Sorry for the very long Author's note but PLEASE READ.

Here is the first chapter of the revised Libido story. After conferring with your opinions, I have decided I will rewrite everything that does not work with my new plot, and keep all existing elements that do work the same. This will do two things: 1) allow me to finish revising the current content faster so I can get to new material sooner, and 2) keep the tone of the story similar so that it doesn't turn into something completely different. That means the portions I will be rewriting are only up to the Chunnin exams in Suna part with some minor tweaks in that part as needed. I assume 50% of the current content will stay the same.

With a fresh start, I would like to have a new title: Forbidden Fruit. The reason for the change is the medical aspect of Sasuke's affliction has changed along with my plot. This story unfortunately will not be as medically driven (since Kabuto is no longer the antagonist) although I will endeavor to use it as many people seemed to enjoy it.

The setting of this story is two years after the epilogue which means this starts right before The Last: Naruto the movie. All characters will look as they did in that movie although in this story, Naruto and Hinata will not end up together. This story is an alternate timeline in which Sasuke and Hinata end up together. You will see some familiar characters.

This story will also show the growth of Hinata into a powerful kunoichi in her own right. I was annoyed with the portrayal of Hinata as if a damsel in distress in The Last: Naruto the movie even if it was necessary for the love line. Kishimoto has gone on record and stated that he did not know how to write female characters which is why all the female characters in Naruto seemed to just be pining girls with no drive as shinobi (they even all became housewives *rolls eyes*). I want to give the characters justice, therefore you will see the girls kick butt.

Finally, one thing I can't let go of is Neji being dead. Kishimoto has stated that Neji dying was a plot device to bring Naruto and Hinata closer together. Since this story does not end up with them together, I am going to keep him alive. He was integral to the story when I first developed it and thus he will remain.

Please enjoy this chapter and thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving this story as much as I do. I know you've waited a long time for this. (If you're new, welcome and hopefully you will enjoy!)

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.

Forbidden Fruit: a thing that is desired all the more because it is not allowed

Chapter One: Whispers in the Wind

Finally after two years, his time in purgatory would come to an end.

He sustained himself by feeding on the chakra of lesser creatures with the misfortune of straying too close to his shallow grave. The chakra was diluted, deformed and adulterated but it had kept him alive.

Alive was good. Alive meant a second chance. Alive meant he could complete the one task he existed for.

Two years of deep, impenetrable darkness, the weight of the earth above him closing in on his still chest. Darkness had been his comfort and solace as it had always been, but the time had finally come.

The beautiful flaw with humans was their tendency to believe that everything they did was of their own volition, that if something were to be inexplicable, it was divine intervention. This had been true when he stirred the pot of fate that led to the Fourth Great Shinobi War. It had taken hundreds of years of cultivating the evil in humans' hearts to reach the culmination of his plan.

That and the fact that humans continued to be negligent almost as if on purpose. No wonder it had been so easy for him to manipulate Indra's descendants when he had achieved his goal the first time. If only those damn impostors hadn't interfered in his plans when they almost came to fruition.

To him, their only saving grace was their negligence in his disposal. After all, they had left the body of the most notorious shinobi in the world intact and unguarded. It didn't help that the end of the war marked too many bodies to hold last rites for; he had made sure of that before they bested him.

My job is not done. I must finish what I started. Kaa-san must be resurrected so that she can complete her destiny. The world must be purged of these vile creatures. Kaa-san wait for me….

He felt movement above his grave, an animal hoping to graze he assumed. It would be the last time he had to feed on such impure chakra. He finally had the strength to leave his dark cocoon.

The movement above him stilled. He struck his hand out through the ground, finally breaking free.

The wild deer bucked and floundered but his grip on its foreleg was too strong for it to escape. He especially liked it when they fought. As the deer's chakra left its vessel, the fighting diminished to nothing more than a few twitches; final remnants of its former spirit. His borrowed mouth stretched in a gleeful grimace as he pushed his way out of his earthly prison.

As his jaw moved to speak it clacked from disuse and decomposition. "Ku ku ku ku…Kaa-san, I will make sure to revive you…I will not fail when I have already come so far."

He raised his hands and observed them with reverence. With Uchiha Madara's body under his control…A key piece was already in place.

OoOoOoOoO

Naruto grinned as he jumped from roof to roof towards his most favorite Ramen shop, relishing the cool evening air as it fluttered through his hair and rustled his clothes.

Life after the war was peaceful but hectic. With Kakashi now acting as the Sixth Hokage and Team Seven having been a prominent factor in ending the war, meeting up and hanging out as a team had become all but impossible. With Sasuke not having been spotted in Konohagakure for a little over a year, the chances of a group meeting had become almost completely barren.

Last time Sasuke had come to visit, he mentioned in his gruff tone that his place was outside the newly built village walls. He would be the protector in the shadows, where he belonged. Naruto's thoughts on the matter revolved around Sasuke trying to punish himself for his previous wrongdoings but when he mentioned as such, the dark-haired shinobi scoffed and rolled his eyes before calling him an idiot. It didn't matter what they said – Sakura had even confided in him she had begged Sasuke to take her with him - Sasuke had always been stubborn, it was his inherent nature. It annoyed him to no end but what could they do otherwise? So, they had settled on letting Sasuke do what he wanted until he got bored of it or decided otherwise.

Never in Naruto's wildest dreams had he imagined a time would exist in which his days would be filled with people fighting to shake his hand or get an autograph, idolizing him, and providing him with so many gifts he had to rent a storage unit just to keep them all. In some sense, he was wary of the adoration as those same people never gave him a sparing glance before the war. In worst cases, they had cursed his very existence. All of that aside, forgiveness was a skill Naruto excelled in and he was proud to be the hero of his village.

Today's meeting had been planned for well over a month now. Between the high-ranking sensitive missions, Hokage training and the attention he now found himself under, Naruto barely had time to himself. With Sakura now training as Hospital Head under Tsunade, Sai recently being appointed proctor of the annual Chunnin exams to be held in Sunagakure, and Kakashi being cooped up in his tower running the village, they had been hard pressed to find a time that worked with everyone.

Naruto skid to a stop before Ichiraku's and pulled back the curtain, his grin widening at the site of Sakura, Sai and Kakashi already seated and conversing. They all paused mid conversation and turned to greet him. Sakura rolled her eyes and looked quite peeved at him whereas Sai just smiled his creepy crinkled-eyed smile. "Naruto-kun, we ordered for you."

Kakashi raised a hand, his over-sized Hokage robes sliding down his arm a bit at the movement. "Yo, Naruto."

"Naruto! How could you keep the Hokage waiting?!" Sakura scolded, her arms crossed and her nose tilted up in disdain. Naruto clutched at his stomach, pointing at Kakashi as he chortled.

"I knew if I told Kakashi-sensei to come two hours earlier that he would make it on tim- OUCH!" Naruto cried out as Sakura smacked his hand down.

"Don't point at him! Show the Hokage some respect!"

"Ah, Sakura-chan…it's really okay…" Kakashi mumbled as he waved a meek hand in front of his face, feeling bad for the blonde youth. He soon became her next victim.

"Kakashi-sensei this is why he doesn't respect you! You shouldn't be so lenient on him! How is he going to take over your position if he can't even give YOU respect?!"

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto whined, rubbing his bruised appendage. Sai quietly looked between the three of them with that same smile and decided to speak up.

"Sakura-chan, I don't think your actions are very becoming as a woman." Naruto and Kakashi both froze and stared in open horror at Sai. Sakura turned beet red and slowly turned around to face him, her face twitching in barely controlled rage.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" She bit out, cracking her knuckles in a benevolent warning to correct his answer before it was too late.

Maybe getting together had been a bad idea….

Kakashi and Naruto rushed to keep the peace. "Now, now Sakura-chan, Sai didn't mean any harm by it, you know he doesn't understand the nuances of conversa-"

Naruto added, "Sakura-chan Sai's weird, don't listen to him!"

Sai didn't seem to understand what was wrong as he continued, "I meant what I said though. In a new book I've been reading, it says that out bursts of anger are due to low emotional maturity and lack of self-control." Sakura's eyes glazed over as her anger reached critical levels. Mass destruction was imminent.

"I give up." Naruto groaned in defeat as he facepalmed. Kakashi moved in between his two former students, his hands up in a mollifying manner as sweat ran down his face.

Sai opened his mouth to elaborate yet again but this time Naruto was prepared, summoning a shadow clone that appeared at Sai's side just in time to cover his mouth. Sai continued to speak although his words were muffled. "Stop talking you idiot, you're going to get my favorite ramen shop destroyed!"

As Kakashi ran interference with Sakura, Naruto decided to distract her. "Kakashi-sensei! Did you hear anything from the Teme recently?!" He prayed that this would distract Sakura enough to save his favorite restaurant. Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized his protégé was truly a genius behind that mask of idiocy. The plan worked as Sakura instantly perked up and looked at him with excitement, her previous anger forgotten. Naruto's clone still held Sai's mouth shut while explaining to him what exactly he did wrong as if he were an unruly child.

Tossing a quick glare at Naruto for the insult to Sasuke, Sakura turned to Kakashi. "Yes Kakashi-sensei, did you hear anything from Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's earnest eyes were a complete 180 from her previous murderous expression.

"Well, unfortunately no…" Kakashi rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, accidentally knocking his Hokage hat off his head. "But I'm sure he will contact us if something comes up!" Sakura looked down, disheartened.

"Four ramen are coming up!" Teuchi the store owner called out, unaware of the drama occurring in his storefront.

Naruto felt his stomach growl and the smell wafting in the air made his mouth water uncontrollably. Nothing beat ramen. "Let's eat I'm starving!"

Even if time kept moving forward, some things never changed.

OoOoOoOoO

The wind whistled loudly in his ears as he held a hand up to shield his face from the bright green sky, dirt and dust picking up around his feet.

Above him, an enormous mass of red-tinged rock and rubble lay dormant and unassuming. The new moon he created with Naruto that sealed a terrible force within its depths.

With a sigh of boredom, Sasuke opened a portal back to the shinobi dimension and landed lithely on the green moss-covered floor of a forest. He had taken this trip once every month since the end of the war, keeping an eye on the sealed Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, Rabbit Goddess (demon) and source of all chakra. Recently his trips to the Mountain Core dimension had become a weekly endeavor as he was quite literally the only person alive who could use the Rinnegan to get there.

It was not like him to be so cautious, but he had become restless soon after the war as an ominous feeling settled into his bones that refused to let him take roots within Konohagakure. It was more instinctual than anything but he had learned long ago to trust his gut.

And he had reason to be concerned.

With another sigh, Sasuke pulled his headband - which lacked denomination affiliating him to any one village - over his left eye. The weekly visits took a toll on his Rinnegan and it would need time to recharge. Just finding the Mountain Core dimension during his first forays into inter-dimensional travel had left him bedridden for almost a month. His refractory period had increased exponentially due to the frequency with which he recently used the Rinnegan, but it would take at least half a day before he'd be able to utilize it and the Mangekyou Sharingan in his right eye. It was no matter, he found little need to use such gaudy tricks in battle these days.

Peace had reigned for the past two years, so much so that Sasuke almost missed fighting. Almost. It was hard to get rid of old habits even if his goal now was to protect what his brother had loved most. It was his driving force and purpose.

Unfortunately, a rumor whispering in the wind threatened that purpose now.

Sightings of White Zetsus like those that fought against the Shinobi Coalition during the war. Attacks on villages and unaware Shinobi with perpetrators described as pale demons with golden eyes and menacing, sharp-toothed smiles. Shinobi gone missing without explanation.

His investigation started a month ago, when the first tendrils of fear drew his attention. Now the fear had wrapped around Kaminari no Kuni, the primary setting of the main battles with the White Zetsu Army. If it continued, the barely contained peace might be disrupted once again. The panic was too dangerous to ignore.

If the stories were more than just that, it was more worrisome that the minions of what had ultimately been Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had started to move on their own after two years of silence. Kaguya had already been revived once as evident by the ravaged land and large satellite in the Mountain Core dimension, but the chance of a revitalization of the efforts was troubling.

No changes had occurred with the sealed extraterrestrial demon, but the ominous feelings had only deepened.

Luckily, Sasuke knew the location of a potential lead. It would take him two days to reach on foot, especially if he wanted to conserve his Rinnegan for his weekly visits to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's resting place. There, he could determine once and for all if the rumors had any merit and if the fear was warranted.

Breaking off into a sprint, Sasuke started off towards the place he received his brother's last gift.

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata smiled affectionately as she ran her hand through Mirai's soft midnight tresses, relishing the feel of the curly locks against her palm. Right before her very eyes, Mirai had grown into a beautiful little toddler with a penchant for getting into trouble.

Kurenai sat with her head in her hands at a table a few feet away, watching the two of them as they played on the floor.

"Hinata-chan, how do you get her to stay so still and calm?!" Kurenai lamented, taking a sip of her tea with one hand and rubbing her temple with the other. Hinata looked up in surprise, Mirai sitting serenely in her lap and coloring on a piece of colored paper.

"Ano, I'm not really doing anything Sensei…" Hinata deflected as was her nature and turned her smile towards her most treasured teacher. Mirai looked up at the two of them and pouted as Hinata's attention was diverted.

She tugged on Hinata's long indigo locks in frustration, drawing Hinata back to her playing. "Hinana, Hinana!" She groused, her tiny mouth turned into a frown and her bottom lip jutting out in a full blown toddler tantrum. Hinata laughed awkwardly as Kurenai rolled her eyes and laughed along good naturedly at the child's antics.

"Whatever it is, I need to have you take over babysitting Mirai in the future." Hinata lifted the small tot and brought her to sit at the table with the red-eyed woman. "It's easy to see you are Mirai's favorite Auntie." She watched as Mirai clutched onto Hinata's clothing to keep her close. "Strike that, I think you are on the same level of Shikamaru-kun!" Hinata blushed at the kind words as she finally settled Mirai into her high chair.

"Well I would be more than happy to take her off your hands, she's the cutest little thing ever!" Hinata pinched a chubby cheek affectionately as Mirai cooed up at her. "I will come visit next week during my off time, if that's alright with you." Kurenai nodded and gave Hinata a grin as she stood to put away the two empty cups of tea.

"Of course, Hinata-chan, Mirai and I will be waiting for you as always."

Hinata felt her heart warm at the words as she collected her things. She was so lucky to have such wonderful people in her life. Never was there a dull moment in Konoha now that the village was fully up and running.

"Hinana leaving?" Mirai mumbled, her eyes watering and her chin wobbling with barely repressed tears.

"Oh my sweet Mirai, I have to go home…" Hinata's eyes lighted as she remembered the gift she brought for the tiny toddler. Hinata hands disappeared as she rustled in her bag, fishing the present out. "Ah wait! I have a gift for you!" Mirai's eyes brightened instantly and she held her hands out to receive the gift. Hinata paused slightly before handing the girl the wrapped present, "Make sure to behave and listen to your mother well okay Mirai?" The toddler nodded eagerly.

"Oh Hinata-chan you didn't have to…" Kurenai started.

"It's okay, I wanted to! I saw these the other day and I couldn't resist buying them. They are perfect for her." She smiled placatingly at Kurenai's guilty expression.

Mirai had already ripped through the paper and held up her new pink sandals in triumph, laughing merrily. "Hinata-chan they are so cute! Mirai what do you say?" Kurenai admonished gently.

"Tank you Hinana!" Hinata giggled and pressed a kiss against the top of Mirai's head.

Hinata turned and waved at the mother and daughter as she let herself out the front door. "I will see you soon!"

The instant she was safely on the other side of the door, Hinata's shoulders sagged in relief and she sighed, set towards home. Hinata loved visiting with her friends but sometimes she felt emotionally and physically drained afterwards. The sun was just starting to dip down, bathing the buildings and streets in beautiful orange and pink hues. She decided to take the long way home to have some quiet time to herself. Summer was just winding down and the nights had become cooler as Fall set in, another season passing along with time.

Konoha had become a bustling and vibrant village again although now there were more people than ever before. The one benefit of the war was unity amongst the Five Kage villages. Now, it wasn't uncommon to see Iwagakure or Sunagakure headbands mixed in with those from Konoha. Hinata herself had gone on quite a few missions with shinobi from other villages and found it to be quite enriching. Each village had a culture and history that translated into their fighting styles. On a few occasions, Hinata had adapted the techniques or variations from other villages into her repertoire and found that she expelled less chakra or energy when attempting a move. The unity had brought unexpected comradery.

Peace finally reigned and Hinata sincerely hoped it would stay that way.

Hinata smiled as she passed street vendors and restaurants, glad to be jostled by the busy village people trying to get home for the day. Just as she passed Ichiraku's new ramen establishment, a tall man in bright orange with a blonde mop and twinkling blue eyes appeared from behind the curtain. Hinata's breath caught in her chest and she felt her cheeks grow hot.

Naruto-kun…

As if she had called out to him aloud, his eyes lighted upon her frame and a grin instantly spread across his face as he waved exuberantly at her. Hinata took a timid step towards him, a shy smile forming on her own face.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto greeted, scratching a whiskered cheek idly as they closed the distance between them. "How are you doing?"

"Hi Naruto-kun, I'm doing well. How was your last mission? You were gone for a few weeks, right?" She had to tilt her head up to meet his clear blue eyes. Hopefully her face didn't reveal her adoration for him.

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head with his bandaged hand. "Yeah…Kakashi is working me to the bone trying to get ready for the Chunnin exams coming up. I'm supposed to represent Konoha as part of my Hokage training actually." Hinata smiled at that, proud her crush was achieving his dreams.

"That's great news Naruto-kun! I'm so happy things are working out for you." If only they would work out for me too…

Naruto stood up straight and looked sincerely into Hinata's eyes. "It means a lot for me to hear you say that Hinata-chan, truly it does." He looked around at the market square and the waning sunlight. "Are you heading home? Would you like to walk together?" Hinata felt her face heat up once again as her heart hammered in her chest and ears. "H-Hinata-chan…?" Naruto repeated when she took too long to reply.

"A-Ano, I don't want to bother you…" Oh Kami how she'd love to spend more time with him…dare she be hopeful?

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "It wouldn't be any trouble Hinata-chan, I wouldn't have offered if it was!" That's right, the Hokage tower is in the same direction…

"Okay then, I-I'd love the company Naruto-kun." Hinata felt her cheeks hurt with as much as she was smiling. To get to spend time with the Hokage-to-be, Konohagakure's very own Uzumaki Naruto…He wants to walk with me!

"Great! Lead the way." Naruto grinned and held his hand out for Hinata to go ahead. She giggled and began to move through the crowd, looking back to make sure she wasn't dreaming and Naruto really was walking her home. Every time their eyes met Naruto gave her an encouraging smile which she reciprocated wholeheartedly.

Naruto fell easily into step with her as they neared the end of the main street. Placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner, Naruto gave her a slide-long glance that made her blush spread to her neck. "How has working at the hospital been? Tsunade-baachan tiring you out yet?"

Hinata shrugged noncommittally and tucked her hair behind her ear, amazed that Naruto cared about her daily life at all.

Even after more than two years, Naruto had never answered her love confession. If anything, it was as if he didn't remember her words in the throes of battle against Pein to protect him. Hinata didn't blame him, she knew her words could easily be misconstrued as stated in a moment of desperation although she did help Naruto gain the confidence to finish the war when he had seemed to be losing hope…honestly the disappointment had taken a toll on her these past few years.

She still loved the boy who represented the light, the brightness the world had to offer - in that sense her name reflected her affections for the boy - but she figured Naruto would never end up looking her way. If that was the case, she wouldn't hold it against him but sometimes she wished she had the tenacity to state her feelings and demand an answer. In a sense, the past two years of uncertainty had been too much to bear. Her life mostly associated with doing things to keep her mind off him these days.

Especially now that he had…

"Well, working in the hospital is really fulfilling so I enjoy it. Tsunade-sama is a very patient teac-"

"Naruto-sempai!" Hinata jumped in surprise and turned to find a gaggle of shinobi girls running to catch up with them. Her heart sunk. Fan girls.

Naruto sighed and gave Hinata an apologetic look. Hinata just plastered a reassuring smile on her face though the longer she held it the less genuine it felt. She hoped he didn't notice.

"Naruto-sempai, we were all wondering if you'd train with us today! You promised you would!" The spokesperson for the group gave an unimpressed look to Hinata. "And it doesn't seem like you're too busy."

Naruto laughed awkwardly, unsure on how to approach the situation. "Well I am walking Hina-"

"Go on Naruto-kun." The blonde looked to her in surprise and she felt more confidence as she smiled at him. She didn't want to burden him in any way. Maybe that was her weakness.

"But Hinata-chan…" He seemed truly disappointed at her request and that was enough to tide her off until their next meeting, whenever that may be.

She gently placed a hand on his arm and motioned to the girls in front of them. Their eyes were glued to the spot in which they touched, varying degrees of jealousy apparent on their faces. "You were never one to break a promise Naruto-kun…Don't start now because of me." He opened his mouth to argue but she closed her eyes and shook her head. He sighed as the girls all tittered excitedly. Turning towards Hinata, Naruto waited until Hinata glanced up at him before he started speaking.

"I'm really sorry Hinata-chan, I'll make it up to you okay?" She smiled and nodded.

The girls took that as their cue and all but ripped Naruto out of her grasp, some linking arms with him as he protested good naturedly.

Hinata watched them go, the smile she had plastered on so bravely before wavering.

Naruto glance back at her and gave her a slight wave to which she brought a hand up and waved enthusiastically, over compensating so he didn't worry too much. When they turned the corner and disappeared out of sight (she could've activated her Byakugan to watch them longer but why torture herself) she turned with a melancholy sigh and made her way back home.

Loving someone meant sacrificing everything for them…right?

To be honest, Hinata wasn't sure she knew the meaning of love anymore. Maybe she had never known to begin with.

OoOoOoOoO

Well the last time Sasuke had been to this hideout, it had a roof. In hindsight, the Sasuke of the past tended towards outrageous and excessive displays of power. He almost felt some shame as he stood at the mouth of the cliff marking the edge of the old hideout in which he had his new eyes surgically implanted. It felt like a lifetime ago.

It was here that the 'original' White Zetsu had been killed when Sasuke decided to test his newly acquired powers. At the time, he hadn't even given the pale lackey a second thought but now he was glad he had done it if only so he could test the rumors of the present. This was the best place to check and see if former phantoms truly did rise from the dead and wreak havoc.

Unfortunately, due to his past self's need to show off, he would need some assistance in digging out exactly what he was looking for – although there wasn't much to find. Jumping from the cliff edge down into the abyss below, Sasuke bit his thumb and drew the blood across a leveled slab of stone he landed on. "Kuchinose no jutsu!" With a large puff of smoke, a great blue head with hooded green eyes emerged, Sasuke's feet firmly planted between the glassy orbs. The creature grew to his full height, towering over the ledge Sasuke had formerly stood on.

"Sssasuke-sama, what is your command?" The large blue viper requested respectfully in his gravelly baritone.

"Aoda, I need you to move the rubble. I'm looking for any traces of a body with wood elemental attributes. Might not exist at all…or may not be dead." Sasuke proceeded to point out where the large snake summons should start. "You would do well to be careful."

"I understand Sasuke-sama, it will be done." Sasuke kept his balance atop Aoda's head as the large snake began to move the boulders out of the way with his tail. As he supervised the oversized snake in the removal of the rocks, his patience grew thinner and thinner the less that stood in his way.

The remnants were supposed to be there. It didn't make sense. White Zetsu was the first person he had tested his new powers on after getting his new eyes. There should have been a pile of ashes and soot - ideally preserved amongst the boulders - but as Aoda moved the rock and debris they were met with nothing.

Aoda lowered his head to give his master a better vantage point once he had cleared the area the remains could've been. The foreboding feeling Sasuke felt earlier hit him full force. Something was very wrong.

The wall against which White Zetsu had been stabbed and burned with Amaterasu held up remarkably well these past few years; an imprint of the force with which he had been hit still marred the grey stone along with black scorch marks. "Sasuke-sama...there are signs of movement." Sasuke jumped down to where the ashes should have been, mindful to keep his distance lest he destroy any evidence. Aoda's head moved closer and his tongue flitted out rapidly, testing the air for any clues.

"What are you getting, Aoda?"

The snake shifted to give his master a glance with one slitted emerald eye before turning back towards the stone. "There were ashes here with wood elemental as you stated…however there are tracks in the dirt that show movement. The body you seek left about two weeks ago by my estimation."

Sasuke's eyebrow quirked at the wording of the snake summons. "Left?"

"Yes Sasuke-sama. The dirt shows only one person was here." Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he turned to look at the dirt right below the marred wall. The dirt had been freshly moved, sand strewn in arcs that showed struggle, as if someone had gathered something like…ashes. Other marks looked as if someone had dragged themselves through the dirt underneath the rubble. Sasuke followed the tracks until they disappeared beneath boulders Aoda had yet to move. Someone Aoda can't sense was here…that must be why he thinks the body moved on its own...unless it really did.

"What do you think about burned corpses coming back from the ashes, Aoda?" Sasuke asked in passing as he crouched and peered into the crevice whomever he was searching for must have made their escape through.

"Very few things are considered to be as impossible but it is nothing to celebrate." The snake shifted almost as if a shiver ran down his spine. Sasuke turned back to give Aoda an exasperated glance at his dramatics.

"I thought you'd say as much. That will be all Aoda." The snake inclined its head in respect and departed with a puff of smoke just as he'd arrived.

Sasuke's worst fears had been confirmed. Something involving Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's evil creatures had been set into motion; for some new plot to revive the mother of all chakra no doubt. He had spent the last two years living as a rogue to prevent this from happening and yet it had occurred right under his nose.

He personally preferred to work alone, however this was not a time for petty displays of pride. He would not make the same mistakes of the past and assume he could handle everything on his own.

Sasuke's next summons was a messenger hawk with a known attitude problem and a propensity to bite. He smirked as he attached a message to its leg and relayed his demands. "Fly to Konoha." If he was going to enlist Konoha for help, he'd give them a gift along with his message.

Kaminari no Kuni – Land of Lightning

Amaterasu – Sasuke's black flames that he gained through Mangekyou Sharingan

Iwagakure – Village hidden by Rocks

Sunakagure – Village hidden in the Sand

Konohagakure – Village hidden in the Leaves

Kuchinose no Jutsu - Summoning Jutsu

And there we have the first chapter! So, like I mentioned, the reason I wanted to start over was because I want this story to be as realistic as possible. I wanted to write a Sasuhina story that COULD potentially have happened in the canon universe. Therefore, I incorporated the Naruto and Hinata parts the way I did in this chapter as I believe they were at this point romantically around this time. There will also be some Sasusaku (one-sided obviously) but eventually we will have Sasuhina.

To be honest I think my writing is a little rusty…It's not much different from before but it doesn't flow as easily as it used to. I apologize but I hope you'll bear with me and wait to see it improve.

As always, if you have any questions please leave a signed review and I will do my best to answer!

If you do review, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the storyline so far and your answers to the following questions! Who is the villain we see in the beginning? What could have caused the White Zetsu to begin moving? How do you think Sasuke's affliction will occur this time? Do you need a quick refresher on the Naruto ending that I could provide to give context to this story? Is everything super confusing? How is the writing so far? Catch any typos?

I will explain everything in the next chapter's Author's note.

It may take me a while to update chapter two as I will be moving to a different city for my new job, just a heads up!

Until next time,

Trinity Effect