Chapter Two: Leaving Home
Naruto broke off from Neji and thought about what he'd said.
As he did, he wondered if he was right? Would no one miss him if he just disappeared? Not Sakura or Shikamaru or any of the others? Someone would, wouldn't they?
Neji seemed like he'd have left if he had the chance.
Why had he sought Naruto out like that? It couldn't have been by chance; he must have wanted something. Either way, Naruto decided he wasn't just going to abandon the village just because Neji said so. So he went back to his apartment before school began and remembered that class was soon.
Finding some scrolls detailing basic exercises, he wished he'd followed them more.
But, he decided that he ought to try and make the best of things. So he showered, remembering to use shampoo this time. He brushed his teeth, combed his hair as much as possible. Opening his closet, he put on some not orange clothes—something more normal, a white outfit and brown vest, before using deodorant.
Then he headed to school.
Maybe if he cut the pranks and put his all into things, he'd be treated better. Neji obviously had his own reasons for doing what he did. He hadn't been nearly as much a jerk to Naruto as most people, but he'd had something he wanted. He'd wanted Naruto out of the village.
Except, maybe he was right.
Could Naruto be better off making a run for it? If he graduated from the academy, he'd be in the Leaf for life. But if he left now, no one could stop him. Hinata might go with him; Neji seemed pretty sure she would. Maybe he would be better off starting fresh?
No way, he had things he had to do in the Leaf first.
But if he did do them first, he'd have to stay.
Naruto decided to see how school went. So he hurried on ahead and found Sakura walking ahead. Sakura had this long pink hair, and she was the most beautiful girl, clad in red. She used to walk home to and from school with Ino, but they'd broken up and become rivals.
"Hey, Sakura!" called Naruto.
Sakura looked up in surprise. She'd once been an outcast like him before she'd become friends with Ino. "Naruto...
"You're on time for once. What are you planning?"
Naruto halted. "Oh, come on, Sakura, I just felt I should arrive on time today, is all."
"Yeah, right, you're always doing nothing but causing us trouble," said Sakura, walking on. "Just make sure whatever you pull doesn't implicate us."
"Um, don't worry, it won't," said Naruto.
Wait, why was Naruto apologizing? He always used to do this, but Sakura was accusing him for no reason. He didn't pull pranks that often, and he wasn't here. But saying something now would just get her mad at him.
It was a habit.
It was a habit he had never questioned until now. That conversation with Neji had caused him to have a kind of outside view of things. His efforts to change had gone unnoticed so far, and he could do nothing but slink after Sakura. Irritated, he decided to hurry on ahead of her, walking quickly.
So it was that he soon saw Ino walking ahead. Moving forward, he walked up, so he was near her. Naruto then wondered if there was something he should say or do. Looking to Ino, he paused.
"Naruto," said Ino. "You're wearing a different outfit."
"Yeah," said Naruto. "I sort of decided I should try to turn over a new Leaf."
"It's a bit late for that, isn't it?" asked Ino. "I mean, we're going to be graduating in only a week. You really think you're going to be able to fix your grades in that time. You'd be better off working on fixing your basics."
"I don't really have anyone to help me," said Naruto.
"That's not really my problem," said Ino.
Naruto reflected that Ino was right.
It really wasn't her problem. Naruto was not her friend and had caused her inconvenience sometimes by his pranks. And like Neji, she'd given him some pretty good advice. He probably wasn't going to get out of graduating dead last, of course. But it might get him to graduate.
So Naruto headed on and got to school ahead of Ino and Sakura. Within the classroom, he sat down. Looking out across from him, he saw Sasuke, his rival, the guy he'd wanted to surpass all this time. He had the best stats in his class, just like Neji had had the best before.
Sasuke met his gaze, and Naruto looked away.
Sasuke was alone like him and had been since the Uchiha Massacre years ago. They'd been, sort of, the same. Neither had anyone, but Naruto had never had anyone at all, while Sasuke had lost everyone.
"Hey, Sasuke," said Sakura. "Do you like what I did with my hair?"
"I think you look fine," said Naruto.
"Shut up, Naruto," said Sakura. "No one asked for your opinion."
Taijutsu class came, Naruto's best class, and he put his all into it. He didn't complain at all and paid real attention. Yet as he did, he began to notice that Mizuki-sensei paid almost no attention to him. He smiled and pretended to like him like usual, but it was only pretend.
And eventually came a spar between Sasuke and Naruto. They were usually expected to spar against one another. Waiting in place, Naruto took the lead and struck at him. Only Sasuke moved and dodged before moving to grab his wrist. Before he could, however, Naruto moved the hand back, dropped to one knee, and swung a leg under him.
Sasuke leaped over him, however, and slammed him in the back with one palm.
Naruto was thrown forward into the dirt.
"Match over," said Mizuki. "Nice work, Sasuke. You as well, Naruto."
Naruto sat up as Sasuke turned around. "Hey uh... good match."
Sasuke ignored him and walked over to the line as the spars continued. Naruto watched them happen and considered things. If he was going to get way better fast, he needed a sparring partner—someone to help him out.
Sasuke didn't really have anyone, and he was the best. Maybe they could help one another out? But Naruto couldn't just ask flat out. Maybe he should start a conversation.
"Hey uh..." Naruto paused. "Sasuke, how do you do all those techniques anyway?"
"I paid attention in class," said Sasuke flatly.
"Don't bother Sasuke, Naruto; he doesn't have time for you," said Ino.
"Fine," said Naruto.
Well, that was a hard shut down. It didn't really seem like anyone was going to give him the time of day. It might be his fault, he could have done more before now, but that didn't change much. Maybe he could ask Iruka-sensei for help.
So Naruto thought as he walked through the halls.
"So, why do you think Naruto arrived on time, Shikamaru?" asked Choji around a corner. Naruto halted and stacked by the corner.
"I don't know. Does it look like I care? It's too early to think about things," said Shikamaru.
"You guys really should focus on your studies," said Ino. "At this rate, Sakura is going to make it past you."
"I'm fine," said Shikamaru. "As long as I'm just above dead last, it'll be fine."
He was aiming to be just above dead last.
Naruto clenched a fist, realizing that he was dead last. Narrowing his eyes, he turned to walk off the other way. As he did, however, he told himself Shikamaru hadn't been targetting him directly. He'd hung out with him, Choji, and Kiba sometimes.
Maybe Kiba could help him out.
Moving down the hall, Naruto saw Kiba speaking with Shino. Kiba was clad in a cold weather jacket, with his white dog, Akimaru on his head. Shino was clad in his usual sunglasses and white coat. Most Abarame went heavily clothed to avoid disturbing people.
"So, Shino, you're insects seem a bit more active," said Kiba.
"Yes," said Shino. "I have been feeding them the flesh of dogs."
"What?!" said Kiba, holding Akimaru close, who whined.
"It was a joke," said Shino.
"Oh, right," said Kiba. Then he looked to Hinata as Naruto checked his locker and got out his pack. "Good, I was worried there for a second. Hinata, why are you looking over there at that loser?"
"Kiba I..." Hinata paused. "I think we should be nicer to him."
"Eh, whatever," said Kiba. "No one would miss him."
Naruto shut his locker and found it bent slightly. Silence fell, but he said nothing, slung it over his back, and walked away.
To hell with them.
Naruto was out.
He got back to his apartment and threw out his history books. Replacing them with the reading material Iruka-sensei had given him. So he picked out the ones on basic techniques. The clone jutsu was his weakest technique. Then he got some food that he could eat easily, some instant ramen, and all of the basics.
Some of their training had been wilderness survival tests. He knew how to handle things on his own. Opening his locker, he found his usual orange jumpsuit. He'd always wore it to attract attention. But it was no good for that, so he took out, drew out a lighter, set fire to, and threw it into the stove.
Then, with everything done, he hurried out the door.
He'd memorized the patrols of the ninja a bit ago; he'd planned to paint the Hokage monument. It would come in handy for what came next. Yet, as he moved through the park, he saw Hinata ahead. She was sitting by a bench and waiting.
Looking up, she saw him. "Are you going, Naruto?"
Naruto paused. "Hinata..."
"Please, Naruto, don't leave the village! You can't!" said Hinata.
"Why not?" asked Naruto. "Nobody would miss me."
"That's not true. I..." Hinata paused. "I would.
"Please, Naruto, I know I've never been the friend I should have been, but you're all I have. I... my family have all but disowned me. I'm not the heir anymore; I'm too shy to talk to other people. But you...
"You're the only reason I've been able to come this far."
Naruto thought about Hinata's family life. Her worthless Father had disowned her for not beating up her little sister. And aside from Kiba and Shino, she had no real friends. "Then come with me, Hinata.
"You're Byakugan could be a lot of help and... I guess neither of us have much of a place here."
"I... are you sure about this?" asked Hinata. "If we leave the Leaf, we're not going to be able to come back. My Byakugan would make us a target."
"Who cares?" asked Naruto. "Let's just go. What have we got to lose?"
"Nothing," said Hinata with a smile. "Nothing at all."
They hurried on as Hinata halted to look back toward the Hokage monument. "Thank you, Neji."
And they made it, easily outmaneuvering the inner patrols. The Leaf Village was not on a war footing, so no one noted their departure. As well, Hinata seemed to have packed her things, and they hurried off into the day, moving in the waning light. The trees provided great cover, and no one hurried after them.
"Keep an eye out behind us, Hinata," said Naruto as they ran on. "Sooner or later, they're going to be after us. Hopefully later."
"How far do you think we can get?" asked Hinata.
"I don't know," admitted Naruto. "But when you're running, just running isn't enough. Sometimes it's best to run as far as you can and then go into hiding for a bit. We've both had foraging training under Iruka-sensei.
"Let's just keep going full speed until you see something."
"But where are we going?" asked Hinata.
Naruto thought about it. "Well, Neji suggested the Waterfall Village. I think they had some serious problems with the Leaf before now, but maybe we could get there."
"I think..." Hinata paused. "I think it would be a pretty big risk, Naruto. Wouldn't it be better to go somewhere outside the Land of Fire?"
"Nah, we wouldn't know the terrain at all," said Naruto. "We've got to get someone to complete our training, remember. If we go somewhere like the Sand or Cloud or Stone, we will have to be completely retrained.
"I was kind of afraid I'd have to talk my way into it myself.
"But with you with me, it'll be a lot easier."
"Maybe," said Hinata. "But we have to get there undetected."
If anyone had noticed them, they saw no sign of it for some time. Darkness came on, and it got cool around them. Naruto and Hinata kept on going, but they began to get a bit tired and halted for a rest.
"Anything?" asked Naruto.
"Nothing yet, Naruto. But there is a group of sentries up ahead, we should go around," said Hinata. "Though they don't seem to be looking for us."
Naruto nodded. "Right, let's go.
"You know, that Byakugan is really handy."
"Well, that's why it is so closely guarded," said Hinata, smiling. "I wish I'd gotten a chance to say goodbye to Kurenai-sensei."
"Your tutor?" asked Naruto. "Forget it; she'll understand. Let's keep going."
And they did, as the stars and moon came out in full above them. There was hardly a cloud in the starry sky, though it was hard to see it through the trees. By now, everyone was asleep, and if the word hadn't gotten out, no one would notice. They circumvented one patrol after another before Naruto ever saw them.
"Are we past them?" asked Naruto, feeling a bit winded.
"Yes, but there is a bird coming in from the Leaf, so all the sentries will be on high alert soon," said Hinata. She was holding up well.
"No problem. We just gotta get out of the forest and to the roads," said Naruto.
"How will that help? They'll be able to see us," said Hinata.
"Neji said I ought to find people who didn't automatically hate me," said Naruto. "Caravans go to and from the Leaf all the time; I figure we can hop aboard one of those. They'll take us somewhere, and from there, we'll go somewhere else.
"No way is the Leaf going to do a huge manhunt just for me."
"But what about me, Naruto?" asked Hinata.
Naruto thought about it. "...Right, well, the larger the radius they search, the hard it'll be to find us. We gotta keep going as far and fast as we can while we have our lead."
"Right," said Hinata. And then she paused. "But don't you see.
"We're wearing clothes that are all wrong. People will spot us the second and know us to be a ninja. And my eyes give me away."
"Right, I guess that is a good point," said Naruto. "Well, we gotta keep an eye out for ordinary people. And we'll train in our henges as we walk; I've got some stuff Iruka-sensei gave us.
"When we do, we'll change to appear ordinary. We can swap out our clothes later."
"But can we really act the part of peasants, Naruto?" asked Hinata. "We have a different upbringing and mindset. Disguising could be really hard."
Naruto nodded. "Good point.
"Okay, we'll tell them the truth.
"Or, most of it."
And they hurried on.
But it was some days before they got anywhere near the road. Hinata and Naruto kept a fast pace, having to stop now and then. Pretty soon, they were sweating and soaked. They drank their water skins and filled them from streams. Now and then, they saw patrols more often, but not in any sense of urgency.
"They must have known you were gone by now," said Naruto.
"It may be," said Hinata. "That they haven't realized how far we are going. Perhaps they think we're off in hiding in the outlying trees."
"So they know we've run away," realized Naruto. "But they think we've only run away for a bit. Or gotten lost or something.
"Which means we have a major lead yet. Wouldn't your Father be out?"
Hinata shook her head. "Father thinks me a coward. He would never believe I'd be this brave. And I don't think anyone thinks you'd abandon the village.
"If Neji hadn't put us up to this, we'd never have done this."
"Neji was right," said Naruto. "Let's hurry on."
And they did hurry on, zigzagging now and then as they did so. However, Hinata kept looking around them. Soon their supplies began to run a bit low, and Naruto wished he'd packed more. Their clothes became worn by travel, and they ran on and on. Naruto found that he was getting more and more tired.
He'd never had to run this far before.
One night, as he and Hinata were resting, Hinata sat up suddenly.
"What is it?" asked Naruto.
"I see... Neji," said Hinata. "We need to move at once; he's already seen me."
"Then come on," said Naruto.
Hiding their trail, they rushed off into the woods. As they did, Hinata kept looking back. "Neji's team is coming, and with them are our old classmates as well. I see Kurenai-sensei as well, and all the others. They all look incredibly tired and wear Leaf Ninja Headbands. Well, not Neji and the others.
"They seem like they can go on. Same for the jonin, but the others are nearly dead on their feet."
"Why?" asked Naruto. "How did they overtake them?"
"I think that this group was sent after us at some point," said Hinata. "But in trying to overtake us in haste, they've tired themselves. We've been moving at a moderate pace, and to bridge the distance, they went very fast."
"Which means they haven't been able to pace themselves at all," said Naruto. "Alright then, let's leg it with everything we've got, Hinata."
"Right," said Hinata. "Neji just raised a hand to me subtly."
And they did just that, sprinting off into the wilderness as quickly as they could. Naruto had, before, though he'd been going as fast as he could. But now that they had a real pursuer, he found he had not at all been doing that. Instead, he and Hinata were surging off together as quickly as they could.
"Why are they following us?" murmured Naruto to himself.
"I don't know," said Hinata. "But if I had to guess, Neji must have gotten put together in a team sent after us. He and his teammates are some of the most experienced of all the Leaf Ninja genin.
"They've been on a lot of combat missions.
"Still, they seem to be calling something of a halt now, and I know Neji has seen me. If they wanted us caught, they could rush on ahead."
"But why the genin?" asked Naruto. "I mean, why not a real team?"
"Maybe," Hinata thought about it. "I don't know. The Hyuga would never send these after us. If they guessed what was happening, Father would send trackers of his own. None of our classmates cared enough about us to volunteer.
"Well, Kiba and Shino might volunteer for you.
"But they wouldn't send rookies out here, volunteer or not. You would have to have some kind of more formal setup. I don't see any reason Kurenai-sensei would guess our mind, and I don't know the others."
Naruto thought about it. "Iruka-sensei always taught us that being a good ninja is about misdirection. Same principle for pranks. If people expect what you are doing, they'll be ready to stop you. No one out there except Kiba and Shino cares we're gone.
"And Neji is the only person who definitely knew we were here.
"Of course!"
"What?" said Hinata.
"Neji must have volunteered to go after you after the alarm got sounded," said Naruto. "He was probably afraid he'd get implicated. So he'd get out of the village by trying to track us down."
"So why the others?" asked Hinata. "Kiba and Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, I could see them feeling guilty and coming after you. Sakura and Sasuke, though... they wouldn't.
"Sakura might feel guilty, but she wouldn't do anything. And Sasuke wouldn't care."
"I don't know," said Naruto. "Maybe they got volunteered or something. Let's hurry."
Naruto did not tire fast; however, Hinata soon began to slow down. She could not move as long as he could and was slowing. "Naruto, I need to rest."
"We've got to keep moving," said Naruto. "Here, let me carry you."
So Naruto swept Hinata off her feet and hurried on, faster than ever. He sped off, running faster and faster. Hinata kept him notified about events, and she informed him that Neji's party had fallen off. Now and then, they'd come within sight, and it soon became apparent that Kiba was tracking them.
Neji seemed to have gone behind, and Kiba and Shino were at the head. Meanwhile, Sasuke was behind the others. Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji ran on, but Shikamaru and Choji were having trouble keeping up. And at the back, Sakura was doing the worst to try and keep up, lagging behind. No one was paying her any heed at all, and everyone looked tired and miserable.
Now and they'd have to halt, and Naruto would leave them in the dust. Each time, it took longer for them to begin catching up, and soon they fell behind completely. Naruto, meanwhile, found that he had not even tired. As they rushed on in the next few days, he felt he was never tired, and new energy came to him as he needed it.
Hinata would run for a long time, and when she tried, he'd carry her.
And, at last, they came out into the roads. While running alongside them, Hinata reported a merchant coming by. He was on a cart rolling along the road. Naruto looked to Hinata, and the two of them hurried out to wait for it. Hinata used a henge to change her eyes to normal ones.
As the man pulled his horses to a halt, Naruto moved forward. "Excuse me, sir."
"Hold up there, kid. What are you doing out in the wilderness," said the man, tan-skinned with a straw hat and a pack.
"My friend, she's a member of the nobility, but we're far from home and trying to get back to civilization," said Naruto. "We're afraid we'll be an easy mark for bandits.
"Can we hitch a ride with you for a bit?"
The man nodded. "...Right, fine. Those have been a problem. Hop on, and I'll take you the rest of the way."
"Of course, don't worry," said Naruto. "What's your name?"
"Tazuna," said the man. "I'm a master bridge builder; now I dabble in merchant work. My reasons are my own."
Naruto and Hinata leaped onto Tazuna's caravan, and he was off away from the Leaf. Together they pulled a tarp over them. Naruto got a look at their reflections in the shine on a metal canteen. They looked very different from how they had before.
Their clothes were ragged and travel-stained, their hair was a mess. And they looked to have lost some weight, though Hinata's breasts were unchanged. Yet they looked happier too, and they slept in the cart that night with one another for warmth.
"So," said Tazuna. "How did you ninja brats end up running away from home?"
It was a dangerous moment, or so it seemed.
Naruto, of course, decided he couldn't in good conscience lie to the man. Their presence might endanger him. And so it was that he and Hinata told him the whole thing. Tazuna listened to it all with interest. He often asked them questions about the Leaf Village. The more Hinata and Naruto told him, the more troubled he appeared.
Several times, Tazuna asked questions about prices and expenses in the Leaf. That and about the Hokage. And over the coming days, Naruto often spoke with Tazuna. All while helping him with his merchant business. They saw no sign of Neji or his companions, and Hinata guessed they'd been slowed or recalled.
It turned out that he was a master bridgebuilder whose nation, the Land of Rain, was besieged by thugs. A man named Gato ran the place, and he'd become a tyrant, assassinating and murdering anyone who got in their way. Now he had a group of deadly ninja in his employ, and no one could stop him.
That would have been bad enough, but it turned out that Gato had now taken control of all the shipping lanes. He'd begun to buy up the food and sell it off to other places, and now the Land of Waves was suffering. Tazuna had been in the business of building a bridge to break Gato's blockade.
"But Gato figured out what I had planned," said Tazuna. "And I had to flee into exile. I've had to make a business as a merchant on the side. My plan, such as it is, would be to hire help from the Leaf Village.
"However, their prices are high.
"I had planned to work as a merchant for money and then hire a team. However, it has taken some time. And even if we could, Gato has many dangerous ninjas."
Naruto then had an idea. And he smiled. "Well then, I know how you could get twelve ninjas into the Land of Rain for free."
Tazuna paused. "What do you mean?"
"Four teams of Leaf Ninja are pursuing us," said Naruto. "If we were to break off from you, we could head for the Land of Waves. If we arrive there, Gato will think they are your backup. There will be a fight for sure, and we can get rid of him that way."
"Are they any good?" asked Tazuna. "Some of the ninja in Gato's employ are vicious, hired killers."
"Um," Naruto paused. "Not really. They are rookies, no older than us. Well, except Neji's team."
"Then I'd rather not try a plan like that," said Tazuna. "If they are rookies, I'd be leading a bunch of kids into the meatgrinder. Maybe if they had some experience, but not like this.
"Not unless I was desperate.
"Think what happens if all of your friends get slaughtered? The Leaf will blame the Land of Waves and me and my family."
Naruto's smile faded. "Right.
"Well, I wish I could help you out. But you don't have to worry about being caught with us. We'll know if they are anywhere near and break off. We can outdistance them pretty easily."
"Naruto," said Hinata. "There are a number of rough-looking men waiting on the road ahead of us."
Naruto sat up. "Friends of yours, Tazuna?"
"Hardly," said Tazuna. "Bandits is more likely. A lot of soldiers and rogue ninjas have gone into robbery after the wars. And no one has ever fully rooted them all out.
"Ninja don't work for cheap, and normal soldiers have a bad time of it. Do they have bows?"
"No," said Hinata. "Just spears and clubs."
"Hinata, get down out of sight," said Naruto. "We'll wait and surprise them. Tazuna, keep moving."
Tazuna did keep moving. As he did, out of the trees came several men much like Hinata described. They were gnarled and scarred and had an evil look about them. "Hold your horses, old man. We're taking the cart and the animals and everything on it."
"I ask you to reconsider," said Tazuna. "The goods on this cart must be sold to save my land."
"We don't care about you or your land," said a man. "Now get out, and we'll take what you own and not your life."
Then Naruto sprang over the edge of the cart. Remembering his training, he slammed a fist into a man, flooring him. Hinata caught one by the neck, and he went unconscious. The other four turned, but Naruto knocked out another. Hinata equaled the strike. The last one stabbed at Hinata, but before he could finish the moment, Tazuna clapped him on the head with a club. Naruto tripped the last one up, and he hit the ground and fell still.
"Yes!" said Naruto. "We did it, Hinata!"
"Right," said Hinata.
"We did," said Tazuna. "But bandits tend to have bases they operate from. I'd like to move on in case they had any friends."
"Right," said Naruto. "Hinata, you and I had better start practicing the basics Iruka-sensei gave us."
"Why?" asked Hinata.
"Well," said Naruto. "If we're going to help Tazuna, we have to get a lot better than we are now. If nothing else, Tazuna, you've got some ninja in training."
Hinata nodded.
And although things should have been pretty bleak, it really did seem like they were in for a wonderful time.