The sun was just beginning to rise over Konoha, casting long shadows and a soft quiet over the village. In Naruto's home, the calm of the morning was soon broken by a knock on the door. Naruto's "parents" exchanged glances before answering. It was Jiraiya, standing with a serious expression, his eyes quickly meeting Naruto's.
"Good morning, kid," he said, stepping inside. "I just finished a meeting with the elders. There's a special mission they've asked me to lead—and you're coming with me."
Naruto blinked, intrigued. "What kind of mission, Jiraiya-sensei?"
Jiraiya glanced at the others in the room before focusing on Naruto. "We're going to find Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, and bring her back to Konoha to become the next Hokage."
Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement, but he also understood the weight of the mission. "A new Hokage… alright! Let's go! When do we leave?"
"Right now," Jiraiya replied, nodding approvingly at Naruto's eagerness.
Naruto's "parents" looked at him with a mix of pride and encouragement, offering him a reassuring nod. "Be careful, Naruto," his "mother" said with a gentle smile. "We'll be here waiting."
As Naruto and Jiraiya prepared to head out, Kaito and Uyu were already on their way to the Hokage's office, having received a summons from the elders. Once inside, they were met by serious, watchful eyes. The elders spoke, their voices firm and commanding.
"Kaito, Uyu," one of the elders began, "we have a task that only skilled trackers like yourselves can handle. We need you to locate Orochimaru and find out where he's hiding. He could be anywhere by now, but we must know his location and his plans."
Kaito exchanged a determined look with Uyu, both of them ready for the challenge. "Understood," Kaito replied, his resolve firm. "We'll find him."
"Good. This mission is critical," the elder continued. "Gather any information you can on his allies and his movements."
With a final nod, Kaito and Uyu left the office, silently going over their strategy as they prepared to depart. As they exited the building, Kaito cast a glance toward the village gate, wondering briefly about Naruto and the journey ahead of him as well.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Jiraiya had already begun their journey, moving quickly through the landscape as they made their way to Tsunade's last known location. The two missions were set in motion, each carrying its own importance—and each setting the stage for battles and decisions that would shape the village's future.
Naruto and Jiraiya arrived in a bustling village just as the sun was setting. The village was alive with lights and sounds, full of people dressed in fine clothing, and street vendors selling all kinds of items. It had an air of elegance, with beautiful people crowding the streets, and it was clear that gambling was a major attraction here. Jiraiya's eyes lit up at the sight, and before Naruto could say a word, Jiraiya had already made his way toward the nearest gambling hall.
"Alright, Naruto," Jiraiya said, tossing a room key over his shoulder, "I'll check in on you later. Get some rest!"
Naruto caught the key with a sigh and made his way to the hotel. The room was simple but comfortable, and he tossed his bag onto the bed. But instead of just waiting around, Naruto quickly came up with an idea. Concentrating, he performed a seal, and in a small puff of smoke, a cell-based clone appeared. This clone was special; Naruto had focused on intelligence alone when creating it, enhancing its analytical and strategic abilities.
"Alright, 'me,'" Naruto said with a smirk, "Let's play a little game."
He set up a chessboard on the low table in the room, the clone sitting across from him, watching with a calculating gaze that mirrored his own. From the start, the game was intense. Naruto led with a traditional opening, moving his pawn to establish control of the center. The clone countered smoothly, moving its own pieces with precision and consideration. Each move they made was met with careful analysis from the other side, neither side giving in or falling for any obvious traps.
Naruto's mind was alight with strategic possibilities. He moved his knight, setting up a potential fork. But the clone anticipated his move and moved a bishop to counter, both blocking Naruto's strategy and protecting a key piece. Naruto's brow furrowed, and he adjusted his approach, deciding to bait the clone into a minor exchange that would leave him with an advantage on the board.
Piece by piece, Naruto and his clone maneuvered with intense focus. Naruto planned three moves ahead, then adjusted as the clone adapted and shifted. The room was silent, save for the soft clicks of the chess pieces hitting the board and the steady breathing of the two Narutos locked in this intellectual battle. After a particularly clever rook maneuver, Naruto was beginning to see an opening toward victory.
Then, just as he was about to place his knight, a sharp knock sounded on the door. Both Naruto and his clone froze, looking toward the door, and the clone's eyes narrowed, signaling that it was also caught off guard.
Naruto froze for a moment as he realized who was outside the door, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. He glanced at his Saibō Ningyō, knowing it wouldn't be able to fight but would at least have its strategic mind to support him. Naruto made a quick decision, mentally preparing his next moves.
"Stay back and analyze them," Naruto instructed his Human Doll clone in a low whisper. He took a deep breath, then calmly opened the door, meeting Itachi's intense gaze and Kisame's shark-like grin.
"Well, well, looks like we've got ourselves a lively one," Kisame sneered, eyeing Naruto with a smirk. "You're the Nine-Tails kid, right?"
Naruto, maintaining his composure, replied, "And you must be the ones Jiraiya warned me about. Here to try and kidnap me?" He raised an eyebrow, keeping his tone casual despite the seriousness of the situation.
Itachi's eyes narrowed. "You're smarter than most, I see." His Sharingan gleamed, studying Naruto and likely gauging any movement. Naruto quickly calculated—it wouldn't be wise to fight head-on against two S-rank criminals, especially since his Saibō Ningyō couldn't join him in a direct fight.
"Let's see if you live up to your reputation," Naruto said, trying to buy time. He formed a discreet hand sign, releasing a pulse of chakra that his Saibō Ningyō would interpret as an instruction to start analyzing their strengths and weaknesses at a faster rate.
Just then, Naruto's doll muttered in a barely audible tone, "Itachi Uchiha: skilled in genjutsu, Sharingan user. Kisame Hoshigaki: powerful chakra reserve, Water Style specialist." Its voice was calm, calculating.
Naruto took this information to heart and quickly began to strategize. He'd need Jiraiya's help soon if things escalated, but for now, he'd have to play along.
Itachi's gaze was intense, and Naruto could feel the weight of his eyes even before the first move was made. Kisame, already on the offensive, grinned wickedly and lunged forward with his sword in hand. The massive weapon, Samehada, crackled with chakra as Kisame swung it down at Naruto.
But Naruto was faster, his instincts sharpened by the Chimera-gan. As Kisame's sword neared, Naruto leapt back, landing gracefully on a nearby chair to spring off again. At the same time, he silently activated his jutsu, his hands weaving through the signs at a pace that would be impossible for most to track.
The air shimmered, and a clump of cells rapidly materialized from his chakra. It was an odd, swirling mass that he quickly formed into a massive, undulating blanket-like wave. It billowed outward like a thick, living mass of organic material, spreading fast enough to catch Kisame's sword before it could land a blow on him.
Kisame's eyes widened, but he wasn't one to be easily deterred. He swung Samehada in a wide arc, cutting through the blanket with ease. The cells responded quickly, regenerating and re-forming in an attempt to contain the blade, but Kisame's raw strength was too much to fully stop.
Meanwhile, Itachi stood still, his Sharingan spinning. His eyes flickered from Naruto's unusual eye to the mass of cells he was manipulating. There was something deeply unsettling about Naruto's powers—Itachi could sense the foreign nature of the abilities he was displaying, and yet, they seemed eerily familiar. Itachi's mind raced as he tried to piece together what was happening, his observations turning quickly into analysis.
Naruto's Chimera-gan allowed him to quickly process the data from Itachi and Kisame's attacks, giving him an edge even as the battle unfolded. With a thought, Naruto scanned their genetics and abilities, merging them into his own understanding. He could feel their chakra, each thread of energy that made up their being, and instantly adapted to his surroundings.
Naruto grinned, a plan forming. "Nice try, Kisame," he muttered under his breath. Then he turned his gaze back to Itachi, sizing him up. The Uchiha's Sharingan glowed with a dangerous intensity, but Naruto wasn't about to let this be an easy fight.
"You'll need more than that to take me down," Naruto said, his voice more confident than ever, as he adjusted his stance and prepared for the next round.
Itachi's lips curved into a slight smirk. "We'll see about that."
Kisame swung Samehada again, aiming to cut through the cells once more, but this time Naruto was ready. With a mental command, he molded the blanket of cells into a series of smaller tendrils that lashed out, wrapping around Samehada and tugging it off course. He wasn't strong enough to overpower the sword directly, but the distraction gave him enough time to act.
Naruto swiftly formed a series of clones—Saibō Ningyō clones—each with a single, specific purpose: to track the movements of both Itachi and Kisame. Unlike normal clones, these ones had incredible intelligence and could adapt to new strategies on the fly.
The clones spread out quickly, each one positioning itself strategically to surround the two Akatsuki members. The clones' mere presence was enough to force Kisame and Itachi to be on guard, even if it was only for a moment.
Naruto watched it all unfold, his Chimera-gan continuously adjusting and adapting to their patterns, feeding him more data as he prepared his next move. The advantage was his, for now.
"You two are good, but you're not unbeatable," Naruto said, his voice carrying the weight of someone who was already three steps ahead.