Well I decided to continue it anyway. Even if I didn't get much feedback, the idea wouldn't leave my head :3

CHAPTER 1

"What is your name, soldier?" Colonel Ahntrum, not the worst colonel to ever reside in the ranks of the Union army, but he certainly had a firm and strict policy of following the higher ups. So that meant no neglect on our part.

"Naruto Uzumaki, sir!" I said with a gesticulating salute.

"Strange name… origin?"

"My mother was American and my father Japanese, sir." I said remembering my mother and father that I had left behind in Ohio, letting my hand fall back down to my side I looked at Colonel Ahntrum.

"They alive, son?" the man asked, gripping his wrists behind his back, his blue uniform stretching over his broad chest.

"Yes, they are." I said

"General Grant heard of your near death in Gettysburg. He's decided to give you leave of absence so you can return home, rest and come back rejuvenated and ready to fight for your country again. We already sent a letter to your parents in Cleveland." The colonel said as he sat back down at his desk.

"When do I return, sir?" I asked, the prospect of getting to see my parents again had my body strumming with contained energy that I hadn't had in weeks, since before Gettysburg.

"You have one month before we send a message telling you to return and you will head to the location sent to you in the letter." The colonel leaned forward in his cushioned seat, "You have served your country well, Naruto, hold your head up because you have done well in slaying our enemies. Leave as soon as you can. You have a good day, soldier." he said and dismissed me with a nod of his head.

Hold your head up because you have done well in slaying our enemies.

I didn't like that statement, not at all. It only reminded me of the resentment of the war that lived within me. All the bloodshed for the mere use of slaves was wrong in so many different ways. And because of it I had to slaughter fellow Americans that, despite the side they chose were still a part of our country. But it had to be done, refusing was out of the question, I loved my country too much. Winning the war would stop the bloodshed.

When I returned to the squad barracks I was greeted warmly by, I had the privilege to say, my good friend Christofer Hawk. "Naruto, my good man! How did the meeting with the Colonel go?" he said, patting a hand on my shoulder and shaking me slightly.

"It went well, I've gotten one month leave and I can return home. I'm leaving at dawn." I said with a satisfied grin. I was overjoyed at the expectation of seeing my family again.

"Well how about you have dinner with the boys before you leave, I heard the slop is extra good tonight." He said as he led me to eat. We went to where one of the cooks was serving tin bowls of slop from a large metal pot, a fire lit beneath it to keep it warm.

"Alright," I said as we sat down with a loaf of half-stale bread and a tin of the meaty, overcooked scraps that lower ranking men got to eat for three meals a day.

"Where do your parents live again, Naruto?" one of the soldiers at the table asked around a mouthful of slop. I sighed.

"Johnny boy don't talk with your mouth full, and they live in Cleveland." I said after swallowing my bite of food.

"That's a long ways to go. And don't call me Johnny boy." Johnny said immediately shoving a spoonful of slop into his mouth.

We chewed in silence before Christofer swallowed and spoke; "We might not be in the same squad when you come back, you know." he said.

I took a bite of bread and champed contemplatively. "I'd prefer it if you didn't think that way, but yes, it is a possibility." I said a last. I would be leaving for an entire month, in my absence I could be unknowingly changed in squad position, and I had no choice but to listen and follow orders. But on the off chance that it didn't happen I would return and it would be like normal. I really hoped for that. The men I fought with… when we fought we fought in sync. We knew to watch the others' back, and to attack at the best time, considering the other eight members of the squad.

"There's no reason to sulk, I doubt it'll happen. I was just being an ass when I mentioned it." Christofer said, when he'd finished his meal and was scraping the last bits of liver from the bowl with his spoon. I would never understand his love for slop. It wasn't very good, but it got us by and that's all that really mattered. I couldn't wait for a home cooked meal.

I got up and took my dishes to the wash bin and rinsed them with the murky water before putting them on the rack to be more thoroughly cleaned later. I asked the cook for food provisions, telling him of the journey I had to take to get home. He gave me some dried meats, cheese and two fairly fresh loaves of bread. I walked back over to Christofer and patted his back. "I'll see you when I return." And left to go sleep.

When I woke up the next morning I immediately left the barracks to eat, before I prepared for my departure.

After I finished my meal I went to my cot where I packed a sack with food, bullets and a gutting knife. I changed out of my uniform and into a worn cotton shirt and brown riding pants. I folded the blue uniform and put it in my sack. I would need it for when I came back. Grabbing my water skin I walked out to the pump and filled it. I went to the stables and chose a horse, a chestnut named Spur. Once I had the colt saddled and bridled I led it out of the stables. Mounting, I steered the horse to the west side of the camp. I said goodbye to the Harrisburg camp and headed west toward Cleveland, the rising Sun behind me. It was a three day trip, not long, but I had far to go.

I rode from dawn to dusk at a slow easy pace, so as not to tire the horse. I had stopped for lunch whereupon the horse grazed on the forest shrubs while I ate the cheese and some of the bread. Re-wrapping the rest of the food I'd set off again.

Now I sat in front of a warm fire brandishing a thick stick and the rest of the first loaf of bread. Spur was tied to a low branch behind me. I stirred the fire before I unrolled my blanket. Laying down on it I rested my temple on my bicep and slept.

At sunrise the next morning I woke up refreshed and slightly sore from a day's riding on horseback. Kicking dirt onto the embers of the dying fire and untying Spur from the branch, I mounted and looked at my compass I was still heading in the general northwest direction that I had to go.

~ NaruSasu ~

The horse plodded on, I had to make a long detour to get through the Appalachian Mountains, by following a river that carved the landscape. I took a great breath of relief when I broke the edge of the range. Once there we stopped for the third night and I kept the fire strong to ward off potential predators. I slept uncomfortably, the jagged rocks digging into me from beneath the blanket.

The fourth afternoon I was glad to see the edge of Cleveland on the horizon. My parents lived on the far side beside a large field of corn. I could just imagine the quaint little house backed by corn stalks.

I dismounted when I came upon a small shop where I could buy new clothes. I didn't want to come home in rags. Buying a cream cotton shirt and black riding pants, I changed into them and paid. The pants didn't cost much but the shirt did. With cotton being so scarce it was expensive.

When I finally reached the edge of town I could see the cornfield and the small white patch that was the house. I urged Spur on until we were at a canter and speeding over the worn dirt road. I waved a hand when I could make out my parents standing in front of the house.

"Father! Mother! I'm home!" I screamed at the top of my lungs after letting go of the reins and waving my hands in the air almost standing in saddle. I dropped my hands when Spur reached the end of the road and walked onto the gravelly driveway. I dismounted and quickly ran to hug my mother and father. I held Kushina's face in my hands. "Mother! I'm so glad to be back, oh Lord am I glad!" I said hugging her smaller form to my chest. Minato hugged both and we shared a moment to enjoy being in each other's arms. After I took a step back to admire the two I said; "You two glad to see me?"

"Yes. My little boy is finally home!" Kushina said as she held my face in her hands. She turned my face so she could kiss my cheek and I noticed someone standing at the porch steps. He was young, certainly a great deal younger than my twenty-seven years, and he had pale skin that contrasted greatly with his black hair. He had on a worn flannel with brown pants and a pair of old boots. I remembered the clothes from when I was still living with my parents.

He seemed to sense my stare because he lifted his head and looked at me. He furrowed his brow and crossed his arms over his chest, looking to the side with his nose in the air. I could tell he was a brat. No older than eighteen. My parents seemed to have noticed the exchange for Minato spoke; "Naruto, this is Sasuke. We found him a year after you left. He's been staying here since." he said, he beckoned Sasuke over, to which Sasuke immediately complied and walked down the porch steps to join us.

"Sasuke, this is my son, Naruto. You remember the stories we told you of our son?" Minato said, placing a hand on both our shoulders. Sasuke nodded, finally seeming to drop his bratty demeanor and looking me in the eyes. He held out a hand, which I took in mine and I noticed that it wasn't calloused like mine were, even when I lived with my parents. I figured they didn't make him work much.

"Sasuke," I said, testing the name on my tongue, "A pleasure to meet you, Sasuke." I added.

"I'm sure it is." He said icily and walked back into the house.

"Oh don't mind him, Naruto." Kushina said placing a comforting hand on my bicep. "He's just not used to people. I won't tell you his story because it's not mine to tell, but if you are patient he'll warm up to you."

"Why don't you and Kushina head into the house while I tend to your horse." Minato said as he reached to take the reins from my hand.

"No, father I'll do it I—" Minato lifted a hand.

"Nonsense. You have travelled long and far. You need rest. Go on." He said motioning toward the house, before leading the horse to the barn. Spur would be lonely, the horse we had died years before I left, and if Minato was going keep him in the barn that meant that they hadn't bought a new one there being only one stall. I would have to make sure to visit him.

When I walked through the front door I was hit with an intense wave of familiarity. The house was much the same; the kitchen with a large wash basin on the far right corner; living room with overstuffed upholstery. The hallway that led to the bedrooms was decorated by a woolen rug. "Go rest, you need it." Kushina said, patting my back. I walked down the hall to my old bedroom. It was different. Then I remembered that Sasuke was living here. He obviously had taken my room, or he wouldn't have been in there sulking. His head turned quickly at the heavy sound of my boots hitting the wooden floor as I approached the bed. It was a bunk-bed now. He sat on the top.

"You're not getting the top bunk." Sasuke said turning to look at something on the bed beside him.

"How old are you?" I asked, incredulously. He faced me and glared hotly.

"I'm nineteen." He said.

I laughed. "What?" he yelled, glaring, obviously annoyed by the loud guffaws escaping my mouth.

"What's wrong with you? I'm a man that's not to be laughed at." he asked after I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye.

"You sure don't act like a man… getting all possessive over a top bunk." I said, before letting out another chuckle when the raven hissed indignantly and slumped down on his bed, face first in the wool pillow case. I pulled off my boots and shirt before sitting on the bed. I was startled when Sasuke's face appeared beside mine. He was leaning over the side of the bed. I saw his eyes drag over my upper body. My muscles clenched in sync with his gaze. He looked back into my eyes.

"You better not snore." And with that he lifted his head up and collapsed back onto the bed with a sigh. I grinned before lying down on the soft, fabric covered hay and falling into a deep, much needed sleep.

Naruto ran through the dense forest. He needed to run faster. His life depended on it. But he was just so tired, his legs burned with the effort of sprinting through the shrubs on the forest ground. He used his arms to cover his face as he ran, the branches and needle like twigs leaving stinging cuts along his forearms. He could hear the cries behind him. He nearly tripped when a bullet buried itself into a tree, just feet in front of him spraying bark and dust into the air.

He kept running if they caught up they would kill him for sure. He knew that if he got close enough the camp they would leave him alone. He'd never been so scared in all his twenty-three years.

He cried out when a bullet hit his calf and he collapsed on the ground, screaming in pain. Another shot landed on his arm. How they could shoot him while he was on the ground was something he wouldn't understand till later on in his life.

He vaguely wondered if it was the end and hoped the afterlife was pleasant. He heard screams coming from the direction he had been heading and hope shot through him.

They were coming for him! The Union! Relief flooded through him until another bullet hit him in the collarbone and he blearily opened his eyes to see a confederate standing above him. He cocked his gun, then dropped it, the blade on the end carving a deep furrow in the dirt beside Naruto's head. Naruto at first didn't understand what had happened but when the man looked in the direction the Union soldiers were coming from and held a hand tight against his arm, he understood. The confederate left, leaving the gun behind. Naruto stared at it. This weapon would have been the end of him.
Staring at the gun, Naruto lost consciousness.

I woke up suddenly, the image of that gun in my mind. It had been the first of many battles I'd had to be in. And it had scared the hell out of me. Shaking my head to clear the thoughts I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I fingered the scar on my collarbone. The skin was smoother and slightly raised. I jumped again when Sasuke leaned over the side of the bed and looked at me.

"You don't snore. But you make noises." he said, "Were you having a nightmare?" his tone was taunting.

"I suppose you could call it that. It was of my first time coming close to death." I said. Leaning my elbows on my knees and letting my hands fall between them. I heard Sasuke gasp lightly, before he spoke. "I'm sorry, that was out of line." He said and picked his head up. He jumped off the side of the bed and turned to look at me. He was small. Too small to be in the army, it seemed. That was probably the reason he wasn't in the army along with me. That, or my parents had hidden him after they found him. He seemed delicate. I stood up. He was a half a foot shorter that my six feet, and his slight body seemed almost childlike next to my bulky form. I felt like a behemoth. I chuckled lightly making him look up at me. The laugh died in my throat. He had the darkest eyes, not only in the sense of color, they were dark because they held dark secrets. This intrigued me.

"B—breakfast is sure to be ready." he stuttered out suddenly, startling me out of my thoughts. He seemed nervous.

"Yes let's go eat." I said and followed him out of the room. The smell of sizzling eggs and bacon was the first thing that hit my nose. I saw my mother over the oven holding an iron skillet with a rag so as not to burn her hands and using a wooden spoon to flip the bacon strips. I walked over and put my head over her shoulder. There was a plate of cooling bacon beside the skillet and I reached out to nab a strip. The wooden spoon made a sharp contact with my hand and I yelped.

"Naruto, when will you ever learn? No matter how many times you try, you'll never get past me." Kushina said as she served the last of the bacon on the plate. Taking the bacon and eggs she took them to the table. "Now, if you want to eat, go milk the cow." She added. Minato laughed from his place at the head of the table.

"Yes mother," I said a goofily happy grin splitting my face. I grabbed the milk bucket from beside the oven and began walking to the door.

"You too, Sasuke, go help him." My mother added. Sasuke walked from the hallway were he had been standing. "Yes, Kushina." He said and followed me out the door to the barn.

I rinsed the bucket out in the pump at the front of the house. Then I opened the barn door and was greeted with a familiar scent of hay, dust and manure.

"There's Daisy." Sasuke said pointing to a brown patched cow that was happily eating hay. I walked over to her and after I placed the bucket beneath the udder, washed the nipples with a wet rag that Sasuke handed me. I grasped the teats gently and squeezed the base softly with my thumb and forefinger. I kept squeezing each of my fingers around the nipple until my entire hand was holding the teat. A steady stream of milk flowed from the tip to fall into the bucket, making a metallic tinkling sound.

"When did you join the army?" Sasuke asked while I continued milking the cow.

"When I was a year younger than you. Eighteen. I joined before the war started." I said. He nodded.

"Minato and Kushina hid me from the Recruiters. Well, they managed to for a while, last time they found me. But they said I was too scrawny to join and that I wouldn't do any good." He said angrily, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well just be glad you haven't joined. It's nothing to take lightly. War is something you want to stay far from." I said when the two teats were pliant and not filled with milk. I grabbed the bucket and handed it to Sasuke. Then said; "Hold on for a second" and walked over to the back of the barn. Spur stuck his head from out of the stall and whinnied softly. It touched his velvety nose and he jerked his head up into my hand. I heard a gasp from behind me and I turned.

"He's so beautiful!" Sasuke said, his dark eyes glittering. "C—can I touch him?" he asked looking at me hopefully.

"Sure, don't worry about making sudden moves he'll take it like a war horse."

He reached out a hesitant hand. Spur nickered lowly, impatient. I took a hold of Sasuke's hand and led it to the horse's nose. Slowly, still gripping his hand in mine, I dragged his palm over the horse's forehead. Gaining confidence, Sasuke ran his hand up and dug his fingers into the thick forelock that hung between Spur's eyes. The younger man was delighted when Spur let out a high pitched neigh because he scratched behind his ears.

"I've never touched a horse. I've seen them through the window when the Recruiters came to find me, but that was all." Sasuke said when he stopped scratching. Spur retreated inside the stall where he chomped on more hay.

"If you've never ridden a horse, I'll be glad to let you have a ride on Spur." I said as I picked up the bucket of milk. When I looked back up Sasuke was smiling slightly, "I'd like that. Thank-you." he said, following me out of the barn. He stopped to wait for me as I closed the barn doors.

"About time you returned!" Minato said from where he was sitting at the table. "Hurry and sit down, I'm hungry." he added, waving us over. I handed to bucket of milk to Kushina who poured its contents into four tin cups. I helped her set them on the table before sitting down across from Sasuke. I looked at him and smiled and he gave me a small smile in return. We passed the plates around serving ourselves before eating heartily. When done I leaned back and patted my full stomach. I let out a large belch muffling it with my fist.

"Mother you have no idea how much I missed your cooking."

"Oh really? Why is that.?" She asked, before she daintily lifted a forkful of eggs to her mouth. I laughed.

"Well dear mother, slop can only get you so far." I said making Minato laugh out loud.

"That must be horrifying."

Sasuke looked confused and then asked; "What is slop?"

"Well, Sasuke, it's the food of the lowly infantrymen." I said.

"What is it made out of?" he asked, still confused.

"Slop is the scrap meat, leftovers from the higher-ups." I said, chuckling when a fairly disgusted look crossed his face. He looked childlike with his nose scrunched up and his eyebrows meeting in a petulant frown. Kushina got up from the table and began gathering the dishes to clean them in the wash basin.

"Naruto will you fill up the basin for me?" she asked as she set the plates down on the small table beside the basin, which she picked up by the handles and passed to me. I filled the basin half way and walked back into the house, where I placed the metal bin where it belonged, allowing my mother to begin washing the dishes. "Thank-you darling." she said as she scrubbed a plate with a rag.

I looked back at the table to see that my father was gone and only Sasuke remained, who glanced up at me. I smiled.

"N—Naruto. Can we go ride now?" he asked, reminding me of the promise I had made him in the barn.

"Let's saddle up."

Ugh what a cheezzzy way to end the chapter, I know. Just bear with me I didn't know where to stop! I'll probably(hopefully) get this done within the month, so be on the lookout for long(er) chapters and, well, moderate updates. I wouldn't say fast, I don't want to give you guys anything rushed. WELL! Hope you liked!

Don't forget to take a minute of your time to leave me a review! They help greatly in encouraging me to write. *coughfasterupdatescough*

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