Scarlet no Sakura

Summary: Naruto goes back to darkest day of his life to prevent his potential death, teaching his younger self to hope and what real love is. (Just try it come on you know you wanna)

Set in the cannon Naruto universe, after the Pain invasion but before Sasuke attacks the kages.

Warnings: Some minor cursing, dark themes, shameless fluff later on mahahahahah (non romantic of course)

Ya~hoo, thanks to those few that have taken an interest in my story. THANK YOU! Not much else to say but please enjoy and REVIEW please! Tell me what you think, I'm not getting any feedback what so ever...it's depressing. Okay anyway one note, I couldn't find anywhere when Iruka started looking out for Naruto so lets just say for the sake of the story he was already looking out for the kid, okay thankies.

Love Snowy-Chan

Okay okay…I don't own Naruto so sue me…oh wait don't do that hehehe I was just kidding I swear. *mutters* Stupid meanie lawyers and their laws. '

Petals of Scarlet,

Spiraling Downward,

Fall Softly, Into Mystery

Chapter Three: Fall Softly, Into Mystery

Dearest Suke and Chi-chan;

Do me a huge favor nee? These item's must be brought to my apartment…hold the phone though, not until I send for you. Okay you got it, right? You better because I don't feel like kicking either of your (though nicely structured) butts. Oh and try to have some fun…someone might as well. Okay well Ja Ne!

P.S. We need medical supplies, and no Chi don't go there! Hmph!

P.P.S. OH! And some lettuce, the really good kind from the old man on 4th street you know the one Suke-Chan.

P.P.P.S. Also some string noodles from granny yuuki, she should sell them to you no problem Chi she has a thing for…you know YOUR type

P.P.P.P.S. HMMM…Some spices, all different kinds from that one place, from that one time, oh you remember Suke I was wearing that thing…so scary, WHY me?

P.P.P.P.P.S. Some chicken, but not alive . I hate chickens ever since that one bit me on, oh well you know.

P.P.P.P.P.P.S. By the way thanks for listening, I LOVE YOU GUYS. Smile, be happy, breathe the air and live in the moment I love you my little babykins Ja Ne for real this time.

Or maybe not.

Hahahahahaha

Okay now….

Now…..

Alright-fine I'm done sheesh."Let's get to it then." Chiori sighed rubbing at the tense muscles in her back and neck, still slightly amused.

"Hn." Sukeji grunted, grounding his teeth together before stalking off towards the first item, all the while muttering about annoying blonde's, how he was a man and shouldn't be referred to as…gasp "Chan", and finally bringing it home with a string of low curses causing people in the crowd to shrink away from him. Chiori simply sighed to herself with a shrug. Why be normal when abnormal was twice as fun.

:Previously:

Naruto knew what was going through the little boys head. The taunts, the teasing, the crack of bones breaking, every horror that the boy remembered played across his mind in an endless loop. With the phrase that had sent him over…well you know, playing restlessly in the back of his mind like a soundtrack to his misery. And then with suddenness only Konoha's most surprising ninja could muster, the blonde haired boy threw himself of the rock screaming in release and most importantly…fear.

It was only a spilt second before the older Naruto threw his self off the rock, with out a second thought to the very, very hard ground beneath.

It was only a split second before Naruto adjusted to the air pressing against his nostrils, making it difficult to breath. Instead, he on concentrated on reaching his younger self, flattening out like an arrow to slice through the air and gain lost ground between them. When in-reach the older blonde pulled the others back to his chest, his younger self struggled against the arms.

Panicked from the fall and not thinking straight, the boys screams intensified. Naruto only had a half minute at most to save the both of them so he pressed hard on a point in the smaller boys arm. Knocking him out easily. Concentrating on his hands instead of the ground looming closer, Naruto quickly made the seals he needed, arms still wound around his younger self's chest. Before pushing out wind chakra into the white sash and around his body.

With a quick painful jerk, the sash pulled both of the blonde's up short. Naruto gasped in pain as the sash cut into his waist and almost dislocated his shoulders from their sockets. However, both of them were alive and the boy supposed that was good enough for now.

It was a struggle to hold the small thinner boy to his chest, and regulate the chakra spinning around them before slowly lowering them the 10 or so feet left towards the ground but he manage it. He was after all, Naruto Uzumaki.

He sighed in relief as he touched down on the solid ground, resisting the urge to kiss the grass only because he was still holding the blonde boy. Naruto was breathing hard, sweat plastering his golden bangs to his forehead, his heart racing in adrenaline and fear. So close.

Finally being brought back to the present Naruto gently lowered his younger self to the grass carefully, knowing the many bruises the other had sustained earlier that day. He knelt looking at himself, wincing at the already yellowing bruises on his thin arms and the edge of a darker bruise peeking out of his black and over large shirt.

He was a mess and he knew it. The boy whimpered in his stupor, terrified moans ripping from his chest as he slept, (or well was unconscious) Had he always done that as a child? The older blonde wondered, did he still do it now? For he had seen much worst than the younger boy.

The golden haired child looked so vulnerable his face scrunched, tears worming their way done dirty scarred cheeks. Hesitantly Naruto reached out and brushed the child's bangs from his forehead, a smile forming on his face as the whimpers quieted at the gentle touch before starting up again.

No longer, hesitant Naruto stoked through the golden hair, dirty yet still the eye catching blonde that more times, than not he wished he didn't have. Not that things would have been easier with darker hair, but it would make it far less troublesome as Shika would put it, to blend into a crowd where instead he stuck out like a sore thumb. It was useless though, to be worrying about something he couldn't change.

Finally the boy stopped shaking and crying out in his sleep, the lines in his face relaxing as whatever nightmare had been plaguing him vanished under the soft touch of tanned fingers. Even if, said fingers, were only his older selves. Sitting cross-legged, Naruto continued his ministrations while pulling something out of one of the pouches tied to his waist. To tiny paper birds infused with chakra, sticking out his tongue in concentration Naruto wrote swiftly on the wing of both birds.

"Meet at house in 10 minutes." Before holding them above his hand, and sending chakra into his palm. After a few hesitant flutters of their wings the birds launched into the air to follow Sukeji's and Chiori's chakra signature. Naruto watched for a minute grinning lightly to himself before looking again at the boy. Seeing that he was still calm Naruto stood up, the younger's face crumpled for a minute but then smoothed again. Now here was the problem, Naruto needed the child to stay unconscious at least until he reached the apartment. However knowing the attention he would draw as a strange carrying an unconscious child, even if he was considered a monster it would cause a red alert.

He couldn't exactly sneak around, somewhat obvious in a ninja village, and his transportation technique would only tire him too much to be able to perform the time travel Jutsu to get back home, so Naruto was in a bind.

Not really, in the mood for such an uproar, Naruto needed to devise another plan. Thinking on it a slow satisfied smile curled on his face as his hands unconsciously made the hand seal. In a flash of smoke their stood Iruka-sensei, scar across the nose and all.

It wouldn't be strange for the well-liked teacher to be carrying the blonde to his apartment, as many would assume he had been knocked out in a fight…again. The teacher was out of town on a mission, (due to a lack of available ninja), it was actually one of the reasons he had chosen now to do well…it right then while the only person even somewhat likely to keep on him was out of town.

However, the townsfolk wouldn't know that, keeping out of ninja business as much as possible. The only people he would have to worry about would be fellow ninja, but most Shinobi wouldn't populate the area he would be traveling in anyway. With that, Naruto now the brown skinned Iruka leaned down to lift the blonde into his arms.

Taking it slow Naruto walked out of the meadow and the woods, careful to keep the expression Iruka normally wore plastered on his face. People noticed him but instead of saying hi like they would have if Iruka was alone, or cursing at Naruto as when he was alone they simply ignored the pair or sent them dagger-like glare's.

Naruto pulled his younger self closer to his chest feeling an irrational need to protect him from the glare's even if the boy wasn't awake to see them. The boy was himself, years ago yet still himself, so why should he feel the need to defend the boy rather than himself. Well his older self. Naruto sighed getting a headache as he tried to comb through his thoughts.

After a few minute's Naruto finally reached the street were his apartment was located, relaxing at the familiar sight that had never changed even as he had grown. His safe harbor where no one could get to him anymore, unless the haunted his mind. Something even Uzumaki Naruto couldn't escape. Sitting on the steps up to his door were Sukeji and Chiori, brown bags in their arms and sitting next to them on the steps. Naruto grinned at the slightly exasperated and amused faces of his fellow sages, of his friends.

"Ya~Hoo!" Naruto chimed as he came closer, his friends faces relaxed as he lightly brushed his chakra against theirs reassuring them that he was in fact their friend and not the teacher.

"You're an idiot." Sukeji mumbled irritably for glancing at the boy in Naruto's arms.

"Wow are you, I mean is Chibi okay. " Chiori asked coming closer to the pair, running a gentle finger down the younger's scarred cheek. The boy mumbled in his sleep before curling closer into the nape of Naruto's neck. "Hmm, Chibi? I like it. Yes, Chibi is okay as he can be right now. So if you please let's get up there." Naruto jerked him head up towards his apartment before leading the silver and raven-haired sages through the door.

Naruto was thankful the doorman of the apartment was out, since he had a habit of talking to Iruka for hours on end. Much to the teachers chagrin. Naruto had an inkling that the man had a slight crush on the teacher but he could never get it confirmed, and was sworn to secrecy about the mans aggravating flirting from ever telling Kakashi-sensei. If he left it slip, the blonde doubted he would have a doorman anymore. What was it with people that used the Sharingan that made them so dangerously possessive, the blonde had no idea.

Naruto only returned to his natural form when he and his two companions reached his door, it's white paint was peeling and the light in the hall was out. It only contributed to the overwhelming sense of depression filling the apartment building.

Naruto lived here all his life? Chi's and Suke's chest tightened making it hard to breath in their sadness concerning their friend. A young man, and most certainly not a young boy should never have to live in such depressing surroundings, especially not the incarnation of the sun they had grown to love and respect. These feelings only increased at the sight.

Moving the blonde haired boy to one arm Naruto fished out his key triumphantly, he had never changed the locks so the key from the future should work just fine and it did. Pushing the door open Naruto threw up a hand to catch the teetering cabinet beside the door. He had almost forgotten that it was there having thrown the thing out when he was big enough to carry it on his own. He had almost been flattened by it many times in his youth.

Naruto snickered as he pushed it back into place before allowing his companions to follow him into his apartment. Naruto stridently ignored their faces as he walked to the slim bed pushed against the wall, near the only window. Placing his younger self into the bed he called over his shoulder.

"Put everything on the table will you?" Hearing affirmative noises and shuffling steps Naruto returned his attention to his younger self, or Chibi as he now like to call him. He pulled the sheet and thin comforter over the boy, but knowing from experience it was very warming Naruto pulled of the long thick travel cloak from over his shoulders and laid it softly on the boy, with a final brush through the dirty hair Naruto turned to survey his friends, and then the room around him.

It was spotlessly clean, sterile even as if no one lived there. Naruto hadn't made the money yet to repaint the white walls green, replace the yellowing lace curtains with orange silk, or fill the empty walls with posters. Their was only two photos one of his first day in the academy a year ago, him separated a little ways from the rest of his group smiling but his blue eyes were empty and heartbreaking.

The other was from a few months back, of him and Iruka on his birthday, there was frosting on his and Iruka's nose as they pressed their cheeks together to take the picture. In this one Naruto truly looked happy the only sign of sadness the light ring of red around his eyes from crying himself to sleep the night before thinking he would spend another birthday alone and unwanted.

Before Naruto spoke he walked over to the kitchen table where a envelope lay addressed to Iruka in his childish script. With careful finger tips Naruto picked up the envelope knowing what was inside and feeling the sadness fill him so much it felt as he was suffocating. He took a moment to clear his throat before speaking.

"Surprised?" He dropped the envelope to smile at the pair, eye crinkling slightly.

"Yeah." Chiori answered lamely before flushing and sputtering on the rest " It's just….it's so clean. I know you only pretend to be messy but I thought…" She trailed of no longer knowing what else to add. "It would look more lived in?" Naruto asked turning his back and rummaging through the bag the pair had brought.

"I cleaned before I left…I didn't want to make Iruka clean up after me since…I wasn't planning on coming back." Naruto answered nonchalantly, eyeing the lettuce as if looking for imperfections, wincing as his voice shook slightly at the last part.

"Oh." Chiori finished in a breathy sigh. Suddenly feeling the need to do something she strode over to younger Naruto and fixed the cloak more snuggly around the boy, before softly stroking the boys face. This action seemed to calm down her embarrassment as the boy leaned into her touch. She continued a soft smile on her face at the relaxation on the boys.

"So do you want us to scram?" Sukeji asked coming closer to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. Naruto paused for a moment before giving a tiny nod. An apologetic smile on his face.

"Call if you need us." Sukeji says sending a silencing glance towards Chiori who had been about to complain. Naruto nodded allowing himself to accept the half hug from his fellow sage. Chiori sighed before leaning down and kissing the younger Naruto's forehead. She breathed quietly into the boys ear.

"Be happy." Before going over to kiss the older Naruto's cheek affectionately.

"Be careful Nii-san." She whispered to the taller boy before releasing him and moving to the door. Watching as Sukeji pressed a hand to Chibi-Naruto's shoulder and a quick wave to his fellow Sage. Though the two were reluctant they left the apartment to find something to do while they waited.

When they were gone Naruto continued to unpack the items he had asked for ignoring his pounding heart and dry mouth. Nervous and unsure about what he would say to his younger self. What did you say in a situation like this. His thoughts come to a stand still when a rasping voice behind him whispers.

"Who are you?" Naruto turns slightly, and catches the look of fear in his younger's blue eyes. His features soften as he turns around fully and smiles, saying simply.

"Wouldn't you like to know." The smile the boy sent the one of the bed was blinding, riddled with amusement.