Yay chapter 38 is here :D
Also, YAY For my reviewers, i love you all :D
Chi-Neko - Thanks for the review, and i love cliff hangers, its what keeps you coming muhahaha :P lol jk, but i hope you like 38 :D
Gravenimage - She was 19 before the time skip, so she is 39 going on 40 now, Naruto is still 19, thanks for review :)
chickenman00712 - Its tough for both of them, Sakura is old enough to be his mother, its enough make things weird between them weird, thanks for the review, hope you enjoy 38 :)
Sintar07 - Thank you very much, that typo got by me, even though i try my best to catch them :P it has now been fixed, so thanks again for spotting, and yes, i like to surprise people, they think they know what i am planing, and i come out with something totally different :P Thanks a lot for the review hope you enjoy this newest chapter
ellezi - don't know how long it will take for you to read this since i noticed you reviewed chapter 2 :P Anyway thanks for your review, i do try my best to keep the grammar good, but you have to admit that compared to most stories out there, the grammar in my story is pretty good :P sometimes i cringe at some of the stuff i read out there, and i know i am not perfect myself, far from it, i often make mistakes, but i try to re read and fix as many of them as i can, but you must understand that when i type these stories, its normally late at night, after i got home from a long day's work, so i am tired, i hope that you continue to enjoy the story, also, i will try my best to keep my grammar from slipping :)
naru-ca-titan - So sorry for not answering that question, i always meant too, but it slipped my mind, yes, his outfit is the same as in shippuden, except that he now wear the Namikaze coat that is like his fathers, except orange and black rather then white and red, also he wears the black and orange Hokage hat that Kakashi gave him, i didn't want to change his look because in all honesty, he looks bad ass already :P i felt no need to change his clothing or appearance. i just created a DA account because i couldn't find you, so i put you on my friends list, and now i finally found your account :P there was only one picture in there, and i have to say, its nice, much better then whatever i could make, i can draw stick figures :D that's the extent of my art skills :P but i can make an ubber story! :D anyway hope you like this chapter, thanks for the review :)
lilal6 - Thanks, hope you like the new chapter :D
WeeTard - Thanks for the review, i don't know how many chapters are left, but i have already begun thinking about a sequel to this story, i even though of calling it "creating new bonds" :) anyway, there are still lots of chapters left in this one, so i hope you enjoy :D
Well that's everyone, hope you all enjoy this chapter, i will say this in advance, not much action here, its a setup chapter for what is to come
This chapter was revised on June 1st 2017. Most grammar errors should have been addressed (Hopefully :P) I did a few enhancements and changed a few things around but the story remained unchanged
Saving old bonds
Chapter 38 (Revised)
Naruto was sitting on the top of the rocks where Sasuke was laying down only the night before. He was looking at the stars in the sky. It had been 48 hours since his life had been turned upside down. He was thinking about how much had happened in the short amount of time he appeared in this time. His village had been destroyed and the fire nation all but gone, many of his friends were killed defending it, Sasuke had taken the survivors and founded this new resistance village that had flourished under his care and protection, he was now a father at the age of nineteen to an eighteen year old daughter, and the love of his life was now twice his age, old enough to actually be his mother. He still loved her greatly, but he knew what she said made sense. Then there was what Shikamaru told him, could he really go back in time and fix everything and regain his life? Did he have the right to change the future just because he wants his life back; was he being selfish even thinking about it?
"Hey Idiot, looks like you have a lot on your mind" Sasuke said as he approached Naruto and sat next to him "I heard that your talk with Sakura didn't go to well, I am sorry man"
"Yeah…" He simply said
"So what now?"
"What do you mean what now?"
"Well, what are your plans now? Are you going to join the resistance? We never did get a chance to talk about it"
"I don't know yet… I have been thinking, tell me, had I not been thrown into the vortex and won the battle, do you think things would have been better?"
"What? Why are you asking me that?…"
"Just answer the question"
"Well, Konoha would still be here, many of the dead would have survived. But would things be better? I don't know, I mean we are doing pretty well for ourselves here, sure we are no longer a great shinobi nation but we are together and strong. The families here are happy, but tell me why are you asking me this?"
"Shikamaru told me something, what if the Kurokage also had the power to send me back through time and make everything the way it should be…"
"You mean the way you want it to be?" Sasuke said
Naruto looked at him surprised "What?"
"What I am trying to say is who knows, maybe this was supposed to happen Naruto. Yes I understand that your life has been almost ruined in the process but we have twenty years of history. What you are suggesting is that in order to make you happy again we should just give it all up?"
"Technically, you wouldn't be giving up anything, it would have never happened" Naruto responded
"What about Rika and Yukito, are you saying that going back is worth ending their existence? And the existence of every other child that was born in this community? Or are you just thinking that they wouldn't exist anyway so they don't matter"
"No…No that is not what I am trying to say" Naruto said feeling his heart breaking; he wanted his life back, but was the price really worth it?
"Things aren't so bad Naruto, alright, yes, you may have lost Sakura, and yes your daughter is your age, but think about it. You will be able to grow up with her, protect her for the rest of her life, how many fathers have the chance to do that with their girl?" Sasuke said trying to cheer him up "You might also be able to see your great grand kids and still be young enough to enjoy them"
Naruto didn't respond, he still wished he had his life back the way it was supposed to be. But how could he justify making this future simply vanish
"That is very true Sasuke, but who is to say that this is really supposed to happen? What If Naruto wasn't meant to be thrown into that vortex? Can you say that Kakashi and the rest who died on that night were also meant to die? What about them?" A voice came from behind them
"Shikamaru, I should have known it was you, why are you giving him these stupid ideas?" Sasuke asked him as Shikamaru joined them
"Why not? What right did the Kurokage have to use his powers and throw Naruto into the future?"
"Why would you want things to change Shikamaru? Aren't you happy with Ino and your children? Are you saying that you don't care about them?" Sasuke asked him
"Don't be an idiot, of course I love my family, and of course I realize that if he was to go back through time my children would vanish, and hell, I may not even end up with Ino, who knows? My point is whatever happens, happens for a reason. Maybe I don't want my kids growing up in this environment, yes, they are safe, yes, there needs are looked after, but I want more for them, I want more for them then this!" He told Sasuke
Naruto felt like he was caught up in the middle
"How about we ask the rest of the village huh?" Shikamaru shouted
"There is no need to bring this up, we have enough things to worry about, we should be concentrating on gathering food"
"You mean STEALING food? This is what I am talking about, we are no better than bandits! I don't want my kids to grow up like this!"
"I know, but we can't grow anything inside because there isn't enough sun, and outside would just give away our position, so we have no choice"
"We have a choice! Send him back to the time where HE BELONGS, you are afraid of bringing this to the village because you know they may agree with me! Isn't that right?"
"What? Of course not!"
"Then let's just do it then, if they agree with you, then fine, but if they agree with me, then you will have no choice but to admit that this is the right course of action to take"
"Fine!"
"Did they just decide my fate without asking me?..." Naruto wondered
Meanwhile Sakura had entered the small hospital, Naoto was sleeping peacefully with Toshiro sleeping in a chair next to her, watching over her. She smiled seeing the both of them sleeping peacefully, Shizune approached her "Sakura" she said in a low tone not to wake them
"Shizune" Sakura answered in an equally low tone, the two were happy to see each other once again after such a long time
"I am so happy to see you and Naoto, I have always wondered how you were doing and hoped you two were alright"
"Thanks to Toshiro, we were able to live out a peaceful and happy life, although I fear that has come to an end"
"Things aren't as bad as you may think here, you can still have a peaceful life here" Shizune said with a smile "I have to say, she is very beautiful. She looks a lot like her father too" Shizune said as she stared at the sleeping Naoto "I can still remember when I told you that you were pregnant with her, hard to believe that she is now eighteen"
"Yeah, she grew up fast, too fast" Sakura said "But tell me, is she alright?"
"We found some substance in her system, none of them were a threat to her life but we removed them anyway. We also made sure all the wounds were properly closing, but her body seemed to have done a good job at healing itself. I assume she has Naruto's abilities of fast regeneration"
"Yeah… She inherited a lot from him, she has his personality as well, but she seems to have my smarts" Sakura said with a smile
Naoto suddenly began to move her head and open her eyes gently, and in a low weak voice "Mom?"
Sakura walked over to her side "Yes sweetie?"
"Where are we?" she asked
"You are in a safe place; you don't need to worry about anyone hurting you anymore" she said with a smile
"I don't care about me, what about…Father" she asked Sakura "Did he really give himself to save my life?"
"He was going to, but we stopped him. You can talk to him once you have rested hunny, now go back to sleep, you are still weak"
"That's good, because, there is much I want to talk to him about mom. And maybe now we can be a real family" she said as her eyes began to shut again
Sakura had a tear dripping down from her eye knowing that things were going to be complicated from now on
Konohamaru ran into the room "Hey guys!" he said
Shizune punched him without hesitation, sending him flying out of the room and into the hallway, Shizune walked out "Can't you see that we have two people who are trying to rest in there!" she said in a low yet stern voice
Konohamaru grabbed his nose as he felt warm blood drip from it "Oww, that hurt! Why does every girl I know hit me!" he said in a lower tone of voice
"You will live, now what is so important that you had to barge in here screaming like a the world was coming to an end" She asked as Sakura joined them wanting to know what was going on
"Sasuke Sama has called an emergency meeting, he said that Sakura and Toshiro should also be there" He said getting back up on his feet
"What is this about?" Sakura asked
"I don't know, But Sasuke Sama said that it's about our future, or the past? I didn't really understand, but I bet we will get answers at the meeting"
"Alright, we will be there, just give us a few moments to wake up Toshiro. We will be there in ten minutes"
"Alright, everyone else is gathering so don't take too long" Konohamaru said as he left the hospital making his way to the center of the village where a large fire had been lit for the meeting. Everyone from the resistance was gathering around, wanting to know what was going on, since the last time Sasuke had asked them to gather was to announce Naruto's return, and that was only two days ago
A few minutes later Sakura, Shizune and a very tired Toshiro joined them; Sasuke got up and began talking
"Thank you everyone for coming on such short notice, I have gathered you all here today to ask your opinion on a course of action that we are unsure whether we want to take or not. So we decided to ask the opinion of you all since this will affect every single one of you, yes even you Sakura and our new night friend" he said looking at Toshiro "The decision that we make tonight will affect the entire nation and the outcome of the war"
"The outcome of the war?" Sakura asked puzzled
"First thing is first, Toshiro, we have a question for you" Shikamaru asked as he got up
Toshiro was very surprised; he wasn't expecting to have any part in the meeting other than just listening "Uh alright?" he answered awaiting the question
"We all know that your Kurokage has the power to send others into the future, but does he have the power to send someone back into time?"
"It's complicated, he can, but can't"
"Uh, say that again?" Shikamaru asked confused, this amused Ino as it was extremely rare to see him confused about anything
"He can't just send anyone back, he can send anyone into the future, but he can't send just anyone back into time. If he could he would just send his own men into the past and take over nations and countries without any of them knowing what hit them"
"Then who can he send back?" Shikamaru asked
"People who have a time differential, in other words, someone who doesn't belong in that time period" Toshiro answered him
"So, would someone like Naruto qualify?" Shikamaru asked once more
Toshiro finally realize what he was asking "He is from another time frame, meaning that he does not belong in this time like the rest of us. So yes it is possible, but Kurokage Sama would never send him back…"
"Willingly maybe not" Itachi said as he entered the conversation "But give me five minutes with him and my Mangekyo Sharingan, and he will be begging me to allow him to return Naruto to his rightful time"
"Wait a minute, are you guys seriously thinking about sending him back?" Toshiro said as he got up from his chair "You do realize what that would do right?"
"Basically, everything that happened after Naruto's defeat will cease to exist, that is why we are gathered here. To make a decision" Shikamaru said "You just said it yourself, Naruto does NOT belong here, meaning that all this should never have happened" he added
"Yet it did happen, we have to think that everything we worked hard for, everything we have done so far will just vanish. Our children will cease to exist, the relationships we have develop will disappear. Toshiro, I believe that you and Sakura are good friends, right? And that you were even chosen to be Naoto's god father, that would never happen if Naruto was allowed to return" Sasuke said wanting to make sure everyone understood the consequences of their decision
"What about all the people who died? Yamato died ten years ago in a raid for food!" Shizune cried out
"Is this what we want our children to grow up as? As bandits? Killing and stealing for food? We do the best we can with what we have but in the end, that's what we have been reduced too. No matter how much we try to say that our little piece of paradise is perfect, in truth it isn't" Shikamaru said in his turn
Everyone was talking to one another
"EVERYONE, please settle down, you now know the plan, you also know what the consequences of the plan are if we succeed. It's time we decide, everyone will have a chance to voice their opinion" he told them
There was silence as no one knew what to do, Konohamaru suddenly got up "I say we go for it, I love my kids, I love my wife, but what kind of life are we going to give them? I don't want them to grow up begging for food, nor do I want them to steal from other people who need that food to survive. We are hunted everywhere we go, the night country would kill them if they were ever caught, what kind of life is that?"
Yuki got up beside him "I agree with him; I don't want my children to be raised like this if there is another way"
One by one, they were getting up voicing their concerns and how they thought sending Naruto back was the right choice, there were very few that opposed the idea. Sasuke stood surprised
"Are they really that miserable? Have I failed them as a leader…" Sasuke said
"You did your best with what you had little brother, truth is, eventually we were going to be forced into a confrontation with the night if we were ever going to regain our true freedom. At least this way we get to make things right from the very beginning" Itachi said trying to cheer Sasuke up
"Very well, since the majority have decided, we will begin planning on capturing the Kurokage and forcing him to send Naruto back where he belongs…"
End Chapter 38
Like i said, not much action, but as you can see, they have made there decision