its been a week since the mission started and naru-san has completely closed into a shell, his face is pale and distant and his hands are always massaging his temples like he has a huge migraine and he barely ever message/ talks to us.

we travelled through many towns and have yet to find a lead, naru-san seems to be functioning on auto pilot... eating sleeping and running.

I've spoken to shisui-kun and despite how adorably oblivious he is he's also noticed it. we came to a unanimous agreement that we'd ask him now!

guiding the shell of our friend to the side I snapped my fingers in front of his face to get his attention it was a full six minutes before he noticed.

Shisui-kun and I began talking to him, "Naru- san, please tell us whats wrong I'm sure if we know we can help!" I said

he blinked and a flash of doubt crossed his face making me wonder what it possibly could be the problem

shisui-kun nodded agreeing with me.

there was an quiet sigh from naru-san before he led us to sit on the ground in a tightly formed cluster of trees for cover.

he opened his mouth and for the first time EVER he spoke, with his raspy voice he explained his problem " the clones" he rasped me and shisui grinned and hugged him shisui with a loud shout "YOU TALKED YESS!"

i sat back and contemplated what he said... clones......clones..... the only time he used his clones was just before training and after training that was over a month and a half ago...surely...

"Naru-san Surely your not referring to the clones you made into investigation squads and the training squads rama- sensei made you spawn right?" i asked

his eyes met mine and nodded his head yes before grimacing in pain as his hand attached to his head once again.

I openly gaped at him feeling justified in doing so alright there were ... squads ... that equals OVER FOUR THOUSAND CLONES!!!

god and he's only got migraines and chakra strain!!!... any one else would have died on the fourth day!!!... wait popping clones means he gets their memories, DAMMIT no wonder he hasn't popped them thats nearly two months worth of memories from every clone he's made!!!.

geez theres no question about it he's going to have to rip the bandaid off sooner than later and since his chakra strain has gotten so bad he had to actually talk to us its going to be now!!

" Naruto... I'm going to ask you to do two things first ask rama-sensei to come out please" i said

he stared off into space for a second before there was a large poof in the middle of her three students.

"Now, Rama you are aware of the dilemma naru-san seems to be in right?" i asked "Yes" she meekly replied.

"since you asked him to do this I'm going to need you to do something for us" i said "whatever it is I will do it as i am part of the reason it happened" i smiled and told her what I wanted.

"Rama- sensei were going to need you to take off all the extra weight you, yourself have added onto naru's weights" i said

she frowned before naru's seals glowed white through his clothes and across his visible hands.

I then turned to naru-san "alright naru-san please lay down and release all your clones from existence" i ordered

he frowned at me and looked like he wanted to protest however i held my hand up stopping any argument he had.

he laid down and a huge build up of chakra dissipated around naru-san as he then when limp. turning to shisui i asked " would you mind carrying him?, even with rama-sensei's added weight taken off he will still weigh more than we can carry with our seals activated?"

shisui grinned and whispered "only for you itachi...only for you. The glow around him showed the seals were then deactivated.

as shisui-kun was lifting the young child into the air i stopped him and used a simple jutsu to swap naru's clothes with his favourite hoodie and some villager clothes before placing his material face mask on myself sure he would hate if people saw his face without his consent.

giving the all clear we headed to the next town to find a motel we can hole up in till naru-san awakes.

xoxoxoxoxox KIYOSHI POV xoxoxoxoxoxox

I was planning to escape soon, there were still some things I needed to work out the first being who patrolled where during the night amongst other things.

this place had taught me many skills that would hopefully aid me in escaping.

my body protested as I sunk onto my bed so the supervisor would have no reason to "teach me" another lesson about the curfew

my mind drifted to the memories I shared with Naru the best being when i watched him building a tall block tower with another his age with his giggles echoing in my mind I fell asleep.

Don't worry Naru I'm coming home!!!!

PLEASE AND