Have you ever Chapter 3
Taichô = captain or general
Tetsu no Kuni = Land of iron
Kaminari no Kuni = Land of Lightning
Nami no Kuni = Land of waves
Hachimitsu = Honey
Medic-nin = Medical ninja
Karasu = Raven
Have you ever loved somebody so much
It makes you cry?
Have you ever needed something so bad
You can't sleep at night?
Have you ever tried to find the words
But they don't come out right?
Have you ever, have you ever?
Somewhere up North
He was in pain. The stiffness of his body prevented him from moving. Naruto panicked, even more, when he realized that he couldn't see when he opened his eyes. He screamed. At least hearing his own voice made him feel alive. As he attempted to break his bond with his chakra, the blonde felt too weak to get a response from his body.
"Calm down, you almost died from the cold!"
A soft hand on his cheek and a peaceful voice soothed him.
"What's wrong? I can't see anything. Am I blind?"
As his panic attack worsened, he was having difficulty breathing. Once again, he heard a peaceful voice.
"Your eyes are bandaged, young man. The cold almost killed you. We hope that you will not suffer any long-term effects."
"My apologies. I am grateful for what you did for me. Where am I?"
As she breathed in a soft melody, the woman didn't respond immediately, she seemed to be checking all her bandages. When Naruto heard a door open, he turned his head in that direction
"Mifune-sama, he just woke up. He wants to find out where he is. I was going to remove the bandages from his eyes."
"Chihiro-san, you can do that."
Naruto listened to the exchange silently; the man seemed to be an important figure. The woman with the sweet voice must have been a medic-ninja. A pleasant silence settled in, and Naruto felt secure. Because of the blinding light, he had to close his eyes and open them slowly once the last bandage was removed. He was finally able to see his surroundings and put faces to the voices he had heard earlier. The jinchuriki thanked them again, bowing as low as possible.
"I want to thank you for saving my life. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, I am a ninja from Konoha"
Meanwhile, the woman quietly got up and headed for the door while the man looked sternly at him.
"I will return later to remove the rest of your bandages, Uzumaki-san. No matter how itchy your skin is, you should not touch your bandages."
Slowly, she walked through the door and closed it silently. Naruto focused on the man who was watching him. He wore gray hair, a long mustache, and a goatee. The high part of his eyes and his eyebrows were hidden by thin strips around his head at the level of his forehead. His outfit was a simple yukata in gray and beige. Naruto stared at his hands, which were hidden under layers of clothes.
"You were found during a patrol by one of my soldiers. If it hadn't been for your red scarf, he wouldn't have noticed you."
As the man looked at him severely, Naruto straightened his head to meet his eyes. It was obvious to the young ninja that he would have to explain clearly what he was doing far away from his village, in a snowstorm, so unprepared.
"As I mentioned, I am from the peaceful village of Konoha in the Land of Fire. I was on my way to Iron Village to try and meet their leader, but the storms in the north surprised me."
As the blond man told the man about his visit, he did not hesitate to look him in the eye and tell him what motivated him. Mifune was pleasantly surprised by the young ninja's honesty, a small smile appearing on his stern face.
"That's all well and good, Uzumaki-san. Welcome to Tetsu no Kuni. My name is Mifune Taisho, a samurai captain."
The two men exchanged traditional greetings. Naruto smiled a dazzling smile as he faced the motionless samurai again. Mifune gave him a slight grin. His men would have been surprised that he was letting himself go in front of a stranger found half-dead in the snow. Naruto tried to explain why he wanted to leave the village. However, he didn't want to get too personal.
He didn't mention Sasuke. It was still difficult for him to express how he felt about this dark-haired man and this strange bond that united them. It was impossible for him to express the love he felt for Sasuke. While this term for the samurai might not mean anything, a deserter was still a deserter. No matter what the reason. Moreover, he did not know if there were homosexual couples among the shinobi or samurai. He had never met any, not in the village nor anywhere else he had been. Maybe it was abnormal to feel attraction toward a person of the same sex? Yet he could not control his feelings, his emotions. Since the time he felt them, it had become quite normal to him, and he couldn't imagine his life without Sasuke.
"Mifune Taichô, may I stay for a while?"
For a few moments, the samurai played with his mustache thoughtfully as he pondered the request. As the door opened again, the woman who had been there earlier entered holding a tray.
"You're just in time, Chihiro-san. How long does this young man have to stay in bed?"
She silently approached Naruto and pulled out a wheeled table and placed her tray on it, then stood in front of him. Meanwhile, the blond man's stomach was making a gurgling noise that made him blush.
"He suffered severe frostbite on both hands and feet, as well as on his ears. Probably for at least a week."
"It is no disrespect to you, but I am well known for my fast healing."
Naruto briskly ran his bandaged hand through his hair as he blushed.
Despite the woman's skepticism, she did not say anything further. One last time, the nurse examined his bandages and seemed satisfied. She left without saying another word. The samurai stood up.
We'll talk about your request later." "You can stay here while you recover."
"Thank you very much, Mifune Taicho."
Mifune didn't reply but nodded and left the room in silence. As he glanced at the tray, Naruto salivated. Onigiri, miso soup, and green tea, he ate them all! He shifted the table so that he could sit comfortably again. The meal and the discussion had worn him out. The soft, warm blanket made Naruto fall asleep as he rolled up in it.
Orochimaru's hideout
While it was still dark, Sasuke sneaked out of his room. He hoped he would not run into anyone. The Uchiha didn't want anyone asking him why he was here. Particularly true for Orochimaru and Kabuto, who won't let him go.
He walked quietly and quickly until he reached the exit. Taking his time to carefully open the hidden door, he finally made it to the outside. Sasuke sped up so that he could get as much distance as possible before Orochimaru or his second-in-command realized he was missing and came after him. Sasuke would deal with them later; for now, he would destroy his last link. Then Sasuke would be able to exterminate his brother and finally take revenge.
With the cover of night, the Uchiha accelerated along, knowing that there was almost no chance of running into anyone on the road. Sasuke headed northeast, towards Kaminari no Kuni. He knew there was another Jinchuriki there, he was sure Naruto must have already known him and even befriended him. It was possible he could be there. The snakes he had sent on the tracks of the blonde would surely return to Sasuke if he failed there. He may have a lead that will allow him to destroy Naruto. Having just passed Hi no Kuni, the Uchiha maintained a constant speed. He had entered the territory of Kaminari no Kuni. The capital of Kumo was still Sasuke's goal, which he didn't know well. From there, he could begin investigating the village. The Uchiha wanted to know if they had seen or run into a blond, orange-clad ninja. Maybe they ran into him. Due to his joy of living, his warm smile, and his desire to help others, Sasuke was sure that he would have been noticed. No matter where he went, Naruto left positive traces behind him.
While memories of the happy times he had spent with Naruto began to flood his mind, Sasuke vigorously shook his head. He remembered each of the smiles this idiot had given him. That made his heartbeat faster, and that let him know he was not alone. Uchiha hated losing control of his mind, particularly when it concerned a certain blonde with blue eyes and a charming smile.
Sasuke reached the border of Kaminari no Kuni safely in the middle of the afternoon. As he did not want to take any chances, the black-haired man masked his chakra completely, not wanting to be discovered. The closer Uchiha got to Kumo, the greater his chances of encountering local ninjas or worse, Konoha, so he leaped from tree to tree with his Sharingan activated. They must have reached the same conclusion as he had, and a team must have been sent. When he was a few meters from the village gates, the nunekin used a henge to alter his appearance. He had short black hair, blue eyes, and was wearing casual clothes like a simple traveler. Sasuke started walking towards the gates where two guards were talking and watching the people entering and leaving the village.
"Have you heard Bee-San's reaction? How did he react to Konoha's message?"
"No, I only heard about it vaguely, what happened?".
Sasuke slowed down his pace at that moment so that he could listen discreetly to the discussion.
"A Jinchuriki ran away from his village, and that angered Bee."
"Oh, and what's up with that?" It's not uncommon nowadays to see nukenins doing that."
"According to Bee, this ninja wouldn't have any reason to leave his village. The dream of his life is to become the equivalent of our Raikage, the Hokage."
So as not to attract attention, Sasuke continued his way and knew he would learn nothing more from them. He walked nonchalantly through the center of the village. The Uchiha decided to stop at a small restaurant on a street corner after looking at the shops. He ordered some onigiri and a delicious miso soup, and his mind drifted back to the past, to that small shop of the Ichiraku. Back from their mission in Nami no Kuni, sitting next to a gluttonous blonde. The two had battled Zabuza Momochi and his faithful sidekick Haku. Sasuke even risked his life for the blonde, his body reacting on its own without him even realizing it. Naruto attacked Haku with force and without restraint out of rage immediately after. In retrospect, the black-haired man should have let the other ninja finish the blonde. In this way, he wouldn't waste his precious time on him.
Naruto would not have come here if he understood what the two guards were saying. There were few options available to him. Perhaps the Dobe had returned to Nami no Kuni. Tasuna had hired them for an escort mission, and the blonde formed a friendship with him. He let out a long sigh. He massaged his temples vigorously as he felt a headache coming on. Nami no Kuni was opposite where he was. Having finished his meal, he paid and decided to rent a room for the night. He hoped to hear from his snakes by the next day. After arriving at a small inn that looked okay, the Uchiha paid for a night, took his key, and went to his room. It was on the second floor, the third door on the left. After entering, the black-haired man was satisfied with his choice. The room was small, but clean and had a bathroom.
The only window in the room overlooking a backyard was sealed with security seals as Sasuke went to take a hot shower after cancelling his henge. He was able to relax his tense muscles after racing so fast. Though it was early evening, he was exhausted. He hadn't slept much, had run part of the night, and had been awake all day. As soon as his head touched the pillow, the Uchiha fell asleep with his small dagger under his pillow
In Konoha, Kakashi's apartment.
After taking off his mask, Kakashi slumped into his living room couch, resting his head on the back of it, and closing his eyes. After five days of exploring Hi no Kuni's vast territory, he was exhausted. There was no sign of Naruto. Although the copy ninja had talked to several people, no one had seen the blonde. He sighed deeply, feeling a gentle hand caress his scalp. He opened an eye, a lazy smile appeared on his face
"Are you tired, Karasu?"
In response to the man's voice, he grunted and closed his eyes while a second hand massaged one of his shoulders.
Come on, my koibito, you need to sleep!
"Nah, I have to find Naruto. I came home just to change and take a shower."
The heavy legs of Kakashi wouldn't obey him, making it impossible for him to rise. He heard his man laughing behind his back. His arms, which he had loved for years, lifted him in classic princess mode. The silver one was too exhausted to feel the discomfort and relaxed in the comforting warmth of Gai. His lover carried him into their bedroom and laid him on their bed. Gaï removed his sandals, stockings, and pants before removing his t-shirt. Leaving him only with his underwear, the green master kissed him tenderly and covered him with a blanket.
"Sleep now, you need to rest so you can give your all. Also, I need you from time to time."
Before kissing his neck, his energetic lover spooned him.
Kakashi curled up a little more in the warmth of his man, resting his head on his arm, twirling his fingers around the hand on his waist. Within seconds, Kakashi was fast asleep. Gai squeezed Kakashi tighter in his arms. Kakashi blamed himself for Naruto's disappearance, so he was worried. Gai was, however, sure that the young ninja had acted this way at one point or another. Since Sasuke deserted, the Jinchuriki were sad. In Gai's heart, he knew that the blond boy was hopelessly in love with the last of the Uchiha. Since they could understand him, he would talk to Kakashi about it the next day. Together, they would find a solution.
