Disclaimer: Thank goodness I don't own Naruto or else the update patterns would be all over the place

A/N: I know that it's been a while since I have last posted. Life just kind of gets in the way of doing the things that I love. That and I really liked my writing style from the first chapter and struggled to reproduce that with the later chapters put me off of writing anything really. But here I am again, using writing as an escape and hopefully I wont have as long of a hiatus now.

When I wrote the first chapter of this story I stuck a random title because I was really excited to post it. Now that I have had time to think I really want to change the title to some that sounds a little less... well lame. My two options now are "A Trickle in Time" or "A Twitch in Time" thematically I think that trickle just makes more sense, but I wanted to run things by you guys as well. Out of the two which one would you like to see more?

And finally... because it has been so long I've added a summary of all the events so far!

Summary: It was just after his fight with Itachi that Sasuke woke up in a vast desert with nothing in sight. Chakra depleted, wounds littering his body, and exhausted he began his journey to find a village. 3 days later with no luck Sasuke finally succumbed to the limitations of his body under the guise of a nap. Later he would wake up to the sound of a group of individuals that healed his wounds. Seeing their Konoha hitae-ate he immediately engaged them in battle. Before passing out Sasuke heard one girl introduce herself as an Uchiha. He then woke up in a carriage, chakra bound and finally able to view the trio that reminded him of his past teammate. Curious as to who the Uchiha girl was and still weakened from the past 4 days, Sasuke remained with the group, introducing himself as Arata. Sarada brought him to a hospital where he was healed and then subsequently went to a bar where he got drunk (as a result of his medication). Too overwhelmed to keep his facade, Sasuke cried, Sarada offered a spar to distract the stranger. During this battle Sarada realised that Sasuke was a younger version of her father. Later the group would wait for their civilian outside a small house. After a couple hours, a masked man exits, and Sasuke finds himself uneasy as he peered in the house to see a flash of red in their civilian eyes. The group then make their way to a restaurant. Sarada is still curious how the younger version of her father is now here, but because of the ease he feels in his presence, Sarada unconsciously mimics her behaviour as if the younger version was father from this timeline.

"The hole in one's heart gets filled by others around you" - Kakashi Hatake

Sasuke sighed contently, relishing the feel of hot water against his aching muscles. He sank in until his chin touched the water's surface and just for a moment he subconsciously let himself feel at ease. Just for one moment, until the event from 4 days ago came rushing back in a blaze of fury. One blink is all it took for the hot water to transform before his eyes into a sea of red. Shooting up out of the water he shakingly brought his hand up watching as the sticky, slimy red liquid dripped and sent ripples bursting out onto the sea below. It all felt so real. Its high-pitched plinking noise that overrode everything else, Its sharp iron tang, its unmistakable heat as it slowly oozed out onto his hand from where he had impaled his brother. He could still feel the crunch of cracking bones beneath his fingers.

Sasuke's breath came to an abrupt halt. His eyes widened and mouth parted with the inability to process what he saw. It was as if his senses decided for themselves that they no longer wish to partake in his daily experiences; instead they would much rather derive pleasure in reliving the very day that he truly became the last Uchiha. Just as quickly as it had stopped his breath hitched and in the next second it came in uncontrollable bursts.

Sasuke clenched his hand to cease the slight tremor that coursed through it to ground himself to something - anything. Even to the indistinct distant voice he just barely heard under the drips. He focused on forcing the voice to close in on him till that was the only thing he heard. Using it as an anchor that would eventually bring him to the surface. Until the red seeped back to the unmistakable star flecked deep blue of the outdoor bath house, until the slime of blood on his hands shifted to the slick feeling of water, until his breath came fully and evenly.

"Hey… are you alright?" At the sound of a loud splash Boruto and Mitsuki, both wearing varying shades of confusion, had made their way over to where he was.

"Fine," he grunted, more than embarrassed at his lack of event that seemed to be happening more often in the recent days. Boruto's eyebrows furrowed less than convinced, but to Sasuke's relief he did not pursue the topic further. "Well… I'm heading out. We'll wait for you in the change rooms. So don't take too long."

"Boruto, is it wise to leave him unattended?" Mitsuki asked. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched and he stiffened on instinct, taking the words as a personal blow. They spoke as if he couldn't beat them blindfolded. The thought set him on edge, sending him back to eight years-old when his father scoffed at his abilities. But no, he wasn't that boy any longer - hasn't been for a long time -that needed the approval of his family to feel more than. That boy had died alongside his brother as Itachi's life seeped out into Sasuke's hand. He was lost to the flow of time. Slipping out of his grasp the further he got from before the massacre and the closer he got to fulfilling his ambitions. They say that time heals all wounds; yet for the last eight years time has only served to fester the hatred that burned within. Now he hoped that time would cauterise his wounds, ease his volatile emotions, and allow for a sliver of unburdened breath. He had been suffocating and drowning for years, but now, it was time to break through the surface of his warring emotions.

"It's fine, I can sense his chakra, we'll know if he leaves."

Feeling the numbness settle into his bones. Sasuke turned his head away as the two exited the area. The trembling in his hands still present as if it were now a permanent quirk. Finally alone with his own thoughts Sasuke felt as if he were an apparition staring down at his body. This was not the first time such an experience occurred. Over the years, when he had felt his lungs give way and heaviness settle on his chest, Sasuke would begin to view the world from a bird's eye. As if he were a simple spectator, watching as his body moved through the motions unable to stop or control it. Eventually, if he waited long enough, or if his ambitions burned anew - whichever came first - Sasuke would throw himself into training. But now with nothing to train for and nothing to fuel his ambitions, Sasuke wondered how long would it be before he once again sat in the control seat.

Sasuke slouched further, resting his head against the heated rocks at his back to stare at the never ending ocean of the sky. Star gazing had only ever brought forth sorrow. Long ago he had named each star a member of his family. The one to the left? His uncle. The one on the right? The boy he used to play with but now could not recollect the name of. Just under that? His grandmother. The two brightest that flickered in unison, that called to one another? His parents. And now the brightest of the bunch, furthest away from the rest of his family? Itachi. How many more loved ones would he have to name before he could breath without feeling the ache in his chest. Itachi had taken everything away from him, but even so Sasuke couldn't bring himself to feel a sliver of joy that he once proclaimed he would feel upon his brother's death.

Sasuke waited until the rapid thumping of his heart slowed to a steady rhythm and the trembling of his hand reduced until it was undetectable before he exited the bath and draped a dry towel over his torso. His once full muscles and toned body now looked like withered skin clinging onto bone as his ribs peaked through. The culmination of years of training had been reduced to this body of his. Lost in the days after the final battle. However, one unanswered question 'why brother?' flittered through his mind over… and over… and over. Possibly never to be answered in this lifetime of his. Maybe in the afterlife, where sasuke knew he was bound to cross Itachi again, he would get an answer. A true answer. One that would not feel as if it bore many secrets yet to be shared. And only then would he truly be able to rest.

Sasuke let out a deep exhausted sigh. After years on the run his footsteps made no noise as he entered the empty changing room. He could still sense the boys' chakra just beyond its closed doors leading into the hallway. Sasuke struggled to tie the plain white obi. While the trembling had ceased, his fingers refused to coordinate enough to loop the ends. Anger flared in a white hot flame that had been left untamed by the volatile emotions Sasuke felt the last couple days. He shut his eyes and focused on taking deep calming breaths. Breath in, breath out; 1…2…3. Till his muscles relaxed and his head cleared. Reigning control of both his emotions and limbs Sasuke quickly tied the ends while discreetly looking around the room. Sure he would probably sense if anyone had walked into the enclosed area, but it hurt no one to be sure before he pulled out the box that had held his yukata from its cubby. Behind the box, hidden away, lay a cold metal fork that he slid beneath the folds of his garment. One that he had quickly swiped off of an empty counter as the group had exited the restaurant an hour before. It wasn't a shuriken, or a kunai or even a senbon; and it certainly wasn't his sword, but paired with his skills it was enough should he need it.

It wasn't until Sasuke came closer to the closed inner doors that he heard the soft voices of his makeshift group members.

"Sarada has been acting a little strange."

"Has she? I suppose she is a little more flushed but it's hot in Suna."

"No no not that, around the new guy. She gets this weird look on her face. Don't you think he kind of looks like someone we know?"

Once again it struck Sasuke odd how these Konoha nin hadn't known who he was. After all, the massacre hadn't been hidden away under was no way that the Hokage would be able to explain away how an entire clan except one suddenly died in the middle of the night. It was not as if Sasuke had an inflated ego in this regard, it was rooted in fact after all. The whispers followed him through Konoha's streets like a ghost that clung onto his back. 'Poor young Sasuke, made an orphan overnight', 'funny how the heir to the Uchiha became its demise', 'they got what they deserved, the arrogant bunch'. So how was it that these three had no idea who he was? Sure he left 4 years ago, and sure they were probably very young at the time; but there was no way that they had not at least heard of his clan, who they were, and most of all how they looked like.

Sasuke heard a gasp and then a sentence that crumbled the thin line of his patience. "Mitsuki! You don't think that… Sarada likes the guy!" Sasuke's eyes twitched. 'How the hell did this idiot figure that' for all the fangirls that crowded him when he was younger, Sasuke knew that the way that girl looked at him did not hold the same emotion as the others.

"Sarada? I thought she had a thing for…"

Sasuke had enough of this conversation and flung the doors open. Sending it careening into the wall.

"Watanabe…san"

Both boys watched with wide-eyed shock as their captive-but-not-a-captive rushed by them in furious steps.

"...What's his problem?" Boruto whispered to Mitsuki as the two made to follow Sasuke's retreating steps.

Sasuke briskly walked the halls of their inn. Not waiting to see if they were following as he could still sense their lagging presence a few feet away. Each shoji door that he passed in the traditional inn blurred into one another as his eyes tunnelled. Sasuke didn't know why the need to retreat into the confines of their room took control of his executive functions. Yet he did not feel the need to stop. The sooner he went to their room, the sooner he could lie down, and the sooner he could go to sleep.

As the next corner came into view five steps away, he heard Boruto call out, "Yo Arata slow down damn it!" Three steps away and the bubbling sounds of a child's laugh echoed through the hall. One step before he rounded and… "oof!" a small body collided with his. Sasuke stopped in his tracks to look down only to see a young boy no older than five bounce off the floor. Knees bent and hands bracing him, the boy sat staring up at him. The boy's laughter died and a choked sob escaped. Sasuke, like many emotionally stunted, introverted, geniuses lacked the basic social skills to effectively respond to emotions. So when the first tear slid down the boy's face, Sasuke could feel his own face harden. When his tear turned into a waterfall and snot ran into his open mouth as he wailed for his mother, Sasuke did the only thing he knew how to do.

Run.

Or… more accurately briskly walk away with his hands and teeth clenched with a simple "tch" left to carry in the hall.

"Shit dude, at least say you're sorry," Boruto called after him as Mitsuki asked where the boy's mother was. But emotions were hard for Sasuke. Volatile as his emotions always were and more so now than ever before, he did not have the capacity to care that a five year old was scared of his face. Sasuke's eyes narrowed in on the last door at the end of the hallway and flung it open with a light thud.

The night before Boruto and Mitsuke decided that Sasuke would sleep by the wall lest he attempt to escape. So that's where he went, the futon already laid and ready to use was a welcome sight. While they had been in the bath the cold had seeped into the room through the paper thin walls and open window. Sasuke laid down on his right side facing the wall and pulled the covers over himself to imprison the escaping heat from his bath. The tremor in his hand, while lessened, had remained. Sasuke shoved his hand under his pillow using it as extra cushioning. His other hand made its way into the folds of his garment just above his obi to caress the cold metal of his stolen fork.

It didn't take long before he heard the light taps of feet on the floor as they made their way to the room. Sasuke, not wanting to bother with a conversation he was sure Boruto would start, evened out his breathing. An experienced ninja, at their core, would be able to tell the difference between breathing when awake and asleep. Question was, were they experienced?

"Looks like he's sleeping Boruto" Sasuke could feel their eyes linger on his form. The slow and easy rise and fall of his figure masked his own turbulent thoughts of the days prior. He held in the exasperated sigh their words threatened to release. Sasuke wasn't expecting much from the duo, as young as they were, but surely he hadn't expected that he had somehow overestimated their skills.

"Good thing too, or else I would have beat the bastard." Sasuke nearly scoffed at the notion. He could hear shuffling as the duo settled into their own beds.

"Say, Mitsuki, do you think that sensei will come back to the village for parent's day?" Boruto whispered into the night. His arms rested behind his head as he stared up at the blank expanse of the ceiling.

It took a few minutes before a reply came. "I don't know, probably not. He's rarely in the village"

"But Sarada would be happy if sensei did come, he's her dad after all. I mean… I'd like it if my old man came…" A tense silence filled the air, only broken by the chirping crickets and soft snores beyond the walls of their room. "Not more me I mean… For Hima. The old man's gone and locked up in his office so often that I just got used to it, but Hima is young you know?... She still has hope and waits for him… What about your parent?"

"My parent will arrive the night before the festival."

"Man, I can't even tell if your parent's your mom or dad.."

"..."

"Orochimaru gives me the creeps dude, but if your parent can make it to parents day and my dad doesn't go… Whatever, I'm going to bed." Sasuke heard fabric shuffling as Boruto moved to face the window. "Anyway, We'll deal with him in the morning." Sasuke opened his eyes, while there was no longer a need to feign sleep, he kept his breathing soft. His brows furrowed as he took in all the new information.

Orochimaru? A parent? When had this happened? The last Sasuke heard of the snake, Orochimaru had been sealed away. This was the first usable information he had heard since joining this group. For now he filed it away until we could make sense of what exactly happened in the days after the final battle. But he couldn't do that while being dragged by the whims of these children.

Sasuke baited his time, knowing that escaping now was likely but too tedious. Besides if he was one thing it would be smart. Even if he now knew where he was, Sasuke had no delusions that his body was still too weak to travel on his own in the desert. As unthinkable as it was, he needed these kids until they touched the border into Fire Country. There, on familiar terrain, Sasuke would be better able to fend for himself. When their breathing evened out and the grinding sounds of Boruto's snoring hitched, Sasuke made for the window.

Sasuke placed one foot on the sill before peering over his shoulder to find the glow of Mitsuki's yellow eyes trained on him. He had been cushioned between Sasuke's empty bed and Boruto. Both boys' expressions remained blank and seconds ticked by, words were unnecessary between the two as an understanding passed. Sasuke would come back. And as Sasuke pushed off the sill into the night, Mitsuki simply closed his eyes and waited.

—-

Cool air bit into her skin, pebbling it. Her hair stood on end and he could see the cloud of smoke that emitted from her mouth each time she exhaled. And yet not a breeze ruffled any of her clothes.

Deserts were like that. Bipolar.

The scorching heat of the day would eventually make way for the frost of night. But with it came its beauty. Most would not notice the twinkling stars of night that lit dark paths. Not when street lamps were there anyway. Who would care for beauty when comfort stood in its way casting a mist of light that would block out twinkles. These were the thoughts of Sarada Uchiha as she gazed upon the sky, sat upon the ledge atop the roof across their hotel.

Their group had long since made their way back to the hotel. Each member was bathed, fed, and fell into their assigned rooms. While Sarada took the last shift.

It worked out really, their system for shifts that played well into their sleeping habits. Boruto would take first, the one who slept late no matter what. Mitsuki would take second, the one that was ready to go no matter his disrupted sleep. And Sarada would take last, the one that rose before the sun.

Metal glinted beside her. Kusanagi. It was odd really taking possession of her father's sword. The version of which lacked the scratches that marked years of could only stare at the scabbard wondering what events would lead her 16 year old father years into the future. Is time travel even possible? Why is he here? Is this even him? Or a farce of someone who knows her family?

Even the soft falls of feet reverberated in the dead of night when not a soul walked Suna's streets. But it wasn't as if he had been trying to hide his presence. Their eyes caught and she watched him exit through the window minutes before.

It was as if her thoughts had summoned him.

Sasuke Uchiha stood beside her as silent as the night. Gazing upon the same stars that had held her attention a mere moment ago.

She did not know what to say. What could one say really when they suspected the teenage version of their dad somehow crossed time and space only to now stand beside them. Sorrow etched into their face as if they were born with it.

"Hey," she said. If only to fill the awkward silence.

A nod was all she received. Had her father always been a recluse or was this a recent phase of his. Her eyebrow twitched in much the same manner as her mother's as annoyance flared within her. The man that she knew as her father, rarely spoke more than a couple sentences at most yes, but at least would answer with words.

"I'm guessing Boruto's dead to the world since I don't hear him yelling your name into the night." Another nod. Damn this kid!

Sarada inhaled deeply and exhaled letting her frustrations go with it like her mother had taught her years ago when her short temper got the best of her. Sarada returned to star gazing

"Do you have any family?... apart from your brother I mean," She scrambled for conversation.

"No," Sarada berated herself. Of course he didn't have any family, she would have met them, there was a reason that her father was called the last Uchiha after all. Sarada

She figured there could be no harm in being candid with him. There were too many signs to be just a coincidence. He was her father. A very young and more hostile version of her father, but her father nonetheless. Earlier, before she had known of his identity, he had mentioned his brother. Uncle Itachi. Growing Sarada knew little to nothing of the claimed-hero her uncle had been apart from whispers in the night of Itachi Uchiha, the man that saved the village. But whenever she tried to ask her mother about him she remained tight lipped. 'Your father will tell you when he's ready' was always her answer.

But armed with the information she gleaned from earlier, Sarada knew that her father and uncle had fought. "You see that star there? That one by itself but still the brightest of all?" she pointed at its location. "When I was a kid my dad was never in the village, so my mom used to tell me to look up at the night sky and remember that wherever he was he would be watching the same sky. So… like any child would I started naming them. The one that I showed you… that one's my uncle. They say he died for the thing he loved." Her eyes softened and a small smile split her face at the memory. The very first time that she decided to name stars, even if she knew nothing about him, her Uncle would be there, watching.

She let her eyes drift to the side and caught a sight that she rarely saw. If you didn't know Sasuke Uchiha you would say that he was as bored and straight faced as ever. But she knew her father, the younger version of him didn't change that. His lips parted ever so slightly, but it was his eyes that held her attention. Widened only but a fraction yet she saw pain and sorrow pour out of him in waves. Sarada turned towards him fully, unable to conceive what had caused the outpour. "Pa… Arata?" Then in the next second as if he suddenly came back upon himself, his mouth snapped shut, blinked, and turned his gaze towards the star.

Her father's eyes, though closed off in emotion, were almost as soft as the man she knew in her lifetime. Sarada took a minute to observe him. His features illuminated by the moon cast harsh lines. It hollowed him over the areas that his skin lay taunt over bones. Nothing like the build of a man who had been happy with his family. She wondered what happened between the boy before her and the man whom she called Papa. What had changed so that the permanent slight dip of his lips would now be a small smile that etched itself onto his face whenever he was home. How can she help this version become the version she was just getting to know? But… more importantly how could she send him back to his own time.

Sarada did not know the mechanics of time travel. She understood dimension hopping, her father's eye granted that ability, but she did not know whether time travel was possible or how to even start researching it. Perhaps if she asked her father he would know more about it. But then again he would likely question her sudden interest and it's not like she could come and just say 'Hey I met the younger version of you on a mission but I don't think he knows he's in the future. So how do we… you know… send him back'. If you had even the barest amount of intellect you would probably guess that mixing you plus you squared equals bad juju.

By now the moon had begun to shift and the sun peeked through the horizon colouring the sky with soft hues of blue. The native birds in the Land of Wind chirped as the day called. Sarada and her father watched as the twinkling light of Itachi hid away behind the luminescence of a much brighter star.