Behind the Mask: Silver Blood Fox

Land of Waves

"Naruto?" Ino shrieked.

Sasuke stared disbelievingly.

"N - Naruto?" Sakura whispered.

Temari ran forward and threw her arms around Naruto. "I've missed you," she sobbed. "It's been two years, Naruto-kun. How did you find your way from Kiri?"

"How did you manage to come back to life?" Sasuke questioned.

Naruto firmly but gently pushed Temari back. He saw a spark of hurt in the blonde's eyes.

"Naruto-kun..." she whispered. 

He stared at her, his eyes unreadable.

"Who are you?"

There was no reaction for a second. Everyone couldn't process his words.

Suddenly, his three words set into their brains.

Temari began crying.

"Naruto! How - what?" Sasuke yelled. "How do you not remember her?"

"I'm sure she's a very nice lady," Naruto said. "Who are you, are why are you angry?"

It was Sasuke's turn to fall into a shocked silence.

"Naruto?" Sakura said tentatively. "You probably don't remember me, but how? Why? Did you lose your memories?"

Kakashi's eyes were narrowed. He wasn't called a genius for nothing.

Yuugao said that Commander disappeared two years ago.

His breath hitched.

So did Naruto.

"Naruto," he said slowly, "The Sandaime Hokage is dead. This is Tsunade-sama, our new Hokage."

If Naruto is really Commander, then the Sandaime was the one he valued the most over everybody. Surely...

Naruto dipped his head politely and shook Tsunade's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Kakashi froze.

He doesn't remember the Sandaime.

"Naruto," he began carefully, "Do you remember anything at all? Your status, your friends and family... What you've been doing for the past two years?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know anything about the first two, but I've been resting for the past two years, something about giving my life to save this Sasuke dude."

"What?" Sasuke yelled. "That was Haku, not me!"

"Nah, Kurama told me something about me using a Jutsu to bring this guy back to life one second before this Kakashi guy stabbed me in the chest."

Sasuke's eyes were round with shock.

So Naruto didn't really die for Haku...

It was my fault all along.

And suddenly, he came back to life.

"After I rested up, Kurama sent me back to this world and I found myself in Kumo, and I made my way over here, where I ran into this creepy snake pedophile. He called himself... What was it? Orochimaru. Yeah, that was it. Anyway, we fought for a bit, then I exploded the whole forest and I don't know if he's alive or not. Honestly, I don't really care about him," Naruto said offhandedly.

"Wait - but-" Sakura spluttered. "We buried your body in Wave Country! Next to Zabuza's!"

"And who the hell is Kurama?" Kakashi added.