~Dream A Dream~

Summary: Who knew that dreams really did come true? It was as if reality itself was a dream...and perhaps...it is, because Naruto could honestly say...his dreams had turned into a beautiful reality.

Pairing: Kagome/Naruto

Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Naruto

Genre: Romance/Spiritual/Adventure

Rated: M

A/N: I'm not sure where this story is going or how it'll get there, but I'm not including a good many of the drama's that are in the show since this story will mostly revolve around their dreams until much later. Only bits and pieces of their lives outside of their dreams will be presented. You will see as you read. Thank you all for reading~!

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~Chapter Eight~

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"I'm not saying you can't, I'm saying that it doesn't make sense!"

For the last few days, while in-between training and practicing, and getting ready for the Chuunin Exam, Naruto and Sasuke had been taking time to explore the library. This led them to the situation they were currently in. Shikamaru who'd seen them walk into Konoha's archive, followed them, and confronted them. Simple questions at first.

"What are you two up to?"

"Research? What are you researching exactly?"

"You're trying to learn about Summoning Jutsu?"

All these questions had placed Shikamaru in the current situation. "Listen, what you are asking me, is if it's possible to summon a living, breathing person, if they aren't from the same world as you. All I'm saying is that what you're asking doesn't make sense. Who are you trying to summon? Like, someone who's dead?"

A chill ran along Sasuke and Naruto's spines. "...I don't think she's dead."

"So then, this is a real-life person." Shikamaru sat down across from them. "Then what do you mean when you say, they aren't from the same world?"

Sasuke sighed. "Naruto, there's probably no other way around it. Tomorrow is the start of the Chuunin Exam, so if we're going to figure these things out, we need to let others in. I'm not saying Shikamaru, but maybe Kakashi might know something."

"Hey! Maybe I might know something. What's going on that the two of you are keeping secrets even from your Sensei?"

Naruto fiddled with the scroll in front of him. Looking thoughtfully at Shikamaru, he gave a small nod. "Shikamaru, wanna stay the night at Sasuke's?"

"What? Why my place?!"

"You know it's bigger!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "come to the Uchiha District at eight, we'll see you then." Standing, he didn't even give Shikamaru time to answer before taking Naruto by the elbow and dragging him out of the library.

Staring at the scroll on the table, he reached across and grabbed it before reading it over carefully. It had little information concerning what all could be summoned, and less information concerning the laws of summoning. He stood up and left the archive, making his way to the Academy for a quick lesson.

-x-x-x-

By the time night rolled around, Sasuke and Naruto were outside the Uchiha District waiting for Shikamaru. Not disappointed, they could see him in the distance walking towards them with a rucksack by his side.

"Firstly, can I just say how weird it is that I'm staying the night with two people not even on my team. My father kept asking where I was going. This is really way too much trouble."

"Just shut up and follow us."

Naruto laughed at Sasuke's lack of interest in Shikamaru's feelings.

"So why am I here?" Shikamaru asked after he entered Sasuke's home. Kicking his shoes off at the door next to Naruto's. He walked into the living area where the two led him, not entirely sure what to make of all the secrecy.

"You're here to sleep."

"Seriously!? A sleepover? That's what all your hush-hush is about? Great, then where's the shower, I'm gonna go ahead and turn in early."

-x-x-x-

Sasuke and Naruto looked thoughtfully at one another as Shikamaru had already crashed after he'd showered, changed, and laid down. In fact, it had taken him all but a few seconds to fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

"Geeze, I'm jealous."

Naruto grinned, "Lazy Shikamaru never disappoints. Shall we?"

Sasuke laid down as Naruto placed himself in-between him and Shikamaru. Looking over as Naruto reached across and took Shikamaru's hand in his, careful not to wake him, Sasuke rolled over and placed his own hand in Naruto's before he closed his eyes and eased himself asleep. He was used to this now. Comfortable with it.

With his eyes closed, he looked around as a void of darkness that had once frightened him. Veins of colorful hues led him along a path of dreams, but he was only looking for one.

~Dreamscape~

As Sasuke came to a brightly lit view, a forest scene with a wood well centered in a green clearing. In front of him, Naruto stood looking curiously around. This was clearly a vision from Kagome's mind.

-x-x-x-

Shikamaru stared down at his hand. Naruto and Sasuke were fools if they honestly thought he'd just fall asleep without knowing what was going on. However, that they honestly had just gone to sleep... well, holding his hand was weird. Looking at the loud and rambunctious blonde beside him, he couldn't bring himself to pull his hand away either. His eyes trailed across the way to Sasuke and he was shocked to see him curled up beside Naruto, holding his hand too.

'What the hell is the relationship between these two.' As much as he wanted to know the answer to this and many other questions his mind was currently drudging up, he really was tired. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply into the pillow before sleep found his all too willing mind.

-x-x-x-

"Kagome?" Naruto called out as he peered down the well.

"I'm here!"

Sasuke turned and smirked, "Naruto,"

Naruto glanced back behind him and smiled, "there you are. I thought that maybe Sasuke and I got off at the wrong stop."

"Like a dream train?"

Neither knew what that was, "maybe?" Sasuke supplied uncertainly.

"What the heck?"

Turning, Kagome looked curiously at a new face. Her eyes looked him over and she smiled, "who is this?"

"This is Shikamaru, he's one of the smarter Genin among the rookie nine. Shikamaru, this is Kagome!"

"You and Naruto are part of the rookie nine, right? Why is it called that?"

Shikamaru frowned, but found himself answering without reservation, "because our Sensei's pushed for us to participate in the Chuunin Exams almost right out of Graduating the Academy. It's rare that freshly graduated Genin will participate in the Chuunin Exam, normally waiting a couple years, but our Sensei's all nominated us to participate."

"Ah, that's so cool!"

Naruto grinned, "we're pretty awesome."

"Don't let that get to your head, Naruto. I've got to carry your weight on missions, and that Ego's not exactly light."

"Mine!?" Throwing his hands up in the air, "I'll have you know, if Ego's could be weighed, it'd take an entire team of Shinobi to even lift yours!"

Shikamaru was confused while he looked at the two members from Team 7. They were so engrossed in their conversation, neither noticed Kagome who was walking towards Shikamaru. She smiled down at him, a slight height difference, but not much of one. "You said your name was Kagome?" He watched her nod before sitting down against the well. "What is this place?"

"This place? Where we are specifically, or where Naruto and I meet?"

Looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, Shikamaru leaned against the well and stared down it, "both?"

"Well... Naruto and I have started to call this space the "In-Between". A place where our dreams have come to connect, across time and space."

Naruto and Sasuke stepped over to them and sat down on the grass. "What's with the well, Kagome?"

"It's called the Bone Eaters Well. My incarnation was once burned to ash and bones, both of which were discarded down this well along with the Shikon that I possess." Her fingers found the jewel around her neck and held it up. "This is also how I used to traverse time. Traveling from my time to five hundred years into the past."

Naruto reached forward and his fingers touched the jewel in Kagome's hand curiously. "What does it do?"

"I told you that I only have one wish, right? Well, this jewel is how I can make that wish. If... I make a wish."

Shaking his head, Shikamaru finally felt himself break out of the calm ease of shock, "what is going on?"

"Did you bring someone who didn't know about me? I know, when Sasuke came here for the first time, you had already told him of this place and our meetings."

"Well," laughing, Naruto shrugged, "Shikamaru is so smart, neither Sasuke or I thought he'd take us seriously if we told him before showing him. He's a tactical thinker, Kagome. If it's not rational, then it's probably not possible."

"...I see." Kagome smiled, "so, why did you bring him?"

Sasuke noticed Naruto close off a bit to the question. He didn't want to upset Kagome, obviously, and he was still worried that taking her from the past would hurt her more than help her. "We are trying to find a way to... summon you."

"Oh, that's right. You mentioned Summoning Jutsu's before. Hm... Naruto don't rush yourself. This will sound weird, but I met with a Holy Kitsune not too long ago."

"A Holy Kitsune?" Now that sounded interesting. Shikamaru wondered what a Holy Kitsune looked like.

"...would you like to see the memory?"

In a haze, a vision appeared before them, a woman of stunning beauty, with long fiery red hair that fell wildly along her back and past her waist. Silks in shades of green and yellow were worn as robes. With fair skin that was kissed by the sun, she was radiant. Her elongated fox ears twitched at the slightest noses that came from the forest. Vibrant blue eyes locked with Kagome's as Kagome stopped before the woman and bowed politely. "You were there, in the forest all those nights ago."

"My name is Mamori...I met your Lord, on that night...but wished to speak with you..."

"With me?"

"It would seem...that my son had made a curious connection with you...that night."

"Your..." her eyes settled on the fox kit that the woman finally released and knelt as it ran into her arms and up her shoulder. "So, this little one is your son?"

"Indeed...his name is Kurama...he is but a cub still. However, his powers are growing exponentially, he will be stronger than any of my children prior. Miko...how have your nights faired, recently..."

Kagome frowned, "I sleep well at night, thank you for asking."

"So, you've not developed any strange dreams?"

"That...so you were talking about that. I thought you might be...but I wasn't certain."

She smiled charmingly, "my son...his future is bound to another...his fate was foretold long ago...calamity will fall, and my son will be imprisoned with a young human child. However, while I may not be able to save him from that fate...I dare say, you could ease his soul."

Petting the precious fox, she couldn't understand how this kit would cause calamity or how he'd come to be imprisoned, but the mere idea of it...broke her heart. "What can I do?"

Mamori smiled, "you will know...when the time comes...you will go...when you are summoned."

"Summoned?"

A small laugh sounded, and the woman vanished, leaving the kit to playfully bat at Kagome's hair.

The laughter weightlessly danced on the dreamlike breeze as the vision faded. Naruto stared lost at the empty space before them. It was quiet. Sasuke looked at Naruto, knowing full well what was going on inside his head, but not sure just how he should approach it.

"Kagome, the Kurama, it's inside of me. I... I'm the human child that he was imprisoned inside."

"...what?"

Shikamaru sighed, "I'm really confused, but the Kurama in that vision...is that supposed to be the Nine-Tailed fox that wreaked havoc on Konoha twelve years ago?"

Kagome didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if it was.

"And Naruto is saying that the demon fox is sealed inside him?"

"Careful where you carry this topic, Shikamaru." Sasuke hardened a cold glare on the Shadow Shinobi.

Shikamaru shook his head, "no, listen. I don't care about the demon inside him. What I'm saying is, if this took place with Kagome, and that is in fact the same demon that attacked Konoha, then it stands to reason that Kagome is in our world. She's just not in the same time... right?"

"...that's right. Kurama would have grown up to be the demon that attacked Konoha. You guys must be... about three hundred years ahead of me then... oh, wait, no." She shook her head. "There's no such place as Fire Country, or Konoha in my time. Japan has been in the history books for hundreds of years, and I only jumped back five hundred years. So... I think Kurama may have found his way to your world after all. Though, if he did, that means it's possible for me to also."

"Well, I swung by the academy, and asked Iruka Sensei if there was a way to Summon a person. He says that you can set scrolls to summon anyone any creature if you bind the two properly. Creating a summoning scroll, however, is difficult. The other problem is that binding a person to a scroll, she'd be forced to answer to the call of a summon no matter what. I'm not sure, but once a summon is done, they must return to where they came from, right? I think I've seen Kakashi's ninja hounds walking around Konoha before, so maybe not."

"Aaaugh! Why is life so complicated?! I've got these dreams, I'm obviously tied to you, but I have absolutely no way of getting to you!"

"On a different note," Sasuke interrupted Naruto's tantrum, "if we do manage to find a way to bring you to our time and world, would you want to go?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto leaned forward, "you have Shippou, Sesshoumaru and Rin, right? You said they're still alive, so Sasuke and I weren't sure if you'd even want to leave."

Bringing her hand up to swipe her bangs from her eyes, Kagome smiled, "What I have come to understand, is that sometimes life has a plan that, while it may not be what I want, it's usually exactly what I need. Wherever life takes me, I know it'll take care of me." Eyes twinkling, she looked over at Naruto, "I'm just along for the ride." She pulled the Shikon from around her neck, eyeing it carefully, she looked between Sasuke and Naruto then lifted the chain. "Sasuke, do you think you can hold onto this for me?"

"Ah, this is just a dream though."

She nodded, "that's true, but a dream is only a dream, until you decide to make it real."

"Hey, hey, but why does Sasuke get it and not me?"

"Call it a woman's intuition. I just think he'll need it soon." Picking up the pink orb, she smiled sadly at it, "just...remember... no matter what, don't make a wish on it. I can't stress it enough. A wish granted by the Shikon; is seldom worth the price one pays."

"Again, this is just a dream," Shikamaru didn't know why she was talking like they could take her necklace with them.

"Speaking of dreams," Kagome glanced up, "it looks like it's time for this one to come to an end. Today is the start of your Chuunin Exams," she glanced back at the boys, "good luck. I'm sure that the two of you will do great. Afterall, if it's together, you can do anything."

"Humph,"

"Believe it!"

~End Dreamscape~

-x-x-x-

Shikamaru was the first to wake, sitting up, he made to stretch but his hand was still held by Naruto. The blonde came to next, followed by Sasuke who rolled over onto his back and blinked his eyes as he adjusted to the mornings light. "...hey."

Sasuke and Naruto turned to face Shikamaru, the boy brought his hand up to his chest before pointing at Sasuke's.

Glancing down, Sasuke suddenly sat up. Surprised, he lifted the pink jewel that dangled around his neck innocently into his hands. His eyes reflected in the jewel, not sure what to think, he turned his attention to Naruto and Shikamaru, but both seemed to be just as at a lost for words as he was.

"A dream is only a dream, until you decide to make it real." Naruto grinned, "that's so cool. Next time, let's see if we can dream up the world's largest bowl of Raman!"

"That's what you'd want to pull from your dreams!? Think about it. If you can pull an item from your dreams, why not Kagome?"

"Can we do that?" Sasuke wasn't so sure. "A necklace is one thing; a person is something completely different. Also, I think the Shikon Jewel is special. Like, it's probably among a handful of things that can travel through time and space?" He said this like a question, even as he tried to explain himself. Staring back at the jewel, he really couldn't believe it. "More than that, now I have to protect it. Kagome said that a wish made on the Shikon jewel can have devastating consequences if it's not a pure wish. I wonder how something like this could possibly help us."

Standing, Shikamaru stretched his arms over his head, "who knows. All I can say is, you better not lose it. I'm gonna get ready and leave. Um...I'll look into Summoning Jutsu's and see what else I can learn."

Sasuke and Naruto watched Shikamaru get ready and leave, knowing that they could trust the Nara clan heir. They relaxed in the silence as the two went over the dream and more specifically, the jewel that had jumped from dream into reality. The rules of the Jewel were laid out clearly. Don't make a wish on it and keep it safe.

Telling two twelve-year old's not to make a wish on a powerful jewel that could grant them, Kagome was really putting all her eggs in one basket, and neither knew how to handle it. On the other hand, they didn't care to let her down either. She had trusted them with something this powerful, this important, and they would see to it that they didn't mess things up.

"I just don't see why she gave it to you," Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

"Tch, don't be a sore loser, loser."

"What was that?!"

"You heard me. Now get ready, or we'll be late." Glancing over his shoulder, Sasuke smirked at his friend. "Naruto,"

"Yeah?"

"You and me, let's go all the way to the top." Sasuke didn't stop Naruto when the blonde shouted out in excitement and threw and arm over his shoulder. In such a short time, they'd become inseparable. He owed that to Kagome. Naruto was... well, his friend. More than that. Not that Sasuke would ever tell Naruto what he meant to him. He was thankful, all the same. In some ways, he felt saved.

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Me: Here is chapter eight. Let me know you are all healthy and safe. It's been a long time and a crazy year. So review and tell me how you've all been!