AN: So, I'm guessing people liked the kawaiinessnessness (yes, I intended to write 'ness' 3 times). WELL YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO! Hehe. –Insert happy face- Onwards with the next chapter! I just saw that I have another chapter in another story called flashbacks and memories…I hope you guys don't mind if you're keeping up with Another Path story. I completely forgot until now.

Memories

Naruto couldn't help but stare at the sleeping face of his father with a large grin on his face. Ryu was sleeping on his cloak, sweat falling from his brow in thick droplets. They came across a traveling ninjas that were making their way back to their village, but then realized that the village was still some ways off.

"Riku, I need you to get me more water. He's running a fever."
The kunoichi dressed in a white, loose shirt that was open at her shoulders with a pink sash around her waist and royal purple pants loomed over Ryu, wiping his face from blood with a now cold cloth, her hair falling into her face.

"Kyu-chan, is he going to make it?"

Their other teammate asked. He had short, brown hair that was loose around the nape of his neck. He wore a green pants with a deep blue shirt on.
"I think so."

She turned to her teammate, pointing a finger.

"I also think I told you a minute ago to get me some water for him, Riku-kun."

He sighed.

"Yeah, yeah…I'm going."

He stood up and stretched, leaving.

"On the other hand, your sensei seems to have passed out from chakra exhaustion."

Naruto's head perked up from his palm.

"R-really?"
"Yes, really. I can also see bags under your eyes. Why are you so desperate to go that extra mile that makes all of you pass out with exhaustion?"
"A-ano…we have to find someone. We have to find someone that we lost a while ago. We were shipwrecked and lost him along the way."
"What's his name?"
"Jiraiya. I call him Ero-sennin."

She gripped the rag harder in her hands.

"That perverted white haired man?"

Her jaw twitched.

"Yeah! Yeah! Have you seen him?"
"Oh, we've met. I've seen him peeking from the girls' side of the onsen from the village you're headed to…"

Her voice came out in an angry growl.

"Ask him if he remembers me and Riku…"

She smiled a smile that was too sugar coated to be real. Naruto backed away comically, blinking a few times.

"Y-yeah…okay…"

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-Flashback-

Ryu huddled close to a fire, his deep, piercing green eyes staring intently into the dancing flames. Of course, this was a few years back…it had to be. He could still see the flames hypnotic movements. His knees were drawn in towards his chest, bruises and scratches danced on his pale legs. He was dressed in black shorts and a green t-shirt, his hair still in a ponytail but much, much shorter than it was now. Tears fell silently down his face, he trying to hold back sobs, only a few hiccups escaping his lips every now and then. He heard yelling and a female voice crying for the man to stop…to stop going after Ryu.

The little boy covered his ears as her tears went in vain, the man picking up a blindfold and wrapping it around Ryu's eyes, spinning him around later.

"Listen, brat, I want you out of this house!"

"Leave him alone! You're killing him!"

The woman was worried. The younger boy was standing right in front of the fire…in front of danger. The man outstretched his hand and grabbed Ryu's throat, lifting him up.

"I know you can hear me!"

"Leave him alone!"
The woman roared, grabbing the wrist of her husband, only for him to take his other hand, slapping her across the face and making her fall to the floor. She rose a hand to her cheek that instantly began to swell.
"Stay out of my way! He's not staying under my roof!"

Ryu began to squirm, trying to kick his predator away. He caught the tiny foot and smirked. He held it out towards the flame, Ryu instantly feeling the heat on the sole of his foot. He began to scream before it even touched his foot, the woman screamed on the top of her lungs as well, getting up and trying to make him stop. The flames licked and began to turn the boy's foot a charcoal black after a few seconds, the stench of burning flesh intoxicating the room. In desperation, the female's head twisted in every direction and found a bucket of water, quickly putting out the fire and saving Ryu's foot from being damaged any further. Loud sobs was heard in the room. All Ryu wanted now was to pass out into the abyss of his mind, but his conscious wasn't being merciful that day. The man, as if he came into realization, dropped the rusty haired boy with a sickening thud.

"How could you!?"

She cried, cradling Ryu's head close to her breast.

"He's leaving as soon as his foot is healed. I want him out of this house."

The woman's heart broke into a million pieces after the sinking a little while ago.

"And I want you out of my house."

She spat, lifting up the petit boy in her hands and beginning to run towards the hospital.

-End-

Ryu jolted upwards, gasping for air. A cloth fell off his forehead.

"Hey, you're awake!"

"Who are you? Where am I?"

Kyu smiled.

"My name is Kyu. We're before the border of the Spirit Village. Looks like you pulled through."

He held his head.

'Pulled through…? Oh…Orochimaru…'

Kyu placed a loose strand of silver hair behind her ear, raising her head higher.

"Your friends are asleep. It's best that you get a little more."
Her answer was silence.

"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
He realized his cloak was under him and not on him.

"I had to bandage your wounds. Were you having troubles to sleep?"
"No. I'm fine."

"You may not be able to see, but you look it."

He sighed and pushed back some of his bangs from his face.

"You sound tired. Who else is awake? I can hear breathing."
"It's my teammate, Riku."

"Yo."

He gave a slight nod to Ryu as if he could see.

"That's it. Our sensei is waiting for us back at Iwa, but we met in the crossroads so we're waiting with you guys until you can move. All of you guys are in pretty bad shape."

"Aw, Kyu-chan, that's what makes us men! Recklessness!"
"That's what also gets you killed."
She replied in a sassy tone, wagging a finger at him accusingly.

"If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead."
"And you'd be dead as well. You can't fight at all."
"What!? I kicked your ass last week! Or did that happen to slip your mind?"
She scolded him.

"I'm gonna go for a walk."
"It's better if you stay still, but I'm not stopping you from doing anything."

Kyu warned. He took no heed of her words and stood up, picking up his cloak and wincing.

"Calm down, hotshot. It's okay to take the fall once in a while."

Riku pointed a finger towards him lazily, smiling cockily. Really, all he needed to do was cool his head a bit after that memory. He placed his cloak back on his back, pulling up his hood that now hid half his face, only exposing his mouth.

The sound of a river resonated through his ears, a smile erupting on his face as his feet carried him towards it.

He sat down and removed his right sandal, feeling his foot. It was smooth, but he knew that it was heavily marred. There was a long pause of silence that seemed to linger around him, but really, he only blocked out all sound. The only thing that woke him from his pretend nirvana was the sleepy footsteps of his friend.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?"
He rubbed his eyes from weariness.

"Your foot!"
He quickly re-placed his sandal.

"How's Arashi-sama?"
"He's fine…but-"

"It's none of your business."
Ryu snapped, turning his head towards the blond male.

"Didn't Kyu-chan stop you?"
"It's not her job to. She's doing us a favor and won't play mommy."
Naruto sat next to him, looking down in the water at his own reflection.

"How can you stand being alone?"
"I just do."

Ryu replied, crossing his legs. A fish jumped out of the water, catching a fly in its mouth.

"Don't you get lonely?"
"Not really."

Ryu answered, his head poised in the air making it seem as if he were staring into the nothingness in front of him.

"Why didn't you tell us you were a ninja?"
"Why did you need to know?"
"Because…uh…ano…"

"Right, there was no good reason to know."
"So what you place over your eyes is a genjutsu!?"
"Yeah…"

"But back at the shipwreck, I was doing all the work!"
"Not really…I gave you some chakra. I don't think you realized because you were so bent on surviving."
"You were too!"
"Yeah, but I was still aware of my surroundings."

Ryu reminded him, letting the tips of his fingers dip into the water as he went from sitting into squatting position.

The silence in the air lingered, making Naruto's body tense up. Ryu was obviously enjoying the silence.

"Why'd you come down here, anyways?"
Ryu turned his head to Naruto; his expression on his face was one that would chill the soul.

"I just needed to get away from there."
Naruto was about to speak again, Ryu bringing his index finger up to his lips, shushing him.

"Okay, okay…I get it…"
Naruto looked up, putting his weight on his arms that were stretched out behind him.

-Flashback-

The silence in the air hung overhead as Ryu's eyes darted around the forest. His breath was caught in his throat as he listened attentively incase he were to hear anyone scouting out to find him. He twisted his head in every direction, seeing the rustling of the leaves begin to grow even more violently. His heart came to a stop when a cat ran past him, chasing after a bird.

Fear was etched in his face. His eyes began to gradually fill with fresh, hot tears. If they caught him…there'd be no escape but the dark escape of killing. It was the dead of the night and all the nocturnal animals crowed and crooned out mysterious noises that frightened the boy. Still, at the time, he had his vision. But now without, why did everything seem…less scary than before?

"Where are you!?"

Ryu covered his mouth with tiny, trembling fingers, shutting his eyes tightly while hoping that they wouldn't find him because he was breathing too loudly.

"I know you're here somewhere!"

Ryu began to run yet again, hoping to run away from the monster that no longer bore a face in his mind. The memory was too sketchy. He darted behind a tree and began to conceal himself in the bushes.

"I WILL find you, you bastard!"
Ryu backed away closer to the trunk of the shrub, sweat pouring down the side of his face. He heard a hissing sound behind his ear, making him turn his head around and fate rear its ugly head. Ryu's eyes widened as he raised his arm up in front of his face, the cobra striking his arm and clamping it's mouth shut on his tiny forearm, making him scream in pain. Blood gushed out from his wound as the snake began to twist his head and gnaw deeper into his arm, the young boy reacting on instinct and tearing the snake off his arm, taking a chunk of flesh with him. The monster of a man pushed away the branches, revealing a Ryu screaming in twisted agony. The man extended his arm out and grabbed him by his throat, silencing him immediately.

-End-

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Ryu shook his head clear of the vague memory that happened so long ago in his world. Naruto was struggling to stay awake beside him. He reached in his sleeve, recalling the pain he felt.

"You haven't spoken in a while…"
Ryu noted quickly, realizing that Naruto was one to pester him with odd questions and wasn't for some time now.

"You told me to be quiet."
"I didn't know you'd listen."

Naruto began to laugh, and for some reason, Ryu let out a single, small chuckle, surprising both himself and Naruto. The blond stopped momentarily and flashed his foxy grin, and began to laugh again. Ryu didn't know it, but a smile crept on his face and rested there for a while before fading again, a small patter of feet crushed leaves behind them, making the two turn around.

"Okay guys, it's time to head out."

Arashi had his head turned to the side as if he were looking at something. His hands were clenched tightly at his sides.

"What's wrong?"
"We were being followed and I didn't even realize it until I woke up."

Ryu's face darkened and was, once again, concealed beneath the shadow of his hood. Naruto's smile disappeared even more quickly than it appeared.

"Do you know who it might be?"
"No."

Arashi shook his head, Ryu standing up to his full height, wincing as his body reminded him of how much strain was being applied to him because his wounds weren't fully healed.

"You gonna be alright?"
Naruto asked him, seeing the pain evident in his face.

"Yeah…"
"We're going the distance here. It's all or nothing."
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Let's go."
They nodded, hesitantly.

"The others already know we're leaving. They left as well. It's a smart decision if they don't want to get caught up in this."

The younger two nodded, beginning their journey to the next village.

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AN: WOOT! Sorry, this chapter was supposed to be up yesterday but I ran out of ideas. Q.Q SUMIMASEN! ANYWAYS! I needed that chapter in because it gives you something to reference to why is the way he is. R&R please!!!