Nobody reviews anymore... and not just for this one, for all my stories. I've been in a pretty big slump over the past six months or so too. But... I have a question this time around.

So, if you've been following along you should know that Naruto has three personas or alter-egos total, two of them crafted by Majora. Majora has so much control it can switch at any time (though Naruto is gradually gaining more willpower over it) The first is like his old self, cheerful, bombastic and with no memory of his past deeds and a false mission. This Naruto is essentially a sleeper agent to cause mischief and pain. The second one is the sadistic Naruto that takes over when fully possessed and wearing Majora's Mask (think Skull Kid). The third one is the true Naruto, the one with his memories.

Now, at this point, Majora is typically switching between the first and third ones based upon benefit, with Naruto's resistance slipping in every once in a while. Problem is, I've noticed it can get confusing about which persona we're on at any given moment. I need a shorthand name to distinguish the three so you the readers will now. Any suggestions?

Chapter 25: Fire Orange vs. Forest Green

Link adjusted his tunic as he pushed open the door to the Termina Clock Tower, allowing the sun to peak through into the underground passage that he and Zelda had taken to get directly to Hyrule's alternate realm.

Clock Town in the morning was always such a sight to behold, but for Link it felt like something was missing from the homey town. It wasn't quite the time of year where the locals would begin to build the tower, so the sounds of hammering were absent.

It wasn't quite the splendor of Hyrule Castle and Town, but Clock Town had a charm all its own that Zelda could appreciate as well. It was a homey little city, as opposed to the hustle and bustle of the Castle Town. Everyone moved a little slower and with a little more patience, and those same residents seemed just a little more approachable. No wonder Link took to it so quickly; it probably made him feel at home like his little forest village better than Castle Town ever did.

"Wow, this is... unique," Zelda said, the architecture and feel of the town being somewhat different than Hyrule. Link almost snorted; if she thought this was unique, then she should've seen the town when a giant moon had been hanging over it.

"You're the expert, Link. Lead the way!" the slightly tomboyish princess said enthusiastically, grabbing a hold of Epona's reigns and leading her gently as the horse walked alongside the Hylian.

"There are so many people I met when I was last here. Hmm... I guess the first thing we could do is go check the inn. I helped the innkeeper last time I was here, so she should remember me easily enough."

Link led the Princess through East Clock Town, a few of the townsfolk doing double takes between their faces lit up into wide, wide smiles. The gatekeepers even saluted when he went past, a clear glint of recognition in their eyes from his previous deeds.

Zelda drew many gazes herself. These people had no idea of her identity, something she wanted to keep a secret. However, her fancy and regal dress could've been a dead giveaway of her status, and these people were looking upon her like the upper class lady that she was.

Link ignored or returned the gazes until they came to homely little inn in East Clock Town. As Zelda walked into the waiting room of the inn, a musty yet warm smell assaulted her nostrils from the old style inn. The princess wrinkled her nostrils, taking in the odd scent as something not necessarily very familiar to her.

"Hello, and welcome to the Stock Pot- oh my!"

The voice that greeted them was warm and friendly, but also slightly reserved and melancholic. Zelda poked her head around the corner, looking behind the front desk to see a tall, red-haired woman standing behind the counter. From the look of surprise on her face, she was yet another person in Clock Town who recognized Link.

"Link? Is that you? The Link who helped Kafei and I reunite?"

Link's face lit up in a bright smile.

"Anju!" He would've embraced the woman had the counter not been in the way, so instead they settled for some laughing and heartfelt greetings while making small talk.

"You've grown so much! Are you here for the festival? Goddesses, it's hard to believe that it's nearly been a full year since the last one. No giant moon this time to rain on the carnival this time, I'd hope!"

"If there is, I can take care of it!" Link laughed it off, as if falling moons with faces were an everyday occurrence. Over to the side, Link noted with intense satisfaction the look of childlike wonder on Zelda's face, as the other account gave complete confirmation of Link's wild feats in Termina.

"Oh, my! And who's this little cutie?" Anju asked, completely unaware that she was acting very informally around royalty. Zelda wasn't the type of haughty girl to scoff and correct peasants, so she took it in stride.

She clasped her hands together and took a slight bow.

"Good morning to you, Miss Anju. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance..." she said, her royal etiquette training nevertheless showing in that moment. Anju merely giggled.

"Oh my, she's so polite. Unlike you, who just stood there and stared through a mask when we first met," she teased Link, "Anyway, since you're so early, the Carnival isn't really that soon, so we're not totally booked as we would if it were two days before. If you're looking for a room or to make a reservation, we have plenty of rooms available..."

Link laughed off the previous teasting, before saying, "That's okay, Anju. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I was in town again. I might just go see Cremia and see if we can stay with her at Romani Ranch for the time being."

Anju placed a hand on her chin and rubbed it contemplatively.

"That might be a good idea, but on the other hand I'm not too sure if they have enough space right now. And I'm not just saying that so I can get your business! There was a young man who came into this inn just a few days ago, probably around your age. Now, he was an odd kid, but the ranch needed help so I sent him their way..."

Zelda raised an eyebrow.

"Really? May I ask what was so strange about him?"

"Well, he was a nice enough young man, but I suppose he was foreign. If he was though, he was from a place I've never heard of. He wore clothes that I've never seen before, and he seemed intent on finding people from his village. He called them "shinobi" I believe, and he showed me this metal plate with a strange symbol on it and asked if I had seen people wearing them. Honestly, I had never heard of any of it..."

Link placed one of his small hands up to his chin and rubbed it slightly. He turned to Zelda, knowing that as the (future) bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, coupled with her royal education gave her a plethora of knowledge on many topics even at her young age.

So, he was surprised to see that Zelda seemed just as stumped as him.

"Hmm, truly bizarre. I'm afraid I have never heard of the word "shinobi" before," she said. Anju seemed to know what they were doing in Termina though, so she interjected.

"Link, you're going to Romani Ranch to see the sisters, aren't you? If you are curious about this boy, then perhaps you will be able to meet him yourself. As far as I know, he has accepted the job at the ranch. When he asked about people from his village, he told me that they were refugees that had suffered from a great disaster. Poor thing... he looked so lost; I hope he managed to find some clues as to the whereabouts of his friends and family. If you happen to see him there, would you do me a favor and ask him how he's settling into things?"

Link smiled at her.

"Sure thing, Anju..."

Anju clapped her hands together as she smiled in gratitude. As she did so, the raspy voice of her mother called from the kitchen, forcing the woman away from the two kids. The two parties greeted each other goodbye as Anju bowed somewhat frantically and went into the back room to cook breakfast for her grandmother.

The two Hylians made their way back into Clock Town proper, backtracking over to the Clock Tower where they had entered Termina and leaving through the south gate. The guard saluted once again, before relaxing in posture and allowing him to pass. This time, it wasn't just because Link was carrying a sword, but because they recognized him.

After the guard let them pass, Link guided Zelda into Termina Field proper. Having left Epona near a post by the Clock Tower in which they had exited, Link had grabbed her once he was done with business at the Stock Pot Inn and allowed the princess to ride her while he gently grabbed her reigns and led the foal along.

As they walked to the southwest in the direction of Romani Ranch, Zelda would look over at Link every so often. To the untrained eye, it would seem his gaze was set on looking out for monsters or marauders on the road there. Zelda knew otherwise.

"Link, a rupee for your thoughts?" Zelda asked suddenly, after the young Hero of Time had fallen unusually quiet, even for him. While keeping an eye on her friend, the princess was also taking in the sights of Termina Field, a new land that she had never seen before. The ceasing of the soft padding of his boots against the grass was what let Zelda know he was listening to her, alongside the fact that Epona stopped moving.

"You're still thinking about what Miss Anju said, aren't you? You said we're on our way to Romani Ranch; do you plan on speaking with the boy that she mentioned?"

Being a hero didn't just mean fighting monsters; it also meant helping people. And helping people was something that Link had done copious amounts of during his visit to Termina, in addition to saving it from the moon.

"If he's staying at the Ranch, I think I will. He's apparently lost all his friends, but clearly seems to think they're still out there somewhere. I don't know what happened, but perhaps I-" Link stopped himself and narrowed his eyes, seemingly looking at something at the far end of the field. Zelda tilted her head.

"What's wrong, Link?"

"What is that?" he asked suddenly. Random monster attacks weren't exactly an uncommon occurrence for Link, but what he was seeing at the far end of the field looked like a person, running directly at them.

And the figure was wearing something on its face.

"I've seen that before..." Link said suddenly, mentioning specifically the mask that was seemingly glued to the rapidly approaching figure's face. At this distance though, it took a little while until the mask was recognizable, "Wait, that's one of the masks that I used when I was here!"

That cartoonish looking face was instantly recognizable once it came into view, with the mask that made one look like they were wearing a rock on their face. But to the untrained eye, they were completely unnoticeable just like a rock.

"I'm afraid I don't see anything, Link. Are you sure you're feeling well?" Zelda asked.

"Look a little closer. Use your magic sight if you have to..." Link suggested. Zelda did as she was told, focusing her arcane power into her retina and squinting out to where Link was looking.

"Oh! Oh my!" she exclaimed.

The figure rapidly encroached on them, apparently running at a desperate enough speed.

"Excuse me, can we help-" Zelda asked, before her voice trailed off at the intensity in which he was rushing the two children. Link held his hand out, the old hero instincts not failing him.

"Something's not right here. Zelda! Take cover! Stay on Epona and keep clear of me!"

Now that the figure was closing in on him, Link could get a read for the first time. To Link's surprise, the one approaching them was a boy, scarcely older than him if the physique was any indication. His clothes were caked with muck and what looked like blood, so much so that Link couldn't figure out what the stranger was wearing. His hair was the same, flecked with blood and grime and matted down.

Even when he was within speaking distance of Link and Zelda, the mask wearer did not slow down at all, sprinting at Link as if his life depended on it. When he was about ten feet away, he bent his knees and rocketed off the ground.

He noticed Zelda gasp in surprise beside him, but he was too trained on the boy to pay attention to that. Somehow, he had jumped nearly ten feet into the air, a superhuman feat that even he was unable to do without any equipment.

At the peak of his jump, Link noticed the apparent enemy twist, cocking his elbow back to wind up into a fist. Upon pure instinct, the Hero of Time grabbed the handle of his trusty Hylian Shield across his back, holding it aloft as his opponent swooped down and punched the metal. He didn't flinch, hesitate, or react when Link put up the metal, and if he had Link would've taken the opening.

The Hylian Shield did not make a dent, but the masked boy remained frozen in mid-air and displayed no sign of reaction that he just punched solid metal with all his might. Link glared at the newcomer, who remained silent before kicking out his legs and knocking the wind out of Link when they caught his stomach.

"Link!" Zelda cried, Epona reared in fear and accidentally threw off the royal girl, who landed with an unladylike thud in the dirt. Link's opponent flipped backward in midair, doing several other backflips before skidding to a halt around the same time as Link.

Zelda rose to her feet, brushing off her dress and acting very much not like a royal girl who was just thrown off a horse. Meaning she wasn't there to complain about getting dirty or scraped.

Link grunted, rubbing his midsection where the stranger had kicked him, and slowly rose to his feet.

His sword was out, shining with the signature gold of the Gilded Sword. His favorite, forged from the Kokiri Sword that he had picked up during his last adventure in Termina. His shield was once again at the ready, held out at chest height as Link adopted his stance.

The mask wearing stranger dropped into his own strange stance, but what confused Link and Zelda was that he didn't pull out any weapons. Whether he was trying to rob them or simply accost them, he was apparently going to do it unarmed.

Link slowly edged toward the boy, but he wasn't going to attack unprovoked quite yet.

"Wait! Hold on! Who are you? What do you want? Why did you attack us?" Link asked. If this were a monster, then there would be no time for diplomacy. The Hero of Time wasn't used to fighting other humans, though.

The other boy did not answer, not even with a noncommittal grunt. He was completely silent, even as he reached into a pouch on his backside and pulled out two strange knives. So much for the unarmed part.

He raised his arms slightly up about shoulder height, holding the knives parallel to one another. For Zelda, her eyes became alight with confusion. Those were strange knives, but they didn't particularly look that effective for fighting. For Link on the other hand, a flash of recognition entered his own blue eyes.

"I've seen those before. Just rarely, but they were used by a certain group of monster while I was here in Termina." Link wouldn't have time to mull this over further, because the strange boy began to attack in a frenzy. The other threw one of the knives as if it were an arrow. Link lifted his shield and heard the clatter of the metal tip striking the shield.

The problem with raising his shield was that if cut off one's field of vision, and in the time that Link lowered the shield his attacker was already in his personal space, having already produced another knife to replace the one he had thrown.

Link swung his sword in his basic horizontal slice to counter, to which his opponent held out both knives and blocked the gold dust infused blade. Sparks flew as the other blonde leaped over the swipe, crouching low while Link was open before thrusting his palm roughly into Link's wrist and knocking the sword clean out of his hands.

Link squeezed his fingers out of pain, the tips of his fingers affected by Naruto's kick. He raised his shield out of instinct and experience, preparing for the stranger's next attack.

The stranger let loose with a crisscross pattern of slashes across his shield, sparks flying and the sound of metal smacking against metal. Link bashed forward with his shield, pushing the stranger off him and no doubt nearly breaking his arm. Despite this, Link's opponent didn't look phased at all, recovering nicely once he stopped skidding without a hint of pain or damage.

Link pulled the hookshot he got from the Pirate's Fortress with his free hand and aimed it offhandedly at the Gilded Sword, the chain extending and latching onto the fallen weapon and retrieving it for its owner.

"Please, this can all be avoided! Are you robbing us? Because if so, just take our Rupees and leave, please! This is such unnecessary violence, and it should be stopped!" Zelda implored from the sidelines, watching the fight intensify.

The mystery figure did not seem to respond to that, or even acknowledge her presence. And when he did so, Link narrowed his eyes.

"Zelda, I think the time for negotiation is over. I'm getting a really weird feeling from this one... there's something off about him. Just sit tight and I'll wrap this up quickly..."

Link sheathed his sword and reached into his magic satchel, pulling out one of the few masks that he kept from his previous adventure in Termina. It was the head of a large rock-like creature, a mask that Link had cherished ever since he received it, since it contained the soul of a deceased hero. To simply throw the mask away would be tarnishing that individual's memory.

When the stranger rushed Link with his knives once again, Link pulled the Goron Mask onto his face.

Zelda watched in wonder and slight horror as Link's bones almost began to creak to accommodate his new body. He cried out in pain or surprise; she couldn't tell, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. There was a flash of light, and standing there was a large Goron with white hair that was wearing Link's customary garb.

Immediately after transforming, the now Goron curled into himself like Gorons were wont to do while sleeping. The masked figure appeared in a flash, faster than Zelda or Link would've thought humanly possible, and apparently wasn't impressed or intimidated by the appearance of the physically strongest race in Hyrule.

Like a human tornado of blades he twirled around, slashing at the Goron's tough exterior and shell, but failing to get through it just like the Hylian Shield.

When he paused in his frantic slashing, Link hopped in the air while curled up, pounding the ground before him and knocking the stranger off balance. Link then followed up with the mightiest of Goron punches.

The figure made the first vocal noise either Hylian heard him make, grunting as the Goron's strong punch made a crack near his collarbone. The momentum should've sent him flying, but despite the injury he wrapped both his hands around Goron Link's beefy arm in a surprisingly strong grip before the momentum could take him away.

Link was heavy in this form, so the momentum of the propelled human didn't drag him to the ground despite the sudden halt in velocity. He grunted, hefting his arm up like his attacker weighed nothing at al.

However, the stranger pushed down in a surprising display of strength, disabling the arm for a moment and using agility to turn his opponent's size against him. He flipped over, legs in the air before locking them around the Goron's neck.

Link performed the Goron pound again, strength throwing the stranger off before he could do any lasting damage or drill him into submission. The attacker found his footing easily, while Goron Link was still in the air.

He spread his hands apart, before clapping them together. It didn't look like he was attacking directly, for he didn't take out any more weapons or look to rush his opponent. Like lightning, his hands created strange signs that he cycled through one after the other, and he let Link and Zelda hear the first words from his mouth ever since he accosted them.

"Doton: Doryuu Taiga..."

The ground and dirt that Link was standing on turning into sinking and slippery mud. The hero's legs sank up to about his ankles as he slid down the mud slick like it was a river.

Zelda stood off to the sidelines, eyes alight with surprise and a little worry. That river of mud had just popped into existence, directly after the boy Link was fighting did some strange high signs. Perhaps he was skilled in magic? But... the young mage had never seen a spell like that before, certainly not one that used those hand signs.

When in Goron form, Link sank like well... a rock. The moment he fell in the river of mud, the soul of the Goron hero sank up to his shoulders in a mere second before the slick pushed him away.

Thinking quick on his feet, Link pulled the mask away from his face before immediately taking out his hookshot and latching it onto a nearby tree. As the chain link pulled him out of the swamp forcefully, the masked stranger flashed into existence right above where the hook was embedded, feet planted on the bark of the tree.

The stranger bent his knees and bolted off the tree like a spring, performing a quick front flip before drop kicking Link out of the air. The hero's grip on the hookshot failed as he collapsed into the dirt, the chain retracting as it carried a non-existent passenger to its target. His attacker caught the handle as it whizzed by, the rest of the chain retracting back into its default state.

The figure aimed the hook at Link, extending the chain in an attempt to run Link through with it. The boy rolled to the side to avoid it, pulling out his boomerang and launching it. It collided with the stranger's hand and knocked the hookshot away, before it came back and make him grunt with a well-placed hit to his blind spot.

While the stranger was stunned, Link steeled himself, clasped both hands around his sword, and leapt forward with his standard jump attack. His cleave met its mark, the amount of force easily running through its target, the blade slashing through the masked boy's midsection like butter.

The other boy gurgled, blood blooming from the slash wound across his chest as his gold sword dripped with the life-giving fluid. Zelda screamed from off to the side, blue eyes glazed and her mouth open in horror.

Even Link looked shaken, gasping for breath slightly as his hands shook. But finally, he managed to calm the nausea and shame, forcing his hands to stop shaking. That blow would put him out of commission at least, but the accoster needed medical attention immediately.

Except for the fact that the attacker raised his masked head and leveled him with a blank stare, getting to his feet as if the wound barely phased him. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a basic scroll. There was a puff of smoke as he put his hand over it, and in a principle similar to his magic satchel of items he was now holding a mask in his hand.

When he attached the mask to his face, the boy screamed as it began to fuse with him, cracking his bones and forming a new body to reside in temporarily.

Just like Link.

"Wait a minute. That's a transformation mask!"

When the flash of light cleared, the scrawny boy about Link's age was gone. In his place was a tall, muscular man who was probably around thirty years old.

Link didn't have time to react before a fist buried itself in his stomach, the older physical specimen obviously being a lot faster and stronger. The man twisted the fist, before lashing out with a kick that sent him skyward.

A moment later, and his Goron Mask was back on. Goron Link walked forward, fist smashing into his attacker's. He wound up for a punch, but the other transformed boy had a clear speed advantage. Tanned hands found their way into pouches, and they tossed out two long trench knives that the man brandished.

The Goron's beady eyes shone with curiosity as the knives began to glow with this strange blue energy. The stranger reared back, then slashed forward catching the air right before Link's face.

Yet even as the blade missed Link's face completely, a small slash across Link's face drew sparks and a very slight amount of blood from the Goron. Link skid back, winding up a punch that cracked the ground even as the man backflipped multiple times.

The man threw one of the knives, and it rocketed forward fast enough that Link just barely avoided by twisting his slow Goron body . There came a crack of rock, the knive stabbing into the ground and creating a perfect clean circle of a crater around it.

Link must've missed something though, because when he looked forward the stranger had finished yet another set of those strange hand signs.

"Wait a minute... that particular sign. It's the same one he used at the end to conjure up that river of mud!" If that signs were the key to activating his magic, then he could read them and act accordingly. With his Goron form, he would sink easily just like last time.

Therefore, Link pulled the mask off his face and transformed out of his Goron form, preparing his hookshot once again in the case that he needed it.

"Fuuton: Shinkuu Gyoku!"

Instead of a flowing river of mud, the stranger opened his mouth and expelled pellet after pellet of wind. Just ending his transformation, Link was vulnerable, taking a bullet to the gut follow by one that grazed his shoulder.

"Link!" Zelda screamed, rising to her feet as she rushed over to Link. The man before her took off his mask, transforming back into the kid who was still wearing the Stone Mask.

The mask wearing boy began to stalk toward Link, pulling out another one of those strange shaped knives. Raising his hand weakly, he fumbled around in his magic satchel for a little while.

"Where is it? Where is it?" His hands shook as he rummaged around for the familiar coolness of glass somewhere within his satchel. The stranger was approaching the downed Link far too fast.

"Got it!" Link cried, hands grasping around a red potion that he had contained within his magic satchel. However, a shadow fell over him as he was about to fish it out completely. It was the strange boy who was pointing his knife directly on the hero.

"Darn it... just need a couple more minutes! But, I suppose he wasn't going to just let me lay down and heal my injuries!" Link steeled himself, prepared to take the killing blow from the knife he had pointed at him.

"Link!"

Epona whinnied as Zelda suddenly appeared on the scene, colliding with their assailant. She twirled around daintily, but a magic blue crystal surrounded her, cutting through Naruto as he attempted to finish off Link.

"Nayru's Love..." Link said. Normally a defensive technique, Zelda had applied it to where the sharp edges of the magic crystal could be used as a weapon. The attacker flew back, and he placed a hand on the ground in order to stabilize himself.

"Leave him alone..."

Zelda was glaring heavily at him, shielding Link by putting herself between him and the stranger. Her normally calm and just blue eyes burned with anger, and when she spoke her voice was one filled with royal authority befitting the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom.

"Link..." she began, calm but demanding respect, "Take a few minutes in order to heal yourself up. You claim you have a red potion within your bag; please use it. I will cover for you until you are prepared to fight again, and then we can defeat this scoundrel together!"

As Zelda stood between the attacker and Link, she held her ground with little fear. She extended her hand, her palm glowing with the magical power she had been taught in from a young age.

The assailant stared her down from behind his mask, surprisingly tentative as he studied his new opponent. He did not make a move to attack the healing Link, but merely gazed upon Zelda like a patient predator waiting to act.

And we're done here!

The Hero of Time and Naruto meet for the first time! This chapter is Link vs. Naruto, but it seems he's been defeated momentarily, forcing Zelda to step up. Yes, I'm making her a competent fighter here. She knows magic supposedly, so I'm gonna have her use it. Next chapter is Zelda vs. Naruto.

As for Link's power, well he's not using all of it. I decided to give him a moderate amount of his equipment to start, but he hasn't shown everything he's capable of yet.

Perspective has shifted from Naruto to Link and Zelda, and will be that way for the duration of the fight.

Doton: Doryuu Taiga: Earth Release: Earth Flow River

Fuuton: Shinkuu Gyoku: Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere