"So this is the hello I get after all these years huh." Zabuza said.
"But Kakashi-sensei killed you." Sakura said as she took out a kunai from her pouch. "No, he just weakened me. Gato's men killed me with their weapons." Zabuza replied.
"Still, that doesn't explain why you are alive." Naruto said.
"Yea. That is a long story. But I think you have time. I sure do." Zabuza said as a small laugh came out of him.
"Then care to explain it to us?" Sakura said.
"Fine. But only because I want to thank Naruto again for what he did." Zabuza said as he was coming towards the cottage. "What did I do?" Naruto asked. "You helped me come to my senses when Haku died." Zabuza said as he was near the cottage. "Mind if I get a chair too?"
"Sure." Sakura said as she went back inside to get the third chair. She came back outside and gave the chair to Zabuza. Zabuza took his sword off and sat down. Sakura sat next to Naruto and they both looked at Zabuza. "What? You look like you seen a ghost." Zabuza said as he began to laugh again.
"Never mind that. Explain what happened and why you are alive." Naruto said.
"Fine. You know you could be a little bit more polite."
"There's no time." Naruto said. "Oh, there's plenty of time." Zabuza said.
"Anyway, ten years ago, two of Konoha's best jonin disappeared. Where they left was a mystery. Shortly after, Sharingan Kakashi killed himself. Why? That too was a mystery. It was clear that he wasn't killed, but committed suicide." Zabuza said. "News spread all over about Kakshi's death. This was a perfect opportunity for Orochimaru's attack. I heard he used the Sand to attack Konoha. This time he was alone. But he used a new strategy since his first attack."
"What did he do this time?" Sakura asked.
"This time his plan was more sinister. He first captured hundreds of innocent people. Then he used his forbidden jutsu Edo Tensei. He revived every S-Class criminal and powerful missing ninja back to life. I was one of them. Orochimaru then put special seals into us to make sure we were loyal to him. That was unpleasant. It is irritating to be under someone else's control. But I had no choice." Zabuza said.
"If you are loyal to Orochimaru, the why haven't you killed us yet?" Sakura asked as she began to reach for her kunai. "Because after the attack, Orochimaru took those seals out. We were free from his control." Zabuza replied.
"What was the result of his attack?" Naruto asked. "Konoha was destroyed as you saw over there." Zabuza said pointing towards the direction where Konoha was at. "Everyone was killed."
"Everyone? Including the Fifth?" Naruto said. Zabuza nodded. "The only ones to survive were those who were fortunate enough to be outside the village on missions." Zabuza said.
"Did the two missing Konoha ninjas return during the attack?" Naruto said. "No. For your information, those two ninjas were you two." Zabuza said as another laugh came out of him. "Us?" Naruto said. "That makes sense. Also it is now clear why Kakshi-sensei killed himself.' Sakura said.
"Yea. Anyway, back to the history lesson. After the destruction of Konoha, the Sand declared war against the Sound. Many of us revived ninja went back because there was nothing else to do for them. That's what they did when they were alive and after death that didn't change. I didn't go. I went back to the Mist to find Haku's grave. The sand were destroyed as well after a year of war." Zabuza said.
"What happened to Garra?" Naruto asked. "Who?" Zabuza said. "The Kazekage." "Oh him. No one knows. After the Sand was wiped out, the Kazekage and some of his closest ninjas disappeared. No one knows his whereabouts." Zabuza said.
"I think that Uchiha brat was with Orochimaru. Wasn't he on your team?" Zabuza asked. "No. He defected from Konoha and went to Orochimaru. Was he with Orochimaru during the attack?" Sakura asked. "Yea. I spotted him once. He saw me also but continued in his direction. He was merciless. He killed everyone during the attacks on Konoha and the Sand. I think Itachi wasn't as cold as Sasuke. Though I never met Itachi, what I heard about him was cold as well. Looks like the Uchiha clan was a bunch of murderers." Zabuza said.
"Forget that. No need to talk about him now. He is our enemy and we don't want to hear about him anymore." Sakura said. "But Sakura…" Naruto began. "Don't Naruto. I don't care about him anymore. Don't try to bring him back. He is nothing to me now. Understand Naruto?" Sakura asked Naruto. "Yea sure."
"Looks like you are over him now. You two make a better couple then if you went with that Uchiha." Zabuza told Sakura. "Quiet. Just get on with the story." Sakura said.
"Well there is nothing much to say. Just that for the past nine years, Orochimaru was not heard of." Zabuza said.
"But why didn't he continue to destroy other countries?" Naruto asked.
"Because Orochimaru didn't want to control the world. He wanted to learn every jutsu ever made. With the Sharingan, it sped up the process." Zabuza said.
"What do you mean "it sped up the process"? Are you saying that Sasuke is dead?" Naruto asked. "No I meant that in general." Zabuza said.
"Now that that is over with, mind telling me what happened to you two?" Zabuza asked. "Its nothing much." Naruto said. "Yea right. Because of you two, Konoha and Sand are destroyed." Zabuza said. "Fine. We wanted to teach Kakshi-sensei a lesson because he was always late on purpose. So me and Sakura decided to break into his apartment and paint his entire walls with different colors. I stupid prank now that you think about it." Naruto said. "But while I was opening the paint cans, Kakshi-sensei was having a nightmare. And then he woke up and screamed out Mangekyo Sharingan."
"You saying Kakshi had developed the Mangekyo Sharingan?" Zabuza asked.
"Yeah. I was surprised also the first time I saw it." Naruto said. "But I don't understand how we jumped into the future. I thought Kakshi-sensei's Mangekyo Sharingan teleported the target into another dimension." Naruto said.
"Now that you think about it, he sort of did." Sakura said. "If you take a star for example, when it dies, it creates a black hole. It is said that if anything was to go into the black hole, then they jump time. Either back or forward. Looks like we went forward ten years.
"Yea that's make sense." Naruto said even more confused than before. "What about Akatsuki?"
"Hmm. Not much is known about them. That last time I heard anything of them was when Kisame joined them. No wait. Now that I think about it, I heard a man a couple of years ago say that all nine tailed beasts were captured by Akatsuki." Zabuza said.
"WHAT? Even the Kyubi?" Naruto said as he got up. "Yea I guess. I don't know exactly since it was a rumor. Why do you ask?" Zabuza said.
"Because I held the Kyubi." Naruto said. "So that was the chakra I felt during our last meeting? Interesting." Zabuza said.
"Hold on." Naruto said as he closed his eyes and began to contact Kyubi again. After a couple of minutes, Naruto had no luck. "Shit. I can't contact Kyubi." Naruto said.
"Well isn't that a good thing? Now Akatsuki won't be after you. And if Kyubi is not in you, then you won't get killed if it is extracted." Sakura asked.
"No. Now it is dangerous because I can't regenerate or increase my chakra like before. Also, now Akatsuki has all the tailed demons and who knows what they will do." Naruto said. "Zabuza, what else happened while we were gone?" Naruto said.
"Hmmm. Well, many small wars were conducted, but they all were immediately resolved. I find that strange. Also, it looks like a new village was founded by some people." But other than that, everything else was normal." Zabuza said.
"Damn it. Now what are we going to do?" Naruto said. "Mind I suggest you live out your lives and live happily ever after?" Zabuza said. "No. We must kill Orochimaru for what he did. But first, we have to find Akatsuki and get Kyubi back." Naruto said.
"Why do you want him back?" Sakura asked. "Because without him, I am weak. I am not the ninja I was without him."
"Well, if you need my help, I am here. I was getting bored out of my mind." Zabuza said. "Thanks. But we need to get out of Konoha first." Naruto said. "Hmmmmmmm. Well if you stay here for a while, I can take you with me to the Mist and you can stay there with me." Zabuza said.
"Thanks. What are you doing here?" Naruto said.
"Oh nothing much. Just looking for some scrolls. But it looks like Orochimaru took them all." Zabuza said. "Why were you looking for scrolls?" Sakura asked.
"To learn some water jutsus that the Second Hokage knew of." Zabuza said.
"Those don't belong to you." Sakura said. "Yea well, no more Konoha ninja were left and it would have been a waste to leave them." Zabuza replied.
"Whatever. I don't care. When are you going to get back?" Naruto said. "In a couple of days." Zabuza said. "Fine. We will wait for you here." Naruto said.
"Good. Then I will be going. See you in a couple of days." Zabuza said as he got up and put his sword back to its place. After that, he vanished.
"Now what." Sakura asked. "I don't know. Might as well go back inside." Naruto replied. Naruto took two of the chairs and went inside. Sakura took her chair and followed him in. After a couple of hours, Sakura made dinner. Naruto and Sakura talked until they were both tired.
"Oh crap. There's only one bed." Sakura said. "So. Then we will share. No need to get funky or anything, just two people sleeping in one bed." Naruto said.
"PERVERT. Why would I do that?" Sakura yelled. "Then where am I going to sleep?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know. Find a place." Sakura said. Sakura then went into the bedroom and closed the door. Just as Naruto was about to go outside, Sakura opened the door.
"You gave me the room?" Sakura asked. "Yea. Its only the right thing to do if we both can't use it." Naruto replied. Naruto was about to go back outside when Sakura came up to him and kissed him. "What was that for?" Naruto asked. "A thank you." Sakura said.
""Oh. Well, can we share the bed now?" Naruto asked. "NO. You are such a pervert." Sakura yelled as she went beck into the bedroom and closed the door. Naruto just looked at the door and went back outside.
The next morning, Naruto fell off the roof and woke up. As he was getting up, Naruto went to the front of the cottage. When he got there, he saw someone sitting on the steps.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked in a loud voice hoping to wake up Sakura.
"No one special. Just looking for you." the stranger said as he was walking towards Naruto. His head being covered with a weird plant.
"Wait. You are Akatsuki." Naruto said.
"Yes. My name is Zetsu. And I am afraid that you are coming with me."