Introduction
I lean against a tree and take a deep breath. I need to think. Shortly after the war was over, Naruto disappeared. He just up and vanished. Numerous search parties from all the five great nations were sent out, but nothing turned up. After a while, everyone gave up. True, Naruto was really important to the war, but a lot of people found it hard to believe that someone was able to kidnap or kill him. No, he probably left for his own reasons. I was part of one of the last search parties to be sent out. Even after I was called back, I still couldn't get him off of my mind, so I finally just left to search for him alone.
To be honest, I have no idea how to start. Everyone in the Five Great Nations is looking for him, and no one has any clue where to find him, so how the heck am I supposed to find him looking alone?
Suddenly, I hear someone calling my name, startling me out of my thoughts. My eyes widen. I thought I left all the ninja searching for me behind a long time ago.
I sigh and ready a smoke bomb. I'm sorry. I think. I really don't want to do this, but I also don't want to return to the Leaf Village. I turn to throw but I freeze when I suddenly sense the presence of a very strange and powerful chakra. It's also familiar.
I glance at the other ninja just in time to see him taken down by a huge blue ball of energy. It's the rasengan.
Before I know what I're doing, I am running toward the fallen ninja. Something flashes at the edge of my vision. I skid to a jump and jump up right before another rasengan lands right where I were standing. I watch in horror and confusion as the ninja's head explodes with the force of the attack.
I don't move as I see him land gently in the middle of the smoking crater where that ninja used to be. I can't help it as tears slide slowly down my cheek.
"Naruto," I say quietly. He looks at me as I slowly and hesitantly turn my head and look at him, afraid of what I'll see. But he looks normal. Too normal. The Naruto I know would never have killed a comrade. What the heck is going on? I wonder. Our eyes meet and I shudder. His eyes are devoid of practically all emotion. Instead of the normal warm kindness that is usually there, there is a cold joy. An almost evil kind of joy. I inch back. Whoever this is, this can't be Naruto.
"Who are you?" I ask firmly. My voice comes out stronger than I feel. The Naruto lookalike just laughs.
"Oh, Blue. Your skill level must have dropped while I was away. Can't you sense the chakra?" Naruto laughs again gleefully and lazily sends a mini- rasengan my way. I quickly jump out of the way. I flinch as the tree that was behind me explodes, knowing full well that this so- called Naruto is just playing with me. He could easily kill me if he wanted to.
"You're still as quick on your feet as always," Naruto observes.
I want to believe that this is a fake, that Naruto would never do this. But I have to admit he is right. His chakra is exactly the same as the Naruto I knew. No transformation jutsu in the world could copy his, and even if it could, there is no way anyone could copy his attacks so perfectly.
I shudder again. What happened to him? I watch every move Naruto makes, trying my best to convince myself that I'll be quick enough to dodge his next attack. I blink, and Naruto is beside me. He swings his arm towards me, and I swiftly launch myself out of reach. I make the hand signs for a Fireball Jutsu, but Naruto just laughs and swats me away like a fly. I curse. I had forgotten about his chakra arms.
I roll as I land and find myself surrounded by Naruto's shadow clones.
"Fudgsicles," I mutter, annoyed. I launch myself at the nearest clone, engaging in a taijutsu match with it. The other clones just watch with a bored expression as I finally defeat the clone and face the next one. They each fight me one by one.
I defeat many of his clones, but they just keep on coming. I break away from the circle of clones and jump into the air.
"Fire Style, Dragon Fire jutsu," I yell. I spin in a circle as I do, lighting up the entire crowd surrounding me on fire.
When I land, there is only one Naruto left: the original one. He smiles at as ten more clones step out from the trees and surround me. I get into my fighting stance, though I know I can't possibly win.
A clone jumps me from behind and knocks me onto my back.
The last thing I see is a huge line of rasengans coming straight for my face. Then everything goes dark.