A cloaked man comes to a stop in a tree not far from the village of Konoha. He curses silently as his earpiece cuts to mostly static…he's way too far from his bug to hear things properly, but still close enough to hear something of importance.

'…s Kage…priv…Unspeak...' Static cuts out most of the words, but he grins, this is something He will certainly want to know. Deciding to risk it he takes a few quick jumps back towards the place he's escaping. 'Na…If you would…I am…future…sama…" The security jutsu does a good job, he can't tell who is speaking, all the voices sound the same. "ow far?…know a few thin…ruined…maru's plo…Yes…explains …disast…bastard…I also know…Kage…tell me every…not need to kn…do not know…erview of his…future may…be a fairy tail…' So…his master's dreams are not just dreams after all…but visions of a future where he gets his revenge…yes, Orochimaru-sama will be pleased to hear this. Grey eyes sparkle in triumph as Kabuto turns his back on the village he's abandoning.

…Uchiha Compound…

Sakura blinks her eyes open not sure what woke her. An unfamiliar ceiling stares back at her, it's then that she remembers: she's at Sasuke's house.

They had stayed up late last night taking note of everything about Naruto that seemed off, from his reactions to things, the way the villagers glare at him all the time, how he interacts with other people, anything and everything. They picked him apart, and realized just how strange their teammate is. Surely not everything they found strange was strange for the orange-clad boy. Despite having had class with him for the last four years they had no idea what was Naruto-normal-dattebayo and what wasn't.

They'd come to the conclusion that they didn't know enough to make an educated guess. Naruto is definitely stronger than he lets on. He'd held off a Sanin for crying out loud! He and Kakashi-sensei have been acting weird for a while now, which makes sense if Kakashi knows the secret. Something the Kage'd made Unspeakable! Secrets like that were only rumored about! Even among ninja! For Naruto of all people to be involved in something that big-he has to be stronger than he portrays. But how can that be? He's their age, how could he be strong enough, let alone have had the time to become a part of something that big when they saw him nearly every day for the last four years? Unless he was de-aged or from the future or possessed by some spirit or something equally insane, there's just no way!

Sasuke shifting in his bed draws her attention. She's laid out on an extra futon on his floor. He didn't give an explanation as to why she couldn't just use a spare room; it's not like anyone else lives here with him, but she wasn't really complaining. Even Ino-pig couldn't say she'd slept in his room with him. The thought makes her blush, which deepens as Sasuke lets out a moan. It isn't until his head starts twisting back and forth that she realizes he must be having a nightmare.

"Sasuke-kun?" She asks quietly moving to kneel beside his bed. "Sasuke-kun!" She says sharply, startling him awake. His hand is a blur and it's a testament to her training that she's able to catch it before it slams into her face. His eyes are unfocused and his breathings erratic. "You're okay, Sasuke-kun. It was a nightmare. It's okay. You're okay." She watches as his eyes focus on her.

"Sa-kura-chan?" He asks, voice breaking over her name. She reddens, but assumes it must be a mistake; he's still half-asleep after all.

"You were dreaming, Sasuke-kun." He sits up, and stares blankly at the far wall for a moment.

"Are you okay?" He asks, looking at her quickly, examining her for injuries.

"Yeah. I caught the fist you threw…but that's okay, cause you were dreaming, I was almost expecting it, since you know, waking a ninja from a nightmare isn't the best idea, but I couldn't just let you continue with it. Nightmares are the worst…" She rambles for a moment worried she'd done something wrong. "Do you…do you want to talk about it?" She asks deducing that it's about his past.

"No." He says curtly, standing up and moving out of the room. She pauses not sure that he wants her to follow, before realizing she's alone in his room and races after him. She finds him in the kitchen putting a kettle on the stove. "Tea?" He asks pulling two cups from the cupboard.

"Yeah." She says, taking the cup and following him into the living room. He sits on the couch and she chooses to curl up in an armchair. He seems surprised with her choice, but she knows it's the right one when he relaxes and begins speaking.

"They're…strange." He starts after a moment of silence, "they almost seem real. I mean, I could see myself doing some of the things I do in the dreams, under the right circumstances. I think that's what gets me most…I don't want to be like that. To be like Him." Sakura has no idea what he's talking about, but doesn't interrupt for fear that he'll stop.

"I'm so angry in them…at everything, at Naruto, at Konoha, at Kakashi, at myself. It's all I can do not to lash out. That Snake-freak we saw in the forest, he's in some of them. I'm…learning under him, or something, it's weird. I'm so…arrogant, and still pissed, but now it's focused. I have direction. I…kill, but not for Konoha, not to protect the Village. I'm so cold…and alone. In this one…I…killed…someone important to me. I don't know why I'd do something like that." He pauses, breathing heavy, his eyes look up at her and she can see him pleading with her, for what she's not sure.

"I must be insane in these dreams, they don't-nothing makes any sense. For everything I can see myself doing, there are a million things I couldn't even begin to fathom why." When she's sure he's done she begins,

"Not all dreams are logical or realistic. Sometimes they're just dreams, Sasuke-kun. A manifestation of our hopes and joys…or they're nightmares, giving our hate and fear a face to fight against…" They're silent for a moment and she can tell he's really absorbing her words.

"Fears to fight against…you are right. If there's one thing I know, it's that I don't want to be the person I am in those dreams." She leaves it at that and they finish their tea in silence. "Thanks…Sakura-chan." She blinks in surprise.

"No problem, Sasuke-kun." Her shy smile turns to a happy grin when he smiles back.

…Hokage's office…

"Kitsune, Hebi, Kuma, stay behind." Tsunade commands as the ANBU file out of her new office. The three take their position in front of her desk. They don't so much as twitch as she frowns at them. She turns to the Fox-masked man. "When were you going to tell me you were ANBU, Naruto?"

"I knew you'd find out eventually, Godaime-sama." He replies seriously, not a hint of the sunshine blond she knew from her dreams, more like the overprotective ANBU in her nightmares. "I was not intentionally keeping it from you."

"I know you weren't, Kitsune," she replies with a sigh. "But that is not why I asked you to stay behind. You three will be heading the teams sent out to Sound to root out Orochimaru."

"Hokage-sama?" Naruto questions.

"You three know the dangers better than anyone else. You three alone will be trusted with the entirety of the missions you are sent on. Your teammates will know only the basics."

"We'll be hunting him down then? Under the cover of raiding the country that attempted to invade us?"

"Yes, Hebi."

"Good. I am glad you chose us for these missions, Hokage-sama."

"We do not believe Orochimaru will be expecting us, so your first missions should go smoothly."

"You should know, Hokage-sama." Kitsune begins, when it appears she's ready to dismiss them. "I have become aware of the fact that you are not the only one receiving memories of your future-not-to-be."

"Orochimaru?"

"It's a definite possibility."

"Hmm…then we will have to assume he knows as much as we do."

"I agree. Anything less is asking for him to win…"

"Very well. Thank you for the information, Kitsune. Dismissed."

"Yeah, yeah, ya old hag. How do you want me to handle Team 7? Jiji wanted me to keep up the act…"

"As far as I'm concerned, Naruto, we are at war. Keep up appearances for the enemy, anything beyond that is unnecessary. We don't have time to waste on acts."

"Of course." He says with an evil smirk. "Then I'll let you handle Team 7, Obaa-sama."

…A week later…

"Hokage-sama!" Kakashi bursts into her office nearly out of breath, a panicked expression on his face.

"What is it, Hatake?" She asks barely glancing up from her paperwork.

"Naruto-kun didn't show up for training this morning and I can't find him anywhere!"

"He's on a mission."

"Without his team?" He asks genuinely stunned. Surely he's not on a solo mission!

"He was temporarily reassigned."

"Doesn't he need my approval for that?"

"It was my decision, Naruto didn't have any choice in the matter. And neither do you, Hatake." She snaps tossing a paperweight through the wall behind him.

"Of course, Hokage-sama." He says, bowing to her. "If I may…request…that in the future I be alerted to such missions?"

"You will be alerted when Naruto doesn't show up for training."

"But…how will I know he's not just skipping?"

"Naruto is a ninja of Konoha. He knows better than to skip training using a mission as an excuse." She pauses for a moment, thinking about the hyperactive blonde. "Besides, you're a Jounin, Hatake, if you can't determine if your student is in the village or not you deserve to be demoted."

"…Of course…am I to assume that this will be a regular occurrence, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes. Now stop wasting my time and get out of my office, Hatake."

"Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama."

…with Team 7…

"Naruto's what?!" Sakura asks incredulously.

"He's been temporarily reassigned to another team and is out on a mission," Kakashi parrots. "She made it seem like it'll be happening frequently." Sasuke and Sakura share a glance.

"Okay." Sasuke states simply.

"Okay? Okay?" Sakura asks looking at Sasuke annoyed. Kakashi's surprised to find that he agrees with the pink haired girl.

"We already decided there was more to him than meets the eye, Sakura-chan. This is just further proof of that theory." Both of Sasuke's teammates stare at him. "We'll have to grill him when he gets back of course. Can't let him think we like being left out."

"Right, Sasuke-kun."

"You kids…" Kakashi mumbles to himself. "Alright! Back to work!"

…with Orochimaru…

"Ahh, Kabuto-kun. I sssssee the rumorssssss of your death were greatly exsssssaggerated."

"Of course they were, Orochimaru-sama. They only slit my throat…it'll take a lot more than that to kill one of your servants as loyal as I, my lord."

"Tell me what you have learned."

"Those dreams you've been having, my lord, they are of a possible future. Someone currently in Konoha has traveled through time."

"Impossible!"

"The Hokage seems to believe it easily enough to have made it Unspeakable."

"…is that sssssssoo…?"

"Yes, my lord. I have also learned that the old man, Sandaime has fallen ill. He's made Tsunade his successor."

"Tsunade-chan? But she has no ties to the Village…she despises the place almost as much as I do. That makes no sense…unless that blonde brat got to her like in the dreams."

"He and Jiraiya went to find her." Kabuto confirms.

"Like then…only I wasn't also looking for her since I hadn't been injured in the fight…interessssssting…"

"My lord?"

"Everything is connected. I was not injured in that fight because I retreated because Jiraiya was there. Why was Jiraiya in the Village early? He had no reason to be there until after I appeared…unless they knew from the start that I would be attempting to invade them. That explains why Suna betrayed us, if they knew I killed the Kazekage, they would have no reason to stay with us. Kukuku! This is all very intriguing…"

"Who is the informant, Orochimaru-sama?"

"I do not know. But we shall have to find out, won't we my little snake? Time-travel would be the absolute solution to my immortality problem…kukuku, I do believe we have a new field of jutsu to sssssssstudy."

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama. I'll begin research immediately."

"Yes yesssssssss…and I'll begin planning our future!"

…Two weeks later…

"He's still not back yet?" Sasuke asks as Kakashi appears with a puff.

"No…I'm worried about him…"

"He's only a genin!" Sakura complains. "Usually D-rank and C-rank missions only last a week and a half at most! And he's with an entirely different team! Who's to say they'll care about him and watch his back like we will?"

"Shinobi of the leaf will do as their Hokage commands."

"But no one in the village likes Naruto…in fact, they almost seem to hate him!"

"It's not our place to question the Hokage's orders."

"Sandaime would've explained at least!"

"…yes and no…there's more going on that you don't know…"

"What could possibly-"

"Yo. Sorry I'm late guys, I just got back a few hours ago…" Naruto says walking up to the group gathered on the bridge.

After having not seen him for two weeks Kakashi can't help but notice how tense he is. His face may be smiling and carefree, but his eyes rove around the clearing, watching for anything amiss. His movements are smoother than usual, but his muscles are coiled and taut, ready to react.

"Naruto! Where have you been! We've been so worried about you!"

"I was assigned to another team temporarily…didn't Tsunade-baa-sama tell you?"

"Just that much. What were you up to? Why didn't you let us know you were going? Why'd you need a different team? Why couldn't we come with you?"

Naruto just stands there tense, obviously overwhelmed with her questions, he looks at Kakashi for help.

"Sakura. You know most missions above D-rank are classified."

"But not-"

"Anyway, I got our mission from the Tower already. Today we're cleaning up the park."

"Whaaat? You couldn't get us anything better?" Naruto whines as they make their way to their destination.

AN:/ Here it is! The long awaited chapter! I'm having a hard time with the next one though, which is why it took so long to get this one out. As always, if you see any spelling/grammar errors let me know!