I do not own Naruto.
Naruto: Paths Less Traveled
Chapter 3
The cavern was dark, and that was natural... but there were many things within that were not so. A vast chamber that was buried under tall cliffs, its most distinguishing feature was the perfectly round boulder that blocked access to the outside world. Inside, the floor was smooth and unbroken, and the walls curved inward to form a great dome overhead. There was no floating dust, and what little sand lay on the ground had been tracked in from outside. A curious structure rested at the far end, submerged in the bedrock, dormant. Waiting.
In the center of the chamber, nine figures were convened in a loose circle. Their forms were mere constructs of rainbow-hued shadow - only their eyes could be seen clearly. They were the Akatsuki, a ruthless, clandestine organization composed of only the most dangerous shinobi that lived. Some had foresworn whatever ties they once had with their hidden villages, often forging their names and reputations in blood as they did so. Some had been born without any place to call home, and had gained their strength through less conventional means. They had no loyalties, being devoted instead to the single purpose of their existence within the order. And each of them, without exception, was a force capable of decimating entire armies; together, they could threaten the existence of nations.
The group's leader, an otherwise nondescript image of a man but for his eyes formed of concentric rings, spoke first. "As some of you are already aware," his distorted voice droned, "the vessel of the Kyuubi has broken his chains and is no longer confined within Konoha. Our reports indicate that he made his escape three days ago, and that he is now registered as a missing nin of the village."
"Then now is the time to acquire him," said another figure, distinguished by the large appendages rising from his shoulders that resembled the jaws of a Venus fly-trap. "If the brat is killed before we can collect him, the Kyuubi's essence may be disolved, and all of our plans will be threatened."
Another figure with the red eyes of the Sharingan spoke next. "It is unlikely that Konoha will pursue Uzumaki with the intent of killing him as a common fugitive. Their goal will most likely be to reacquire and repatriate him."
"Oi," a figure with purple eyes interjected. "Didn't you tell us once that this Uzumaki brat was hated by his whole village? Now when he's given them a perfectly good excuse to kill him, they want him alive? What the hell is that?"
"The circumstances of Uzumaki's existence are even less ordinary than you know," Uchiha Itachi - for that was his name - responded. "Certain elements of the village's leadership will wish to keep him from harm at almost any cost." He paused. "Nevertheless, other forces will certainly try to destroy him if they can."
"In any case," their leader continued, "we must move quickly, before the Kyuubi becomes inaccessible." His pale eyes shifted to each member of the circle in turn. "This is a unique opportunity. With the Kyuubi's container unprotected and separated from his village, we will have little difficulty bringing it into our possession, and our timetable will be significantly advanced." He turned his attention to the pair standing across from him. "Itachi, Kisame. Discontinue your current assignment and stand by for Zetsu's arrival. He'll be taking over from now on. Your task is to relocate and capture the Kyuubi's vessel."
"Is it known which direction the boy travelled after departing the village?" asked a large figure with small, white eyes. "That information would help our mission go a great deal more quickly."
"The vessel's passage was not marked by anyone within the village's walls," the man with the rippled eyes answered. "You'll have to make do with your own resources for the time being."
Kisame grunted. "Very well. Perhaps some of his associates can enlighten us."
"Do what you must," came the leader's response. His eyes narrowed slightly. "But take care not to draw undue attention to yourselves. Let there be no mistakes this time." His image flickered out of existence, signaling the end of the meeting. The rest of the figures soon followed suit.
On a small knoll in the depths of Grass Country, Itachi and Kisame shared a brief glance.
There was nothing that needed to be said.
oooooo
"This is so troublesome," Shikamaru muttered to himself for the hundredth time.
Although it was barely past mid-morning on their first day out, he was already on a roll with his infamous litany. His complaints were mostly the usual fare, sprinkled with laments about how troublesome it was to be traveling with Suna nin, or traveling with Kakashi, or that he occasionally needed to watch his footing, or respond to something said by one of his cohorts from time to time. Shikamaru found many things to be troublesome, chiefly because they didn't involve doing nothing at all. And sometimes even that took more effort than it was worth.
Shikamaru went to enormous lengths to convince people that he would be perfectly happy if he never had to get out of bed in the morning, and not just because it was true most of the time. It also stopped them from doing one of the two things that everyone attempted when they glimpsed the depth of his intellect - exploiting him, or 'motivating' him (which was itself a form of exploitation). This time, however, there was more to his facade than pretending to be disinterested. This time, he did it to prevent anyone from noticing that he was worried.
Something about the group's mission felt... off, somehow. As he kept pace with the Suna nin and with Kakashi leaping through the trees just ahead of him, he occupied himself by trying to determine the source of the disquiet that had been gnawing at him for the last hour by reviewing the circumstances of their assignment. The Hokage's briefing had covered all of the pertinent details. Kakashi and Baki had discussed and agreed upon a basic approach for the operation before the party had even left Konoha, with chances of success, or at least minimal risk of death, he had personally vouched for. Gaara had related his account of Naruto's disappearance once more while they traveled, which Shikamaru dutifully filed away even as he puzzled out the source of his anxiety.
There was nothing obviously suspicious about their objective, so perhaps he was feeling uneasy about their anticipated findings. Shikamaru could admit that he would never have expected someone like the loudest shinobi in the Elemental Nations to out and disappear, then turn up dead by his own hand less than a week later. It didn't fit what he knew of the boy's profile at all. Kakashi hadn't been able (or willing, perhaps) to provide any revelations on the matter, and the Haruno girl was unapproachable due to their need for secrecy. For now, they had only the account of a Suna jinchuuriki to go by.
Following his train of thought, Shikamaru recalled the other big surprise Tsunade's briefing had given them all. Naruto had been the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. Even as the idea clashed with everything Shikamaru knew about the blond boy, in its wake many things he had once questioned finally began to make sense. The blatant stares of anger and disgust, the wariness adults displayed in his presence, even the way Shikamaru's own parents had initially encouraged him to maintain a healthy distance from that boy. Naruto had grown up surrounded by hatred. Perhaps, Shikamaru decided, suicide fit with his profile after all. Regardless, if the boy was actually dead, they may very well come face to face with the Kyuubi in all of its glory - very briefly. That was certainly deserving of some second thoughts, but acknowledging the truth of it did nothing to satisfy Shikamaru that he'd identified the source of his growing discomfort with their present course.
Having reached a dead end to his inner musings, Shikamaru decided to listen in more closely to the conversation going on in front of him. Apparently the two jounin were now discussing the particulars of tracking Naruto in Wind Country.
"...about patrols?" Kakashi had just finished asking. "Last I'd heard, Suna occasionally sends out long-range parties to watch over certain strategic locations in the desert. Could one of them have spotted him while he was wandering?"
Baki hummed thoughtfully to himself. "Maybe, but if such a thing had happened we would surely have heard news of it by now." He paused. "And you're not supposed to know about those."
Kakashi waved a hand dismissively. "Ma, ma, it was just a rumor I picked up somewhere. Anyway, we've all met Naruto. You know as well as I do that he's about as subtle as a hammer in a glass shop. Do you really think he could avoid being spotted by your village guards and secret patrols in the field without help?"
"He made it through your own security net without being noticed," Baki rebutted. "As for our patrols, they are often separated well enough that it would be quite easy to slip between any two groups, provided you knew exactly where they were beforehand."
"And if you were to choose a random direction from Suna?" Kakashi asked.
"Hard to say." Baki thought hard for a few moments. "...I think there would be about a twenty percent chance of missing any patrols with enough distance to escape notice."
Kakashi sighed softly. "If it were anyone else I wouldn't lay odds, but Naruto is just lucky enough that he'd probably pull it off without even being aware of it."
Baki snorted. "Even so, that does help us somewhat. We'll confine our search to the areas between our field patrol groups, and save ourselves a great deal of time."
Kakashi tilted his head slightly. "That's good, but I believe we were also given a lead." He turned to look over his shoulder briefly. "Gaara, which direction did you say Naruto took when you saw him leave?"
Gaara met Kakashi's gaze silently for a moment before answering. "Southeast."
"Can you be more specific?" Kakashi asked.
"No," Gaara stated flatly.
"Gaara," Baki snapped. "We have a duty to cooperate with Konoha in every way possible. You know better than most what's at stake here."
Gaara turned his blank stare to his jounin sensei. "I cannot be more specific because I did not stay to observe Naruto's departure."
"Why ever not?" Shikamaru mused out loud. "Were you two such good friends that his leaving forever meant nothing to you?"
"Shut it, you lazy asshole," Temari interjected from the rear.
"He has a point," said Kakashi. "In most cases, a person wouldn't just turn away from a friend who was supposedly walking to their death."
"As far as Naruto was concerned, his life was already over," Gaara replied. "That his body hadn't expired was little more than a detail. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. There was nothing left to say or do."
"So why didn't he ask you to just kill him yourself?" Kakashi asked. "No offense, but that's not something you've ever had a problem with in the past."
Gaara stared forward for a time before choosing to answer. "If I had killed him, I would not have been his friend."
While the rest of the group slowly digested the meaning of Gaara's words, Kakashi could only sigh in resignation. Unbelievable as it was, Gaara's tale was not the worst he'd heard in his years in the world of shinobi. Minato and Jiraiya had really been onto something when they identified the self-destructive lifestyles shinobi were raised to take part in as the cause of their suffering. Even close friendships could be tainted with indifference - or worse.
The group continued in silence for several minutes before Kakashi spoke again. "What are we likely to find if we locate Naruto's remains in the desert?"
"Little more than bones, unless we're very lucky," Baki answered. "Scavengers often come around at night, and the winds are fast enough to carve rock with the amount of sand they carry. We may find some scraps of clothing, and any ornaments or tools he was carrying."
"That'll do," Kakashi said. "For now."
The six shinobi continued in silence as the sun continued its rise. Shikamaru was still worried.
oooooo
Dark clouds swirled threateningly overhead as the waterfall's roar drowned out all sound but the fury of their battle. Again and again they leapt at one another, and again and again they parted to recover from their assault. He could feel his self control weakening with each exchange as the Kyuubi's chakra overwhelmed his senses, bathing him in an unholy glow. Were it not for his gift of regeneration, Sasuke's blows would have broken him long before now. The Kyuubi's presence invaded his thoughts even as it restored his vitality, clouding his judgment. That was okay. His only concern was the dark-haired boy in front of him, and the Kyuubi was perfectly willing to focus on their battle. Nothing else mattered.
Across from him, Sasuke's skin shifted again, the black flames of his cursed seal flowing together to draw a new face - the face of a monster. He watched in dread fascination as freakish leathery wings that looked more like a newt's clawed feet broke through the skin of his opponent's backside.
He stretched forth his hand and formed a perfect Rasengan for the first time. Sasuke responded by gripping his wrist and summoning a Chidori tainted black by his cursed seal. Once more their gazes met across the gulf that lay between them. The crucial moment, the final contest of their fates, had arrived. No words were spoken. They tensed, and they leapt.
Time seemed to slow as they sped toward each other. The waterfall's roar faded, drowned by the buzzing swirling mass of chakra in his hand and the chirping of the lightning pulse in Sasuke's. They stretched their hands forward, hoping to catch the other inside his guard, as though they were competing in some twisted joust. Neither of them were looking at their hands, though. Sasuke's eyes bore into his own, projecting his anger, his hatred, his absolute need to overcome everything that stood in his path, and beneath it all his immeasurable loneliness. He knew that in in his eyes his own soul, filled with acceptance, the offer of friendship, and the need to keep a simple promise was likewise bared to the boy's gaze. He hoped it might sway him where force could not, knowing even as he did so that it was all in vain..
An eternity passed between them, and an instant. They met at the exact center of the waterfall in a clash of energy that rapidly expanded beyond their control. The scene was consumed in a white flare as the thunderclap rolled over him...
With a start, Naruto sat up in his bedroll. He looked about frantically until his vision adjusted enough for him to notice his surroundings. Gone were the waterfall and the twin statues of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. He was back in his tent, in the forests somewhere in eastern Fire Country, far from Konoha. The battle in the valley had been lost, and he was now on the run. Sasuke was gone.
Blinking wearily from more than simple fatigue, he cast his gaze to the front flaps of his tent, where bright sunlight was already streaming in. The light landing on his face must have woken him. From its angle, he'd clearly slept through much of the morning. Sighing dejectedly, Naruto crawled out of his shelter and stumbled his way to the stream that lay only a dozen paces away. There he bent down and scooped a handful of water to wash his face, until he caught sight of his reflection and froze.
The eyes were red again.
For a moment, Naruto's surprise, coupled with the stupor of having awakened suddenly from deep sleep, obscured any comprehension of what that color meant. He blinked rapidly, but the image did not change, and he finally remembered why it was important. Somehow he'd called the beast's power into his body while he was fast asleep.
Naruto recalled the dream he'd been experiencing only a short while ago. He'd been back there, fighting his best friend. It was possible that just remembering the battle had convinced his subconscious mind that he was in danger, and his body reacted accordingly. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. It was true that as he became accustomed to using the Kyuubi's chakra in times of need, he was more likely to survive unpleasant encounters in his travels. It was also true, however, that he was never fully in control of his faculties when under the effects of so much tainted power. At least, that seemed to be the report given by others who had witnessed his early rampages, such as his former teammates.
Former teammates? Still trying to anchor himself, Naruto latched onto the stray thought, staring blankly ahead as he pondered his shift in attitude. Was he really so completely gone that he considered his relationship with Konoha in terms of 'he' versus 'they'? Did he not still have friends among the shinobi there? It was only the third day since he'd left, after all.
Unfortunately, Naruto was forced to admit that his feelings toward Konoha probably no longer had any meaning - particularly since he'd resolved to never go back. Burning bridges tended to work that way. For the first time since jumping the wall, Naruto was struck by a pang of regret for the people he'd come close to. He focused intently on the sensation for several minutes, until it bled away. As he did so, a curious lightness came upon him, as though a burden that he hadn't even been aware of had suddenly lifted. He was alone, yes. His former comrades were now his enemies, yes. But he was free to do whatever he wanted, and go wherever he willed, and that was good... except he didn't really know where he wanted to go.
For now, he had to look to his immediate future, and his prospects were no different than they'd been a few days ago. He was currently heading toward a small town where, hopefully, there would be an opportunity for work and a place to settle down for a little while.
Refocused on his goal, Naruto began breaking camp. He still had hours of daylight left to travel.
oooooo
The village of Izu sat nestled against a series of low cliffs on the northeastern border of Fire Country, where it met the border of Hot Springs country. Although small and relatively sleepy compared to the major port city on the coast, the town was well tended and cheerful, having benefited from the modest tourism drawn by its own collection of springs. As a result, the market traded in a fair number of more disposable commodities than the standard necessities of living, such as game parlors, souvenirs, and collections of paraphernalia associated with bathing or swimming to support the local 'resort'.
Naruto had to think long and hard about whether he would stay in this town or move on to the next one. The small local population promised little official attention, and there was just enough tourist traffic to guarantee at least a passable flow of news from other, more important cities. However, those very advantages could also be potential problems. A regular stream of outside visitors made infiltration entirely too easy - even if that was working in his favor for the moment - and could facilitate his identity and status becoming known to all of the hidden villages if a hunter nin quietly slipped in behind him. On the other hand, it also meant his rather unique appearance - coupled with his possession of one of the Seven Swords - would maybe go with only a passing glance.
After a second thought, he decided the sword was entirely too much attention to risk, and would need to be kept out of sight as often as possible. That meant he would have to sleep in the wild, which meant finding a safe hideaway somewhere. Naruto dropped his pack on the ground and pulled one of his scrolls from it. Kensu's notes had mentioned some hollows near the cliffs outside of town. In such places a person's presence might be concealed for days, possibly even weeks. At least he wouldn't need to pay for lodging.
Having made up his mind, Naruto began trekking away from the road and deeper into the surrounding brush. The vegetation was hardier in the northern tracts of Fire Country, with brambles and nettles apparently being the dominant feature. By the time he broke through into the lower rise that nestled against the cliff wall, he had enough scratches to make anyone think he'd angered a particularly vicious house cat, though most of them were already nearly healed. After a few minutes, he came to a stop and looked around. The town was easily visible, several kilometers away west and downhill. In his immediate vicinity the land was peppered with medium and large boulders, many of them worn round and smooth.
Naruto checked his scroll again. There was supposed to be a specific landmark nearby which would confirm that he was in the right place. He spent several minutes looking before he finally spotted it - an oddly gnarled and twisted tree that sprouted directly from the side of a half-submerged plinth of rock. That was only the first sign, however - the true marker was a small rune located beneath the tree's roots, carved deeply enough in the rock to prevent it from disappearing to natural erosion for many years. Satisfied that he'd found what he was looking for, Naruto turned and began tracing the steps described in his notes. One hundred and fifty paces north-northwest, then due west for another twenty-five. Once there, he faced north again and stepped down into the small depression that sat directly beneath another large boulder. There at its foot was the opening to a narrow cave, which he entered after confirming a lack of any unusual tracks nearby.
The air inside was dry and dusty, but there was little debris and enough space that he could set up a small living area without trouble. Naruto dropped his pack against one wall and leaned Kubikiri Houchou next to it, then sat on a low, semi-flat boulder. Having spent two days travelling with the enormous blade, he was beginning to realize it was much more of a liability than he'd originally guessed. Sure it was intimidating, but the fact that he wasn't one of the Seven Swordsmen was a dead giveaway that it didn't truly belong with him. Coupled with his age and complete lack of weapons training, he was pretty sure the thing made him nothing more than a target.
The logical choice would be to ditch Kubikiri Houchou at the first opportunity. However, Naruto was not known for logic. The sword was his now, and he'd damned if he couldn't find some way to make use of it.
That decided, he set about making camp within his new temporary home.
oooooo
The double doors closed, and Tsunade was alone once more. For the past twelve hours, she and Shizune had been the center of a local whirlwind of inquiries, reports, and preparations. Despite the ultra top secret status of their current predicament, it seemed the news was already known by more than twenty people, and spreading rapidly. Very soon, Naruto's absence would be public knowledge - which meant that the other hidden villages were probably receiving the news presently.
The boy's departure created an awkward situation for Konoha. His status as the container for the Kyuubi was well known to the upper echelons of every major power on the continent, and one of the primary reasons so few were willing to engage in open hostilities. Now that he'd left, the balance of power would tilt dramatically in favor of the village's enemies - all of which possessed jinchuuriki of their own. They had to be ready... and that was exactly what Tsunade intended to accomplish before the week's end.
Leaning back into her seat, Tsunade pondered the news she'd heard from Kakashi just before he left yesterday.
oooooo
"Tell me everything you know."
Kakashi stepped away from the window and leaned against the wall. He seemed to be equal parts tense and weary. "We met only once after the mission to retrieve Sasuke failed. I'd left him in the care of the healers and decided it was best to leave him to his own devices, to better come to terms with what had happened."
Kakashi raised his head, appearing to stare at the ceiling - or beyond. "After two days I figured it was time for us to face reality, so I sent Sakura to find him. When she didn't immediately return, I went out myself, and eventually found him coming toward my place, but by then it was already dark. We talked over dinner."
Kakashi sighed, his gaze now turning to the floor. "We talked about the fight Naruto had with Sasuke. We were both confused about how it ended - that is, the fact that Naruto had been left alive when Sasuke left. It wasn't because Sasuke felt pressured, either. He was well out of range by the time I came to the Valley. When I asked Naruto about it, he mentioned that Sasuke had confided his desire to kill Naruto for being his best friend. I could only guess that this was a statement of Sasuke's intent to unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan."
Tsunade's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with horror. "Tell me you aren't serious, Kakashi."
Kakashi met her gaze evenly. "I wish I could. We've both heard the rumors, I take it. But this was the first piece of evidence I've heard that suggests they may actually be true, and... it fits with what I learned from my battle with Itachi." He shuddered slightly. "Naruto and I discussed what I knew of the Mangekyo - in private. And here we come to something I found strange. Naruto didn't seem overcome with his standard feelings of heroism and rescuer syndrome. He was... well, quiet. And thoughtful. Maybe even depressed."
Tsunade's gaze hardened, but she said nothing.
Kakashi continued, "There was one other thing. Out of nowhere, Naruto asked me about a rogue Jounin we faced on our first mission out of the village. You might recall the name - Momochi Zabuza."
Tsunade leaned back in her seat. "Certainly I'd heard of him. I still can't believe your team had to deal with such a monster on its very first C-rank. What did Naruto ask about him?"
"He just wanted to know if I'd been familiar with him before that encounter," Kakashi answered. "He didn't say why. I told him I'd known him by reputation, but not personally. After that we said goodnight and went our separate ways. And that was it. That was the last I saw of him."
Tsunade covered her eyes with her hand. "Thank you, Kakashi. You should probably go get ready for your mission now." She looked up, fixing the Jounin with a sharp gaze. "Make sure to let me know if any other details come to mind. I don't need to tell you how important any additional information could be."
Kakashi nodded. "As you say, Hokage-sama. We'll start as soon as we're ready, but I want to confer with the Suna nin before making any detailed plans."
"Three things, before you go, Kakashi," Tsunade said. When Kakashi faced her, she continued, "Keep an eye on Gaara. There was something going on with him during the meeting. I don't know what it could mean, and that bothers me. Also, I want you keep me apprised of anything you learn throughout your mission."
Kakashi nodded. "Very well. And the third?"
Tsunade smiled slightly. "Be careful."
"I'm always careful, Hokage-sama. I'll send word when we've reached Suna." With that, Kakashi turned back to the window and let himself out.
So, I'm still around and I'm still interested in continuing the story. Unfortunately I can't promise any sort of regular updates, but I do want to make more of an effort to keep it moving. As always, feedback is appreciated.