Paradox

00 - Prologue

Red clashed with yellow as their attacks swirled and sparked in their hands. It was time to end this. The shadowy creature's hand clawed into the rock, while the other being snarled, fangs bared as red ooze swirled around him.

'I have to bring him back. I promised.'

'I have to end this now.'

They leapt at one another.

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke!"

Their attacks collided, then some pain before their world turned white, before fading to black. Chakra sizzling all around them.

.

.

.

A sharp jab to the side of his throat, as he was held up around his neck. A kunai was pressed against him. Confusion marred his dark features as his dark eyes flickered around. 'What? Have I failed?'

Sasuke found himself struggling to get out of the grips of the man behind him, but he was a lot stronger than him, and Sasuke knew he could be dead at any moment. He had to plan this. Carefully. And then, he could finally make his way to Orochimaru and begin his journey to become more powerful.

"Identify yourselves, now," came the harsh growl of a masked man - a hawk drawn sloppily onto his mask, with the Konoha symbol in the dead centre. "You have three seconds."

His eyes found their way onto Naruto who was in the same predicament, struggling to get out of the ANBU's hold. Though, that failed tremendously.

"Three."

The two boys struggled for a moment more, before their situation waved on them.

"Wait!" the blonde boy cried, "I'm from Konoha! Can't you see my hitai-ate?" he said rather loudly, "See!"

Lying on his tummy was the previously mentioned headband, with scratches through the metal plating and tears on the edges of the blue material.

The two ANBU looked at each other, and the one holding Naruto spoke this time: "What was your mission? There are meant to be no missions out of the village like this... and this is sacred land."

The blond swallowed, "I was rescuing Sasuke-teme! Tsunade-baa-chan allowed this! I can show you the proof of that!"

Almost instantly, the kunai was pressed deeper against the blond's throat, "How dare you talk about Tsunade-sama in such a way, besides - she does not have jurisdiction to start missions anymore!"

'Hm?'

The hawk-masked ANBU tightened his grip on Sasuke now, "Now, tell the truth."

"But I am!" Naruto whined, "And I didn't mean any disrespect to... Tsunade-sama!"

Both of them paused for a moment, the cat-mask spoke first: "The boy doesn't seem to be telling lies..."

.

Hawk-mask looked down at Sasuke now, "He seems awfully like that man... could it be another one?"

'Another what?'

Shaking his head, cat-mask shrugged, "I'm... unsure. The brat in the village looks different to him, more like the whore mother..."

'What?'

"It's a possibility, you know that... Would it be wise for us to bring them to Hokage-sama? He'll probably want to know about this..."

"Wait!" Naruto interjected. "Let the Hokage know I'm Naruto Uzumaki! She'll definitely know who I am!"

Silence fell.

"How dare you even say that you are him," Hawk-mask snarled. "Are you insane? Delirious? Dense?"

Naruto gulped, clearly not understand the words that the ANBU had said. "Um... yes?"

Hawk-mask swallowed, "I'm getting a headache from this. Let's just take them to Hokage-sama and let him deal with it."

The two nodded at one another, and Sasuke felt his consciousness fade