Chapter 1
Konoha Acadamy
"Now, class we are going to have a pop test if you will," the sensei said amidst multiple groans from his students. "The clone jutsu. Please, step forward and we will see how many of you actually practiced it."
The first student stepped up and performed the jutsu nervously. The smile faded from his sensei's face when instead of a clone of the student, a fish lay flopping on the floor.
"Next," sensei said with a sigh. He could tell this was going to be a long day.
The students that followed were not much better. Some had managed to make a clone, but it had lain on the floor about as dead as the floor boards it was on. This continued until there were only two students left to perform the jutsu.
"Itachi, could you please step forward. I know you will not disappoint me."
Itachi effortlessly performed the jutsu and his clone stood next to him with the same alertness and seemingly boredom that the real one currently possessed.
"Ah! See everyone? Your clone should look like an exact replica of you so that your enemy cannot tell which is the real one."
Itachi's clone vanished and the 6yr old Uchiha walked back to his seat, the perfect picture of boredom.
"All right, who's left? Ah, yes, Ari its your turn."
A small girl with long black hair stepped up, did the jutsu as perfectly as Itachi, and before her sensei could say anything was back in her seat while the clone stood in from of him tapping her foot with impatience.
"Well?" the clone asked, "Do I pass or what?"
"Uh…Sure. Excellent job, Ari," Sensei said scratching his head. He couldn't believe that Ari could control her clone so well.
The clone rolled her eyes then walked toward the door.
"Ari, what are you doing?"
The little girl looked up from her seat by the window.
"What do you mean, Sensei?" she asked innocently.
"Shouldn't your clone have vanished by now?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Oh, it will in a few minutes. I like to practice controlling it as long as I can. It helps my chakra levels and lets me know what my limit is." She said, then looked back down at her text book.
"That's all very good but how will you control it when you can't see it?" he said as the clone slipped out the door.
"I suppose I won't. Which probably means that it vanished the minute it went through the door." She said without looking up.
Sensei didn't look so convinced but he decided to let it go. After all, next to Itachi she was his best student.
"Ok, lets continue with our next lesson."
Outside of the academy the clone broke into a run towards the woods.
"The teachers in the academy are so dumb." The Ari-clone thought laughing softly.
She ran deep into the forest until she came to a halt in a clearing.
"Perfect," she said with a smirk, "I can finally train without have anyone bother me."
It had been simple really. When sensei had given them the test it had been so easy to switch places with the clone and walk out of the classroom. She may have been 6 yrs old but she knew she had better things to do then sit there and listen to her sensei drone on and on about stuff she already knew.
She made another clone of herself and got in the fighting stance. It was so much harder to fight against someone that knew your every move before you even thought you were going to make it. She thoroughly enjoyed it.
"Bring it on!" she yelled at her clone, lunging toward it.