Sakura, Naruto's apartment; day of the mass funeral after the war.
Still wearing her black funeral dress, Sakura placed a hand on the door knob before twisting it to the right. She then pushed the door to Naruto's apartment. It creaked open and she stood still, her arm dropping by her sides as she looked into the sparse living room. She stood for a minute, staring into the dimly lit room before stepping through the threshold and then slowly closing the door behind her.
She then placed the key Naruto gave her, before leaving for his training with the toads, on the table next to the door. She looked around the dimly lit living room as she walked towards the couch before stopping and resting her left hand on the back of the couch. From where she was, she could see the kitchen and dining room.
Then, while turning her head before looking down at the orange couch, she rubbed her thumb against the fabric and closed her eyes. Her mind went to the day Naruto saved her life at the primary medical encampment during the war. She remembered it as a nightmare really – the medical staff could only watch and hear the injured begging for help outside the line of shinobi who were guarding the entrance.
Primary Medical Camp; during the war.
The order had come down about the White Zetsu's and the fact that they could become anyone – both physically and their victims chakra. The camp, and every other camp, was in emergency lockdown.
It was proved how dangerous the White Zetsu were when one slipped past before the order was handed down from Headquarters. It took on the form of Hyuuga Neji, with the real Neji hundreds of miles away, and was killed by Sakura in the encampment.
It would be later that the next morning, that three injured shinobi broke through while Sakura was speaking with Shizune. The two of them, seeing the injured stumbling through the already exhausted guards, rushed to them. After all, they were already inside… and so, it was the duty of the medical staff to heal them. That was their reasoning at least.
So both Sakura and Shizune ran towards them despite being told not to by the guards trying to hold back the injured.
Suddenly, the seemingly injured shinobi rushed at them. Sakura and Shizune were stunned as the faces of the injured shinobi melted away to reveal that they were really White Zetsu. They were faster… much faster than anyone. And before Sakura, Shizune, and the others could launch a defense, it was over. A glowing bolt of yellow seemed to slam into the three White Zetsu. Sakura's eyes were wide open in shock as the White Zetsu turned into trees following their deaths. And in between the trees stood the person she saw about a month ago.
"Naruto," Sakura whispered before she rushed towards the young man with Shizune and several other shinobi by their side. She had so many questions to ask with the first being why he was glowing, and why there were those black marks around his body. But she settled for simply grabbing his arm and saying, "is that you?"
"Hi, Sakura-chan," he smiled rubbing the back of his head, "I did it."
"Did…" Sakura opened her eyes wider in shock when she made the realization that Naruto succeeded in his training mission. Of course, she was aware of the fact that he wasn't supposed to be on the front lines in the first place and that she wanted so much to scold him for putting himself in danger once again. She wanted to say that he was too important, that the Akatsuki must never have him in their hands or else it would all be over and the deaths so far would have meant nothing. She wanted to tell him to get back to Turtle Island – she wanted to tell him that she was still thankful for the save - but that he needed to stay away from the front lines. Sakura knew better though. She knew that Naruto would tell everyone to step aside so that he could fight in the front lines; he didn't want anyone dying for him. Sakura knew he didn't want to be seen as helpless. So all Sakura could continue saying was, "you control the Kyuubi now?"
"That's great, Naruto-kun," Shizune said as the other Shinobi started mumbling in support of the glowing boy.
Sakura saw Naruto turn his head to the side and then frown before saying, "the boss made hundreds of Bunshin to target these White Zetsu's." He then turned towards Sakura and continued, "I killed a few on the way here, and these three were the last ones."
"So, we can begin taking in the injured?" one of the medical staff asked. Naruto turned towards the voice to his left and nodded his head before he returned his gaze towards the pink haired medic.
"I have to go, Sakura-chan," Naruto said while Shizune began barking orders to bring the injured into the camp. Despite the rush all around them, Sakura felt as if it was only the two of them there; just them standing alone.
She felt gentle warmth from Naruto's glowing form as she leaned in and whispered into his ear, "come back home, Naruto. Promise me." As she held his arm, her lips close to his ear as she whispered, Sakura recalled walking side by side with him back in the village while a feeling of warmth spread up the back of her neck. Naruto joked that she was blushing as they reached Ichiraku's for their first date after their 'encounter' in Sakura's apartment. And now, in the medical camp, she wanted another date. In her mind, she looked down at her twelve-year-old self and mentally whispered that she would always have a place in her heart for Sasuke.
'But Naruto's someone I trust and care for… someone I can love.'
The two of them faced each other while Naruto nodded his head, and then blushed when Sakura gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"We're going on a second date," Sakura whispered in his ear before pulling back just as Shizune rushed to her side while supporting a badly injured Shinobi. Shizune told her that they needed to begin healing procedures, and Sakura nodded her head. She let go of Naruto's arm, and he smiled before vanishing in a swirl of leaves and dust.
Now; Naruto's apartment.
With all those memories going through her head, Sakura took a deep breath upon finding herself standing in Naruto's bedroom.
'When did I get here?' she thought to herself as she stood at the entrance.
Given that the apartment building was newly built, and Naruto spent very little time before having to leave for Turtle Island, the walls in his bedroom were bare and there were barely any personal belongings.
Well, except for the picture of team seven on the table next to his bed. She then turned her head towards the open closet and eyed the black and dark-orange jackets hanging silently. Pressing her lips together as she looked away from the closet, Sakura then trudged towards the side table and, before long, then she picked up the picture frame. She smiled at the framed picture which was taken after they officially became Genin. She then put it down and picked up the picture of the new Team Seven; Naruto, herself, Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai. Her eyes scanned the faces of the people on the picture before looking back towards the image of Naruto who was smiling with a thumbs up sign towards the camera.
She felt tears welling in her eyes as she stared at the picture. Her mind went back to the day when the front-line shinobi began trickling back into the village. Their return was celebrated by the villagers, but there was still a heavy air of mourning for the people who lost their lives.
Sakura was at the gates with Kakashi next to her when Tsunade and the remaining Konoha Eleven returned to the village – there was nothing else that could be done except comforting each other after that.
With the picture frame of the new Team Seven held tight against her chest, Sakura hung her head and sobbed. All she had now were memories of the past and thoughts of what could have been. As tears fell down her cheeks, Sakura lay sideways on the bed and closed her eyes.
Tsunade, on the front lines after the end of the war.
Tsunade had dealt with the loss of people she loved and admired; after all, death was a given due to the very nature of being a Shinobi. She lost her grandfather, her grand-uncle, her lover, her brother, her former snake summoning teammate, her other perverted teammate and unrequited love – a one-sided love from Jiraiya really; and now… now she was staring down at a pug wearing a Konoha headband standing on top of the table in front of her.
"Tsunade."
She didn't know who called her name since it sounded as if it was traveling from a great distance before reaching her ears. It could have been any of the Kages around the table in the command tent. It could have been any of the clerks around them taking notes of the next steps following the end of the war; that is what they were talking about when the Pug walked in. All of them had the utmost confidence that Naruto would beat Sasuke – even the Raikage had confidence in Naruto.
"Tsunade."
There was that voice again as the Slug Sannin continued to stare into the eyes of the pug known as Pakkun, through eyes that were red due to the tears that were welling up in her eyes. Tsunade felt numb, she felt herself falling backwards onto her seat as her arms fell down by her side. She felt her lips parting in a stunned expression.
"Tsunade!"
"Hokage-dono!"
Tsunade blinked her eyes. And everything crashed down into reality. She turned her head towards the Mizukage looking back at her in concern. Hers was the last voice calling out to her. Tsunade looked away from the stunned expression on Mei's face and took in the faces of the other Kage – all showing some level of grief. Her eyes stopped at Gaara who was looking away with his eyes closed. She could see wetness starting to leak from between his closed eyelids and travel down his cheeks.
She sniffled and then wiped her eyes with the back of her left hand while her right remained by her side, the fingers now curled back into a fist. She then turned her head back towards the bearer of bad news. No... calling what she just heard 'bad' would be a good thing. Pakkun, the nin-ken, brought news that was unbelievable. News that no one had expected.
News that Naruto was killed by Uchiha Sasuke.
"And the Uchiha?" growled Ai, glaring at the pug who turned towards him with a saddened expression.
"Killed," Pakkun answered. That answer forced everyone back to staring at him; all silently demanding to know who it was that killed Sasuke. But before they could ask that question, Pakkun continued to say that Sasuke wanted to kill all the Kage after Naruto had been killed – to which Ai scoffed – and use their bodies to build a new world.
That thought – one of Sasuke controlling various bodies - brought Tsunade back to the day of Pain's destruction of Konoha. 'That Uchiha wanted to make us into his puppets.' Tsunade's heart raced in anger now as her arms tensed while her hands closed into fists, 'that rat bastard! And he… he… he killed Naruto!' She had her eyes narrowed to a murderous look before she mentally noted where she was and quickly began breathing in and out deeply to calm herself.
In the meantime, Gaara, his hands clenched into fists at imagining that he was the one choking the life out of Sasuke by using his sand, demanded to know who was the one who killed the Uchiha.
"Has to be Kakashi," Oonoki said while Tsunade stared at Pakkun who was staring back at her. There were two people who left to find Sasuke and Naruto after the former betrayed the Alliance when Obito and Madara, as well as the being calling itself Black Zetsu, were defeated. After Madara destroyed the bodies of the Edo-Tensei Hokage, it was left to Naruto and Sasuke to save the world. And they did.
Once Madara fell to the ground dead, Obito fell… but not after realizing he had been used by the Black Zetsu. The former member of Team Minato sent Black Zetsu into the Kamui dimension where he would be trapped for all time. Only then did Sasuke order Team Taka to attack the Alliance.
During the battle between Team Taka and the Alliance, Sasuke and Naruto had taken off to the Valley of the End for their final fight. The Hokages made short work of Orochimaru while the others, particularly the Konoha Eleven, fought the other members of Team Taka. It wasn't long after Orochimaru, the traitorous Snake Sannin, was killed that Team Taka retreated as fast as they could with Jugo covering their escape.
While mourning the loss of her former friend, Tsunade looked up upon sensing Sakura running off towards the direction Naruto and Sasuke had left. It was then that she called for Kakashi to follow Sakura.
But now, the look on Pakkun's face as everyone cheered Kakashi for killing the Uchiha traitor told Tsunade something different.
"It wasn't Kakashi," Tsunade whispered loud enough for everyone to hear her and stop their cheers of a final victory in the war. She glanced at Gaara who had his eyes open in surprise while the others were questioning who else it could be. And Tsunade answered them, "it was Sakura. Pakkun? It was Sakura, wasn't it?"
Pakkun nodded his head as Tsunade closed her eyes. She knew how much Sakura loved Sasuke. Even though that love wasn't as obsessive as it once was years ago, Tsunade knew the pink haired girl still loved Sasuke greatly. So, to have killed him was something that must have killed something of herself, at least that is what Tsunade thought. It was something that would have taken great emotional strength.
It would be later; after the return to Konoha, that Tsunade would learn the truth from Sakura. That she and Naruto had been not just intimate with one another, but that Naruto had a nightmare which Sakura didn't believe. Sakura was sobbing in her office days after the return – she told Tsunade of all her regrets, about how she made Naruto promise to return to Konoha so that she could introduce him to her parents.
The hardest part was telling the remaining Konoha Twelve what happened. This news was something they needed to know. So, after Pakkun dispersed into smoke, Tsunade dismissed the group before leaving for her private tent alone. There she called Shizune and told her what happened. Tsunade then had the Konoha Twelve brought to her tent by a despondent Shizune.
She could still remember the looks on the faces of the former Rookies, it was heartbreaking as she told them about Kakashi and Sakura bringing back the bodies of both Sasuke and Naruto to Konoha. It was absolutely heartbreaking at the stunned stares in her direction… then there was the sound of Hinata sobbing as both her teammates held her up before she could fall onto her knees. Team Ten just stood there, arms by their sides before Shikamaru placed his hand over his eyes, Choji turned and walked away after excusing himself with a broken voice, and Ino sat down on an empty chair as tears streamed down her check while she thought about the last time she had seen Naruto.
The news spread like wildfire soon after that and so, despite winning the war, a cloud hung over the entire army at the death of the hero who fought until the end for them. Tsunade remained in her tent, her face in her hands as she sobbed while everyone else in the front line took the news in their own way.
Kakashi, after the war, on way to Konoha.
This loss was heartbreaking.
Kakashi was carrying Sasuke's body in his arms while Sakura was carrying Naruto's body. The two of them took their final break several hours ago before continuing on towards Konoha which was already about an hour away. Kakashi looked down at the dried blood on Sasuke's face – his eyelids tied shut with the ninja wire which were once attached to shuriken that he had been carrying in seals attached to his wrists. The boy's face was pale, as was Naruto; the latter's body had a literal hole where his heart should have been. There was nothing that could have saved him from that fatal wound.
Kakashi then glanced at Sakura running alongside him. He had already offered to take Naruto… he offered to take both bodies actually with one on either shoulder. But Sakura insisted on carrying Naruto home; she said that it was what he would have done for her.
The tone of her voice was… odd. It wasn't like how she would easily speak about Naruto or to him. While her demeanor towards Naruto improved over the years, this time… after his death… there was something different in many things about Sakura.
After all, Naruto and Sakura had gotten close after Sasuke's defection and Naruto's return from his training mission with Jiraiya. Kakashi knew that the vast majority of the village were going to be in mourning. But this was something more… not unsettling… just a little odd.
It was as if Sakura had lost someone she truly loved. Not as a friend or a teammate. But someone she had truly… really… loved. Kakashi didn't ask the question he wanted to ask… he didn't need to. When they were taking one of their breaks, he could see it clearly in the way Sakura spoke as she brushed her hair behind her ear when talking about the day Naruto had accidentally fallen into a pile of cow dung on their second 'D' ranked mission. There were other signs of course, and it wasn't hard for Kakashi to ignore it… not for one who was a fan of the erotic books from Jiraiya.
'Pfff…. They're the height of romance fiction,' Kakashi had thought to himself before he shared a story about Naruto. In the back of his mind though, he thought, 'you love him, Sakura. Something changed between the two of you.' His eyes moved down towards the pale body of Naruto, 'I am so sorry.'
They didn't have any sealing scrolls with them, and the two of them didn't want to leave Sasuke and Naruto's body for the couple of days it would take to run all the way from the Valley of the End to the front lines. Running with their bodies was the only choice left, especially when they couldn't call on the toads since they were Naruto's summons. As for Katsuyu, Sakura was already out of chakra and the summons was needed back in the front lines anyway. So, the reaction to the two of them carrying Naruto and Sakura's bodies through the front gates of Konoha were as expected; silence.
There was stunned silence from the gate watchers and those they had run past on the way to the hospital. Kakashi knew that the news would filter through once they stopped at the hospital and Sakura ordered two gurneys and sheets brought for the two boys before they were wheeled, through a suddenly quiet and solemn lobby, towards the morgue.
Until today, Kakashi still wasn't sure what happened after returning to Konoha. The last thing he remembered was sitting on a cool metallic chair in the morgue as he and Sakura guarded Naruto and Sasuke's bodies. He couldn't even remember the two of them standing once the door to the morgues opened and what remained of the village Elders walked in with stunned expressions in their face. At least Kakashi thought they were stunned… he didn't remember. And, until today, neither could Sakura.
The two of them were in their own world; it would be revealed a day after the mass funeral that Kakashi and Sakura were just saying "yes" and "no" to the questions the Elders were shooting off. It would be sometime after that they submitted reports of what happened from their point of views.
And it would be months later, with the village still rebuilding and mourning their loses, that Kakashi was informed of Sakura's pregnancy. After visiting the girl in the hospital, and gently admonishing her for pushing herself so hard, he told Sakura that he was happy for her.
"I could imagine Naruto just staring at you like an idiot before fainting," Kakashi chuckled, as did Sakura who was sitting up on the hospital bed while a white sheet covered her legs. The two of them were the only ones in the room about two hours after an examination by Tsunade. What remained of the Konoha 11 still didn't know that Sakura was pregnant, not even her parents, and it gave Kakashi a bit of selfish pride in that thought.
As the two of them talked, Kakashi thought to himself that he would make sure the new Konoha would a place where Naruto's son or daughter would grow up safe and sound. He suspected that the child wouldn't face the same type of bullying and isolation that Naruto faced, that he or she would be cared for and loved by the villagers. As Sakura looked down and smiled while placing her hands on her abdomen after saying that she hoped Naruto was keeping an eye on them, Kakashi looked out the window to his left… a window that pointed out towards Hokage Mountain in the distance.
"Me too, Sakura," he answered gently while turning his head back towards Sakura, "me too."
Sakura; Present Day.
"Naruto," Sakura called out as she slid next to the unconscious blonde, "Naruto!" He was unconscious while Narumi's clothes were scattered all around him. Sakura looked up at the back wall of the closet and could now see that there were several cracks, as if something impacted against the wall at high speed. She then looked back down at the unconscious Naruto and placed a hand on his forehead before whispering, "Naruto. Narumi, what did you do? Did you use that missing scroll?'
"Sakura?" Kakashi, shaking off the fact that he was still stunned at this development, whispered before taking a look at the scroll on the bed, "I heard you say something about a missing scroll? Is it this one? You know what it does?"
"And what does it have to do with Narumi?" Tsunade gently asked as she bent down on one knee next to Sakura and placed her hand on Naruto's chest before it glowed a light green, "he's alive… he's really alive."
"A Chuunin came to my office saying something about a scroll…" Sakura stopped talking as the sounds of whistles – from the Konoha Police Department – were getting closer. Sakura turned her head back towards Tsunade before looking back at Kakashi, "… that is supposed to bring someone back from the past to the present."
"No," Kakashi said shaking his head in disbelief, "that would be…"
"Impossible?" Tsunade finished the sentence as she looked down at Naruto before looking back over her shoulder at Kakashi, "I think the fact that Naruto is here kind of blows the impossibility of this whole situation away." The grey-haired Shinobi was sighing as he looked at the open scroll before stepping forward to reach down and pick up the paper from the bed before rolling it up.
"No need for the police to see this, I'll talk to the Chuunin…" Kakashi then turned towards Sakura, "what's the guy's name?"
"He said his name is Satoshi, he's from the archival department," Sakura said as she leaned forward and placed another hand on his chest as Tsunade pulled back her arm, "I'll be in the hospital." She then looked over at Tsunade, and then at Kakashi, "Kakashi-sensei, please have a cover story ready for the police. I'm sure they have a lot of questions. We'll leave Naruto's return out of it, for now at least." She then looked back at Naruto, "we need to confirm that its him."
"That would be best," Kakashi nodded his head before saying he would summon his nin-ken to aid in the search for Narumi. Sakura nodded her head before watching as Kakashi performed his summons.
With Pakkun and the others appearing on the other side of Narumi's bed in a cloud of smoke, she heard Kakashi ordering the pug and his other fellow dogs to search for Narumi. Sakura tossed her former sensei one of Narumi's shirts for the dogs to pick up Narumi's scent before taking in a deep breath and turned towards Tsunade, "Tsunade-sama, you need to go to the hospital too. Before whatever this is happened…. Aoba-san came to my office and said that an unexpected person arrived at the gates."
"Unexpected person?" Tsunade asked narrowing her eyes.
Sakura didn't know how else to say what she knew had to be said. Too many things had happened in the space of a few minutes; the disappearance of her daughter, the re-appearance of her lover, and the return of Jiraiya. There were three mysteries taking place at the same time, and all of them needed to be tackled at once in the event this was the beginning of something that would bring trouble to the village.
"Apparently someone resembling Jiraiya-sama…" Sakura saw Tsunade's eyes widen while Kakashi gasped as he turned around after the dogs were sent out to search for Narumi, "arrived a few minutes ago. I need you to observe this man, and…"
"Is this a joke?" Kakashi asked, his voice mirroring his disbelief, while Tsunade was speechless as she continued staring at Sakura.
"He… he…. He died…" Tsunade finally whispered, her voice shaking with emotion, "he… we heard that… Sakura… you were there. He died… Fukusaku said that he died."
"Which is why I need you to observe the medical examination," Sakura said, "I want Shizune assigned to run a full examination." Sakura then turned to Kakashi, "After the examination, I want Ibiki-san to question him. I need to know if this person claiming to be Jiraiya-sama is a danger to this village. I want to know where he was, who he was with, how he is alive… I want to know everything."
"And if he isn't Jiraiya-sama."
"Then I want to know who would stoop so low as to do something like this," Sakura said with anger in her voice.
"I should examine…"
"Once Ibiki and Shizune, after having every single test done on him, agrees that this man really is Jiraiya-sama," Sakura interjected Tsunade, "then you can question him, Tsunade-sama."
Sakura then turned towards the unconscious Naruto, "This person claiming to be Jiraiya-sama is conscious, so questioning him will be easy. As for Naruto, I'll have Owl examine his chakra network and I'll call in Ino to examine his mind to make sure this Naruto is… well… really Naruto."
Sakura then reached for, and then placed her hand on Tsunade's left hand, and said, "once Ino checks Naruto's mind, I'll send her to you. But for now, all of this… Naruto and Jiraiya-sama's appearance… has to be kept secret. At least until we know what's going on."
"Agreed," Kakashi said while Tsunade gently nodded. He then continued, "I'll bring the scroll to the research department after speaking with the Chuunin. I'll come find you once we have something."
Sakura nodded her head and thanked Kakashi before she and Tsunade vanished. Kakashi sighed before placing the scroll into his back pocket as he waited patiently for the police.
Naruto, Alternate Reality.
He finally had some time to spend with Boruto, after such a long time, before he was mentally notified by Ino that someone's chakra just appeared at the Hokage Tower.
"How does a chakra signature just appear?" Naruto mentally asked Ino as his kunai hit the kunai his son was using with a soft 'clang'. The two of them separated, Naruto grinning at the smirking Boruto, "I heard you helped out here and there?"
Boruto shrugged before he leapt forward and Naruto dodged, their Kunai clashing against one another once again.
"Here and there," Boruto simply said while Ino mentally told Naruto that the signature simply appeared out of the blue.
Putting his hand up, signally Boruto to pause their spar, Naruto then pulsed out his Chakra while mentally telling Ino that he was calling his Anbu and that Sai should take lead. He then mentally said that he would be on the way to the Hokage Tower as well just as three Anbu appeared before him while a confused Boruto looked on.
"Dad?" Boruto asked as he stared at he Anbu and then back to Naruto, "what's going on?"
"Probably nothing," Naruto replied as he walked towards his son, handed him the kunai, and then ruffled his hair with his regrown arm, "I just have to leave for Hokage Tower, I…"
"Fine," Boruto said. Naruto could feel the disappointment from his son; no matter how much Boruto would say that he didn't care if Naruto spent time with hi, Naruto knew it was a lie. The blonde Hokage knew that ever since taking up the position as the village's highest authority, he had been neglecting his family. He was superbly thankful that his wife, Hyuuga Hinata, was as patient and understanding as she was and that she was the glue holding them together. She had done everything to make Himawari and Boruto understand that the entire Village was Naruto's responsibility now, and that they had to share him with everyone.
"Even if it means he won't be spending much time with us," Naruto heard Hinata say one night after one of Boruto's tantrums years ago. Himawari eventually understood, and even though she missed him… she knew that Naruto was important for the village. Naruto even has a finger-painting of their family with him in his Hokage Robes watching over the village. However, for Boruto it was different. He held so much anger that Naruto could feel it… and it alternated from anger, to disappointment, to sadness, to indifference. But Naruto would keep on saying that he had to look after the Village since it was his family too.
And over the last few months, especially after the fiasco of the Chuunin exams, followed by the 'incident' in the Land of Earth, Naruto felt as if he and Boruto were finally able to bond.
And Naruto was no fool, he knew it would take more time for the two of them to fully understand one another; and for Boruto to understand that the village took priority over any personal feelings. And now, Naruto feared that being called away would mean taking several steps back in their still rebuilding relationship.
But having a Chakra signal appear out of nowhere was no joke – in fact it was pretty serious.
"I guess I understand if you have to leave," Boruto said looking up at Naruto, "it's getting late anyway."
"Tell your mother I'll try to be back once everything's been settled," Naruto said with a small smile before an idea popped into his head. He would have to rearrange his schedule a little, but he knew that Shikamaru would be able to set aside some time. Hi smile changing to a smirk, Naruto then said, "if there's nothing big going on… we'll start training together."
"Wait… you…" Boruto was flabbergasted at the offer, "but…"
"I think I can move around my schedule but… what do you say?"
"Yes," Boruto answered nodding his head excitedly.
"For now, though, go back inside and go to bed," Naruto chuckled at the excited face looking back at him. Boruto nodded his head before dashing towards the house. He followed Boruto with his eyes for a few seconds before turning towards his Anbu. He then nodded his head before Shunshining towards the Hokage tower with his Anbu guards.
It would be a few minutes later that he landed onto the roof of the Hokage tower together with Sai. The group surround the intruder, a girl who looked to be about the age of his son. She had bright green eyes that were visible under the dim light on the roof, even the bright red hair was visible, as well as her wide forehead. The whisker marks, however, were partially hidden in shadow.
"It's only a kid," one of the Anbu said while the girl was staring at Naruto with wide eyes and an expression of utter surprise. There was a part of Naruto that felt as if the girl looked familiar somehow, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Who are you?" Sai asked as the girl continued to stare at Naruto, her bottom lip now trembling, "how did you get here?"
"Naruto," Kurama spoke in Naruto's mindspace, "this girl… I feel my chakra within this girl. It's small, but it's there."
'How is that possible?' Naruto thought to himself as he stared at the girl under the lights of the roof. Taking a deep breath, and then a step forward, he said, "I am Uzumaki Naruto, the Hokage of Konoha. You're somewhere where you are not supposed to be. If you tell me who you are and where you live we can take you home. But I will need to speak to your parents, and…"
"You… you can't take me home," the girl said while staring in surprise at Naruto, "I… I don't know why I'm here or how I got here." She then took a step back, "I… I… I'm not supposed to be here."
"Are you from another village?" Naruto asked.
"We should take her in… maybe Ino could…" Sai said before being interrupted by the redhaired girl.
"I'm not from this world," the girl said, interrupting Sai who looked back towards her with eyes narrowed. The other Anbu were glancing at each other, their masks hiding the surprises on their faces before they turned towards Naruto who had his lips pressed together. The village had recovered from the attack by the Otsutsuki a few months ago, and the group surrounding the girl was left wondering if she could be from their world, especially since they could simply appear out of nowhere. However, it was what she said next that had the group question their hypothesis that she could be some kind of bait who could eventually bring back the Otsutsuki to Earth, "I am from another world where you died."
"Me?" Naruto said as he stepped back in surprise.
He saw her look up at the faces on Hokage Mountain before looking back at him with a sullen look on her face, "you died at the end of the Fourth Shinobi War."
Before anyone could say anything, the girl continued. And Naruto felt his heart racing as he finally realized why the girl looked so familiar. When she said, "the Seventh Hokage is my mother, she is…" it was then that Naruto remembered a picture he had enlarged after searching the Konoha database, it was a picture of a young girl with red hair. Her picture was now framed alongside a picture of the Yondaime when he was younger.
"Kushina," Naruto whispered before the girl said the name of her own mother while his eyes widened. Naruto felt all eyes on him as his arms trembled while saying, "why… why do you look like my mother? Why do you look like Uzumaki Kushina?"
"Hokage-sama?" Sai asked as he looked at the blonde and then his head turned back towards the girl.
"I…" the girl looked around at Sai and then at the Anbu before turning her head back towards Naruto with a sad look on her face, "I think we should talk in private."
TBC