A/N: I do not own the anime series Naruto. Naruto is the work of Masashi Kishimoto!
Looking back, Naruto could remember the regret and helplessness in Jiraiya's eyes.
But why?
Jiraiya didn't even send him one letter saying "Hello" growing up, so why was he feeling regret now of all times?
Strange. Something is going on here.
Naruto.
Kurama?
Be careful, I sense danger approaching. I don't know where, what, or when but I have a bad feeling.
Naruto stopped for a second before sending Kurama a nod of acknowledgment and heading back to his apartment.
—The next day.
Hmm… I feel that something is missing… Kurama? Are you there?
… No answer.
Kurama?
Worried, Naruto sat down on his bed and started meditating.
A minute passed.
Fully relaxed, Naruto went inside his mindscape to question the fox.
"Kurama!"
… Again, no answer.
Naruto was really worried now.
Not only was Kurama not answering, he was sent to a place far from where Kurama was located. He was sent into a damned waterfall he didn't even know existed!
"Kurama! Are you there? Answer me!"
"…kid, I'% ! *# get out! NOW!"
Hearing that, Naruto hesitated for a moment before listening to his friend. He would get his answers later but for now, he would check what the hell was going on.
This all started when that old toad checked my seal. What did they do to me?!
Anger. Rage. Confusion. Worry.
Those were the emotions that consumed Naruto but he couldn't care less. He will get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took.
Jolting his eyes wide open, Naruto focused on sensing if there was anyone near him. Sure enough, he sensed someone crouched on the roof of his apartment.
Who?!
As if sensing that he was found out, the person on the roof used a jutsu to break his roof apart and entered Naruto's room.
With a bang, Naruto's roof broke apart, forming a hole and sending rubble everywhere Naruto's room.
Bang! CLANG!
The ninja in question was greeted with a sword the moment he entered. A sword he blocked with his kunai.
A ninja. That Hiruzen wouldn't send a ninja to assassinate me and those ROOT ninja only showed themselves to recruit me once but they never tried again. Jiraiya? No. I don't think he would do this, or will he? Not enough time!
Naruto's mind was going a mile a second, but Naruto felt that it was still too slow. He lacked experience.
He lacked experience.
That's it! I need experience!
"[Empty Cicada Shell]"
Whispering a jutsu, Naruto's voice vanished and echoed everywhere inside the room.
"I don't know who you are, who sent you, or what you want, but know that this will be a death match!"
The ninja only closed his eyes and formed a hand sign. He shouted "Release!" afterwards but nothing happened.
He thought that this is a genjutsu. Though luck, it isn't! Thanks for giving me time!
"[Shadow Clone: Release]"
Naruto formed a hand seal and whispered another jutsu. This time, he made sure that he wouldn't be heard. He chuckled when he felt chakra gushing into his system
"Now, let's see… The most painful way to die is…"
Now, Naruto could only do his best as he waited for his shadow clone to release.
—Somewhere out in the elemental nations.
Kaiye was a skilled swordsman. One day, he met a ninja who used the sword like him so when the ninja was about to kill him, he begged the ninja to teach him his ways.
To his surprise, the ninja agreed to teach him and after several years of learning from that ninja, he learned that the ninja was a. infamous ninja who made it into the bingo book.
I still can't get over the fact that sensei is a B-rank wanted ninja… ah, I wonder when my name will make it into the bingo—
"Kaiye!"
Hearing his name, Kaiya straightened his body and readied himself. His sensei despised disrespectfulness and he learned it the hard way.
"This will be my last day on the world. Know that I might've existed but I was never born. Now, it is your turn to let the world know your name. Be humble, for arrogance will be your downfall."
After saying those words, Kaiye's sensei vanished in a poof of smoke.
This same thing happened everywhere in the elemental nations.
Countless people panicked because multiple known warriors, ninjas, and other professionals vanished in a poof of smoke never to be seen again.
—With Naruto
"… Either way, you're going to die. This ends now!"
Naruto smiled. He had received all the memories of his clones outside the village. Now, he had to put it to the test.
"Tsk. You talk too much even for a kid."
Before, Naruto would've jumped in surprise, but his calculating mind forced him to dodge and counterattack. It was thanks to the memories of battles he experienced through the clones.
"And you talk too much for an assassin."
CLANG!
Once more, the sounds of blades colliding echoed throughout the room.
Wait, echoed? But we're outside? What's going on?!
As they fought, Naruto and the ninja left Naruto's apartment and continued their battle at the streets. Thinking about it, where were the civilians? Ninjas? The Hokage himself? Where is everyone?!
Naruto glared at the smirking ninja.
"Did you notice already? Yes, we're inside a jutsu I created. Inside here, you'll never be able to escape unless you kill me!"
Clang! Clang!
Naruto gritted his teeth while blocking the enemy ninja's kunai. He weaved around the ninja to try and find a weakness.
No matter. Against dozens of skilled genin, even a jonin would get tired!
"[Multi-Shadow Clone]!"
This time, Naruto didn't bother to lower his voice. No, he shouted!
Intimidation was a tactic too.
"Shadow Clone?! How?!"
Sure enough, the ninja panicked and backed away in a hurry.
One… two… three… nothing.
Five seconds passed but the area was still empty.
"Did I get tricked?"
"Sure you did. [Transformation]"
Naruto whispered a jutsu, but the ninja heard it this time due to the silence.
To the ninja's horror, he was ambushed by dozens of shadow clone transformed as stone.
"ARGH!"
After a desperate struggle, he couldn't dodge the clones anymore and was slashed in ways more than one. Looking up, the ninja saw more than a dozen clones looking straight back at him.
He looked around to find the original, but all he saw were the eyes of the shadow clones. Seeing the dead eyes of those shadow clones made him tremble.
He tried to look away, but he couldn't. He couldn't take his eyes away from those gem-like lavender eyes that made him feel like he was looking at the devil.
Step… step…
Then, the clone he was looking at stepped towards him.
I–?! I can't move!
He should be backing away. He should be standing up and trying to escape.
But no.
His body was still, unmoving. Like a puppet whose strings are cut.
He could only look at Naruto's eyes. He could only stare, he couldn't even blink.
Naruto got closer, and closer, and closer. He felt his heart beat faster and faster watching Naruto come closer and closer.
Ba-bump! Ba-bump!
He felt that his chest would burst if this continued.
Ba-bump! Ba-bump!
Step… Step!
Naruto stopped. He was now standing face to face with Naruto. If he slightly moved his face forward, he would hit his head with Naruto's.
"Poof!"
The "Naruto" in front of him spoke and vanished in a poof of smoke, confirming that it was indeed a shadow clone.
Blink. Blink!
Before the ninja could realize it, he could blink again.
He looked around only to realize that the area was empty. Surely it wasn't an illusion?
Where is he?!
He didn't calm down though. He had regained control over his body, but it wasn't worth celebrating. He didn't know where Naruto was, and that was worrying.
For now, he should escape.
Ugh, my legs hurt! That brat must've focused on cutting up my legs!
The ninja tried and failed to stand up. He looked left, right, and up to watch out for Naruto, but he found none.
He tried to stand up again.
Crack!
"Argh!"
What the–?! That hurt! What's going on–?!
After failing to stand up for a while now, the ninja looked down.
Then he saw his legs.
His legs was mangled, twisted, and chopped up in ways one couldn't imagine.
Ah… ah… AAHHH!
A/N: Did you like it? I enjoyed writing this chapter, even though it's quite short for my liking.