THE TIME CONUNDRUM

Naruto stared, his mind struggling to grasp the unbelievable truth. 'That little kid... is Sasuke from the past?! And he's here now? This is insane, dattebayo!' He couldn't wrap his head around it.

Sasuke, seeing the shock on Naruto's face, quietly sat down on the dusty ground again. He gestured to the spot beside him, his voice low. "Sit, Dobe. I have many questions for you."

Naruto's eyes were still wide, but he nodded slowly, dropping onto the ground opposite Sasuke. "Questions? I've got questions too, believe it! My head's spinning thinking that little kid... well, is you, dattebayo!"

He still couldn't quite connect the calm, black-eyed Sasuke in front of him with the small, scared boy lying unconscious. 'This is really happening, dattebayo.' Sasuke noticed Naruto's dazed expression. "Since it looks like your brain's about to short-circuit, you ask first," he offered.

"What?! No way, Sasuke! You first!" Naruto protested immediately, shaking his head. "You just dropped a huge bomb on me! You should go first!" "Don't be an idiot, Usuratonkachi," Sasuke countered, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "I'm telling you to ask first."

"And I'm telling you to ask first!" Naruto shot back, his voice rising. The old argument dynamic was already kicking in, even in this strange, serious situation.

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. He closed his eyes for a moment, calming himself. "Fine," he finally said, opening his eyes. "Let's ask together. On three."

Naruto nodded, eyes narrowed in thought. "Okay, on three, dattebayo!"

"One... two... three!"

"How did we end up in this deep hole?!" Naruto blurted out, a single question tumbling out fast.

At the exact same moment, Sasuke's voice, calm and clear, sliced through the air: "From which time are you, Naruto?"

Both boys fell silent. Naruto's mouth hung slightly open, his question completely ignored. Sasuke's eyes widened, a rare sign of surprise. They stared at each other, the echoes of their conflicting questions hanging in the damp air.

'Time?' Naruto thought, utterly bewildered. 'What is he talking about? What does 'which time' even mean? We're from the same time, obviously, dattebayo!' He looked at Sasuke, confused. "What time are you talking about, Sasuke? I don't get what you're trying to say. Of course, we're from the same time, dattebayo!"

Sasuke slowly pointed a finger at the still unconscious Mini Sasuke lying on the ground, a pale, innocent figure. "Look at him, Naruto," Sasuke said, his voice grave. "If he, my younger self, from six years in the past, has come six years ahead into our time... then it could mean we all might have traveled too. We could have gone into the past, or even been pulled from our own time to a different point in the future. We'll only know for sure once we get out of this place."

Naruto's eyes widened, a new kind of understanding dawning on his face. 'Whoa. Sasuke's got a point. If mini-Sasuke is from the past... then what about us? Are we still in our time, or did we jump too to a different time in the past or in the future, dattebayo?'

He nodded, his earlier confusion replaced by a grim realization. "You're right, Sasuke! That makes sense!" Naruto immediately scrambled to his feet. He walked away from Sasuke, moving towards the distant, high opening of the hole above them.

He looked upwards, his gaze fixed on the circular patch of light far above. His eyes confirmed it: the sky was a vibrant, bright blue, and clear sunlight streamed down, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air.

'But... it was night just a little while ago!'

Naruto thought, his brow furrowing deeper in confusion. 'I remember seeing the moon when we fell! How can it be morning already?'

He hurried back to Sasuke, who was still sitting calmly. "Sasuke! It's day outside! It was night when we fell, dattebayo!"

Sasuke looked up, his expression unchanging. "That's exactly what I'm thinking, Naruto. If it's morning now instead of night, and it hasn't been that long since we fell... it's a strong sign. We've likely been teleported to a different time as well."

Naruto scratched his head. "Maybe... maybe a lot of time just passed while we were busy with ourselves, and we didn't realize it, dattebayo?"

Both of them sighed almost at the same time.

"That's possible too," Sasuke conceded.

"We'll only know for sure once we get outside and figure out where, or when, we are."

Again, Sasuke looked at Naruto, his dark eyes probing. "So," he asked, a subtle urgency in his voice, "from which time are you, exactly?"

Naruto, though still a little confused by the persistent question, decided to give a clear answer this time. "I'm from the time when you were having your big battle with Gaara at the Chunin Exams final round!" he declared proudly, as if stating something obvious.

A rare, small smile touched Sasuke's lips. He reached out and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, a gesture of unexpected warmth and relief. "Good," he said, his voice almost soft. "Then we're from the same time, Usuratonkachi." He squeezed Naruto's shoulder gently. "I was just about to hit Gaara with my Chidori, but suddenly... everything went dark, and I got teleported to this unknown place."

Naruto's face broke into a wide grin, relief washing over him. "Yeah! I knew it! We're from the same time, dattebayo! That's awesome!"

But the moment of shared relief quickly faded. Sasuke's expression hardened, becoming serious again. He removed his hand from Naruto's shoulder. "We still can't trust the others, Naruto," he stated, his voice low and cautious. "They're acting... weird. Unusual."

Naruto's grin fell. "What?! No way, Sasuke! We can trust them! They're our friends, you know!"

"Not now," Sasuke insisted, shaking his head. "There's a time for everything. We need to understand this situation first."

Naruto sighed, but he knew arguing with Sasuke when he got like this was pointless. He decided to switch back to his earlier question. "Okay, fine," he mumbled. "Then tell me, how did we even reach here, dattebayo? How did we fall into this hole?"

Sasuke considered his question. "Did you fall directly down here, or were you outside before you came down?"

"I was outside with Bushy Brows," Naruto replied with a grin. "We were standing near a big opening in the ground, looking in. But then suddenly, both of us were pushed down into the hole!"

"Pushed?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Do you remember who pushed you?"

Naruto closed his eyes, concentrating hard. He squeezed them shut, a faint image forming in his mind. "Yeah... yeah, I think so..." He opened his eyes, pointing a finger directly at the unconscious Mini Sasuke lying on the ground. "It was a small hand, dattebayo! And I remember seeing black hair and black eyes... it was him! This little kid! He's the one who pushed us all down here into this hole!"

Sasuke's brow furrowed in confusion. "No... I was pushed by Hyuga Hinata."

"What?!" Naruto protested, shaking his head furiously. "No way, Sasuke! Hinata would never do something like that! She's too nice! Maybe... maybe she got pushed by your Younger self, and you along with her might have fell down along with your younger self!"

Sasuke thought about that for a moment, a flicker of grudging agreement in his eyes.

"Hm," he grunted. "You... have a point."

Then, a rare, almost mischievous smirk touched Sasuke's lips. He looked at Naruto, his eyes holding a hint of amusement. "Since when did you become so smart and sharp-witted, Usuratonkachi?"

Naruto's face immediately turned red, his anger flaring. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?! I was always smart, dattebayo! You just never noticed it! I'm a genius! Dattebayo!"

He puffed out his chest, completely missing the humor in Sasuke's tone.

Sasuke couldn't help it. A genuine, almost disbelieving smile spread across his face, quickly turning into a low chuckle. Naruto, seeing Sasuke actually laugh, burst into laughter himself, the tension momentarily forgotten as their familiar rivalry and friendship resurfaced even amidst the bizarre circumstances.

Meanwhile, back with Hinata and the rest of the group, the atmosphere was a mix of concern and hushed speculation. Hinata, Lee, Tenten, Ino, and Karin were sitting together, their faces serious. Neji and Sakura still lay motionless on the cavern floor, unconscious despite Karin's earlier efforts.

The main group was trying to make sense of the new arrivals. 'How did Naruto and Sasuke even get here with us?' they all wondered silently.

"I don't get it," Ino began, her voice low. "Naruto left the village ages ago to train with Jiraiya-sama. So how is he suddenly here?"

Tenten nodded. "And Sasuke... he also ran away from the village, didn't he? Out of hunger for power." Her voice held a hint of sadness and frustration.

Lee looked completely lost, his brow furrowed. "I... I simply cannot understand what is happening here! This is most confusing!"

Hinata, ever thoughtful, spoke softly. "According to my understanding, I think both Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun are from a different time. Like... perhaps a time behind us." She glanced at Tenten, trying to explain her sudden insight.

Tenten's eyes widened. "A different time? Hinata, explain it more clearly! That doesn't make any sense!" 'Time travel?! Is Hinata serious?'

Hinata took a deep breath. "Well," she started slowly, "when Naruto-kun arrived, he asked Lee-kun about his injuries and how he was able to walk. If Naruto-kun was from our present time, he would already know about Lee-kun's recovery after the Chunin Exams and wouldn't be surprised. So, he must be from a time before Lee-kun fully recovered."

A few of them still looked confused, but no one asked her to explain again, seeing the determination in her eyes. Lee, however, suddenly understood a crucial piece. "Hinata-san has a point!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "Naruto-kun did ask me, 'Aren't you injured? How are you able to walk?!' He was genuinely surprised!"

Ino's eyes snapped wide as the realization hit her. "Oh! So you mean Naruto is from the time of the Chunin Exams?"

"You idiot, Ino!" Tenten immediately blurted out. "Naruto couldn't possibly be from that far before! That's too much!"

Before Ino could protest, Hinata spoke up again, her voice calm but firm. "No, Tenten-chan, I actually agree with Ino-chan on this."

Tenten blinked in surprise. "If Naruto-kun was from a time even further ahead than us, he would have probably already questioned Sasuke-kun about many things, especially since Sasuke-kun... became bad." A shadow passed over Hinata's face as she mentioned Sasuke's darker path. "So, he must be from the time of the Chunin Exams, from when Lee-kun had his battle with Gaara, and when Lee-kun was injured."

Everyone nodded slowly, the logic finally sinking in. This made sense of Naruto's strange behavior.

Karin, who had been sitting quietly, listening to their conversation, still didn't fully understand the complex timeline theories, but she stayed silent, observing. 'This is way too much talk about time for me,' she thought, slightly bored.

"Okay," Ino said, getting serious. "So we can't tell them that we are from a time ahead of them. It would mess up the future, right?"

"Yes," Hinata agreed, her expression grave.

"Or it could change the future or the past itself. That's a huge risk."

Tenten then snapped her fingers. "I've got an idea! We should tell Naruto and Sasuke a small lie! We can tell them we're from a time even further behind them, too!"

Lee nodded firmly. "Yes! That is what we are going to do!"

Ino brightened. "Right! We can all say that we are from the time before going to the Second Round of the Chunin Exams, the Forest of Death! That's far enough back, and it's a clear marker for them!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. "That could be nice!" they murmured.

"And," Hinata added, thinking of the unconscious figures, "we can further say that we don't know from which time Sakura-chan and Neji-kun are from. That way, they won't question us further about them, and they might even trust us more if we're all 'in the same boat' about being displaced."

A collective wave of agreement passed through the group. "Yes!" they all said.

Lee then jumped to his feet, his usual energetic self returning. "Now, I need to check what is the matter with the young child!" he declared, already moving towards the direction where Naruto and Sasuke had gone.

Hinata also stood up. "I'll tag along with you, Lee-kun," she offered softly, concern for the child in her eyes. Ino quickly followed suit.

All three of them then looked at Tenten, who remained seated beside Neji. Tenten looked at Neji, then back at them. "I'll stay here," she said, a small, reassuring smile on her face. "I'll be with Neji and take care of him in case he wakes up and needs something."

Ino looked at Karin. "Karin, you stay here too. Get some rest and look after Sakura for us, okay?"

Karin nodded, relieved to have a clear task and not have to think about complicated time theories.

And so, the three shinobi – Lee, Hinata, and Ino – walked purposefully towards the darker corner of the cavern where Sasuke, Naruto, and the unconscious Mini Sasuke were.

The laughter of the two friends died down, leaving a comfortable silence for a moment, a rare peace between the two rivals turned comrades. Sasuke was still sitting on the ground, Naruto cross-legged opposite him. They continued to talk, discussing theories about their strange situation.

"So, what do you think we should do, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, leaning forward slightly. "We can't just stay stuck here, dattebayo. And what about this kid?" He gestured towards Mini Sasuke.

"We need to find a way out, obviously," Sasuke replied, his voice calm, but his eyes scanning the cavern walls. "And we need to figure out the source of this space-time ninjutsu. It's powerful. And as for him..." He looked at Mini Sasuke, a complex expression on his face.

'He's a major liability right now. Too vulnerable, too many questions he could accidentally answer if he were conscious around the others.'

He was deep in thought, considering all the potential pitfalls of a past version of himself running loose.

His thoughts were suddenly broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. Naruto, ever observant, spoke up. "Oh! Ino, Hinata, Bushy brows! What are you guys doing here, dattebayo?"

Lee, with a grave expression that masked his true intentions, stepped forward and looked directly at Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun," he began, his voice earnest, "please involve us in the important conversation you and Naruto-kun are having. We are all allies in this strange place, are we not?"

Ino, watching from behind Lee, couldn't help but inwardly praise him. 'That's very clever, Lee-san!' she thought, a small, triumphant smirk playing on her lips. 'First he expresses concern, then asks for involvement. Sasuke-kun won't be able to see through this one!'

A subtle, annoying smirk touched Sasuke's lips. He looked at Lee, his dark eyes narrowed slightly. "Heh," he scoffed, his voice dripping with mild disdain. "First you point fingers at me, accusing me of bothering a child, and now you come at me in a frank tone, asking for me to involve in the conversation?"

Sasuke's smirk faded, his expression hardening. "If you want something from me, or need to ask me something, you can do it directly. Don't play those double-sided games."

Ino's hopeful smile crumbled. 'Oh no!' she thought, her face falling. 'He saw right through it! We're stuck!' Hinata, standing silently behind Lee, bit her lip, unsure how to salvage the situation.

Lee, however, frowned deeply, stung by Sasuke's accusations. 'Since it has come to this,' he thought, resolving to be completely straightforward. He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting Sasuke's.

"I am not playing any kind of 'double games', Sasuke-kun," Lee said, his voice earnest and clear. "I just want to know your opinion about what you think, where we are?"

Naruto looked at Lee's face, his eyes narrowed, as if he could already read the next words that would come from Lee's mouth.

Lee continued, his gaze unwavering from Sasuke. "I mean, if by the least possibility, we have reached a different place... or..." His voice dropped slightly, filled with a hint of gravity. "...at a different time..."

---

QUIZ QUESTION

Why is Older Sasuke so worried about his younger self interacting with other people in this strange situation? He fears that his younger self might reveal, or be exposed to, critical information that could have severe consequences. What is his primary concern?

A) That his younger self might accidentally reveal details about Shisui Uchiha's tragic fall from the cliff.

B) That his younger self's childish antics could lead to embarrassing moments for the older Sasuke.

C) That his younger self might disclose sensitive information about the current state of the Uchiha clan.

D) That others might tell his younger self about the future tragic event of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, potentially affecting his innocent mind.

Share your answers in the comments down below!

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This chapter, "The Time Conundrum," truly threw our characters into a confusing puzzle! 🤯 The title perfectly shows the main problem they're facing: they're not just in a new place, but also in a different time.

It highlights the shocking moment when we learned that Mini Sasuke is from the past, and how this made everyone realize they might be time-travelers too. It's a huge mystery they have to solve! 🕰️

In this chapter, the truth about Mini Sasuke's identity came out, making Older Sasuke really worried about what his younger self might accidentally know about the future, especially about the Uchiha Clan Massacre. 🤫 We then saw the tension build as the other Konoha shinobi, led by Hinata's smart observations, started putting together their own ideas about the timeline.

They came up with a clever, but risky, plan to keep the future a secret from Naruto and Sasuke. This led to a tense talk where Sasuke's sharp mind almost caught them in their well-meaning lie! 😬

As things get even more confusing with time, the next chapter promises even more exciting talks! 💬 Get ready to see Neji join the conversation, now that he doesn't know what's going on will his super-sharp Byakugan and logical thinking expose their cover story, or will he become a master at keeping secrets? 🤫

And with everyone trying to keep this big lie going, the stakes are super high! Will their plan work against Sasuke's smart questions, or will the truth come tumbling out? Keep reading to find out if everyone's secrets will be revealed or stay hidden, especially with our clever Sasuke and even a new face like Karin involved! 🤔✨