A/N
Mah, so I went and did it again. I know it's a very bad idea to start something else when you are already tight on time, but this plot bunny just kept hopping towards me. I had to write it down. But since Linewalkers is my first priority right now, this fic will probably get much slower updates. *xD*
Warning: Big AU here.
It was bright.
Too bright.
Naruto groaned quietly and instinctively quenched his eyes shut again. His head thrummed terribly and for several seconds he just kept laying down listening to his rhythmically beating heart while his mind slowly began to work again.
The ground beneath him felt cold and hard. Naruto reached down blindly, small fingers stroking over a rough, cool surface.
Was that stone?
Suddenly feeling fully awake, Naruto forced himself into an upright position and opened his eyes again, carefully keeping his gaze away from the direction of the blinding light.
He blinked twice to get his eyes to focus and blearily followed the path his hand had taken earlier.
He had been right.
It was stone.
Why was he laying on stone?
He raised his still throbbing head, dimly registering that he was completely surrounded by cragged mossy rock.
Was this a cave?
No, that could not be. After all just moments earlier, he had been -
Had been...
Had been where?
Naruto was not sure what he had been doing just before, but whatever it was, it was certainly not involving a nap in a cave.
He shivered, suddenly feeling very cold.
Why was it so cold?
He looked down.
His shirt was torn.
Why was his shirt torn?
Perhaps he was still dreaming? Yes. It was probably just one strange dream, all he had to do was open his eyes and he would be back in his nice, warm bed.
His eyelids did not move.
His eyes were already open.
Maybe it would work if he closed and opened his eyes again?
Naruto blinked very slowly.
The cave was still there.
He was not dreaming.
That could only mean...
This...
This was real.
Naruto did not know how long he had been sitting there, staring blankly at the cave walls, it felt like both hours and seconds and time had become endlessly long and ridiculously short.
It was when his headache finally subsided that Naruto's expression firmed and he forced himself on his feet, slowly making his way into the direction of the light.
His steps were still slightly unsteady, and he was so focused on reaching the cave entrance that he stumbled over something solid laying on the ground.
Instinctively Naruto's hands grabbed for the rocky walls saving himself from a hard fall on the unyielding and uneven ground.
Once he had regained his footing, he knelt down to see just what had almost felled him and blinked in surprise.
It was a kunai.
What was a kunai doing here?
Had it been left for him?
This entire situation made no sense.
Sighing the five-year-old grabbed the weapon. He had to find out where he was.
And then he would make his way home.
Believe it!
The area was strangely dichotomic. Rock and sand co-existed peacefully next to each other, but wherever Naruto looked, there was no tree in sight. In fact, there was nothing green at all.
He swallowed.
This was certainly not Konoha.
He was not even sure if this was Fire Country at all.
Unless someone had managed to redecorate an entire country over night.
Yeah.
Right.
Totally impossible.
So, where was he?
His heartbeat quickened. Naruto resolutely quashed the rising flames of impeding panic.
He would get out of here.
He would get home.
He was Naruto Uzumaki. He would never give up.
Believe it.
The sun was burning down hotly, and Naruto felt strangely tired. His throat felt drier than the sand he was walking on and his stomach rumbled loudly.
He needed something to drink. Something to eat. Directions. Anything at all.
Forcing himself to move forward, Naruto clung tightly to his resolution to hold on. But his legs felt heavier with every step he took, and his throat was practically burning by now.
He was just about to sink down and rest for a bit when he heard it. The quiet sound of running water. Suddenly energized by the thought of being able to quell his agonizing thirst, Naruto run into the direction of the sound and stopped only when he finally saw the wide stream in front of him.
Panting heavily, he stumbled towards the river with clumsy, desperate steps and pushed his head into the cool water without a second thought.
Naruto could practically feel his life returning to him as he drank greedily and the burn in his throat was finally soothed.
Exhausted he fell back onto a patch of grass - there was something green! - and stared into the sky. For several long moments he did nothing but lay there and enjoy the fact that he felt alive and was not thirsty anymore.
Then his stomach rumbled again. Oh right, he was hungry, too.
Tiredly, he pushed himself up again and looked around. Was there something to eat? Some fruit perhaps?
But there was nothing edible in sight.
Naruto sighed.
Of course not.
It was never that easy.
But maybe he could find something if he followed the river and if not, well, at least he would not have to worry about being thirsty again.
Sadly, there were no berries growing along the way, but Naruto could see several small animals hastily scurrying away at his approach.
A rabbit vanished into its burrow and Naruto stared after it in deep contemplation. If he could manage to catch one, he could eat some meat. But how to go about it?
He looked around. There were some vines winding themselves around a tree. Naruto grinned. Perfect.
He took out his kunai and set to work.
Naruto was laying in one of the bushes trying his best not to fidget. He was excited, but he knew if he made to much noise the rabbit would not dare to leave its burrow and he would have to stay hungry.
So, he forced himself to stay calm and silent. It was extremely hard for him, being as excitable as he was. But this time he could not afford to mess up. He was so terribly hungry.
He did not know how long he waited, but the sun was already starting to set when he finally saw a faint movement at the burrow's entrance.
Naruto held his breath and stilled.
'Please work. Please work.'
The rabbit cautiously wriggled out of its burrow and the trap was sprung.
Naruto yelled in excitement. It had worked! He could eat now!
Silently apologizing to the rabbit, Naruto closed his eyes and brought the kunai down.
It was a messy kill.
Skinning the rabbit was even messier.
Naruto swallowed heavily as he washed the blood away. The sticky liquid mixed with the clear water, painting a distorted crimson picture.
He turned away.
It had been necessary.
The rabbit still tasted stale.
Naruto yawned. The day had been terribly exhausting for him. Both mentally and physically. Now he really just wanted to lay down and sleep.
Slightly regretful Naruto extinguished the warm fire, reset the trap in front of the burrow and crawled beneath some bushes. Tightly wrapping his jacket around him to make up for his ripped shirt, Naruto fell into a light and troubled sleep.
A sunbeam fought his way through the thick leaves and tickled his nose. Naruto grumbled slightly at the sudden light and reluctantly opened his eyes. He was still tired.
But the moment he saw his green hiding place in front of him his mind immediately assaulted him with the reality of his situation and Naruto found himself fully awake again.
Brushing some dirt and laves out of his clothes he went to check on his trap and was happy to see that he had caught another rabbit.
Wrapping his catch in his jacket to keep it for later, he quickly washed himself in the river and set out again.
The path was getting rockier and the amount of sand decreased with every step he took until he could only see small patches of the yellow dust between jagged stones and increasingly tall rocks.
A high cliff was towering in front of him and Naruto could faintly see the outline of something dark hidden behind a ledge.
Was that...a hut? Naruto was curious.
Who had built a hut on a ledge?!
It was too bad that there was no way for him to reach it.
It was after all not like he could just walk up there.
Or could he?
Naruto stopped.
He vaguely remembered those animal masked people he had seen in jij's office. Jiji had said that they used chakra to stick their masks to their faces.
So, if they could stick something to themselves...maybe it worked the other way, too. Maybe he could stick himself to something.
Naruto critically eyed the rock next to him. Why not? He could always try.
It was not like he had anything to lose.
But first it was time for lunch.
The five-year-old kid stared at the rock in contemplative confusion. He had absolutely no idea how to start. Should he just put his foot on the stone? Or his hands? Or both?
Naruto tried to take an experimental half-step but didn't get beyond propping his right foot up before he realized that it was not going to work that way. He would fall right down.
Pondering slightly, he put his hand against the rock and concentrated on the warmth he always felt flowing through his veins. He pushed it into his hands - and was immediately blown backwards, instinctively cushioning his fall with arms.
Rubbing his throbbing elbows, Naruto fixed the rock with determined eyes.
He would get that down.
Believe it!
Naruto collapsed on a sandy patch and ruefully eyed his scratched hands. He was quite sore from continuously falling down and his body felt like it had been thrown around like a rag doll.
He might have overdone it bit with his training and had completely lost track of time. Now the sun had set, and he had not even searched for his dinner yet.
Sighing at his own lack of forethought, Naruto resigned himself to stay hungry tonight and searched for a safe place to sleep.
Naruto spent the next three days in proximity to the cliff, splitting his time between trying to climb up the rock and hunting for food and small animals. He had extended his hunting grounds to his immediate surroundings and discovered a conifer forest a bit further to the south. It was not a very big one, but at least he had managed to find some wild berries to compliment his meat-heavy diet.
It was at the end of the fourth day that he finally managed to succeed.
There were no words to describe the feeling of triumph and satisfaction the five-year-old felt as he looked down on the path with the eyes of a conqueror, standing proudly on the eight feet high rock like a victorious king overlooking his newly acquired kingdom.
Tomorrow he would go and investigate the hut.
The cliff was really gigantic. Naruto swallowed and kept his eyes firmly directed on his destination, steadfastly refusing to look down.
Naruto did not know how long he had walked but he was panting by the time he reached the ledge.
Cautiously he swung himself on it and looked curiously at the wooden building in front of him.
It was obvious that it had been empty for quite some time. The wood was worn and covered in dirt and moss.
Naruto carefully pushed against the door. It opened with a loud creaking sound and he was greeted by a cloud of dust.
He coughed and stepped back, waiting until the dust had settled and he could actually see inside.
The sunlight fell through the door and illuminated the sparse interior. The room contained nothing more than a table, a stove and some dusty cloth carelessly thrown into one corner.
Naruto entered slowly, his steps leaving prints on the thick white layer covering the floor.
Strange symbols edged in the doorway glowed so dimly they went unseen, before subsiding and falling dormant again.
Naruto approached the bundle of cloth and picked it up. The material was so coarse it disintegrated between his fingers.
There was a loud clatter as something fell onto the ground.
Naruto looked down.
A pendant was laying on the floor.
Naruto picked the pendant up and turned it over in his hands. It was surprisingly heavy and had a very strange design. It looked like a squashed cross with three open half-circles on both sides.
Shrugging carelessly, Naruto put it on. Almost immediately a gentle warmth washed over him. It seemed familiar and yet completely foreign.
Naruto unconsciously relaxed. He stroked once over the pendant and it pulsed under his touch. There was chakra in it! Curiously, Naruto pushed some of his own back.
The pendant glowed again and suddenly something heavy fell out of it. It was a book. Naruto's jaw dropped. That pendant was actually a storage space.
He turned the book over in his hands and inspected it closely.
It had no title, just a plain red cover.
Naruto walked back to the door where the sunlight was more prominent and opened it.
The first thing he saw was the name Ashura written on the first page in childish kanji.
Interested, Naruto flopped down in front of the hut's entrance and looked at the handwritten entries.
"Brother and I went fishing today! We caught five fish. We'll be having it for dinner. I cannot wait!"
"Brother is so great! He made an entire technique on his own! I am really proud to be his brother!"
"We played in the forest today. It was really fun!"
Huh. Someone had a brother complex. Naruto rolled his eyes and flipped somewhere to the end of the book. Maybe there would be something more interesting. Maybe even a cool technique!
He looked over the page. It had four more entries. But the childish tune Ashura had used at the beginning had changed into something more mature.
"Indra is changing. Ever since we returned from the forest, he has been different. Father said it was because he awakened his Sharingan, but I am not so sure about that. Brother has always been very ambitious, but never so cold. I do not like it. Was it really just the bear attack?"
A bear attack? They were attacked by a bear? How exciting! Hastily he read the next entry, maybe there would be more about it, but to his great disappointment it was not to be.
"I cannot recognize my brother anymore. Why is he suddenly so hateful? Have I done something wrong? Is it my fault? Just what happened to him?"
"There is something strange going on. When I went to get a glass of water last night, I could have sworn that I have seen a dark shadow move in front of my brother's room, but when I looked again it was gone. Maybe I was just imagining it."
"I heard the students talking today. They said they would never accept Indra as father's successor. I feel so bad for my brother. If only he would ease up a bit. On another note, I have seen this black figure again. Just for a second, but I clearly saw it melt into the ground. I looked at me with yellow eyes. I am starting to get nervous. Maybe I should tell father about it."
A black figure? Melting into the ground? Cool! Naruto turned the page and stared at ragged paper residues.
The last pages had been roughly ripped out.
How strange.
He glanced at the book. Just how was he supposed to get it back into the pendant? Tentatively he pressed the two items together and pushed some of his chakra into it. The book vanished.
That was so cool!
Naruto spent the next few hours rummaging through the hut and was more than happy when he found an old waterskin. He inspected it carefully, but luckily it seemed to be undamaged.
It was probably the best thing that had happened to him the last days. Now he could finally venture a bit further away from the stream without having to worry about his water supply.
It was his stomach that finally reminded him of his need for sustenance. Throwing a last glance at the hut, he slowly made his way back down again.
He was about two days away from the hut now and he still had no idea where he was. He sighed, sagged against the trunk of a nearby tree and breathed deeply.
He had barely closed his eyes when the earth suddenly shuddered beneath him. Naruto's eyes snapped open. What was that?
An earthquake?
The ground shook again. A small bird fell from the tree he had been leaning against, spread its wings, and agitatedly soared into the sky.
Naruto could see a gigantic cloud of dust in the distance.
Then everything fell silent once more.
Naruto was curious. Just what had happened?
Should he go and take a look?
But what if it was dangerous?
He pondered for about two seconds, before his natural curiosity won out and he left into the direction of the slowly settling dust cloud.
Naruto stared at the crater in front of him. It was so as deep he could not even see the bottom. Several trees around him had been felled and there were scorch marks on the ground.
This...
This was a battlefield!
Suddenly Naruto felt very uneasy. Whoever had caused this destruction had to be very powerful and if that battle had just happened minutes before...
Then maybe whoever did that could still be here.
He glanced around, but the air was still somewhat heavy with dust and he could not see anyone.
Overcome with another bout of curiosity Naruto carefully edged closer and stopped abruptly when he could see the blurry outline of a figure through the dust-covered air.
Naruto stopped, his heartbeat quickened, and he kept his eyes carefully on the unmoving form.
"I know you are here." The voice was cool and cut through the eerie silence like sharpened steel. "Come out."
Naruto swallowed. That was not supposed to happen. He should not have come, he should have stayed away, should have left the moment he realized what he had walked into. He should just turn away and run and not look back... - but his feet moved into the wrong direction.
And then he saw him. It was a man, leaning against a tree trunk and breathing heavily.
Naruto stepped closer and the man's head snapped up. Ringed purple eyes bore into blue orbs and a flicker of something indiscernible flitted through the man's gaze.
"A child?" he whispered quietly, seemingly surprised by this unexpected development.
Naruto hesitated. All his instincts screamed that this was a bad idea. He did not know this man. He could be dangerous.
No, not could, he is, Naruto amended as he saw the slashed headband. But the man was laying here in front of him, possibly hurt and Naruto felt the sudden urge to help.
He stepped closer. The man's eyes narrowed.
"Are you hurt? ", Naruto asked tentatively, silently relieved that his voice did not quiver. Cautiously he took another step and knelt slowly next to the exhausted man who eyed his approach with a sharp look. The warning is his gaze was clear. One wrong move and Naruto would be finished.
"You don't look hurt," Naruto stated.
"Because I am not," the man answered, still watching Naruto attentively.
Naruto fidgeted under his intense stare "Ehm…Are you thirsty? There's a stream down there if you can move. "
"Child," the man stated slowly. "Do you have a death wish?"
"Um, no?" Naruto blinked in confusion.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you think it is a good idea to strike up a conversation with a missing-nin - On the remains of a battlefield?"
"You looked hurt," Naruto answered honestly. "Maybe you needed help."
The man lowered his head, his shoulders shook silently. Then he threw his head back and laughed. It was a bitter sound.
Naruto shuddered. The missing-nin put his hands on the ground and pushed himself up. He brushed some dust of his cloak and looked down at the still kneeling child. Naruto tilted his head and met his gaze with impossibly open and innocent eyes.
"Who are you child?" the man asked after a moment of silence.
"Naruto," the boy answered. "Uzumaki Naruto."
There was it again. That strange indiscernible look, only this time there was a flash of something else in it. Recognition?
"Uzumaki Naruto." Clothes rustled softly and suddenly the man was crouched in front of him.
A hand closed around Naruto's chin and pushed his face up to meet the man's intense stare. "Tell me, child, what are you doing here?"
Naruto swallowed. "I don't' know," he answered quietly. "I just woke up here. Nobody was there. I left."
"You woke up here?" the man repeated, a tiny frown marring his face. "Where did you wake up child?"
"A few days from here. There was stone and sand everywhere," Naruto answered. "Nothing green", he added, somehow he felt the unexplainable need to add that.
"I see."
Naruto didn't.
The man released him. "Take me there," he demanded.
Naruto's eyes widened. "But it will take days to walk there!" he protested weakly.
A smirk flitted over the man's face. "Who said anything about walking? We are going to run."
There was a blur of movement and Naruto was suddenly thrown over the man's shoulder.
"Hey!" he yelled loudly.
"Hush," the man replied and jostled him slightly to get his point across. "Now which direction?"
"Left," Naruto muttered unwillingly.
They took off.
Two hours. What had taken Naruto days to travel, the man had covered in two hours. Now he was sitting sullenly in front of the cave entrance waiting for the man to finish doing whatever it was he wanted to accomplish by staring at the cave floor.
The missing-nin was currently busy inspecting the ground. Ringed eyes trailing over the barely visible ink spots splattered over the floor, marking the edges of what seemed to be the boundaries of a seal. Someone had done a ritual here. An improvised one. And whoever had done it had left in a hurry. Otherwise they would not have been so sloppy in cleaning up after them.
This also explained the strange malevolent chakra residue in the air. It did not sit well with him that something like this had happened so close to his borders.
He turned towards the child. The boy was still sitting where he had left him. Good. "Show me your stomach." he demanded sharply.
Naruto stared at him in disbelief. "Eh? Why?!"
"Do it. Now." The man's eyes narrowed.
The child started at the man's dangerous tune and scrambled to obey, hastily unwrapping his shredded jacked until only the naked skin could be seen.
The missing-nin glanced shortly at the pendant hanging on the boy's neck and frowned, before he focused on his true objective.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Naruto complained as a hand came to rest on his belly.
"Silence." The man furrowed his brows and his hand suddenly started to glow; his eyes fixed on the child's stomach.
Nothing happened.
Naruto was not surprised. Just what was he trying to do?
The hand was lowered, and a very dark look passed over the man's face. Naruto swallowed unconsciously and scooted away. The man looked angry. He could already feel the man's chakra thickening around him.
Suddenly he was hanging over the man's shoulder again. Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but the dangerous aura surrounding the missing-nin stopped him from voicing his complaints. Naruto sagged on his shoulder and the tight grip around him loosened from bruising into something more bearable.
"It's raining," Naruto grumbled.
"It is."
"Since two days!"
"That's why it is called the Land of Rain," the man answered matter-of-factly.
"So it's always raining?" Naruto asked incredulously. "But then everyone gets wet." Naruto was drenched himself and not really happy about the idea of this situation becoming a regular occurrence.
The missing-nin turned his head and looked at the shivering child. The boy's clothes were saggy with water and his blond, usually unruly hair dangled into his face. All in all, he made a rather pitiful picture. That was when he realized that the child had not even complained once.
"There is a village close by. We will rest there."
"Really?!" Naruto was beyond excited. A real village? Did that mean he could sleep in a real bed?!
"Yes. But before that…"
Naruto was suddenly lowered down. "There are some rules we have to discuss."
"Rules?" Naruto repeated nervously.
"Yes child, Rules." The man stepped forward, effectively crowding the young child against the tree behind him.
"You will not leave my side. You will not attempt to run and you will not talk to anyone without my permission. If you break one of these rules you will regret it. Do you understand? "
Naruto nodded rapidly. "Yes…um…what should I call you?"
The man smiled wryly. "While we are inside the village you will call me brother."
"But we don't look like brothers!"
"That can be easily remedied. Watch closely, child. This is how you do Henge."
Naruto watched the village with wide eyes. It had been way too long that he had seen real people. He blew a stray brown strand out of his face. This disguise was really hard to get used to. He glanced at the man next to him. He still could not believe that the nondescript stranger next to him was the missing-nin he had been traveling with for days. He looked so normal with his brown hair and black eyes – and there was not even a single piercing in sight. It really did not fit him.
His currently-brother led them towards a small inn at the southern side of the town. It was not big, but then the village itself was rather small.
They entered through the worn doors and approached the innkeeper. Naruto barely heard what the missing-nin was saying to the plump woman, he was way too busy staring at all those people happily indulging in very delicious looking food.
A hand landed on his shoulder and Naruto was led through a doorway arch and up a steep spiral stair.
The room they had been assigned to was not very big. But it had two beds and a small bathroom. Naruto was beyond happy.
He wanted to throw himself on the fluffy blanket but was blocked by the missing-nin's arm. "You are drenched," the man reminded him pointedly. "Go and clean up."
Naruto grumbled inaudibly and trotted into the bathroom. He threw his shredded clothes off until he was only wearing his newly acquired pendant and jumped under the warm shower. It was heavenly.
He took his time cleaning himself and when he finally stepped out, he found a bundle of clothes sitting on the bathroom chair. How had they ended up here?
Naruto tried them on. The trousers were a bit too big and the shirt a smidge too long, but it was way better than running around in drags.
He returned to the room. The missing-nin had dispelled his henge and was standing in front of the window, his clothes in pristine condition.
He turned around as Naruto entered and nodded wordlessly towards the covered plates on the dining table.
Food! They were getting actual food!
Naruto jumped on one of the chairs and waited impatiently for the man to join him.
Naruto was content. Or at least, as content as he could be in his situation. His dinner had tasted like the best thing he had ever had but it still was miles away from Ichiraku's ramen. Ah… he really could do with a bowl now. Or ten. His heart dropped. Would he ever be able to go home?
He still had no idea what that man wanted with him. He really wanted to ask, but he was too afraid to hear the answer. So he kept quiet and buried himself deeper into the warm, soft blanket.
The man stared at the sleeping boy. Uzumaki Naruto. To think that he would run across this child of all people in the middle of nowhere. The boy had practically wandered into his arms. It was like having a golden opportunity delivered on a silver platter - only to realize that the opportunity was missing and the platter empty. Pain felt the sudden urge to laugh mirthlessly.
The seal was gone. The Kyuubi probably too and he had not the slightest idea how it had happened. They had not even started their plans yet and they were already being jeopardized.
Pain ran his hand over his face. They had to find out what happened to the Nine-Tails and they had to find it out fast. Luckily enough the Nine-Tails was the last one they had to seal. So they still had time.
He knew one of his other paths was already thoroughly inspecting the cave, trying to reconstruct the ritual circle.
Until then they could only wait - and keep a close eye on the former vessel.
Pain looked at the bed and felt a faint tinge of sympathy for the restlessly sleeping child that might never get to see his home again.
A/N
Well, that's it for today. If you decide to keep reading be prepared for a very big AU. Yes, I am saying it again. In bold and underlined. Because you can never have too many warnings. Maybe I should invest in a neon-sign, too. *nods seriously* *xDD*