Just a Survivor

Inspiration: N/A

Originally Written: November 4th 2009 110PM to November 5th 2009 327AM

Notes/Spoiler: Naruto: Volume 44. Literally between chapter 408 and 409. Seriously. I'll try to throw in enough detail that so long as you know some basics with Naruto (Shippuuden) you won't get lost. I'll try to keep from spoiling too much as well.

A/N: Decided to stop being lazy and upload this. Yay for new chapters! Man fanfiction dot net is worse than the worst Word/Text Document writer thing I've ever used. (Abiword, man, I hate that thing.) Both don't like keeping your formatting, but at least if you chuck it back in in Abiword and save your work it'll try to keep it there. -glares at fanfiction dot net- For shame. Story Onward!

"I can't believe he thought we'd get lost!" Roxas folded his arms annoyed.

"Roxas." Roxas' companion twitched.
"Can you believe that? Make sure you take the right path!" The ginger haired boy mocked Mystimon's warning, wagging his fingers.

"Roxas." Roxas' companion clenched his fists.

"Ha! Like we'd get lost. We've been training for months. How could we possibly become lost?"

"Roxas."

"I mean how hard is it to find the Fire Terminal, right-" Roxas turned back to face his companion with a grin, "Ienzo?"

Ienzo, previously known as Zexion failed at smiling sweetly, and just pointed to the large gates hidden amongst the forest. "Explain that then, Roxas."

Roxas turned back around and blinked. Then he relatively quickly climbed up a few branches of a large tree to get a better look. "Hey...there's not supposed to be a large gate there!" Roxas just blinked at the five faces carved into the mountainside next to the...village he guessed. "Or that." Roxas jumped down annoyed. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Because I was calling you for no reason at all." Ienzo covered his face with his hand and shook his head.

Roxas twitched. Zexion's true anger wasn't very pleasing to see or deal with. Since he had started showing signs of gaining his heart back, Roxas had got to see just about every emotion under the sun that Ienzo had to display. He mostly saw Ienzo's anger though. The taller male was still a bit mad about Roxas betraying the Organization. Roxas took each day with Ienzo slowly. He had a hunch that it would take a bit longer for Ienzo to let it go. If he ever let that go. Roxas still thought he had been right. The other members, especially Xemnas, were just using him.

"So, what do we do now?" Roxas looked over to Ienzo who was looking around the area.

"I'd say we go back the way we came, but I really have no idea which way we came from. I was too busy trying to keep up with you, Mr. Zig-Zag Energetic boy."

"Heheh, oops." Roxas scratched his head innocently. Ienzo eyed him strangely. The Roxas he remembered was a bit of a shy quiet boy with anger issues. This one was more like...Demyx of all people.

'That reminds me.' Ienzo thought to himself, walking ahead. He removed the hood of his Organization cloak from over his head, as it was nice and cool hidden underneath all the trees. A lovely temperature perfectly between not too hot and not too cold. "Roxas?" The other boy looked back at him, shifting his own cloak in his arms. "How'd you get separated from Sora?"

Roxas scrunched his face up in thought while they headed towards the large gates. "You know, now that I think about it, I don't remember." Roxas shrugged. "Maybe it's one of those memories I'm still missing."

Ienzo nodded in response. He wasn't sure if Roxas didn't care, or really was just fine with settling with it being a memory that would soon return to him.

"Maybe they know the directions." Roxas stated glancing at the two guards sitting next to the gate.

'I didn't know there were more humans within the Digital World?' Ienzo nodded in response, taking note of their attire. Both of them were males, and they were wearing a sweatsuit-like navy blue outfit, with olive green vests. On the sleeves of the shirts was a strange symbol, resembling a leaf with a swirl in the middle. "Ah, good evening sirs." Ienzo replied with a simple bow. "I was just traveling with my energetic friend here," he motioned to Roxas who waved with a simple smile. The two guards stared at Roxas a bit, blinked confused, shook their heads and then nodded, "and we seem to have gotten lost. I was wondering if either of you knew the way to the Fire Terminal." Seconds later they found themselves swept away and in the presence of a person the two Guards called "Lady Tsunade".

"So, you're looking for a place called the Fire Terminal, hm?"

"Yes ma'am." Ienzo nodded, standing in front of the busty blond. A violet diamond decoration/tattoo rested on her forehead.

Roxas fidgeted nervously, 'She's eying me like Saix does on a bad day.' Roxas shifted some more, 'And what's with the old frog? And why's it dressed up? Never mind that, why does it look like that?' Roxas eyed it's unique black eyes with gold irises, and gray hair that made it look more like an old man that had been turned into a frog. 'Maybe it's not a frog, and it's a toad. Maybe it's not a frog or a toad but a man who was turned into a frog or a toad! Hmmm...'

Ienzo nudged Roxas in the side with his elbow. Roxas looked over to her. Something about the lady sitting in front of them put Ienzo in his respect mode. Where he starts to overly lay on the hospitality. He wasn't sure what it was about her, but whatever it was made Roxas fear her.

"I've never heard of a place called the Fire Terminal."

"I don't even think such a place exists." Ienzo and Roxas directed their eyes to the pink haired girl with green eyes standing next to the female's desk.

"I'm pretty sure myself that such a place isn't in this world." The frog replied, stroking it's beard. "Where are you two from?"

Roxas looked at Ienzo. They couldn't exactly say any place that they had previously been to, especially "The World That Never Was." That would really get them in trouble if they weren't now.

'I'm beginning to think we took way more than a wrong turn at that river.' Ienzo thought to himself.

"You wouldn't believe us if we said another world would you?" Roxas grinned innocently.

'He definitely remembers all those times hanging around Axel.' Ienzo mentally sighed. "We're travelers. No home, no allegiances. We had just come from a cottage we were staying at in the forests, headed to the Fire Terminal. Unfortunately, I decided to follow him instead of actually keeping track of we're we were going." Ienzo jerked a thumb at Roxas. "'Don't worry, Ienzo. We won't get lost' he said." Ienzo rolled his eyes.

The woman behind the desk eyed Ienzo and Roxas strangely. The pink haired girl was switching views between the woman and them as well. And the frog looked as though it was holding in quite a chuckle.

"Lady Tsunade." A knock and a voice from behind the door entered their conversation.

"What is it?" The lady behind the desk called.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but Uzumaki-san and the others have returned."

"I see. Thank you." She replied. She then slouched down in her seat, resting her head on her arm. "Now, I don't know if you actually expected me to believe you, but right now, I think you two've had way too much to drink. I'll direct one of my men to give you a place to stay for now and then we'll talk later."

"I think I'm too youn-ow!"

Ienzo bowed his head and hit Roxas in his side once more. Roxas bowed with him, tossing glares at Ienzo occasionally. "Thank you for your time and hospitality ma'am." Roxas held back a snicker. He didn't remember the last time he saw Ienzo act so seriously.

Two more men wearing green vests entered the room and escorted them out. "Geeze Roxas? Did you really think acting like Axel would help us any? It's bad enough she now thinks we're insane." Ienzo mumbled annoyed. On their way they passed a bored looking male with deep brown hair up in a ponytail, another male reading an orange book, and a female wearing a long dress and a light white long sleeve coat.

Roxas folded his arms just as they passed another male. This male had shockingly bright blond hair and dull blue eyes that would probably glisten with excitement. "It's not my fault we caught her lookin' like she was preparing a funeral for someone." Ienzo facepalmed as the blond haired boy sharply turned around and slammed Roxas up against the wall. Their two guards stared in shock and then moved towards the blond male.

Ienzo noticed one of the voices mumble, "What a drag."

"Let him go, Naruto." One of the guards said.

"Maa maa, let's not do anything we'll regret later on." Roxas glanced at the silver haired male, the one that was reading that book. He had a calm hand pressed on the boy's shoulder. The more Roxas stared at the boy who was glaring at him as though he were an enemy the more he realized he had a bit in common with him in looks: Blond hair, blue eyes, around the same height. The other boy was just a smidge taller than him. And he had tears lining the brim of his eyes.

After about a minute or so, with Roxas' hand twitching towards his keychains and wondering what he said that got the boy so worked up and the boy glaring at him with slightly reddened tear stained eyes, the boy, Naruto, let Roxas go. He glared at the ground a bit before steeling himself and turning around. "Watch what you say, jerk." He called out behind him.

"You're lucky he didn't beat you up or kill you." Ienzo replied still shaking his head.

"Hmph." Roxas folded his arms pouting and staring at the ground, seeing that he was clearly in the wrong for making such a statement.. "Guess someone did die." He mumbled.

"Shut up Roxas." Ienzo held in a shiver at the many eyes staring at them.

A few hours later Ienzo found himself in a small hotel room, with Roxas conversing with Naruto over different things. The conversation started with Naruto apologizing. And then it continued with Roxas apologizing and admitting that he was in a bit of a bad mood as well. "Our other companions warned us to not get lost as we split paths and I said we wouldn't get lost-"

"-All pompous exactly like-"
"-'cause I was totally paying attention when they gave the directions to the-"

"-No you weren'-"

"-Shush Ienzo!-"
"-You were leaning against me half asle-"

"Fire Terminal, and here we are, lost." Naruto had busted out in laughter at Roxas' nervous grin. So now, Ienzo was stuck listening to Roxas and Naruto chat, trying carefully to warn Roxas from saying anything too stupid as he was pretty sure they were gonna be interrogated or something later and this Tsunade lady was only being nice so they didn't go all ballistic on this place Naruto called Konohagakure. A few hours after that, Naruto treated them, mostly himself, to this food called Ramen at this placed called Ichiraku's. Naruto had briefly chatted with "Old Man Teuchi" that he was going to go on a bit of a training spree to get stronger, completely forgetting that two strange men who were looking for a place that didn't exist in their world were sitting right next to him.

Ienzo didn't mind the strangeness. They hadn't been on some form of a schedule, though the sooner they searched and hopefully found the other members, for Roxas, Axel especially and for himself Lexaeus, the better. Ienzo caught note of more towns people...ninja to be more precise, following them on the rooftops throughout the village as he and Roxas hung out with Naruto.

Eventually Ienzo got annoyed with the idle chatter and Roxas and Naruto acting like total buffoon's, and decided to jump ship, politely asking for a "Jounin" as Naruto said to guide him "home". He was also tired of Naruto staring at Roxas confused every time the smaller boy called him "Axel" in a fit of laughter and then watching Roxas turn his head in some form of sadness and guilt.

The walk with this "Jounin", Kakashi Hatake, was a very quiet one featuring Kakashi eying him strangely while playing it off as reading his book. Why anyone would want to read a book named "Icha Icha Paradise" was beyond Ienzo. Nothing beat a good encyclopedia. If the action wouldn't have gotten him in trouble, Ienzo would've summoned his Lexicon and read that just to annoy the silver haired man.

Instead he walked with his head held high and took in all the sights of the city. The bright lights, the bustling people, the air of relaxed attitude, the moving shadows...Ienzo blinked at that one. Right in the alley between two relatively tall buildings were beady golden eyes swaying back and forth looking at him. It took Ienzo a good 20 seconds to realize that creature those beady eyes belonged to was actually a threat to him. Ienzo grabbed Kakashi's arm and pulled him back.

"What?" Kakashi looked back at him, and then towards the alley where Ienzo was facing. More golden beady eyes popped up one by one. Kakashi put his book away and blinked a few times, his other hand itching to reach for his headband. "What in the world...?" He looked back at Ienzo, reaching for a kunai. The eyes were almost mesmerizing.

"Don't move." Ienzo warned quietly. People hurried by them in the regular village nighttime hustle and bustle as usual. Ienzo slowly made his way towards the alley. The eyes all turned with him. 'What are heartless doing here.' A second later Kakashi had expertly stabbed a leaping Shadow Heartless in the eye with a well aimed kunai. Villagers were running for their lives, despite many of the Shadows charging out the allies not being very interested in them.

Ienzo restrained himself from calling out his Lexicon. As if this Kakashi man and the group of other ninja that were stalking him and Kakashi that jumped down around him weren't freaked out enough already. Without it though, he was at a major loss of what to do. Eventually he settled for catching Kunai that were thrown and missed their targets and throwing them to another target using his own energy to guide the trajectories. It didn't take long to take out the medium sized group of heartless and unlike what normally happened, they didn't come in droves with three more replacing the ones that were just taken out.

A few seconds from that he had these men dressed in all black with masks covering their faces, the same that were stalking him, restraining him. One of them nodded to Kakashi, who was alert but was still trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Ienzo was smart choosing not to fight the guards. Just as they were about to take him somewhere, probably back to see that lady, Tsunade, Roxas' voice rang out.

"Ienzo!" Roxas leaned up against his legs, careful of the crowds of people who were too shaken up to go near anything with a shadow or near an alley.

Naruto wasn't too far behind. In fact he was a few feet ahead, because Roxas was pretty slow when it came to running. "What the heck!?"

"I'm alright." Ienzo looked around mentally smiling to himself as he noticed that there were no pink hearts fluttering to the sky and fading away. Smoke from the defeated Shadows filled the air with a light gray fog. "It looks like everyone's ok." One of the men holding Ienzo directed more of his men to grab Roxas.

"Hey! Lemme go!" Roxas called out.

"What are you-?!" Naruto watched along confused.

"Those things didn't show up until after you two did." One of them said bluntly.

Ienzo's eyes widened. "You think...No no no no no." Ienzo shook his head, "We didn't bring those heartless with us!"

Roxas looked over to Ienzo confused. "Heartless? That's what caused those screams." Roxas blinked at Ienzo. "I've not seen a heartless in months!" Naruto noticed Roxas had a bitter look on his face.

"You'll just have to explain to our interrogation units exactly how you know what they are, then."

Suddenly Roxas dearly regretted getting lost on their way to the Fire Terminal and the idea of asking those two guards in front of the Village for directions.

~~~~~~~~~~
Notes

After the Toad (I call him a frog 'cause Roxas doesn't know it's a toad) asks where Roxas and Ienzo came from, I stumped myself...badly.) And no, they shouldn't be surprised by a talking toad. They've fought heartless and controlled nobodies remember?

Dear God, that chapter was bad. (points to previous statement). All my ideas on how to write this chapter went out the window after that scene. I may rewrite it later. Probably not. Although it's not my best, it's still...ok...

I'm not that good with writing the Naruto Characters in their own world. Maybe I should watch a few more episodes or read a few more chapters to get the hang of it.