Back To The Past
Author's Note: So, you're probably wondering why I'm posting 4 again, and not a new chapter. Sorry about that. To be honest I didn't like my last chapters, and I decided to rewrite the story. It was bothering me for a long time, and it wasn't going to stop bothering me until I fixed it. So, I did. I hope you like this version better than the last.
A heads up!
FUTURE NAME - means this is someone from the future.
NAME - means it's someone from the past.
The only ones that won't be having future written in front of them, are people that don't have a double in the past with them, like Boruto and Sarada, or Naruto and Kakashi.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Chapter 4:
FUTURE SASUKE
Something was totally wrong. He could feel it.
Having a strong connection with his wife, Sasuke could always sense these things. And witnessing the clay cup on top of the Hokage's desk crack down the middle, confirmed that for him.
She needed his help. But where was she?
He was uneasy, when a messenger came in to tell them of the whereabouts of the six genins Sasuke was waiting for. He went through the list smoothly. Shikamaru and Hinata were safely at home with their families; a squad was secretly going in search for Sai, without Danzō becoming aware. But Sasuke and Naruto weren't at home.
"They are currently at the hospital," the messenger ninja said.
Oh no. Sasuke wasn't going to like the sound of this. "Why are they at the hospital? Did something happen to them?" He snapped his gaze at Kakashi, who sore to him that younger Sasuke had been with him during the small attack. Sasuke didn't suspect he was lying, because he trusted Kakashi. But there had to be some reason the kids were at the hospital then.
The messenger ninja shook his head. "Not to them. They're currently visiting the sixth child we were assigned to look for. During the village attack, she was one of the few victims that was there, and she got dragged into the battle. Most of the people were dead when we found them, but we managed to salvage her out of the reckage..." he continued, but Sasuke wasn't listening anymore.
Kakashi and the Hokage were good listeners, but Sasuke was in his own little world now.
The sixth assigned child... Sasuke's whole world began to spin. The sixth assigned child was Sakura. Sasuke wanted to believe what the messenger was saying was a lie, but the only child left was Sakura. She was the last to be talked about. There were only two females he told the Hokage to look after—and the first one was already proclaimed to be Hinata, so the last one had to be Sakura. And she was injured. Lord. Why was she injured? Why did it have to be her that had to fall victim to the attack versus future Sakura and Zeku? How badly was she hurt?
Did she die?
In this evil time, Sasuke wished it to be Hinata that had fallen prey to the attack, not Sakura.
Not his future wife.
Sasuke felt an eerie sensation go down his spine, and he felt like throwing up. He wanted to grab the messenger ninja and question him further, so he could get out the words faster, because he seemed to be speaking in a slow pace. Too slow for the impatient Sasuke. He was going to throttle him, and make him regret saying those words, because he was lying!
But Sasuke knew better.
The messenger wasn't lying. His job was simply to report back to the Hokage. It wasn't his fault Sasuke wanted to kill him. It was Sasuke's fault for wasting too much time here.
He didn't wait to hear the rest.
He just left.
His body reacting on its own.
With unmatched speed, he jumped out of the Hokage's window.
He could hear the dumbfounded sound of the messenger, and the calls of the Hokage telling him to come back.
He didn't. He couldn't.
He had to see. He had to see her for himself. He had to see that she was okay. That she wasn't dead!
Usually Sasuke was very controlled. He never allowed himself to get overcome by emotions. It was one of his rules. Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm, he'd always say to himself. It's a ninjas priority to stay in focus, so he doesn't compromise his mission.
But, as of now, Sasuke was breaking his rule.
Fuck his rule.
He didn't care about his stupid rules right now. All he cared about was Sakura, and their future. Without her, he would have no meaning. He would not get his redemption. He would never forget about his vengeance. He would forever be alone. He would not get married and have someone to come back home to. He would not have Sarada…
No. He couldn't have that.
She had to be alright. She just had to be…
"Sasuke!" Kakashi followed right behind him. But Sasuke didn't stop. He kept on running on tiles on top of the buildings.
His heart was hammering in his chest. It was going crazy. Uncontrollable. His nerves were on end. It was beginning to feel like it was hard to breath. The whole space around him was closing in on him. Suffocating him. And all he could think about was Sakura.
"Sasuke, stop!" Kakashi grabbed him by his only hand, and Sasuke moved so fast, he was like a blur. He took out his tantō and pressed it against Kakashi's neck.
Kakashi was startled.
Blood slipped down the blade.
"Don't touch me!" Sasuke's mismatched eyes were staring angrily back at Kakashi. One blood red with spinning commas in it, and another purple with hypnotic rings running all the way down towards the pupil.
Kakashi raised his hands up. "Hey, hey… it's okay. It's just me. I'm no threat, remember?" He had never seen an eye like the purple one before...
Sensing what he was doing, Sasuke snapped out of his daze, and removed his weapon from Kakashi's neck. "Sorry," he said. What was he doing? He lost control, like back in the days when he was obsessed with his revenge. He had gone mad.
Envisioning Sakura's death had made him this way.
He didn't want to become that person again. He worked hard to stray from that path and onto a new one. A good one.
What was his journey of atonement for, if he couldn't keep himself in order?
God! He was so pathetic!
He pressed his hand on his face, then passed it through his midnight hair. Taking a moment to situate himself. Kakashi watched him silently.
"I have to go check on Sakura," Sasuke said, not meeting his eyes. "It's important." It was part of the mission, he wanted to say, but the lie wouldn't leave his lips, as much as he wanted to force it out.
This wasn't part of the mission.
These feelings had nothing to do with being concerned about the other kids—the other kids were fine.
This was about Sakura and how much he was worried about her.
Her death would drive him crazy.
Kakashi must have read his mind, because his eyes smiled at Sasuke. "So, in the long run, you did reciprocate her feelings." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "I'm glad. I was always worried about you two."
Sasuke didn't answer. But he didn't have to. Kakashi already knew, even without him having to tell him how much he loved Sakura. He could see it in Sasuke's actions.
When he got to the hospital, he was glad to see her alright, talking to Naruto and Sasuke animatedly. God, they were all so young back then. Look at them! It was like Team 7 all over again. That wild, madman feeling was gone, replaced with his old disciplined composure. But he could not cast aside her wounds.
She looked so fragile in the bed. It reminded him of the old Sakura. The one he was always worried about. The one he thought—as a kid—he always had to protect. The one he fell in love with, but he had no idea he was in love with. The same one he called annoying, because she was always troubling him. In his mind. In battle.
He had always thought she was a hindrance, because he couldn't fight properly with her around, because he was always concerned about her.
He blamed her for being unable to get stronger, because his feelings for her just kept growing. He loved her so much, but he wanted revenge so bad, he was blind.
All those years ago, he should have chose her over revenge.
He knew that now as a grown man. But as a kid... he was so stupid.
It warmed his heart to see all three of them together again.
But he knew that he had to be more careful, so this did not happen again.
"Where are you going?"
"To go find my wife."
Sasuke stepped out of the village's gates. He had arrived to the last place his wife had last been seen.
It was nothing but greenery. Trees and bushes blocked his surroundings. Not much stood out, but there was something…
His footsteps, crunching the grass and moss and dirt under his feet. He entered a circle of dead grass and yellowing greenery.
It stood out from the healthy undergrowth surrounding him.
He bent on his knees, touching the dead patch. His fingers flaking the crunching leaves and dry earth, like the hot sun's rays had been beating on that spot for too long. It looked like a crop circle.
Sasuke had seen something like this before.
"Did you find something?" Kakashi asks from behind him. He had told him earlier that Sakura's trail ended here. None of the other ninjas could find her. It was like she just disappeared.
Sasuke had a theory for that, but he had to see the place for himself. He exhaled from his nose. "Yes." He stood up. Like everyone else tracking his wife, he couldn't sense where she last went either. And he knew why. "See that dry patch of leaves?" He indicated to the area for Kakashi. "A teleportion jutsu had been cast there."
Kakashi's visible brow fused together with the one underneath his headband. "And you know this, because...?"
"I've seen this before," Sasuke admitted. "He used the same method to fight us." To be more precise, he used the same method to fight Naruto. But Sasuke kept that to himself.
"Elaborate more." Sasuke never got to finish telling him and the Hokage everything he knew about their new enemy, and his magnificent capabilities. Now was the time he did.
Wind blew through Sasuke's cloak. He could see Kakashi wasn't taking riddles or hints of the future anymore. The copycat ninja was too involved in this now, and he needed history on this enemy in order to protect his country and stay alive. He couldn't fight blind. Anything Sasuke had was useful.
So, Sasuke gave in. "Think of it as the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God technique."
Oh God. Dread was already seeping into Kakashi's veins.
"Only it's a little different, and far more advanced. You could say it hit the next level."
That did not ease up Kakashi's apprehension at all.
"He doesn't need to make any special seals to use this ability, nor does he need to place them somewhere himself—physically—to navigate from one place to another. The orbs can do that on their own, by just being told to do so—mentally," Sasuke added.
"Is that what he uses? Orbs to navigate from one place to another?"
Sasuke nodded. "Yes. He calls them Orb Jumpers; they obey his every waking thought. If he commands them to move to a different location, they do as he says. That's what he used to sidetrack your trackers. He made it seem like he was going one way, while all the while, he likely sent an orb to another direction, and when he finally got far enough, he vanished. He played your trackers right into a trap."
Fantastic. Kakashi gnawed on his lip, frowning bitterly. "Well, we're not going to find anything here then."
Sasuke bent to the ground again. "Maybe not, but…" His fingers held some of the dead grass. "These black orbs decompose anything it touches."
"Yes?"
"So, if we can located where he teleported to—"
"And there's a crop circle—"
"—we can predict where he'd gone next."
Brilliant! But there was just one thing…
"We don't know how far those orbs can cover," Kakashi said. "He could be anywhere by now. He could have landed somewhere where evidence, like these crop circles, could go unseen. Such as: a river, or sand, or the air. Does he need to be ground level to teleport?"
Sasuke recalled the battle verses Zeku and Naruto, and how he teleported midair to strike Naruto from the back.
"He does not…"
"Thought so."
They were back to square one. Awesome…
"However…" There was one ace up his sleeve that he still had, Sasuke thought. "I know everything he wants is in Konoha. So, he'll be back soon."
SASUKE
Sasuke went in search for Kakashi.
As soon as he heard the words Sharingan coming out of Naruto's mouth, he was out. He didn't wait for anymore explanation; he didn't need anymore explanations. Because he knew exactly who this person with the Sharingan was.
Itachi.
His older brother, who massacred his entire clan. The only other Uchiha living besides Sasuke. He was back, and he had surrendered himself to the village.
Why?
Why had he given himself up? For what purpose was Itachi doing this for?
"Sasuke!"
"Sasuke-kun!"
"Wait up!"
Those two… they have been chasing him since the hospital.
Sasuke growled low in his breath. "Stop following me!" he yelled over his shoulder, but he didn't halt on his path to find Kakashi or Itachi.
He thought he would find them at the Hokage's office, but when he got there, no one was inside.
Where was he? He was restless; eyes beginning to see red.
He has to be somewhere… where?
"Sasuke!" Naruto grabbed him by his shoulder and held him back. "Stop!"
Sasuke threw a punch at Naruto, and Naruto caught it, squeezing it.
Naruto was pissed. "Tell us what's going on! We want to help you!" Naruto shoved him away.
Sasuke staggered, and recovered. "You can't help me," he snapped. His eyes wondered to Sakura. "And why did you bring her? She's in no condition to be out here! Go back."
"I wanted to come," Sakura rebuked. She was hurt that he didn't want her around, but she didn't let it put her down. "Tell us what's going on, Sasuke-kun. Why did you run out like that? You look like you've seen a ghost…" He made her worry again. He always made her worry. He must have looked weird to her—still does, by the way her seafoam eyes regarded him with so much tentative care. He should have just walked out of the hospital room normally, and none of this would have ever happened. He should have been more careful.
Stupid of him!
Now they wouldn't leave him alone!
Deep down, he appreciated that. And a part of him wanted to tell her and Naruto, but he knew that was too dangerous.
Itachi was not someone to bring love ones around to.
He'd kill them!
He covered his appreciation with a more dead-filled mask. Eyes hollow, so they couldn't read into him. "There's nothing going on—"
"Bullshit! Stop lying!" Naruto was being loud. It was breaking through his control.
"I'm not lying... I just didn't want to be there anymore," Sasuke said through his teeth.
"Then why did you go to the Hokage's office, huh? Why did you run all the way over here? What are you searching for, Sasuke? Tell us!"
"Is it someone you know?" Sakura asked, softly. "Someone you're scared of? You can trust us, Sasuke-kun. We can help you. We're a team—"
"Shut up! Stop getting in my business!" He startled Sakura. Naruto thought he would hit her, so instinctively, he put a hand in the way. But Sasuke would never hit her. He— no. He didn't know what he was going to say there, but he would never do that! "Leave," he said in a calmer tone.
"But Sasuke—"
"Leeeave! Don't you get it? I don't want you here! He'll kill you!"
"Who? Who'll kill us?"
Itachi! he wanted to say, but didn't. "Nobody. Now go..." Why did arguing with them always affect him?
Couldn't they understand? It was dangerous! Itachi was unlike anyone they ever faced before. Orochimaru hit that mark too, but Sasuke felt Itachi was worse than Orochimaru. Itachi was a lot more threatening. Sasuke wasn't going to involve them. If Itachi knew Sasuke cared about them, he'd kill them just to hurt him. He wanted Sasuke to suffer; to hate him. He wanted Sasuke's heart to be black and empty, just like his. He was sick. And Sasuke wouldn't bring his friends into his fucked up life. "Just go!"
"We won't!" Sakura raised her voice at him. "Sasuke, we can't! We're a team, and if something is bothering one of our teammates, we look out for each other! It's what we d—"
Sasuke growled. "Sakura, you're a nuisance! How can you help? Your weak! You'll only get in the way!" He silenced her. She looked like a kicked puppy. Her emerald eyes, big and wounded. He felt guilty for telling her that, but he didn't apologize. He stayed true to his words.
Naruto grabbed him by his collar. "Sasuke! You didn't have to tell her that, you jerk! She was just worried about you!"
It was the only thing he could say, so she would go away and wouldn't get hurt. He cared about her wellbeing, not her feelings.
Naruto snarled. "I hate that unapologetic look on your face. It's pissing me off!"
"Then go away!"
"And give you what you want? Forget you!"
"Look, I don't have time for you, I have other things to do!" Sasuke shoved him off, and Naruto rammed into him.
"Sasuke!"
They went down a flight of stairs—more like rolled. Grabbing onto each other, they punched each other—hard, to the point of producing blood.
Somewhere in the background Sasuke heard Sakura yelling for them to stop. But he wasn't listening. He was too absorbed in the fight with Naruto. They kept rolling at the bottom of the steps. Elbows, fists, and even heads flew at each other. Both of them being aggressive with each other, not holding anything back.
"Why are you such a dick? Why?" Naruto was waling him on the face.
It didn't last long for Sasuke to get the upperhand. He grabbed Naruto's fist, used his other hand to shove Naruto's face to the concrete, got out from under him, and twisted Naruto's hand from behind him.
Naruto screamed.
"Why are you such a loser!" Sasuke countered.
Tempered, Naruto sent his elbow backwards, and Sasuke caught that too. Not expecting Naruto to use his whole body to ram himself into Sasuke, Sasuke was crushed into a tree, and he let Naruto go, having hit his head.
He glared up at Naruto, who was breathing fast. Naruto pointed a finger at him. "All we want to do is help you, but you can never get that."
Sasuke glared at him. He wasn't going to let him guilt-trip him. Not when he was feeling the need to win this fight more than ever, because defeating Naruto was something he drilled in himself since he knew the dobe wasn't weak.
He was just one more obstacle to leap over.
Sasuke put his hand in his back pouch and produced two shuriken, and threw them at Naruto with accuracy. If Naruto was worthless, it would have struck him, but knowing that Naruto wasn't, Sasuke used the dobe's distraction to attack him.
"Naruto, Sasuke, please!" Sakura yelling at them.
Stay out of this, Sakura! he wanted to yell at her, for her safety, but he couldn't. He was too focused on Naruto.
She didn't know what to do. She hated when her teammates fought each other. She felt worthless to stop them. She wanted help, but where could she get it? There was no one here!
She couldn't let that knowledge bring her down. She needed courage. If no one could help her, she'd do it herself. Even if she had to throw her whole body in the way and get hurt, so they'd stop hurting each other, she would.
Because she loved them that much!
She ran forward; eyes gleaming, fists clenched, voice raw and high pitched. "Stooooop!"
"That's enough!" Kakashi's voice rang out in the cobblestone road.
An invisible force split Naruto and Sasuke apart, that took all of their breaths away. Or at least she had thought it was an invisible force, but when she looked at the two boys, there was a man standing over them, wearing a black cloak. She thought it was Kakashi-sensei, but Kakashi was standing right next to her.
Who was he?
Her eyes stayed glued to the unknown man. He looked very Uchiha-like, with the same jet black hair and pale skin. She noticed one of his eyes were covered by his hair, so she couldn't see it properly, but the other one was as onyx as Sasuke's. And he was very handsome.
She thought if Sasuke ever got old, he'd look as handsome as this older man—maybe even more handsome. He made her heart jump in her chest, and her insides warm, the way Sasuke always made her feel.
But she should have got the opposite reaction with this guy. She should have felt dread seep in her bones, and a hatred towards him, not a liking. Because...
Wasn't he the man Sasuke was afraid would kill them?
