Naruto walked until he reached a fork in the path. He walked back and forth studying the two directions. "Hm, which way? There's no sign."
"That would depend on where you want to go next," a voice said.
Naruto spun around but no one was there. He scanned the trees and eventually came across a most unusual sight. In the tree situated between the forked paths was what he could only describe as a grin hovering above a low branch.
"And if I don't know where I want to go next?" Naruto cautiously directed towards the grin.
"Well then, it doesn't matter which direction you choose, does it?" the grin replied showing off sharp teeth. Above the grin two red eyes appeared.
Naruto felt that by now he shouldn't have found it strange to be speaking with a floating mouth, but none the less he thought his own eyes would pop out at the sight of the red eyes appearing out of nowhere.
"I would like to go to Konoha," he said.
"That is good; either path will lead you there." A fox's body with bright red fur and nine tails suddenly formed around the toothy grin and eyes.
"Ky-Kyuubi!" Naruto's right hand instantly placed itself over his stomach. 'That's what felt missing. I have no chakra, not even Kyuubi's chakra. I guess it would make sense that if he's not inside me he would be out here.'
"Interesting. The child knows my name," Kyuubi said interrupting Naruto's thoughts.
Naruto regarded Kyuubi for a moment. "I guess you're just like a cat here."
Kyuubi's eyes narrowed. "If you're going to insult me that must mean you don't need my help." The fox vanished.
"No, no. I'm sorry, please come back."
The eyes reappeared.
"It's just, I'm use to seeing you so much bigger, and radiating evil power. I was startled when I saw you," Naruto tried to explain.
The fox's head returned to view. "Do not do it again. I am a fox, not one of those vile creatures that sold their dignity to be pampered." He paused briefly. "So you seek Konoha?"
"Yes, could you tell me what is different between the paths?"
"They are exactly the same length. However the one on the left will allow you to reach Konoha faster than the one on the right."
"If they are the same length why does one take longer to travel than the other?" Naruto asked.
"If you head down the path to the right you will come across something that will make you stop."
"I see. Well, I'm in a hurry so I guess it'll be the left path. Thank you."
Kyuubi's head disappeared once more and Naruto started walking down the path. He was barely five steps in when everything seemed to change around him. The trees shifted casting dark shadows over the path. The air was cold and oppressive. Dread pressed itself against Naruto like the chill wind that was coming from the path. He backed up until he was at the fork again.
"Kyuubi," Naruto called.
"Yes?" The fox reformed fully onto the branch.
Naruto looked at him. "What did you do to the path?"
Kyuubi cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"
The words died in Naruto's throat when he looked back at the path. It was back to the way it had looked when he first arrived. The dark, foreboding path was gone. "What?" Naruto said when he found his voice. He looked back at Kyuubi. "You did something. It changed to a dark oppressing place."
"Look kit, I just live here. I'm not the one who controls this place. Something must be telling you to go down the right path instead."
Naruto nodded at the fox, realizing he couldn't do more than just accept the events that take place in this world. "So what is it that I'm going to see that will make me stop?"
"A scarecrow being visited by a leaf and being watched by a sun," Kyuubi said before fading away again.
"A scarecrow?" Naruto asked himself. He broke into a smile. "Kakashi! Will he really be a scarecrow though? And who are the other two with him?"
Naruto set off down the right hand path. He breathed a sigh of relief when the path stayed the same. Naruto sped up, anxious to see what he would come across next. It was not long before the trees on the left side turned into a low fence along the path. The trees cleared way and a small house sat back a ways from the trail. The fence did not surround the property; it only stood against the path. In front of the house a table was set up with six chairs around it. Kakashi sat in one and next to him was Konohamaru.
'Kakashi looks the same as always. Even here he's wearing that stupid mask. The leaf must refer to Konohamaru,' Naruto thought. He reached a gate in the fence and entered. "Kakashi, Konohamaru!"
They looked up from the table. Kakashi nearly jumped out of his seat. "No room, no room. Go somewhere else."
Taken aback Naruto had paused with one foot still in the air. After a brief moment he continued forward. "What do you mean? There are four empty chairs." Naruto reached the table and sat down across from Kakashi. Looking around he saw there was an open book at each seat. Next he realized that it was Kakashi's infamous orange book that was open at each seat. Lastly, he realized that a very red faced Konohamaru was glancing between Naruto and the book that lay open before him. Naruto pointed at Konohamaru but looked at Kakashi. "You're letting him read porn?!"
Kakashi slumped back into his seat. "This is why I said there was no room. Women will never understand the art in these books."
Naruto tried not to boil over with rage. He knew, as a man and having traveled with the writer, that art had very little to do with those kinds of books. "It's not that you two are looking at porn, it's that he's not old enough. Those books are for adults, and Konohamaru is only twelve."
"I'm not letting him look at anything graphic. We're studying pick up lines and their effectiveness on women," Kakashi replied. "Who are you by the way?"
"Naruto," he said with a sigh.
Konohamaru looked up from his book. "Only angles could have named someone as beautiful as you."
Naruto felt a little sick. "Do. Not. Do. That. Again."
They sat in silence for a while and Naruto wondered who the other person was. 'Whose name means sun? Sun, sun, sun. I think sun is involved in Hyuga. I already saw Neji. Hinata! That's it!' Naruto looked around the property but did not see her. "Hinata," he called loudly.
To the right a movement could be detected at the same time an "Eeek" was heard. Hinata came into view from behind a tree as she fainted.
'Well, she seems completely the same,' Naruto thought.
Kakashi broke the silence surrounding the three at the table. "Time to change, everyone up. Move, move, time for a new book."
Naruto was confused but did as he was told. He found himself across from his earlier seat. Now Konohamaru was across the table from Naruto and Kakashi was next to him. "What was that for?" Naruto asked.
"No need to look at the same page all day, especially when there's so many options available," Kakashi replied indicating the books.
"But couldn't you look at one book all the way through before moving to the next?" Naruto countered.
"Well, I suppose, but that doesn't seem very exciting."
"Kakashi changes the pages of the ones I've looked at while I read something new," Konohamaru said.
"So he's really not letting you look at any of the dirty stuff?" Naruto asked.
"Nope. I'm just trying to figure out which pick up lines work the best."
"You know, those books were written by a man, so the insight on the real reactions women would have is extremely limited."
"Oh. Well, it's fun anyhow," Konohamaru said.
Naruto felt as if someone was watching him. He turned his head to look at were Hinata lay but she was no longer on the ground. Glancing at the trees their eyes locked for a moment. With another "Eeep" Hinata fainted again.
'That can't be good for her health. I wonder what she's doing over here instead of being with Shino and Kiba.' Naruto got up from the table and went over to her. He shook her gently until she woke back up.
"He-hello, I'm Hinata. It's, it's nice to meet you. Um, I ah, overheard your name earlier Naruto-chan," Hinata said with a frighten look.
"Hello. I was wondering what you were doing here."
"I wanted to look at one of those books. I wanted to see what kind of women men want to be with so I can try to be like that. But I can't while those two are there, it's too embarrassing. You just went right up and sat down though. It was amazing." Hinata was looking at him like he was the greatest thing she had ever seen.
"Hinata, those books are nothing but porn. If you want to know how to have sex with a guy fine, but those books will never tell you how to build a relationship of love. If you have to change yourself for someone then they're not good enough for you. Now tell me, do you want to read about people screwing each other over and over?"
Hinata's eyes were wide with shock. She barely had enough time to shake her head before fainting once more. 'Good. Hopefully when she comes around again she'll leave here. I wonder who she wants to impress.'
"I'm tired of this seat, time to move," Kakashi said to Konohamaru, his voice drifting to Naruto's ears. "Fresh book, fresh page, move down, move down." They both moved one seat to their left.
'Well, with Hinata sleeping away and those two caught up in their crazy book reading get together, I guess I should move on. Kyuubi said that the path would take me to Konoha.' Naruto left Hinata and walked back to the gate. He waved goodbye to Kakashi and Konohamaru, but they seemed to have forgotten all about him. Naruto shut the gate behind him and continued down the path.
