Chapter 18: Dread on the Horizon
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Naruto can't quite make out the feeling he has. All he knows is that it's not good.
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Start date, December 29

Naruto woke up before the sun rose. The feeling of anxious never left him. He did not get much sleep. He quickly made a clone and made it change its form to his fake grandfather. It picked up the bag as Naruto slipped on his boots. The two exited out of the room and dropped off the key. The man glared at them. The two exited out of the building and walked through the small village. Naruto ordered the clone to ask directions for the next village. It walked up to an elderly man.

"Excused me sir, can you tell us the way to the next village."

"It is a few days west of here. Just followed the road and you will come to a nice size city. I never have been there myself. It is quarter smaller then the size of Fang. It is called Goose Hen. They say in ten years time, it will be as big or bigger then Fang."

The clone smiled and took off. Naruto followed it out in the forest. He was automatically on alert as he dismissed his clone and took up the bag. He forced himself calm down and summoned six foxes. They looked at him, waiting for his orders.

"I need your help. I want you spread out and keep an eye out for anyone and anything. I have a bad felling."

The foxes nodded and took off. Naruto jumped to a tree and took off. The feeling he was feeling would not go away as he left the village, but it grew. He frowned, since the wound to his leg hampered him. He pushed thought he pain, moving on.

-captured-

Three days passed and Naruto had sent Gamakichi again, telling them he escaped and where he was. He was surprised when the frog reappeared and dropped off a box. He opened it and found money in it and a fake ID. All he had to do was fill out the information. He put most of the money away, making sure he would not waste it on ramen. He was now setting in a tree with the ID in his hand. He filled it out and brushed his hair from his face. It was now black and his eyes were a honey brown. His hair fell to the middle of his back. He looked at the city, a mile from him. The feeling of dread left him before sun rise. He slipped the ID in his pouch and leaned back against the tree. He still felt tired. He could tell he was getting better, but he would need medicine soon.

Naruto let out a sigh and got down the tree. He entered into the city an hour later. His ID was looked over and the man narrowed his eyes at him. He let him go and Naruto followed his nose to a ramen stand. He sat down ordering a bowl. He listened to the talk from two elderly men.

"Did you know the Lord is increasing guards at each settlement? The bandit's attacks are increasing." one said

"I have heard that and the boy they are looking for, it is like he vanished, like the boy that disappeared on a ninja. From what I heard the boy was being taken to the orphanage. Now they are saying the boy is the same that escaped from Fang." another said

Naruto was on his second bowl and the felling of dread came back full force. He looked behind him and watched as a large group of kids, of different ages ran by, laughing. He went back to eating, twitching to pull out a weapon. He stopped on the third bowl, unable to finish it. He paid for his meal and shouldered his pack. He decided to look around at the different shops. As he walked, he forced himself to walk without a limp. He bought stuff he needed and some items he didn't. He kept himself from reaching for a weapon when ever a ninja passed him. He wanted to know why he felt like this.

"Kit, get a room, you need the rest."

Naruto slightly jumped. He had not heard the fox talk for awhile. He looked around the city and found a cheep hotel. He easily got a room and went inside. He locked the door and went to the window. He made sure it was locked and the curtains were closed. He dropped his bag and rubbed his chest as he made his way to the bathroom. A tub of hot water sounded good to him.

"You need to get medicine soon. Your fever is going up and the infection is still. I know you hold back you're coughing, and you're tired, but you can't hide it from me."

Naruto nodded and let his hold go and coughed. He let out a yawn and winched at his sore throat. He walked into the bathroom and started the water. He looked in the mirror and blanched at how he looked. His nose was red from the cold and its running. He had dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks were red. He curled his nose seeing his hair straight, without his spikes and it was black. He looked at his eyes and they showed how tired he was and he wanted to see the blue of them. He looked to the tub and turned the faucet off. He stripped down and stepped in the tub. He relaxed in the water, trying to ignore the felling he had. He felt the tension release slightly, from having his muscles taut, ready for an attack. He ignored the slight pain from his burns and wounds. When the water started to cool, he cleaned up and dried off.

He changed into new clothes and looked around the room. It was small, with a good size bed. He looked to the ceiling and saw it was removable tiles. He jumped on the bed and reached up. His fingers barley touched the tiles. He had to jump on the bed to pushed one up. It moved easily. He looked up and saw he would have space to get through, if he could get up there. He jumped down to the floor and went through his pockets. He did not have much money left, but hope it was enough. He left the room and walked pass the counter. The man gave him a look before returning to the book he was reading. Naruto walked outside and found it still busy. The sun was setting and he looked around, thinking where a pharmacy would be. He guessed it would help to ask someone. He walked for a few minutes and stopped an elderly woman. He smiled at her.

"Excuse ma'am, can you tell me where is a pharmacy is?"

"You have to go to the hospital. That is close to the main building in the city. Just follow this path."

Naruto smiled and walked off. He cussed slightly as he walked to the hospital. He found the building and entered. He saw many people were there as he made his way to the receptions desk. A woman looked up at him.

"Do you need to see a doctor?"

He shook his head no.

"I was told I could get some medicine here. I need something for my cough."

The women looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Go to the back till you find a door with its top half open. Tell them what you need."

He nodded and walked off. He did not like the looks some of the ninja gave him. He did not bother to hold his coughing as he found what the nurse described to him. He walked up to the door and looked in. A man was busy mixing herbs. Naruto cleared he throat.

"Be with you in a minute." the man yelled out, waving his hand behind him

Naruto waited as the man finished what he was doing and walked up to him.

"So, what do you need?" the man asked, a smile on his face

"Some cough medicine. My mom sent me here, saying I was old enough to do it myself."

The man nodded and went to the back. Naruto waited, his stomach knotting up even more. He wanted to know what was making him like this.

"This is getting ridicules."

"I know Kit, I am the same way. Get your medicine and get back to the hotel. I wish you would get something for the infection, burns and fever, but I doubt you would get any from that man with out having to see a doctor first."

Naruto looked up as the man as he came back with a glass vile. He smiled at Naruto.

"Okay, take it in the morning and before you go to bed. It should help you. A cap full will work."

"How much?"

The man gave him a smile.

"Nothing."

Naruto forced a smiled and took the medicine.

"Thank you."

He walked from the man and passed the group of ninjas again. He stomach lurched. He ignored them and went back to his room. He shut the door behind me, locking it. He wandered to his bed and looked at the medicine. It was a dark green. His stomach felt like it did a back flip.

"I don't trust this medicine."

"Take a bit of it. We will find out if it is cough medicine or something else."

Naruto unscrewed the top and took a sip. His face scrunched up at the taste.

"This will not help your cough. This is a sleep draft."

Naruto ran to the bathroom after setting the bottle on table next to the bed. He came back to the room, wiping his mouth off.

"Those ninjas were interested in me. They kept looking at me with interests on the streets. Do they suspect me already?"

"Who knows Kit, but get some rest. You need it."

Naruto nodded and went to bed. He kept his shoes and jacket close by, ready to slip them on. He closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep. He was feed up as the light disappeared from outside and grew dark. He let out a sigh and curled into a ball. He finally found sleep.

End date, December 29

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