Chapter 8 - Bridging the Dimensional Gap - Time & Eternity
Tsunade couldn't help but smile proudly as she watched Team Yamato enter her office, dragging both Kabuto and Sasuke with them. Looking into the team leader's eyes, she commanded, "Report."
Yamato nodded and began his report. "The mission went well Hokage-sama. Extraordinarily so. Upon arriving at the Tenchi Bridge, the identity of Sasori's spy turned out to be that of one Kabuto Yakushi. I managed to glean information from him regarding the whereabouts of Orochimaru's current hideout, but it turned out that Orochimaru had freed Kabuto from Sasori's control a long time ago and I was attacked by Kabuto. At the same time, Orochimaru appeared on the bridge…"
The Godaime Hokage frowned at this and asked, "Based on the fact that you're all standing here before me, with two of Konoha's most wanted at your feet, can I assume that either Orochimaru got away or you somehow managed to finish him off?"
Nodding his head once, Yamato continued. "Kabuto was defeated quite handily and captured by the team. He attempted to goad Naruto into flying into a berserk rage, but...let's just say that didn't go according to plan." he said, rubbing the back of his head. "As for Orochimaru, he seemed to have taken an unnatural interest in Naruto and tried to coerce him into a one-on-one fight against him. Instead of allowing himself to be baited, Naruto remained perfectly calm, and for that I commend him." he said proudly.
"When Orochimaru went to attack Naruto, Gaige fought him off and revealed her mechanical friend, Deathtrap, to us all. Umm...I'm not quite sure how to describe what I saw that thing do. Deathtrap's destructive power is insane, and Orochimaru was wounded as a result of his fight with Gaige's robot, I think she calls it." Looking to Gaige to see if he was right, he saw her nod at him with a smile on her face. "Well...Orochimaru attempted to slay Deathtrap with his Kusanagi blade, but...Gaige and Deathtrap ended up stealing the sword away from him. Gaige, if you'd please show Hokage-sama?" he requested.
When Tsunade looked at Gaige, she could see a sheath and sword handle poking out from behind her back that wasn't there before. Huh. Must've purchased the sheath somewhere on the way back to the village. She thought to herself in wonderment.
Gaige nodded eagerly and drew the Kusanagi from the sheath on her back and held it out for Tsunade to see. "See? This thing is awesome Hokage! It's so sharp and it was able to pierce Deathtrap somehow! Can I keep it?! I'd love to have something else I can use so I don't end up spending all my ammo too quickly."
The busty Godaime Hokage took the blade into her hands and examined it closely before nodding to herself. "This is, indeed, the Kusanagi. I'm surprised you were able to retrieve it. If you want it, the blade is yours Gaige. You'll need to undergo training in order to wield it properly though. Can you handle that?"
Grinning widely, Gaige nodded once before pumping her fist into the air. "Woohoo! I get to keep it! And no problems Hokage, I'll train hard as hell to learn how to wield this baby. I'm looking forward to it!"
Chuckling to herself, Tsunade handed the sword back to Gaige before smiling at Yamato. "Continue, please. I want to hear the rest of your report."
"Yes ma'am." Yamato said. "After losing his blade, Orochimaru unleashed a rather sizable army of snakes upon us before fleeing in the direction of his hideout. I am proud to say that Naruto was able to use his time magic without any repercussions this time, Hokage-sama. Together, he and Towa saved us. Afterwards, we proceeded to follow after Orochimaru, tracking him with a seed I had planted on his clothing during combat with him." he explained.
"Upon arriving at his base, I created a Wood Clone to watch Kabuto while the rest of us burrowed our way inside. Our primary goal at this point was to find and capture Sasuke Uchiha so we could bring him back to Konoha to stand trial for his crimes." Yamato continued. "Upon reaching a split in our path, we split up into three separate groups. The groups were as follows: Meru, Rikku, and Yang made up the first team. Naruto, Towa, and Blake made up team #2. Finally, the last team consisted of Gaige, Sakura, Temari, and myself. We had hoped that we would be able to find and retrieve Sasuke without alerting Orochimaru to our presence, but…"
Sighing, Yamato reached up and rubbed the back of his head before smiling awkwardly at Tsunade. "Naruto's team encountered Orochimaru and fought him. I...don't know the exact details of the fight from that point, however. Naruto, if you would?"
Naruto nodded once before continuing where his team leader left off. "As Yamato-sensei said, my team encountered Orochimaru in our search for Sasuke. The three of us fought him, but as a superior foe with a wide arsenal of ninjutsu at his disposal, we had to be careful. I decided to employ the use of magic against him via use of my Black Mage dressphere." he explained. "Once we saw a proper opening, Towa and I combined our magic and unleashed one of Towa's Chemistry effects on him."
Towa took over at this point so she could explain. "Chemistry involves casting two elemental spells back-to-back on a foe that will result in certain conditions. For instance, I can create lava that burns away at one's health or, in Orochimaru's case, I can cast a type of silencing effect on him that negates use of magic, or, in his case, all of his ninjutsu and whatever genjutsu he might have known. Needless to say, this made it impossible for Orochimaru to regurgitate a new body for himself whenever he took too much damage."
Naruto smiled at this and nodded his head in the affirmative. "It was at this point, when we thought he might attempt to flee from us, that Yamato-sensei's team arrived on the scene and helped us box Orochimaru in so he couldn't flee." he explained. "Without the ability to 'heal' himself, we were able to end Orochimaru's life. Yamato-sensei?" he questioned, looking to Yamato at this point.
Yamato nodded and, upon rolling open a small storage scroll, unsealed its contents, revealing to Tsunade Orochimaru's head. "As you can see, we took his head as proof of the deed."
Tsunade nodded as she looked at her ex-teammate's decapitated head. "I see. Great work, all of you. You'll all be paid an equal sum of the bounty that was placed on his head. Now, since I assume there's more, I ask that you continue."
Yamato sighed and looked at the team of three that had encountered Sasuke. Turning back to Tsunade, he continued with his report. "The remaining team of three: Meru, Rikku, and Yang, encountered Sasuke while we were busy with Orochimaru. When the rest of us heard an explosion, we hurried to reach the three of them to ensure that not only were they alright, but to make sure that Sasuke didn't escape us either."
Rikku rubbed her arm in remembrance of what had happened when they encountered Sasuke.
Flashback
The three of them had been searching for quite some time already for this Sasuke Uchiha they had heard so much about. Each of them were looking forward to kicking his ass and dragging him before their beloved Naruto. Sadly, every room they looked in was empty, completely devoid of life.
Eventually they reached a door and pushed it open, only to freeze as they saw Sasuke Uchiha standing there, his Sharingan activated, eying each of them carefully. "And who might you three be? You're certainly not guests of Orochimaru's, or else you'd know better than to disturb me when I'm trying to rest." he said grumpily.
Yang pumped her fist at this point before pointing dramatically at Sasuke. "We're here to drag your sorry butt back to Konoha! Try to resist and we'll kick your ass, pretty boy!" she declared.
Looking them over more carefully, he spotted the Konoha headbands they each wore on different parts of their bodies. Yang's was worn as a belt, Rikku's was wrapped around her left forearm near her shoulder, and Meru's was hanging loosely around her neck. Of course, he didn't know who these three were, all he knew was that they were here to drag him back to that Kami forsaken village that he had worked so hard to escape from years earlier.
"I see. So you three are kunoichi from Konoha then? I won't ask how you found this place, as I'm sure Orochimaru must have screwed up somehow. Instead, let me say this: I'm not going back with you to that rotten place. They were holding me back from obtaining true power. I would never have been allowed to hunt down Itachi had I stayed. So if you're going to try and drag me back to that accursed place, then I'll just have to kill you all." he said as he drew his blade and dashed towards them.
Meru, seeing how fast he was coming, quickly blocked his blade with her hammer. Bringing one of her hands up to his face, she began to cast one of her Wingly spells, but Sasuke saw this coming and quickly shouted out, "Chidori Current!" As electricity arced along her weapon and into her body, Meru let out a loud scream of pain before she broke away from him and began to pant. She was experiencing occasional muscle spasms thanks to the electricity she had taken in, but with a little rest and perhaps some healing, she'd be fine.
Yang, furious at seeing one of her friends harmed in such a way, slammed her fists together and activated her Ember Celica weapons. Charging forward, she began throwing punches and kicks at Sasuke, each of which he was dodging by the barest of fractions. Finally having enough of it, she threw a punch towards his gut and fired off a shot from her gauntlet, only to find that Sasuke had slipped around behind her. Eyes widening, she thought for sure she was a goner for sure.
Rikku, having seen what Sasuke was about to do, dashed forward and slashed her dual daggers at him, forcing him to leap away from Yang. Sasuke stared calmly into Rikku's eyes and proceeded to begin a fierce dual of blades with her until he finally saw an opening in her form and stabbed his sword into her arm. However, he wasn't finished there. Once more he began streaming the power of a Chidori, only this time he funneled it through his sword and into Rikku's body, eliciting a shrill scream from her.
Meru, having enough of this, summoned a large amount of magical power from within herself and threw a large fireball at Sasuke to force him away from her dearest friend. Sasuke, seeing the power behind this strange technique, quickly threw up his arms and braced himself as the room exploded, causing the entire base to rumble and the ceiling to cave in around them.
When everything had cleared up and the sunlight began streaming in, Meru, Rikku, and Yang climbed out of the rubble they had been buried under only to see Sasuke standing above them. They prepared for more combat with the bastard, but they soon heard Naruto's voice and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God. they thought as one.
End Flashback
"-ikku. Rikku!" she heard her name being shouted by someone.
Looking around, Rikku realized that everyone was staring at her now for some reason. Blushing in embarrassment, she rubbed at her arm where she had been stabbed and offered them a smile. "Sorry guys. What's going on now?" she questioned.
Tsunade sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "I was asking if you're okay now. They told me you were stabbed. I assume you're feeling better?"
Smiling at the concern Tsunade was showing her, Rikku nodded a couple of times in confirmation. "Yep yep! I'm feeling great! Though…"
The Godaime nodded her head in understanding. "Phantom pains, right? I know how those can be. It'll pass with time, I assure you." Rikku smiled in thanks to the Hokage and began to listen again as Yamato continued his report.
"Anyways, as I was saying, while Sakura tended to Rikku's obvious wound, the rest of us prepared to deal with Sasuke. However…" Yamato looked at Naruto and smiled. "Naruto was able to defeat him soundly on his own. Sasuke didn't take losing to him very well and tried to kill him, but in the end, Naruto was victorious over Sasuke and we succeeded in capturing him. And now, that brings us here, back to you." he said, finishing his report.
Nodding her head in understanding, the gorgeous Godaime Hokage looked at the two captured subjects and nodded again as she came to a decision. "Very well. Kabuto will be taken to T&I for questioning. He likely knows the locations of all of Orochimaru's hideouts as well as information on the people located at each. If we can get such information from him, we can systematically wipe out what remains of Orochimaru's forces. We may even retrieve valuable information from his hideouts. Then again, I'm not sure exactly what we may find, so I'd recommend being prepared for anything if I happen to send you out in search of them." she said.
Snapping her fingers, Tsunade watched as two of her ANBU appeared. "Boar, take Kabuto to Ibiki. Tell him that I want he and his men to extract every last bit of information from this wretch that they can get." she commanded, watching as the mentioned ANBU disappeared with Orochimaru's right hand man.
"As for Sasuke, I'll be gathering the Council together so we can discuss a suitable punishment for him. Personally, I would prefer to just execute him, but I'm curious to see how many of those on the Council are willing to stick their necks out for this piece of scum. It will help me determine who needs to be replaced and who can stay." she said, glaring at the Uchiha. "Hawk, take the Uchiha to the Council Chambers. I'll be there shortly."
After Hawk disappeared with Sasuke, Tsunade turned to Team Yamato and smiled proudly at each of them. "You have all done exceptionally well. I'd love to give you all time off right away, but for now I must insist that you follow me to the Council Chambers. As those directly involved in the capture of Sasuke Uchiha, as well as you being the Uzumaki clan head, Naruto, your presence will be required." she said before she stood up from her chair and began to lead them out of her office and to the Council Chambers.
Snapping her fingers again, Tsunade waited until three more ANBU appeared, walking alongside them, before she gave her orders to them. "I want you three to gather the Council together. It's time to decide the Uchiha's fate." And with that one, simple order, the ANBU were off.
Council Chambers - A short time later
Naruto was seated in his designated chair in the Council Chambers, waiting patiently for the rest of the Council to arrive. So far, most of the clan heads had arrived, but the Civilian Council was taking their sweet time getting there.
As he looked down on Sasuke, he couldn't help but frown. The Uchiha was struggling against his bonds in a feeble attempt to break them. However, without access to his chakra, he couldn't break his bonds, nor could he use his Sharingan to save himself either. Letting out a sigh, he decided to just ignore him for now and focus on the meeting that would begin as soon as the rest of the Council arrived and took their seats.
After a short while, the Civilian Council finally arrived and took their seats. Looking at them, Naruto couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. They must really think themselves important to have taken their sweet time getting here. Smug bastards.
"Now that we're all finally here," Tsunade began, glaring at the civilians, "we can begin. As you can no doubt see, Sasuke Uchiha has been captured and returned to the village."
When the Civilian Council began to cheer and praise their 'Sasuke-sama', Tsunade gritted her teeth and pounded her fist onto the table before her. "Shut the hell up!" she yelled, scaring the civilians into being quiet, though they each wore matching grins. "On Team Yamato's last mission, they encountered Orochimaru and his right hand, Kabuto Yakushi. Kabuto was captured as well and is currently under interrogation as we speak." she explained.
Before anyone could interrupt her, she continued speaking. "Team Yamato followed Orochimaru back to his hideout where not only did they defeat and capture Sasuke Uchiha, but they slew Orochimaru as well."
Eyes widening in disbelief at this, Hiashi was the one to speak up. "I'm sorry Hokage-sama, but I find that a little hard to believe. How could they have possibly…?" he began to question, only for Tsunade to present to the room Orochimaru's head. Needless to say, this effectively silenced Hiashi and any protest he could have made.
"No further questions or complaints regarding Team Yamato's prowess? Good." Tsunade said with a grin. "Now, the reason I have called this meeting is to decide what to do about Sasuke Uchiha. We need a punishment that will fit his crimes."
Before she could continue, the Civilian Council broke into an uproar. Eventually, one of the members silenced the others before speaking up on their behalf. "Hokage-sama, surely you can't be serious?! Sasuke-sama was a loyal shinobi of Konohagakure before Orochimaru's men kidnapped him and took him away! Surely he can't be held accountable for that?"
Naruto scoffed at this. "Sasuke Uchiha is a criminal. On that retrieval mission three years ago, when I attempted to bring him back to Konoha, he attempted to murder me. Sasuke was leaving of his own accord. His goal was to join Orochimaru and gain the power needed to kill his brother one day. Sasuke was never loyal to Konoha, only to himself!"
"Quiet Demon! Nobody was asking you!" the same man shouted back in response, only to go wide-eyed and piss himself in horror when a large spear of ice shot down from the ceiling and almost impaled him.
Meru glared at the Civilian Council and shook her head in disgust as she lowered her hand. "Bastards. Don't you dare talk to Naruto that way! Keep it up and you'll experience firsthand the kinds of horrors I can inflict upon you!" she declared angrily.
Tsunade clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "I have to agree. Keep your mouths shut if you know what's good for you." she said, glaring at the civilians. "Sasuke is a criminal. He betrayed the village of Konoha and attempted to murder one of our own when he tried to stop Sasuke from leaving. For these crimes, he must be punished. Now, I am open to suggestions. Personally, I'd prefer to just execute him, but I'm giving you all a say in what should be done about him."
When the Civilian Council looked ready to protest again, Tsunade threw up her hand to silence them. "No, Sasuke will not go free. He wasn't manipulated in any way. I don't know how many times you idiots need to hear that before it gets through to your tiny, pea-sized brains. Now, unless you idiots can come up with a suitable punishment for him, I recommend you shut your traps."
Naruto found himself smirking as the Civilian Council went silent, angry scowls on their faces. Turning his gaze down to Sasuke, he began to speak. "Hokage-sama, if I may?" he requested.
"You may Naruto-kun. Do you have a suggestion?" Tsunade asked curiously.
"I do. I know you would prefer to execute him and be done with it, but personally, I think that's far too light a punishment for him." he said, starting to smile sadistically as he watched Sasuke squirm. "I recommend permanently sealing away his chakra and forcing him to live life as a civilian, knowing he'll never be able to exact his revenge upon Itachi. On top of that, I recommend removing his eyes and giving them to someone more worthy of them, as once his chakra is sealed, they will no longer be of any use to Sasuke, wouldn't you agree Hokage-sama?"
Sasuke snarled at this and shouted, "You bastard! Itachi deserves to pay for what he's done! You can't take this away from me!"
Smirking wider, Naruto turned to the Hokage and pointed down at Sasuke. "I know another of his dreams was to restore his clan. I'd recommend performing a vasectomy to render him sterile. That way he can never achieve either of his dreams. I think that sounds like quite the agreeable punishment, wouldn't you Hokage-sama?"
Tsunade smirked at this and nodded her head. "I find that punishment to be quite agreeable indeed, Naruto-kun. Does anyone have anything to add, or shall we go ahead with this punishment?"
Shikaku Nara yawned and scratched at his chin before he began to speak. "It would be a shame to let the Uchiha clan die out permanently Hokage-sama. So, while I agree with the punishment Naruto has suggested, I would recommend extracting a suitable amount of sperm from Sasuke before you perform the procedure to render him sterile. At least that way we can rebuild the Uchiha clan and nurture them from a young age to be better than any of the previous Uchiha were. And, this way, Sasuke will have no influence over them, as, despite being his sperm, they will not be his children, and therefore he has no say in how they are raised. So, in essence, Sasuke won't be restoring the Uchiha clan like he dreamed of doing, but we'll be restoring them ourselves and helping guide them to become better people than any of the previous Uchiha could ever have been."
The Godaime looked around at everyone and asked, "Alright, I can agree to that. What do the rest of you think? Does the punishment chosen match the crime?"
The Civilian Council looked at Sasuke for a moment before they began to discuss the punishment amongst themselves. After a moment, the same spokesperson as before began to speak up. "We can agree to this decision, so long as sperm is, indeed extracted. In fact, we'd even be willing to put forth our daughters as potential childbearers for the new Uchiha clan." he said, a greedy smile on his face.
Tsunade sighed and shook her head, having already expected as such from them. Ignoring that particular problem for now, she turned to the clan heads and waited to hear from them.
Hiashi was the first to speak up. "I can agree with this punishment, though I'd prefer not seeing anymore Uchiha's brought to life. Still, I can agree with Shikaku's assessment and understand where he's coming from. So you have my vote Hokage-sama."
Choza was the next to speak up. "You have my vote as well. The punishment indeed fits the crime. However, may I ask who you plan to give Sasuke's eyes to after they are extracted?"
Tsunade frowned at this and shook her head. "I can think of a few people worthy of such a gift, but I'm currently undecided." she lied, as she already knew exactly who she'd like to gift Sasuke's eyes to.
Nodding his understanding, Choza went quiet and waited for his fellow clan heads to give their votes. Inoichi spoke up next, "You have my vote. I'm sure Ino-chan won't be very happy with what we're doing to Sasuke, but…"
The busty Godaime Hokage sighed and shook her head. "You're thinking of allowing her to become pregnant using some of Sasuke's sperm, aren't you?"
Shuddering in disgust at the mere thought of it, Inoichi sighed and shook his head. "I...I just don't know Hokage-sama. I want my little girl to be happy, but at the same time...it just wouldn't feel right to me. So I'm at war with myself right now." he said sadly.
Tsunade nodded in understanding and gave him a sympathetic smile. "I understand. It's a hard choice and not one to be made right here, right now. Take your time and speak with your family about this Inoichi. Then, and only then, should you come to a decision regarding such a thing." she advised him.
Inoichi nodded his head in thanks before looking towards Tsume and Shibi, who had yet to cast their votes.
Tsume looked down at Sasuke and shook her head in disgust. "I hate the idea of allowing the Uchiha clan to come back, but if we can raise them right, then hell, you have my vote."
Shibi adjusted his glasses before he began to speak. "My vote is yours as well, Hokage-sama. Sasuke has brought this on himself, and it only makes sense to do what must be done for the good of the village as a whole."
Nodding in understanding, Tsunade looked down at Sasuke and smirked devilishly at him. "Fine then. As the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure, I declare Sasuke's punishment set. Sasuke, your chakra will be sealed and your eyes removed to be transplanted into someone else of my choosing. Furthermore, your sperm will be extracted and kept in our sperm bank before you are given a vasectomy to prevent you from ever restoring your clan as you had dreamed. ANBU, take him away."
As the ANBU appeared, Sasuke began to scream out, "You'll all die for this! Do you hear me?! I'll find a way to make you all suffer! Nobody keeps me from my goals! NOBODY!"
After the ANBU vanished with Sasuke, Tsunade couldn't help but shake her head. "What a deranged little boy." she said before looking around at everyone. "Does anyone have any further business we need to discuss? Or can we call it a day?"
When nobody piped up, she smiled and clapped her hands together. "Then I declare this meeting over. You're all free to leave. Naruto-kun, I want you and your team to follow me. We have something to discuss." she said, leading Naruto, Yamato, and their teammates back to her office.
Once they were back in Tsunade's office, she activated the silencing seals and looked at the team of ten seriously. "I asked you to come here because I wanted to discuss a few things. The first of which is this: Sakura, how would you feel if I asked you to be the one to use Sasuke's Sharingan?"
Sakura blinked at this and pointed at herself in astonishment. "M-me Tsunade-shishou? But...why? Wouldn't it be better if they went to Naruto-kun?" she questioned unsurely.
Naruto frowned at this and shook his head. "While the Sharingan would be useful in combat, there's a problem. I'd love to be able to use the Sharingan to help suppress the Kyuubi if it ever started trying to take me over again. But...there's a chance that the Kyuubi could influence the Sharingan in some way if they were to be implanted in me. He could do any number of things, even blind me probably, and that wouldn't be good for anyone. If they went to you, however…"
Rikku saw where this was going and nodded slowly in understanding. "I get it! If Sakura gets the Sharingan, she could use them to suppress the Kyuubi if Naruto ever starts going out of control! After all, he can control up to four tails, but after that…? Not so much." she said, giggling nervously. "It wasn't easy bringing him back when he went five tails that one time, was it girls?"
The others that had been with Naruto on the training trip nodded as one. "That was a scary day. Luckily we were able to beat Naruto down enough for Jiraiya to slap a bunch of seals on him and force him out of the transformation. Still scary." Yang said, shivering a bit from the memory of that event.
Tsunade frowned at this information, not liking that Jiraiya hadn't told her about that particular incident. However, releasing a sigh, she focused her attention back on Sakura. "So Sakura, what is your answer? Will you accept the Sharingan?"
Sakura frowned at this and thought for a while on what she should say. Turning to look at her sensei and the rest of her teammates, she saw them all smiling at her reassuringly. So, after releasing a breathy sigh, she turned back to her master and nodded once. "I will. If it means I'll become stronger and I can help Naruto-kun in any way, then I'll do it."
"Excellent. I'll notify you when it's time for the transplant. For now…" Turning to Naruto, Tsunade frowned for a moment as she thought about what she was about to order him to do. Finally, she released a heavy sigh and shook her head. "Naruto, I think it's time for you to attempt and link up with one of your girlfriends' worlds. I would personally recommend attempting to connect to Towa's world first, as due to that world's knowledge of time magic, it might prove beneficial for you. Then again, the choice is yours alone. I can only offer you my advice."
Eyes widening at Tsunade's request, Naruto was about to protest against it, but Tsunade held up a hand to silence him. "Before you try and argue with me, saying you aren't ready yet or you don't think you can do it, I want you to listen to me. First of all, this isn't a request, it's an order. As your Hokage, I'm commanding you to make the attempt." she said. "But I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have complete faith in you Naruto-kun. I believe you'll succeed. All you need to do is believe in yourself and your ability to keep your magic under control. It is my belief that you will succeed in this. So, do you trust me?"
Naruto stared at Tsunade in wonder for a while before a smile dawned on his face and he nodded his head. "Understood Tsunade-sama." he said respectfully. "Thank you for your faith in me. I promise I won't let you down."
"Good. I'm glad to hear it. I want to see this firsthand, so if you'll follow me, I'll take you to the Hokage's personal training ground. We'll be alone there and it seems like the perfect place to attempt this." she explained. "And just in case we end up sucked into their world, I've already ordered Jiraiya to look after the village for me in my place." she said with a smirk. Turning off the silencing seals, the busty Godaime Hokage began to lead the large group towards her personal training ground.
Hokage's Personal Training Ground
Naruto stood some distance from his teammates and Tsunade, just staring up at the sky. After a moment of just soaking in nature and allowing it to wash over him, he released a deep breath and looked forward before raising his hand and pointing it palm flat ahead of him. "Alright. Here goes nothing." he said quietly to himself as he began to charge his magic.
Once Naruto felt he had a good grip on his magic, he focused on it and the power he held before unleashing it, tearing open a hole in space right in front of him. Focusing on the breach in space, Naruto widened it until it was big enough for people to walk through. Finally, he used his magic to anchor the hole to that spot so it wouldn't dispel itself. Once he was finished, he fell backwards on his butt and began breathing heavily from the exhaustion he felt.
As Naruto's team rushed to his side, Tsunade stepped up to the hole and eyed it carefully. "Well, it looks stable enough. Are you sure you connected to the right world, Naruto-kun?" she questioned as she looked to her favorite knucklehead.
Rising to his feet with the help of his fiance and Meru, Naruto nodded his head. "Oh yeah, it's definitely connected to Towa's world. I could feel it when I made the connection. Just...gimme a moment to recover and I'll be ready to go."
Tsunade nodded in response to this and experimentally stuck her hand through the hole to see what it would feel like. When she felt a cool breeze caress her hand, she blinked in confusion. Weird. That's not at all what I expected. Then again...I'm not sure what I expected it to feel like. Perhaps this breeze is wafting from the other side of the wormhole? She pondered curiously.
Towa stepped forward with a hopeful look in her eyes. "I...I can finally see Toki and the others again? Enda, Reijo, Wedi, Grandma...I'll get to see you all again." she said, a bright smile stretching her lips.
Naruto smiled at his lovely blonde girlfriend and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close. "That's why we're going through it now. We're going to see how your friends and family are Towa-chan. Tsunade-sama...are you coming with us, or are you staying here?" he asked, looking at Tsunade.
The busty blonde Hokage sighed and shook her head in the negative. "I'm afraid I'm staying here Naruto-kun. I was only here to make sure it worked and to tend to anyone that might have been injured had it failed." she explained before she gained a serious look in her eyes. "Team Yamato, here are your new orders: journey through this wormhole and ensure that Toki-hime and her friends are well. Should anything go wrong or there turns out to be trouble in that world, you have my permission to deal with it as needed. When you return, I want a full report on what you saw and experienced in that world. I want to know if it's a world we can count on for trade and a truly beneficial partnership between us. Now go!"
Nodding in understanding, Team Yamato turned to the wormhole and, one by one, stepped through until Tsunade was the only one left in the clearing. "Good luck. All of you." she said, hoping that nothing would go wrong on the other side.
Wind Plains
Stepping out of the wormhole, they glanced around at their surroundings only to see that they were in a wide open field. Naturally, most of the group had no idea where they were, so they turned to Towa to see if she recognized where they were.
"We're on the Wind Plains, just east of Kamza." Towa explained. "Judging from our position, I'd say we're near the eastern end of the plains. We need to head west if we want to get to Kamza."
Nodding in response, the group proceeded to make the long trek through the Wind Plains towards their destination: the royal capital city of Kamza.
As the group made their way across the plains, they couldn't help noticing the various creatures roaming the plains. "Are those...robots?" Naruto asked, looking at some of the creatures as they began moving closer to the party.
Towa sighed and nodded her head as she readied her weapon. "Yes, those are robots Naruto. They tend to roam these plains. They're no threat to us though, so just deal with them as you would any other enemy and let's be on our way. I want to see Toki and the others as soon as possible!" the ex-princess exclaimed as she rushed forward to meet their enemies head on.
Looking at the others, Yamato sighed and pointed ahead. "Well, you heard the girl. Let's get a move on team!" he commanded before they all joined the fray.
Kamza - Hours later
It was early into the evening hours when the team finally arrived in Kamza. Glancing around, they could tell that the mood in the city was somber. Towa couldn't help but take a few steps forward and look around with wide, worried eyes. Turning back to Naruto and the others, she said, "Something's not right. Everyone is usually so full of cheer whenever I came into the city. But this…? Something's happened."
Yamato frowned at this and looked around curiously before nodding to himself. "Towa, do you think you could take us to meet your friends? Hopefully one of them will know what's happened."
Towa nodded and motioned for her team to follow her. "I'll take you guys to my old house that I used to live in with Toki and...Zack." she said, spitting out Zack's name with venom in her voice.
Toki/Towa's House
Upon arriving at the house, they could hear voices coming from inside. Listening closely, Towa soon recognized the voices and said to the others, "It's them. My friends are inside!"
When Towa went to open the door, Yamato placed his hand on hers and shook his head. "Shhh. Let's listen first and see what information we can get before we rush on in there. After all…"
Naruto sighed and piped in at this point. "You told us before that Moebius wiped their memories of you. They wouldn't recognize you." he explained, much to Towa's dismay. Seeing her downcast look, the whiskered blonde walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. Tilting her head up with his finger, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a soft, loving kiss. When they separated, Towa smiled at Naruto in thanks before the group began to listen in.
"It's been three weeks already! I'm really beginning to worry about her." the voice of Reijo could be heard saying.
"I know! Who'da thought that would happen, huh guys?" the voice of Enda could be heard chiming in.
"I feel so sorry for her. To think Zack would go and do such a thing behind her back...I didn't think he was that kind of guy." Wedi could be heard saying.
"I dunno, he seemed like a big flirt to me." the voice of Makimona could be heard saying, much to Towa's shock. "A flirt and a pervert. He did try to peek on us when we were in the hot springs that one day."
"Ugh, I know! I still can't believe Toki actually married that pigweed! Still, I didn't think he was the type to go and do that to her." Reijo said next.
"Hey guys, my little fairy friend says there are people at the door. Should we let them in?" Wedi was heard saying.
Towa's eyes widened before she palmed her face. "Stupid. I forgot that Wedi has a fairy friend looking over her. Well, it looks like we've been found out. What now Captain?" she asked, looking at Yamato to see if he had any bright ideas.
Yamato sighed and watched as the door was opened. Standing there was an irate brunette with a blue hat on her head. When he opened his mouth to speak, Reijo beat him to the punch. "Who are you and why were you spying on us?"
Sighing again, Yamato looked to Towa for a moment before looking back at Reijo. "Hello. My name is Yamato. These are my friends. We were hoping we could ask you four for some information."
Towa sighed and shook her head. "Reijo," she began, catching Reijo off guard by the use of her name, "my name is Towa. You and I used to be friends, but...I doubt you and the others remember me anymore."
Enda popped up from behind Reijo and smiled brightly. "Hey! That's the name of Toki's daughter! What are the odds of that, huh Reijo?"
Towa blinked and looked at Enda for a moment, unable to process what she had just heard. When her brain finally rebooted itself, she couldn't help but smile. "Toki...named her daughter after me?"
"Whoa, whoa, hold up. What do you mean she named her daughter after you? And since when were we friends? I don't get this at all!" Reijo exclaimed, unable to process what she was hearing.
Wedi's voice could be heard saying, "Guys, she's telling the truth. My little fairy friend said that we should listen to what she has to say. So please, let them in so we can have this discussion inside?"
Reijo sighed and folded her arms across her chest, glaring daggers at them for a moment. When Wedi's voice could be heard saying, "Please Reijo? Don't be so stubborn about this." she finally stepped aside and allowed the team entrance into the house.
Taking seats wherever they could, Towa looked to her old friends and smiled happily at seeing each of them once again. When she looked at Wedi, she couldn't help but say, "Thank you Wedi, for believing me."
Wedi smiled and shook her head. "Not at all Towa. That...is your name, correct?"
The blonde ex-princess smiled and nodded her head. "Yes. My name is Towa, and I used to live inside of Toki as a part of her. We were two separate people sharing the same body." she explained, much to the shock of Toki's friends. "I know it may be hard to believe, but if you'll allow me to explain my story, you'll understand, I promise."
Makimona looked skeptical, but after a moment, she released a sigh and nodded her head. "Well, what the heck? I'm down for a little storytime session. How about you Reijo?"
Reijo frowned in thought for a moment before she finally caved in and said, "Fine. I guess. I'll hear you out, but only because Wedi seems to trust you."
Enda giggled and bounced up and down on her seat giddily. "Oooh! Storytime! I can't wait!"
Towa giggled at that and nodded her head. "As I said before, Toki and I used to share the same body. We were two souls trapped within the same body, and we could freely switch control of that body between the two of us." she began. "Well, on the day of our wedding to Zack, something terrible happened right before we could kiss and seal the deal, so to speak."
Releasing a heavy sigh at this, Towa shook her head. "Zack was killed by assassins. So Toki, using the power of her time magic, travelled back in time six months to change things so that her future with Zack would be saved. However…" Sighing again, Towa shook her head and closed her eyes as she continued on. "After returning from the past and trying to have our wedding once again, this time, Reijo attacked us." she said, looking Reijo in the eyes.
Reijo frowned at this and folded her arms across her chest. "This story is sounding more and more ludicrous every second. There's no way I would have ever attacked Toki like that!"
Towa smiled and shook her head in the negative. "No, you wouldn't have. But you were possessed by something at the time. Anyways, once more Toki traveled into the past to set things right, this time going back three months. But after that, the wedding was interrupted by Makimona, who had gone mad with the power of the Something Four."
Makimona frowned at this and crossed her arms under her bust. "Why would I go and do something like that? Toki's always been kind to me."
Shaking her head once again, Towa looked down at the table before her and frowned. "Makimona...you were always so lonely back then. You wanted to use the power of the Something Four to get a boyfriend, and the thought of Toki and Zack getting married and being happy together when you couldn't even get a boyfriend bothered you something fierce."
Before the purple-haired woman could protest any further, Enda chimed in. "You have to admit Makimona, Towa here has a point. A few years ago you were a really lonely person. But now you have us!"
Makimona sighed and nodded her head in understanding. "I suppose I can see that. Please, go on Towa."
"Thank you Makimona." Towa said, smiling at her. "Anyways, we traveled back one month in time to try and put a stop to what was happening. When we met our grandmother, she told us that we were trapped in something called the Moebius Loop. In order to break it, we needed to get our hands on the Something Four. Makimona, with your help we were able to enter the four gardens and collect the Something Four from their guardians. However, shortly after collecting the last of the Something Four...you showed up and stole them from us, going mad with their power. You attacked us and we were forced to fight you to save you from yourself as well as to get the Something Four back. Sadly...the Something Four were lost after the fight."
Makimona flinched at this and rubbed at her arm. "Umm...sorry for that. It sounds like I really caused you some grief."
Towa smiled at her and shook her head. "Don't worry about it Makimona. You four created your own Something Four for Toki and I to use, and it was with the power of the Something Four you four created for us that we were able to finally face the one that had been causing us all that grief: Moebius."
"Wait, Moebius? As in the Moebius Loop?" Enda questioned curiously.
"The very same." Towa said. "We chased Moebius back through time and eventually ended up going back to a full year before the wedding through our battles with her. What we didn't know at the time, though, was the fact that the more time passed and the more we fought against Moebius, the more our memories began to fade until we couldn't remember any of the adventures we had been on at all or any of the special moments we shared with Zack and you four."
"How sad." Wedi said, a frown on her face at hearing this. "I assume, though, that something changed?"
Towa nodded. "It turned out that a promise Toki and I had made when we were children was the cause of the Moebius Loop to begin with. So Grandma went back in time to prevent us from making that promise. However…" here, the blonde ex-princess looked back down at the table and began to fiddle with her fingers. "One of us would have to disappear."
The group of four friends gasped at that and a look of realization dawned on all of their faces. Seeing this, Towa nodded once. "We left the decision up to Zack. And...he chose Toki over me. I...ended up disappearing towards the end of the battle, leaving only Toki and Zack to finish the fight."
"But...that's so sad! That's like, totally unfair!" Enda exclaimed angrily with a cute pout on her face.
"I have to agree. That doesn't sound very fair to you at all. Especially if you were just as in love with that musk thistle as Toki was." Reijo said.
Towa sighed and shook her head. "It's fine. Besides, Toki and Zack defeated Moebius for me and they got to have their wedding. So...it all worked out in the end." she said. "But...I was stuck in an endless void with Moebius as my only companion. Needless to say, I wasn't pleased about that."
"Who would be if you were trapped with the very being that took away your chance at happiness? I know I'd go insane if it were me." Makimona said.
The lovely blonde woman giggled and shook her head. "It...surprisingly wasn't all bad. Moebius allowed me to watch the wedding between Toki and Zack when it finally happened. But...more than that, Moebius opened my eyes to the kind of pervert Zack really was. I learned quite a bit about Zack that still pisses me off to this day when I think about it. Still, so long as Toki was happy with him, that's what really mattered to me. I don't think he's right for her though, but that's just my opinion."
"Not just yours anymore." Reijo said. "We all feel the same way now about that dogfennel."
"Yeah!" Enda exclaimed. "He's hurt Toki and we're all pretty mad about that!"
Towa's eyes widened in horror at this and she looked at the four of them in shock. "He...he hurt Toki? How? When? Is she okay?!" she asked in a panic.
Wedi frowned and reached across the table to take Towa's hand in hers. "Calm yourself Towa. Toki's okay, she's not hurt physically. Zack would never raise a hand to her like that. But…"
When Wedi looked away from Towa, obviously unable to say anything more, Makimona decided to just come right out and say it. "The bastard cheated on her and she found out about it just recently. Zack's acting like nothing's wrong, but Toki? We haven't seen or heard from her in a while. She's locked herself in her room at the castle and hasn't come out for three weeks now. It's lucky that her servants think to bring her something to eat and drink for each meal of the day, or she'd have probably died in there." she said morbidly, causing her friends to glare angrily at her for saying such a thing.
"He...cheated on her? I knew he was a lecherous pervert, but I didn't think he'd go that far!" Towa exclaimed angrily. "I'll murder that rotten bastard for hurting Toki like this!"
Yamato stepped forward at this point and placed a hand on Towa's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Calm yourself Towa." Looking at her friends, Yamato decided to ask a question. "I'm curious, how many years has it been since the wedding took place?"
Reijo blinked at the sudden question, but answered anyways. "It's been four years since the wedding. Their daughter is turning three in a couple of days. Why do you ask?"
Nodding his head, Yamato looked at Towa. "It would seem time passes by just a little quicker here than it does in the world we just came from." he said. "My best guess is that Zack, after spending that long with Toki, got tired of 'sampling the same fruit' all the time and wanted something a little more from his life. Hence why he started this affair. How long has it been going on? Or was it just a one time thing?"
Wedi frowned and shook her head. "No, it's not a one time thing. Zack's been seeing two other women, both of whom are rich and beautiful. And considering Zack's our king now…? Well…"
Yamato nodded once again. "Zack lavishes them with expensive gifts and they don't tell a soul. Only problem is, one of them did let it slip and now Toki's suffering for it."
"Bingo! You're pretty smart, ummm...wait...we never got your names!" Reijo exclaimed, pointing at everyone else in the room. "Who are all you people?!"
Sighing again, Yamato placed a hand to his chest and bowed to the group of friends. "My name is Yamato. My friends are: Naruto Uzumaki, Temari, Sakura Haruno, Meru, Rikku, Gaige, Yang Xiao Long, and Blake Belladonna." he introduced, each member of his team waving in greeting or saying something when he said their name. "Naruto ended up saving Towa from her lonely life in the void she was in with Moebius. It was an accident, but he pulled Towa from that void and into the world that Sakura, Temari, Naruto, and myself are from. You see, he wields a powerful magic, capable of opening holes in space & time. As a result of this, he's ended up connecting to other worlds and pulling people from those worlds into our own."
Naruto sighed at this and rubbed at the back of his head. "It's not like I do it on purpose." he said with a frown. "You try controlling magic that powerful. It's not easy Yamato-sensei."
"Lemme guess, Naruto's magic is the reason you were able to come back here Towa?" Reijo asked.
Towa nodded. "Yes. It took a few years, but I'm finally back home. I'm...not here to stay however." she said.
"What?! Why not?! This is your home, isn't it Towa?" Enda questioned, clearly upset.
"Kamza will always be my first home and a place I would love to come back to whenever possible. But...my new home is with Naruto. I'm going to be one of his brides someday soon and I want to start a family with him. So my place is in his world now." Towa explained.
Reijo immediately picked up on something that Towa said and narrowed her eyes. "You just said one of his brides. Don't tell me he's a pervert too!"
Shaking her head in the negative, Towa offered her dear friend a smile. "No Reijo, Naruto is a wonderful person. It's just...most of the girls you see here? We fell in love with him and we all wanted to be with him. Rikku got to him first and we were about to give up on him...buuut…"
Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head in agitation. "You see, in my world we've got these things called clans. I'm a member of the Uzumaki clan. In fact, I'm probably one of, if not the last members of my clan. When a clan like mine becomes endangered like that, the village council can enact something called the CRA, or Clan Restoration Act, in an attempt to revive that clan. What this entails is…"
"Marrying multiple wives." Wedi surmised, interrupting Naruto before he could finish speaking. "You have to marry multiple wives and have children with each of them, don't you?" she questioned.
The whiskered blonde nodded and offered her a charming smile. "Bingo. You're pretty smart Wedi-chan!" he complimented. "I'll be honest here, I didn't ask to be put in the CRA. I mean, who would? Well, besides a guy like Jiraiya-sensei anyways. But...if it means I get to be happy with my girls, then I can't complain."
Reijo frowned at this and folded her arms across her chest. "It still sounds a little fishy to me. But...if it means you're all happy together…"
"We are." Rikku interrupted, glaring at Reijo as if daring her to speak ill about them and their arrangement. "Naru makes us all really happy. So don't complain Reijo."
The brunette threw up her hands and waved them in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay! I may not understand it, but if you're all happy sharing the same guy, I can't complain. Especially if it makes Towa happy."
Towa smiled in thanks. "Thank you Reijo." she said sincerely. "Now, does anyone know where Grandma is? If we can find her, I'm sure she can help us talk to Toki."
Enda threw her hand up into the air and exclaimed, "Oooh! I know, I know! She's probably down at Ricardo's bakery enjoying one of his cakes at this time of day!"
Towa blinked in shock at this before she began to shiver in disgust. "How can anyone enjoy those things? Ricardo's cakes were just awful!"
Makimona blinked at this and shook her head. "Well, they might have been that way in the time you came from, but his cakes are world-renowned in this timeline. They are just that good."
"I see." the ex-princess said. "I have to admit that I'm happy for the guy, despite how weird he can be."
Wedi giggled and nodded her head in agreement. "Ricardo is a pretty weird guy. That hasn't changed about him."
Yamato clapped his hands together to get their attention. "Alright then. It seems our plan is set. Let's go find your grandma, Towa, and enlist her help in aiding Toki-hime." he said, eager to get this self-appointed mission underway already. After all, they had already spent enough time chatting and getting caught up with one another. Now was the time to act.
Ricardo's Bakery
Upon arriving at the bakery, they immediately spotted an elderly woman dressed in red sitting at one of the outside tables enjoying a few delectable looking pastries. Approaching her, Towa spoke up, "Grandma? Do...do you remember me?" she questioned hopefully.
Anna paused, her eyes going wide in shock. She recognized that voice! Turning to face the person that addressed her, a bright smile broke out on her face. "Towa! I never thought I'd see you again! Oh dear, how have you been?!" she exclaimed, getting up to hug Towa tight.
Towa couldn't help but shed a few tears as she held her grandmother. "I've missed you Grandma. I'm so happy to see you again."
Anna held Towa close and gently ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair. "Sweetheart, sit down and tell me where you've been. You must have experienced so much since I last saw you."
The blonde ex-princess smiled and sat down next to her grandmother, waiting for everyone else to take their seats as well. Many of them had to grab chairs from the other tables, as there weren't enough around the table that Anna was currently seated at.
Once they were all seated, Anna looked to Towa. "So Towa, what have you been up to these last five years, hm?" she asked curiously.
Towa sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "I spent the first year trapped in an endless void with Moebius. It was not a fun time for me. However, Moebius did open my eyes about Zack and his perverted nature, so I have to thank her for that."
Anna winced in sympathy for Towa. "Being trapped with Moebius couldn't have been very fun. But you're free now. Tell me more."
"Well…" Towa looked to her side and grabbed Naruto's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Turning back to her grandmother, she smiled happily at her. "Naruto ended up opening a wormhole right into the void I was in and pulled me through it. Moebius kind of gave me a push though…"
"Of course she did. You wouldn't willingly jump through a wormhole knowing the risks that come with doing so." Anna said. "After all, a wormhole such as that could lead anywhere, even link to other worlds or dimensions. Such things are incredibly dangerous. It would take someone truly skilled in space & time magic to create a stable wormhole and connect it to a specific location."
Towa nodded and gave Naruto's hand a gentle squeeze. "It turns out that Naruto accidentally opened the wormhole during an emotional breakdown he was having. But it led to my meeting him and I'm grateful for that."
Anna couldn't help but smile at Towa as she and Naruto shared a kiss with each other. "I see. So you've moved on from Zack. I'm happy for that. Especially now, after what has happened with Toki."
Nodding her head in understanding, Towa decided to continue from where she left off. "Anyways, I decided to train Naruto in the use of his time & space magic to the best of my ability. He made for a great student, but there have been a few mishaps." she said, giggling afterwards.
Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, I'm still getting the hang of my magic. Give me a break."
When Towa finished giggling, she patted Naruto's hand before returning her attention to her grandmother. "I've spent two years of my life there with Naruto and my new friends. I've met some amazing people too, including the toads of Mt. Myoboku and the Hokage, a woman by the name of Tsunade Senju. But...there is significantly more danger there than there is in this world. On top of that, a lot of the people of Naruto's home village of Konohagakure hate him for something beyond his control. So while I do love it there, there are things that worry me as well."
Anna looked at Naruto for a moment before returning her gaze to Towa. "I see. That strange power inside of him that I sense, that dark, vile energy...that's why they hate him, isn't it Towa?"
Everyone went wide-eyed in shock at this. Team Yamato was shocked that she could sense the Kyuubi inside of Naruto, while Reijo, Enda, Wedi, and Makimona were surprised to hear that something apparently dark in nature was within their new friend.
"How is it you can sense the Kyuubi?" Yamato questioned curiously.
The elderly woman giggled a bit before pointing at Naruto's belly. "I'm afraid it's impossible to hide something that powerful from me. What's concerning to me is that an energy that dark and foul is far too dangerous to use. Tell me Naruto, when you've used this energy in the past, has it harmed you?"
Naruto nodded slowly and released a heavy sigh. "Yes. The Kyuubi's chakra is corrosive in nature. It damages me when I try to use it, and when I enter my four tails state…" he shuddered at this point, remembering how painful it was the few times he entered a four tails state in the past.
Anna nodded and released a sigh. "I suspected as much. We'll have to talk more about this Kyuubi later. Right now, I believe you were telling me about your time away Towa?"
While Naruto wondered what Anna had on her mind regarding the Kyuubi, Towa continued regaling her grandmother with the tale of her time away from her world. "Upon our return to Konoha, we were all put on a team together and became members of Konoha's military force. The majority of people there are ninjas Grandma. They're able to use some amazing techniques ranging from shooting fireballs from their mouths to summoning gigantic creatures!" she exclaimed, sounding a little excited about that.
Quickly composing herself, Towa continued. "Anyways, after that, we went and saved the leader of another village from these evil people called the Akatsuki. I fought a man named Sasori then. He was a puppet master, able to use puppets he created to do battle. We beat him, of course, but that was one of the most intense fights I've ever been in." she admitted with a small grin on her face. What? She loved the thrill of battle!
Anna couldn't help but giggle as she saw the sparkle in Towa's eyes. "You still enjoy a good battle, don't you Towa? I'm glad to see you haven't changed too much sweetheart."
Towa blushed in embarrassment, but continued anyways. "Immediately after that mission, we were sent on another to go and capture an enemy spy that used to work for Sasori. When we got to the Tenchi Bridge, we found out that the spy was actually Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's right hand man. His master, Orochimaru, also appeared and a fight broke out." she explained.
Towa's grandmother smiled as she asked her granddaughter, "I assume you managed to not only win the fight, but capture the spy as well?"
The blonde ex-princess nodded with a smile of her own. "Yes! But Orochimaru unleashed a massive attack that very well could have killed us. Naruto proved that my lessons with him weren't wasted, however, and used his time magic to save us." she said, trying to play up her boyfriend to her grandmother.
Naruto blushed at the praise but shook his head. "It wasn't just me. You took care of the rest of the snakes he summoned. You deserve just as much credit Towa-chan."
Anna smirked at this and looked between the two of them. "Heh, you two are cute together. Anyways, what happened next?"
After giving her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, Towa looked into Anna's eyes and continued her tale. "We followed Orochimaru to his lair and proceeded to finish him off. Afterwards, we captured a traitor to Konohagakure by the name of Sasuke Uchiha. He…" Here, Towa looked at Naruto and frowned. "A year before I appeared in his world, Sasuke nearly killed Naruto. So I'm glad things went differently this time."
Naruto gently squeeze Towa's hand in a reassuring gesture. "Don't worry Towa-chan. I'm not going to die anytime soon. I still have to become Hokage and start a family with you lovely ladies after all." he said sweetly.
Anna quirked a brow and looked around at all the women that she didn't recognize and frowned. "Towa, you're in a polygamous relationship?"
Towa nodded in response. "Yes, but we're all very happy together Grandma. We all fell in love with the same wonderful man and we couldn't be happier."
Nodding her head in understanding, Anna smiled at her granddaughter. "I'm glad to hear that. So long as you're happy Towa, that's all that matters to me. Now, what else have you been up to?"
"Well, after returning to Konoha with our targets, we had to go to a Council meeting to decide Sasuke's fate. I won't go into details, but let's just say the punishment more than fits the crime." Towa explained with a giggle. "After that, Tsunade ordered Naruto to try and open a portal to this world. And now, here we are."
The elderly woman looked from Towa to her old friends and asked, "I assume she sought you four out first?" When Reijo and the others nodded, Anna sighed and looked back at Towa. "What have they told you Towa?"
Towa clenched her fists angrily and said, "Zack's been cheating on Toki. They also told me that Toki hasn't left her room in three weeks. I think the only good piece of news they had for me was that they have a daughter that they named after me."
Anna nodded sadly. "Yes. When Toki caught Zack in the act...they had a huge fight. He broke her heart, Towa. And yet…" she sighed and shook her head. "Zack acts like nothing's wrong. Kamza hasn't been the same since Toki secluded herself away. She lit up people's lives, and now that she's secluding herself, the people are feeling almost as depressed as she is."
Naruto interrupted their conversation at this point. "That's why we came to you ma'am. We were hoping you could help us meet with Toki. We're hoping that we can break her out of her funk and make things right again."
Nodding her head in understanding, Anna looked between Towa and her boyfriend before releasing a sigh. "Alright, I'll take you to see her. Just know that even if you manage to help Toki, you'll still need to do something about Zack."
Towa nodded her head. "Of course. He'll be lucky if I allow him to live after hurting Toki like this." she said angrily.
Anna sighed and shook her head. "I'm hoping you can find a non-violent solution to this, but if he pushes you too far, I understand if you decide to get violent with him. After all, he's kind of brought it on himself. Just promise me you won't take it too far."
The blonde noblewoman frowned, but eventually acquiesced to her grandmother's request. "I promise Grandma. I won't kill him, but that doesn't mean I won't neuter the jerk."
Chuckling softly, Towa's grandmother nodded in acceptance of this. "That's all I can ask from you sweetie. Now, let's get going. It's time to get Toki some much needed help." she said before standing up and beginning to lead the group towards the castle.
As they walked, Towa held Naruto's hand, squeezing it tightly for support. Don't worry Toki. We're coming to help you. You won't have to hurt anymore once we're through.