Chapter Text
They thought it was over, everything. Naruto’s vision was fading into darkness. He felt light, not in a bad sense but all the weight he ever carried from people’s burden’s along with his own was fading. Nothing mattered anymore, he was at peace. Even if he didn't want to be. He was at peace even if he so desperately wanted to refuse that calmness and to keep fighting. To be a hokage to live, to breathe and to feel Sasuke’s hand’s once again. He kept trying to stay awake. Sakura’s breaking voice as she tried to heal him. Sasuke's mouth saying something he'd never thought he’d hear.
“If we get another chance, I promise im never gonna let anger consume me again.” It was comforting. But Sasuke’s voice and Sakura’s crying and the bright light of the sun just weren't enough to keep him awake. He felt it. That feeling of slipping away, like going to sleep in a lit room. Where you feel the light slip away, further and further until it’s not there anymore.
And he closed his eyes. Letting go of the small grasp of reality he had and letting peace consume him completely.
But of course nothing is ever that simple is it? No, Kurama was also of course a little shit who decided to make a “save fail” (or so he called it) plan. It was made when Naruto said he would die together with Sasuke to be free of there burden’s or something cringey like that. At the moment it happened the honorable kyuubi was wondering what pee tasted like. But hearing the number 1 hopeless fool of Konoha talk like that made him realize the child was not going to live past 25. So he decided to mess around for a while.
He used all his remaining chakra to gather Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and himself. To then blast them into the past in a flash of light blue, dark red and black like it was fucking normal, which to a regular person it might have been weird. But Kurama was neither person nor regular.
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Naruto woke up dazed and feeling like every bone in his body broke in half with every movement.
It was unlike him. He was usually alert, but now he gave a cough before whispering “Oh” He realized he was in a bed.
His old bed. Just like he remembered it. Sad and dirty. That place was hell, a hell he had to be in because having nothing to do only left him alone. Alone with his thought’s. Dark thought’s, like how people would shout at him and hit him. How he felt when Kakashi dismissed him for that stupidly handsome idiot, Sakura punching him.. He realized he was thinking too much and quickly stopped.
Laying down he tried to lift his head, shoulder’s and a bit of his chest by using his hand’s. Before falling right back down as if his bones were made up of gelatin. Instead looking to his side to see it was the middle of the night.
“Man what a drag” He threw his head back.
But quickly relaxed when he realized he was sounding like Shikamaru, even letting out a small chuckle. Even knowing the situation he was in. Before starting to panic, and with one too heavy motion falling off his bed like a ragdoll. Forcing his limbs to wake back up even if he felt like his head was mile’s away. (No that was the light headedness. He was sure of it.)
Yeah. He’s fucked
.
Wait! Sakura and Sasuke.. Fuck he forgot, he felt this itching need in his bone’s to find his friend’s. (More specifically Sasuke.) Hug them and just never let them go.
Getting off the floor to realize he was maybe foot shorter (atleast it felt like it) and turning left to go into his unclean bathroom and seeing his 12 (or 13) year old body was something he did not expect. But fuck that, he’d seen weird and experienced weirder. (He hadn’t but you know what? Don't matter.) Finding and very quickly putting on a black hoodie with the “Will of Fire” sign on it and his signature orange pant’s he ran out. Hopping out his window and walking across town.
He slowed down once he was a little behind Ichiraku’s. Walking along the path, Taking time to look at his surrounding’s he never cared to admire in the past. Taking time to look at the lamp’s and the happy couple’s and the light’s and god everything was perfect. Why did he never care before? Taking time to think, he had lost connection with Kurama. He missed his 9 tailed companion. Actually, did he remember anything? Did Sakura and Sasuke remember anything? Was he just insane? One way to find out. But then again, the sunshine boy obviously couldn't say anything incase he was just crazy. Then he’d get looked at like a crazy person. So he opted to look for Sasuke, he’d know what to do. If anything, Sasuke was a thinker. (Unless it came to his brother, then he thought with his emotion's) Off he went. Taking time to see everything and more. As he walked he admired the moon, the bird’s and the kid’s playing with them. The way everything seemed happy and carefree. Finally reaching the place Sasuke lived, Naruto hopped to the side of the house.
Going to Sasuke’s house and opening the window was easy. Slipping in carefully and unnoticed. What wasn’t easy was seeing Sasuke cry. In the very dark room he could make out a few thing’s, a table with some book’s, a decoration here and there. It was a plain room. But then he refocused on the other boy. Naruto froze up. What?? He had not seen Sasuke cry. Not that he could remember in the moment his brain was in overdrive. But Sasuke? Not the Sasuke he knew not in a million year’s. He panicked internally. The blond started shaking and feeling like he might throw up. His precious Sasuke now looking 12 year’s old weak and helpless. With a rounder face and wearing his signature blue, just like he remembered. He looked like he was completely lost. Naruto was the same but he didn’t care any longer. His most prized person was crying. He didn't know or care why. Well he did but Sasuke was hurt either physically or emotionally and that was enough for it to not matter. He looked at sasuke in the extremely dim light for a moment before recognizing a panic attack.
Getting down from the window, he walked a few steps to the black haired boy. Sitting on the edge of his very clean bed with tears down his face, Sasuke finally noticed him with a swift and slow turn of his head. Before resting his head on Naruto’s shoulder and crying harder and starting to basically babble about his brother and being dumb and a bunch of sorry’s, looking small and very sad. Sadder then Naruto had ever seen him, and it broke his heart.
Sasuke was feeling extreme emotion’s all at the same time. Hate, sadness, fear, anger, somber, regret a million time’s over. His head was spinning and everything was wrong, why? Why did he get a second chance? He didn’t deserve it he was evil. No he wasn’t just evil he couldn’t be fixed, why? whywhywhywhywhy? Tears fell more and more. With every drop falling Sasuke could breathe less and hear his heart pound more. He felt like he weighed a ton but also nothing at all. The pain he was in not only mentally but physically after literally traveling through space and time took its toll on his brain and body. Like trying to stuff a mattresses worth of cotton into a pillow.
Finally he slowly stopped crying and talking when naruto moved his leg to sit on Sasuke’s lap and grabbing his face. Moving it up to force Sasuke to look him in his now slit shaped pupils. Making the red eyed child look at him with so many emotion’s that a kid would not have had to such depth. Sadness and regret for all his mistake’s, hope, that Naruto will forgive him and lastly shock that he would to that. Because he thought Naruto would surely hate him. Naruto gave him one last look in his eyes. Making Sasukes eye’s turn back to there deep black color. Then slowly proceeding to put his arms through Sasuke’s and wrapping around him. Putting his legs in a criss cross around Sasuke’s lap before moving his head to be in the raven’s shoulder Sasuke wished that moment never ended. That he could forever be there. In the dark. With Naruto's arm's wrapped around his chest and back, his warmth radiating around both of them like a blanket. The way naruto’s backside felt pressed against.. He snapped himself out of it. Wrong, he was wrong. Naruto did not see him in that way, he was a traitor. He didn’t deserve Naruto then he didn't deserve him now. But truly, if this was a dream Sasuke never wished to wake up.
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Soon after that beautiful encounter..
Naruto and Sasuke eventually met up with Sakura.
“Hey.. are we, back?”
Naruto and Sasuke sighed with relief upon hearing that.
“Sakura, Naruto. Let’s go to my house. This is not a conversation to have in public and my place is safe.” Sakura and Naruto quickly agreed before setting off on a walk all together.
“When are we” Naruto said. Not truly realizing the level of idiocy he took on.
Sakura slapped her face with her hand.
“Its “What day is it” Naruto! And it’s the day we got our team jonin instructor” Sakura breathed before adding “I checked the calendar before i sneaked out of my house.” Dropping the mad tone.
Walking through the street’s the sun started to come up. They finally got to Sasuke's place. Making there way through it quickly, going into his room and sitting on his bed in a triangle shape.
They looked at eachother briefly. Before Sakura spoke, just a little too fast and too high pitched for Naruto and Sasuke to completely focus.
“Okay, So. Since Kyuubi decided to fling us back here with no warning. Were in the day we get Kakashi sensei on our team. Right now looking at Sasuke’s clock it is around 5:30 AM. We should be at the academy by 7. What do you guy’s think we should do?” Sasuke’s headache was getting worse by the minute. Naruto somehow calmed down after Sakura started talking, obviously. What else to expect from him?
“Personally I think we should change up our introduction’s just a bit!” Naruto said. “Like not too far off but still good enough that Sasuke seem’s like his dark self, you seem like that fangirl, and I look like the idiot I am.”
“So you finally admitted it huh?” Sasuke sounded almost amused.
Naruto didn’t wanna admit it. But fuck if they weren’t freaking out like him. So far he’d done thing’s without thinking like a robot. But now he had a moment, and he was freaking out. Majorly, super majorly. He couldn’t think properly, but he had to calm down.
“No! that’s not what I meant you dummy!” He pouted. Sasuke hated how cute he looked. But Naruto didn’t like him back so no point in dwelling about it.. Right???
“Are you trying to pick a fight?!” Sasuke blinked and turned on the sharingan (mostly for dramatic’s but also to capture Naruto’s face, which he’d never admit)
“You two stop it!” Sakura sounded like her old self. They all did, except Sakura’s voice had a tinge of maturity that you can only achieve from year’s of training with Tsunade. Naruto giggled, knowing it was dumb but still relishing the moment where they felt like a team.
“Sorry Sakura-chan!” Naruto apologized hurriedly. Not because he was sorry, but damn Sakura was scary.
“Should we.. Change outfit’s?” Sasuke lost his former confidence when talking to Naruto. After he went rogue and dark. He left his friend’s behind and was ready to accept that they would never trust him again.
Sakura blinked slowly. Realizing how Sasuke felt, Naruto however didn’t catch on. Snapping out of it she said “Yeah that’s a good idea! What style do we go for?” excitedly thinking about opportunities.
Naruto pondered for a few second’s in the silence. “We have around an hour before we have to go, How about we meet at the academy in an hour? I have different clothing I just used to like the orange. Im thinking black!”
Sakura's eye’s opened wider and her face became brighter. “I like my old style! But ill make some changes. Im gonna cut up the end’s into a shorter dress and just sew the end’s”
Sakura seemed to imagine something. “With lighter pinkish red tight’s!!l”
The black haired one wasn’t really paying attention. He had been thinking about what he’d wear once Sakura mentioned it. And turned a little red thinking about what Naruto would wear.
“Well, I liked blue. But i might go with black long pants instead. Ill dye the arm warmer’s I have to be black and blue, instead of white and blue.” Sasuke turned even redder. “And Naruto.. I uh-.. Maybe since your gonna change the orange we could all put the headband around our waist.. I mean to signify how were a team”
Sasuke alway’s liked Naruto’s waist. He had been skinny most of his life so it was small. it had a dip near his belly button where it went in. Every time Naruto felt too hot and took it off, Sasuke felt himself heat up.
Sakura looked at Sasuke suspiciously. He hated them before right? ‘What’s with his change of heart..’
Naruto however. Was too busy being over the moon thinking about how cool his new outfit would look, how bad ass a headband around his waist would be and maybe a little more excited at the fact him and Sasuke were gonna be matching. (He would never admit it either of course)
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They finally made it to the academy. Waiting in one of the classroom’s, Sakuras old dress was now cut right up to her upper thigh. With tight’s that had lines across them, light and lighter pink forming a pattern. With her headband being light pink after some small remodeling, it was tied tight around her waist. With extra also light pink glove’s. She had gone creative all the way!
Sasuke now had long black pants on. With a dark blue shirt and his old arm warmer’s now replaced with long black gloves. Just like Sakura his Headband was dark blue and tied around his waist.
Why did he even say that.. It was such a dumb idea..
All his regret’s washed away seeing Naruto. He had a nicely fitting black shirt on with his old orange and blue outfit now dyed. He somehow managed to make the formerly orange part’s black. And replaced the little blue there was with a somewhat specific shade of red. His pant’s being the same red. His now tiny waist held his headband fairly easily that he had dyed red.
Sakura caught Sasuke looking at Naruto like he hung the moon and star’s. And it clicked. Like a Puzzle that used to make no sense finally fitting together, Sakura had to hold herself from saying it out loud.
‘SASUKE’S GAY. OH MY GOD’
Suddenly every rejection made sense, pushing away every girl trying to sit with him. But allowing Naruto to sit with him, Asking to spar, picking fight’s, seeming just a little too jealous when Naruto talked to the other genin. ‘He is so gay’
Sakura snapped out of it by the sound of Kakashi walking in. And the familiar old eraser hitting his head.
“My first impression of this group is, Hm… You’re all idiot’s. Meet me in the roof in 5 minute’s”
Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto all sighed. Sounding just a little too forced for Kakashi to really believe it.
‘your not as good as hiding your emotion’s as you think. My cute little genin’
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”Okay we have like 5 minute’s and we didn't think this far ahead” Sakura sounded a little panicked at best.
“I think we go for something similar this time. However Sasuke is not gonna be a dumb avenger” A quick glance was thrown at Sasuke. Making him roll his eyes.
”Fine, but Sakura isn't gonna be crazy about me and you aren't gonna be an idiot. Got it?”
Naruto huffed as Sakura realized how much of a fangirl she’d been before and giggled before heading for the door. Losing it behind her she started racing up to the roof. Naruto went for the window, which Sasuke thought was unnecessary before he went Sakura’s way instead.
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"Kakashi-sensei should be here in a minute. How about we meet up at Sasuke’s after so we can discuss what were gonna do about Kakashi sensei getting in our way of well.. You know? Not being-” Sakura stopped abruptly as Kakashi appeared infront of the trio.
“Getting in the way of what?” Sakura turned pale.
Sounding a little upset but mostly curious. Holding a orange make out paradise book, but not really paying attention. The jonin raised an eyebrow, upon not receiving a answer from the 3 kid’s looking at him like they just got caught committing a crime, he moved on.
“Let’s start with introduction’s. My name is Hatake Kakashi, It doesn’t matter what I like or dislike, im not gonna tell you my hobbies and my goal’s are irrelevant”