Chapter 4

"What? How could I ever think of doing that?" Naruto stammered as he looked at the aged woman in front of him.

Giving him another long-measured gaze, she let out a long breath as she continued writing. Still keeping her eyes on her work, she spoke once again, "Naruto, was it? Why are you here and why do you wear the face of one of my Shinobi?"

"Granny, if this is some kind of joke... It's not funny. I was attacked by Madara, then most things I know about the village changed." Looking out the window of the Hokage's office for a moment he continued, "Some are more different than others." he whispered as he looked into the face of what was supposed to be his father.

"You're not making any sense. You say that you are not Menma, but then speak about the village as if it's your home, and you were attacked? By Madara? I find that hard to believe since he was my grandfather's best friend and I attended his funeral." Flipping over another document she continued to read its contents and sign at the bottom.

Losing patience at how casual she was taking this entire situation, he turned around to glare at the elderly woman behind the desk, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, I am an orphan since birth. My father was the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. He died... Protecting the village. I know hardly nothing about my mother, only she was a fierce Shinobi with red hair and her surname was one I share as well. She died shortly after child birth."

The pain she saw in the young blonde's eyes was real, not many could fake such raw emotion. Tsunade knew he believed what he was telling her but she didn't really understand how it was possible. Pondering over the problem, she continued to work through her documents hardly pausing to consider the implications of the young man's story in front of her.

"I personally know Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. Neither have died, they have two children Namikaze Menma and Namikaze Naruko. So, I am forced to come to either one of two conclusions." Tsunade said flipping another document over and moving on to the next.

"Yeah, what?" Naruto said brashly.

"Your either Menma and have a severe case of multiple personality disorder, or you're from a different reality. Though the latter seems far less likely."

"Okay, suddenly I've gotten really tired. I feel there is a long explanation to these two theories and I may not understand much after you get three sentences in..." Rubbing the back of his head out of habit he caught the frustration in the eyes of the older Hokage.

He never realized how intimidating Tsunade could be without the henge masking her appearance. Though her aged faced was different, she still held a remarkable beauty that no one could ignore. The stony glare she shot him was intimidating, while she appeared much younger... she was still scary. Her piercing gaze she gave him currently made the fearless man want to look away out of fear but he refused to back down from those eyes and stared back fiercely.

Holding her gaze was an enormous effort, but when she finally broke her gaze away from his... her respect for the young Uzumaki rose. There wasn't many that could hold her gaze without flinching away. Even Menma himself couldn't achieve the feat. Which brought her to the only conclusion she could make, this boy was actually telling the truth.

"Ok, let's say I believe you. Why are you here?"

"Ha! I don't even understand where here is. You said something about a different reality? Can you explain it in simple terms? I'm afraid I have a short attention span and… Wait a minute! Ichiraku's is a chain restaurant here?! Damn! Granny can we go there?!"

A slight amused smile briefly appeared on the stoic face of the Fifth Hokage, before she threw a paper weight that sat on her desk towards his head in frustration. Knocking him silly, he stumbled and fell to the ground comically with his butt into the air twitching slightly.

That brought a laughter to her lips she hadn't expected. He was so much different than the boy she had gotten to know as an Anbu agent. There was no doubt in her mind at this moment that he was indeed a different person than Namikaze Menma.

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto glared up at the smirking Hokage and then grinned back at her in good humor. In many ways she was different than the lady he had made a bet with so many years prior, before becoming Hokage. Still he could respect this version of her as well. She wasn't a Hokage for no reason, she had to have gained the respect and trust of her village. Naruto wouldn't consider any other possibility. Inside his mind that was the only way.

"Okay, Naruto. I will trust that you have no ulterior motives for your visit and we will look into ways of getting you back home."

"Right!" Naruto turned around to leave but hesitated before he left.

"Naruto, you can't leave. If your story is true, then you are a stranger in this village. It might look similar to your own, but you are a foreigner. For the time being, I will provide you with commendations but if you go to where you lived previously it liable to have someone else living there."

Nervously rubbing the back of his head again he grinned at the elderly lady once more in a moronic smile.

---

Sakura was feeling weak. Since she had gotten attacked a month prior, she had been saved by a passing traveler. Luckily, the traveler had some Medical expertise and was able to prolong her life for her chakra reserves to help heal her.

But she wasn't a Medical ninja so healing would take time. It was time she didn't currently have. There was a masked man crazy enough to rob her of the Kyubi container and by the familiar way he fought, she had a guess of whom this person was.

Falling to her knees for the hundredth time that day due to her weakness Sakura started to feel helpless. Exhaustion was setting in, she had barely made it half way to Konoha. Laying down she decided to rest for an hour and continue afterwards.

"Of all the damned times to break bad why now, Menma?!" Tears poured out of her eyes in frustration.

Laying down for an hour she managed to catch her breath but it also made her not want to continue either. Steeling her resolve, she managed to get back to her feet and continued her journey towards her home. She couldn't wait to see the familiar city wall, lay down in her own bed and maybe put some of the frustration of this journey behind her. It didn't help that the Mist had been thoroughly offended by the attack, she wouldn't be surprised if a peace delegation had to be sent to them due to this issue.

Sakura attempted to avoid exacerbating her injuries, but the more she ran the more her vision dimmed. She only kept running out of shear determination. Approaching a fourth of the way to the village she spotted two people in the distance. When they also noticed her they quickly ran towards concern written across her face.

"Guy sensei, Lee..." but that was all she could say before her tired body completely gave out.

---

On a distant battle field covered with broken corpses and burning debris a dark-haired man wearing a tiger mask was just finishing up his latest slaughter.

Currently Menma was at a standstill, he had no access to the scroll his godfather had secured. Without it no one could stop him, but since it wasn't in his hands, he wasn't able to rest easy. He suspected the village would soon label him as a nukenin. At one time, that thought would have been horrible to him. Now it was just humorous.

Out of the corner of his eye Menma spotted a lone figure standing at the base of a hill he had just climbed. Looking down he noticed that the figure was also wearing a mask. He was transparent, meaning he was either a ghost or a projection. He knew of no jutsu that could the allow the dead to walk even in a spirit body, which meant this person wasn't actually here.

Slightly curious he decided to speak first, "Your aura is too strong for a ghost. Who exactly are you?"

"Does it matter? With power, does everything really have to have a reason?" The other masked figure said calmly.

"Then why are you here?" Menma asked.

"I wish to share my knowledge of a disturbance that might be able to stop you. It will be… mutually beneficial for us both."

"I am listening."

---

"Hokage! Sakura was found outside the village, severally injured!" An Anbu shinobi appeared reporting quickly to Tsunade.

"What?! Sakura is injured! Where is she?!" Naruto said sounding panicked at the thought.

"Calm down Naruto! Remember you have never met this Sakura." Tsunade said in a strict voice.

Naruto didn't care. He honestly didn't fully understand the entire situation he was in and didn't really care either. Remaining quiet Naruto listened to the Anbu's words with impatience.

"She has been brought to the closest hospital to the village entrance..." Before he completely finished his sentence, Naruto was out the door and rushing through the streets.

Already having the feeling he was going to do such a thing, Tsunade shook her head with a smile on her face. Starting to pick up her paper work the Anbu continued, "Lady Hokage, there is more. Miss Haruno was able to wake up for a brief moment before passing out once again, but what she told might have been just out of deliriousness. So, I'm unsure if I should repeat it."

Frowning Tsunade motioned her hand for him to continue. One of her stronger qualities was her patience, but the hesitation in the Anbu operative was pushing her limit.

"She… She said she was attacked by Namikaze Menma…" He finally said.

Standing to her feet Tsunade was out the door leaving the Anbu standing dazed for a few moments.