Time To Fuck Up The Timeline

Dream

Song Title: Secret Garden- Sleep song Lyrics

When Naruto opened his eyes, he didn't see team eight, but he did see Sasuke and Sakura. He, also, wasn't where he put team eight. He was where he first saw them.

"Wha-what happened?" Naruto asked tiredly.

"You let that snake bite you. It's a deadly, fast acting poison. If you hadn't put that seal on, you'd be dead. You were able to remove some poison and keep it from spreading. I had to remove the rest of it." Sakura explained.

"So I guess all that was a dream. Man, that was a weird dream." Naruto muttered.

"We managed to get the scroll, and, at least, slow Orochimaru down. We should head to the tower before something else happens." Sasuke said.

"Ummm... before we do that, there's something I was wanting to do." Naruto scratched his cheek, and looked away from them. He knew they probably weren't gonna agree to this, and if they did, he'd have to run it by Shikamaru and Gaara.

   "What are you planning?" Sasuke sighed in annoyance.

   "It better not be something stupid." Sakura glared.

   "It's not, I swear!" Naruto gulped before continuing. "It's just that... well, I was thinking... you know how..."

   "Just spit it out, idiot!" Sakura punched the top of his head.

   "Ow, Sakura. That hurt. Anyway, do you guys remember how, during the war, I wanted to talk to Karin. You know, because we're both Uzumakis?" Sasuke and Sakura nodded. "Well, when we got talking, we actually became friends, and she told me about her childhood. And, I was just thinking, that, maybe, we could help her."

"Help her how?" Sakura asked.

"By inviting her to Konoha. Convince the Hokage to let her stay here, and become a leaf shinobi. I mean, she only joined Orochimaru because he saved her. She was used, and hurt by her own village. I want to save her from that. It's wrong that she had to go through that, and-and we owe it to her. She did sacrifice herself for all of us, mostly for Sasuke, but still, she saved us." Naruto rapidly looked between Sakura and Sasuke, desperately trying to read their faces.

"No way. That's too risky for the timeline." Truth be told, Sasuke was actually terrified of Karin. She was one of his worst fan girls. She often haunted his dreams. All night long, he'd hear her voice calling out his name in her annoying fan girl voice, and her squeals of love towards him, were the main problems.

"Aren't we here to change the timeline? And we owe it to her. She deserves better than this." Naruto argued.

"It is risky, but Naruto has a point." Sakura sided with Naruto on this.

   "Let's see if Shikamaru and Gaara will agree to this." 'Please say no, Shikamaru. You're supposed to the smart one, so realize how this could mess everything up. I'm relying on you, Shikamaru.' Sasuke could only pray Shikamaru would take his side.

———

"You're troublesome. You really like making things a lot harder than it needs to be." Shikamaru was able to come up with some excuse to get away from Chouji and Ino so he could talk with Naruto.

"I didn't here a no in that." Naruto commented.

"It's fine by me, not that it matters. No matter what I said, you'd do it anyway." Shikamaru said.

"He he he, yeah, you're probably right." Naruto smiled.

———

"I should have expected this from you. You'll do anything to save a friend, so you have my approval." Gaara was, also, able to split from his team.

"Yes! I have everyone's approval! Thanks Gaara!" Naruto ran away towards Karin.

"Do you know where you're going?" Kurama already knew the answer.

"Yeah, to Karin." Naruto answered.

"Obviously, but do you know where she's at?"

"Oh, yeah. I guess I don't." Naruto went in to safe mode to find her chakra. Once he did, he turned around. He was going the opposite way.

"Idiot. Idiot." Two birds flew over the forest of death cawing.

———

   Naruto was able to make a distraction to separate Karin from her team. Ok, it wasn't an actual distraction, it was his clones kidnapping her teammates. He jumped from the trees, and landed in front of her. She was scared, but held her kunai, read for a fight even though she was shaking like a leaf.

   "I don't want to fight. I only want to talk." Naruto held his hands up.

   "Then-then why did you attack my team?" Karin had a good point.

"Because if they're with us, I can't say what I want to."

"What do you want?"

"I want give you a choice. I saw how they treated you, and it's not right. I want to help you have a better life. In order to do that you must make a decision. You can stay with your village and be treated like you don't matter, or you could run away. Leave your village, and come to Konoha."

"If you saw how they treated me, then you know what I can do, and you just want to use me like them. Hidden grass or leaf, it's the same no matter where."

   "I can't promise you'll be accepted by everyone, but you won't be treated like that. I'll talk to the Hokage, and I'll make sure you're safe."

"You can't. I won't be safe. I'll never be safe." Karin could feel the tears drip out of her eyes.

"Yes, you will. I'll protect you myself. I won't let anyone harm you, and I don't go back on my word, it's my ninja way." Karin could tell Naruto was serious. His chakra was so warm and kind, and his face was serious. She knew he meant every word, but there was still that doubt.

   "How can I trust you?"

   "I'm not sure how much this is gonna help, but I have both scrolls, so I'll give you the one you need."

   "Really? You're willing to do this?" Karin picked the heaven scroll from Naruto's extended hands.

   "Of course." Naruto gave her a comforting smile.

   "But what about your team? Won't they be mad? And you might not be able to get another scroll." Karin didn't completely take the scroll. It was still out in the open where Naruto could easily take it back if he wanted to.

   "Who said they'll find out? I'll just make a side trip, and steal another scroll. Easy."

   "Can you? You don't look very strong."

   "Hey, I'm plenty strong! I'm gonna become Hokage one day, so I'm super strong, ya know!" And Karin had a funny feeling he was right. She truly believed he could do it. "You don't have to give me an answer right now, but if you do decide to come to Konoha, meet me by the hot springs, and I'll come up with a plan to get you out of that stupid village."

Karin watched as Naruto ran off hopping from tree branch to tree branch before realizing that she didn't even know his name. "Wait, what's your name?!"

"Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage!" Naruto slipped off a branch before face planting the ground. He yelled a, "shut up, damned fox," before jumping away again.

"He's an Uzumaki, just like me, but he's super weird."

———

Sorry that took so long. I had no idea what I was going to write about. I hope you enjoyed it.