chapter 1

awaking in a strange location

Sasuke groggily opened his heavy eyes and realized with a start that he was not where he had fallen asleep.

He wasn't stupid or new to this kind of thing so it didn't take him long to work out that he was in a hospital. Connected to tubes and he had a breathing mask.

He didn't even remember getting beaten so badly.

He tried to get up but found himself that his muscles were tight and he had a hard time moving.

After working out that he wasn't gonna get up anytime soon he tried to move his arm to at least take off the goddammed mask but, like the rest of his body, his arm was heavy and he couldn't move it.

Oh come on this is embarrassing! He though pull yourself together!

He tried moving his arm again and somehow –out of sheer will- he managed to move it.

Very slowly he got it to his face and he realized with a start that it was not his arm.

Oh no! He thought what is this? Some kind of horror movie? A nightmare? It has to be! Is it Kabuto? Oh I bet it's that bitch Kabuto!

He pulled hard and managed to get the mask off his face then once again attempted to get up.

He fell back down with a thud but had gotten a look at himself.

It wasn't his body either.

This is just great he thought

He looked around the room and managed to spot a mirror in the corner

I have to he thought no matter what!

Once again he attempted to get up and this time succeeded

He slowly shuffled across the room until he reached the mirror

He looked into it and heard a gasp as a woman entered the room

She was in her early twenties and had short pink hair and turquoise eyes.

'Sasuke! What are you doing? How are you...? NURSE!'

He stared at her in wonder

'S... Sakura?' he choked 'h... how did this happen?'

'Sasuke get back in bed! I have no idea how you got the strength to walk around but you shouldn't!'

'No! Tell me what happened! I'm.... different'

'Well that's what happens when you've been in a coma for ten years Sasuke'

---

Ten years

Sasuke was lying in his 'home' (the hospital bed he'd been in for the last ten years) thinking about the whole conversation he'd had with the strangely grown up Sakura

'Sakura... please tell me what happened'

'Not until you get back into bed! I don't know where you got all this strength from but soon you are going to fall o...'

She was cut off by Sasuke losing his balance and falling into her arms

'I'm... sorry. I didn't mean to...'

'No it's ok... just get into bed'

She carried him over to the bed but he struggled out her grip, muttering at how he could do it himself. Then he fell over again and landed on the bed.

'Well that is one way to do it' Sakura commented

He 'hn'ed at her and she sighed.

He may look older but he's still the same old Sasuke

'So now that I'm lying down will you tell me what happened?'

'Don't you want to get comfortable first?'

He was still lying on his stomach where he had fallen and didn't appear to be moving any time soon.

'No I'm quite comfortable' he lied

Sakura sighed and went to help him. He struggled against her again and she was losing her calm

'Look Sasuke. You have been in bed for ten years! You have to accept that you aren't very strong due to lack of food and training so you may need to suck up your lousy pride and shove it, coz I'm helping you whether you like it or not! And where is that nurse??!?'

Sasuke was shocked. The last time he had seen her she was confessing her undying love to him, and now here she was, yelling at him for not accepting her help

'I'm sorry Sakura... please. Tell me'

She looked down at him and was totally shocked.

He was pleading with her! Puppy-dog eyes and all! Something was wrong here

'Sasuke?'

'Come on! Even that didn't work? It would've worked on you three years ago!'

'I'm sorry Sasuke but puppy-dog eyes just aren't very cute on a 25 year old man with a beard who is in serious need of a haircut, also it was more like thirteen years ago'

'Fine. Get me a kunai and then tell me what happened'

She walked out of the room and returned ten minutes later with a tray of food.

'I grabbed you some food. As well as a razor and some scissors'

He was puzzled.

'What are scissors?' he asked

She stared at him for a few minutes then realized he was serious. She decided to ignore that.

'I saw the nurse. He was going to come with me but I told him that you might just want to be alone for now. So eat before he wants to examine you'

'He...?' he started to question but she glared at him so he shut up and ate furiously, mumbling a small 'thank you'

'Hey ease off. You don't want to make yourself sick. Anyone would think you haven't eaten in ten years'

He paused for a second and glared at her

'I don't find that very funny'

'Well I do. Ok tell me you know how to use a razor' she held up the foreign object and Sasuke stared at it blankly

'Oh boy... this could be difficult...'

------

Ten painful minutes later Sasuke was clean shaven and duck-but-haired once again.

'Oh wow...' said Sakura when she saw him

'What?' he asked, annoyed and feeling extremely violated

'Nothing it's just... wow'

He was now frustrated so he pushed himself up and walked towards the mirror.

'Oh wow' he gasped 'is that me?'

Hollow cheeks, pale skin, dull eyes and hair.

All traces of his once flawless and beautiful face were gone.

'I'm...' although he had always appeared flippant he did actually care what he looked like. He took pride in his appearance and this was unacceptable.

'Do you want to take a shower or something?'

He sighed. He wanted a shower but he was a ninja and ninjas always got the info first

'No. Tell me what happened. Last time I checked I was 15 and living with Orochimaru. What Happened?'

'Huh? Orochimaru? But... he's dead... he has been for... oh right'

'What happened?'

'Well we infiltrated his lair ten years ago. Orochimaru was killed and we tried to bring you back but you resisted. Naruto... he was long gone. Five tails. He knocked you out, although none of us knew how serious it was. He hasn't been able to forgive himself'

'Serves him right, how dare he'

Suddenly she slapped him

He looked at her, confusion evident in his eyes.

'How dare you! You've been in this world for an hour. You have no idea what he's been through.'

'Where is he now?'

She shrugged with a sad smile.

'Who knows anymore?'

He was about to ask when a nurse entered, a strangely familiar looking nurse with brown hair and a warm smile.

'Hey there Sasuke. Haven't spoken in a while'

Sasuke looked puzzled.

'Do I know you?'

'Well I guess it'd be right that you don't recognise me... you haven't seen me in what... 13 years? And I have lost a little weight'

'Chougi?' Sasuke was... shocked. 'Why are you a male nurse? Last time I checked you were a ninja...'

Suddenly his face hardened.

'I don't do that anymore' he said with genuine sadness in his eyes. 'I'm here to examine you. Sakura said you might feel more comfortable if it was someone you... kinda knew'

'oh ok... thanks' Sasuke was amazed at how many times he had said thanks that day, it was probably more than he had in the entire 15 years... sorry 25 years of his life, then suddenly he remembered someone 'oh shit'

'What what is it?' asked Sakura

'Where's Tsunade? Oh shit! She's gonna have my ass!' he was genuinely scared now

Both Chougi's and Sakura's faces fell then and he knew straight away.

'How?' he asked

'We'd prefer not to say'

'Well then, who is Hokage now? Jiraiya?'

'No, Iruka. Jiraiya's....' she didn't need to finish. He understood.

'So uh... when can I go outside?'

'When you are strong enough.'

'Oh come on! I'm strong enough now'

They kinda stared at him for a few minutes.

'Maybe a couple of days rest is in order...' he muttered

After that Chougi had checked his vitals and stats then left him to his own devices after showing him where the bathroom was.

Sasuke was a bit stronger now and was able to move around on his own at least so he decided to take a shower.

He scrubbed his hair and skin furiously, trying to get himself clean. He had no idea why but he felt so dirty.

He walked out of the shower and grabbed a towel; he dried himself off and rubbed his hair.

He noticed that Sakura had brought him some clothes hat actually fit and would be more comfortable -some trackies and a tee shirt- so he put them on and finished semi-drying his hair.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he noticed that he looked a lot better than he had an hour ago, before eating and showering.

He still looked pale, but he knew the best cure for that so he put some pillows on his bed and jumped out his open window.

'Let's see what 2019 thinks of me' he muttered