Series: Naruto
Setting: AU
Prompt: 19. Lost
Rating: K
Word Count: 1, 391
Warnings: None
Summary: The closer you get, the further away it really is.

No One's There

The wait seemed to last forever in the freezing cold, the short swings back and forth had turned into hugging legs draw up to his chest, rocking softly driving out the stiffening of joints from the internal freezing he was putting himself through. It would be here soon, all he had to do was wait a little bit longer but reality was that Itachi didn't know what he was waiting around for. The map was there just like his so it had to be something good. A few more people started to gather around him standing in front of his limited view, peaking out at the taller people, sinking into the heat resonating from the bodies that drew closer to him from the fight to fit on the bench at once. He was not a child that liked to be touched nor drawn close into someone's body but the warmth he welcomed with open arms, closing his eyes resting on his knees imagining he was in front of a cracking fire and a big oversized blanket wrapped around his, heating his hands on a mug wafting steam of hot chocolate.

One minute it was there and then next it wasn't, the swarm of bodies standing to their feet with a few raised out arms signaling the oncoming vehicle, waving it over to curb side standing around in an disorderly fashion scrambling to board to get the ideal seat. Sliding off struggling to his feet, the young Uchiha dragged along the ground joining the queue, ducking his head around the people to see what he was waiting to get on. It was a big bus, bigger than the one they had been on for the school excursion with two carriages instead of one solid mass, thinking that maybe it was taking a trip to Deidara's neighborhood except all of them weren't there to see him.

Finally it came time for Itachi to climb on board, stepping up onto the ledge walking up to the driver sitting behind the counter that he could barely see over, raising up on tip toes placing his chin on the stainless steel counter struggling to get any higher. The stocky female driver glared down at him with harsh eyes at first, softening at the sight of the poor boy trying clamber up to get to a level where he could be clearly seen, tilting her head to the side with a smile. "Where are you going to hun?" she queried, looking around to see where the parents where that were meant to be accompanying him.

"Deidara's house. I have to see him… before I leave" His heart sank having to say that, he didn't want to leave but still they were making him. If Deidara could come with them then it would have been perfect or just not to go at all.

Little feet gripping into the surface started to slid struggling to keep up dropping back down to the ground, standing back with his head tilted right back to see her hanging over looking around for something. Maybe she was misplaced too and didn't know the directions and that would be bad for all of them. Reluctantly she told him the price for the fare only to get a blank stare back, asking him if he had any money at all. Of course he wouldn't have money, he was a child and they didn't get more than pocket change but she obviously didn't know Itachi, who searched through the endless pockets of his jacket holding the crisp note up in front of her. He raided his piggy bank before he left just for a very occasion like this, his father always telling him that money made the world go round so it was better to be safe than sorry. Change handed back to him placed back into pocket, scurrying back to take his seat jerking back in a hurry just making it as the bus started moving.

Looking out the window he watched the world blur by through frosted glass, wondering what his friend was doing at that moment or if he was back from his holidays yet, searching through his bag pulling out a cheese stick and a box of preserved milk. Sticking the straw in the perforated hole and unwrapping his food, Itachi quietly ate it while one by one people left the bus at their point of stop while he continued to gaze at the landmarks that went by, finishing off his food placing the empty wrappers back in his bag to place in the bin at a later time. Any minute now he would have to get out but all he needed what that sign that told him that he was heading to the correct place, soon it would show itself, he was positive it would.

"I have a child on the bus that doesn't have parents. …What does he look like? Umm he is short, black hair in a tiny ponytail, has very strange coloured eyes, looks like he is wearing his entire wardrobe" The women got on her radio calling through to the depot to inform them about her bizarre traveler on her run, never in her ten years driving around picking up many people from all walks of life had she ever met one that was without the correct supervision. The orders had come through to keep him there for long enough for the proper authorities to pick him up to return him safely to home where he could be deal to instead of having to play babysitting for a kid out on a field trip. "Hey hun what's your name?" she asked after receiving words to see if he was a reported missing child.

Despite the chatter between the other patrons travelling, there was no answer to her question. Looking up in the rear view she scanned the seats looking where he had been sitting which was now nothing more than an empty seat, the other chairs saw no sign of him either like he had just suddenly disappeared like a ghost. Where could he have gone?

Dashing up the road frantically little legs carried him as fast as he could go through the substantial terrain, finding that sign that he had been looking for utterly excited that he was almost there spotting the candy store from the corner of his eye as they had drove past, sneaking off with the hoards that got off at the stop. It was almost how he remembered it to be except it wasn't on the corner of the street but his mind might not have remembered it correctly but still it was the same name. There would only be a couple more turns and the summit would be upon him. Faster he ran turning a few more times and then some more, closer and closer he was getting, the next turn would be the one he needed that lead to the row of houses and one of those was Deidara's.

Step by step the pace slowed down to a dead stop swaying his head panting softly by the hindered run, something didn't seem true to his recollection, the house that he thought that would be there was not. Scratching his head Itachi pulled the map out of his bag, looking over it again while twisting his body around to survey the area making comparisons but nothing was the same as it was on there even with the little attention to detail he had put on it, the residence he sort vanishing into thin air. Sudden panic washed over the boy out of breath running back to where he had been, wildly looking around to find where he was, now taking a better look nothing familiar at all except for the candy store.

"Deidara?" he called out meekly surrounded by endless plains of soft white that were slowly consuming his body. Couching down to his knees he huddled tightly, peeking up looking for anyone that could have been around to attend to him except there was not a soul on the streets, only the whistling howls of the squally winds rushing past his small frame chilling him down to the bone. "Mother?" he asked for another in barely an audible voice, quivering in the unknown land. He didn't know where he was.