Hi! Since I will be unable to write for while, I decided to post this smaller chapter. A few things happen, but I hope you still find it enjoyable.


Incomplete

不完全 (Fukanzen)

It had been impossible for Kakashi, Yamato and Sai to find a boat to take them to the Unmei Islands.

Every single soul in the port was terrified because of some mysterious dark and violent storm that had happened two weeks ago. The sky had become dark-purple, the sailors said, and huge waves and thunder came from the Islands, destroying several houses near the marina and even sinking one boat. After that, no one was able to contact the Islands.

Yamato was forced to use his Mokuton on an old and abandoned boat for them to travel. So far, the waters were calm and none of them could feel their chakra disturbed.

"Kakashi-sensei! I see something!" Sai said, pointing forward.

Kakashi followed Sai's finger and saw the dormant volcano of the Main Island. "There's no doubt. It's the Islands, were getting closer."

Yamato moved to his senpai's side. "Naruto and Sasuke are there, huh?"

The white haired Jōnin remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

As their boat moved closer to the archipelago, Kakashi felt something strange in the air. He looked at his two comrades, who nodded in agreement. They had felt it too, that weird aura around the islands and getting closer to their boat.

Swiftly, Kakashi pulled his Hitai-ate and opened his Sharingan eye. He frowned instantly as he saw the invisible barrier of unnatural chakra surrounding the islands.

"It's a barrier" he said, then, he noticed that the fishes were able to go inside the barrier but collided against and invisible wall when they tried to get out. "It is only preventing people from leaving, not from going inside. No wonder the continent didn't have any contact, the islanders are trapped."

"What?" Sai asked. "That means Naruto is trapped inside as well."

Kakashi looked worryingly at the barrier once more. Something terrible had happened two weeks ago, or else, he was certain his unpredictable student would have been able to break it.

"Senpai?" Yamato asked. "What should we do?"

Kakashi continued looking at the main Island. "I don't see a way to break the barrier from the outside. The source is coming from the inside."

"Kakashi-senpai? Are you saying that we need to get in?"

"Yes. It's the only way to search for a way to break this cage and also look for Naruto and Sasuke. There is no other choice."

And so, their boat entered the barrier, effectively trapping them inside.


Unmei Islands, Main Island

Shigeru was resting in his bed when he heard footsteps coming closer to his bedroom, only to stop right behind his door. The dark-brown haired samurai closed his eyes and sighed, wanting patiently until his youngest son finally found the courage to knock on his door.

"Come in, Riku" Shigeru said.

The silver-haired young man opened the door slowly and entered his father's bedroom. As a child, Riku had never dared to go inside Shigeru's personal space, especially after he had seen the older Sanada enraged reaction when he had played with Hatori's toys in the firstborn's bedroom. So, it was no surprise that Riku still felt very uneasy in his father's presence and in his bedroom. Somehow, the child in him was still expecting Shigeru to yell at him for intruding in his personal space and his precious memories.

"Is everything alright?" Shigeru asked, feeling a bit nervous himself. It was hard to start a relationship with someone he had previously decided to disregard. It was even sadder that he couldn't feel at ease around his own son.

Riku gulped almost imperceptibly and looked at his father in the eyes. "Yes. I mean… everything is still the same, which isn't good but, at least, everyone is still alive."

Shigeru nodded. He was aware of Riku's efforts to keep everybody calm and his decisions to maintain order. Honestly, he couldn't have done better himself and he was both surprised and happy that Riku had proved himself to be such a wonderful leader.

"You've been great, Riku" Shigeru said.

"Thank you."

Both men lowered their gazes, feeling too awkward around each other. Shigeru, once again, blamed himself for this. If it had been Hatori, he wouldn't hesitate to praise him affectionately, but he felt he still had no right to be put on a fatherly face and commend Riku after all he had done and said. It was still too early for that and he truly wanted to mend their relationship, no matter how long it would take.

"So… what brings you here?" the older samurai asked.

The pale young man blushed and felt like fidgeting under his father's gaze. He had no idea on how to start a conversation with Shigeru or even on how to act. It would be a lot easier for him to ignore each other like they had done in the past, but Riku didn't want that either. How could he say that he felt worried and responsible for his father's injuries? Or that he wanted to be reassured because he felt so tired of reassuring everyone else? Or how terribly guilty he felt every time he saw his grandma's comatose body?

"I… just wanted to know if you're feeling better" the young man finally said. "I mean… how are your wounds?"

"They're healing. I feel stronger each day" Shigeru said.

The silver haired young man nodded. "Is there anything you need?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine, Riku."

Riku nodded again, his throat increasingly tight. He looked at his father's bedside table and stared at the beautiful photos of Shigeru with his first family. Once more, he felt the weight of jealously crush his heart and cursed himself for being such a bitter and resentful person for envying his dead brother's relationship with their father.

"I really am a horrible person" Riku thought. "I shouldn't feel this. It's not right… I need to move on and stop resenting Hatori for everything that went wrong in my life. Why can't I let it go?"

Shigeru followed the boy's gaze and his eyes became saddened as he realized what his son was most likely thinking.

"Well… I should go. I'll let you rest" Riku said, turning around before he said or did anything stupid or hurtful. "Goodnight."

"Wait" Shigeru said, surprising both himself and Riku. "You've been working nonstop ever since we arrived at the islands. I am the one who should be asking how you're feeling, not the other way around."

Riku remained by the door, unsure about what to answer. His father was showing concern over him but he didn't know how to react in this situation. Good Lord, they were a mess as a family!

"I'm alright. I'm their leader, I have to work hard."

Shigeru noticed the bags under his son's eyes and his exhausted expression. "You have been doing an amazing job and I'm sure they all appreciate your efforts. However, you need to take time to rest too."

"Everyone is counting on me, I can't let them down" Riku said, though his voice sounded tired. "If I do…"

Shigeru motioned for the younger Sanada to move closer. Confused, Riku obeyed his father and sat in a chair next to Shigeru's bed. Carefully, he stared at his bandaged arms and he couldn't help but feel his throat even tighter than before.

"It is surprising how much you sound like me" Shigeru said.

"Huh?"

"When I became the official leader, your grandmother asked me how I felt. I wanted to prove to her that I wasn't scared. That I was confident that I could take my father's place and look after her and the Islands like he used too" Shigeru told Riku with a nostalgic smile. "I told her exactly what you said now and, do you know what she answered?" Riku shook his head. "She told me to stop pretending in front of her, because she knew damn well that I was scared out of my mind."

Riku blinked.

"You were? But I heard that you looked completely fearless during the ceremony. You didn't even cry…" the silver haired young man felt like covering his mouth with both his hands. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that…"

"It's alright. I didn't cry during the ceremony or during my father's funeral" Shigeru went on. "But the moment I was alone in my bedroom, I burst into tears. I didn't want to disappoint my people or my mother by acting like a child, but she knew me better than anyone else. I thought I was doing the right thing and protecting her, but she wanted me to let her protect me because that's what parents are meant to do."

Riku, instinctively, moved closer to his father. "So what did you do?"

"I hugged her and bawled like a baby in front of my father's photo" Shigeru said with a smile. "A very inappropriate behavior for a Sanada leader, but I don't regret it. I needed to vent and I needed my mother, so it was alright."

Riku stiffened when he felt his father's hand touch his face. His blue eyes widened even more when he realized that Shigeru was wiping a single tear that ran down his cheek.

"Your grandmother would slap you in the head if she knew you were blaming yourself for what happened" Shigeru said, placing a big and warm hand on his son's shoulder. "Then, she would slap me too for letting you think that."

Riku couldn't help it and chuckled. "That's does sound like grandma."

"So do us both a favor and stop with those ridiculous thoughts. Promise me."

"Alright. I promise, Tou-san."

Both Shigeru and Riku smiled at each other. Then, the young Sanada stood up and stared at his father with his cheeks slightly blushed. "Huh? Do you want to… have some dinner? I mean… I made soup, maybe too much soup… I'm not very good at it, but… I thought maybe we could eat it… together."

Shigeru closed his eyes and smile, slowly pushing the sheets over his body. "Now that you mention it, I am a little hungry. Give me my crutches, son."

The moment Riku turned around to pick up the crutches, he smiled warmly. He couldn't remember feeling this happy in his whole life. Maybe there was hope for him and his Dad. Maybe they could really become the family he longed for.


After sunset, Sasuke had decided to go for a walk. He had already checked Naruto and, after realizing that there had been no changes at all, the raven had left their mansion, unable to stare at the blond man's pale and sick face anymore.

The streets were empty, which was something the raven appreciated. He didn't feel like talking to anyone, he needed silence and solitude to think and pull himself together. When he reached the one of the gardens on the Samurai District, Sasuke sat down in a wooden bench and stared at the clean sky and the big and beautiful full moon.

His mind kept remembering moments of his past, like when he went to see the fireworks during the summer festival with his Daddy. They had some much fun together, playing games in the tents, eating candy… Sasuke had felt so happy that he didn't want that night to end.

"But... all things come to an end" the raven whispered and he took his baby photo from his pocket.

Even though he had made his decision to give Naruto his teammate back, Sasuke was unable to stop his eyes from filling up with tears. Since they were already burning and his tears were blurring his vision, the raven didn't noticed his usual onyx eyes turn into ocean blue, something that had kept happening more frequently for the last two weeks. Likewise, he didn't notice the Red Phoenix Symbol reappearing on his back.

"Daddy…"


"Congratulations" Izumo said kindly while Team 7 entered the gates of the village. "I heard you finally completed your 1000th mission. I guess, by Naruto's huge grin, that it was a success."

The blond's smile, if possible, grew even larger. "You're damn right it was a success! Team 7 is the best team ever!"

Kakashi sighed and took his Icha-Icha book from his pocket. "Technically, it's called Team Kakashi now, but Naruto often forgets it."

"What did you expect, sensei? It's Naruto!" Sakura added. "He might have grown a little bigger, but he's still the same Baka Naruto that barely graduated from the Academy."

"Oh! Sakura-chan! Don't say that! I'm a lot more mature than I used to be!" the blond teen mumbled.

"Hmph! Don't be ridiculous" Sasuke, who had remained silent and brooding ever since they finished the mission, finally decided to speak his mind. "Mature? That word would never be used to describe you, usuratonkachi."

"WHAT?" Naruto growled, ready to punch the raven Uchiha if Kakashi didn't pull his arm. "Take that back, you bastard!"

"Calm down Naruto" Kakashi said, with his sole eye still on that damn book. "That childish reaction is proving his point."

Naruto immediately stopped struggling from his sensei's hold. "Childish? I'm not childish!"

"Of course you are, Naruto" Sakura said, first with a frown and then with a hint of a smile on her lips. "In a way, that's comforting. There is no need for you to change."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, Sakura-chan?

"You're still the same as always. That's the way you are" she answered with a smile. "Nothing needs to change when things are fine the way they are, don't you think?"

Instead of agreeing right away, like he used to, Naruto found himself slowly closing his mouth, his words dying in his throat. Sure, what Sakura had said was totally right. When things were great, there was no need for change. He didn't need to change, Sakura didn't need to change, and Sasuke didn't need to change…

Their team was perfect. It should never change.

"Then why do I feel so troubled?" Naruto thought, as the image of the crying boy appeared again on his mind. "Why do I keep thinking about him? That kid doesn't even exist! Then why…?"

"Naruto! Why are you spacing out?" Sasuke groaned, obviously annoyed.

"Huh?" the blond looked at his team. "Sorry, guys… I was just thinking… eh… about a dream I've been having."

Naruto was too focused thinking about the details of his recurring dream to notice how his teammates and sensei looked ominously at him. In fact, it wasn't just them. Every single person in the street, or looking through the windows or the roofs, stared at the blond with a frown.

"Naruto, you shouldn't pay attention to dreams" Kakashi said. "Reality is what's most important."

The blond looked at his sensei with an awkward smile and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just… It was a really strange dream."

"Dreams are just dreams Naruto" Sakura said with a serious tone on her voice.

"Huh? I know. I know it was just a dream" the blond said, feeling stupid for paying so much attention to it. "I was just talking, you know?"

Sasuke sighed and walked in Naruto's direction, only to stop right beside him.

"Sasuke?" the confused blond asked.

"Don't lose sight of what matters" the raven said, finally staring at Naruto with his solemn black eyes. "Didn't you say that your village and your comrades are the most important thing in the world to you?"

"Yes… I did, but…"

"Then stop chasing an illusion and worry about the people who are real. You should be grateful for what you have" the raven said.

Naruto stared at his best friend before nodding. "You're right."

Suddenly it was as if the world started living again. For a moment, Naruto could have sworn that everything was dead silent while they were having their conversation about his dream, but now the streets were once again filled with life and noise.

"Since Naruto was so devoted to deep thoughts, I guess we should light up the mood" Kakashi said. "What do you say? Do you want to go to Ichiraku celebrate our 1000th mission?"

Naruto smiled instantly. "Really? All right! Ramen for everybody! And Kakashi-sensei is paying because he was the one who invited us!"

"Eh? I didn't say I was inviting you. I was just suggesting" the white haired Jōnin said, finally taking his eyes off his perverted book.

"Too late, Sensei" Sakura added, smiling almost as mischievously as Naruto. "Sasuke-kun, you're coming too, right?"

The Uchiha groaned something about wanting to go home and train with Itachi, but both Naruto and Sakura ended up pulling him down the street to the Ramen restaurant. When they finally arrived and were already eating and talking to each other cheerfully, Naruto could only think of how happy and lucky he was.

Sasuke was totally right. He should be grateful for the amazing life he had: loving parents, an amazing team, many wonderful friends, strong mentors and a good home. Long gone were his disturbing thoughts when he felt that some people like his mom and dad, Jiraiya and even the old Third Hokage were meant to be dead. Or that Konohagakure had been destroyed or that Sasuke had left the village and become his enemy.

He was so unbelievably glad that it wasn't real. Why did he even think of that?

Naruto knew he had no reasons to feel troubled or depressed. His life was great he was grateful for it! What more could he possibly want?

"Tou-chan! Can I have candy?"

Naruto's blue eyes widened and he slowly looked behind. A man and a young boy were walking by a candy store and the child was pulling his father's arm in its direction.

"C'mon! Just one, Tou-chan!"

"No way. I know you" the father said trying to sound stern but ruining it with his smile. "If I give you candy now, you won't eat your dinner."

"No! I promise I'll eat everything! Even veggies!" the boy begged, pushing his dad's shirt. "Please, Daddy!"

"I'll make you a deal. We'll eat ice-cream for desert if you keep your promise and eat all your food, all right son?"

"Why don't you come back, Dad?"

The boy and his father started walking away, hand in hand. Naruto couldn't take his eyes from them, or ignore how tight his chest had gotten.

"Why don't you wake up?"

"I don't know what to do without you."

"I don't wanna lose you."

"Naruto?" Sakura asked. "What are you doing?"

The blond didn't notice that he had risen from his chair and started walking after the parent and child. When they disappeared into the crowd, the teen felt his heart beat faster with panic. He started looking at every person's face, unconsciously looking for someone he felt that he had to find.

"Where are you?" Naruto asked, looking from one side to the other. "Where did you go?"

"Dobe, sit down!" Sasuke ordered harshly from the Ramen restaurant.

"Naruto! You're freaking everybody out!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Naruto! What's the matter?" Kakashi asked.

But the blond didn't even hear his teammates and teacher, all he could think, all he could focus on was the feeling that he had lost someone very important. His whole body felt wrong all of a sudden. His hands felt too empty, like they were used to hold and carry someone around with him. Someone who depended on him, who needed him, who he loved more than anyone…

Naruto felt like half a person, like half of his own heart was missing. This whole world, no matter how wonderful it was and with all the people he cared about in it, suddenly felt incomplete.

Just like he was. Incomplete.

"I want my Daddy back."

"Where are you?"

Suddenly, Naruto was pulled into unconsciousness and the street morphed into his bedroom. The bodiless being watching the powerful, sleeping blond, felt increasingly annoyed. No matter how much it tried to erase Naruto's memories of his pathetic kid, the blond would always find a way to remember him.

It would have to try even harder to convince him that this world was real. It should not be this hard! After all, it was giving Naruto everything he ever wanted. The price for this paradise, his memories of the regressed Uchiha kid, was nothing compared to the happiness he was living.

Naruto would live happily in an illusion, along with everyone else, until it finally consumed their last bit of chakra. It was the best way to die: happily and content.

How hard could it be to sever a bond between a parent and his child? As long as Naruto didn't remember him, he wouldn't feel the need to leave this wonderful life it had created for him out of his memories and desires.

After all, he can't love someone he doesn't know anything about.


Naruto is in a dream realm! Congratulations to all who guessed it right! BTW, I thought of this way before the Road to Ninja Movie was announced, it was a coincidence!

Have you guys seen the new designs for the characters? Wow! That's gonna be so OOC!

Also, for Sasuke, like I said, I only changed his eyes. He won't have whisker marks (that would only happen if he had been conceived by a female jinchūriki) and he won't have blond hair or tanned skin. I like his looks.

I just thought it wouldn't hurt for him to have something from his new Dad. The eyes are the mirror of the soul, like they say.

Well, I hope you liked the small chapter. Feel free to review! I just found out this fic is the 70th most reviewed Naruto fanfic on this site! So THANK YOU GUYS for making it possible!

See ya!