AND BACK AGAIN [ NARUTO ]

[ 02 ] utter confusion

"What exactly are you?"

During normal circumstances, Naruto would've taken offense to the rude and tender question. But his situation was anything but normal at this point.

And yet, somehow, he didn't feel too surprised. Of course, he had no clue what had happened, but after everything that had happened during the war, nothing was too shocking.

So Naruto stayed alert in the chair he was currently cornered in, his hand tied in his lap. He was tempted to break the ropes (which would have been easy), but figured he should take this one step at a time to understand it.

In front of him stood four familiar figures. The first was Tsunade-baachan, looking as fired up as ever. She was watching him extremely closely, which kind of freaked Naruto out. He was silently pleading that she wasn't plotting to punch him. It wouldn't be the first time.

The second two were Kakashi-sensei and Jiraiya. Kakashi had his arms folded casually, but kept his eye trained solely on Naruto. It had never gotten easier to read him throughout the years, so Naruto gave up. Jiraiya stood in a similar position, but Naruto wasn't about to look at him. Whatever sick joke Madara was playing wasn't funny.

The fourth was the one who'd asked the question emotionlessly, and that was Morino Ibiki, the head of the Torture and Interrogation Force of Konoha. That man never got easier to be around.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! We've already been over this."

"I'll ask you again, what are you?"

Naruto sighed and slumped in his chair. Kurama, help me out here.

What exactly do you think I can do?

He frowned at the reply. Some things would never change.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "He definitely resembles Naruto. And his chakra signature is identical. But whoever decided to replicate the kid could've done a little more research." She looked him up and down. "He's like a foot too tall."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but Ibiki cut him off.

"Should I send for Inoichi?"

Naruto sat up a little straighter. "Wait, what? No, no. We don't need Ino's old man poking around in my head."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She waited a second to determine if he would say more, and when he didn't she turned to Ibiki. "Go ahead."

The tall shinobi nodded and went for the door.

Naruto held up his tied hands, almost frantically. "Wait!"

Those in the room who hadn't been looking at him turned to now.

Naruto noticed this and sighed again. "I have no idea what's going on right now. I'm just as confused as you guys are, if not more. One second, I was next to Sasuke, about to win the war with my rasengan, and the next, I was in that building with Kakashi-sensei and Pervy Sage trying not to get killed. But I'm really Naruto! Ask me anything you want, I can prove it!"

Ibiki listened, but he didn't stop. Soon he was out the door, headed to find the front of the Analysis Team. Naruto stuck his tongue out at the man's retreating figure.

Tsunade pursed her lips. "Well they definitely got the knucklehead part down," she muttered.

Kakashi stepped forward beside the Sixth Hokage. "You have ten minutes to prove that you're an ally. Once Inoichi walks through that door, he'll be entering your mind."

Naruto sent his teacher a grateful look.

"Unfortunately," Kakashi continued, "it's already clear that you are not who you say. I know exactly where Naruto is right now, and he's not here." He took a seat on the nearest table. "Now, tell me what that jutsu was earlier."

Naruto scrunched up his nose. "My rasengan? Uh, I'm pretty sure you––"

"No. The other one."

Naruto thought for a moment. Did he mean the Tailed Beast Mode? But that didn't make sense – he'd just been near Kakashi, fighting in that mode for hours.

When he looked to Kakashi, he saw there was no joke or lie in his eyes, though.

"You really don't know?" he asked, just to be sure.

"You were glowing," Jiraiya put in.

Naruto stiffened a little. "That's my Bijuu Mode." He concentrated for a moment and his body flickered, lighting with the flames of the Tailed Beast inside him.

That was probably a mistake. The two Sannin dropped into defensive stances, and Kakashi whipped out a kunai. Naruto quickly dispelled the cloak.

"Whoa, whoa, relax. I'm with you guys." Once again, he looked at every one of them, this time including Jiraiya. "What is wrong with you guys? We were just in the middle of fighting Madara. Tsunade-baachan was pretty beat up, and so were you, Kakashi-sensei. But now you look like you had a good night's sleep and a warm cup of ramen."

Naruto received strange looks.

"Madara?"

"War?"

"Where was I in this?" Jiraiya said.

Naruto stared at them incredulously before putting his head in his hands and grumbling loudly. "This makes no sense!"

Ask them how old Naruto is.

Naruto blinked. What? I know how old I am.

Just do it.

"How old is Naruto?"

The three experienced shinobi shared glances.

"You are not in a position to ask questions," Kakashi said. "And the fact that your costume got his age wrong is not our problem."

Naruto glared at his teacher. Before he could argue, though, Jiraiya kneeled down in front of him. His eyes met Naruto's blue ones, and they softened for a moment.

"He's thirteen."

Kakashi didn't visibly react to Jiraiya's words, but he was clearly confused. "Jiraiya––?"

Tsunade watched her companion closely. "Who is he?"

"This is Naruto," Jiraiya said slowly, as if coming to terms with it himself. "I'm sure of it."

Naruto wanted to thank his master for the trust, but his mind was stuck on the thing he'd said before that.

"Thirteen?" He rubbed his eyes with his bound hands furiously.

"You seem to be a more aged version of our Naruto," Jiraiya continued. "How old did you say you were?"

Naruto's mind was on overdrive. He forced himself to calm down and took a deep breath, as if he were about to meditate.

"I'm sixteen years old. Seventeen in a couple days."

"As I thought. And what do you remember last happening?"

"Uh. . ." Naruto took one last look a the three of them, just to make sure they were serious.

"Sasuke and I were fighting Uchiha Madara, and we were really close to beating him, too. Kakashi-sensei, you were there too, except you were on the ground with Sakura-chan, backing us up. Tsunade-baachan was with the rest of the Alliance, fighting off whatever Madara and Obito threw at you––"

Kakashi perked up. "What?"

Naruto stopped talking. He was beginning to realize how foreign this information was to his three comrades. Maybe dumping everything on them wasn't the best idea. At least, not right now.

"Do you really not know anything?"

Tsunade's stare was unnerving. "You sound delusional."

Naruto paused. He thought about his predicament: hands tied, surrounded by his clueless superiors, and no longer in the middle of the war.

Kid.

What's going on, Kurama?

Jikan henkō no jutsu. It seems that bastard Madara sent us back in time.