So I basically set down most of the exposition so far, now time for the weird action parts. Hope you enjoy.
I don't own Naruto
It was the morning after. The morning Naruto would successfully escape the mansion. Today, one of his dreams will finally come true.
Naruto got up from his bed enthusiastically. It was a bit earlier than he would usually wake up, but he couldn't stay asleep. Earlier, he had woken up thirty minutes prior and laid back down on bed, deeming it too early, yet the longer he laid there, the more he wanted to move.
The plan he made previously was pretty simple. Like usual, he would go on his walk with Pakkun, but as they get closer to the end of the trail, Naruto would tie Pakkun onto a tree and tell Gai he had lost the dog, sending Gai off to the opposite direction of where the dog actually is. As he runs off, Naruto would untie the dog and run for the bush, bringing Pakkun with him down the secret trail behind the bush.
Kakashi wouldn't get him this time.
XxX
Sasuke headed towards the kitchen of his house, unable to stay asleep in the early morning. Usually he would sleep until eight in the morning on weekends, but after waking up at six, he couldn't fall back asleep.
His small footsteps could be heard on the hollow wooden floors of the steps. If he drank some water he would most likely fall asleep. Sasuke could hear muffled voices coming from his destination. It was of his father's and brother's.
Sasuke halted in his steps. Why were they leaving so early? He was around the kitchen corner, close enough to hear the conversation slightly.
"I want you to hand off the mission to someone else. It is getting too dangerous and I don't want you to get involved in their stuff."
"Father I can take care of myself. I know how dangerous it is. Trust me."
Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. He knew his father and his brother worked for the local police or something, but how would their jobs be so dangerous that his father could not trust his brother?
"You already know what happened to the Hokage's sons, what if that happens to you too? Their activities are becoming more frequent and if you stay on this case you could be killed." Fugaku said in a harsh whispered voice. Sasuke gasped. He didn't want his brother to die.
All movement in the kitchen seemed to stop along with their conversation. They had heard him.
"Who's there? Fugaku asked in a stern voice. He got caught listening and now he was going to get in trouble. Sasuke tried to act as normal as he could rather than seeming like he was eavesdropping.
Fugaku turned the corner where he had heard the gasp. He looked down to see his son Sasuke standing away a bit, hand covering a yawn while walking slowly to the kitchen. He sighed, hoping that Sasuke hadn't heard any of their conversation. "Sasuke, what are you doing up so early?"
Sasuke rubbed his eyes, pretending that he was just waking up rather than listening to their conversation. "I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to get water. Ohayo Otousan." Itachi stepped out of the kitchen to see was was going on. "Ohayou Nii-san." he tried to sound tired, convincing the two that the gasp they had heard was just a yawn.
"Hn, ohayo Otouto." Itachi had said before stepping back into the kitchen near all of his stuff, Fugaku doing the same.
Sasuke stepped into the kitchen after, reaching for the cabinet with the water glasses. "I'll get it for you." Itachi offered, standing over him to get a cup since the younger Uchiha was too short to reach. Itachi got out a water pitcher from the refrigerator and filled the glass.
"Arigato." Sasuke said to Itachi before drinking the water. The kitchen was in a tense silence, but Sasuke decided to ignore it and go on with his business. "Hey Nii-san, can we go and do something together today? We haven't done anything in awhile." He asked as he finished his water.
Itachi, who was standing on the other side of the counter looked at his younger brother. "Maybe tomorrow. I am a little busy today."
Sasuke pouted. "You're always busy." He said, turning around to place his cup in the sink.
"I'll be outside Itachi. Be good Sasuke." Fugaku said, heading towards the door.
Itachi laughed and headed over to Sasuke to flick his forehead. "I have to work today, but I promise that I will spend time with you later."
Sasuke glared at the other for flicking him, rubbing the spot that tingled a little. "You better keep your promise. Okaasan doesn't like liars." He said in a matter-o-factly tone.
Itachi smirked. "I'll see you later Otouto." He said while quietly leaving the house.
Sasuke dropped his hand and slowly made it towards the door. He placed his ears on the side.
"At least drop it for your brother." He heard Fugaku speak.
"As much as I care for him I can't. I'm already too far in."
XxX
Naruto walked quietly down to the worker's corridor. He wasn't going to put the plan in action yet for it was too early, but he just wanted to see what everyone was doing.
"Come on Pakkun, go into the cage." He heard Iruka's tired voice say. Naruto tilted his head to the side in confusion. Where was he taking Pakkun?
Naruto walked further down the hall and near Kakashi and Iruka's room. Iruka was by the entrance of the room, kneeling on the floor in attempts to shove the small dog in a travelling crate. "Pakkun get inside!"
"Let me do it Iruka." he heard Kakashi's voice from further into the room. Iruka just sighed and stood up, allowing the other to go and take his spot. "Let's go Pakkun." Pakkun wagged his tail and hopped inside.
Kakashi looked up at the other from the floor and smiled. Iruka rolled his eyes. "Whatever, you stupid dog whisperer, let's go before we disturb anyone."
"Where are you going?" Naruto asked from his spot in the hall.
Iruka jumped a bit and turned around to see Naruto standing there. "Naruto? Why are you up so early?" Iruka asked the small boy. He went to go face the other close up. Iruka's hair was let down and was wearing a plain white T-shirt with a part of black sweats.
Naruto shrugged. "I couldn't sleep anymore. Where are you taking Pakkun?" he asked again.
Kakashi stepped out of the room with the crate in his hand, sporting a similar look to Iruka's. "He has an appointment at the vets, but he'll be back later." There goes his plan.
"Oh, I see... When will he come back?" he asked hopefuly.
Iruka shuffled through his sweatpants pocket to grab a set of keys. "Well, really his appointment is at one, but we have to go to Suna to grab some papers at Gaara's house for your father then stop by a couple more places to do some errands.
Naruto gaped at them. "You're going to see Gaara?" Gaara was Naruto's cousin, who Naruto loved, yet only visited occasionally.
Iruka bent down and patted him lightly on his shoulders. "When we get there, I can go find him and try to convince him to come and visit. How does that sound?" Naruto's face turned into a big smile. Being able to see Gaara always made him happy.
"We'll be back later Naruto." Kakashi said, both adults beginning to head back to the stairs. "Possibly with a stranded Gai." Kakashi mumbled sadly under his breath.
Naruto was about to turn back to the stairs and leave until something clicked. "Wait Gai-sensei isn't back yet?"
Kakashi shook his head. "He stayed overnight at a close friend's house. Why?"
Naruto shrugged, "I don't know. Bye Iruka-sensei, bye Kakashi-sensei."
"Bye Naruto, go get some more sleep!" Iruka shouted, both going their separate ways.
XxX (later on in the day)
"Mom! Dad! I'm going out to go and walk Pakkun!" He announced, knowing they most likely could not hear him. Naruto went out to the backyard, ready to walk on the trail.
"Hey, where are you going Naruto?" He heard someone ask from behind. It was Asuma. "I thought Gai wasn't back yet and Pakkun was at the vets?"
Naruto paled and slowly turned around to shake his head, acting as normal as he could. "No, he just got back with Iruka and Kakashi-sensei and Pakkun's appointment was moved up, so they just dropped Pakkun off and left to go to Suna." He tried to explain.
Asuma nodded his head in understanding, believing the boy. "I see, then where is Gai and Pakkun?"
"They're on the trail waiting for me. I told them to go ahead and I'd catch up after getting my backpack. Bye! I'll see you later." Naruto ran towards the path as fast as he could to escape further questioning. He felt slightly bad for lying to Asuma, but he couldn't help it. He has been desperately trying to go to Konoha. It was only a few miles down, but he was never able to go, taunting his by being so close, unable to be reached.
Until today.
XxX
The trip down the trail seemed slightly longer than usual. Naruto fidgeted with the straps of his backpack. His guilt began to way down on him, followed by waves of worry. What if the path didn't lead to Konoha? What if he got lost and his mother and father thinks he had gotten kidnapped? What if Iruka and Kakashi actually do come back early?
A sound of shuffling came from a bush behind him, Naruto beginning to walk faster, "It's only a rabbit." he said to himself, tightening the grips he had on the backpack straps and going a little faster.
The noises seemed to grow louder. Naruto's eyebrows furrowed in worry and began to sprint. "It's not a rabbit. It is not a rabbit!" He ran as fast as he could down the trail to try and lose whatever animal it was behind him. Multiple times he stumbled on overgrown roots, but none making him fully fall to the ground.
He tried his best to stay on the path while running full speed. After a few minutes his legs began to ache, slowing down a bit until he was back to walking.
As he slowed down, be let out a small chuckle, laughs growing louder and louder as he went on. What was he even worried about? What other kind of animals would be in this forest besides rabbits? He slowed down to a normal walking pace.
A growl was heard from behind him, yet he chose to ignore. "It's only a rabbit." He said to himself again, more confidently this time around. The growl grew louder. He laughed and slowly turned around. "You don't scare me Mr. Rabbit." He looked down.
Rabbits don't growl.
"Ahh!" He screamed and began running again. Never in his life had he seen a fox before. All of its teeth were showing as it growled, orange fur sticking up as it chased him. When Naruto sped up, the fox copied, yipping furiously behind him.
Naruto turned slightly with the trail. The fox was catching up, but Naruto was almost at the end.
His yips grew louder as his feet went faster. The bush was in sight. "Hurry!" He yelled to himself. Naruto leaped into the overgrown bush and with all of his life, dove into the bush behind the bench, praying it was the one without thorns. Luckily his guess was correct, but as he slid back down, his leg had scraped across the stone pavement and into the dirt.
"Itai!" he flinched, landing hard inside of the bush, snapping sounds heard all around him. He crawled further in and on his scrape. When his hands felt the plank, Naruto pushed it down, quickly going over it then placing it back up.
He felt the fox on the other side trying to paw at the board, unsuccessful attempts at knocking it down. After a few minutes of holding the board up, the fox retreated, Naruto sighing in relief. Where did the fox come from? Naruto crawled out of the bush and winced at the stinging feeling on his leg.
When he was fully out, he sat back down on the trail to inspect his wound. "Ow," he said to himself. His shin got scraped up, one huge gash right under his knee with small cuts surrounding it. Pebbles were trying to make its way into the cuts.
Naruto brought his hand to his face and spat, rubbing his saliva over the cuts to clean it from the pebbles and dirt.
He took in a sharp intake of air as one of the pebbles came out of the gash and slowly stood up. At least the worst was over.
XxX
Sasuke sat down on the end of the dock, hoping somehow his brother would appear from nowhere. He sighed and took off his sandals, dipping his feet in the water.
The cold water met with his pale skin, splashing a bit as he lightly kicked. Another sigh was made when he leaned back on the deck, delta waves luring him to sleep.
XxX
Naruto's leg began to get used to the pain, aching less as he continued to walk. He could tell the trail would end soon from the way the trees slowly began to dissipate.
He was hurt and tired, but the excitement he felt outweighed the other two emotions. Just ahead of him was the exit to the trail. He didn't know where it led, but it was too late to stop now. Ten more yards and he'd reach the end.
Naruto couldn't help keep the smile off of his face. He was right. He had finally made it to Konoha.
XxX
Thanks for reading this chapter! Hopefully I start updating more frequently, but then again, I have terrible work ethic. Please follow, favorite and review. Tell me if you like this version better so far.
Bye!