Replacing My Sister || FullbusterFic » vonlane

Chapter 18: Cold Night

Sasuke kicked the horse with the heel of his boot as to hurry it up. Perhaps it was just a hunch or perhaps what was going on in his mind was all too real. Pein was smart as to make it all seem like some coincidental accident and he could not permit that. On his way, he met with the guards who were restlessly looking for both Naruto and Pein. The only thing they could indicate to Sasuke was the direction in which both horses had headed towards, thus he went on his way.

He went through the north road, getting farther away from the border when he remembered something: Naruto was afraid of water. He had tried to hide it the last time they were at the limits between the Kingdom of Fire and the Kingdom of Wind. Sasuke hadn't missed the slight trembling in Naruto's body when he had suggested they cross to the other side. It was possible that he had decided to get as far away from the river but it was also very possible that he had gone towards it trying to get a better shot at Pein. It was the only place with enough clearing to shoot and have a hundred percent accuracy of shooting directly.

Sasuke changed the animal's direction and headed towards the river. Upon arriving at the summit and looking out at the river, he found Pein there, sinking Naruto's head inside the water. He didn't even think twice as he saw how Naruto tried to separate Pein's hand in attempts to breathe. Sasuke grabbed his bow which was tied on the side of the saddle and taking an arrow out of its quiver, he aimed and shot the arrow, striking the arrow deep in Pein's shoulder. Pein immediately let go of Naruto, letting him finally breathe.

Sasuke got off his horse in one jump and slid down the side of the hill towards the river but when he arrived, Pein had disappeared. Surely wounded and caught in the act, he had decided to put some distance away from them seeing as his possibility of ending Naruto had failed.

"Come here." Sasuke said, grabbing Naruto to help him up.

He continued to tremble from both the cold and panic, so Sasuke took off his cloak to throw it over Naruto for warmth. He accompanied him towards the horse and helped him get on. He had to get him out of the area but as the sun was setting at the pace it was, he wasn't sure about taking Naruto across the field all the way to the castle without Naruto getting more cold along the way. He snapped his fingers and got on his horse, placing himself behind Naruto's back to keep him against his chest and so that he wouldn't fall off. With a soft movement of the wrist, he indicated to the horse in a certain direction and set off towards the river, crossing it to the other side. On the way, he saw Naruto's horse tied to a tree; he took it along with him as well. He was sure Pein would never think that he had taken Naruto to enemy territory and the city of Wind was so far, that they wouldn't be discovered if they maintained along the limits of it.

Sasuke was able to make out a small cabin nearby and didn't hesitate to head out towards it. Surely the people there would immediately recognize Naruto; the typical blond hair of the Namikazes couldn't pass unnoticed and taking into account how much the people there hated their new King, there was a possibility they would help them.

He approached the door and got off his horse, leaving Naruto over it still trembling from the cold and holding on to the cloak Sasuke had thrown over his shoulders. A man armed with a rake answered the door. Upon seeing him shake, Sasuke tried to calm him down and explain the situation to him. He mentioned that they needed a place to take shelter in for the night and that they would leave in the morning. The man was not so easily convinced by the situation, but upon seeing the blond hair upon Naruto's head over on top of the horse, he asked his older son to take care of the horses and take them to the stables to take off their saddles and give them food and water.

Sasuke got Naruto off the horse and helped him enter the house, leaving him in front of the fire so he would warm up. The woman who was in the kitchen stirring a pot of soup remained ecstatic for a few seconds upon seeing Naruto. It was difficult not to recognize a Namikaze. The small kids that belonged to the pair were happily playing with some blocks of wood their father had carved and upon seeing those two strangers walk in, they had stopped to observe them from the floor where they sat.