So, did any of you watch the Curry of Life arc in the pre-Shippuden series?

In my opinion, those were close to the only fillers I actually enjoyed. It was mostly because of Lee and how hilarious he is when he's drunk (and if you ask me, he's way too underrated nowadays). But the point is, I decided to include Karashi and Sansho and Ranmaru in this chapter!

Call it a tribute, if you will.

But if you didn't watch that arc (I understand, fillers are just so ugh), the following people will probably just be random characters to you. But unlike those fillers, they're actually important to this story! Yay!

Anyway, enjoy!

P.S. I adore reviews.

Disclaimer: I'm posting this because I don't own Naruto/Naruto Shippuden. If I did, writing a fanfiction about my own show would be a little strange.

Chapter Two

I instinctively snapped my eyelids shut as the force from the explosion sent me flying into the wall. Pain from the impact rocketed through my skull, but I forced myself to ignore it and struggle to my feet. Bleary and disoriented, I coughed and attempted to rub the smoke out of my eyes.

Suddenly, a light so strikingly bright enveloped me from head to toe, followed by a feeling of mild warmth on my skin. My confusion only peaked, but after a few seconds, my eyes adjusted to my surroundings.

If I wasn't so exhausted and injured, the sight before me would have made me jump for joy.

Where the paper bomb had exploded, a huge chunk of the wall had been blown out, allowing sunlight from the outside world to spill into the corridor. Happiness immediately overwhelmed me, and one word flashed through my mind- freedom.

While I was still concentrating on regaining my balance, I finally looked at Ruga for the first time in what felt like ages... but I could barely make out the shape of his body because of the large amount of smoke hanging in the air.

Providing me with a window of opportunity, Ruga whirled on the blond rogue who taunted me earlier. I presumed from the leader's furious tone that the blond was most likely the one who had thrown the paper bomb.

"Why the hell did you do that, you idiot?!" Ruga bellowed. "You gave her a chance to escape!"

At that, the blond visibly flinched, holding out his hands in a defensive gesture. "Forgive me, leader," he meekly apologized. "I just thought-"

"Thought what?!"

Ruga's subordinate shrunk further his boss's sharp gaze. "I just thought that the paper bomb could've... you know... knocked her unconscious. And what if she really is knocked out?"

His words reminded me of the very little time I had before the rogues would start investigating the gaping hole. The resulting smoke from the explosion gave me enough cover for the moment, but it was rapidly dissipating into the outside air. It turned out that catching my breath did nothing to relieve me of the dizziness and my pounding head, so I cast that aside as much as I could and leaped through the hole.

Instead of stone, my feet collided with firm soil and luscious grass. Trees whizzed past me as I continued to run, and nostalgia hit me like a bucket of cold water. The air felt so pure and clean in my burning lungs, unlike the musty air within the rogues' hideout.

But the sunlight... The sunlight left the biggest impression.

To me, everything it illuminated glistened with beauty. Everything bathed in sunlight was so... vibrant. And it wasn't only the appearance that grabbed at me, but also the warmth. The heat on my body made me feel like I was alive again- it filled me with hope.

Just as I had expected, my pursuers quickly discovered of my absence and proceeded to trail me with an accuracy not far from that of a ninja hound. I didn't want to waste the nearly-emptied satchel I had obtained earlier, so I only I used my shuriken to fend off the many kunai aimed at me. Oddly enough, no more paper bombs were mixed in with the kunai. The only thing holding them back before was giving me a chance to escape, right? So why weren't they throwing paper bombs at me now? Man, these rogues were so weird...

As I fled, I could hear the sounds of their footsteps from behind gradually picking up in volume. I had reached my breaking point a long time ago- the only thing that kept me going was the sunlight. Of course, I had no idea where I was going, but I had a hunch that I would eventually come across a village that could provide me with cover. However, I was rapidly slowing down, and I felt like I was on the verge of fainting...

It didn't look like I was going to reach a village anytime soon, so I desperately racked my brain for the hand signs necessary to complete the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Reminding myself that I didn't have much time before the rogues caught me, I resolved to weave all of the hand signs I could remember in random combinations. One clone... One clone was all I needed...

Much to my relief, a clone poofed next to me after only a short amount of time. Through my ragged breathing, I ordered it to lead my enemies as far away as it could before it was defeated. Immediately after the clone disappeared from sight, I dove into the nearest bush and awaited the persistent shinobi.

A jolt of fear ran through my body when I caught sight of them even though they didn't notice me in my hiding spot. Ruga scowled and whipped his head back and forth in an attempt to discern where I had run off to. "Where did she go?!" he growled. "We will not lose her!"

Suddenly, one of Ruga's comrades gasped and pointed in the same direction my clone was headed. "I see her, boss! Over there! Quickly!"

Good... They bought it. In a heartbeat, all of the shinobi leaped onto the tree branches and continued in their fervent pursuit. Just to be safe, I waited a few minutes before I emerged from the bush and continued to stagger forward.

Soon, the forest abruptly ended and gave way to a wide, dirt road, leading to who-knew-where. But it had to lead to somewhere, right? Taking the road was really the only reasonable option at the moment, so I stumbled along the edge of the forest, my dizziness increasing with every step. My pounding head only amplified the pain of my wound from the explosion, and although I wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and pass out, I forced myself to stick to my journey.

Elation filled my entire being when a small, red house entered my line of vision. It appeared to be only fifty feet away- or was it a hundred? At this point, I couldn't tell anymore... I couldn't even keep myself going in a straight line. Summoning more energy I didn't even know I had, I focused all of my attention on making my way towards the house. Barely conscious, the only thing I could hear was the sound of blood pounding through my skull. When the house made up the majority of my blurry field of vision, the world suddenly twisted, and I found myself sprawled out across the ground. My entire body felt like it was made of lead, so when I tried to pick up my limbs once more, they wouldn't budge a single inch. Suddenly, but slowly, darkness started closing in, and the last thing I could remember before the blanket of darkness shrouded me was a movement by the entrance of the house.

Was I... dead?

No... Gradually, I could sense the feeling returning to my aching body. Eventually, I became aware of the fact that I was lying down on... something. It felt like a bed, but it was too comfortable to be the bed I was so familiar with. Suddenly, all the events prior to this moment tumbled into my mind, and restlessness started to grow within me. Where was I, and why was I here? More importantly, who brought me here? Were their intentions good, or bad?

My eyelids felt like heavy weights as I slowly opened my eyes. Almost immediately, I focused on a pair of blue ones staring intently back at me.

Merely a foot away, a guy who looked about my age knelt in front of the bed I was currently using, gripping a damp washcloth in his hands. Bangs of light brown hair framed his face, and the rest was drawn up into a long ponytail. Presuming from his innocent expression, I didn't deem him to be a threat... yet. It never hurt anyone to keep up their guard.

After a few seconds of regarding me, the guy's low voice pierced the silence. "Are you... alright?"

"Who are you?" I questioned. It didn't matter where I was if I was back in captivity.

The young man didn't show any signs of hurt or offense. "Just call me Karashi," he replied. "My mother and I found you unconscious out front, so we took you in. She was pretty worried about you."

I was pretty sure that I had never laid my eyes on this guy in my life until now. "You don't know me," I pointed out. "Why are you helping me?"

Karashi's blue eyes widened with confusion. "Do I need a reason to? We couldn't just leave you out there... You looked like you were on the verge of dying."

Because of the many horrid ordeals associated with my past, it was nearly impossible for me to accept that people were capable of helping others without some ulterior motive- but I could only see innocence as I examined the boy.

My confusion only grew when Karashi gently laid the damp washcloth on my forehead. If he didn't want anything from me, then why was he doing this?

I couldn't form any words to express my feelings of puzzlement, but Karashi didn't seem to expect any words from me. "You probably shouldn't get up today," he advised. "That's a pretty serious head wound you've got there. What in the world happened to you?"

His question drew my attention to my skull, and I became acutely aware of a throbbing pain centered on the left side of my head... where I had slammed into the wall from the explosion. "It was from a paper bomb," I murmured, flinching at the memory.

Karashi blinked as he processed my words. "Why were... people throwing paper bombs at you?"

Okay. The first time he had pried at my messed-up past, it was tolerable. But I wasn't about to readily share my life story with someone I didn't know for more than five minutes. How was I supposed to know if I could trust him?

"I don't really want to talk about it," I mumbled, casting my gaze to the ceiling. Why was this guy so curious, anyway?

"Alright, if you say so," said Karashi. I still couldn't wrap my head around how he was being so selfless, helping a stranger without wanting any form of payment in return. I had never been exposed to this aspect of the human nature... In fact, up until now, I would have sworn that people were incapable of putting aside their own desires in order to be generous to another.

Suddenly, a shrill voice interrupted my whirling thoughts. Although it was muffled, I could deduce that it belonged to an elderly lady. "Karaaashiiiiiii!" she called. "The curry's ready!"

Whipping his head towards the door, Karashi shouted, "Coming!" When he turned towards me once more, he wore a look of concern, and my stomach twisted with a feeling I couldn't identify. "I'll be right back," he promised. "Like I said before, you probably shouldn't leave the bed. My mother's curry will heal your injuries in no time."

Huh? Curry could heal injuries? I would only believe it if I witnessed it for myself. "...Sure," I replied. As my confusion heightened, my eyes followed the mysterious boy until he disappeared through the doorway.

After relishing in the silence for a few seconds, I slowly rose into a sitting position, trying to endure the resulting wave of dizziness that swept over me. When I looked down at my body, I quickly noticed that I wasn't clothed in my usual garb- someone had dressed me in a clean, simple tank top and shorts. All of this felt like a dream...

A moment later, Karashi returned with a plate of curry in his hands. His face reflected surprise when he regarded me already halfway off the bed, my legs dangling off the edge.

"Don't you know how badly you're injured?" he reminded me. "How can you even stay upright in your condition?"

"It's not that bad," I brushed him off. "I'm still alive. And besides, I can't stay here for very long... I'm probably being tracked down as we speak."

I knew I wasn't mistaken when I caught a flash of fear in Karashi's eyes, even when it vanished with the next second. A look of confidence replaced that fear, although there was something a little off about it.

"Don't worry about that," said Karashi. "If you really are being tracked down, I'll have no problem taking them out if they ever reach this place."

Inquisitively, I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" Judging from his simple attire, I didn't deem him to be a shinobi.

Karashi nodded enthusiastically. "Heh, of course! I was once a part of the Kurosuki clan, you know."

His bragging tone suggested that this Kurosuki clan was prestigious, but I had never heard of it in my life. But then again... I was cut off from the outside world for quite a while...

"Kurosuki clan?" I repeated.

Karashi seemed eager to explain at my ignorance. "Yeah. I'm not a part of it anymore, but when I was, we had full control over Katabami Kinzan, the village at the base of this mountain. Nobody could defy us."

That next unfamiliar name floated past my head like a cloud on a windy day. It probably wouldn't have helped if I kept on throwing out questions about villages foreign to me, so I resolved to think more generally. "Ahh. So, exactly what land am I in?"

Although the topic was straying from his clan, I could still detect traces of pride in Karashi's voice. "Kawa no Kuni, The Land of Rivers," he answered.

My eyes widened ever so slightly. The Land of Rivers? I could recall that I was somewhere in the Land of Earth, near my home village, when Ruga and his subordinates successfully captured me. To bring me all the way here, to a land bordering a completely different body of water... It was an incredible feat.

Trying to hide my surprise, I acknowledged his response with a nod. I knew that I wasn't far from the rogue ninja's hideout, so it would probably be for the best if I tried to put as much distance between me and them as possible. After devising a quick plan in my head, I decided that after recuperating for a while, I would flee the Land of Rivers- and hopefully for good.

Walking over to me, Karashi gently set the plate of curry in my lap. "Anyway, here... Eat this."

Warily, I peered down at the mound of black mush in front of me. I did admit that the aroma was appetizing, but I had a hunch that my weak stomach wouldn't be able to handle this amount of spice after three years of bland bread. I mean, I could barely hold onto my feast yesterday... Wait. Was that yesterday?

"How long was I out?" I blurted, my eyes flicking to him once more.

Karashi blinked, processing my sudden question. "All of yesterday and half of today," he replied.

Inwardly, I sighed with relief. So it was yesterday, then. I could have been unconscious for a lot longer, and that would have given Ruga more time to track me down. Even though I was fairly certain that he was still in pursuit of me, he didn't have much time to proceed very far. Yet.

Slowly, my eyes returned to the curry in my lap. Noticing my hesitation, Karashi gestured to the curry once more. "Don't worry... It'll make you feel better. Sansho made it really mild."

After much urging on his part, I finally consumed a portion of the curry. Of course, it tasted heavenly, and I did begin to feel invigorated, but I refused to eat more than half the plate- just as I had expected, my stomach wasn't handling it well. Karashi didn't seem to take the hint, however.

"You have to eat," he persisted. "How will you ever if you don't?"

By this point, this guy was really starting to tick me off. "Are you always this stubborn? I did eat- look at the plate!" I involuntarily leaned towards him as I raised my voice, earning a flinch from his part.

"What?" I questioned. Was I actually... intimidating? Although I guess I could consider myself to be a shinobi, I was a lousy one, at that. And then there was the fact that I was in a horrible condition. He had no reason to fear me, really.

"Nothing," said Karashi, averting his eyes to the side. My stare was probably on the verge of being considered rude, but that was the least of my worries at the moment. For someone who claimed that he was capable of easily defeating rogue ninja, he seemed to be easily frightened. What was up with that?

After a rather lengthy moment of silence, Karashi picked up the plate of curry once more with a sheepish smile. "Anyway... since you're, um, full, I guess I'll take this back to Sansho."

Was Sansho the elderly lady I heard earlier? And was it just my imagination, or was Karashi suddenly being all timid because of me? It didn't make sense...

Muttering a curt a thank-you, I watched him stride out of the room before a stronger wave of pain and dizziness hit me. Flinching and bringing up the washcloth to my head, I lowered myself back onto the bed and tried desperately to relax. Although my mind kept on drifting to Ruga and his followers, eventually, I somehow convinced myself that worrying wouldn't do me any good. If they discovered my location, there was nothing I could do about it; my wounds rendered me incapable of fighting back. So, the least I could do was hope to recover quickly and relish in the world of freedom while I still had the chance.