#kakashi takes one look at the sudden shift in team seven dynamic and realizes he may have been saved

[batsyheere]

It is infinitely more funny if both Sasuke and Sakura realized they don't function as well without Naruto and meanwhile Naruto function more efficiently with others.

As in, Naruto without proper support and understanding still succeeded- almost flourished. Naruto with proper support and understanding?

The minute someone figures out that all Naruto needs is a basic grasp of reading its over for Konoha. He has been enlightened and now he is free. Because Naruto, despite being a rather good example of work ethic and actively working to achieve skills, is also a genius. He manages to learn skills or make leaps in jugement canonically that others don't, and honestly the only things holding him back are the sabotage of his education and how stupid shinobi can be.

So the minute in a fanfic Naruto gets even a drop of support and he blossoms, and he starts making leaps and leaving behind his teammates? It is hilarious to witness a duo previously hyperfixated on their own two things, suddenly switching it up when they see that people are suddenly interested in Naruto. That he is suddenly appealing to others, that people think they have a right to his time.

Suddenly Naruto isn't there when training ends, or leaves after missions to "help a friend", he doesn't offer to get ramen with them or even to find more ways to mess with their sensei. And even when they hang out, he's distant- no longer dumb, no longer reliant, sometimes he does things he says he learned from other teachers or even by observing. No longer loud, or distracting Sakura from the way Sasuke isn't perfect, or rivaling Sasuke and giving him chances to grow stronger. He doesn't get upset when Sasuke still beats him at taijutsu, or how Sakura is still better at chakra control, and doesn't brag when he is good at something.

"I guess I just realized we each have our own strengths," Naruto says when they both corner him about it. "And I want to make sure I can keep you both safe because you're my team- you're all I have. Like family. So yeah, I want to learn everything I can do."

And Kakashi learns two things after Sasuke and Sakura have their realizations and new resolutions.

First, that neither Sakura nor Sasuke were in anyway sane and whatever had made them snap was only positive in that it hadn't turned them against Konoha and thus, he did not have to handle them.

And second; He suddenly doesn't have to worry about weird love triangles but does have to worry about suitors and Sasuke and Sakura's reactions to them.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Nineteen: Been There Before ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Uzumaki Naruto ] [ SasuHina, blood ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] [ AO3 Link ]

He’s still figuring out this whole...Rinnegan thing.

One moment he’s with Naruto on an S-rank mission - something he never thought he’d have to do after having reformed the police force. The roles of shinobi have been changing since the end of the war, but...well, there’s little ignoring the power he wields, and just how necessary it can be.

The next, attempting to use space-time to flicker from a blow, addled by a heavy wound...Sasuke finds he’s no longer at the battlefield.

In fact...the sudden change leaves him so confused, he just sort of...stands there for a moment, clutching the wound in his side and looking over his surroundings. This...isn’t where he was just fighting alongside Naruto. In fact, he doesn’t even hear any sounds of conflict anymore.

And after a moment to really think...he realizes...he’s been here before.

He’s in Shi no Mori...the forty-fourth training ground where he and the rest of team seven took their second chūnin exam…!

What on earth…?

Spreading his senses, he does indeed feel the life forces of all the deadly beasts that roam the grounds. But alongside them, he finds human chakra signatures.

And...wait...is that…?

Brow furrowing, a hypothesis begins to form...but he’ll gather more evidence first.

Following one particularly-familiar aura, Sasuke keeps hidden in a cluster of undergrowth, one hand on his sword hilt.

...it is him.

Gaara.

But this isn’t the Godaime Kazekage Gaara. This is genin Gaara, flanked by his siblings and facing a squad of Ame shinobi.

...he’s in the past…

Apparently he needs to work on controlling his space-time ninjutsu. He didn’t just dodge that attack...he dodged several years. And in reverse! Well...all he has to do is hop forward and find the right time, and -

...wait a minute.

A spike of chakra flares to his left, and Sasuke gives it a wide-eyed look. Beyond the bushes, Gaara crushes his enemies, and even his siblings’ signatures reveal their revulsion.

But this chakra...he knows this chakra.

There’s a moment of tension before the Suna team takes their leave. For a moment, Sasuke watches them go. He’d almost forgotten how ruthless Gaara was back then. Funny how much people can change…

But now to the other matter.

“T-that was close…!”

“I...I-I never thought someone would...would…!”

“It’s quite unsettling, but...also the reality of being a shinobi. Part of these exams is to test if we truly are ready for such realities.”

“But still...Shino-kun...weren’t you even a l-little bit scared?”

“...I was. But we’ll be fine, Hinata. We’d best get going. The sooner we reach the end of this exam, the sooner we’ll be safe.”

“But we don’t know what the last exam will be!”

“Kiba, keep your voice down. Do you want those three to come back?”

“N-no way!”

“...come on.”

There’s a rustle, and the four signatures - one canine - begin to fade.

...he really needs to get back...and yet…

He never had the chance to know her back then. He’d been so consumed by his goals, such a quiet person had largely escaped his notice. But here she is...so small, so...different. The Hinata he knows now is still quiet...but far more confident. More tested.

Maybe he’ll just...stick around a little longer. He doesn’t have any memories of his wife from this era. Perhaps he’ll just borrow a few. But he can’t be seen...he can’t know what kind of paradoxes his presence might bring if he’s noticed. So, he’ll lay low.

Besides, he’s technically still wounded...he needs to find a place to patch up, and rest to regather his chakra enough for a jump back. So, in the meantime...he’ll just -

...wait…

...what day is it? Maybe if it’s early enough...maybe if he’s jumped far enough back...he could find Orochimaru, and just -!

No...no, he can’t interfere. He’s made his choices - changing them now may very well make his current existence obsolete. Time is a finicky thing...he can’t afford to go tinkering with it. But oh...the things he could tell his younger self. The heartache he could spare that poor lonely boy…

Sasuke’s head bows, having to physically fight the temptation. It wouldn’t just be himself he could save...how many were hurt, and killed, by the viper and their schemes? The third exam brings the coup with Suna, the attack against Konoha…

...and yet…

He heaves a curt sigh. There’s no time to even consider it. The past should remain the past. For now...he has other priorities.

Finding an alcove, he lifts the torn material of his shirt to bare the injured skin of his side with a hiss. It’s not too deep...but he can’t let it get infected.

Good thing he always comes prepared.

From his leg pack he draws a small canister: a poultice Hinata made for him only a few days ago. Careful fingers reach in and retrieve a smear, carefully painting it over the wound before applying gauze and winding it in place. Well...it’s hardly the patch job he’d like, but that can wait until he gets home.

For now, he needs to rest and let his chakra pool rejuvenate.

Nearby, he catches several fish, skewering them and cooking them over a katon-started campfire. The same strategy he and his team used...and may very well be using now. Some food will go a long way in rebuilding his energy.

Once that’s done, he covers his tracks and starts to move, following his senses to another campsite.

He’s never really paid Hinata’s teammates much mind. Kiba’s just another loudmouth, too reminiscent of Naruto to really invite the Uchiha’s company. And Shino is just...well, Sasuke respects him well enough. But he’s too similar in the sense that both can stand in complete silence and not say a word. Needless to say, any meeting between them has been rather useless in actually getting to know one another.

Perching far up in a tree above them, he cloaks his chakra and just...watches for a bit. At least he’s technically resting

“Are you sure about those mushrooms, Kiba-kun…?”

“Yeah! My mom cooks ‘em all the time. Trust me!”

“Many fungi that are edible also have near-duplicates that are deadly, or at least toxic,” Shino rebukes, adjusting his glasses. “We must be absolutely certain…”

“Gah, you guys are a bunch’a worry warts! I’m tellin’ ya, they’re fine!”

“Maybe we should, um...find something else to eat...j-just in case…”

“Don’t tell me you’re doubtin’ me too?”

“I just...d-don’t want us to get sick, Kiba-kun. There’s already enough to worry about in here...right?”

Sasuke quietly scoffs to himself. Leave it to Kiba to be so stubborn. Hinata and Shino are right...it’s a stupid thing to take a risk on in a place already so determined to kill you.

“Well we gotta eat something...if you guys don’t like my idea, come up with one yourself!”

“Fauna would probably be safer than flora...at least with more animals, they have ways to warn you if they’re v-venomous.”

“That’s true. Kiba, you’re able to make traps, right? We’d best try that.”

“Yeah, yeah...does that mean we’re makin’ camp here? Cuz we’ll have to wait for something to get caught. And no use in trying to circle back - I bet we’d never find our way in this place…”

“I suppose we can. And we’ll need to take shifts sleeping - someone should be awake at all times to keep watch.”

As the team figure out dynamics, Sasuke dozes, feeling his energy levels slowly rise. Another few hours, and he’ll have the chakra to leap back to the present. Well...his present. It’s a bit of a relative thing, after all.

They catch a few small animals to skin and cook, talking quietly as the day fades. Hinata offers to take first watch, with Kiba next, and then Shino.

“Be sure to use your Byakugan when you can. We can’t know what direction a threat might come from.”

“R-right! Don’t worry, I’m ready.”

...oh crap. Wait -!

He can sense her flare in chakra, and Sasuke knows: there’s no hiding from her kekkei genkai. And he has no idea what her range is at this age - only that his Hinata can see ten kilometers in one direction. He needs to shunshin, and fast…!

“...huh…?” Turning, Hinata looks up the tree they’ve made camp under, narrowing her focus. That’s funny...she could have sworn she saw someone, but...there’s no one there now…

“Everything okay?”

“...yeah. I just thought I saw…”

“What?”

“...never mind.”

Stumbling a few steps, Sasuke takes a moment to regain his sense of balance. Jumping that far really does a number on his equilibrium...and...whoa.

...looks like he missed one hell of a fight.

Craters dot the landscape, which is bathed in twilight. He’d recognize the impacts of Rasengans anywhere.

Speaking of which...where is -?

“OI!”

Grunting, Sasuke bows under the weight of Naruto tackling him from behind. “Get...off...me…!”

“Where the HELL have you been?!” the blond screeches, shaking him like a ragdoll. “I been lookin’ for hours, ‘ttebayo! I thought you were dead somewhere!”

“No...just took an unexpected detour.”

“Huh?”

“Guess I still need some practice with the Rinnegan...went to jump from an attack, and ended up miles away...and in the past.”

“WHAT?!”

“Look, I’ll...explain on the way. I’ve got a wound that needs tending, and we need to report back. I take it you resolved things…?”

“Of course I did! Told Kakashi-sensei I wouldn’t need ya...but I didn’t think you’d up and bail on me!”

“I didn’t bail! I told you, the Rinnegan -!”

“Yeah, yeah...excuses, excuses.”

“You want to hear the story, or not?”

“...okay, yeah, I do. Let’s get going.”

“So, I think you saw that blow that threw me up in the air a few hundred feet? So on the way back down, I…” Footsteps carry them from the battlefield, Sasuke recounting his little misadventure.

But he really can’t wait to tell Hinata who he saw.

                                                            .oOo.

     Well, it had to happen eventually: some time travel shenanigans, woo! In reality I'd like this topic to be one I'd write, well...MORE with, but dailies have to be kept a reasonable length, so...maybe I'll do a proper oneshot or a short series on it someday after the year is over. We'll have to see! Because Sasuke ending up meeting a past Hinata is a really cute idea. Buuut for now, this is all I have the time and energy for ;w;      So on that note, I better call it a night! Thanks for reading~