A/N: So I did not expect this story to gain 200 views and 18 fav in less than 24 hrs. So now here's chapter 2 and hope you guys like it. I'll post chap 3 probably next week as it needs editing. Anyway leave a review if you like or don't like the story.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights of Naruto as it belonged to Masashi Kishimoto.

Rated M for language and content.

"human speech"

"human thought"

"demon/being speech"

"demon/being thought"

Jutsu (w/ translation)

Chapter 02:

-Location: Land of Grass-

Several miles from the boarder of Tsuchi no Kuni Naruto is seen training with his kage bunshin, he is sparring with dozens of clones and it was now down with six clones versus himself in a hand to hand combat. Two clones charged towards him from his left, and two at the right in which he sweep his right feet to the clones in his right making them lose balance, he then rotated one eighty degree turn to kick them using his other feet dispelling them immediately.

Noticing that the clones from his left are nearing him Naruto then went into stance immediately and engage into close combat with both clones, after a series of attacks and blocks, seeing an opening he then caught one clones fist using his hand and then grabbed the clones arm with his other hand, in which he threw the clone it into the other clone dispelling them.

Naruto then looked around noticing two more clones are nowhere to be found. The ground started to erupt, bursting out a clone with a spiraling blue orb in his hand shouting "Rasengan!" with his fast reflex he quickly jumped up in the air out of his position dodging the attack but while airborne his senses spiked noticing danger above him, looking up he saw another clone with a Rasengan in hand charging downwards. Being proficient with the kage bunshin he quickly spawns another clone that threw him away from both attacks.

Both attacks from the clones collided each other with the recently spawned clone making a large explosion from the technique that dispelled them immediately. On the ground, Naruto laid down panting, tired from his sparing session and it was now one in the afternoon, which he started around eight in the morning after he ate breakfast which is of course cupped ramen. The blond was not expecting his clones to use jutsu.

"Damn clones told them this is a taijutsu battle only. I swear those clones are getting smarter everyday" he told himself. Who could blame those clones anyway, they're just unpredictable as he is as clones takes the personality and mindset of the summoner.

*growl* hearing his stomach growl he noticed it was past lunch time already and surely our blond hero is now hungry. "Heh, calm down big fella we're going to eat ramen" he patted his hungry stomach, those training sure made him hungry and he only ate one cup of ramen for breakfast, for him ramen is a healthy diet or he should say 'The food of the Gods'. Getting up from the grassy field he laid down Naruto walked in a civilian pace towards the town in search for a ramen bar.

Sitting in a counter, Naruto is now at the ramen bar holding the menu, he can't decide what he should try as there are a variety of ramen in the menu like seafood ramen, pork ramen, beef ramen, chicken ramen, or just plain miso ramen which he loved. "Oi ji-san what's the specialty here at this place?" he called the man in his fifties with white hair and round glasses wearing a chef hat and an apron that seemed to be the chef of the restaurant. "Ah you should try our 'all for you' specialty young man" the chef suggested smiling at the young customer. "Eehhh" Naruto said giving his thinking look "What's that?"

"It's miso ramen with pork, beef, chicken, and shrimp in it in one bowl" said the ramen chef while cutting a few vegetables. so that's why it's called 'all for you' the blond thought.

Hearing the all for you specialty, Naruto's stomach suddenly growled violently. "Then I'll have five bowls of those old man!" Naruto said with a grin and a thumbs up which amuses the restaurant chef "Quite a metabolism you have got young man" chuckled the chef as he prepared the dish.

A shadowy figure wearing a black hooded cloak is standing a top of a building across the restaurant, the one in the middle gave out a signal and his subordinate vanished out of sight while the remaining figure keep on observing a orange wearing blond boy 'it seems the boy is fond of ramen' seeing the blond on his twenty fourth bowl of ramen. Though this observation seems useless, for spies or enemies, this can be use against your enemies as every information matters.

Naruto groaned feeling blinded from his slumber. Opening his eyes slowly the sun shines through the window of the hotel, its bright lights shots his face completely blinding him as he fully opened his eyes making him completely awake. He then let out a yawn while stretching both of his arms outwards. He is now fully rested, and maybe overslept a bit since Naruto is not a morning person. He let out a morning stretch as he remembered yesterday's event before he went to bed.

After he was done eating at the said restaurant and noticing the time, it was now the start of the evening which is around five or so. Still early to go back at the hotel, Naruto then took a stroll around town, he noticed how peaceful the small town is, it wasn't as huge as a major village at the average size of 5000km2, and the town is around 5km or a total of at least 25km2 in area. (A/N: Konoha is at least 80km in diameter which is unbelievable but it's true and I'm lowballing the computation, we could also assume that other major villages is as huge as Konoha in area)

Heck he noticed the population of shinobi's in the town was non-existent, but there are some few ninja's he could identify from a minor country based on their hitai-ate who he assumed was hired by the locals. Enjoying his stroll, he observe around seeing people walking, shops closing, children being picked up from the park, and a convenient store with a thirty percent bargain sale which attract his attention as he immediately went to the store before it close.

An hour has passed, it was now eight, Naruto then arrived to his room and is seen with a bag full of ramen that he bought recently in which he now proceed to store it in a small scroll and put it inside his ninja pouch. Giving himself a yawn, he then changes to his pajamas and went to bed ending the day with a smile of his face of the ramen he bought.

Recalling the events that happened yesterday Naruto then proceed to his morning exercise that composed of stretches, crunches, sit ups, and push ups, it was just basic workout that was part of his routine and not extreme as training or some certain green spandex wearing ninjas, if you know what I mean. Done from the workout he did, Naruto sniffed himself and boy he sure is sweaty and smelly "Damn I really need a shower" knowing what to do next he went to the bathroom.

After taking a shower and now wearing his usual orange outfit. The blond sat down in the futon and unsealed a bento that Jiraiya left for him before his departure, while he wants to have ramen all the time he knows that he need proper nutritional intake that he learned during his trip a few years ago in which if he didn't limit his ramen addiction, the Sannin sealed all his precious cup ramen away much to his annoyance. And speaking of Jiraiya he was supposed to arrive within the week.

"It's been a week and a half already and the pervert not yet to arrive" he told himself before digging in. He was not worried, he knew what his sensei is capable of, Jiraiya is a Sannin for a reason and he knew that. But he's been told it will take a week or two so he's expecting him to arrive within this week. He wanted to leave, he misses his friends already.

Leaving the hotel premises Naruto decided to head to train in an open field a few miles away from the town, it was the only thing that kept him busy aside from eating ramen of course, but while taking a walk, a lone girl no older than twelve approached him and tug his jacket to gain his attention.

"Uhmm mister are you a ninja?" the girl asked. Naruto looked at the girl, she have dark blue hair that reaches down her waist with a tied up pigtail each side that is held together by a red ribbon, she has brown eyes, and her simple dark green dress is a bit ragged from dirt. "Uhmmm yeah I'am" he said scratching his head, his voice shows uncertain of his answer, but he's certain he's a ninja as he pointed his hitai-ate. "Ninja-san, please help me find my mom, s-she's missing" he look at her eyes, it showed sadness, he could see her eyes watering. "Please mister this is all I got" the girl took out and held a small pouch of ryo that he offered to the shinobi.

It is known in the shinobi world that a client that hires a ninja needs to be payed for their services and mission pays may vary depending on its difficulty and danger that are categorized in five ranks with the lowest pay in the lowest rank being 5,000 ryo (approx 500 USD). Naruto knew that the girl's offer is all she had, and it is 1/4 less than a D rank mission pay so he refused.

"You can keep your money kid" he said in a monotone voice.

"Please mister, it's all I have, ma-maybe I-I can re-repay you more soon" the girl let out a cry as she knew it wasn't enough but Naruto patted her head and the girl looked up to him with tears running down from her face. Naruto then gave her a smile and said. "Oi I just said you can keep your money, I didn't say I refuse to help you find your mom dattebayo!"

The girls eyes widen in surprise that the blond ninja will help her. "Y-y-you mean it?" the girl stuttered, she could believe someone is willing to help her. Naruto then kneeled in front of the girl to level his face at her as he wiped her tears at her face "Believe it kid, it's my nindo way" he gave her a heart warming smile in which the girl suddenly leaps at him giving him a hug. "Thank you thank thank you ninja-san" the girl happily said at him. If Jiraiya saw the interaction of them now he was pretty sure the Sannin will call him lolicon just to get back at him.

"Naruto" he said. "You can call me Naruto" he gave his name as he let go of the hugging girl as both of them stand up.

"okay Naruto-san"

"Ne, I never got your name kid" Naruto cheekily said as the girl replied. "My name is Wendy" the now named Wendy chirped.

"Wendy huh! That's a nice name" Naruto commented, well it sounds foreign to the blond but it was a nice name he thought to himself.

As they both started to walk to a random direction he realized that they need to start somewhere so he asked Wendy some questions as he needed some leads to find her mother. "So Wendy-chan what happened to your mom?" he looked at her waiting for a reply. "well when my mom is cooking breakfast in our home some shinobi men attacked the both of us, my mom hid me and then they took her" she sadly said.

"Mind telling me where it happened Wendy-chan?" questioned the blond. "Well it happened in our home, it's between Iwa and Kusa near Takigakure" she replied.

"Yosh! Let's go then" as soon they continued their walk. "But first let's head back to the hotel and get my stuff" which the now named Wendy nodded to him. The hotel is pretty near, just two blocks away. so after getting his stuff they now begin their investigation.

"Uhm Naruto-san where are we going?" Wendy asked, she looked around the direction they're going and the road is unfamiliar to her, she did not know where they're headed to. "Why we're heading to your home of course. We need to investigate there first as there might be a clue to where they took your mother" Naruto proudly replied.

"Isn't it that way to the north?" Wendy pointed out the direction on where supposed her home is located.

Naruto wince at that, he's still bad at direction sometimes. He remembered the time when he was assigned to lead Konohamaru gang in their academy activities but ended up taking the long path. But alas he would not Wendy know about that, getting lost is a poor excuse of a being a ninja, especially under the tutelage of a Sannin.

"Uh hmmm well you see" Naruto was thinking of an excuse while scratching his chin in a thinking expression. "This is a shortcut. Yeah, a shortcut! Hehe" Wendy looked at him, her eyes narrowed as she was studying him "hmmm well if you say so" she beamed at him. Naruto let out a sight as the young girl ignored his poor excuse, though the girl knew they got lost for a moment, she just didn't mind it.

Unbeknown to them the group who were spying Naruto yesterday was observing them. "All according to plan"

"Wendy-chan, are you sure this is your home?" Naruto asked in which the girl nodded. Several meters in front of them is an old abandoned cabin that seemed unoccupied for years. The blond ninja is feeling wary about the situation.

"something is odd" he thought

Being a Jinchuriki he knew that this might be a trap. He looked at Wendy, feeling no malice coming out from her he then made out his mind to proceed the investigation. He held both his hand in a familiar plus sign. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" and two copies of him emerge out of nowhere. Wendy was in awe as there was now three exact copies of Naruto.

"Naruto-san, there's three of you" Wendy said in amusement

"This is a Kage Bunshin, a Jounin level technique that lets the user physically clone himself that I myself learned before I graduated" Naruto proudly states in a matter of fact tone. "What do you need them for?" Wendy asked she was amused and curious at the same time of the shown jutsu.

"Well boss wants us to find any leads on where they took your mom" stated a clone as the other clone noddingly agreed. Both clones now started to go inside of the cabin to look for clues

Wendy looked at the ninja in a questioning look and said "What are really those clones for Naruto-san? We could look it out ourselves" Naruto looked back at the girl and patted her head. "Well we still didn't have our lunch yet have we" the girl nodded in his comment which Naruto continued "besides this is the best opportunity for us to eat"

Naruto didn't want to let the girl know he's skeptical about the situation especially he sense Chunin level of chakra from the girl. "Ne Wendy-chan have you been trained in any ninja arts?" he asked as Wendy replied. "My mom only thought me jutsu related to my Kekkei Genkai, but that's about it"

"I see" he may be an idiot but the Sannin taught him to be cautious. He knows something was up but looking at Wendy his guts tells him she's innocent.

"Not want to be rude but the next town is a few miles away, and I haven't packed any food for us to eat nor did bring any" the girl told the blond as the shinobi gaze out of his thought. He reached out a scroll from his ninja pouch "As an awesome ninja I always come prepared, inside this scroll is the food of the gods, behold" he waived it around showing it to the girl like some kind of magic show.

Naruto then un-scrolled the contents and in a puff of smoke the food of the gods is shown to be. "A cup ramen?!" stated Wendy as she raised her brow, arm crossed, her voice more likely showed concern for the blond, she was slightly confused at the blonds silly antics but nonetheless shrugged it out, was this guy really a ninja that was supposed to help her? she was now having a minor doubt but she knew she could trust in his abilities.

Naruto held out cups of ramen while smiling idiotically. "Not just a cup ramen, it's THE cup ramen" he proudly state giving a cup to Wendy while pointing out something at the cup ramen. Wendy look at what he was pointing at, it was a label of the ramen with a limited edition on it.

"Aahhh..."

She don't know what to respond, so she dumbly nod at his statement.

"Ne Wendy-chan sorry if all I got is ramen" the orange ninja apologetically said while scratching the back of his head with his free hand, he knew not every one is a ramen freak like him. "A-ah n-no no it's okay Naruto-san, I'm not picky with food" she was shocked by this while waving both her hands nervously in defense.

"Alright then Wendy-chan, why don't you sit down so you don't tire while I'll boil some water" he then un-scrolled a set of utensils.

Wendy watch him prepare their meal while humming cutely. He saw Naruto fill a kettle with water, after that the blond place the kettle down and took out a matchstick and ignite it below the kettle for it to boil. Few minutes has passed Naruto then poured hot water into the cup ramen and handed one to Wendy.

"Here, wait for three minutes for it to cook" Naruto also handed her a bottle of water to keep her hydrated.

Three minutes later both of are now ready to chow down their food but not long before both saying. "Itadakimasu!"

The blond was enjoying his time with Wendy while eating his all time favorite food as he already had three cup as the girl is satisfied with just one.

He then felt some kind of déjà vu. "this kinda feels nostalgic, it's like I've met her before somewhere" he thought but couldn't figure it out somehow. Suddenly his expression hardened as something came up "Naruto-san, are you okay?" questioned the girl full of concern.

"They're headed north, I found some tracks" this statement left Wendy thinking, she tilted her head sideways while looking at him, waiting for some kind of explanation from her companion.

While his clones found nothing inside the cabin, his clones found five footprints imbued on the mud out the back of the cabin that match a shinobi sandal. Naruto then continued "the Kage Bunshin specializes in espionage because of it's ability. Once the clone dispels all the clones memory is directly transferred to its user" Wendy was left astonished with her mouth forming an 'o' of how useful the jutsu is.

After both are finish with their lunch Naruto then kneeled down, his back facing Wendy. "C'mon it will be faster if I carried you" he offered.

"O-Okay" said the girl nervously "hold on tight okay" said the blond, which Wendy complied holding tighter. Naruto then channeled chakra in his feet and sprinted towards north in a speed faster than a cheetah could run.

They have arrived at the border of Tsuchi no Kuni. Naruto then dropped Wendy down and asked her in concern. "You alright?" asked the shinobi, he knew non-shinobi might got uncomfortable being carried like that. "I get a little dizzy when I'm being moved like that" replied the girl "but I'm fine"

"Well, here we are" said Naruto "Nervous?" Wendy gave a weak nod of disapproval "Not really. How about you Naruto-san?" She returned his question. "Hehe a little" He knows that Konoha and Iwa are not on good terms so this might be a little risky, scratch that, i's an A rank risk.

Naruto knew all the risk, entering a territory as a Konoha nin. Without diplomatic reason is like asking to be captured or killed. "well, here goes nothing"

A few minutes upon entering Tsuchi no Kuni, both are stopped by the sudden appearance of five Iwa's Anbu with weapons drawn out "Halt! State your business here" demanded one Iwa nin, his voice showed hostility towards the blond Jinchuriki.

"We were just passing by" replied Naruto.

It was rather strange, he knew something fishy is going on "As we would believe a Konoha nin. Now surrender yourself or we'll make you" spitted another Anbu. "Well this is bad. What would we do now Naruto-san?" thought the young girl as she stayed quiet and let Naruto deal with the situation.

"You know what, why don't we just go back where we came from. I think we just got lost on the way of life hehe" Naruto said while slowly walking back which Wendy mirrored, but of course they won't let them.

The blond was left with no choice as he threw a smoke bomb, several clones popped out of the smoke to deal with the Anbus. The smoke died down and they have noticed the girl is gone signifying that the original must have taken her with him "They're gone, they've must use it as a diversion and escaped"

Somewhere in the forest Naruto is seen jumping from tree to tree, carrying Wendy in a bridal style fashion. A batch of Anbus showed up into pursuit. "just my luck, I hope it doesn't get worse" our hero thought but he jinx himself.

Things are getting worse, shinobis pursuing them started to throw shurikens and kunais at them. "Oiiiii! Are you guys trying to kill us or something? I'm carrying a girl with me DATTEBAYO!" He shouted, there was no response as he kept on dodging oncoming projectiles aiming at them. It looks like evading them wasn't an option.

"Wendy, if something happens to me I want you to run away as fast as possible" he whispered enough for the girl to hear. "b-but what about you? y-you can't jus…" Naruto cut her off "My priority is your safety here, and I think they're after me not you. I just need to deal with them first"

Wendy saw his expression, it was not goofy, but rather serious. "Don't worry I'll come back after I'm done" The blond shinobi said. "You promise?" Wendy said which Naruto smiled brightly at the girl. "Don't worry, I never go back to my word" a simple answer from the blond made Wendy satisfied.

Naruto brought Wendy down to the ground, he then summoned a Kage Bunshin and ordered. "Take her and hide her somewhere safe" which the clone carried the girl and escaped.

Naruto was standing on the ground where his clone and Wendy left, his armed crossed, posture straightened, and face hardened. One by one Anbu are appearing few meters away, surrounding him in a circle.

"Surrender yourself now brat, you have a lot of guts trespassing in our territory now you have nowhere to run" The Iwa Anbu said while others chuckled in union.

"Who said I'm gonna run" Naruto said with a smug on his face as he closed his eyes for a second. Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest a clone sitting still dispelled. Naruto opened his eyes with an orange pigmentation around appeared, his eye color changed to golden with pupils becoming horizontal like. Naruto then went into a battle stance ready to fight

"Yoshh! Lets dance!"

Chapter End