The croaking of frogs, gentle winds and lapping water cleanly cut through the air. Their crisp and peaceful nature, easily identified despite the stale stillness indicating his location as being inside. His eyes, scrunched tightly, unwilling, or unable to open just yet, as a shrill tingle of something unidentified shook his mind. Breathing in, his nose wrinkled. Flingers numb from cold and from sleep curled, his nails biting into his palm. Yet the expected pain that he'd grown used to after years of claw like nails did not penetrate his sleep-addled mind.

After that, more inconsistencies started to plague him, chasing him closer and closer to wakefulness. He should be in a heavily occupied camp, with so many bodies and scents that frogs shouldn't be around. And the air, the crisp scent of forest and water, clung to everything, as if it had long reclaimed whatever civilization was here. And civilization was indeed here. The cloying scent of humans was everywhere. Yet nature was not at odds with this. And the stale air inside this dwelling was not at all similar to the staleness from the air of a tent.

He was not at the camp anymore.

And with the trumpeting thought, shaking him at his core, Naruto, sage and acting Kage of the unified nations, shot up. His body automatically twisting and diving to the corner of the room before he had even had the chance to fully take in his surroundings. Naruto felt himself stiffen, adrenaline quickening his breaths, heating his body up even as his mind started to catalog this reality.

And old, building, small, with enemies sleeping next to where he had been laying. Two of them, young. A pink haired girl and a dark haired boy. And this, this was what made him freeze. Because he knew those forms. Enemies? Naruto shook his head, hands starting to shake as he stared at the two people that were further from that title as water was from fire. Hungerily he devoured the site of his two partners, his comrades, laying down peaceful and wrong. So wrong.

Sakura had long since grown into a beautiful and menacing kunoichi. A scar should be prominent from her forehead down to her shoulder. Her hair was last shorn shorter than ever, with a simple braid at her temple showcasing its previous length. This Sakura was skinny and small, with long hair Naruto could still so easily remember from their days at the academy. She was boyish, and curled up, not having even stirred from his racket. That more than even her appearance was unsettling.

And his eyes slid towards the other occupant. Sasuke. No missing eye and arm was the most shocking difference. A young and an adult Sasuke were like the same being otherwise. Their height being their main difference. Still, childhood chubbiness could be seen on his cheeks, and his wrist, stark white in the moonlight and existing, was thin and fragile. This wasn't the man who went to war. This was the little avenger, the outcast and prodigy of Konoha.

His mind numb, Naruto slid down the wall of his corner into a crouch, breathing deeply. His eyes never wavered from his teammates. Even as he started taking stock of his own body, realizing that like them, he was in far from peak condition, yet healthier and more whole than he had been in years. My arm isn't paralyzed.

This was what made him stop. How could this…

Like a bolt of lightning, he had jumped up and raced towards the open window. Running desperately through the village, barely even minding the sense of familiarity, eyes identifying the surrounding mangrove. Land of waves. It was a dismissed thought, as his feet took him deep into the trees before stopping, chest heaving before a familiar set of trees. Trees that should be scarred with the signs of desperate training. Instead their bark was clear from the haphazardly scratched etchings of so many years ago.

His knees buckled, and Naruto felt the tsunami of feelings wash through and over him, sobs choking from his throat as he sobbed. His forehead desperately crushed the dewy grass, digging into the earth as he shook. This was impossible and amazing and more than anything, heartbreaking.

It worked, it worked, "It worked."

He froze, realizing that spoken words weren't his internal monologue. Lifting his head, eyes burning from tears, Naruto saw the familiar figure of Sasuke standing halfway in shadow, his eyes Sharingan red. A crunch of grass and suddenly Naruto was enveloped in warmth, the sweet scent of flowers and metal, Sakura, hitting his nose. He sobbed again, curling into his desperately, and he clutched her thin shoulders in his hands. He sobbed even louder, when with an exasperated sigh, warmth joined his other side and Sasuke leaned Against him.

It worked. And he wasn't alone.

"Dobe, why are you crying like this when this was your plan? Did you suddenly turn into a crybaby?" The dry words couldn't hide the shaking of Sasuke's voice. This overwhelming reality affected him just as much. "Hopefully coming back hasn't affected your already dwindling mental capacity."

"Shut it Sasuke." Sakura's voice was strong and wobbly, tears present on her cheeks as she glared, "I saw you crying just like us on the way here." Her eyes flashed, and Naruto couldn't stop the puff of laughter that erupted from his chest. This was just like her, calling them out on their posturing and stupidity,

His cheeks already were hurting, and it was only one moment of hilarity as a smile broke through his tears so strong and so bright he felt like he would fly away. "Yeah Teme, shut up. I feel like I could cry and laugh for ages, because I am a genius!" Naruto's throat hurt from his sobs, but his happiness was all encompassing and he threw his arm around his thorny teammate, pulling him more firmly against his and Sakura's side. "We are geniuses. We are back," He laughed louder, "Why shouldn't I celebrate however I want to?"

Sasuke groaned, the noise vibrating against Naruto's chest, as he mischievously tried to smother Sasuke in the team cuddle. He knew that the dark haired man, well tween now, wasn't truly aggravated. Since there were clearly two pairs of arms, one from each of his teammates, clutching him tightly.

They had succeeded.

They had undone time, unraveling the dark and bloody future until it piled into the abyss.

Team seven, leaders of the Allied forces, survivors of the apocalypse, were once again Genin on their very first mission.

Naruto laughed and sobbed, too happy to even be worried about their new futures.

It worked.