Like walking up a rushing river, trying to go back in time is against nature and it would just be so much more pleasant to just drift with it. But sometimes, that river leads to a waterfall, and you're just too young to die.
With a heaving chest and sweat dripping from his brows, Naruto forced himself to his knees, or what's left of them. His right leg is missing up to his mid thigh, and left hip pulled out of socket and numb as the several pinched veins restrict blood from it. His right arm is laying in a liquid mess behind him, his shoulder half cleaved off. Blood forms a shell over his disfigured body, hardening to a tack. Naruto bites into his bottom lip, blood drips from the puncture wounds and trail down his dirtied chin. With a quick swipe of his left hand, the only thing keeping him from falling over, he gathers the blood and wipes it on an outlaid scroll. Black ink pluses purple as the wine colored liquid soaks the paper. Naruto shoves his hand down on the page, a grunt of pain leaving his lips as he for a brief moment leans on the stump of his right leg. He forces a pulse of chakra through his hands, his now purple chakra follows the ink till the seal is completely outlined in chakra.
"Here goes everything."
With a mutter now fallen from his bloodied mouth, Naruto vanishes. The flowers he was sitting on perk up, their broken stems perfectly straight and grass now moving in the breeze. His memory, and complete presence gone from this dimension. No one would remember the name Naruto.
Clear cerulean blue eyes open the moment his feet make contact with a branch. Chakra sticks him to the thick bark and he's already concealing all signs of himself. With a quick glance over himself, a sign of relief leaves his mouth. The bite marks there, but more like scars than fresh wounds. His limbs are back, their tattoos humming with power. He feels his left leg respond as he wiggles his toes, and his soul weighs with the power of the Kyubi. He really did it. He really went back.
Not even two second later his finely tuned ears pick up the sound of orders and feet marching. His mind reels, just how far back did he go and where is he now? Deciding to figure it out, Naruto melds into the nature around him and hunts them down. He quickly finds the army of Iwa shinobi, all ready with weapons and muttering among themselves about the future fall of Konoha.
'Did I not go back far enough?'
His chest clenches at thought of failing, of letting them all die again. But over hears something which throws him further through a loop.
"Damn, Yellow Flash. I'll skin him alive for what he did."
'I went back to the Yellow Flash? Guess I'll be setting up my plans sooner than expected.'
Naruto followed the army beneath their own feet, his entire presence hidden from detection. With trained eyes, he watches as they slow to a creeping pace before suddenly the blaring shout of 'attack' is announced. Iwa shinobi pounce. The Konoha shinobi are nothing but a cushion for their blades as their enemies fall from the cliff above. Naruto watches through the earth with indifferent eyes, he already knows the outcome of the war. The fourth will be dispatched near the end and wipe out thousands or men and women in a single night, go back home and drink with his buddies and tell their war stories, ignoring the children now wondering when would mommy and daddy come home.
He also knows of the casualties Iwa slaughtered on their way to the cliff. A thousand civilian women and children torn away from their small villages and hung from tree branches as a sign. Naruto had met with a man who had the job of plucking their raped bodies from the forest. He had killed himself after he began hearing voices.
The blonde watches from his hidden home as the Yellow Flash is unleashed. His eyes follow the man's movements with ease. He hummed over the fact that the stories he heard were simply exaggerated when they said he moved at the speed of light. But he couldn't deny it was fast. Bodies dropped like flies. Blood paints the trees and screams die like water when a hose is kinked. A low whistle leaves Naruto's lips as the fourth flicks his hair back and wipes the blood splatter from his cheek. Though the whistle, to the outside, sounds like a howling wind. The few surviving Konoha shinobi jump for joy, wide smiles dismiss the stench of death and heavy weight of murder in seconds. He listens to their conversation, intent on gathering information.
"I think that's the last of them, we lost all our sensors so I'm not completely certain."
The fourth speaks like a rich boy, Naruto notes.
"Well it's gotta be the last of em', cause I'm not fighting another herd of these bastards."
'Ah, gotta love the average shinobi.'
"Sanji, be respectful to the dead, you asshole."
A woman chides her companion, though a small smile lines her face showing she's clearly happy with the outcome.
"Let's head back to camp, I need to rest."
The others nod with the man and follow after him. Naruto swims through the earth, following their chakra till he, and them, reach the camp. The scene they come across is just like the one they left. Bodies litter the forest floor like discarded toys. Blood soaks the earth while a coppery scent taints the air.
"Minato, who-"
"Iwa, a team probably stumbled across our camp and ambushed it. Check for survivors and anyone missing."
Minato orders them in a stern voice. The two quickly jump to please their savior. They roll and check the identities of those dead in camp. Of course there's no survivors, Naruto can tell from their lack of chakra and a pulse.
"Sir, miss Sakura is missing!"
Naruto jerks hearing the name. It's been years since he had heard that name spoken by anyone other than himself. Images of her red stained Sakura blossom hair splayed across her death bed flash in his mind. Though he knows it's not his Sakura, he feels a desire to get this one back as well. The woman exits one of the tents with a headband in hand.
"This is hers, the tears suggest it was torn off her neck."
With a gust of wind, Naruto picks up the scent and already moving towards it. The terrain of the battle ground changes every kilometer he travels. From plateaus with steep cliffs, to rolling plains with rice fields. Thick forests with large clearings and even larger mountains also cover the battle field. Naruto travels through it all easily, the earth providing little resistance as he swims through it. Naruto travels what would take others days or weeks to traverse, only minutes.
He slows only when he approaches a Iwa shinobi camp. The scent of this time's Sakura is thick here, but the scent of sex, sweat, and blood cloud it. Naruto's blood boils at the thought of what's happening. A woman's high pitches screams cut through the light laughter coming from a cave opening near the camp. Light flickers from within the cave, and laughter grows.
Naruto doesn't wait for the next to move. Whilst within the earth he enters the caves wall, a single blade in hand as his arm exits the wall and cuts through the man's neck. He easily takes out the few guards standing near the mouth of the cave. Their blood staining his knife and gloved fingers.
With four bodies laying lifeless on the floor, Naruto enters the cave to find a woman with pale pink hair with her hands tied behind her back, laying on the ground with her face pushed into the stone.
Three men surround the woman. Her screams muffled and gargled as her mouth is forcefully filled. It doesn't take even a second for Naruto to exit the cave walls and eliminate them. Their heads slam to the ground, skull splitting apart on impact. The woman sobs, her body aches and throbs with the atrocities committed against her.
Naruto immediately extends his chakra, the blue energy wraps around the one as he cuts the rope binding her. She soon calms down, mostly due to the relaxing nature of Naruto's blue chakra. Strips of clothing do nothing to hide her body, so Naruto strips of his jacket. The large clothing drowns her torso and provides warmth.
"W-who are you?"
The woman's voice is rich, more womanly than than her appearance suggests. Her tanned skin it littered with pale scars, purple bruises, and numerous abrasions, mostly on her chin, knees and hands. her narrowed charcoal eyes stare at him with a razors edge that only a victim melting with distrust can have.
"I'm a friend, I won't hurt you I promise."
Sakura glares at the man with distrust. The comforting blanket of chakra around her tells her she can trust him, but she's been wronged too many times.
"If it makes you feel better, you can have this."
Naruto tosses a kunai at her, it lands a few centimeters from her knees. Her shaky hand grasps the blade, her years living in this war come back as her grip tightens. The comfort of the blanket and the weapon soothes the unrest quaking in her bones.
"Okay, I know where your camp is and I'd like to bring you back there. Are you okay with me holding you? I'd rather you not strain your body. Minato, Sanji, and another woman are there, or are searching for you."
Sakura nods, just wanting to return to Konoha and get some help.
"You can dispel the blanket, I know it drains your chakra extremely fast. You'll need it if we encounter enemies."
Naruto smiles at her, a comforting gesture.
"Don't worry about, I'm kinda a beast when it comes to chakra."
Naruto smoothly picks the woman up, his jacket covering her body for modesty. Sakura briefly smiles as Naruto takes to the trees, his pace fast and constant.
"What's your name?"
"Naruto Kozume formally, but I'm used to going by Kurama, and yours?"
"Sakura Itagaki, thank you."
"It's no problem. Besides, you remind me of a girl I used to like. I couldn't see her go through what she did again."
"So she was also... assaulted?"
The almost content gleam in Naruto's fades, the memories of finding Sakura's body sends shiver of fury and self loathing throughout his body. Sakura holds the kunai a little closer, feeling the change in the chakra surrounding her. She can feel the emotions this man had experienced, suddenly, it doesn't feel too warm anymore. A whimper escapes her mouth, the small noise in the near silent forest snaps Naruto from his inner thoughts.
"Sorry, it's a long story."
Naruto's voice is hallow, like he's speaking from behind a mask, Sakura notes. The warmth is back, and this time, it stays.
The pair arrive at the empty camp, the bodies gone but their blood stains still linger. Naruto sets Sakura near the fire, the chakra blanket now filtering the fire's heat and it's own for the best temperature for her. Sakura snuggles into the softness of it, in wonder at the control Naruto has over it. She remembers reading a scroll about the ease of forming the blanket but the strain it puts on chakra reserves, and how easily it can cook something alive, or freeze it. For Naruto to be able to filter heat and keep her body at the perfect temperature, he must be extremely skilled.
"I cleaned up a tent if you want to sleep. I'm sorry I couldn't take you back to Konoha, seeing as I don't know quite where we are, and I don't want to worry your captain."
"Too late, who the hell are you?"
Minato's voice is frigged, but his breath is warm against Naruto's upper back. A kunai is held against his neck, near the previous throat slit of his previous time line. Naruto forces the memory of his attempted murder back down in turn of raising his hands slowly and speaking.
"Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear. I found Sakura in a cave being tortured by Iwa shinobi, and being me, with a major hero complex, I saved her. You're welcome."
"Why should I believe you-"
"Minato, he's telling the truth. He rescued me and brought me back. He's not plotting against us, and if he is then I take complete responsibility for any of his actions."
"Where are your clothes?"
Minato presses the cold steel against Naruto's throat as he questions Sakura.
"Uh-"
"Sir, with all due respect, I believe Sakura has a right to not tell you if she wishes."
Naruto could see the growing terror and disgust in the woman's eyes, he sends another pulse of chakra through the blanket. Sakura relaxes almost instantly as the blanket's color becomes a cloudy pastel blue and the emotions radiating from it intensify. With the color now solid, her near naked body is safe from prying eyes.
"Thank you, Naruto."
"I told you, no problem. Now if princess here could lower the kunai, I would be happy."
Minato hardens his glare against the man but drops his arm. Holding a kunai to a man's throat who is much taller than you is a pain anyway.
"Sanji and Kogome will be back in a few. In the mean time, I want to know everything there is about you, Naruto."
Naruto rolls his eyes at the man's tone but complies, with lies of course.
"I'm formally Naruto Kozume, but I'm used to going by Kurama, call it a nickname or something. I'm just a man who picked up some skills from some rather talented individuals and has a little grudge against Iwa for killing a few of my precious people. I'd like to join you against Iwa, if I can."
Minato stares the man down, judging everything from his blue eyes, to clothing. His dirty blonde hair is long, reaching his shoulders if let down. His skin is tan, but looks more genetically tanned and not sun kissed. He's tall, easily clearing a hundred and ninety centimeters, but his body isn't bulky. He seems to be built for combat but can easily switch to speed and stealth.
His clothing is also weird, more civilian than shinobi. His shirt consists of a long sleeved black shirt with a pair of fitted dark blue sweat pants. His shoes are standard issue ANBU black sandal, but their closed toes. black bandages wrap around his hands and fingers, and quite possibly more of his body. He knows Naruto is leaving something out, but he doesn't call him out on it, not in front of Sakura who obviously trusts this man whole heartily.
"Alright, I'm Minato, you will only refer to me as Captain though."
"Alright, princess."
Naruto laughs as he dodges a thrown kunai. He can already tell he got his loud and hyperactive personality from his mom. True to Minato's word, Sanji and Kogome return minutes later. Both are panting and swearing up a storm as they near camp. Naruto flinches as he can hear them from literally a kilometer away. Minato frowns as they stumble, making plenty of noise, back into camp. He just had to be stuck with these two, didn't he?
"Yo, Minato! Who's this? Is he an enemy? Want to take him? I bet I could."
Sanji yells with a blade in hand as he breaks the tree line into camp. Naruto simply snorts at the sad excuse for a shinobi. Though he's thankful for the comic relief.
"Sanji, shut up. He retrieved Sakura for us."
"Oh, hey Sakura-chan. Why are you bundled up in a Chakra Comfort Cushion?"
Sakura rolls her eyes at the obviously love sick fool. Naruto winces at the painfully familiar attitude.
"I'm still a little in shock, so Naruto-kun made it to help calm me down."
Sakura replies smoothly, her annoyance easily soothed away by the blanket. Kogome plops herself down next to Sakura, close enough to gain some of the effects of the blanket.
"Damn, Naruto, you're amazing at this jutsu. I wish my sensei was this good. You are a sensei, right?"
Naruto perks up at his name, but quickly shakes his head.
"No, I'm not even a Jounin."
"You're kidding? This is a Jounin rank jutsu for the amount of chakra it takes, and how are you not panting from chakra exhaustion?"
"I've always had large chakra reserves. This is actually a jutsu I can keep up for hours with ease."
Naruto says with a nervous laugh. Minato narrows his eyes at the man. The Chakra Comfort Cushion is a jutsu which demands so much chakra that not even he could hold it up for more than a couple minutes. Being able to hold it up for hours is unheard of.
"Nice, spread it over to me, please."
Naruto nods before sending more chakra to the blanket. The cloudy blue mass engulfs Kogome.
"Oh man, this is some good shit. It reminds me of my Genin days."
A nostalgic smile over takes Kogome's lips. Her gaze gets lost in the shifting clouds within the blanket and before anyone notices, her head falls to Sakura's shoulder and she's fast asleep.
Sakura falls soon after, the warmth and comfort of the blanket and being near her team is too much for her to stay awake. Her head leans on Kogome's.
Naruto smiles from his seat, remembering the nights spent out in the woods with his team back when he was still a Genin. Of course, it had only been him, Sakura, and Kakashi for the longest while before Jiraiya had taken him on his training trip. One of them would be on watch for a pathetic C rank mission and eventually fall asleep, even Kakashi, since it was so boring. They eventually just stopped saying they were on watch and just slept.
Images of their mangled corpses invade his thoughts. Kakashi's tortured corpse slowly dropped off in chunks to his doorstep every week. At first it had started with a finger, then a toe, till he had all ten of each. Then he got a foot without toes. Then fingerless hands. Then slowly, two inch thick sections of legs and arms till finally, Kakashi's head was sitting on his doorstep, mask torn, eyes missing, and headband shoved down his throat.
Sakura's death had been similar in the fact she suffered. Naruto, along with Lee and Tenten, had found her body, naked and broken laying in a valley. Her face was permanently stuck in one of horror and pain. Tears dried on her pale cheeks, and blood flowing from her mouth. Later evaluation showed her throat had been sodomized by sticks, the handles of kunai, and several penises. Her breasts were cut off, legs pulled out of socket, and written in her own blood, "Konoha's slut," on her chest. Naruto had hunted down the Iwa shinobi and done nearly the same to them, only with the sharp end of the kunai.
"Kozume, you look like you need some sleep. I'll take first watch."
"Thank you, Minato."
'Maybe tonight will be different.'