238. Sealed Memories
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Naruto felt as though he'd travelled through time and space in the blink of an eye. One moment he was surrounded by the prosperity of ancient Rōran, and in the next, he was standing amidst its ruins.
The vibrant glow of the Dragon Vein was gone, replaced by silence, rubble, and the faint shimmer of a sealing jutsu inscribed around the altar.
The Flying Thunder God kunai stood firmly in the centre, marking the success of Minato's seal.
Before he could fully process his return, Naruto heard a familiar voice call out, "Naruto-kun!" He barely had time to react before Hinata rushed over and hugged his waist tightly.
"Hinata?" Naruto blinked, startled. He wrapped his arms around her gently, stroking her hair. "Why are you here?"
Hinata, blushing furiously, looked up at him. "You've been gone for a day and a night. We… we were so worried!"
"Naruto," came a teasing voice. Kushina strolled over, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. "Gone for a whole day, and you make your mom worry too. What kind of son are you?"
Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry about that, Mom."
As he looked around, he noticed the rest of his friends nearby. Kiba, Shino, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura had all gathered. Even Akamaru barked happily and wagged his tail as he ran up to Naruto.
"You're such a troublemaker," Kiba said with a grin, his tone devoid of malice.
Hinata, realizing everyone was watching, squeaked and quickly stepped back, her face red. Naruto chuckled, watching her fidget nervously.
"So," Kushina said, clapping her hands, "what happened? You've been missing for 26 hours. Care to explain?"
Naruto hesitated for a moment, rubbing his chin. "It's… a long story. Let's just say I experienced something very interesting."
Kakashi, who had been leaning nonchalantly against a broken wall, suddenly straightened.
He touched his cheek as though something had just clicked in his memory. His visible eye narrowed slightly.
"So that's how it is," Kakashi murmured to himself.
"What's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked curiously.
Ignoring her, Kakashi walked straight up to Naruto and, without warning, pinched both of his cheeks. Hard.
"Ow! What the hell, Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto cried, swatting at his hands. "What are you doing?!"
Kakashi smirked, letting go. "Oh, I just remembered something interesting. Thanks for that, Naruto."
Naruto froze, realization dawning on him. "Wait… the sealed memories? They're… unlocked?"
"Looks like it," Kakashi said, his smirk widening. "It's been a long time, but I finally understand why my face was sore for no reason. That was your doing, wasn't it?"
Naruto laughed nervously, scratching his head. "Heh, uh, maybe? Anyway, what happened here while I was gone?"
Sakura stepped in to explain. "After you disappeared, Gaara, Temari, and Lady Chiyo managed to destroy all of Sasori's puppets, including his real body. But since a lot of people had been poisoned, the antidotes I brought weren't enough"
"I had to help at the hospital for a while. Then Kakashi-sensei and the others arrived, saying you'd gone missing. We all waited here just in case Akatsuki tried anything."
"As for the guy you were chasing," Kiba added, "we never saw him again."
Naruto sighed. "Tch. I let him get away? That's annoying."
"Naruto," Kushina interrupted, motioning toward the group, "let's save the details for later. We need to report to Sand Village before heading back to Konoha."
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At the same time, far away in the Akimichi Clan household, Choza Akimichi sat at the dinner table with his family. Suddenly, he put down his chopsticks and rushed to his room, leaving everyone confused.
Rummaging through a wooden box at the back of his closet, Choza pulled out an old snack wrapper he'd kept hidden for over twenty years. He held it up, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Ah, so that's how it is," Choza muttered, chuckling to himself. "I ate snacks from the future back then! What a great experience!"
Smiling, he walked back to the dining room with a new sense of purpose. Setting down a box of treats in front of his son, Choji, he declared, "Here, these are from Naruto. He told me to give them to you double the amount!"
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On the Way to Sand Village
As the group walked toward Sand Village, Naruto shared bits and pieces of his journey to the past, with Kakashi occasionally chiming in. While most of his friends were amazed by the story, Sasuke remained quiet, his expression darker than usual.
Naruto, noticing this, nudged Sakura and whispered, "What's up with Sasuke? He looks like Big Brother Itachi just poked his forehead and said, 'Maybe next time.'"
Sakura glanced at Sasuke before stepping closer to Naruto. "Well… before you came back, Sasuke seemed really worried about you. He was ready to use a Chidori to break the Dragon Vein seal to bring you back. If Kakashi-sensei and your mom hadn't stopped him, he might've done it."
Naruto blinked, feeling a mix of surprise and guilt. "Wow. That's… a little intense."
Hinata, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "I think… Sasuke might feel sad."
"Sad? Why?" Naruto asked.
Hinata hesitated. "Maybe… he felt left out. You only called Sakura for help, but not him. It's like being ignored by someone important."
Shino, walking at the back of the group, nodded silently. Hinata understands. Being ignored hurts… deeply.
Naruto frowned, realizing she might be right. "Oh man, I didn't mean to make him feel that way. I should talk to him."
He stepped toward Sasuke, who immediately turned his head away. Naruto grinned sheepishly, scratching his cheek. "Hey, Sasuke. About earlier… sorry if it felt like I didn't rely on you. You know you're important to me, right?"
Sasuke glanced at him, his expression softening slightly. "Hmph. Just don't let it happen again, dobe."
Naruto chuckled, relieved. "You got it, teme."
---
As they neared Sand Village, Naruto glanced at his mom, friends, and Sasuke, who now looked a little more at ease. Despite the chaos of time travel and his run-in with the past, Naruto felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
'This is my team, my family' he thought. 'And no matter where or when I am, I'll always fight to protect them'
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