"Calm down!" Ino shouted. Naruto and Sakura tripped over each other, searching every nook and cranny in Sakura's office, even places where a small boy wouldn't fit. Ino grabbed Sakura and pushed her in a chair. She turned her irritated gaze toward Naruto, who got a clue and slowed his roll. "He isn't here, so we need to come up with a plan to look for him. Freaking out in this tiny office isn't helping."

"Where could he have gone?" Sakura stood again, glancing at the door. "Maybe… he went somewhere else in the hospital? He has the tendency to walk off..."

"Good, you've gotten your brain back." Ino's joke fell flat as the two newly made parents stared blankly at her. They hadn't gotten their wits back.

Ino cleared her throat again, trying to also trying to clear their heads. "First, we're going to search the hospital. If he's not here, then he might've wandered off to the playgrou-"

"That will take too long." Naruto interrupted, gazing out of the office window. "If there's even the possibility that he wandered off outside alone, we need to find him right away."

"What's the rush?"

"He's right. There's no time to waste." Despite her best efforts to calm them, their panic levels shot through the roof once more. Was she missing something?

"Just wait a second and tell me what's going on!" Ino demanded. Naruto and Sakura's eyes met.

"Someone has tried to kidnap Shina multiple times since he arrived." Sakura explained. "The first time, I had to make an effort to break Shina out of a strong genjutsu someone placed on him from a distance to lure him into the forest. Since then, there's been someone stalking around and waiting near my house and around town."

"And you haven't told Kakashi this?" Ino slapped her hands on Sakura's desk. "Seriously?!"

"Naruto." Sakura ignored Ino's outrage, closing the distance between herself and Naruto. "It's now or never. You NEED to find him. We were there when you used your power to scan the whole world! You should be able to do this!" Sakura insisted.

With enough concentration, Naruto could spread his senses across the entire country. Heck, the entire world. But, that amount of desperation wasn't easy to muster up, but this was close enough. Shina, their biological child, was missing or kidnapped. Or… worse.

It was now or never. Naruto held up his hands. With one loud poof, Sakura's entire office filled with versions of himself sitting cross legged as still as a stone statue. This would be enough to scan the entire fire region if needed.

"Let's go."

Sakura and Naruto split off with Ino. Sticking together as a group of three wouldn't aid the search. Ino set off to inform Kakashi and gather more help while Sakura followed Naruto's lead into the forest.

"It's time." Naruto announced, turning toward Sakura beside him. His eyelids tinted orange and his pupils resembling a frog. Naruto paused on a tree branch and Sakura stopped above him, waiting.

This time, Naruto did not hold back. He released his clones in Sakura's office all at once and pushed his chakra miles beyond his position. The location and identity of every living creature and human being flooded his senses, but he ignored them. He wanted to find only one person.

Find him, he did. He stood out like a sore thumb. Shina's chakra was in complete disarray and chaos, but something else surprised him. How did he miss how similar Shina's chakra was to his own? And Sakura's? He'd been too focused on locating the stalker. The person holding him…

His eyes flew open. His breath caught in his throat.

"What... does this mean?" Naruto whispered only loud enough for Sakura to hear.

"What?" Sakura asked. "What do you sense?"

"Shina's chakra… it's… all messed up or something." Naruto explained. Sakura steadied him, gripping his arm as his knees nearly buckled.

"... It must be another genjutsu.," she explained. "When someone is under genjutsu, their chakra flow is abnormal. Remember?"

"Right..." Naruto acknowledged. Naruto knelt on the branch, dumbfounded. Sakura waited for directions, but they never came.

"Where is he?" Sakura demanded. Naruto turned to her. His jaw still slack and his eyes wide. "Snap out of it! Where is Shina?!" Her harsh tone shook him out of his stupor as he stood up straight, eyes focused ahead.

"... This way." Naruto nodded, leading the way.

Together, they rushed through trees deeper into the forest. Sakura observed Naruto from the corner of her eye, unnerved by his change in behavior. Who did Naruto sense with Shina?

'Does he recognize them?' Sakura pondered. She studied his face. His confused expression replaced with… anger? He mumbled something to himself and his brows got tighter and tighter. Sakura nearly tripped when Naruto dropped from the trees to the ground suddenly.

A cloaked man stood before them, his back turned. Shina's head peeked just over his shoulder. No mistaking it, this man kidnapped Shina. The stalker.

Sakura reached into her pouch, wrapping her hand around a kunai, but Naruto stopped her, gripping her wrist. Surprised, she turned on Naruto, but his eyes completely focused on the stalker.

"Naruto, wha-"

"Who are you?" Naruto called out, voice weary and filled with dread. Sakura's attention bounced between Naruto, the stalker, and Shina's hair she could just barely see. Shinachiku's captive said nothing, nor did he move.

"I said, who are you?!" Naruto shouted as he stepped forward. Naruto's advance spurred the stranger into action. The man turned, reluctant.

Sakura blinked, now focused on the man's familiar face. His hair wasn't right, he usually parted it to the other side. Neither was his face. He looked older, laugh lines beginning to form. Only one remained consistent… Sasuke's missing arm.

This was a poor attempt at henge of Uchiha Sasuke. She shook her head, digging into her pouch again for a weapon. Naruto gripped her wrist tighter as she searched. He couldn't be falling for this, right?

"What do you want?" Even his voice resembled Sasuke's with his usual straightforward disinterested tone. Shina stirred in his arms, but the genjutsu placed on him kept him unconscious. What horrors was he experiencing under his forced slumber?

Naruto straightened, finally meeting Sakura's eyes. He loosened his grip on her wrist, but kept hold.

"Why are you stopping me?" Sakura tensed, but it only caused Naruto to grip her again.

"... It's Sasuke."

"You can't actual-"

"It's him, Sakura." He sounded so… certain. Although she did not completely understand his abilities, she knew for a fact his senses far outstretched her own. He could sense the chakra of every living thing if he desired. If someone were under a genjustu, or using a henge, or using whatever other tricks to hide their true identity, Naruto could tell.

The man wasn't THEIR Sasuke… but he WAS Sasuke. His chakra felt different enough from Sasuke, but very much the same. Sakura relaxed, and he released her wrist, positive she wouldn't advance toward unforeseen danger without a plan.

"I can't believe this…" she whispered under her breath, a mixture of awe and concern.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto questioned. They told no one about the other world because they didn't know what to make of it. A dream? Another world? A powerful, realistic genjutsu? Now they had their answer. Clearly, this wasn't the Sasuke they met when they visited the other world. How many other "world" existed? At least two excluding theirs.

"Nothing," Sasuke replied curtly. In at least two universes, Sasuke had no charisma or tact.

"What the hell do you mean nothing?! Why did you take him?!" Naruto retorted. He took a cautious step forward, wanting to close the distance. Was this Sasuke a friend or foe? Thus far, it seemed to be the latter. This time Sakura grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Are you the one who's been stalking Shina the last few days?" She challenged, looking suspiciously between him and Shina in his arms.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, refusing to respond.

"You're from another world, right?" Naruto interrupted. Finally, an expression other than indifference passed of this Sasuke's face. Shock passed and indifference returned. "How did he get here? How did you get here? Why have you placed him under a genjutsu?"

A moment of silence passed before the man finally answered.

"That is none of your concern."

"Cut the crap!" Naruto took a step forward, but this time Sakura held him back, gripping his shoulder. "Where are you taking him?!"

Uncomfortable silence followed accompanied by a strong breeze. Sasuke turned to face them. Shina was in his grip. He looked comfortable, resting his head in the nook of Sasuke's neck. Under different circumstances, the scene would still be strange but endearing.

"What do you want?" He sounded annoyed, as Sasuke typically does.

"We've asked our questions, answer them," Naruto growled. "Where are you taking him? Are you from another world?"

Sasuke frowned, hesitant to respond.

"... We are from somewhere else. We came by mistake."

"How? How did you enter another universe by mistake?" Sakura recalled when she and Naruto ended up in the other world. It certainly wasn't a mistake. Tobi… or Obito sent them there for reasons unknown. The two Uchiha had one thing in common. "... The sharingan?"

Naruto's face scrunched, and brows furrowed. "You… have the same power as Obito?"

"There are minute differences between our worlds." Sasuke remarked dismissively.

"That doesn't answer the question."

"I found him lost in the woods," Sasuke continued, as if Naruto hadn't spoken. "He fell off a cliff. Resulting in a… mistake."

"... He fell off a cliff?" Sakura recalled the mostly empty file in the hospital records for Shina. Small abrasions on the exposed skin on his arms and legs. Mild concussion from blunt force trauma or a particularly hard fall, they hadn't done the tests to figure out which. Either way, the injuries did not match a child who fell from a cliff… unless the bottom of the cliff wasn't as hard or distant suddenly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Sakura interrupted, "He accidently brought Shina here, because he wasn't fast enough to save him from falling to his death. Right?"

Although Sasuke did not respond, he did not frown or looked annoyed, meaning she must be correct.

"... I see." Naruto crossed his arms, processing the information. So it's confirmed. Shina is from another world. Another universe where he and Sakura had a child together. And now… "You're going back." This was a good thing. This should be a good thing. Everything made sense, and Shina was finally going home to his parents. His REAL parents.

So then… why did it feel like a knife was twisting in his chest?

"That's good…" Sakura said, echoing Naruto's thoughts. She struggled to speak, "In that case… can we send him off? Tell him goodbye? Why keep him under the genjutsu?" A good question, Naruto completely forgot.

Sasuke did not answer. In fact, he stepped back towards the darkness of the forest ahead of them.

"Wait a second!" Naruto and Sakura took a daring step forward. The three adults tensed. If Sasuke ran, they would chase. But why run?

"Answer the question!" Naruto demanded.

"I will not remove the genjutsu until he is where be belongs."

"Why?!"

"He arrived here because of a mistake I made. He will return home and any memory of this will be a bad dream soon forgotten."

"Wha- What are you trying to say?!" Their world was at peace. The worst Shina went through was his head injury and being a little lost. He and Sakura took care of Shina well, at least as well as a babysitter would. Shina doesn't have to forget about them, why does he have to forget?

"I've watched from a distance," Sasuke's tone was cold and empty. He wasn't glaring at them, but he might as well have been. "Why should you be allowed to tarnish the relationship he has with his true parents? The ones who don't involve themselves in petty drama causing so much heartache for a small child? He will only view you as a nightmare, as it should be."

Fist tight, Naruto leapt forward. He felt no resistance from Sakura's slack grip.

Sasuke reacted immediately. He leapt backwards into a tree and twisted away further into the darkening forest. Naruto chased and nearly caught him on a branch, but Sasuke was too quick. Wind knocked him off his feet as Sakura flew past him, hot on Sasuke's trail. Naruto followed, trying to keep up as his mind and heart raced. What if Sasuke was right?

Was Shina really from another world where different versions of him and Sakura were his parents? Was this Sasuke trying to help and take him home? Is it unfair to wish Shina would remember them?… To stay with them?

"Stop!" Sakura croaked. Sakura must feel the same as him. There were too many questions unanswered, too many things left unsaid.

The ground beneath them opened. It was a cliff, one of the many hidden in the forest just outside the village. For a ninja, falling from this distance wasn't a problem. Neither was catching yourself before hitting the ground.

Naruto reached out instinctively, grabbing Sakura's hand and using the other to keep hold of the cliff. Surely alternate Sasuke would do the same. Naruto looked around the cliff side, but Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. He looked into the distance at the other cliff side. Maybe he jumped that impossible distance in one go?

"What are you doing?!" Sakura screamed. Sakura wasn't looking at the cliff sides. She was looking straight down. Down here Sasuke was still falling, looking up at them with an impassive expression and Shinachiku still in his grip. Did he mean to die? Was this his intention all along, to kill Shinachiku with him?

For the briefest of moments, time stopped. They watched as Sasuke fell further and further, closer and closer to the rocky ground beneath him.

Then he was gone.

Vanished, without a trace.

Shinachiku sat up with a start, gripping his t-shirt as his eyes darted around the room. He was in his living room on the couch, a blanket bunched up at his feet.

"... Huh," he whispered. He didn't remember taking a nap on the couch, not willingly anyway. Shina kicked off the blanket and slid off the couch. He glanced at the clock on the living room wall. It was only noon.

Shina stood still in the middle of the room, confused. Confused about what? He wasn't sure. Everything seemed normal.

A knock on the front door startled him.

"Coming!" Sakura waddled down the hall towards the front door. She looked at him and smiled while unlocking the door. The sight of her shocked him. Her belly was back!… When did it disappeared in the first place? Shina frowned, feeling like he was forgetting something.

The door clicked and Sakura peered outside. She smiled and stepped aside.

"You made it. How are you, Sasuke?" Sasuke stepped through the door as Sakura closed it behind him. "Naruto is still at work, you know? Though, he'll be back for lunch in an hour or so."

"That's fine." Sasuke removed his shoes and stepped further inside. His eyes met Shina's, who hadn't moved from his position, eyes still wide and confused. Right, Uncle Sasuke was coming to visit because his baby sister would be born soon and extra help was nice. He was so looking forward to his visit, how did he forget?

"... Shina-chan?" Sasuke moved aside as Sakura pushed past him toward her son. "What's wrong?"

"... No." Shina shook his head.

"No what?" Sakura placed a hand on his forehead. She couldn't lean down much anymore because of her belly, but it was enough. "Hm… you are a little warm..."

"No, I'm ok," Shinachiku insisted.

"You sure?" Sasuke stepped up beside Sakura, looking down at him. Uncle Sasuke was always a weird guy… but now he seemed even stranger. His eyes drilled into his own, like he was expecting Shina to say something. Say what?

"How was your nap?… Did you have a nightmare?" Sakura asked, still concerned.

A nightmare? He didn't think so. A weird dream? Maybe that's why he felt like he hadn't been home in forever. It was almost surreal standing here with his mom and uncle, like he hadn't seen them in a long time. Shina nodded.

"I think I had a weird dream."

"I see. Well, what do you say about preparing lunch for papa? That ought to take your mind off things." Shina smiled.

"Ok."

"Walk home safely, Sakura-san."

Sakura waved the secretary goodbye as she exited the hospital. It was well into the evening now. Starts dotted the night sky. Normally, she'd ignore the view and briskly walk home, ready to sleep off the stress of the job.

She wanted to sleep, but not at home. She hated being at home now. It was empty without… him. Shinachiku.

She heard someone clear their throat. She shifted her gaze from the sky to the bench along the pathway home. Naruto sat there, waiting for her. He waited for her everyday now since Sasuke took away Shina. How many days passed since? A week, but it felt like forever.

She sat down next to him without a word. The silence wasn't awkward, but welcome.

"... How was work today?" he asked eventually, his voice ever so slightly hoarse. Had he been crying? She decided not to ask.

"Busy. As usual. You?"

"Hard. Kakashi isn't pleased about… you know."

"... Right."

"... Sakura-chan?" Sakura turned toward him. He didn't look at her, but the ground. "Do you think… that was really Sasuke from another world? That… Shina is safely back home?" His voice cracked again.

How could he ask her this? He insisted it must be Sasuke, even if it wasn't their Sasuke. Neither of them had any idea if that version of Sasuke was an ally or an enemy.
There was no way to know.

For all they knew, Shina could be…

A lump formed in her throat. Her eyes stung, but she tried to hold the moisture back. If only they had been fast enough to catch him. If only they did the blood testing sooner and discovered who Shina was. No. No. If they stopped bickering and protected him properly...

Was this her fault?

She gasped, staring at Naruto's hand on hers through blurry vision. She didn't hold back the tears as well as she thought. Neither did he.

"I'm sorry I asked." His voice shook. He put a lot of effort into sounding normal. "We can't keep blaming ourselves for this… he's probably ok."

"Even if he is ok…" Sakura tried to smile, but her lips quivering from the effort, "That doesn't make me feel any better… about not getting to say goodbye. Or apologizing for hurting him."

"Sakura-"

"He's not even going to remember us. I should be happy about that. He'll be with his real mother and father… Better versions of you and me that raised that little boy. I should be overjoyed… but I'm devastated."

Naruto swallowed hard. He didn't disagree. Every night they sat on this bench together, mulling over the same unresolved feelings.

"We can't keep doing this Sakura… it will not change anything." Naruto repeated.

"I know." She hissed in response.

"… Can we air everything out?" Naruto whispered, "Can we just… get everything off our chest now? And see what happens?"

"... What do you mean?"

"There are things I want to say to you." He continued.

"... Are you going to blame me?" Naruto didn't answer. He wouldn't meet her eyes anymore either. Instead, he got up from the bench and knelt in front of her. When their eyes met again… they were different.

Swollen red fierce eyes despite the tears threatening to fall off the edge.

"I love you."

"... I cannot believe you. This is not the time for-"

Naruto spoke over her. "I've loved you for years. With my whole heart. I've never… ever felt this way for anyone else. This… special way."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he interrupted again.

"I… miss him. Shina wasn't my son… but I feel like I lost my kid. I can't stop thinking about him. Kakashi is convinced Shina was a trap set for us, something meant to distract us. But… I think he is a sign."

"... A sign of what?"

"... What do you think about me, Sakura-chan?"

"..."

"... It's not too late for us. We've wasted some time but… we can still-"

"Nothing we do now would bring us Shina. Do you honestly belie-"

"I know. I may be dumb, but I am not stupid."

In any other circumstances, Sakura would gawk at his stupidity, but he looked too convinced that what he said made any sense.

"It won't be him… I…. want to be with you. I don't want to run in circles squabbling like teenagers… we can be the people Shina wanted."

"Naruto…"

"We can be."

"Those people aren't us."

"So?"

Sakura stood, the movement startled Naruto causing him to fall backwards.

"I'm going home," she announced. She turned and quickened her pace to her home. She expected to hear Naruto call after her. To hear him running behind her to catch her and ask her to stay. He didn't. She stopped, hesitantly looking over her shoulder. Naruto stood next to the bench, watching her back.

He wouldn't chase her.

He wouldn't insist.

He wouldn't demand.

… He would wait for her. Always waiting for her. Why?

"Why?" Naruto parroted. She didn't realize she asked aloud. "I told you why."

"Still? After all this time?"

Naruto nodded. "I still do."

"... You're a fool." Sakura hung her head, hiding her face with her hands as she wiped her face from the tears. She couldn't hide it anymore even if she wanted. It was so much easier when he had a girlfriend or when he was busy with his training and studies. It was easier to try forgetting about him.

"You're just… a fool," she repeated. Sakura turned to him, wiping the tears from her face.

"Yeah…" Naruto grinned sheepishly and ran his fingers through his hair.

"... Can we talk more?"

"Yeah."

"Then… walk me home, please."

At long last, it is complete! I really struggled writing these final parts. This is the finale I pretty much always had in mind, but getting Naruto and Sakura's reactions right was quite difficult. Sasuke's too.

This Sasuke from another world who has witnessed Naruto and Sakura's squabbling and how negatively affected Shina was would not like this version of Naruto and Sakura. I originally had him being a lot harsher, but I suppose this is harsh enough huh? "No, you can't say goodbye, you guys suck and I'll make sure he forgets you." That's pretty harsh.

Another difficult part was the aftermath. The aftermath for Shina is easy. He's back home as if nothing has happened. Sakura's belly is back with his baby sister inside, and uncle Sasuke is being a little weirder than usual but he's here to visit! Yay! Nothing strange going on here!… But he feels like he's forgetting something. Maybe someday, the truth will come to light and he'll truly remember what happened. After all, even though Sasuke purposely stirred up his brain to make it all seem like a trippy forgettable dream, it WASN'T a dream.

And finally, the third difficult part, what Naruto and Sakura think afterwards. Guilt guilt GUILT. They feel guilty as hell and uncertain. They've been told Shina would go home safely, but they don't REALLY know that. And what can they do about it? They can't travel dimensions, and who knows how many dimensions there are anyway. They feel guilt for wishing deep inside their hearts that Shina could be with them. Despite the confusion and heartache they caused him in only a few days… they grew to love him. What can you really do to reconcile that? Nothing.

But there's one thing Naruto won't do anymore, run in circles with Sakura. He's here to end the cycle of avoiding feelings. And at last, after this huge ordeal, it looks like Sakura is willing to end it too. Who knows where their future will lead. It probably won't be to Shina, but another bundle of joy they can love and care for.

Thanks for reading! I MIGHT have a small separate fic exploring a little bit more of Sakura and Naruto, but it wouldn't be appropriate in this fic. This fic was about Shina getting back home, and mission accomplished.

BY THE WAY, this fic and all my other ones are on AO3. I may not add future fics here, so please check it out! /works/5249651/chapters/12112241