Chapter 9

I have to say, seeing someone get poisoned isn't a fun experience. Naruto was very quiet about the whole ordeal, shrugging it off and changing the subject. I knew why too. Kurama was the one that saved him, but Naruto was still afraid of speaking about him, especially around Sakura.

So, the trip to the training grounds turned into Naruto babbling along while Sakura and I just listened. We were worried, sure, but couldn't do anything unless Naruto let us.

Once we arrived at training ground 3, we went straight to the center and sat down, making a small circle with our bodies. I look at Naruto and Sakura and say "Alright, I can help you guys with your elemental affinities."

I look at Sakura and say "Sakura, you have that scroll I gave you?" She nods and pulls out the scroll. I gesture for her to hand it over, and she does.

I spread the scroll out and say "Due to your high chakra control and natural water affinity, I thought that medical ninjutsu would fit best for you Sakura."

I glance up at her, seeing her nod. I smile slightly when I see her focusing, not gushing over me. Things are changing, ever so slowly. This is very good.

Getting out of my thoughts, I then say "As long as you do the exercises to their fullest, you should be able to do it with some ease. The only tip I can give you is to build up your chakra."

I look her square in the eyes and say "So that means no more diet! You need to eat a lot in this carrier!"

She looked absolutely appalled that I would suggest something like that. "But Sasuke, I need to stay skinny for y-" She cut off right at the end, but I knew exactly what she was going to say.

I put up a finger and say "Sakura, you are going to be exercising all the time, be it training or missions. Not eating will only be detrimental to your success."

Sakura looked ready to refute, but stops when I grab her arm gently. "Just trust me on this."

She closes her mouth, looking down in thought. She nods slowly, then says "Ok Sasuke…"

I smile and say "There we go. Why don't you go practice? If you need any help, just ask." She nods, then gets up and moves away.

I turn to Naruto next and say "You have the scroll I gave you?" He nods and hands it to me the same way Sakura did.

Opening up his scroll, I say "Your's is simply the Wind Style: Gale Palm. Since you have so much chakra, I feel like this was a good technique. And remember Naruto, use EVERY exercise in there! It will make the end result much easier."

He grumbles about having to do so much work, but nods. I am about to give the scroll back, when I suddenly remember something about Naruto. The main technique that made him famous. I look at him and say "Naruto, those clones you used against Kakashi, were they Shadow Clones?"

He looks at me oddly, then nods. I grin and say "Alright, that can make your training go by much faster. Those clones transfer the knowledge they get to you."

Naruto tilts his head in confusion, when it suddenly dawns on him. He grins widely and jumps into the air with a "YATTA!"

He instantly grabs the scroll and runs off, wasting no time in forming a bunch of clones and doing the exercises in the scroll. I shake my head in exasperation, then decide to do some training of my own. I sit with my legs crossed, put my hands in a relaxed position, and then begin.

"Don't tell me you are trying to become a sage Uchiha." One of my eyes twitch while still closed, and I mentally reply. "Become a sage? No, not now at least. For now, I need my Sharingan."

Kurama snorts and says "Well, have fun then. I am going to sleep." My eye twitches again at the laziness in his tone. How can the most powerful bijuu just sleep all the time?

Anyways, back to normal. For now, I needed to find my Sharingan. I once again probe my mind with my chakra, searching for the special Uchiha chakra that controls the Sharingan. It felt a lot hotter than my normal chakra when I use it, so just where is it?

I kept moving slowly, looking for even the slightest abnormalities. My eyebrows furrow and my eyes tighten as I still can't seem to find anything. Just as I believe I'll have to reawaken the Sharingan, I feel it. A slight, very tiny, shift in the temperature of chakra.

Almost instantly I move my probing towards it, grasping onto the heated chakra. I smirk slightly to myself as I recognize it for what it was. This was it. Releasing the previous chakra I was using, I grab hold of the heated chakra and move it to my eyes.

Now, when an Uchiha activates a Sharingan, a few things happen. First, the special chakra makes a heat behind the eyes. It isn't really dangerous, but it is uncomfortable. Secondly, you can FEEL your irises shifting and changing to the Sharingan's shape. Even now I get shaky from the very disturbing feeling. Beyond that is what the changes actually do.

I open my eyes, and I instantly know I have the Sharingan. Everything around me is clearer, brighter, more detailed. I could see faint trails of blue flowing everywhere, the chakra that flowed from close-by people.

I glance over to Sakura and see her chakra core fluctuating as she uses it to do the exercises. I look at Naruto and squint slightly in surprise. Even at this age Naruto's chakra core was amazingly large. He had more chakra than even Madara did, and that's saying something.

I blink, and all the changes disappear. I smirk and say quietly "Sharingan is a go."

"Well then, what about that other eye you have?" My gaze instantly snaps over to the voice, my body readying itself for attack instinctively. I blink, then breathe out a silent breath of relief as I just see Kakashi observing me.

I smirk and say "Those two bring any trouble?"

Kakashi just eye smiles and says "No, but you might if you try to steal my job." I open my mouth, then close it. I guess I am doing just that. Whatever, Kakashi can deal with some extra training. I shrug and just do my typical no-response grunt. "Hn."

Kakashi looks at me in what seems to be surprise as he says "Oh, the Uchiha grunt! I thought you had lost it Sasuke!" I just stare at him unamused, then grunt again. Just cause I'm an Uchiha doesn't mean I have to grunt… baka.

Back to the matter at hand, Kakashi asked about my 'other eye'. Turning to him, I say "So, by other eye, did you mean the Mangekyo or the Rinnegan?"

Kakashi shrugs and says "I would say both, but I know how exhausting the Mangekyo is from the one time I've used it. I doubt your body can handle that, even with the Kyuubi inside you."

He did have a point there. Turning back, I decide the best bet would be my Rinnegan. Now, if I could get THAT eye working, I could be unstoppable! The power it grants practically turns any user into a god, and I have this 'reincarnated chakra' of the first Uchiha, son of the Sage of Six Paths or something like that? Yeah, I think I would be pretty powerful.

I close my eyes, then search for the Rinnegan. This… isn't something easily explained. If someone tried to tell me how to activate a Rinnegan prior to me getting it, I would've been at a loss. The best way I can describe it is a feeling of power and control within your mind washing over you. To activate the Rinnegan, you need to find this 'feeling' and pull it forwards.

But… I can't seem to find that 'feeling' anywhere! I can't feel it! Why can't I find my Rinnegan?! I close my eyes tighter in stress, trying desperately to find the trigger for my Rinnegan.

A sudden explosion is heard and I can hear Naruto scream in frustration. Kakashi sighs and says "I'm going to go help Naruto. You keep… doing what you're doing." I nod, and I can hear him walk away.

I squint my eyes even harder, and then I feel something. I rush towards it, but then gasp as I feel a sudden tug on my consciousness. I get a sense of freefalling, and then I hit my back on something.

I groan in pain, rubbing my aching back. That didn't feel like grass. I crack an eye open, and then look around in surprise. I was back in that massive dojo. My mindscape.

I pick myself up, looking around in confusion. What am I doing here? I was looking for the Rinnegan, but that never required me to enter my mindscape before. I wonder… I look down the path leading to Kurama's cage. He would know, right? After all, he lives in my head.

I instantly start jogging down the pathway to Kurama's cage. I turn a corner, then instantly get blown onto my ass by a blast of hot air. Kurama glares down at me and says "Do not call this a cage. This is my residence, not my prison."

I pick myself up, nursing my sore head. I nod, then say "Yes Kurama-sama. But, I need to ask. Do you know why I was brought here when I was searching for my Rinnegan?"

Kurama grins and chuckles lowly. "Ah, the Rinnegan. Yes, I do know why. Just follow my chakra and you will find the answer."

A single, thin wisp of red chakra begins to seep from Kurama's position, passing the bars with ease. The wisp moves down the hall, then turns at the corner. I look back at Kurama, then to the chakra trail. I waste no time and begin running.

The first thing I notice as I follow the chakra is the strange markings on the walls. I noticed the Kirin before, but now I was noticing something else. It looked like tomoe markings, randomly strewn about Kirin's body. Some had it, some didn't. I didn't like that one bit.

I feel a sudden intrusion in my mind and instantly break my attention from the wall's designs. I turn back and see the chakra trail turning another corner. I turn around the wall, then halt in my tracks. My eyes widen immensely at what I see.

Right in front of me was a massive door, almost half the size of Kurama's door. The entire thing was red, and I could see tomoe all over it, often in the shape of the Sharingan. And then, there was this very GLARINGLY OBVIOUS design on each half of the door. Two Rinnegan eyes staring down at me. This had to be the place.

I walk forwards slowly, entranced by the beauty of the door. The red was a shining color and the purple was hypnotizing. The tomoe looked like they were… putting me… into… a trance. I can't think. I just want to touch it now…

A sudden flare of pain hits my hand and I snatch it back, hissing loudly. There was a burn on my hand now, and I can only grasp it in shock. I look around, trying to find the attacker.

"Uchiha!" My eyes widen as I hear Kurama's voice. The ground shakes a little, and then Kurama speaks again. "Do not touch that door. It is an extremely powerful seal made by Taimuresu himself! If you touch it, it will erase all your memories of your previous life and you will lose your chance to change everything!"

I rub my hand slightly, staring at the door in a new light. A memory erasing door-seal made by the god of time himself? That is a little extreme. I look around and say "But why is it here?"

"When you traveled back in time, you were too powerful. The Rinnegan is a mortal tool of godlike power. Taimuresu had to seal it away, along with other powerful assets you may have had. If he didn't, you would've been ripped apart by the Sands of Time, as they destroy anything too powerful that travels through time."

I raise an eyebrow and say "Why did he let me through then?"

The response was instantaneous. "Taimuresu could see the destruction the chakra god Kaguya was enacting on the world. He needed to stop her, but was stuck in his domain. When he saw you and Naruto successfully creating a seal to bring you back in time, he knew he had to do something. As such, he sealed your Rinnegan when he entered the portal, preventing you from being destroyed by the Sands of Time."

I… um… guess that makes sense. Now the gods themselves were helping us? I doubt I'll actually see one in this life… hopefully… but that still doesn't make this less strange. Well, I have to thank you Taimuresu.

I back up from the door, then quickly run down the hallway back to Kurama's… room. It only takes me a few moments before I get back. Was it just me, or did the whole return trip feel shorter than the trip to the door.

Kurama chuckles at my confusion, then says "I suggest staying away from the door. It will unlock eventually, but not by your means."

I raise an eyebrow at the cryptic message for only a moment before I feel a sudden tug on myself. Kurama looks up, then says "Your friends are calling you. Best get up there." The giant fox grins, then blows. The hot air rushes around me, and I feel myself thrown forcefully out of my mindscape and back into my actually body.

I tense slightly, then pick myself up off the ground. I crack an eye open and see everyone standing around me, looking worried. I raise an eyebrow and say "What?"

Sakura, looking the most worried, says "We say you just fall over! We thought something was wrong. Are you ok though?! Is anything broken? I can try to fix it."

I backpedal rapidly from the suddenly overly concerned Sakura. I spring to my feet and back up slowly, saying "Sakura, I'm fine!"

Sakura doesn't seem to listen and just keeps inching closer, her eyes suddenly going from concerned to crazy. It was in that moment that I realized she was in 'fan-girl' mode. So, I said the most fitting sentence for the current situation. "Oh shit."

Sakura squeals like a banshee and instantly takes off after me. I, in all honesty, yelp in surprise and hightail it the other direction. Why must I get the crazy ones! Why did it have to be now Sakura?!

I could hear laughing behind me and I turn towards the training ground, avoiding Sakura's grabs nimbly. I bolt past Kakashi and Naruto, screaming "I'LL GET YOU TWO FOR THIS!" My only response was more laughter.

Yeah… they are so dead.

-Author Notes-

A shorter, plotful, and funny chapter! Why don't we have a little fun before the big stuff begins? Also, I hope it is clear by this point that this Sasuke and the normal Sasuke are very different, even if Sasuke himself thinks otherwise. Thanks for reading!