to follow, alright? I don't want to lose tabs on you again."

Naruto's face broke into a thankful smile. "Alright," he said. At this point, he and Kakashi were stood in the open doorway, either side of the threshold. He would have to leave soon, it was already going to take him a day or two to catch up to the Konoha team, but before he did, Kakashi had one more word of warning.

"Naruto," he said quietly, lowering his voice. "There are rumours that Akatsuki are readying for something again. Their movements have stopped becoming so spread out. I fear they'll be trying to find you again soon…" he glanced over his shoulder wearily, "…If they haven't already. They have a lot more spies than you think."

Naruto nodded, biting his lip. "I know, sensei. Orochimaru seems to have a lot of spies out too… and I can't for the life of me figure out why." The Hatake rested a heavy hand on the Jinchuuriki's shoulder, because subconsciously Naruto's hand was hovering over the seal on his stomach, playing with his jacket's zip.

"The Elders are fools, son," Kakashi told him. "And I wish to God they hadn't removed you from my sight. But I'm going to look out for you as much as I can, as will Jiraiya, and Tsunade. Just be careful, alright?"

And then Naruto did something strange. He shrugged Kakashi's hand from his shoulder, and instead mimicked the gesture, resting a reassuring palm on the Jounin's flak jacket. The Hatake hadn't realised how tall the boy had grown.

"I'm going to be fine, Kakashi," Naruto smiled. "I'm not a kid, y'know?"

Kakashi blinked at him for a second, and then smiled back from behind his mask. "I know."

"Take care, Kakashi-sensei."

"Yeah," Kakashi said as he stepped back from the door. "You too." But then he couldn't help it, and warned, "Don't be reckless!"

Naruto laughed, and waved the Jounin off. "That, Kakashi, I can't promise one bit!"

He waited until the Copy-nin shunshin-ed from sight, and then stepped from the door himself and locked it. Then, he began making his way to the pharmacy, a piece of paper bearing the name of Sasuke's antidote clutched firmly in his hand, and a determined grin fixed upon his face.

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Naruto