Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably wouldn't be doing this.

AN: Good to see y'all again. Thanks for all your reviews, and I hope you enjoy. On a side note, if you're interested, I do have a section up for this fic in my forums. Not a lot of activity lately, but I'll be updating it soon enough.

Three years. It had been three years since he'd come back through time. He had to say, he was disappointed with the lack of changes he'd been able to make. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot to change until he was older. He'd stopped the Uchiha massacre, but somehow, he had a bad feeling about what that might have caused. He couldn't explain it, but something just seemed…off. Sasuke was, well, to be honest he was the same with a tad bit more arrogance and a lot less anger. And he still wasn't that fond of Naruto, despite his best attempts to make friends with the dark-haired boy. He wasn't cruel of course, but he just didn't seem to care about what he did. No, he hadn't really paid any attention to Naruto before until they'd been put on the same team (And Naruto hadn't wanted him to at the time), but having the closest thing he'd ever had to a best friend look at him with nothing more than slight curiosity wasn't quite the greatest feeling he'd ever had.

On the other hand, while they weren't exactly friends, Sasuke seemed to acknowledge him much more than he had in Naruto's memories. Sure, he still had a tendency to sleep and not pay attention during class, but now it was more out of boredom than out of a lack of knowledge or skill. Iruka had been pleasantly surprised at Naruto's rather "advanced" skill for someone his age even though they hadn't really been given a chance to display much aside from the basics, and Sasuke seemed to be thrilled with the idea that there was someone else in their class who was "above the bar" so to speak. He was glad to know that whenever a chance came up in class, Sasuke was never one to reject him as a sparring partner. But still, he wanted his rival back, not just a rival.

He hadn't exactly increased in standing among the villagers either. But then, he was still up to the pranks he'd been so fond of in his own timeline, only now he could pull them off with more efficiency. To no one's surprise, this increase in skill for being an "obnoxious little brat" annoyed the villagers even more. He'd managed to befriend Sakura and Ino though, at least. They weren't technically allowed to spend time with him, but their parents simply couldn't watch their children all of the time, and Naruto was far more skilled at getting moments alone with them than his attitude and appearance would imply.

Of course, most of his relationships with those from before hadn't changed much. Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba had never really had a problem with him in the first place. Even before, they'd gladly spent time with him if he happened to be around. Choji was overly-friendly and sympathized with Naruto's huge appetite, Kiba had always liked to rebel against what his parents told him to do, and Shikamaru…Well, Shikamaru just found leaving whenever he happened to be around far too troublesome. Shino had always been freakishly quiet and reserved, and he'd probably be that way until the day they all died, so Naruto hadn't expected much from him. It was only once he really started paying attention that he realized Shino had never bothered to leave when his louder classmate was nearby, and none of his family had ever stopped him from "playing" (Which to Shino apparently consisted of standing around and watching) with the Jinchuuriki. Still, quiet or not it was who he was, and Naruto probably wouldn't have it any other way.

Hinata's relationship with him hadn't exactly changed much either. Sure, he spoke to her more often, and tried to include her in things sometimes. It wasn't that he didn't want to be friends with her or something like that. He just wasn't sure how to do it without being awkward. He'd learned not long before their final battle that the reason why she'd always been so "weird" (God, he felt like such an idiot, looking back on all those times) around him was because she'd actually had a crush on him. While she'd never actually come out and said it, he was pretty certain that it had reached an emotion far deeper and more complex than a mere crush. And he really, really sucked at those big emotional talks. The most emotional his discussions had ever gotten were his fights with Sasuke, and those usually involved him being so desperate and enraged that he couldn't remember much of what he'd said afterwards. Anyway, he wasn't going to just sit by and ignore her like the last time. He wasn't sure where they stood or where they would stand later, but she had still been among his closest friends and the one of the first to genuinely support him, and he wasn't going to treat her like anything less.

As for most of his older allies, such as Kakashi, he rarely saw them. It wasn't for lack of trying by any stretch. He had no trouble trying to track them down and harass them on occasion, but most of the adult shinobi were simply too busy. Going on missions and training Genin was a pretty full-time job, after all. He'd also become surprisingly fond of one Shisui Uchiha. As with most of his elders, Shisui didn't exactly have an exceptionally large amount of free time. But he had occasionally treated Naruto to a meal, or given him "pointers" when he caught him training (Even if most of those pointers were things that he was already well aware of, and generally just consisted of "correcting" mistakes that he'd made intentionally). Then again, even if he didn't really need the advice, the fact was that he'd managed to make a friend out of the older boy. And more friends was never a drawback as far as he was concerned.

On another unpleasant note, he'd apparently been wrong about Gaara coming back as well. He'd attempted to write the boy a letter not too long after he'd stopped Itachi, and had never received a response. He supposed that it might have been due to one of the messengers losing the letter (The messenger birds weren't always perfect, no matter how flawless they seemed at times), or that it might have been unwilling to pass it through the hands of humans who may have reported it to the Hokage or Kazekage , but he doubted it. Even if he usually didn't leave much of an indication that he was the one writing it, problems could still occur. Besides, he wasn't exactly experienced with using more normal animals to deliver things. He'd almost always relied on the toads for that kind of work before and summoning a toad wasn't a good idea now for several obvious reasons. As for Ino, well, she hadn't given any signs of being dragged back either, so the only real conclusion he'd been able to reach was that it must have been his imagination. Who knew what kind of crazy stuff a person felt and saw as they were dying and being sent back through time? There wasn't much of a precedent for these things.

Deciding not to ponder the events that had occurred over the last couple of years any further, Naruto directed his attention to Iruka, before leaning back in his chair. With a quiet sigh, he leaned back and let out a loud groan.

"Soooo…boooorrred."

Sasuke, seated on Sakura's other side, was compelled to silently agree with the blond boy. When they'd been younger, he'd firmly believed that the loudmouth was nothing but a prank-pulling loser and idiot, but Naruto had surprised him when he'd actually been pretty decent at their Taijutsu "lessons," if one could call them that. He'd long since learned most of what they'd taught their class so far in the academy. He was at the very top of the class (as if any self-respecting Uchiha would do less), and they'd even considered allowing him to advance further, though apparently he hadn't been quite that good. He had his suspicions that it was more due to what had happened the last time someone in his immediate family had advanced and graduated near his age, but he didn't really have any actual evidence that this was the case.

Sakura, on the other hand, didn't agree with Naruto's exclamation. In fact, she was fascinated with just about everything Iruka told them. She knew that she wasn't as good as Naruto or Sasuke, they were at the top of the class when it came to the physical aspects of training, but knowledge and technique were her specialty. Letting out her own sigh, she thumped Naruto on the nose, and watched with amusement as he nearly fell backwards out of his chair. He's just so adorably oblivious.

"Naruto-kun, shush. I'm trying to hear what Iruka-sensei is saying."

"But Sakura-chan…I'm bored." Endearing as his lack of awareness might have been, his whining was very much the opposite.

"You should listen to her, idiot."

Sakura's face reddened slightly at his support. A few years back, before she and Ino had gone crazy for Sasuke, she might have said something about him calling Naruto things like idiot or loser. After their crushes on him had first developed, she'd been too focused on Sasuke to really take note of it. But by now she'd realized that more often than not, it was a term of endearment rather than an actual insult. A sort of special title for his only real competition for the top spot. Not that either of the stubborn, bullheaded, ego-driven boys would actually admit it.

"Thanks Sasuke-kun."

Naruto stuck his tongue out the duo, before folding his arms on the desk and resting his chin on them, staring at the board Iruka was writing on with a disinterested gaze. They were learning actual jutsu more and more often these days, though they still focused primarily on concepts, and Naruto was eagerly waiting for the time to come when they'd be able to really cut loose in training. Of course there were a few things that he would have to hold back on, since using the Rasengan would probably attract a tiny, itsy-bitsy, minuscule amount of suspicion, but at least he'd finally be able to have some fun in the classes instead of half-heartedly going through the motions.

An hour later, when they were finally released for the rest of the day, Naruto resisted the urge to run out of the room as fast as possible, and waited for Sakura to finish putting up the notes she always took. He'd always liked that whole smart and studious thing she'd had going on. Even if he didn't actually understand everything she'd told him about when she explained those things to him. Or when he wasn't paying attention to what she was telling him, and just plain listening so he could spend time with her.

"So, you guys wanna get something to eat?"

Sasuke scoffed, and began to walk away. "I need to get some real training in before the day is up. This place is hurting my progress more than it helps."

"Sorry Naruto-kun, but I promised my mom I'd help around the shop today."

That's right, they do own one of those little antique stores or something, don't they? "Awww. Guess I've gotta find someone other than my favorite girl and my favorite girl who doesn't wanna admit she's a girl to go to lunch with." he looked pointedly at Sasuke, who was just barely through the door as he said it, though he was apparently still close enough to send a one-fingered salute back at his classmate.

Sakura tried to cover her quick laugh with a cough, and took on an admonishing tone. "Naruto, you shouldn't make fun of him like that."

"What? It's not my fault. Maybe if he didn't spend so much time trying to look like such a pretty-boy, I wouldn't call him a girl. Honestly, how many guys out there are really more girly than him?" Besides Haku. And Itachi. And sometimes Sai. And a couple of those other guys from the Akatsuki. And then I guess Orochimaru was using a girl's body for a while, so he was pretty girly. There was also…huh. I never really noticed how many girly guys I knew before. Weird.

"I think you're just jealous because all of us girls love him so much."

"And what's up with that? Seriously, you're all head over heels for a guy as girly as you are. Maybe even more girly. It just doesn't make sense."

She finished packing with another laugh, and patted him on the shoulder as she headed for the door.

"You're so hopeless. I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun."

"See ya later, Sakura-chan." Man, I need food. He rushed out of the building, and spotted Ino not too far away. Maybe she'll be free.

"Hey Ino-chan!" She paused as he caught up to her, giving him an amused smile as he hopped from foot to foot. "Wanna get some ramen?"

"Ew, gross. No way! Do you have any idea how much that'd throw off my diet?"

Dammit, what's with these girls and those stupid diets! They're not anywhere close to being fat! "Oh c'mon, ramen is the perfect food? So many flavors, and so cheap, and-"

"Not happening, Naruto."

"Oh, fine. Have it your way." He let out an over-dramatic sigh. "I guess I'll have to eat lunch all alone. It's fine, it's fine. I know that nobody loves me."She rolled her eyes at that.

"Oh, stop being so melodramatic. If it'll get you off my back, I'll have a bowl with you tomorrow." She held up on finger. "One bowl. But I really do have something I've gotta do today. Sorry."

"Okay, if you say so. I'll hold ya to it, Flower Girl."

After they parted ways, he wandered around for a few minutes before deciding to just go have some cup ramen at his apartment. His favorite frog wallet, or "Gama-chan" as he so liked to call it, was a bit too empty for his tastes. The last time he'd been so low on cash was when Jiraiya…Anyway, he had plenty of food in his kitchen. Plus, he could use some meditation time. He despised meditation, but Fukasaku had insisted that it was necessary for properly mastering Sage Arts, and the old toads knew what they were talking about.

Well, better get to it!

Sunagakure…

Gaara of the Desert clutched his chest, breaths harsh in coming as he stood from his kneeling position, thousands of thoughts racing through his mind at once. He'd been sitting in his room silently awaiting the Kazekage's orders, when he'd nearly passed out from a combination of shock and pain unlike any he'd felt before.

Now, as he tried to understand what was happening, memories of the last sixteen years were flashing in his head. He knew he was a child. It was impossible not to notice how incredibly small his body was in comparison to the last time he'd seen his reflection. But then how did he have memories of something that hadn't happened? He didn't sleep, so he knew it couldn't be some kind of dream. A hallucination maybe? But despite the evidence all around him, he was certain that the memories weren't false. He tried to calm himself, shifting through his thoughts at a calmer pace, and searched for the most recent of his "elder" memories. His eyes widened slightly as he recalled what had happened.

I was kneeling next to Naruto, and we'd been fighting those men from the Akatsuki. I was…I was watching to make sure nothing came any closer to Naruto's body, and…what? I felt some kind of jolt, and there was a sort of orange or red light, then I was here. Here? But where is "here?" It's my room, or it's what used to be my room. And I was waiting for the Kazekage…But how was I waiting for the Kazekage if I was just beside Naruto, after the Kazekage was long dead?

And a thought passed through his mind, almost unbelievable, but still somehow feasible given what he was looking at with his own two eyes. It was just about the only explanation he could come up with as to how he suddenly found himself years younger, and in such a bizarre mental state.

The past? How? He recalled the strange light again, connecting it with a chakra he'd once seen. Naruto…No, not Naruto. The Kyuubi. Did the Kyuubi do something? And something even more important crossed his mind. Naruto! If the Kyuubi did something, where is Naruto? Could he still be alive?

Before he could consider the possibilities further, his door cracked open, and his sister peered in the door slowly, moving as if she were actually afraid of something. But then, if he really was in the past, he'd been quite the monster at this age. Her fear would be quite understandable if that was the case.

"Gaara? The Kazekage has a mission for you." She began to pull back and shut the door, not wanting to do anything that might annoy her somewhat psychotic younger brother, when the boy's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Temari." She turned back to him, trying not to look as worried as she really was.

"Thank you." Her eyes widened in shock. Gaara had never thanked her. He'd never thanked anyone, actually. Most of what he said, if he even said anything at all, was to insult, reprimand, or threaten people. To put it lightly, she was utterly baffled at this unexpected action. But not quite baffled enough to ignore it, and possibly send him into one of his moods.

"Y-you're welcome, Gaara." As he heard her footsteps moving down the hall, and eventually fading, he began to examine his room, hoping for some kind of clues as to exactly what day it was, or if anything was out of the usual. He doubted it would be difficult to find if there was something. Even after Naruto's intervention in his life, he'd never been a fan of things that were grand and flashy. His room barely had anything non-essential. A small bed, a small dresser for the few things he actually had an interest in owning, a calendar that he had no need for, as he had nothing that was worth remembering.

The calendar would be useless. He'd never even touched the thing, so it wouldn't be on the correct month anyway, and if it wasn't even on the right month, he doubted there would be anything indicating the day. Still, he flipped through it for the sake of being thorough, and noticed something early on. In small, slightly sloppy writing, were the words "got a letter." He'd never written that before, at least not in any memories that he could recall…None of his original memories, anyway.

Not willing to take the time to dig through his mind for the event, he began searching through the dresser, pulling out clothes, blankets, and anything else he could find. As he did, a small, folded, rather plain piece of paper fell out. Checking the hall to make sure no one was nearby, he shut the door and unfolded the letter carefully, finding himself relieved when he discovered that it was what he was looking for. His eyes skimmed over the page, taking in the short message.

"I don't know if you know me, but this is Naruto. If you know what I'm talking about, you'll know where to send anything you have to say. If not then I guess I'm screwed, and this whole thing was just me going crazy. I hope I'm right. Right. I guess I'll just say bye then, Gaara."

Gaara couldn't help but smile at the blonde's note, though the expression faded when he realized that it had probably come quite some time before. If Naruto had "woken up" at the same time he had, then it would have been completely impossible for him to send this message so quickly, and he definitely wouldn't have shoved it in a dresser. The only thing he could think of was that, since he was simply near Naruto and not Naruto himself, he must not have been thrown back as far in time.

…Back in time. It was so strange to say, but he was almost certain that, unless he'd simply gone insane, that was what had happened. He folded the paper, and replaced everything in his dresser. He would report to the Kazekage, as was expected of him, but as soon as he was finished with whatever mission awaited him, he would have to make an attempt at getting word to Naruto.

AN: Well, there ya go :) As I seem to say a lot, sorry for how long it took. But since the last one was like three or four months, IIRC, I'd say this is a bit of an improvement. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed.