*Really loud obnoxious hacking coughing wheezing dying on the floor*

WHOOPS I forgot this existed. That's my bad guys that's on me. 

Also: I had forgotten he already learned how to walk on water/stand on it last chapter, and I accidentally wrote it into this one. I went back and fixed it but if there's any weird sentences referring to it, please let me know hadklhslada

Third person pov

Naruto has no idea what he's doing as a general state of being. Even more commonly, he also has no idea what the hell is going on around him. Often, he is experiencing both of these things at once.

Like right now. Especially right now.

The Hokage is old, wrinkly, and kind of looks like he doesn't want to be here. Which is cool, because Naruto really doesn't want to be here either. When he first got called in here, he'd sort of thought he'd been caught. That one of the masked ninja tracked his scent to the cave and found the Stranger, and this would it.

Honestly, that would make a whole lot more sense than... Whatever this is. An intervention? In his homelessness? He hadn't realized anyone cared, but in hindsight, it kind of made sense considering all the dudes that followed him around. They obviously didn't do it for no reason.

"You... want to give me," Naruto pointed at himself, just to be entirely clear, "an apartment."

The Third Hokage puffed out a cloud of smoke, eyes tired but not necessarily unkind. He seemed uncomfortable. Whether that discomfort is because of Naruto's general state of unkemptness or something else entirely, he has no idea.

The office is big and like, pretty luxurious. Naruto doesn't have a ton of other offices to compare it too, but the floors are shiny and the windows clean. It seems too good to be true that he's sitting here, even too gooder to be truer that he's being offered something like this. Like, this is insane. 

On one hand, he'd be an idiot to say no. On the other, he'd be an idiot to say yes. Who offers something like this with no strings attached? It'd be better for The Stranger to be out of the wilderness, where the only thing keeping bugs off him was whatever repellent Naruto could scrounge up, and wild animals could just wander in at their leisure. 

He was exposed out there. Naruto was too. An apartment would be easier to hide him in. Walls all around them, a door Naruto could close and lock. The only issue is that there was no reason for Naruto to be offered this. He was far from the only orphan in Konoha, and far from the only homeless person wandering the streets.

"I do, Naruto. I had been unaware of your situation up until now and I apologize deeply for my oversight." The Hokage's frown deepened. "It was never my intent to leave you out and vulnerable with no means of taking care of yourself. I've failed you greatly, and so has the orphanage that was meant to raise and nurture you."

Naruto squinted, almost tempted to look over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't talking to some other Naruto that could also potentially be in the room. 

"It's fine. I mean, no hard feelings. I'm just another orphan among dozens. You've got no reason to be personally invested in me, believe it." Naruto waved an awkward hand. The Third Hokage seemed to visibly hesitate, which was weird. "You don't have a reason to be personally invested in me, do you?"

Do they know about The Stranger? Is the Hokage the reason behind the masked men? They'd been there so long that Naruto had never really thought to question them. And like, it had never seemed like a huge priority. They were unobtrusive enough that it hadn't even really been a problem until he had something to actually hide.

"You're a child of this village, Naruto. As Hokage, it's my duty to secure you with everything you need, especially as a future shinobi. You will succeed the Leaf. Children are the foundation of any village's future and prosperity." The Third seemed to regain himself. "You're young to be living on your own, but I know you're capable. You'll be given an allowance to cover your groceries and your bills will be paid, so you won't have to worry about that. I'll check in with you every so often, as will your teachers at the academy."

Naruto would super prefer if his teachers from the academy stayed as far away as humanly possible from his place of living, actually. No offense to Iruka-sensei, but wherever Naruto is staying is where The Stranger is going to be staying. He's too far in now to lose that.

He's on the very cusp of a break through. Naruto can feel it in his bones! He's so, so close. He can stick leaves to him without them exploding, and it's only recently that he's completely mastered the art of tree climbing without slipping or blowing himself off the side of them.

The Stranger is going to live. Walking on water is the next step-- something he's already accomplished but that needs a little fine-tuning-- and Naruto's going to master it. His healing chakra is going to come. His reading is going to pay off. He can feel it. He refuses to let that go down the drain now just because people finally decided to pretend they give a shit about his life.

"Alright." Naruto said reluctantly, with a hint of suspicion. "It kind of sounds like I can't say no."

"I can't force you to live there, but the apartment will be there regardless of your answer." The Third smiled, then. Naruto's nose twitched, shoulders hiking as the man's chakra rippled oddly. Sturdy like an old tree, it felt wrong to feel it waver in such a strange way. "Surely you don't want to continue living on the streets?" 

Not in particular, but it wasn't so bad. Naruto was doing fairly well for himself. He was hungry more often than not, but his stomach is a literal black hole. He's always hungry.

A place for him to have shelter and lock the door is a place for The Stranger to have shelter and lock the door, though. Naruto'd be an idiot to pass up on living in that. A real bed to put him on. A real kitchen. Running, clean water that didn't need to be boiled. Protection from the elements. 

"I get by, believe it." Naruto shrugged. "But sure. Thanks, old man. It'll be nice to have a roof over my head. The weather around here can get wild."

"Excellent." The Third gave another smile, one that was tired and strangely guilty. Naruto grinned back sunnily, mostly for show, pretending not to notice. "I'll show you there myself. I think you'll like it. It's not the most upscale place, but I hope it will serve you well, and that you'll come to me with any problems you might have."

The man rose from his seat, casting a long shadow across his office as the windows backlit him. It fell over Naruto. Naruto wondered if it was a coincidence it made him feel so cold and uneasy.

~~~~~~~

By regular apartment standards, the place is a shitbox. By Naruto standards, it may as well be a mansion. 

One room, with a twin sized bed jammed in the corner by the window, a table with two chairs, a kitchen, a fridge, a tiny bathroom and even tinier closet. It's the perfect size for an orphan living on their own with no belongings. With its worn walls and floors, its obviously second-hand dresser, and its rickety door that squeaks when it opens.

Naruto loves it, which feels dangerous. Loving things is always dangerous. All Naruto has ever really allowed himself is his own name-- and now, The Stranger too. To have something like a home feels almost taboo, especially knowing its all in the hands of a power higher than himself.

The Hokage is the ultimate authority. He gave Naruto this place with the wave of a hand, he could take it away just as easily. Just the thought makes him uneasy, but Naruto does his best not to dwell on it. The Hokage hadn't looked upon him with the same fear and apprehension almost everyone else did. 

Hopefully that meant he wasn't set to take it away anytime soon. At least long enough for Naruto to actually heal The Stranger and get him... wherever it was he needed to go when he got up and about. 

"Alright. Alright, cool." Naruto propped his hands on his hips, overwhelmed. He could feel the masked men lingering outside, one perched atop a roof and another stationed in the tree outside. A fair distance away, but still close. "This is-- great. Believe it."

It's not too hot in the apartment, nor is it too cold. The place feels barren, but it's still too full for Naruto. The place feels like too much compared to what he already knows. Standing here, the urge to run back off to his cave is overwhelming. And not just because he has business there, either.

There's new clothes in the dresser, and food in the cabinets and fridge. The entire place is fitted out, simultaneously so full yet lacking the lived-in quality Naruto logically knows most apartments have.

It's... great. Weird, but super sick and awesome and it's totally going to change the game. With this, the stability Naruto needs to keep The Stranger from dying on him is right in reach. It's closer to the academy too, and the library. That'll be less time spent going back and forth, less time trying to lose his masked guys if he can test and make sure they're not actually going to go inside when he's not around.

All he has to do is get The Stranger here. Without killing him. Or dropping him. Or letting anyone, masked dudes included, see him. That means getting him halfway across Konoha without getting spotted.

"I am so incredibly screwed." Naruto realized. "I should've thought twice before deciding never giving up was my ninja way. Believe it."

If The Stranger were here and awake, he'd probably laugh at his suffering. Though, if The Stranger were here and awake, Naruto wouldn't be suffering in the first place, would he? 

It'll be nearly impossible to get him here. Just as impossible as sticking a leaf to him without blowing it up, or walking up a tree, or Naruto reading dozens and dozens of books and actually retaining the information inside. So yeah. That settles it.

Naruto will find a way. Whether it's today or a month from now, Naruto will get The Stranger into a real bed, in a real home, and he'll heal him. His hands will glow that stupid green and Naruto will heal him.

...After some instant ramen. Testing out the new stove seems like a vital step closer to his goals, after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"The apartment's pretty nice, at least comparatively. I think you're gonna like it. It's got a real bathroom and kitchen, which is a major step up from the bushes and firepit we have going on out here." Naruto called back to the unmoving Stranger, focusing chakra into his hands. "I've got literally no idea how I'm supposed to get you there. I can barely lose the masked guys to come out here, there's no way I clear half the village with you on my back."

That's assuming he could even carry the guy. Naruto's a malnourished eight year old runt. He's got plenty going for him, but hauling the entire dead weight of an immobile body without being seen? 

He's going to have to read even more books. And it's gonna suck major ass. 

It's a future him problem. Whatever solution he comes up with will probably require chakra control anyway, so healing chakra is the next step. He can vertically go up just about any surface now that he's got trees down. His water walking isn't perfect, but he can do it. It had felt like the last great divide between him and finally healing.

The fact that his chakra isn't coming out green yet grates on him. He's taken every step to get here. He's followed the books instructions to a T! Why this isn't working, he has no idea-- it's not like he can ask someone what he's doing wrong, either.

He's got like, a metric shit ton of chakra. He's obviously figured that out by now. He'd be an idiot not to have noticed that being his main obstacle here. For all that he accidentally blows himself up using too much of it, he never seems to run low.

When he focuses inward, he can feel it. It's not the same, flickering flame everyone else has. Naruto's is akin to a bonfire, something piping hot and crackling roaring inside his chakra core. His own chakra is comfortable, hotter than most and larger, but strong and steady all the same. And underneath it--

Underneath it, Naruto can feel something molten. He's tried to read, but books don't really talk about the fire of chakra or the way it flows like the crashing of angry waves. Naruto isn't sure what that energy is. He's a bit afraid to find out, but he can worry about it later.

"The lady I saw do it through the hospital's windows made it look easy. Like, you have no idea how easy it looks." Naruto grimaced down at his hands. At least nothing had exploded.  "Can you generate healing chakra? You seem like you'd be a capable guy! If you had like, eyes and weren't half dead on a couple of couch cushions and stuff. Believe it."

The Stranger, predictably, doesn't respond. Naruto hums, focusing hard on the chakra pathways in his hands. The middle of the woods probably isn't the best place to practice, but it's all he's got. He refuses to practice where someone may see him and get suspicious of his motives.

He knows the masked men who follow him have been going a little crazy. As excited as Naruto is about the apartment, he doesn't actually use it that much. Naruto can feel the chakra of the masked men spike with outrage every time he leaves, rushing off and losing them in the winding streets of Konoha so he can escape into the tree line and return here.

They don't see why he's not staying. Naruto doesn't sleep there, and it bothers them that they aren't able to follow him to this place. Naruto is painstakingly careful as ever, and his newfound control over his chakra doesn't help their chase either. 

The most Naruto has really done is use the kitchen and shower. He drops by almost exclusively in the mornings, and occasionally after the academy. He's done a few tests here and there too, waiting to see if the masked men will go inside the apartment. So far, they haven't stepped foot within its walls. 

It'll take more than a bit of observation to convince Naruto of its security, but that's fine. Moving The Stranger is still a ways off. Naruto's still got to get some idea how to move him first.

(He knows just who to ask.)

~~~~~~~~

Iruka-sensei seems to hate him a bit less lately.

Maybe hates too strong a word. Iruka-sensei seems to dislike him less, and he's not nearly as offput by Naruto's general presence as he used to be. Probably because Naruto has quieted down and spends all his time focusing on his chakra, trying to get that green glow he's so desperate for.

His grades haven't gotten any better despite all the reading he's doing. Naruto just can't muster up the care for them, so he's definitely not getting any points there. Still, things feel less... tense at the academy. At least somewhat.

That doesn't stop his teacher from twitching slightly as Naruto's eyes drill into the back of his head. When he finally does turn, it's with an arched brow and irritated expression on his face.

"Can I help you with something, Naruto?" Iruka-sensei asked, not exactly sharp but verging on the side of it. "You should be outside eating with everyone else. It's not good for you to stay cooped up inside all day."

A super blatant excuse that basically translated to 'please get the hell out of here so I can have a break from you', but Naruto doesn't point it out. He beams a grin instead, perking up.

"Believe it! I have a student question, sensei." Naruto slammed his hands down on his desk excitedly. It's not like you could ask books specific questions, and he wasn't sure where to hunt for this. All mentions of the clone jutsu were the same-- useless for what he needed. "It's about clones!" 

"Clones?" Iruka-sensei frowns slightly, though Naruto can see his annoyance fade somewhat as he turns his full attention on him. It gives Naruto some amount of hope. Not like, a ton, but some.

Naruto had been thinking hard about how to move The Stranger. He wanted to do it soon and he wanted to do it safely. He just knows he'd be caught basically the second he tried to step foot out of the woods with the guy-- assuming he could carry him at all.

Naruto doesn't have any friends to count on. Watching the shinobi at the training grounds train from a distance, he'd realized that he might not even need them. 

"Yeah! The clones we make like, they can't touch anything. They're just illusions." Naruto's cheeks puffed out slightly. "I was just wondering if there's a clone that could touch something. A physical one, you know?"

Understanding seemed to dawn on Iruka-sensei's face. That meant he at least had some idea what Naruto was talking about. Maybe. Hopefully. If such a technique existed.

"Ahh, I see. You're asking about this because of your pranks, aren't you?" Iruka-sensei's voice was nearly teasing. Naruto nearly opened his mouth to deny it but stopped himself. That... was actually a really good cover if anyone asked questions, believe it. "There are a few solid clone techniques, though most are native to certain hidden villages or chakra natures."

That wasn't the best news ever, but it also wasn't nothing either! A clone that could touch stuff. That was like, exactly what Naruto needed. Because if Naruto had more than one of himself, one could distract the masked men, one could keep a look out, and the others--

The others could haul The Stranger up, ideally without dropping him flat on his back and killing him from the shock of the landing. They could get him to his apartment. It would be a dream come true. Naruto had been thinking that moving him was a more than one man job, but the idea had occurred to him, and he knew he had to ask.

"Come on, Iruka-sensei! Tell me more!" Naruto pleaded. "I wanna know about super awesome jutsu too! How am I ever going to be Hokage if nobody tells me about cool stuff?" 

Playing into the 'cool' aspect of it at least seemed to throw Iruka-sensei off the scent that it may be for anything else. If the masked guys could hear him all the way from outside, hopefully it'd throw them off too.

"Alright, alright. I can tell you some, but don't go getting ideas." Iruka-sensei laughed a bit, taking a seat on the edge of one of the desks ahead of him. He was smiling at Naruto, an unusual occurrence that made Naruto feel wrong in his own skin. "It's rare to see you so curious and invested in something, Naruto. I wish you'd focus this much in class."

Naruto wished his chakra would man the fuck up and turn green, but not everyone gets what they want. Harsh world.

"I've got an image to upkeep, Iruka-sensei. I can't have everyone thinking I'm some loser bookworm." Naruto waved a hand. He wasn't exactly lying. Imagine if people found out he was reading books and enjoying it. Gross! "Clones are just badass. Imagine being able to punch bad guys that many times. They'd never know what hit them."

"Language." Iruka-sensei gave him a look, though it didn't last long before he was humming in thought again. "But fine, clones. I know the Village Hidden in the Mist is renowned for their water clone jutsu, but the technique is hard to achieve and requires a water affinity."

Cool, something Naruto doesn't have, then. Well-- probably doesn't have. He doesn't think his chakra nature is water. Apparently healing and water walking came easier to people with it, and Naruto really didn't get that impression with himself. Moreover, his chakra just...

It didn't feel watery. He's not sure how to describe it beyond that. That's like, as blunt as he can get with it. Barring the weird magma underneath his own core that he can't explain, his chakra has always swirled differently than the shinobi he sees using water jutsu when they train.

"Great, so not for me then." Naruto let out a puff of air, frowning. "What about Konoha, then? Don't we have some super cool clone jutsu? One that'll let me beat up a bunch of baddies?"

And carry an unconscious, injured body all the way to his new apartment at a relatively decent pace?

"Naruto." Iruka-sensei scolded him, but he was half laughing as he did it. Is Naruto being amusing right now? Naruto's never made sensei laugh, he's pretty sure. "There is an advanced form of the clone jutsu called the Shadow Clone Technique, but it's forbidden because of how dangerous it is to perform. Very few shinobi know how to use it."

Great! So his options are some water clone shit that's going to take him a year to learn because learning jutsu outside your chakra nature, according to what he's read, is literally nigh impossible unless you've got hella chakra and time to burn, or some shadow clone jutsu that's apparently so dangerous that they had to ban it. That's-- so cool. He's so happy. 

The water thing isn't going to happen. Naruto doesn't have the time, but he seriously can't think of a single other solution. How else is he supposed to move The Stranger? Him making a bunch of trustworthy friends willing to keep this secret for him is about as unlikely as the water clone thing is.

...Realistically, how dangerous could a clone jutsu really even be? Like, on a scale from one to ten?

"Man, that sucks." Naruto deflated into his seat, melted like a puddle. "What, so I can either get an affinity for water or try to learn some jutsu that'll maybe kill me if I try it? What's so dangerous about it that they had to ban it? Does it blow people up?"

Iruka-sensei gave a slight laugh again. Naruto did his best not to tense, eyeing the man. Did Naruto miss something? Or is him sitting quietly all throughout class really all he needed to do to get his teacher not to rag on him anymore?

Naruto should've shut up ages ago. Maybe if he starts trying in class, Iruka-sensei will stop yelling at him too. Not that Naruto doesn't sort of deserve it, but he definitely gets more than he should. As per the usual with everyone hating him and everything.

"Nothing like that. It's not destructive." Iruka-sensei shook his head, smiling. "I don't know a ton about it, but from what I've heard, the clones take an insane amount of chakra to even summon, let alone retain. That's why it was placed in the Scroll of Seals and forbidden. Too many shinobi passed whilst trying to perform it, draining all their reserves." 

Naruto, who'd dropped his forehead down on the table, slowly looked up, blinking at him. An... insane amount of chakra. An insane amount of chakra?

"Oh. Wow." Naruto said somewhat numbly, blinking. If Iruka-sensei noticed his blank voice, he didn't say anything. "That's a bummer. Believe it."

Naruto has an insane amount of chakra.

"Of course you'd say that. No clones helping you spray paint Hokage mountain now, Naruto." Iruka-sensei huffed slightly, shaking his head and standing again. "I'm glad you're curious, but lunch is going to be over soon if you don't hurry up! Go eat something. Run around. I've got papers to grade."

Naruto stood up dazedly, mind going a mile a minute. Scroll of Seals. That sounded promising. Like a physical thing that Naruto could borrow (read: steal in the middle of the night) and learn. He'd been quicker with his reading lately, and way, way better at comprehending what was in front of him. If he could get his hands on it--

Naruto walked his way outside, completely ignoring the kids who rushed past him in a game of tag, jostling his shoulder harshly as they went. He wandered off towards the tree, deep in thought.

There was a slight flutter in the trees, the smell of dog wafting down as the wind carried it. Naruto ignored the pulse of familiar chakra, settling down on the lone swing idly. He pursed his lips, kicking off slightly.

If he could find a way to get to that jutsu, or to learn it some other way, it would solve like... okay, not every single one of his problems. Just some of the bigger ones. Moving The Stranger aside, having more than one set of hands would be insanely useful. Especially when it came to avoiding his guards.

All he has to do is figure out where they're keeping the scroll. If he can do that--

"Maybe my luck is finally about to turn around." Naruto grinned to himself. "Believe it."

~~~~~~~~~ 

There's a huge difference between wanting to steal a scroll versus actually knowing where said scroll is.

It's a good idea in theory, but not if Naruto has no idea where to start looking. Iruka-sensei's not going to tell him. Naruto knows it would look too suspicious if he were to ask, especially considering that Sensei was under the impression that Naruto wanted the jutsu to perform pranks with.

Naruto huffs to himself, still focusing down on his hands. He's gotten them to glow blue a few times, but that's obviously not what he wants. Not that it isn't useful-- he'd accidentally slipped a few times and his hand had made a small crater in the ground when he landed.

His chakra clearly strengthened his limbs. It was something to explore more later. Like, punching boulders and knocking down trees with his bare hands would be totally badass, it's just not a priority. Naruto is very responsible these days, you see. 

"I'm seriously so close. I can feel it." Naruto huffed to himself. The Stranger couldn't hold out for another few months out here. It was a miracle he'd made it this far. "I need to learn this now. You're living off antibiotics, soldier pills and a dream. If I don't seal up that wound of yours soon, none of it is going to matter! Believe it!" 

The Stranger didn't respond beyond the staggered rise and fall of his chest. His breathing was wheezier these days, though Naruto couldn't find any signs of infection. It was obvious that his body was struggling to keep up. He was deteriorating slower than a normal person would, but that didn't mean the decline wasn't there all the same.

Blue spiked up off Naruto's palms in furious waves. He growled, clenching his fingers shut. Why wasn't it working? He got tree walking down. He fought his way into walking on water, which he still wasn't great at, but he was doing it on a running river. That probably earned him bonus points.

"You must be a really strong ninja to still be alive after all this." Naruto muttered. "I'm not going to let you down. I promise. I'm-- I'll figure this out. I've studied the anatomy, and chakra pathways. I know how it works. If my chakra would just--"

Naruto sighed, shaking his head and pushing himself up to stand. It was getting dark, and that was prime time to start scroll hunting. With his luck, it was in some secret underground vault people were forbidden to talk about.

The Stranger might have more time in an actual shelter. He was on the floor of a cave right now, couch cushions notwithstanding. Naruto now knew the true dangers of an unsanitary environment, enough so that just looking at him made him nervous. 

This wasn't sustainable. Even if he had healing chakra it wouldn't be. 

He was going to need a real place to recover, assuming he didn't wake up and immediately request a hospital or his family. Naruto needed to prepare for the likelihood that he may be out of it, or have chunks of memory missing. He had no idea how severe his head trauma was, but with his eyes missing...

"I'll figure it out. Just stay here." Naruto rolled his shoulders. The skin of his hands was raw and sensitive, but already he could feel it starting to sooth itself, the redness fading. Thinking about it, it was kind of weird how fast he healed now that he knew how long it was actually supposed to take. "I'm gonna go find this thing. Hopefully without getting arrested."

Naruto likes to imagine The Stranger can hear him and is cheering him on somewhere deep inside, even if he knows that's wishful thinking. The thought still makes him smile a little anyway. Taking a deep breath, he sets out, keeping low to the ground and sucking his chakra in as much as he could.

If he were the Hokage trying to hide a forbidden scroll, where would he put it? And how would he avoid getting spotted despite being a walking tank of chakra whilst doing it? Was there a way, or would being fast enough not to get caught the only way?

He supposed there was only one way to find out.