NARUTO:A CHANGE IN TIMELINE

The air filled with a newfound, almost joyful confidence from the little boy. Mini Sasuke, beaming with pride, puffed out his tiny chest.

"Usuratonkachi is right—"

The word, spoken with innocent gusto, hung in the air like a ridiculously loud, completely out-of-place firecracker.

In that very instant, Naruto's eyes blew wide open, filled with pure, unadulterated panic.

'OH NO HE DID IT! He said the FORBIDDEN THING!'

His hand shot out, grabbing Mini Sasuke's shoulder with a speed usually reserved for dodging shuriken. Beside him, Sasuke's face went from angry to a shade of horrified disbelief so profound it was almost comical.

'You utterly idiotic, loud-mouthed, miniature version of my past self! You just blew our entire, top-secret, highly crucial, cavern-escaping plan into a million tiny, recognizable pieces!'

Without a single wasted second, or even a proper farewell, Naruto and Sasuke moved like a perfectly synchronized, highly agitated two-man snatch squad. They grabbed Mini Sasuke – one on each shoulder – and literally hostaged him off the ground, taking him away from Hinata at a frantic speed.

Mini Sasuke let out a startled, "W-wait! What?!" as his small feet left the ground.

Hinata just sat there, blinking slowly. Her warm smile remained for a moment, then slowly faded into a bewildered frown.

'Usuratonkachi?' she thought, tilting her head slightly to the side. 'What does that even mean? And why did Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun just... abduct him so quickly?'

She watched from the empty space where Mini Sasuke had been to the rapidly retreating backs of the two frantically pulling shinobi, a giant, innocent question mark forming over her head.

They were practically sprinting now, Mini Sasuke dangling between them like a small, very confused package.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke exchanged wide-eyed, terrified glances over Mini Sasuke's head.

'She totally heard it!' they both thought in perfect, horrified unison, their minds racing with exaggerated panic.

'That one word! She knows! She knows everything! The world is ending! Neji's going to find out! We're all doomed to be stuck in this cavern forever because of one tiny, very accurate insult!'

Naruto, still gripping Mini Sasuke's shoulder, bounced his knuckles lightly off the boy's head. "'USURATONKACHI', huh?" Naruto muttered, his voice a mix of frustration and disbelief. "You called me that! And after all that serious explanation, you still went and did this?"

Sasuke, walking beside them, his eyes still narrowed at his younger self, chimed in. "Naruto, hit him from my side too. He even tried to blackmail me, saying 'don't force me also to say anything'."

As Naruto and Sasuke, still half-dragging Mini Sasuke, finally reached the rest of the group, a heavy silence fell. Everyone was just staring at them, their faces unreadable.

Naruto, oblivious to the tense atmosphere, grinned. "What's the matter, everyone?" he asked, scratching his head. "Why so quiet?"

Lee stepped forward, his expression grave. "Please, you both," he said, his voice unusually serious, "just give us a reason. Why are you hiding things from us? Don't you trust us?"

Naruto blinked, genuinely confused. "What's the matter, Bushy Brows?" he asked, looking around the group. "What did we hide from you?"

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a quick, worried glance. Their eyes darted nervously between the faces of their friends.

Sasuke's mind raced, trying to figure out how they knew. 'Don't tell me..they found out the truth. But how..this Hinata... she's back there, out of sight. How could they have found out if she didn't even come over here and say anything in the first place?'

"The boy with you," Lee stated, his gaze firm, "we know who he is." Sasuke, trying to bluff his way out, widened his eyes slightly, acting completely surprised.

"What? Who is this boy?" he asked, his voice deliberately confused.

It was Neji who finally broke the tension with a cold, clear statement. He stepped forward, his eyes locking onto Mini Sasuke's face. "This boy," Neji declared, his voice leaving no room for doubt, "is you, Sasuke."

Neji then looked directly into Mini Sasuke's wide eyes, then back at the main Sasuke. "He is Uchiha Sasuke," Neji repeated, his gaze unwavering. "Sakura told us everything."

The words hung in the air like an exploding kunai.

Sakura's eyes flew open in utter horror. 'Oh no... Neji-san, what have you done?!' she shrieked internally. 'I told him not to say my name!'

Naruto froze, his cheerful expression vanishing as his head slowly turned to stare at Sakura.

Sasuke's head snapped around, his furious gaze instantly locking onto Naruto, a clear accusation in his eyes.

Lee stepped forward, his expression earnest and kind. "Sasuke-kun," he said, his voice gentle but firm, "even if you had told us, we wouldn't have done anything to him. We understand what's important to reveal and what's not. It's not like we would have just grabbed him and started asking him a million questions about the past."

Ino, who had been listening, quickly nodded in agreement. "Lee-san is right, Sasuke-kun," she added, her tone softer than usual.

"We would have protected him with you, just like we always do. We wouldn't let anything happen to him."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Hearing everyone, one after another, trying to lecture him, trying to give him advice – it made his anger boil up inside him. This was new. It felt like everyone was ganging up on him, telling him what he should have done.

"Are you guys done...?" Sasuke asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm, his eyes daring anyone to continue.

Ino, who had been about to say more, snapped her mouth shut mid-sentence, startled by his harsh tone.

'Why in the world is everyone giving sympathy now?' Sasuke thought, a sneer forming in his mind. 'Damn it. They just don't get it.'

He turned his back on the lecturing group, his gaze fixed on the ceiling of the cave. "Naruto," he commanded, his voice sharp, "You start arranging your clones, one by one. I'll reach the top."

Naruto, understanding the command and the tension, simply nodded. "Got it, Sasuke!"

Immediately, Naruto's Shadow Clones began to take their places, one after another, filling the space.

They quickly started to arrange themselves, each clone grabbing onto the shoulders or legs of the one above it, forming a living ladder stretching towards the high ceiling.

Sasuke, without another word, moved to the base of this strange clone ladder. With slow and steady steps, he began to climb, making his way upwards.

As the main group watched Naruto's clones form and Sasuke begin his ascent, Mini Sasuke, who had been lingering near where Naruto had left him, simply walked over.

He calmly came and sat down right in the very center of the circle where the genin had been sitting. His small eyes seemed to take in everything, quiet and watchful.

The attention of the genin circle quickly shifted to Mini Sasuke, now comfortably settled in the middle. Lee, ever enthusiastic, was the first to speak.

"So," Lee began, pointing to himself with a bright smile, "do you know who I—"

Before Lee could even finish his sentence, Mini Sasuke performed a small, swift movement, shaking his head decisively from side to side. It was a clear, unambiguous gesture of "NO." Lee's unfinished words hung in the air, his smile faltering.

"Me! Me!" Ino chimed in eagerly, practically bouncing on her knees, hoping to fare better.

Mini Sasuke's dark eyes fixed on her. "You are Yamanaka Ino," he stated, his voice flat.

"Yaaay!" Ino cheered, pumping a fist, clearly thrilled to be recognized.

Then, Mini Sasuke added, without missing a beat, "The girl who gave me a flower and I rejected it."

Ino's triumphant smile instantly vanished, her face falling dramatically. Her shoulders slumped as if struck by an invisible blow. 'My privacy...' she wailed internally, wishing the cave would swallow her whole.

Sakura let out a snicker, covering her mouth with her hand. "Heheeh! Quite a good description, Ino-pig!" she teased lightly. Then, her grin widening, she pointed to herself.

"Me?"

Mini Sasuke's gaze flicked to Sakura. He blinked once. "Haruno Sakura," he declared, his voice still perfectly calm, "the girl who is the MOST CLINGIEST of all girls."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "A bad description of me, Shannaro!" she roared, shaking her fist, though a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

Far above, Sasuke was making quick work of the living ladder, his movements fluid and precise. He was climbing upwards at a surprisingly quick speed, the clones holding firm under his weight.

Midway up, however, he suddenly paused. His eyes narrowed, scanning the rock around him. 'Why does it seem that the cavern's walls have reduced in size?' he thought, a flicker of suspicion in his gaze. 'Like they've become thin. Almost...like squeezed close.'

Below, in the circle, Lee squinted at Mini Sasuke, trying to hide a playful grin. "So," he asked, a teasing note in his voice, "why is it that you know all the girls' names?"

Mini Sasuke simply looked at him, then gave a small, swift shake of his head sideways. His expression was flat, almost bored.

"Don't misunderstand," he replied, his voice clear and a little sharp, "I just have a good memory for remembering names of people I actually see.

Unlike you," he added, his gaze flicking dismissively over Lee, "whom I've never met."

Lee's mouth fell open, his attempted tease backfiring spectacularly.

Ino, watching the exchange, couldn't help but sigh dramatically. 'Another bad habit,' she thought, rolling her eyes. 'Always remembering girls' names and then saying something rude about them. Sasuke-kun truly is a bad boy, past or present.'

Just then, Hinata, having fully rested, quietly made her way over and gently sat down with the group, taking her place in the circle.

High above, Sasuke continued his rapid ascent, the ladder of Naruto's clones stretching further and further into the darkness of the cavern's ceiling.

He was moving quickly, determined to reach the opening. He finally looked up, anticipating the sight of the daytime sky he'd glimpsed before.

"What the... How is that possible?!" he growled, his voice a disbelieving gasp.

The sky above him, which had been bright daylight just moments ago, had transformed. It was now pitch black, dotted with a scattering of stars. It was undeniably night.

"Naruto!" he shouted, his voice echoing down the cavern.

From below, Naruto's head snapped up. "What!?" he yelled back, his voice bouncing off the walls.

"The sky became dark!" Sasuke bellowed, his voice filled with urgency and bewilderment.

Naruto frowned from below. "Huh? Oh, we might have not noticed it, Sasuke! Don't be afraid, carry on!" he shouted back, then added, "Shall I come up there and check?!"

"No!" Sasuke's shout was sharp and immediate, cutting through the suggestion.

Sasuke, still reeling from the impossible sight, kept climbing. He pushed himself harder, moving with desperate speed. Finally, his hands grasped the very edge of the opening.

He pulled himself up, his head and shoulders emerging into the open air... but he didn't go outside it completely. He paused, perched carefully just within the cavern's mouth, staring out into the impossible night.

Sasuke crouched near the very edge of the massive cave's opening, his fingertips digging into the rock as he pulled himself just high enough to peer over the rim. A gust of freezing night air slapped against his face, stealing his breath for a moment.

Above him stretched a deep, black sky, glittering with countless stars. It looked unreal—like a different world entirely. Panic crept up his spine as he glanced around, trying to find something, anything, familiar.

Then—

CRAAASH!!

A deafening boom echoed across the sky. The entire cliffside trembled beneath him. His eyes snapped upward just in time to see a massive, flaming red streak tearing across the heavens, like a comet crashing toward earth.

"What is that?!" Sasuke muttered under his breath, frozen in place as the ember-like light vanished toward the distant horizon.

And then he saw it.

Against the skyline, carved into a distant mountainside, were the Hokage faces—tall, proud, and unmistakable. Sasuke's heart slammed in his chest.

"Konoha!" he gasped. "We're near Konoha!"

He didn't waste a second.

"Naruto!!" Sasuke shouted back down the cavern, his voice echoing with urgency. "I can see the Hokage monument! We're close!"

Down below, Naruto's voice echoed faintly, filled with confusion: "What?!"

The others stirred—Sakura, Lee, Hinata, Ino, Neji, Tenten, Karin—all glancing up in confusion. But the echoes and strange acoustics swallowed Sasuke's words, leaving only muffled noise.

'Forget it,' Sasuke grimaced. 'They won't hear me clearly from up here... I'll tell them once I'm back down.'

He turned back toward the faces carved into the mountain—only now, a wave of unease settled over him. Something wasn't right.

'Wait…'

He squinted at the monument, counting the faces. "One… two… three…"

His breath caught.

'Why… why are there more faces than there should be?'

Before he could finish counting, he heard it—footsteps. Slow and deliberate.

A figure emerged from the shadows at the cave's rim, the outline of a shinobi standing tall above him.

"Oi, brat," the man called gruffly. "What the hell are you doing up here?"

Sasuke's head snapped up.

His eyes locked onto the figure: a man in a green flak jacket, a forehead protector shining faintly in the moonlight—the Konoha symbol unmistakable.

But something about the vest was… off. The style looked different. Updated. Modified.

"Are… are you a Konoha shinobi?" Sasuke asked cautiously, his voice tight, heart pounding.

The man narrowed his eyes. "Of course I am. Can't you tell, genin?"

There was annoyance in his voice, like Sasuke had just asked the world's dumbest question.

"Now answer me—what are you doing here? How'd you even get in this position?"

"I'm a Konoha genin," Sasuke replied quickly, trying to sound calm. "But I'm not alone. My friends—nine others—they're down in the cavern."

Before the first man could respond, another shinobi arrived, stepping up beside him.

"Who's this kid?" the second one asked, eyeing Sasuke. "Why haven't you brought him out yet?"

Sasuke didn't miss a beat. "I told you—we're ten in total. We've been trapped down there for hours."

The two shinobi exchanged stunned glances. The tension in the air shifted.

"Ten?" one of them muttered, clearly thrown off. "All of you inside that cavern?"

Sasuke's voice sharpened. "If the two of you can't handle a full extraction, then contact the Hokage and get a full team here. We need to get out. Fast."

The first man scoffed—a short, mocking laugh with no warmth.

"You think the Rokudaime-sama has time to send a whole squad to rescue a bunch of brats?"

That single word—

Rokudaime.

—hit Sasuke like a kunai to the chest.

His breath hitched. Sweat drained from his face.

"...Rokudaime...?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes went wide, staring at the man as realization struck like thunder.

'That title... that's not right. That's—'

His thoughts spiraled. His pulse raced.

Before he could fully process it, a third voice—firm, commanding—called from somewhere nearby.

"Hey! You two! Hurry and report over here!"

Sasuke remained frozen, numb with confusion and fear, staring at the horizon... and the unfamiliar faces carved into the Hokage monument.

The third voice echoed, sharp and commanding. Without another word, the two Konoha shinobi glanced at each other, then spun on their feets, disappearing from the cavern's edge with surprising speed. They were going.

"Wait!" Sasuke roared, his voice raw with a desperate mix of disbelief and mounting frustration. He lunged forward, his fingers scraping uselessly against the cold rock where they had just stood.

But the first shinobi's voice, though hurrying away, carried back clearly, sharp and dismissive.

"Sorry, kid! We've got other duties—far more important than saving a bunch of you brats right now! You're a Konoha shinobi, right? Then act like one! Get yourself and your friends out of this damn hole!"

The words, harsh and cold, stung Sasuke, but he had no time to dwell on them. The truth hit him hard: they were truly on their own.

Down below, at the cavern's ground level, a muffled shout suddenly echoed from above.

"NARUTO.....!!!" Sasuke's voice boomed down the shaft, distorted and unclear. Then, a few more mangled sounds.

"REMOVE YOUR.....!!!"

Naruto, who had been sitting with the others, tilted his head. "Remove what?" he mumbled, frowning. He looked around at the rest of the group, his confusion clear. "What did Sasuke ask me to remove?"

Everyone just shrugged, or shook their heads, their faces showing the same baffled expression. They had all heard the shout, but none of them could make out the crucial words.

Neji, his arm still bandaged tightly from his recent fall, pushed himself up slowly, wincing just a little. "I don't know what he's been shouting about for the past few minutes," he said, his voice serious. "I'll go up and check on him."

"Don't do it, Neji!" Lee protested at once, jumping to his feet. His eyes were wide with concern as he looked at Neji's still-healing wounds. "Look at your condition! You can barely move without pain!"

Just then, a small, sudden sound made everyone freeze.

"Ow!" came a tiny, surprised yelp from the center of their circle.

Thud! A soft, dull noise of something falling onto the hard ground followed right after.

Every single head in the group whipped around, their eyes locking onto Mini Sasuke.

The small 'ow!' from Mini Sasuke, followed by the dull thud of something falling to the ground, was quickly drowned out. A distinct, whooshing sound, like many small puffs of smoke, filled the cavern.

It was the continuous sound of Naruto's Shadow Clones, one after another, dissolving into thin air.

Naruto looked up, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What in the...?" he muttered, his sentence trailing off.

Hinata, who was standing nearby, leaned in, her voice soft with concern. "What's the matter, Sasuke-kun?" she asked Mini Sasuke.

Mini Sasuke was holding his head and rubbing it with his tiny hands. Then Sakura asked, "Did something hit you?"

Lee, meanwhile, had quickly glanced down at the ground near Mini Sasuke. He bent down and picked up a small, jagged piece of rock. It felt cold and rough in his hand.

"What in the world is he doing?" Naruto mumbled again, looking bewilderedly towards the ceiling where Sasuke had been climbing.

Suddenly, a sharp, urgent voice cut through the air, clear even over the disappearing clones.

"MOVE! TO THE CORNER-NOW!"

----

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Chapter 15: "Stones Lie in the Wrong Time" 🌌🕳️💢

Whew. What didn't happen this chapter? 😮‍💨 We went from innocent teasing in the Genin circle to Sasuke having a full existential crisis on a clone ladder. 🪜💀

Mini Sasuke accidentally said the Forbidden Word (you know which one 👀), and boom—Naruto and Older Sasuke snatched him like two panicked uncles at a family reunion. 😂 Poor Hinata was left blinking like, "...Usurawhat-now?" 😶

Then came the drama. Neji with the "We know who he is." reveal 🧠💥 Sakura's heart stopping 🫣, Sasuke pretending to be shocked 🧍‍♂️💬 and Naruto just trying to keep up 😵‍💫. Honestly, everyone was being sooo dramatic—and Mini Sasuke? Just sat down and roasted everyone like it was therapy hour. 😌🔥

Meanwhile, Sasuke climbs up thinking he'll see the sky and FREEDOM... but nope. NIGHTFALL. STARS. STRANGE SHINOBI. ✨😱 And oh yeah—extra Hokage faces?! WHAT YEAR IS IT?!

By the end, even the clones poofed out of existence and Mini Sasuke bonked his head from a random falling rock, probably sent by fate like: "Yup, it's chaos time."

Next chapter: Answers? Maybe. More confusion? Definitely. 😂

📜 TEASER FOR NEXT CHAPTER:

The cave has spoken… and the team is no longer whole.

Split by fate, sealed by stone — who's on which side? And more importantly… what now? 🪨💔

As the dust settles, hearts ache and fear creeps in.

Some think it's their fault. Some are still calling out names.

And one person might not answer at all.

Next chapter, it's not just about survival.

It's about what you do when you're on the wrong side of the wall.

👁️‍🗨️ Prepare for confusion, emotion… and maybe a glimpse of what comes next.

🔍 SNEAK PEAK LINES:

"Naruto! Remove your clones!"

"....If I had just told you to remain there.....then you would atleast be alive...."

🧠 AUTHOR'S THOUGHT:

Sooo… just to clear up the mind-bending confusion some of you might be having (don't worry, I also had to sit down and drink tea after writing this 🫖😅)...

The place our chaotic ninja bunch just landed in?

Yeah, that ain't the past anymore, sweethearts.

Welcome to the FUTURE! 🌍➡️🌕⏳

✨ But not just any future—this is The Last timeline! The one where the elite shinobi squad (you know, the big boys: Naruto, Shikamaru, etc.) are busy fighting Otsutsuki in Toneri on the moon, and meanwhile, the moon itself is crashing toward Earth.

Yeah. That one. No big deal, right? 🌕☄️💥

So while the moon's surface is having a midlife crisis and Naruto's somewhere punching moon dudes into moon dust, our crew has accidentally stepped into this ticking time-bomb era.

I swear, these guys just can't catch a break. 💀😂

Anyway, buckle up. Things are only gonna get messier, weirder, and moonier from here.

– Your timeline-warped author with too much tea and not enough logic left ☕🌀📓

TALK TO ME! 💬

Phew! Did that chapter just hit you with more twists than a shinobi trying to escape a Genjutsu?! 🌀

From Mini Sasuke dropping the forbidden "U-word" (oops! 😅) to that very surprising moment when the 'truth' came out about Little Sasuke... and then the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers with that Hokage monument! 🤯

My mind is doing more flips than Lee on a training montage!

What do you think is going on? How many faces did Sasuke count on that monument? And what in the world happened to turn day into night up there? 🌙

Don't be a Usuratonkachi keeping your thoughts to yourself! Drop a comment below, spill your theories, and tell me what moment made your jaw drop the most! 👇

Let's unravel this mystery together! Your thoughts are always the best jutsu! ✨

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