Sasuke Uchiha moved quickly, reaching the temporary rendezvous point over ten kilometers away in less than an hour.
The temporary rendezvous point was an abandoned hut. Half its roof had collapsed, but its stone walls were still largely intact.
Sasuke stopped at the edge of a patch of mixed woodland about two hundred paces from the hut and surveyed his surroundings.
"Not here yet?"
Looking up at the sky, Sasuke stepped aside to wait.
About half an hour later, night gradually began to fall.
He walked into the clearing nearby, took a signal flare from his ninja tool pouch, and pulled the fuse.
An orange-red streak of light shot into the night sky, trailing a tail before bursting high above into a bright shower of sparks that stood out against the dusk.
He retreated into the shadows at the forest's edge to wait, his gaze sweeping over the wilderness ahead and the outlines of the distant mountains.
About a quarter of an hour later, rapid footsteps sounded from behind a low slope to the north, followed immediately by a figure cresting the rise.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto's voice carried from far away, sounding far too energetic for someone who had spent most of the day traveling.
He ran all the way down the slope, his backpack bouncing on his back, and only skidded to a stop when he reached Sasuke, breaking into a brilliant grin.
"Long time no see!"
Sasuke looked him up and down. "You were pretty quick."
"Of course! I haven't stopped since I left the village."
Naruto hitched his backpack higher and looked around eagerly. "This place really is out in the middle of nowhere. I didn't see a single decent-sized town along the way."
"It's even more remote up north."
As Sasuke spoke, he turned back the way