To the Past?!

Chapter 1: Lost

The battlefield slowly came back into focus as Naruto came to. The last thing he remembered was a Bijuu Bomb from the Jyuubi coming straight at him with no time to dodge and no hope of survival until someone came out of nowhere with some kind of aura and shielded him from the worst of the blast, which clearly still had enough power to cause him to be knocked out for a bit. He looked up with bleary eyes and his heart stopped as the raven-haired body came into focus.

"Sasuke!" he cried out as he staggered forward, not even really caring what Sasuke was doing there or when he had arrived. He kneeled next to his old friend/foe and took in the damage to his body.

It was extended to a point where not even Tsunade would have been able to save him, despite the aura that Naruto now realized was the Susanoo. Denying the evidence before his eyes Naruto forcefully shook him, shouting, "Sasuke, get up!"

Sasuke groaned as his eyes opened and he looked at Naruto. "Hey there Dobe," he managed to say before he suddenly hacked up blood, some of it hitting Naruto in the face. Naruto ignored this as Sasuke groaned and said, "Damn, it looks like..." he coughed again. "I'm not going to get a chance to fight."

"Sasuke... What are you doing here? And why the hell did you save me, you idiot!?" naruto shouted at him.

"How *cough* *cough* should I know? Just like that time before *cough* a lifetime ago... my body just moved on its own. There was *cough* no time to think..." Sasuke then coughed more violently than before, a copious amount of blood flying out. Again Naruto ignored the blood spit that hit his face. Sasuke's pulse began to slow.

"Sasuke! No, you can't die, it wasn't supposed to be like this! I was supposed to save you!" Naruto replied as he was concerned about his best friend.

"Naruto, it really is too late this time." Sasuke managed to wheeze. "Don't you dare let my sacrifice be in vain. Beat the bastard who toyed with *cough* *cough**cough* Itachi. Don't let his will and the village perish like they are some worthless afterthoughts..."

"Sasuke, I promise you that I will find a way to win this fight... even if it kills me." Naruto replies.

"I'll hold you to*cough* *cough* ...that. Just don't become bent on revenge...it will only blind you, just like it did to me." he said with a smile while holding his pain.

"Since when did you get to lecture me on revenge? You're the one who blundered down that road in the first place." Naruto replies with a concerned smile.

"Guess you're right on that," Sasuke said as he managed a small smile. "I guess that you were always *cough* a better shinobi than I was. It was always your guts that drove you on, while I could not see a thing beyond my own hatred. Do not even think of losing sight of who you are." He looked at Naruto one more time and held his hand to Naruto, his index and middle fingers extended. Realizing Sasuke's intent, Naruto hooked those fingers on his own, forming the reconciliation seal. This lasted for a full three seconds before Sasuke's hand slipped from Naruto's and hit the ground as the light fled from Sasuke's eyes. Tears stained Naruto's face as he looked at the body of the one he had called his brother. Rain began to fall.

"It's like the heavens themselves are crying" Naruto mused as he looked in the distance, where he saw that the Jyuubi had somehow been driven somewhat far from Naruto's position and was engaged in a struggle against several large wooden dragons.

"Where did they come from?" Naruto thought, recognizing them as what Madara had used against him and Kurama, but why would they fight the Jyuubi? He noted that the Allied Shinobi Army was also attacking the Jyuubi with everything they had, though they were less than a third their original size and slowing down.