I think I've done it, guys. I think I've broken my own personal upload record time. (Mentally explodes)

As I mentioned in the last chapter, this chapter brings us back to more of the plot-centered things. And in the next chapter, things should start to get interesting…

Tamuril2: In your review for chapter 17, you requested having a Luke POV. I feel kind of bad… because I sort of granted that wish, yet at the same time, I'm sure it's not what you wanted at all. In short, there is yet another POV switch in this chapter (so beware for that so you don't get confused) that follows Luke… but from a third-person perspective, and only briefly.

Chapter Nineteen: The Challenge

"Well, that was an experience." It was late, but Luke and I had just recently turned out the lights. Across the dark room, I heard my brother chuckle.

"Yeah…" he replied quietly. "It was nice, though."

I hummed in response. Sure, I talked with Naruto and hung out with Lee on occasion, but to have two of the characters in our home… it was still a bit bizarre.

"Just don't let me catch you here alone with Ino," I warned.

"What?" he scoffed. "Yeah right. All she ever talks about is Sasuke. And dieting. I don't think she'd be up for this sort of thing."

"Yeah… You're probably right. Good night, Luke."

"Night."

He drifted off almost immediately, but I lay awake. These last few days had been stressful and crazy, but now I needed to focus. I took a deep breath. I had work to do.

…

The dream opened up on the same old scene. Younger Me was in that odd clearing with Koda and my father.

No, I thought firmly. I felt I had gleaned all I could from this memory. Bring me somewhere else.

It took a few seconds, but slowly, the scene faded. Then there were a few seconds of darkness where I feared I'd lost control of the dream altogether. But finally, I was met with the sound of the wind blowing. The darkness lifted, and I recognized a desert of some sort.

As the scene came into focus, I spotted my father and my younger self trailing after him.

As I was struck with a sudden breathlessness, I realized that seeing the same memory over and over again must have numbed me. Now I was having the same reaction I'd had the first few times I'd seen my father alive again. I struggled to simultaneously keep this memory and my emotions under control.

The ground was uneven. My dad strode through each little sand drift, looking both purposeful and casual. Younger Me was jumping from one pile of sand to the next, following after him.

"Where are we going?" I heard my younger self ask. "I thought we were supposed to train today."

My smile was bittersweet. I was sure if I was really starting to remember this or if I could just read myself really well.

Younger Me had an irritated little scowl on her face, but I saw through it, just as my father did. It didn't really bother me that he had changed our plans. I had just been happy to be spending time with him.

Dad looked back at Younger Me with a wry smile. "You remember this place. Don't you want to see your friend Kankuro again?"

Younger Me shrugged. "I guess. He argues a lot."

I felt another pang as I took in my dad's smirk. We had reached the entrance to the village. "You argue back."

I watched curiously as the Sand guards reluctantly let us pass. I watched them grumble something I couldn't hear as we walked by. Even to an outsider, this seemed very odd. It shouldn't be this easy… even if we had been there before.

But I didn't have time to linger on anything suspicious about this actions because we were moving through the village. I saw my younger self trying to take in as much as possible, but I also had to keep up with my father's long strides. Before I knew it, we were away from the busy streets and closing in on what could only be the Kazekage's mansion.

I was having trouble processing this. The conversation I'd had with Temari came back to me. Despite all the prior craziness—my budding relationship with Lee, the memories, the fact that I'd managed to travel to this world at all—this was coming across as the hardest thing to believe of all. My entire childhood had come under question.

Once we reached the mansion, Younger Me veered away from the front entrance. Dad followed me around to the back. It was hard to consider what was behind their home to be much of a yard when it was all sand, but that probably didn't bother anyone here, having grown up surrounded by it.

The look of absolute bewilderment on Younger Kankuro's face was, frankly, adorable. He looked so… young without his face paint. I mean, obviously, right now he was younger, but… Oh, you know what I mean.

He was by himself, building what did appear to be a sandcastle. It occurred to me that all the Kazekage's children were pretty isolated, Gaara just more so than the others. I imagined things got pretty boring when you had no one but servants for company.

Younger me marched over, looking rather imperious for a five-year-old, if I do say so myself, disrupting the sand around his construction area. Desert sand was not nearly as suitable to building as beach sand was. Just that little disturbance caused one of his towers to crumble, and Kankuro scowled.

"Look what you did!" he accused.

Younger Me shrugged, clearly trying to provoke him. "You were building it wrong, anyway."

I couldn't help giggling to myself. I didn't remember being such a headstrong brat when I was younger.

My father looked on, mildly amused, as we argued. Our banter seemed aggressive but not… hurtful, if that makes sense. I could tell we enjoyed each other's company. This was just how we communicated.

I'm not sure how long it would have gone on if Kankuro's father hadn't stormed from the mansion. Though my dad looked unconcerned, Kankuro and I both froze. My dream self followed suit. He looked furious.

"How dare you!" he exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing, barging into my home?! Are you trying to get us all killed?"

Dad hadn't lost his composure throughout the whole outburst and simply raised an eyebrow now. "You have brought more danger into your own home than my daughter or I ever could."

With a start, I realized he was talking about Gaara. Kankuro's father scoffed. The look in his eyes was still bitter and suspicious, but we didn't appear to be in any immediate danger anymore.

"Wanderers…" he muttered. "It's a miracle you weren't run out of the village before you got here. Everyone knows your kind is bad luck. Then again, I suppose you wouldn't have to do much running, would you?"

My father ignored his last comment. He feigned innocent surprise. "Why, Lord Kazekage, I had no idea you were so superstitious."

I marveled at the expression on his face. It was moments like this where I realized just how much I'd forgotten about my father since his death. He could be so contradictory sometimes. He'd always seemed so in control, but at the same time, he could be so childlike.

The Kazekage scowled at my proximity to his son before turning back to my father. "You know my conditions, Hinoko. Come to our designated meeting place—alone—and we'll see what there is to discuss."

I got the message loud and clear. We were leaving. The Kazekage turned to walk back inside, and the dream faded.

…

I slowly opened my eyes, noting that the sun was already up. Today was my day off, but I'd found it hard to sleep in ever since we'd moved to this world.

I didn't move from my spot for some time. I stared at the ceiling, contemplating all the new information this most recent lucid dreaming adventure had brought.

To start, Temari had been right. I had known the Sand siblings—or, Kankuro, at least—as a child. While I was rewatching the memory, this had really thrown me for a loop, but now I was seeing things a little differently. Why was it so impossible? In fact, it was more likely that I'd been able to journey to this world in the first place because my world and the Narutoverse had always existed together—simultaneous but separate—than it was that I'd created this entire world just by wishing for it hard enough. I still didn't know how exactly I'd gotten us both here, though. I'd have to look deeper into that mystery later.

Then there was everything the Kazekage had brought up. What, exactly, was a Wanderer? I had deduced that my definition of the word wasn't the way he'd been using it. And what was it he had called my father? Hinoko? This was the first I'd heard of him having any aliases.

Finally, I sat up, concluding that I wasn't going to answer any of these questions by lying around. It was only eight, but Luke was already gone. I found the corresponding note waiting for me on the table.

Carly,

Hideo came by this morning. We're opening up the shop early. Be back later.

-Luke

So to the point… I would have written something about being kidnapped by aliens who wanted ransom paid in the form of baby elephants. Then again… After all this genuine craziness, he might believe it.

…

I was much more clear-headed when I went back to the hospital yet again. Good thing, too. The nurses allowed me into Lee's room today.

The change was immediate the moment I shut the door behind me. The hallway had been bustling and loud. In Lee's room, there was absolute stillness. Most of him was covered. Really, only his face was visible, but the bruises there were still evident.

The nurses had warned me that Lee would be in a drug-induced coma for the next several days so his body could have a chance to recover uninterrupted. I had insisted that I wanted to see him anyway.

Now I sat awkwardly at his bedside. It was bad enough at small talk when the recipient spoke back. At least Sakura hadn't been comatose.

I gently skimmed a finger over one of the bruises then quickly pulled back, even though I knew he couldn't feel anything. Truth be told, I'm not sure what I could have said to him if he had been awake. Lee was one of the liveliest people I knew. It was hard to see him confined to a hospital bed.

I stayed like that until a nurse joined us to check on all his wires and monitors. She glanced sympathetically at me, and I took that as my cue to leave. I would be back tomorrow, but Lee wasn't the only person I needed to see that day.

…

The bell attached to the shop door jingled, and a boy come out from the back room.

"Welcome—Oh, hey, Tenten. What are you in the market for today?"

"You, actually."

Luke blinked. He thought back to his sister's comment about Ino the night before and sincerely hoped that—for his sake—that wasn't where this was going. He didn't want to have to explain that to Carly.

Tenten walked up to the counter. "I wanted to talk to you about your sister."

Luke blinked again before one corner of his mouth turned up knowingly. "You mean you want to talk to me about my sister and Lee."

"Well, yeah," she admitted.

Luke smirked and leaned in closer. He may have been dreading it himself, but you never pass up an opportunity to blackmail your siblings.

"Okay, I'm going to be totally honest with you… I have no idea what she sees in Lee. Don't get me wrong, he's a really good guy, but he's not the type girls date… Does that make sense?"

Luke nodded slowly. "Yeah, I hear you…"

"I don't mean to come off as overly suspicious or anything; Carly seems pretty nice, too. It's just… Gai sensei won't share any of the specifics, but I know Lee's prognosis doesn't look good. I don't want any problems with Carly to complicate things further."

Luke smiled. "We seem to be on the same page. Actually, I think what Carly sees in Lee is the easy part. I mean, there's the obvious stuff. He's confident and hard-working and all that, even if he is a little over the top."

Tenten snorted. "Right. Just a little."

"Yeah, well, that's just it. I think what she really admires about Lee is how comfortable he is in his own skin. He's aware of his own shortcomings, but he doesn't let them bog him down. It's that total lack of self-consciousness, even though he attracts attention everywhere he goes."

Tenten looked surprised. "Huh. You know, I've been on Gai's team for over a year now, and I've never looked at it like that."

"So now I'll ask you. What does he see in her?"

"Oh, I think that's an even easier question. Lee thinks Carly is one of the most positive, persevering people he's ever met."

Luke just stared at her for a moment, suppressing laughter. At last he scoffed, "You're joking. We can't possibly be talking about the same lazy, cynical sister I've known my whole life."

Tenten smiled. "Lee and Gai sensei have a talent for seeing the best in people. Her story… The fact that she struck out on her own, determined to make a better life for herself when your parents died… That really struck a chord with Lee."

Luke looked away awkwardly. "Yeah… I guess it would."

There was a minute of uncomfortable silence before Luke continued, "I just wanted to make sure Lee wasn't interested just because Carly's the first girl to give him the time of day."

"I don't think you have to worry about that."

"Yeah, Carly's not exactly a heartbreaker, either."

Tenten laughed. "I'm glad we could have this talk. Say hello to Hideo for me."

Luke glanced over his shoulder. His boss was still rearranging shelves in the back. "I will. Bye, Tenten."

…

I strode up to the entrance of the Hokage's workplace with more purpose than I had in the past. The guards were the same pair who had entertained me before, and they took notice of the change in my mindset almost immediately. One smirked. The other simply raised an eyebrow.

"Is Koda here? I need to speak with him." I was trying to be as forward as possible. Being overly humble in the past had gotten me nowhere, so I figured it couldn't hurt to try to appear confident for a change. I hoped this could mark the start of a transformation for me. I had been so sure of myself as a child. It felt like I had regressed as I'd grown older. I continued, "I've noticed that you guys have this habit of moving him around all the time, but he seemed pretty involved with the Chunin Exams."

I waited. The guards exchanged a glance, and I was reminded of how boring their job must be. The one on the right snorted. "Yeah, sure, Your Majesty, he's here. What time would best fit your schedule?"

I ignored his mocking tone. "Right now."

Now the guard on the left scoffed. I was prepared for them to tell me that the game was over. There was no way I could actually bully my way into the building. But I managed to catch yet another lucky break.

Koda appeared in the doorway behind them. I suspected he'd seen me pestering the guards from one of the windows above. "Really? You're back again?"

"This is still where I can find you, so yes," I answered.

The guards moved apart, seeming to accept that Koda was going to let me get away with neglecting their protocol. Koda strode past them and kept going. Like last time, I followed. However, this time Koda turned back to me before we even reached what had become our meeting place.

"You're different today," he commented.

"So are you," I replied. "One day I can't get rid of you and the next you don't want anything to do with me."

But I knew what Koda had meant, and I puffed up with pride internally that my façade seemed to be working. If there was one thing all this lucid dreaming had taught me it was how much I'd changed. I had been so headstrong and fearless as a child. When I had first met Koda, he'd taunted me—telling me I'd changed. I hadn't realized it at the time, but he was right. Somehow, I grown up to be this timid, socially awkward otaku. Kankuro must have gotten a kick out of watching his childhood bully backing down from his older sister.

"Right," he agreed, like this wasn't a problem. He already sounded weary. We had reached our destination, and he sat down on the bench. "So. What do you want today?"

I sat down too. I felt like today marked a milestone. Finally, I was truly ready to move forward.

"First things first. What does 'Hinoko' mean?"

He looked at me oddly, and I wasn't surprised. This was probably the last thing he'd expected to come out of my mouth. "It's Japanese for 'sparks'. Why?"

"No reason." But my mind was reeling. I wondered just how much Koda knew. I hadn't used my surname from my universe since I'd gotten here, and I don't think he'd ever known it. But now this raised some questions. I didn't believe it could be a coincidence. Had my father chosen this alias on purpose, to match his name back home? Or had it been the other way around? Could he possibly have been from this world? The thought made my head spin.

I pushed these thoughts aside for the time being. There were other things to discuss. I would contemplate the name issue later. I considered asking after the 'Wanderer' comment, too, but ultimately decided not to reveal all my cards for the time being. I switched tracks.

"I've been having these dreams," I started. "Memories, actually."

Koda nodded. This much he knew. He'd started this whole ordeal, after all, with whatever he'd done to me that first day.

"I knew you. When I was a little kid," I declared. "You used to spend time with me and my dad. He was teaching you that cool disappear-reappear trick."

"Training," he corrected.

"Right. And he said he'd teach me, too. But then he died."

Koda was watching me carefully. "And you know how he died?"

"I'm… working on that part," I hedged. In reality, that was the memory I was most avoiding. Every time I started directing the dream anywhere near that particular memory, I was immediately met with that dreadful screaming. "But that's not why I'm here."

He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"I want you to train me."

I watched him sputter for a moment, gaping at me like a fish. He seemed unable to comprehend the idea. "You…" It took him a moment to regain his composure. "You want me to train you?"

"Well, you're the only one my father ever taught. Unless you know otherwise, of course."

"But you don't know how he died?"

"We've already gone over this."

He shook his head. "No. Figure out how he died and then see if you still want me to train you."

Before I had a chance to protest, Koda got up and walked away.

I watched him go with a scowl. I had heard the undertones in his words. Koda had just thrown down a challenge. And I had just unearthed my competitive side.

Review please!

I don't own Naruto.

Even with breaking my own updating record, I feel the need to apologize… This chapter has actually been written for a few days. I just haven't had time to type it up. Even now, I'm immediately posting this and then writing an essay…

Koda's involvement in this story should be explained a little more in the next chapter. Because I know his actions do seem a little confusing and contradictory right now, I will say that he's still in contact with Carly on the Hokage's orders. And he's not too thrilled about this. But you'll have to stay tuned for anything more!