Boredom, that was what the four felt when they went back to the academy.

Of course Sasuke had to deal with his fangirls, but otherwise, there wasn't much for them do. They had decided to not change anything from their Academy days other than trying to get their future teammates motivated. Sasuke had the easier job since all he had to do was just say aloud that he liked girls who were strong enough to take care of themself. Hinata had started to befriend Shino and Kiba which was slightly easier. Manami had tried to befriend Sakura and make her into the medic-nin that surpassed Tsunade faster. She was succeeding little by little.

As for the lazy genius, well he couldn't really do much other than help Chouji become more assertive. He didn't really talk to Ino yet and she had no interest in talking to him. They only really talked when their fathers met up at one of their houses.

Their schedule usually was going to the Academy, continue helping their classmates, meet up at Ichiraku Ramen, and then some private training. The three that lived with their families were slightly in shock, but they were slowly starting to accept the fact that they were alive. Since Sasuke lived by himself, he wasn't bothered much. He usually spent time going through his clan's records or talking with the other nineteen year olds.

Manami lived with Konohamaru and Sarutobi at the Sarutobi mansion. She tightly hugged the younger boy she thought of as a younger brother and later on, repeated the action to her grand-uncle. She had lost him during the fight with Orochimaru, something he was devastated to learn and had lost Konohamaru when he went on a mission with Moegi and Udon and never returned. Kakashi had comforted her then. As she thought about him, she always felt a crushing pain. To love someone with every fiber of your being and not having them know, it was extremely painful. She had been avoiding the silver haired nin by avoiding wherever his chakra signature was. It wasn't hard though, she knew his chakra signature just as well as she knew seals. It was like a second nature to her.

Hinata had desperately wanted to cry and hug Neji and Hanabi, but held in the urge when she was brutally reminded of their attitudes. Neji was cold and always taunting her while Hanabi was distant and uncaring. They weren't the kind and protective older brother like cousin who died for her, or the sweet and outgoing sister who always supported her. Her father was still strict and harsh on her instead of accepting her with pride. She had to maintain the image of weakness and passiveness in front of them. She could easily see open parts in their gentle fist, but had to overlook and ignore them as frustrating as it was. The only relief she had was during the A-rank spars after class. They had limited themselves to A-rank techniques only, otherwise, it was a free-for-all, all-out-spar.

Shikamaru had to be careful around his family. Although Naras were lazy, they had high IQs and were observant. When it was dinner time, he had to make sure that he would eat only a little and "begrudgely" finish whatever he had on his plate when his mother nagged him. In all honesty, he would've gladly finished his mother's homemade cooking. He could cook, but there was something about her's and Temari's cooking that tasted better than his.

When his mother had noticed the rings he wore on a necklace, he had to tell her that he liked them and bought them on a whim. The rings were actually both his and Temari's wedding rings. He never wore her ring or showed it off, it was for her hand only. Of course his mother then came to the conclusion that he was in love with someone and quickly told anyone who would listen, including his father. Then, his mother had decided that it was time to give him the "Talk" so the lazy genius had to deal with embarrassing stories about sexual intercourse and a father that interrogated him whenever he could. All in all, the past two years were simply put, troublesome.

The day that they had waited for team assignments, however, was one that they were looking forward to. The Sandaime had promised that he'd speak with Iruka about team assignments to make sure that none of them changed. Throughout the Academy days, the four had taken turns of creating a Naruto Bunshin since the original had yet to wake up. It worried them that for over two years he was still asleep, but they had renovated the underground room to make it more comfortable.

The walls were no longer dirt, they were now smooth stone walls with the simple design of Konoha's symbol. Naruto was laid on a bed they had bought together. The bed wasn't very special, but it was soft and comfortable with orange bedding. They added extra plants and with Sasuke's suggestion, added a koi fish pond and lit the place up with special light crystals from Iwa. They had a laugh when Manami commented how the blonde Hokage would probably believe he was actually dead with how the place looked. It truly looked like heaven.

Manami sat next to Hinata as they waited for Iruka to show up. This time, Sasuke was in charge of the Naruto Bunshin simply because he had no wish to experience "that" with him again, Bunshin or not.

Sakura entered and waved politely to Manami before greeting Sasuke and moving up to sit next to her and Hinata. Luckily, Manami's effort of de-fangirling the girl had worked. Sakura still paid attention to Sasuke, but now she was more focused on iryo ninjutsu, much to the time-travelers' pleasure. She had cut her hair to shoulder length and wore a medic nin skirt over black shorts and had her signature red shirt on. The present Sakura was almost exactly the same woman they had fought back-to-back with and healed their wounds.

Ino entered next and ran up to Sasuke, greeting him and yelling at Naruto for sitting next Sasuke. Suddenly, she stopped, sighed, and apologized to Naruto before sitting down next to him, much to everyone's confusion. Three pairs of eyes looked over to Shikamaru who was conveniently sleeping.

Shikamaru had confronted Ino a few weeks ago when their fathers met up. He spoke to her and pointed out Sasuke's flaws-which she countered-and then some of Naruto's good points-which she also countered. He wasn't too worried pointing out Sasuke's faults since he knew that although Sasuke could be arrogant at times, he was also very straightforward and knew himself.

The Nara heir knew she was very kind and compassionate when needed so he used it against her. He told her about Naruto's background, how he was always lonely, how adults treated him, how he was always bullied, and how he still smiled in the end.

When she had asked him why he was telling her this, he quietly replied, "He's a troublesome blond, but he's my friend and I'll always be there for him. He's a natural born leader. He has all of the needed qualities, Ino. Don't you notice how he makes people smile and laugh? How he tries over and over? How he can understand people and make them better? If you can't, I think you should give it a try and see the true him, Ino." It wasn't supposed to be anything more than trying to get her to see and accept her future leader faster.

Iruka entered and listed off teams and the room was quickly filled with excitement once it was lunch time. True to Sarutobi's word, the teams were still the same and that was perfect for the time travelers. As they left the classroom, they shared a brief look. They would meet up tomorrow after the teams are tested.

Manami was anxious, she was about to see the man she had been dreaming of for years. The man she had loved and had died for her.

Sasuke saw his teammate and was unsure of what might happen. She was capable of holding back her emotions when needed, but could she hold them back when she saw him? His Naruto Bunshin had started setting up the prank he remembered the real Naruto doing but added in his own extra part to it, chili powder.

He crossed his hands over his mouth to hide the sadistic smirk that was threatening to show. It was his "good to see you again" present and it was also a good cover if Manami started crying since she could blame it on the powder. He felt the man's chakra signature and heard his footsteps in the hall. He mentally chuckled, Kakashi had no idea that they were from the future and he was going to enjoy the look on the copy nin's face when the entire team surprised him.

The sliding door started to slowly open and a mop of silver hair entered the classroom. The eraser fell from its place and before anyone could see the jonin's reaction, chili powder bombs exploded, causing all of them but Sasuke and the Naruto Bunshin to sneeze, cough, or cry. Two minutes after the bomb, the room cleared of chili and was met with a sneezing jonin, a coughing Sakura, and a crying Manami. However, Manami wasn't crying from the chili powder just like Sasuke predicted.

After everything, it was still shocking to see her dead lover alive again. After she stopped her tears, she laughed as she looked over to a smirking Sasuke. The chocolate-haired time traveler bit her lower lip, a bad habit she had developed, as she heard his voice and his first impression of them. It hurt to look at him and not see warm affections in his eyes. She had worked so hard to win his trust, his love, and now she had to start all over again.

She looked over to Sasuke and nodded slightly, thanking him. He nodded back and smirked as he shrugged. He had shrugged it off as nothing, but he was happy that he was able to comfort her and make her laugh. They sat down on the roof as Kakashi leaned against the railing, reading an orange book. Icha Icha Paradise, Manami thought with a small, nostalgic smile. She sat in between Sasuke and Sakura and waited for Kakashi to introduce himself.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. As for my likes and dislikes, I have no desire to tell you guys." Manami quickly filled it in mentally however. He likes his Icha Icha books, salt-broiled saury, miso with eggplant, teamwork, his ninja dogs, and...me...well at least in the future... He dislikes sweets, fried foods, traitors, and being photographed without his mask on, she added with a mental smile.

"My dreams for the future...hmm." Hmm, he actually never told me...Manami thought with a slight frown. Throughout their entire relationship, he never had mentioned anything about his future. She felt a slight pang in her heart as she suddenly thought of a reason why. Was he just living day to day? Just trying to spend as much time as he could? Maybe...maybe that was why he was so hesitant to start a relationship with me...

"As for my hobbies...I have lots of hobbies..." Like reading Icha Icha and visiting the Memorial Stone. Kakashi pointed to Naruto first and Sasuke decided that as much as he'd love to screw around, he wanted people to start noticing and looking at Naruto in the good light so he made sure to tell the bunshin to make sure to show the blond's good side.

"My name's Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen, my precious people, my plants, and for what I dislike... I don't like traitors and a certain mask-wearing man along with a man that should be dead..." Kakashi raised an eyebrow at this. He wore a mask, but he had the feeling he wasn't talking about him. "My dream is to become Hokage so that I can protect my precious people! I'd also like to end the cycle of hatred too... My hobbies are spending time with my friends, going to Ichiraku Ramen, and training," the Naruto Bunshin finished with a soft smile.

Sasuke and Manami smiled; add paperwork to what he disliked and that would be their beloved Hokage. Kakashi was no longer paying attention to his porn book anymore. What the blond had just said wasn't anything like on the reports he got. Sure the kid was energetic, but he seemed more relaxed and his confidence wasn't as forced as what he had seen.

Sakura was surprised, but smiled happily. She had seen what Manami had told her about Naruto and she was glad that she had befriended him, or at least was on civil terms with him since he had stopped asking her out.

Sakura went next. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like my friends, iryo ninjutsu, and sweets. I don't like spicy food or bullies. My hobbies are playing trivia games, memorizing medical material, and spending time with friends. A dream I have is to surpass Tsunade-sama!" she finished with determination. Kakashi nodded, it similar to what her reports said. He looked over and pointed at the Hokage's grand-niece.

Manami smiled, "I'm Sarutobi Manami. I like sweets, my precious people, seals, and I don't like a certain masked man and a man who should be dead, waking up early, and losing my loved ones... My hobbies are creating seals, and cooking. My dream...protect those I care for and fix a...personal relationship," she smiled almost cheekily as she finished. The silver-haired-nin raised an eyebrow once more. Everything was similar to her report, but her dreams... Kakashi mentally sighed. He could already feel his mind trying to fill in solutions to solve the puzzle. However, he paused when he saw the brown haired girl's green eyes lit up with amusement and sadness. He was interested, but moved on to the last Uchiha.

Sasuke wondered about how to answer and decided he was still feeling mischievous. He had enjoyed watching his ex-sensei try to figure out what his Bunshin and Manami meant.

"Uchiha Sasuke. I like tomatoes, my friends, my Hokage, and training." Sasuke almost smirked. He was of course referencing Naruto, not the Sandaime, but Kakashi didn't know that. "I dislike the same things the dobe does along with a certain man. My goal or ambition is to kill the man." Sasuke paused for dramatic effect before adding, "And his side-kick too." Of course, this led to a puzzled jounin, but Kakashi decided to think about it later.

Kakashi nodded and in a happy tone, informed the four children in front of them of their test. He almost pouted when he only got reactions from two and a mild eyebrow raise from the other two. Not even the sixty-six percent got much of a reaction from the two. Either they're majorly confident or they're enemy spies, the man concluded.

He didn't like the second possibility, but it was still a possibility that could be dangerous. As he disappeared in a puff of smoke and leaves, he decided that it was impossible. Manami was the grand-niece of the Hokage who had the best security. Sasuke being a spy was possible, but he still doubted the possibility of it. Any of Manami's ANBU guards would've noticed if something was wrong with the boy. The silver-haired jonin decided to keep a close eye on the two as he appeared in front of the stone memorial.

Manami smiled and waved at her teammates. So far, so good, she thought with a smile. She could still feel the presence of her ANBU guards and decided that it was time to lose them for a bit. It was her turn after all.

She entered the Sarutobi mansion and waved at any of the servants or members as she walked to her room. It was simple and traditional. A large smile graced her lips as she entered it. She would never get used to seeing her old bedroom again. It was stuffed full of memories, some that didn't happen yet, and others that have. She lay down on her bed and sighed as she succumbed to sleep's lullaby. A brief smirk showed up before becoming soft and gentle as darkness fell on her.

The smirk was still showing on the real Manami's face as she walked next to Naruto's bedside and undid her henge. Her smirk turned smile toned down as she sat down by his right. She was now twenty-one years old just like all the other time travelers. She inhaled in the fresh smells from the flowers and the pond. It was sweet and soothing, just like Naruto. Just like a certain one-eyed shinobi, she started relaying what happened that day out loud.

"You should've seen Kakashi's confused face he was trying to hide... Although it was plainly obvious to me and Sasuke." A strained chuckle broke through her lips as she thought of him. "I can't believe I met him again, Naruto. It was hard, seeing him and that book of his."

She felt the sting of years in her eyes that threatened to fall but ignored it. She didn't have to hold back her emotions with her close friends, especially her Hokage. So when tears sprung from her eyes and sobs escaped from her mouth, she didn't fight them. She still tried to tell him of her day in-between breaths, stubbornly not giving up.

As much as it would embarrass the four time travelers, that was usually their routine. Visit Naruto, sit on the bed or lean against a wall, report of their day and any improvements along with troubles, and then, they would let out their emotions:

Sasuke with bitterness at the villagers' attitude towards the blond or hope and sorrow as he mentioned his older brother.

Hinata with sadness and grief with her clan who had gone back to its original state of harsh and cold words.

Shikamaru with grief at seeing his teammates and mutters of "troublesome" with his clan.

Manami with tears and sobs. It was from everything, seeing those she loved so dearly, and the pain of not being next to her fiancé.

Being next to their comrade, teammate, best friend, brother, and Hokage, made them relaxed and let down their emotional shields. It was something of a ritual they unknowingly did together.

However, Naruto didn't mind.

He wanted to comfort his friends but his body was being stubborn and his chakra was still depleted. The blue-eyed blond sighed from his mindscape. He was bored and tired of being inactive, his only relief and company was Kurama. The fox demon snorted, "Nothing you can do for now Naruto. Wait until you can move to help your friends."

Naruto childishly pouted and crossed his arms. He wasn't wearing his formal Hokage robes anymore. He cursed the wretched outfit that didn't allow him to move and run in. He was currently dressed in a cloak similar to his father's, but it was white with orange flames. He still wore his black jacket that he received as a present from Ero-sennin and a pair of black pants underneath.

The Rokudaime Hokage shrugged and smiled sadly as he continued leaning against the demon's side. He had been awake for only the past year but he couldn't wake up in the real world yet since his chakra hasn't fully returned. The only reason he wasn't dead yet was because he had some of his chakra leftover and the Kyuubi had been awake to help regulate it to where it was needed. The seals Manami had set up were also helpful too. His natural healing rate was increased with the regeneration seals and he was grateful for them.

"I know but... I just feel so useless here ya know?! I mean, I shouldn't even be here! But now that I am..."

"You want to help everyone and fix what you can?" Kurama finished. Naruto sighed and nodded. He felt so frustrated and useless. It may not be his Konoha, but it was still Konoha. It was where he was born and raised. He found friends there, became stronger, and risked his life thousands of times for its safety. He had vowed to protect it with everything he could.

"I hope that my chakra returns soon, Kurama. I need to help my friends and protect Konoha."

The fox would've scoffed if he didn't care, but since he had befriended his host, he hummed thoughtfully and listened. It was the least he could do as a friend.

"I hope so too, Naruto... I hope so too..."

Hello once again! I'm still alive! I'm sorry for the long updates by the way…

I hope that you've enjoyed this chapter. Were they acting real enough? I wasn't sure how to show what they had gone through so maybe I'll include a flashback to show just how their previous lives were like.

Responses to my awesome reviewers:

Katestar98: Thank you very much! I hope you'll enjoy the interactions I've got planned for them.

lc251: You've probably figured out how old they are but I've made it so that they're currently nineteen as of now.

loretta537: Thanks for the review! Hope you'll stick around!

EveJHoang: Haha, I suppose it's somewhat rare to find another fangirl eh? Hmm, I've never actually read any of those pairings except for Genma but I don't think it really counts since it was a fem!Naruto… The pairings I'm usually familiar with are with Itachi, Kakashi, and every blue moon, with Sasuke. Haha, I'm glad you're fond of Kurama as well; he'll be showing up a lot with Naruto.

10th Squad 3rd Seat: Haha, the Academy is pretty troublesome isn't it? Thanks for reviewing every chapter as well! :'D You have no idea how happy I am to get reviews!

I would also like to thank everyone for favoriting and following! You guys are amazing! I'd give you all cookies and cake if I could!

See ya in the next chapter!