Alone
Chapter 7

“Naruto! Naruto! Where are you?!” Iruka called as he ran down the snow covered streets. “Naruto!!!”

“Iruka, he won’t answer you if he hears you. He’ll probably run away. Don’t forget, he ran away from a hospital. He has to be very frightened…” Kakashi told his coworker.

“Why would he be scared?”

“Why do you think he was in the snow? His house is across town. Yet some how he made it all the way over there… how do you think he made it there?”

“Maybe he got curious…”

“Don’t be stupid! I don’t think he’s oblivious to the fact that most every person here hates him.”

“…”

“My point is… he was probably chased over there and left to find his way home all by himself.”

“… how cruel…”

“You can hate it all you want… but that’s the truth… but before you start freaking out, we have to find him. It’s still freezing and he doesn’t even have coat.”

“You’re right. If we don’t find him soon he’ll freeze to death.”

“Won’t the rest of the town be happy for that!” Kakashi remarked sarcastically as they both took a sharp corner.

“Not funny…”

^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^

“Where could he be?” Tsunade said to herself as she paused to ponder which way she should go now. “If I woke up in a strange room what would I do…?” ‘Kill who ever put me there…’ she quietly thought. “Uhh… not much help…”

She stood there for a few more second until she saw something move. Tsunade immediately look up to see a small boy with no coat, blond spiky hair and whisker marks on his face.

“Huh?” Tsunade had to look twice to ensure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. “Naruto! Is that you?!”

Upon hearing his name the boy spun around to see who called him. “W-who are you?”

Breathing a sigh or relief, Tsunade began to approach him. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Why?” Naruto began to back up as Tsunade approached.

“We’re all worried about you.” Noticing Naruto back up, she stopped.

“… You mean more people are looking for me?”

“Yes. Miki, Lord Hokage, Iruka-”

“Why is Iruka looking for me? I didn’t do anything wrong…”

“Don’t worry; we know you didn’t do anything… Iruka and Kakashi are just worried about you, that’s all.”

“Why would so many people be worried about me?”

“You don’t remember?”

“Remember what?” Naruto now had a puzzled look on his face.

“…don’t you remember the storm?”

“Not really.”

“Okay then, when did you get home?”

“At… well… I don’t remember…”

“That’s because you didn’t. Iruka and Kakashi found you in the snow. You nearly died…”

“…I-”

“Look! There he is! That’s the kid who kicked me!” It was the boy who, along with his friends, bullied Naruto just the day before. But this time he had others with him. One appeared to be his father and the other his uncle.

“Uhh…!”

“Get him!” With that, Naruto took off running towards a complex series of buildings, warehouses and streets.

“Naruto wait!” Tsunade shouted as she ran after the boy.

“Catch him!” The boy and his family also began to chase him.

‘This is bad.’ Tsunade thought to herself. ‘Naruto doesn’t have a coat or anything to keep him warm. He’s being powered purely by adrenaline, and when that runs out…’ “I have to find him, or else he’ll freeze to death unless he finds an alternate source of heat; which is unlikely…”

^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^

“Any luck finding him lord Hokage?” Miki asked as she brought him something hot to drink.

“I’m afraid not. Nobody I asked has seen him, but it seems like they don’t care…”

“… I hope Lady Tsunade or those two find him soon…”

“They can take as long they want; all I care about... is that when they find him… he’s safe…”

“…and unharmed…”