The boy who crossed space and time (not trunks (^～^) )

Namikaze Minato opened his eyes to the world of the living for the first time in thirteen years.

For him, it had only been an instant.

It was strange, knowing the "real" him was dead, his soul trapped in the Shinigami's belly. Nothing he could do about it now, not using his son's body.

The Nine-Tails had left enough of its chakra before his soul had departed for the statue for Minato to use what little he had left to do this.

Nobody was in the room with him. They had likely just left him here, intent on picking him later.

Sloppy of them, but he assumed that they didn't bother doing the cleanup themselves. Somebody else would come for him.

He didn't intend to wait.

He closed his eyes, and focused on sensing chakra. It was strange how different the ability felt in his son's untrained body.

Muted, somehow.

There were around a dozen strong chakra signatures in the floors around him.

S-rank, all of them.

He was likely in a tower.

Somebody had taken Naruto's equipment, when he had arrived. What Minato was interested in was the Fūinjutsu scroll Kakashi had given to Naruto just one month ago.

He had felt a very familiar chakra signature, and after quizzing his son, had figured why.

This had been his own scroll. And he had stamped a Hiraishin tag on it, long ago.

He breathed in, and out.

Somebody was coming in his general direction. There was no time to waste.

There!

He felt the scroll's position.

Now, for the trickier part.

'Remember this feeling, Naruto.' He thought.

'I'm watching.' His son answered.

Wherever the tag was…

That was where he currently was. Not where his body was. The universe could catch up.

He pulsed his chakra once, telling the world the way it was going to be.

He appeared in a flash in a study room.

The man with long hair in a ponytail, who had brought him here, turned around as quickly as you'd expect from an S-rank ninja.

There was one thing, though.

Minato was faster.

His hand was already on the man's head before he could reach for his chakra.

The Rasengan formed inside his skull, turning its insides to mush silently.

The man died, just like this.

Suijin's face was frozen in a terrible rictus, blood pouring from his ears and nose.

Minato flew through a few hand seals, and stored the body in a nearby notepad.

Naruto could likely use the bounty.

He packed everything he could find in the room, heedless of who it belonged to.

Dead men had no use for research notes.

He quickly drafted a seal on the back of his hand, storing everything in it. Not the best practice, but better than risking losing it.

The room he was in was connected to a main room where three other ninja were currently sitting.

Any other day, he would feel confident enough to face them.

Not today. He didn't know how much time he had left.

He summoned a blade of wind to his hand and cut through the heavy window directly. He set it on the floor silently, and twisted his body so that he could crawl through.

Icy rain hit his face.

He saw clouds. Just how high were they?

…Something was strange with the rain.

Chakra. It was saturated in chakra. Meaning that somebody had probably noticed there was an intruder in the tower.

The door slammed open.

A man released a burst of searing flame toward him.

'I have no time left. Fighting is not an option here.'

He jumped through the window.

He located his closest Hiraishin tag.

That was a long jump but he could make-

He lost control over Naruto's body.

Back into the mindscape, where outside time stood still, Naruto cursed.

"My time is over, Naruto."

"Yeah. I noticed. What the fuck do I do?"

"Language."

Naruto laughed at the absurdity of it. "You just jumped out of a building so high I can't even see ground level! Who cares about profanity."

Minato looked sheepish. "I'm sorry. You're going to have to use the Hiraishin."

"Do I look like I know how to?!"

"Well… No, but you saw me do it. Try to reproduce it."

"That's all the advice you could come up with?"

"It's a pretty simple jutsu. Not easy, but simple. The tag helps you chakra sensing ability through it over longer distances than usual, and the rest is just convincing yourself that's where you are, using your chakra."

"Oh! Just that!" Naruto snarked.

"Yes, exactly!" Minato nodded, glad his son saw it was not all that bad.

"What happens if I mess it up?"

"…Don't think about this now."

"Damn it!"

Minato started fading. "Naruto… I think it's time for me."

"…Yeah. I see that." He was not looking at him, unsure of how to feel about the man.

"There are some scrolls in my old safehouse I want you to find. You will find it, once you master your sensor ability. They will help you, I'm sure."

"…I will do that."

"Whatever you decide to do from now on is up to you. Whether you choose to go back to Konoha or not…" Naruto stiffened. Minato smiled "I would understand, considering the circumstances. I'm proud of you."

"…" Naruto didn't trust his voice.

"If you manage to do something about the Shinigami seal, maybe we will be able to speak again. Be careful with your promise to the Nine-Tail, don't break it. Take care of yourself."

"…I will.

"Eat, and grow strong. Survive. Please."

Naruto nodded stiffly.

Minato continued. "And for what it's worth… I'm sorry."

"…Yeah, I get that. Me too. That we'd meet like this."

Naruto's shoulders shook.

Minato disappeared with a sad smile.

The last thing the Nine-Tails had done before fading into the strange statue was leave Naruto its remaining power, which was almost two tails.

The Fourth — his dad, then — had locked it behind a modified version of the seal he apparently had carried his whole life.

He should be able to access the Beast's chakra, now.

But it would likely be better if he didn't, because if he ever exhausted the reserve, he would die.

He did not know if this counted as breaking his promise to the Nine-Tails, but he was not going to try to find out.

Even now, with the creature gone, he could feel its consciousness somewhere far away. Maybe he could even reach for it, if he tried.

There were tons of different thoughts running through his mind.

He chose to push them aside for now, remembering everything he knew about the Hiraishin.

He spent what felt like an hour inside his mindscape, unsure if he would even be able to come back here again.

Once he felt ready, or rather as ready as he could ever be, he focused on his exterior awareness.

Falling from this high was a strange sensation.

Past the first few seconds, the sensation of being pulled to the ground faded away.

After this, it was very quiet.

He went through a cloud, real or artificial, he didn't know.

Naruto focused on the sense he had felt Minato stretch before.

The sort of awareness that always warned him when a ninja, or any creature with strong chakra, was somewhere around.

Most shinobi had some ability to feel others, whether they called it a danger sense or something else.

He breathed out, and his breath misted.

He could see the ground, now. He closed his eyes, this would not help him, at all.

Feeling for a tag.

Wait, how did this work, where would all the velocity he had accumulated go..?

Would he just kill himself on arrival..?

No. Not the time.

Where was this tag…?

He couldn't feel any sign of a tag. His sensor ability was simply not developed enough. Maybe the Fourth… Maybe his dad would have managed.

But he couldn't.

He quickly decided to do things differently.

He focused on the sensation of teleportation, instead.

Naruto couldn't find locate any specific tags. That was one thing.

He would just go to a tag. Any would do.

This might be a stupid decision, but he had nothing better.

Wherever the tag was…

That was where he currently was.

Not where his body was. The universe was just a bit late.

He pulsed his chakra once, telling the world the way it was going to be.

He vanished.

His pursuer, a missing-nin from Waterfall, named Kakuzu cursed when the boy disappeared.

Nagato had likely felt it too.

What had happened? And where was the boy?

Sasuke and Toru reached the village gates more than five days after they had departed.

Sasuke's arm had entirely healed, courtesy of the Tailed Beast he was now hosting. Some of its chakra was leaking through his own, and some people blanched when they felt it.

He and Toru went straight for the Tower.

The last message the Hokage had received had been from Suna itself, confirming the completion of the aquifer.

So when his son came into his office, clothes in tatters, and distinctly non-human chakra pouring out of him, followed by his cousin, who only had one eye open…

To say he was surprised would be an understatement.

He called for Jiraiya to be recalled immediately.

Then sent for Shisui and the Third. Itachi was out of the village, at the moment.

The report could wait. Their teammate was gone, too.

Fugaku cursed when his son revealed that his eyes had changed.

He had thought Toru dead. And then Naruto had gotten kidnapped to an unknown place.

"…They said he would die in the next two days."

"…" The Third said nothing. "When was this?" He struggled to get out.

"…Five days ago."

The Third closed his eyes, in visible pain.

"…Hokage-sama, if you will excuse me. I… will come back in an hour. The seal will hold, I can promise you this much. Jiraiya will arrive in a few days."

Fugaku nodded. He knew the man had been close to his grand-nephew.

The Third excused himself from the room, hiding his eyes.

"So it worked…?" Shisui asked, tone dead serious.

"The jutsu you told me about…?" Toru asked, voice dead. "Yes, it did. And as you told me, it took my eye."

Shisui nodded.

Toru continued. "I couldn't do anything about Naruto, though. When I came back to myself, he was already gone, and Sasuke was…" He sniffled.

Shisui grabbed him in a hug.

"I'm glad you lived."

"…" He hugged his older brother.

"The eyes that you now possess are called Mangekyō Sharingan. They awaken by suffering trauma. They will grant you powerful abilities, but it comes with a price. Over time, your vision will deteriorate."

"..Why did I never hear of it?"

"The price to activate it is very high. Only a few people awakened it."

"And how do you know about this?" Sasuke had a suspicion.

Fugaku closed his eyes. "I had a dear friend, once." He opened his eyes, and his Sharingan swirled into a form Sasuke had never seen before.

Sasuke said nothing.

"I'm not the only one. Itachi… and Shisui have awakened it too. We will help you to learn how to control its power. So that if you ever need it…" He left the sentence unfinished.

"…Thank you."

Fugaku sighed, looking weary. "I wish I could have done more, Sasuke."

He ruffled Sasuke's hair, who tried hard not to cry again.

The Third wept openly, once he was alone.

He had made a terrible mistake. Once more.

And he would need to tell a few things to Fugaku.

Ino had asked Toru, who was now wearing a black eye-patch over his right eye, having refused to take Shisui's eye, as the village and the clan needed him more, where Naruto was.

"Is he hiding from me again?" Ino made it a point not to ask him about what happened to his eye.

Toru paled, and let out a long sigh.

"Ino…"

Ino knelt down. She couldn't speak.

Toru embraced her.

The pain in her heart was too much for her. She let the tears flow.

He had seemed larger than life, the kind of person who'd end up there with Konoha's heroes, despite his reluctance.

And now… she was supposed to believe he was dead, before even becoming an adult…?

Before she could even muster the courage to tell him how she felt…?

She let out a heart-wrenching scream.

When he told her, Sakura thanked him for telling her, shakily, and then ran back inside.

Toru sighed.

Sasuke had enough on his plate, what with the Bijū within him, and his new eyes. So he had taken it upon himself to tell Naruto's closest friends about his… demise.

Konohamaru took it hard, Biwako with the quiet dignity of someone who had already lost too many. He had thought this would be the worst of it.

But Ino and Sakura were his friends, too.

Seeing Ino looking so lost, and Sakura so quiet… felt like someone was rubbing salt in his own wound.

And now he would have to find a way to get in touch with Karin, too.

Jiraiya arrived without his usual fanfare one day after that.

He took a look at the seal and cursed.

"This really is Suna's work, isn't it…?"

"…Naruto copied it off the last Jinchūriki they had, yes. He said it was shoddy."

Jiraiya barked a laugh. "'Shoddy' at best. It's like they wanted to make it shitty. I know they have a few alright sealmasters."

Sasuke said nothing.

Jiraiya stared at him, very seriously. "Kid, how much do you hear the demon's voice?"

"…It has never stopped since we sealed it."

"What does it say?"

"It has tried almost anything, really. It's always looking for an angle."

"Anything…?"

"Anything. My fears, my hopes… My weaknesses."

Jiraiya frowned. "Well, that's not good. I can't remake the seal entirely. But I can definitely make it better."

"…I would appreciate it." Sasuke paused. "Will it prevent me from using the demon's power?"

Jiraiya stared. "It might interfere, yes."

"Then I can't agree."

"Kid, you can't be serious."

"We will need its strength." He stared at Jiraiya. "What is Suna saying?"

The toad sage winced. "They're angry, to say the least. They know just how unstable Gaara was, which is the only reason they're not up in arms… Yet. Even then, they accused us of poaching their Beast."

"…That's what I thought. We might need its strength, then."

Jiraiya sighed. "We might."

"…And I won't allow something like this to happen to anyone else. I need to become stronger, much stronger."

"You can't save everyone, kid." He said, bitterly. "Believe me, I tried."

"I'm not pretending I can." Sasuke's stare was intense. "But I will do my best."

Jiraiya smiled. He had heard similar words from another young prodigy he had trained.

"…Are you sure?"

"I will train with my clan, to learn how to use my eyes. I should be able to control the Beast, then."

"And what of before that…? It could take you a while."

"…"

"Look. Here's what we can do. I'll tighten the seal temporarily, as well as improve what I can for good. Once you learn whatever Sharingan trick helps you control it, I'll open it again. Sounds good?"

Sasuke bowed. "This is more than I could ask for. I humbly thank you, Jiraiya-sama."

He laughed. "Ah come on, don't be so formal. Call me sensei, instead. As soon as you get your fancy eyes under control, we're leaving the village for a training trip. Pack for… Let's say a few years."

Sasuke stumbled.

"What?"

He snorted. "Can't let you learn how to control a Tailed Beast on your own, now. Can I?"

"…Guess not."

He got his sealing supplies out.

"As of now, you're the Legendary Jiraiya's Esteemed Pupil. Now, let's work on your seal, Sasuke."

Fugaku was in the Hokage's office, where he was spending more and more time.

There was trouble. Suna had tried to force him to send them his son, wanting to get back the power of their Tailed Beast, as well as the Sharingan.

He had refused, of course. He would never hand over his own family. The relation between the two villages had gone cold, even if war wasn't necessarily on the horizon. At least for now.

Namikaze Minato's son had survived his birth, only to die thirteen years later.

That would at least explain Sasuke's teammate's seemingly natural talent in a few fields.

And just like the Uchiha, there had never been a Sarutobi without at least a passing Fire affinity, before.

Knowing he had been made the host of the Nine-Tails, though… That was something else.

What the hell had Sarutobi been thinking?

Raising the boy in his clan, he could at least somewhat understand. But hiding the truth about the village's Jinchūriki to everyone… including the Hokage?

If that was him trying to protect Naruto… He was going about it in a very twisted way.

And now they had lost both Namikaze's son and the power of the Nine-Tails.

He cursed the Third.

Fugaku got back to work. There was a lot he would have to do in the coming years.

Naruto appeared in a yellow flash in a small fishing harbor, the sudden bright light of the day blinding him.

When he had vanished from the nation of Rain, — and he was pretty sure that's where he had been — it had been the middle of the night.

He had a sick feeling in the bottom of his stomach.

'Flying Thunder God is a space-time ninjutsu.'

That's what his father had explained to him, just a few minutes ago.

Most people overlooked the "time" factor.

Naruto didn't. Not today.

Not when the sun was shining so bright and hot. The desert was one thing.

But it simply wasn't supposed to be this warm near the sea at this time of the year.

Something was wrong. Really wrong.

'How much time has it been?'

He was scared of the answer.