Disclaimer: Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto
Akai Ito
by theClosetPoet7
Summary: He supposes that nothing will ever change the red string of fate no matter how many times he is reincarnated. He'll always have a monster inside him. Itachi dies a hero. And Sasuke and Sakura are always meant to be together.
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." - Chines Proverb
Chapter One
In Tokyo
The first time it happens, it takes him five years to realize that he isn't in some alternate dimension that Uchiha Sasuke can gain access to. Or perhaps it was, but not one the Rinnegan wielder can open. Besides, his best friend had died five years before this happened.
When he opens his eyes, he realizes that they are too weak, and everything he sees is all blurry. And it doesn't take him one second to discover that he has somehow soiled his pants. When he shouts in exclamation, it astonishes him even more when no words come out of his mouth. Instead, quiet whimpers and then a full blown burst of tears comes out. It is then when he realizes that he is wailing like a newborn babe.
"Shhh, Naruto-chan, let Mama take care of you."
Somehow, his anxiety is alleviated when a woman, with long straight red locks takes him into her arms and cuddles him until his cries subside into quiet hiccups.
'Kaa-san.'
He knows this person.
Had given her one last hug before she disappeared into bright streams of fairy lights. But not without telling him.
"I love you."
He coos.
"My sweet, sweet baby boy."
And his consciousness fades into nothingness.
It isn't until his seventh birthday when he finally understands that he is in another life. Another life where ninjas were somehow a thing of centuries past. A life where he isn't hokage. A life where all he needs to worry about was getting wet from the rain as he kicks a ball to reach a goal, a life where he gets scolded for eating too much ramen or candy during something called "Valentines Day". A life where his parents are alive, and even though he is grateful for that, everything seems mundane and boring because for some reason, he can't form a single kage bunshin.
.
.
.
It turns around when he meets Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura for the first time.
He can't find Hinata.
He can't find his wife.
That's something he worries about all the time. Because in his mind, this world is too big. Sure Konoha had trains when he was hokage. And when Uchiha Sarada had taken over after Konohamaru's reign, he had read about a research on building a ship that can sail beyond the skies. Nothing surprised him anymore. When he was eighteen, he had gone to a place similar to what his successor had described: endless black, the lack of what they had called gravity, and billions of possibilities.
Sasuke had become a pioneer of doing more research on it, with Sakura by his side, until she passed, exactly a year before his bestfriend's death.
He shakes his head to forget about the painful memories.
About his other life.
He takes a deep breath.
"Whoa, that seemed serious, is something bothering you?"
The young blonde slumps in his seat.
"Dobe."
"Dobe."
A soft knuckle makes contact with the top of his head.
"Is everything okay Naruto?"
Her green eyes look worried, and the fact that the emotion she shows is so genuine and so lovely, makes his heart flutter a little. Sakura-chan will always be beautiful in his opinion, though still brawny, and aggressive when it came down to it. He shyly notes the tiny preview of her cleavage as she leans over his table, and the shiny pink of her lips as she chews on it while she waits for his reply.
He had apparently been staring at his window for too long when the school bell signaled dismissal time.
His two bestfriends are gathered around his table with concern in their eyes.
Sasuke is wearing a blue sweater over his uniform today, with a dark red scarf wrapped around his neck. Naruto briefly notes the fact that it doesn't look professionally made and that his best friend has been using it for over three years already.
Sakura, who is also wearing a blue sweater shivers when a cool breeze comes in from the window. Sweeping her hair onto one side, and a hand holding over her checkered skirt down from the wind, the pinkette tilts her head to regard him again.
"It's so cold. Why are you sitting by the window?"
"I was thinking."
"I don't believe that."
He glares at his bestfriend who had a teasing smirk on. A sight he is still thankful for after all his best friend had gone through.
Uchiha Itachi had passed ten months ago. One dark night, he had come home from University College, only to encounter a woman who was being harassed by a gang. One thing led to another, and the next thing he knew, Naruto was driving fast to the hospital with Sakura crying on the passengers seat as they made their way towards the hospital where Itachi was in surgery from multiple gun shot wounds.
He didn't make it.
And a little part of his bestfriend had died that night as well.
It took some time.
There was anger.
A lot of it.
And even the desire to move to another town but somehow, Sasuke had stayed.
Naruto has no idea exactly what went on between his two friends.
Maybe it had something to do with Sakura suddenly disappearing one night, only to return the following morning with Sasuke in tow, a pretty blush adorning her cheeks and a firm hand holding her long time crush's pale one.
"I miss Hinata."
"Eh? who's that?"
He berates himself for letting it slip.
For some reason, it seems that his teammates have no recollection of their former life, though this life is somewhat similar to it. They had been assigned to a permanent group for class projects. Kakashi was their homeroom teacher, still with the nasty habit of coming in late and reading porn under the guise of a book on dogs. The rest of his former classmates were here, but Hinata wasn't. It tugs his heart a little when he thinks about how much he misses her and their kids, though he knows he won't be seeing Boruto and Himawari until he meets with her in this world.
He lives in what is called Japan and is therefore Japanese. He knows that the world is super big than what he formerly thought, people needed planes to go to other countries, you cannot travel to other villages on foot anymore unless you want to exhaust your body. And he is eighteen years old.
"Ne, Naruto, who is Hinata?"
He pulls himself out of this funk, he feels like there is always something that turns his day sour without him intending it. It was a constant loneliness he had before, but it is different this time because although he is happy and bubbly on the outside, there is something he knows is still missing.
It eats away at him everyday.
"It's nobody."
The other two look at each other with confusion on their faces.
"Let's go get ramen today."
His mood swiftly turns up.
"Eeeeeh, you mean that teme?"
"Aa."
"Great! let's go!"
He gathers his things in his arms and messily shrugs his jacket on and wraps his arms around both his friends.
It is something he should be grateful for. The fact that they are here.
He jogs the rest of the way to his favorite ramen stand, briefly noting the fact that his companions are a few paces behind him with fingers laced.
A big grin graces his lips.
He supposes that nothing will ever change the red string of fate even in this life.
He'll always have a monster inside him.
Itachi dies a hero.
And Sasuke and Sakura are always meant to be together.
.
.
.
"Hey Naruto, I heard from Kakashi sensei that we're getting a transfer student tomorrow."
-fin
Author's Note: Okay, so this is a series of one shots that will feature a take on the gang in various lifetimes. Point of view will mostly be from Naruto and his side of Sasuke and Sakura's relationship in each life. Maybe there will be some of Sasuke and Sakura POVs. I already have so many scenarios in my head!
R&R!
