Ch 3: A Dog and His Master

So far the mission had been uneventful. Sasuke and Pakkun headed steadily west. They stopped when they could at small towns to replenish supplies for Pakkun and in case Sasuke felt he needed more hunting material.

During these trips into the village Sasuke was careful to appear like a villager. He wore a simple blue shirt and brown cut off pants. He pulled his long hair back in a ponytail. He had defected at one point, and although he was not the most famous, the Uchiha tended to have a distinctive look.

Overall they tried to keep a steady course going west, and often that meant they avoided towns to save time and logged everything in the small notebook he had brought. They were on their fourth day of travel when Sasuke heard his first piece of useful information.

They had stopped for the night at a small bar with a hostel attached. The village they were in was a tiny one, resting within the sides of a canyon. The hostel was built out of the craggy sides of the mountain.

Sasuke bought one room, where Pakkun was currently taking a break from his duties. Sasuke was resting in the bar, treating himself to udon with pork.

"I heard about some again, further south"

"That rumor again? Anymore about this old man and people will think you're crazy!"

Sasuke looked to the side, interest peaked by the raised voices. Two obviously drunk men sat in a corner. One was young and had the look of a traveler. The other was clearly in his late fifties with grayed hair tied back in a short bun.

The older man leaned his reddened face forward. "I'm tellin ya! Have I lied before?"

The other chortled. "Old man I'm not doubting your honesty. But I am doubting your sanity."

The two turned to bickering. Sasuke leaned in a bit closer, trying his best to look inconspicuous. Not the easiest task for one with permanent resting bitch face.

He almost wanted to strangle the bartender when she walked by to ask if he wanted more. He sneaked a furtive glance back at the two, who had turned again to more serious matters.

"Look" the old one was speaking. "This time it was a group of fisherman, I know cause my nephew lives near their port."

"which makes it so reputable." the young man rolled his eyes.

"The injuries ain't normal I tell you!" He spoke firmly but lowered his voice to a whisper."The monk of the village is saying it's not human markings. Something too big to be human."

The younger one snorted. "Old man, I'm sure it's some rogue ninja." despite his laughing he was also whispering.

Sasuke leaned , forgetting himself.

Inaudible practically, he managed to catch a few words. "Do ninja...pawprints?...a good several hands width.."

The younger one looked around and briefly caught eyes with Sasuke. Sasuke looked away and let his gaze cast from person to person, an extremely disinterested look on his face. Not something he had to try hard to feign. He ordered another drink from the bartender careful to sound drunker than he was.

After sitting for another fifteen minutes to dispel suspicions he walked upstairs to bed.

Pakkun rested at the foot of his bed.

"Pakkun..."

The dogs eyes blinked open. "Yes" He mumbled groggily.

"Tomorrow we should head south, try to head to the water"

The dog sat up in surprise. "What? Did you hear something?"

Sasuke was wrenching off his boots, inspecting them for rocks. "Two men. They mentioned another attack by one of the southern ports."

Pakkun looked at him, and wagged his tail for Sasuke to elaborate.

"They mentioned that whatever it was, it didn't seem human" Sasuke looked up to search Pakkun's furry face for his reaction.

The dog face remained expressionless, but his ears flattened by a fraction.

"Tsunade already mentioned that" he said dismissively, his ears returning to normal.

"Yes, but I still suspected animalistic like ninja attacks, or maybe an animal summons...nothing like this. This seemed different, they mentioned strange tracks." Sasuke was at the water basin rubbing his face. Yawning he felt extremely exhausted. What could be more bizarre than today? I mean many things in his life bad been extremely bizarre, in fact if there was a prize for having a bizarre life he would most certainly be in the running. However, encountering monsters was not something on his to-do list.

Pakkun let out a long suffering sigh at his human. "Sasuke, it certainly sounds strange, but no way to know until we see the sight of the attack. Heading there tomorrow sounds like a good plan" and with that he walked in a circle several times, before flopping down and folding his paws. This was dog for 'our conversation is over'.

Sasuke turned and snuffed out the light. It seemed like time would be the only answer to his questions. He was in for a sleepless night.

In Konoha one young blond ninja sat in the cool moonlight. His body was dwarfed by the large monument he was sitting on.

Naruto always came to the hokage mountain when he needed to think, which despite popular belief he did sometimes do (not come to mountain damnit, but think!).

Sasuke was gone again, although this time on orders apparently. This information he had forced out of Tsunade's mouth after he came barging into her office demanding to know the whereabouts of said brunette. She had sent him away with a "he is on a mission" and express orders to "stick his nose where it belonged, and to get his head out of his ass". So his ass had made its way here.

He couldn't help that he worried about Sasuke, although at this point the gods knew why. Clearly Tsunade wondered too. She hadn't checked him into a mental institution yet though, despite her threatening.

Naruto could not escape thoughts of Sasuke since their fight at the gorge. The way Sasuke looked punching Naruto, the sound of his evenly measured tread as he walked away. The thoughts and memories of him that flew light speed through Naruto's barely conscious mind as he lay physically broken on the ground after their fight. The memories of his and Sasuke's growing and perhaps permanently stunted friendship.

The Uchiha's return had complicated everything, despite it being what Naruto wanted. Naruto had made his oath to Sakura. He would never lose a precious person again, he vowed to bring Sasuke back. He was a ninja who lived by his word.

Then Sasuke had come back. Not because Naruto asked him to, not because he loved his friends. In fact, the opposite of that. Sasuke had returned for the same selfish reasons he had left.

Sasuke had told Tsunade he needed "to get stronger in Konoha, its the only way". How very Sasuke of him. He wouldn't even lie to tell Tsunade he had done it for loyalty's sake. He wouldn't lie even to save his own skin from the villagers. Tsunade had almost exploded then and there. she had sent Sasuke away and held a meeting. It was only through Naruto's pleading that she had accepted Sasuke back.

And now Naruto wasn't sure that had been worth it. What if he was wrong about Sasuke? Even after what the other had said a week and a half ago during their most recent fight?

Sasuke had left without a word in the same way he had defected. Not like he owed Naruto anything, but was it possible to maintain a one-sided friendship forever?

Naruto bit his lip. He still needed to become stronger, because of his promise to himself, but now it also seemed like the only way to prove his importance to Sasuke.

He just wished he understood why he wanted so badly to be important to that asshole.