The Time Strangers

"Wait Mama, you forgot to give Papa his goodbye kiss!" Himawari called out, waving her arms up for Naruto not to leave yet. Hinata froze, face burning as she glanced back to Naruto. "His what?" But Naruto only smirked, stepping back to her. "Well, we should do as they want; don't want to mess up their normal routine!" After all, they are their fill-in parents for now until they figure out exactly what's going on! Post-War.

Chapter 1: Curiosity and Time

"You shouldn't be in here." A voice states behind her.

And Himawari freezes, glancing up to see cobalt orbs matching her own watching her.

Papa's study is off-limits.

Well, it's supposed to be at least.

"I'm not touching anything!" Himawari spoke quickly, moving her hands back from the various scrolls she had been reaching and tugging out at just seconds before.

Boruto shakes his head, wrinkling his nose at the dust that had scattered with her hurried movements to try to set everything back in place. They weren't supposed to be here without Mama or Papa's presence, they both knew that considering the door was normally locked.

Himawari wouldn't know how to read these scrolls anyways, the books he had been reading her apparently just hadn't been enough to satisfy her interest and she had wandered away to the study to entertain herself with new ones.

"Come on, if we hurry they won't know we were in here." Boruto lowers his voice, glancing back around the corner.

Light snores drifted from the room next door, Papa was still asleep from having stayed up so late studying. Mama would be home soon too, promising to be only gone for an hour to pick up some groceries and medicine.

Himawari nods, reaching for his hand but pausing when she saw a colorful scroll out of the corner of her eye.

Cerulean orbs light up as her focus goes completely towards the document.

"Ooh, what's this one big brother?!" She whispered excitedly, letting her fingers brush against the edges. The material used to woven it was soft, different from the textures of the others.

"Stop touching it Hima, we need to go!" Boruto ordered, frowning when she ignored his demands and pulled the scroll right out instead.

He was older; so why wasn't she listening to him?!

She turned back to him, gesturing for him to sit beside her. "Come on, don't you want to see this too? It's bigger than the others!"

Boruto shrugged, pouting out his cheeks as he crossed his arms and attempted to look away from the bright green and gold designs marking the tube. His gaze wandered around the room, literature Papa and Mama had collected over the years neatly stacked along the shelves.

"You want to look at it too; don't you? Sit down!" Himawari urged him once more, patting the spot beside her.

Ugh, okay yes he truly did want to take just one quick peek.

And giving in, he plopped down next to her sporting a small grin as well.

"Be quiet okay, we're just going to read a few words then put it right back." He commanded, putting a finger to his lips with a tiny shush.

Himawari nodded, letting out a Shh as well as she copied him.

Carefully, he unfurled the document until it was open enough for them to see the first few words. It was written in a delicate black cursive, hard for him to properly make out.

"What's it say Bolt? Read it to me!" Himawari asked eagerly, bumping their shoulders to lean in closer.

Boruto paused, cocking his head in puzzlement before nodding. "Hold on, it's hard to understand some of these words. I think it says something about time."

He carefully pronounced out the words, scrunching his eyes in thought over the meaning of them. "To test the b-boundaries of time, let your thumb slide to the center until your imprint forms. Shut your eyes and think back…"

The rest is too smudged or difficult to read.

"It wants us to put our thumbs in the center." He muttered, the two sticking them out to place them in the middle as instructed.

"Then what?" Himawari asked.

"Well, it says to think back; though to what? Maybe yesterday." Boruto questions.

Yesterday they had had a picnic in the park to watch the cherry blossoms in full bloom, he wouldn't mind the potential to experience the food and sights all over again if it was truly possible, Himawari nodding from beside him in agreement.

They press their thumbs a bit harder to the paper, imagining everything that happened the day before, the desire to relive it all once more…

'I want to go back. I want to go back.'

A crackling rippled through the air in the seconds that passed, the room shaking as the pair opening their eyes in unison to see books beginning to scatter and fall around them.

"What's happening?!" Himawari panicked, shooting up and pushing the scroll away as far as she could as the words on the page began to glow.

She quivered, eyes tearing up as she glanced back to Boruto only to see he looked just as shocked and frightened.

Neither knew what to do.

And before either can even form a response, a flash of white surrounds them and everything goes dark.

-X-

'So many bodies; so much destruction.'

It's only been a week.

One week since the end of Fourth Shinobi World War.

There are still bodies on the battlefield, yet to be returned back to their families or homelands. Soil and blood long having mixed together leaves the area smelling foul, only a few daring to trek there outside of daylight hours.

But civilians and shinobi alike continue to toil through the land, identifying fallen loved ones as best they can for proper burials and to find materials to rebuild broken structures.

"This gets harder to look at with each passing day." Kato Jin murmured, a carpenter who had volunteered his services.

He had been moving to pick up bloody kunai and blades since the early hours of the morning, pausing when he heard a cry coming from a wreckage of boulders and debris.

'Am I hearing things?'

The cry came again, like a child's.

Dropping the scrap metal and planks in his hands he moved closer, breath quickening when he saw a tiny hand attempting to push through the rubble.

"Higashi get some shovels quick, I think there's a child buried beneath here!" He yelled, getting the commotion of other citizens to the scene.

3 men gather at the scene within seconds, what was a child doing on the field? Maybe they had gone in search for their parents if they were shinobi…

Even more surprising though is the child is alive, grime coating her skin and slightly tattered clothes.

Kato brushes the dirt from her hair revealing soft violet locks.

"It's a girl." He whispers, the crowd looking on in awe and relief there isn't another among the dead to report.

A miracle child.

Cobalt orbs squint under the sunlight, retracting out of the man's grasp as she looked around nervously. Why was she outside all of a sudden?

"Where are Mama, Papa, and Bolt?"

And the group falls into a hush, a myriad of whispers filling the air only making her stomach drop. Was she in trouble for sneaking into Papa's study without permission? Did the scroll punish her by zapping her to outside away from the house?

Higashi bends himself down to her level, patting her head gently making her freeze. There are too many strangers here, too many unfamiliar faces…

"Ah, I have a daughter around your age. I'll take you the hospital; we need to get you checked out."

Himawari shook her head, balling up her hands. "I need to go back to Mama and Papa!"

But nobody seems to hear her and she's touted off to the hospital to check for any injuries that aren't completely visible upon inspection.

She's huddled among groups of other kids similar to her own age in appearance, many crying out too for their parents or gazing around in as much confusion as her.

'What's going on? We shouldn't have touched that scroll; we're in such trouble now...'

"Now, now. You all are going to be fine. We're just going to make sure none of you have any bumps or cuts." A woman in white scrubs announces through the wailing making the room fall to a temporary still.

Older children question what will happen next now that war is over. Where will they go with their homes gone and parents dead or among the still missing?

A knot sinks and digs into her stomach, fingers clasping at the ends of her shirt.

'Are Mama and Papa missing?'

"We can assure you we're going to do our best to place all of you in safe and loving homes or get you back to your parents/relatives. Please be patient with us as we first need to assess and make sure none of you have contracted any illnesses or infections from being so close to the war zone." The man beside the woman speaks up.

He gestures to another woman outside the room who pushes in a cart filled to the brim with a variety of toys.

And a tiny grin breaks out across Himawari's face at the sight of a blue panda stuffed animal near the top, ears along with the white fur ruffled and slick with dirt but similar enough to the ones she had at home nonetheless.

She steps forward along with a few others, reaching for the plush toy only for another boy to immediately grab onto the other arm.

He's at least a head taller. Bigger.

Scarier.

"This one is mine!" He growls, auburn orbs narrowing when Himawari doesn't back down at his intimidation.

"Nuh uh, it's mine, I got it first; let go!" She sharply replies, ready to begin a tug of war if necessary.

And the boy quickly drops the stuffed toy at the sight of her changing eyes…

He lets out a shriek of panic alarming the other nurses and staff to run to the scene, each pausing when they catch sight of the veins beginning to protrude from the side of the girl's face.

Blue has washed away to a trademark white they all recognize.

'Why does this child have the byakugan?'

-X-

"Haruno to 2 East Wing. Haruno to 2 East Wing." A voice echoes across the intercom.

Sakura glances up as the monitor clicks off, frowning as she finishes up the bandaging of the wounds of a man who had nearly lost his arm. His teeth are clenched in pain, sheen of sweat across his face as he attempted to reach for his right leg that was already gone.

The phantom pains were returning.

"Don't worry, I'm about to begin the morphine drip Mr. Eikichi. You'll just have to press the dot when it lights up for it to deliver you a dose." She murmurs beside him, patting his hand.

His blood transfusion was just finishing up, next were the fluids and antibiotics.

"Thank you." He croaks out just as she moves to shut his curtains and lights to hopefully let him get some sleep.

Sakura nods, tacking on a smile despite the growing exhaustion seeping into her. Her shift should've ended hours ago, but she kept being called away.

'He's one of the lucky ones…'

And now the pediatric area needed her.

She swallowed, shaking out the crick and tension in her shoulders to prepare herself for anything.

It could be another emergency of a child needing surgery for broken limbs, poisoning from the still dirty waters or contaminated food, or worse…

Another autopsy.

'Just have to keep my thoughts calm.'

Her steps are hurried, though measured to not completely burn herself out and when she finally comes upon the ward she finds a group of medical Nin and doctors already anticipating her.

"Ah, Sakura is here. Let's have her do an assessment as well." Dr. Masaharu states, nodding to her as they create a path for her.

"What's going on?" She breathes out, it doesn't seem like a case of death to her relief. The expressions upon their faces show this is something more like a puzzle they are trying to figure out than somber news.

"This child here exhibited some unusual abilities just a few minutes ago. We weren't sure at first, but it looked to be…like the byakugan. Though records don't indicate any Hyuga that goes by her name or holds the same traits as her." He explained as he opened the curtain.

Himawari sat upon the bed, messing with the panda's arms to make it dance. Her gaze slowly trailed up at the sound of the curtains opening, cerulean orbs lighting up gleefully at particularly seeing Sakura's presence.

"Auntie Sakura!"

Before anybody can say more, she latches herself to Sakura's leg affectionately. "Auntie, where are Mama and Papa? I want to go home!"

Masaharu blinks, giving Sakura a questioning look but she only shakes her head in shock.

"I don't recognize this child; honest!" She asserts.

"Well, she certainly knows who you are though." He replies cheekily.

She waves him off with a huff at his snickering as he leaves them alone, Sakura shifting down to the child's level.

"I'm sorry; I don't believe we've met. However, it seems you already know me."

Himawari cocked her head in confusion, grin evaporating into a frown. "You forgot who I am Auntie?"

And her heart twisted at the puzzlement in the girl's tone. A quick glance over showed she did look a little familiar, but that was only because of the apparent whiskers upon her cheeks and violet hair.

'Like Naruto?'

Naruto didn't have any living relatives as far as she knew though.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked gently, lifting her back up onto the bed. She could see why the other staff had called her, they were jumping to the same conclusions as her…

"Himawari, you forgot that too Auntie?!" She breathed out in shock, cheeks puffing out.

If she hadn't been so upset, she would've laughed.

Because even her personality seemed a bit like his…

But she gently prods her through her head to toe assessment and questions, learning what she needs to know.

Himawari Uzumaki. Age 4, likes pandas, sweets, and playing with her brother and Papa when he isn't too busy.

'She's adamant she's an Uzumaki.' Sakura notes, reading over the notes she'll use to discuss with the team after this. Other than that, there's no real injuries she can find on her.

"Could you draw me a picture of your family Hima? My memory has been so bad lately." She hummed jokingly as she tapped the side of her head, handing her some paper and crayons.

And she pretends to distract herself with other tasks on the computer to not pressure her, keeping one eye to the paper as it comes to life with a mix of colors.

"It's ready!" Himawari calls out to her and Sakura turns around to sit beside her on the bed again.

Emerald orbs roam the paper, all her uncertainties over the identity of this child only deepening. All she was left with was more questions than answers.

'Her parents look remarkably like Naruto and Hinata.'

"Does it look good?!" She chirps out excitedly, shaking Sakura's arm and breaking her out of her thoughts.

Sakura nods, brushing a hand through her hair warmly. She had drawn her family in a garden enjoying what looked to be a picnic, vibrant yellow and red flowers bursting around them.

"It's great. Hold on just a second now; Auntie needs to write out a quick message." She smiled, sighing as she nodded to another doctor peeking their head in to get some paper and a delivery hawk ready.

She only hoped Hinata would answer.

-X-

'It still smells like him.'

Neji's favorite woodsy scents permeate his room as if he had only stepped out for a moment.

His bed is still neatly done as he likes it, books on training and meditation lined against his dresser.

And if she really closes her eyes and concentrates, she can hear his footsteps against the mahogany…

But then her mind flashes to the spikes protruding out of him, the light leaving his eyes as he slides out of Naruto's arms to the ground taking his last breaths.

'Your life is not only your own anymore.'

"Hinata?"

The voice comes from behind startling her and she opens her eyes to see Hanabi studying her with a gentle smile. Her gaze moves back and forth between the room and her, smile cracking for the briefest of seconds before pushing it on once more.

"Father said it will only make us sick to keep coming in here alone." She chides her quietly, so softly she barely catches it.

"I can't help it. I'm used to him coming to check up on us still."

If they linger in here for too long though, the tears will start coming back. An ache they've just started to move past since the burial and funeral.

"You have a message by the way I left on your bed. I saw one of the messenger birds tapping at your window when I passed by." Hanabi mentions as they both step out of Neji's room and close the door again.

'A message for me?'

Most people if they needed her these days would've stopped by in person.

It's from Sakura.

'I know I am sending you this at an untimely moment, but is it possible for you to stop by the hospital today if you get a chance? It's too much information to go over or say in a letter.' She read.

Going over it a second time doesn't make it any less clear, what could be so urgent that she needed to come to her in person?

But she had sent it directly for her, enough for her stomach to coil anxiously.

"Heading out?" Hiashi questions her at the main foyer as he comes in from the garden, observing as she adjusted on her sandals and straightened up.

She hadn't really gone anywhere since the war ended, since the funeral…

"Hmm, yes. Sakura wants to show me something at the hospital."

Hiashi barely hides the frown itching to arise upon his face. Because hospitals are synonymous with only grief and pain at the moment, the scent of blood and tears in the halls between the living and the dead.

"Alright, stay safe." He advises.

A tiny grin curves up her lips as she turns to face him with a nod, he's never been one for much words after all.

Though, she's happy with his small attempts to open up more.

"I will."

A nurse who she's heard is named Mayumi that has worked with Sakura on a couple of surgeries greets her at the lobby, guiding her along to the elevators. There's a skittishness to her behavior Hinata doesn't mention, instead looking away every time she nervously fists at the ends of her lab coat or twirls a finger through her messy dark hair.

"Sakura is in room 3, I'll go get her." Mayumi announces when they arrive, leaving her alone for a moment.

'This is the pediatric wing.'

Children's drawings align the wall in between splashes of bright colors and animal designs. The sound of giggling and running echoes from the rooms' next door…

It doesn't smell of disinfectant or medicines here, only paint and the faint aroma of sweets.

"Mama, you're here!"

And Hinata turns just in time to see a young girl latch herself to her leg.

-X-

"Sorry about this, I didn't think she would run out." Sakura apologizes for the 3rd time, Himawari now having settled herself into Hinata's lap.

"Mama, your hair is long again! How did you do that? Can we go home now; I'm getting hungry. Are Papa and Bolt here too?" She asks quickly, playing with the ends of her violet locks freely through her tiny hands.

Hinata can only blink, completely lost and perplexed at her rapid fire of questions.

'Who is she?'

These whiskered cheeks, bright blue eyes…but hair the color of her own.

Sakura smiles sheepishly, gesturing for Himawari to give her a 'hush bubble' that makes her go silent for now.

"She was found in some gravel and debris by the battlefield earlier this morning and taken to the hospital. Head to toe assessment checks out as normal except for some minor scratches and bruises. Though it's what happened this afternoon that brought me to call you." She explains, going over her notes.

Hinata leans forward then, rocking Himawari gently to her lap when her eyes start to open and close sleepily.

"W-What is it?"

"This little girl can use byakugan, there were multiple eyewitnesses who reported the change in her pupils and her positioning her fingers in formation to attack a boy attempting to take a toy from her."

Hinata glanced down to the child, biting her lip not to question the far out notion.

"Really?" She breathes out.

Sakura nods, letting her voice drop an octave lower before continuing on. "You should know we ran multiple tests on her too Hinata, studied her DNA against all civilians and shinobi of Konoha in comparison to who she said she was. We even checked months back to see if there were any break-ins to the lab or anything stolen, but there was none reported and only few would know how to use such data for darker means."

And Hinata can feel her heartbeat drum louder as heat rushes to her face.

"Only you and Naruto were a match."

Her blush crawls down her neck as Sakura's serious expression dissolves into an amused smirk.

"S-Sakura you know that can't be right. If this little girl Himawari is 4 as she says, that would've made us around 11 or 12 at the time; only genin!" She sputtered.

She couldn't even get near Naruto back then without completely fainting, let alone doing morethan that...

A shrug, before her grin starts to widen. Maybe Naruto liked to do more than just training, sleeping, and eating ramen back then…

And perhaps those other likes involved Hinata.

"Well, it happens at some point; right? Seems things are going real well between you two more than I initially thought!"

"That doesn't mean we've engaged in…I mean you're assuming wrong!" Hinata retorts.

But Sakura is enjoying this too much.

There's a child here that looks like her and Naruto, of course she and many others will believe they've already slept together and she somehow hid the pregnancy.

No matter how impossible it sounds!

"Does Naruto know about this?" Hinata questions to get them back on topic and Sakura shakes her head, growing serious again.

"He will though. People talk."

And Hinata sucks in a long breath with a nod, gathering Himawari up in her arms as she moved to stand.

"I'll take her back to the manor." She murmurs, lightly brushing a finger against her cheeks.

Father would question her sanity, but she couldn't leave this child alone.

It would crush her for her to wake up and find she was gone, especially when she had squeezed at her so tightly upon greeting.

Sakura gets up as well, pursing her lips carefully. "Are you sure? I know you all have been under so much stress lately and this is another big shock. We're using all our best experts to figure out how this could've happened and how she and possibly her sibling came here."

Hinata blinked, reddening all over again. "S-Sibling?!"

Sakura had failed to mention another child being involved!

A weak smile crosses her face as Hinata turns back around to fully give her a frown.

"Yes, she keeps bringing up an older brother named Bolt. Heh, didn't I comment on that?"

"No!"

-X-

"Naruto, you have something attached to you there." Teuchi points out, doing nothing to hide the amusement in his expression.

Yes, he knows. Everyone here at Ichiraku sending him thinly veiled smirks knows…

But nothing he's said has gotten this child to let go of his legs. His ramen sits cold upon the table, evening sun setting across his back as he looks down at the boy once more.

He stares back up at him, cerulean eyes dry now that he calmed down upon first holding onto him.

"Papa, don't be mad we were in your office! I know we weren't supposed to be in there, Hima was the one who wanted to look around!" He exclaims, retelling the same story he had given him already.

And he still has absolutely no idea what he's talking about!

"I'm not your-"Naruto attempts once more, though Boruto cuts him off by pointing to his face.

"You are Papa! Did you forget? Only Papa has whiskers!" He asserts, stomping his feet at Naruto's clear puzzlement.

Hurt settles across his face as he finally lets his legs go to settle to the ground.

'Why doesn't he remember me?'

His chest lurches watching this child throw a fit over him, because he does look like him as many patrons have more than eagerly pointed out to him. Even their names are eerily similar.

But how can that be?

And abruptly Boruto brightens, shaking at his jacket to get his attention. "I know! Let's go get Mama, she'll help you get your memories back!"

A new wave of snickers resounded behind him making him frown, shushing him to lower his voice.

He was fixed on the idea that 'Mama' was Hinata from his rough sketch of her on a napkin, causing much flustering as showed off his work to other customers.

Everyone knew they had gone a few dates, but they couldn't have a produced a child as old as Boruto apparently was without someone taking notice!

Not that anybody cares about said fact.

"Let's wait until in the morning, it's getting late now." He stated, watching as the moon began to rise throughout the darkening sky.

Boruto pouted, but gave in reaching to squeeze at his hand as he stood up. "Fine."

They only get a few blocks before Boruto forces them to stop, pointing in the opposite direction.

"Papa, this isn't the way to our house! You forgot where we live too?!"

And Naruto can only sigh.

'It's going to be a long night.'

-x-

I just wanted to write this first chapter out of my system lol. This story will be the next project I work on after I finish up Compounds so that I won't be juggling too much at once. I want to give myself time to make sure this idea properly simmers out so that I don't get burn out from trying to rush out stories like I have in the past. I've always liked writing about the Uzumaki family in the epilogues of my story, so it's exciting to be actually writing a story where they're not just at the ending! Let me know what you think as always moving forward!

Edit: Fixed my time errors with the ages, got to keep my timelines correct! Thanks to jenuzumaki and SilentSambo88 for pointing them out!

Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!