"H-hello?" It was all Ino could think of to say. She couldn't see anything. It was a darkness that she had never encountered before. It was too dark. Especially for someone's mind. Where were the thoughts? The colors? The memories? The…life?
"I-is s-someone the-there?" A small voice answered. It sounded distant but Ino wasn't sure where it was coming from. Even though it was small, almost a whisper, it seemed to be coming from every direction.
"Yes." Ino answered. "Where are you?"
"Who-who are y-you?"
"Yamanaka Ino. Naruto, is that you?"
There was no answer for a moment. There was a faint sound of shuffling feet echoing through the empty area. Ino was about to ask another question. About to try and find out more. More about the darkness, the lifelessness, the silence; but, she was interrupted by a deep, almost monstrous, growl.
"What are you doing here?" The voice rumbled through the dark, bouncing off of the invisible walls, echoing.
"I—well, the Hokage—was worried about you, Naruto, and-"
"I am not Naruto, you dumb broad."
"…Who-How can you not be Naruto? This is his mind." Ino wasn't as scared as she was before. Actually, she was annoyed. Who did Naruto think he was fooling? Just because he can disguise his voice, doesn't mean he could fool a person with common sense.
"His mind is my mind, but we are no one being. I know that you are not Naruto, yet do you not stand here: inside of his mind?" So much for common sense. "I will ask once more, what are you doing here?"
"I was sent here to find out what was wrong with Naruto. Why hasn't he been himself lately? All he really does is sleep."
"Kit hasn't been feeling…well, lately. He's…I'm not sure."
"Kit?" Ino was confused by the nickname but when she heard a low growl, she asked a different question. "So, you don't know what's wrong with him, either." It was a statement more than a question. "Who are you?" Laughter echoed loudly through what was once silence.
"You will have to figure that out on your own."
"Wh-" Ino was cut off when a door appeared in front of her. It was very plain, a white sliding door with a brown frame. Nothing fancy or elaborate. On the paper covering, there were a few characters. 'Sasuke' was written there. She studied it for a moment, and then decided that the logical thing to do was to open it.
Behind the Sasuke door was a hill with a pathway that went straight across its flat top.
"This is the path from school to town." Ino said out loud. "Doesn't it pass the Uchiha estate?" Ino looked down the pathway. She could see a little blonde boy walking in her direction. His blue eyes narrowed towards the ground as if he were angry with it.
"Naruto?" The boy stopped when she spoke, but it wasn't because she spoke.
At the bottom of the hill was a lake. The lake was large with small wooden dock where a little raven-haired boy sat. Naruto watched this boy. He glared with nothing but anger in his eyes.
"Naruto never really liked Sasuke, I guess. Even when they were little."
Then Sasuke turned to look up at Naruto. He seemed kind of…sad. Ino could see Naruto blush and then turn away to continue walking. Sasuke frowned and then turned to look back at the water. When he did, Naruto smiled. Sasuke did too.
"Or maybe…not."
Another door appeared.
"Old man Sandaime." Ino read the words written across it. And then she walked through.