She removed her hand and smiled kindly. Naruto blinked and was surprised to see Temari's face look at him proudly. Behind her stood a vast amount of sand ninjas, with their hands on their hips, looking just as content as their princess.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you surely gave everyone here a fright. Stop just collapsing in the middle of the road – assasins roam freely these days. What would we have done if they had seized the opportunity to kill you!" like a mother she brought him into a warm hug and placed her head untop of his, visibly showing care.
"you remind me so much of my own brothers! Oh Naruto! If you knew how dear you are to us"
Wrestling free of her grip, Naruto laughed nervously – feeling, disappointed that it was Temari who had awoken him. However, he knew as well that dreams of a dead Sakura arising would be too much, and too unrealistic.
She scooted closer and her face turned serious in a way only she could make it be serious. "Naruto."
"hm?" he said, narrowing his own eyes.
"why did you collapse?"
Everyone in the room turned their heads in their direction, obviously being just as curious. Temari put her hand on his now raised knee. "you know the sand is with you, your secret will not escape this room."
A moment of silence passed, before Naruto opened his mouth. "the kyuubi…has taken more control of me than I wished. It is…poisoning me. I don't understand that!? Why would it try to kill me, it would know it would kill itself as well!"
The room went more silent than before, and Temari's eyes were so wide that you could clearly see the veins passing the eyeball. Her hand on his knew grew tighter and so did her breath. Unpleasant news it was. Most unpleasant.
"poisoning…damnit. Damnit Naruto!" she stood up and furiously threw her hands to each side of herself. "I can't believe it!"
"well…it's only what Shizune says, it might just be a simple cold." He tried to interrupt, but she was in too much distress to even care about that.
He then turned his attention to the other sand ninja beside him, who gazed her own feet worriedly. Naruto tried to smile despite the pain, and muttered "well…where are we?"
She looked at him hesitantly.
"we're in a small inn along the road. With hotbaths, very popular amongst common people. We thought it would be the best place to rest for the night, until we found you. Are you alright Hokage-sama"
Naruto shrugged and cracked his shoulders. "I have been better, a bit sore and dizzy." He smiled. People would always be so confused on how Naruto could smile in even the worst scenarious. When Naruto thought about it, the only person, besides Jirayia and Tsunade who had seen him being unable, it was Sakura. In the end, he guessed, no one would ever understand him as well as Sakura – he could marry the kindest of women and have her be a psychic, but Sakura would forever know him much better.
This made his smile flatter a bit and his heart hurt. If he had just saved Sasuke back then – then none of this would ever have happened, and he would be sitting right here, right now, with both of them.
He placed a hand to his head and made it go through his hair.
A sad looking woman entered the room with a tray full of food. Temari did never acknowledge her presence, as she was busy complaining, half crying and half exclaiming how they had to bring Naruto to the sand. "we have better doctors after all!"
The melanchoclic woman placed the tray on his side, and he gazed at her long brown hair. Feeling a bit better asked. "why is it you look so traumatised?" She turned her brown eyes to his blue, and she spoke with an insecure voice. "My…nephew was kidnapped."
"kidnapped?"
"yeah…little over two weeks ago. No one has seen or heard of him since. We fear very much that he….might be dead." Naruto narrowed his eyes. "a boy?"
"yeah…eight years old." Her eyes watered, "a sweet memorable boy. We have asked everyone in the nearest villages, and all we got is that a woman had taken him…"
Eyes wide Naruto realized. "excuse me! Uhm – what was the name of the boy?"
"Kozuki…"
"okay! I think I know what happened to your nephew! He's not dead – but …well, you wouldn't understand, but I can say he's not dead." She took a step back and even Temari had the time to look up and stare at them. "He…is the reincarnation of a great ninja, who is now on the loose! I…bet if we had enough information about, Kozuki?, then we would be able to stop them! This is great!"
"now wait a minute Naruto!" Temari yelled. "you are not going anywhere! You're coming with us to Sand. This is not healthy for you at all!" the woman beamed and hugged the unaware Hokage, who just stood there stiff, not expecting this at all.
The stubborn sandwoman grabbed Naruto by the shoulder, and forced him out of the embrace, and shook him. "what are you saying!? You cannot do this!" despite the pain, he was beaming. "yes! We are going to the sand! Temari! You must allow me into your secret library…" she narrowed her eyes.
"what? Why?"
"get Jirayia! Tell him to continue the bargain with other countries. If I can find what I am looking for, then I can turn all of this around! We can get…Kozuki, right? … we can get him back!"
"stop it Naruto! All we should focus on is making you healthy – do something about the Kyuubi"
Naruto was about to object, when the brownhaired woman interrupted. "can you get Kozuki back?"
Temari looked at him, and he looked at the woman, before the sandwoman frowned. "fine, if you want to play hero, then I won't stop you."
Everything would be alright.
-
It had not been long ago since Naruto had found himself walking in the dusty streets of the capital of Sand. It was never as colourful or warm as Konoha was, with it brightly coloured street houses and vendors. However, the home of the Kazekage had its own charm – the building may have a dull colour or even a sandy look – but within the home's of the citizens – there was plants as large as humans and an aroma of the most delicious of dishes. The inside was more brighter and colourfull than any house in Konoha could ever be. Naruto would have considered living there if it wasn't because he was Hokage.
At first he thought that Konoha's library was large, but what greeted him in the sand was much grander. A whole building underground, solely for the purpose of hiding valuable documents for the government. Even though Naruto was Hokage and severely weak, he was guarded by one of the most toptrained ninjas from the village – in case he went on to look for something else.
The areas with legends or even proved legends were small, and not as large as the one's containing ninjutsus or dangerous kind of stuff. The guardian went outside, and Naruto was left to go through all the records by himself.
Days would go by, too many days. Sometimes a medic had to rush to his side, when Naruto felt too weak. Other times Naruto found himself thinking of things – tragic things, like if Sakura really was dead, if Sasuke really was Sasuke, and how much he'd like to rewind stuff.
Too many days passed.
-
"there's this…thing between us Naruto. One that will make us best of friends and it will be the same thing that will tear us apart" Sasuke said very casually that night, when he attacked Naruto and Sakura – that dreadful night long ago.
"we're promising in all aspects of life. In the arts of ninja and more – and we both know tradegies. This makes us such good friends, but also perfect enemies"
"Sasuke. Stop it. Come back" Naruto cried
"No! you don't understand! You have none to kill! You do not know what it is like!"
"Sasuke! " Sakura cried
"fools!"
-
"a place, only known to that who can see with bloody eyes, belongs to noone except those who cannot speak for themselves. Defeat those of stronger mind, and one can see fate as it would be. Those who want to can change all by the request of them who cannot be seen. A place hidden where earth meets water and where wind meets fire – that is the place where you go, when there is no one left to go to…"
Gaara looked curiously at Naruto, when the blond haired hokage softly spoke of the legend. Temari held hers and Shikamaru's child tightly in her arms, and gazed at her baby brother. "brother, is that not the legend of the place that does not exist?"
He nodded.
Naruto turned his face to them, as if expecting them to explain what it is about. They were silent until Gaara tapped his finger. "we know very little of the place, and it's placement we do not know either – but, as far as I have heard, through the ancients – then this place is supposed to be able to grant any wish to anyone. Of course, it isn't easy."
This made the Hokage beam with excitement, even though it took it's strains on his body. Gaara frowned, which was a seldom look on his face. His wife clenched her fists and gazed at Naruto with disappointed eyes. "Naruto. This is just a legend, no place like that exists…"
"well…I will try and find it. Prove that it exists!"
Temari frowned deeper. "don't be foolish. You should focus on your disease and ending this war. Just because people don't fight, doesn't mean it is over"
He waved his hand carelessly "yeah. Shikamaru is much better at that, he's in charge of that."
"Naruto! You're the Hokage! Don't be so careless! This is my husband whom you're speaking of! And he's is not the Hokage! Act like you're a leader. You cannot fail Konoha now!"
He smiled. "I won't."
"I will undo all of this. And make it work – I am Naruto Uzumaki after-"
"stop it! Get real! Be realistic! This is…this is insane! You'll die before you'll even get there."
Naruto smiled. "no I won't…Kyuubi won't risk it. I'll find it Temari!"
A Konoha representative stepped inside. "Hokage-sama! This is outrageous! We must not get too calm! We need you alive, and if you risk your life like this – then we'll have to elect a new Hokage!"
Naruto still smiled. "don't worry. I know who to go to."
He stood up and pointed at the Konoha ninja. "you. Bring Tohru to this village Asap!"
He then pointed at the librarian. "you! Figure out when this poem was made – and find every map of the ninja countries! We need to figure out what they mean of earth wind fire and water connecting."
People looked at each other concerned, but they none the less did what they were told.
-
Tohru looked up startled as she saw the moon flicker in the skies. "Sakura-sama…"
"…"
A pale ghostly figure emerged on the street, soon followed by many others. "what is this?"
Frightened by what she saw, she stepped back into the room of the hospital. "this…is what you saw Sakura-sama?"
Angry and sad,she yelled. "how dare you give it back to me! I do not want it!"
-
A/N. hahaha. If you want my honest opinion – this story is getting crazier and crazier. Oh well! I'm back! After many months of severe depressive periods, I'm back to update Rokudaime! I will do my best to update again – I have found the spark again. To write more 'days of our lives' fanfictions. Haahahaha. Hope you like!