A/N: Hello again everyone! Thank you to those who have reviewed so far, it is wonderful to hear what you have to say. I also may learn something from you ;). I haven't posted for a few days because I started working and I've been really sick...I know! It's no excuse :(. I tried to make this chapter I little bit longer, and more action oriented. This story is going to have a lot of action in it, hopefully both kinds...It IS an epic after all...

I noticed a few people comment on the length of my chapters. My answer to that is simple: I'm going to (hopefully, and most likely) post one chapter a day, so the length shouldn't be a problem if you're getting one every day, right?

Please read, review and of course enjoy!

Cerulean Change Chapter 6

Twilight bathed the beach in a orangey glow as the fading light shimmered off every grain of sand. The shores cradled the slow lapping waves as they kissed the edge of the sand, pulling the warmth of the shoreline together with the calming chill of the sea causing both worlds to blend as if they were never anything more than one.

Naruto didn't stop this time to admire the natural wonder as he raced with a seemingly endless flow of energy towards the city he left behind only hours before hand. There was only one goal to be achieved by returning to the ghost land that felt as unconnecting as his thoughts. The single item that made any place home and any corner familiar to him was there. His beautiful box... No, it wasn't even the box itself! He didn't care for the wood or the carvings or the deep brown glaze. All that mattered to him was contained inside it. The picture he held so close every night–the sapphire jewel that never lost it's unique radiance...Those were the things he had to have to continue on. Naruto silently cursed himself for leaving them behind, not caring that it wasn't his fault. Few things in life were important enough to have him risking everything as he was to keep safe. 'I can't leave Samnoria without them...Shit! Why me? ...Sasuke, please wait for me; please don't shun my decision--you don't understand...You will never understand what it is like to have barely anything to hang onto, telling you that you are alive; keeping you upright. I need to have these things close. Please understand my idiocy...'

--

Sasuke sat languorously against a mossy tree. 'Naruto...Please hurry back. I know I can never understand what those items mean to you, but for both our sakes comes back in one piece! Material things come and go around me like wind and I know I cannot relate to having something kept so dear...The only thing dear to me died so long ago, tearing my heart in millions of pieces across the world. But you can change this is if you only live...You and me, we'll find each piece and live as if no pain could ever exist! I promise you, we will.'

--

As night approached so did the chilling weather. Gusts breezed throughout roadways, flailing around any stray piece of paper or thin material with icy resolve. No one was exempt from its chill, including the troops still in constant search of their lost prince. The wary and irritated soldiers had been keeping the jogging pace for nearly two days, now silently praying to any god that the mischievous prince would walk out of one of the homes and concede to going home. But this of course was not the case... So on they trudged, like robots–very annoyed and angry robots that is, with no zeal to keep them happy.

"Move your lazy asses boys! This isn't a damn parade; keep up the pace!" Draconis, older brother of Darco barked out orders to his search party as he hoped himself that the brat prince would show up. 'If only he wasn't royalty, I'd have that boy killing–NO! I'd throttle his little throat myself, little bastard.' Keeping his heavy eyelids peeled open, Draconis kept his eyes moving; partially to stay awake and partially to catch a glimpse of the raven-haired boy himself. As he was looking off into the dark roadway, wind biting at his face, he did not catch a glimpse of black; quite the contrary actually. His gaze came across something orange off in the distance. And seeing no reason to not go towards the person, if not only to question him, he directed his troops in that direction, picking up the pace two-fold.

Approaching what Draconis now recognized as a boy running he ran himself ahead of the group and tried to make out who the boy was in the silver light of the moon. He got ten feet away from the boy before the little escape artist ducked with miraculous speed into an alleyway, but not before Draconis saw what he looked like. 'That boy! He looked exactly as my brother described the peasant brought to the castle. Blonde, spiky hair in a blue bandana; orange clothing; and the strange cat-like scars on his face. That had to be him, and I want him found! He would surely know the whereabouts of Prince Sasuke.' Draconis turned back to his subordinates with an evil smirk upon his face making some of the soldiers cringe. "That child knows the prince. Find him at any cost! GO!" All the soldiers broke smartly off into groups of two and left in separate directions, running in the general direction of the strange boy in orange...

--

Naruto's breath quickened in fear after he narrowly escaped the many troops running after him, including the huge man in the front of the group. He looked like he could do some major damage with that 6 foot sword strapped to his back. So wasting no more time, Naruto continued running towards his shack, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of blue uniforms.

Finally and without any more trouble he slammed through the door of his former dwelling, Throwing open the boards on the ground as he reached them. He grabbed the box from below, shoved the picture in his pocket, wore the necklace around his neck and exited, leaving the box behind to be pilfered by someone who needed it more. Running in the shadows back towards the beach Naruto hoped upon hope for safe passage back to his Sasuke. He was already missing the prince's company and comforting warmth and he feared they might never see each other again. They needed to leave Samnoria-----now.

As he rounded a corner in his fevered rush Naruto didn't notice the man before him as his uniform blended with the night. Running into him head-on, Naruto landed on the ground with a thump. Looking up he saw the one person in the world he feared the most starring right back at him. 'Great job Naruto, two times in one day, you're a smart one!' Darco looked down half surprised and half enraged at the one who dared run into him. Seeing Naruto on the ground as he did earlier that day, his enraged look changed quickly into a sadistic smile. "Well hello there, punk. Come back for round two, have you?" Naruto's Cerulean eyes widened as his pupil grew small in shock. Saying nothing Naruto kipped off the ground in a flash and pushed off the wall to boost his speed as he ran for dear life away from the terror of Darco. "HEY YOU LITTLE BITCH, COME BACK!" Darco ran full speed after his pray, followed closely by his search party.

Naruto felt beads of sweat run down every part of his body. Chills of terror crept down his spine as he ran faster than he ever remembered running; pulling out energy from deep within himself to keep going. His legs ached, but he didn't dare look back to see if they were gaining on him. He felt the heat one feels when they know they are being closely followed and it only served to make him push harder. Hitting the uneven surface of sand and seeing the trees ahead of him filled Naruto with a sense of reason; at least he could visualize how much longer he'd have to keep the pace going. And to his amazing luck he heard a loud "oof" behind him as presumably Darco tripped and fell on the sand delaying his capture. 'Only twenty more feet and I can lose them!', Naruto screamed to himself. The trees rapidly grew larger as he approached them. And with one final burst of speed he broke the edge of the forest, not before hearing the dull thud of an arrow landing inches from his head and into the tree next to him.

--

Sasuke couldn't hold his bored curiosity any longer and began walking back towards the city side of the trees. He only advanced a few feet when the blurred form of Naruto grabbed him roughly and pulled him into a run. Looking backwards briefly he saw a whole group of his father's guards lead by a livid Darco chasing them on fast feet. 'Oh god, what did you get us into Naruto?!' Both boys continued running and soon broke out of the small forest and back onto another part of the beach, where just as Naruto planned there was a small wooden boat docked in the shallows. Naruto, thinking on his feet ran ahead of Sasuke with a dagger from his pocket and severed through the rope attaching the boat to land in one expert swipe. Sasuke, assessed the situation correctly and jumped into the craft as Naruto pushed off with immense force, shoving them both out to sea.

Darco also saw the boat ahead and knew he couldn't catch them once they boarded it. Realizing his only good option, he stopped dead in his tracks, kneeled down and pulled out his bow. He notched an arrow to it with expertise and took aim at his target. 'My only shot ... Three ... Two ... One... NOW!'

"AGH!"

The arrow struck Naruto in the shoulder causing him to fall forward harshly into Sasuke. Feeling the pain shoot through him like millions of little arrows, Naruto grabbed the offending arrow and with one strong tug wrenched it from his shoulder. He took the time afterwards to throw it back in the direction of Darco with an unsteady smirk placed upon his dark face as the arrow landed at Darco's feet. Both boys then grabbed an oar and rowed as quickly as their limbs would let them out to sea...

Darco frowned at the arrow and looked up triumphantly at his prey. "You've got spunk kid, I'll give you that! But mark my words, when you come back you and my sword have a date with destiny! Regardless of what your snot-nosed little prince says–YOU'RE DEAD!" Darco laughed loudly echoing off the shore, "DEAD, DO YOU HEAR ME!?"...

--

The moon cast an eery light upon the slowly rocking sea and the boat occupying it. The wooden craft creaked quietly as Sasuke rowed it alone. The boy across from him held his head down keeping his face from view as ragged breathes came out unevenly. Naruto sat silently in pain and fatigue holding his bleeding shoulder to squelch the pain as best he could. This act took all the remaining energy left in him, keeping him still and silent.

Sasuke on the other end held worry in his eyes as he looked on at his injured love; once more scared that he might lose something dear to him again. The feeling of regret for not going with Naruto back to Samnoria overshadowed this pained emotion, and made a foreign, watery substance crawl around the edges of his eyes. Sasuke hated himself for dragging Naruto into his life; he hated having all his problems bare their weight on Naruto's shoulders. 'I'm so sorry Naruto...I never meant for any of this to happen. I never wanted anything more than adventure; to experience new things...I guess this is what I deserve...I truly am just a selfish little brat, aren't I? But things will change if you stay with me, my love. From what I've seen, you are strong; stronger than I can ever hope to be. If you stay with me I promise to let you shine and be known as great to all those around you...I love you even now, when I hardly know you. I love you Naruto...' He leaned in and softly touched his lips to Naruto's, eliciting a small smile from his love.

Way off in the distance land could be seen–safe land, where they could be free. Rowing steadily in its direction Sasuke smiled genuinely. They really did it! They were free of Samnoria's clutches, and the visibility of Camnio only furthered to prove this point.

They were finally free...

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There is chapter six! Please please please tell me what you think in the form of a review. I wanna keep posting every day, and your replies are just the thing to help me do it!

Thank you for reading and I'll be back soon

CrimsonAnjel