Chapter six
They ran, made another two short stops, and didn't slow down until the sun started setting. Kakashi stopped next to a group of boulders and called Pakkun. The dog inhaled as if he sampled the very molecules.
"It's a bit stronger than before, we're definitely headed in the right direction."
Naruto looked away into the distance, longingly, but didn't say anything.
"I know" Kakashi said about the tempting idea of travelling by night. "But we have to rest eventually and so do they. Unless they travel this road often and know it by heart, they won't risk going along in the dark only to get lost. This is the best alternative, for now."
He thought he heard a quiet, impatient sigh from his direction but chose not to comment it. It bugged him to play the role of the wise old man but it was for the best.
He heaved off his backpack and leaned it against a sturdy-looking rock. After some digging he found two pre-cooked meals, packed in vacuum-tight bags to take up as little space as possible. He took out a tiny flash-light and placed it on top of his bag, by then it was almost dark, especially in the little dark corner they were in. There were large boulders on three out of four sides, giving them relatively good protection. It was two metres broad and six or seven metres long, like a hallway or simply a cave without roof.
Naruto had out his backpack on the side across from him. Kakashi stretched out the two bags.
"Which one do you want? We've got beef-flavour or..." he inspected the other bag. "What I think is pork-flavour."
Naruto reached out, snatched the one that said "beef" and it didn't take more than a few seconds before he grimaced.
"It's specially prepared to give you all the nutrients you need. But I can't say it's very tasty." Kakashi said and didn't know if he was meant to apologize.
It almost felt as if he'd dragged him out here, to the cold and distant forest. He heard the sound of Pakkun making himself comfortable above them. It was true that the ninken took chakra to maintain, but it felt like a necessary precaution. You could never be sure.
After the disappointing meal they both stretched out on the dry, dusty ground; Kakashi closest to the exit and Naruto in the corner. Sometime later he heard his breathing, now regular and automatic, he was sleeping. Youthful or not, travelling the entire day had a tendency to wear you out. Kakashi on the other hand was less affected. Nothing was more dangerous than thinking you were safe and letting your guard down. He knew that along with a lot of other things that tumbled through his head. The best time for making your play at the enemy was around 4 am when people slept the soundest. He thought about the countless hours of training, sharpening his skills, throwing knives and leaping over hurdles...
He'd slept surprisingly well. As he took a minute to get used to existing again, Naruto started moving next to him, almost like a cat.
Or like a fox, he thought.
He heard how he took something out of his bag, heard its content whirling around, Naruto drank it.
"Do you want some?"
The question was clearly meant for him so he sat up.
"Sure, thank you."
He took a mouthful and instantly felt more awake. He handed it back to Naruto who looked surprised.
"Do you even sleep with that thing?"
He clearly wasn't awake enough, half-heartedly looked around for a clue as to what he was referring to.
"...with what?"
"The mask" Naruto explained and touched his own cheek as if to check if he had one too.
"This?" He felt a little self-conscious. "Yes, well I guess so. Only when I'm sleeping outdoors though."
He looked at him as if he suspected there was a story behind it but it wasn't the right time and so he didn't ask.
Kakashi handed him a new, almost tasteless bag-breakfast and he saw a shiver of reluctance on his lips, a quiet I am opposing this that was only suffocated due to the knowledge of there being nothing else.
He started on his own food, wishing he could give him something better to eat, that he could cook for him. Ramen, yakitori, gohan, stew, salmon, miso-soup and little onigiri-
He felt a longing, not unlike the one you get when you think about happy childhood moments, you know you can't them back, you know it's way too late not even to mention it's impossible but still, still.
They left. Pakkun was pleased that there had been practically no winds during the night, he found their trail relatively easy. They ran quickly and the brisk morning air felt good.
A whole day's travel still hadn't brought on a change in nature, they were still in the forest, still in their country. He suspected it would take at least the following day as well. What he didn't understand was where the thieves were headed. North-west there was a few small countries. He couldn't think of a nation or an organization that had a direct motive. Indirect motives, on the other hand, there were a lot of. During the last wars Konoha had assumed a central position, which of course brought on enemies. Or it was someone with a personal grudge. He knew there was no point in speculating, that wasn't what they had been sent out here for.
It was strangely boring, their trip, he wanted to talk and make the time pass by quicker but was still a little hesitant, suddenly reminded of the years and differences between them.
The forest passed by under his indifferent gaze, had journeyed so many times that he knew that changes in the nature didn't necessarily mean changes in another way. People were always people, no matter how it looked around them.