This is the corrected version of the chapter, thank to Alpha142's suggestions. A great thank for your precious help!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter Two: Alternate Reality
It was a normal morning in Konoha. Most people were asleep, Sasuke Uchiha was training alone, and a blonde girl was running in place.
"Sai-sensei, what will you teach me? How to teleport, how to breath fire, how to fly?"
Naruto smiled. They were at a special training ground, with some trees and three logs. A few stray memories rushed through Naruto's mind, but he ruthlessly repressed them. He would be to Naruko everything Kakashi had not been to him: a mentor, a teacher, a confidant. "I will teach you how to climb on trees."
Her face was immediately covered by a disappointed look. "But, I already know how to do it!"
"Like this?" he asked as he began to walk on the bark of one big willow, much to Naruko's amazement. When he reached the top, the vessel turned around and locked eyes with his 'student'. "Want to try?"
The girl immediately ran… and fell after three steps.
Naruto calmly jumped next to her. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm not!" she snarled before rising up. "I'm just surprised."
"It is normal for your first time," he said calmly. "The base of this exercise is to control the amount of chakra in your feet. Too much and you break the bark, not enough and you don't adhere to the surface."
She stared at him with a questioning look. He sighed. "Chakra is the fusion of your mental and physical energy. Basically, it's your stamina made form, and the fuel of all jutsu and all ninja techniques." He made a hand-seal. "If your want to channel your chakra and focus, then make this seal and concentrate. You will sense it."
Naruko obeyed, and closed her eyes. Naruto sensed her chakra, and found that her reserves were lower than his own when he had been the same age. The sex difference perhaps? Was her seal different than his own? The Kyuubi was still in her, however. He had learnt to recognize this foul power's distinctive aura.
As he saw her walking on the tree and falling after eight steps, the teenager understood that her chakra control was also better than his own at the same age, and as precise as his current mastery, aka average. After a few exercises, he was sure she would succeed at doing what he had never done: to create a normal Bunshin.
"When will you graduate, Naruko?" Naruto asked.
"In a week," she said as she tried the exercise again, this time making ten steps.
"And do you feel ready?"
"Of course I feel ready!" she answered. It was a lie, obviously, but it was expected. He had always refused to admit his weaknesses at the same age.
"Then I won't have to help you with the basics." He knew he was toying with her, but he wanted her to be completely honest with him. It was somewhat hypocritical, since he didn't even give her his name, but he intended to reveal it when she was ready.
Naruto found himself wondering if Jiraiya and Kakashi had thought the same thing. That is, if Orochimaru had told the truth, and not lied. His doubts had ultimately led him to decide not to confront the Sandaime: if he was the same as the one Naruto had known, and if his old student was right, then Naruto would probably not be allowed to teach Naruko anything, or might be used as a weapon, or might be directly sent to Morino Ibiki for a muscled interrogation. Even if the Sandaime was as kind as he had appeared to Naruto, the vessel didn't know how he would react to his revelations. The idea of alternate worlds already sounded half-insane in his own opinion. He could be sent to a mental institution, or worse.
Of course, there was the possibility of DNA tests… but if the divergent elements between this Konoha and his own were more numerous than expected, they might fail to help. How could he prove he was an alternate Naruko if they had different parents? All options being risky, Naruto had decided to say nothing, to train Naruko in secret and perhaps to contact a seal master on his own. The seal didn't seem dangerous, simply disturbing and useless.
It wouldn't be too difficult: Naruko only talked to the Hokage once per month, or after a prank. As long as she didn't talk to the old man, everything would be fine. Of course, she would talk to him after graduation, and then he would have to explain himself, but when that time came he would have found a believable story to tell.
He was so screwed it was almost funny.
Naruko bit her lower lip. "Well… I would need help with some things…"
Naruto smiled. "It's the Bunshin, isn't it?" he asked with false innocence.
The little girl stared at him blankly. "How do you know?"
"I guessed it." He stared at the tree. "You have… huge… reserves of chakra, but with little control over them. The Bunshin's chakra requirement is so insignificant that it is extremely difficult for person like you: they can't help but overpower the technique."
Her jaw dropped. "You mean I will never be able to create a Bunshin?"
"No, I mean that without enough control your efforts are in vain. But fortunately," he smirked, "I can help you."
"How?" she asked avidly.
"By increasing your level of control over your chakra, through exercises like this one. After you reach the top, I will teach you another one, and you should be able to master the technique before your graduation." He suddenly had an idea to motivate her. "And if you master the Bunshin, then I will teach you one of my jutsu."
"Really?" she shouted. As he nodded, she hugged him. "Please, tell me it's a big one."
"A really good one," he promised, "but only if you succe-"
Naruko was already on the top of the willow.
For the next exercise, they went to the bathhouse, incognito of course. In Naruto's opinion, the water's temperature was relaxing, and it was one of the places where they would be left alone by Konoha's townsfolk. Nobody wanted to see the 'demon girl' nude.
She wasn't nude of course (he wasn't a pervert, despite Jiraiya's 'mentoring'), only wearing a practical white swimsuit that he had bought for her, since the merchants were less than enthusiastic when Naruko had come with him the first time (even Naruto's menacing stare didn't convince them to sell her something). He, on the other hand, was simply wearing orange boxers and Tsunade's necklace.
"Hey, Sai-sensei, what is that?" she asked. "It's beautiful."
"It's a gift from someone that…" he stopped. How should he consider Tsunade now? If Orochimaru had told him the truth then she had lied to him… but on the other hand she had risked her life to save him from the snake the first time they had met. Perhaps she wasn't aware of his teachers' bad tutoring? "I love her dearly."
"Her?" Naruko's knowing look immediately told Naruto that he had just made a big mistake. "You have a girlfriend? Damn, I'm already imagining Ayame-chan's face when-"
"She isn't my girlfriend!" he protested. "She is far too old for that!"
"Yeah, whatever," she said with a smile on her face. "And why does the age difference matter?"
"It matters when she's old enough to be my grandmother. And that I somehow consider her as such." Despite everything, he found himself thinking. "But anyway, I don't have a girlfriend."
"Then talk to Ayame-chan. She is only waiting for your proposition." She winked at him, imitating a kiss. "Or perhaps it's because of me?"
Naruto smiled. "Maybe… but back to business. The next exercise is an extension of tree-walking, the water-walking." He stepped on the hot water. "It's basically the same thing, but since the surface is not solid, it's much harder."
She nodded. "But why are we doing this here, in the men's bathhouse? Why not near a river?"
He had already prepared an answer. "The heat will relax you and help you concentrate. And at this hour, every man is somewhere else other than there."
It was the truth, but the real reason he choose this place was far more different: he hoped to meet Jiraiya, his old teacher, to show him the seal, and knowing his habits, the pervert would soon try to peep at the women through the hole in the wall. And he was pretty sure only he, Jiraiya, Ebisu, Kakashi and maybe the Sandaime were aware of its existence.
Yeah, he suddenly realized that all his teachers were perverts. Cursed libido.
The seal had changed, and he didn't know how to repair it. The Kyuubi was nowhere to be found, and Naruto couldn't access its chakra anymore. The strange mirrors inside of his mindscape also bothered him.
The situation wasn't that bad, however. Without the Kyuubi's chakra in his coils, his control over his own had increased dramatically. He was not even close of being able to compete with Sakura or Tsunade in this domain, but at least he was now on the level of a normal chuunin. Practicing this exercise with Naruko would benefit him too.
While he was observing his student's attempts (and failures), Naruto unexpectedly gained the memories of one of the clones he had sent at the library earlier in the morning. The information he had gathered on astronomy, mathematics and physics were interesting… if only the original could understand them! He found himself regretting not having studied well at the academy. If he had, he would have been able to find a rational explanation for everything that had happened to him lately. Heck, he might have found a way to return home.
Hey… why not correct that mistake? He thought. He created another clone, who immediately left for the library.
Somewhere, two clones dispelled. This time, the memories were more useful. The first one had been a member of the rasengan-training division, and the second of the Kusanagi-training division. The reports were mixed. While Naruto was now sure he would be able to use the rasengan without his clones at the end of the day (one hundred of his copies were working at it, so it was only a matter of time), his swordsmanship was the same as before: inexistent.
He did find how Orochimaru managed to make the sword grow (a chakra pulse, a discovery one of the clones had paid for with his life when the blade had cut through his head), but without the talent to back up this wonderful technique, the Kusanagi was only useful as a spear. He lacked Orochimaru's proficiency, and it was becoming clearer and clearer for him that without a sword master to teach him, his training was a waste of time. He would have to retrieve the weapon later in the day.
Naruto sighed. He briefly wondered where he would find a master willing to train him, until he thought of a solution.
The toads. Gamabunta wielded a blade, so maybe another amphibian knew how to use one as well. He had to ask Gamakichi about it.
Biting his finger, tasting his own blood, Naruto began the hand-seals necessary for the summoning jutsu, before slamming his palm on the ground.
Nothing happened.
Naruto tried again. And again. And again, until he noticed Naruko's questioning look. He locked eyes with her. "I have a little problem."
The understatement of the century. One of the only techniques he knew wasn't working anymore! Calming himself, Naruto closed his eyes and thought about the possible reasons behind this disaster. Perhaps his contract with the toads had been severed when he had crossed the barrier between his world and this one? Maybe the distance was simply too great for this jutsu to work?
The result was the same: no summons anymore.
Naruto repressed a scream of frustration. Why was the universe so intent on messing with him?
"What is it, Boss?" Naruko asked him.
He sighed. "It seems one of my techniques don't work anymore," he answered honestly.
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know, and frankly, I really don't want to talk about it." He looked up at his student. "What about you? Have you already mastered the exercise?"
"Yes." She backed up her claims with a demonstration. His 'sister clone' was now standing perfectly on the water.
Naruto smiled, and he joined her. He cocked his head towards her. "Are you ready for a spar on the water?"
"Of course."
"Then let's begin."
Less than a minute later, Naruko was sinking in the bath. Lifting her up above the liquid with his left hand, Naruto sighed. "Let me guess: your only recurring sparring partner is a log, or teachers and classmates outclassing you in everything. Am I right?"
He already knew the answer to his own question, since it had been the same thing with him, but seeing her nod angered the blonde teen. What the fuck was Iruka doing in this universe? At least he had corrected him some of the time in his homeworld! "Sorry, but your fighting style is full of flaws. You may get killed if you continue to use it." Naruto smirked.
"We will have to correct that."
"Winner: Naruko Uzumaki."
The girl looked at the limp form in front of her. Sakura Haruno was glaring at her, still under the shock of being outclassed by the dead-last of the class.
Her fighting prowess (Sai-sensei called it taijutsu) had improved dramatically over the last five days, and, two days before graduating, she was now able to beat all the girls in the class. Of course, Sai already told her that the clan heirs weren't allowed to practice their family's style at school, but her utter pawning of the civilians' children was clear proof of the effectiveness of the teenager's teachings.
"This finishes today's spars," Iruka announced. "Everyone can return home."
As Naruko was about to leave, the teacher put one hand on her shoulder. "I want to have a word with you."
Naruko frowned. "What's the matter, Iruka-sensei?" Another punishment? But she had won all the fights! It was unjust! "Have I done something wrong?"
"No," he replied. "But I want to know who taught you that style."
She bit her lower lip. "Why? And how do you know?"
"I am just a bit curious," the teacher stated. "This style is a bit different from the standardized one, so I thought someone trained you in using it. And you confirmed my suspicions."
Naruko looked at him strangely. "What does it matter? He is a nice guy." Sai-sensei was one of the greatest people she had ever met. He was friendly like Ayame-chan and Teuchi-jiji, kind like the Hokage-jiji, and willing to train her. She would repay him well when she became Hokage.
"I only want to know who he is. This style is a bastardized, if efficient, version of the academy one. I have never seen it before."
Naruko smirked. "I doubt you know him. Sai-sensei is a genin."
"Who?" he asked her.
Her eyes widened. "You don't know him?"
"No. Can you describe him?"
"He has blonde hair, blue eyes, always looks like a hobo…"
Iruka shook his head pensively. "I remember all my students, and I don't recall who you are talking about."
She bit her lower lip. "Perhaps he was in another class?"
"Possible," Iruka said. "I will do some research."
"Yeah. But now, if you excuse me, I have to go."
The teacher nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I'm sure that you're occupied. Well, tell this 'Sai' that his defensive stances are useless when the enemy targets the legs, and that he should protect his head a bit more. His style is ineffective against a fast opponent, and ..." Noticing Naruko's dropped jaw, Iruka grinned. "What, it's my duty to help my students, especially when they can improve."
Naruto was meditating under a tree. He was near the place where he had fought Mizuki in his homeworld.
The exercise was meant to increase his chakra control, but he didn't make much progress. In fact, he was more preoccupied with the loss of his summons. His clones didn't find any relevant data, and he was angry.
But his experimentations with the rasengan had worked, and he could now use it without his clones. He also mastered another technique he could teach to Naruko after her graduation. Now, he only had to try the exercises his clones gathered on elemental manipul-
"HEY! BOSS, WHERE ARE YOU?"
Covering his ears, Naruto repressed the urge to yell back at the newcomer. "I'm here, Naruko," he said calmly.
As soon as she stepped into the clearing, his student immediately hugged him. "Sai-sensei, I beat all the girls in my class!"
He narrowed his eyes. "Really? One by one?"
"One after the other! I am truly the best kunoichi of all time!"
She really is a younger me. "I'm very happy to see you succeed. It's the best thing a teacher could wish for. But next time, don't yell at me. It makes everyone in the vicinity aware of your presence."
"Why is that a bad thing?" she questioned him as they ended their brotherly embrace.
"Because some people might have bad intentions. If the enemy notices you too soon, you're going to be in big trouble." He learned this lesson the hard way at the bridge. If Kabuto hadn't seen them and attacked Sakura before she could reach and help Yamato, then the fight could have taken a very different turn.
"Yeah, says the orange eyesore," Naruko deadpanned.
"When you have the Henge, it's not important. And the enemy tends to underestimate ninjas in bright colors. I am talking about your attitude."
"What is wrong with my attitude?" she asked wearily.
"You act as if you want everyone to notice you," which she was trying to do, obviously. "You shout all the time, you make your presence known each time you enter a building, you tell everyone you want to be Hokage…"
"I am going to be Hokage!" she yelled at him again. Apparently, he had hit a nerve.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "And WHY do you want to be Hokage?"
"Everyone will then be forced to respect me!"
He stayed silent a moment, before using the armor piercing question. "Are they truly worth the effort?"
Naruko looked at him with a blank expression. Naruto knew he was in some way cruel, but he felt this talk was necessary. It had taken his retrieval mission with Sasuke for him to fully realize he needed to mature. His inability to understand Sasuke and to do what was necessary only brought him problems. His needless rivalry with him, coupled with his less than reasonable handling of his teammate, were the real causes of the Uchiha's desertion.
Pursuing the title of Hokage for nothing more than respect was simply illusory. The villagers would respect Naruko only if she acted like a martyr for a decade, and if Orochimaru's rant was the blunt truth, then Naruko didn't need to earn anything. They were indebted to her, and had (and would have) to repay the years of suffering they had inflicted on the other vessel in some way or another.
If Naruko truly wanted to follow the path of Hokage, then she had to do it for the right purposes, not because the Sandaime told her to or for perhaps empty words of praise. She needed a good justification.
He had returned to Konoha for the same reason he had stood against Orochimaru: to protect the few people he truly loved. And even now, when he saw Naruko treated as badly as he was, by the same people despite the differences between this world and his own, he was still doubtful he had made the right decision.
"Are you going to work all your life to earn the respect of the people treating like you like the scum of the earth? Are you going to forgive the people shunning you for nothing? Hokage won't bring you their acknowledgment. It is their acknowledgment that will bring you the title of Hokage, not the other way around. If you want to be Hokage, you will have to become this town's most respected champion."
He stared in the direction of the memorial. "If you want to be a hero, then your path will be one of pain and sacrifice. It is only then that your name will be written on this monument, far away from there."
"Then they will write my name on it!" she announced.
"Only after you died," he stated, and shock spread over Naruko's face. "It's a memorial, where the names of all the heroes that died for this place are celebrated. If you want acknowledgment, then you will gain it there." He locked eyes with her.
"Now, I want you to answer this question with sincerity: why do you want to be Hokage?"
For at least five minutes, the clearing stayed silent. Finally, the little girl murmured something.
"To protect my dearest people."
Naruto smiled. "You will. I promise I will help you to."
Naruko smiled back. "Yeah… but now back to business! What is wrong with yelling at the enemy?"
The vessel sighed. Some things never changed.
"Aren't they cute?" Yuugao asked. "Dog-sempai?"
Kakashi was as silent as a rock. He had observed 'Sai' (if that was his real name, and the ANBU was convinced it wasn't) and found him… disturbing.
The sheer number of clones he could make had pretty much confirmed his status as a Bijuu without a tail, but how could he even know the Kage Bunshin? Perhaps Orochimaru had taught it to him, and in this case this genin was surely a high-ranking soldier in the snake's organization. But he seriously doubted that the Sannin would give the Kusanagi to anyone, even an elite agent.
If this was really Orochimaru in disguise, then why was he acting so openly? The snake knew better than to show his sword in public, or even expose himself at all. Heck, the Orochimaru he knew would never be able to act like a big brother to anyone! Finally, another point truly disturbed the ANBU.
This boy knew the Rasengan.
Only he, the Sandaime and Jiraiya knew how to use this jutsu. Recreating it was next to impossible without advanced knowledge of the Tailed Beasts and chakra manipulation. Without Kushina, Minato would never have created this technique at all!
Who was this guy?
"Kakashi," another ANBU asked, "why are you acting like that? Is it a cat?"
Kakashi looked sideways at the four agents, tasked with the duo's surveillance. "No. I need to go for a walk," he deadpanned, as he stepped in the clearing, much to his partner's annoyance. After a quick search, Kakashi found what he was looking for: some of the boy's hair.
"Yuugao, would you kindly take this to the hospital? I want to test something."
The day before graduation…
Naruko channeled her chakra, and made a hand-seal. Three perfect copies of herself appeared in the clearing, all grinning. One minute later, a shout resonated in all of Konoha.
"I DID IT! I FUCKING MASTERED THE BUNSHIN!"
"My felicitations, my student," he complimented her while clapping his hands. True, she could have announced her success without the excess language, but he was willing to let it slide this time. Her joy was simply too pure to be tarnished now.
"I DID IT BOSS!" she screamed as she hugged him. Resting his palms on her shoulders, he smiled.
The moment lasted for a moment, before they separated. Naruko's face was as red as a tomato. "Thank you Sai-sensei. For everything."
His smile didn't waver. "It's nothing."
"No," she said. "No, it's not. I wouldn't have been able to do the jutsu without your help, sensei. You have helped me train when almost nobody even wanted to talk to me, and I couldn't have progressed this much without you." She bowed slightly. "Thank you, Boss."
Naruto, touched, returned the gesture. "You know, Naruko, I remember something… I promised to teach you a jutsu if you ever mastered the Bunshin."
She stood up, gazing at him like a hawk. "What kind of jutsu?"
He smirked, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke and silently reappearing behind Naruko. He put a kunai near her neck. "Give me your money!" he yelled; much to her horror, before laughing and stashing the weapon.
Naruko stayed immobile, before awing. "Badass."
"The Shunshin. Quick, efficient, silent." He didn't want to teach her the Kage Bunshin, because having Naruko explain to her future jounin instructor how she got her hands on a forbidden jutsu would be troublesome for them both, and the rasengan was simply too well known for being taught to a child. He didn't know how the Sandaime, Kakashi or Jiraiya would react. Maybe later.
He had learned the basics of the Shunshin from books, and the clones had helped him master it very quickly. They had also discovered some ingenious uses of the tree-walking technique, but didn't find any relevant jutsu in the library. All the knowledge about techniques was jealously kept secret by the clans, the village, and the ninjas themselves. The only public jutsu were the basic ones, unfortunately.
It took Naruko only five hours to master the technique. Her higher chakra control was certainly the cause of this result.
"You know what, Naruko," he told her. "Since your graduation is tomorrow, why not do something special for the occasion?"
"What?"
He grinned, and explained to her his plan. She immediately agreed, a smirk on her face.
Yeah, some things never changed.
The day of the graduation came. Naruko was ready to pass, and Sai-sensei, after much deliberation, had finally decided to change his wardrobe for something more presentable than half-torn clothes. He was now wearing a black shirt, purple pants, and an orange cloak fully concealing his awesome sword. Naruko wondered why he was doing that, but Sai assured her it was simply to not make people uneasy.
The Hokage Monument, watching over the town, now had a new face, courtesy of the Boss. Naruko's grinning head was staring at the town, much to its citizens' displeasure.
How the genin even succeeded in doing something like this in one night was a mystery for Naruko, but he promised to teach her how after her graduation. She was confident, of course. While she was an utter failure at academics, her accuracy was now average, her taijutsu very good, and she could finally do the Bunshin. Her success was assured.
But during the course of the exams, she noticed something strange with her teachers. While Iruka seemed happy to see her succeed, Mizuki's eyes were filled with a barely restrained rage. So much that he looked downright murderous when she made the three needed Bunshin.
In the end, she proudly showed her prized genin headband to the crowd of parents assembled before the school, much to their anger and Sai-sensei's joy. "I am a genin now, Boss."
"I know, Naruko. I never doubted it." He smirked mischievously. "Let's go to Ichiraku's. My treat."
"Cool!" she shouted. "I knew you would understand my needs."
Kakashi's eyes widened as he read the medical report. He gazed at the doctors in front of him. "Are you sure it isn't an error?"
"We thought the same thing the first time, Kakashi-san, so we reran the test three more times. We don't know how it's possible, but…"
Kakashi reread the report. He would have to talk to this Sai tonight.
"Ten bowls, Teuchi-jiji!" Naruko yelled. "I'm going to eat until I pass out!"
"The same thing for me, mister," Naruto ordered calmly.
"Of course!" he brought forth the bowls. Apparently, he had already prepared them for tonight.
"Teuchi-jiji?" Naruko's eyes shimmered with joy. "Are they what I think they are?"
"Yes," he confirmed. "This is the Deluxe Miso Ramen, created by the Ramen deities themselves to satisfy our earthly appetites with a heavenly savor! Prepared by myself to celebrate this special day!"
"YES! THANK YOU TEUCHI-JIJI!" the girl immediately started to devour the food at a blinding speed. Naruto smiled at the spectacle. Ayame and Teuchi also looked amused.
"So you're finally a ninja?" Ayame asked.
The younger vessel nodded vigorously. "Thang to Saiz-zenzei!"
"Naruko, don't talk with your mouth full. That's impolite."
"Buz zat the truf, Zai-senzai!" she swallowed. "You're the best teacher ever!" she claimed.
"You're that good?" Ayame questioned.
Naruto reddened a bit. "Well, I'm ok."
"Perhaps you could train with me one day?" she asked jokingly. "You would make a good cook."
"Maybe. Never tried."
Naruko looked up at him. "I'm sure you would be the best." She smiled. "Then you could prepare me some new dishes!"
He laughed. "Let me guess," he locked eyes with her, "Ramen?"
"You read my mind," she said mirthfully. "I knew we were made for each other."
The discussion continued, and between Ayame's attempts at inviting him on a date, Teuchi's jokes and Naruko's fascination with the Deluxe Miso Ramen, Naruto enjoyed the moment. He wanted it to last forever.
"Hello everyone," Iruka said, as he entered the ramen stand. "How are you doing?" he asked Naruko.
She smiled and touched her headband. "Very well, Iruka-sensei."
"I am very happy for you," he said kindly, before seeing the other vessel. He tried to hide it, but Naruto noticed the tension in his muscles. "And you must be the famous Sai, I presume?"
The demon container nodded. "Happy to meet you, mister," he shook hands with the man.
"As a fellow teacher, I have to congratulate you on helping Naruko to pass."
"You also have a part in this success."
"No," he said flatly. "It's only when you took her under your wing that she had begun to improve. I should have realized sooner that she needed an individual's help. I take this as a personal failure."
"Don't worry, Iruka-sensei," she said. "I did pass, after all."
"Yes, but if you hadn't met your friend, you wouldn't have," he stated. "I wouldn't have realized you needed more training in time and you would have failed. Badly."
"It's all right," she assured. "I forgive you."
He smiled. "I… don't know what to say."
"Then say nothing," Naruko smirked, much to Naruto's amusement.
But then Iruka posed a fatal question.
"Well, Sai-san," he said, "when did you attend the Academy? I haven't found anything on you within the archives."
At least now he knew the reason behind the man's hidden tension. He had doubts about the teenager's identity. Naruto didn't answer.
In fact, the silence was so awkward that he almost felt relieved when he noticed a figure standing on the top of the building behind them, unsealing a scroll and unleashing a wall of kunai upon the ramen stand.
"On the ground!" he shouted as he took Naruko in his arms and sheltered her behind the bar, Iruka imitating them. Teuchi and Ayame had good reflexes, and dropped to the floor. The weapons demolished the restaurant's façade.
"Impressive," a voice snarled. "You're a fast bastard."
"Mizuki?" Iruka shouted, horrified, as he recognized the voice. "What are you doing?"
"My duty, Iruka," he responded. "I am killing the demon for the good of the village."
"That's insane!"
"Of course, he is," Naruto snorted as he took the Kusanagi in his right hand, observing the man from an opening in the bar. "You expect us to die so easily? Get your head out of the clouds! Do you really think you can defeat three ninja alone?"
"No, of course not. You're like vermin, awful but tough," Naruto saw him smirk. "That's why I have brought back-up."
The vessel's eyes blinked when he saw a dozen ninjas getting out of the shadows of the empty street. The two guards of Konoha's gate, a disfigured man, one of the Chuunin Exam's proctors, three ANBU and three other ninjas he only saw once or twice. They were all heavily armored and prepared to kill them.
"We have all agreed that having the demon brat as an official genin is a true danger to Konoha's safety," the man announced. "And you, Sai… if this really is your name… I am afraid your life ends here, fake ninja!"
Naruto frowned as he saw his four protégées stiffen beside him. "Well, I kind of lied when I said I was a genin of Konoha…" he explained.
"You never were!" Mizuki shouted. "No genin named Sai has ever studied in the Academy! Who are you really? A spy? A pathological liar? Something else?"
"None of those," the vessel replied, much to Naruko's amazement. "I'm just a lone wanderer lost on the road of life…"
"Quoting Kakashi won't help you!" one of the ANBU claimed. "You're a danger to this place, and a demon-lover! We can't allow the Kyuubi to receive any training!"
Naruto's eyes narrowed, and Iruka's glared at the attackers. Naruko stared at them questioningly. "What are they talking about?"
"They are trying to unsettle us," Naruto said. Mizuki had used the same tactic back in his homeworld, and he would not fall for it again. "Stay hidden and flee with Ayame and Teuchi as soon as possible. Alert the Hokage."
Iruka looked sideways at him. "Sai-san, we can't defeat them all. Some of them are jounin, they are better equipped and they outnumber us six to one."
"We will simply delay them," he stated. "I have a few aces up my sleeve." If only he could still summon the toads…
Naruto sighed. "Okay, in case I do not survive this, then let me tell you this: Naruko, my real name is Naruto Uzumaki, I am a male version of yourself coming from an alternate universe, and your teacher will probably be a pervert."
"WHAT?"
"No time to explain." He channeled chakra inside the Kusanagi.
Immediately, the sword grew, cut through the bar, and impaled one of the ANBU at a blinding speed. Before the shocked band of traitors could react, Naruto escaped the booth and made the hand-seal sequence for the Kage Bunshin. Immediately, a hundred of his clones filled the street. Everyone looked at them in shock.
All the clones smiled. "Let's give these losers a lesson."
A second later, the situation degenerated into a chaotic melee.
Iruka could only watch mesmerized as he saw the clones of the blonde ganging up on Raidou and giving him a brutal beat down. The teacher, thanks to his detection sonar, quickly realized that they weren't normal clones, but solid constructs of chakra. He couldn't find the real one amongst them.
Unfortunately, one blow was enough to dissipate them, and the teenager's fighting style was still flawed. Some of their enemies successfully cut their way through them, trying to reach the escaping Naruko. A kunai in hand, Iruka silently attacked one of the chuunin from behind, gutting him. Another tried to kill him, but he successfully avoided his fists.
Iruka then kicked the man in the balls. He fell on the ground with tears in his eyes, and later died with a shuriken in the head.
If it's worth fighting for, Iruka thought, it's worth fighting dirty for.
Naruto gritted his teeth as he blasted away an ANBU with a well-placed rasengan. The other was already on him, trying to cut him in half with a sword, and the clones' numbers were dwindling. Yeah, half of the attackers had been defeated, but without the Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto couldn't make too many copies. He was already feeling tired, and his opponents weren't pushovers. Heck, the disfigured guy had risen and started fighting again, even after his clones had beaten the shit out of him!
"Need help?"
The vessel blinked as he saw a Chidori cutting through the ANBU's body.
"I am disappointed by your actions," Kakashi said, his sharingan glaring at his victim. "Betraying your charge… you only deserve death," he said as he withdrew his arm from the corpse. He locked eyes with Naruto. "Are you alright?"
The vessel nodded, still somewhat shocked. "Thanks."
"It's nothing," the jounin said. "It's my duty to protect my teacher's heirs."
Naruto frowned, remembering Orochimaru's words. "Care to explain?"
"I know you're related to Naruko," he announced as they ran at the proctor and the last chuunin standing. "Your father… Minato Namikaze was the best of us all. We all regret his death."
"Why didn't you help Naruko then!" he yelled as he created a rasengan and charged at the chuunin.
"Politics," he answered with a hint of anger. "Konoha's authorities don't want the Kyuubi's container to be too strong, so they have forbidden all families from adopting her, out of fear that she could learn anything. I fear her jounin teacher will also be banned from teaching her more than the basics."
Naruto felt the anger he unleashed on Orochimaru returning. "The Sandaime-"
"The Sandaime can't ignore the will of the clans, of the council of Konoha, of its people," the jounin interrupted, while killing the proctor with a Chidori in the heart. "Konoha isn't a dictatorship, unlike the other villages."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. He would have a word with the old man as soon as possible.
Damn, Iruka-sensei is a badass! Naruko thought as she saw him defeat two ninjas handily. And Sa-Naruto-sensei really is powerful. But what was he talking abou-
A quick Shunshin saved her from a kunai stab. Mizuki looked downright murderous when his blade cut through a ramen bowl.
Naruko looked sideways at Ayame and Teuchi. "Run!" she ordered. They immediately left without saying a word.
"Why are you attacking us?" she asked him.
"Why?" he repeated. "That's simple: you're nothing more than a monster, a demon, the Kyuubi reborn. Haven't you guessed why all of Konoha hates you? Just remember your date of birth!"
What- she thought as she realized what the man was talking about. Terror spread over her face. "You can't mean…"
She only saw a wide and sadistic grin on his face. "Yes, Naruko: the Yondaime didn't kill the Kyuubi, he simply sealed her into a human. You! You're the demon fox that killed thousands of people!"
I… I… She couldn't believe it. She couldn't move, even as she saw Mizuki's kunai thrown at her gut.
"That's wrong!" Naruto's voice brought her back to reality. He was standing in front of her, the weapon caught in his left hand. "Naruko is not the Kyuubi! She is his warden! A hero, who doesn't deserve your hatred! She is a human, a girl worth respecting! And I won't allow you to hurt her!"
Boss… She didn't know how to answer.
"You can't protect her alone!" Mizuki yelled, as the two gatekeepers came to his aid alongside the bleeding but still standing disfigured ninja.
"No. But he is not alone," a female ANBU stated, as she appeared beside the duo alongside Iruka and a silver-haired man. "For having broken the Sandaime's Law of Silence," the woman continued, "your punishment will be death."
"Give up Mizuki!" Naruto told the crazed instructor. "Your plan has failed!"
"Oh, the first yes," he said, as made a hand-seal sequence. "But not the backup one!" The guards attacked the ANBU duo, and the bleeding guy engaged Iruka in a taijutsu battle.
A symbol appeared on the ground, enclosing him, Naruko and Naruto. The girl found herself unable to move.
"What is this?" she asked.
"A trap!" the instructor said, as he tore his shirt apart, revealing a hundred explosive tags on his torso. "And you are caught within it!"
Naruko's eyes widened as she saw the teacher explode.
In a strange place, nine spheres began to light up. A web of mirrors moved, and they trembled. Finally, a red light illuminated them, and the picture of a clearing appeared on them.
A second later, Naruko and Naruto had simply vanished from the surface of this earth, and a massive blast destroyed the whole street, killing and hurting everyone in the vicinity.
A flash of light illuminated a clearing. Sasori found himself looking emotionlessly at two blondes lying on the ground, right in front of him.
"Okay," he said. "What happened?"
In her bed, Yuugao Uzuki stiffened. Someone was there.
She had been hospitalized after tonight's events, covered with burns and mentally broken when she had noticed the distinct chakra signature of a genjutsu. A potent one. First her crushing failure at protecting Naruko, and now an assassin? Did she have the same bad luck as Tsunade-hime?
"So you are aware of my presence. It won't help you, however." Yuugao locked eyes with a sharingan.
A second later, she wasn't at the hospital anymore. She was crucified, bleeding under a red moon.
The man in front of her was hiding his face behind a spiraled mask, revealing only one hateful eye. He was wearing a strange black cloak with scarlet clouds on it.
"Who are you? An Uchiha?" she asked. "Where am I?"
"The who is not important," he said. "The where, however…" He chuckled. "You are inside of the Tsukiyomi, a world under my total and absolute control."
"An illusion?"
"Yes," he answered. "But your pain will be real."
Yuugao glared at him. "What do you want?"
The man laughed. "What do I want? Answers, to all my questions. It's important. And the first is…" He approached her, until he was only a few centimeters away from her.
"Who was that blonde girl that you were always following around? And what happened tonight? Where has she vanished?"
Yuugao's eyes narrowed. "I will never tell you."
"You will." A spear appeared from nowhere in the man's hands. "I can promise you," he said as he stabbed her belly with his weapon.
It took her three whole days to crack.
Leaving the hospital and the dead body of the ANBU behind him, Madara Uchiha teleported in the center of an empty street, which had recently been demolished by a huge explosion. The hole in space had left the very fabric of reality weakened here, and the immortal was confident in his ability to open it again.
The situation was incredible. More than one reality existed in this universe. Even better, the Uzumaki teen could travel between them. He didn't know how it was even possible, but this power was truly interesting.
Madara was thinking on a whole new level. His master plan now seemed insignificant, and the existence of copies of Konoha was disturbing. He needed to recruit Naruto. With him, he would be able to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted. He would be almighty.
The boy had been, like him, betrayed by Konoha and the Senju. It would be easy to coerce him into joining his crusade against the wretched place. If he couldn't be convinced…
Well, force works too, he thought as he vanished from this world.
Author's notes:
That chapter is a bit longer than the last, but I hope you enjoyed it. As you can see, my Naruto is not the canon one. He is a Naruto that matured after Sasuke's betrayal, and is far more collected, focused and smarter than his canon counterpart. Naruko, her, has the personality of canon Naruto.
And since I have to thank all those that reviewed my first chapter, I will answer some of the questions asked.
About the Kyuubi-Naruto idea: remember the Evil Naruto I was talking about in my last author's notes? Well, he is, kind of, a Gaara-Naruto. Although, he's far more sympathetic than Gaara and more of a very unstable kid.
Why did I add Madara to this story? Because I find the idea of a chase through endless universes entertaining. And why did I choose Madara specifically? Because I think that Kishimoto could have done a better job with his main villain. Instead of being a stereotypical evil superpowered jerk, Madara should have been what Gaara was to Naruto: an evil mirror of himself. What he would have become if he had decided to follow the path of blind (and maybe justified) revenge. The Madara of my story, despite his utter monstrosity, will more complex than the canon one.
About One Piece-like universes or other Anime-universes: maybe. I say maybe because most universes are simply variations of canon, where some elements changed and made the world take a turn for better or worse, but since everything is possible, I might add one world of this kind later.
Naruko's training: I think I made clear in this chapter that Naruto's fighting style still has flaws, and that he had lost some of his inner advantages (the Kyuubi and the summoning). I did this for a simple reason: having a hero less dependent on a big Deus Ex Machina (the Kyuubi) and more on his own abilities. His relation with Naruko is like the blind leading a less experienced blind: he knows more things than her, but is still dysfunctional.
So, write you next time, and thanks for the review.
