(Tim Seltzer, seltzer@seltzerbooks.com) Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own Wedding Peach.
I do not own any great quantity of money or property. I'm a STUDENT; that's
why I'm poor, okay?
Author's Notes: Sigh. "Dimensional Exchanges" is finally coming
to an end. Wow.
I wrote "Dimensional Exchanges" to be a coming-of-age story of Sakura,
and to be a full story in itself. That's why it ends on the place where
Sakura resolves her friendship to Sasuke, and returns home. Yes, it was
rather unrealistic that Sasuke actually decided to go home, but he was
kind of desperate at the moment. And it won't make the sequel as interesting.
All in all, fifty chapters was exhausting, fun, and an educational experience.
The story got in over 250 reviews on chapter 48. To all those who had no
time or the effort to drop a review, but read to the end anyway: it has
been cool. Thank you. Peace.
The morning sun broke through the windows of the Hokage's office. The
sound that came out not many people expected, especially so early in
the morning.
"You want me to do WHAT?!" Tsunade exclaimed. She was not sure if she
heard it correctly from Sakura.
"Yes. I want Uchiha Sasuke to take my place in the next Chuunin exams,"
Sakura repeated. "And for the last time: I am in my right mind now, thank
you very much."
"Yes, I know that perfectly well but... Sasuke, of all people?!"
When Sakura came back, Tsunade had planned to put Naruto, Hinata, and
Sakura on the same three-man cell for the upcoming Chuunin exam.
Sure, Hinata was the only one of the four who did not work with the
others. But Hinata deserved the chance, and Sakura and Naruto were trustworthy.
Sasuke was the deviant. It was politically incorrect to let the likes
of the Uchiha to represent Konoha. Some sort of punishment on the boy would
be presumable. It was illogical for him to take the exams. So why was Sakura
even bringing up the issue?
"I haven't trained as a ninja for over a year now, Tsunade-sama," Sakura
stated. The young lady's face was serious much too serious for the Hokage's
tastes. "Sasuke has devoted his heart and soul to the Shinobi Arts. The
best way to keep him CALM in Konoha, would be to challenge him. Putting
him in the exams is an opportunity, both for the state of the village and
for him. Naruto can control Sasuke, especially when Sasuke is rather weak."
She swallowed. "And... Hinata deserves to take the exams with Naruto."
Saying that resurfaced past disappointments. But it was the truth. "She
is more capable than I for the position."
Tsunade wanted to rip her hair out. "This is outrageous! Do you expect
me to comply with that?! Honestly, your devotion to this traitor"
"I don't expect you to comply with anything I say, Tsunade-sama. I am
merely requesting this for myself."
Tsunade understood now. 'She's afraid,' she realized. 'Sakura is afraid
of Sasuke. Although, I think it has more to do with their friendship rather
than their difference in strength...'
Sakura breathed. She knew perfectly well how ludicrous this sounded.
But her argument had its merits, and she wanted to show it. "Should Sasuke...
snap, and attack Naruto, at least it would be a member of the Hyuuga clan
backing him up instead of me," Sakura pointed out. "From what you told
me of Hinata, she has medical expertise. Plus, she has the Byakugan, something
that the Sharingan cannot catch. I am not qualified to take the Chuunin
exams at present. This is not self-sacrifice on my part it is self-interest."
Tsunade's tight fist loosened on the desk. "You are certainly wise to
tell me this without Sasuke in your presence. He would not be impressed
at all."
"Few things impress him." Sakura bowed. "Thank you for your time, Tsunade-sama."
With that, she walked out of the room.
The morning birds chirped, their sounds dancing into the building. A
silver-haired jounin stood in front of a dark-haired boy, who was now sitting
in a chair.
"So you escaped Orochimaru," Kakashi mused.
Sasuke made a brief "hmpf" before going back into his usual silence.
"And you ran into Itachi."
Another "hmpf."
Kakashi twitched. Sasuke had not changed one bit.
The older man sighed. This was going to be hard to explain it was
a good thing Naruto was not here yet. Sasuke needed time to get used to
Konoha again. And considering what Tsunade had planned...
"The Hokage gives you an assignment, Sasuke: do the recovery program
Tsunade recommends and take the next Chuunin exams with Uzumaki Naruto
and Hyuuga Hinata."
Sasuke's head shot up. He wondered whether he had heard that correctly.
Why did the Hokage want him to take the exams? And why Hyuuga Hinata and
Uzumaki Naruto, of all genin?
Kakashi read the expression on Sasuke's face. "Sakura, right? Well...
After what you did, we can't possibly put back everything the way it was
before." Kakashi refrained from telling Sasuke that it was Sakura herself
who asked the Hokage to do this.
His tone slipped into that of a lecturing father. "The Haruno household
only recently got their daughter back after a year of her abduction. They
would not want her to take the Chuunin exams in such a short period of
time especially alongside a boy who abandoned Konoha, mastered the Sharingan,
and associated himself with Orochimaru."
Sasuke looked down. Of course he was not allowed to be with Sakura.
Sasuke was too strong; he was a monster in people's eyes. Even now, conversing
with Kakashi, there were at least two jounin in the hallway, monitoring
everything Sasuke did.
Kakashi shook his head. His returned pupil was visibly upset about the
ordeal. "With Orochimaru training you, your skills are at least Chuunin
level. The Hokage judged that the best way for you to adjust would be to
represent Konoha in the next exams, along with Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata."
Personally, Kakashi did not approve of the team combination. It was
unbalanced to a high degree. Two out of the three kids had doujutsu in
their eyes and the one who didn't had a nine-tailed fox-demon sealed
in his belly button. An over-powered team, if there ever was one. But Kakashi
had no say in this case: it was the Hokage's orders.
Sasuke frowned at his now-official mentor. "Aren't you afraid like the
others that I'm a double-agent for Orochimaru? Or that I might attack Naruto?"
"I can tell that you're rivals," Kakashi said. He turned to Sasuke.
"But I know something. You had the perfect chance to get the Mangekyou
Sharingan when you faced off against Naruto. It's what you needed to tie
with Itachi. And yet..."
Sasuke turned away. Now he understood.
The hyperactive blond ninja was the only genin who knew Sasuke enough
to be civil with him and yet beat him to a pulp if he made the wrong
move. After all, Sasuke was powered up with the curse the last time they
met, and he did not have that brute strength anymore. Naruto was tutored
by Jiraiya, a rival of Orchimaru. The blond shinobi also had Hinata, the
heiress of the Hyuuga clan, to back him up.
This plan had the guise of rehabilitation, but there was also cruel
enforcement in every detail.
Kakashi's one visible eye trailed on the side of Sasuke's neck. The
black marks were faint, almost nonexistent. "Tsunade and her medical specialists
confirmed that your curse is gone. And there are no records of you killing
Konoha ninja or innocent civilians. Those are the two primary reasons why
you are eligible. But still, you should be grateful for the Hokage's generosity:
she's giving you a chance."
"Sakura gave me a chance, not the Hokage," Sasuke corrected.
"If Sakura gave you that, then don't waste it," Kakashi gravely retorted.
His lecture tone smoothed out. "I'll help you start retraining: your body
suffered exhaustion when you escaped Orochimaru. And although you've mastered
the Sharingan, that alone is not enough for your full potential." Kakashi
turned around to leave. "For our first session, meet me on the bridge at
ten, tomorrow morning."
Sasuke stared. A hint of an old smirk traced his lips. "I'll kill you
if you're late."
"Be careful when you say that, Sasuke," Kakashi said in light humor.
"There'll be people watching." Something of a smile crinkled through his
mask. 'Damn, it will take a hell of a time to make him loosen up a bit.
Maybe puberty will help.'
Sakura was a little annoyed with the prevailing theory of her disappearance.
The investigators concluded that she, Haruno Sakura, had received a powerful
genjutsu or lost her memory when she was abducted. Once she came to her
senses, she managed to come back to Konoha on her own.
It was the only valid theory the interrogators could come up with. When
Sakura calmly told them that she had been taken to another world, that
marked the end of the interview. She was sincere with her answers; that
much they knew but the jounin could not accept them. The citizens of
Konoha were extremely sensitive when it came to theories of monsters or
demons. They would laugh the truth off, at the very least. It was safest
for everybody to say that she was under an illusion.
Sakura was only a genin, after all. She had no proof that she went to
an entirely different reality. Her wind-jutsu did not work well without
a katana, and the angelic exorcism was useless because it only affected
zombie-like curses or creatures.
'Oh well, I might as well look at the bright side of it,' Sakura thought
with amusement. 'I'll have more privacy than in some other places.' She
remembered the attention she got in Ramah Village after she stopped that
elfin arrow. Although flattering to a certain degree, the pink-haired girl
was not so stupid as to willingly put up with that again.
Tsunade and her team checked that she was physically and mentally Haruno
Sakura. But nobody could guess where she had been. Not even the hunter-nin
spotted her. 'That's because I WASN'T HERE, you idiots!' Sakura desperately
wanted to scream.
It was unwise to tell Tsunade that it was her who removed Sasuke's curse.
Nobody needed to know about that. If one person got wind of this, and the
secret managed to spread across the networks of shinobi, Orochimaru would
have one more reason to annihilate Konoha.
Although somewhat improved, Sakura's ninja skills were still mediocre.
She had to train more. It would be best if she laid low for now all the
more reason to decline taking the upcoming Chuunin exams.
Sakura curled up within her bedsheets. Mrs. Haruno sat next to her,
lovingly brushed away some strands of pink hair.
"I'm so happy that you're alive," Sakura's mother whispered.
"I'm happy that you and Dad are still alive." Sakura crawled over, and
squeezed her arms around her mother's torso. She had been secretly afraid
that one, or both, of her parents had been killed while she was gone in
the other dimension. They usually performed C-rank missions, B-ranked in
times of need. There was always a risk involved with being a ninja. There
was always a risk in living, period.
Mrs. Haruno sighed. She had never felt so relieved and overjoyed when
the Hokage's office sent the message of her daughter's return. The muscles
in Sakura's arms were now firmly built, and new confidence seemed to radiate
from the girl's aura. Not only did she safely return she came home a
little more mature than before. Her green eyes showed a new sadness, but
also the hint of wisdom.
"Sakura, you really did go to another world, didn't you?" Mrs. Haruno
said.
Sakura looked up. "You heard the interview?" She bit her lip. 'And you
BELIEVED me?!'
Her mother giggled. "Of course. I was right behind the two-way mirror
when they were talking to you. Just because the interrogators were skeptical
doesn't mean that you were lying."
"A year-long genjutsu on me," Sakura grumbled. "Nice idea they came
up with."
"It doesn't matter," Mrs. Haruno said. "All that matters is that you're
back."
The pink-haired girl heaved a sigh as she cuddled in her mother's arms.
This was her own mother. She only needed one.
Mrs. Haruno picked up what looked like a pile of trash. Her daughter's
red dress with the white Haruno symbol was totally ruined. Flecks of dirt
and blood blotched it, like paint on a canvas. 'Terrible,' she thought.
Little did she know that some of the hardened blood came from a certain
Uchiha boy.
"Sakura, you're going to need some new ninja clothes," she said. "I
think we'll need to throw this away. And you can't walk in the streets
in your pajamas."
Sakura groaned. Her hand traced the soft pajamas hugging her. "I like
walking around the house in nothing but a T-shirt and boxers." She snuggled
into the pillow. "Maybe I can wear it outside the house as well..."
Mrs. Haruno laughed. "That is sure to attract unwanted attention. Especially
when your hair has grown so long and..." She declined to say the word 'beautiful'.
The older woman sat up from Sakura's bed, and walked out of the room. "I'll
go and make dinner while you rest, okay? Dad will come back from work soon."
"Mm'kay," Sakura chimed.
Mrs. Haruno shut the door with a gentle click.
Today's sky was a refreshing blue. Sakura got up, and opened the window
partially to clean out the stuffy air. A gentle, flowery breeze followed.
Sakura stretched her body over the bed, living the moment to wonder about
things.
She planned to visit Sasuke the next day to check up on him she was
now his only friend in the village. Kakashi was working as Sasuke's mentor
again, but it was obvious that he was cautious around the boy. Naruto was
currently away with Jiraiya.
The pink-haired girl looked out the window. She breathed in the scent:
this was her real world.
'I'm home. I'm finally home '
A pink flower petal danced through the wind outside. It brushed past
the windowsill.
But Sakura never saw it: she had already fallen asleep.
Ending Credits
Many special thanks to the faithful readers and reviewers! I actually
thought for a while that I did not have many readers, considering that
the review rate of this story had a much lower average than, oh, say, yaoi
fics. But now that I look at this long list of reviewers it was a success.
Some people really enjoyed the story, and I'm glad.
Here are my plans for the upcoming story, which is an optional continuation
i.e., if you don't like the sequel's features, you can just read "Dimensional
Exchanges" by itself, and just believe that the sequel doesn't happen (or
exist, for the matter).
Plans:
a) I don't know the title yet, so you'll just have to check up on me.
b) Main pairings: naruhina definitely. Sasusaku maybe. I consider writing
a good sasusaku fic a hard challenge. For those of you who wanted minosaku,
I'll put in a few scenes to appease your tastes.
c) Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy, like before. There will be some
romance (see above), drama, and lots of action. I'm an action girl.
d) Mood: Funny to weird to dark. You have been warned.
e) Rating: PG-13 for violence, language, and sexual innuendo.
f) If anybody wants to suggest anything for the sequel, put it in a
review.
g) When the first chapter comes out? I don't know. I have to gather
insights from others, I need a break, and I have to organize the story.
Thanks to individual reviewers:
Jade Eyes: If you still want to do that one-shot, you can do it now...
Nocterayne: Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews. Some of
the stories you told me made my day, especially the one about the Masochism
Tango! I know you're probably disappointed about the pairings, especially
when they're 'traditional'. But it will be harder for Sasuke than you could
ever imagine. And I'll put in the Japanese mythology as promised. I'm looking
up to Serpentine Rose as a model.
Lady Light: Rejoice, sasusaku fan! I always loved to see your beautiful
messages of delight and encouragement. You also saved me at one point,
where something wasn't too clear... That helped this fic a lot.
Fwoggie: I loved your reviews! Sorry that it's not the pairing you wanted,
but there's always the chance that opinion will tilt my plans.
Thedarkowns1: Thank you for reading this story! Your screenname owns.
I also want to thank you for helping me resolve that the sequel should
pair up Sakura with Sasuke. In the middle of Dimensional Exchanges, I asked
people to vote either for Minoru or Sasuke, and it ended up as a dead tie.
You tipped the scale with that last review. Ah, democracy in action. And
your reviews were wonderful: even though it was later in writing this story
when you began to drop some words, I still liked your comments and suggestions.
catc10: Hello, and thank you for cheering me on! I particularly enjoyed
your panicked reviews after cliffhangers. They were so cute! Since they
seem to torture you a bit, I'll try to keep them to a minimum in the sequel...
jelly-bean89: You're no help! I'm kidding I loved your reviews. As
for ideas in the sequel, I'll just have to make up something on my own.
That's a writers job, you know?
Ashley: I'm so glad to have entertained you all this time. Your reviews
are so cute!
Ciastor: Yeah, fanfic specialist! You always keep us on our toes. I
can tell that you've read a lot of fanfiction, and it was an honor to be
critiqued and complimented by you. Hopefully, you're not mad at me for
making Minoru into a 'bad guy', which he actually isn't, but he will prove
himself worthy in the sequel. He's complex as an OC, so I'm choosing you
as a judge on his character.
HikaruofArrow: You're awesome.
Maya Amano: Well, thank you for your long, LONG support. Your suggestions
really helped when I made Sakura's attacks and such. And hopefully, the
sequel will suite your tastes.
CrissyKitty: Look! Sakura came back! Just teasing. You were so anxious
for me to get her back. I was happy when you kept on saying that; it was
just a sign that you were reading this story. Thank you, thank you for
reading and commenting.
The Librarian's Assistant: Your screenname is not cutsy, nor vulgar.
I love it. Thanks for your wonderful review; that was one of the most heartfelt
and sincere reviews I've ever gotten, especially when you're quite picky
in what kind of Naruto fanfictions you read.
Blueberry Dalquiri: if you're still reading, I hope you enjoyed the
story. I know who you are, and worship your writing but since you seem
to be lying low, I won't reveal your true identity. (I mean, why else did
you change your name? Privacy is something nice, and I respect that.)
Grummur: Are you ready to rumble? :grin: Let's see if Minoru can compete
with Iro as an original character. For some reason, when I started reading
your fanfic, I thought of Iro like Minoru. Both have dark pasts, and strange
abilities... Oh, jeez, let's be careful not to make them Mary-Sues, even
though they are men. Let's go!
rjsRocketeer: Thanks for the comment about my grammar and spelling,
which I take pride in doing carefully! It's hard to find people who appreciate
that...
sonydjsnmix: Thank you for reading it may not seem like it, but I
noticed that you were keeping up with the story! Thanks!
phoenix-light: Thank you for that comment... Yeah, that does make sense,
now that I think about it. Who knows what Kishimoto meant by that, but
your explanation is a lot clearer than mine. If I edit that chapter, as
well as the first thirty-some chapters, which are the only ones which accept
the brackets for Inner Sakura (SHANNAROOO!), I'll put your interpretation
in the notes as well.
LoveLiveLaugh: Well? Okay story? I hope so.
Honolulu: Yes! I was so happy with your review, because I wanted to
write the story so that anybody who did not know Wedding Peach could enjoy
it anyway! (To tell you the truth, I'm only acquainted with the manga.
I don't know how the anime did the story...)
joann: Hope you liked it. :evil laugh: Sorry that I can't pair up Itachi
and Hinata for you, but Itachi will show up in the sequel!
Azianhikari: Yeah, Sasuke will get jealous over Sakura in the sequel.
It will be extremely funny and interesting.
cat.l.d: Thanks for reading! I know your reviews were few, but I loved
them all the same, since you were keeping up with the story.
Pikachu: Oh, how cute, your screenname! I hope the story ended up to
your liking.
Chocobaby: I'm glad that this story entertained you for so long. I hope
its wording wasn't too complicated at times; this ended up pretty long.
Agent Vash: I love that name, just because it sounds like "vache", the
French word for cow! That's so cute!
grace: Yeah, Itachi. He's coming, you rabid fangirl.
Anonymous "reviewer": Yup. Kakashi knows his students. And there's more
sasusaku in the future, as I've already said.
Okashira Paige: I updated, as you requested.
Haruchan: I love cliffhangers. Don't you?
Mse: I kept going.
Aik0h: You support me all the way? All right!
JAi0rOKu: Yes, she has returned. Sakura will still have some closeness
with Minoru... Well, I can't give you the details.
Silent Angel: Thank you! And I saw your site: it is absolutely gorgeous.
It's so touching to see my story there...
weirdnezz279: Why, thank you! I tried my utmost to make this fic original
and weird, yet still cool.
MoonSeaEarth: The sasusaku is coming!
aNI-fREaK: You were the one who suggested both sasusaku and minosaku...
Well, I sort of made it that way.
aznstarlu: Rejoice and be glad. Sasusaku shall come, although in a different
flavor. Thank you for your reading.
Rogue solus: Cool ficcie? Thanks. I'll try to make the next one even
cooler.
Destiny1029: Yes, she has returned home.
C.M Aeris Queen of Insanity: You still there? I just want to let you
know that the sequel will be more insane.
Yoko: I hope I did Serpentine Rose honor in writing this. It's not as
gruesome as her "kamikaze inn" and "three of fates", but it will get somewhat
close in the sequel.
chynk: I hope that you enjoyed the story! And yes, you were one of the
few ones who could guess that Sakura would meet Sasuke in her dreams.
Samuru-Sa: Did it end okay?
Merffles: Sorry that there were no clear-cut pairings in this fic, but
there will be in the sequel. Hope you enjoyed it.
phew: Thanks for your technical input. I hope you liked the magic fighting
scenes; you seem the type if you know so much about Shaman King!
Cora: Your view on sasusaku was dead-on. I think that's what makes it
all the more interesting. I hope that this story was written okay without
a clear pairing; I wanted to keep it kosher, at least for this story.
Jnai: Romance? Coming up.
the gal Ran Kotobuki: Wow, you seemed very passionate about sasusaku...
Cattleya Glory: Thanks for your review; it's awesome to hear people
compliment writing. I'll keep up the good work.
SJ: Sakura kicked ass in this story and she'll do more in the next.
Eadha Ohn: Yes, this was a weird fanfiction. It became even more outrageous
as it went on. I hope you had fun reading it!
Zsych: Yup, Sakura grew and matured though her intelligence.
Book
collections on CD and DVD. A library for the price of a book.