August 15, 1898
Naruto's Camp, The Heartlands, New Hanover
United States of America

The morning rays of the sun warmed the land and woke up many people though it didn't seem to bother Naruto as he just continued to sleep. Time passed as when Naruto's body felt it was fully recharged it allowed Naruto to wake up.

Groggily opening his eyes, Naruto was met by the bright sun. "Aargh." He muttered as he raised his back up. "Naruto." Up a head Naruto saw Cripps coming towards him holding a cup, "Morning Cripps." Naruto greeted the man as he got up.

"Made you some coffee." Cripps gave Naruto the cup "Thank you." Taking a sip Naruto used his free right hand to check the time, taking the watch out of his pocket he analyzed it and it read as 12:34 PM. "Quite a day isn't it?"

"Yeah it's alright." He took another sip "Well let me not keep you." Cripps took his leave as Naruto gave him the cup having finished drinking the cup of coffee. "Oh, I almost forgot." Cripps stated as took out a piece of paper from his satchel. "As you were sleeping, I took the liberty to write you down a list of all the necessities that we might need for our camp, and the first thing is food. I mean I don't have a problem with fasting but I just intend not to do so, for know since you're going to Blackwater I'll be hunting for us. Then when you come back we'll rotate how's that sound?"

"Seems fair enough." Naruto said as he looked at the list.

Things needed for camp:

-Tables
-Chairs
-Tents
-Food
-Medicine
-Metal Bathtub
-Camp Ammunition

"Man, this is a lot of stuff." Naruto mused "Well building a camp isn't easy but don't worry we aren't rushing. You can buy all of this in town by the way or you can just travel around and steal from enemy camps if that's you're way but don't worry I don't judge." Naruto nodded.

Going to his saddle he carried it to Cole who had fully woken up from slumber. "Cole." Naruto greeted the horse as he saddled it up. Pulling the ropes and making sure they were tight, Naruto climbed up when he was satisfied. "Naruto before you go, you should eat." Cripps approached the blond with a plate of food. Gracefully accepting the food, Naruto ate till he was full as he gave Cripps back the plate.

"Thanks, Cripps. Well I'm off, see you soon." Cripps waved back as Naruto rid back onto the road. 'So now I'm going back to Blackwater…the same place I was wrongfully arrested. What could go wrong.' Naruto thought as he obviously knew he was going to be met with trouble.

The ride to Blackwater was long and peaceful, the blue sky looked down on the world as not a single cloud was in the sky, the birds were flying high chirping and enjoying their day. It was surely a nice day. Cole galloped on the dirt road as he crossed the state line, leaving behind New Hanover and entering West Elizabeth.

"Let go of me!"

"What the hell was that?" Naruto muttered since it sounded like a woman. "Help!" the voice echoed once more. Looking around Naruto didn't see anything until he saw a couple of horses galloping up the road. Getting off it and hiding behind a convenient big rock, the horses approached the rock and when they got close he saw a woman stowed on the back of one of the horses. The men who were riding just laughed at the sight. "Sheesh, I wonder what she did." Naruto could only wonder as Cole neighed. "They could be bounty hunters." Naruto thought wrong.

"Shut up! The sooner we get our ransom money from that father of yours, I can't wait to slit you're throat in front of him!" one of the kidnappers shouted very loudly for no reason whatsoever. "Well...that's not what a bounty hunter would say...that's what a kidnapper would...oh crapbaskets." Naruto realised the situation as he quickly with light force he kicked Cole. "Come on Cole let's catch up to those men!" with lightning speed. Cole was in pursuit.

The men were travelling at such a fast pace that it took awhile for Cole to catch up and when he was at least 60 yards away they had crossed into the state of New Austin. "Stop!" Naruto shouted out catching the attention of the kidnappers.

One of them looked back as they saw Naruto. "Hey Larry! We got company!" the man shouted to the guy that was riding on the horse with the stowed woman. "Well what are you waiting for a high five. Shoot the idiot!" Larry shouted back as the other four men that had been travelling with him took out their revolvers.

They all began shooting at Naruto who did his best to dodge the bullets. But one was able to shoot his hat off. "My hat!" Naruto shouted out as the hat was blown back by the dust Cole was making. Continuing to keep chase with the men Naruto had reached his boiling point when they had shoot his hat off.

Taking out his Carbine Repeater he took the reins with one hand. "Alright buddy, I'm gonna need you to keep steady for me. If you do that I promise to give you a carrot." Cole neighed in response "Fine a sugar cube." hearing that Cole got serious, gaining on the men Naruto got closer as he began popping these guys, one by one. Taking them down one by one he was left with Larry.

"You're friends are dead it's better if you just oh I don't know give back the girl." Naruto told the man as he rode beside him. "Go to hell." the man shouted back as Naruto's eyes locked with the kidnapped woman. "Mam." he greeted as he punched the rider right into the jaw as he was kicked off his horse by the force.

Tumbling to the ground he groaned in pain, Naruto just jumped onto the kidnapper's horse as he slowed it down. Coming to a complete stop Naruto got off the horse as he untied the ropes on the kidnapped woman's hands. "You alright?" Naruto asked the woman as he untied her legs as she got off the horse. "Yeah just another day I guess."

"So this happens regularly?" Naruto asked the blond

"Yeah." the woman replied. "Well that's pretty sad." the woman shrugged "It is but that's what happens when your father owns a ranch the size of a small town." Naruto was going to reply when the remaining kidnapper stood up holding his broken right hand. "You know who's business you just messed with, boy! You just signed your death certificate!" the man shouted as Naruto and the girl approached him. "Who's business did I mess with?" Naruto said up close to the man. The man just began chuckling like a maniac. "Wouldn't you like to know."

The man received a kick to the balls from the blond woman as Naruto just wheezed protecting his jewels as a reaction. The man just screamed in pain as he landed on his knees "You...bitch." he said in a low pitch voice. "Who's business is that he just messed with when he saved me!" the woman shouted "You better tell me or else I'll just have my friend here kick you again." Naruto threatened as the man looked up.

"Alright...alright I'll tell you. You messed with Teddy Brown's business." Naruto felt that the name rang a bell but where did he hear it?

'Oh yeah. Mrs LeClerk said he was her former best friends brother.' Naruto thought "Wait what does Teddy Brown want to do with her?"

"He didn't tell me." the man wheezed as Naruto held him by the collar "You better tell me or else!" he raised his fist "Please I told you everything I knew I don't know anything else, don't kill me please."

Naruto thought for a second "If I let you go, I want you to do me a favour."

"Anything."

Naruto thought for a second as he spoke "Get lost." he let go of the man who thanked him "Thank you, you won't hear a whisper not even a tattle about me, I promise you that." the man went to his horse "Ah, ah leave the horse, I'm gonna use it." the blond woman told the man who looked at Naruto for reasoning but the blond shrugged. The man just ran away in the opposite direction, leaving Naruto with the blond woman. "Well...I need to get back home and tell my father about this. Thank you by the way." Naruto grinned "It's no problem." the girl climbed onto the kidnapper's horse. "Well anyway thank you Mr?"

"You can call me Naruto."

"Well thank you Naruto, I'm Bonnie by the way. Come by my family ranch when you're free. Do you have a map by any chance." Naruto took out his map as he unfolded it, giving the blond known as Bonnie the map. "Do you have a pen by any chance?" she asked "Nope." Naruto replied, Bonnie just looked through the kidnapper's saddle bag much to her luck she found a pen. Writing on Naruto's map a few letters she handed it to the blond.

"Well don't be a stranger now Naruto." Bonnie finished as she rid away into the deserts of New Austin. Looking at his map Naruto saw a new entry on the paper. 'MacFarlane's Ranch'

Naruto folded his map after seeing the entry. As he put it back into his pocket. "Come on Cole let's get to Blackwater." Naruto sat on his saddle "Let's hope we don't bump into any more distractions."

Naruto was able to step into Blackwater without getting a fuss from the law or the roaming bounty hunters.

'Okay I need to come up with a plan...I can't just walk in here like it's nothing.' Naruto thought as from the corner of his eye he saw some women clothing being hanged on a washing line. Coming with an idea Naruto hopped over the fence of the house as he took the clothing. Seeing a public outhouse across the street he strolled into it as he closed the door behind him.

Few minutes later coming out of the public outhouse was Naruto wearing women clothing, 'This is so embarrassing.' Naruto thought as he put his folded clothes on top of the outhouse hopping that no one would spot them.

Walking away from the outhouse, Naruto strolled through Blackwater, acting as a woman was pretty much hard but he got it done. "Mam." one of the bystanders greeted "Good day, sir." Naruto said in a high pitched voice, which the man bought. Walking for a few more minutes around town Naruto eventually found Horley sitting by a blazing fire reading a book in the middle of a small tent settlement.

"Oh good day mam." Horley greeted Naruto as he closed his book who just had a tick mark "Horley it's me." the man looked surprised as squinted his eyes. "Naruto?! Why are you wearing woman clothes?"

"I had to sneak in. Remember I have a bounty on my head for a murder that happened in this very town."

"I guess I kinda forgot about that...forgive me if I had remembered I would have changed our meeting point." Naruto walked up to the man as he put his hands in front of the fire "It's alright what's done is done." Horley was about to speak when he was interrupted "Who's that Horley?" both men looked to the side to see an old man wearing a brown coat approaching them.

"Hello, Mr. Jones." Horley greeted the old man known as Mr. Jones "I said who is that?" the man stopped beside Horley as he scanned Naruto "Is she a kind woman? Is she a good woman? Is she a bad woman? Is she the devil?"

"Umm Number one, that there is a man and Number two no he isn't the devil." Horley stated as Mr. Jones looked shocked when he heard Naruto was a man. "You are friends with a man that wears woman clothes?! You was always a strange one, Horley." the man concluded as Naruto had a tick mark "Hey! I'm not enjoying wearing woman clothing alright?! If you don't know I have a bounty on my head." Naruto whispered the last sentence since it would be dumb if he just said it out loud.

"Wait? Horley you're working with criminals now?! Oh how times have changed, anyway how is Mrs. LeClerk?"

"About as you'd expect." Horley replied

"I expect a lot. It's a mighty bad business, LeClerk was a good man, a-a fine man." Horley picked up his cup of tea from the ground as he drank it. "That he was. Tea?" he offered Naruto who nodded. Taking an empty cup Naruto poured himself some.

"So what about this feller?"

"He's a good man as well." Horley backed up Naruto "Oh that the world's business I tell you, the world's. It's either kindness and gentleness or it's evil and brutality. What else is there?"

"Well you missed out a lot of things like lust, greed and stupidity." Horley spoke as Mr. Jones "Oh...Mr. Jones is stupid. Oh, Jones is old. Oh, Jones has cooked himself in the sun. I know, I know." Jones declared "Get yourself something to eat." Horley pointed at the pot that was cooking some stew. "There's fellers that need help Horley, maybe you're friend can help 'em?."

"Maybe. You think you can do that Naruto?"

"Sure." Naruto replied as he put the empty cup on the floor, Mr. Jones went to take some meat out of the pot as Horley spoke "Well the sheriffs in these parts need help, maybe you can get yourself some work who knows maybe you can even get employed as a deputy." Mr. Jones said "Like Sheriff Martin might need some help."

"Who's Sheriff Martin?" Naruto questioned "It's the Sheriff that arrested you six months ago."

"Oh him. He doesn't have a good sense of humour." Naruto concluded "Now don't worry Sheriff Martin isn't the guy that arrested you, the state marshal is the man."

"Oh I know he handed me over to Sheriff Martin's deputy."

"Well Naruto the sheriffs that need help is some feller from Valentine, he said he would be at his office in the town but he'd be at the Painted Sky Ranch, then the sheriff of Tumbleweed's at his jail and Sheriff Martin said he'd be at Pike's Basin."

"Why is he there? Won't the town turn upside down without protection?" Naruto asked

"That's why he's not here since a lot of bounty hunters are always coming in here looking for you. So they are sort of taking care of the town, in his absence."

"Maybe we'll see what kind of man you are kid, go pay them a visit."Mr. Jones said as he took his leave. "Meet me back here after you've seen them." Horley finished Naruto was about to leave when he remembered something. "Say Horley where did you find the guys who helped you break me out?"

"Why you ask?"

"Well like you said I'm gonna need a posse in this day and age, so I want to recruit them into it."

"Oh well then I found them down by the saloon. Just go in there and tell them Horley wants them to join your posse, they'll hopefully understand." nodding Naruto left as he walked to the saloon