Her Face
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Notation: Gaara still has the One Tails and Naruto no longer has Kurama. Kushina is still the vessel for the Nine Tails. This is all thanks to the timeline reset.
Chapter 22
Hours later, Sasuke was the first to wake. He winces and rubs his temples in an effort to relieve his agony. Sadly, it was all in vain. His head was still throbbing and he felt dizzy as more "memories" continued to swirl around in his mind.
"Damn it." He grunts in pain as he looks around, trying to assess his current situation.
Any ninja worth their salt would do the same. One had to be aware of their surroundings at all time and to expect the unexpected. Ninjas who failed to do so, tended to die young.
That's when he notices that he wasn't alone. Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata were laying only a few feet away from him. This causes Sasuke to sigh.
"I wonder if they'll remember anything from the old timeline?" He whispers.
That would make things rather complicated. What if everyone had two sets of memories? One from the previous "life" and one from this one.
"I probably should have thought this through more." Sasuke mutters to himself as he quickly walks over and checks their vital signs.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thank goodness. They were all alive. He could feel a steady pulse from all of them. Apparently, they had all just gotten knocked out.
As he was looking around, he saw the Uchiha District standing tall off in the District. Well if that was intact, it must have worked. His plan must have worked!
"B-astard, what are we all doing in the F-orest of Death and why are Kakashi Sensei, Sakura, and Hinata unconscious?" Naruto groans out as he slowly rises to his feet.
Well that answered that question. If Naruto didn't remember what they were doing here, the others probably wouldn't either. It was nothing short of a miracle, really.
"We were all training together and must have overdone it." Sasuke says.
"Oh. You really shouldn't train that rough with Hinata. I mean she's going to be your wife! You're supposed to be nice to her!" Naruto scolds him.
Sasuke automatically rolls his eyes and then blinks at what the other ninja said. His wife. He was still engaged to Hinata.
The young Uchiha frowns as the full implications of that fact begin to take hold. His family was alive in this era, but he was now engaged to a woman that he barely knew. Tradeoffs.
"I'm nice to Hinata! It's not like I smack her around like I do you."" Sasuke says with a smirk and with that, he walks over to the unconscious woman and sits down.
After sitting down, he cradles her head in his lap and looks at her. This was the first time that he had ever really done so. Sasuke could certainly pick her face out in a crowd, he knew her name, and a little about her personality. She was little more than a stranger to him though and yet, they were engaged.
He hadn't been lying to Suigetsu. She was beautiful and kind. Really, he didn't deserve her (or anyone), after everything that he did in his "past life." Still he should at least try to be a good husband to her. It wasn't her fault that he had done horrible things in a life that he doubted anyone else could remember.
"Why are you looking at her like that?" Naruto asks in confusion.
"Like what?" Sasuke retorts as if daring the blonde to ask that again.
"Like you feel guilty about something? She's alright, bastard. She'll wake up soon. You really have to learn to control your own strength though." The other man says.
Sasuke just shakes his head in response and that's when Hinata opens her eyes. She looks up at him in confusion. Sasuke could only sigh in response.
"Hey, you alright?" The Uchiha whispers.
"I think so. What happened? Are the others alright?" The bluenette replies.
"Yes, they're fine. I imagine Kakashi and Sakura will be waking up soon. Naruto, why don't you make a couple clones and help Kakashi and Sakura get home. I should probably take Hinata back to her family. They're likely wondering where she is by now." Sasuke reasons.
Naruto nods in agreement as Sasuke stands up and scoops Hinata into his arms. Bridal Style. This was much to the loser's amusement and his future wife's shock.
"You're probably still disoriented. It's better, if I carry you." He explains.
Well one nice thing about Hinata is that she apparently wasn't the type to argue or make stupid comments. Most women would have tried to seduce him or protested. Not her though. She just blushes and nods.
It was a start. At least she hadn't fainted and Sasuke found that the Hyuga Princess was rather easy to carry. She was also a snuggler it seemed. By the time they had arrived at the Hyuga Estate, Hinata had snuggled into his chest and appeared to be quite content with her new travel arrangements.
Back in the past, a village meeting was being called. The Uchihas, Hyugas, and everyone else were all equally baffled as to the purpose of this meeting. Mikoto could tell that the entire village was anxious and hugs Itachi closer to herself.
"It's alright, sweetheart." She whispers to her son.
Mikoto smiles when she feels Fugaku place his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. He must have sensed her anxiety. There were times when it was a very good thing to be married to such a perceptive ninja. This just happened to be one of those times.
"Thank you all, for coming here on such short notice. I have a very important announcement to make." Sarutobi says.
Every single pair of eyes was snow fixed on the Hokage. An announcement from their village's leader could either be a very good thing or a very bad thing. There was no way to tell which would turn out to be the case here.
"I am stepping down from my position as Hokage. In my place, Jirayia will lead our village. I believe that it is a wiser move to step down while I am still able to contribute to the village instead of waiting for a disaster to occur or I am no longer fully able to perform my duties." He states.
There were loud gasps, murmurs of surprise, and even protests. Mikoto doubted that anyone was sincerely protesting the Toad Sage. He was an excellent choice. The protests were more out of loyalty to Sarutobi than anything else.
"I'm honored that you have chosen me to continue your legacy." Jirayia says.
Minato blinks. Jirayia would be an excellent Hokage. He knew that much, but the Yellow Flash had never seen it coming. His Sensei was far too carefree to ever willingly seek out a position of such awesome responsibility.
Something strange was going on here. He was going to find out what and judging by the look upon his wife's face, Kushina felt the same. The fact that the Third Hokage was stepping down so shortly after Danzo's death was also suspicious.
"Congratulations, Lord Jirayia!" Emiko calls out.
Mikoto could only smile at her friend's actions. If there was one thing that woman was good at, it was certainly breaking the ice. After all, she had manage to thaw out Hiashi Hyuga's heart and that was no small feat.
Soon enough similar well wishes were offered and the applause became thunderous. Mikoto laughs and leans into her husband's arms as she rocks Itachi. It was truly the start of a new era.
"Are you upset that you weren't chosen?" She whispers to Fugaku.
"No. I'm not upset. Jirayia is a good choice. Besides, this just means that I will have more time to spend with my beautiful wife and son. Why would I be upset about that?" He asks slyly as he kisses her cheek.
Mikoto giggles and cuddles into him. He really was such an overgrown teddy bear sometimes. Of course, Fugaku would likely protest such a description until his dying day. That didn't matter though. (It was still true!)
"I've chosen Jirayia because he is strong, loves our village, intelligent, and has a good heart. While he may be a bit of unconventional choice, I have full confidence that he will lead our village well. Jirayia, did you have anything further that you would like to say?" The former Hokage asks.
"Just that I'm flattered by the trust that you have placed in me and that I won't let any of you down. Oh and no need for all that formal stuff. You're all free to go. There's no point in making you stand around all day." The Sannin says as his former teammates walk over to him and offer their personal congratulations.
"In that case, we should probably head home and put Itachi down for a nap." Mikoto suggests.
Fugaku nods and heads off with his wife. They were both rather fortunate that Itachi was such a sweet tempered child. He had heard many horror stories about fussy infants.
"We really should look at the journal that he left us." The Uchiha Patriarch points out as his wife sets Itachi down in the extra crib they kept in the living room.
"You're right, My Love. Why don't you go fetch it?"" She suggests.
Fugaku nods and follows Sasuke's instructions. It was smart move. No one would bother to look behind a wedding photo. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to find the journal in question.
"Are you ready for this, Kitten?" He asks softly.
"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's see what he left for us." Mikoto whispers.
Meanwhile in the present, Sasuke sets Hinata down by the entrance of the grand estate that her family lived in. At least she wasn't adverse to being close to him in this era. She didn't fear or hate him.
Though he supposed that he should have expected that. In this timeline, he had never done any of the horrible things that he was certain would always weigh heavily on him in one form or another as long as he lived. Hinata had no reason to be skittish around him. (Well other than her natural shyness, but they could work on that.)
"Thank you. You should go though. I thought you said that your family was taking you out to find you a suitable wedding kimono." Hinata reminds him as she kisses his cheek chastely.
"You're welcome and you're right. I should get going. I'll see you soon." He informs her.
Sasuke kisses her forehead briefly and with that, he darts off. So far almost everything seemed to be going according to plan. The Uchiha District was intact and his family was alive. There were just a few curveballs that would take some getting used to.
Once he was gone, Hinata heads to her room. That's when she noticed a Genjutsu was placed by her bed. One that was layered so many times that if it wasn't her own chakra, she doubted that she would have ever seen it. The strangest thing though was she didn't remember casting it.
Surely, she must have had a good reason for using such an elaborate Jutsu. Determined to find out what, she hastily grabs the box that was hidden instead it and finds a bunch of letters. Letters to herself. Curious, she begins reading them.
Dear Self,
I know that this must all seem strange to you. I had to perform the elaborate Genjutsu to make sure no one else would find the letters. It's very important to keep this all a secret. The only people you should speak to this about are Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto.
Sasuke's Rinnegan allowed him to use the Rinnegan to read the Uchiha Stone Tablets. In those Tablets was a Time Traveling Jutsu. He went back in time.
We don't know what will happen when the timelines eventually collide. That's why the three of us wrote down our memories. Your Sasuke may be very different from my Sasuke.
I hope that the two of you, well…we'll be happy together. Enclosed in these letters are all my most important memories of the other timeline and what little I knew of the OTHER Sasuke. Admittedly, it isn't much. Still I hope that you will find it useful.
Love, Yourself.
"I have to talk to them immediately." Hinata says as she races out of her room and finds a Branch Member.
"I have to leave for awhile to train with my Team. Please tell my father that I'll be with Team Eight, if he asks. I don't know how long I'll be gone. This is some very intense training." Hinata tells her fellow Clanswoman.
"Of course, Lady Hinata. Good luck on your training." The other Hyuga woman says with a formal bow.
Hinata thanks her and Flickers off. She knew where Naruto would probably be. The Ramen Stand. Sakura was likely still at the hospital though. That'd be a bit trickier.
"Naruto, have you read our letters yet?" She demands.
"Letters? What letters?" The blonde asks in an utterly baffled voice.
"It's a long story. We need to find Sakura and Kakashi now though." The blunette replies.
The blonde tilts his head to the side. Hinata knew that she wasn't acting very much like herself, but there was likely no time to waste. The sooner that they all read their letters, the better off that they would be.
"Alright. Let's go get them." Naruto says as the two of them swiftly head off.
Elsewhere in the Leaf Village, Sasuke practically gets ambushed by some of his male relatives. Fugaku, Itachi, Kenji, Shisui, and even Obito were there. They all looked far too pleased with themselves and suddenly, Sasuke found himself feeling rather nervous.
"Ah there you are! Come along, Sasuke. We have some wedding shopping to do and a bachelor party to arrange." Kenji says cheerfully.
"Father, I told you that Sasuke has no interest in such things. We'll just get him his wedding kimono and leave it at that." The Uchiha Patriarch says.
"Humor them, Sasuke. It's not every day that my foolish little brother gets married." Itachi says as he pokes his forehead.
Sasuke grumbles. Damn it. Apparently, it didn't matter what timeline they were in. Itachi was always going to poke his forehead!
"Oh come on. It'll be fun. Who doesn't enjoy admiring beautiful women?" Shisui asks merrily.
Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. It was the oddest thing. The last thing he remembered about Shisui was him being a little kid. To say the least, it was a jarring experience to see him as a fully grown man again. (A man who apparently had a healthy appreciation for the beauty of the female form at that!)
"I have a foolish little brother and an even more foolish cousin." Itachi says with a sigh.
"Itachi, can you even go to my party? Wouldn't Izumi be jealous?" Sasuke asks.
"That's a good point. I love my wife dearly, of course. That doesn't change the fact that she can be rather jealous at times." The older Uchiha brother observes.
Sasuke snorts in amusement. According to his new memories, that was putting it rather mildly. Mikoto and even Aiya were no match for Izumi Uchiha when it came to being a possessive lover and that was certainly saying something. Those women could be very scary, when someone behaved inappropriately towards their husbands.
"How about we get the kimono first and then we'll see how we feel after that?" Sasuke suggests with a smile.
"Ah. A very diplomatic answer. Let's go." Fugaku says and with that, the male Uchihas head off.
Back in the past, Mikoto and Fugaku were reading Sasuke's journal. It was enlightening to say the least. The two of them could scarcely believe what they were reading.
Dear Mother and Father,
If you're reading this, I have gone back to my era. There are a few things that you will need to know while I'm away. Danzo may be gone, but please do make sure that his followers don't cause mischief later. Secondly, please encourage Jirayia to assign Minato to be Obito's Squad Instructor later on. Third, make sure that Obito, Kakashi, and Rin NEVER go on the mission that I have described in great detail below.
There are a few other minor things. I've also enclosed a letter to Obito to read when he's older. Please deliver that to him. Oh and keep a close eye on Orochimaru. While he may not be evil, he's willing to do some very evil things in pursuit of his goals. He likes to experiment on people.
It would also be wise to continue opening up our Clan more to the rest of the Leaf Village. Our isolation sowed the seeds of our demise last time. I do not want to see that happen again.
Finally, I would also encourage you to strengthen our alliance with the Hyuga Clan. They're a lot like us in many ways and they've proven themselves trustworthy. Maybe through a marriage at some point.
That's everything, really. Give my love to Itachi, Obito, Shisui, and my grandparents. I would say that I'll miss you, but I'm going back to my time. So I will see you soon. I love all of you.
Love, Daisuke.
"Why do you think that he was so focused on that mission? Obviously, our isolation harmed our Clan in a major way. He wouldn't have gone back to the past, if it hadn't." Mikoto wonders.
"I imagine that one or more of them died on that mission." Fugaku reasons.
Mikoto nods. Yes, that must be it. What else could it possibly be? Sasuke was likely just trying to save Obito or his team in general. After all, the Uchiha Matriarch had no way of knowing that one day, the fate of Obito would determine the fate of the Ninja World.
In the present, the light had disappeared from the Leaf. It had dispersed, but the chakra had not disappeared. The violet light continues on its journey towards the Sand Village.
"Gaara! You've got to see this!" Kankuro shouts at the Kazekage, after peeking into his office.
"See what?" The red head asks in a confused voice.
"Look outside! It's spreading! I think it's some kind of chakra!" The puppet master replies.
Gaara raises an eyebrow and heads outside. What on Earth could cause his brother to panic in such a fashion? Kankuro was a Jonin. Panicking was not something that he did lightly.
That's when the young Kage saw it. The chakra was slowly spreading throughout the village. He recognized the chakra. Sasuke's.
"Tell everyone not to touch it!" The Kazekage commands.
It was too late though. The chakra had now surrounded the Sand Village in a dome. The very air was growing heavy with it and the red head for the first time in a long time, felt sleepy.
That was the last thing on his mind, before he fell into a deep sleep. He wasn't the only one though. All of the Sand Villagers fell asleep.
"My head." Gaara mutters in annoyance the next morning.
"You aren't the only one. I'm not sure what happened, but everyone fell asleep. Some people fell asleep, right in the middle of the street." Kankuro says.
The red head frowns. That didn't make any sense. He almost never slept thanks to the One Tails. Though in recent years, he had been making progress with the Raccoon Demon.
Arisa Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki were the ones who really helped him the most. The latter's mother was a Jinchuuriki. So he understood more than most what Gaara had gone through as one. As for Arisa, well her persistence had eventually "knocked some sense into him," as his brother was fond of saying.
"We should have medics examine everyone." Gaara says.
"Good idea. I'll go see if the medics are awake as well." Kankuro says as he darts off to do precisely that.
Thankfully, the medics were awake and they were rather efficient in their examinations. As far as they could tell, nothing was wrong with any of the Sand Villagers. It was the strangest thing.
None of them could figure out what had caused them all to fall asleep at the same time. Surely, that couldn't have been a natural occurrence and yet, not a single clue had been left behind. The chakra had long since disappeared, leaving behind a very baffled Sand Village.
"This is bizarre. I'm going to contact the Leaf about this. If we're experiencing abnormalities such as this, it's possible other places are as well." Gaara states as he heads back to his office.
He quickly writes a letter and sends it off with a messenger hawk. Before doing so, he ties a rose to the creature's feet. Thanks to a special Jutsu the rose wouldn't die until he did. That meant it wouldn't wilt on the way.
"I might as well let Arisa know that I'm thinking of her, while we figure out what is going on." He mutters under his breath.
Arisa's name meant "There is Sand." Perhaps it was only fitting that she was the one who drug him out of the Darkness. It was thanks to her, Naruto, and to a lesser extent the other Rookies that the Sand and Leaf were now allies and his demons had been tamed. (Mostly.)
"Gaara, we had everyone checked. They're all okay." Temari says as she walks into his office, a few minutes later with Kankuro.
Gaara sighs in relief. Well that was something at least. The only thing left to do was to see what caused it.
"Good. I just sent a letter to the Leaf. Perhaps Minato will know something." He suggests.
Minato was the Fifth Hokage. It was fitting in a way because his predecessor had once been his Sensei. Gaara also knew that one day, Naruto would be the Sixth Hokage.
That blonde was forever going on about it. Well Gaara couldn't begrudge him his dreams. It was nice that Naruto had a goal. Right now, Gaara had two goals himself.
The Kazekage wanted protect his friends, family, and village. That was his first goal. His second was to make Arisa happy. He liked to think that thus far, he had been doing a good job at both. That was why this sudden "Sleep Jutsu" disturbed him so much. He had to get to the bottom of this.