Kakashi as Auron
Yamato as Kimahri
Temari as Lulu
Ino as Rikku
Orochimaru as Seymour
Sasuke as Tidus
Shikamaru as Wakka
Sakura as Yuna
The next morning...
When Sasuke woke up, he found himself in the sea near a beach. He then saw that Ino and Gaara were gone. "Ino! Gaara! Where are you!?" cried Sasuke as he looked around frantically for them. Suddenly, a blitzball hit him. "Hmm? What's this? Huh?" asked Sasuke to himself as he saw a man and a group of men surrouding the man. "Hey there! Are you alright?" asked the man as the blitzball landed right next to Sasuke while he was in the water. "Hello there!" cried Sasuke greeting the man and his blitzball team. Suddenly, Sasuke jumped and did Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" cried Sasuke as the ball landed right in the jungle. "Whoa!" cried the man as he chuckled. Sasuke then got out of the water and walked to the shore. "Uh, hi." said Sasuke. "Hey, can I see that awesome move that you did, one more time?" asked the man. "Uh, sure!" said Sasuke, happily.
"Finally, for me, it seems like things were starting to turn out alright." ~ Sasuke.
Sasuke then did Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu again one last time. "Okay, here we go! Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" cried Sasuke as he sucked the fire in and blew it out of his mouth. "Hey, you're not an amateur, are you? So, who do you play for?" asked the man. "I am a competitor of The Zanarkand Exams!" cried Sasuke as the team were mumbling about Sasuke. "What team did you say you play for again?" asked the man. "Oh... never mind that. Forget what I said. I uh, got too close to Sin so that's why my head is all foggy-like. I don't even know what this place is. Nor do I know where I came from." said Sasuke. "Hmph. I guess Sin's toxin had gotten to you, eh? But thankfully... you're still alive. Praise be to Yevon." said as the man and his team did the prayer sign for Yevon. "Alright boys, back to practice. By the way, my name is Shikamaru Nara. Coach and captain of The Besaid Aurochs, brother! What's your name?" asked Shikamaru. "I am Sasuke Uchiha." said Sasuke as his stomach growled. "Oh, what's the matter Sasuke, you hungry? Okay boys, let's get back to the village! I'll get you something to eat!" said Shikamaru as he and Sasuke went back to the village of Besaid.
"For some reason, I felt like I had to trust this Shikamaru, so I just had to ask." ~ Sasuke
"Hey, Shikamaru, it's true that Zanarkand was destroyed a thousand years ago, right? But now it's all a big pile of rubble, huh, isn't it?" asked Sasuke. "Yes, but a long time ago, there used to be cities in Spira. The cities were filled with machina--machines--to run them. But man, those cities were huge, especially with all the machina. So, the people ended up playing all day which made the machine do a lot of the work here. After that, well, take a look for yourself, Sasuke. Sin came and destroyed all of the machina cities and Zanarkand was involved in the destruction of the cities. And like you said, it was destroyed a thousand years ago. Yep, that's right. That's right. But if you ask me, Sin's our punishment for letting things get out of hand. But there's something that gets me though... is that we have to suffer, because of what some goofballs had done way back then! But of course, it is important to repent for our sins! But, it's just that, it is kind of hard to keep at it sometimes, you know? asked Shikamaru as he started laughing.
"It was just like Ino said. So both Shikamaru and Ino couldn't both be lying, would they?" ~ Sasuke.
"But you are from The Zanarkand Exams-- now that was a good one! But hey come on, it's not like I'm trying to say that the team never existed, ya? But before you know it Sasuke, you have to figure a team living in bathing luxury like of course that'd be pretty soft, eh?" asked Shikamaru.
"Of course I had appreciated the fact that Shikamaru was trying to cheer me up. But all I could about was at the time was that... everything that had happened to me--it seems like all this--had to do with Sin. But maybe if I could defeat Sin, then maybe I could finally get a chance to go home for once! But now, I'd just live my life until the time came. Then I wouldn't have to worry about where, or when, I was anymore. But even though I felt a little homesick, I had started to feel better already. Well, a little better... maybe." ~ Sasuke.
Sasuke and Shikamaru were starting to head back to the village. "Sasuke! Over here!" cried Shikamaru as he led Sasuke to a jungle. As Sasuke looked at the water, Shikamaru stepped a few inches back from where Sasuke was and pushed him directly into the water. "Huh? Whoa! Hey Shikamaru, what was that for?" asked Sasuke as Shikamaru grabbed him. "Hey! Let me go!" cried Sasuke as Shikamaru let Sasuke go. "Hey Sasuke, I've got a little favor to ask." said Shikamaru. "Let me guess, you want me on your team, right?" asked Sasuke. "Yes, a major blitzball tournament is coming up, so all the teams in Spira are going to be there cheering for us! It's that huge, I'm positive that someone you know will surely recognize you, Sasuke! And then you can go back to your old team, alright? It's gonna be fun! So what do you say Sasuke, huh? Come on, come on!" cried Shikamaru. "Alright." said Sasuke as sadly floated and began to swim away from Shikamaru. "Sasuke dude, you know that our team will rock and win the cup, right?" asked Shikamaru.
"It was strange, because back in Zanarkand, we never had blitzball. All we had was The Zanarkand Exams where fighters would fight each other, like I fought with Gaara. I then thought about Gaara and his reaction to what he would say when I would be playing blitzball for the first time, even though I had no idea what blitzball was. In Zanarkand, we only had The Zanarkand Exams. But here in Spira, they had blitzball. All of a sudden, I had started to miss Gaara and Ino. I then hoped that they'd be okay. I wondered if they thought I was dead. I then thought well maybe if I see both Ino and Gaara in Luca, then I'll reunite with them, right? So Gaara and I could go back to Zanarkand, right? But sadly, just like Shikamaru had said, Zanarkand was destroyed a thousand years ago, just like Ino had said. So now, I would have to get used to this "blitzball" thing." ~ Sasuke.
After Sasuke and Shikamaru got out of the water, they went to a cliff overlooking Besaid Village. "This is my birthplace. I started blitzball when I was 11 months. I joined the Aurochs at 7... 10 years ago. 10 years and we never won not even a single game. Can you believe that, Sasuke?" asked Shikamaru. "Whoa. You played in the Aurochs for 10 years, and you haven't won a single game? Are you that serious, Shikamaru?" asked Sasuke as he couldn't believe his eyes. "Yeah but, well... after last year's tournament, I quit, although I only did what I thought was right. So after I stopped playing blitzball, I became a guardian, ya? But every single time that I spaced out, I would think about playing blitzball again." said Shikamaru. "Wow, you know Shikamaru, 10 years of noy winning a single game'll do that." said Sasuke. "Last year when I had my first match, it was my big chance to win, ya? But since I couldn't focus, something else was on my mind and for me, it was too much to think about it." said Shikamaru. "That's a nice excuse, Shikamaru." said Sasuke. "Hey!" cried Shikamaru. "So if you want to win the next tournament--then go out with a bang!" said Sasuke as Shikamaru nodded. "So Shikamaru, what's our goal?" asked Sasuke. "Well, as long as we do our best, I don't care what we'll do. But if we give it our best shot, then I'll walk away happy." said Shikamaru. "No, no, no, no, no, you got it all wrong, Shikamaru. If I say, "What's our goal?", then you say, "Victory!" But when you play in the blitzball tournament, then you play to win." said Sasuke. "Victory? Are you serious about that, Sasuke?" asked Shikamaru. "Yes." said Sasuke as his stomach growled. Shikamaru then laughed. "Oh, you're still hungry? Here. I'll take you back to the village." said Shikamaru as he took Sasuke back to the village. Along the way, they spotted two men who were from the Crusaders. "Hey, it's you! The one from the sea!" said the red-haired man. "Careful boy, they're fiends on the road today, so watch your guard, okay?" asked the blonde-haired man. "Well kid, after your encounter with Sin, it'd be a shame if something happened right now." said the red-haired man as the two men started walking off to the village. "Who were those guys?" asked Sasuke. "The blonde-haired one's Deidara. The red-haired one's Sasori--the Crusaders." said Shikamaru. "Crews of what?" asked Sasuke, confused as he gave Shikamaru a confused look. "Oh what, did you forget that too?" asked Shikamaru as Sasuke silently nodded his head, "yes." "Hey. Don't worry, Sasuke. I'll help you." said Shikamaru as Sasuke looked at Shikamaru as they both smiled at each other. "Cool. But in exchange for when it comes to the day of the tournament, we'll be sure to take the cup, right Shikamaru!?" asked Sasuke. "Yeah. Oh and about the Crusaders, if you don't know who they are, go ask them yourself. They've got a lodge here in Besaid Village." said Shikamaru. "Besaid... Village?" asked Sasuke, confused. "Yes. Turn around Sasuke, and take a look at the village." said Shikamaru as Sasuke turned around and looked at the village. "Wow! It's... it's beautiful." said Sasuke, in amazement.
"Next to Zanarkand of course, I had never seen a village just as beautiful as Besaid. I then realized that I would no longer go back to Zanarkand, but to stay here... until my time came for me to go back... no... I would stay here... forever." ~ Sasuke.
As Sasuke and Shikamaru looked at the beautiful village of Besaid, Sasuke wondered if they had any food there, so he just had to ask. "Hey Shikamaru, have they got any food there, cause I'm starving!" said Sasuke. "Look Sasuke, I'll get you something to eat later, so take a look around first. Hmm, well now let's see... there's The Crusader's Lodge over there in that hut. That's where you'll find Deidara and Sasori. Oh, I almost forgot! Sasuke, come here!" said Shikamaru as he and Sasuke walked right by the entrance to the village. "Shikamaru, what is it? What's wrong?" asked Sasuke, concerned. "Sasuke, you remember the prayer, right?" asked Shikamaru. "I-I don't remember." said Sasuke.
"To tell you the truth, I never remembered the prayer at all." ~ Sasuke.
"Come on Sasuke, that's the basics of the team, man! Fine, I'll show you." said Shikamaru as he did the prayer sign for Yevon. "Now you try." said Shikamaru as Sasuke did it very well done and perfectly. "Hmm. Not too bad. Okay Sasuke, now go and introduce yourself to the temple summoner." said Shikamaru as he and Sasuke walked into The Temple Of Besaid.
"Gaara had a friend who was also a blitzball player named Tidus (who had a girlfriend named Yuna who was also a summoner), and I asked him what that sign for Yevon meant. He then said that it meant victory. Of course anyone would know that prayer... everyone... but me." ~ Sasuke.
As Sasuke got into The Temple Of Besaid, he saw some people praying and statues surrounding the people as they prayed for Yevon.
"It was there... that I was standing in that place for the first time. I suddenly began to realize of how there was a difference between Zanarkand and Besaid. But whenever I kep thinking about Zanarkand, I thought about... Gaara... Ino... and Kakashi. Especially Ino and Gaara since Ino was not from Zanarkand but somehow knew about it. I then began to hope that if I saw Gaara, Kakashi, or Ino in Luca, then... I could finally get a chance to go home for once, right?" ~ Sasuke.
Just then, a priest who worked at the temple came up to Sasuke and said, "10 years ago, Lord Jiraiya had become a high summoner. That is... until we finally received a statue from the temple in honor and in memory of him of course." "Uh, I hate to be rude, but... what is a high summoner?" asked a confused Sasuke as the worshippers of the temple gasped. "I, uh... I got too close to Sin's toxin, so... eh, heh, heh." said Sasuke as he chuckled nervously.
"I found it funny that I was making the same excuse over and over. It was funny, but at the same time... a little sad." ~ Sasuke.
The priest then said, "The summoners are practitioners of a sacred art, who are a group of people who are sworn to protect Yevon. But only those chosen as summoners, call forth entities of great power called the aeons. Not only do the aeons hear our prayers and come down to us, but they are also the blessing of Yevon."
"So what he meant... was that we should respect some kinda great man or something like that... I figured." ~ Sasuke.
Sasuke then decided to head back to the village to ask Shikamaru of when lunch was starting. "Oh, hi Sasuke. I'm sorry Sasuke, but it's not time for lunch yet. Why don't you take a nap? You look tired!" said Shikamaru. Sasuke then silently nodded his head and layed down on the bed as he dozed off to sleep. Suddenly, a priest from the temple had entered Shikamaru's hut. "You know, you could at least go and see how they're doing." said the priest. "Sorry man, but we can't interfere, it's a rule." said Shikamaru. "But, it's been nearly..." said the priest.
In Sasuke's dream...
"But it's been nearly..." said a priest. "It's been nearly a day already." said a man in a uniform. "Well, perhaps you can go look for us." said a 12-year-old Ami. "Well, we're trying our very best to look for him." said the man in the uniform. "Thank you so much." said Ami as she did a Japanese bow. "Ah, who cares whether he comes back or not? Heh, I know I don't." said Younger Sasuke. "Yeah but, he might die!" cried Ami. "Fine, let him die for all I care!" cried Younger Sasuke. "Sasuke, don't say that! Itachi's not going to die!" cried Ami. "I don't understand why you became so interested in him." said Younger Sasuke. "Sasuke! The reason why I fell in love with him is not only because I was upset he killed The Uchiha Clan a few months ago but it was also because he has a good heart and I love him!" cried Ami, as she started crying. Younger Sasuke then looked at a sad Ami. Younger Sasuke then remembered what his mother had said to him the day before Itachi killed The Uchiha Clan. "He's only thought of Itachi before now!" said a Younger Sasuke. "Your older brother's your older brother and you are you. But your father has deeply cared about the both of you." said Mikoto. He then remembered what Itachi had said to them about being brothers. "You and I are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome. Even if you do hate me. That's what big brothers are for." said Itachi. He then remembered his last words that had haunted him. "Foolish little brother, if you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me. And yet survive in an unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life." said Itachi. "Sasuke..." said Ami, as she calmed down. "Don't forget that I am also a survivor of The Uchiha Clan. And believe me Sasuke, you are not the only one who's parents were killed." said Ami. "But... I want to ask you something." said Ami. "Okay. What is it, Ami?" asked Younger Sasuke. "Why is it that there's a difference between the two of us about Itachi? I mean, why is it that I love him and you hate him so?" asked Ami. "Because he killed both of our families, Ami! That's why I hate him so!" shouted a Younger Sasuke. "You hate him... really much... don't you... Sasuke?" asked Ami finally realizing of why Sasuke hated Itachi so much as she loved him so much as well. "But Sasuke... if Itachi does die, then... you won't be able to tell him of how much you really hate him so. Do you understand?" asked Ami as Younger Sasuke silently nodded his head, "yes".
Out of his dream...
Sasuke then awoke with a start. "Shikamaru?" asked Sasuke as he noticed that Shikamaru had exited out of his hut. He then decided to follow Shikamaru into the temple. He then saw Shikamaru standing there while talking to the priest. "What's wrong, Shikamaru? What happened?" asked Sasuke, a little worried. "The summoner hasn't returned from the trial just yet." said Shikamaru. "Huh?" asked Sasuke. "Well, it's actually an apprentice summoner, really..." said Shikamaru. "Um... I don't know what you mean, Shikamaru." said a confused Sasuke. "You see, Sasuke, inside is a room called The Cloister Of Trials. And in that room, is where the apprentice summoner prays. And if that prayer is heard, Sasuke, then the apprentice summoner becomes a fully-fledged summoner, hey, you remember that, don't you, Sasuke?" asked Shikamaru as Sasuke silently nodded his head, "yes." "So wait... so there's someone in there and they never came back out yet. Right, I got it... sort of." said Sasuke. "It's already been a day now." said Shikamaru. "Wait a second, are you saying that it's practically dangerous in there?" asked Sasuke. "Sadly, but sometimes... yes... it can possibly happen to any person who wants to become a summoner. I'm telling you Sasuke. I feel really bad for the summoner that's in there right now.." said Shikamaru. "Well then, aren't you going in there to help the summoner?" asked Sasuke. "Techinically, I can't, because that room is forbidden. And besides, there are guardians in there after all, you know." said Shikamaru. "But wait, what if something happens to the summoner? What if the summoner dies?" asked Sasuke as he ran halfway up the stairs. "Sorry, but the prospects must be obeyed." said the priest. "Yeah, so what!?" asked Sasuke as he rushed in there to go and save the summoner as the worshippers gasped.
"Okay, on second thought, maybe this wasn't such a very good idea after all." ~ Sasuke.
Sasuke then entered The Cloister Of Trials to save the summoner. "Hey Sasuke! Wait up! Sasuke, what's gotten into you, man?" asked Shikamaru. Sasuke then hung his head low and said, "I'm sorry. I guess I kinda overreacted, did I, Shikamaru?" "Hey, it's alright. You don't have to worry about it. But only summoners, apprentice summoners, and those that are guardians of theirs can enter through that room. It's a very important tradition, Sasuke. So never forget that, okay?" asked Shikamaru. "Right. Hey, but what about you?" asked Sasuke. "Oh, me? Why I am a guardian, of course." said Shikamaru as the two men went in the elevator and went down to The Cloister Of Trials to where the summoner was. "You know you may know one thing about summoners. The things is, summoners go on a pilgrimage to pray at every temple in Spira. So their guardians have to protect them along the way while they're on their pilgrimage. But the guardians that are in there now... one of them is hot-tempered, yet very sweet. But who knows what the other one's thinking. But now that we've come this far... we might as well go all the way then!" cried Shikamaru as he and Sasuke entered a room where a woman and man stood. "Uh, Shikamaru, who are they?" asked Sasuke looking at the man and woman standing there. "Okay. The blonde one with the dark blue eyes is Temari, and the one with the brown hair and onyx eyes like your eyes Sasuke, is Yamato." said Shikamaru. "So like, is Temari your girlfriend or something?" asked Sasuke. "I'll tell you later. Oh, here she comes now." said Shikamaru. "What are you doing here? Didn't think we'd be able to handle it?" asked Temari as she got up and walked to Shikamaru which made Shikamaru slap his forehead. "No, it's just that..." said Shikamaru as Temari walked closer to him. "See what I mean, Sasuke? I told you she gets mad easily." said Shikamaru. Sasuke then looked at Yamato which made Yamato look at Sasuke and then made Yamato look away, not looking directly into Sasuke's eyes. "Uh, Temari, is the summoner alright?" asked Sasuke. Temari then looked at Sasuke and scoffed at him by asking, "Who are you and how do you know my name?" asked Temari. Sasuke then looked at Shikamaru which made Shikamaru say, "Don't look at me!" "Idiot." said Temari to herself as she glared at Sasuke. Just then, the door opened and there stood a girl with pink hair, green eyes, and a red shirt. She then almost fell to the ground which made Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Temari gasp to which Yamato caught her as the trio made a huge sigh of relief. The girl then stood up, fixed her hair, and said, "I've done it! I have become a summoner!", to which Sasuke wolf-whistled at her.
After that, the 3 guardians and the summoner left the temple to which the summoner had to summon her first aeon for the very first time. Shikamaru then called Sasuke. "Hey, Sasuke! Over here!" "What? Ow!" cried Sasuke as Shikamaru grabbed him as Temari and the girl stood in a circle. "Wait till you see this!" cried Shikamaru. "I can't see anything!" cried Sasuke as he turned around to face the summoner. Shikamaru then walked over to the girl and said, "Okay, we're ready!" "Alright. Well... here I go." said the girl as she summoned the so-called aeon named Valefor.
"I had never actually seen anything like that in my entire life. I was sure that if Gaara was here, he would be shocked, yet would have loved to see it himself, too. Okay, it was a little bit scary, but... all of a sudden, I could feel a strange sense of gentleness and kindness coming from it. I then remembered... that night, we had talked for the very first time. It sounds romantic, I know. But after that night, I began to realize that my world was suddenly beginning to change. It was for her... and also... for me." ~ Sasuke.
Later that night...
Shikamaru had decided to introduce Sasuke to the Besaid Aurochs. "Hey, Sasuke. Let me introduce you to the team. Hey guys, this guy, Sasuke here, wants to be in the tournament so bad. So I let him in on our team. His memory's a little clouded. But, don't pay attention to him if he says anything, oh I don't know... strange! Go on, don't you want to say hello?" asked Shikamaru as he whispered for Sasuke to say "hi" to the team. "Uh... hi guys." said Sasuke. "Uh, hello." muttered The Besaid Aurochs. "So what's our goal?" asked Sasuke. "To do our best!" cried the Aurochs. "Nope! Sorry boys, but we got a new goal! Our new goal now... is victory! But to win every match, we have to defeat every possible opposing team there is! And if we win, we take The Crystal Cup back to Besaid, boys! That's what we have to do... by winning! Ya hear?" asked Shikamaru. "Victory... Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Yay!" cheered The Besaid Aurochs. While the Aurochs were cheering, Sasuke looked at the girl as she smiled at him which made Sasuke smile back. Sasuke then decided to walk up the girl and to say, "hi". "You heathen!" cried an old man. "Stay away from the summoner!" cried an old woman. "You're a bad man!" cried a little girl that was the summoner's friend. The girl then stood up. "Lady Sakura! Be careful!" warned the old man to the girl who was now called Sakura. Sakura then said, "But it was really my fault to begin with." She then walked over to where Sasuke was to introduce herself, much to the old man's dismay. "Eh heh, sorry about that. Anyway, I'm Sakura Haruno. Thank you so much for your help earlier. May I please know your name?" asked Sakura. "I am Sasuke Uchiha of The Uchiha Clan. The only survivor of The Uchiha Clan. Oh, and uh... ahem! Sorry about that back there, Sakura. Wasn't that, wasn't I not supposed to... I guess I... kind of overreacted, huh?" asked Sasuke. "Oh no, I was... overconfident." said Sakura. "Uh, anyway... I saw that aeon thing earlier. Now that... was amazing!" cried Sasuke. "Oh! Really? Hey Sasuke, do you think I can become high summoner?" asked Sakura as Sasuke nodded his head, "yes". The little girl then came back and said, "Lady Sakura, come play with me some more!" Sakura then bent down, nodded her head "yes", and smiled. She then turned back to face Sasuke. "So, tomorrow, then." said Sakura. "Uh, Sakura... tomorrow? What's tomorrow?" asked Sasuke. "We're leaving Besaid tomorrow morning to start my pilgrimage. But, we are going on the same boat, aren't we? So, we can talk more, then. And... you can tell me... all about Zanarkand!" cried Sakura as she walked away from Sasuke. Suddenly, Shikamaru came up too see Sasuke and nudged him. "Hey, Sasuke... she's cute, huh?" asked Shikamaru. "Yeah, in fact, I like her already!" cried Sasuke. "Good! But don't get any ideas." said Shikamaru. "Hey, I'm not promising that, smarty-pants." said Sasuke because Shikamaru had an IQ over 200. "Hey, Sasuke. If you get tired, let me know. I had a bed made for you." said Shikamaru. "Yeah, but Shikamaru... what if Sakura... like... comes on to me?" asked Sasuke. "Hey, don't worry Sasuke, that's not going to happen." said Shikamaru as Sasuke stretched his arms out and yawned. "What, you're tired already?" asked Shikamaru as Sasuke silently nodded his head, "yes". "Okay then, goodnight." said Shikamaru. Sasuke then headed off to Shikamaru's hut and fell asleep.
In Sasuke's dream...
Sasuke then walked only to find Sakura on the dock of Besaid. "Hey Sakura, where is that boat?" asked Sasuke. "Everyone will find us if it doesn't come soon." said Sakura. "Are you sure that's okay, I mean, no harm done, right?" asked Sasuke. "Hey, will you take me to Zanarkand... Sasuke?" asked Sakura. Suddenly, Ino ran to join Sakura and Sasuke. "Hey, wait a minute, Sasuke! You said you'd go with me!" said Ino which made Sasuke jog in place. "Oh, hi Ino, I uh..." said Sasuke. "Hey, I thought Shikamaru told you not to let any ideas get into your head!" cried Ino. "He did?" asked Sakura. "Gyaaaah...." said Sasuke. "Yeah, so you're coming with me Sasuke, and that's final!" cried Ino. Suddenly, Itachi appeared. "Hey Sasuke, stop dreaming! I mean come on, you with a woman? You can't even fight Gaara again! Aw, what's the matter, foolish little brother?" asked Itachi as Sasuke turned into a child. "Ha! Cry, cry, cry. Is that all you ever do, Sasuke? In fact, you're a big crybaby! Crybaby! Crybaby! Crybaby! Crybaby! Crybaby! Ha, ha, ha!" taunted Itachi as he made fun of Sasuke. "I... hate... you..." whispered Younger Sasuke. "What, what was that?" asked Itachi. "Sasuke, you'll have to speak louder." said Sakura. "I hate you!" shouted Younger Sasuke, this time more clearer and much much louder. "What?" asked Itachi. "'Atta boy, Sasuke!" cried Ino. "Come on Sasuke! You can do it!" cried Sakura.
Out of Sasuke's dream...
"I hate you!" shouted Sasuke as he awoke with a start. "Oh. It was just a dream." said Sasuke to himself. Suddenly, he heard Temari and Shikamaru talking. "He's dead, okay? Dead!" cried Temari. Sasuke then decided to eavesdrop on Shikamaru and Temari's conversation. "He does look a lot like Madara. I was surprised, too, the first time I saw him. But no matter what he looks like, he isn't Madara. You shouldn't have brought him here in the first place!" said Temari, angrily. "Yeah, but... look... Temari, he needed our help, okay?" asked Shikamaru. "Excuses again?" asked Temari as she scoffed. "Yeah, but..." said Shikamaru but Temari rudely interrupted him. "That's it. No more. Enough, Shikamaru!" said an angry Temari as she headed off to bed. "Hey... Temari... wait. I can explain! Women..." said Shikamaru as he mumbled about Temari. "Whoa! Sca-ary! Whoo! So, anyway, Shikamaru... who's this "Madara" that you speak of?" asked Sasuke. "My older brother, Madara. He looked a lot like you." said Shikamaru. "Is he dead?" asked Sasuke. "Yes. He was with the Crusaders when they fought Sin about a year ago. But sadly... he died. I heard it on the first day of the tournament." said Shikamaru, sadly as he remembered Madara. "Oh, I see." said Sasuke. "So, after Madara died, I chose to become a guardian. And guess what? After the tournament in Luca, I'm going to retire, so I can become a full-time guardian to Sakura." said Shikamaru. "So it's revenge, huh? Well, you're not the only one who seeks revenge." said Sasuke. "Oh, why is that?" asked Shikamaru. "Well, I don't know if I told you this, but I am also a survivor of my clan. You see, Shikamaru... my older brother... Itachi... killed my whole family and Ami and I were the only survivors of our clan. I felt like we were the only ones left alive in The Uchiha Clan Massacre." said Sasuke. "Uh, I'm sorry to interrupt your story, Sasuke... but um... who is Ami?" asked Shikamaru. "Oh. Her? She was our cousin and was also Itachi's girlfriend. But there was one difference between me and her whenever we spent time with Itachi. The difference was that... Ami loved Itachi... but I..." said Sasuke as he got cut off. "You what?" asked Shikamaru as Sasuke turned around to face the other way as he walked to the window. "But I... I hated him. Even Ami hated the fact but also knew that I hated him so much." said Sasuke. "So... what happened to her?" asked Shikamaru. "Well, sadly... she disappeared... while trying to look for Itachi... but died." said Sasuke, sadly. "How did she... die?" asked Shikamaru. "Well, when she reunited with Itachi, they fell more deeply in love with each other. But then, like Sakura who is also a summoner, Ami became a summoner too. But then, Itachi activated Vegnagun. And then... tragedy struck. The two of them... had died... together. Even to this day, Itachi's last words still haunt me." said Sasuke. "I'm sorry. But wait, Sasuke... did Ami die after Itachi completed Lord Jiraiya's pilgrimage?" asked Jiraiya. "Well... when she believed Itachi to be dead, she went on a journey to search for him. But then... after she went off to go and search for Itachi, and... after she died, Kakashi swore to protect me with his life. But not only did Itachi tell Kakashi to take care of me, but Kakashi also took care of Ami too. In fact, even though my father is now dead and gone... I still think of Kakashi as a father rather than a friend." said Sasuke. "Wow. What a story." said Shikamaru. "It's a great story... but yet sad at the same time. "Well yeah, but... that's the whole idea, Sasuke. But, instead of avenging my brother's death, I'm more worried about a stupid game. But look, Sasuke... you may think that I'm using you, but really... I'm not." said Shikamaru. "Hey, don't worry about it. I mean, I owe you a lot, you know. But... what I'm really trying to say is... thank you for everything, Shikamaru." said Sasuke as he and Shikamaru shook hands and then stop shaking hands. "Stop it, Sasuke. You're embarrassing me!" cried Shikamaru as he blushed in embarrassment as the two men started laughing and headed off to bed.
The next morning...
Sasuke woke up, fully refreshed, and ready to leave the village of Besaid. He then walked over to where Shikamaru and Temari were standing while waiting for Sakura. "Hey there, sleepyhead! There's something I wanted to give you." said Shikamaru as he gave Madara's katana to Sasuke. "Hey, wait a minute! You're letting me... keep this?" asked Sasuke. "Yes, use it wisely." said Shikamaru. "Shikamaru, that's the sword that you gave to Madara. So why are you giving it to Sasuke?" asked Temari. "Well, he never used it. Hey Sasuke, where's Sakura?" asked Shikamaru. "Well, she did say that we're going on the same boat as her, right? So, why do we have to wait here?" asked Sasuke. "That's because Sakura came to Besaid 10 years ago when the last Calm started." said Shikamaru. "Calm? What Calm?" asked Sasuke. "He means The Eternal Calm, idiot." said Temari. "Hey, Temari! Don't talk to Sasuke like that, okay!?" asked Shikamaru as he got mad at Temari for calling Sasuke an idiot. "Whatever." said Temari as she scoffed. "Anyway, ever since then, she's been like a little sister to me and Temari. But she did have talent... and so... she became an apprentice. But now, as of today, she leaves home... as a summoner." said Shikamaru. "From this point on... we all work together." said Temari. Sakura then came out with a suitcase. "You know Sakura, you really don't need all that luggage." said Temari. "Uh... they're not really my things. They're gifts for the temples that we are about to visit." said Sakura. "Sakura, this isn't a vacation." said Shikamaru. "Yeah, Shikamaru's right. It's not like we're going to be out of Besaid for good, I mean... come on. It's only going to be for a few months, right?" asked Sasuke. "Yeah... I guess... I guess you're right, Sasuke." said Sakura as she left her suitcase as the group left the temple. "Well come on! What are we waiting for? Let's get going!" cried Shikamaru. "Right." Sakura, we're leaving." said Temari. "Sakura?" asked Sasuke as he saw Sakura give a Japanese bow as she bid Yevon goodbye. "Goodbye... Yevon." said Sakura to herself. Suddenly, as the group headed out of the village, Yamato appeared. "Hold it right there, Sasuke Uchiha!" cried Yamato. "Yamato!?" asked Sakura. "Sasuke, before we leave the village, I would like to see what the last survivor of The Uchiha Clan can do." said Yamato. "Hmph. Well, for you to know all about The Uchiha Clan, and still to bring on a challenge? Well then, you're on! Behold the power of The Uchiha Clan!" cried Sasuke. "S-Sasuke!?" asked Sakura again. "Isn't anyone listening to me?" asked Sakura to herself as she hung her head down. Sasuke and Yamato began fighting.
After the battle...
Temari and Shikamaru had interrupted their battle. "Yamato! That's enough!" cried Temari. "Both of you! Cut it out!" cried Shikamaru. "So... I guess the last survivor of The Uchiha Clan is actually strong, after all. Hmph. And here I thought you were weak. Anyway, I apologize about before. I'm Yamato." said Yamato as he introduced himself to Sasuke. "I remember you. You're the one that caught Sakura when she almost passed out." said Sasuke as the two of them shook hands. "Sakura, let's get going, shall we?" asked Yamato as he walked off with Sakura. "Hey, Temari, what's with that guy?" asked Sasuke. "Well unfortunately Sasuke, where Yamato comes from, he's learned the fiends' way of fighting from the Anbu Black Ops." said Temari. "Uh, what are The Anbu Black Ops?" asked Sasuke. "That's another group of ninja that live in Mt. Gagazet. But don't worry, we'll go there later on in Sakura's pilgrimage." said Shikamaru.
At the docks...
As the party was getting on board the ship, a little boy ran to go and say goodbye to Sakura as he cried and waved goodbye at the same time. "Goodbye." said Sakura as she did a Japanese bow as the ship departed from Besaid to Kilika.