Naruto: Ninja Legacy [Episode 4: Clone vs. Clone! All-Out Brawl!] Posted!

[Guest Star]

 

Episode 1 : The End is Only the Beginning

Episode 2 : The Plan Revealed! The Ultimate Sacrifice

Episode 3 : Retreat! The Pursuit Is On!

Episode 4 : Clone vs. Clone! All-Out Brawl

Episode 5 : Hidden in the Mist![/align]

 

[spoiler=The End is Only The Beginning]

 

1: The End is Only the Beginning!

 

Rain poured from the sky; in buckets, it almost seemed. For days it had been like this; massive amounts of rain continuing to fall; a “dark cloud” hanging over the head of the Leaf. He watched from the window, occasionally wiping his hand across the surface to clear his path of sight. Five days. It’d been five days since the Hokage had disappeared. No one knew what had happened to her, or where she went. Or at least, if anyone did, they weren’t talking. Her advisors remained confident she’d return, continually stating that she merely went away on business; it was nothing. That might have been true, had it not been for the constant attacks. For the past five days, mysterious attackers dressed in light blue gear have been spotted attempting to harm town citizens. The squads had been assigned to certain sections of the village, with the sole task of protecting the village citizens. Who the attackers are or where they are coming from remains a mystery, but the elite fear that should they continue, there will be no way of stopping it.

 

The lack of a leader in the Hokage's absence had brought a chaotic order to the village. With no definite figure in charge, there's been constant fighting amidst the citizens themselves, making it even more difficult for the squads to identify the enemy. One thing was for sure; whether or not the advisors were being honest, the Leaf was in trouble. There was no way around it. If she had gone away on business, there was still no one here, no one in charge. It wouldn’t be possible to appoint a “temporary leader” in her place without riling up all of the citizens. The main priority right now had to be the Leaf’s security. And that’s how he came up with the idea. The squads. Get the squads together and assign them to separate sections of the Leaf. With four ninjas in each squad, they would be able to fight off enemy attackers somewhat easily. But how long would that last? With the amount of cloaked ninjas that have attempted to attack in the past five days easily exceeding one-hundred, there had to be something going on. If the enemy gathered their resources and came back stronger, there would be no way to fight them off. Although he knew nothing about the enemy, there was one thing that he knew for certain. If the Leaf was engaged in any sort of war without a leader; it would be impossible to fend off the attacks.

 

It seemed only the squads themselves were seeing the importance in getting along. While they generally did anyway, some people – due to panic – were acting in a chaotic manner. People didn’t see why one person should get the job as leader over another, and of course, that led to fights breaking out. It wasn’t easy for squads to focus on breaking up fights between the same citizens they were attempting to protect. The only thing that made the enemy stand out was the light blue cloaks. There were no symbols on them, making it impossible to identify what village they were from, and they didn’t use any Jutsu. It was simple hand-to-hand combat, and up against guys like Rock Lee and Guy, they were absolutely no match. It was almost as if they were trying to get a sense of the Leaf’s fighting style. Figure out what they were up against, recruit, then come back stronger. It was a brilliant tactic, the most simple to think of yet the most effective in some ways. For that reason, the squads had agreed that they would refrain from using Jutsu unless it was absolutely necessary. So far, it hadn’t been. That was a good thing. How long would that last, though? Lady Tsunade’s top advisor, Shizune, who would have most likely been named “in charge” had Tsunade gone away on business, was no where to be found as well. That further fueled the fear that something bad was going to happen. And while he and the others had done all they could to avoid it to prevent mass panic, it was becoming more and more convincing with every passing second.

 

Thirty minutes had passed since he stepped into the Hokage’s office. What was normally off-limits to the rest of the village (without permission, of course) was paid no attention to. That was the least of their concerns, and he wanted to get a good glance at the village, see if he could identify anyone, see anyone “out of place”, but he couldn’t. There were few people outside due to the rain, and the only ones he could identify were the squads themselves, stationed and prepared to fight. It was almost like a giant jigsaw puzzle that you didn’t want to complete, for fear of what you’d find out upon doing so. Most of them - himself included – were younger fifteen, sixteen years old. To fight off an entire invasion, even if they had a strategy, would be physically impossible. He stood, keeping his focus on the village, continuing to watch for signs of movement, but there was nothing. Just the merchants attempting to make a sale or people walking into and out of shops. It was frustrating. Knowing that you could be in great danger, but not knowing how to stop it, because you don’t know what you’re up against.

 

That’s when the man charged. The man had been hiding underneath the desk for hours, meaning he was concealed before he even walked in. Facing the window, there would be no way to defend himself as the man, armed with a Kunai, prepared to make his move. Light blue cloak and all, the man demonstrated great speed by making the jump from the desk to the far left side of the room in one swift movement. “I’ve got you now!” He swung. He connected. The Kunai pierced his chest. His face cloaked, the man formed a half-smile, followed by a quiet laugh of confidence. “Easier than I thought.” He had done it, just like that. Until the substitution exploded. The man gripped his Kunai and pulled it back as his target disappeared into a puff of smoke, which then vaporized. “What’s this? A substitution?!” The man was shocked; he had spent hours waiting for his one strike; his one chance to get the upper hand, only to have his plan foiled by a mere child?

 

“Is that the best you can do?” He’d uttered his first words in quite a while not to show arrogance, but to get inside the enemy’s head. He wasn’t a fool. He’d felt the man’s presence the second he walked in. Using common sense, he knew the man wouldn’t just charge right away. You rush things, and you waste your one shot. He was right in one respect; the man did have only one shot, and it failed. Impressive execution and speed, but not enough. Still, the man was armed and he had nothing but his hands. There was realistically only one way to take the man down, but it would take a lot of skill, and just the right angle. His location hadn’t been given away yet, but the second he moved he’d give it away.

 

“Heh-heh. I’m just getting started. Come on, kid, it’s gonna take more than a substitution to beat me.” As he spoke, the man turned in different directions, Kunai at his side as he prepared for an attack.

 

“As you wish.” He stepped out with only one foot. The man did a one-eighty spin, turning to face him almost immediately. He was stopped, as he’d intended, and the man dashed toward him. So far so good. He jumped, ducking under the enemy and landing on his feet on the other side of the room. Now he was back in front of the window. Him, not the substitution. The man knew it, too. He had to admit the man was far faster than he was, but speed wasn’t everything.

 

“You can’t outpace me, kid! Don’t even try!” The man leapt, and charged right toward him. Outpacing him wasn’t needed. So he stood. Remained right in place, about to be met with an unfortunate fate. “Giving up, huh?!” The man yelled, still in the air. He swung, but dropped to the ground before he could connect. Seconds later, he hit the ground. CLANK! The Kunai followed him, landing right at his side and making contact with the floor. The man tried to move, but couldn’t. He couldn’t seem to do anything. “What—what in the world is going on here?!”

 

“You’re fast, but you think almost as fast as you move. And that’s not a good thing. You see a skilled ninja thinks over every approach before making a move, whereas you see an opportunity and jump on it, ignoring the possible repercussions.” He paused, taking a breath. “I gave away my location on purpose, knowing you’d waste no time making your move. It was when I jumped under you that I pressed my hand into your chest, each fingertip sealing off one of your chakra points. Now, without access to any, you find yourself unable to move."

 

"There's no way a brat like you could out-manuever me! This is some kind of trick!" The man tried to stand, believing his own words, but was soon disappointed as he found himself practically pinned to the ground.

 

“Here’s the thing.” The man was obviously in denial. He did his best to look up, at least attempting to look him in the face, but even that wasn’t easy. “It’s not a matter of whose more powerful. It’s simply knowing your opponent. Your moves are so predictable, and with you having no knowledge of mine, you made yourself an extremely easy target. And now, look where it’s gotten you.”

 

He stared down at the man, breathing heavily, as it wasn’t a simple task to outmanuever him. He said it was, but he didn’t want to let the enemy know he was weak. Suddenly, the man began to laugh. That was odd.

 

“Wha—what’s so funny?” He stared down at the man, who had managed to lift his head off the ground enough so that he was looking at him face-to-face.

 

“Do you think you’ve won? Did you honestly expect it to be that simple?”

 

“I don’t understand. He’s pinned to the ground, he can’t move, I’ve sealed his chakra points. Wha—what is he saying?” He stared down at the man and his eyes widened as the man’s cloak became surrounded by a bright blue energy, looking very much like chakra. He stepped back, feeling the force of the energy. He shielded his eyes for a moment with his arm, then lowered it. The cloak was gone.

 

The man began to stand, still laughing. He was a tall figure, perhaps about six feet tall. He was decked out in another light blue cloak, only this one looked less thick. Underneath that was a black t-shirt and a black pair of shorts, perhaps the same length as his. Judging by his face, the man had to be somewhere around thirty years old, give or take a year. That wasn’t so much the problem. The man had just lost access to all of his chakra points, and yet somehow he was standing, smiling, and not at all hurt.

 

“Shaking already?” The man laughed again. “I don’t think you’ve even begun to understand what you’re up against, kid.” That was it! The symbol, the four wavy lines, the Village Hidden in the Mist!

 

“So he’s a Mist Ninja? I don’t have much experience dealing with their kind of Jutsu. He could be right; I don’t know if I can handle this guy on my own. One of my best moves didn’t even phase him. What was the deal with the cloak?” The man looked at him, as if he knew what he was thinking.

 

“I can tell what you’re thinking.” He grinned. “You’re wondering what happened to my cloak. It’s a Jutsu. One known as Mist Armor.” The man paused. “It’s just the start of my abilities, but any damage I might take while the Armor is in effect, is automatically nullified once it’s removed.”

 

“Hmm...” He didn’t say anything. What was there to say? The man had outsmarted him. He knew he could take the risk because he’d be fine afterwards. And in the process, he’d been able to discover exactly what he was going to be up against. Now that the man knew what he was fighting, all he had to do was fight long-range and there’d be nothing to stop him.

 

“Speechless. You’re in a league far beyond your own, kid. The whole village is. But sadly it’ll be you who learns the lesson first. Now then, it’s time for you to die.” The man stepped back, and both of his hands became surrounded by mist. What to do?

 

 

NEXT TIME!

 

“This guy’s good. With the Mist Clones, and his ability to dodge pretty much all of my attacks, I’m not really sure how I’m going to be able to take him down. The only way I can think of...no, that’s too dangerous. It appears I might have no choice.”

 

The Plan Revealed! The Ultimate Sacrifice!

 

[Guest Star]

[spoiler=The Plan Revealed! The Ultimate Sacrifice!]

 

2 : The Plan Revealed! The Ultimate Sacrifice!

 

Bolts of thunder continued to cackle across the sky. The windows of the Hokage’s office were so covered with rain that it was nearly impossible to see out. Of course, that meant it’s nearly impossible to see in as well. He glanced at the window, knowing that – whether he wanted to admit it or not – he was in some trouble. He’d need help to beat this guy, especially when he’d used so much energy trying to weaken him, but there was no way to notify the squads. Not Lee, not Naruto, not anyone. He was here, himself, against an opponent with abilities he couldn’t seem to grasp. The large, formidable man towered over him by at least five inches, and his hands were surrounded by mist. He had to be preparing for some Jutsu. That cloak in and of itself meant that every ninja who had tried attacking the Village didn’t fight back on purpose. He was right; they were trying to see what they were up against so that combating it would be much easier.

 

“I’ll tell you what. Since you don’t have much hope, I’ll let you make the first move.” The man leaned forward slightly, grinning with arrogance. “Go ahead, I’m giving you a free shot.”

 

He didn’t move. He stared at the man, eyes-locked, trying to see what he was up against, what he was dealing with, but nothing. He’d never been this stumped before. This was just the first piece of a very complicated puzzle, and he had no idea how it fit into place. You could continue to try and push the piece into place, but if it’s wrong, you’ll eventually find yourself with no puzzle at all. It seemed this guy wasn’t bluffing. That, and it seemed he really was going to give him a free shot. He glanced back at the window, then returned his stare. What if his one free shot, wasn’t that at all? He had something planned with the mist; that much was certain. Aside from that, though, he had nothing to base his strategy off of.

 

“As you wish.” He fixed his stance so that he was standing up completely straight, arms extended, ready to defend himself. He jumped, headed right toward the man. He heard a laugh as the man jumped, taking a step back. He almost got hit, but he was able to dodge, landing on his feet about five feet away. If he let the mist hit him, there was no telling what could happen. An unknown Jutsu is always the most dangerous, but when it’s coming from an unknown opponent, it’s even worse.

 

“What a waste.” He watched as the man stood still, his eyes fixated on the windows. “I get the feeling you’re still not taking me seriously. If that’s the case, then so be it, but allow me to show you the error of your ways. Slowly, he moved his right arm backwards.

 

“Here it comes. I’ve got to be ready for this.” This was it; the guy’s first move. There wasn’t much he could do to avoid it, because even someone of his intelligence couldn’t fight back against an opponent he knows nothing about.

 

“Ninja Art: Hidden Strike!” He jumped back, expecting an attack, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, the room became filled with a thick mist, making it impossible to see more than a step or two in front of him. This wasn’t good. He couldn’t see, but his opponent could probably see clearly given that he was experienced with the art. “Watch your back, kid!” He jumped, turned around, and it was too late! The man drove his right hand straight into his chest, sending him crashing back into the wall.

 

Fighting through the pain, he managed to look up, only to see nothing. The mist was extremely thick, and with his head throbbing from the attack, it made it even more difficult. He should have been able to see that coming; normally, he would have. The only possible explanation would be the fear. It’s impossible to keep your cool, stay calm, especially when you’re young, when you thought you had things taken care of only to find out that you could be up against something beyond his capabilities.

 

“This isn’t good. He shouldn’t have been able to hit me, but I couldn’t get a sense of his location. I really need to focus; I don’t have the energy to use much of my Jutsu, but I can’t let this guy throw me around.” He tried to stand, but found it difficult. “If I can’t warn the squads of what we’re fighting, the same thing that’s happening to me now will happen to the rest of the Village. There’s so much I don’t know, but that much is clear. My loss…would mean the loss of the Leaf.”

 

“I’m just getting warmed up.” He didn’t know the man, although his voice sounded somewhat familiar. It wasn’t necessarily deep, but it was intimidating. Pretty much, this guy knew what he was doing, and, he didn’t just look tough; he could back it up. He let loose another laugh. Then, silence. For about three seconds, but he heard him leap off the ground before that. “Ready kid? That was nothing!”

 

He didn’t know how many more hits he could take. The first one hurt. And it hurt a lot. He had to do something. Weak or not, he couldn’t go down without a fight. “Byakugan!” His eyes widened, still bright blue. He could see the mist, but now he could see through it as well. Up! The man prepared to jump down and strike. Not this time!

 

“Aahh, take this!” He jumped out of the way. “What the?!” The man looked to keep his cool, keep on the attack, not really sure what just happened. He moved forward, swinging with his right hand. The man swung, but he could still see his chakra through the mist. He jumped just in time, landing with his feet against the wall. He saw the man charge again. It was a long shot, but the only way to dodge another attack would be a long jump. He jumped off the wall, and watched as the man didn’t stop himself.

 

“What’s going on?!” The man yelled in anger, driving his right hand straight through the wall, the chakra from the mist assisting him in the process. “You shouldn’t be able to dodge my attacks!”

 

“I may be young, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to take me down with a couple of close range attacks.” His specialty was close range, but the man didn’t know that. The Gentle Fist technique would be a simple way to take the guy down, but whose to say he wasn’t using another cloak jutsu? It was going to take a lot of chakra to pull that off, and he could probably only do it once.

 

“Hm, so this kid’s a little better than I had originally anticipated. That doesn’t explain his ability to see through my Mist Jutsu. He shouldn’t be able to see anything, there’s zero visibility for a non-Mist ninja. Unless…”

 

*Flashback*

 

“I’ve chosen you, Raiori, because I know you’re capable of easily adapting to the enemy’s strategy. However I know you have your flaws as well. Doing this, you must remember that you cannot underestimate any of these ninja. They are young, but they are not weak.”

 

“But sir, they’re mere children, they should—“

 

“It’s not as simple as you think. That is a naïve way to view your opponents, and it will do nothing but cause our plan to fail. Now, will you listen or do you feel you should interrupt me again?”

 

“My apologies, sir. You were saying?”

 

“Your first target, he goes by the name of Neji Hyuga. While not necessarily the strongest, he is the most brilliant of all the Leaf Ninja. Go into this with the mindset that he’s far superior to you. Fight as if the odds were against you, and you should be able to win.”

 

“Understood. Is that all?”

 

“Yes. Wait, one more thing.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Neji – his Kekkei Genkai. It’s known as the Byakugan. It allows him to see great distances in addition to being able to see chakra. Simply put, you can’t rely on your Hidden Strike Jutsu to take him down. It won’t be that simple.

 

*Back*

 

“That’s it…that’s what he meant. The Byakugan! I had completely forgotten! I thought what he was saying was just warning, that I could take this kid without a problem, but now I’ve backed myself into a corner! It took a great amount of chakra to use my Hidden Strike Jutsu, and now all I can do is avoid his attacks!”

 

“So, are you going to stand there and continue to stall, or are we going to fight?” Neji was determined. It wasn’t just about winning, it was about what would happen should he lose. He had been right about them trying to understand the opponents strategy, or so it seemed. It had to be. If it wasn’t the plan, then his opponent would have known that his Byakugan allowed him to see through the Mist Jutsu, and thus he wouldn’t have used it. So what now?

 

Raiori grunted. His ignorance really had backed him into a corner. And this early in the mission, too. He didn’t have enough chakra left, and Neji could just continue to dodge his attacks. His best strategy at this point would be to retreat, leave. To think, he’d have to retreat against some punk kid…but it was his own fault. He’d completely ignored the advice and decided to have a go at it. And now look where it got him.

 

“Kid, it’s been fun, but unfortunately I’ve got to be going.” Neji’s eyes widened in surprise; retreat? What for? This was exactly what he’d been talking about! The guy learned what he had to learn, and now he was going to leave and report back to the Mist Village. This was just getting started, but if he let the guy get away it would do nothing but allow the enemy to build up their forces.

 

“Going so soon? What happened to the tough act you were portraying?” This was it. He had one shot to somehow stop this guy from making it to the door. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he could do it. It was just a matter of timing. Here goes.

 

“Don’t get your hopes up, kid. We’ll fight again; consider this a gift. I’m letting you survive…for now.” Raiori turned around. The door was to his left; twenty feet away give or take. With the mist, even though the kid could see him, he could move faster. He wasn’t sure if Neji would attempt to stop him, but it seemed possible. “The Leaf Village as a whole has been given more time. You should make the most of it, because soon you won’t be able to.” He dashed for the door.

 

“I don’t think so! Ha!” Neji pulled out a Kunai, and threw it purposely at the ground. Raiori leapt back, slowing his pace to dodge it, and that was all it took.

 

“Nice try, kid, but it’s going to take more than a mere Kunai to stop a Ninja of my status!” There was the door, he could see it.

 

With his focus on nothing but the door, Raiori didn’t take into account the fact that Neji might have tried to attack from the side. “I’d like to think so too. Gentle Fist!” Stunned, Raiori tried to jump back, but it was too late. One, two, three, Neji drove his palm into his chest three times in a row, and he collapsed to the floor. Barely able to move, he looked up as Neji landed on the floor, on one knee.

 

“I…I can’t move!” His entire body from his neck down was practically dead weight. He couldn’t move a muscle, meaning there was no way to defend himself. “How can this happen?!”

 

“It’s simple, your biggest flaw is the fact that you don’t take your opponents seriously. For someone like you to view your opponents as weaker than you when you’re not very strong yourself is the biggest mistake you can make.” Neji stood up. He began walking slowly toward the door, holding his hip. It had taken a lot of chakra, and he had a bit of an awkward landing, but he had succeeded.

 

“A weak-minded kid like yourself should stand no chance against me! Don’t talk to me when you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into! You think this victory means anything?” Raiori grinned, lifting his head as high as he could. “The Village Hidden in the Leaf will fall, and there is nothing you can do about it. The Mist Village is the superior force, and you shall learn that soon enough.”

 

“I plan to learn exactly what you have planned, and I plan to learn it as soon as possible. Since you’re in no position to move, I’m pretty sure it won’t be that difficult.” Was this just intimidation? What this guy was saying, or was it something more?

 

“The thing is…you’re not superior to me or anyone else in the Mist Village. I knew of your Byakugan, but my own overconfidence caused me to lose. Neji Hyuuga, you and the rest of the Leaf…will fall.”

 

Neji’s eyes widened. The man knew his name, and he knew of the Byakugan! So he was wrong; it wasn’t a test, he wasn’t trying to see what was going on. There was someone behind this, and they had already had knowledge of the Leaf. Worse, the Leaf might have already lost without knowing it.

 

NEXT TIME!

 

“You fought this guy and beat him all on your own?! I can’t say I’m surprised, I probably could have done it too!”

 

“Naruto, quiet, this is no time for foolishness. The Mist Village has targeted the Leaf, and we have to find out why!”

 

Retreat! The Pursuit is On!

 

[Ultimate Assassin Ninjew]

Could you put them in spoilers that way people don't have to keep scrolling down. Also, just edit and add the new chapters into the main post that way its not spread out. I'll read if it is done.

[Guest Star]

Could you put them in spoilers that way people don't have to keep scrolling down. Also' date=' just edit and add the new chapters into the main post that way its not spread out. I'll read if it is done.

[/quote']

 

All done! :D

 

I've put a Table of Contents in the first post with links to the episodes, only because putting them all in the first post won't work well on my computer. That should be easier, though.

[StevenBray]

great episode, nice story and cool action. Hope for more.

[Guest Star]

great episode' date=' nice story and cool action. Hope for more.

[/quote']

 

Thanks! I like this one too, I'm hoping to keep it going a lot longer than the other Fan-Fics I've done, haha.

 

I still need help with those names, though! :D

[Guest Star]

[spoiler=Retreat! The Pursuit Is On]

 

3 : Retreat! The Pursuit Is On!

 

“You two, be sure you watch closely. Don’t let anything or anyone get past you.” Kakashi Hatake, currently leading what was actually a Team consisting of Ninja from multiple squads, stood quietly, glancing up at the sky. He, Naruto, Rock Lee, and Shikamaru were assigned to this section of the Village; in front of them stood the Leaf’s Gates. They’d see if anyone got in, and this was the only way for anyone to do so, meaning that the only invaders they had to worry about were the ones who had already entered the Village. “Shikamaru, I want you to check out the local shops; don’t stray too far, but go around and make sure everything’s calm. With the rain this heavy, I don’t expect many of the Villagers to be outside, but then again, we don’t know what we’re up against.

 

“Kakashi-sensei, we’ve been out here for hours and there’s been no sign of the cloaked ninja. Maybe the other squads took care of them already!” Naruto was, as usual, growing impatient, but even Kakashi realized he could’ve been right. Even if the other Squads had taken care of the invaders in the Village, if they were to leave the post, and there was something going on, there would be no one to prevent others from getting in. Of course the weather wasn’t great, and they had been outside for a while, but putting up with a small amount of rain was much better than what would happen if there was a full-scale invasion. The issue was they had no idea of the enemy’s ability. Cloaked figures fighting with nothing but hands and feet. There had to be something else going on. There had to be.

 

“You know Kakashi, I’m not one to agree with Naruto normally, but nothing has happened in the past ten hours. It’s been quite a drag, to be honest. This could be a waste of time.” Shikamaru, perhaps the most intelligent of the Leaf Ninja; he’d spent hours thinking of every possible invasion route, every possible strategy, yet when he tried to connect the pieces to why they were being attacked, nothing made sense. Then there was Tsunade’s absence; she’d been there one day, and was gone the next. Shizune too. And that was five days ago. The Hokage didn’t just leave without telling anyone. Either she had been kidnapped, or there was some sort of conspiracy in the Village. The worst part – neither scenario was positive.

 

“I know. We agreed to wait here until we’d received word from the other Squads, which leads me to believe something could have happened to them. The thing is, if we leave our post, there’s no one to stop the invaders from coming in.” That was all they could do; stand and wait. The attackers had been targeting the Villagers, not even the Shinobi themselves, which made this whole situation all the more confusing. Just what exactly was going on here?

 

“Kakashi-sensei is right, guys. To leave would jeopardize the Leaf’s safety, the exact thing we were assigned to protect.” Lee nodded, looking first at Naruto, then at Shikamaru. While they didn’t respond, he could tell by the looks in their eyes that they knew he was right. The Leaf’s security was more important than anything else, and that included having fun. If they had to stand around and be bored, then so be it.

 

“Aww, I know.” Naruto lowered his head, disappointed, yet understanding at the same time. This was boring, and they’d been doing it for days. But even he knew that this was nothing compared to what would happen if the Leaf was attacked. Without Lady Tsunade here, and with no one really “in charge”, with people panicking and no one to calm them down. There was no sense of leadership, and that would lead to the Leaf’s downfall. That’s why they had to protect it.

 

“Now then, Shikamaru, why don’t you—”

 

“Kakashi-sensei!” He whipped around, almost too quickly as the voice called out to him. It took him a second to realize what was going on, but then he saw Guy’s squad, consisting of Sakura, Shino, and Choji running toward him. Guy was in toe, and it seemed he was purposely staying a few steps behind. “It’s Neji; he’s in Lady Tsunade’s office! He’s taken down one of the attackers!” Naruto almost fell over as he leapt to his feet in excitement. Finally some action! Kakashi glanced at Guy quickly, who nodded in agreement.

 

“Alright then, we should get moving! Naruto, Lee, you stay here; Shikamaru, come with me!” Shikamaru nodded.

 

“But Kakashi-sensei!” He was about to take off, preparing to lead the group, as Naruto yelled out to him. “I’m going with you!”

 

“You can’t, Naruto! I understand you’re not enjoying this but I don’t think anyone else is either! Someone has to guard the Gates!” He could see the anger built up in Naruto’s eyes; he couldn’t blame him, somewhat. He had been waiting for hours and hours to do something, to help in some way, but there was nothing. However Shikamaru’s intelligence might be useful in this situation, and he did need someone to keep watch.

 

“Arghhh,” Naruto grunted. He was always left out of situations; why Shikamaru over him? He’d been waiting for hours for the chance to do something, and now he and Lee were being left behind. Nothing was going to happen here at the Gate, but there was action somewhere else.

 

“Naruto, I know you want to fight, but there will be a time when we both will need to. Now, we must stand guard. I want to fight too, but it makes more sense for Shikamaru to go; his intelligence is unmatched, and we know nothing about our enemy.” Lee stared at Naruto, neither one of them speaking for about forty five seconds. Naruto didn’t like to admit it, but Lee had a point. He had let his anger get the best of him. It wasn’t about him, it was about the Leaf Village as a whole.

 

“You’re right. I guess we should just watch, then.”

 

“Did anything happen before you discovered this?” Kakashi asked as he and Guy continued to lead the group toward the building.

 

“Nothing, no luck at all.” He was silent for a moment. “Yesterday, we had about three, but they all started to retreat, and they were far too fast for even Lee or myself to catch up to.” Kakashi’s eyes widened in surprise, and Guy wasn’t shocked by the reaction. “I don’t like the look of things right now, Kakashi.”

 

“Faster than Guy and Lee? What’s the deal with these guys? With no knowledge of the enemy, it’s as if we’re fighting a war that we’ve already lost.” The building was right up ahead. The rain made it impossible to see through the windows, but the group – with Kakashi leading – rushed up the stairs, not wasting any time.

 

“Neji!” Sakura bolted into the room, straight toward Neji, who appeared to be unconscious. There was no sign of any Ninja. You wouldn’t have known there was an attack.

 

“What ha—wait!” Kakashi noticed it. Barely, but he did. On the floor near the Tsunade’s desk; a light blue cloak. It was on the ground, wrinkled. “Over there; the cloak.” Guy picked it up and held it in the air, revealing the multiple tears and even spots of blood covering it.

 

“He’s got no pulse!” As Sakura screamed out, Guy dropped the cloak and both he and Kakashi rushed over to Neji. He – like the cloak – was covered in blood as well, and it seemed somewhat fresh, meaning whatever had happened was recent. Continously, Sakura pushed down on Neji’s chest, trying to get some sort of a reaction, but there was nothing. “Just before we notified you, I saw him! He was alive, and he had the cloaked Ninja on the ground! Something happened within those five minutes and that Ninja escaped!”

 

“He needs medical attention, quickly! Guy, you get him to the hospital, I’ll try and track him down; he couldn’t have gotten far! Shino, Choji, Shikamaru, contact Naruto, Lee, and the others and tell them we’re going to need as much backup as possible! This isn’t good!” There was no time to waste; the problem was, based on Guy’s comments earlier, it’s quite possible the Ninja could have already made an escape. He couldn’t let him get away; this guy being the only Ninja to actually do damage, he had to be a Leader of some kind. That meant the rest of them probably retreated as well. Guy and the other Jonin could keep the Village safe to some extent. He bolted out the door, headed toward the Gate at as fast a pace as his body would allow him to go. Guy picked up Neji and made for the hospital. There was hope, but not much.

 

“Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto called out as they watched Kakashi run by them, not even stopping to look. He ran right through the Gate, and picked up speed as he headed toward the forest.

 

“What—what’s going on?!”

 

“I can’t let this guy get away! Come on, pick up the pace!” He leapt from branch to branch, making his way through the forest as quickly as possible. “Wait! There he is!” It had to be him. One guy, about a mile ahead. He could barely see him, but there was definitely someone there. He tried to pick up his speed even more, but there wasn’t much he could do. He was losing him. As he continued the chase, there was a crack. One of the branches, it almost snapped. Kakashi had to struggle to maintain his balance. He landed on a branch and had to stop otherwise he would have fallen. That’s when he noticed it. “A Paper Bomb!” There wasn’t just one, there had to be three, four at least on the tree next to him. He turned around and saw the exact same amount on the tree behind him. He jumped; it was too late.

 

The whole surrounding area was engulfed by an explosion of smoke and light.

 

NEXT TIME!

 

“After what he did to Neji, there’s no way this can can be allowed to walk away!”

 

“Naruto...”

 

“No, you go on ahead, I’m gonna give this guy a taste of his own medicine!”

 

Clone vs. Clone! All-Out Brawl!

 

[Hollow Ichigo!]

Looks good nice plot

[Guest Neo Fusion]

this is good, lookin forward to the rest :)

[Guest Star]

Looks good nice plot

 

this is good' date=' lookin forward to the rest :)

[/quote']

 

Gotta appreciate the positive responses! Thanks guys!

[El Make]

Dude...... this thing is AMAZING!

 

Seriously, I crave more....... O.o

[Guest Star]

Dude...... this thing is AMAZING!

 

Seriously' date=' I crave more....... O.o

[/quote']

 

Ya like it? Thanks! Hopefully I'll be able to put up a new episode tonight then.

[Guest Star]

Bump!

[Guest Merciful Idiot]

*Claps Hands*

Pravo! Pravo! It's interesting, though I was kinda dismayed to see stupid Naruto again.

[Guest Star]

*Claps Hands*

Pravo! Pravo! It's interesting' date=' though I was kinda dismayed to see stupid Naruto again.

[/quote']

 

Thanks, I think. :D

 

Anyway, it just doesn't seem to fit without including all of the characters, especially not with the direction I'll be taking the plot in.

 

[spoiler=Clone vs. Clone! All-Out Brawl!]

 

4 : Clone vs. Clone! All-Out Brawl!

 

“Earth Style: Shield of Chikiyuu!” With less than a second to spare, he dropped straight to the ground. Pressing his palm against the ground, slabs of earth from all sides of him rose up and formed a barricade of dirt and rock. It solidified and he could still feel the intensity of the explosion around him. “Hmm…that was close. He had to have had this place set-up completely, because there’s no way that was just six paper bombs. To feel it even through my Jutsu…he expected us to follow him.”

 

He waited a good ten seconds before releasing the Jutsu, just to be sure there weren’t going to be any last-minute explosions. It had taken quick thinking on his part for sure, especially when he was focused on nothing but catching up to the enemy. He’d definitely lost him now; that was a fact. But what was even more concerning was the fact that there could be more traps; he had to be even more careful going ahead while still trying to keep a fast pace if he ever wanted to reach the guy. “He’s strong. There’s no doubt about that. I hope it’s not the case, but it appears he might have taken Neji’s life, and do to something like that in a matter of minutes…what exactly are we up against? An enemy faster than Guy and Lee and smarter than Neji…we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

 

*

 

“What the--? That’s Kakashi-sensei! What’s going on?!” Naruto leapt off the pillar he was sitting on and watched as Kakashi had just seconds ago rushed out the Gate. Almost prepared to follow him, he stopped when he heard Shikamaru’s voice behind him.

 

“Naruto, Lee, it’s the attacker Neji had captured earlier. Something happened and he managed to escape. What’s worse, he’s left Neji in critical condition.” Naruto’s eyes widened in disbelief. This guy had to be strong to take Neji down like that. He glanced at Sakura quickly, and saw she – along with the rest of Leaf Shinobi who had come with them – were concerned for Neji’s health, and perhaps even their own at this point. “Kakashi’s ordered that we all follow him into the forest; he’s attempting to track down the attacker and he’s going to need all the help he can get.”

 

“Neji… Right, let’s do this then!” Shikamaru being the highest ranked of the group, felt obligated to take the lead, and did so. With Naruto trailing right behind him, the two headed out into the forest, followed by the rest of the Leaf Ninja. This wasn’t going to be fun for any of them, and it was somewhat hard to focus knowing Neji’s condition, but they didn’t have any choice.

 

“It’s likely that Kakashi’s gotten pretty far in already; he may have caught up to the guy.” Shikamaru looked at Naruto, then returned his gaze to the forest in front of him. “But then again…he may not have.”

 

“Shikamaru is right. These guys are faster than both Guy-sensei and myself. Catching up to them would be no easy feat, and it seems retreat is what they had in mind all along.” As he spoke, Lee tried moving up toward the front, so the group could hear him more clearly. His words definitely got everyone’s attention. Being that he and Guy were regarded as perhaps the fastest in the Village, for a group of random attackers to be able to outpace them didn’t help their confidence levels.

 

“I’m not completely sold on it, but we could be in a crisis here, so it’s a risk we’re going to have to take.” The others looked at him, awaiting an explanation. “Kiba, Sakura, Ino, I want you three to split to the east. Lee, you, Choji, and Tenten go to the west.” He hesitated. “Shino, Naruto, you two stay with me. We’ll stay on the main path. The goal, locate Kakashi, and if you can, the attacker he was trying to find. And be careful out there; I have no idea what we’re up against.” They nodded, and parted off into the right and left sections of the vast forest.

 

“Are you sure splitting up was the best idea?” Shino asked quietly. They moved as they talked, attempting to cover some ground and try their best to gain on this guy. There was no telling what he was capable of after the simplicity of Neji’s defeat. Was this guy a Genin? Was he a Jonin? They knew nothing about him and it’s possible they could all be outmatched.

 

“Not really, but we have no other choice. As a huge group, not only are we easy to spot, but it would be more difficult to co-ordinate an attack. With Kiba leading one group, and Lee the other, I have no concern that they’ll be able to keep things under control.” It wasn’t usual for Shikamaru – and he didn’t make it obvious – but he felt concern as well. After all, they were still young; they weren’t older, experienced Jonin and while they did have skill, this situation wasn’t going to be easy to resolve.

 

“I see. Wait here for a moment. Fall back.” Shino spoke, though not in charge, and the three stopped. Slowly, small black bugs took to the air, hundreds of them. “Try to locate Kakashi. Take a little time as possible; we haven’t much to waste.” With that, the bugs took off, flying in all different directions, attempting to do as they were asked.

 

“Good idea. We don’t want to travel in one direction if the enemy is traveling in the exact opposite.”

 

“Why are we sitting here waiting? Kakashi-sensei could be in trouble!” Naruto was concerned, not only because he wanted to fight, but because he cared about Kakashi, and he’d been there for them hundreds of times in the past; he felt they shouldn’t let him down now.

 

“Naruto, calm down. Don’t worry, there’s no doubt that Kakashi can handle himself, at least to an extent. We have to find him first, then we can take a practical approach. We—” Shikamaru went silent as he saw it. One-hundred or so feet in front of him; the entire middle section of the forest had been blown to bits. The tops of trees were toppled over in piles; there was still smoke. It had to be somewhat new. After watching him stare, almost in a state of shock, Naruto and Shino turned their attention to the site as well.

 

“Wha—what happened?” As Naruto looked on with concern, the large cloud of insects flew back to their location.

 

“I see.” Shino nodded his head. “Apparently, Kakashi is nowhere to be found. However, they’ve spotted a figure running at high speeds. Somewhere around maybe twenty miles an hour.” Certainly fasted than Lee or Guy’s capabilities. That had to be the guy. But if he was escaping, where was Kakashi? It was a large forest, but Kakashi knew it inside and out. Him getting lost wasn’t a plausible option, which left only one outcome. And there was nothing positive about it.

 

“Ka—Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto didn’t have to say it. They were all thinking the same thing. It was a trap. Not them, no, but Kakashi. The attacker had lured him right into the center of the forest, and there he detonated some sort of explosion. Multiple paper bombs, it seemed. Whatever it was, there would have been no way for Kakashi to escape an explosion of that size in time.

 

“Naruto, wait!” Shikmaru yelled out, but not soon enough. Perhaps without even thinking, Naruto leapt off the branch and made for the forest (or what had once been a forest anyway). There was no way to stop him at this point, so they had no choice but to follow him. Shikamaru, then Shino leapt to the right and followed the tree branches until they approached the newly-made clearing. The two spotted Naruto, staring at the ground. He looked up at them, and the borderline-teary-eyed look on his face implied that he hadn’t seen Kakashi anywhere. “Man…this isn’t good. There’s no way Kakashi could have survived the explosion, and if he’s not here…” He didn’t finish the thought; there was no need to.

 

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Shino tilted his head toward Shikamaru, who sort of half-nodded. Knowing Naruto’s emotional connection to the people close to him, had both Kakashi and Neji been killed by this guy, there wouldn’t be much of a way for him to control his anger. “Kakashi, he had to have escaped, right? He’s not your average Ninja, I’ve got to think he’d have a way to evade an explosion, even one of this size.”

 

Shikamaru said nothing for a moment. Seemingly lost in thought, he stared at the sky, then looked down at Naruto, then back at Shino. “I know what you mean. Kakashi’s exceptionally strong, and he’s got intelligence as well. But, look at it this way. The explosion took out tons of trees, right?” Shino nodded, answering the rhetorical question. “If he had been in the center of the explosion, which, judging by the way the trees seem to have fallen, and the explosion went have gone outward, causing the trees to fall back, he would have been able to escape. However it looks as if the explosion was on the other side of the trees, or at least most of them. That caused the trees to fall inward, meaning there was nowhere for Kakashi to go. One of these trees falls on you, there’s no getting back up.”

 

“Naruto, you see anything?” Shino asked, already knowing the answer. As he waited for a response, he looked around. “Go look again; check every possible location in the surrounding area and see if you see anything.” He sent the insects out again, and they scattered off in different directions.

 

“Nothing at all.” He fell silent. The three stood there, neither one of them saying anything, as it was possible they might be in for the worst. “But I’m sure Kakashi-sensei would’ve found a way out, right?” He was trying to convince himself everything was fine, and while it might have been, all three of them knew there was a good chance that wasn’t the case. “I mean, he’s— ”

 

“Naruto look out!” Shikamaru yelled out, and Naruto turned around to see the Kunai headed for him just in time. He leapt off the ground, narrowly dodging it, and landed against a tree. “What in the world is going on here?”

 

Naruto leaned against the tree, shifting his gaze back and forth to watch for attacks. A second Kunai flew towards him, this one going much faster, but he flipped back up the tree, barely dodging the Kunai that lodged itself in the tree about a foot underneath him. “That was close! Someone’s out there!]

 

“He’s gonna need some help down there!” Shino leapt off the branch and down into the clearing, barely dodging four Kunai, all flying at him from different directions. “How...how many people are there?!”

 

“I’m gonna find this guy, and I’m gonna take him down! Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Naruto placed his palms together, creating about five or so copies of himself. “Go, find where this guy’s hiding!” No sooner did the clones leap into the air, that a Kunai went through the first one, causing him to explode. The same blade continued in a circle, taking out all of the remaining clones. It flew toward Naruto himself next, but Shino was able to tackle him out of the way.

 

“One Kunai, being controlled somehow? How is this even possible? It seems once the blade hits the ground it loses its ability to move, we’re practically trapped in an enclosed area, it’d be impossible to dodge more than one of those things at a time!” Shikamaru glanced down at Naruto, then Shino. They seemed to be okay, until he noticed it. In Shino’s back, a Kunai knife. It wasn’t the same one he had evaded, so that must’ve been a set-up. “Sh—Shino!” He leapt off the branch, somewhat carelessly. He was in charge of these three, and they were his friends, and he had already let something happen to him.

 

It took a second, but Naruto noticed it as well. It seemed to make contact just above his lower back area, and he had already started to bleed. An injury like that might not kill him, but it would make it impossible for him to fight, to do anything.

 

“Naruto, we have to get out of here, he’s—”

 

“No.” Naruto stood up. He didn’t even look back at Shikamaru, who seemed taken aback. “This guy’s hurt enough of my friends! First Neji, then Kakashi, and now Shino, and Shino’s only hurt because he was trying to protect me!” The aggression and rage continued to build in his voice. “Get Shino somewhere safe, let me handle this guy! I’m not gonna take no for an answer!”

 

Puzzled, Shikamaru remained silent for a moment. Finally, he lifted Shino onto his feet, helping him to stand. They leapt to a branch, and entered back into the forest. “Good luck Naruto. I hope you know what you’re doing.” He had no choice; Shino needed medical attention.

 

“Alright pal, let’s do this!”

 

NEXT TIME!

 

“Look at you, the pitiful, fool, weak-minded Ninja nobody cared enough to take along. I’ve killed your friends, I’ll have no problem finishing the job!”

 

“That’s what you think, pal! You’re not up against an average opponent!”

 

Homing Weapons! Hand-to-Hand Combat!

 

[Guest Star]

Bump!

[Guest Neo Fusion]

nice chapter brah, u shud post in akatsuki when u release a new chap so we can come check it out. and also to have fun there :D

[Guest Star]

[spoiler=Hidden in the Mist!]Blood dripping from his arm after the harsh landing, Naruto stood up. He brushed the dirt off his shoulder, and wiped the blood from his arm onto his pantleg. Amidst the silence, there was a feeling of evil, chaos in the air. He heard nothing, but he could certainly sense it. A single Kunai knife lay to his left, lodged in the ground after he had dodged it moments before Shino was hit. The one which hit Shino seemed to be gone, as if it had evaporated into thin air, or exploded. First Neji, then Kakashi, and now Shino. They had all been seriously hurt, and yet there was nothing he could do to help them. “I don’t know who this guy is, and I don’t know how strong he is either, but after what he’s done…this guy’s going to pay!”

 

5 : Hidden in the Mist!

5 : Hidden in the Mist!

 

“Come on, how long you plan on hiding for anyway?!” Naruto yelled out, hearing nothing but the sound of his own voice as it echoed throughout the closing. There was the possibility that whoever it was had left, decided to chase after Shikamaru and Shino instead, but it didn’t seem likely. A smart Ninja wouldn’t want to leave himself open to being followed, and by leaving Naruto behind, he’d have done exactly that. No, he’d want to take Naruto out first, then head for the others. But he wasn’t going to let that happen. Not when so much had been lost already…

 

“If you’re not gonna come to me, then I’ll come to you!” As he took to the air, he hadn’t noticed the Kunai, coming from the right. It had to be going at 30 miles an hour at least, and it clipped him right on the bottom of his right leg. Almost instantly, a shock of pain zipped through his body, and his attempted leap became a painful collision with the ground. Well that answers the question of whether or not there was still an enemy to worry about, but that wasn’t so much his concern at this point. The pain…he’d been hit with a Kunai before, and it felt nowhere near as bad as this one. The shock went through his whole body. A cut, regardless of how sharp, wouldn’t have that much of an effect. Struggling to move through the pain, he reached for his leg, hoping to remove the Kunai. His leg was bleeding, alright, but the weapon wasn’t there. “Wha-what the…?”

 

There was no way; he felt the pain, and he was bleeding, so it wasn’t a genjutsu. He knew for a fact that it was a Kunai, but just like that it vanished. “First the Kunai from earlier, and now this one, what kind of weapons am I up against here? Fighting an enemy I know nothing about is one thing, but I haven’t even seen this guy yet. If…I can’t handle his Kunai, how am I supposed to handle his Jutsu?” Naruto tried to stand, but found it extremely difficult. His enemy, whoever this guy was, knew where he was, and could see every move he was planning to make, and he didn’t even have to show himself. Naruto on the other hand, not only could he not see his opponent, but now he couldn’t get up to the trees to try and find him. In his current state, he was nothing but a target. In the middle of a clearing, where his enemy could move from tree to tree and hit him from any direction he so chose; not the best of situations. Plus, these weren’t normal Kunai. Not only were they disappearing, but they seemed to be inflicting much more pain than usual. “Gotta...gotta move to cover. Come on! There’s no way I’ll lose to...to an enemy I can’t even see!”

 

He began to drag himself back, slowly. The clearing was huge, but it was surrounded by woodland, so if he could at least get himself some cover where it would be more challenging for the guy to find him, he’d be able to think of some sort of strategy. The most important thing was making sure Shikamaru and Shino had time to escape. He’d have to hold this guy off, at least for a while. As he continued to crawl, a second Kunai shot from the north, and headed straight toward him! It took nearly all his strength to roll to the side, dodging it by about three inches as the blade smashed into the ground. After taking a second to catch his breath, Naruto glanced over at it. It was still there...

 

What happened next was even worse. This Kunai, and the only other one that had stuck around, both became surrounded by a misty-chakra, and a beam shot out from both of them. The two beams connected right over Naruto’s chest, and a sheet of the mist chakra appeared to cover him. “What the—? I...I can’t move!!” He tried to sit up, but he was pinned to the ground. The chakra was covering him completely, and although he could breathe, he found himself unable to move a muscle. “I...I’m stuck! No...was this a trap all along?!”

 

He could hear the flow of the chakra, but over that, he heard footsteps. He tried looking up to see who was there, but he couldn’t. “Who’s there?! Is this how you’re gonna fight?!”

 

“If I were you, I wouldn’t be making threats, or even insults right now.” The voice was quiet, yet intimidating at the same time. Naruto was still unable to see him; the man stood back enough so that he’d be completely out of his line of sight. “I’m sure you’ve realized it by now, but you’ve made it rather easy for me to complete my mission. My master planned to make his escape, and I was told to deter anyone from following him. I believe I’ve managed to buy enough time, but I think I’m better of going ahead and killing you all...just to be safe.” He let out a small chuckle, which infuriated Naruto, but there was nothing he could do about it.

 

“You killed Neji, and Kakashi, and you injured Shino! You’re not gonna get away with this, pal! I don’t care who you are, I’m gonna—“

 

“You’re going to what?” He was interrupted. “I didn’t kill Neji; I’ve never been to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. My goal was to do exactly what I plan to do momentarily.” As he continued to speak, Naruto began to grow more and more angry, listening to this guy speak as if he had no remorse for what he did. “Kakashi, on the other hand, if that was his name, that was my doing. I filled this whole area with paper bombs, and that fool was stupid enough to lure himself right into my trap.” He chuckled again. “And your friend Shino? I was trying to kill you first...if there’s anyone to blame for that one, it’s you. Nonetheless, I expected a better challenge from a Shinobi of your caliber, but alas, I was disappointed. And now, I don’t see the point in wasting any more time. So I’ll just kill you.” He placed his hands together, and they became surrounded by a veil of mist. “Ninja Art: Mist Pressure!”

 

The barrier of mist covering Naruto, obviously infused with Chakra, began to enclose, and it began to push down upon him. He was unable to move, despite his struggling, and slowly he began to lose breath. The pressure was literally pushing him into the ground, causing the dirt underneath him to be pushed down as well. He heard feint laughter, and slowly began to fade...

 

“I hope you don’t feel pressured by all of this...” The man chuckled again. He kept his hands together, and the chakra from his body continued to merge with the mist, making it more powerful as it continued to push Naruto into the ground. “After all, it’s nothing personal. I’m just doing what was asked of me, is all.” Though he spoke with an innocence in his voice, he had no problem doing this. He’d had quite a dislike for Leaf Ninja for years, and this mission was somewhat of a reward to him. The opportunity for the Mist Ninja to step up and become relevant again. Pressing his hands together as hard as he could, he released one last stream of chakra. The barrier ceased, and there was now a five-foot incave in the ground. “That should do it...and I didn’t even have to listen to the brat whine. All in a good day’s work.”

 

He lowered his hands and took a step back. “All right, then.” He sighed. “I suppose I—“ He was interrupted as a Shuriken flew past him, nearly clipping his ear. “What the...?” Jumping to the side, he looked around the area, prepared to defend himself, yet not seeing anything. “Who’s there? You’ve no idea what you’re up against!”

 

“Actually pal, it’s you whose done the underestimating!” He whipped around and glanced up in the tree above him. There stood a moderately-tall ninja, decked out in a bright orange jumpsuit. “That...it’s that brat! I just killed him!” He hadn’t gotten a good look with the barricade and all, but that was Naruto alright. His jumpsuit was covered in blood in various spots, but he was standing, and he seemed to be okay.

 

“What in the world?! You?!”

 

“I hope you didn’t think I was going down that easy, right pal?!” Naruto stood, looking down at the enemy Ninja. With his mist cloak he was difficult to see, but that didn’t matter. The guy could manipulate weapons, and Naruto had figured out how. It was the chakra. By infusing his chakra in a Kunai, he was able to control its direction. Impressive. “You seem confused! See, while I may not be the smartest ninja, or the most intelligent, it doesn’t hurt to use the occasional common sense! My plan was to lure you out, at which point I used a Shadow Clone to see what your Jutsu was all about! By putting yourself out in the open like that, I was able to move around to where I am now, and you were so focused on the clone that you paid no attention to me!” The man seemed shocked, as if Naruto had outsmarted him, and that’s because he had. “If you wanna hurt me, that’s fine, but when you hurt my friends...that’s when I get angry!” He paused, catching his breath. “And now that you’ve put yourself right out in the open, I can take the fight to you! Pal, you’ve got two choices! You can either fight back, or stand there and take it! Either way...I’m going to kill you!”

 

NEXT TIME!

 

“That’s enough...this guy doesn’t know who he’s dealing with! I don’t care what kind of Jutsu he has, or if he can control his own weapons, I’m taking him down!”

 

The Chase Continues!

 

[Guest Neo Fusion]

nice chapter Star! this is good enough to be made into an actual filler arc..