Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Reflections ❯ Going Home ( Chapter 8 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: siberianknight 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 04.10.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 674 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 04.10.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 674 | Status: Completed
Author's Notes:&nbps; I know it took me a year to get back to this, and I'm sorry. Thank you to everyone who kept asking about it, you guys actually helped spurn me into writing it again. I hadn't ever forgotten about it, but it just took me a while to get back to it.
I hope to have the next chapter out within a month, maybe sooner. In the meantime, ENJOY! :)
Warnings: Angst, Very Minor Spoilage (c295+)
Chapter Status: COMPLETE
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“Sasuke!!” Naruto rose to his feet ignoring the sudden wave of dizziness which swept over him. He had to find Sasuke. What if he hadn’t made it back with him? Or worse yet, what if they had been separated and he had met the Konoha Sasuke? That would be a bit difficult to explain. Naruto roamed around the woods hoping that he would find a clue to Sasuke’s whereabouts; however, the more he wondered around the more he began to realize that he was lost. Now what? He wasn’t certain of his position and the fact that the trees were so crowded together made it impossible to tell what time of day it was. The only solution was to go to the the treetops; there was just one problem with that, he was too drained to mold his chakra to allow him to reach the top.
Naruto plopped down with an angry huff and glared at the rust colored dirt beneath him. He knew that if he continued to wander aimlessly through the woods that the odds of being found were greatly lessened. The best thing for his survival was to stay where he was, but there was that possibility that no one would find him. With a violent shake of his head, Naruto cleared out all the negative thoughts flitting through his mind. Someone will find me, he reassured himself with conviction. Someone will come for me. There was only one thought that he wasn’t able to rid himself of, and that was the question of when. When would someone show up?
-----
Sasuke gazed at his surroundings with wide eyes. Where was he? The place looked vaguely familiar, but at the same time completely foreign. “Sasuke-kun!” A feminine voice rang out behind him, it sounded exactly like ... “Sasuke-kun! I’ve been looking all over for --” Sakura’s voice trailed off as she took in her friend’s appearance. He was wearing clothes that she had never seen before, and to top that off, his eyes were -- “Sasuke! Your eyes -- they’ve healed!” She threw her arms around him and gave him a fierce hug, forcing a small squeak to slip past his lips. Sakura backed away from him, an apologetic smile on her face. “I still seem to forget my strength. But this is excellent ... we need to go and see Tsunade-sama and tell her the good news.”
Sasuke was dragged behind Sakura, having no chance to ask who Tsunade was or why Sakura was behaving so strangely. Also, he wanted to know where that monstrous strength had come from, but he held his tongue because it was hard enough to try and keep up with the insane pace which she was setting. In fact, Sasuke’s feet barely touched the ground the entire trip to this Tsunade. When they finally reached the building where she apparently was, he had to lean against its stone surface and take several deep breaths to refill his starved lungs.
Sakura gazed at Sasuke wondering what was wrong with him. She had practically dragged him the entire way, and they hadn’t made the best time to the Hokage’s office. Instead of questioning him, she allowed him to rest a moment in peace and then walked with him into Tsunade's office. “Tsunade-sama, I have something interesting to show you.”
Tsunade glanced up from the scrolls and tomes which she was studying to stare blankly at her former student. “What is it Sakura?” She wasn’t prepared for the surprise of Sasuke walking into her office, eyes completely healed. In one swift flutter of hair and jacket, Tsunade was before Sasuke and peering into his dark eyes. “How -- when, did they heal?”
Sasuke glared at Tsunade, completely confused by her words. What did she mean, ‘heal’? They weren’t hurt to begin with. He sighed and turned to Sakura. “Is this supposed to be a joke?” She shook her head quickly, and returned his glare.
“Sasuke, have you forgotten? Your eyes were injured when Jiraiya found you in Midorimori. There was nothing I could do for you ...” Tsunade stared into Sasuke’s eyes, trying to discern what was off about him. He obviously wasn’t acting like himself, and the fact that he couldn’t remember made her even more suspicious. “Sasuke, answer me something -- do you know where you are?”
“No.” Tsunade nodded and strode back to her desk, her delicate fingers cupped her chin as she thought about Sasuke’s memory loss. “I don’t think it’s amnesia” she mumbled to herself. “Possibly something else ... something that must be linked to his eyes.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but where am I and why are you so concerned about my eyes?”
“Sakura, take him somewhere and explain everything he wants to know. I need to talk with Jiraiya and Kakashi.” Tsunade dismissed them with an absent wave of her hand, and turned to her scrolls without another glance at the pair.
“Yes, Tsunade-sama.” Sakura gently took Sasuke’s hand and led him out of the office. The two of them walked for a while until they reached a quiet shaded area nearby. Sakura plopped down onto one of the benches beneath the trees and patted the open space next to her in an invitation. “What is it that you don’t understand, Sasuke-kun?”
Reluctantly, Sasuke sat down next to the girl whom he had known since elementary school. However, she wasn’t the same, and it confused him. Well, if she was offering answers, he’d take them. “Where am I?”
“Konoha. It’s the hidden village of the Fire country, where all the ninjas live and work out of.” Sasuke nodded slowly. Ninjas? Had he hit his head? The last thing he could remember was going to a place in Hokkaido where Naruto could be sent back home. Oh, that was where he was. He must be in Naruto’s homeland. “Sasuke-kun?”
“Hmm? Oh, sorry ... so I’m in Konoha. How long have we known each other?” Sakura giggled quietly.
“Sasuke-kun ... we’ve known each other since we were eight-years-old. Since we started at the Academy.” So, they had known each other for the same amount of time. Sasuke came to the conclusion that he must have been mistaken for that world’s Sasuke, but then did that mean the other Sasuke had been sent to his world?
“Um, Sakura ... I need to explain something to you.”
“What?” She gazed at him with innocent eyes, and a slightly puzzled but worried expression. She was going to think him mad when he told her he was from another world, but he couldn’t let this go on much longer. If the other Sasuke was in fact in his world, they needed to figure out how to get him back where he belonged.
“I’m not from Konoha. I’m from a place called Japan. And I believe that your Sasuke is there, because your Naruto was there with me for a little less than a month.” Sakura blinked several times, the information not willing to seep into her brain. My Sasuke? What in the world was he talking about. He was Sasuke. How could there be two of them?
“Um, Sasuke-kun ... I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Japan? Where is that?” Sasuke’s head slumped over in exasperation. Naturally she didn’t understand what he was talking about, and why would she? He hadn’t believed Naruto when he had explained it to him.
“Let’s go find Naruto ... he can explain it better to you.”
Sakura’s eyes shifted to gaze at the brick pavement beneath her feet. “Sasuke-kun -- we don’t know where he is. He’s still missing.”
Sasuke sighed heavily. “Then let’s go look for him,” he hadn’t meant for his voice to sound so patronizing, but the slight frown which flitted across Sakura’s face told him that it had been. “Sorry,” he mumbled under his breath. Sakura’s head snapped up and she stared slack jawed at her old friend. He had just apologized?! Since when did he do that? Confused, she rose and began to walk in the direction of the gate.
“Follow me.” Sasuke couldn’t help but feel a little bad for upsetting her. It was odd that this Sakura seemed a bit different than the one he had left behind in the other world. She was more calm, and less flighty. Sasuke wasn’t sure if he could adapt to this world any time soon.
-----
Sasuke panted heavily as he listened carefully for the footfalls which alerted him to his enemy’s location. He wouldn’t be taken down this time, no he had learned so much in the past few weeks. He was stronger now, not helpless. There, in the bushes. Sasuke puffed his chest out and executed a perfect katon gokakyuu no jutsu. Kakashi deftly jumped out of the way, only being mildly singed this time. “You nearly got me, Sasuke. I think you’ve come quite a ways.”
“I’m still not as strong as I once was.” Kakashi rested a hand upon Sasuke’s drooping shoulders. He knew that the young man would never be as strong as he had been. Not after losing the sharingan ability, but there was still hope that he could be a great ninja without it.
“You’re still an Uchiha -- even without your sharingan ... That alone should fill you with pride. Sasuke, hold onto that and form it into strength -- don’t give up.”
“I can’t. Not with Naruto’s life on the line. I will bring him back. He brought me back, it’s only right that I find him.” Sasuke’s face burned with intensity as he made his vow. Kakashi couldn’t help but grin a bit remembering a similar look upon Naruto’s face as he promised to bring Sasuke back. They both have similar fires burning within them, Kakashi mused quietly to himself. A rustle in the bushes caused both men to go on guard, until the familiar figure of Sakura emerged.
“Finally,” she panted slightly. “I’ve been looking everywhere...” Her voice trailed off as she stared at Sasuke standing beside Kakashi. “Wha--?” Suddenly the world began to tilt back and forth, her head throbbed from the motion. Kakashi ran to her side and caught her just before she fell onto the hard ground.
“Sakura? Hey ... what’s wrong?” Kakashi gently shook the young girl, but she wouldn’t open her eyes. “Sasuke go --” The last bit of the sentence died in his throat as he looked upon Sasuke’s face. He had grown tense, the corners of his mouth drawn taught as he gazed unseeing in the direction from which Sakura had come.
“Who are you?” Kakashi turned and found himself looking upon an exact duplicate of Sasuke. Just what was going on here?
“I would ask the same of you, had I not already been in this position once already. My name is Uchiha Sasuke.”
“That’s impossible. I am Uchiha Sasuke ... I’ll ask again. Who are you?” His face should no sign of emotion as he looked in the general direction of the impostor. The one thought on his mind was that it was possible that he could be why Naruto was gone. That he was the one who had taken him away.
“You’re not going to believe me. I am you, but from another world -- I guess.” His voice hadn’t sounded very confident, naturally because he didn’t quite believe everything himself. In fact he was hoping to wake up from the hellish nightmare he seemed to be trapped inside at any moment.
“Try me.” Sasuke growled deep within his chest. Hearing some tall-tale come out of this other ‘Sasuke’ would make it easier to force the truth out of him, he may even take a bit of pleasure out of prolonging his suffering.
The Japanese Sasuke shivered as the Konoha Sasuke grinned wickedly at him. He knew that no matter what, he needed to make himself understood. Otherwise, it spelled trouble for him, and he’d rather not get hurt because of the strange situation. “Before, about three weeks ago -- in my world -- Naruto,” he paused trying to collect his emotions. It was hard saying the words aloud, but he needed to do so. “My Naruto died in a car accident. He -- I, couldn’t remember it happening, because he was with me. That is, your Naruto -- the Konoha one -- had replaced him. I thought that he was still my Naruto, but he continued to profess that he was a ninja from here ... a place I’d never heard of.
“I never believed him until the day I noticed he was taller than me. That was the moment I realized that something had happened. And he wasn’t mine.” He forcibly shoved the knot which had formed in his throat down; he couldn’t cry he needed his wits about him so that he could deal with the other ‘him’. The Konoha Sasuke stood very still while the Japanese Sasuke gazed at him, noting the subtle differences between the two. The Konoha one was definitely much taller than he. Bigger in build too.
“You’re telling me that you are from another dimension?”
“Yes.” Laughter suddenly filled the small clearing, and startled the Japanese Sasuke. Why on Earth was he laughing? “What’s so funny!?”
“You.” He finally managed to say between deep breaths. “I’ve not heard such a wild tale since Naruto and I were younger. Speaking of which,” the humor vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving in its wake a terrifying seriousness in Sasuke’s voice. “I’d like to know where you’ve got him.”
“‘Got him’? I haven’t ‘got him’ anywhere! We came back together, but got separated. We were hoping that he could help us!” Sasuke pointed angrily in Kakashi’s direction, who had been sitting with Sakura collapsed upon his lap. He had noted the differences between the two boys, and could tell that what the Japanese Sasuke had stated was most likely the truth.
“Sasuke, calm yourself. I believe that he’s telling the truth.”
“How can you say that, Kakashi!? It’s as phony a story as they come!” Power radiated from the Konoha Sasuke’s body, causing the other Sasuke to want to run away, but he bravely stood his ground hoping that Kakashi could calm the other.
“Because, his eyes tell me it’s the truth, as does his body language. If you weren’t so hotheaded, you’d be able to sense it as well.” Sakura moaned softly and stirred within Kakashi’s arms. She slowly sat up and glanced between the two men. Her face quickly drained of its color, once more. “Sakura, don’t faint again. I know this is unusual, but these two men are both Sasuke. However, one is from another -- place.” She nodded wearily. “Sasuke -- er ... Konoha Sasuke, I think you should give the other Sasuke the benefit of a doubt, until he gives you just cause to think otherwise.” The Konoha Sasuke grunted. He didn’t like this ‘other him,’ but for the sake of finding Naruto he decided that giving into Kakashi’s request made sense. “Good. Now, other Sasuke -- do you have any idea where Naruto may be?”
“No.” His shoulders drooped slightly with helplessness.
“Then I suggest we go and see the Hokage.” The group moved slowly back the way Sakura and the Japanese Sasuke had traveled, back to see Tsunade.
As they traveled Sakura watched the two Sasuke's closely. There were some definite differences in them, but at the same time they were remarkably similar. A chill ran down her spine causing her to shiver. Why was it that seeing the two of them together caused an overwhelming sense of doom inside her? The other Sasuke’s presence obviously meant something, and it was that unknown that bothered her. “Nothing good can come of this,” she muttered. Kakashi turned at the sound of Sakura’s quiet voice. He silently agreed with her. This other Sasuke’s appearance did not bode well.
-----
Consciousness was slow to return to Naruto, but as it drifted back he became aware of the sensation that he was being carried. Slowly, he pried one eye open, and was promptly smacked between the eyes by an all too familiar lock of white hair. Naruto groaned in both pain and annoyance. “Ero sennin?” Jiraiya laughed quietly.
“It’s been a while. You’re lucky I came across you, a storm is brewing to the east and is heading this way.” Naruto laid his head against his friend and sensei’s strong shoulder. He felt so weak, and he couldn’t explain it away. However, he was relieved to feel the kyuubi’s presence within him. At least that hadn’t vanished mysteriously like his strength.
“Say, Ero sennin -- how’s Sasuke?”
Jiraiya paused for a length of time while he carefully chose his words. “He’s good ...”
“But ...” He cringed as he realized that Naruto wouldn’t let it lie with just that.
“He’s blind, Naruto. Something happened to his eyes.” The young man’s response was a quiet grunt. Jiraiya wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he could tell that Naruto felt for Sasuke. For they all knew how precious those eyes were to him, especially as a ninja. “You’ll be able to see him once we return to the village. Don’t worry -- even without his eyes, he’s still the same old Sasuke.” However, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking, and why you like him is beyond me. Sure he had felt respect and envy for Orochimaru’s abilities, but to love the man? Well, he wasn’t gay -- perhaps that played a roll in it, but to his knowledge, Naruto had never shown interest in boys either. Jiraiya shook his head in confusion. It was going to give him a headache trying to figure those two boys out, best to just leave it alone.
-----
The research center was the same as always, just a bit dusty from neglect. No one had been there in years, but the girls had awakened right on time. Just as planned.
She walked cautiously down the main corridor, not sure what types of wild animals may have made any one of the hundreds of rooms their home for the night. She really wanted to get to the lab where she had slumbered for so long, in one piece. As she approached the door which protected her destination, a soft scraping noise behind her caused her to freeze. “I was wondering how long you would be, my dear little one.” A soft smile slid across her face at the familiar voice.
“I’m home,” she whispered happily.
“They should’ve met each other by now ... don’t you think?”
“Yes. Everything is going as you planned, Father.” An easy serpentine smile glowed down at the young girl from the shadows. There would be a special treat for her efforts that night -- hopefully chocolate.
-----
Tsunade&rsquo ;s stare was intense as she peered at the two Sasuke’s. As soon as they had entered the room, they had moved as far away from each other as the space had allowed. However, the two had taken a similar stance. The Hokage had wanted to laugh hysterically when the boys had pursed their lips into an angry pout at the exact same time, but she had surprised herself by not doing so. “Well, this is a problem.”
Kakashi laughed quietly. “Yes. I’m not exactly sure if the village will be able to understand this. I believe it would draw too much attention to them.” Tsunade nodded and walked slowly over to the Japanese Sasuke.
“So, you claim to be from a place called Japan. Tell me, do you know anything about ninjas?”
“I know that they existed as assassins long ago in feudal times. They did what the samurai could not -- they would eliminate targets without their victims becoming aware of their presence. However, the samurai never liked nor trusted them. They preferred to do things in the open -- it was more honorable.”
“So they existed in your world ... interesting.” Slowly, she paced over to the Konoha Sasuke. He was a good 13 cm taller than the other Sasuke, a significant amount. Also, their builds were quite different as well. There was no mistaking that the two boys were different people. “Sasuke, I hate to ask you to do this ... but --” she was cut off by the door being pushed open in haste. Shizune stood before everyone, panting heavily.
“N-Naruto ... he found him!” The group only spared enough time to glance at each other before they ran out the door and followed Shizune to the hospital.
-----
Naruto was sitting on the edge of the hospital cot, his blue eyes shaded by heavy lids. He wanted, no needed more sleep, but the nurse wouldn’t stop hovering over him. The door opening caught his attention and he smiled as he saw his friends pile in through the door. Sakura led the group and rushed up to hug Naruto. “Oh thank goodness you’re alright! We were all so worried about you ...” Her voice faded into the background as Naruto’s eyes came to rest on the two Sasuke’s. At first he thought that he was seeing things, then he realized that the Japanese Sasuke had met the Konoha one. Great, he thought with a bitter tone. This wasn’t going to be fun dealing with both of them at once.
Naruto slid off the edge of the cot and walked over to the Konoha Sasuke. Although Naruto was a good height, Sasuke still towered over him. It was funny, but he had forgotten how much taller his friend was. “How’re your eyes?”
Naruto’s voice washed over Sasuke like a warm bath. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized just how much he had missed him. His smile began small, but grew slowly as he mentally pictured the blonde boy standing before him, a mischievous yet sweet expression upon his face. He opened his mouth to answer Naruto’s question, when Sakura gasped. Sasuke cursed his eyes as he demanded to know what had happened. “Naruto?” There was no answer, only the noise of everyone talking at once. Finally Sasuke was able to determine that Naruto had collapsed.
“I’ll go fetch the doctor!” The door opened and closed behind the nurse. Sasuke wanted to know what was happening, but his voice was getting lost amongst the commotion.
“Sasuke, place him in the bed.” The Konoha Sasuke froze at the sound of Kakashi’s quiet command. He was touching Naruto!? That other him!? Like hell he’d stand for this! However, without his eyes, there was little he could do, but stand there. He felt useless and helpless. It had been ages since he had felt that way, and it hurt every bit as much as it had then. He wasn’t going to lose Naruto -- especially not to himself.
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*13 cm is roughly 5 inches.
Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi, TV-Tokyo, & Shounen Jump
geovisit();
I hope to have the next chapter out within a month, maybe sooner. In the meantime, ENJOY! :)
Warnings: Angst, Very Minor Spoilage (c295+)
Chapter Status: COMPLETE
“Sasuke!!” Naruto rose to his feet ignoring the sudden wave of dizziness which swept over him. He had to find Sasuke. What if he hadn’t made it back with him? Or worse yet, what if they had been separated and he had met the Konoha Sasuke? That would be a bit difficult to explain. Naruto roamed around the woods hoping that he would find a clue to Sasuke’s whereabouts; however, the more he wondered around the more he began to realize that he was lost. Now what? He wasn’t certain of his position and the fact that the trees were so crowded together made it impossible to tell what time of day it was. The only solution was to go to the the treetops; there was just one problem with that, he was too drained to mold his chakra to allow him to reach the top.
Naruto plopped down with an angry huff and glared at the rust colored dirt beneath him. He knew that if he continued to wander aimlessly through the woods that the odds of being found were greatly lessened. The best thing for his survival was to stay where he was, but there was that possibility that no one would find him. With a violent shake of his head, Naruto cleared out all the negative thoughts flitting through his mind. Someone will find me, he reassured himself with conviction. Someone will come for me. There was only one thought that he wasn’t able to rid himself of, and that was the question of when. When would someone show up?
Sasuke gazed at his surroundings with wide eyes. Where was he? The place looked vaguely familiar, but at the same time completely foreign. “Sasuke-kun!” A feminine voice rang out behind him, it sounded exactly like ... “Sasuke-kun! I’ve been looking all over for --” Sakura’s voice trailed off as she took in her friend’s appearance. He was wearing clothes that she had never seen before, and to top that off, his eyes were -- “Sasuke! Your eyes -- they’ve healed!” She threw her arms around him and gave him a fierce hug, forcing a small squeak to slip past his lips. Sakura backed away from him, an apologetic smile on her face. “I still seem to forget my strength. But this is excellent ... we need to go and see Tsunade-sama and tell her the good news.”
Sasuke was dragged behind Sakura, having no chance to ask who Tsunade was or why Sakura was behaving so strangely. Also, he wanted to know where that monstrous strength had come from, but he held his tongue because it was hard enough to try and keep up with the insane pace which she was setting. In fact, Sasuke’s feet barely touched the ground the entire trip to this Tsunade. When they finally reached the building where she apparently was, he had to lean against its stone surface and take several deep breaths to refill his starved lungs.
Sakura gazed at Sasuke wondering what was wrong with him. She had practically dragged him the entire way, and they hadn’t made the best time to the Hokage’s office. Instead of questioning him, she allowed him to rest a moment in peace and then walked with him into Tsunade's office. “Tsunade-sama, I have something interesting to show you.”
Tsunade glanced up from the scrolls and tomes which she was studying to stare blankly at her former student. “What is it Sakura?” She wasn’t prepared for the surprise of Sasuke walking into her office, eyes completely healed. In one swift flutter of hair and jacket, Tsunade was before Sasuke and peering into his dark eyes. “How -- when, did they heal?”
Sasuke glared at Tsunade, completely confused by her words. What did she mean, ‘heal’? They weren’t hurt to begin with. He sighed and turned to Sakura. “Is this supposed to be a joke?” She shook her head quickly, and returned his glare.
“Sasuke, have you forgotten? Your eyes were injured when Jiraiya found you in Midorimori. There was nothing I could do for you ...” Tsunade stared into Sasuke’s eyes, trying to discern what was off about him. He obviously wasn’t acting like himself, and the fact that he couldn’t remember made her even more suspicious. “Sasuke, answer me something -- do you know where you are?”
“No.” Tsunade nodded and strode back to her desk, her delicate fingers cupped her chin as she thought about Sasuke’s memory loss. “I don’t think it’s amnesia” she mumbled to herself. “Possibly something else ... something that must be linked to his eyes.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but where am I and why are you so concerned about my eyes?”
“Sakura, take him somewhere and explain everything he wants to know. I need to talk with Jiraiya and Kakashi.” Tsunade dismissed them with an absent wave of her hand, and turned to her scrolls without another glance at the pair.
“Yes, Tsunade-sama.” Sakura gently took Sasuke’s hand and led him out of the office. The two of them walked for a while until they reached a quiet shaded area nearby. Sakura plopped down onto one of the benches beneath the trees and patted the open space next to her in an invitation. “What is it that you don’t understand, Sasuke-kun?”
Reluctantly, Sasuke sat down next to the girl whom he had known since elementary school. However, she wasn’t the same, and it confused him. Well, if she was offering answers, he’d take them. “Where am I?”
“Konoha. It’s the hidden village of the Fire country, where all the ninjas live and work out of.” Sasuke nodded slowly. Ninjas? Had he hit his head? The last thing he could remember was going to a place in Hokkaido where Naruto could be sent back home. Oh, that was where he was. He must be in Naruto’s homeland. “Sasuke-kun?”
“Hmm? Oh, sorry ... so I’m in Konoha. How long have we known each other?” Sakura giggled quietly.
“Sasuke-kun ... we’ve known each other since we were eight-years-old. Since we started at the Academy.” So, they had known each other for the same amount of time. Sasuke came to the conclusion that he must have been mistaken for that world’s Sasuke, but then did that mean the other Sasuke had been sent to his world?
“Um, Sakura ... I need to explain something to you.”
“What?” She gazed at him with innocent eyes, and a slightly puzzled but worried expression. She was going to think him mad when he told her he was from another world, but he couldn’t let this go on much longer. If the other Sasuke was in fact in his world, they needed to figure out how to get him back where he belonged.
“I’m not from Konoha. I’m from a place called Japan. And I believe that your Sasuke is there, because your Naruto was there with me for a little less than a month.” Sakura blinked several times, the information not willing to seep into her brain. My Sasuke? What in the world was he talking about. He was Sasuke. How could there be two of them?
“Um, Sasuke-kun ... I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Japan? Where is that?” Sasuke’s head slumped over in exasperation. Naturally she didn’t understand what he was talking about, and why would she? He hadn’t believed Naruto when he had explained it to him.
“Let’s go find Naruto ... he can explain it better to you.”
Sakura’s eyes shifted to gaze at the brick pavement beneath her feet. “Sasuke-kun -- we don’t know where he is. He’s still missing.”
Sasuke sighed heavily. “Then let’s go look for him,” he hadn’t meant for his voice to sound so patronizing, but the slight frown which flitted across Sakura’s face told him that it had been. “Sorry,” he mumbled under his breath. Sakura’s head snapped up and she stared slack jawed at her old friend. He had just apologized?! Since when did he do that? Confused, she rose and began to walk in the direction of the gate.
“Follow me.” Sasuke couldn’t help but feel a little bad for upsetting her. It was odd that this Sakura seemed a bit different than the one he had left behind in the other world. She was more calm, and less flighty. Sasuke wasn’t sure if he could adapt to this world any time soon.
Sasuke panted heavily as he listened carefully for the footfalls which alerted him to his enemy’s location. He wouldn’t be taken down this time, no he had learned so much in the past few weeks. He was stronger now, not helpless. There, in the bushes. Sasuke puffed his chest out and executed a perfect katon gokakyuu no jutsu. Kakashi deftly jumped out of the way, only being mildly singed this time. “You nearly got me, Sasuke. I think you’ve come quite a ways.”
“I’m still not as strong as I once was.” Kakashi rested a hand upon Sasuke’s drooping shoulders. He knew that the young man would never be as strong as he had been. Not after losing the sharingan ability, but there was still hope that he could be a great ninja without it.
“You’re still an Uchiha -- even without your sharingan ... That alone should fill you with pride. Sasuke, hold onto that and form it into strength -- don’t give up.”
“I can’t. Not with Naruto’s life on the line. I will bring him back. He brought me back, it’s only right that I find him.” Sasuke’s face burned with intensity as he made his vow. Kakashi couldn’t help but grin a bit remembering a similar look upon Naruto’s face as he promised to bring Sasuke back. They both have similar fires burning within them, Kakashi mused quietly to himself. A rustle in the bushes caused both men to go on guard, until the familiar figure of Sakura emerged.
“Finally,” she panted slightly. “I’ve been looking everywhere...” Her voice trailed off as she stared at Sasuke standing beside Kakashi. “Wha--?” Suddenly the world began to tilt back and forth, her head throbbed from the motion. Kakashi ran to her side and caught her just before she fell onto the hard ground.
“Sakura? Hey ... what’s wrong?” Kakashi gently shook the young girl, but she wouldn’t open her eyes. “Sasuke go --” The last bit of the sentence died in his throat as he looked upon Sasuke’s face. He had grown tense, the corners of his mouth drawn taught as he gazed unseeing in the direction from which Sakura had come.
“Who are you?” Kakashi turned and found himself looking upon an exact duplicate of Sasuke. Just what was going on here?
“I would ask the same of you, had I not already been in this position once already. My name is Uchiha Sasuke.”
“That’s impossible. I am Uchiha Sasuke ... I’ll ask again. Who are you?” His face should no sign of emotion as he looked in the general direction of the impostor. The one thought on his mind was that it was possible that he could be why Naruto was gone. That he was the one who had taken him away.
“You’re not going to believe me. I am you, but from another world -- I guess.” His voice hadn’t sounded very confident, naturally because he didn’t quite believe everything himself. In fact he was hoping to wake up from the hellish nightmare he seemed to be trapped inside at any moment.
“Try me.” Sasuke growled deep within his chest. Hearing some tall-tale come out of this other ‘Sasuke’ would make it easier to force the truth out of him, he may even take a bit of pleasure out of prolonging his suffering.
The Japanese Sasuke shivered as the Konoha Sasuke grinned wickedly at him. He knew that no matter what, he needed to make himself understood. Otherwise, it spelled trouble for him, and he’d rather not get hurt because of the strange situation. “Before, about three weeks ago -- in my world -- Naruto,” he paused trying to collect his emotions. It was hard saying the words aloud, but he needed to do so. “My Naruto died in a car accident. He -- I, couldn’t remember it happening, because he was with me. That is, your Naruto -- the Konoha one -- had replaced him. I thought that he was still my Naruto, but he continued to profess that he was a ninja from here ... a place I’d never heard of.
“I never believed him until the day I noticed he was taller than me. That was the moment I realized that something had happened. And he wasn’t mine.” He forcibly shoved the knot which had formed in his throat down; he couldn’t cry he needed his wits about him so that he could deal with the other ‘him’. The Konoha Sasuke stood very still while the Japanese Sasuke gazed at him, noting the subtle differences between the two. The Konoha one was definitely much taller than he. Bigger in build too.
“You’re telling me that you are from another dimension?”
“Yes.” Laughter suddenly filled the small clearing, and startled the Japanese Sasuke. Why on Earth was he laughing? “What’s so funny!?”
“You.” He finally managed to say between deep breaths. “I’ve not heard such a wild tale since Naruto and I were younger. Speaking of which,” the humor vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving in its wake a terrifying seriousness in Sasuke’s voice. “I’d like to know where you’ve got him.”
“‘Got him’? I haven’t ‘got him’ anywhere! We came back together, but got separated. We were hoping that he could help us!” Sasuke pointed angrily in Kakashi’s direction, who had been sitting with Sakura collapsed upon his lap. He had noted the differences between the two boys, and could tell that what the Japanese Sasuke had stated was most likely the truth.
“Sasuke, calm yourself. I believe that he’s telling the truth.”
“How can you say that, Kakashi!? It’s as phony a story as they come!” Power radiated from the Konoha Sasuke’s body, causing the other Sasuke to want to run away, but he bravely stood his ground hoping that Kakashi could calm the other.
“Because, his eyes tell me it’s the truth, as does his body language. If you weren’t so hotheaded, you’d be able to sense it as well.” Sakura moaned softly and stirred within Kakashi’s arms. She slowly sat up and glanced between the two men. Her face quickly drained of its color, once more. “Sakura, don’t faint again. I know this is unusual, but these two men are both Sasuke. However, one is from another -- place.” She nodded wearily. “Sasuke -- er ... Konoha Sasuke, I think you should give the other Sasuke the benefit of a doubt, until he gives you just cause to think otherwise.” The Konoha Sasuke grunted. He didn’t like this ‘other him,’ but for the sake of finding Naruto he decided that giving into Kakashi’s request made sense. “Good. Now, other Sasuke -- do you have any idea where Naruto may be?”
“No.” His shoulders drooped slightly with helplessness.
“Then I suggest we go and see the Hokage.” The group moved slowly back the way Sakura and the Japanese Sasuke had traveled, back to see Tsunade.
As they traveled Sakura watched the two Sasuke's closely. There were some definite differences in them, but at the same time they were remarkably similar. A chill ran down her spine causing her to shiver. Why was it that seeing the two of them together caused an overwhelming sense of doom inside her? The other Sasuke’s presence obviously meant something, and it was that unknown that bothered her. “Nothing good can come of this,” she muttered. Kakashi turned at the sound of Sakura’s quiet voice. He silently agreed with her. This other Sasuke’s appearance did not bode well.
Consciousness was slow to return to Naruto, but as it drifted back he became aware of the sensation that he was being carried. Slowly, he pried one eye open, and was promptly smacked between the eyes by an all too familiar lock of white hair. Naruto groaned in both pain and annoyance. “Ero sennin?” Jiraiya laughed quietly.
“It’s been a while. You’re lucky I came across you, a storm is brewing to the east and is heading this way.” Naruto laid his head against his friend and sensei’s strong shoulder. He felt so weak, and he couldn’t explain it away. However, he was relieved to feel the kyuubi’s presence within him. At least that hadn’t vanished mysteriously like his strength.
“Say, Ero sennin -- how’s Sasuke?”
Jiraiya paused for a length of time while he carefully chose his words. “He’s good ...”
“But ...” He cringed as he realized that Naruto wouldn’t let it lie with just that.
“He’s blind, Naruto. Something happened to his eyes.” The young man’s response was a quiet grunt. Jiraiya wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he could tell that Naruto felt for Sasuke. For they all knew how precious those eyes were to him, especially as a ninja. “You’ll be able to see him once we return to the village. Don’t worry -- even without his eyes, he’s still the same old Sasuke.” However, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking, and why you like him is beyond me. Sure he had felt respect and envy for Orochimaru’s abilities, but to love the man? Well, he wasn’t gay -- perhaps that played a roll in it, but to his knowledge, Naruto had never shown interest in boys either. Jiraiya shook his head in confusion. It was going to give him a headache trying to figure those two boys out, best to just leave it alone.
The research center was the same as always, just a bit dusty from neglect. No one had been there in years, but the girls had awakened right on time. Just as planned.
She walked cautiously down the main corridor, not sure what types of wild animals may have made any one of the hundreds of rooms their home for the night. She really wanted to get to the lab where she had slumbered for so long, in one piece. As she approached the door which protected her destination, a soft scraping noise behind her caused her to freeze. “I was wondering how long you would be, my dear little one.” A soft smile slid across her face at the familiar voice.
“I’m home,” she whispered happily.
“They should’ve met each other by now ... don’t you think?”
“Yes. Everything is going as you planned, Father.” An easy serpentine smile glowed down at the young girl from the shadows. There would be a special treat for her efforts that night -- hopefully chocolate.
Tsunade&rsquo ;s stare was intense as she peered at the two Sasuke’s. As soon as they had entered the room, they had moved as far away from each other as the space had allowed. However, the two had taken a similar stance. The Hokage had wanted to laugh hysterically when the boys had pursed their lips into an angry pout at the exact same time, but she had surprised herself by not doing so. “Well, this is a problem.”
Kakashi laughed quietly. “Yes. I’m not exactly sure if the village will be able to understand this. I believe it would draw too much attention to them.” Tsunade nodded and walked slowly over to the Japanese Sasuke.
“So, you claim to be from a place called Japan. Tell me, do you know anything about ninjas?”
“I know that they existed as assassins long ago in feudal times. They did what the samurai could not -- they would eliminate targets without their victims becoming aware of their presence. However, the samurai never liked nor trusted them. They preferred to do things in the open -- it was more honorable.”
“So they existed in your world ... interesting.” Slowly, she paced over to the Konoha Sasuke. He was a good 13 cm taller than the other Sasuke, a significant amount. Also, their builds were quite different as well. There was no mistaking that the two boys were different people. “Sasuke, I hate to ask you to do this ... but --” she was cut off by the door being pushed open in haste. Shizune stood before everyone, panting heavily.
“N-Naruto ... he found him!” The group only spared enough time to glance at each other before they ran out the door and followed Shizune to the hospital.
Naruto was sitting on the edge of the hospital cot, his blue eyes shaded by heavy lids. He wanted, no needed more sleep, but the nurse wouldn’t stop hovering over him. The door opening caught his attention and he smiled as he saw his friends pile in through the door. Sakura led the group and rushed up to hug Naruto. “Oh thank goodness you’re alright! We were all so worried about you ...” Her voice faded into the background as Naruto’s eyes came to rest on the two Sasuke’s. At first he thought that he was seeing things, then he realized that the Japanese Sasuke had met the Konoha one. Great, he thought with a bitter tone. This wasn’t going to be fun dealing with both of them at once.
Naruto slid off the edge of the cot and walked over to the Konoha Sasuke. Although Naruto was a good height, Sasuke still towered over him. It was funny, but he had forgotten how much taller his friend was. “How’re your eyes?”
Naruto’s voice washed over Sasuke like a warm bath. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized just how much he had missed him. His smile began small, but grew slowly as he mentally pictured the blonde boy standing before him, a mischievous yet sweet expression upon his face. He opened his mouth to answer Naruto’s question, when Sakura gasped. Sasuke cursed his eyes as he demanded to know what had happened. “Naruto?” There was no answer, only the noise of everyone talking at once. Finally Sasuke was able to determine that Naruto had collapsed.
“I’ll go fetch the doctor!” The door opened and closed behind the nurse. Sasuke wanted to know what was happening, but his voice was getting lost amongst the commotion.
“Sasuke, place him in the bed.” The Konoha Sasuke froze at the sound of Kakashi’s quiet command. He was touching Naruto!? That other him!? Like hell he’d stand for this! However, without his eyes, there was little he could do, but stand there. He felt useless and helpless. It had been ages since he had felt that way, and it hurt every bit as much as it had then. He wasn’t going to lose Naruto -- especially not to himself.
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*13 cm is roughly 5 inches.
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