Written by: DarthPel

Beta'ed by: FreelanceroftheTriforceKeyblade, Grandmaster Robin

Word count: 2,721

He awoke in a violent manner, his breath was short and ragged, to the point he was gasping, he felt as if his body was on fire, at the same time, he was shaking with cold. All of the memories came back to him at once. He touched his face, his skin was cold to the touch, as he stood up, he noticed his shirt was off. But he was somewhere unfamiliar.

Then he noticed something, he could practically taste the natural chakra in the air… since when was there nature chakra on Earth?

He threw his feet over the bed, his mind still not quite awake after that three day bout with Madara. He cursed Zelretch's name, the old vampire had betrayed him. That was the only possible explanation as to why Madara, in his prime, had assaulted him.

Melancholy filled him, wondering what was happening. Had he failed Artoria? He must have, otherwise there's no way he wouldn't have woken up without her fussing over him.

As his mind woke up another fact registered in his brain.

Chakra signatures.

His mind went into full alert, but after a few minutes of nobody bursting into his room, he decided to try something.

He stepped towards the mirror in the room, which sat atop a vanity desk. It must have been a girl's room.

He pushed chakra into his eyes expecting to see familiar red Sharingan eyes, but nothing.

Naruto closed his eyes, natural energy, and chakra signatures. He must have been sent back to the Elemental Nations. But how? And why was his Sharingan gone?

He thought about it for a moment, it was best to prepare for a fight to get some answers.

Naruto sighed, as he stood in front of the door. If he didn't have Sasuke's eyes any longer. Then, perhaps he could fall back to an old but trusted technique.

He drew in breath as he centered himself, attempting to remember exactly how much sage energy he should take into himself.

But the door flew open as soon as he started, a familiar voice and figure yelling out, "NARUTO!"

That gave him pause.

His eyes grew wide, his whole body froze in shock at the figure standing in front of him.

No, it couldn't be.

Could it?

He tried to raise a trembling hand. But his body was too weak, his knees began to give out under him.

His voice was weak as he called out, "Ji-Jiraiya-Sensei?" Hot tears began to fall from his eyes. It was as if the scar that had healed during his time on earth had been ripped open anew. Re-opening with it a flood of tears, his sobs drown out everything around him.

He became unresponsive to everything around him, as he simply cried until he grew tired and fell asleep again.

Naruto eventually woke up, after an undetermined amount of time this time. He noticed Jiraiya nearby reading a scroll, this time however, his mind was clearer. His tears were spent, even though he was still exhausted, he didn't feel another attack like the one he had the first time he woke up.

Naruto sat up, scratching the back of his head, "You probably want an explanation, right sensei?"

"Well, considering this is the first time you've ever addressed me as something other than pervy sage… yeah, an explanation would be nice." Jiraiya said humorously.

"Where are we?"

"Suna, passed out on me, got really sick. This was the nearest village, your friend Gaara has been worried sick about you," The sage answered.

"Call him, he deserves to know… everyone does." Naruto stated, "I don't know if you'll believe me. But the least you deserve is the truth."

Gaara quirked his non-existent eyebrow as he watched his friend sitting on the ground. Naruto Uzumaki was a strange person. But right now he was acting weirder than usual, he was even drinking sake.

Setting down the cup, the Uzumaki gave a resigned sigh. "Alright, before I begin, what I'm about to tell you two. Might sound a little crazy, but I swear, under a loyalty seal, that I am stating nothing but the truth."

The two other shinobi looked at each other, wondering what he was talking about, but allowed him to continue, "Second, please understand that what I will say is something that is very painful to me, so try to pay as much attention. The fewer times I have to repeat it the better for me."

The depression in his voice was palpable, as Naruto started, "The Fourth Great Ninja war will start 8 months from now. It will not be village against village, or Nation against nation."

"What are you talking about Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, surprised.

Taking on a serious face, Naruto answered, "The Akatsuki are a puppet organization for one man. He was behind the Kyuubi attack, and many unrelated but carefully coordinated events, such as the Uchiha massacre, the bloodline purges in the village hidden in the mist, and the rise of the Akatsuki as a terrorist organization. And no matter how hard we may try, we can't stop them from obtaining seven of the nine bijuu. As Konoha and Suna the grand majority of the Bijuu are already out of our reach. Three and six, Being Isobu and Saiken, along with their jinchuuriki Yagura, and Utakata. Yagura will be killed by Mei Temuri, all I know is that she leads the resistance in the mist, and that Utakata is a wandering ninja that will eventually reside with heiress of the Tsuchigumo clan, Hotaru. With me so far?"

Upon receiving a nod from the two other ninja, he continued, "Yugito Nii of Kumo, Han and Roshi of Tsuchi no kuni along their bijuu, Fu and Chomei of waterfall, Isobu the three tails. Sabaku no Gaara and Shukaku, all of these Jinchuuriki and beasts will be captured by the Akatsuki in a six month period. And sadly, there's nothing we can do to stop that. Gaara, you only survive because of a jutsu granny chiyo created."

"How do you know all this?" Gaara asked hollowly.

"Cause I've already lived through this. The fourth ninja war was a conflict that lasted two days, and it was the end of the world." Naruto answered, pouring himself another cup and drinking it, "I was saved by someone called 'Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.' All you need to know, if there's something that could be called god. This man is the closest thing to it, he's not even human anymore. I doubt even with a Rinnegan and the Juubi I stand a chance against him. He is an expert in space time manipulation, and brought me to another dimension."

Naruto watched their faces silently as they absorbed the information, "I'm no longer the teenager you once knew. When I saw the end of the world, and the death of everyone I loved. There was nothing I wanted to do more than die. This man saved my life and gave me a purpose, he married me off to a wonderful woman. She was in many ways similar to myself, but smarter. And together we built her dream world. But an event unfolded, and somehow… I'm here again."

The Jinchuuriki paused, and sighed, "Please understand, that my priorities now lie with returning to the side of my wife. She's with child, so while I'll give it my all to prevent the apocalypse from consuming this world again. I cannot say I'm loyal to it or the leaf."

"I see." Jiraiya stated, before he asked, "May I see this loyalty seal you deemed necessary to put on yourself?"

Naruto nods and reaches behind his head, and removes a sticky piece of paper from his neck, and passes it to Jiraiya.

The man scrutinizes it and says, "This would've been very painful if you were lying to us Naruto. So I'll believe you."

"If the sage believes you so do I." Gaara answered as well.

"Thank you. It's… I want you to know, even if I didn't say it before, I love you guys. Losing both of you, all of you, was the most painful thing in existence. It took many nights well spent with Artoria before I was able to sleep without your faces haunting me." Naruto let out a sigh of relief, as his shoulders sagged, feeling lighter than he had in half a decade.

"Kid, I've seen what losing their loved ones does to people. The fact you can even face us now… you're brave." Jiraiya stated, "But now, according to yourself. We have a war to prepare for."

Naruto nodded solemnly, "Thankfully, I learned a number of techniques during my time in Britain. But if my last battle was anything to go by, I'm nowhere near being ready. Let's make these 8 months count."

Tsunade cursed out the brat known as Uzumaki Naruto for the newest headache she had on her hands.

A blond haired, green eyed woman dressed in a strange and exotic battle dress had been brought to the hospital with extensive injuries, she looked to be about 17. Who didn't speak the language of the great five, and who kept calling out to the one Shinobi not currently in the village.

Naruto goddamn Uzumaki.

She'd have to wait for the weekly report Jiraiya sent.

Great. Just great. She was going to put the brat permanently on D class missions for this headache.

Artoria broke down in the strange white room she was forced to stay in. As the weirdly dressed people finally left, she was stuck in a strange land, which thanks to Naruto she recognized as his homeland.

Unfortunately, she didn't speak their language, and they didn't speak hers. So she chose to stick to something they both understood, her husband's name.

After they had managed to that familiar link she had been given a pink haired woman as a guardian of sorts that came to check up on her every once in a while aside from the other strange people.

She was truly lost, on constant mental breakdowns. The guilt of her sins weighed heavy on her, all she could do was curl up and cry.

'Why did things turn out the way it did?'

Jiraiya whistled as he watched Naruto spar with the Kazekage. It was a sight to behold, plus the fact he got to see the FTG in use once more was the ticket that sold it,

The fact Naruto had created his own variant made the man proud. Over the last week the genin had spent every waking moment relearning, retraining, and memorizing everything he could about the elemental nations, his techniques, and whatever scrap of jutsu he was thrown.

And it paid off.

The spar was brutal, with few techniques not being used. Of course the Kazekage was also being proactive and engaging in taijutsu every once in a while. But the Uzumaki was fast. Too fast to catch almost.

There was something else about Naruto that was currently giving him an advantage. Something that almost made Jiraiya die from a heart attack. Two things really, the cooperation of his bijuu, along with sage mode.

The pervert's attention was momentarily drawn from the battle as he looked at one of his toad summons, "Master Jiraiya, you have a message from Tsunade."

"Well, what does she want?" He asked himself as he picked up the scroll and opened it. Eyes narrowing.

"Naruto." He called out, causing the two combatants to halt combat.

Naruto jogged towards him, "yeah, what is it?"

"Do ya recognize her kid?" The sage asked, passing the picture Tsunade had attached to the scroll.

Naruto's eyes flew comically wide, as his hands began to tremble, "Artoria… she's in Konoha?"

"Apparently, and giving Tsunade a headache." Jiraiya stated as he narrowed his eyes at his student, "What will you do?"

"Have the toads reverse summon us to Konoha, I cannot leave my wife unattended in a strange land." Naruto answered.

Gaara, who had approached behind Naruto, said, "Go to her. She is in need of you right now."

The blond nodded, as Jiraiya put a hand on his shoulder, "Will you be ready?"

"I will be… I must be." Naruto answered, knowing what Jiraiya meant, 'Will you be ready to face everyone.'

Arriving back in Kokoha, Naruto ignored anyone and everyone in the hospital, as he locked into Artoria's very distinct signature in the back of his mind. He could've just teleported to her… now that he was in close proximity he could feel the certain seal closer and closer.

"Artoria!" He yelled as he saw her, Sakura was attending to her. But that mattered little to him, as he rocketed towards her and embraced her in a hug. He felt his partner tense under his arms but his grip only tightened, before pulling back, hands on her cheeks as he asked, "Are you okay?"

She looked away as she gave him a nod, but he used his grip on her cheeks to force her to look at him and he sealed their lips together. The stress he felt was washed away immediately.

The girl below him broke down into tears, sobbing into his shirt, "I'm sorry, I failed you, and everyone.'

Naruto held her, pulling back slightly to motion to Sakura to leave, who did so without questions asked.

Naruto held Artoria until she fell asleep from exhaustion. He wiped her tears away once she was asleep solidly in his grasp. Cradling her like a delicate child.

Soon enough, Tsunade walked in, Sakura was behind her. The platinum blond was not at all pleased to see him, as she hissed, "Do you know how much trouble she's caused us."

"You better get used to her, cause she is my wife." Naruto answered unironically, he laid her down on the bed, and raised the sheets past her shoulders. And once he made sure she was comfortable, he followed the Hokage and her apprentice outside the room.

"Naruto, can you explain to me, how you managed to marry a foreigner who doesn't even speak the continent's language?" Tsunade asked tersely.

"Don't forget, she doesn't even seem to know what technology is." Sakura pointed out, to which Naruto sighed.

"Look, Tsunade, Sakura. I know I owe you both an explanation." Naruto paused to look back at the room, "But right now, my priorities are on Artoria. Once I know she is alright. I will tell you everything." His face hardened, not wanting to know what she had gone through to end up in Konoha's hospital, even though she was supposed to be in England… an entire separate dimension.

"Fine brat, at least your feelings seem genuine, but as you've identified her as your wife, as a non citizen of Konoha, or the land of fire, there's a lot of paperwork and on top of that medical bills, but your insurance as a ninja covers at least most of the bill." Tsunade informed, "Sakura, why don't you catch up? While I go talk to his teacher about not telling me when our favorite genin got married."

"Naruto." Sakura spoke up, as Naruto motioned for them to walk back to the room, "She's going to need a lot of medical attention especially for whatever trauma she's going through. When we found her, and thank god we did she had life threatening injuries that had we even been a minute later, she would've died off."

"Sakura… how's her healing?" Naruto asked, concerned about the troubling news.

"If you're wondering if she heals like you? No. She heals quite fast for a human, but nothing like you." The pink haired girl answered

"That's… extremely troubling, her healing rate should've put mine to shame." The Jinchuuriki said, concerned for his spouse.

"That's… I see…" Sakura stated before she paused as they walked through the door of the patient's room.

"I know you have questions Sakura, and I promise I will answer them…" the blond stated, looking towards his sleeping wife, "But right now, I need to take care of her."

"You really love her?" Sakura asked slowly.

"She saved my life in more ways than I can count… I know that doesn't make sense right now, but I promise you it will soon enough."