Chapter 6: Uchiha

Chapter 6:Uchiha

Uchiha Sasuke woke up with a loud groan, his head feeling as if it had been squashed over and over again into goo. Hopefully that wasn't the case. At least, he hoped so. Subconsciously anyway. He was in too much pain to think straight right now.

The young Uchiha grabbed his head, groaning again as he tried to clear his vision and gain an overall control of his body. The first thing he came to realize was that he was sitting up...in the middle of nowhere. And this wasn't like in the middle of the woods of nowhere. No, this was literally in the middle of nowhere. Just an empty white space. If he could, the Uchiha would have raised an eyebrow. But he was still trying to regain his basic motor functions. So such an action was still beyond him at the moment unfortunately.

Grunting for a third time, Sasuke was finally able to get to his feet, wobbling a bit. But fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how some looked at it, he was able to balance himself and not fall on his behind. He looked around him, his hand still on his head and trying to ease the pain without much success.

'Just.....where am I?' he finally thought after being able to form coherent thoughts again. The last thing he could remember was the Shinobi War, the giant explosion, and the Sennin....

Sasuke's eyes widened as his brain processed that particular memory. 'The Sennin! And the deal!' Unfortunately, it also brought another wave of pain to his head. Sasuke merely groaned as he waited for the pain to pass. This was the first time his head had hurt this much since Itachi had used Tsukuyomi on him all those years ago. Needless to say, it was a bitch.

Looking around again, Sasuke decided that simply standing wasn't going to get him anywhere. So, looking around again, the young Uchiha chose a random direction and began to walk towards it. It all looked the same anyway. He only hoped that something, anything, was close by so that he could try and figure out just where in the world he was.

As he walked, though, Sasuke began to notice some things. Some very odd things. For one, his arms and hands looked smaller than what he remembered. Second, he noticed he was shorter too. His legs had shrunken or something. Now, he began to panic. Although Sasuke being who he was, he didn't let the panic show too much on his face. His mind, however, was a different story.

'Just what the hell is going on here? Why am I shorter!? Is this because of whatever Tobi did? A side effect maybe? But then where am I? Ugh, too many damn questions! And my head is still hurting.'

"Well, it was about time that you woke up, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes widened partially before he jumped forward, spinning around in mid-air in order to face the person who had sneaked up on him. Landing, Sasuke lowered his guard a bit as he came face to face with a familiar face. On a side note, he was thankful that he was able to do that again.

"It's you...."

The Rikudo Sennin had an amused look on his face as he floated in the air. "You certainly are jumpy, aren't you? But I'm glad you can remember me. It would have been a pain if your memories got tangled with on your way here."

"On my way here?" Sasuke repeated, frowning. "Just where is here?"

The Sennin sighed as he positioned himself in an Indian sitting position, his staff lying next to him as well. "Now that is where this might get complicated for you, although you already know the answer as to where, or rather when you are."

Sasuke's eyes widened as his mind triggered his and Naruto's talk with the Sage after the explosion. "So it was a success!? We're in the past now!?"

The Sennin merely nodded, gauging Sasuke's reaction.

Sasuke's eyes were still wide as he tried to comprehend the situation he was in. He was in the past. In the past where the Uchiha clan still existed. Where his brother was still alive and not branded as a traitor. Where he could change everything about that night.

"I'm actually here....."

The Sennin smiled as he looked at Sasuke. "As much as you might not like to hear this, you and Naruto are both quite similar, wouldn't you agree?"

Sasuke came out of his shock at hearing that, staring up at the man. He didn't reply, though.

The Sennin continued. "You both care about your family a great deal, much more than anyone else perhaps. But that's probably due to the harshness that you two have had to endure. And just like Naruto, you're already planning on how to save them."

Sasuke didn't respond to that. He didn't really see the need to try and contradict the Sage because he was right on the money. "Where's Naruto?"

The Sennin hummed for a moment. "Right now? He's already awaken, a few days before you in fact. He's with his family, seeing the situation he's in and adapting quite nicely if I say so. But don't worry. You two will be reunited soon. But right now, you have different things that you need to take care of that require for the both of you to be separated."

'With his family?' Sasuke thought. He wondered who the dobe could have in this time, but he could ask him that when he next saw him. "Just what time are we in exactly? And what is this place?"

The Sennin decided to answer his second question first. "We're in your mind, or the representation of your mind at the moment. You're in a comatose state right now, so it's not much. But at least you're alive. As to what time this is.....it's right at the end of the Second Shinobi war, give or take a few months."

Sasuke took this information, saving it for the future. He knew he would needed when he woke up. That thought brought another question to him. "And just where is my real body at right now?"

The Sennin chuckled. "Why don't we save that for until you wake up, ne? It'll be more interesting this way."

Sasuke frowned. For someone who wanted to save the Shinobi world, he was being awfully carefree. It reminded him of how Naruto usually was.

"At the moment, we have more pressing matters to attend to anyway."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the floating man. "Such as?"

The Sennin's carefree attitude vanished in an instant. Instead, a more serious atmosphere settled around him. "The most important question of all: what is it that you plan to do, young Uchiha? I know for a fact that you wish to change, or rather redefine what a shinobi is. It's why you wished to be Hokage. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you want to save the Shinobi world. And that's why Naruto is here. You, however, you came because of your family. Because you want to save them, especially your brother. So what will you do?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, contemplating on how he would answer that. It wasn't his motive that wasn't clear. Not at all. Sasuke already knew what he planned on doing. But there was something else along with it. Something that made his heart flutter in anticipation and eagerness. It was a feeling that had just recently been brought back.

"I know what you're really trying to find out here, Rikudo Sennin," he began, opening his eyes and looking straight at the Sage. "You're wondering if I'll somehow become an obstacle to Naruto's plan down the road since I know for a fact that the dobe will do exactly what you asked us for. It just goes with his nature. As for me, you know that I only accepted because of the Uchiha, because of what will happen to them and my desire to stop that from becoming reality."

The Sennin simply looked at him, listening to every word that Sasuke had to say.

The young Uchiha then smirked. "You don't have to worry, though. My new goal is quite simple here: save my clan. Now that I know that what you told us has happened, then that goal can become a reality. Not the one created by Tobi and Madara. But.....that goal also happens to tie with yours and Naruto's. So if I have to save the entire shinobi world in order to save my clan, then so be it. It'll also help me redefine "shinobi" as well so that Itachi's life doesn't become a part of reality. That is my goal."

The Sennin gazed upon him with a calculating look, his mind processing everything that Sasuke had said. 'So this is what my other child wishes, eh? Hahaha.....Naruto does seem to have quite the impact on him, no matter how much he'll deny it. It's why he's willing to help me, after all. Interesting. Quite interesting, Uchiha Sasuke. Bringing you along wasn't a mistake, after all.'

And that warmed his heart. It was the first time that he had seen his two sons fighting alongside rather than against one another. It was a sight that he would gladly get used to.

"So this is the new path that you're setting for yourself."

Sasuke's smirk disappeared, his normal look returning. "It's not redemption that I'm seeking. I don't regret anything that I've done up until now. You could say that they were my first true choices, even if they coincided with the Akatsuki's plan. I'm just tired of being used. It's why I wanted answers before I made up my mind. And now I have. That's all."

The Sennin smiled. "I see. Well then, if that's what you desire now, then things will proceed smoothly from this point forward."

Sasuke already knew what the rinnegan wielder meant. Mainly that he and Naruto didn't have to fight each other. They were now on the same side. And everybody else was against them. Incredible odds indeed. But it just made things more interesting. At least for Sasuke they did.

The Sennin continued with the conversation. "Now that the serious part is over with, we can move on to the fun stuff."

Sasuke had to raise an eyebrow at that. "And that means?"

The Sage had to chuckle at that. "Well now, don't tell me you haven't felt something different about yourself."

Sasuke blinked, recalling how he had noticed that his arms, hands, and legs had become smaller. "I remember.....I'm guessing you're going to tell me why that is."

The Rikudo Sennin nodded. "Yes, I will. I wouldn't want for you to have a heart attack when you wake up in the real world when you see yourself. That would be counterproductive."

Sasuke frowned. He didn't like the sound of that.

The Sennin coughed in his hand, carrying on with his explanation. "Due to the time you're in and because of a little something that I have plan for you and Naruto, I took the initiative of making arrangements so that you'll be able to fit in perfectly for the foreseeable future."

Sasuke continued to frown. "Just get on with it already. What did you do? What's happened to me?"

The Sennin pointed at the ground below Sasuke's feet, a puddle of water instantly appearing which made Sasuke raise an eyebrow in surprise for a moment. Realizing what the puddle was for, Sasuke stepped forward, looking down at his reflection. Needless to say, the young Uchiha wasn't expecting the kid face that was staring right back at him.

Sasuke's face became as white as the snow, lifting his head so that he could look at the Sage. "Am I a kid again?"

The Sennin nodded, a small grin on his face. "That's correct. But don't worry. You still have all of your abilities intact. That hasn't changed. Although I would be careful I were you. I don't know how your clan would handle knowing that a mere child has the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Then again, you're not a mere child. But you get the idea."

Sasuke looked at his hands, getting a feel to them. "I'm guessing that because I'm a kid again I'll have to go to the academy as well?"

The Sennin answered with some amusement, "Yes, if you don't want to stick out too much anyway. But I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Trust me." The rinnegan wielder then continued with a more serious tone, "However, be careful. Konoha isn't the same place as the one you grew up in. As I told you, the Second Shinobi War is still going on at the moment. Things are much different right now. They won't hesitate to kill you, even if you are a child. As kind as the Hokage is, he puts the safety of his village first. And you're a mere stranger right now. Make sure not to attract too much suspicion to yourself. How you proceed from this point on will be entirely up to you. Just like with Naruto. But I have faith that you will be able to pull this off."

'You are my son, after all.' He didn't say that last part out loud, however. They weren't ready to know that particular detail yet. Although he suspected that they had some idea as to this fact.

'The Hokage, huh,' thought Sasuke, placing his hands back at his side. Looking up at the Sennin again, he asked, "So I'm allowed to go through with this as I see fit, correct? Total control?"

The Sage merely nodded, which caused Sasuke to grin. He already had an idea as to how to make things a lot easier, for him and Naruto.

'Even the dobe wouldn't expect this.'

Sasuke was brought out of his thoughts as he felt himself start to disappear from his inner consciousness.

"Don't panic," said the Sennin. "This only means that you're waking up out there in the real world."

"Hmph. So it's time then."

The Sennin nodded. "That it is, young Uchiha. Remember everything that I've told you. And for the moment, don't trust anyone. Use your instincts. They will serve you well here."

Sasuke didn't respond but heard every word and took it to heart. It wasn't long before his entire body disappeared from his mind, his consciousness returning to the real world.

It was game time.

"Are you certain about this, Hokage-sama?"

"The tests confirm it. Not to mention that he has the looks of one of the clan as well."

"And the boy's existence was kept a secret from me because....?"

"The results hadn't arrived until last night. There were also many in the Medical Corps who felt that the boy wasn't going to survive.....whatever it is that he's going through. No physical injuries were found. So it's possible that it's-"

"A mental trauma of some kind. Yes, I understand."

"Yes, exactly. Again, I do apologize about not informing you earlier, Kenshin."

"It's quite alright now, Hokage-sama. We have to focus on the boy right now."

"Yes, that is true."

Standing in one of the many hallways outside one of the many hundred rooms in Konoha's Hospital, two men could be seen having a conversation, ready to go in. One was none other than Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage and one of the most powerful shinobi of his time. The other man was Uchiha Kenshin, the current clan head of the famous and deadly Uchiha clan.

Kenshin had just arrived, having received an urgent message from anbu to meet the Hokage in Konoha's Hospital. For what? Well, as he just found out, a young boy had been found just outside of the main gate of Konoha, unconscious and without any clothes. There didn't seem to be any injuries on him, and yet the boy had failed to wake up since he had arrived. The doctors had automatically assumed that they were dealing with a mental illness of some kind. While they had been working on trying to figure that out, the Hokage had ordered for a blood examination for the boy since he could not recognize him. The tests had just come back. It was why Kenshin was here.

"I assume no one other than you, me, and the doctors who attended him know of the boy's existence?" Kenshin asked, ready to enter the room.

Hiruzen inhaled deeply from his infamous pipe, savoring the scent before he answered. "Jiraiya knows of him. It was him who found the boy and brought him to me. He knows not to let anyone else know of him for the time being. So you have nothing to worry about."

Kenshin nodded in satisfaction before opening the door that led into Sasuke's room and walking inside, Hiruzen following behind and putting his pipe away. Stopping in front of the bed, Kenshin allowed his gaze to land upon the sleeping boy and acknowledging that Hiruzen had been correct: the boy did look like an Uchiha. But that just brought many more questions.

"Just who is he, Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen himself could only sigh, shaking his head slowly. "I wish I could answer that. But I have no answer to that. The only thing we can do is wait for the boy to awaken and ask him ourselves."

Kenshin was silent for a few moments before asking the obvious question. "Do you think this could be some sort of trick by one of the other villages?"

Hiruzen had to sigh at hearing that. "The possibility has crossed my mind. And if it is, they've done a pretty damn good job. But we also can't rule out the possibility of him being a simple boy with an interesting background, though. Has anyone in your clan ever had outside relations?"

Kenshin shook his head. "No, not that I can think of. The elders have made that strictly forbidden. Something about keeping the Uchiha bloodline pure or some other bullshit like that."

Hiruzen sent Kenshin an amused look who chose to ignore it. If there was one thing that Hiruzen could say about the current clan head was that he wasn't like most Uchiha. That is to say arrogant to a degree that was just off putting. No, he instead valued other principles, similar to those of Hiruzen's own. It was why they were such good friends, after all.

Both men suddenly stopped all their movements and thoughts as a groan ran throughout the room, belonging to the one person who was supposed to be unconscious at the moment. Both men looked at each other, both knowing what this meant: the mystery boy was awake.

Now, it was time for answers.

Sasuke's eyes began to flutter open, abet slowly, really slowly. The damn sun was just shining too bright! Speaking of which, what time was it anyway? A moment later, Sasuke wanted to slap himself forever thinking about something as trivial as that at the moment. He had more important things to take care of, mainly not be branded as some sort of spy and be executed. That would certainly put a damper on things.

His vision began to clear as well. The first thing he noticed was that it wasn't the sun that was shining ins his face. It was the lights which were illuminating the room. The second thing was the two men standing in front of the bed. As soon as his vision was close to being as it regularly was, Sasuke realized that the man to his left was the Sandaime Hokage, although a helluva lot younger than the last time that he had seen him. But that was to be expected. He was in the past now.

The other man, however...Sasuke had no idea who he was. He did sense some sort of familiarity with the man, though. But he had no idea why.

"Well, it's about time you woke up, young man," began Sarutobi with his usual kind smile. "You had us worry that you wouldn't wake up from your deep slumber."

The next moment, the room was filled with various doctors and nurses, all running around the room wildly as they checked everything they could on Sasuke. It was no joke apparently. They had been thinking that he was going to die! Sasuke tried to sit up but was stopped by one of the nurses who put a hand on his chest, pushing him back. As weak as he felt, Sasuke had no choice but to comply. The Uchiha did notice one of the doctors speaking quietly with the Sandaime and the other man, though. Sasuke could only wonder what it was that they were talking about.

'Me most likely,' he thought.

The fiasco over Sasuke's recovery soon died down, much to said person's happiness. The doctors and nurses began to leave the room one by one after they had confirm that Sasuke's condition was stable. The doctor who had been speaking with Hiruzen and Kenshin had also left, one of the first ones to do so.

Sarutobi smiled again as he began to speak, "Sorry about that, my boy. But they were just here to check on your condition to make sure that you're ok and that we don't lose you again."

Sasuke mildly paid attention to that as he attempted to sit up again, this time succeeding with no nurse to stop him.

The other man raised an eyebrow at him. "You're surprisingly stubborn, aren't you?"

Sasuke didn't respond to him, not knowing what to say exactly. He still felt that weird feeling of familiarity and it was making him uneasy. His throat did feel surprisingly fine, though. He would have thought that he was going to feel parched.

'They must have been feeding me or something.' He soon put that out of his mind, though. He needed to get moving here.

"Where am I?"

It was the best way that Sasuke could see going about this conversation. Hopefully everything played out as he was expecting.

Hiruzen and Kenshin exchanged looks again. It was Hiruzen who answered him, "You don't know where you are?"

Sasuke merely shook his head, indicating that he did not.

Now this put Hiruzen at ease. Something that he had done but had not told Kenshin about yet was to have a Yamanaka go through the boy's memories and see what he could find. But there was nothing. Just a big empty blank. And they had done an extensive search too, trying to see if it had been caused by some jutsu a village had developed in order to infiltrate Konoha. But they found nothing.

'Still, though, memories just don't disappear like that. I wonder what's happened with this boy?'

Kenshin carried on, "You are currently in Konoha, deep in the Land of Fire...does that ring any bells?"

Sasuke merely shook his head again, playing the part of the ignorant child. He just hoped that they didn't decide to go through his memories. Not that it would cause too many problems since he already planned on doing something either incredibly genius or incredibly stupid about that. Only time would tell which one it was.

Kenshin sighed as he got his answer, something which he wasn't expecting but should have been. 'After all, the circumstances he was in were extreme. Amnesia shouldn't have been ruled out. But still.....' Kenshin had been hoping for something more at least.

'We can still have one of the Yamanaka clan help us with this,' he thought. It was the best alternate solution. He was sure the Hokage had already been planning that, regardless of the boy's answer. Security measures and all.

Hiruzen sighed before continuing, "That is most unfortunate, my boy. Not knowing where you come from or who you are. But we do have something that can help you shed some light into that."

Sasuke's eyes flickered for a moment, wondering what the Hokage was referring to. Hiruzen for his part simply turned to Kenshin who stepped up.

"My name is Uchiha Kenshin. I'm the current clan head of the Uchiha clan. Have you heard of us?"

Sasuke's eyes widened, but not for the reason that Kenshin thought. The name was extremely familiar to Sasuke. It also explained why he felt that odd feeling of familiarity with the man even though this was the first time meeting him.

'He's my grandfather!'

That certainly brought a new and weird feeling to him which he couldn't exactly figure out right now. It should be noted that Sasuke had never met the man before, even in his time. He had died a few years before Sasuke was born.

'I see he knows the name,' thought Kenshin, filing that information for later. It was also something that Sarutobi noticed.

'Maybe he knows that he's an Uchiha as well.' concluded Sarutobi, not exactly knowing how to respond to that particular detail.

Sasuke analyzed the situation before him: his grandfather, the clan head of the Uchiha, was here with the Hokage in his hospital room. Now for what reason exactly would it be that the clan head of the Uchiha would be here when Sasuke was supposed to be just a random boy?

'They know I'm an Uchiha,' thought Sasuke in realization, now taking extra measures to not reveal himself.

"Why are you here, Uchiha-san?"

Kenshin hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer that. A few seconds later, he opted to simply let him know the truth. "The Hokage had some tests done to you, to make sure that there wasn't anything else wrong with you of course." Not that they even knew what had been wrong with the child in the first place, but that was beside the point. "In one of these tests, we were able to find out that you have the blood of an Uchiha in you...."

'So that's how....' thought Sasuke, his face not portraying a single thing.

Kenshin continued, "That's why I'm here. To see if you were aware of this." It was then that Kenshin realized something: they hadn't asked the boy for his name. He had to mentally curse at that. They had been too focus on trying to figure just where the boy had come from and why he was an Uchiha that they had failed to ask him that simple question.

Sasuke looked down at his hands, feigning ignorance. "No, I had no idea."

Hiruzen stepped in. "Do you remember anything at all, my boy?"

"Like your name for example," added Kenshin, seizing the opportunity to his advantage.

Sasuke wondered for a moment if he should tell them that or not. In the end, however, he opted for the latter. He didn't want to suddenly start being called by another name. It would be too much of a hassle down the line.

"Yes, I do. My name is Sasuke.....I can't remember my surname."

'As I thought.' Hiruzen sighed internally. Well, at least he should have been thankful that the boy could still remember his name. He just hoped that everything else came back to the child eventually. But if it was amnesia, then that could never happen. 'But to think he has my father's name,' he mused. What an interesting coincidence all right.

'At least he wasn't sent by one of the other hidden villages,' thought Sarutobi in gratitude. Still, though, he couldn't rule out that possibility just yet. He would still need to keep a close eye on the boy.

Kenshin for his part remained silent, not knowing what else to ask Sasuke. If the boy couldn't remember a thing, then what could he possibly ask him? The clan head couldn't think of anything. Still, there was the option of a Yamanaka probing the kid's mind. And while Kenshin wasn't usually so forceful, this was personal to him. He would need to run it by the Hokage first, though. He could only hope the man agreed. But then again, this could be classified as a clan matter, meaning that the Hokage wouldn't be able to have a say on that. And while Kenshin wasn't one for pulling that card, he would if it came down to it regarding this particular situation.

Seeing that Kenshin wasn't going to ask the boy any more questions, the Hokage excused them, "Well, Sasuke, it was a pleasure to finally meet you. We'll leave you to rest now and see if we have any further questions to ask you later."

Sasuke merely nodded, deciding that it would be better to do what he planned on doing when the Hokage was alone. He definitely couldn't trust the clan head, not yet, even if he was his future grandfather.

The two men walked out, leaving Sasuke alone in the room with only his thoughts. He still had much to do.

"Well, that was interesting."

Hiruzen smiled slightly at hearing that. "You're not as frustrated as I first thought you were going to be. We weren't able to figure anything out except for the boy's name."

Kenshin shrugged as the two men made their way out of the hospital. "It can't be helped. He can't remember anything. I can't fault the boy for that. And then there's the option of-"

"Having a member of the Yamanaka searched through his memories," finished Hiruzen with a sigh.

Kenshin slowly nodded, realization hitting him a moment later. "You've already done that, haven't you?"

Sarutobi nodded as he responded, "I did. I wasn't going to have an unknown be inside my village during these times, even if he is just a child. Such luxuries can't be afforded right now. I was going to inform you when you first arrived. But you were in such a hurry to speak with the boy that I wasn't able to."

"I'm guessing you weren't able to find anything then," Kenshin assumed. It was the only outcome that made sense. After all, the Hokage hadn't told him anything specific about the boy, not even his name.

Hiruzen nodded again. "Yes. His mind is a complete blank. He has no memories whatsoever. I've never seen anything like this."

"Could it be some sort of new jutsu to counter the Yamanaka's?" wondered Kenshin. Such a jutsu would be extremely valuable in infiltration alright.

Hiruzen shook his head. "I don't know. It's a possibly alright. It's also why we can't leave the boy to wonder about on is own. Too many consequences could come about because of it."

Kenshin nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, but I'm not too sure that the elders in my clan will leave this matter alone when they find out."

Sarutobi sighed as they stopped in front of the hospital's main entrance. It was nighttime so there wasn't many civilians around. Only staff members were around, busy with their patients.

"Yes, I kinda figured as much. What do you think they'll want to do with the boy?"

Kenshin frowned. "I don't know yet. But if the boy does turn out to be innocent, then I will protect him. You have my word. And if he doesn't, we'll have a much bigger problem on our hands."

Mainly that one of the other ninja villages had the sharingan in their possession. In other words, an Uchiha clan of their own. But as to how that was possible, neither man knew the answer to that.

"We'll see when the time comes," Sarutobi finally said.

Kenshin nodded, massaging his head as he began to walk away and waving behind him. "I shall see you tomorrow then, Hokage-sama. I have some things to tell to a room full of old people. Have a good night."

Sarutobi chuckled, waving back at him before he too left to his office. He still had another matter to attend to tonight.

"What exactly is it that you're planning on doing, Sasuke?"

'So you can talk to me out here too?'

"Yes. It's quite simple really, considering the circumstances. But that's not the point at the moment. I know you're planning something. And I would like to know what that is."

'It's nothing. At least, nothing for you to worry about. You did say I could go about this my own way. Well, I am. And while this might be risky, it's the only way that I can think of that will help my stay here. Or rather, make everything much easier for the dobe and me.'

"Hmm. I see. You really are taking this seriously, aren't you?"

'Hmph. Had you any doubts? If I die, I won't be able to help my clan, now would I? So don't worry if I'm going to pull anything over you or Naruto. It wouldn't do me any good.'

"Hahaha. Very well, Sasuke. I shall remain silent and see what your plan is."

'That's all I ask.'

Sarutobi sighed to himself as he made his way to his office, closing the door behind him.

"I am quite the bother to you, aren't I, Haru?"

Sarutobi smiled as he locked eyes with the other person in his office who was sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She too was smiling at the moment.

"You're never a bother, Mito-sama. I've just had to deal with a certain predicament today. And add the war plans to boot as well. It's just stressful these days."

Mito's smile faded from her face as Sarutobi made his way to his chair on the other side of his desk. "I would imagine so. My clan's situation isn't helping the situation as well."

Sarutobi had to sigh at hearing that, placing his Hokage hat to the side. "We are in a dire situation right now. That much is true. Iwa has always had many more shinobi than any other village. And that Onoki is one of the most stubborn men I have ever encountered. However, I still didn't want to drag the Uzumaki clan into this. It was Danzo and the elders who have managed to push me into this position with the council."

Mito frowned at hearing Danzo's name. She had never been a fan of that man. And rarely did anyone ever get on her bad side this much. Her caring nature was just that immense.

"While that may very well be true, my clan does have a pact with Konoha that has been around ever since Hashirama founded this village. I have no doubt that they will respond in a favorable manner. It's the least we can do."

Sarutobi shook his head. "I still didn't want to drag them into this. Uzu has always been one of the most peaceful of villages, mainly because of who's governing it. I don't want the seeds of war to spread there as well."

Mito smiled, an amused look on her eyes which were still filled with life despite her old age. "You underestimate us Uzumaki far too much, Haru. If there is one thing that we Uzumaki are proud of is our strong ties to our family. We would never betray one another. It's how Uzu has been able to remain stable for this long. Otherwise, it wouldn't exist. I'm sure."

The third Hokage shook his head as he laughed. "My apologies. I guess I really am discrediting your clan by saying that. It won't happen again."

Mito continued to smile, "You're always too formal. You know you don't have to be like that around me. I've always hated formality like that. One of the many things that I wish I could change about the Hyuuga if I do so say so myself."

Hiruzen scratched his head in slight embarrassment. "It's a habit now ever since I became Hokage. I'm sure you can relate."

And she could. Having been the wife of the very first Hokage, she had to attend so many formal parties it was ridiculous. Needless to say, it wasn't a fun time in her life. Oh well. It was a small price to pay next to having had spent her life with Hashirama. She wouldn't trade it for anything.

Mito's carefree demeanor changed as she recalled why she came to see the Hokage in the first place. "This may be sudden, Haru, but there's something I need to inform you about."

Hiruzen himself turned serious at seeing the sudden change in Mito's attitude. If Uzumaki Mito thought something was important, then he better damn think so as well.

And boy was he right. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the god of shinobi and the Sandaime Hokage, was shocked to the core as he heard everything Mito had to tell him.

It was just one problem after another.

That night, Sasuke didn't get much sleep, his mind too active in trying to come up with a way that he could speak to the Hokage in private. He couldn't come up with anything. At least nothing that didn't involve putting many people in genjutsu as he made his way to the Hokage tower. Not only that, but Sasuke wasn't sure how security inside the village was during these times. He could only guess that they were stronger than his time. And he wasn't planning on revealing his true abilities to other people. At least, not yet.

'I only hope the dobe shows the same restraint.' But knowing Naruto, Sasuke knew that he was wishing for too much.

The next morning, however, Sasuke's solution to his problem as to how to approach the Hokage was solved as the man came to visit him early in the morning by himself. Needless to say, this was the exact opportunity Sasuke had been waiting for.

"Good morning, Sasuke," Sarutobi said as he entered the Uchiha's room, his usual grandfather smile on his face. "I wasn't expecting you to be up this early in the morning."

"I wasn't able to get much sleep last night, Hokage-sama," Sasuke replied, saying the very first truth since he had arrived here besides his name.

Sarutobi nodded at hearing that. "Yes. I would imagine so. Last night must have been stressful for you. And I'm sorry to do this to you, but there are more things that need to be taken care of today. I hadn't been expecting for you to be awake, so I didn't call of Kenshin. So fortunately you'll have a few more hours to relax before he arrives." Especially since the elders must be holding the poor guy up even more. Those old farts never did seem to get any rest despite their old age. It was weird.

"Actually, Hokage-sama," began Sasuke, ready to begin with his plan. He would either sail or sink with this. But if he succeeded, it would be extremely helpful in the future. "There's something that I need to tell you. Something which I left out yesterday."

Sarutobi's demeanor changed. It was subtle, however. But Sasuke was able to catch it. "And what would that be, my boy?"

Sasuke took a deep breath in. This was it. And not knowing any other way to say it but straight out, Sasuke did just that.

"I lied about everything. I know who I am and why I am here right now. I'm Uchiha Sasuke, and I come from the future in order to save the world."

To be continued.....