Author Note:

Hi All.

Sorry, it's been a long time since I have uploaded anything, I've had a lot of exams to deal with.

I won't be able to upload anything else for the next week or so. However, this story will have 7 parts and they are already complete. These 7 parts will be uploaded over the following 7 days.

This will not affect my writing of "To the Future" (at least any more than present circumstances have). I will in a week or so.

This story is different from "To the Future", it's less of an action story and more of a suspense/drama story. It may have inconsistencies with the source material (I've tried to avoid this).

This story has taken me a long way out of my comfort zone, sorry if it's not up to the standard of my others.

Right, now that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy "Lucid".

Thanks,

Cbehrills

LUCID – BORN

The Hidden Stone Village

The five Kage conference had been called once more. These conferences used to be a once-in-a-lifetime event, happening only when a world-consuming emergency had occurred. After the conclusion of the 4th great shinobi war, the once temporary alliance between the villages changed, it became permanent. No one individual could take credit for this, it was the collective effort of thousands to usher in the peace that would follow.

The latest five Kage conference took place in the Hidden Stone Village. The issue, similar to the conference that initiated their at first uneasy alliance. Rogue shinobi.

The cast of the meetings had changed from back then, at least in one position. That position was the Hokage. Many served in the 4th great shinobi war with distinction but few could parallel the greatness of Hatake Kakashi. Following the war, it was almost inevitable that the position of the Hidden Leaf's leader would be passed from Senju Tsunade onto him.

He was the last one to arrive at the meeting. He was not late but perfectly on time. The Hidden Leaf administration was organised primarily by two individuals, Hatake Kakashi and his assistant, Nara Shikamaru. Both men were of a laid-back attitude who kept calm even under the most stressful situations. Unlike the others they were not so agitated, not so eager to get the meeting underway.

Shikamaru entered the conference room behind Kakashi, immediately drawing a protest from the host of the meeting, Onoki. "I'm sorry but I must insist that you leave the room".

Kakashi stood unmoving, as if considering the repercussions of his counterparts demand. Of all the Hokage up to that point he was perhaps the most intelligent, the most calculating.

"Lord Hokage…" Shikamaru muttered, prompting his superior for an order. He was prepared to leave but only on Kakashi's order

"Well, it only makes sense" Kakashi sighed as he mulled over the meeting's purpose. "We don't want to risk any information being leaked to these rogue shinobi".

He finally turned, his face shifting in a way that showed him to be smiling under the iconic mask he adorned. "Go Shikamaru, I will be fine without you".

Shikamaru was normally laid back and showed little formality when he acted, however, this case was special, the five people before him were responsible for governing the vast majority of the world. He bowed slightly and left the room, leaving only the five of them in there. The five most influential leaders on the planet.

The Raikage, in keeping with his usual demeanour, didn't keep quiet for long once Shikamaru had left the room. "Hokage" he barked to Kakashi, much like he had done to Tsunade previously, "We clearly requested that all Kage should attend this meeting alone, why did you disobey".

The request had been sent to the masked shinobi a few days prior. It was a confidential request, Shikamaru had known nothing of it. It was Kakashi's decision to ignore the content of the message, to bring his assistant with him.

"Shikamaru is a tactical genius unrivalled in the shinobi world" Kakashi explained with a shrug, seemingly unbothered by the dismissal, "I was hoping he could deduce something that we cannot, still, I respect your decision".

The Hokage's compliment was not without merit. Kakashi was a tactically minded shinobi whose talent would stand out even from the people in the room. Shikamaru surpassed him in that regard though. During the 4th great shinobi war, when Shikamaru's father was killed, he took over where his father left off. During the final battle, the task of coordinating an attack fell to him.

"I hope you understand why we have to be especially suspicious of the Hidden Leaf, Lord Hokage". That was said by the Mizukage, Terumi Mei. A confusing statement at first, seeing as the Hidden Mist Village had suffered more trouble with corruption than any other village, even having been nicknamed the blood mist.

"You're suspicious of the Hidden Leaf?" Kakashi questioned. He had not taken offence but was merely surprised by the suggestion. He was not aware of any unique link between his own village and the rogue shinobi.

"Of course" Mei responded matter-of-factly, "While the rogues are from a mixture of all the villages, history would tell us that your village is the likeliest origin".

"How have you come to that conclusion?".

"We only need to look at the greatest terrorists that your village has produced" the Raikage harrumphed. "All three of them bear the name Uchiha and all three of them nearly brought the world to its knees".

Kakashi was pained by this. He had a strong connection to two of the people in question. "All three of them did what they did due to the deception of Kaguya".

"Is that an excuse for the evil deeds they performed" Ay unfolded his arms and pointed a bulky finger at his fellow Kage. "Is that an excuse for the terrible people they were in life?".

Kakashi noticeably lowered his head, leaving his eyes resting on the table before his seat. "Lord Raikage, you know that I am usually a patient and tolerant person…". After starting the sentence, he raised his head, eyes alarmingly wide, like his Sharingan of old, "But I will not sit here while you insult my best friend and my student, not when they have gone so far to atone for their sins".

The room fells silent. They all knew this was not an argument between villages but an argument between the individuals. The last thing they needed in that situation was a fight, it was left to the youngest of them, the 'golden boy' of the five Kage to diffuse the situation.

"You have all still yet to change, you can't stop bickering" Gaara pointed out with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Once again, he had shown himself to be the most mature Kage in the room. "I thought we agreed to leave this behind us and step forward into the future".

Onoki and Mei looked back and forward between Kakashi and Ay, waiting for one of them to make first move. Eventually, it was the Raikage who stepped up to the plate, and stood down from the confrontation. "Very well, you are right Kazekage".

"How is Lord Killer Bee?" Gaara asked.

The aforementioned Killer Bee was a large part of the reason they had called the meeting. He had suffered an attack at the hands of the rogue shinobi. Any shinobi wily enough to injure him is calling out for attention.

"Still fighting for his life. These rogue shinobi, these… shinobi killers cannot be allowed to roam free" Ay asserted in an unusually sombre tone. "If they can find Bee's whereabouts and do this to him, there is likely nobody in the world they cannot kill".

Onoki, the eldest in the room looked to the newest amongst them. "Lord Hokage" he politely called, "These inter-village issues have been taken care of by one man for the last few years. Is he working on this? Is Uchiha Sasuke working on this?".

Ay felt a pang of guilt when hearing the name. Early he had cited Sasuke as a terrorist yet he had become the focal point of praise in the minds of those present. These issues were complicated to handle, even for the likes of the Kage, yet one man, roaming the world righting wrongs had surpassed them in every regard. That man was the former terrorist, that man was the last Uchiha, that man was Sasuke.

"We haven't been in touch with Sasuke for a while but the last time we were, he warned me about these rogue shinobi" Kakashi explained. "He identified the threat before any of us, I'm sure he is looking to end it as we speak".

"My point from before still stands" Ay reluctantly admitted, "You may think that he has been redeemed but the Uchiha has history when it comes to this kind of thing".

"I'm afraid Lord Raikage is right" Mei nodded in agreement, "Lord Hokage, do you have any assurance that Sasuke himself isn't the source of these attacks?".

It was unlikely but not impossible that Sasuke would orchestrate these attacks. It would make little sense though. Sasuke is one of the most powerful shinobi in the world, one of the few people capable of defeat Killer Bee without attacking him from behind. Why would such a powerful shinobi bother to order rogue shinobi to execute his killings for him. Even if Sasuke were behind the attacks, could they do anything to stop him?

"I cannot offer a guarantee that Sasuke isn't responsible but I can offer you another assurance" the Hokage eventually confessed. "Everything the leaf can do to end this threat is being done".

"Everything you can do?". Mei was confused by this statement.

Onoki and Ay shared her confusion.

"I haven't had any reports on major Hidden Leaf manoeuvres".

"Neither have I".

"No, there haven't been any major manoeuvres, if Sasuke is behind this there is nothing any of us could do" Kakashi pointed out sensibly. However, he emphasised the word 'us', the implication is clear, there is one person who could stand up to Sasuke. "He has taken a personal interest in these rogue shinobi killings".

"He?" Ay asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto" came the answer.

The reactions of the Kage gathered was very telling. Every one of them relaxed in some form or another. A normal individual may not have noticed but one as perceptive as Kakashi would never have missed it. It only makes sense that they would relax, the name Uzumaki Naruto had the power to do that. Not only was he almost certain to succeed Kakashi as the Hokage but his status was such that the members of the village would almost see him as their leader. Naruto, more than anyone else, received the credit for victory in the 4th great shinobi war.

Gaara smiled when he heard that his friend was working on the incident. "In that case the Hidden Sand is assured that there is nothing else to be done".

"And the mist" Mei added with a slight raise of her hand.

"Hmm" Onoki stroked his chin while pretending to ponder his reaction, he knew already how he was going to react, "The Stone can agree to that as well".

"Well, Lord Raikage?" Gaara asked of the most sceptical man in the room.

"The Uzumaki boy is our greatest hope for the future" the Raikage conceded, "The Hidden Cloud will trust him too".

Kakashi got to his feet, sensing the meeting has concluded. "If we hear anything from Naruto or Sasuke, I will inform you immediately".

Northern Land of Fire

Naruto looked to his left and his right. Trees, nothing but trees. In every direction only leaves, grass and rocks. This was the perfect environment to hide in and he knew it. "It's a fairly ideal place to hide out for a while, don't you think?" he asked of his partner.

His partner in this endeavour was the same as his partner in life. The closest person of all to him, Hyuuga Hinata.

"Yes" Hinata answered, surveying the environment the same as her boyfriend.

As a sensory shinobi, Hinata understood to an even greater degree than Naruto that this place would be excellent for hiding. Few could hide from her when she activated the Byakugan but there were certain tricks, certain techniques to avoid detection. Such techniques are easiest to use in a crowded area like this, full of foliage and obstacles.

"Right then" Naruto said as he bended his knees slightly and crossed his fingers, executing the jutsu that he had become famous for. In an instant he multiplies his existence, from one Naruto had spawned hundreds. "You all know what to do" he called to his duplicates, "Search the forest".

They scatter in every direction, knowing the pre-agreed search radius. Within that range, there isn't a spot he wouldn't look at, not a blade of grass that he wouldn't cover. If anyone were to hide however, it would not be Naruto's job to discover them, that task fell to Hinata.

"Can you see anything?" Naruto asked.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and sent out a few clones of her own. If anyone were to hide, they would not escape her notice, not without considerable planning and preparation. After a few minutes she relaxed her posture, "I can't see any people. We're alone, unless they are particularly well hidden".

Naruto nodded, he hadn't been overly-concerned as his own search of the area had revealed nothing. His search may not have been one-hundred percent reliable but it would be unusual for someone to avoid it. "I doubt they can hide well enough to escape us both" the blonde shinobi remarked. Few could after all.

"I'm not so sure" the Hyuuga heiress replied while fidgeting nervously with her hands.

"Hinata…".

"These rogue shinobi are unusual Naruto, they must have some sort of trick to what they do" she stated, her fidgeting getting more exaggerated with every passing second. "Otherwise there is no way they would have escaped Sasuke's notice for so long".

Both Hidden Leaf shinobi knew that their search was slightly superfluous, an exercise to alleviate their own concerns and those of the other villages. In reality, it was Uchiha Sasuke who had roamed the world for years, who knew the criminal mind inside-and-out, who was a superior tracker to them both combined, it was he who was more likely to discover the rogue's whereabouts. This gave credence to Hinata's argument, for if a group of shinobi could evade such a man, how could anyone find them?

"I suppose you're right" Naruto reluctantly admitted.

"Naruto, what do you think they have done with Hanabi" Hinata asked with moistening eyes, "Do you think she's dead?".

That was the reason for his personal interest in the rogue shinobi. Normally he would entrust such a task to Sasuke, he would avoid sticking his nose in and possibly making the situation worse but this was different. Hyuuga Hanabi had gone missing. The woman who Naruto had started to treat as his own sister had disappeared in this great period of turmoil. He was obliged, not as the hero of the hidden leaf, but as the partner of Hinata to search for her. The pressure was on him, pressure from the villagers, pressure from the Hyuuga clan, pressure from Hinata.

"It will be fine, Hinata" Naruto cheerfully said, waving off the concerns, "We'll find Hanabi safe and sound".

"Aren't you afraid at all Naruto? These people managed to injure Killer Bee so badly, there is nothing to say they couldn't do the same to us, especially if we walked into a trap".

The future Hokage was stunned into silence for a moment. It seemed bizarre after spending his life accumulating so much power. He had gotten so mighty that only Sasuke could rival him and yet he is being asked if he fears death, at the hands of a group of rogue shinobi. That is why his answer surprised even himself. "Maybe a little… no, you're right, I'm afraid, it's an enemy that we can't see that could do the most damage".

He continued, "But we're the perfect team to handle this, with my raw power and your sense, there is no way we will fail, right?".

Hinata couldn't help but smile slightly. This is what made Naruto who he was, this attitude, this never-give-up mantra of his, it permeated into the subconscious of those around him, elevating them from even the most feared of scenarios. She took his hand, clutching it tightly between her fingers and palm. "As long as you're here with me, I can keep walking forward, just like that day".

"Just like that day" Naruto nodded. On that day, during the 4th great shinobi war, the simple act of holding one another's hand had perhaps saved their lives, and the lives of everyone else in the world. That simple psychological change, those tiniest of actions, they had the potential to change the fate of all reality.

Naruto's clones each exploded in a small cloud of smoke. "OK, I've swept the surrounding area" he announced, "If they were here, they are long gone now".

They walked a short distance together, searching for the next high-potential area to scan. "They could be seeing us and running" Hinata casually remarked as she looked around for any potential hiding spots.

"You think so?".

"Yeah" she smiled, "If I saw either you or Sasuke trying to capture me, I would run as far as I could too".

"Haha, I suppose so" the Uzumaki clansmen laughed at the suggestion. He takes it as a great compliment, especially from a skilled shinobi like Hinata. He has worked all his life to earn this power, to protect his loved ones, to be recognised for it always feels special. "It could you that they are afraid of" he countered.

"Me?".

"Yeah" he nodded, "When you get angry, you scare me a lot more than Sasuke does".

Hinata had been growing more confident around Naruto ever since they first understood one another's feelings during the Toneri incident. She had indeed begun to reveal a side of her similar to Naruto's own mother. Though rare, there was a scary intimidating character hidden away within the quiet Hyuuga, and when it was brought to the surface, even the legendary Uzumaki would be afraid.

"I'll make sure to remember that" Hinata grinned, hoping that would be useful in the future.

Nearby however, unbeknownst to the young couple, they were being watched by something that neither of them would be able to spot. Not an entity of chakra but one of technology. A small robotic insect, recording their every move and relaying it to the very ones they feared the most. The rogue shinobi.

Elsewhere

Two low-ranking rogue shinobi were monitoring the various sensory devices their group had planted around the world. They were watching, hoping to find a glimpse of something interesting, desperate to report it and earn the accolade of an interesting discovery for themselves.

These two were named Nariko and Joben, and it was Nariko had stumbled into her piece of good fortune. She had made the most interesting discovery the group was ever to make.

"Well, what do we have here?" she said while focusing on one of her many monitors.

"Is something wrong?" Joben asked, his chubby face unmoving as his eyes continued to dart between the many screens before his face.

"It can't be…" Nariko started, "It is… oh it really is…".

"What is it?" Joben repeated himself, finally lifting his eyes to look at his fellow traitor.

"Tell the boss that we should set up some traps" Nariko shouted excitedly, her eyes wide as she smiled at the sight before her. What a glorious sight it was. "We've caught the biggest fish out there. We've caught Uzumaki Naruto".

"Where?" Joben asked, jumping to his feet, his enthusiasm finally peaking.

"Bug 27, North West Land of Fire".

"We already have a trap around there but I'm not sure that it will work" Joben sighed as he looked through some documents on his right.

"Which trap?".

Upon being asked, Joben slid the file under his monitors, straight into the view of Nariko. She saw the trap in question and grinned widely, the situation couldn't have turned out better.

"Her trap… oh that will work perfectly" Nariko laughed, howling at the screens before her face, "That will work perfectly… especially considering who he has brought with him".

North-West Land of Fire

Hinata and Naruto, unknowing of the many eyes now watching them, continued their search. They darted all through the North-West of their homeland, searching for any trace of the rogue shinobi they could. So far, only one person had been recorded as having escaped a rogue's ambush with their life, Lord Killer Bee himself. It is a faint hope which they maintained but it is hope nonetheless, hope that Hanabi would still be alive.

"I haven't found anything in this area, Naruto" Hinata said with a sigh as her distant clone dissipated.

Naruto's many clones disappeared just seconds later and with a shake of his head he confirmed the same discovery. "No, neither have I".

"Perhaps we aren't going to detect them visually" Hinata suggested while holding her head in her hand. Normally in these situations she would have been bashful, would have been quick to downplay her own abilities, but that is not what happened. Instead, it was Hinata's burning desire to find her sister that fuelled this thought. "Perhaps Kiba would have been a better partner than myself for this outing".

"Hinata, it's not Kiba that makes me feel this self-confidence, that gives me this courage when I work with him, it's you". Naruto could choose his words well when the situation required it, something Hinata knew all too well. "Besides, he probably wouldn't want the hand-holding".

The Hyuuga clanswomen laughed, relaxing once again. Only Naruto. Nobody else could make her feel this way. Like nothing was wrong. Like everything would be fine, no matter what.

The duo continued their search through the forest, with almost an hour passing before their attention was finally grasped.

Destiny's hand had finally closed around them.

"Naruto, I've found something interesting over this way". Hinata's Byakugan were fully active as she pointed in one of the directions her clones scattered in.

"Something interesting, a possible hiding spot?".

A nod in response. "A cave, it's marked with some sort of symbol".

Naruto started, a cave with a symbolic marking on it. That was by far the best lead they had all day, there was no way such a thing could be ignored or overlooked. The decision was simple, "Let's go then".

As both clambered their way through the foliage of the forest, they cleared a path to the cave. A cave that would decide the course of the rest of their lives.

"There is the mark" the sensory shinobi pointed at her discovery, "It had definitely been made by a human".

Naruto approached. "Kakashi sensei made me read up on all those symbols while I was studying" he explained as he dusted the marking, making it slightly easier to see, "It doesn't look like it's been made by a Hidden Leaf shinobi… or any other village for that matter".

"Could it have been left by a minor village".

He simply shook off the suggestion. "The only one close to here is the Hidden Rain village, I would probably recognise their symbols as well. After I found out about Konan's death to… you know… look after the village".

A grim time for the village, at the end of the day, only two people stood up to Pain in the final battle. Only two people truly refused to give up. These two. It had nearly kill them but they had defeated Jariya's former student, they had saved the Hidden Leaf. After that, and Konan's aforementioned death, Naruto had indeed felt he had a duty of care to the village. It was, after all, the village once protected by his sibling disciple.

"So, this could be them?" Hinata asked.

"Be on your guard" the answer she got in return.

They both wandered into the cave. Far from a pleasant setting but the rogues were unlikely to seek comfort and luxury in a hideout. To hide from people like Sasuke, a hideout like this would be necessary. The cragged ceiling of the cave, occasionally permitted a few drops of water to fall down onto the damp ground below. Fumbling, in the cold, wet and dark environment, even Naruto felt uncomfortable.

They reached the end of the cave though, and for their trouble, they found nothing.

"It's strange, I really expected to find them in here, or at least some sort of evidence they were here" Naruto said as he scratched his chin. He was convinced that he would have recognised the symbol if it belonged to a village, absolutely convinced. "Do you think it could be that they…".

As the future leader speculated, he saw to his right one of the most frightening things he would ever see.

Hinata collapsed.

Onto her side before rolling onto her back, an uncontrolled fall, a painful tumble.

"Hinata!" Naruto screamed as he ran over to his girlfriend's side, reaching down to pick her up.

"Wait Naruto" a deep voice bellowed from within his head. This was the nine-tailed fox, Kurama. "If this is a genjutsu, it may not be safe to move her".

Genjutsu. Naruto was stunned that he hadn't thought of such a thing. Of course, it could be a genjutsu. He investigated her chakra to verify this theory, immediately calming down once it was confirmed. "Yeah Kurama, you were right, it looks like a genjutsu".

Naruto placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder, summoning chakra deep from within and expelling it through his hand. 'Release'.

"What are you waiting for" Kurama barked, impatient at his own host, "Release her".

"I… I can't…" Naruto whispered in his mind, terrified at the situation before him.

"What do you mean, you can't?".

"Kurama, I can't release her from the genjutsu".

Naruto looked left and right, as if a child with a nearby parent to ask for help. He had no help available to him though. He was on his own in this situation. After all, if he couldn't release someone from a genjutsu, there was likely nobody alive with enough chakra and skill to do so.

"Kurama, what do I do?" he asked pleadingly.

"Keep calm, think about this rationally".

"I can't let her get hurt here Kurama, not her, anybody but her".

"CALM DOWN NARUTO!".

Finally, the mental communication of the Uzumaki silenced. He knew in his head that his partner was right, there was no way that getting over-excited would help this situation. Obviously, something unusual is going on here and he has to work out what it is. Or else, who knows what may happen.

"You are this world's hero, it's mightiest shinobi. You have enough chakra to pull anyone out of a genjutsu. Not even Sasuke could produce a genjutsu that you couldn't break".

'That's right' Naruto told himself as he slowed his breathing. Something wasn't right. "You're right, I have to think this through logically". He raised his thumb and forefinger to his chin and began to think over the situation. He had encountered genjutsu experts all throughout his life. Whether it be Sasuke, Kakashi, Itachi or even Madara. "There is no way this is some unstoppable genjutsu".

"That's right" Kurama smiled, watching the analysis take place. "It must be something else, we just have to work out how to tackle it".

"Do you think it's safe to move her Kurama".

A new voice sounded then. A voice Naruto had never heard before. Deep but not as deep as Kurama's. Something about it contained menace though. A malice he hadn't encountered in such a long time. An untarnished desire to kill.

That voice dealt Naruto's hopes a hammer blow. "Oh, I can assure you it's not".

"Who are you?" Kurama shouted. It had been a long time since someone other than Naruto had communicated with him this way.

'Someone is communicating with us using a communications shinobi' Naruto noted in his head. Taking on the previous advice to stay calm and make a rational analysis. 'Who could it be'.

The answer didn't take long to come into the open. The speaker was willing and eager to reveal his identity. "My name is Seta Tetsuya; do you recognise it?".

"Seta Tetsuya" the future Hokage repeated the name in his head. He had heard it before and he suspected he knew where. He had hoped to have an alternative recollection but had no such luck. It's a worst-case scenario. "Yes, your name was one of those on the rogue shinobi list".

"That's right. I am the leader of the rogue shinobi" Tetsuya proudly proclaimed. His voice was such that Naruto knew he must be sticking his chest out proudly. "I am the man who is leading the hunt… the hunt against the powerful".

"Why" the nine-tails sensibly asked. "The world has finally found peace thanks to Naruto, why would you do something like this?".

"You think I am interested in peace". Tetsuya had started the sentence quietly but his voice had risen and risen, peaking in a shout. There is no way that he was calm when he said that. The pause afterwards confirmed this, he had likely taken a second or two to lower his heart rate. "Sometimes the world is too chaotic, sometimes it is too ordered. Either way, someone must come along to address the imbalance".

"Last time it was you Uzumaki Naruto" he began, "This time it is me".

"I don't give a damn about any of that" Naruto said, his fists tightly clenched and his teeth grinding against one another, "Tell me what happened to Hinata, now!".

"Oh yes, it would seem that you wish to know what happened to her. I think it's only fair that I should tell you, after all, it will make this a lot more fun".

"Get on with it!".

Tetsuya could tell from the tone of voice he was receiving that his adversary was flustered. This inadvertent plan, this dream scenario had fallen into his lap. The perfect tool for combating Uzumaki Naruto had just stumbled along. That perfect tool, was Hyuuga Hinata.

"Contrary to what you think, Hinata is indeed trapped within a genjutsu, a genjutsu that cannot be broken externally".

"That's impossible" Naruto rebuked. He had faced legends of the Uchiha clan. Fought with heroes of the Senju clan. Exchanged advice with the leaders of the Sarutobi clan. There is no way that such a powerful genjutsu caster could have escaped the 4th great shinobi war.

"It's very much possible" Tetsuya laughed in reply, "How could you not believe it when it's happening right before your eyes. Oh, and as I said previously, you better not move her, because if you do and she happens to be in the wrong state at the time…".

The silence was deafening.

Naruto knew. Kurama knew. Moving Hinata would be bad.

"Well, let's just say that something really bad would happen to her… and I suppose that by extension, you would suffer too".

"You bastard" Naruto cursed, waving his fist at the air before him, "How do I free her?".

"Haven't you been listening? You can't free her. Only one person has the power to break this genjutsu". Tetsuya was gleeful knowing that with all his rival's might, he had become powerless. "That is Hinata herself".

The Hidden Leaf Streets

Hinata looked around in a panic. This was quite clearly the Hidden Leaf Village. She hadn't been here. She had been in that cave with Naruto. She had fallen asleep and just awoken standing here, amongst all these people. Back and forward they walk, oblivious to her lingering distress and her confusion.

"Naruto" she called out as she looked around her, unable to find him.

As she looked around she noticed something. It had escaped her notice at first but this street is very familiar. A friend of hers who worked in a local convenience store had worked on this street. It is wrong though, she should have recognised it instantly. She would have recognised it instantly. One thing though, one thing is out of place.

Then she spots it.

Everything is mirrored. Back to front. Inverted.

"Naruto" she called out again, more desperately each time, "Naruto!".

The citizens were confused as evidenced by the looks on their faces. To them, Hinata was a young successful shinobi, yet she appeared as a lost child. She was shouting, shouting into the air in front of her.

"Lady Hinata?" a shinobi approached her, noticing her distress, "Are you alright?".

"Where is Naruto" she instantly asked, grasping at the shinobi's jacket and pulling herself close to him. "Where is he, tell me please! What happened to Naruto?".

The shinobi gave an answer to her question that would shake her to her very bones.

"Who is Naruto?".

Hinata stared at the shinobi in disbelief, shaking her head to herself. Her mouth was agape, how could someone not know. Naruto was a shinobi so well known, so famous that his status was often considered greater than the five Kage themselves. "What… what do you mean… Uzumaki Naruto… where is he?".

The citizens all looked around at one another, confusion on their faces. Hinata wilfully ignored the shaking of their heads and the shrugging of their shoulders. Acknowledging them would be a pain almost as bad as death for her.

"I'm afraid that I don't know an Uzumaki Naruto, my lady". The shinobi looked truly apologetic, almost guilty, not daring to look his superior in the eye.

"No" Hinata muttered to herself, releasing her iron grip on his jacket. "No, no, this is… everything is wrong". She even crossed her fingers and attempted to release herself from a genjutsu. This world couldn't be real. Nothing happened though. No amount of chakra build up helped her.

"Lady Hinata, are you OK?" the shinobi asked while reaching for her shoulder.

Her reaction quickly changed from desperation to violence. Her breathing quickened and as she saw the hand approach her, she thrusted her hands forward, pushing the helpful shinobi away. This was all wrong. She didn't want help from anybody here. Not from a place that didn't remember Uzumaki Naruto.

"Everything is backwards, it's all in the wrong place" Hinata shouted.

This drew another confused reaction from the shinobi, he was likely going to have a bruise in his chest the next day, Hinata had hit him that hard. He continued to speak to her though, it was his duty to reassure the villagers in this situation. "What is backwards?".

The Hyuuga ignored the question. "How can you not… know Naruto… the hero of the Hidden Leaf… the man who stopped Pain… our champion in the war".

The shinobi shook his head once more.

"Get away" Hinata then shouted. "Get away!".

She ran.

She ran as far as she could, in the direction with the fewest people.

She ran further and further, trying to lose herself in the back alleys of the village. The buildings were much taller than they used to be. The alleys though, they seemed much narrower, much darker, much colder. Everything in this place felt empty. It was giving her the complete opposite feeling of how it used to. The landscape wasn't the only thing that had been inverted, the emotions had too.

As Hinata approached a cross in the alley, a hooded figure appeared before her. The figure's face was obscured but Hinata could tell from her posture that she was a woman.

"I'm afraid that running won't save you, Hyuuga Hinata".

Hinata was not ready to believe that. Not this hooded figure. Not this village. Once again, she turned and ran. It was a short sprint in the other direction, a mere few seconds before she arrived at the next cross. She had been surprised though, for once more the hooded woman was in her path.

"We can do this all day if you want".

The Hyuuga clanswoman was so confused. She didn't want any of this confusion right now, she just wanted to get away from everything, to have a moment to herself. She leaped up onto the tiled rooftops and ran along them. It would have been a nostalgic feeling but nothing could be nostalgic in this place. It wasn't real, it couldn't be real. This backwards village, a village without Naruto.

Hinata ran all the way out of the village and to the nearest lake. Completed exhausted, she put her hands on her knees and leaned her head forward, sweat dropping from her skull down onto the grass below. When she finally raised her head, her stalker was there once again, the hooded woman. This hooded lady must have used some sort of space-time jutsu Hinata concluded, as she hadn't even broken a sweat in getting here.

"I've told you already, you can't run from this. It's your new reality".

The Cave

GASP!

Hinata sat up. Her eyes wide as if she had a bucket of cold water poured all over her. For an instant she was relieved. For an instant her eyes fell on that blond spikey hair. On the calm blue eyes. On Uzumaki Naruto.

"Hinata!" he shouted.

Their encounter lasted but a second. Tiredness overcame the shinobi and she once again, lost consciousness.

The Lakeside

"You will still see flashes, remnants of the old world, but that is your world no longer".

Hinata looked focused, for the first time thinking the situation through instead of panicking. She had just seen Naruto, she was in the cave just an instant ago. That was her old world, her world no longer?

The hooded woman approached Hinata and turned her around by her shoulders, pointing her at the village she had fled from. "This world is far better than that place".

"This world has been constructed entirely from your dreams" the woman explained, "And now your most pleasant dreams have become your new reality".

"Welcome… to the dream world".

Hinata saw it for the first time as she looked at the Hokage monument. It looked different and it was a few seconds before she noticed what was missing. A face.

Minato's face.

Hinata was mentally exhausted. Her brain could take no more. Finally, she collapsed. Truly losing all consciousness.

Her stalker approached her with a smile.

"Sleep tight princess… tomorrow will be a day you never forget".