•Shackles of Time•

Chapter 2: To Play God

Kakashi decided to take a leisurely stroll through the bustling streets of konoha, complete with the porn- ahem, literature that he constantly enjoys reading despite the constant complaints of either his companions or every other person with the guts to question him. But hey, don't let other's opinion affect you, right?

His features were fixed into a bored expression, his one half lidded eye the only way to tell considering half his face was covered with a mask and his one other eye, the one that earned him the reputation of sharingan no kakashi, was covered with his hitaiate.

Despite his outward appearance of nonchalance, however, he was in reality mulling over his two male genin who just now were acting like they had just went through a war together. Judging by the show of trust they showed him after the little picture incident.

He recalled that they had given him the excuse of not knowing what happened once he asked, which could have been believable if it weren't for the fact that they didn't seem confused at all, he didn't know what the two genin felt, which is surprising in itself, but he knew they were anything but confused. In a matter of fact, they seemed like they knew more than he and sakura did.

They backed each other's statement as if they rehearsed them or could read each other's mind whenever one would supposedly 'slip up'. He also didn't miss the discreet gestures they sent each other, for what reason kakashi knew nothing but they still did it nonetheless.

After that the masked nin had sent them home so that the two boys could rest. He may be a bad sensei but he's a decent enough person, and that's saying something, to know when people need to just lay down and let their problems melt away... well, at least when not on a mission.

So now here he was, stuck between telling the hokage of their behaviour or labeling it not worth the man and his' time. He was leaning towards the latter, just wanting to finish his book without disturbance.

He would have to make his decision tomorrow it would seem, to further observe his subjects, carefully watching how they act. If they reverted back to normal tomorrow, definitely suspicious. If they acted the same as they did just now, still suspicious. It just matters how suspicious. Perhaps naruto about to play a prank suspicious, or sasuke about to betray the village suspicious. Only time will tell.

Oh the irony of that statement.

• • • • • • • • • •

"explain"

Sasuke folded his arms, which were now considerably smaller and thinner than he remembered, over his chest as he stared at his blonde hokage pointedly. The said man --now boy?-- gave him a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his head, a nervous habit sasuke came to know.

They were now in the uchiha compound, naruto making a shadow clone to act out his usual routine as to not arouse suspicion and then teleported to his best friend's house to explain what he had done. Both made sure to take the necessary precautions in order to make sure no one heard their conversation.

"ehe, like I said, were back in the past" shrugged naruto, sasuke raised a brow signaling the blonde to elaborate. The blonde complied.

"as you know, I developed a hobby of sealing-" sasuke snorted. Hobby my ass he would be considered a master by normal shinobi standards, but then again, in the era they were living in forced a whole knew standard to be set, one much higher.

"-during that time and I kinda made a seal to let people travel in time, I never considered it since it basically has three consiquenes" the blonde held up three fingers "first is that it uses a lot of chakra that if the user doesn't have enough - it's instant death"