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Sasuke’s eyes snapped open.
What was that…? He thought, sitting up and placing his hand over his chest. A feeling like his heart was going to explode had forced him awake. If that weren’t impossible, he might have been scared for once.
Someone knocked on his door repeatedly.
He made a face at the wood and stretched his arms out.
“Sakura, keep quiet will you?” He called. “Some of us aren’t so dramatic in the morning.”
The door was blown off its hinges, and through the back wall, creating a hole just over his head.
Sasuke glared at her as she walked in, placing her hands on her hips. And matching him eye for eye.
“You’re paying for that.” He warned as he pulled on a shirt.
“Hurry up!” She stomped over, grabbing his wrist and yanking him to his feet.
He slipped out of her grasp easily. “Don’t you think you’re being rude? Barging in like this…”
Sakura’s shoulders were shaking.
He sighed, exhausted already by her temper tantrums and hysterics.
“What now? Are you going to cry again. It’s beginning to bug me—”
Sakura muttered something.
“Sorry I didn’t catch that.”
She whirled around. “I said they found him!”
“Found who?”
Sakura curled her lips back a Sasuke slowly caught on.
He grabbed her shoulders. “Where is he?”
She dried her eyes with the back of her hand. “He just walked in through the front gate like he owned the place. Then he requested an audience with Lady Tsunade, and Kakashi Sensei and Ibiki escorted him there on her orders.”
Sasuke didn’t care what THEY did, but he figured he may as well ask.
“And the others?”
“They’ve already gathered. The rest of the village doesn’t know anything. Iruka sensei wanted to be there too, but he has a class today…”
Sasuke got dressed and ready quickly, and the two ran out the door.
On their way there, they managed to attract some attention. The villagers wondered why they looked so desperate, and why they were together.
For a few months now, there had been rumors floating about that they were secretly dating. That wasn’t true, though Sasuke didn’t really mind the rumors for reasons he didn’t know how to explain.
Saukra had grown up to be beautiful, he would admit that. She was prettier than Sasuke’s mother Mikoto, something he never thought he would never discover about any girl. Sakura’s legs were longer, her arms too. Her face had become more diamond shaped and her eyes got bigger, brighter. Her hair grew longer, though it was still short. Her kunoichi/ clan uniform had changed a little too. It was a pink, sleeveless, zip up, knee length thing that was short in the front, coming down over the top of her shorts, and long in the back. Underneath she wore fishnet armor. She only put on her chunin jacket when she had too. She wore her headband across her forehead now, as her hair just naturally stayed out of her face. There was her shuriken holster on her right leg, a knife strapped to her back, and when she went out on missions, a backpack of important medical supplies.
She ran like a real ninja now, not a heart struck little girl. She no longer worshipped the ground he walked on, or fought with Ino over him. She even dated, though her mother never liked the boys she picked out. Sometimes, she ignored him, or looked at him coldly.
He had stated to wonder if she even considered him a friend if nothing else. He almost asked her once, not long ago, what he was to her now after all that he had done, after Naruto was gone. But for some reason, he was afraid of what her answer could be, and kept it to himself.
He found some odd relief in the fact that she would come to wake him up on the days he slept in too late, or forced him to eat her tasteless cooking when he was unsatisfied with what he found in the fridge, or got mad at him when he hid his wounds, not wanting her to use up too much chakra. She got mad at him when he let the villagers do or say whatever they wanted to him, and she could usually tell when he came back a little bruised here and there.
However, he could not fight them. Not anymore. He didn’t want to become like he was. Only now, he wasn’t sure what to do with his life. His desire to become hokage had vanished with Naruto. It wasn’t that he felt guilty or haunted or hurt. It was that he had lost the person who was supposed to be his greatest obstacle (not that he would ever admit that) on the path to becoming the strongest (not even on pain of death). And somehow, that bothered him.
They reached the hokage’s office, and found every one of their classmates, plus their three seniors, and the three living teachers of the so-called Konoha eleven.
Sasuke locked eyes with him.
“This is Uri?”
Uri was apparently a young man, around the same age as Sasuke himself, with long red hair and wise eyes. He was dressed quite differently from them, especially his headband. It had the same symbol that was on the back of every chunin, and that which was on Naruto’s back from the moment Sasuke met him.
Uri smiled at Sasuke, as if he were looking at an old friend.
For some reason, that angered him.
Sakura slammed the door behind her, leaving cracks in the frame.
“Sakura.” Tsunade scolded. “I understand what you must be feeling right now, but don’t do that again or you’ll be escorted out.”
She ignored him and walked up to Uri. “Where. Is. He. Where is NARUTO?”
Uri looked away. “I’m sorry. I know you all must have been very frantic when I disappeared the way I did.”
“Frantic?” Sakura looked like she would burst into flames. “You sent us a message that practically said ‘I found him! He’s safe! Come and get him, we’ll wait here.’ We were all so relieved. But then we get there, we’re told by Tazuna that you and Naruto had disappeared during the night. He apologized, stressing that you had seemed so trustworthy. We reorganized the search parties from two years ago and looked everywhere. But the two of you had disappeared again, not leaving a trace behind!”
“That’s enough Sakura.” Tsunade said, lacing her fingers together. “I invited you here so you could listen while Uri tries to explain himself, and only because all of you are the ones closest to Naruto. Now step back and let us talk.”
Ino ran up to Sakura and pulled her back.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered in her ear. “But relax a little, okay? We won’t get anywhere if we all give in to impulse and beat the crap out of him. As much as we’d like to, it won’t help.”
Sakura calmed down enough to lose the fury in her eyes.
“Alright.” Tsunade glared at him. “We’re all here. Now explain yourself.”
Kakashi pulled out the letter he had received some months ago, rolling it open so Uri could see.
“My first question is: why did you send this to me if you were just going to run off with him? Also, is he safe?” He asked.
Uri smiled at Kakashi. “You got bigger, Kakashi-kun. Minato-sama would be so proud.”
“Answer me.”
Uri hung his head and nodded. “He is safe. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I knew none of you would listen to me if I told you he couldn’t return to Konoha just yet.”
“And why is that?” Tsunade asked.
Uri looked out the window, at the hokage mountain side images.
“In order to explain, I need to first tell you about the space.” Uri said, placing his hand on Tsunade’s book and summoning a leather bound, ancient-looking book. He flipped it open to a page where there was a blank, blinding white page.
“The space is an alternate dimension, that somehow exists within our own.” He explained. “Or at least that is what the Uzumaki elders defined it as. Really, we have no clue what it is, or where it came from. We believe it might have some connection to the Rikudo sennin. What we do know, is that it is alive in the way it can move around and consume people. The people it targets are usually Uzumaki clan heirs, born from or descendants of the main line. The clan used to keep it sealed away tightly, powered at all times by our great amounts of Chakra. However, when our people were killed, the sealing jutsu imprisoning it within our walls fell apart. It was weakened, and hid itself. Then, two years ago, it found Naruto, who is from our clan’s main line. It consumed him and disappeared.
What was that…? He thought, sitting up and placing his hand over his chest. A feeling like his heart was going to explode had forced him awake. If that weren’t impossible, he might have been scared for once.
Someone knocked on his door repeatedly.
He made a face at the wood and stretched his arms out.
“Sakura, keep quiet will you?” He called. “Some of us aren’t so dramatic in the morning.”
The door was blown off its hinges, and through the back wall, creating a hole just over his head.
Sasuke glared at her as she walked in, placing her hands on her hips. And matching him eye for eye.
“You’re paying for that.” He warned as he pulled on a shirt.
“Hurry up!” She stomped over, grabbing his wrist and yanking him to his feet.
He slipped out of her grasp easily. “Don’t you think you’re being rude? Barging in like this…”
Sakura’s shoulders were shaking.
He sighed, exhausted already by her temper tantrums and hysterics.
“What now? Are you going to cry again. It’s beginning to bug me—”
Sakura muttered something.
“Sorry I didn’t catch that.”
She whirled around. “I said they found him!”
“Found who?”
Sakura curled her lips back a Sasuke slowly caught on.
He grabbed her shoulders. “Where is he?”
She dried her eyes with the back of her hand. “He just walked in through the front gate like he owned the place. Then he requested an audience with Lady Tsunade, and Kakashi Sensei and Ibiki escorted him there on her orders.”
Sasuke didn’t care what THEY did, but he figured he may as well ask.
“And the others?”
“They’ve already gathered. The rest of the village doesn’t know anything. Iruka sensei wanted to be there too, but he has a class today…”
Sasuke got dressed and ready quickly, and the two ran out the door.
On their way there, they managed to attract some attention. The villagers wondered why they looked so desperate, and why they were together.
For a few months now, there had been rumors floating about that they were secretly dating. That wasn’t true, though Sasuke didn’t really mind the rumors for reasons he didn’t know how to explain.
Saukra had grown up to be beautiful, he would admit that. She was prettier than Sasuke’s mother Mikoto, something he never thought he would never discover about any girl. Sakura’s legs were longer, her arms too. Her face had become more diamond shaped and her eyes got bigger, brighter. Her hair grew longer, though it was still short. Her kunoichi/ clan uniform had changed a little too. It was a pink, sleeveless, zip up, knee length thing that was short in the front, coming down over the top of her shorts, and long in the back. Underneath she wore fishnet armor. She only put on her chunin jacket when she had too. She wore her headband across her forehead now, as her hair just naturally stayed out of her face. There was her shuriken holster on her right leg, a knife strapped to her back, and when she went out on missions, a backpack of important medical supplies.
She ran like a real ninja now, not a heart struck little girl. She no longer worshipped the ground he walked on, or fought with Ino over him. She even dated, though her mother never liked the boys she picked out. Sometimes, she ignored him, or looked at him coldly.
He had stated to wonder if she even considered him a friend if nothing else. He almost asked her once, not long ago, what he was to her now after all that he had done, after Naruto was gone. But for some reason, he was afraid of what her answer could be, and kept it to himself.
He found some odd relief in the fact that she would come to wake him up on the days he slept in too late, or forced him to eat her tasteless cooking when he was unsatisfied with what he found in the fridge, or got mad at him when he hid his wounds, not wanting her to use up too much chakra. She got mad at him when he let the villagers do or say whatever they wanted to him, and she could usually tell when he came back a little bruised here and there.
However, he could not fight them. Not anymore. He didn’t want to become like he was. Only now, he wasn’t sure what to do with his life. His desire to become hokage had vanished with Naruto. It wasn’t that he felt guilty or haunted or hurt. It was that he had lost the person who was supposed to be his greatest obstacle (not that he would ever admit that) on the path to becoming the strongest (not even on pain of death). And somehow, that bothered him.
They reached the hokage’s office, and found every one of their classmates, plus their three seniors, and the three living teachers of the so-called Konoha eleven.
Sasuke locked eyes with him.
“This is Uri?”
Uri was apparently a young man, around the same age as Sasuke himself, with long red hair and wise eyes. He was dressed quite differently from them, especially his headband. It had the same symbol that was on the back of every chunin, and that which was on Naruto’s back from the moment Sasuke met him.
Uri smiled at Sasuke, as if he were looking at an old friend.
For some reason, that angered him.
Sakura slammed the door behind her, leaving cracks in the frame.
“Sakura.” Tsunade scolded. “I understand what you must be feeling right now, but don’t do that again or you’ll be escorted out.”
She ignored him and walked up to Uri. “Where. Is. He. Where is NARUTO?”
Uri looked away. “I’m sorry. I know you all must have been very frantic when I disappeared the way I did.”
“Frantic?” Sakura looked like she would burst into flames. “You sent us a message that practically said ‘I found him! He’s safe! Come and get him, we’ll wait here.’ We were all so relieved. But then we get there, we’re told by Tazuna that you and Naruto had disappeared during the night. He apologized, stressing that you had seemed so trustworthy. We reorganized the search parties from two years ago and looked everywhere. But the two of you had disappeared again, not leaving a trace behind!”
“That’s enough Sakura.” Tsunade said, lacing her fingers together. “I invited you here so you could listen while Uri tries to explain himself, and only because all of you are the ones closest to Naruto. Now step back and let us talk.”
Ino ran up to Sakura and pulled her back.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered in her ear. “But relax a little, okay? We won’t get anywhere if we all give in to impulse and beat the crap out of him. As much as we’d like to, it won’t help.”
Sakura calmed down enough to lose the fury in her eyes.
“Alright.” Tsunade glared at him. “We’re all here. Now explain yourself.”
Kakashi pulled out the letter he had received some months ago, rolling it open so Uri could see.
“My first question is: why did you send this to me if you were just going to run off with him? Also, is he safe?” He asked.
Uri smiled at Kakashi. “You got bigger, Kakashi-kun. Minato-sama would be so proud.”
“Answer me.”
Uri hung his head and nodded. “He is safe. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I knew none of you would listen to me if I told you he couldn’t return to Konoha just yet.”
“And why is that?” Tsunade asked.
Uri looked out the window, at the hokage mountain side images.
“In order to explain, I need to first tell you about the space.” Uri said, placing his hand on Tsunade’s book and summoning a leather bound, ancient-looking book. He flipped it open to a page where there was a blank, blinding white page.
“The space is an alternate dimension, that somehow exists within our own.” He explained. “Or at least that is what the Uzumaki elders defined it as. Really, we have no clue what it is, or where it came from. We believe it might have some connection to the Rikudo sennin. What we do know, is that it is alive in the way it can move around and consume people. The people it targets are usually Uzumaki clan heirs, born from or descendants of the main line. The clan used to keep it sealed away tightly, powered at all times by our great amounts of Chakra. However, when our people were killed, the sealing jutsu imprisoning it within our walls fell apart. It was weakened, and hid itself. Then, two years ago, it found Naruto, who is from our clan’s main line. It consumed him and disappeared.
