Behind the Waterfall

#11 The Cave

It took him a lot longer than he had thought to get to a point where he was comfortable with trying to make his way out of the cave. It was almost evening and the sun had begun to set when he stood at the edge of the cave. A length of fishing line was tied around his waist tied to a kunai that was embedded into the cave. He didn't think it would hold him, but he hoped that it would slow his fall enough to give him more time to react if the worst happened.

"You can do it." Kurama encouraged him, before Naruto put his first foot on the stone next to the cave. Swinging around, he felt the water as he put the second foot on the wall and waited for a second to steady himself. It would take him seven steps to make it to the ledge. He lifted his right foot, carefully placing it down in front of him. He wiggled it a bit, to test the stability of the rock underneath. Finding nothing wrong with it, he slowly lifted his right foot, repeating the steps he had done with the other foot.

It took him longer than he wanted to admit, to make it to the rock spur. He sighed happily as both of his feet reached it. Cutting the wire around his hip and tying it to another kunai, he fastened it on the ledge before jumping up and grabbing the edge of the cliff. Pulling himself up, he laid down on the grass next to the lake for a second as the adrenaline stopped pumping through his veins.

"We really need to work on my chakra control, or find another way out of that cave." Naruto remarked, as he got up, walking towards his tent. Miraculously it seemed to have been left alone over the almost two nights that he had been away.

"Well, the chakra control would help, not only with the exit from the cave but also with the chakra usage for jutsu and such." Kurama replied.

"For now, I need to find a reliable way to make it in and out of that hole, if we want to explore it further." The young teenager stated, going through his supplies. He had hoped that he had some rope somewhere that he could use to make a connection between the ledge and the cave entrance, but he had no luck.

"You could use the rest of your fishing line. If you twist it together, I think it could easily support your weight." Kurama suggested, as Naruto twirled the small package in his hands.

"We could also make our way to Sogengakure. We could buy some rope and then come back here." Naruto countered.

"That we could." Kurama mused, as Naruto weighed the two different paths. He didn't see a reason why he should not choose the more safe route. He nodded to himself, as he began to pack his things. Rolling up his sleeping bag, he sealed it away along with his tent. Looking around the lake, he smiled as he left no evidence of his presence, apart from a small imprint in the grass that would be gone within the day.

"I hope we will not be recognized." Naruto mumbled as he made his way down the cliff, towards the steppe below.

"Well, you could create a persona."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for example the Anbu have their personas as the masked special forces of their respective village, but if they take off their masks, they are normal shinobi like you. The masks help them hide their true identity and protect their loved ones, so that they can not be used against them." Kurama summarised.

"I have never heard of a rogue using a mask." Naruto replied, as he finally reached the bottom, the waterfall still in sight.

"I don't know if there are any rogues using a disguise, but given that it would be very bad for the two of us, should you run into anyone that knows your face or about me, I think it would be wise to consider it." Kurama answered.

"I think you are right. I'll think about it."

Sogengakure, a village known to many as a large trading center. Its gates were smaller than Naruto had expected. He had heard stories from Akaru. He also overheard some conversations from civilians and traders about the village. They had claimed that the gates stood as tall as the ones in Takigakure. The blonde scoffed as he walked through the gate, he felt as if he could touch the arch. There were no guards, although he could see that a few of the people standing around the entrance were carrying hidden blades on their hips.