Author's Note: Welcome to my very first fanfiction ever. As a fan of both series, I hope you'll come to enjoy this.

Off to a New World

Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke pressed their respective left and right hand together. It had been a mere few hours since their final battle; a battle which had cost each of them half an arm. Sasuke declared Naruto the victor of their battle and stood down from his position of what he deemed a true "Hokage" – the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village.

For Sasuke who had lived in darkness since the slaughter of his entire family, he believed the Hokage would run the world through the shadows. Controlling all who turned away from what he deemed the righteous path; it was an immortal life he was willing to sacrifice himself for.

Naruto heavily disagreed with that notion. For him, who had gained strength through the bonds of others, believed that the Hokage was someone who depended on others and others depended on them. The true Hokage was acknowledged by everyone and he acknowledged them in turn.

And so, the two ninja had clashed in a battle that would decide the fate of the world. For the title of Hokage and what it meant was actually a question of what it meant of be a ninja and thus did the two fight over it.

Naruto declared the victor and their arms healed by his female best friend, Haruno Sakura, did the two release the Infinite Tsukuyomi – an eternal illusion that all living beings were captured in to show their ideal life. Soon the world would reawaken to see the war against the fiend Uchiha Madara over with once and for all. Peace would return the Elemental Nations at last, and maybe even stronger than it ever was before.

However, it was not that simple. Uchiha Madara was not the true enemy but Otsutsuki Kaguya was; she was the beginning of chakra. With the combined effort of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, their former enemy, Uchiha Obito, and their ninja squad leader, Hatake Kakashi, she had been sealed along with her underling, the Black Zetsu.

It was the sealing of these two individuals that would change the outcome of Naruto's destiny for the rest of his life.

Upon releasing the powerful ninja art, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi found the world melting away. Their eyes widened in confusion and a bit of fear; Kaguya had the power to open other dimensions and they feared it would be the case once again. Even more so when they looked around to an infinitely white void; it was an entire world with nothing in any direction.

"Wh-what's going on?" Sakura asked.

"Kaguya's sealed so why…" Naruto asked as well.

"It is because you released the Infinite Tsukuyomi," a deep male voice said.

The four turned to see an extremely pale old man with shoulder length, spiky brown hair and blank white eyes. On his head was a red third eye with a ripple effect. He also had two horn-like protrusions on his forehead. This man was Otsutsuki Hagoromo, otherwise known as the Sage of Six Paths.

"You're still around?" Naruto asked. "I thought you already passed on, Gramps."

"That is what I had planned, but at the last second I sensed something amiss. I see it now; Kaguya – that is to say my mother – laid a final trap upon her sealing. Upon the four of you, she placed a powerful seal; one that would take you to a dimension even she could not normally reach without expanding far too much of her power.

"It was a cruel plan. The four of you will never be able to return to your home dimension like this. It had only been because my chakra had surrounded your persons that the four of you were not immediately thrown into another dimension, but with the release of the eternal illusion, my chakra has been all but removed from your systems."

"If that's the case, why weren't Sakura and I sent immediately?" Kakashi questioned. "No wait, is it because Naruto shared chakra with us during the fight against the Ten Tails?"

"I believe so," Hagoromo said. "However, now my protection is gone and her trap has been set."

Sasuke glared. "Is there nothing we can do?"

Hagoromo inclined his head. "As you can see, we are in a sort of interlude between dimensions. That is my doing. It is because there is a way but it is not a perfect solution. I can stop the transfer of all but one of you; that is to say, I must sacrifice one of you to leave this dimension to save the others."

The four ninja looked at him with pain in their faces. It was the first time in years that the four were reunited and happy to be with each other, and already it was to be cut short. It truly was a cruel trick.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto. "I see you already figured it out, Sasuke," Hagoromo said. "Yes, the one who must go is Naruto."

"What? Why?" Sakura asked a stricken look on her face. "Naruto is going to become Hokage. Everyone knows it. Can't you take me instead? I'm not as important as Naruto, Sasuke, or Kakashi-sensei; we can deal without me there."

"Don't be silly, Sakura," Kakashi chastised. "You are the future of the Leaf's medic ninja. I'm an old man and I've already been surpassed by my students. I'm not needed."

Sasuke scoffed. "If anyone isn't needed, it's me. I haven't been in the Leaf in four years; it can survive without me. I'm not needed there. Take me there, Old Man, I'll go in Naruto's place."

Hagoromo shook his head. "I am sorry, but it must be Naruto."

Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi looked down. "Why?" Sakura asked. "It's not fair. He's already done too much; he shouldn't have to sacrifice himself for us."

"In order for one person to travel alone, I must transfer my mother's chakra off of three of you and onto a single person. Such a thing will be heavily taxing on the body. Naruto is a Jinchuriki and the child of one as well. He has a piece of my mother's chakra in him from conception and has assimilated a great deal of it from Kurama into his system his whole life.

"His body is likely to not fight off the intrusion of my mother's chakra, and even recognize it. With that it should allow Naruto to freely take upon himself all of the chakra as he transfers dimensions. At least as long as Kurama is willing to go with him to take some of the burden."

Behind the four ninja, a giant nine tailed fox materialized them. His scarlet eyes looked oddly calm. "I planned to return to Naruto in the first place, Old Man," the fox said in a deep, calm voice. "It is where I belong or at least that's how I feel."

"But, it still isn't right!" Sakura insisted.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said at last, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright."

She rounded on him. "What about this is alright? You have a future here! Everyone wants to see you become Hokage. You have a girl waiting for your response to her confession waking up this very moment! You…you can finally be happy! Everyone has accepted you! We…I…we all need you."

Naruto looked at her tear filled face. "You still cry too easy, Sakura-chan." He looked at the mutinous face of his best friend and teacher. "It's alright. I'm not happy about it…but I can save you guys. You guys can be here and Sasuke can return to the Leaf. I want to return to, but if it has to be all or one, I'm okay being the one, ya know?"

"Naruto…" they muttered in unison.

"It sucks; I really wanted to be Hokage. Like, really, really wanted to be Hokage, but how can I be if I can't save my friends?"

Hagoromo shook his head. "I am sorry, but there is not much time. If Naruto is to take on the burden of my mother's technique, then we must make haste."

The three looked at Naruto sadly and Kakashi walked over to Naruto. He placed his hands on his shoulders, noting that Naruto was just about as tall as him now. His shoulders broad and strong; somewhere in these last few years, Naruto had become a man.

"Naruto, I'm very proud of you. Proud to be your teacher and friend and colleague," Kakashi said, smiling under his mask. "I want you to have something I keep on me, if that's all right?"

"Ooh, is a scroll about awesome techniques?" Naruto said childishly.

Kakashi chuckled. "No, unfortunately I don't carry those on me. This one is a bit more…personal."

Kakashi reached into the pouch he tied to his waste and pulled out a piece of paper. Naruto took and looked at it; a look of surprise appeared on his face. It was a photograph. On it was a dark haired boy with hair spiked in the back on the left wearing an irritable expression. In the center was a young pink haired girl looking happy, and on the right was a blue eyed, spiky blonde haired boy with three facial markings that looked like whiskers in all orange looking angry. On the heads of the two boys was the hands of a silver haired man whose headband covered his right eye; the man looked cheerful.

It was the picture the four took upon officially becoming Team Seven. Naruto had his own version at his apartment, framed on a nightstand. "Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi smiled. "I always keep a copy on me. Helps remind me what I'm fighting for. I know you don't have one with you so you can take that one. Don't forget us wherever you end up, okay?"

"Never," Naruto croaked. "Never ever."

Sasuke walked over to next. "Looks like this it, huh? No more chasing."

"I can't be Hokage so you better protect the village."

"You don't have to tell me that."

"I don't doubt it."

The two fell into silence for a moment. Since the two had been young, they have fought and wished for friendship. Now here they were ready to finally forge their true friendship and one was disappearing forever. It was very unfair, but then, the world has never been kind to these two.

Naruto orphaned as a child and hated for holding the fox demon within him. The other always second best to his brother and orphaned by that brother. No, the world has never been kind but they have learned as all ninja do – they must endure. Sasuke will endure the loss of his friend and Naruto the loss of his world.

"I got something for you, ya know," Naruto said, reaching into the pouch around his waist. He pulled out a headband with a metal sheet on it. Carved in the center of the metal was a spiral with a triangle to make it look like a leaf; across the center was a deep cut. It was Sasuke's old Leaf Village forehead protector and ninja badge. He had abandoned it upon turning traitor.

"You still have that thing?" Sasuke asked clearly surprised.

Naruto grinned. "Of course I do. It's your headband after all."

Sasuke smirked and took it. "Don't embarrass yourself out there, Loser."

"You too, Bastard."

Finally, Sakura walked up to him. "Sakura-chan," he whispered.

"I don't like this."

"I know."

"You were supposed to become Hokage."

"I know."

"Everybody's going to be upset," she said, tears in her eyes.

Naruto's face softened and he wiped her tears away. "It'll be okay. Everyone's tough and smart and strong, ya know? You'll get through it and I'll get through it. We're ninja after all."

Sakura closed her eyes, raised her hands to her heart, and took a shuddering breath. "Yeah, you're right. You'll see, we'll make things better and happy and you won't have to worry about us."

He nodded. "Sakura-chan, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Tell…Tell Hinata I'm sorry and that she should be happy."

Sakura nodded.

"Also, thank Iruka-sensei and Granny for everything they did for me. Oh and go to Ichiraku once and a while, and thank the owners for me. They really helped me when I was a kid, ya know?"

Sakura nodded again.

"And…And keep Sasuke in line. I'm not there to beat him up if he screws up again, so you have to do it."

Sakura's lip quivered and a tear fell from her eye. She grabbed Naruto and pulled him into a hug. "I'm going to miss you; you're my best friend."

Naruto wrapped his arms around her back. "You're my best friend too."

"Be safe and be happy."

"You too; don't let him get away again."

Hagoromo floated next to him as Sakura stepped back. "Now that everyone has said their goodbyes, I think it's time. Brace yourself, Naruto," he said. "Oh but first…"

Hagoromo touched Naruto's stumped right arm, and he felt the unpleasant feeling of his arm re-growing. This was not the first time Naruto had experienced this sensation; when he and Sasuke fought for the first time four years ago, he had stabbed Naruto straight through the chest. With the Nine Tails regenerative power, he was able to heal the entire wound without a trace left behind. Naruto also knew that it was possible for Hagoromo's chakra to do this since he had been able to re-grow Kakashi's eye just a few hours ago.

Hagoromo nodded at Naruto's arm. "There, your body having its full chakra system intact should make the burden of my mother's chakra far easier to bear."

Naruto looked at his hand and flexed his fingers. There was no discomfort so he nodded to Hagoromo. Hagoromo nodded, closed his eyes, and sent out a pulse of chakra around the four. At first, nothing happened but gradually a large aura of chakra pulsed around them. He placed a hand on Naruto's chest and sent three chakra arms around the others. The chakra grabbed the auras.

Quickly, the chakra seemed to pulse and fight the aura, but its power dominated it. The hand and the aura fused into one, and Hagoromo nodded in a satisfied manner. Slowly, like flowing water, the chakra aura started to flow up the chakra arm, through Hagoromo, and into Naruto. Naruto flinched and felt his hair stand on end.

The weight was heavy and crushing. The chakra was cold and detached. Kurama's chakra flared in his stomach and started to pull it towards him. The sudden weight in his stomach made it ache and he worried he'd throw up. Kurama could not take it all either, and he felt it spread through every inch of body. Right when he felt like he'd implode from the somewhat foreign yet familiar chakra, Hagoromo removed his hand from his body.

"There," he said and Naruto fell to his hands and knees. "Transfer complete. You must hurry, Naruto. The chakra will dispel as you transfer through dimensions."

Naruto nodded, grit his teeth, and stood up. He looked at the people he could call family and tried to grin. Unfortunately, the pain and weight turned it more into a grimace. Seeing their concerned looks, he took a deep, steady breath and smiled proudly.

"Well, See ya, Sasuke, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei!" he said and the aura enveloped within a blinding light.

Naruto shot off to who knows where, an unnoticed water droplet hit the ground. The three ninja watched as he became nothing more than a shooting star in an indecipherable sky. Sakura ran forward with waving an arm in the air.

"Take care, Naruto, and make us proud!" she yelled at the top of her voice.

Sasuke turned to Hagoromo. "So, what happens now?"

"I shall return you to the physical world and, well, the future is up to you to decide. Your ancestors shall rest now. Farewell."

As abruptly as they appeared in the white void, they just as abruptly returned to the world. Their world was saved but it cost them a hero. The three were determined to make a world he would never worry about. That was their determination.

And, their determination paid off over the years. Kakashi shortly became the Sixth Hokage and held the office for twenty years until handing the reins over to Sarutobi Konohamaru. Sakura set forth to become a legendary medical ninja, and her teaching and discoveries would be the foundation for the greatest innovation the medical field ever saw in the ninja world. Sasuke would spend a couple years travelling the world and ridding it of the remnants of Kaguya's will. Soon he would return to the Leaf Village and marry Sakura as she always dreamed. The two would have a daughter named Uchiha Sarada and she would grow to become the Eighth Hokage.

Sakura kept her promise to Naruto and told Hinata his words. She was devastated and moped for a year until one night when she lamented her feelings over a glass of alcohol to a visiting Cloud Ninja. He was quiet and kind and he listened to her words. The two would form a friendship and eventually a romance would blossom. He was very understanding when she named her eldest son Naruto.

Time was pervasive and carried on. The Five Great Ninja Villages would form an everlasting peace, preventing those who would seek to start a war. In each village, they erected a statue of Uzumaki Naruto and taught his history in school. His name and beliefs became the foundation of this world. His birthday was an international holiday celebrated by all.

Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi, of course, would go to Ichiraku Ramen and order four bowls. Some years others would join, but those closest to Naruto all had their own ways of remembering him. And, as the years passed and Kakashi passed away, Sasuke and Sakura would still order four bowls, and then Sasuke alone would order four.

And, then at the age of one hundred and five, Sasuke would pass away one day after Naruto's birthday. He was surrounded by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The smile on his face never left as he took his final breath.

That would be the ending to those left behind, but Naruto would find himself on a different journey in a whole new world.

pg. 8