Well, a friend of mine challenged me to write a time-travel!Naruto fic. Who am I to turn down that sort of thing? Warning here, it's going to be slash if I end up doing more than one chapter. Who will end up together? I dunno.
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Somebody whose name I can't spell does.
"So, this is what the end feels like... it's not so bad." The teen murmured as he lay on the ground, life blood pooling around in a ever-growing ring. He laughed, feeling light headed, as red chakra worked frantically to mend the flesh around the deep chest wound. The sword probably missed his heart, but even that small saving grace wouldn't matter in a few moments.
A dark haired young man kneeled over him, cursing and yelling for someone to help, for something to save the person he himself had condemned to death. "Dammit, Naruto, don't talk like that!" He swore.
Naruto smiled shakily at Sasuke. His friend, brother, and now murderer. He had no idea why he didn't feel angry with the other man. Maybe that sort of thing relied on having a larger amount of blood coursing through his veins than what now resided in his body. "It'll... b-be okay, Sas... uke." He was fading, he knew it. Not even the chakra he had won when defeating Kyuubi could replace the blood fast enough. "I-I'm gonna die... And y-you? You'll... go back... to Konoha. R-right?" He coughed, and smiled weakly.
"Oh, God, Naruto. Don't talk like that. You'll be alright, dobe. We'll go back together. We'll go to Konoha, and you'll be healed." Sasuke said frantically. Why hadn't the dobe dodged the sword coming at him. Why had the blond let it pierce his body. Why did he even come after Sasuke in the first place. He was beyond redemption.
Naruto grabbed the Uchiha's shaking hand. He supposed the other man was so upset because, even if he thought he was aiming to kill the former jinchuuriki, he didn't really mean it. They had clashed so much since the day the Avenger ran away, it was almost a game now. A game with now apparent deadly consequences.
His vision blurred and tunneled around the edges, and he knew his end neared. He needed to say one last thing. Had to have someone hear his last words, and pass on the message. "T-tell.. tell... Kakashi-s-sensei... I'm sorry. I d-don't think I'll m-make... it to his... b-birthday." Another promise broken. But what was one more among the multitude that lay like shattered glass in his mind, cutting him with self-reproach?
With a sigh, life fled from the body of Naruto Uzumaki, as his killed hunched over his corpse sobbing with regret and clutching it to his chest, blood seeping heedlessly into his white and purple gi.
OoOoOoO
"Brat." A voice Naruto hadn't heard in about a year and a half echoed through the nothingness of the place the young man floated in. "So you, who defeated the King of Demons, will give up on your life, just like that?" There was a deep, growling undertone that Naruto would recognize anywhere.
"Kyuubi? I thought you went back to where ever it was you came from." Naruto called, looking around as if he could see the fox demon through the mist. He didn't question how he had gone from bleeding out on the floor of the forest to standing in a misty area, his body whole once more.
"We are where I came from, you idiot." Came the derisive reply from the yet-unseen demon. "Apparently it's fallen to me to deliver the news. I guess the Gods decided that you should be told by someone familiar, even if we did hate each other." And then a red fox trotted into view, stopping near the boy and sitting down with a sigh.
Naruto laughed lightly, crouching to be level with the animal that was so obviously unnatural. After all, how many foxes had nine tails that were currently whipping around the lithe body. "So what sort of news do you have for me. I assume I'm dead." He tilted his head, probably feeling a lot calmer about this than he should.
"Yeah, brat, you're dead." Kyuubi confirmed. "Shouldn't you, you know, be mourning your mortal life, or panicking, or... something?"
The Uzumaki shrugged. "I don't know. Should I?" He absently noted the interesting fact that even though Kyuubi was talking, he didn't open his maw.
The demon mimicked the motion ('Shouldn't that be anatomically impossible for a fox?' Naruto thought.) and said, "In my experience... yeah."
The teen laughed. "One more thing that makes me unique. So anyway... the news?" He prompted. "I expect it has something to do with the fact that I've stopped here, and met you in this limbo instead of moving on."
The fox nodded jerkily. "You've at least gained a few braincells since I left you. Yes, the Gods want me to present you with a choice. Apparently Lady Luck is forcing their hand, with Destiny right behind her. They want me to tell you that you have the choice to go back to when it would be most beneficial."
Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion. "So let me get this straight, not only are two formerly metaphorical beings campaigning for me, but they're letting me go back in time?"
Kyuubi lifted one fuzzy eyebrow. "Pretty big words for you, brat. But yeah, that's essentially it."
"So... I can either continue on to the great unknown, or go back in time, knowing what I do now, change the past, and terrorize the people who made my life hell?" Naruto said in a tone that made it clear what he would choose. He grinned maliciously and clapped his hands together. "Alright, how do we do this."
A thundering laugh rumbled from the barrel-like chest of the animal. "I told them there was not going to be a question. You may not like it, kid, but there's too much fox left in you to pass up on a chance to cause so much chaos. Alright. Close your eyes."
The teen complied. After a moment of silence, he called, "Okay, now what, Kyuubi?" There was no answer, but the smell of ramen filled his nose. Unable to bite back the curiosity, he oped his blue eyes, and was shocked to realize he was in his apartment.
"Wha-?"
The alarm clock on his bedside table let out it's pealing shriek, and the jumpy young man put a kunai in it before he could fully think about it. He rolled out of the bed, pulling the knife from the electronic workings of the unfortunate appliance, and used it to stab his own hand.
No a genjutsu, then, as the room in front of him didn't even waver. He went over to the wall calender, and almost laughed. It was a week before the genin exam.
The young man, once again a preteen, rubbed his hands together in the cliche manner that meant scheming. "Ooh, this is going to be fun!"
Will I continue this? Don't know. He got back in time, that was the only requirement. Maybe I will... I need to pull myself out of the 'one-shot ditch' after all. If I get good enough feedback, I'll continue.