Chapter 8
There wasn't anyone on the road so the brutal pace they rode at through the night put the first night to shame. Naruto and Sasuke bumped heads on more than one occasion as they tumbled in the back of the cart. When morning came and they started attracting looks, they slowed back down to a reasonable speed and the injured shinobi were able to be treated.
Most Uchiha were trained in basic first aid but they were lacking in doctors. They could do emergency medicine though. Sasuke felt bad watching his mom try and treat his dad in the front seat of the cart. Fugaku was hiding his injury but he couldn't cover every flinch as her small hands worked.
"It's going to be okay," Mikoto assured the boys. "I'm going to go and check on the others. Why don't you two boys keep an eye on your father here." She addressed Sasuke like she was telling him to watch dessert after dinner. After both him and Naruto nodded, she jumped off the cart and further back where Sasuke Knew Shisui and Itachi were sleeping.
He wondered why they didn't ride in the same cart as him but felt nauseous when he thought about Shisui the night before. He was holding his stomach and his chakra was flickering in a way that Sasuke had never seen chakra do before. He kept a close eye on his father as he heightened his senses to check his cousin. He could feel Shisui better than he could last night.
His cousin's chakra wasn't flickering anymore and he hoped his mom could help the two teenagers. His attention went back to his father when the cart hit a particularly large bump in the road and the older man flinched. "Are you okay," Sasuke jumped in the front seat next to his father. Naruto watched from the back and stayed silent. Sasuke wasn't sure why Naruto was so quiet around his dad but figured he would tell him when he was ready and not a moment sooner.
Fugaku gratefully handed the reins over to sasuke and started rubbing his shoulder. He wasn't concerned about a child driving because the horses Shisui obtained were well trained and only needed minimum direction. "Yeah," he mumbled before speaking up. "I'll live. It must have been scary traveling by yourselves." It didn't take much more prompting before Sasuke began telling his father about what happened after they left the village.
Sasuke figured his mom must have already told his father everything because he didn't seem surprised that they had a guest, even if it was a little scary to Sasuke. He was so busy chattering that he didn't notice the extra chakra signatures in the cart until Shisui's face covered his vision and the older boy yelled. "Boo!"
Sasuke yelped and fell back into the back of the cart. Naruto was wailing with laughter and he looked where he was sitting. Itachi and Fugaku were smiling and his mother was covering her mouth. The traitor couldn't hide the laughter in her eyes though. Shisui was sitting on top of the cart, still leaned over the side where he ambushed his cousin. He was laughing so hard when Sasuke pouted, he almost fell off.
The only thing that saved him was Itachi grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him back up. Sasuke wanted to be upset but he was so happy to see his brother again that he just jumped right back Shisui and launched himself at Itachi. He hugged him as tight as he could and then loosened his grip when he remembered he was probably hurt. Itachi had been on missions before so Sasuke wasn't REALLY worried.
Since Itachi was so good at anything he did, Sasuke knew he would be fine. His dad is pretty amazing too. Even if the two fought from time to time, his mom kept everyone agreeing. Sasuke wasn't sure where he fit in but he did. His clinging set off a brand new set of laughter and Shisui went into the cart to ruffle Naruto's hair. The younger boy even started joking around with Shisui. Sasuke didn't like being the butt of the joke but he was so happy everyone else was happy that he didn't mind too much.
After everyone joined back up, the next couple of days passed in a blur for Sasuke. They would stop regularly for food and sleep. The slow pace was killing the young shinobi in training, even if he knew why it was necessary. His mom started getting more involved in teaching the other children with Sasuke when they were stopped for meals. Sasuke and her made a great team, working with all the age groups.
Some of the elders would get involved too. They called the stories they told history but Sasuke wasn't sure if he could believe the clan was really descended from dragons. He did enjoy the stories though and he had a great memory. Naruto was still wary around male adults but he really warmed up to the younger kids. They spent the next two weeks like this. After the first week, Sasuke noticed the patrols his father had set up went out more often and they sent less people in the towns to resupply after that first encounter. Sasuke didn't sense any other shinobi near the camp.
The ground also started to change. It went from forests to grassy plains. The towns became more scarce the further south they traveled and the air warmed up. Most of the time, the kids and even several adults could be found hiding from the heat in any bit of shade they could find. Naruto's tan skin gave him an advantage in this weather, where Sasuke's burned. The further they went, the more Naruto seemed to perk up. "I feel like I'm meant to be here," was the explanation Sasuke got when he asked why Naruto's skin didn't burn.
He started speaking up more and even started several games. Sasuke wasn't sure why Naruto was always in trouble at the academy because he was a great student with Shisui and Mikoto. It just proved that Sasuke was right and the teachers at the academy were stupid. They stayed on the plains for a while before the ground started getting rougher and rockier. There were a lot more trees than Sasuke was expecting. Several times, their poison expert started rambling about something interesting he found. Naruto was pretty fascinated every time he talked but Sasuke had a hard time focusing on what he was saying.
After another week of looking around the mountainous forest, Mikoto and Fugaku found exactly what they were looking for. "Wow." Naruto exclaimed as they came to a clearing with a lot of old buildings, or at least what was left of them.
"Where are we?" Sasuke asked as he looked around in awe. Buildings were putting it generously. It was more like piles of rubble with a couple of stone houses and caves close by.
"Take a good look around, boys." Fugaku answered for Mikoto. "This is going to be our new home, from today onwards!" He looked with pride at their new home and all the possibilities that went with it.