A/N: Hey guys. I'm here with a new story. I had this idea in mind for quite some time and felt like it needed to come out. I know the concept of time travel isn't something new. There are lots of them out there in fact. But I promise you'll find this different from the others by the end of it.

A few things about this story before you guys start reading. This story starts after Naruto: The last movie. So whatever happened in the movie is pretty much canon when it comes to this story. The ages of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata are around 20-21. The main antagonist is an OC of my creation. So just go with the flow.

I always welcome any kind of reviews. Positive, negative, bashing, anything. But please don't post the plot of this story in your reviews. If you don't like the way things are proceeding, you're free to stop following this. But don't badly summarize and ruin it for the other readers as well. This is my only request for you guys.

Alright, enough rant. Let's get down to the business.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other characters (*except for the ones I created*) mentioned in this story. I do not make any profits from writing this story either.

He was running on the rooftops of the buildings in the village like a maniac. His long hair flying back along with his new medium length side bangs. His orange half sleeves kimono with black flame trimmings was open revealing his sculpted physique under the full sleeves mesh armour. The tiles started to crack under the pressure, though his foot barely touched them. The force behind each step he took should be enough to tell us how important it was for him to reach his destination as soon as possible. The villagers stared at him with a mixture of alarm and shock. It's not every day you see the Hero of the fourth great ninja war running around the village like his life depending on it. Though they knew how energetic their beloved blond hero was, this was an entirely different Naruto that they are seeing right now.

But Naruto didn't care what others would be thinking of him. He didn't have the time to think about such a trivial thing. He had to reach his destination. And soon. He could see it. The Hokage tower in all its red glory. With Kanji for 'Fire' on the top of the building, the Hokage tower was a building which can be seen from the village gates too. And for the first time, he wished he knew his father's Hiraishin Jutsu. He never needed that in the first place because he can rival the Hiraishin's speed with Kurama's Chakra mode. But using it now would raise too many alarms. And also, he felt like it would be abusing the mighty beast's power by using it now. Though this wasn't a life or death situation, he really wanted to reach the office quick.

He ran straight to the office taking the stairs, neglecting the chunin guards attempts to stop him. He flung opened the door which cracked against the wall drawing the attention of the occupants of the room. His breathing was laboured and erratic. He looked straight into the onyx eyes which he hadn't seen in almost 2 years.

'He changed.' noted Naruto noticing the Sasuke made a few changes to himself. Sasuke now sported a tattered light brown poncho which covered his upper body and reached until his knees. He wrapped bandages around his ankles and a blue sash around his head which bent his hair down covering his left eye. No more chicken butt hair.

Sasuke and Kakashi just stared at him for a while before the latter decided to break the silence.

"Uh... Is there something I can help you with you Naruto?" he asked, feigning innocence. He knew exactly why the blond was here. He tried to keep the arrival of Sasuke a secret from everyone. Not even Shizune, who was assisting him with all his duties as the 6th Hokage knew about this meeting. But his plan failed.

'But how did he know that Sasuke was here? He shouldn't be anywhere near the gates to know Sasuke's arrival. I was told he was in a training in one of the training grounds.' Then it struck him. 'Sage mode huh? Damn. He's getting too good at this. If Naruto knows, then it won't be long before Sakura is here too.' And speaking of the devil.

"Sasuke!" gasped Sakura who just entered the scene. She was still in her hospital robes. She too, like Naruto, was panting hard. The result of running with all her might halfway through the village.

"Sakura, Naruto. What are you guys doing here?" he drawled out as if he didn't care about them. Sakura's heart clenched hearing those words. Two years. It's been two years since he left the village on his penance trip. And not a greeting or word from him since then. And when he finally returns, those were his first words?

Naruto, on the other hand, reacted a little different from Sakura. He walked towards Sasuke, held him by his collar and pushed him against the wall. "You bastard. You disappear for 2 years without a word and the first thing you say after we see each other is that?" he seethed, not out of anger but disappointment.

"Naruto," called Kakashi. A little commanding than usual."Let him go. This is supposed to be a secret meeting. So let him go and leave the room. Now." he ordered.

Kakashi hated ordering people around. It just wasn't his style. It was even worse when it came to people he was close with. But Naruto was the only exception. Because it was the only way he could stop the blond from doing something reckless. As much as he hated commanding people, he didn't mind it much in case of Naruto. As a matter of fact, He was thankful. He often wondered how much more difficult his job would be if the Hokage didn't have absolute authority over the village shinobi.

Naruto reluctantly set Sasuke free. When Sasuke just walked past him without a word, rather unruffled by Naruto's near manhandling, the blond couldn't stop himself from punching the wall in frustration. He hated when Kakashi used the Hokage card over him. Sakura too hung her head low with a little disappointment.

"As I was saying, I found something important. A scroll, possibly written by that Otsutsuki. The sage of six paths." Sasuke said looking at Kakashi. This caught the attention of everyone present in the room. All members of the team 7 remained quiet for a moment before Kakashi spoke up.

"That...is quite interesting. But where did you find it, I wonder? I mean, what are the chances of a lone wanderer finding a scroll filled with various types of Jutsu of unimaginable power written by the God of Shinobi world himself?" the masked Hokage mused. He knew it wasn't a mere coincidence.

Sasuke was a bit hesitant to answer for a second. But the look in Kakashi's eyes made it clear that he wanted answers. So he decided to tell him what happened.

"It happened when I was trying to master my newly gained power. The Rinnegan opened a portal to another dimension. So I entered to check where it leads to. It was a different world, completely devoid of everything. It was then that I saw an altar with the scroll on top of it. It was covered by a barrier seal though."

"A barrier seal huh? What kind of a barrier?" Naruto interjected, his curiosity getting the better of him. The remaining three gave him a stern glare to which he responded by raising his hands in defeat. Sasuke just shook his head and continued.

"I was hesitant to make a move at first but the altar had something written on it. Instructions on how to undo the barrier seal. But it wasn't written in any normal language. It was similar to the language that the stone Tablet in the Naka shrine."

"So someone only with a Rinnegan can completely understand the instructions to undo the barrier seal. Even the Mangekyou Sharingan couldn't get it completely correct. It is indeed an ingenious way to protect something highly valuable."Kakashi spoke his mind to which Sasuke just nodded in approval.

Naruto just huffed in response. 'So what if he has the Rinnegan. Still acting all stuck up.' he thought. Sakura on her part was listening intently on every word that was being spoken. She was one of the very few who faced an Otsutsuki before in the fourth shinobi war. She still sometimes has nightmares about Kaguya destroying the whole world. The war had such an effect on people. And if something is even remotely related to the word Otsutsuki, then it means business.

"But I think there's more to it." Sasuke said getting a raised eyebrow from the 6th Hokage in response. He took it as a cue for him to continue his explanation.

"I think it can't be read by the Rinnegan either." This left an uneasy feeling in the occupants of the room.

"But..but, what do you mean? You have the scroll with you, don't you? Then how is that possible?" Naruto questioned with disbelief written all over his face. He very well knew how powerful the Rinnegan was. He faced it more times than he would like to. Just to think that there's something even beyond the Rinnegan was a startling revelation.

"Just let me finish, dobe. I think the contents on the altar cannot be comprehended by the normal Rinnegan which Madara and Nagato possessed. However, my Rinnegan is a little different from theirs. I have 6 tomoe pattern within my Rinnegan." All three of them looked a little surprised at that.

They did notice that fact before but never gave it any thought. Who would have thought that the Rinnegan too had different types in it like the Sharingan. Naruto really hoped that Sasuke wasn't just trying to brag about his visual prowess now. Though he knew that the present Sasuke wouldn't do that, he had hoped to be proven wrong.

"Unlike Madara, I didn't awaken the Rinnegan myself. That Otsutsuki sage gave me this power. So I'm guessing he had a reason to give me a different Rinnegan. And the dimension that I entered was specific only to my Rinnegan."

Naruto and Sakura were trying to make sense of what Sasuke was trying to say. It felt like jumping from one branch to another rather walking on a road. But Kakashi was clever enough to put the pieces together. There was a look of disbelief mixed with fear on his face when the realisation struck him.

"You mean, the sage of six paths deliberately left back the scroll for you to find?" Kakashi asked. The straight face from Sasuke was enough for him to understand what it meant.

"But why would he do something like that? I mean, why give us the scroll?" Sakura asked. The same question was running in Naruto's mind. It made no sense according to him. Though it wasn't like they wouldn't accept a scroll containing lots of Jutsus created by Sage of six paths, he knew better than to expect something so important with no consequences.

"Remember how he helped me and Naruto when all seemed lost in the war? It was like he predicted the situation would arrive where he had to step in. This might just be his next step."

Sakura audibly gasped when she heard Sasuke's words. She couldn't help but imagine the worst possible situation. Kakashi too was thinking along similar lines. The room was eerily quiet for a few seconds before Naruto stepped in.

"Let me get this straight. You .." he said, pointing towards Sasuke, "entered a new dimension which you think is accessible only for you and found a scroll possibly belonging to super gramps sage, lying there, waiting for you to pick up. And you think its all part of a grand scheme that's about to happen which might be a huge headache. Is that what you are saying?" he asked louder than required. Sasuke just nodded in response. Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I believe you. If there's someone who can possibly do this, it's only him." the blond said exasperatedly, pinching the nose of his bridge.

"Then what do you suggest we do now Lord Hokage?" Sakura asked with her game face on.

"Frankly, I have no idea Sakura. We don't know who our foe is. We don't even know if there IS a foe for sure. And please drop the 'Lord', Sakura. You can refer to me like before." Kakashi said the last rather sheepishly.

"But what if there is a foe? Someone like Kaguya or even more powerful. What are we supposed to do then? We can't go unprepared against an enemy like that."

Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi were surprised to hear Naruto talk so sensibly. Having been around him for quite some time, they all knew that the Uzumaki wasn't one for thinking. He always charged into a battle without any plan whatsoever and luckily managed to survive it. Sasuke was the first one to come out of his stupor.

"I'll have to agree with dobe on this one. I'll try and find out more about this. You guys inspect the scroll." he said.

"But Sasuke, you just came back. You can't just leave us..." Sakura was cut off before she could finish what she was saying.

"Sakura, this is not the time for such discussions. This world might very well be facing a danger even greater than Madara or Kaguya. But I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep it. Just, not now." Sasuke said looking straight into the bright emerald eyes of Sakura. Sakura on her part remembered how Sasuke touched her forehead with his fingers before leaving the village. She would never forget that memory. She believed in him. And so, she just nodded with a hint of a smile.

"So, where's the scroll you talked about?" Naruto asked. Sasuke put his hand inside his poncho and reached for a small scroll which about 6 inches and placed it on the desk before him.

"This is the scroll super gramps sage wrote?" the blond questioned incredulously. He wasn't expecting a tiny scroll like that. Sasuke threw him an annoyed looked before he continued to do his part. He opened the scroll and made a hand sign to retrieve the contents of the scroll. In a puff of smoke, a large scroll which was the size of the summoning contract scroll appeared. The scroll was white in colour with black magatama design on its edges.

Naruto couldn't help but marvel looking at the scroll. It was so exquisite looking that just the mere presence of it emitted a godly Aura. Sakura and Kakashi were in similar states. Their eyes shone with admiration for the scroll. They couldn't help but agree that the Otsutsuki had style.

"I'd suggest someone with good knowledge in seals take a look at it. As much as I hate to admit it, my knowledge in sealing art is...very limited." Sasuke said a bit hesitantly. He never liked being ignorant of something.

"You're looking right at him, pal." Naruto replied with a cocky grin. Sasuke stared at the blond for a moment before facing his former sensei. He gave a questioning look with one eyebrow raised. kakashi just nodded his head slightly in response.

"Yes. Naruto is the most knowledgeable person about seals in our village now. He's as good as Master Jiraiya in some areas of the art." Kakashi replied. Sasuke was surprised to hear this new information but did well to hide it. He turned back towards the blond before he spoke up.

"And when did you learn Fuuinjutsu? And how come you're good at it within such short time?" he asked genuinely curious.

"I started learning it right after you left the village. I knew you would train while travelling and I decided not to fall back either. With a little help from Dad's and Pervy sage's old works and Shadow clones, I mastered it no time." he said while brushing his nose with his finger trying to prove it was an easy task. But the fact was that the knowledge Hagoromo gave him helped him in Understanding the delicate art. He was making good leaps in medical Ninjutsu too.

"Oh stop acting so smug Naruto. I lost count how many times you ended up in the hospital while you blew yourself up working on seals." Sakura teased her blond friend. Naruto was visibly dejected by Sakura's actions.

"Oh come on, Sakura. Give me a break, will ya?" he drawled.

"Like I expected. You haven't changed at all, dobe."

Kakashi, who was watching as his three former students bicker among themselves, smiled under his mask. 'It's just like during their genin days.' he mused. Oh, how he wished he could go back to those days. Being a Jonin instructor was better than being Hokage for him. Handling three little brats was easier than the ton of paperwork he had to deal with.

He continued watching the three in front of him with a fond smile. The sheepish grin of Naruto, the faint smile on Sasuke, the heartful laugh of Sakura, he wished it would stay like that forever. Even though he knew better, he just hoped that things always didn't turn worse. He already lost one team during his early days. He just wished that this team, no, this family don't end up the same.

Time skip. 3 months later...

He could feel the heat of burning flames wash over his face despite the fact that it was raining heavily. But the flames didn't seem to die down anytime soon. Not until they've destroyed whatever lay in their path. The smell of blood mixed with dirt hung heavily in the air. The smell he was so familiar with. But unlike in the past, he couldn't help but feel a bit revolted by it. It was the blood of his comrades after all.

He kept watching as his village burned into nothingness. The very village he swore to protect it from the shadows. The very village he previously sought to destroy, just like it was being done now. He felt ashamed of himself for thinking like that in the past, though it wasn't the best of the moments for self-retrospection. The Hokage monument which usually provided the best view of the village was now providing him with the sight he never even wanted to think of.

He knew the buildings didn't matter because the people are what make up a village. As long as they are safe, they can always build the village anew. Although the villagers are evacuated and shifted to a more secure location, he knew it would be just a matter of time before the assailant finds them and erase their existence.

It was immensely frustrating for him that he couldn't do anything to stop it. It was the first time in the past 4 years that he felt like he was clearly outclassed. The last time he felt the same way, he was facing his brother in a corridor of a small inn, 8 years ago. There was only one way to protect this village. And right now, that "way" was on its way here. Normally, he would never have trusted his friend with such an important task. Many things could go wrong and his friend was known for screwing things up. But he knew there was no one better than him when something threatened the safety of his village. He experienced it first hand. He became alert when he sensed a presence rapidly approaching but stopped worrying when he recognized who it was.

In an orange flash, his friend appeared before him. Covered in golden chakra flames from head to toe, indicating he was in tailed beast chakra mode, he approached the last surviving Uchiha with a huge scroll behind his back.

"Everything ready?" Sasuke asked though he knew the answer already.

"Yeah." replied Naruto with all seriousness as he returned to his normal form.

"Where are the others?"

"On their way. They should be here..." As he was saying, 4 figures appeared behind him. "Now." he finished turning to face the newcomers and as if to prove his point.

Three of the four figures; namely Sakura, Hinata and Shikamaru walked up to Naruto and Sasuke while Kakashi Hatake, the sixth and the worst Hokage according to himself, made six shadow clones. Sakura stood in front of Sasuke while Hinata stood before Naruto.

Sakura was staring into Sasuke's eyes with tears in her own. She was searching for the one thing she always wanted to see in those onyx eyes. She hoped, at least at the final moments, she could find it. And she did. But it was mixed with something else. What is... fear? No. It was remorse. Remorse that he didn't show his love for her sooner. She brought herself up and caressed the cheek of Sasuke which brought out a surprised look from the Uchiha.

She smiled despite the circumstances they were in. "Don't worry Sasuke. I believe in you and Naruto. You'll fix this and I'm sure of it. Then, we'll have plenty of time for ourselves. It's never too late for anything."

Sasuke's regret just grew more. Here she was, a woman who loved him unconditionally for as long as he could remember. And it took him and his pride the idea of losing her forever to convey his feelings towards her. It felt ironic for him because the reason he chose to stay away from her all this time was the fear of losing her. He couldn't bear it, after everything he had already lost. He shut his eyes to prevent anyone from seeing his tears. Crying was a sign of weakness and he needed to be strong now. Especially since the hope of this whole world was on him, once again.

Hinata held Naruto's hand tightly as if she was afraid of losing him. She wasn't worried one bit about the fact that she was going to die soon. Trivial things like her death didn't matter to her. But being apart from Naruto scared her to no end. After all those years of running behind Naruto, trying to catch up to him and wishing to stay by his side, she finally achieved it and before she could enjoy the blond's presence in her life to the fullest, she was about to be separated from him.

Naruto looked at Hinata and a small smile graced his lips. All his life, he strived to get better so people would notice him. He made it his goal to surpass even the Hokage so that people would acknowledge him. And that he did. He earned the respect of everyone in all the nations as the hero who saved the world. But little did he know that he had been acknowledged by her before everyone else. It took him 19 years to realise that she was the first one to see him for himself and believed in him. That she was everything he ever wished for in his life. It both amazes and embarrasses him thinking how dense he was.

"Don't worry Hinata." he said placing his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, "Everything will be alright. We'll make sure of it." with a wide grin.

Every lurking fear she had until now started to disappear slowly. The warmth in his words and the conviction with which he said erased any doubt she had in her heart.

"Promise me Naruto. Promise that you'll come back to me. To us." She almost choked at the last part. Emotions were flooding her heart. She cursed her luck which seemed hell-bent on preventing her from enjoying happiness.

"I will return Hinata. For the sake of our future, I will. I promise." he said leaning closer to her to place a kiss on the forehead.

She smiled knowing that once Naruto made a promise, rest assured he will live up to it no matter what because that's his ninja way. And hers too.

Shikamaru just kept waiting for Naruto and Sasuke to have their moment. He wasn't going to interfere even though rationality called for it. He, for one, didn't even have the chance to have his moment with the woman he loved. She was in Suna with her brothers when fate decided to deliver another fatal blow to his heart. Just when it looked he got over his father's death and found someone to fill that void, he lost them again. And he was absolutely powerless to prevent that in both the cases. Fate can be cruel like that sometimes. And he will be damned if he even thought about robbing these two of what he missed.

Kakashi approached Naruto and Sasuke when they finished saying their final words. One glance towards determined eyes and he knew they were ready for their final stand against the wanton destruction of human life. With a glance and a small nod, he motioned for Sakura and Hinata to stand behind him. Shikamaru took the reigns from Kakashi.

"Alright guys. You know the plan right. So I won't bother explaining it again. Stick to it and you shouldn't have a problem. And remember, keep your contact with others to a minimum. Don't engage with them unless absolutely necessary. And most importantly, don't fail."

The last of the Uzumaki and the Uchiha clan just nodded in agreement.

"All the best you two. Remember that the hopes of this whole world now rests on your shoulders. It's a heavy burden but I know you two are capable of bearing it. Only you two." Kakashi said with a smile. Not his usual eye smile but a real smile. His mask was torn and his face was on display to the others for the first time.

"Six Crimson Ray Formation." The clones of the Hokage yelled which were positioned in a perfect hexagonal formed a barrier around Naruto and Sasuke, glowing scarlet red in the starlit sky.

"Naruto, begin." Sasuke said as it was time.

Naruto in response started going through hand signs with an incredible speed and precision. Only Sasuke with his Sharingan was able to follow the signs which ended with clapped hands. A huge circular seal formed beneath their feet with six lines extending to each corner of the barrier from the seal. Hinata, Sakura, Kakashi and Shikamaru watched from the other side of the barrier as the two inside started to push their chakra carefully into the seal. The black seal started to glow with a purple aura in response to the chakra input.

A distortion appeared behind where the others were standing as the seal started to glow more brightly. A person came out from the distortion levitating. The person had pale skin and pale-blue hair which he kept in a long ponytail. His hair was parted down the middle in a zig-zag pattern, and his head was adorned with a pair of flat, curved horns which resembled bulls horns. He had sharp and stern facial features and his eyebrows were cut very short as a symbol of nobility. He dressed in traditional nobleman's attire consisting of a white kariginu hunting robe, baggy pants, a pair of tengu-geta and also wore a transparent veil over his head. With a proud smirk adorning his lips, he made his presence known.

"Well, would you look at this. The humans are attempting something new again. A pity that it won't have any effect on the current situation no matter how much effort you put into it." he spoke. His voice was delicate yet it carried a wave of authority and pride.

The four standing outside turned around immediately at hearing those words. Sakura and Kakashi took point as Shikamaru was ready to provide support to them. Hinata charged her Twin lion fist and was ready to attack while Kakashi's hand was enveloped in purple lightning. They were all on high alert as their enemy stared at them with a rather boring expression.

"You really think you can stop me with those pathetic excuse of... " he drawled and struck a thinking pose."I keep forgetting that word. What was it again? Ahh.." he flicked his fingers like he remembered. "Jutsu. What a pathetic name. Momoshiki was right indeed. You humans really are a filthy race." he seethed.

"Say the one who's responsible for all the destruction he caused with no regard to other's life." Kakashi shot back, his words dripping with rage. He needed to buy Naruto and Sasuke as much time as he could so they could complete the jutsu. If their enemy was willing to indulge in a talk, then he wasn't going to mind that.

"Hmph. You humans are such hypocrites. What do you do when a parasite starts sucking away your blood? You kill it, don't you? Do you have any regard for its life?" His smirk widened when he received nothing in response. " You humans have lived off on our chakra generated by the divine tree. I'm just taking back what was rightfully ours in the first place. That's all."

"So we are nothing but parasites to you huh?" It was Sakura this time, only her anger wasn't as controlled as Kakashi's.

"I couldn't care less about what you are to me. Your whole existence amount to nothing."

"But there lies the problem. You see, we are not like parasites. You are the parasite that came to our world and started to slaughter us." Shikamaru retorted.

That last comment struck a nerve with the Otsutsuki. His calm demeanour vanished along with the smug smile he always seemed to have. He frowned with disgust towards the four standing in front of him. He slowly landed on the ground and glared ahead with rage in his eyes. His Byakugan activated, he looked ready to kill them all with a single strike.

"How dare you lowly creatures insult me. I will obliterate your existence off his planet for that."The moment he finished his words, he appeared before Kakashi and Sakura. They were sent flying away by the force he generated when he rushed towards them. Air started to fill into the vacuum that was created as a result of his movement. Such was his speed.

Shikamaru moved his shadow to grab hold of the enemy before it stopped midway. He collapsed to the ground with his eyes wide when he fell prey to the genjutsu of the Rinne Sharingan his opponent possessed.

Finally, Byakugan met Byakugan when he came face to face with Hinata. He raised his eyebrow in surprise. "Byakugan? You are different from the humans then. A Byakugan is a sign of nobility though it might've been dirtied by human blood. Maybe I won't kill you then. I'll keep you alive. As my slave that is." he laughed maniacally.

Naruto and Sasuke just watched this exchange from the inside as they couldn't move since it would disturb the seal. They needed to focus if they hoped to prevent the world from complete annihilation. But they were slowly losing their composure. Seeing their loved ones beat down by him stirred up immense hatred from inside.

Hinata lunged forward swinging her hands at her fellow Byakugan possesser. She swept her legs to get him off balance but he simply jumped up. Hinata looked up but simply smiled. By the time he realised why she was smiling, it was a little too late as a clone of Hinata flew past the face of the Otsutsuki. A small cut appeared on his left cheek as a result. Hinata's smile turned into a frown when her attack wasn't able to do what she hoped for.

He closed his eyes and smiled as the cut healed itself in no time. "I must applaud you for you are the only one who was able to inflict a wound upon me. A feat, not even your so-called heroes were able to achieve. But I won't insult your efforts by saying it was luck though it is the truth." Hinata stood in front of him unfazed by his words. Her resolve was strong and clear. She needed to buy a little more time for the both. The process was almost over.

He opened his eyes and raised his hand, his palm facing Hinata. "But it's time to end this." he stated impassively as a grey rod emerged from his palm. It flew and pierced Hinata in her stomach in less than a blink of an eye. Her eyes widened in shock as the adrenaline pump slowed down. She coughed up blood as she fell to her knees. The area around the rod started to turn into ash.

"HINATA!" Naruto cried in anguish as he watched his wife die in front of his eyes. His mind went blank. Nothing except the image of Hinata was present in his mind now. The chaos, the fire, the barrier, the seal, the shouts of Sasuke, nothing. Red chakra started to envelop him as he unconsciously called upon Kurama's chakra. The Chakra was immediately being sucked into the seal but it was replenished before it can completely disappear.

The seal began to flash brightly and before anyone knew it, Naruto and Sasuke were being sucked into a vortex. The last thing Naruto saw before being completely warped was the ash statue of Hinata crumble and disperse into the air. And then, everything went dark for the heroes of the fourth great ninja war.

A stream of purple lighting hit the Otsutsuki, effectively tattering his veil and kariginu. He rolled his eyes in annoyance as he turned around to face Kakashi who was panting hard. It looked like the sixth Hokage put everything he had into his jutsu but it was all for nought.

"Yin release huh? Impressive. But nowhere near to be called effective. Why do I even bother explaining it to?" he said pinching the bridge of his nose.

Kakashi smiled at that. "Maybe this wasn't effective. But what Naruto and Sasuke are going to do is definitely effective." he said while trying to catch his breath.

The Otsutsuki just sighed. As much as he liked to toy with people and see the look of hopelessness and despair in their eyes before being done with them, he was losing his patience now. He just turned around and levitated into the air. He raised his arm and started to gather chakra in his palm. The red and purple mass of chakra started out the size of a tennis ball and expanded into a massive orb.

"Nothing can stop me. Not even Time travel." he said before directing the huge destructive chakra orb towards the land.

Kakashi's eyes widened when he heard what his enemy said.' He knows? And he deliberatively let them go back? But how? Does this mean, this really is the end?' he thought before a bright light blinded him.

He woke up to find himself lying on his back in a white empty space. There nothing except everlasting white space in all directions. He suddenly shut his eyes and held his head with his hand as it started to burn fiercely. It felt like his skull was getting crushed by a mountain. He slowly reopened his eyes when the burning pain subsided. He immediately found Naruto standing a few meters away from him. He got up and walked towards his fellow time traveller.

"Naruto. Where are we?" he inquired while he himself started to look around to make sense of where they were. When he received no response, he walked up to the blond and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. He slowly turned him around to see tears flowing freely from the cerulean eyes. There was no sound or sniffles. Just plain tears. But the most depressing thing was his eyes had no life in them. The usual flair, determination and warmth the blue orbs carried were no more present.

He could understand why that was. Seeing one's loved ones die right in front of your eyes while you stood there helpless can shatter their heart. He of all people knew it better than anyone else. That changed him to someone whom even he barely realised. Soaked in despair and turning that into hatred, he lost himself. No, he had forsaken himself. But he wasn't going to let that happen with the blond. Everything was riding on both of them and he can't afford something like that happening right now.

"Naruto. Get a hold of yourself. We need to find out what this place is and get out of here." It took a few seconds before he a got a reply.

"For what purpose?" Naruto asked barely above a whisper.

Sasuke was stunned to hear Naruto say that. 'His voice. It's so...hopeless.' he thought. His fears started to come true. It was just like what happened to him. But he wasn't letting Naruto take the wrong path now. Naruto saved him from the darkness. And it was time to return the favour. If he can't prevent Naruto from wallowing in despair, then he'll at least make sure that the blond doesn't lose himself.

"So you forgot all the sacrifices everyone made back there? Everyone who had all their hopes and dreams pinned on us?" Sasuke asked as he stared into the infinite space mimicking Naruto.

Naruto just stayed silent. He didn't have a response to that. He was torn between retorting back with' Of course not' and 'it doesn't matter in the end'. He didn't know why he was even thinking like this. He knew that giving up hope when everyone trusted him was wrong but somewhere deep inside his broken heart, it didn't feel wrong.

"Did you? Little Naruto?" came a voice from behind. Both of them immediately turned back with their guard up. But their guard unconsciously dropped when they realised who it was.

"Super gramps sage?" Naruto drawled, shocked by the sage's presence.

"What are you doing here Hagoromo?" Sasuke asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes. He knew all this was somehow related to the progenitor of the ninja creed.

"I should be one asking that question dear Sasuke. Afterall, this is where I live. Not you or little Naruto." the sage of the six paths said with a soft smile.

"What do you mean you live here? You are dead." the Uchiha growled. He needed answers but all he was getting was more questions.

"Exactly. This is the spirit world." That reply widened both the newcomers' eyes.

"Does that mean... we are dead?" It was Naruto's turn to ask now. But he had no anxiety or fear while asking that. Something that didn't go missing by both Sasuke and Hagoromo. Normally, Naruto would've wreaked a havoc by now if a bomb like that was dropped.

"Not exactly. At least not yet. But you very well might."

"Give us the straight answer. I know you have all the answers to our questions. So stop wasting our time." Sasuke was verge on attacking Hagoromo himself. He didn't know what happened exactly but ending up in the spirit world that was not in their plan.

Hagoromo chuckled in his mind.' Indra is always the impatient one.' he thought. "This is a limbo. Your presence here means that you are on the verge of death. Unless you die or be saved, you can't leave this place. This is a transition void between the real world and the afterlife." Hagoromo explained. Both of them processed the new information rather calmly.

"But I don't know what caused for you two to end up here." Hagoromo said as this was their cue to explain what they knew.

"I doubt that. But I will tell you anyway. No point in arguing with a dead man's spirit."

Sasuke words earned him a chuckle from the old sage.'He's changed a little after all. Must be Naruto's effect. But...' he looked at Naruto who still had downcast look on his face. 'He's changed too. Something horrible must have taken place to break his spirit.' he thought.

"A few days ago, a group of four started to attack all the five nations and collect the tailed beasts. Their purpose was to revive that damned tree. They were Otsutsukis just like you and your mother. But one of them was strong. Stronger than Kaguya. His name was Kagunshiki Otsutsuki."

Hagoromo had a grim look on his face when Sasuke finished his explanation. It was his turn to calmly process the information the latest reincarnation of his elder son gave him.

'This is indeed bad. So the people that mother mention that day did come. To think there exists someone stronger than mother is a truly frightening revelation.' He took a deep breath before speaking. He needed to choose his words carefully now. Even the slightest misstep would mean the end of the world. He needed to warn the two in front of them the extent of their enemy's strength but also be careful not to break their spirit. Naruto's condition made him warier than usual. He was unusually quiet the entire time Sasuke explained the past events.

"So...you two finally were able to finish that seal. And you intend to change the past and prevent them from coming to the earth itself. Is that it?" he asked. Sasuke just nodded his affirmatively.

"Come here you both. There is something I want to do to help your cause. It seems like you two are the ones to correct the mistakes I and mother did. For that, you have my gratitude." The staff in his hand levitated and started to float beside the sage.

Naruto and Sasuke book exchanged looks and did as told. They stepped forward to face the Sage directly.

"It seems like your dominant arm has been mutilated dear Sasuke." he said it like he just noticed it. Sasuke looked irked at that comment. The smile that graced Hagoromo's lips irked him further.

"This will hurt a little." he said he placed his palm on Sasuke's forehead and closed his eyes. The stump of Sasuke's missing hand started to burn. Both Sasuke's and Naruto's eyes widened as his missing arm started to regenerate with incredible speed. His hand was completely reformed in a matter of seconds but Sasuke fell to his knees when it was over. Naruto caught Sasuke before he hit the ground completely.

"Sasuke! You alright?" the concern his voice made Sasuke feel a bit better. 'He didn't turn into a cold-hearted loser after all.' he thought. He just nodded towards Naruto saying he was alright.

"Super gramps. How did you do that? You can wield chakra even after you're dead?"

"I didn't use my chakra back there little Naruto. I just used his own chakra to regenerate the arm. Hence the exhaustion." Hagoromo explained. "Now, both of you give me your dominant arms. This is the last thing I can do to help you both."

Sasuke got up and both did as told. They both put forward their dominant arm for the sage. Hagoromo made an all too familiar gesture by connecting his palms to their dominant hand palms, just like he did the last time. But the feeling Naruto and Sasuke got were different from before. When Hagoromo retracted his hands, they both looked at their palms, hoping to find a seal. But to their surprise, their palms were empty. No sign of any seal. They looked up to the sage for answers.

"The last time, I gave you the Yin and Yang seals to seal away mother. But there's no need for that now according to your plans." Both of them nodded understanding Hagoromo's reasoning."And I helped you awaken Indra's and Ashura's chakra and their abilities to its full potential present inside of you last time. But this time, I just distributed both of your chakras between you two. It will take some time to get adjusted to it, but your powers will amplify once it's done."

Sasuke quickly connected the dots inside his head and felt startled for a second. "Does that mean...Naruto will be able to awaken Rinnegan and I can use the Six paths Sage jutsu?" Sasuke questioned. Naruto was shocked to hear what the sage intended to do.

Hagoromo just couldn't control his laughter at that question. "I thought you were the smart one among you two Sasuke." That garnered two stern glares from the two in front of him. " To answer your question, No. Naruto doesn't awaken the Rinnegan. He doesn't have the eyes to do that. And you can't utilise Six paths Sage jutsu because your body won't support it."

"Then what did you..." Naruto stopped mid-sentence as he felt a little odd. Sasuke turned to look at what made the blond stop talking. He frowned when he saw what was happening to his friend.

Naruto's body, rather his spirit started to glow brightly and soon he started to disintegrate. Naruto just stared down at his body which was slowly falling apart with wide and worried eyes.

"Why did you do to us?" Sasuke demanded Hagoromo with narrowed eyes.

"It's none of my doings dear Sasuke. Look's like little Naruto's time is up."

"You mean he going to die?". Alarms started to ring inside the Uchiha's mind.' He can't die. If he dies, then It's impossible to achieve our goals.'

"That or he's coming back to life. I can't say for sure."

"Dammit. Naruto!" Sasuke shouted trying to get hold of Naruto's disappearing form. But he just passed right through him and fell down. When he rose back to his feet and turned around, there was no presence of his partner.

'Ok. Remain calm. We're not sure if he's dead yet. There is a chance he's alive like Hagoromo just said. So what about me then?' he thought, trying to analyze his situation. He was in a sticky situation and he needed to get out of it no matter what.

"Sasuke." Hagoromo's serious tone brought him out of his stupor. "Don't worry. He's alive. I can sense him in the real world. And you too will join him soon. So here are my last words to you."

Sasuke gave his full attention to the sage now. He knew the sage's words can be trusted from his past experience. So he was ready to receive as much information as he could.

"I managed to fix your arm. But I can't fix broken hearts. And little Naruto seems to suffer because of it. It's up to you to help him heal those wounds. You are more like Indra than the other reincarnates before you. And Naruto is almost the same as Ashura. Indra once dearly loved his little brother before they grew apart. Whenever I watched their reincarnations face each other, I hope they could become like how Indra and Ashura were like before. But my hopes failed every time. But I'm sure you two won't fail my hopes this time. So I'm trusting you to take care of Naruto."

Sasuke was surprised to hear that Indra and Ashura were once very much him and Itachi. But his surprise faded and regret took its place when he thought about Itachi. He still couldn't forgive himself for what he did even though he wasn't exactly at fault for that. he blamed himself for acting without knowing the complete truth.

'I won't let things happen like they did last time.' he thought. His resolved hardened and his eyes were proof of it. Hagoromo, who saw this smiled softly. He was sure that his hopes wouldn't drown this time. And before Sasuke realised, his spirit too, left the limbo and returned back to his body.

"Good luck you two." Hagoromo said to no one as he too vanished from the plain with a satisfied smile.

A/N: As the title says, it's just a prologue. I uploaded the first chapter along with this so give it a read too and tell me what you think. All kinds of reviews are appreciated, both positive and negative. The latter especially. It's a chance to correct the mistakes I made and improve.