What Dreams May Come.

Warning Yaoi(boy x boy relationships) don’t read if you don’t like.



AN: OK, this chapter will answer a lot of the cries for “will Sasuke remember, will Naruto tell him. Also, some questions were brought up about Minato and Kushina. Well Minato’s soul is still in the shinigami as far as I know so I doubt he would be reborn. As far as Kushina, I’ll take artistic license and say that Naruto never knew her so even if she was reborn she wouldn’t remember him. Sasuke is the only one to remember because of his deep enduring connection to Naruto. Oh and don’t judge the ending to say that I’m nearing the end of the story. I still have plenty in story for the two. Please enjoy this chapter, I have it up on Y! now so feel free to read it there as well. It was betaed by the wonder, spectacular, amazing BadDragonBran. I love you in a completely platonic way. XD.



What Dreams May Come



Chapter Twelve



Naruto stepped out of the house and into the morning sun. The day itself was starting out amazingly. The birds sang softly and the breeze whispered through the trees, forcing them into a gentle swaying motion. The best part of this morning was that Sasuke was by his side. Just having him near was enough to make the day look a whole lot brighter.



In his time sitting atop Hokage Mountain, Naruto had come to a decision about his life. He decided that it would be best to let go of the past. For too long he had lived in his own history and let it control him. Now he was given a second chance, and he was going to do what he should have done long ago. For the first time in a millennia, Uzumaki Naruto was going to live instead of simply existing.



Butterflies danced in his stomach as Sasuke walked up to stand beside him. Naruto felt his hand twitch with the need to intertwine with Sasuke’s long slender fingers. He sighed, unable to stop the twinge of longing for the connection they’d once had. Sasuke turned dark questioning eyes towards him, but Naruto only grinned, taking his arm, before escorting him down the decrepit streets of the once bustling village.



“Now let me introduce you to Konoha,” said Naruto.



“Konoha…Jiraiya said that this place was called the village hidden in the leaves,” Sasuke recalled.



“Yep, this place was once a thriving village, one of the strongest hidden villages in existence,” explained Naruto as he led Sasuke down the street.



“Hidden village? Why was it hidden?” asked Sasuke.



“Are you sure you want to know?” grinned Naruto.



His eyes contained a bit of mischief that had, until this moment, been absent. Something about Naruto seemed different. His steps seemed less weighed down by whatever baggage he carried. His eyes held a sparkle that they had been vacant of the previous night. Sasuke didn’t realize it then, but that exact sparkle had been missing for about a thousand years. The other Naruto had been a ghost, but this Naruto was the real thing. Sasuke felt a tremble begin inside himself, almost as if his soul was resonating with the blonde’s.



“Once upon a time, over one thousand years ago, this was a shinobi village,” Naruto began as he looked around. His eyes saw what Sasuke’s did not; Naruto saw the village as it had been. His life as a shinobi had been hard, but it had always been comforting to come home after a long and difficult mission to see that the aches and pains he suffered during the mission were not in vain, and that the security of the village had once again been assured.



“You’re joking right?” snorted Sasuke.



“Is this a face that would joke?” asked Naruto.



Sasuke looked over at the blonde and for a moment couldn’t decide if Naruto was serious or not. Yesterday, he would have had no problem believing that the words spoken were the truth. Today, something about Naruto was subtly different. Yesterday, Naruto’s eyes had looked old and tired, today they held youth and spirit. It was almost as if he was a different person completely.



“Okay, say this is a shinobi village, why then hasn’t it been documented and studied?” asked Sasuke.



“Because I don’t want it to be,” Naruto replied.



“What? What right do you have to say that?”



“More right that you can even imagine. Some things are better left to the imagination. This village was meant to be hidden and so it shall be for as long as I exist.”



“Hn, you make it sound like this place is sacred,” commented Sasuke.



“To me it is,” was the whispered response.



“So, tell me about this place that you hold so special,” Sasuke prompted as he looked about.



Naruto’s smile brightened by a hundred watts. He ushered Sasuke through the various parts of the village excitedly. As Naruto was pointing out some various landmarks, Sasuke’s attention was drawn to a small wooden bridge that arched over a glistening stream. Like several of the buildings, the wood was in good condition and had obviously been replaced recently. Walking towards the bridge, Sasuke soon found himself leaning against the railing. His eyes focused on the flowing water and his mind seemed to drift.



Sasuke stood looking down into the flowing waters. A lot of thoughts were spinning through his mind. The kiss that he had shared with Naruto was something out of his dreams. He was now at a crossroads. He could embrace his feelings for Naruto or he could abandon them and allow his destiny to take him where it willed.



His heart thudded with the magnitude of the impact that this final decision would make on his life. The village elders would surely be displeased should he chose Naruto over the continuation of his clan. Then again, Sasuke had never been one to follow orders blindly. Even before his desertion, he had trained himself with one goal in mind, vengeance on Itachi.



Even after returning with Naruto, Sasuke was left with an empty place in his soul. He knew the village had ordered the death of his entire clan but at the same time he knew that the clan had brought it on themselves. A fine line of guilt and innocence was walked and he and Itachi were caught in the middle, forced to play out their fates to a tragic end.



Breathing in deeply the crisp autumn air, Sasuke sighed with a deep exhale. He was so very tired. He was tired of his fate being decided by others. The elders decided to destroy his clan. Itachi decided that Sasuke would be the avenger. Orochimaru decided that Sasuke would be the perfect vessel. Everyone else had their hands on him trying to force his fate into a direction that they deemed acceptable. He was fucking tired of it.



From this moment on he would be the master of his own fate. He would decide the route he took in life. His life was his own and he would live it how he wanted to. No longer would he allow others to decide what he would do.



“Oy, Sasuke. There you are. I was wondering where you had wandered off to,” laughed Naruto, jogging up beside Sasuke.



“Naruto.”



“What are you doing?”



“Thinking.”



“About what?”



“Stuff.”



“Can you talk in more than one word sentences?” asked Naruto, his brow furrowing.



“You are a dobe. How’s that?” growled Sasuke.



“Tch, you don’t have to be mean about it. I was just going to ask you to have dinner with me, but I guess you aren’t in the mood,” Naruto returned stiffly.



“Naruto.”



“I’ll be going now. Talk to you later, Sasuke.”



“Naruto!”



“What?”



“I’d like that,” Sasuke responded quietly.



“Like what?” asked Naruto, thoroughly confused with the conversation.



“I’d like to go eat dinner with you,” the brunette replied.



“Eh? Really?” Naruto questioned, unsure that he had heard that correctly.



“Yes, as long as you are buying,” Sasuke smirked.



“Cheapskate,” pouted Naruto.



“You invited so I figured it only polite that you treat.”



“Do I at least get another kiss for buying you dinner?” asked Naruto, slyly.



“Hn.”



“Was that a yes?”



“I guess you will just have to buy me dinner and find out.”



Naruto pouted and grabbed Sasuke’s hand, pulling him towards Ichiraku Ramen. A small smile graced Sasuke’s face. Yes, his fate would be of his own making. From this day forward, he would choose…Naruto.



“Sasuke? What are you doing?” asked Naruto, leaning on the bridge beside Sasuke.



“Thinking.”



“About what?”



“Stuff.”



“What’s with only talking in one word sentences?”



Sasuke felt his blood run cold as a wave of dizziness engulfed him. Their current conversation was nearly an exact duplicate of the daydream Sasuke had just experienced. He was suddenly very scared. It had started after meeting Naruto and since coming to this place, the feeling of déjà vu was so strong it was almost as if he was being pulled in two directions by opposing forces. He was having trouble deciphering reality from these ‘memories’, if one could call them that.



“WHAT THE FUCK, NARUTO?” he screamed in his frustration.



“What? What is it?”



“How are you doing this to me? You invade my dreams and now you are fucking with my mind. Stop it! I cant think! I feel like I am losing my sanity,” Sasuke panted.



“Sasuke, calm down,” Naruto pleaded in an attempt to calm the raven.



“Calm down? Calm down? Try remembering things that you shouldn’t. Try feeling things and have no understanding as to why. Do all that and then come talk to me about calming down,” growled Sasuke.



Naruto sighed. Pulling Sasuke into his arms, Naruto’s hands went through a series of hand signs and with a poof of smoke both Sasuke and Naruto were on top of Hokage Mountain. Sasuke collapsed to the ground in disorientation.



The world seemed to be spinning and his stomach was having trouble keeping up with it. Digging fingers into the stone, Sasuke panted as the world began to slow down once more. Looking around, he noticed that they were on top of the large mountainside that over looked the village. How did they get up here?



“Just sit still for a minute. It will pass. The first time is always the roughest. The first time I was successful with that jutsu, I ended up so sick that Kakashi-sensei had to carry me home,” smiled Naruto.



“What just happened? How did we get up here?”



“Teleportation jutsu.”



“What the hell is a jutsu?” Sasuke inquired, his breath coming a little easier.



“I suppose I have a lot of explaining to do. I had wanted to wait, but looks like some of my impatient nature rubbed off on you, Sasuke,” Naruto surmised.



“Start explaining then. Because right now, I’m a stone’s throw from losing my mind.”



“Where do I begin?” the blonde questioned as he sat down beside Sasuke.



“Just start at the beginning, idiot.”



“So impatient. Fine, have it your way. How old do you think I am?” asked Naruto, his face turning serious.



“I don’t know, maybe late twenties?” Sasuke guessed.



“On October, 10th, I will be 1029 years old.” The reply was met with silence.



Sasuke sat quietly for several moments as if he was digesting this added bit of information. He didn’t look at Naruto, nor did he speak. Naruto was a master of Sasuke communication, so he knew that raven haired boy was analyzing everything that had been said before he reacted to it. He sat still as a statue before turning to face the blonde.



“I was wrong.” said Sasuke quietly.



“Wrong about what?” asked Naruto.



“You aren’t an idiot. You are fucking crazy!” he spat before standing.



“Wait, Sasuke! Hear me out before you go jumping to your own conclusions,” Naruto pleaded.



“Why should I? You will obviously spout more of that nonsense and it will only confirm my conclusion!” retorted Sasuke.



“You want to hear it though. I can see it in your eyes. You want to know why you feel drawn to me even though we have only recently met. You said you have dreams about me. Were they dreams or where they something different?” Naruto waited, his blue eyes sparkling.



Sasuke was torn. His mind told him to get as far away from Naruto as he could. His heart said something entirely different. The blonde was right, he did want to hear what he had to say. Sasuke just didn’t want to admit to it. Biting his inner cheek, Sasuke settled himself once more beside Naruto.



“Before I existed, a nine tailed fox demon ravaged the countryside. When I was born, my father sacrificed his own soul to seal a demon inside me. Because of this demon, I was ignored and ridiculed by the village as a whole. I didn’t know at the time, of course. I didn’t find that little tidbit out until later. As I grew up, I trained to be a shinobi. It was my goal to be as great a leader as the man that had given his life for his home,” Naruto began with a shaky breath.



Sasuke continued to listen to the tale. It seemed fantastic and yet it rang true in his heart. Some of the things Naruto spoke of, he had seen. Not with his own eyes but with his mind. He listened to the stories of rivalry and friendship. Naruto put so much emotion into his words that Sasuke became entranced. How could this man completely ensnare him with his words?



Sasuke could hardly believe the majority of what Naruto said. How could he believe something that was so fantastical? Fantastical though it may be, the words resonated in his soul. His mind didn’t want to believe, but something inside him did. Maybe it was the fact that it was too crazy to be a lie, or maybe it was that small part of him that seemed drawn to Naruto. Whichever it was, Sasuke knew that Naruto spoke the truth. No one would ever believe it, but Sasuke knew. He felt it within his very being. This man sitting beside him had seen more in his lifetime than anyone.



“You can’t imagine what it’s like to hold the love of your life in your arms and feel his life slip away. To have to live for so long with an ache that never ease,” whispered Naruto.



“Is that who I remind you of? Your lover?” asked Sasuke.



Naruto started to laugh. He didn’t get it. He didn’t remind him of Sasuke. He was Sasuke.



“You don’t remind me of anyone. You are my Sasuke. You were given back to me and I have been royally fucking things up. But not any more.”



“What do you mean?”



“Have you ever wondered why you feel empty inside, Sasuke?” Naruto asked.



Sasuke didn’t answer. He couldn’t. To answer would be the same as admitting that he indeed felt as if there was an inner part of himself missing. Lifting dark eyes to stare into blue, Sasuke felt Naruto looking deep into his soul. He felt the warmth radiating from that gaze. He felt the comfort it offered. He felt the peace it promised. He also felt cold dread spreading through his blood as Naruto spoke.



“You are empty because there is something missing. You feel its loss but you don’t know what it is. You have dreams about things that you have no business knowing. You feel as if you are losing your mind. You were reborn to give me another chance at happiness. I love you more than anything and I nearly went mad when you died,” Naruto finished quietly.



“It’s not me,” whispered Sasuke.



“It is you. You are you. It doesn’t matter what you remember. The soul is the same.”



“NO! You don’t get it. I don’t love you. I feel things, but I don’t really feel them. Don’t you understand? I’m not HIM. I’m me! Maybe I was reborn, but I‘m not him anymore. These thoughts and feelings…I don’t know how to deal with them. I need to think,” he hissed.



Sasuke stood, taking off toward the stone steps that lead down the mountain. His heart was pounding noisily in his chest. Naruto had spouted of love, but he didn’t love him. Sasuke had no doubt that Naruto had loved his Sasuke, but he certainly wasn’t him. Maybe he looked like him, or even felt things that he shouldn’t, but that didn’t make him Naruto’s Sasuke. The thought caused Sasuke to feel even more of an ache in his chest. He wanted to be the one that Naruto loved. There was no getting around that he was a replacement. Maybe he was reincarnated, but that didn’t mean things would pick up where they had left off.



“I’m not him,” whispered Sasuke once more.



He kept walking, not really seeing where he was going. The noon sun beat down hard but he didn’t feel it. Finally stopping beside a river, Sasuke leaned against a tree that offered shade from the merciless sun. Why were things so complicated? One day his life was perfectly normal and the next he was thrown into a fairy tale. Truth and fiction were so intertwined that he couldn’t distinguish where one began and the other ended.



Sinking to the ground, Sasuke wrapped his arms around his knees. He wanted to understand. He wanted things to be normal. Naruto was right, he ached deep in his soul. It wasn’t fair. Closing his eyes, Sasuke was overcome with exhaustion. The mental stress of what he had been told and what he was feeling had sapped his energy. Leaning back against the tree, Sasuke felt himself drift into the welcoming arms of sleep.



Sasuke stood at the gates to Konoha. It was no longer the ruins of a long dead way of life, but a bustling town, flourishing with life. Watching people call out to each other and smile in happiness and peace brought a small bit of recognition to him. This was how it had been when Naruto had lived here.



“It’s nice isn’t it.”



Sasuke turned around and saw…himself? It was like looking at an older version of himself, the image of a mirror from the past. Dressed in a black uniform, the older Sasuke stood with a small smirk on his face. The eyes held a touch of darkness that was unknown to the current Sasuke, and he was obviously several years older.



“Who are you?” the younger being asked.



“Hn, I’m you. Or rather you as you were. Let’s take a walk,” stated the elder.



Sasuke followed himself through the gates and towards the training grounds. Neither spoke and Sasuke felt a little bit of confusion. ‘This is just a dream‘, he told himself. The older Sasuke stopped at the tree line and gazed out upon the training grounds. There, a younger more carefree version of Naruto trained with Sakura and Kakashi.



“Why do you fight it so hard?” inquired the older Sasuke.



“Fight what?”



“Your feelings and the memories that come with them.”



“I’m not you. I’m me.”



“Do you think that if you embrace the past you will lose yourself?”



Sasuke looked at the other in surprise. That was one of his fears. He didn’t want to lose who he was. The older version smiled. It was a sad smile that held too much of an old pain.



“Look over there.”



Sasuke looked onto the field. Naruto was laughing and smiling. His didn’t have the dark circles under his eyes nor did he look as if he carried the world on his shoulders. He looked young. It was like looking at a different person.



“That’s who he really is and who he should be. That’s who you can make him again if you would only open yourself up to him.”



“How are you here? How are you talking to me?” asked Sasuke.



“I am a part of you after all,” the elder shrugged before walking out to join the others on the field. He paused after a few steps.



“Don’t be afraid of the memories, Sasuke. Some of them are really good. In the end all we have are memories. Make some good ones with him.”



“Hey!”



“Yes?”



“Is this real?”



“That’s for you to decide, Sasuke.”



Sasuke watched himself walk onto the field. The joy that sparkled in Naruto’s eyes at seeing Sasuke caused a tingle to spread across his chest. Lifting a hand, he pressed it against his heart. Closing his eyes, he felt his body begin to fall as the ground seemed to swallow him up.



Sasuke opened his eyes. Glancing around, he noticed that the sun had moved farther towards the west. He had obviously been sleeping for several hours. The late afternoon sun had taken on a less brutal shine as it descended towards the horizon.



He heard footsteps and knew that they belonged to Naruto. He didn’t know how, but he knew they were his. The blonde saw him and started towards him. Sasuke stood to greet him.



“Hey,” Naruto cautiously greeted.



“Hey,” replied Sasuke.



“I’m sorry that I pushed you,” Naruto offered in apology.



“I’m not him.”



“I know.”



Both stood silently, almost gauging each other. Neither knew what to say so they let the silence speak for itself. Sasuke was the first to break it.



“What do we do now?”



“How about dinner? We can talk more. I would like to get to know you again,” smiled Naruto.



“I’d like that,” Sasuke confirmed, offering a tentative smile of his own.



“Come on. Let’s go fix dinner.”



Sasuke walked beside Naruto. For the first time since meeting the man, he felt a little bit of peace steal into him. He didn’t know if his conversation with his previous self was real, or just his own mind working through his issues. He figured that it didn’t truly matter. What he did know was that he felt more at ease with himself. He didn’t love Naruto, but he wanted to. He wanted to fall in love and know that what he felt were his own feelings and not those of another. He wanted to see those blue eyes light up for him. He supposed having dinner was a start. They had to start somewhere after all.



TBC~



Thank you for the Reviews.



AlysiaStorms I addressed your Minato Kushina question in the AN. Thank you for posting such a question. Well the Minato thing was one I had considered but not the Kushina. I mean she may be there watching over him without knowing but I don’t really have a place for her in this story. That was a very good question and one I debated on for a bit before deciding that for now they wont make an appearance. Such a good question that it deserved its own author’s note.

shadowphoenix143 No doubt. When I wrote that scene I was going for hey lets see how unstable we can make Sasuke before Naruto gets home. I really liked when he saw his previous self in the mirror. I think that scene tore at my heart a little. In all my other fics my characters jumped into bed fairly quickly but for some reason I decided to take my time with this one. No need to rush things.

Sneakyfox So do I. His past life is making itself known. What can I say.

blugirlami21 I agree that Naruto should share the secret. I hope my readers don’t think I’m going to fast but it felt right at the time.

satterb glad you approve. I want then to have what they had before. They had years to grow together before and now Sasuke is experiencing things far more rapidly than natural. Also Naruto will find out that this Sasuke isn’t the same person. He will have to learn to love this one and not be stuck in the past.

Nickles I loved that prank. I just had to do something like that. I don’t know if the real Naruto would ever do that but I thought it was pretty damn funny.

Alyneese I actually love flash backs in stories. Some ppl could use lessons in them but who am I to teach.

BumbleBee Yep he will learn. I wish I could have just wrote the story of Naruto and Sasuke but as much as they loved each other, it would be boring. So I tell their story through the flashbacks.

hanyou-elf thank you for the constructive review. I actually have a beta now so hopefully some of the slight mistakes and flow of the story will ease up. Bran is a college student so I wont foist too much on them but maybe after I finish the story we will go back together and revise the previous chapters. Thank you very much and I hope that you keep reading.

Xzanayu Well can you blame him. Its painful for him. He doesn’t understand what’s going on and its driving him crazy. Naruto will be there to help though.

angel yes I’m sad to say I do keep up with the goings on of the show though I don’t watch or read it anymore. I really don’t care if Sasuke comes back to the village or not but I want his bond with Naruto to strengthen and remain one of true friendship. There is a reason that those two make such good fan fiction material. I honestly believe they are soul mates(not in the romantic sense though I like writing them that way). I also heard from some friends that actually watch the show/read the manga and they were talking how the show actually sucks and that the Naruto manga might be ending soon. Truth or just thoughts, idk

Akiru chan well just because the ending will be happy don’t assume that I will be predictable. I have an interesting twist on the ending once we get there. I think it might satisfy your inner need for a profound and emotional ending. I wont tell because I’m not sure how I’m going to write it yet since there are still several more chapters between now and then. Also as to the Sasuke aging Naruto young question, I have that planned out as well and all will be revealed at a later date so that is considered. Thanks for reviewing!

good chaos the better question is ‘I wonder how he will deal with what he sees?’ lol

Duzzie yea somewhat full of angst but at the same time sweet. I am definitely glad that you are enjoying it. I love angst filled stories myself. It makes them so much more interesting to read. Keep reading.