Chapter 2


Tetsu no Kuni = The Land of Iron

Ta no Kuni = Land of Rice

Hi no Kuni= Land of Fire

Kaminari no Kuni= Land of Lightning


Have you ever been in love?

Been in love so bad

You would do anything to make them understand

Have you ever had someone steal your heart away?

You would give anything to make them feel the same

Have you ever searched for words to get you in their heart?

But you do not know what to say

And you do not know where to start


5 days later. Orochimaru secret base

Sasuke was walking rapidly. That snake did not show up for the scheduled morning training! He had come here voluntarily to become stronger and more powerful, but he was not keeping his side of the deal.

From the Sanin, he had learned a lot, he was more proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and he had perfect control of his chakra. His Jutsu was becoming unstoppable. The old man, meanwhile, did not appear at their daily appointment, which was frustrating. Kabuto's voice caught his attention as he was walking to his room.

There would be no better time, Orochimaru-sama! The Jinchûriki has been missing from his village for five days. If we find him before the ninjas follow, we might be able to retrieve the Bijù ourselves!

When the nukenin heard Naruto had disappeared the nukenin stopped and wondered if he had heard correctly. That idiot would not give up his village, even at the risk of his life! But what had happened? When the voice of his master interrupted him, he realized he was asking too many questions about Naruto and shook his head.

-You should not listen in, Sasuke-kun

Sasuke entered the room after opening the door. Standing in the middle of the room, the two men smirked at him.

- I thought you were going to teach me something new!

Sasuke's response was defensive as he feared being caught in the act.

Particularly when Sanin had that satisfied look on his face.

With a smirk on his face, Kabuto gently pushed back his glasses with one finger.

-I apologize, Sasuke-kun. I had to hold back Orochimaru-sama!

While maintaining an impassive gaze, Sasuke looked at Orochimaru with a reproachful look in his eyes.

-I will make it up to you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun.

Sanin lost interest in the young ninja and continued his discussion with Kabuto about new Jutsu and medical formulas.

The nukenin blew strongly through his nose out of irritation. Sasuke had no desire to give either man satisfaction. He did not slam the door as he left, and he walked down the hallway to his room. Sasuke tried in vain to block his thoughts of Naruto. Naruto had been constantly present since their last meeting, and he hated that he could not control himself. That was an extremely stupid idea to peer into his subconscious to taunt and make fun of him. He was instead confronted by the nine-tailed demon. He was trying to convince his former teammate to free him from his cage so that he could defeat Sasuke. The Uchiha had been surprised by Kyûbi's ferocity and hatred. It was hard for him to understand how Naruto could cope with this evil entity in him, especially considering Jinchûriki's benevolent attitude. A bright smile was always on his face, and he would do anything for those who were dear to him.

-Just like you

In the back of his mind, a voice whispered.

It was impossible for him to think of such things, so he shook his head violently. When it came to Naruto, he had lost control lately, so that was out of the question.

The moment Sasuke entered Naruto's subconscious, everything changed. As he watched the Kyûbi's fury, he started coating Naruto with his chakra, urging him to allow him to control him. All this for the sake of defeating the Uchiha and bringing him back to Konoha. Sasuke had no idea why this had infuriated him. As he moved forward, he was able to easily explode the fox's harmful chakra. As a result of the chakra explosion, Sasuke was bombarded by memories and dreams from Naruto's mind.

It was an understatement to say he was surprised. The majority of the flashes represented him. Everything from their first meeting was there. He was left with a sense of abandonment, similar to what Naruto had felt when he left the village, as well as loneliness caused by Sasuke's desertion. At the last moment, he was overcome by an unknown feeling. His heart was warmed by this feeling that had left him confused. This sense of security had given him peace, above all else.

When he was thrown out of Naruto's mind, he became scared and tried to kill Naruto to break the link that held him and made him weak. Sasuke hit his head against the wall several times in his room. He hated himself for having so many memories and images related to Naruto. Uchiha wasn't interested in this link that held him back; he wanted to crush it since it only brought him unnecessary feelings and headaches.

This was the perfect opportunity to find the jinchuriki and finish him once and for all. In order to defeat his brother, the Uchiha had to break this last link that represented his human part.

He felt more in control and better after making his decision. In light of this last encounter, Sasuke would have no trouble defeating his former teammate.

The rest of the day he stayed in his room. For the purpose of studying the maps of surrounding regions and determining the best route to find Naruto. After thinking it through, Sasuke decided to eliminate Suna. This would be Konoha's first visit to a village, and he hoped not to have to deal with the Kazekage. Gaara No Sabaku was a formidable opponent, and from what he had learned, Gaara had a soft spot for the Kyubi Jinchuriki. His stomach turned, and he suppressed his feelings once again at this thought.

Since Naruto made friends everywhere he went, Sasuke might not have been able to track him as easily as he thought. However, he didn't mind, hard quests were more fun. For the rest of the day, and most of the night, Uchiha studied the possible routes of the Uzumaki. Sasuke thought he had established a feasible route for the most unpredictable ninja to travel.


Somewhere up North

Despite his cloak, which he had bought earlier in a small village, Naruto was freezing. He could no longer feel his ears, his toes, or his hands. He did, however, manage to obtain a long red scarf to shield his face from the wind. He walked through the heavy snow. It was the first time he had seen so much snow. A thick layer reached his midcalf, making it difficult to move forward.

Jiraya had told him about a village in the north, a neutral and unique place. There were no ninjas, only warriors called samurai. Naruto had set out for Tetsu no Kuni in order to meet their leaders with this information in mind. Maybe the jinchuriki could ask for asylum for a while, and perhaps study the art of the Samurai. Having heard Jiraya describe the art, he was intrigued.

The fighters did not use chakra, in fact, they did not appear to possess any. Using swords, bows, and arrows, they fought with only their physical strength. They adopted a strict code of honor as well. Naruto was impressed when Jiraya told him about it and wanted to find out more. Considering his current situation, he saw this as an ideal opportunity to satisfy his curiosity. Maybe he shouldn't have left the village like that, but the jinchuriki was suffocating, he couldn't stand it any longer. No one understood him. They all tried to induce him to return to his former self, but he was unable to do so. His last encounter with Sasuke had caused him more pain than anyone could have imagined. In order to set things straight, Naruto felt the need to take a step back. He needed to persuade himself that loving Sasuke would only result in pain and loneliness.

Despite the numbing effect of the snow, he continued walking. Despite his best efforts, Naruto was unable to turn off his emotions. In spite of their differences, he still cares for Sasuke and is undeniably in love with him. When he had been able to describe the feelings that bound him to Sasuke, he had been terrified. With a demon inside of him, how could he expect to be loved in return? He could never lose his affection for his former teammate no matter what he said or did. To make matters worse, it was growing daily. As soon as Sasuke entered his mind, Naruto knew he had met the demon. Sasuke may have also glimpsed some memories, most of which concerned him. Maybe he had understood the feelings the Jinchûriki had towards him, which would explain why Sasuke almost managed to kill him.

No matter how many people said he was stupid, he always played the perfect fool with his unshakeable good mood. Although he had a painful past, he kept this hidden well. For Sasuke to achieve his revenge, Naruto knew that he needed to reach the level of his brother. In order to accomplish that, he had to destroy all the links that could make him weak. To be able to evolve his Dojutsu into Mangekyo Sharingan. The Sharingan manifested itself, as Naruto knew, when the holder of the Sharingan saw the most significant person in his life die before his eyes, either by his hand or by another's. Naruto knew everything would be decided at their next meeting.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to advance. His progress was being hampered by the violent wind. He was slowing down as a result. He had heard that Tetsu no Kuni was barely a day's walk away from the village he had just passed through. As the blizzard bore down on him, he had to seek shelter until it passed. Otherwise, he would freeze to death. All he can see are the skeletal remains of trees, with no place to hide. While he advanced, there was no question of him giving up. He would find a place to protect himself. His right foot hung on something, and he did not have time to avoid falling. After falling into the snow, the man's whole body was covered in snow. He closed his eyes for a few seconds to give himself the courage to get up when his body refused to obey him. Naruto lost consciousness as the falling snow and wind covered him with a thin white blanket.


Konoha, Hokage's office

-How can there be no trace of Naruto? How could he just disappear without leaving any trace behind?

Tsunade's resounding voice filled the room.

Sakura, Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Sai gathered here. Under the wrathful gaze of their leader, everyone lowered their heads. Everyone was worried. Naruto hasn't shown his face since the meeting with Kakashi. Naruto had been missing for six days, and his friends had no idea where he was. To their great displeasure, he did not appear in Suna as they immediately searched for him. Gaara had promised to keep them updated on new Naruto developments.

Sai was actively employing his vast network of spies, but without success. In the North of the village, it appears that he lost track of Naruto, causing them to believe that he was heading towards Ta no Kuni. If this is the case, nobody understands his choice. Naruto was heading towards a country that wasn't affiliated with Hi no Kuni, but why? Particularly if he ventured near Oto, where many ninjas remained loyal to Orochimaru and would not hesitate to capture him. In doing so, they might win the favor of the crazy old Sanin. The fact that he wanted a Biju was no secret, as it would improve his body's envelope.

Considering the friendship, he had developed with Bee since their first meeting, it makes more sense for him to travel to Kaminari no Kuni instead. It's likely that he was looking for a fresh start. Tsunade glared at Kakashi, irritated. When the copy ninja explained to her about Naruto's last meeting two days after Naruto disappeared, she was furious. With a punch, the Hokage destroyed her desk, barely restraining herself from hitting the ninja in front of her. Copynin wanted the blonde to respond, and what a response he got! Everyone was concerned. The idea of confronting someone so stubborn as Naruto in the middle of the night is definitely not the best one.

Kakashi knew he had made a mistake and felt terrible about it. Pakkun helped him search the entire territory of Hi no Kuni before he came to see his Hokage. It looked as if he had disappeared without a trace. After Tsunade had managed to contact Jiraya, he contacted Gamabunta. He even traveled to Mount Myoboku in search of Naruto.

The great toad hermit Gaamamaru had refused. It was his duty to honor Naruto's request. Naruto needed some time alone. Jiraya debated with the hermit about the risks the young ninja was taking by joining the Akatsuki and Orochimaru. They were after his Bijù. However, the toad refused and fell asleep. Afterward, the hermit was sent back to Konoha, where he informed Tsunade of the impasse with the toad. The group was all worried, but there was not much they could do at the moment. All they could do was wait and hope the jinchuriki would contact them soon. Kakashi sent an eagle to the Raikage while he waited so that he would not stand by and do nothing. Hatake hoped that the village of Kumo would hear from the Jinchuriki, and thus resolve the mystery.