AN: Ahehe…there's a perfectly reasonable explanation why I left this for a bit…shifty

eyes I've been making other stories because the ideas just popped into my head and I couldn't just let them drift there….shifty eyes goes even faster SUMIMASEN HONTO NI! Forgive me?

Pursued

Arashi lead the way down the path, seeing that their pursuers weren't letting up.

"You okay back there?"

Ryu was in the middle of the line, Naruto in the back, marching happily.

"Be careful, Naruto…we don't know when they'll attack us."

"I know that!"

Naruto's face fell, Arashi disrupting his happiness, no matter how prolonged it was. Ryu had his hood up, smelling a strange scent come closer.

"Arashi-sama…"

"I know. Be on guard. Ryu, do you mind if your eyes are used?"

"No. It's alright."

He replied, slowly removing his bandages.

"But I don't see the use for them when I'm surrounded by a Kage and his son."

Arashi let out a humble laugh, making Naruto smile. It had been a while since he had seen that.

"You guys know that you still haven't replied to me, right?"

"We're fine."

Ryu replied.

"So long as we get to the village shortly. They're still there…"

He added to his own statement, Naruto losing formation as he walked to be beside his father, a smile embedded in his face.

"Dad, how come you knew about Ryu being a ninja?"

"How else can he maneuver without bumping into anything? You haven't sensed the little bit of a chakra…let's say, a wave, that he sends out?"

"What do you mean?"

"I send out a wave of chakra within a few meters radius and it's my sight. I can see everything like a faint outline of vibration."

"How does it work with stuff that isn't moving like a pebble, then!?"

"I'm walking, right? I send out vibrations that hit that."

"So…you're almost like a bat then!"

Ryu nodded, Arashi giving off a faint laugh. The silence in the air lingered. Arashi's chest throbbed with pride at Naruto calling him dad and not Hokage-baka, even though he'd miss the nickname of endearment. Ryu slowly picked up a few rocks, placing them in his pocket for later use in case they were to be attacked, seeing as in he had no ninja gear to aid him.

"You need more training if you couldn't sense that."

Arashi pushed him slightly, smiling. Naruto gave a small shove back. Ryu tried to dismiss their fun, but they feeling didn't go away.

"Well, I wasn't paying attention!"

"You always have to be on your toes, Naruto."

"But-"

Ryu opened his eyes, turning around quickly to look behind them.

"There's the village close by. Please make haste."

"They're near?"

"Closer than I thought."

"You're coming with us. You keep forgetting you're wounded."

"I'm fine. Go ahead. Both of you have to be kept safe. Arashi-sama, please."

Arashi nodded, picking up Naruto.

"You must be out of chakra."

"No, wait, I'm okay to fight!"

"The way you have been moving could be compared to that of a tortoise."

"But, Ryu!"

Arashi sighed and picked up Naruto, placing him under an arm.

"It's alright. I'll catch up."

"I'll come back as soon as Naruto gets to safety."

"I'm not a baby! I can help!"

The ground suddenly exploded, debris flying in the air.

"GO!"

There was a dust cloud that rose, signifying Arashi's leave.

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"Put me down! He's gonna die!"

"He'll be fine. Don't underestimate him."

"He can't see anything! What happens if they manage to get past his chakra waves!?"

"Naruto, if he's a shinobi, he can handle himself."

"He's hurt, dad! Please! We have to go back!"

"I will. You won't. Chakra exhaustion will only make you a burden to us if you faint."

Naruto quieted down.

"Naruto,"

Arashi set him down once they passed the small gates.

"I don't know what I'd do with myself if you died."

He hugged his son.

"That is why I don't want you to go."

"Ryu is my friend! We can't leave him like that! He'll die!"

Naruto gave his father a pleading look of determination.

"Just find Jiraiya. We'll be back by then."

In another flash, he was gone. Naruto feeling left out.

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Ryu turned his head towards a ninja, knowing that he dove back into the ground to escape his genjutsu.

"Crap…what do they want…?"

He felt three ninjas digging a tunnel under his feet, driving back upwards.

'Drills!?'

He thought wildly. How could they move so quickly if they were carrying drills!?

The boy had to take a risk of being thrown around like a rag doll to maybe catch even one in his genjutsu. They dug upwards, Ryu jumping in the air and looking directly below him, feeling the air around him grow lighter, meaning they escaped.

"How the hell…"

He swallowed a lump in his throat, feeling the blood from his eyes begin to pour already.
"We know about your eyes."

Sweat began to form on the side of his head.

"What do you want?"

There was no answer. Right, like he expected them to just blurt out their reason for wanting to attack them.

There was a slight air current to his left, he forgetting that he had to keep up his wave of chakra.

"Ryu!"

He was being forced into a tree, he letting out an 'oof' as he felt someone cushion his landing.

"You okay?"

"Arashi-sama?"

"That's me. Do you know the way back?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Go keep Naruto some company."

"But-"

"Go, now!"

Ryu growled. He didn't like being ordered around. It made it feel as if he were giving in…as if Orochimaru were making the request himself.

"They're element is earth. They dig underground and know about my kekki genkai."

"Not so good then in your case…"

Ryu let out a small sigh, relieving some tension in his shoulders.

"What else can you do, Ryu?"

"Not much…I'm an unofficial ninja because I haven't trained under anyone…but I have some moves that I've picked up."

Arashi grit his teeth.

"What class of shinobi, would you say?"

"Me or them?"

"Both."

"I'm maybe chuunin, they are most likely A-class ninja, if not, higher."

"Where are they?"

"One is in the trees; the other in the ground and another on is hiding in the bush, not too far away."

"By their height, do you know their ages?"

"Yes. Early twenties, late thirties."

Arashi smirked. It was like having a byakugan.

"Also, Naruto-kun is quickly approaching us…"

The older blond groaned. Why now, out of all times?

"He doesn't want to be away from you, I guess."

Ryu stated, grabbing a rock from his pocket, tension restoring in his shoulders as he began to throw them simultaneously towards the hidden shinobis, hitting him in the knee and shoulder.

"Can you handle the rest? I'm going to make sure Naruto doesn't do anything rash. The village was closer than I thought if he made it here in such a short amount of time."

"No, it's pretty far. He must be using a different kind of chakra."

He didn't refer to Kyuubi, incase he was oblivious to that fact that he had the spirit of the demon fox sealed inside him.

"Why are you so worried about him, now, Ryu?"

"These lackeys might belong to Orochimaru…he is after you and Naruto."

The older blond turned his head towards him.

"Yeah, I can understand why."

"This entire gang is being targeted. It'd be bad if he got his hands on either one of us."

A flurry of kunais was sent Arashi's way, a net towards Ryu.

"Move it!"

Arashi yelled towards him, Ryu not seeming to notice the net. He jumped out of the way, the net catching onto a bush.

"You didn't sense that!?"

"No…no…I didn't…"

There was light chuckling coming from different directions.

"He couldn't see it because it was so thin."

A scratchy voice said, throwing several dozen kunais towards the two. Arashi easily deflected them, Ryu dancing around, trying to avoid them, but oblivious to the fact that they had wire attached to them. The scratchy voiced-ninja flicking his wrists, wire wrapped around Ryu, constricting his body.

"Crap, I'm more of a nuisance than Naruto…"

He muttered under his breath, cursing madly and he tried to struggle free from the binds.

"Ryu!"
"Go after the shinobi! I'll tell you where they are! Naruto is on his way! Get those while you have the chance! They might go after Naruto if they get the opportunity!"

Arashi came to realization. He was right. It could happen. His chakra flared.

"The one with the wires is hidden in the bushes!"

Arashi disappeared, reappearing beside the hidden shinobi and drawing a kunai. A kick from a nearby shinobi made him back away. There was an earth-like dragon that rose from the ground, threatening to fall on Arashi. The wire tightened some more, Ryu wincing. In an instant, Arashi had a kunai drawn, trying to cut the wire fastening around Ryu.

"Get them! The one in the tree uses taijutsu and underground is ninjutsu!"

He coughed, hearing Naruto's footsteps coming closer.

"Make them face me…"

He managed to say after the wire began to cut into his skin, he opening his eyes.

"Tell me when they're facing me."

"To your left."

The earth dragon coiled around and headed towards Arashi, he taking his kunai and directing it towards the mouth, chakra clung around the steel and extended towards the dragon at a two meter radius, slicing the reptile in half. Ryu turned his head, trying to find out if they were looking or not.

"OII! HOKAGE-BAKA! RYU!"

Naruto was running towards them, seeing the wire coming from the bushes and performing the rasengan, the whiskers on his cheeks deepened and eyes red. Ryu froze up. What was this chakra? It was so…feral.

"Let him go!"

Naruto shouted, thrusting his right hand forwards as it made contact with the shinobi, getting embedded into the ground.

"They can dig underground with drills!"

Ryu shouted.

"Drills…?"

Naruto looked at him, seeing nothing.

"There's only his hands. No drills."

"Must be a summoning scroll, then…"

Arashi cursed under his breath, turning around to see Naruto already after Ryu, trying to free him from the wire.

"Don't forget about-

There was a choking noise heard as the Konoha's own Yellow Flash had sliced the neck of the ninjutsu casting shinobi.

"RYU! In front of you!"

He turned his head and heard a loud thud. Naruto managed to get the wire off of Ryu, he inhaling the sweet air.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault."

He apologized immediately, approaching a ninja. A small fizzing was heard. He took a sharp intake of breath, having no time to warn them. The body exploded, Arashi covering Naruto with his body and Ryu pulling his hood over his entire face.

The residue finally subsided, Arashi removing himself from Naruto and Ryu slowly getting up.

"Anyone dead?"

Arashi asked, hoping to lighten the mood. There were a few disgruntled grunts, the boys standing up slowly.

"Anyone hurt, then?"

Naruto saw that his foot was slightly burned. Ryu with only a singed hairs and part of Arashi's cloak had burned. Ryu turned his head every way, trying to 'see' if anyone survived.
"I don't hear many-"

There was another sound of crackling heard.

"We better get out of here!"

The crackling stopped, they took cover again as another body with an explosion tag exploded, the third shinobi near him and caused a chain reaction for that tag to be set off as well. A larger detonation was set off, knocking the three of them to the ground by the sheer force and magnitude of the discharge.

Arashi groaned, getting up from the blast. Body parts of the hidden shinobi lay scattered around the place, Naruto opened his eyes.

"You okay?"

"My foot…"

The blond Hokage moved his body slightly to see his son's foot a light grey color.

"That's not good…"

He mumbled, backing off his son and inspecting his foot, Naruto gave a sharp cry o pain, yanking his foot away from his father as soon as he touched it.

"I barely touched you!"

"It hurts, ya know!"

They both watched in horror and awe as Naruto saw some fleshy parts beginning to heal.
"You stupid fox…healing me for a small thing like this but when I'm dying, you don't."

He told the kitsune under his breath, Arashi only hearing bits and parts of the cursing.

"Anything else?"

"No…just that."

Arashi smiled and hugged his son tightly.

"Thank kami…"

Naruto hugged him back, looking over his shoulder at Ryu slowly getting up, taking his hood off of his face and turning to them.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…"

Ryu heard more shifting noises.

"What now…?"

He moaned, unaware of the debris lingering on his clothes and in his hair.

"I see you aren't dead yet…Let's see how you fair against me."

"Kabuto…"

Naruto breathed, trying to stand up, falling against his father.

"Take it easy…"

"What do you want now?"

"The offer is still up for you joining us. All you have to do now is put the Yondaime-sama and Naruto-kun to sleep. It's as easy as that."

Ryu growled, the blood coming from his eyes ran down his cheeks.

"What do you take me for?"

"Someone who needs a curse lifted from them."

Kabuto smirked, only visible to Arashi and Naruto. Ryu suddenly started to panic.

"What's going on…where are you…?"

He began to send out larger waves of chakra, not being able to sense even the tiny pebble at his foot.

"He's right in front of you! Can't you tell!?"

Naruto shouted, beads of sweat began forming on his temples.

"I can't sense any of you…"

Kabuto laughed, throwing his head back.

"I've hidden my scent earlier and those explosions weren't there only to kill you off if they didn't. I've hidden a few vials on them that shattered with more than a million airborne bacteria that can mess up your nervous system so that whenever you use your little chakra waves to sense anything, nothing connects with your brain. It's as if you were completely blind."

An malevolent grin formed on Kabuto's face, Arashi and Naruto knowing what kind of trouble he was in now.

"No one else but us knows about it, now. What would happen if I were to begin administering this to every shinobi we held?"

Ryu was about to let out a gasp, but nothing came out. He was too stunned to do anything.

"Don't worry; it's only a temporary effect. Orochimaru-sama has told me to not use the lasting one on you, in case you were to join us. Wouldn't want you useless."

Kabuto shrugged, Arashi setting Naruto down on the ground.

"All you have to do is turn around and look at them."

Ryu kept his eyes shut tightly, turning his head around and back to Kabuto.

"Are they really behind me?"

"Due south."

Ryu gulped, then smiled.

"Thanks. Now I know where you are."

He replied to the silver-haired boy.

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AN: SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! YOU CAN HIT ME ALL YOU WANT FOR THIS LATE CHAPTER!