Sakura peered over his shoulder, reading the note in his hands. It read: 'To team 7. If any of you are reading this, I have left the village. Dear Sakura, you are the prettiest girl in the world, but I know you don't feel the same. You've become dependable, and I know you'll continue to be the glue that holds everyone together, even when things get tough. Sasuke, I know we've been through a lot, and I know you're still figuring yourself out, but I'm sure you'll defeat Itachi one day. You're more talented than me, and I've always hated to admit it during our time together as rivals. Kakashi, you've been like a father to me. You've shown me the true meaning of being a shinobi. There are so many lessons I learned from you that I'll carry with me to the grave. I don't know where I'll be when any of you read this, but I want you to know I'll never forget the time we spent together. I'm not leaving because I don't care. I'm leaving because I have to. Love you all. -Naruto Uzumaki'
Sakura was the first to speak, her voice trembling. "He's really gone, isn't he?"
Sasuke didn't answer at first. He just stared at the paper, feeling a tightness in his chest. The words were clear, but the reality of it still didn't feel real. Naruto was gone, and they didn't even have the chance to say goodbye properly. "Naruto, have you lost your mind!?" He screamed, crushing the paper in his grip as his shock turned to anger. The thought that Naruto—who had always been so passionate about protecting the village and his friends—would leave it all behind voluntarily made no sense.
Kakashi: "Calm down," He spoke softly, stepping forward as his gaze narrowed, taking the note from Sasuke and reading it himself. His usual nonchalant demeanour faltered for a brief moment, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "You two stay here and don't do anything rash, I'm going to report this back to Hiruzen." Kakashi exhaled slowly, leaving the room without another word.
Sakura glanced at Sasuke, her voice flat, not believing her own words as she began to speak. "Do you think he's really gone? This could be some kind of joke—" The coal-haired boy snapped, turning around. "Does this look like a joke?" He remarked, clutching the sides of his head, his words tinted with frustration and betrayal. Sakura's eyes widened in shock at his outburst. She had never seen him so visibly affected by anything involving Naruto before. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, lips curling into a straight line. He had clenched his fists hard enough that his knuckles turned a ghostly white.
Sakura stepped back, a lump forming in her throat as she realized how deeply Naruto's disappearance was affecting Sasuke. Despite his usual unbothered attitude, it was painfully clear that the bond between the two of them ran deeper than she thought. Sasuke's eyes flashed, his emotions bubbling like a volcano just beneath the surface. He stepped forward, his chest rising and falling with the force of his breath. "Naruto doesn't think. That's the problem!" he growled, slamming the side of his fist into a wall. Sakura placed a gentle hand on Sasuke's shoulder, her voice soft but firm. "Sasuke... stop. Kakashi sensei told us not to do anything rash, remember?" Sasuke flinched at her touch, his expression softening for just a moment before the hardness quickly returned. He took a deep breath and turned away, staring at the ground.
Sasuke: "I know," he muttered inaudibly. "...Why would he leave like this? He's not that type of person, what's gotten into him?" Sakura cried into Sasuke's arms, the boy unmoving as disbelief was still plaguing his face.
Meanwhile...
The forest around him was dense, the trees towering high and blocking out much of the morning light. He hadn't slept. He could hear the rustling of leaves in the breeze, the chirping of distant animals, but it all felt so... empty. Too quiet. Far too quiet. Naruto stopped in his tracks, his breath shaky as he looked back over his shoulder, believing the direction he stared to be toward the village he had called home for so long. His heart twinged in pain as he thought of everyone. Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi. The constant torment of the village had clouded his judgement as he greatly regretted his decision. What had he been thinking?
"I can't go back now," he muttered to himself, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. But, the words felt hollow. A desperate attempt to convince himself he had done the right thing. Although, the only jutsu he knew were the stupid thousand shadow clones, and the sexy jutsu. 'Talk about useless.' He scoffed, wishing he had taken some educational books before leaving. He resumed walking, his feet dragging slightly with each step. The path through the forest was unfamiliar, and the further he walked, the more his surroundings seemed to close in on him like a snake coiling around it's prey. His hunger pangs only became more frequent as his only wish right now was a steaming bowl of ramen.
When he left—it felt like the only option—the only thing that would give him space to think, to figure out what was next in his life. But now—with nothing but the thick trees surrounding him—he came to the conclusion that he had no idea what he was doing. He hadn't thought about how to survive out here. How to make sure he ate, found shelter. Everything was much simpler when he made the decision. Just leave, get away from it all. But now, with his stomach growling loudly in protest, the harsh reality set in. He heard a quiet rustling...
Naruto: "AH!" He shrieked, spinning around to be met with nothingness. Just more foliage. He felt disorientated, even if he wanted to head back to the village now he was completely lost. His mind raced through everything he had learned during his training, trying to recall the basics of survival that Kakashi and others had taught him. He hadn't thought to pack anything, assuming he could handle it as he went. "What did Kakashi say, what did Kakashi say-" He repeated to himself, desperately trying to recall the white-haired man's teachings. That's it! "Naruto, if you're ever lost and don't know where to find food—get lost on the road of life." 'Huh?' What was that about getting lost on the road of life? Oh yeah, Kakashi always used that as an excuse for being late. That definitely wasn't the memory.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid..." he muttered to himself, hammering his forehead with his palm. It wasn't long before he found himself glaring at the sky, wishing for his old life back, and with it, the comforting thought of a bowl of steaming Ichiraku ramen. He began licking his lips daydreaming before falling back to reality. "Guess I'll just have to eat... uhh... leaves or something," Naruto said glumly, "and pretend they're ramen." He picked his nose, realising how much he missed his old life.
Naruto kept talking to himself, finding solace in the voice of his own words as he slowly began kicking a rock with all the energy he could muster. The rock bounced off a nearby tree and rolled harmlessly away into the forest. Everywhere he went for the past presumably 8 hours were leaves. 'Leaves leaves leaves.' He thought. "Leaves leaves leaves!" He yelled, picking up a rock and hurling it into a bush. "I want to leaves!" He paused. "Shit! I meant leave! This stupid forest is driving me crazy. Oh... that's why they called it the forest hidden in the leaves." He straightened his back dramatically, looking around with a newfound confidence. "Alright, Naruto! Time to show the world just how resourceful you can be!" He stared at the forest, squinting as if asking it to give him a hint.
After a few moments of contemplation, he finally remembered what sounded like a real teaching. "You can eat things, but only if you're sure they're safe." His eyes locked on to a nearby berry, as he plopped a few in his mouth. 'Tastes like shit.' He remarked, swallowing the berries without a second thought. 'These are totally safe... probably.' Suddenly, a butterfly flew past. 'I'm gonna catch it.' Without hesitation, Naruto crouched down low, staring intently at the butterfly. His body went rigid in a ninja sneak attack pose. His movements were slow and deliberate, his eyes piercing the delicate creature. He shuffled forward one step at a time, sweat dripping down his brow as he crept closer to the butterfly, inch by inch like a true Hokage.
But in his intense focus, he forgot one crucial thing: he wasn't actually good at being stealthy. With a sudden whooosh of movement, Naruto lunged forward, and CRASH! he slammed straight into a bush, sending it sprawling in all directions. The butterfly naturally flew away in the chaos. As Naruto lay there, face-first in the dirt, he wanted to go home. But rather than giving up, Naruto pushed himself up, the strength of a thousand suns beneath his feet. Covered in leaves and twigs, he shouted to no one in particular.
Naruto: "Fine! If I can't catch butterflies, I'll become a butterfly!" He instantly spun around, flapping his arms, as if trying to mimic the delicate movements of the insect. He ended up returning with a face full of dirt and defeat as a crunching sound entered his ears. Naruto froze. He eyed a giant mushroom he fell onto. "No... no, no, no!" He bent down, picking it up carefully, as if it had offended him personally. Kakashi said to eat things only he's sure of which are safe, so he reluctantly brung the mushroom closer to his face before throwing it aside.
Naruto: "AHHHH! I'm losing my mind, this wasn't worth it! I'd rather get tormented by the village than live in this shithole for the rest of my life!" His body ached with hunger and fatigue. He hadn't eaten or slept in what felt like forever, and everywhere he walked was the same exact layout of forest as if he were caught in a genjutsu. His expression suddenly hardened as there was a different aura to him. He left for a reason, and he wasn't one to go back on his word. He was supposed to kill this stupid side of him. His life had been too sheltered in Konoha, now realising how soft and weak he truly was. As soon as he found food and water he told himself, he would begin his training.
-In the Hokages Office-
Hiruzen: "So Naruto has abandoned Konoha?" He spoke, staring intently at Kakashi. "Do you know how much of an awkward position this puts us in?" The old man stood up, his thoughts scattered. "Naruto is now a rogue-nin, and thats besides the fact that we are now a village without it's jinchuriki." Kakashi listened with a heavy heart, unable to imagine how such a rambunctious, energetic and happy boy could suddenly defect from the village one day.
Hiruzen: "I'll hold off on declaring Naruto as a rogue-nin for as long as possible, as other villages may take it as a sign of weakness and wage war. A search party will be sent immediately." A moment of silence passed. "You may take your leave."
Kakashi: "Understood."