Title: Crisis Reverted
Series: Naruto
Rating: T
Genres: Drama, sorta-angst, adventure, romance.
Warnings: Crack, swearing, shounen-ai, shojou-ai, het, time bending.
Verse: Canon Redeux.

DHC: Here's another interlude. Things are beginning to shape up! =) Thank you for all your kind reviews, guys, I'm very happy you think so highly of my work. Oh yeah, this chapter also is Not This Time-ish. I've decided it's going to be connected to the fic and it's preceding sequel (whenever I get around to it) So if you see references to it, don't be alarmed. =p


Sasuke sighed as he stared from the tree he was crouched in. He'd been there for two hours, staring and thinking.

"Are you going to ever talk to him or are you just going to keep stalking him?"

He jumped, nearly falling out of the tree. Standing beside him was Itachi, dressed in his anbu outfit.

"I'm not stalking him!"

At the skeptical silence he got, he twitched.

"Alright, so I am stalking him. But that's only because I don't know how to go up to him."

"A normal person would use 'Hello', otouto."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm not normal, he's not normal."

"Sasuke, if you don't get over there and do something, I'm going to throw you over there myself."

Knowing that his brother would do such a thing, he decided he might as well get on with it.

Sighing, he jumped out of the tree and made his way over to where the other was.

Shikamaru was lazily staring at the clouds, not paying attention to anything else when he heard the rustling of the grass. He blinked slowly and glanced over at the Uchiha when they stopped beside him.

After a moment, the boy lowered themself to lay next to him wordlessly.

"You've been there for two hours today and four yesterday and two the day before that and now you don't even say anything?"

Sasuke sighed.

"I was trying to think of what I could say to you. Now I figured, I'd just let my silence do the

talking. You like silence, anyway."

"Mendoukusai... Have you changed so much that you can't even say 'hello' to the people you've known other than Naruto and Sakura?"

Sasuke stiffened. "I've just... I don't know what to say to anyone other than them anymore. I mean, it's not like when we were kids and would just flop down and say 'hey'."

"Isn't it?"

"Stop being such a simpleton right now. You know it, too."

"I'd still like to think of myself as a kid..."

"That's only because of our ages. We're technically adults now that we're shinobi. You've not killed someone yet."

"Ah...That would explain why you're acting the way you are. Death isn't something people like, but it's a necessary thing in our world."

"I know that. I just..."

"I'm not blaming you."

"I know."

They lapsed into silence. Sasuke focused his attention on the clouds. He tried to make out some shapes but he was never good with his imagination. Other than using it to come up with ways to harm or kill someone.

"A frog." Shikamaru said suddenly.

"Huh?" Nice one, Sasuke, he thought to himself.

"It's in the shape of a frog."

Sasuke squinted, staring hard at the cloud. "Kinda. I guess so. I've never really been able to make out shapes in the clouds."

"Tch. It's easy."

"Not to me. I'm different."

"How are you different?"

"When people say 'it's easy', with something they're good at, it's always hard to me. To things people find hard, it's easy to me. It's always been like that. It's as if I'm walking on the other side of the fence from everyone else."

"Hm... You might be. But that doesn't mean you should stop trying."

Sasuke sighed again. This was only bringing up memories. He sat up and made to get up. Shikamaru's hand closed around his wrist.

"Stay."

Sasuke glanced back over to the other. The words were too familiar. Numbly, he let himself fall back again. His eyes shut and he did his best to ignore his mind and the memories swimming through it.

"You're never gonna see the sky if you keep your eyes closed," Shikamaru mumbled annoyedly.

Sasuke forced his eyes open and sighed again. "It's kind of hard to stare at something to endless, though."

"The endlessness is what I love best. It makes me feel small in comparrison. Small, but not insignificant. At the same time, I feel important. Because I'm here, in this world, under this sky. I'm here for a reason."

Sasuke wanted to say something, but he didn't. He couldn't. He stared at the clouds again and tried his best to think of their shapes and what they could look like. It just didn't come easily for him. He spent years out in the fields with Shikamaru and their children and he still never could get it. Not even when Mikoto or Itachi would point it out to him.

"Chou," He finally said, tilting his head to the left.

"Huh?"

"Chou. It looks like a butterfly."

Blinking, the other stared at the cloud infront of him before he turned his head like Sasuke had and looked again.

"Huh... I guess it does kinda."

"I told you I'm not good at this."

"But you're trying. That's a good thing."

"If you say so..."

They fell into silence and Sasuke found his eyelids lowering. There was just something about the way the light breeze blowing across his skin, the rustling of the grass and the serenity that lulled him into a dazed state. Nostalgic memories swam across his consciousness, the images of the fields and laughter, the soft voices in conversation. He could remember it all. Then he... He'd been so foolish then...

But, at least... He'd gotten it back and more... And now, in this timeline... Could this be enough? Just this? It hurt him a little to think of it. No, it wouldn't be enough. But he could live with it.

"Ne,"

His eyes opened, he didn't know they'd closed.

"Hm?"

"Why have you been following me, anyway?"

He chuckled softly. "Is it a surprise that I want to be social in my own way? I wanted to come up with a way to approach you, but I couldn't think of anything to say."

"That's kind of stupid, even for you."

"I guess so... But there's something about you that's different. Your silence... is different from Shino's, and I can only stand talking for so long. Sometimes I... I need a silence that's clear and not clouded. Yours is like that. It's...open."

"You make no sense, Uchiha."

"Maybe not, but at least I'm trying."

They lapsed into a long silence.

"...Want to play a game of Go?"

"Sure."

----------

Naruto shed his shirt as he walked into his apartment. He flopped back down on his mattress for a moment and thought hard about how he was going to free the Kyuubi. The fox had changed, living inside of him. He wouldn't attack humans needlessly now. But, should he? Should he go against the Yondaime, his own father, who had sealed the beast inside of him?

He had promised, though. So, even if the answer would be no, he would do it anyway. He kept his word, even if his judgment was impaired. That's just how he was. He couldn't break his own word. If he was going to be hokage, he had to keep his words, good; or bad. And admit when he is wrong. He sighed again before he stood up and stretched.

"Alright, fox. I'm gonna get you out of me now." He mumbled aloud. He knew the fox heard him. He always did.

He made a seal and a Kage bunshin popped up. No flaws, no defects, just a solid replica standing infront of him. He closed his eyes and relaxed. He went into a near trance-like state as he began to form seals, channeling his chakra precisely into what he was doing. It was easier this time around, Mikoto had helped him refine his control so much, he could do almost all of his jutsus perfectly now.

Once he finished the series of seals, he pushed his hand over the replica seal on the bunshin's stomach. It wavered midway between dispersing from the over abundance of chakra, before it solidified.

"Life string seal complete. Now..."

He began another series of seals, forming a completely new layer to it. He made a few different seals as the line before, before pushing the seal over the new one. This time, the bunshin didn't waver, or even flinch much. The life string seal kept it from dispersing from the over amount of chakra being pushed into it.

"Soul string seal complete."

Naruto nodded to his clone and grinned a little. Now the clone was completely like a regular human. It wouldn't disperse unless he was dead or if he dispersed it himself.

"Alright. Now... Here comes the tricky part."

He motioned for the clone to sit on the floor and he joined it. This would take a while.

He began forming seals, the bunshin copying every single one. It was a long jutsu and it took the good portion of three hours for Naruto to complete it. The seal on his stomach twisted and moved a little, as if 'unlocking' something. Performing another set of hand seals quickly, he bit his thumb and smeared it across the mirror seal on the clone.

"Soul switch."

There was a bright light, a red glow enveloped the clone, similar to when Naruto went demonic. Nine tails of pure chakra split out, ears, their eyes went red, sharp fangs and claws emerged. It was both fascinating and grotesque to the owner.

Soon enough, the glow died down and when it wore off, standing infront of him was a completely new figure compared to the way the clone had first showed up as. Delicately shaped eyes, long thick lashes partially covered over crimson eyes, an angular slope of the jaw, full lips, pale skin. Long, beautiful orangy-red hair hung down to the back of the waist, curling at the edges almost like a tail.

"It...worked." Kyuubi murmured as they stared down at their humanistic hands, the only slight difference was their naturally long, pointed nails.

Naruto smiled. "Yeah, I guess it did."

The other looked over at Naruto seriously, expression awestruck and if not a little humble.

"Thank you... This freedom... To see the world once again with my own eyes. I thought I never would see it again."

Naruto looked away sheepishly. "You know, it's a little weird hearing thanks from you. But...you're welcome. You are free. You can leave, you can stay. Whichever you choose, it's okay. But... I do think I'll miss you. My body and mind already feels a little weird, as if something's missing.

The fox nodded slightly. "I feel like that as well. I think... I think I will stay. For a little while. It will take some time to adapt to this form. Will you show me?"

"Of course. But, you need a new name."

"Pick one for me and be done with it, brat." The insult sounded more affectionate to the blond now than it had been when he'd first met the demon. He was almost glad it was this way.

"Kurama. I think it should be Kurama. A beautiful name for a beautiful face." Naruto smiled widely, nodding.

"Very well, then. Kurama is shall be."

"Come on, let's get you dressed, fox. I have some clothes other than orange that I think you'll enjoy."

"Oh, good. Something other than orange is a welcome relief."

"Hey!"

"I've seen enough of it to last me the rest of the millenium."

Naruto pouted but didn't reply.

He gave the fox some black, baggy shinobi pants, and a charcoal-grey turtleneck shirt and some sandals. Thankfully, the fox's build was still mostly similar to Naruto's so the clothes and sandals fit. Naruto nodded and gave an encouraging smile when 'Kurama' looked themself over.

"It's acceptable. Thank you."

"We can always go shopping for more clothes later. For now, I need to take you with me to see the Sandaime."

"For what?"

"To tell him that this is you and so the anbu won't kill you on the spot for being an intruder. You've got a distinctive face now, you don't look like anyone from around here."

"Fine, fine. You win, brat. Let's go."

The fox made to move, but their legs buckled and wobbled beneath them. They weren't used to walking on two legs. Naruto caught them by the arm and looped their's between his elbow to steady him. "You can lean on me until you get used to it. Let's get going."

Needless to say, once the Sandaime found out the truth, he was very stunned to say the least.

TBC