On the road from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rice Fields was a slow-moving, horse-drawn wagon caravan full of chests, boxes, and other containers. Megumin and Naruto sat at the back edge of the wooden carriage as it rolled along the dirt road paved between the ascended rice fields. Lush green grass and water sat upon each other on the horizon, with only trees and fog past the horizon point.

Though they were on a training trip with Jiraiya, they were given a mission to protect the trader from bandits. No longer was Megumin's arm in a cast, able to move her fingers in front of the rising sun. Never will she take her hands for granted.

Naruto yawned and laid back. "This is some mission! Jiraiya is probably already in the Coast City getting wasted and we're stuck doing this!"

"It's C-Ranked, what did you expect?" Megumin side-eyed him. "Don't you remember how boring our mission to the Land of Waves was going to be if it was just to protect Tazuna from bandits?"

"Of course, I remember but that turned out to be A-Rank and we completed it."

"Only because Kakashi was there to do all the work. Not to mention how Gato betrayed Zabuza and ended up getting himself killed."

His nose twitched. "...Well, I took care of Haku."

Megumin sighed as she thought back to the mission. "I miss Sasuke."

Naruto sat back up. "Jiraiya said the Sound Village isn't a real village at all. It's a network of secret laboratories underground. He could be anywhere."

"You're not going to give up, right?"

"No way!" He crossed his arms and looked down between his feet. "After all, we never got the chance to go all out in a fight."

Megumin rubbed her staff. "Speaking of… going all out."

Naruto snatched her staff out of her hands. "You just did it last night!"

"But Naruto, it's like an itch! I can't control it! No one can control explosion magic!"

"Your addiction is worse than Lady Tsunade's knack for losing at gambling." Naruto slapped his face as he made an irritated groan. "I can't believe she's the new Hokage!"

"Better than Jiraiya."

"How those two were the best options is beyond me!"

"They're both Sannin, Naruto."

"Sannin, flawnin!" The carriage rocked as it passed over a hole and almost threw them both off. "Hey, watch where you're going, Otto!" Naruto yelled out.

"It was such a quiet morning before you started yelling," Megumin said.

"Says the one who wants to blow another crater in the world!"

"Stop yelling. Honestly, why are you always so loud?"

Naruto stood up on the moving wagon. "Hey, hold on. Is the fog getting thicker?"

"This country is a giant valley. The fog is going to be pretty bad."

"Hey, leaf ninja!" The trading merchant yelled out.

They both hopped off the wagon and ran around to the front. Ahead of them was a huge grass field with blades as tall as them.

"Was this grass always there?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto." Megumin sheathed her staff onto her strap and pulled out a kunai. "What if there's a snake in the grass?"

Naruto conjured a few shadow clones, each with their own kunai. While one clone watched behind them, all the others sliced a trail through the grass, wide enough for no sudden surprises from the sides.

The tall grass went on for miles and miles, enough that Naruto slouched down to catch his breath. Behind him, the clones dispersed.

"How long does this stupid grass field go on?!" He asked.

"Shall I make it a barren wasteland, the Land of Barren… Wastelands?"

"No! We went all night without being attacked! We're just being cautious for no reason! It's just some tall grass!"

Behind them, the sliced grass on the ground morphed into humanoids. Otto pulled on the ropes to make the horses halt. "Leaf ninja!" Otto yelled out.

It was too late. They pinned Megumin and Naruto to the ground and teased their necks with kunai.

"No one needs to get hurt… you all just need to turn back and leave the carriage," one of the grass clones said.

The trading merchant raised his arms in surrender. "Wait, please! I need to trade my goods in the town up North by the coast! I have a family!"

"Then go back to them, prospector. If you know what's best for you, then just walk away."

"Shut up!" Naruto said, unable to talk due to his face being pushed to the ground. "Who are you, anyway?!"

"How are you going to tell him to shut up and then ask him a question?" Megumin asked, also eating dirt. "You're so annoying."

Out of the tall grass stepped out a boy. On his metal kasa was a Kusagakure symbol. "I'm a ninja, just like you two. What else do you need to know?"

"Just where you were," Megumin said.

Both Megumin and Naruto's bodies emitted an orange, warm glow before they burst into an explosion. As the grass ninja held his arms in front of his body to protect himself, the real Naruto dashed out from the grass and grappled the ninja to the ground.

"Why did your clones explode? Where's the girl?"

Meguin walked out of the grass. "If I channel my explosion chakra into his shadow clones, they explode when they disperse."

"I see… like a combination jutsu. You leaf ninja, always something else."

"Why are you all the way out here?" Megumin asked. "Kusagakure is a few countries away."

"The Fire Country is known for their amass of trees, and like trees, I know you two will be patient… but grass, grass is persistent."

"Huh?! You're not making any sense," Naruto said.

The ninja began to sink into the puddles of sliced grass. Naruto tried to pull him back but all Naruto could do was pull weeds out of the ground. "Where are you going?! Get your grass back here!"

"He was saying he'll be back even though we'll be on guard, Naruto," Megumin said. The grass around them wilted and fell flat. "We better hurry."

The horse-drawn wagon began to move at a more rapid pace, but that didn't stop Naruto from slapping the wagon. "Hey, what was your name again?! Otto?! Why would a ninja attack you?!" He crossed his arms. "This is feeling oddly familiar to another mission we had where the client lied to us because he didn't have enough money! Huh?! What about it?!"

"I honestly have no idea! I have enough money for another two ranks! Want me to increase your pay now? Because I would right away, just please keep protecting me!"

"...That's not necessary. I just don't like being lied to, but if there's anything we should know, it would make the mission a lot easier. Like, what sort of goods do you even have?" Naruto asked as he was about to open up one of the chests, however-

"Don't touch that!" Otto snapped.

An awkward silence fell between Naruto and Otto. After a stern look, Otto made a nervous smile. "I… keep my diary in that one, but it's impolite to look through what I may be trading."

There weren't many villages in the Land of Rice Paddies. For the most part, the population of the country was mostly rice farmers. Everyone in the world ate rice so their crop were always being bought. Most of the farms were huge and furnished, with few exceptions of wooden sheds.

As the sun lowered itself over the horizon, they reached Otto's destination. A town of fishermen, sailors, and farmers that all worked together near the Northern coast. It was away from the ninjas' villages and their conflict, a different and maybe even more simple way of life. Once they were well within the city, they began their departure.

"I hope you two have a safe journey back," Otto said. "Will you two be staying at one of the hotels here?"

Megumin and Naruto looked at each other. "We were up all night and day," she said. "And we have no idea where Jiraiya is."

"Well, I hope you two have a safe travel," Otto said.

After they ate cheap, instant ramen bought from the general goods store, they took turns using the shower. She stepped out of the bathroom wearing a white shirt and badly towel-dried hair. Meanwhile, Naruto lounged as he stared up at the ceiling.

"I wonder where Jiraiya is," Megumin said. However, Naruto kept his stare to the ceiling. "Naruto?"

He took a deep breath into his nose and pushed it back out.

"Sorry… just got a lot on my mind. He wants me to master my control over the Nine-Tails chakra?" He sat up. "Remember that time I fought Haku?"

She nodded. "I do, yeah."

"...I thought Haku had killed Sasuke. It was the first time I felt so… angry. Then the Nine-Tails chakra leaked out, it came out and gave me some extraordinary, scary, but uncontrollable power."

"Even then, you cared about Sasuke."

"Yeah… guess I did."

With a slight warmth to her cheeks, she sat close to him. She gripped the bottom of her shirt and gazed at him. When he gazed back, they both averted their eyes from each other.

"So… " She started.

"So…?"

"...Wanna do it?"

Naruto's face went blank, with a hint of confusion and fear. "What?"

"It's been a while since I've had a… release."

He rolled his eyes and held his hands up. "Why do you have to say it like that?! Talk like a normal person!"

She grabbed his wrist and got closer to him. "I'll be gentle. Promise."

"Stop!"

"Please? I need it!"

He cringed and looked at the ceiling. "Oh, brother!"

"It's before bed when it's best to do it! Come on, Naruto, please?!"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine…"

She smiled wide as she jotted toward the door, though she rotated to look up at him.

"Naruto… why do you want to become Hokage?"

"That's a dumb question."

"Is it?" She grabbed the wrist of his sleeve. "I want to know the reason why the boy who saved me from Gaara wants to be the leader of a whole village."

He scratched his cheek. "I guess because I want people to acknowledge me."

"And why do you want their acknowledgment?"

"What's with these questions?"

"We've been friends for a year… yet, I never asked you why you wanted to be Hokage."

"It really doesn't-"

"I want to hear what you say right now and remember it the day you become the Hokage."

Naruto gazed at her, unable to say anything at all.

"Naruto?" Megumin stepped closer and gazed up at him.

"I just-" He rubbed his neck, unable to look her in the eyes. "I was always alone, and nobody ever wanted anything to do with me. Parents wouldn't let their kids play with me, and it felt like they despised that I even existed."

"It wasn't because of you, though. You know why they treated you like that."

He agreed with a defeated, low tone. "Yeah… I know why. It was a real shocker when I found out, but…" He touched his abdomen and smiled. "I'm the one holding it in, ya know?"

She smirked. "You're not the only one holding in a demon."

"What? What are you talking about?"

She nodded and grinned. "It's inside," she pointed at her stomach.

"The Crimson Demon." She held her arm in front of her left eye. "It attacked the tribe of the Crimson Mages in the Crimson Magic Village! It came out of nowhere in the middle of a, uh, a blood moon! Unable to defeat it, they knew me and only I could withhold its power and use it to cause chaotic destruction upon the lands!"

With a smug grin, she closed her eyes and looked away. "Too bad they didn't seal my power away."

His nose twitched before he slapped her noggin. "Are you making fun of me?! I'm not believing that load of crap!"

She whined and rubbed her head. "It sounded like a cool backstory!"

"Dumbass! Too bad they didn't seal your stupidity!"

"You're so mean," she said.

They both gave each other a stern look, though she caved to their staring contest and yawned, stretched, and opened the door for them to leave. "Well, are we going?"

"Oh! Yeah!"

They walked along the Coast, far enough away from the town to not disturb anyone. The sun had just sat over the horizon, leaving only an orange shimmer in its trail.

"This is going to be the biggest one yet!"

"I sure hope so," Naruto said.

"Here? Is here good?!"

He shrugged. With her staff, she began a chant.

"Come forth from the void, come forth from the darkness. I call upon you to do thine bidding, come forth before me and ignite this dark ocean! Ex-"

"Leaf ninja! Leaf ninja!" Someone yelled out as they ran up to them. It was Otto, with sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Otto? What's wrong?" Naruto asked.

"That ninja that attacked us this morning, he came back and took all the money I made!" Otto collapsed to his knees in despair. "I'm ruined! If I don't get that money back, I-I don't know what I'm going to do!"

"Which way did he go?" Naruto asked.

Otto led them to a structure, almost like a small chapel that led underground. On both sides of the opened entrance were snake symbols.

"Down here?" Megumin asked with a sad groan. "I don't do well in small corridors."

Naruto folded his arms. "I bet there's all sorts of booby traps set up in there."

"Please! I made a fortune. If you get the money back, I'll share my profit with the both of you!"

Naruto sighed. "Alright already! We'll see what we can do."

"Oh, thank you! I'll be out here! Hiding, in case he comes out before you two."

Naruto and Megumin nodded to each other as they stepped down into a long narrow hallway dimly lit by small candles. Halfway through, Megumin stepped on a pressure plate. Spears on both sides of the wall struck at them, and only thanks to some quick dodging were they saved from any punctures.

"What did I say!? Booby-trapped!" Naruto yelled as he snapped the spears..

The hallway transitioned to a swirling stairwell, held up by wooden beams and waved candles. At the bottom of the stairwell was a square room, each side with its own pathway into more hallways. The walls were made of dark blue, stone bricks which went on forever no matter which way they went.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Megumin said. "My jutsu is no good down here, either. If I used any explosions, the ceiling might cave in on us."

"Oh, I know! I'll use my shadow clones to scout ahead!"

He summoned three clones, who all saluted him before they each sprinted down their own hallway. However, clones never came back.

"Think a trap got them?" Megumin asked.

Naruto rubbed his chin. "They're still out there. Maybe they all got stuck in a trap or something."

"Let's go check it out."

They watched their steps for any more stone bricks that might trigger a trap. Never know when an arrow will shoot at them or the floor will open up into a spike death trap. Though, the trap might just be an endless hallway.

"Just how long does this place go on for?!" Naruto yelled. He slapped and rubbed his face. "This sucks! Let's just turn back and forget it! I'll just give Otto some of my own money!"

Megumin rolled her eyes as they both rotated but the way they came from was a dead end made of stone bricks.

"What the?!" Naruto yelled out.

"It must be a jutsu… genjutsu?" Megumin walked up and touched the dead end. "Shall we see?" She asked as she teased her staff.

"Fat chance!" Naruto yelled. "The last thing we need is to be buried under rubble!"

"Well, let's get a move on, then," Megumin said. "Standing here won't solve anything."

"Fine. I'm going to make more clones, though, just in case."

He sent forth a dozen clones, all destined to take other paths in their short lives.

"What if we don't ever get out of here," Megumin asked. "What if… we turn into molemen?"

"What the heck are you talking about?! Molemen?" Naruto shrugged. "I'll find a way out of here, no problem!"

Megumin rolled her eyes before they continued to walk in silence, but then Naruto's foot triggered a pressure plate hidden as a stone brick. In a quick reaction, she pushed Naruto to the wall so that poison darts would pass them.

After she pushed herself away from him, she took a deep breath. "Another booby trap. What's next, a giant boulder? Where did those darts even come from?" As they both looked back, they realized they were suddenly at a dead end.

"That wall wasn't there just a moment ago," Naruto said.

"...Let's just go."

"Hey, wait, one of my clones was just killed, from behind."

"Was it a trap? Wait, how do you know that?"

He rubbed his forehead. "I'm not exactly sure."

Megumin gave a curious look. "Do you gain the memories of your clones?"

He made an irritated groan. "How did I never notice that?!"

"Yeah, how did you never notice?! You've made millions of clones! Probably because you've always used them to fight, so all those memories are similar and blended together." She rubbed her chin. "So, if the hallways are changing, how do we use your clones to get out of here?"

As they walked, Megumin eyed each candle, each hallway as similar as the other, every corner leading into the next set of intersections. "It's not like your clones can remember each corner, they're all alike."

"Hallways, hallways, hallways!" Naruto rubbed both sides of his head. "I'm going to go crazy, and I doubt that grass ninja will ever escape here anyway!" After his outburst, he made clone after clone, scouring every inch of the labyrinth.

"Think that's going to help?"

"Gotta do something!" Naruto planted his butt on the floor. "So what if the hallways change? If I have a clone in each hallway, I'll find a way out!"

"Unless the way out is blocked off."

"Hey! This way! It's this way!" A clone said, waving them down.

"Woo! Let's go!" Naruto said with a fist bump in the air before he made a full-on sprint. Megumin followed him, not far behind, each corner having a clone waving them the direction to go. Ahead of them, the stairwell that led out and one last hallway with stairs going up, and in between, Otto waiting for them in the hallway.

"You two? How did you two get out?"

"Thanks to all my clones, I led myself out," Naruto said with a confident smile.

Megumin saw the coin purse on Otto's belt. When he noticed Megumin's gaze on it, he used his jacket to hide it. "Wait, you didn't think we would come back out?" Megumin asked.

Otto made a disgusted expression. "I, well, it's a labyrinth…"

"You knew that, and didn't say anything?" Naruto asked before he grunted and looked at the stairwell. His clones were getting sliced up, one by one by the sword of the grass ninja. He took out a kunai. "Megumin, he's about to come out."

The grass ninja appeared out from the dark stairwell. "If you hadn't made all those clones, I would have been stuck down there and starved, likely what the trader had planned."

"What do you mean he planned that?" Naruto asked.

Megumin eyed the trader. "He didn't actually steal your money, huh, Otto?"

"You three weren't supposed to escape." Otto bit his fingernails. "Oh no, this is bad."

The grass ninja b-lined past Megumin and Naruto, grabbed Otto's shirt, and pushed him against the wall. "Tell me where she is."

Otto made a soft smile. "She? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"My sister, you sold her to someone. Tell me where she is."

"Whoa, what?" Naruto interrupted. "He sold a person? That was what was in the carriage?"

"He was paid to transport her, and now he will tell me who paid him," the ninja said as he stabbed Otto with his sword, making him scream.

"I don't know anything! I promise! They didn't tell me their names or anything! Please!"

"I didn't hit anything vital, but-" The ninja pushed his sword in more. "It won't matter if you lose enough blood. Tell me what they looked like."

"They, they had masks on. In Sunagakure, one of them had paid me to take a sealed chest, unlike anything I had ever seen, and then they paid me to get rid of you three by leading you down here! That's all I know!"

Naruto put his hand on the grass ninja's shoulder. "Did you hear that? He doesn't know anything. I don't think he would lie while being stabbed…"

The grass ninja stared a death glare at Naruto before he closed his eyes, sighed, and pulled his sword out. Otto slid down the wall and sat, holding his wound.

"Otto, they didn't have a headband or anything?" Naruto asked.

Otto winced. "Nothing like that, no. I don't even know if they were ninjas. This labyrinth was already here, they only told me about it so I could use it to lead you here."

Megumin tugged on Naruto's sleeve. "So what do we do with him?"

Otto raised his hand. "I… I plan on turning myself into Kusagakure. Those people may come back for me, after all…"

"...I see," the grass ninja said. "And once they do, I will be waiting."

Naruto looked at Megumin and shrugged. "That seems like the best resolution to me."

After treating Otto's stab wound, the grass ninja bound his wrist to be brought back to his village. The four of them stood within the woods as the sun began to rise, shining beams of light between the trees. Although they haven't slept all night, they felt refreshed after they sucked in fresh air.

"Morning already?! Wish we could join you but our sensei is somewhere in the city," Naruto said.

"I will be patient until we meet again, hopefully working together," the grass ninja said as he offered them his hand to shake. "Naruto, Megumin… remember my name as Hachu."

Megumin smiled as she tugged on Naruto's wrist and pointed at the entrance to the labyrinth. With a short stare, he grinned and nodded. "Okay, fine, go ahead."

"Yes!" Her hand formed into a fist as she aimed her staff at the entrance.

"Uh, what is she doing?" Otto asked.

The woods seeped with fog as black, red, and purple lights twirled around her staff, conjuring into a huge ball. As the colors spun around, glittering sparkles flew off.

"Oh, darker than dark, blacker than black, I call forth your enchanting power, come forth, EXPLOSION!"

What was once a labyrinth was now a crater, laid waste by the explosion spell. Otto gaped his mouth while the masked Hachu stared with widened eyes.

"I guess I shouldn't get on the Leaf Ninja's bad side," Hachu said but gave a confused look as Megumin collapsed to the floor. "I'm… not at all sure what is going on."

Naruto patted Megumin's back. "We've known each other for over a year and I still don't know."

With a tired look, Megumin held her head up to look at Hachu. "You get used to it."

Naruto snorted. "I wouldn't say that."

"Until next time, Naruto, Megumin," Hachu said, disappearing with the tied-up Otto between the crowded trees.

On the way back to the hotel, as she piggybacked on Naruto, Megumin rested her head against his back. Like a small drum, his heartbeated into her ear. She smiled softly.

"I don't think I will ever get tired of this."

I want a beta reader. I know the story I want to write but I currently don't have the passion to write it as flavorful and descriptive as it deserves. PM me if interested.