Reunion of the Sand Siblings

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A dozen Sand shinobi met the Konoha team on the outskirts of the Sunagakure village to escort them to the Kazekage. Gaara was fairly neutral in his emotions when he greeted his guests. Temari gave him a hug that he didn't return. Kankuro was more open with his enthusiasm and hugged both Temari and Sakura fiercely.

"We grew concerned after the storm," Gaara acknowledged. He inclined his head towards Temari. "Your husband has been persistent in tracking your whereabouts. We sent a telegram as soon as our escort met you at the border."

"Were there any difficulties?" Kankuro asked.

"Nothing too major," Sakura assured them. They didn't need to know that she had drowned, been brought back to life and could now see ghosts, or at least one ghost. Given Sasuke's scowl at her answer, it was obvious he didn't agree with her assessment. "Did you want to show me around the medical facilities? Get my input?"

"Not yet," Gaara said. He gestured for his brother to elaborate.

"Let's save that for the morning, you deserve to rest in a warm bed and have a nice meal. We'll have dinner delivered to your rooms," Kankuro said. "Sister, your old room has been prepared for you and Gaara will walk you there. I'll escort Sakura and Sasuke to their room. We have rooms prepared for the rest of you too and some of our security will guide you there shortly."

"Before you do that," Temari said, standing next to Gaara and hugging him with one arm as he stood stiffly beside her. "Sai and I would like to sponsor a shinobi worthy of the Chunin Exam Challenge Route."

"Oh?" Gaara's eyes widened slightly, the only indication of his surprise. "Our Chunin Exams are in a couple of weeks. We don't have the spectators here yet. It's part of the reason I wanted to ensure our hospital was working in peak condition."

"We are recommending Sasuke Uchiha for the challenge," Sai said. "A Jonin of Konoha and a Jonin of Sand, unrelated to the challenger, believe he is worthy."

"Sasuke?" Gaara's pale eyes focused on the dark haired warrior. "You beat me when we were kids. Konoha didn't promote you then?"

Sasuke met his gaze. "I don't remember the battle being so clear cut. You were formidable. However, I had defected before the village leaders had a chance to decide my fate," he explained.

"I see. Who would you like to challenge?" Gaara asked.

Sasuke's lips curled up at the corner. "You, Lord Kazekage."

Gaara's lips also curled up. "If you were to win, that wouldn't automatically make you a kage. You understand?"

"Jonin," Sasuke answered, understanding the limitations of the system. "Plus, it would be fun. It will make the long trip worth it."

"I accept," Gaara answered. He looked between Temari and Sai. "I will accept your sponsored challenger. Just a reminder, as the village leader, I am also the judge of the outcome of the battle."

"Who better to decide?" Sasuke asked. "I appreciate your consideration."

Gaara's gaze shifted towards Sakura. "You're going to be busy patching us up afterwards."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Sakura agreed.

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OoO

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Gaara didn't skimp on the hospitality when it came to providing for his guests from Konoha. The room Kankuro escorted the Uchiha couple to was complete with a four poster canopy bed, satin sheets, a rolling top desk, bookcase laden with books, and a nightstand with a succulent arrangement with pretty pink blossoms. There was a small kitchenette and bathroom with a large tub. A plush white rug covered the stone floor. It wasn't home, but it would do nicely.

"It looks comfortable, thanks Kankuro." Sakura slipped off her backpack and sat on the edge of the bed to remove her shoes. "We'll see you in the morning."

"Be sure to check out your balcony," Kankuro said. "I made sure you had the best guest room. Tonight is a full moon so you'll be really impressed with the night sky." He paused outside the room for a moment longer and lifted his hand in a wave of farewell.

Sasuke closed the door and locked it. "Finally, alone at last."

Sakura laid back on the bed, eager to elevate her feet. Her ankles were swollen from all the walking and with the limitations on her power caused by her pregnancy, she didn't want to risk wasting chakra on minor ailments.

Sasuke joined her on the bed, laid his hand over her bare ankles and used a simple healing technique to to resolve the ankle swelling. "I think you'll be pleased with my improved chakra control."

"It has been nice helping you improve on something," Sakura admitted.

"With that Rinnegan's power drain Sasuke will need to be precise," Itachi said, materializing across the room by the window.

"So, I need to tell you something," Sakura said, angling her face towards Sasuke's. "Ever since the incident at the ravine, I've been seeing and hearing Itachi's ghost."

Sasuke sat up abruptly. "Is he here now?" He scanned the room, Sharingan activated, but not noticing anything amiss.

He didn't question the bizarre hallucination, which made Sakura both relieved and confused.

"Sasuke cannot see me," Itachi said. "But he's aware I'm around. He brought me back to watch over Sarada and you since he'll be away on missions."

"He's by the window," Sakura explained. It seemed her brother-in-law was significantly more verbal that her obtuse husband. "How did you bring back his spirit?"

"The Rinnegan allowed me to find the realm where his spirit waited. He cannot go to the Purelands so long as I'm alive." Sasuke pointed at his eyes. "These are Itachi's eyes transplanted. We're connected as a result."

"So those times when Sarada seemed to be playing or listening to someone— she was?" Sakura asked. She looked between Sasuke and Itachi's spirit.

"I don't know for sure. I can only communicate with Itachi in my dreams and it's hit or miss with that," Sasuke said. He met Sakura's gaze. "So you can talk with him, right now?"

"It seems that way," Sakura answered. "But if it's because I was near death, that means you should be able to see him. There's been a few times you've been brought back from the brink of death. And Naruto should have been able to see him, I literally manually pumped his heart to keep him from dying."

"I think it is because my spirit connected with yours in the moment when you were between worlds," Itachi speculated.

"Itachi thinks it's because his spirit was nearby at the time," Sakura said.

"While we're talking, tell Sasuke he's a fool for not accepting the prosthetic from the Hashirama cells," Itachi added.

"It wasn't that he didn't accept them, his body rejected the Senju blood," Sakura protested. "It's why he kept having irritation on his upper arm at the attachment site."

"Uchiha blood and Senju blood are incompatible," Sasuke added, trying to participate in the half of the conversation he could hear. He activated his Sharingan and scanned the part of the room Sakura indicated Itachi was at. He could see nothing unusual.

"Non-sense. It just takes time for the bonding to occur, approximately two to three years. Besides, you're the reincarnation of Indra. The Uchiha clans and the Senju and Uzumaki clans are descended from two brothers. Your logic if flawed," Itachi said.

"How do you know he's the the reincarnation of Indra?" Sakura asked.

"In Sasuke's dreamscapes his memories revealed much," Itachi explained.

"I do not care for this one sided conversation," Sasuke complained, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Why don't you kill me, Sakura? Then bring me back and I'll be able to see Itachi too."

"I'm not going to kill you, Sasuke!" Sakura panicked at the very thought. Even when she'd intentionally tried to kill Sasuke, she failed.

"We don't know for sure that's why Sakura can see me," Itachi added logically. "And her chakra control is too unstable with the alteration in her vascular system at the present to be certain she could bring you back. Also, if you die, so do my eyes, and I could vanish and it would all be pointless."

"Itachi says it's too uncertain and besides, if you do die, so does his eyes and then his spirit would vanish anyway," Sakura said, repeating Itachi's concerns to Sasuke. She glared in Itachi's direction. "Even pregnant, my chakra control is still at least 85%."

"And you wouldn't want to risk that 15%. I know you that well at least," Itachi retorted. He walked through the door leading to the balcony. "Wow. This really is an impressive view. The Kazikage must respect you a lot. I'm surprised he accepted Sasuke's challenge. That should be interesting to watch."

"I feel I'm being ganged up on," Sasuke groaned. "Let's talk about the arm prosthetic again. He's saying that if I'd worn it for two or three years straight it would have fit without problem?"

"What he said was that it wasn't rejection. Though, you were terrible at healing techniques until recently and you learned them after you gave up on the prosthetic." Sakura reached for Sasuke, and ran her fingers through his unruly hair. "Maybe you need to try again, but using your healing chakra your body will come to accept the Hashirama cells."

"It's foolish to try and gather intel on a godlike race with one arm when you can have two," Itachi said. "If it's an act of penance, a reminder of your foolish choices, get over it." He walked back into the room. "Do you think Pain suffered the chakra exhaustion that you do when he used the Rinnegan? Of course, he was an Uzumaki and they have ridiculous levels of chakra reserves, but that is not the only reason. As direct descendants of the Sage of the Six Paths the Senju, Uzumaki, and Uchiha have similar potentials. Sasuke rejected the Hashirama cells because he didn't think he was worthy — thought it was more noble to walk around with a constant reminder of his nefarious plan. Penance is stupid when the fate of the world is relying on your ability to use the Rinnegan to track information on the Okotsuki."

"Itachi thinks you need to try again," Sakura translated. A headache was starting to develop as she tried to absorb everything Itachi said. He really was an analytical genius that put Shikamaru to shame. Her seal automatically soothed away the headache before it could manifest.

"That's not what I said," Itachi protested. "If he accepts the Hashirama cells, he'd be able to use Rinnegan in both eyes and his chakra wouldn't be so exhausted each time. He still would need to be careful to not waste chakra, but he's giving himself an unnecessary handicap. Literally doing things one handed."

Sakura understood what Itachi was trying to explain. "The Senju cells would increase your power, that's why Madara did the transplant during the war. He wasn't any stronger than you in life."

"And he wouldn't have to abandon his family for years and years," Itachi added. "He could just pop over every March, come visit his wife and daughter on their birthdays. Meet his sons." He waved his hand in irritation. "Visit that bloody cat."

"This is annoying," Sasuke complained. "What's he saying now?"

"If you mastered the Rinnegan in a way that didn't completely drain your chakra, you could teleport home occasionally. See your family." Sakura smiled at her husband briefly. She would love that. "And he doesn't seem to like the cat," Sakura added with a snort.

"In a perfect world," Sasuke agreed. "I'm not exactly looking forward to abandoning my family and becoming a stranger to you and the kids." He took Sakura's hand and threaded their fingers together. "I loved you when we were kids. That time I knocked you unconscious and left you on the bench."

Sakura nodded, eyes welling up from the memory and her hormones. "And then three years later, you felt nothing."

"I repressed my feelings. Tried to kill them," Sasuke explained. "I buried them so deep for the whole of Team Seven. But you three kept digging and digging relentlessly. When Itachi and I had our final confrontation and he extracted Orochimaru from my body, those feelings sprouted and I had to purposely bury them on a daily basis. I changed those feelings to hate. I felt that love made me weak. I treated my Hawk teammates with contempt, but they too kept coming back for more abuse."

"There's just something about you that makes people love you," Sakura said. "You have one of the best hearts, but the emotional scars run so deep."

"It's a common problem with Uchiha clansmen that have great powers of charisma," Itachi explained. "Sort of like how certain mental health conditions are genetic? Uchihas do seem to have a tendency to be sociopaths. We love intensely and then if something happens to the person we love, we can morph those feelings of love into abysmal hatred. Everyone becomes the victim of that apathy. Look at Obito and Madara. Obito was the sweetest kid, but when he thought Rin had been killed by Kakashi, he wanted nothing more than to watch the world burn. A similar thing happened to Madara when his brother was killed. Hell, look at me. I'm a pacifist and look how many people I killed!"

"It would be good for you to be reminded of your loved ones," Sakura said. She wondered if Itachi always talked so much, but then thought if she was a ghost and the only person that could hear you was a toddler, as soon as you found an adult that could listen, it would be natural to talk a lot at first. "You'll always be welcome — day or night, summer or winter. For a few minutes for a few weeks."

Sasuke was silent, his brow creased in thought. "I will try again with the Hashirama cells prosthetic. I'll consult Lady Tsunade one last time. I cannot promise I will make it home to visit before the mission is complete. It depends on what I find and if I'm successful teleporting with the Rinnegan and managing my chakra levels."

"It's okay, Sasuke. I just would like you to consider it. I'll worry about you, naturally, but I am not worried about us." Sakura leaned forward to kiss her husband softly, slowly, and sweetly.

"Since I'll be making an effort to try and meld with the prosthetic, I want you do something too, Sasuke said, once they pulled away.

"Sure," Sakura agreed, her eyes dreamy.

"You have to hone your Genjutsu ability. You've always been adept at dispelling them. You need to learn more," Sasuke said. "Chakra control and Genjutsu were your original talents. I'd say you've mastered the former, but the latter you've ignored."

"If I hadn't ignored it, you wouldn't have been able to use yours on me," Sakura pointed out.

"Exactly, and with three Uchiha children, you don't want to have them take advantage of you. You should train with that red-eyed teacher. The one in charge of Hinata's team," Sasuke suggested.

"Kurenai?" Itachi asked. "If she's the best option of teacher, I'm afraid she's not going to be able to teach you much beyond the fundamentals. I suppose I can offer my services too."

"I'll arrange a practice with her once a week," Sakura promised. And she'd figure out a way to train with a ghost too.

"Itachi, if you're still here, I'd appreciate if you went elsewhere," Sasuke called out.

"I'll leave you two to it," Itachi said. "You can rest assured, I don't spy on you. I have no interest in watching my baby brother and his wife doing adult things."

"That's comforting," Sakura said. Itachi's presence seemed to vanish from the room.

There was a knock at the door. "Your dinner has arrived," a voice called.

Sakura slid out of bed and ambled towards the door. An older gentleman stood outside with a rolling cart. She recognized him as a former patient. He smiled. "Good evening, Lady Haruno. When I learned you were the Kazekage's guest, I made some arrangements to deliver your meal personally."

"You're looking great, Kai Shinomori!" Sakura said, offering a generous smile. They met during the war and he was the head of the Food Services of Sand— arguably the most important civilian position in the village.

Kai lifted a tray and handed it towards Sakura. "As you can see, my arms are strong. No sign at all that I had two broken arms the last time we met."

She took the tray. "The last time we met, you had two recently healed broken arms," she corrected. "And it's Lady Uchiha now." She jerked her head in Sasuke's direction. "I'm married to Sasuke Uchiha."

Kai's smile became a little forced. Most people had less than positive attitudes when it came to Sasuke. "It is a pleasure to have two of the great heroes of the Fourth War present."

"I'll be here for a few weeks. I look forward to catching up," Sakura said.

"I've imported the plums you like and will be having your favorite sweet plum dessert for dinner tomorrow," Kai promised. He bowed and then left them alone, pushing the serving cart along the hallway.

Sakura set their dinner on the nightstand. "I'm not quite hungry." She walked back to Sasuke, held his face between her hands, kissed his brow. "I'm going to change out of these clothes, feel free to eat." She stepped into the bathroom, admired that the stones on the floor were heated under her bare feet and slipped into her robe.

Sasuke picked at the dinner. His appetite substantially diminished at Shinomori's less than sunny opinion of him. Normally, it didn't bother him having strangers dislike him. He deserved the ire, he did a lot of bad things. But he didn't want Sakura's association with him to affect people's opinions of her.

When his wife stepped out, she wore a pretty pink and purple silk robe. He hadn't seen it before. "You look very nice. Is this new?"

Sakura nodded. "I thought I'd surprise you when you decided to tag along on this mission. It's a maternity robe. I can't quite fit into my regular one." She waved towards the dinner plate. "Did it taste okay?"

"I'm just not particularly hungry," Sasuke explained. "Shinomori seemed to really like you."

"I have a pretty good reputation in Sand. I did help renovate their hospital system. It's pretty state of the art. Gaara has spared no expense on the improvements," Sakura explained.

"You didn't have to correct him, telling him your name was Uchiha now," Sasuke said. "I wouldn't have minded. The Haruno name deserves recognition."

Sakura shrugged. "I'm an Uchiha now. We're rebuilding the clan and that includes the reputation."

Sasuke walked towards Sakura, took her hand and led her back to the bed to lay beside him. "We won't have much opportunity to just relax in the future, much less relax with each other." In spite of his words, Sasuke didn't seem interested in relaxing anytime soon. "This Shadow Hokage position is sounding less and less appealing."

"You'll be a good balance to Naruto though," Sakura pointed out.

Sasuke stared up at the canopy. "Sarada isn't going to remember me. Takashi and Myoken won't even know me outside of a photograph. I won't even recognize any of them." His eyes shifted towards Sakura. "What kind of a father doesn't even recognize his own children? For years, there was nothing I wanted more than to have a family, rebuild the Uchiha clan. Now I have one and I'm abandoning you all?"

Sakura stared at her husband in silence for a long a while, surprised he'd said so much. She simply held his hand with her left hand and started to play with his dark, silky hair, gently tugging on his scalp in a soothing fashion with the right. "So, you do want to name one of them Takashi?"

"I guess, since Itachi is so set against using his name," Sasuke said. "Why Takashi though?"

"It's the name I wanted to use if I had a boy," Itachi answered, his voice nearby but no visual manifestation. "It's a good name, meaning esteemed and honorable."

"It's the name he wanted to use if he had a son," Sakura answered.

"Oh." Sasuke tried to visualize a reality where the Uchiha massacre hadn't occurred. Tried to imagine his brother as a family man. He faintly remembered a third or fourth cousin that had a big crush on Itachi. Is that who he would have ended up with? Would Sasuke have ended up in an arranged marriage? "Wait, I thought he left?"

"I did, but then you called out and I seem to instinctively know when you're addressing me even when I'm not present," Itachi said. "I'm on the balcony. I can only hear, I'm not watching if that makes you feel better."

"He's nearby on the balcony. He was going to leave, but you called him back talking about him," Sakura explained.

Sasuke began to play with Sakura's wedding ring, grateful the metal infused with blood and chakra would help him find her serving as a beckon. He didn't yet know the extent of the bond, if there was a range while they were in the same realm. He did know it didn't work if he was in another realm. "And why does he want Kakashi to be the birthing coach?"

"Maybe he'll change his mind about being a lonely bachelor," Itachi answered. "He's my only living friend."

"He thinks Kakashi might decide he wants kids. I think he's worried about him," Sakura explained. "They were friends."

"What you two don't know, is that Kakashi has made it very clear to me that if I screw this up," he gestured between the two of them with their joined hands. "That he'd be more than happy to swoop in, save the day, and happily marry my widow."

Sakura blinked at him in shock. "I think you misunderstood. I'm sure he was just trying to test your sincerity." She slipped her hand out of his hair and settled it on his left upper arm. She hoped Itachi was right and that Sasuke could gradually accept the prosthetic. She loved her husband as he was, but it would be nice to know he wasn't fighting against godlike creatures with any unnecessary handicaps.

"No, Sakura. I saw how he looked at you in that last battle in the Fourth War." Sasuke sat up while keeping hold of Sakura's hand, and looked deep into her eyes. "He created a Susanoo to protect you. That should have been impossible."

"Really?" Itachi sounded impressed. He materialized in the room. "Wow. Other than Madara, I thought only Sasuke and I had been able to create a Susanoo." He eyed Sakura critically, his dark gaze intense. "I guess he must really care about you then."

Sakura looked towards Itachi. "Obito did give him a power up. And I powered Obito."

"Still. Sasuke has a good reason to be worried." Itachi shrugged. "Kakashi's a good guy. You could do worse. If Sasuke dies, you have my permission to marry Hatake, for what it's worth."

"Thanks, but I think I've set things in motion where he may find interest in a sweet violet haired kunoichi." Sakura squeezed Sasuke's hand. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that. I have only ever loved Sasuke."

Sasuke stiffened and glared around the room, trying to will himself to see Itachi's spirit. "What did he say?"

"He basically gave me his blessing to marry Kakashi if you die," Sakura explained.

"Well if that's not motivation to come back home to my family, I don't know what is," Sasuke growled.

Itachi chuckled. "There's nothing better than jealousy when it comes to motivating my brother."

Sakura cradled Sasuke's face, kissed him softly on the lips. "I will raise our children to the best of my abilities. They will know their father. I will tell them stories from my memories, Itachi's memories, Naruto's memories. We'll tell them all your good qualities."

"Seems to be me there will be more to talk about if you discuss my faults," Sasuke reasoned.

"I feel a child should think of their dad as a hero," Sakura argued.

"I'll leave you two alone," Itachi said. "I'll watch over Sarada." He popped out of sight.

"He left again, going to check on Sarada for the night," Sakura explained.

"I can only stay a few days more. I'll have my challenge with Gaara, hopefully that goes well, then I'll have to head West, drop by the village for the prosthetic, report to Lady Tsundade and Kakashi. I'm cutting it close," Sasuke said. "Do I know the violet haired kunoichi?"

Sakura nodded. "You might not remember her. I met her during the war as part of the medical division. She's the Anbu that found you after —after your clan."

Sasuke nodded. He remembered someone with purple hair hugging him and pulling him away from his parents' cold bodies. His mouth felt dry at the memory and he physically shook his head to suppress the thought.

"Good that he left. You know I'm worthless at displays of affection in front of an audience." Sasuke began to help Sakura out of her robe, then he started at her toes, his dark eyes looking at her from the foot of the bed. "Since this will be one of our last nights for a good while, I'm going to kiss every centimeter of you."

Sakura felt her toes curl in pleasure as Sasuke began to work his way up her body. "Only if you let me return the favor."

Sasuke paused, hovering over Sakura's swollen belly. He ran his tongue around her navel and then stared into her eyes."I'm really disappointed that I'm missing the final trimester. I remember last pregnancy, that's when your libido was highest."

"Yeah, that's frustrating. I know you have to do your Shadow Hokage role. Only you can. The Rinnegan makes you uniquely qualified," Sakura said. "It doesn't mean, I'm not upset about it. But I love you, Sasuke Uchiha. Every moment I share with you is a gift."

She could feel a warm set of tears. She wasn't sure if they were hers or Sasuke's. "I've really enjoyed these past two years. They have been the best two years of my life," he confessed.

"And when this is all said and done, we will grow old together and watch our children and their children grow up," Sakura promised.

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"You want to do the challenge today?" Gaara asked, surprised by Sasuke's eagerness.

"Sakura is doing the tour of the hospital this afternoon. I'd rather do it sooner than later. I'll want to be recovered before heading out," Sasuke explained.

"Doesn't matter to me," Gaara said. "It's been a while since I've had a challenging sparring session. I'll make the arrangements. There will need to be at least four witnesses, one to watch from each cardinal direction."

"I'd prefer the whole Konoha party be present," Sasuke said.

"Yes, and my siblings and a couple of other officers from my village," Gaara added. "It seems odd timing that you wish to do this now. Do you really care about being promoted to Jonin?" Gaara was aware of Sasuke's upcoming mission. All the Five Kage were aware. It was a joint task and another reason his war crimes had been pardoned.

"I want my wife to have good stories to tell our kids while I'm absent. And it's also been a while since I've had a sparring session with someone that was truly a challenge. I love Naruto, but he isn't exactly a strategist and Kakashi and I know each other very well," Sasuke explained.

"And Sakura? I imagine y'all know each other too well too," Gaara added. "I've been very impressed with her progress. I certainly misjudged her potential when we were kids."

"You weren't the only one," Sasuke agreed. Sakura's teachers, her teammates, and she herself had all misjudged her potential. She had promised that she would spend time with Kurenai working on her Genjutsu ability. She had a natural proclivity to resist most Genjutsu's and they both wanted the ability to be honed. It would be a vital skill around children with a predisposition for The Sharingan. Naruto was the obvious choice for next Hokage, but Sakura was also a good candidate. Sasuke wanted his wife to have all the possible tools in her arsenal.

"All right, let's get on with it then," Gaara said. "We'll meet at the Arena in an hour."

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OoO

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Naruto's two shadow clones had almost crossed the distance into Sand. They'd been running at maximum capacity, with no fear for injury, their travel would be consider reckless if they hadn't been clones.

The original Naruto wouldn't know what happened until the clones had popped out of existence. It would be preferred if one could report back and the other join the escort of the team back to Leaf. Whenever he became Hokage, he'd want to be able to leave the village every once in a while, even if i were only in clone form, or he could leave a clone back at the office and leave for real.

The possibilities were endless!

When he reached the outskirts of the village, a guard had been waiting for him. Shikamaru had sent a telegram to inform Gaara that his clones were on their way.

"You're just in time Lord Uzumaki," one of the guards greeted them. "Lords Uzumaki?"

"Just clones of Naruto," one answered.

"Ah," the guard on the left acknowledged. "Still, we are honored to have part of you visiting our village."

Naruto's clones grinned in unison. "Believe it! I'm honored to be here." They started walking together. "Now what are we just in time for?"

"Lord Gaara and the Uchiha guest are having a challenge in the arena," one of the guards explained.

"What? Sasuke is stirring up trouble?" Naruto's clone demanded. He started to wobble a little as panic began to set in. The real Naruto would never be able to get there in time to stop a battle. The clone on the left, turned to the clone on the right. "He could do a substitution jutsu and be here instantaneously." It wasn't teleportation like Sasuke could do with the Rinnegan, but it was similar to Minato's teleportation jutsu.

"It's a Chunin Exam Challenge," the guard explained. "Uchiha was sponsored by a Leaf and Sand Jonin to be allowed to challenge a shinobi of superior rank. If he is to defeat that shinobi in a trial by combat, he would automatically be promoted to the same rank as the one he challenged."

"Who judges the contest?" Naruto clone number one asked.

The guards exchanged a look. "Lord Gaara."

"And who is Sasuke competing against?" Naruto clone number two asked.

"The Kazikaze, Lord Gaara."

"You're it!" The first clone said, attacking the second clone and sending the newly acquired memories into the original Naruto back in Konoha.

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TBC

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Author's Note: I'm going on hiatus for a bit. By the frequency of the last few chapters, you can tell they were mostly plotted out. I'll take this time to re-read the light novels, I prefer them to the actual manga. And so far, the only episodes of Boruto that have managed to keep my attention are the episodes based off the light novels. I definitely prefer older Sakura — she's able to handle herself (for the most part) and doesn't say stupid stuff (whenever she said mean things to Naruto never really made sense, other than toxicity common with shonen where the girl is verbally abusive to the sweet guy and is always taking crap off the jerk who might one day see her as valuable). I also prefer older Sasuke — he's no longer a psychopath. I liked seeing him get his feelings hurt when Sarada called him annoying. And I like the glimpses of him appreciating his wife (so far he doesn't seem to appreciate Sarada too much, at least until the last Boruto arc before it went on hiatus). Until next time!

7/2/2023