Rewind Rewind [Permanent Hiatus]

Ch03

This is NOT good, Naruto frowned. The villagers herded upon the burning cinders of what was once his apartment, whispering jeers as their menacing shadows danced with the light of the flames that consumed the complex.

"They never learn," Naruto sighed with as much as every bit of annoyance. Fatigue kept calling him, whispering the pleasures of a much needed slumber, even as he tried to ignore the deceitful temptation. He stifled a yawn.

The sun was already setting behind the mountains casting quite an array of her last warming lights like a bidding of goodbye. The streets naturally provided no protection. He'd be damned of he let some meager villager strangle him in the middle of his well deserved sleep.

Ah! He could go sleep with the Nara's. No, they'll be suspicious. Besides, he doubted he knew Shikamaru at this point in time. Now that he thought about it...how old was he again?

"I'm what?" He was dumbfounded.

His eyes narrowed in irritation at the calendar he graciously "borrowed" from a "kind" neighbor.

Great, so he's a 5 year old today. That explains his burned down apartment, today's his birthday! Which means the Fox hunt is starting! Shit! Need to think fast!

His options were rather limited and even then they were either recklessly devastating or utterly horrific.

Perhaps a sleepover at a friend's house? Such a thing was immediately shoved from his thoughts. Though it may provide him an excuse of his whereabouts to his jiji, he's in no shape nor mental stability to handle even the sight of their faces. He couldn't risk a breakdown.

Perhaps Sasuke would permit? Would Sakura? He shook his head, no.

He befriended Sasuke at 7 so their practically strangers at the moment. Iruka...no, he can't bring himself to look at the man. How about JiJi? No, he doubted the old man could even do anything with the council breathing down his neck. Well, his birthright uzukaze compound is out of the picture now.

"What about your *ahem* man cave," said a certain fox in his head.

"oh...Ohh! Thanks Kura!"

And so, Naruto dashed through the forest grounds, because much to his chagrin, his wimpy excuse of a body can't even walk a few steps without falling! That and there was a mob behind him. How they knew of his whereabouts, he wouldn't know.

He arrived at the top of the hokage mountain just as night settled in. He took a moment to gaze upon the breathtaking view of the starry sky that stretch beyond as far as the eyes could see. It was mesmerizing.

He shook his head and cursed himself for getting distracted as the footsteps of a rampaging mob could be heard from afar. He ran with all his 5 year old body could handle to the nearest tree atop the 4th hokage's head, grabbed an unsuspecting rope, and jumped down the cliffside. He held a vice grip for dear life as the rope did not even reach half way down.

The light from the torches alerted him of the hunters above. He quickly tied the end of the rope around his waist and climbed his way up the 4th Hokage's nose. Once there, he squeezed himself in the nose hole of the said structure and cut the rope.

And just as he did, the rope was set aflame and thunderous curses were heard above. Naruto frowned yet remained silent as he climbed up the nose and into a secret chamber.

"Who knew Minato had this right under his nose," Kurama snickered.