Sakura stood in a grassy plain, a plain expression on her face. Naruto smiled at the sight of his daughter, but he knew this was a dream. A dream.
He has had many dreams as of late, and this one was just like any other.
She was taller than what she was before, she was fifteen, maybe sixteen here, he wasn't sure. He waved at her, but she had a small frown on her face. He rose an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything.
Suddenly, tears erupted from her eyes as they trailed down her cheeks in small streams. "Sakura," Naruto began as he tried walking up to her, only to be stopped by some invisible force. He pounded on the wall, hoping to shatter it but to no avail, it didn't even budge.
Suddenly, two very large boulders began descending from the sky, heading right towards Sakura. Naruto hit the wall frantically, his eyes wide with fear as he tried activating his Mangekyou, but his chakra wasn't working correctly.
He shouted at her, telling her to run and get out of the way, but it seemingly fell to deaf ears. Sakura only stood there and cried silently before the two boulders hit her full force. Falling to his knees, Naruto could only helplessly look at the two boulders that had crushed his daughter.
Then he saw white.
"No!" Naruto shouted, sitting up from his small sleeping bag, drenched in sweat as his breathing was frantic, a single tear leaving his right eye.
"Sensei," Sasuke spoke in a worried tone as he poked his head in the Namikaze's tent. "Are you alright?" Rubbing a hand over his face, Naruto nodded.
"Just another nightmare."
"About Anko again?" Sasuke asked curiously. Naruto frowned.
He had been having dreams lately, or rather, nightmares. Nightmares of losing those he loved.
First, it was a dream of his parents rising from their graves and killing him, then one of where Kakashi turned against him, then one where Anko had looked at him with disgust, and now this one?
"No, this time it was about Sakura." Sasuke visibly frowned at this.
"Well, it's probably because you miss everyone. But we're heading back today, right?" He asked carefully, judging Naruto's reaction.
"It has been three years, hasn't it?" Naruto asked rhetorically as he stepped out of the tent, his eyes squinting due to the sunlight reaching his eyes. "A bit over that."
"Three years, two months, and seventeen days." Sasuke answered helpfully. Naruto nodded as he made a clone to start packing his stuff up.
"Well, we can start making our way back then. I can't wait to see my Anko-chan again!" Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Mei is hotter." Naruto rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, right, and Zabuza is the Fifth Mizukage." He said sarcastically. Sasuke shook his head.
"She wanted you, sensei. She practically drooled at the mouth whenever you came into a room, the only reason I think she didn't jump you was because you were so helpful in their little war." Naruto smirked.
"What can I say? The ladies love me!" Sasuke felt his eyes roll at his sensei's stupidity, but a tiny smile was on his face.
During their trip, Naruto and Sasuke had journeyed across the Shinobi Nations, training to become stronger so that they could be prepared for any hardship that was to come. They had even helped the Mist Village with their little Civil War where they were fighting against Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage and his loyalist, who wanted to kill all of those with bloodlines.
And to there surprise, Zabuza was Mei Terumi's second in command, having returned to help fight the war after his defeat by Naruto back in Wave. Mei, Zabuza, Naruto, Haku, and himself have all grown close, but then again, that's what war does, it brings those who fight together closer.
They were all friends and when Mei was hailed at the Fifth Mizukage, a beautiful alliance between the Leaf and the Mist was formed due to their efforts. Mei often had said that without them, the war would've taken much longer than it already had.
It was a nice feeling, knowing that you have done something right in the world instead of contributing to the darkness of it. Sasuke was content, maybe not totally happy, but he was no longer miserable.
Naruto had been right all along, it seemed.
"Get away from me!" Sasuke snarled as he threw a kunai at Naruto, who just moved his head to the side as the kunai flew right past him, missing him by mere millimeters.
"Sasuke, calm down." He had caught Sasuke using the Curse Mark that Orochimaru had given him in the forest, practicing its sickening and corruptive power.
"You don't understand!" Sasuke shouted, his two-tomoed Sharingan active, glaring murderously at Naruto. "I need every tool at my disposal!"
"Orochimaru is a deformed tool." Naruto said seriously. "His power will do nothing but hurt. Sit down, we need to have a talk." It was time to nip this problem in the bud.
"Tch," Sasuke clicked his tongue as he began walking in a different direction. Naruto's frown deepened. Being quick, Naruto flashed in front of Sasuke and planted his foot in the Uchiha's chest, sending him backwards into a tree before throwing two shuriken which had wire connected to them as they flew around Sasuke and the tree before stopping the Uchiha from moving, halting him in place. "Let me go!" Sasuke demanded.
"No. We need to talk and I need you to be still in order for that to happen." Naruto spoke in a serious tone, surprising Sasuke a little bit but he continued nonetheless. "Forget about revenge. Forget about the masked man. I've seen too many people go down the path you are about to go down and it never ends well for them. You have friends, Sasuke. You are not alone."
"Shut up!" Sasuke shouted, gritting his teeth as he struggled futily at the ninja wire. "How would you know? Maybe if I were to kill everyone in your life, everyone who's ever had any meaning, then maybe I would listen to you, because then maybe you would even have an idea on how I feel!"
"Hm, an interesting theory. But I'm afraid you're a little late to put it to the test," Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched his sensei's face turned into a fake smile. "Everyone you're talking about has already been killed."
"W-What?" Sasuke couldn't believe it. His happy-go-lucky sensei, his idiot goofball, ridiculously powerful sensei, had lost everyone?
"That's right," Naruto confirmed, looking Sasuke straight in the eyes. "I've lost my family not once but twice. When I was your age, I had one surviving family member and even then it was not from blood. Together, you and I have lost what most people would go crazy over. But we are lucky to find new people to fill the whole in our hearts so that we don't suffocate under the waters of loneliness.
"I know it's hard, but letting go is something that everyone needs to do once in awhile. It's like holding onto a barbed wire, the longer you hold onto it then the worse it is going to hurt you. You just need to learn to let go of your hate." Sasuke looked down at the ground, unable to meet his sensei's eyes.
He was ashamed.
"We're close, right?" Sasuke asked Naruto who nodded.
"I wonder who they made Hokage. . ." Naruto wondered aloud. Sasuke shrugged.
"I don't care as long as they don't abuse their power I'm absolutely fine with whoever they chose." Naruto had similar feelings.
They saw the gate of the village and Naruto couldn't help the small smile that had graced his face, his home once again in sight.
Suddenly, he was getting excited as well as nervous. He hadn't seen his loved ones for years and they probably have changed drastically. Three years can do a lot to the people of the world.
Some wars were fought within three years, some people got married within three years of meeting, there were so many possibilities that it made him nervous.
The two Sharingan wielders entered the village, it bustling with activity as villagers walked up and down the streets, shopping for objects that would fulfill their needs or wants for however long they would last.
They went unencountered as they journeyed to the Hokage Tower. Entering the top floor and knocking on the door, a woman's "Come in," could be heard from the other side of the door. Naruto opened the door and was shocked to see Tsunade Senju sitting at the Hokage's desk, a bottle of booze sitting on the wooden furniture right next to several documents that would be deemed important.
"Hello, my name is-" Naruto began, but was cut off as Tsunade rose a hand, stopping him.
"I know who you are, Naruto Namikaze, as well as your apprentice, Sasuke Uchiha. It would be foolish of me not to know who either of you are, especially after solidifying our relationship with the Hidden Mist." Tsunade said in a semi-stern tone.
"Well it's nice to meet you, Hokage-sama." He said carefully, not sure as to what he should say next.
"Sakura Namikaze is your daughter, no?" Tsunade said from her desk, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow in question at the question.
"I'm sorry?" He was trying to be polite, but a smile tugged at his lips. Sakura Namikaze?
"Yes, you're two kids, Sakura Namikaze, who is also my apprentice, and Sai Namikaze, who is training one on one with Kakashi Hatake. I'm sure they missed you terribly." She then eyed Sasuke and a smirk appeared on her lips. "My apprentice missed you as well."
"Don't touch my daughter, Sasuke." Naruto said, but he had a huge grin on his face. "Or my son." He quickly added, causing Sasuke to scowl.
"Don't swing that way, sensei." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. Tsunade smiled at the duo.
"Well, sorry to do this so quickly but I'm afraid we must get down to business," She began. "Tell me, how strong is Sasuke now?" Naruto glanced at Sasuke for a moment before shrugging.
"Meh, I'm not entirely sure. I want to say mid to high Jounin level, but he might be low Kage-level too. I've only faced two Kage in my life, one which was serious fight and the other a spar, and he's around that level now." Sasuke's eyes widened as his eyes looked at Naruto in amazement.
Naruto had fought Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage and to say he was winning was an understatement, no, it was completely one-sided. Naruto didn't even activate his Sharingan during that fight, and here he was saying he was around Yagura's level, the Jinchuuriki of the Three Tails? And if that was low Kage level, and for him to be able to beat around Yagura as such. . .
How strong was Naruto?
"Ah, yes. You were the one who defeated and killed Yagura?" Naruto nodded. "And that leads to the question, how strong have you become?" Looking down at a few papers on her desk, she began speaking once more. "It says before you left that you were the strongest in the village by a longshot, with the Third Hokage believing that you were able to rival the likes of Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha. Obviously you didn't neglect your own training, so how strong have you become?"
Tsunade and Sasuke, who was also curious on the answer, awaited patiently as Naruto stretched slightly.
"I honestly have no clue," He said honestly. "I never had anyone to truly fight as my rival. I know I'm stronger than any of the Kages, no offense, but I don't necessarily know by how much. There's only one person I really measure myself up to and that's a person in the mask who I've only faced twice and have lost twice. But that so long ago, I'm not even sure if they're active anymore."
Tsunade was disturbed by this fact. How could she control a shinobi who fought Kage as if they were Genin? Well, the simple fact was that she couldn't. She studied the blonde for a few more moments before a tired sigh escaped her lips.
"Well, how about a test? You and Sasuke will fight Team Guy, Team Asuma, and Team Kurenai as well as Kakashi, Anko, Sakura, and Sai. It'll be a fun exercise for those at your caliber and I believe it'll be an interesting match up, don't you?" Naruto shrugged.
"I just hope they improved their teamwork over the last three years because if they didn't, they have no chance against Sasuke let alone me." Naruto said with a little smirk.
"That sentence frightens me, but I cannot do anything about it. Go get some rest and meet everyone at Training Grounds 7 tomorrow morning at eight o'clock sharp, I don't tolerate lateness." Naruto saluted.
"Of course not, ma'am. We're always on time unlike Kaka-nii!" He grabbed ahold of Sasuke's shoulder before vanishing in a body flicker. Tsunade massaged her forehead for a moment before calling out for her assistant, Shizune.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" She asked, peeking her head into the door of her office.
"Get me all of the files on Naruto Namikaze, I don't care how small or trivial they may seem, I need all of them." Shizune nodded and quickly left to go gather all of the information on Naruto Namikaze.
Tsunade needed to know who exactly he was, or else face a large problem in the future.
And done. How was it? Good? Bad? Tell me!
Anyway, yeah. Small start, but just setting the base of what needs to happen next. Shit only gets darker from here on out so prep yourselves lol
Til next time my lil demons!