I do not own these characters, Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda do. Go read or watch their stuff if you haven't already.

This fic is inspired by Our Oath, Our Path, Our Future by Aoi24

3,018 words.


Uchiha Sasuke was exhausted. Three days of endless combat had driven him to his limit; even standing was a difficult task. But he had to keep moving. If he stopped running the enemy would catch up to him, and he was in no shape to fight. Not anymore.

As he ran through the forest, Sasuke couldn't stop thinking of what had happened. Madara had betrayed him. That lying bastard had just stabbed him in the back, discarded him like he was nothing! And Naruto…

Naruto had beaten him.

It didn't make sense! Naruto was nothing, just some dead last loser dependent on the demon living within him. It shouldn't have been possible! Sasuke was an Uchiha! His eyes, his rage should have made him invincible!

But he wasn't. Naruto had beaten him. And then he still had enough strength to fight, even defeat Uchiha Madara. Then Madara had used the last of his power to send everyone around him away, the final curse of a bitter old, defeated dog.

But where had he sent them?

They had been fighting in the ruins of the final Akatsuki base at night. The shattered remnants of the moon were continuing to shine in the dark, cloudless sky. But now… now it was day, they were in a forest filled with trees Sasuke had never seen before. The sky was filled with gray storm clouds, with no sunlight to be seen.

But Sasuke couldn't worry about that right now, he needed to move. He needed to get as far away from the corpses of Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Madara as he could, or that damn kid would catch up to him.

A few hours ago, hell, a few minutes ago Sasuke wouldn't have had to worry about the brat. But he was still weak from the last moments of his fight with Naruto; even a brat like this could take him down now, when he moved his body screamed in agony.

Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted as he felt a kunai pierce his shoulder, causing him to stumble. He could barely even feel the knife as it pierced his flesh or the impact of the ground as he landed face first. He was already in so much pain; a few more minor injuries were nothing.

Damn it! How had he caught up so quickly? Exhausted and injured as he was, Sasuke still should've been able to get away from the brat. Or at least sense him coming.

Sasuke could feel a light drizzle of rain begin to fall. The last Uchiha ignored the pain as he struggled to his feet, and turned to face his enemy.

He stood high upon a tree branch, another kunai in his hand and a look of fury in his eye. He was covered in blood and sweat, wounded and exhausted from the battle he had been fighting only a few minutes before. But compared to Sasuke's, his wounds were nothing, and Sasuke knew that Sarutobi Konohamaru would have no trouble finishing what Naruto had started.

"You bastard," Konohamaru said, panting. "I'm going to kill you. You're going to pay for what you've done, for all the people you've killed!"

Sasuke stared in disbelief. He would pay? For what? The only people he had killed were those who had gotten in the way of his revenge. They deserved to die! He deserved revenge!

For a brief moment, all of Sasuke's physical pain was gone, forgotten in the face of his rage. He screamed in anger as he leapt at Konohamaru, ripping the kunai out of his shoulder. In a moment he was up on the branch with the brat, and thrusting the kunai towards Konohamaru's heart.

Konohamaru ducked beneath the clumsy stab, and responded by aiming the other kunai right at the older boy's throat. But Sasuke leapt backwards to avoiding the attack.

Just as he landed on the ground, Sasuke looked up to see Konohamaru fling the kunai right at him. Sasuke quickly knocked aside the weapon with his own, and then his eyes widened as Konohamaru himself leaped through the air straight at him.

Too tired to dodge again, Sasuke attempted to strike with the kunai again. But Konohamaru caught Sasuke's wrist with his left hand and brought up his right in a fist.

The punch hit Sasuke right in the face. He managed to roll away at the last second, but it was still a solid hit. Sasuke dropped the kunai as Konohamaru followed up with another punch, this one hitting the stomach.

Blood flew from Sasuke's month as Konohamaru launched a barrage of punches, each managing to connect. Too exhausted to dodge again, Sasuke could offer no resistance as the genin pummeled him. He thought he could hear Konohamaru screaming something in rage, but he couldn't understand what was being said.

After what seemed like an eternity, the punches stopped. Sasuke was on the ground, the drizzling rain had become heavy, and the dirt beneath him was getting muddy. Sasuke tried to get up, but he couldn't move.

Konohamaru suddenly appeared above him, once again holding a kunai. He held it high above his head with both hands, ready to bring it down on the last Uchiha. Sasuke looked up at the boy who was going to kill him.

There was a flash of light in the clouds as Sarutobi Konohamaru's kunai began to descend towards Uchiha Sasuke.

Thunder boomed in the distance.

Sasuke woke with a start.

As his eye opened, Sasuke was greeted by the sight of the deep blue sky. The sun was shining, birds were flying in the distance, and the only clouds in sight were miles away.

Sasuke sat up on his small raft and looked around. He could see almost nothing but deep blue, with numerous dots of small islands, barely more than dark specks in the distance. The sea was calm for the New World, peaceful even.

That wasn't good. Waters this peaceful in the New World usually meant one thing. He was in the Calm Belt. Had he drifted there by accident? If he had, then it certainly wouldn't be the first time.

Sasuke's question was answered moments later when he looked down to see a dark form rapidly rushing towards him through the water. His eye widened as he jumped off the raft, just as a sea king rose from the sea and crushed it between its jaws.

Sasuke cursed under his breath as he landed on the surface of the water, using his chakra to stand. How could he have been so careless? Getting drunk and falling asleep on the seas of the New World was bad enough, but he had also allowed himself to drift near the calm belt. Since when did he make such foolish decisions?

But Sasuke shook off those thoughts as he saw the sea king turn and charge at him. He quickly jumped away before the monster got close.

Sasuke's hand came to the hilt of his blade as the beast dove back underwater. It could come up again at any moment. Fortunately it wasn't one of the larger sea kings, so it wouldn't be too difficult to kill. After all, it was nothing more than a giant snake, and Sasuke had plenty of experience killing snakes.

The last Uchiha quickly made a series of hand seals. Once again he dodged as the sea king erupted from the water for a second time. But this time he was ready.

The air was filled with the sound of a thousand chirping birds as Sasuke activated the chidori. Sasuke leapt above the monster's head as it charged a second time. Before it could dive underwater, Sasuke extended the lighting chakra outward in the shape of a sword and swung it, severing the serpent's neck before he landed on the water again.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief as he was sprayed with sea water. He wasn't in the Calm Belt, this beast was too small. If it had been a real Calm Belt sea king it would have been at least five times as big.

The ninja looked at the birds in the sky. There weren't a lot of them, probably less than ten. But that was enough; Sasuke picked the one closest to him and began to follow it as it flew. Eventually it would lead him to one of the islands.

As he ran after the birds, Sasuke thought back to his dream. When he and Konohamaru arrived in this strange world along with the remains of Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Madara.

He thought about that day often enough, almost every day in fact, it was difficult not to think of the day you arrive in a world completely different from the one you grew up in. Yes, he thought about it often, but this was the first time he had dreamt of it.

And it was so vivid! It didn't feel like a dream, it felt like he had relived those moments. He felt the exhaustion, the confusion, and the pain as if it had just happened.

Especially the pain.

At least it ended just before the worst, most painful part, when that little brat had driven that kunai down and cut Sasu- Itachi's eye out. The left eye, the eye containing the fires of Ameterasu. He lost the power of the black flames that day, and with it, the power of Susanoo

Sasuke brought his hand up to the cloth he used to cover the empty socket as he remembered the wound. He could still feel the memento of his brother, and two of his greatest weapons being cut from head.

The rage and indignation the last Uchiha felt at that moment had been immense. It had given him the strength to push his remaining eye past his limit, activating Tsukuyomi one more time and save himself from the vengeful genin.

If only he'd been able to maintain the illusionary technique, he could've finished the brat.

Sasuke hadn't seen him since that night. Around a year ago, he suddenly realized. It had been about one year since they had come to this strange world. One year since his eye had been removed and much of his powers lost. One year since he lost everything.

Again.

"You brought this on yourself you bastard!"

Naruto had said that, just before winning the fight. And just before he saved Sasuke's life.

Sasuke sighed. Was Naruto right? Had all this happened because of his unwavering commitment to avenge his brother and clan?

"Damn it," he said under his breath as came closer to the distant island.

"Damn it!" Sarutobi Konohamaru swore under his breath. That was his last letter bomb! And the bastard wasn't even fazed! He just pushed it aside and kept coming, it felt like they'd been fighting for hours, and this giant bastard just wouldn't go down!

From his hiding place behind one of the trees, Konohamaru pulled out his two kunai and ran his wind chakra through them. The wind chakra extended from the blades, lengthening his weapons. Running wind chakra through ordinary kunai wasn't as effective as it would have been if he had his uncle's specially made trench knives, but it still worked, and they made his enemy bleed.

Suddenly the tree behind him splintered and a Konohamaru was forcefully shoved a dozen feet forward. He landed painfully in the dirt and struggled to his feet. This wasn't the first time he'd been shoved by this bastard's ability, but it still hurt. It felt like he was being punched by ten people at once.

Konohamaru turned to face his opponent, holding his pair of wind chakra enhanced kunai at the ready. He wouldn't run anymore. He would take this bounty head on and win!

"Enough," the Tyrant said as he came into view.

Bartholomew Kuma was a bear of man, much taller and more imposing than Konohamaru would have expected from the wanted poster. He was stronger than he had first seemed as well. At first Konohamaru could barely believe that this man had earned a two hundred and ninety six million beri bounty. But he'd been dead wrong. This man was every bit as strong as the rumors claimed.

Konohamaru let out a brief chuckle. Even after fighting in the Fourth Shinobi World War and living in a strange world for a year, the grandson of the Third Hokage still underestimated his opponents.

"You are not without talent Sarutobi," Kuma spoke. "Your strange abilities have proven effective and unpredictable. You have managed to wound and tire me, but you are far worse off."

"You think so?" Konohamaru said, panting. The young ninja was exhausted and wounded, he could keep going. He brought his fingers together in a seal, never letting go of the kunai and yelled, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Three shadow clones appeared at his side.

Kuma was silent for a moment. "Only a few minutes ago you were capable of producing up to eight doppelgangers at once, and they posed little danger to me."

"Shut up!" The Konohamarus all yelled at once. "You haven't seen everything we can do!"

The original Konohamaru flung the kunai at Kuma as two of the clones charged. Kuma simply raised his bloodied, pawed hands and deflected the small knives before aiming them at the charging clones and blasting air pressure at them. The clones once again vanished in a puff of smoke.

Konohamaru swore as he saw the clones vanish so quickly. He had been hoping they would last a little longer. With the help of the remaining clone, Konohamaru formed a swirling ball of chakra. Kuma once again looked in silence.

"Do you really think I would allow you to strike me with that?" He asked

Instead of answering his question, Konohamaru posed one of his own.

"Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to attack you head on?" Kuma's eyes briefly widened as he realized what the boy was saying. He turned around, expecting to see more doppelgangers ready to strike.

But there was no one behind him.

Konohamaru seized the opportunity, driving all his remain chakra to his legs, the young ninja surged forward, closing the distance in moments as the paw man turned around.

"WELL I REALLY AM THAT STUPID!" Konohamaru yelled as he drove the swirling ball of energy into the Bartholomew Kuma's gut. "RASENGAN!"

The swirling chakra sphere expanded as Konohamaru struck. It grew violently as it blasted Kuma backwards and off his feet. The young ninja watched the large man crash through more of the trees before the rasengan vanished, leaving Kuma in a bloody heap.

Konohamaru smirked; this would be the biggest bounty he caught, almost three hundred million beris! Over six times anything else he'd ever earned. And just in time too, he was exhausted, if the fight had gone on any longer, he doubted he could've continued.

The grandson of the Third Hokage walked over to where the kunai he had thrown landed. Kunai were in short supply on these oceans, and although he had about a dozen left, Konohamaru didn't like to lose them. They were all he had left to remember his home.

Konohamaru frowned as he picked up the second kunai. One year. It had been a year since he had been thrown to this world by that bastard Uchiha Madara, one year since he had cut out Uchiha Sasuke's eye. One year since his big bro had died… And one year since he had seen his home.

"An impressive attack," came a voice from behind Konohamaru. He whirled around to see Bartholomew Kuma once again standing before him. There was now a large bloody wound in the man's gut where the rasengan had struck. The paw man was clutching the wound, clearly in pain.

The young ninja couldn't believe it. The rasengan always worked! It was capable of destroying solid rock; it had even taken down one of the Pains! Kuma shouldn't have been able to stand.

Konohamaru forced himself to remain calm. Even if it didn't take him down right away, Kuma was obviously hurt. All he had to do was keep his head, he could still win.

Kuma continued to speak, "I suppose I deserve to be struck like this for falling for an obvious trick. I certainly didn't believe you would utilize such simple tactic. But it doesn't matter, this fight is over Sarutobi."

"The hell it is!" Konohamaru yelled back, holding his kunai at the ready. "I can still beat you!"

"There is no point to this fight. You attacked me with the intention of earning the bounty money offered for my capture, correct?" Konohamaru nodded. "Then you will be disappointed to learn that I recently accepted an offer to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. I no longer have a price on my head."

"Yeah right," Konohamaru said, "You're in the Revolutionary Army, and you expect me to believe that you'd accept an offer from the World Government?"

"Yes."

"Well I'm not that dumb!" Konohamaru shouted indignantly. "You're wounded! I can take you down here and now!"

"Very well," Kuma said as he stepped forward. "But before we continue, tell me something, Sarutobi Konohamaru. If you were to go on a trip, where would you want to go?"

What the hell was he talking about? What did a question like that have to do with anything? Was he just trying to distract the young ninja?

Konohamaru tensed up, not bothering to answer; he wasn't going to allow this guy to catch him off guar-

Suddenly Kuma was right in front of him. Konohamaru's eyes widened, how the hell was he moving that fast?

Even as exhausted as he was, Konohamaru still reacted quickly; thrusting his kunai right at the wound Kuma had gotten from the rasengan.

But before he could reach his target, a bloodied and cut up paw managed to touch him lightly on the side of his head.

The next thing Konohamaru knew, he was flying through the air.