at a resolve

Chapter Two

"Dobe."

How he'd managed to cover such distance at an unimaginable pace was beyond him. His chakra was still severely depleted. Along with his strength that was gradually returning, the pain that once numbed him started crawling under his skin too. Tearing, burning, stabbing, and crushing. He knew he was broken and scathed all over.

"Kit, he is circling down the drain again, and you will too, if you don't reach Konoha sooner."

Kurama had been keeping Naruto in check. Chakra was no longer too much of a concern since he had the nine-tails in him; however, he had gone too long without food or sleep and he was overexerting himself. The beast also never imagined he would one day be keeping Naruto's rival -- who was already slumped unconscious behind the blonde's back barely breathing -- in check against possible death.

"To think that he was already too strong,"

"He saved my life, Kurama -- again."

"Yes. But he shouldn't have. You had me."

"I know," Naruto gritted his teeth.

Kurama observed the raven-haired man on Naruto's back. He weighed so much lighter than he appeared to be and it still surprised him, although he had always looked leaner and less brawny than Naruto. The tailed-beast, however, was very familiar of how incredibly strong the man was – being the only one who could stand his ground against Naruto.

"Help me, Kurama. I can only keep track of Sasuke's state although I'm trying to be more aware of the surroundings. I just can't right now. Alert me of any presence we come across. I fear another ambush."

The realization that someone might know he and Sasuke were at their weakest, with the other almost knocking at death's door, came like a punch through his gut. Although Naruto was sure that he could still put up a fight, his teammate needed immediate medical attention. Even at his current pace, Naruto feared it would be too late.

Just fight, Sasuke. We're almost there.

---

Sasuke eyed the note he'd been handed and Naruto knew he was suspicious. He had his suspicions too, but he couldn't risk it – if Konoha really received a threat, he and Sasuke should be heading back to the village immediately.

"A threat?" Sasuke looked at Naruto in disbelief, while his teammate only nodded in return. "Why would they send a threat before an attack? Pretty stupid if you ask me."

"I know. But it could be blackmail. Or, I don't know. It really doesn't seem logical at all, but we really won't know for sure even if we sit around for a while, will we?" Naruto said, trying to sound convincing, more at an attempt to convince himself than to convince Sasuke.

"No," Sasuke sighed. "I just don't think Kakashi would send for a note like this that's so odd and vague."

"But you do agree it looks so much like his handwriting, right? And that you can read it in his voice easily, as if he was saying it directly at you?" Naruto stood up from his seat and began pacing.

Sasuke read the note again. The dobe was right. It was Kakashi's handwriting and written exactly how he would have said it. He nodded. "Still, Naruto, where we are and what we'd done wasn't exactly a secret. This whole village knows we've expended so much chakra and we shouldn't really be out in the open any time soon."