My cousin arrived with some internet, so I figured I could update this at least. It's short, but I'll try to update fast again to make up for it. Some feels this time, but the fun should arrive later together with Menma and the other Sasuke;)

Chapter 3: A mother's smile

xxx

While Tsunade asked a few questions about how, more exactly, they ended up in this world, Sasuke stared out the window lost in thought. The time in-between Itachi's death and meeting him again thanks to Kabuto, he'd thought a lot about what he wanted to ask, and say. Not that he'd had the time to ask it all, but at least he'd thought about it. Now his mind drew a blank, wondering just what he was going to do when meeting the Itachi of this world. Would he be different? Would he have a bad relationship with his alter ego? How was he even supposed to explain the things that had happened to him…

When the door slammed open, he was pulled out of his thoughts, turning to see what appeared to be a woman surrounded by flaming red hair. Her eyes scanned the room before zoning in on Naruto, who was visibly shrinking back from the anger she emitted.

"Menma! The nerve you have! Sneaking away on a mission when it's your birthday! What do you have to say to your defense?!"

Naruto opened his mouth but no words came out, and instead he grimaced.

"Kushina, this isn't-" Tsunade was ignored as the woman, Kushina, stomped over to Naruto and grabbed the front of his jacket, shaking him.

"And just what do you think you're wearing?! Orange? Did you start your rebellious phase? Do you even understand how much of a pain it's been to have to explain to everyone that you wouldn't be home on your birthday?!"

A light went up for Sasuke. This was Naruto's mother. Or, at least, the mother of his alter ego. Seeing her explained where he'd gotten both his temper and amount of chakra.

"Agh, no, you're misunderstanding, I'm not-"

Kushina's glare effectively made Naruto shut up, and he paled before surprise caught him as he was pulled into a tight hug.

"You stupid, stupid boy. Going away on a dangerous mission, without even telling me! And with that good for nothing Sasuke! You're lucky not to be hurt!" She held him at arm's length again, scrutinizing him. "You're not hurt, are you?"

No. Sasuke did not like what he'd found out about this world's Sasuke so far. A bunch of girlfriends, being called good for nothing by Naruto's mother? Unacceptable.

"This isn't Menma, and I'm not that Sasuke either" he said, and Kushina sent him a sharp look.

Her hair slowly calmed to fall down her back instead as she took in his clothes, then searched Naruto's face again.

"I should have recognized the clothes" she said, frowning. "What are you doing here again? We haven't had any reports of the masked man returning."

Her voice was gentle now, and she let go of Naruto. Then her frown deepened and she stretched out a hand to smooth down his hair.

"Hasn't anyone told you to get a haircut lately?"

Naruto stiffened, face clouding over for a second before he seemed to get a grip on himself.

"Ah, we just ended up here, I guess" he answered her, rubbing his neck again.

She stared at him for a while, then moved closer and whispered to him behind her hand.

"Who knew Sasuke could look so reliable, huh?"

Sasuke glared at them, especially at Naruto who seemed to have trouble containing his laughter. While Naruto still wore his orange jumpsuit, Sasuke had taken to wearing the standard ninja outfit, now with a chuunin vest since they passed the exam together just a month or so ago. Naruto had worn his for maybe two days before deciding it didn't really work with his jumpsuit, and instead hung it on a wall in his apartment. Sasuke suspected it was because enough people had expressed their surprise that Naruto had been a genin the whole time.

"Kushina, now that you know how things are, do you mind letting Naruto stay with you for the time being? We'll try to find a way for them to go back to their own world when Minato arrives."

Kushina gave her a surprised look, then smiled at them both.

"Of course! You're always welcome. Naruto, was it? And, Sasuke? Or do you have another name just like Naruto?"

"It's Sasuke" Naruto answered in his stead, returning her smile a little hesitantly.

"Alright!" She clapped her hands together, her smile widening. "You can leave them to me, Tsunade-sama!"

For some reason, Sasuke didn't feel entirely reassured.

xxx

While they walked to Kushina's house, Sasuke listened with half an ear as the other two reminisced over the last time Naruto was here. It seemed as if Menma hadn't remembered any of the things he'd done while under Obito's control. To Sasuke, it all seemed strange that he and Naruto would have been able to enter a world that Obito seemingly had created, a world that shouldn't still exist. Or maybe, once it had been made, it simply stayed that way? It was something he could think about later. Right now, he was more interested in finding out the differences between his own world and this. Kushina had decided that they would have lunch with her, and then she'd escort Sasuke over to the Uchiha household where she was sure Mikoto would let him stay.

Hearing someone talk about his mother so casually felt surreal. Everything he'd lost existed in this world. What had Naruto said? That Obito had created it after Naruto's and Sakura's wishes, just like the infinite tsukuyomi would show you a dream world with everything you'd ever wanted.

He'd thought he'd curbed the worst of his longing, the part that brought about the most hatred. He thought he'd learnt to control it, in order to live in the peaceful world that Itachi had wished for. But knowing it was all here, in this world…

What did he really have to go back to?

"Hey teme, I never had time to tell you, but the Sasuke here is a total womanizer."

Sasuke blinked, brought back to the present.

"Language, Naruto" Kushina berated him, at the same time urging him to take another helping of the left-over curry she'd heated up for them.

"Right, uh, sorry" he said, sheepish, probably not sure how to react.

Sasuke could understand. They'd both lived most of their lives with no one telling them to act decently.

"I figured" he said, trying to ignore how Kushina kept giving him awed looks whenever he opened his mouth.

"You're so quiet and well behaved" she gushed, "Mikoto won't believe her eyes! What a shame I don't have a daughter you could marry."

"What the hell!" Naruto protested, pouting when Kushina sent him a look to remind him, again, of his usage of curse words.

"Now really" Kushina complained, waving her chopsticks at Naruto, "Our Sasuke is a very sweet young man, but just a while ago I caught him two-timing his three girlfriends with a fourth! He's got no shame inside that pretty little body of his."

Sasuke was appalled, and it must have showed on his face because Kushina laughed nervously, the same way Naruto always did.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, it's just that he gets on my nerves lately. He's got half the girls in the village wrapped around his little finger, and the worst part is that the last months, he's been following my Menma around!" She leaned towards him, eyes searching Sasuke's. "What do you think? They used to argue all the time, but now they keep going on missions together."

"Umm, maybe they became friends?" Naruto suggested, and Kushina fell back in her chair with a deep sigh.

"I'm just worried he'll turn my innocent child into a skirt-chaser just like him." She looked between them, her eyes pinning them down in their seats. "You'll tell me if you notice anything, right?"

Naruto nodded, scared into cooperation, while Sasuke tried to stay neutral. He'd rather not get caught up in some kind of pointless drama. It was bad enough he'd have to suffer for his counterpart's behavior.

xxx

Closing in on the other Sasuke's house, Naruto felt more than a little hesitant. He could clearly remember how it had felt the last time he was here, finally able to live the life he'd always wanted with his parents, only to realize he didn't belong with them. He didn't want Sasuke to have to go through something similar. Especially since his best friend had suffered through a much more traumatizing loss, and had almost ruined his life just to get revenge on his brother for it. The brother who had actually done everything for Sasuke's sake. The brother that existed here.

Naruto was worried. It was a selfish worry, but it was the reason he hadn't wanted to stay longer than necessary. Now, it seemed as if they'd be there for a while, and he was torn between feeling happy for Sasuke's sake that he'd get to meet his family again, and worried that Sasuke would like them more than he liked their own world.

He didn't want to go home alone, even if he felt bad for hoping that this world's Mikoto and Fugaku would be awful people.

Every day he woke up trying to suppress the thought that Sasuke might have decided to leave, and every day so far he had smiled in relief upon seeing him. He didn't want to lose that feeling. Part of him thought that he should just enjoy his time here, have some fun, find out what two Sasukes together was like.

The other part kept a close eye on Sasuke as they stopped in front of the door, Kushina grinning as she sneaked inside after telling them to wait there.

"Are you okay?" he asked Sasuke, knowing that sort of question was off limits normally.

Sasuke never answered questions about his emotional state.

"If you've got time to worry, try thinking of a way back instead."

Naruto bit his lip, nails digging into his palms. Sasuke seemed tense, eyes alert and back straight. Even so, he could tell that Sasuke was excited. Few things made Sasuke look as alive as he did right now. Fighting was one of them. Learning how to teleport was another. And apparently, meeting his dead parents' doppelgangers was another.

He had a vague memory of seeing Mikoto in a picture, but when she opened the door with a warm smile on her face, he was painfully reminded of Sasuke's expression when he was his deepest in darkness.

Mikoto was beautiful, with dark, kind eyes and silky black hair, and her face was definitely where Sasuke got his good looks from.

"Hello, sweeties" she said, opening the door wide, and he could hear Sasuke suck in a breath to his side.

This wasn't going to be easy.

Yup, Naruto is worried and for a good reason. I've always wondered how canon Sasuke would feel in the Road to Ninja world... Well, we'll see...