AND BACK AGAIN [ NARUTO ]

[ 11 ] round of questions

Past Naruto grew impatient waiting for the others to sit. "Sit your behind down, Sasuke-teme!" He reached up and yanked the Uchiha down by the arm, causing him to lose his footing and land beside his teammates in the short grass.

"Get your hands off of me, dobe." Sasuke glared at his blond friend, scooting away to put some distance between them.

Kakashi, meanwhile, settled at the foot of the nearest tree, nose buried in his book.

Naruto clapped his hands once more, gesturing for Jiraiya to sit down as well. His sensei sat, unable to deny his curiosity. "Alright! Let's start with little me!"

Past Naruto scratched his cheek, thinking for a moment. "I know! What's our favorite ramen flavor?"

Sakura facepalmed. What a waste of a question! The other shinobi shared similar thoughts, but Naruto was Naruto, they should come to expect nothing more or less.

"Miso Chasu Pork," Naruto answered easily. After his younger self nodded in confirmation, he turned to Sakura. "Alright, Sakura-chan. You're up."

The kunoichi tilted her head, thinking carefully. She recalled everything that had happened with this future Naruto up until that point, trying to pinpoint a good question that would clear things up rather than prompt more mysteries.

"Why were your clothes all torn up?"

Naruto pursed his lips. "Well. . .I was in the middle of a battle."

"Then how'd you get here?" Past Naruto said.

"Jutsu. We're shinobi, I'd be surprised if there was something we couldn't accomplish with enough dedication." Naruto picked at the grass in front of him, thinking back to what he'd been pulled from. The urge to find a way back and finish what'd been started was strong, really strong. What if his comrades were still fighting? What if Madara simply got rid of him so he could wrap up his plan?

Leaving was the last thing Naruto should have done. Especially when they'd been so close.

"Someone sent you back?" Sakura questioned, quietly. She was watching him intently, and Naruto could sense even Kakashi-sensei's eyes peeking over his questionable reading material.

"Yeah," he said. "Bad guy."

The group grew quiet, thinking over his words.

"My turn," Sasuke said, breaking the delicate atmosphere.

Naruto smirked. He let his eyes fall over the young version of his team, nostalgia rising in his chest. When was the last time they'd been together like this?

Now, he supposed. This was the time right before Sasuke left.

"Did I get my revenge?"

The smirk fell gradually from Naruto's face as the words echoed in his mind. Did I get my revenge? Sakura looked up abruptly, a desperate look capturing her features -- something that did not go unnoticed by Naruto. Even the younger blond kept himself still, glancing at Sasuke.

"Yes." Naruto locked eyes with the young, confused Uchiha. "Yes, you did."

Sasuke nodded.

"It didn't go as you expected, I don't think," Naruto continued, surprising them. He did not say anything further, earning a piercing gaze from Sasuke. "Okay, your turn, Ero-sennin!"

Jiraiya's expression revealed that he felt as if he were intruding on something, but Naruto's prompting brought him back to himself. "Hm. . .I could ask you how my books are going. . .or I could go with something a little bigger. . .but I'm really curious about my books. . ."