Sometimes A Stranger Yeets You Back In Time | Discontinued

~6~

A/N: SOMEONE ADDED THIS STORY TO A LIST CALL "WILL BE AN UPDATE?". LMFAO I'M SO SORRY

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Visiting Hours

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It was a particularly nice day that Naruto was spending hiking through the thick forests surrounding Konoha. 

   Naruto has the weekend off, and he knew that this would be the last one for a while. Next week he'd have to ask for the Wave mission.

   'Today,' he thought, 'is the day. I'll ask her about everything I can and if need be I'll have a hidden clone write everything down. I just hope she'll be willing to talk.'

   He ducked under another branch.

   Eventually, he found his way through the forest enough to climb partly up the mountain. About halfway up was a little cottage hidden in the trees and mist. There would be where Naruto would find who he probably needed the most right now.

   He took in a breath, and knocked on the door. Said door swung open to reveal an old woman.

   "I don't normally get many visitors up here!" She exclaimed with a smile, only for her expression to change. Her eyes squinted and a frown appeared, a scrutinizing gaze focused on Naruto.

   "You aren't here about that time travel book are you?" Naruto nervously chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

   "I am -" her expression turned stern, "however, I believe I am experiencing the same problem." Her face playfully lit up.

   "Oh-ho! Come to talk to the old lady for some advice, eh?"

   "Yes ma'am."

   "Oh, no need to be so formal! Please come inside." Naruto cracked a smile and followed the old lady into her house, closing the door behind him. He was beginning to like this lady. 

   "I'm sure you already know my name?" the lady said while rummaging through her kitchen for a kettle. 

   "Kureiji, if I'm not mistaken?" Naruto awkwardly stood in the doorway of the kitchen, eyes following Kureiji's movements. 

   "Gold star! Let me know of yours, young man!" She found the kettle and was boiling some water now, turning on the stove. 

   "Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze."

   "Oh? Like the fourth Hokage?"

   "He was my dad."

   "You should be younger then."

   "Exactly."

   Kureiji hummed in agreement and placed two tea bags and cups by the stove and then turned to face Naruto. 

   "So, how long have you been in the past?"

   "I'd say about a month."

   "Mm. How's it treating you?"

   Naruto gave small laugh that was anything but cheerful. 

   "Could be better."

   "Yeah, that's how it goes." Kureiji filled the two cups with steaming hot water and placed the tea bags into the water. 

   "Sit down kid," she said, placing the cups in front of two seats at a small table. She sat down and Naruto moved from the doorway to across from her. 

   "Does it -" Naruto started. He took a deep breath, thinking of his family and friends, the very real possibility of never seeing them again coming to mind. 

   "Does it ever get better?" Kureiji looked up from her tea. 

   "Well, depends on your outlook. On one hand, you get used to it. On the other hand, you can't go back."

   Naruto sighed. "I'm in a different timeline now, but, I can't get back to mine?" Kureiji sighed. 

   "No. Even if you could find a way into the future, it wouldn't be your time. If you found a way back to your time, you'd probably die. You were taken out of the timeline, the universe will take you out of it again."

   "But, you don't know for sure - right?" Naruto looked at Kureiji with so much hope in his eyes - but his face showed it was only desperate hope. 

   "I do know. I found the person who took me from my timeline, and got back. But I nearly died within five seconds of arriving. By the end of the day, I'd nearly died ten times, and the person who had the ability to timeline-hop was waiting for me at my house. The only thing they said was 'It hurts a lot more being back right?'. And they were right. It did hurt. I couldn't do anything with my family and friends without almost dying - could've gotten them killed too."

   "Oh." Naruto looked down at his cup. "Got anything stronger?"

   Fifteen minutes and three shots of whiskey later, and Naruto was feeling at least a little tipsy. 

   "Say, what was your life like. Before, you know."

   "Nothing special. But it was mine, you know? I was just a young thing - like you - and I was working at this little café 9-5. Came home one night to a stranger all dressed in black with a cloak hiding their face and next thing I knew I was seven, my thirty-six year old body lost to the sands of time. I guess you got to keep your body, judging by how I can't sense any cloaking chakra on you. Anyway, went through school again. Went through life again. There came a time where I stopped trying to convince people of what happened to me - only talked about it if asked. It's a terrible existence to be honest. I don't even know my own name anymore - it's probably been, oh, I'm physically eighty-six now so, eighty years since anyone's called me anything but Kureiji - meanin' crazy. And, well how could they not think I was crazy? What about you kid?"

   "Well, I don't think you're crazy, maybe just a little weird at most. And my timeline is something I'm not sure I want to live through again. Basically as a child I was neglected and verbally abused because everyone thought I was the nine-tailed fox. I'm sure you already know this - but I'm not. Anyways, became a ninja, had to fight real hard for lives and respect, lost some people, fought in a war, and became Hokage. I also had two kids and a wife. Kami, I - I miss them so much."

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After talking late into the night and drinking through a good three bottles of whiskey, Naruto decided his stay was up. 

   "Thank you Kureiji. This helped me a ton and your company was enjoyable." Naruto said as he was at her front door, getting ready to leave. 

   "Glad to help! And I thank you young man. Haven't had company in quite some time." Kureiji gave a smile that made the wrinkles in her aged face more prominent. Both their faces were tinted with blush from their alcohol consumption. 

   "I don't think you're crazy, just a little odd. You know, maybe you should be called Kimyō instead." Naruto said and left with a smile. 

   "Strange?" Kureiji said as she watched Naruto go, referring to the name Kimyō. "Hm. Maybe."

   Kureiji closed the door in front of her and turned around to a cloaked figure standing in front of her. 

   "So?" The figure said. 

   "He's taking it really hard. He, uh, well he's such a kind young man and -"

   "Kureiji."

   "Right. He wants to go back but he knows he can't. It's breaking him inside."

   The figure laughed. 

   "Perfect," the figure said. 

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A/N: Just in case it wasn't clear, Kureiji means crazy in Japanese, and Kimyo means strange in Japanese.