One Year Post-Fourth Shinobi World War

"Kakashi-sensei!"

It is two hours past midnight and the insurmountable paper work show no signs of diminishing. An unusually cloudless night for winter, but the residents of Konoha are less than perturbed about the commotion occurring at the Hokage's quarter.

"Naruto, keep it down," she says disapprovingly.

"Sakura! What are you doing here?"

There is a brief pause, until he processes the presence of a former teammate and her inexplicably early return.

"I only arrived, just handing the mission's report, what on earth is happening with you?"

"You're already back?" Naruto says quickly, "Actually, you better come too."

Kakashi and Sakura exchange significant looks.

"Naruto, it's two in the morning-" Kakashi starts.

"No time to explain, quick," he interjects impatiently.

Without awaiting an answer, he vanishes down the shivering corridors and into the night skies.

Kakashi and Sakura follow suit, not a word spoken between them, yet a strong component of perplexed body language is exchanged.

Naruto is at least a hundred metres in front, his restless energy emanating through the stillness of an odd night.

And ahead, they see the source of his impatience.

"Sasuke!"

Sakura's voice rings through the air in vibrant surprise.

"You're back so early from your travels?" She continues.

There is a sanguine edge to her tone, as if hopeful that Sasuke's early return would be indicative of his permanent proximity to her.

"With reason," Sasuke answers, he nods at Kakashi as a sign of acknowledgement, "Have you noticed yet?" He continues inquisitively.

Again, Sakura and Kakashi exchange puzzled looks. They are missing something, albeit Naruto appears just as confused.

"What are we supposed to be noticing?" Sakura asks.

"Sakura, is it not obvious?" Naruto frowns.

When she does not answer, he brusquely speaks.

"Sasuke is back!"

The thwack across his head reverberates through the atmosphere.

"Are you being smart with me, Naruto?" she shrieks.

"Sakura, I genuinely thought you didn't notice-"

"Keep talking and I'll make sure you won't notice anything," she interrupts irascibly.

"Keep it down you two," Kakashi says, "Sasuke, why are you back?"

Sasuke does not speak, but his gaze tracks to a spot in the sky. The source of the evening's fiasco is so obvious, Kakashi wonders how two adept ninjas and a Hokage would need help seeing it.

Etched into the vast expanse is a large black opening. Like a black hole, light does not penetrate its internal and when Kakashi stands closer, there is a bizarre sensation flowing through his skin and liquifying his internal.

"Say…Kakashi-sensei, what is that?" Naruto asks.

Kakashi instantly backs away, his watch averts to Sasuke before speaking in consternation.

"You know something about this?"

There is a contemplative look to Sasuke's face, as if he is determining how best to surmise the situation to a group of slow learning people.

"I've been travelling the North land's mountainous regions. Deep within Cascades Mountain was a chamber I identified were used for sacrificial purposes. It must have been thousands of years old but carved beneath the main stone bench were a series of symbols. I was able to copy and decode parts of it, despite large chunks missing. It was talking about the existence of a parallel universe and the chakra amounts required to open up the dimension. Next to it was a drawing reminiscent of that giant black hole up there," he takes out a piece of paper from his pocket that shows a series of roughly drawn symbols, "Also, between the stones, I found this," he draws out another paper from his pocket.

On it in small, neat handwriting reads,

Konoha 01111033

"Isn't that today's date?" Sakura says interestedly.

"That's why you're here," Kakashi says and Sasuke returns his watch to the now pulsating void.

"What do you think is going on? Is this for real?" Sakura frowns.

"This is stupid," Naruto mutters, "Nothing we can't beat. We acquired peace within the shinobi world, this is-"

"This is not the same, Naruto, this is something else," Sasuke interrupts pointedly.

"I don't believe this," he replies stubbornly, "It's some sort of trick!" He runs beneath the hole.

"Hey! Don't be reckless!" Kakashi shouts.

"You see," Naruto continues, "Nothing-"

"Naruto!"

"Shit!"

"Idiot!"

"What's happening?"

The words keep spilling, yet not one can be linked to its owner.

Above, Naruto's body is hurled skywards, his upper torso vanishes as Sasuke and Kakashi take hold of either side of his dangling legs.

But then they too are being hurled upwards in one tremendous force that has nothing to do with the might of gravity.

Below, Sakura suddenly emerges and though Sasuke is shouting frantic words at her to keep away, and Kakashi is feverishly gesturing for the same thing, she seems unable to hear or comprehend their language.

And then she is being lifted from the ground, her body floating past her teammates, a flagrant expression of fear instilled into her frozen-like body as she disappears into the blackness.

"Sakura!"

Kakashi's yell is swallowed by the murmuring void, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he heard someone speak, loud and clear as if they were in his ear.

Fearfully, he averts to Sasuke, who is looking equally petrified at something.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!"

But he does not hear, and when his hand lets go of Naruto's leg, he too is hovering in the same chilling manner as Sakura.

In that moment, Kakashi realises that his hand had automatically detached from Naruto's other side. Sasuke and the rest of Naruto's lower half suddenly disappears without a shred of resistance.

"Shit!"

Even his spoken word is devoured by the passively violent darkness.

Then, his consciousness turns blank and his body feels like splashing liquid. Higher he soars, until his head reaches the hole and he is engulfed by its mysterious presence.

Below, the village of Konoha sleeps on, the unconscious bodies of three ninjas and the town's Hokage lay to waste in the cold quietude of an otherwise ordinary night.

Only when the sun rises and the residents begin their daily business do they realise the extent of last night's commotion.

A/N: On The Road With Time is the first story of a three part trilogy. The second instalment and prequel is This Day Tomorrow.