Summary: During Naruto and Sakura's final climatic battle against Sasuke something happens to send the three of them back in time. Naruto wants to use this chance to stop Sasuke from leaving. Sakura wants to rekindle the bonds they used to share. But what does Sasuke want? Team7bonding with SasuSaku in later chapters.
Disclaimer: ...Huh...
Recap:
Naruto glared up at the blue-skinned Akatsuki member who was twice his current size. Kisame wasn't letting him get anywhere near the traitorous Uchiha.
He jumped when a small baby fox came running around the corner, followed by Sasuke and Sakura. He recognized the fox's chakra instantly, though for some reason it was severely weakened.
'Kyuubi!' Naruto asked himself, staring at the small animal, 'What the-'
''You idiot! What the hell did you think you were doing!'' Sasuke shouted, glaring at his best friend.
''Saving your ass, that's what!''
''Your the one who needs saving!''
''Look, I can handle-''
''This is my fight, Naruto. You know that!''
''But me and Sakura can help!''
''I don't need any help!''
Kisame, Itachi, Sakura, and Kyuubi looked back and forth between them.
Suddenly, there was a big explosion as smoke filled the air, effectively blinding all non-sharingan users.
What Changes...
Chapter 14: Suspicions
As the thick white smoke cleared team seven's eyes widened in disbelief. In the midst of it stood Kakashi with his ninja dog Pakkun on his head. Pakkun, however, quickly 'poofed' away when it was apparent they'd reached their destination.
''Ka-Kakashi-sensei!'' Sakura exclaimed. He stood infront of the three of them, taking a protective stance.
''Are you alright?'' He asked, eyes never leaving the two S-classed criminals.
Sakura looked over to her teammates, hoping they would have an answer for their teacher's sudden appearance. The two boys stood practically gaping in disbelief. ''We...we're fine,'' she finally muttered when she realized the two boys weren't going to speak.
''Good. I've seen what the three of you can do. I want you to take Kisame while I handle Itachi.''
Naruto and Sasuke snapped back to attention while Sakura gave him a confused look, muddling over his choice of words. Sasuke looked ready to protest Kakashi's orders but someone else beat him to it.
''Are you insane?'' Naruto asked incredulously, glaring at the older Uchiha across the hallway. ''We can't leave you to fight Itachi by yourself!''
Kakashi reached a hand up and removed his headband from its place over his left eye. ''I'll be fine,'' he replied stonily, ''However, I gave you all an order. Follow it.'' That seemed to be the end of the discussion; none of the kids were happy with this new development.
Kyuubi, who was behind them, wisely stayed silent, hoping to be forgotten. Slowly, he backed away from what was sure to be an ugly fight and hid behind the corner. He knew he was extremely vulnerable -and pretty much useless- in his current state. He would be no help to Naruto. If the Akatsuki got their hands on him they were all screwed.
Itachi, who'd been listening quietly -if not impatiently- to team seven's small argument, merely narrowed his eyes at Kakashi when the copy-nin got into a fighting stance.
Kakashi immediately rushed toward Itachi, his right eye shut tightly and his left blazing red with determination. Itachi quickly took out a kunai, one hand holding the handle and the other pressing it's palm against the back, ready to shove it into Kakashi's throat.
Kakashi stopped two feet from him and brought his arm up, blocking the attack with the metal plate on the back of his fingerless gloves. Not wasting time, Kakashi immediately attempted to send a kick to Itachi's side.
Itachi's body deformed into a flock of crows, of which gathered and reformed into the Uchiha behind the jonin sensei. He immediately sent his own kick at Kakashi's unprotected flank, causing him to jerk forward in a half-second-too-late dodge. He tumbled forward a few feet before regaining his balance. Itachi started to flash through handsigns as Kakashi's eyes widened.
''Katon...Goukakyuu no Jutsu,'' was Kakashi's only warning before a large amount of fire rushed toward him. He managed to use Kawarimi at the last second.
Kakashi let out a puff of breath to belay his agitation at his situation.
''I grow tired of these games.'' The sound of his voice caused Kakashi to look up at the Uchiha's face. He froze, realizing he'd been caught. He was under paralysis and therefore could not look away as Itachi prepared to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Kisame gave them a mocking smile, ''Hmph. As always, I get the left overs while Itachi chows down on the main course.'' He said this in a way that implied he was going to enjoy ripping their little bodies into pieces.
Naruto snorted disdainfully. Kisame focused on him.
''Something funny, brat?''
Naruto smirked, ''Yeah. The fact that you seriously believe you can take any one of us on.''
Sasuke, who'd had enough talking already, quickly dashed at Kisame. He sent a perfectly aimed kick at the shark-like ninja's ribs, only for it to be blocked by Kisame's big ass sword. Sasuke back flipped out of harm's way as the man attempted to make a swipe at him, allowing Naruto to rush in. Kisame changed direction and swung at Naruto. The hit connected and resulted in a burst of smoke, revealing Naruto to have been a shadow clone.
From behind him Naruto tried to do a spin kick which Kisame ducked. As his head was down, Sakura charged in and hit him with an uppercut using her chakra-enhanced strength. Kisame only dissolved into water.
The Akatsuki member reappeared behind Sasuke and managed to nick him with his giant sword before Sasuke could fully move out the way. Sasuke grunted as some of his chakra was ripped from his body.
Team seven jumped back a good ten feet from Itachi's partner to regroup.
Resting the sword against his shoulder, Kisame smirked, ''Well, what do you know? You brats aren't half bad.''
Naruto glared, wanting to wipe that smirk off his face. 'So how should we go about this, exactly?'
Sakura narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing their enemy. The odds were definitely in their favor, with it being three on one. However, they knew next to nothing about Kisame's strengths and weaknesses since none of them had ever engaged in a full out fight against the Akatsuki member. The only thing they did know about him was that his sword cuts chakra. 'I'm not sure...'
Sasuke said nothing, glancing down the hallway to see how their sensei was faring against his brother. His eyes widened.
''KAKASHI-SENSEI!'' He shouted in alarm, running off without a second thought. Thus, leaving Naruto and Sakura to deal with Kisame who was preventing them from following.
Kakashi stared, unable to do anything else, as Sasuke slid in front of him and glared defiantly into Itachi's eyes.
Which...may not have been very smart...
The dizzy sensation of falling suddenly came over Sasuke.
As quickly as it began it ended and Sasuke found himself standing in the middle of a clan complex during the afternoon. The place gave off an air of unsuspecting arrogance that Sasuke didn't like. It was bustling with people going around and completing their daily errands. He didn't miss the Uchiha clan insignias on everyone's clothing.
Sasuke worried his lip and looked at his hands. Small. Like a little kid's. He must be seven or eight right now. He really should have thought this whole thing out more clearly before just jumping in front of Kakashi.
And suddenly, someone was standing next to him, looking just like he had at age thirteen. Sasuke let out a surprised breath when he felt a hand place itself in his unruly black locks.
''Sasuke? What are you doing back so early? Shouldn't you be at the Academy?''
'This is different...' Was Sasuke's first thought.
''Sasuke?''
''I have a stomach ache,'' he replied unwillingly. Why did he say that? He wasn't even thinking that.
His brother gave him a sympathetic smile, ''Alright. I'll take you home.'' Sasuke was then pulled through the throngs of dead family members toward his murder sight of a house. Why was he letting himself be dragged? He knew this wasn't real and he knew what would happen. But he had absolutely no control over his body.
Itachi paused in his stride, making it so Sasuke almost bumped into his back.
''Wha-?'' A piercing scream rang throughout the compound and Sasuke knew it would only go downhill from there. He peered around Itachi's lithe frame to see a seemingly faceless man with blood spurting like a fountain from his shoulder. The man fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, surrounded by the red life-giving liquid.
Just like that, everyone started to spout blood from random wounds before falling out and dying.
'It's the m-ma-!' Sasuke immediately tried to pull his wrist free from Itachi's hold. The older Uchiha slowly turned to face him, Mangekyo Sharingan blazing in his eyes. Sasuke tried to take a step back as the scene changed around him. Now he was alone in the main room of his house.
His mother appeared, walking forward with her arms outstretched and an inviting smile on her lovely face. And for a moment Sasuke forgot it was an illusion. His mom was there; alive and smiling that smile that was reserved for him alone.
Only for a moment.
In reality, Naruto scowled and cursed under his breath as he pushed Kisame away from him. He ran toward the immobilized Sasuke; Sakura only two steps behind.
They each grabbed an arm as Naruto waved a hand infront of the young Uchiha's face.
''Idiot. That's not going to work,'' Sakura mumbled as she stared into Sasuke's blank face.
Naruto nodded seriously as he took a step away from his friend and faced his sensei, ''Right. First things first.'' He pressed to fingers to Kakashi's arm and pumped a small amount of chakra into his system. Just enough to break the paralysis. Kakashi visibly stiffened as he regained movement of his limbs once again.
''Thank you, Naruto. Now we need-''
''If you don't mind, Sensei,'' Naruto interrupted, ''We've got the situation handled from here. But it would really help if you could distract Kisame and watch our backs. Itachi won't move while he's using the Mangekyo unless necessary because he needs to concentrate.''
Kakashi was unsure if he should be leaving them to deal with Itachi. Kisame was one thing but Itachi...
''Trust us,'' Naruto said simply. Sakura sent him a small smile, meant to reassure.
Kakashi, feeling like shit right now, nodded solemnly and prepared to engage the other S-classed ninja in battle.
Naruto turned to Sakura, sending her a silent signal; the kind that comes from years of close friendship in the worst conditions. She nodded minutely. Naruto once again took hold of Sasuke's unmoving arm and formed the appropriate handsign with his free hand. Sakura immediately followed his example. They connected their hands to complete the process.
There was a brief wave of dizziness before the two of them found themselves in an excellent replica of the Uchiha compound, currently littered with dead bodies. A number of them still oozing blood.
''So where should we start?''
Naruto shrugged, ''We could try the house...'' What they came across when they got there was the most fascinating scene they'd ever witnessed.
A young Sasuke, approximately seven, was clutching onto the front of a woman's dress tightly, his face buried in her apron.
'He looks so kawaii.'
Naruto rolled his eyes and shook his head as they hid behind the doorway. One of the downsides of being able to listen to his friends' thoughts.
And then there was an earth shattering scream that shook them at their very core. It made both Naruto and Sakura jump and look back into the room. Sakura gasped and covered her mouth in horror. Naruto growled and walked through the doorway, failing to notice the change his body had suddenly undergone.
Sakura, however, wasn't so blind. She watched as Naruto suddenly got shorter. His hair was now a little less unruly and his clothes had changed to that of a simple baggy white T-shirt and black shorts. She lifted her eyes back to Sasuke. His mouth was open in an attempt to scream but he couldn't seem to manage the sound. His mother lay in a heap on the floor, bleeding from her stomach. It was only a moment ago that she was embracing him.
Sakura rushed in too, feeling the changes that overcame her body as well. Naruto knelt down infront of Sasuke, who was sitting brokenly on the floor, and tried to ignore the corpse of his friend's mother behind him. Sasuke was utterly dead to the world, mouth still parted open. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and let his head rest on the boy's chest.
Sakura came barely a moment after, not missing a beat as she wrapped her little arms around her love's shoulders and pulled his head to her chest. Sasuke's mouth closed, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings as he felt Sakura's hand smooth down his hair in a soothing manner and Naruto arms squeeze his torso. He glanced down at Naruto, who managed a cheeky smile despite their situation. He raised his head a bit so he could see Sakura's face. She smiled too, though her's was more calming while Naruto's was more assuring.
''No matter what happens you can always count on us, Teme,'' Naruto mumbled into his stomach.
''We'll always be there when you need us, Sasuke-kun.''
''It's the promise of a lifetime,'' they said in unison. With glossy eyes and a knot in his throat Sasuke nodded, unable to speak.
The three of them collapsed to the ground, panting and exhausted as if they'd just ran laps around the village with Gai and Lee. They looked like a broken bunch, hugging as if they were each others lifeline.
Kakashi was utterly lost on what was going on. What happened while they were in Itachi's illusion?
He was forced to turn away from his students to parry a blow from Kisame's sword. He was already weakened and Sasuke seemed like he would be out for the remainder of the fight. Naruto and Sakura probably couldn't do much right now either; they appeared to be suffering from chakra exhaustion.
On the plus side, Itachi was also weakened -and scowling angrily, much to Kakashi's brief amusement. Still though, Kisame was better off than him, so he was at a disadvantage.
Suddenly, for the second time today, the hallway was filled with a burst of smoke, signaling someone's arrival. The smoke managed to separate Kakashi and his team from the two Akatsuki members.
''You guys look like you could use a little help!'' Came a familiar, booming voice. Out of the mess came Jiraiya, a young woman with dark hair draped over his shoulder like a rag doll. Kakashi gave him a deadpanned stare, making Jiraiya sweatdrop.
The next few minutes consisted of Jiraiya using a jutsu to transform the hallway into the inside of a toad's stomach, resulting in the two Akatsuki members' retreat.
When all was said and done Jiraiya made his way over to Kakashi, who was standing over his team of genin.
''So, what's wrong with them?'' He'd noticed the way they were all huddled together. Especially the Uchiha, who currently bore a resemblance to a lifeless doll.
Sasuke was just staring blankly at the ground.
The sigh Kakashi let out was long and loaded with confusion. ''I hardly ever know anymore,'' was his melancholy reply.
The trip back to Konoha was filled with telepathic conversation.
'Care to tell me what exactly happened to you? And where you've been all this time?'
From inside his jacket, Kyuubi shifted uncomfortably. 'A defect I'd long forgotten about.'
Naruto glanced to his left when he felt a tug on his side. Sasuke was walking next to him, one hand holding loosely to his orange sleeve. The other was being held by Sakura on the Uchiha's other side.
Kakashi and Jiraiya were a few paces behind them, conversing silently.
'Who are you talking to?' The Uchiha was staring unfocused at the ground, but Naruto knew he'd spoken.
'Kyuubi. He's been transformed into a baby fox and he's hiding from Kakashi and Ero-sannin in my jacket.'
'Oh...so the fox was him. That explains his aversion to bottles...'
Naruto raised an eyebrow, 'Bottles? Like, baby bottles?'
'He was starving, so Sakura-'
'SHUT UP! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!' Kyuubi was twitching inside his jacket, much to Naruto's amusement.
'They BOTTLE fed you?'
'BE QUIET! I can't eat solid food!' Kyuubi was now fuming in embarrassment. Naruto was having a good laugh right now.
For the first time in the last forty minutes Sasuke glanced up and turned to Naruto with his brow furrowed, 'I can hear him. Why can I hear him?'
Naruto paused in his mental hysterical laughter and sent his friend a confused glance, 'You can?'
'I thought I did. He just told you to be quiet.'
Naruto blinked before smirking, 'Cool. Do you think Sakura can hear him too?'
Both boys glanced at their pink-haired teammate, who'd been silent all this time. The kunoichi was staring up at the slowly darkening sky, seemingly lost in her thoughts.
'I guess we'll ask her about it later.'
Sasuke nodded.
Behind them, Kakashi was quietly expressing his concerns about his team to Jiraiya.
''What exactly about them is suspicious to you?'' The Toad Sage had seen a few subtle hints from Naruto during their month of training that the kid was not a normal genin. He was hoping that whatever Kakashi had to add would prove his thoughts.
''Sometimes they act twelve, but other times they act like war hardened adults. I saw the three of them kill a mafia boss/business man named Gato without batting an eye.''
''Wait, Gato? Of Gato Transport? I heard that he'd been killed but...by your genin?''
''Yes. They treated it like it was a game. Kicked him around like a kids ball before throwing him off a half finished bridge. They were so passive about it, like they'd been killing all their lives.''
Jiraiya's face took on a thoughtful expression.
''Not only that, they keep secrets. I confronted them about it once and they knocked me out. Thought I'd by some idiotic story about puberty.''
''What about knowing things they shouldn't?'' Jiraiya suddenly questioned.
''What do you mean? Like what?''
Sighing contemplatively, Jiraiya replied, ''During the time I trained Naruto, I took him out of the village because he begged me to. As we traveled from place to place he walked beside me, never faltering a step.''
Kakashi sent him a questioning glance, ''What's odd about that?''
Jiraiya's look hardened, ''Naruto has supposedly only ever been out of the village once, during your mission to wave he told me about. But he knew where we were going, even though it was nowhere near Wave country.''
Kakashi's one eye widened briefly, ''So he's had to have been out of the village before then.''
Jiraiya nodded, ''Which means Sasuke and Sakura have probably been out of the village more than once as well, if the three of them are as close as they appear to be right now.'' He gestured to the three genin ahead of them holding onto each other for support. None of them were aware of the conversation being held behind them, too focused on their own thoughts.
''Not to mention,'' Jiraiya continued, ''I saw Naruto sneak a little russet fox into his jacket. Now why would he need to sneak it if it was just any old fox?''
Kakashi froze for a split second, ''You don't think it's...?''
Jiraiya nodded seriously. ''We're going to have to get to the bottom of these three kids. We'll wait until we reach the village. Then we'll confront them.''
A/N: Yeah, I know. ''OMFG! SHE'S NOT DEAD!'' Yeah, I'm sorry you guys. I know it's been...what, eight months since I updated anything?
I had the story done. I mean it, everything was done, typed, ready to be posted. Even started on the possible sequel. Then...my computer breaks. When I get it working again, everything's lost. So I'm basically like, ''Well fuck. I did all that typing and planning and now I've got to do it all over again? It'll never be as good as the original.'' Then I read over this story and realized how terrible it was. Nothing was happening. Nothing was changing. That's the fun part of timetravel fics! Change! This is called 'What Changes' for Gawd's sake! It was basically just following canon, which is boring, dammit! Yeah, it was funny/ridiculous, but still not exciting!
So now, I've got new plans for this. I may even rewrite the beginning chapters -though not enough that it won't go with the rest of the story. So from this chapter on things are going to change. The changes may not be too significant until after the Idate arc, but this story is definitely going in a whole new direction. Unfortunately, since I'm doing this from scratch, updates may not be too often. But they won't be eight months in between. I'm sure of that.
Also, I need a beta. One who can help with grammar, spelling, etc, but also with action scenes and the flow of the story. If anyone's interested or you know somebody who's good just tell me and I'll look you/them up. Please and thank you! ^_^
Alright then! It's a new deal for team seven! New adventures are sure to be ahead now that Kakashi and Jiraiya's suspicions are reaching their peak! See how the three of them handle the pressure in Chapter fifteen!
Review Please! I'd really like to know what you guys thought of the fight scene and characterization.
Ja!
Subaki no Yumo
''So why exactly is there a miniature version of the Kyuubi hiding in your jacket?'' Naruto blanched. Sasuke, Sakura, and Kyuubi froze.