Chapter Text
Naruto Uzumaki urged the horse he was riding up a rocky knoll. It was early morning. There was enough light to see by even though the sun hadn't yet risen above the mountain tops, and wispy patches of ground fog drifted within dips of the mountainous country all around him. At the top of the knoll he pulled on the reins and stopped his horse. This was a favourite spot in which to view his ranch, and below his vantage point Uzumaki land spread almost as far as Naruto could see. The buildings appeared as miniatures, and cattle and horses looked toy-like. Naruto breathed a sigh of contentment while lifting up his cowboy hat to run his fingers through his thick locks of hair.
He was a broad man, tall and muscular, with thick dirty blond hair and vivid blue eyes. His contentment was genuine. The shock of his one major tragedy in life, the death of his wife eight years ago, had softened with time. He had a seventeen-year-old son, Boruto, on which to expend his love, and this ranch. Naruto was the first person in the area to help out a friend or a neighbour in trouble, all in all, life was good. He felt strongly that no man should ask for more.
As the sun suddenly showed its face on the eastern horizon, Naruto secured his cowboy hat, turned his horse’s head and rode back down the knoll toward the ranch compound. Boruto would be leaving for school shortly, and Naruto liked to be there every morning to say a few words to his son before he left. Today it seemed even more important; today was the start of Boruto's final exams. High school graduation was just around the corner. Unlike too many of the fathers and sons that Naruto knew, he and Boruto were close, and Naruto knew that he would do almost anything to protect their special relationship.
He arrived at the compound just as Boruto was coming out of the house and heading for his red pickup truck.
"Morning, dad," Boruto called.
"Morning Bolt," Naruto called out his son’s nickname, dismounted and let his horse go. He wouldn't go far, Naruto knew, and would, in fact, come back to him with a whistle.
"Looks like we're in for a nice day," Boruto said as he opened the door of his truck.
"Sure does." Naruto glanced at his watch. "You're running a little late."
"I know. Better get going. I gotta pick up Mitsuki."
"Are you sure you have time for that?"
"I told him I'd pick him up this morning, dad." Boruto grinned and swung himself up into the truck. "Remember, Uzumaki’s don't go back on their word."
Naruto had to smile. He had instilled in his son the value of a man keeping his word. It was his own credo and he believed that honour was the primary difference between men of principle and those hapless individuals who drifted through life without hope, ambition or inspiration.
Five days earlier
Sasuke’s new Lexus was loaded to the roof with clothes, personal mementos and all of his painting supplies—rolled canvases, stretcher boards, tubes of oil paints, boxes of brushes and palette knives, easels, as well as several gallon cans of turpentine, which he used to clean his equipment.
He had packed carefully, and everything was snugly fitted together in the vehicle. The only unfilled space was the very front of the car, and even then his satchel, maps and a notebook with pen lay on the passenger seat, where he could easily reach them from the driver's seat. His bank account had been converted to five hundred dollars in cash and the rest in traveller's checks. He carried no credit cards, and his wallet contained only his driver's licence and the cash.
He was dressed for comfort in loose fitting denim jeans and a sweatshirt. His shoulder length raven dark hair had been confined into one loose short ponytail, and a single clip to keep his hair out of his eyes. His skin was light toned, appearing a smooth marble hue year round like many of his asian ancestors and his genetics and healthy lifestyle made his complexion look as if he was five years younger than what he actually was. Not many people at thirty three years of age could still look like they were in their mid twenties.
His figure was exceptionally good, as firm as it had been during his college years when he had first met Kabuto Yakushi. They had dated for a while, and he had wondered at that time how deep his feelings really were for Kabuto, but then graduation happened and they went their separate ways.
He knew Kabuto was going on to med school, and Sasuke himself had found a job in an art gallery and polished his talent with oil paints and private lessons. Eventually he moved to San Francisco, recalling only absentmindedly that Kabuto’s family lived there. He had thought of Kabuto occasionally, but never dreamed they would ever see each other again.
It had happened. He had been at a party that he didn’t want to go to but went anyway because of Karin’s annoying insistence, and he had hardly believed his own eyes when Kabuto walked up to him. “Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha? Is it really you?” he’d said with the same grin that Sasuke found charming in college.
This time Sasuke felt something a bit more than when they dated. Maybe it was his maturity, more experienced, or maybe it was from being alone, who knew, but he allowed himself to be swept away like some insufferable princess that he always swore he would never be.
After three months of a whirlwind romance, dining, dancing, Kabuto introduced him to his friends and his family, showered him with gifts and flowers and sweet little love notes. Their wedding had been...
"No," he said out loud, denying himself both the pain and the luxury of reliving those days. The memories would always be there, but he needn't deliberately drag them out and cause himself more heartache.
He didn't understand Kabuto's infidelity and knew he never would. While Kabuto had been showing him how much he loved him in dozens of ways, he had been meeting other women and men in hotel rooms. Sasuke had slept very little last night, wondering what might be ahead of him, thinking of the past and the disintegration of his marriage, knowing he was doing the right thing by breaking all ties but still not completely at ease with his plans.
The uneasiness would pass, he told himself. It had been a long time since he had taken a car trip by himself; concern was only natural, especially since he had no destination in mind. He had no living family on this continent, therefore no real place to settle and call his own. The open road was the best choice right now, to see where he may end up. It was time to leave. There was sunshine this morning, though the temperature was almost cool because of a breeze off the Bay.
Sasuke stood next to his Lexus and looked at the glistening white mansion that had once been his home. During that time span he had gone from settled and happy to acute misery, now that he couldn’t consider this place home anymore.
It was over, all of it. Over with and behind him. He could look at his marriage as years of wasted time, or he could view his marriage and divorce a lesson in life’s harsh realities. It was both, actually, and maybe that was good. He would have to know a man inside and out before he risked his heart again. ‘ Like that will ever happen,’ he scoffed to himself.
Thinking of the irony of it all delayed his departure for another few minutes. Last week he had been a relatively wealthy man; today everything he owned fit into one relatively small space—his Lexus. Ironic or not, he did not regret negating the divorce settlement. His own attorney had refused to help him do something so " utterly ridiculous " his exact words— so he had called on his best friend Gaara for help. His friend was a successful lawyer himself and did not hesitate in helping him. Gaara had been most helpful in drawing up the papers without haste, never questioning if he'd lost his mind, or enquiring if he should wait and perhaps come to his senses. He accepted Sasuke’s decision regarding the divorce settlement and the need to just go, be somewhere else and maybe find his calling.
Gawd, why was he thinking of that now? Clearing his mind with a slight shake of his head, Sasuke slid behind the wheel of the Lexus and turned the ignition key. He drove away from the expensive mansion without looking back. His uppermost thought was that he was going to try very hard not to look back ever again. From this moment forward, he would concentrate on the future. He had one, somewhere. All he had to do was find it.
It seemed that the farther Sasuke got from San Francisco, the braver he became about travelling alone. The travelling itself was exciting, and he wanted to just go on and on. He felt absolutely wonderful and completely freed of Kabuto’s influence.
Four days later, he found himself in western Montana. He stayed in a motel in a very small settlement in the mountains that night, and went to the only cafe for dinner. There were a few other people in the place, and the waitress had greeted him with a friendly smile.
“Would you like to order now or you waiting for someone to join you?” the woman asked.
“Just me thank you,” Sasuke quickly stated. “I’ll have the pot roast and hot tea,” Sasuke responded simply, handing the menu back to the waitress.
“Good choice, the pot roast is the cook’s best dish.” The waitress smiled conspiratorially and dropped her voice to a whisper, “probably cause it’s easy to fix.”
Sasuke smirked with a breath of a laugh that had the waitress winking at him playfully before she turned to take in the order and get his tea. Sasuke looked around while he waited. It was a quaint little cafe, with wood panelled walls and linoleum flooring. The red checked tablecloths matched the curtains, and a cowbell over the door announced everyone leaving or arriving.
The waitress delivered hot water and a teabag.
"Where you heading, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Nowhere in particular." Sasuke responded. "Just wandering around. This area is beautiful, and I'd like to see more of it." Sasuke did feel that the area was pulling at him to paint, and he wondered if he could find someplace secluded to do so.
"Well, be careful where you wander in these parts. This is a wilderness area, and it can be mighty dangerous.”
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the waitress from her comment. "I plan to stay on the main roads and have no intention of hiking around.” His voice was a little more clipped than he intended so he quickly added, “are there people living in these mountains?"
"Oh, sure, but they're few and far between. Some real nice ranches in the backcountry.” She waved her hand, pointing over her shoulder and wiggled her thumb about. “Stick to the highway though, the weather is a bit deceiving. Spring has sprung and the highway is clear but you could run into ice and snow at higher altitudes.” The waitress gave him a concerned look. “Not many people travel alone up here, just be careful,” she added gently before walking off to help another customer.
Sasuke pondered the warning. Was he being too reckless? Never in his life had he taken such an extended road trip and he already seen so many places and sights that he never thought he would see. Granted he wouldn’t spend all his money touring the country, but a day or so in this high country was really too appealing to resist.
He made up his mind. He would be careful—it was only sensible—but he was going to do some exploring. After all, he might never pass this way again.
The next morning Sasuke dug through his bags and boxes for a warm jacket. The predawn air was cold enough to make him shiver, and the windows of his Lexus were completely frosted over.
He had retired early last night, slept well and was anxious to be on his way, but he forced himself into the café for some breakfast as he had no idea when he would run across another place in which to eat. With that in mind, in addition to his breakfast, he ordered some sandwiches to go. An older man was waiting tables this morning, and while he was as friendly as the waitress the night before, he was too busy to make lengthy conversation that Sasuke was slightly grateful for.
Sasuke went to pay his check, and noticed a stack of window scrapers for sale. It was one item he didn’t have and he did briefly wonder how he would get the heavy frost off his windows. Never having to deal with frosted windows in California. He walked out of the cafe with his sandwiches and plastic scraper, pleased with himself that he bought himself something for lunch and relieved about the frost problem. Who knew when the next town would be and he certainly didn’t want to end up starving to death.
Turning on the car, he turned on the defrost and got to work on scraping the windows. It took a solid ten minutes but in no time he was behind the wheel of his car and on the road again, chalking up another experience under his belt. About two miles from the town, he found the road was beginning to climb upwards. While the forest was heavy on each side, there were some open spaces that permitted Sasuke a view of dawn's first light.
‘It is going to be a fabulous day , ’ he thought with a zing of exhilaration, and although the ascending road was narrow and quite curvy, there was very little traffic and he felt completely in control. Turning on the radio, he found a station playing country music, and sang along with Garth Brooks. It had been so long since he'd felt like this, unburdened and lighthearted, and he cherished the sensation.
‘Life could be good,’ he thought with a contented sigh. Leaving San Francisco had been the wisest decision he had ever made.
The road twisted and wound its way upward, full dawn broke and occasionally the trees parted to give Sasuke a breathtaking view of the mountains. It was still very early, and only in those clearings of the trees did he actually see the sun.
The miles clicked by, and after a while Sasuke noticed a sign indicating another road up ahead. When he got to it there was a second sign with an arrow pointing right and an inscription: Hokage Mountain .
He pulled onto the shoulder and consulted his map. He couldn’t locate that road on it, and he could tell where and what highway he was on. A daring little smile played on his lips. Was he adventurous enough to leave the highway and drive a road that wasn’t on the map? It looked safe enough from where he was parked. It was narrow, to be sure, but it was also paved and appeared no more dangerous than the highway he was on. Not to mention his artistic self was practically pulling at him to check out the view.
Would he do it? ‘ Why not!’ he thought as he got his car moving and made the turn. He could always turn around and head back to the highway if the road proved to be too treacherous. Other than a little time, what did he have to lose?
He had just gone over the first hill when he spotted a river running parallel to the road. Moving swiftly in its rocky bed, it was just about the prettiest river Sasuke had ever seen. He was driving slowly enough to take his eyes off the road briefly and keep track of the river's path, and it was a delight to watch.
It was on his right, and after a few miles the river seemed to be dropping below the road's level, while the road itself climbed higher. Another few miles and the river was out of sight, probably at the bottom of a chasm that appeared to be getting deeper.
There was only a bit of shoulder between the road and the drop-off, and Sasuke found himself hugging the centerline. The deep chasm so close to the roadway made him a little nervous, and he wondered if he shouldn't turn around and go back to the highway. Only there was no place to turn around. On the left side of the road was a tall rocky cliff, on the right was that deep ravine, and the road itself was too narrow for a U-turn. He had no choice but to keep going until he came to a wide spot. There must be one somewhere up ahead, he told himself. ‘ Just take it easy, drive cautiously and you’ll come to it.’ He switched off the radio which had now become a distraction.
The road kept climbing, Sasuke spotted patches of old snow on the rocky surface to his left, and his nervousness became more pronounced. He told the waitress last night that he would stick to the main highway and he knew now that he should have done exactly that.
There was a blind curve just ahead, and he bit down on his bottom lip because it looked as if the road was heading straight for the ravine. It wouldn’t of course, it would wind around that outcropping of rock and who knew? Maybe just around it there would be a space wide enough he could turn around.
Suddenly a red pickup truck came shooting around that curve, ‘on his side of the road!’
Sasuke slammed on the brakes and the car went into a skid. The truck also began skidding, and fishtailing, and it's back end slapped against the Lexus with tremendous force. Sasuke howled out in fear as the car nosed into the ravine. He saw the river at the bottom, and the boulders and rocks rushing up to meet him. The car began somersaulting, and Sasuke's last coherent act was to unfasten his seat belt.
Two young men jumped out of the pickup and ran to the edge of the ravine. Frozen with dread, they stood there and watched the car tumbling down the rocky slope end over end, almost in slow motion, each bounce twisting the car's metal body into a different configuration.
"Boruto... Boruto... what should we do?" Mitsuki cried.
They watched in horror as the driver's door flew open and a man was thrown out onto the rocks. The next instant the car hit bottom, mere inches from the wildly rushing river.
"We have to go down there and see if he's okay." Boruto was already on his way down. Mitsuki followed. It was tough going, one wrong step and they could end up like the car, or worse, in the river.
Breathing hard, the pair finally reached Sasuke. He was lying face down and not moving. “I think he’s dead,” Mitsuki said, his voice cracking.
Boruto knelt down and felt for a pulse. “He’s alive. Mitsuki, go to the car and make sure he was the only one in the car. Then go back to the truck, get to the nearest phone and call for help. I’ll stay here.”
“But…”
Boruto raised his fear filled eyes to his friend. “If he dies, it’s my fault. I—I was driving too fast. I took that curve too wide! Go Mitsuki! Do it now! I can’t leave him alone!”
Mitsuki started backing away. “His car is smashed all to hell. Boruto! It's on fire!”
“What?" Boruto stood up to see. "Oh gawd, what if it explodes?" He ran as hard as he could over the rocks to peer inside the car. Hurrying back, he said with some relief, "there’s no one else. Mitsuki, we have to move this guy."
"You aren't supposed to move anyone hurt in an accident. What if his back is broken, or something?"
"He has no chance at all if we don't move him and that car explodes. Come on, help me turn him over."
The boys got down on their knees and very gently turned Sasuke over onto his back. "You take his feet," Boruto said, moving into position to lift the man by his shoulders. He glanced at the car. "The fire's getting worse. Everything inside is blazing. Hurry, Mitsuki, hurry!"
"Where are we taking him?" Mitsuki anxiously asked. “The canyon's so steep. We can't carry him clear up to the road."
Boruto took a quick look around. "Over there, behind that big boulder. Come on, let's get moving.”
They had just lowered Sasuke to the ground behind the boulder when the car exploded. The boys gaped at the sight.
"Holy shit," Boruto whispered. "He would have been killed for sure." He tore his eyes from the inferno to look at Mitsuki. "Get going and make that call. He's unconscious and could be hurt–bad."
They both jumped a foot when a second explosion shook the canyon. This one was much worse than the first, and what was left of the car and its contents either fluttered to the rocks in minute pieces or landed in the river.
"It's gone," Mitsuki said, as though he couldn't believe his own eyes. "Totally gone."