Chapter 1: Revelation
"AHHHH!" Naruto awoke, drenched in sweat. His chest heaved up and down as beads of perspiration dripped down his face. He fumbled around in bed and glanced at the clock. It was 4:00, still early. He sat up and stood still, contemplating his last dream. He had had these disturbing dreams for a whole week now, and the ending was always the same. No matter what Naruto did, Sasuke always killed him in the end. "Is it possible?" Naruto thought. "That Sasuke is communicating to me through my dreams with his Sharingan? Why would he want to forewarn me of an attack though?" He thought about his dream a bit longer. "And those jutsus... are they real? I'll have to consult Tsunade and Jiraiya about this today." He leaned over and tenderly kissed Sakura on the forehead. She looked so peaceful sleeping there, her chest rising up and down with a steady cadence.
"Mmmph... not yet, honey." Sakura murmured. "Gimme a few more hours...zZZzzzzzz..." Naruto bent down to wipe off the trail of drool that had accumulated on Sakura's chin over the night.
"Geez." He thought. "Women look so prim and proper during the day... but at night... they're digusting." He donned the customary Jounin outfit: a navy blue jumpsuit, along with the standard olive green vest. After dressing, he headed to the bathroom. He unzipped his pants and let out a stream of bright yellow piss. "Aaaaahhh...." He moaned. "Nothing beats a piss at 4 in the morning." After finishing, he poked his blonde head into Saku's room. Saku lay there sleeping, his arm hugging a mini Naruto doll. He smiled at his son. Naruto was a celebrity in Konoha now, having saved the village a total of 3 times already. You monster!... Stay away from my children... Go away, you freak... We don't wanna play with you, you're different... He recalled his painful childhood memories, when he was taunted on a regular basis, because of his inner demons. But now... he was acknowledged. People no longer spat the Uzumaki name with contempt, but with respect and reverence. Naruto smiled and forgot about the past as he set out of his house to seek out Jiraiya and Tsunade. His dreams still troubled him, and he wanted to find out more about his mysterious visions.
Konoha Village at 4 AM was like a totally new world to Naruto. It lacked the usual bustle of street vendors and hawkers. Few stores were open at this time. "Hmm... Tsunade's probably getting her beauty sleep right now, so where would I find Jiraiya?" He thought to himself. "If he's not training, then he's either chasing after women or gathering data." Naruto made his way towards Sakamari Street, where the public baths were located. As expected, he spied a head full of white fuzzy hair bobbing up and down in front of a peephole. "Ugh... disgusting." Naruto muttered quietly. "Peeping this early? Doesn't that perv ever sleep?" There was no mistaking the legendary Sennin as he tried to get better glimpses of the inside of the bathhouse. "Hehehe." Naruto chuckled quietly. "Maybe I'll go surprise him. Sexy No-Jutsu!" Naruto transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman with perfect proportions in a practically non-existent bikini. He strutted deliberately towards the bathhouse, humming a tune as he walked. Jiraiya, distracted by Naruto's humming turned to see a hot chick in a bikini walking towards him.
"OH SHIZZAMM!" He thought lustily, as his eyes popped out of his socket. "What a babe. WHAT A BABE! Must be my lucky day." Even at 60, the perverted hermit hadn't lost an ounce of his pervertness. In fact, it only increased throughout the years as he got older. He walked up to the gorgeous, voluptuous chick and growled salaciously. "So... how YA doing."
"Heeheehee." Naruto struggled to hold a straight face as he giggled inside. "Oh, sir." He purred seductively. "Please, help me adjust this strap here." He pulled a strap of his bikini down, revealing enough cleavage to put Tsunade to shame. "Right about... here." He bent down lower, flashing another eyeful of cleavage to the perverted hermit.
"W-WITH PLEASURE, MA'AM!" Jiraiya stammered lustily, as he brought his hands up eagerly. "Heh heh heh..." He thought lewdly. "I'll just accidentally slip my hand here... and maybe accidentally grab a little...no... a big something there." He giggled and looked at Naruto hungrily, like a little kid looked at Halloween candy. "Alright, sexy lady. Here I come!"
Before Jiraiya had a chance to fondle those golden apples, Naruto transformed. "Hey pervert!" He grinned impishly, and chirped, "Morning!"
"WHAAAT!" Jiraiya screamed. "Naruto! T.T For 5 minutes, I was in heaven. How can you treat an old man like that? Show some respect for your elders."
"Yeah, look who's talking, perv." Naruto retorted. "I'm not the one trying to feel up younger men."
"Well that was different. I saw a busty blonde." Jiraiya said defensively. "And she was coming on to me."
"Ugh... seriously, you old geezer. You're a bad influence on Saku." Naruto said. "All he does now in his spare time is read Come, Come Paradise... and he seems particularly eager whenever you bring him off to training." He added suspiciously. "I can only imagine what type of training it is." He glared at Jiraiya accusingly.
"Eh... hehehe..." Jiraiya blushed sheepishly, and then resumed his composure. "The art of voyeuriâ er I mean spying. Yes, spying. Spying is an invaluable resource to peepingâ I mean ninjas. Yes. Ninjas." He continued haltingly. "Umm... yes, where was I. Oh yes, ninjas. The tactical advantages of peepâ er um... spying is limitless, andâ. Alright, alright. I admit it. We go on data gathering together."
"Data gathering, eh?" Naruto asked wistfully. "Bring me along next time. Sakura's have mood swings lately, and this week, she's been on my case about spring cleaning." He groaned. "She's not having sex until I finish cleaning the house."
"Ah, poor you." Jiraiya offered a comforting hand to Naruto. "That must a torture... especially with a wife like yours. Tell you what. Let's make it today at noon. Meet at Ichiru's Raman, and it'll just be like old times, me and you."
"Do what at noon?" A familiar chirpy voice questionedâ a voice that Naruto knew all too well. "What are we doing today at noon, huh? A nice family reunion, Naruto?"
"Oh shit..." Naruto groaned, and he turned away to face Sakura. "Sakura... honey... good morning." He chuckled weakly, as he turned around to face the woman whom he feared and loved the most in the world. "Um...hi.. Sakura." Naruto said apprehensively. "So...what brings you out this early?" He asked nervously, hoping not to incite her anger.
"Why, I was just about to ask you the same thing." Sakura replied. "I see you have some 'data gathering' job arranged with Jiraiya, huh?" Her eyes narrowed into cat-like slits.
"Uh oh." Naruto thought. "Quick, Naruto, think fast. You don't want her to unleash her genjutsu, like last time. AH YES! Sakura, you see, this past week, I've been having some troubling dreams, where Sasuke was fighting me with these forbidden jutsus from the Uchiha Clan. At the end, I always died, and I have a feeling that these dreams are sending me a subliminal message about a not-so-distant future. So, I've decided to consult Jiraiya about this over lunch at Ichiru's." He lied. Well it wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth, either.
"No... we were talking about peepinâ OW!" Jiraiya was quickly cut off as Naruto stomped down on his foot. He grimaced with pain, as he got the point. "Yes... those dreams." He adopted a somber attitude. "These are real dreams, right Naruto? Not something you..." He glanced suggestively at Sakura.
"No, it's not about that. In fact, this was the main reason I came to find you... before I got distracted." Naruto said, narrowing his eyes at his mentor.
"Hmmm... if these dreams are real... then there may be some trouble." The legendary Sennin pondered a bit, twirling his mane of silver hair. "Tell me about your dreams. I want every single detail." Naruto unfolded his tale about his dreams for the past week. He explained about the hidden jutsus that Gamabunta told him about and he talked about Temichi, the tiger that Sasuke had summoned. When he told Jiraiya about the secrets of the Sharingan, however, both Sakura's and Jiraiya's eyes grew wide. "Wait... this is the disturbing part. Did you have any idea about the history of the Uchiha clan before your dreams?" Jiraiya asked, his voice adopting a more intense light.
"Um... no. I only knew that Itachi killed his whole family except Sasuke, and now Sasuke defeated Itachi." Naruto replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Becauseâ" Jiraiya began, but was cut off by Sakura.
"Naruto..." Sakura said, ever the scholar. "I know the entire history of the Uchiha clan. I've always found their history interesting." She blushed slightly, recalling her childhood crush on Sasuke. "Amazingly, what you just said... is entirely true. Before the Great War, the Uchiha clan had a series of devastating jutsus that had saved Konoha from danger countless times." She took a deep breath of air, and continued her oration. "After the Great War, the Uchihas vowed to seal up these jutsus forever. They were simply too destructive to be used. One example was Katon Uzu Enkou Ryoukan no jutsu. As you know, the Uchiha clan was renowned for its mastery of the flame elements. Katon Uzu Enkou Ryoukan no jutsu was known as "the eternal flame"; it is a type of magical fire that can't be extinguished. If a ninja had been burned with Ryoukan no jutsu, he was good as dead in a matter of hours. In the wrong hands, these forbidden jutsus could wreak tremendous destruction. However, the Uchiha clan sealed the jutsus into the recesses of their Sharingans, exactly how you described it." She finished, then asked in bewilderment. "How did you know all of this in your dreams, Naruto, and why, of all people, didn't you tell me about these dreams?"
"Naruto, Sakura... I can explain." Jiraiya replied, and exhaled. He had wanted to tell Naruto this later, but apparently, with the chain of events that have unfolded, it was imperative to tell him now. It was true... everything Kyuubi had told him was making sense now. The cherry blossoms... have finally bloomed. "Naruto, the Nine-tails sealed inside you... it is very much a part of you."
"Yes, I know that already. It gives me enormous reserves of chakra when I need it." Naruto stated.
"Yes... but that's not it. Kyuubi is sealed inside of you, but he is alive as you or me." Jiraiya explained furthur. "Kyuubi is no ordinary demon. He is the last of a line of extremely powerful fox demons which once roamed the lands freely, terrorizing people at will and destroying whole villages whenever they felt like it. Thus, ANUBE, a group of ninjas created from the top Jounins and Sennins from every village, was formed to destroy these demons." He inhaled deeply again, and continued his tale. "Twenty years later, only two of the fox demons remained: Kyuubi, the Nine-tails Fox Demon and Kirgora, his mate. Kirgora was much less powerful than Kyuubi, and she was killed in a violent fight on the outskirt of Konoha Village. However, she killed many of our top Jounin and Chuunin ninjas before she died. Because of her death by the hands of the Leaf ninjas, Kyuubi vowed to take revenge on Konoha, and made nightly raids on our village, killing many villagers. Sarutobi Sensei, along with Orochimaru..." He paused, as he spat that hated name out contemptuously. "...Tsunade, and me, sought to defeat the demon singlehandedly. After a long six-hour battle that put us on the limits of physical exertion, we believed we had Kyuubi cornered and beat. But, to our astonishment, he then displayed signs of psychotic power which we had never seen before. Flashes of the past and visions of the future flew through our heads, as each of us suffered a traumatizing glimpse of our fleeting lives." He paused, taking time to catch his breath. "Each of us was knocked out cold, and when we woke up, a month had already passed since the battle. We were told that we were found unconscious and suffered massive comas. It was during this time when the 4th Hokage used his forbidden soul-sealer jutsu to seal up Kyuubi once and for all. He placed Kyuubi's soul into the womb of his lover, Yonida, who died immediately after giving birth to you, Naruto."
Naruto, moved by the untold story of his past, asked in a hoarse whisper. "My mother... can I... visit her?" He previous frivolous demeanor had been replaced with a mask of seriousness that looked unfamiliar on him.
"Yes... after I finish, I will show you her grave. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but during my coma, I was visited by Kyuubi. Apparently, he has the ability to see the future, and he left me the cryptic message to tell the demon-child of his past, when the cherry blossoms have bloomed. For many years, I wondered about the meaning of this message, and for many years I had thought that by cherry blossoms, Kyuubi was referring to Sakura. Two weeks ago, I was getting ready to tell you about your past, but the night before, Kyuubi visited me again to say that it wasn't time yet. I finally understand now... the cherry blossoms refer not to Sakura, but to Sasuke's Sharingan. Naruto, we must prepare now. Time is slipping, and the dreams that you've had the last week are warnings that Kyuubi has sent you."
"So... that means I will die to Sasuke, if I ever face him." Naruto said coldly.
"No, not necessarily. You see, Naruto, after being bonded to you for these 20 something years, Kyuubi has taken a liking to you. That fact was revealed from the start when you were able to utilize his chakra. If you were to die, Naruto, Kyuubi would perish with you. He doesn't want that to happen, so he is warning you of the power that Sasuke can be capable of. I do not know when Sasuke will reach the level that he is at in your dream, nor do I know whether he will ever reach that level, but one thing is for certain. If he does reach that pinnacle, then all of Konoha is doomed."
"So how are we going to defeat Sasuke and save Konoha? He's already killed the 3 ANBU squads sent to capture him." Naruto inquired anxiously. It was dawn already, and the streets were beginning to fill up with the usual bustle of people. The smell of ramen filled the streets, as breakfast vendors served hungry customers. "We need to consult Tsunade about this matter, now. Kuchiyose No Jutsu!" He summoned Gamakichi, Gamabunta's son.
"What now, Naruto?" The little frog inquired sleepily. "I was having such a wonderful dream, too." He groused grumpily.
"Just be happy you've had good dreams lately." Naruto muttered, and then commanded. "Go get Kakashi and tell him to meet us at Tsunade's office now." The meeting would actually take place in about an hour, but Naruto took account of Kakashi's habitual lateness. "Come on, you guys, we've got a mission to start and a Sasuke to catch!" He yelled enthusiastically, as the three friends made their way through the crowded streets of Konoha.
"AHHHH!" Naruto awoke, drenched in sweat. His chest heaved up and down as beads of perspiration dripped down his face. He fumbled around in bed and glanced at the clock. It was 4:00, still early. He sat up and stood still, contemplating his last dream. He had had these disturbing dreams for a whole week now, and the ending was always the same. No matter what Naruto did, Sasuke always killed him in the end. "Is it possible?" Naruto thought. "That Sasuke is communicating to me through my dreams with his Sharingan? Why would he want to forewarn me of an attack though?" He thought about his dream a bit longer. "And those jutsus... are they real? I'll have to consult Tsunade and Jiraiya about this today." He leaned over and tenderly kissed Sakura on the forehead. She looked so peaceful sleeping there, her chest rising up and down with a steady cadence.
"Mmmph... not yet, honey." Sakura murmured. "Gimme a few more hours...zZZzzzzzz..." Naruto bent down to wipe off the trail of drool that had accumulated on Sakura's chin over the night.
"Geez." He thought. "Women look so prim and proper during the day... but at night... they're digusting." He donned the customary Jounin outfit: a navy blue jumpsuit, along with the standard olive green vest. After dressing, he headed to the bathroom. He unzipped his pants and let out a stream of bright yellow piss. "Aaaaahhh...." He moaned. "Nothing beats a piss at 4 in the morning." After finishing, he poked his blonde head into Saku's room. Saku lay there sleeping, his arm hugging a mini Naruto doll. He smiled at his son. Naruto was a celebrity in Konoha now, having saved the village a total of 3 times already. You monster!... Stay away from my children... Go away, you freak... We don't wanna play with you, you're different... He recalled his painful childhood memories, when he was taunted on a regular basis, because of his inner demons. But now... he was acknowledged. People no longer spat the Uzumaki name with contempt, but with respect and reverence. Naruto smiled and forgot about the past as he set out of his house to seek out Jiraiya and Tsunade. His dreams still troubled him, and he wanted to find out more about his mysterious visions.
Konoha Village at 4 AM was like a totally new world to Naruto. It lacked the usual bustle of street vendors and hawkers. Few stores were open at this time. "Hmm... Tsunade's probably getting her beauty sleep right now, so where would I find Jiraiya?" He thought to himself. "If he's not training, then he's either chasing after women or gathering data." Naruto made his way towards Sakamari Street, where the public baths were located. As expected, he spied a head full of white fuzzy hair bobbing up and down in front of a peephole. "Ugh... disgusting." Naruto muttered quietly. "Peeping this early? Doesn't that perv ever sleep?" There was no mistaking the legendary Sennin as he tried to get better glimpses of the inside of the bathhouse. "Hehehe." Naruto chuckled quietly. "Maybe I'll go surprise him. Sexy No-Jutsu!" Naruto transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman with perfect proportions in a practically non-existent bikini. He strutted deliberately towards the bathhouse, humming a tune as he walked. Jiraiya, distracted by Naruto's humming turned to see a hot chick in a bikini walking towards him.
"OH SHIZZAMM!" He thought lustily, as his eyes popped out of his socket. "What a babe. WHAT A BABE! Must be my lucky day." Even at 60, the perverted hermit hadn't lost an ounce of his pervertness. In fact, it only increased throughout the years as he got older. He walked up to the gorgeous, voluptuous chick and growled salaciously. "So... how YA doing."
"Heeheehee." Naruto struggled to hold a straight face as he giggled inside. "Oh, sir." He purred seductively. "Please, help me adjust this strap here." He pulled a strap of his bikini down, revealing enough cleavage to put Tsunade to shame. "Right about... here." He bent down lower, flashing another eyeful of cleavage to the perverted hermit.
"W-WITH PLEASURE, MA'AM!" Jiraiya stammered lustily, as he brought his hands up eagerly. "Heh heh heh..." He thought lewdly. "I'll just accidentally slip my hand here... and maybe accidentally grab a little...no... a big something there." He giggled and looked at Naruto hungrily, like a little kid looked at Halloween candy. "Alright, sexy lady. Here I come!"
Before Jiraiya had a chance to fondle those golden apples, Naruto transformed. "Hey pervert!" He grinned impishly, and chirped, "Morning!"
"WHAAAT!" Jiraiya screamed. "Naruto! T.T For 5 minutes, I was in heaven. How can you treat an old man like that? Show some respect for your elders."
"Yeah, look who's talking, perv." Naruto retorted. "I'm not the one trying to feel up younger men."
"Well that was different. I saw a busty blonde." Jiraiya said defensively. "And she was coming on to me."
"Ugh... seriously, you old geezer. You're a bad influence on Saku." Naruto said. "All he does now in his spare time is read Come, Come Paradise... and he seems particularly eager whenever you bring him off to training." He added suspiciously. "I can only imagine what type of training it is." He glared at Jiraiya accusingly.
"Eh... hehehe..." Jiraiya blushed sheepishly, and then resumed his composure. "The art of voyeuriâ er I mean spying. Yes, spying. Spying is an invaluable resource to peepingâ I mean ninjas. Yes. Ninjas." He continued haltingly. "Umm... yes, where was I. Oh yes, ninjas. The tactical advantages of peepâ er um... spying is limitless, andâ. Alright, alright. I admit it. We go on data gathering together."
"Data gathering, eh?" Naruto asked wistfully. "Bring me along next time. Sakura's have mood swings lately, and this week, she's been on my case about spring cleaning." He groaned. "She's not having sex until I finish cleaning the house."
"Ah, poor you." Jiraiya offered a comforting hand to Naruto. "That must a torture... especially with a wife like yours. Tell you what. Let's make it today at noon. Meet at Ichiru's Raman, and it'll just be like old times, me and you."
"Do what at noon?" A familiar chirpy voice questionedâ a voice that Naruto knew all too well. "What are we doing today at noon, huh? A nice family reunion, Naruto?"
"Oh shit..." Naruto groaned, and he turned away to face Sakura. "Sakura... honey... good morning." He chuckled weakly, as he turned around to face the woman whom he feared and loved the most in the world. "Um...hi.. Sakura." Naruto said apprehensively. "So...what brings you out this early?" He asked nervously, hoping not to incite her anger.
"Why, I was just about to ask you the same thing." Sakura replied. "I see you have some 'data gathering' job arranged with Jiraiya, huh?" Her eyes narrowed into cat-like slits.
"Uh oh." Naruto thought. "Quick, Naruto, think fast. You don't want her to unleash her genjutsu, like last time. AH YES! Sakura, you see, this past week, I've been having some troubling dreams, where Sasuke was fighting me with these forbidden jutsus from the Uchiha Clan. At the end, I always died, and I have a feeling that these dreams are sending me a subliminal message about a not-so-distant future. So, I've decided to consult Jiraiya about this over lunch at Ichiru's." He lied. Well it wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth, either.
"No... we were talking about peepinâ OW!" Jiraiya was quickly cut off as Naruto stomped down on his foot. He grimaced with pain, as he got the point. "Yes... those dreams." He adopted a somber attitude. "These are real dreams, right Naruto? Not something you..." He glanced suggestively at Sakura.
"No, it's not about that. In fact, this was the main reason I came to find you... before I got distracted." Naruto said, narrowing his eyes at his mentor.
"Hmmm... if these dreams are real... then there may be some trouble." The legendary Sennin pondered a bit, twirling his mane of silver hair. "Tell me about your dreams. I want every single detail." Naruto unfolded his tale about his dreams for the past week. He explained about the hidden jutsus that Gamabunta told him about and he talked about Temichi, the tiger that Sasuke had summoned. When he told Jiraiya about the secrets of the Sharingan, however, both Sakura's and Jiraiya's eyes grew wide. "Wait... this is the disturbing part. Did you have any idea about the history of the Uchiha clan before your dreams?" Jiraiya asked, his voice adopting a more intense light.
"Um... no. I only knew that Itachi killed his whole family except Sasuke, and now Sasuke defeated Itachi." Naruto replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Becauseâ" Jiraiya began, but was cut off by Sakura.
"Naruto..." Sakura said, ever the scholar. "I know the entire history of the Uchiha clan. I've always found their history interesting." She blushed slightly, recalling her childhood crush on Sasuke. "Amazingly, what you just said... is entirely true. Before the Great War, the Uchiha clan had a series of devastating jutsus that had saved Konoha from danger countless times." She took a deep breath of air, and continued her oration. "After the Great War, the Uchihas vowed to seal up these jutsus forever. They were simply too destructive to be used. One example was Katon Uzu Enkou Ryoukan no jutsu. As you know, the Uchiha clan was renowned for its mastery of the flame elements. Katon Uzu Enkou Ryoukan no jutsu was known as "the eternal flame"; it is a type of magical fire that can't be extinguished. If a ninja had been burned with Ryoukan no jutsu, he was good as dead in a matter of hours. In the wrong hands, these forbidden jutsus could wreak tremendous destruction. However, the Uchiha clan sealed the jutsus into the recesses of their Sharingans, exactly how you described it." She finished, then asked in bewilderment. "How did you know all of this in your dreams, Naruto, and why, of all people, didn't you tell me about these dreams?"
"Naruto, Sakura... I can explain." Jiraiya replied, and exhaled. He had wanted to tell Naruto this later, but apparently, with the chain of events that have unfolded, it was imperative to tell him now. It was true... everything Kyuubi had told him was making sense now. The cherry blossoms... have finally bloomed. "Naruto, the Nine-tails sealed inside you... it is very much a part of you."
"Yes, I know that already. It gives me enormous reserves of chakra when I need it." Naruto stated.
"Yes... but that's not it. Kyuubi is sealed inside of you, but he is alive as you or me." Jiraiya explained furthur. "Kyuubi is no ordinary demon. He is the last of a line of extremely powerful fox demons which once roamed the lands freely, terrorizing people at will and destroying whole villages whenever they felt like it. Thus, ANUBE, a group of ninjas created from the top Jounins and Sennins from every village, was formed to destroy these demons." He inhaled deeply again, and continued his tale. "Twenty years later, only two of the fox demons remained: Kyuubi, the Nine-tails Fox Demon and Kirgora, his mate. Kirgora was much less powerful than Kyuubi, and she was killed in a violent fight on the outskirt of Konoha Village. However, she killed many of our top Jounin and Chuunin ninjas before she died. Because of her death by the hands of the Leaf ninjas, Kyuubi vowed to take revenge on Konoha, and made nightly raids on our village, killing many villagers. Sarutobi Sensei, along with Orochimaru..." He paused, as he spat that hated name out contemptuously. "...Tsunade, and me, sought to defeat the demon singlehandedly. After a long six-hour battle that put us on the limits of physical exertion, we believed we had Kyuubi cornered and beat. But, to our astonishment, he then displayed signs of psychotic power which we had never seen before. Flashes of the past and visions of the future flew through our heads, as each of us suffered a traumatizing glimpse of our fleeting lives." He paused, taking time to catch his breath. "Each of us was knocked out cold, and when we woke up, a month had already passed since the battle. We were told that we were found unconscious and suffered massive comas. It was during this time when the 4th Hokage used his forbidden soul-sealer jutsu to seal up Kyuubi once and for all. He placed Kyuubi's soul into the womb of his lover, Yonida, who died immediately after giving birth to you, Naruto."
Naruto, moved by the untold story of his past, asked in a hoarse whisper. "My mother... can I... visit her?" He previous frivolous demeanor had been replaced with a mask of seriousness that looked unfamiliar on him.
"Yes... after I finish, I will show you her grave. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but during my coma, I was visited by Kyuubi. Apparently, he has the ability to see the future, and he left me the cryptic message to tell the demon-child of his past, when the cherry blossoms have bloomed. For many years, I wondered about the meaning of this message, and for many years I had thought that by cherry blossoms, Kyuubi was referring to Sakura. Two weeks ago, I was getting ready to tell you about your past, but the night before, Kyuubi visited me again to say that it wasn't time yet. I finally understand now... the cherry blossoms refer not to Sakura, but to Sasuke's Sharingan. Naruto, we must prepare now. Time is slipping, and the dreams that you've had the last week are warnings that Kyuubi has sent you."
"So... that means I will die to Sasuke, if I ever face him." Naruto said coldly.
"No, not necessarily. You see, Naruto, after being bonded to you for these 20 something years, Kyuubi has taken a liking to you. That fact was revealed from the start when you were able to utilize his chakra. If you were to die, Naruto, Kyuubi would perish with you. He doesn't want that to happen, so he is warning you of the power that Sasuke can be capable of. I do not know when Sasuke will reach the level that he is at in your dream, nor do I know whether he will ever reach that level, but one thing is for certain. If he does reach that pinnacle, then all of Konoha is doomed."
"So how are we going to defeat Sasuke and save Konoha? He's already killed the 3 ANBU squads sent to capture him." Naruto inquired anxiously. It was dawn already, and the streets were beginning to fill up with the usual bustle of people. The smell of ramen filled the streets, as breakfast vendors served hungry customers. "We need to consult Tsunade about this matter, now. Kuchiyose No Jutsu!" He summoned Gamakichi, Gamabunta's son.
"What now, Naruto?" The little frog inquired sleepily. "I was having such a wonderful dream, too." He groused grumpily.
"Just be happy you've had good dreams lately." Naruto muttered, and then commanded. "Go get Kakashi and tell him to meet us at Tsunade's office now." The meeting would actually take place in about an hour, but Naruto took account of Kakashi's habitual lateness. "Come on, you guys, we've got a mission to start and a Sasuke to catch!" He yelled enthusiastically, as the three friends made their way through the crowded streets of Konoha.