Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Back to Basics,
By DarkLordRising
Prologue: Time
"What is this...?" I asked.
My breath came in wide gasps as if I had been running for a long while. Snippets of information entered my brain. Faded, colorless images of countless battles taking place all across the globe. I looked up at Iruka and knew the answer as he stood. How foolish had I been to think this was a stupid S-Class mission. They meant to detain me here.
"What the hell is this?" I asked again.
"War..." Iruka said, coldly. Though I already knew the answer, it still left me a bit rattled. "Madara's making his move..."
"Iruka!" Gen shouted in protest.
"I think it's time we stopped lying, Gen-san." Iruka rebuked. "Naruto's no fool. Our only choice now is to explain the situation rationally..."
Their voices seemed to fade away. I still hadn't deactivated the Sage mode and I could still sense their chakra's. It was extremely overwhelming. Why hadn't anybody told me this? Why was I being held here?
"Yeah, explain why I should sit on my ass while my friends and comrades are out there suffering and dying!" I said, out of reflex though I couldn't remember what Iruka had said.
"Because we are fighting this war to protect you!" Iruka cried. I blinked, processing the words. My brain refused to co-operate. Protect me? Why?
"Madara is hitting us with the full brunt of his forces. He's determined to capture you and Killer Bee-san once and for all." Iruka explained, sensing my confused state.
Colorless images of non-stop fighting once again rattled my brain, catching me off guard. Those people out there were all risking their lives for me? Why didn't Bee do something? Surely he knows why we are being kept here.
My friends. My comrades. Even complete strangers were fighting for me and Bee.
"Naruto, your battle this time is a battle with yourself...to wait and endure..." I heard Iruka say.
War.
A small memory sprang it's way to the forefront of my mind.
"You try to see a greater meaning behind the slaughter..." The tired voice said.
"...But there is only hatred...And pain...And there is nothing you can do about it...Pointless death...Bottomless hatred...Unending pain...That is war."
Pain. Nagato. It was he who had said this to me. Who had warned me of this event.
"...It will be up to you, Naruto. To face it all...My role ends here. Naruto...Maybe you really can do something about it."
Could I really? It had all seemed easy then. When there was nothing like this looming over my head. Had Pain-san really felt something like this in real-life?
"...You would have to face it all..."
"...Pointless Death...Bottomless hatred...Unending pain..."
These words seemed to echo in my brain, only emphasizing their importance. Was I really ready? I looked at my hand, seeking consolation. It was a bit rugged from the unsuccessful training with the Tailed-Beast Bomb...-
That was when I realized. Bee had agreed to this isolation. Bee had agreed to let his friends and comrades die in return for his safety and my own. Bee was a selfless person. There could be only one reason why he hadn't disagreed about this.
I wasn't ready. At least, Bee didn't think so.
"...Do something about it..." Nagato's words floated in the air. I couldn't think. My brain seemed to shut down. Was I ready? Now, the faded images were seemingly brought before me. Iruka and Gen-san faded as if in a distant recollection. The images were brought to life and suddenly, I could see countless people fighting before me.
Gruesome drops of blood spilled in a matter of seconds. Every second counted. Countless bodies exploded in a shower of blood. A bloody circus.
It didn't make sense. At least, not to me. There was so much violence, far beyond what a normal ninja would ever face back in the peaceful days. I felt the urge to throw up but I didn't give in and instead settled on choking.
I had to endure all this. I promised Pain-san. I needed to end this war. I needed to endure all the pain and hatred on my own. That was my role.
"You aren't ready." I looked up. Nine bright red tails swished from side to side as an enormous face stared back at me. The Fox. I had somehow ended up in the sewer.
"What did you say?" I asked, staring right back at the fearsome eyes which I had come to hate for their existence.
"You aren't ready, Naruto." The Fox said, grinning manically. "You can feel it yourself, can't you? You would have to be completely naive to think that you can bear the hatred of all the people and end this war by yourself."
"I'll do something about this, Fox." I cried. "I will do something about Sasuke and this war. I will end this."
"You can do something about this, Naruto." The Fox said, surprising me.
"I-I will never give in to you..." I said.
"This is not something you will regret, boy." The Fox smiled deviously.
"How will it help you?" I snapped.
"It helps me as well. The more prepared you are, the more chances of you surviving. If you survive the war. I survive the war." The Fox replied. "I haven't gotten this far only to be killed because a little runt like you wasn't prepared to fight."
"...What can you give me? I don't want your power." I said.
"I can give you...time." The Fox said. I stared back at it in surprise. Time?
"Time? How? The war's already started, Fox." I reminded it.
"Time doesn't matter to an entity such as I, little runt." The Fox said, grinning widely.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I can send you back in time." The Fox stated, simply.
"What?" I blurted out, shocked.
"It takes a considerable amount of my power to do so but as I see no way of you destroying me while I am in a weakened state, I am willing to take that chance if it means that I would survive." The Fox said.
It didn't matter to me if the Fox and I died, all it mattered was that I would be able to end this war and save my comrades. Of course, I didn't tell that to the Fox.
"Where will you send me?" I asked. It didn't matter anymore. I had to give in. It would help end the war. I needed to end the war.
"We will both be going back a few years. Be warned, you are to make no contact with anyone whom you know or who knows you. You must stay away from any and all beings so as to prevent a future much more disastrous than this one." The Fox said.
"I am ready." I replied, digesting this new piece of information. I had to be as quiet as possible in my training. "As long as it will help me end the war and save my comrades the pain, I am ready."
"It doesn't matter if you are ready or not, you are going back either way. I am not taking my chances." The Fox snapped.
"This better not be one of your tricks, Fox." I said as the ground began to shake. I suddenly found myself back on the island.
"We better go inside, Naruto." Iruka said. I blinked rapidly, a bit surprised at the sudden light.
A massive wave of pain shot over me. A small floating feeling took hold of me. My vision turned white as I spun around on the spot. Iruka and Gen watched confused as I vanished before their eyes, leaving a small charred ground in my wake.
"What the hell just happened?" Gen asked.
"I have no idea..."
A sharp feeling of pain jolted me awake. It was dark. All was quiet. I was in a field. The floating feeling persisted for a little while before fading away. I felt extremely tired.
"Fox, you there?" I asked. There was no reply. I was beginning to get a bit worried but I couldn't move.
"Where am I?" I asked myself.
This didn't look like any of the fields that I knew. Had the Fox really sent me back in time? Could it really do so, in the first place? A bad feeling overtook me. Why did I accept? I was ready. I shouldn't have accepted it's offer. I would have been better off on my own. I could have endured it. I could have ended the war. I had given in, in a moment of weakness.
A cold gaze swept over my head. I closed my eyes, intent on relaxing in the quiet atmosphere. I was nearly hyperventilating when I learned about the war. But all that seemed so far away right now. It was so quiet.
"IS THAT A MAN? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT IDIOT DOING THERE!" A shout jolted me awake. I looked around hurriedly for the source of the noise. I spotted a group of people rushing towards me. I couldn't move. They raised their weapons and one thrust a kunai under my head.
"Who are you?" The owner of the kunai asked, making a motion for me to be as quiet as possible.
"He's wearing one of our's." Another man said. "However, I don't think a platoon has been sent here...be careful, it can be a spy."
"What's the password?" The first man asked. I stammered as he shook me hard. "What's the password?" He repeated fiercely.
"Umm...I-" I was saved from answering as a series of shouts turned their attention. Without warning, something exploded nearby and we were pushed backwards. The aftermath of the explosion lit up the small field and I could finally see my assailant's faces. I didn't recognize the first two faces until-
"K-Kakashi-sensei!" I blurted out. The man in question snapped his head towards me, staring at me with suspicion.
"Come on, let's go!" The third man grabbed me and started dragging me. My eyes widened further as I looked at my mirror-image.
"Da-" I stopped myself, bewildered out of my mind as he seemed to drag me on. "W-What's going on?" I asked, more to myself.
"It's the first strike. We're at war, son. We are at war."
A\N: I hope you all liked this. Tell me if it's good enough that I should make it into a multi-chaptered story or leave it like a one-shot like this. Read and Review!
