Chapter 1: The door opens again.
Akatsuki was failing in its plan to obtain all the bijuus. Pain's attack on Konoha was a complete failure, as Naruto Uzumaki defeated him. And to make things worse, Nagato sacrificed himself to revive those who had fallen in battle. Fortunately, the village was still coping with the destruction it had suffered in the conflict.
Moreover, they currently had very few members left. Itachi and Konan were dead, and only Kisame remained from the original group. Although they had Sasuke and his Taka group as allies, they didn't success in their battle against Killer Bee. The situation was already intolerable. Akatsuki couldn't continue down this path, and the true leader of the organization, Tobi, who was pretending to be Madara Uchiha to the others, knew it very well.
"This is not enough. There are only two bijuus left, and we can't capture them. It's not possible that we are so pathetic," Tobi said irritably to Zetsu.
"Some external help would be useful, don't you think, 'Madara'?"
"Yes, but there's no one who can fight on equal terms with the boy Uzumaki. Nagato gave up, and I had to get rid of Konan. Sasuke is the only one who could do it, but they will end up killing each other."
"It's a shame there's no other Sasuke to face him," replied Zetsu.
Tobi began to walk around the surrounding of the cave where they were hiding, searching for a solution. Then he noticed a red glow on a shelf: it was a broken crystal sphere. But this was no ordinary object; it was the one he had used to send Naruto and the red-haired girl to the other dimension.
"Perhaps we don't need another Sasuke, but another version of the jinchūriki of the Kyuubi."
"What do you mean?"
"In that alternate world where I sent Naruto with the Tsukuyomi, there's a worthy opponent. He's capable of causing chaos and destruction as great as Pain or even more. He's worthy of being part of Akatsuki."
"But... that world doesn't exist; you created it with the power of the Sharingan and the Tsukuyomi."
"You're wrong. My Sharingan allows me to send objects or even people to other dimensions, and with the help of this sphere, I can enhance its power and range. However, that world didn't originate from the Tsukuyomi. It already existed, and I believe it's time to return there."
...
Far from the village of Konoha, Team Kakashi was undertaking a simple mission, considering all that had happened. They had to deliver a scroll to a feudal lord in a neutral location. The team consisted of Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura. Yamato and Sai were in the village, recovering from some injuries and helping with the reconstruction. Due to his abilities, the villagers sought Captain Yamato to work with the construction teams.
As Kakashi handed over the scroll to the feudal lord, he allowed Naruto and Sakura to take a few hours of rest. Kakashi noticed a change in his students' attitude since they reported the attack by Madara within the village. Naruto seemed very pensive and nostalgic, while Sakura tried to talk to him as if something bad had happened and she wanted to help him. Additionally, after finishing work or training, Sakura quickly returned home to spend time with her parents. The curious thing was that she rarely spoke about them since her genin years.
Based on his experience, Kakashi suspected they were hiding something. However, he remembered that not much time had passed since Sakura's confession to Naruto. He knew if that was related to such a personal matter, they would not tell him about it.
What Kakashi didn't know was what truly happened when Naruto and Sakura faced Madara. Since that day, Naruto had been having dreams recalling what it was like to have his mother and father alive by his side. He dreamt about experiencing what he had seen in the photos of the family album he had found in that dimension. Although he knew he had a family with Iruka, Tsunade, and his friends, the nostalgia for those days with Menma's family persisted. The only person who could understand what he had experienced was Sakura.
Sakura took advantage of that experience to value everything she had in her life. She worried a lot when she saw Naruto sad. She knew that trip had affected Naruto, even though he tried to hide it. While they were in that world, Sakura was willing to sacrifice herself and stay there if it meant Naruto could be happy.
When Kakashi gave them the break, Sakura noticed how Naruto slowly moved away with his head hanging low. Lately, Naruto had been avoiding talking to his friends, including her, and limited himself to talking with them only when it was necessary. Additionally, both Naruto and Sakura decided not to tell anyone, including the Hokage, about what happened in the other world.
After running a few meters, Sakura managed to catch up with Naruto near a grove.
"Naruto, wait for me!" Sakura exclaimed, noticing how Naruto looked at her, and a faint joy appeared on his face.
"I'm always glad to see you smile when you see us," Inner Sakura said, to which Sakura replied, "Now is not the time."
"Hey, Sakura-chan, is something wrong, dattebayo?" Naruto said, trying to hide his sadness.
"Nothing, in particular. I just wanted to talk to you," Sakura said, accompanying him to sit on a bench near the path.
"What do you want to talk about?" Naruto asked, sounding more enthusiastic than usual, which pleased Inner Sakura a lot.
"I noticed you've been acting a bit strange, not like your usual self since... that battle with the masked man. If you need to talk, you can count on me at any time. It's the least I can do after all the times you've saved me and been by my side all this time. I don't like seeing you like this, Naruto," Sakura said, showing genuine concern for Naruto.
Naruto was happy to know that Sakura cared about him, despite he still remembered that false confession. However, Sakura was one of the most valuable people in his life, and seeing her interest in him made him feel good. Seeing that they were alone, he decided to talk:
"Are you still thinking about that other world, Sakura-chan?"
"To be honest, yes... it's been almost three weeks since Madara created that illusion. However, everything seemed so real. It was the most perfect genjutsu I've ever seen."
"Yeah... it's what we wished for. Sakura-chan... the truth is, I've had dreams about that world almost every night. It's getting harder and harder for me to believe it was just an illusion. What if it was real?"
"I don't think so, Naruto. When they captured me, Madara told me that world was influenced by the power of his genjutsu and was part of his illusion," Sakura said, placing her hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"I wish it had been real. I liked having my parents, even if it was just for a few days," Naruto said nostalgically, looking at the sky.
"They were amazing, Naruto. Maybe they weren't real, but I believe they would have been just as incredible and loved you just as much as them," Sakura replied, trying to cheer him up.
"Thanks, Sakura-chan. I need some time to think about things; I'll see you later."
After that, Naruto got up and walked away alone. He needed some time to come to terms with what happened in that world and to sort out his feelings for Sakura. The Sage Mode told him that she was lying, but not all the time. Being with her made him think more about things, and he didn't know what to do.
...
Through the streets of Konoha, a girl walked calmly. The village was starting to look better after the the last attack. The most affected area was the center of the village, so the residential areas didn't suffer a big impact. However, there were still many injured and some losses.
When she returned from her mission, she was surprised by the magnitude of the damage. However, she knew she had to work hard to help others with the village's reconstruction. Especially because many villagers trusted her, as she was the daughter of the village's hero, Sakura Haruno.
Sakura had finished her shift at the hospital and then visited the village orphanage to play with the children. She was a bit tired, but she wanted to visit someone. Now they had time and peace, after the defeat of the Masked Man. However, there was a mystery about the Masked Man that few knew, and that was his identity.
The Masked Man was such a great threat to their village that her mission while the village was under attack consisted on gather information about the Moon scroll and the Masked Man's identity. When she returned and finished talking to the Hokage, one of the village's greatest ninjas told her the truth about who the Masked Man was. The ninja and his wife made her promise to keep it a secret.
She still couldn't believe it was true, but if they said it was real, then it was: Her best friend, who disappeared for a while, turned out to be the villain who devastated Konoha.
According to their explanation, her best friend was manipulated by a strange individual who physically and mentally corrupted him with his power. Only thanks to the help of some mysterious travelers were they able to stop him and return him to his old self. At least, that's what everyone believed.
After walking for several minutes, Sakura arrived at the house of the Namikaze-Uzumaki family. She knocked on the door a couple of times and was greeted by a very familiar face.
"Hello, Sakura-chan, I'm glad to see you, dattebane," Kushina Uzumaki, Menma's mother, responded. She invited the pinkhead inside.
"Hello, Kushina-san... How have you been?" Sakura asked, worried about her best friend.
After the daughter of the hero asked Kushina about her son, the redhead lost her cheerfulness and sat on a chair in the living room.
"He had some good days, but he still doesn't want to leave his room. At night, he still has nightmares and wakes up screaming, although it's less frequent now. He still feels guilty about what happened," Kushina noticed the sadness and concern on the pink-haired girl face.
"Kushina-san, can I talk to him? I'll try to get him out for a walk with me around the village," Sakura said.
"Of course, Sakura. You've been together since you were kids; you don't even need to ask for permission. Go ahead, don't waste time,"
"I trust you, Sakura. If anyone can help him overcome this experience, it's you. Besides, it's obvious that both of you share a VERY special bond between the two," Kushina thought, while Sakura headed toward her son's room.
...
Menma was locked inside his room. He didn't want to go outside because everything reminded him of all the destruction he had caused. It wasn't his intention, but he was still responsible for many deaths and injuries. And what affected him the most was that he killed Jiraiya. That prevented him from acting, and to make matters worse, he relived those battles in his nightmares.
Then, he heard some knocks on his door and simply said, "Come in." He didn't expect to see Sakura in his room.
"Hello, Menma."
"Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?" the blonde said, surprised to see her at his house.
"Well, if you don't want me to come back..."
"Wait, don't get me wrong... I didn't mean that, dattebayo," Menma quickly replied, and Sakura laughed slightly.
"Haha, relax, I'm just teasing you. We've always been together, and this always happens," Sakura replied, still laughing, which made Menma laugh too.
"Menma, do you want to go out with me?" Sakura said, and after a few seconds and seeing Menma's completely red face, she had to clarify her question, as she was also blushing like a tomato.
"I meant to go out for a while to talk. I haven't seen you since all this happened, and when I passed by, your mother said you were indisposed. What do you say we can even go for ramen..." Sakura said, and that was enough to make Menma get up from the bed.
...
Sakura and Menma quickly left the house, which delighted Kushina, seeing her son leaving his room. The two shinobi went to Ichiraku first, although they had to hide for a few minutes because of the dangerous, violent, and Menma's admirer known as Hinata Hyuga. If she saw them together, they would be in big trouble, and they didn't know if they would come out unscathed.
"That was close, Sakura."
"Too close for my taste. If she saw you, she would've dragged you all over the village. Meanwhile, Hinata would've wanted to kill me."
"Haha, you're exaggerating, Sakura," seeing the seriousness on the kunoichi's face, Menma decided to stay quiet. She was a very good girl, but if she got angry, she was as scary as her mother.
After ordering ramen, the two decided to go to the only peaceful place in Konoha at that moment, the training grounds. That place was empty due to the village's reconstruction. Menma sat on the ground, and Sakura approached:
"You don't need to lie anymore, Sakura."
"What do you mean?"
"You've never been good at lying, or rather, I always notice it. You want to ask me how I feel. Come on, when my mom says that 'I'm indisposed,' it's like saying that Kiba loves dogs," Menma said, and Sakura sighed.
"You can't say that I'm lying about caring for you and that we're friends, haha," she said, laughing, and Menma joined in.
"Of course, I know that, Sakura-chan, dattebayo."
"Menma, I don't know what happened when I was away, and I only know what your parents told me. I'll always believe them as they supported me since..." Sakura said when she felt Menma's hand touching her arm.
"Thank you. I don't think you could've done it."
Sakura paused, waiting for her friend's response. However, Menma looked at the floor, embarrassed and trying to find a way to talk to Sakura. She was the only one who didn't see the demon he had become.
"Sakura-chan, the truth is, yes. I was the Masked Man who did all this."
"Menma, listen to me. Your parents told me what they saw that day. You didn't cause it; someone manipulated you into doing it. You are good, and if anyone knows it better than anyone, it's me," Sakura said, looking straight into Menma's evasive eyes.
"Even if I was manipulated and controlled, it was my hands. Sakura-chan, I killed Jiraiya and attacked the Hokage, my parents, and the village. If it hadn't been for those travelers, I don't know what I would've done," Menma said, tears in his eyes.
Menma felt Sakura's arms embracing him, and her head on his shoulder. Menma's heart beat faster, but he felt some of the weight of his guilt diminish. They stayed like that for a while.
"Thank you, Sakura, I really needed that. You know the only thing that makes me happy about all this," Menma said, missing his friend.
"What?"
"That I never hurt you while wearing the mask. I wouldn't have forgiven myself," he told Sakura, who was quite surprised.
"I didn't know we meant that much to Menma."
"It took you a lot to realize, but I was right," Inner Sakura said.
"Now that I've helped you, I need you to do the same for me. Who were those travelers? Your parents couldn't describe them clearly; they only said they were two young people around our age. A very brave boy and girl. However, I don't know why they seemed nervous when describing them."
"You won't believe me, and I don't want to sound crazy, maybe it was because of the force that controlled me that made me see them like that."
"Come on, you've said all kinds of crazy things since I've known you. I don't think you can surprise me with what you saw."
"It may sound strange, but I saw those travelers a couple of times in my nightmares. They looked identical to us. It was as if they were our twins."
"Identical to us?" Sakura replied, thinking of a certain memory she had. "It might be strange, but I believe you."
"Really, you believe me, Sakura-chan?"
"Yes. When I went on my mission, a strange light attracted me, and I fell into the void. I remember having some amnesia because everything was very blurry. However, there was something that caught my attention. When I returned to the village, I saw everyone. They looked just like our friends, only different. I remember seeing an outgoing Ino dressed like Hinata, and most importantly, my parents were alive," Sakura said, taking out her flower necklace that once belonged to her father.
"Sakura-chan, but your parents... I think I have an idea of how you must have felt," Menma said, getting up to talk to Sakura until they heard some applause.
"An interesting surprise. Congratulations on coming back; it seems I wasn't the only one traveling through dimensions. I hope you still remember me, Menma."
In front of Menma and Sakura stood none other than the man who had manipulated him. The one responsible for creating the masked man. The leader of Akatsuki, Tobi, or as they called him now, Madara.
It took me a lot of time to translate the first chapter as I had to change my laptop for a PC and install everything back. Hope you enjoyed the story and leave a comment about what you think. I'm not a native English speaker so maybe there could some translation issues but you can let me know to take it into consideration for the next chapters. Also, if you want to read it in Spanish, I have that version in my profile with more chapters there.
