This chapter of Here We Go Again was brought to you by Mountain Dew and Green Day. All hail all things green.
Disclaimer! I don't, and sadly never will, own Naruto. The closest I shall ever come is in the form of graphic novels, original characters and my own demented dreams. Also, suing me is pointless, as I'm dirt-poor and not making a cent off this venture.
Arc 2 - New Hope
Chapter 5: Another Day
14 years after Naruto and Sakura's marriage...
In his dimly lit cell, the sweat glinted in the low light. Following through on the form, he grunted as he instinctivly tried to use chakra, and the chakra repression field encompassing his cell reacted violently. Floored by the discharge, he lay on the floor of his cell, breathing heavily. For almost 16 years now he'd been here, training when not sleeping or being examined. As a result, he'd honed his body to near perfection. Occasional conversations with whichever Jounin or Chuunin had been assigned as his guard of the day, and regular conversations with shrinks, kept him reasonably sane. Sighing, Uchiha Sasuke sat up from the cool concrete. He hated this place. He hated Orochimaru even more. The damned snake had used him, used his rage against him, and had made him a puppet. Until Naruto had beaten him. Even in his mind the words still sounded odd. Reaching a hand around to his lower back, Sasuke felt the mass of scar tissue at the base of his spine, the spot where Naruto had driven the Rasengan into his back. Pulling his hand away, he looked at the door. His lunch would be arriving soon...
Sighing as the slot at the bottom of his door slid open, Sasuke shook his head. "So who's it today?" he asked in a dull monotone. He started as a familiar voice responded.
"Me, asswipe. Got a problem?" Kiba said.
"Inuzuka?"
"No, Shino learned to talk."
"I see you haven't matured in... oh, twenty years or so."
"Shut up Sasuke." Sighing again as he looked at the 'food' on the tray before him, he began to silently eat. "You get out tomorrow" Kiba said abruptly. Nearly choking, Sasuke spit out his food.
"What?" he gasped as he ran a hand across his chin.
"I said that you get out tomorrow. By order of the Hokage" Kiba replied, mirth evident in his voice.
"I never would have thought that Tsunade would let me out" Sasuke said incredulously. On the other side of the door, Kiba shrugged.
"Yeah, she probably wouldn't 've let you out, but she ain't Hokage anymore." Sasuke paused to consider this new piece of information. It really shouldn't have surprised him, but it did.
"Who is Hokage now?" he asked curiously.
"Sorry, can't tell you. Hokage's orders" Kiba said with a smirk.
"Hn" Sasuke grunted as he returned to his meal.
"You're also being placed in charge of Genin Cell number 4, from class 635920" Kiba casually added, laughing silently as he heard the Uchiha choke again on the other side of the door.
"What?"
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The next day, across Konoha, a pair of Genins sat on a stone bench. The boy's long dark hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, with a few loose strands hanging freely in front of his pale eyes. Wiping one of his too-long sleeves across his forehead, he sighed. The blonde girl to his left raised her head, looking at him somewhat tiredly with her piercing green eyes. Sweat traced down her face, the brutal August heat even making it through her defenses.
"So, we're supposed to get Sotaro-sensei and Katsu's replacements today, right?" Uzumaki Hinata asked in a dull voice.
"Yeah. Why did we have to be here though?" replied Hyuuga Yusuke, heir to the Hyuuga clan.
"Dunno. Someone out there hates us? My dad's a sadist? Bad luck?" she ticked off, raising a finger as she listed off each item. "Gahh! Who knows?" she said, throwing her arms into the air.
"Man, are you two seriously my new teammates? I mean, you didn't even come close to sensing my presence" came a voice from above. Looking up slowly, Hinata jumped as a head stopped a few inches from her own.
"Ahhhh! What the hell?" she yelled as she managed to fall over the back of the bench. His silvery hair hanging freely as he did from the underside of the branch, the newcomer scrutinized the girl with his peculiar blue-grey eyes.
"Okay" he laughed, "that's a new one on me." Causually dropping from his perch, he twisted and landed lightly on the edge of the bench. "So, what's up?" he said as he faced Yusuke. The Hyuuga blinked, a sweatdrop easily visible as it made it's way down the side of his face.
"Uhhh... are you our new teammate?" he asked hesitantly. Leaning back against the back of the bench, the silver-haired boy let his legs pop out from under him.
"Yeah. Name's Hyozan Kenji" he said as he casually stretched out.
"Hyozan? Isn't that the family that moved here from the Land of Water 6 years ago, after the last war there?" Yusuke asked, a curious look on his face.
Kenij's expression darkened for a moment. "Yeah" he said, his face lightening again as the memory passed. Sitting back up, Hinata glared at the back of Kenji's head.
"Okay, you are now officially annoying" she said to his hair, a cross expression on her face. Kenji just laughed. Pointing a thumb over his shoulder, he gestured to Hinata.
"And her?" he asked.
"Hmph. I happen to be the daughter of the Rokudaime Hokage, and the number one Genin in Konoha..." she said as she popped up to her feet. Thrusting a thumb at herself, she continued "...Master of Kage Bunshin, and prankster supreme, Uzumaki Hinata!" she finished, standing in a ridiculous pose.
"Riiiiight..."
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As the three Genins walked through the streets of Konoha, Hinata stared at Kenji curiously. "How come you're not hot wearing that thing?" she asked, pointing at the sleeveless sweatshirt he had on. Shrugging, he flipped a stray strand of hair out from his face.
"Bloodlimit. I've got total control over the temperature of my body, the air surrounding me, and anything I touch. Observe" he said as he took out a kunai. His expression straining for a moment, he handed the blade to Hinata, who jumped as the icy steel touched her skin.
"That's cold dammit!" she yelled as she tossed the kunai into the air. Shrugging, Kenji swiped the spinning weapon from the air, and replaced it in the holster.
"Sorry, sometimes I forget that not everybody handles cold as well as me" he said apogetically. Hinata glared for a moment, then shrugged herself.
"Eh. I can't blame you there. Sometimes I get a bit rough in training, 'cause I forget that not everybody heals like me and dad" she said as she rubbed her hands vigorously together. Upon noticing her new teammate's questioning expression, she resumed speaking. "Me and my dad both regenerate instead of healing like other people. I don't really know why that's how it works, but my father was an orphan from the time of the Kyuubi's attack, so I guess that the rest of the family musta been wiped out or something. I know it didn't come from my mom, but she doesn't really need it anyway. She is Konoha's top med-nin, after all" she finished, a smirk on her face. Behind them both, Yusuke sighed. He couldn't believe that they were arguing over who's bloodlimit was more useful. After all, he was the heir to the Hyuuga and possessor of the Byakugan, which totally trumped any stupid cold thing or healing. Lost in thought, he completely failed to notice that they were being followed...
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Sasuke shook his head. First, he gets released by the new Hokage, who nobody will tell him the identity of, and then he's assigned a Genin team. One comprised of Neji's son, some kid who reminded the Uchiha entirely too much of his old teacher Kakashi, and a girl who was far too much like Naruto for Sasuke's liking. At the moment, said Genins were stopping at Ichiraku for lunch. Feeling that there was no time like the present, Sasuke quietly sat down a stool from the girl, who was sitting on the far right of the three, and ordered a pork miso. As the woman took his order, she glanced at his face, the same cheerful smile on her face that had been there in his childhood slowly fading as recognition set in.
'Sa... Sasuke-kun?" she whispered as her hands began to shake slightly. Sasuke let a small smile escape.
"Yes, it's me Ayame-san. I see that the last 18 or so years have been very kind to you" he replied in a low voice. "And don't worry, I didn't escape. I was released. Hokage's orders." Ayame's response would stay with Sasuke for years to come.
"Naruto-san let you out?"
Sasuke's mind froze at those words. Naruto. Naruto had achieved his goal and become Rokudaime Hokage. He couldn't believe it. As his higher brain functions resumed, he took a deep breath, and looked Ayame squarely in the eyes.
"The idiot actually did it?" he asked at length, still unsure he'd heard correctly. As Ayame nodded, Sasuke became aware of an aggressive chakra beginning to form to his left. Slowly turning his head, he saw the girl, a death-glare fixed on him, rising from her seat.
"Hinata-chan..." Ayame began, but was stopped dead by a quick glance from the girl. Returning her full attention to this man who'd dare insult her father, she covered the distance between them.
"And who the hell are you to be insulting the Hokage, who also happens to be my father!" she demanded, in the process confirming Sasuke's worst fears about her. Clearing his head, he looked her in the eyes, and activated the Sharingan.
"Your new teacher, and someone who's long overdue for a conversation with him" he said with an evil grin.
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As the new incarnation of Cell 4 reached the base of the Hokage tower, Hinata looked at her new teacher skeptically. "So, you know my dad, huh?" she asked as they began the long climb up the stairs. Considering the girl, Sasuke thoughtfully scratched his chin.
"Yeah" he finally replied.
A deadpan expression on her face at this response, Hinata pressed on. "Okay, lemme rephrase that. How do you know my dad?" she tried.
"We were teammates. I imagine you've met Kakashi. He was our teacher" he responded. Pausing for a moment to digest this information, she shrugged.
"Huh. I guess that you know Mom too then" she said after a moment. Looking at her curiously, he slowed.
"Who is your mother anyway?" he asked, his tone betraying his curiosity. Looking at him, she tried to read his expression. Failing, she shrugged.
"Her name's Sakura. Why?" she said, a moment later nearly cracking up as his whole expression crashed like a failed attempt at flight.
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Sasuke's Subconcious
'Naruto...and...Sakura? What the hell happened? How did that happen? I mean, what's next? Are they going to tell my that Ino married Kiba or something? That would be likely the only thing as ... how the hell did Naruto and Sakura happen? I thought she hated him. At least, when we were kids she did. Before I left...'
"Exactly" came another voice within his his head, one that sounded too much like Itachi for his liking. "I told you when you were little, don't assume that things stay the same" the voice told him in the same brotherly taunt Itachi had used when they were younger.
'Dammit, you aren't Itachi! Don't tell me what...'
"I only tell you what you refuse to tell yourself" the voice interupted. "You leave them for four years, then spend the next 16 imprisoned, and you still wonder how it happened? Dunce."
Sasuke mentally shook his head. 'I can't believe I'm taking this kind of abuse from my own subconcious' he thought as he began to return his attention outward.
"Deal. At least it's only you in here. Naruto does have a free-loader after all."
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As Sasuke came around, he became aware of two things - one: His team was currently sitting in the waiting area outside of the Hokage's office, and two: Some half-dozen masked ninja were around them, all of them facing him. Before he could say anything in his defense, the door to the Hokage's, Naruto's, office opened and Naruto poked his head out. His hair had grown a little, and he could use a shave, but this was definately Naruto. As Sasuke started to speak, Naruto raised a hand in greeting.
"Hey, bastard. How's it going?" he asked as though they'd just talked yesterday. As Sasuke began to sputter, one of the masked ninja's began to laugh. He pulled away the concealing fabric, to reveal himself as none other than Kiba.
"Man, I can't believe your face! Priceless!" he chuckled as rest of them unmasked, revealing Rock Lee, Shikamaru, Ino, Shino and Kakashi, all of whom glared at Naruto in some fashion.
Except Ino, who turned on Kiba. "You were in on this? I practically go out of my head because the most powerful prisoner Konoha's ever held for an extended period of time 'escapes', and it's you and Naruto pulling a prank! I swear, I will kill you when we get home" she said, her expression saying that was indeed a serious consideration at the moment. Lee, meanwhile, had already come up to Sasuke and was examining his face.
"Than, could it be that you are rehabilitated? Truly? What a wonderful day this is! Come, let us all celebrate!" he declared, raising a fist in victory. Shino merely looked at Sasuke, then to Lee while raising an eyebrow, then nodded to Naruto, who returned the gesture, and left. Kakashi just stood there, and reached into a pocket. 'If he pulls out that book...' Sasuke thought, then nearly face-vaulted when the little red book made it's expected appearence.
Flipping it open, Kakashi raised a hand, and without looking in Sasuke's direction, greeted him with a simple "Yo." Sasuke just gaped.
About ten minutes later, Cell 4, Kakashi and Naruto were all sitting in the Hokage's office. Having spent most of the previous ten minutes dealing with Rock Lee's unchanged enthusiasm, and the fact that Kiba and Ino indeed had gotten together at some point in the last decade and change, Sasuke held his head in his hands.
"Okay, now, from the top. First off, you actually succeeded in becoming Hokage. How?" he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Naruto's grin grew wider. "Well, it all happened about 6 years ago..."
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Well, welcome to chapter 5 and the beginnings of the second Arc! I originally intended for this chapter to be a bit longer, but that's okay. I spent way too much time on it anyway and got squat done. Soooooo, I decided that I'll cut it off here, and grant you chapter 6 in flashback form, sometime in early June. Also, I'm going to start another story, likely Total Chaos, which will deviate slightly from what I said it would. But hey, it's the way I am! So, read, review, and enjoy!
-Shun