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Ch04

"N-na...ru-to...." a voice barely whispered heavily in pain.

Naruto turned to find crimson red eyes staring back at him through the shadows. He knew who it was. He swallowed his fear in contempt and the urge to embrace his brother in all but blood, the way the pain was evident in his voice did nothing but made it all the more difficult.

"Beware of the hawk, brother. He holds our comrade by the neck"

Naruto awoke with mild displeasure as he promptly took a cold bath and gathered scrolls. If what Sasuke said was true -and Naruto knew the Uchiha more than enough to know his words to be anything but the truth- then plans must be made for the threats have been set in motion.

He put on a dark evergreen cloak over his self made black T-shirt and sweats, scrolls stuffed inside a worn out bag he found laying around. Putting on the hoodie, he jumped back down the hole with the trees to cushion his fall and out into the wilderness they called Konoha.

His legs wobbled with every step to practice his balance on the run, his chakra being very difficult to handle (which had been no surprise at all); deducing that although he still had his knowledge of his own ninshu, his body had indeed remained oblivious. Everything had to be put on hold.

Redirecting his destination, the lofty trees of the malicious forbidden forest merely stood within the distance. Naruto could only wonder if training there would be a good idea.

Anko-sensei  patrols every 6 hours, I should be fine.

He paused upon arrival, gave the looming threats a devious smirk and dashed onward into the darkness of the forest.

At first, the inability to access higher ground made itself obvious;  There had been no time to climb the tall trees by hand and he seriously doubted the survival of his current body through chakra enhancement. His health was something he could not gamble as it is and with this current setback, he had been forced to trek the forest floor; not that he was complaining. He'd been craving for some distraction.

He encountered colossal reptiles, vicious snakes, buffalo-size mosquitoes,  mile-long centipedes in his tracks and he had to admit, most of them came close to killing him -which, of course, were the downsides of being a short malnourished 5 year old- but he did kick their ass the Uzumaki way. Old habits die hard they say, he snickered.

It took hours to temporarily re-accustom his body to his minimum standards and he had the beasts to thank for that. He hadn't noticed his accomplishment until he found himself watching the sunset, standing upright under the thick branch of a tree. Had he been so immersed in his little game of tag as to not notice that he had mastered chakra control?