Sasuke's doubts

Naruto: Tales of Ashihara

Kakumei – Arc 3: Naruto Next Generation

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Chapter 65 – Sasuke's doubts

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One morning, in the Hokage's office, Naruto is doing his usual paperwork for the day when his advisor, Shikamaru Nara, walks in the room.

"How's it going?" he asks the Hokage who raises his head from the bills and requests and lightly waves at him.

"As usual… Just the routine, nothing else." answers Naruto. "How about you?"

"Pfff… What a drag… Everybody's running around in the building like some new big deal is going on…"

"Why? What's going on?" asks Naruto.

"Lot of stuff I guess. A lot of incoming mission requests, claims, the next Chunin Exam,… Anyway, still no news about Sasuke?"

"Nah, still nothing…" complains the Hokage. "He didn't suddenly break his nearly 5 years of silence in the middle of the night."

"…" Shikamaru doesn't insist on this topic, and changes it to a more joyful one. "What about Team 1? How is it going with them?"

Naruto stands up on his seat, and suddenly gets extremely enthusiastic.

"Great! Everything's going well!" he exclaims. "Boruto's incredible! Inoue's fantastic! And Izuna is splendid! They're all really over the top… We've been doing nothing but missions and training non-stop lately. Since D-rank missions aren't good enough for Boruto's cheeky face, they've completed C-ranks, and even B-ranks. Maybe it's about time I find them an A-rank job…"

"I see… So who's gonna be the next Hokage out of these 3?" Shikamaru asks for the future. "To whom are you gonna teach the Rasengan all this stuff? You know, all this seemingly mandatory heritage stuff."

"I won't do it this way." firmly says Naruto, getting serious again. "I made one thing clear with them. I won't show them any jutsu. They gotta choose their own. They can come to me and ask for help in training, but I won't guide them. They have to choose what kind of ninja they'll become. They'll have their own style, and their own ninja way."

"Clever enough…" comments Shikamaru. "And how does it look so far?"

"Boruto's going full offensive… Most of his training relies on his Taijutsu and Byakugan. He's trying long range Juken, like his auntie." starts Naruto. "Inoue's trying to be more active than other members of her clan. She's focusing on ways to use Mind-Body jutsus in active combat… And Izuna is becoming a mini Sakura. He's training with Granny Tsunade, and is already saving chakra for the Byakugo seal."

"Byakugo seal? Really?" says Shikamaru, surprised by this advanced training. "Nah, wait… Actually, he's almost as old as Sakura when she began doing the same thing…"

"It took Sakura 3 years." Naruto answers. "From when she was 14 to 17. Izuna's chakra is faster to grow and I guess that Sasuke's heritage makes him somehow more gifted than his mom. Maybe he'll take less time and will be done before he reaches 16."

"I see… Also, I'm glad for Inoue." the advisor comments. "It's good that she found her way, despite the traditions and all these drags… Also, are you sure about not passing on the Rasengan?"

"Absolutely. If anyone wants it, I'll be glad to help. But if they all find their own alternatives, it's even better, I think."

Their passionate discussion about the genin team is interrupted by the Hokage's new assistant, Moegi Kazamatsuri, walking in with a pile of paper in her arms, that she leaves on the Hokage's desk.

"Good morning, Lord 7th. Good Morning Shikamaru." she says.

"Hi Moegi!" responds Naruto. "How're you feeling about this job so far?"

"It's going well. Just as I expected, actually." answers Moegi, pleased by the Hokage's genuine concern.

"What's all this?" asks Shikamaru, about the documents she just brought in.

"This? It's documents, suggestions and stuff about the next Chunin selection exam." explains Moegi. "The Shinobi Union is planning an XXL edition, involving participants from all 5 nations and additional guests."

"So the administrations are on the move for this project? How much is already planned?" questions Naruto.

"With the advisors of other nations, we're currently gathering ideas for concepts and locations to set up all three steps of the exam. We're also thinking of nations to invite."

"Seems like the perfect time to reach for Ame no Kuni." suggests Naruto.

"Didn't the leader decline your offer to join the union already?" reminds Shikamaru.

"He did, yes. He developed some kind of rejection for more influential countries like the 5 great nations ever since we overthrew the post-Akatsuki government together, and I can't change this. But I have to persevere and jump on this kind of opportunity. If I can somehow make his opinion of us change, I have to try."

"Hokage…" says Moegi, skeptical on this topic. "With all due respect, Ame has a long history of being exploited and used by greater nations. It was always hostile to us. Why would you put so much effort into changing this?"

"Long ago, I made a promise." tells the 7th Hokage, remembering the words he told Nagato. "To bring peace to every nation. This included saving the land of Rain from corruption and smuggling. As soon as I took on the mantle of Hokage, I helped this new young leader, Buto Isshin, to take over his land with his rebel group and chased the post-Akatsuki corrupted regime away. But I feel like it's not enough… For Peace to be stable, not being enemies isn't enough. We need to be allies. Please, Moegi, prepare an invitation to participate in the next chunin exam for Amegakure."

Moegi and Shikamaru look at each other, bothered by the Hokage's resolve.

"The aim of the Shinobi Union is Total peace." adds Naruto. "No nation is left behind. Especially not Ame."

Moegi nods and turns around, accepting the Hokage's resolve and going to simply do her job as she should. Shikamaru watches her leaving, and analyzes her reaction to Naruto's demand. He now looks at the Hokage, who's randomly going through the pile of papers that his assistant just brought.

"If the village was aware of the motivation behind your efforts with Ame, they wouldn't support it." says the advisor. "Keeping a promise you made to the man who once destroyed the village… It's bold."

"Well, they'll have to live with it." says Naruto.

"Pain isn't the only occurrence." argues Shikamaru. "Dropping all plans to pursue Orochimaru? And freeing Kabuto from prison, even letting him be a part of Konoha's scientific department? I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm saying it's bold. But it's just so you, isn't it?"

"Everyone should be glad. If it wasn't for my tendency to give second chances, we'd all be dead." exclaims Naruto, before calmly justifying himself. "Nagato killed everyone, but fixed his mistake and trusted me to end the conflict. Orochimaru got what he deserved and was killed by Sasuke. When he returned, he revived the past Hokage and led the alliance to victory against Juubi. If it wasn't for Obito, I'd be dead and Madara would have been the end of everything. Kabuto Yakushi, just like Orochimaru, learned his lesson after Itachi's Izanami. Now, having him put his knowledge at use for our benefit is simply avoiding a complete waste of talent… And finally, if it wasn't for Sasuke, the world would have ended countless times by now."

Shikamaru doesn't answer and just smiles, unable to argue with this.

"You're right." he admits. "I can't even complain about Kabuto, since I'm the one who suggested it first… All these cases just got me thinking… What would have happened if Madara survived the war?"

"Trust me, Shikamaru… Even Madara recognized his mistakes in the end."

Once again, the Hokage's conversation with his advisor is interrupted, but this time by a far more unexpected event.

A black spiral rift appears in the middle of the room, right in front of Naruto's desk. He frantically stands up and slides over the table to get in front of the portal. Shikamaru turns around and sees the space gate. He steps back, startled, thinking that a new war-level enemy is just about to invade the village.

Next to him he sees Naruto easing himself and calmly turning his head to see him.

"All good. It's Sasuke." says the Hokage.

"Sasuke?" yells Shikamaru in surprise. "You mean… Just like that? After 4 years of silence? Why isn't he coming through this thing then?"

"Looks like… He expects me to get to him, I think." supposes Naruto.

After a second of hesitation, the Hokage steps forward to the portal, enthusiastic about finally reuniting with his best friend. Shikamaru, not as indulgent as the Hokage, warns him.

"Naruto!" he calls. "Don't go easy on him. He's got some explanation to give."

"Yeah, Sure!" answers Naruto as he disappears in the portal that immediately closes behind him.

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On the other side, the Hokage arrives in a vast and desert land covered in ice and snow. He recognizes the ice world from one of Kaguya Otsutsuki's dimensions. Before he can get a closer look around, he feels a great disturbance in the air and looks up in the distance.

Two hundred meters away, he sees the Kanzentai Susanoo of Sasuke Uchiha throwing his arm, holding a hundred meter long katana, down on him. Naruto senses the colossal blade fall straight down on him, disturbing the air and space in the way. Startled, and not ready enough for this surprise attack, Naruto just gets in a messy defense pose and leaps away on the right.

The giant blade crashes in the ground, not so far away, and completely breaks it. Naruto was actually standing on a cliff above a thousand meters deep canyon and the Susanoo's sword just broke the edge. With no ground to land on, the Hokage falls down the cliff to the end of the hole, but stops mid-air after undoing his constant transformation jutsu that makes him keep his old blue eyed appearance.

He reveals his true face, the Rikudo Sage form that became permanent after his last battle with Sojobo, and levitates in the middle of the canyon. After getting back in equilibrium, he looks over in the distance and sees the Susanoo flapping its wings and slowly flying down to him. Even further away behind the flying armor, there is a gigantic statue of a bull horned figure, wearing a long vest and robe, and wielding a giant mallet.

Despite being kilometers away, it appears as tall as the Susanoo to Naruto's eyes. But this statue isn't the main concern now. The Hokage is more upset by Sasuke's attack. After more than 4 years with no communication, this is how he greets him. A bit angered, Naruto raises his hand, and prepares a jutsu to break the Perfect Susanoo's face.

Senpo – Rasen Shuriken

He quickly loads up a spinning wind chakra orb in his hand, as big as one of the two he made during their final battle at the valley of the end, and throws it over to Sasuke, in the spectral armor's forehead. The giant shuriken hits the target, but does little to no damage. Naruto's impressed. His Uchiha friend seems to have drastically improved his Susanoo's durability, so at least he didn't spend these last years doing nothing. But he's still aiming to bust Sasuke out of his armor.

Tajuu Kage Bunshin

While the Uchiha is still blinded by the Rasen Shuriken's explosion in front of him, Naruto creates an army of thousands of clones in front of the spectral armor's head. They all quickly gather Lightning Chakra in their palms.

Raiton – Kieru Rasengan

As soon as his vision is cleaned of the first attack's aftermath, Sasuke's Susanoo is suddenly struck by countless vanishing spinning lightning orbs that pierce all together through the armor. Doing small but precisely located and sharp damage, this Rasengan barrage breaks the head of the Susanoo and makes it blow up, propelling Sasuke out of it from the back. All the Naruto clones floating in the canyon see the giant armor slowly fading away and all stay ready for the next move as Sasuke falls down the canyon.

Ameno Tejikara

While they're all looking around, the original gets abruptly switched with eternal flames of Amaterasu.

Kagutsuchi

The flames that are now in the middle of the clone army expand and shape into a small black sun with spikes erupting from it to destroy the whole clone army in just a few seconds. Meanwhile, the original was brought right next to Sasuke who's still falling down in the canyon, with his back turned to him.

The Uchiha lifts up his only arm, firmly holding his Kusanagi sword, and tries to decapitate Naruto from behind. Delayed by his use of Kagutsuchi, he's given enough time for the Hokage to react.

Ninpo – Shinken Shirahadori (Bare-handed Blade Block)

Naruto, sensing Sasuke's movements behind him, raises both his hands and closes them together around the blade that falls upon his shoulder, stopping its movement by catching it between his palms. He then pulls on the sword to bring and throw Sasuke over his shoulder, toward the end of the canyon.

Raikiri Katana

Before the Jinchuriki can let go of the blade to leave his opponent to fall with no hold, Sasuke propagates the lightning of his Raikiri through his sword to shock him. Startled by the electricity that shocks him, Naruto is rendered paralyzed and unable to stop from following the Uchiha in his fall.

Susanoo Tsubasa

To interrupt his fall, Sasuke summons the highly condensed human sized wings of Susanoo in his back and flaps them to stand still in the air, leaving Naruto to fall alone. Seeing his friend flying above him, the Hokage gets rid of the lightning that runs through his body and paralyzes him.

Inyoton – Haki

By channeling the jutsu that makes his Gudodama immune to Ninjutsu through his own body, he completely nullifies the effect of the Raikiri and gets his balance back, ready to fly up and closer to Sasuke. Comfortable with the high ground, the Uchiha prevents Naruto's rise.

Shinra Tensei

He pushes the Hokage down again and hurries him to the bottom of this endless hole. Having sent him too far in the depth and darkness of the hole, Sasuke only slightly sees Naruto anymore with his divine eyes.

Gudodama

Out from the dark promptly emerges a colossal long and sharp improvised blade, similar to the Rikudo-Sennin's Nunoboko blade. It slices through the air and cuts down one of Sasuke's Susanoo wings making him lose his grip and crash down the hole. As he falls in the darkness, he sees through the shadows with his Rinnegan and notices himself falling on Naruto who's now standing still thanks to the support of his Gudodama floating around him. As he falls down, he shoots a quite simple fire projectile to his enemy.

Katon – Goryuka

A dragon head-shaped fire ball falls on the Hokage who simply stops it with a wall made from his black orb. Through the fire, Naruto sends one single Gudodama that aims for Sasuke's face. The Uchiha, coated in the lightning of his Raikiri, dodges it.

Raikiri Shunshin

He moves aside on the left to leave the orb to pass under his shoulder where there is no arm to hurt. He quickly turns around and, added to the lightning already circulating through its blade, ignites his Kusanagi with the black flames of Enton.

Ameno Tejikara

He takes Naruto by surprise and forces him to switch position with the Gudodama that he just dodged, floating just a meter above. Caught off guard and unsettled by this move, Naruto lets Sasuke strike him in the back with his super powered sword with which he slits through the Hokage's back and leaves a wound that would have been mortal to any other human.

Chimatakami

Sasuke now opens a portal under him in the canyon that engulfs both him and his opponent. They are both transported and sent horizontally falling through an output gate, back on the ground above the canyon. The two of them roll over before getting back on their feet, face to face with one another.

Hurt by the Kusanagi's hit, and burnt by Amaterasu's flames, Naruto turns off the flames with Inyoton, and finally uses his Biju chakra to regenerate and heal his deadly wound.

"Why didn't you use your Biju powers earlier?" asks the Uchiha.

"I didn't want to wake Kurama up." promptly answers Naruto.

"How did your Gudodama return?" Sasuke keeps interrogating.

"Just time and focus, actually." Naruto replies. "You trained a lot as I can see. So it's Raikiri and not Chidori now? Also you took inspiration from Sojobo's wings?"

"And you learned from Momoshiki, didn't you?" the wanderer remarks, referring to Naruto's Inyoton – Haki.

For a moment, the two fighters just stay silent, looking at each other… before easing themselves and ending this battle and discussion.

"I just wanted to see if you'd be able to react in case of a surprise attack like this." says Sasuke, who turns around to see the colossal horned statue in the distance.

Naruto walks closer and notices Sasuke's sword that he puts back in its sheath.

"New sword?" he asks. "It feels different."

"I had it forged in the land of Iron for me, around 5 years ago." explains the wanderer. "It is made of the strongest metal alloy on Earth."

Naruto slowly nods, quietly expecting Sasuke's explanation for this long absence. He keeps trying to make conversation, and waits to know the reason for this sudden return. He looks at the enormous statue that monopolizes the landscape.

"Who's that? Our next space invader?" he asks, ironically. "And why does he have a giant statue in one of Kaguya's worlds?"

"He is her father." explains Sasuke, to Naruto's surprise. "This statue is a tribute to him, by her. From what I've read from her, he's supposedly far more powerful than she ever was."

"… Ok, reassure me and tell me he's already dead or something." asks Naruto, a bit frightened by this speech.

"He is. He died long ago. Even before the Rikudo-sennin defeated his mother." reassures Sasuke. "Yet, this man, her father, still was far from being the most powerful being out there."

"What do you mean?" asks Naruto, now passionate about what his friend has to tell.

"Naruto, since we've met Momoshiki, and learned about people he was afraid of… Did you ever wonder why Kaguya, who knew about Momoshiki and all the others, still considered herself the mother of ALL chakra?"

"Uh? No. Never thought of that. But I guess you have an answer."

Sasuke looks up to the face of the statue. Its long thick spiky hair, its two horn-like hair strands on top of his head, its wide full beard covering half of its face.

"This was her father." he starts. "But her mother was far more impressive. Regarded as the Empress of all creation, she was told to have sealed the source of everything within her. She was… God itself. The true mother of all chakra… For an unknown reason, she sent her daughter, Kaguya, to collect the chakra fruit on Earth. But you know what happened. Kaguya ate the fruit and stayed on Earth… While she was reigning over our world, things happened in the Otsutsuki clan. The man represented by the statue died, as well as the all-mother, the one being above all others, so powerful that even Kaguya is just a mere human compared to her."

"Good news, I guess…" comments Naruto. "This man doesn't look friendly at all. Don't even dare imagining what Kaguya's mama was like."

"Kaguya learned of her mother's death." adds Sasuke. "Deducing that, since she'd eaten the fruit of the Divine tree, she was the closest remaining person to the original power, she started calling herself the new mother of chakra, which, on Earth among humans, turned into Mother of all chakra."

"Wasn't Kaguya immortal?" asks Naruto. "I mean… eternally young. If her mother had the same power, but a thousand times better, how did she die?"

"She was murdered." says Sasuke, who turns around to look at Naruto. "And those who murdered her, should be the current Otsutsuki clan."

Naruto gulps down… but reassures himself. In 5 years there has been no sign of them. And if these people went against a tyrant that was so alike to Kaguya, then they're probably good guys. He keeps all this information in a corner of his mind, and gets back to the reason why he's been brought here.

"You didn't suddenly bring me here just to show me this statue." he guesses. "Where have you been, these last 4 years? What is this about?"

"I've been busy." simply says Sasuke. "I have a lot to ask you."

In reality, Sasuke Uchiha spent the last 4 years traveling through planets and dimensions, following the traces of not Kaguya, but Momoshiki. After his meeting with the pink-haired boy that claimed to be his son, Sasuke searched desperately to find an explanation to this kid's existence and nature. Certain that he is connected to Momoshiki, he went after anything that could give him clues about him, hoping to find a jutsu, an event that would explain this.

In these years, he didn't tell anyone else about his encounter with this kid. He never even went back physically to the land of Heart. At some point, doubt took over his mind, and he stopped visiting Sakura and Izuna, feeling more and more responsible for whatever the pink haired kid is.

All these stories about Kaguya, her ancestors, and the rest of the Otsutsuki clan, he found all of this inadvertently while looking for answers. Now out of options, he comes back to Naruto, and tries to get what he can out of him.

"You fought against Sojobo and defeated him 4 years ago." he says. "But I found out he gave you visions of the future. Can you talk about it?"

"Ah this?" answers Naruto. "We exhaustively went through all those scenarios and prepared to receive them with Shikamaru."

"I just want to hear about what may be of interest to me."

"Okay well…" Naruto starts, thinking that Sasuke obviously wants to know about the Otsutsuki. "There was one with a mohawk horn, a gorgeous woman in a cool dress, a short girl with a scepter, and a frightening man with golden horns… I'm not sure but I think Kaguya was there too, somehow. And there was a dude in a far chaotic future."

"… 5 members of the Otsutsuki clan?" says Sasuke at first. "Kaguya is already dead. So it makes it 6. Some of them may be among those Momoshiki's spoke about. You know… The golden eyed brat, his aunt, the immortal, the masked one, someone named Shiva, another called Isshiki, and finally this Dragon Lord."

"Sasuke,… We don't know much about what I saw. It may not even be my future."

"What else? Is there anything that implies me specifically?" asks Sasuke, ignoring Naruto's doubts.

"Um… There was a place… It looked like the end of time." quietly says Naruto, recalling what he saw. "Everyone was dead, including you… Also, Sojobo first brought me to our battle at the Valley of the End. So of course you were there."

"What about Izuna, Sakura or Sarada?" asks Sasuke now, unsatisfied by these answers.

"In this chaotic future, they were… like everyone else… But that's all. Nothing else about them." answers Naruto. "It was really about me, you know?"

Sasuke steps away, even more unsure than before. Having gotten no more clues about the pink haired Rinnegan boy, he slowly walks away and thinks of where he could go to look for more clues. Naruto, still upset about this nearly 5 years absence, brings up a sensible topic.

"You were busy, I see…" he says. "But busy enough to not check on your family?"

"I did check on them. Regularly." he says. "I know how they're doing. I know you're my son's sensei."

"So you know of them, but don't actually visit them?" asks Naruto. "What's up with that?"

Sasuke doesn't answer. Actually, he'd love to go home, and have a normal family life with Sakura and his children. However, the doubts he has about this boy,… He knows he won't be able to hide this secret from Sakura, but he doesn't want anyone to know until he knows how to explain it. Naruto notices this silence, and doesn't accept it.

"Sakura misses you. And Izuna got over your past life a long time ago." he says. "Now he needs someone to teach him how to use his eyes… Sarada's over 5 years old. I'm sure you'd like to be more present for her than you were for Izuna."

"Yes I do." spontaneously says Sasuke who turns around and comes closer to Naruto. "And I did not leave her behind. Even if I can't visit Sakura and Izuna, I see her…"

Naruto is just confused, and waits for more details.

"Almost once every two nights, when Sakura gets her to sleep, I open a gate and transport her to one of these worlds or another planet. We spend a little hour together each time. I tell her about the place, she tells me about her day. We enjoy our time… I wasn't there for Izuna, and I regret it. I won't let her have the same doubts as him…"

Naruto stays agape, and then genuinely smiles, heart warmed by this little fact that Sasuke just revealed about himself.

"She must probably see you as a prince charming from the dream world." he comments.

"Maybe… But I'm here for her. This way, I get to see her grow up. I get to see her as an innocent child. She needs this. I need this."

Naruto had these last three words echoing in his mind. He thinks of everything Sasuke said. According to him, he "can't" visit his family, but still quietly spends time with his last born… This sudden visit after 5 years, the only 2 questions he asked about the Sojobo experience… There really seems to be something Sasuke is trying to keep secret. Naruto raises a hand to firmly hold his best friend's shoulder.

"Sasuke, seriously… Tell me. What is it that you don't want to tell me or Sakura?" he asks.

The Uchiha makes a surprised look and steps back, shocked by how Naruto manages to read him like an open book.

"What do you mean?" he says, trying to play dumb at first.

"A visit to Orochimaru, and Tsubai, and then nothing for 5 years?" adds Naruto. "You said it yourself that you miss your family. If you could, you'd just go visit then. There's something that keeps you from seeing me and Sakura, isn't it?"

Sasuke keeps his eyes wide open, totally revealing his feelings. He sighs, and eases himself. Now that Naruto knows, he won't give up until he knows what's happening. If it goes this way, he better tell him before he finds out by himself. Yet, if he really can't find any explanation and has to tell about his worries now, he prefers to tell Sakura first.

"Naruto, you're really annoying, you know that?" he says, hiding his gratitude.

"I know, Yeah!… So gonna tell me or not?" answers the Hokage.

"Give me a month, and I'll tell Sakura." demands Sasuke. "And if she agrees, I'll tell you."

"Tell Sakura first?" wonders Naruto. "So it's about you, not the fate of the world."

"It is about me… for now." he says.

Confused by what this might mean, Naruto doesn't ask anymore questions. He just lets go off his friend's shoulder, and turns around.

"A month. Not more." he says. "And I'll obviously tell Izuna about your return, so consider it a promise to Sakura…"

"Sigh… So be it."

Chimatakami

Sasuke opens a portal in front of Naruto. The Hokage looks at the space rift, and turns around to look at the Uchiha one time again. He makes a friendly hand gesture to salute him and walks through the portal, going back to his office.

Sasuke closes the portal, and stays alone in this world in front of the statue of Kaguya's father. Looking at it, he wonders what kind of father this man was. Was he present for his daughter? Is he part of the reason she ended up so badly? This thought brings him to wonder what kind of father he is. He begins to hate his own self for how he hid away these last years, and feels glad that Naruto came to his rescue once again.

He thinks of the kid of Shin no Kuni who claims to be his son. If he really turns out to be, then Sasuke may have provoked something dangerous inadvertently by immediately fleeing the first time they met. What kind of father is he to this boy?

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End of Chapter 65 – Next Chapter: A-rank mission