Naruto sat cross-legged by the roaring fire, glaring daggers at Sasuke, whose calm demeanor did little to help Naruto's mood. The warmth from the flames was a small comfort in the middle of this desolate island, the wreckage of their ship strewn along the shoreline as a bitter reminder of how they had ended up there.
Naruto jabbed a stick into the dirt, grumbling, "This was your idea, Sasuke. 'Let's go on a grand adventure, Naruto. Trust me, Naruto.' And now look at us! Stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no ramen, no backup, and no way off this stupid island!"
Sasuke sighed, clearly unbothered by Naruto's rant. "The storm wasn't exactly in my control, idiot. And it's not like we're helpless."
"Helpless?" Naruto gestured dramatically at their surroundings. "We're on an island filled with giant monsters, with a bunch of scared sailors who are counting on us to not get eaten. Yeah, real picture of confidence, Sasuke."
The sailors, huddled closer to the fire, nodded appreciatively toward Naruto and Sasuke. They'd been saved from the wreck by Naruto's quick thinking and Sasuke's sharp instincts. Naruto's Wood Release had turned the wreckage into a sturdy raft. Now, Naruto fashioned the raft wood into firewood and Sasuke's Fire Release made it roar to life. But their gratitude didn't change the dire situation they were in.
"Stop complaining. Let's scout the island. We need to figure out what we're dealing with." Sasuke stood, brushing off his legs.
Naruto reluctantly got to his feet, muttering under his breath. "Fine. But when we get back, you owe me at least five bowls of ramen for this."
The two shinobi ventured into the dense jungle, the light of the fire quickly swallowed by the towering trees. The air was humid, and the ground squelched beneath their sandals. The further they went, the more unsettling the island became. Strange cries echoed through the jungle, the sounds of massive creatures moving in the underbrush.
It wasn't long before they encountered their first threat—a boar, easily ten times the size of any they'd seen before, barreled toward them. Its tusks gleamed in the moonlight, and its red eyes glowed with fury.
"Whoa!" Naruto shouted, dodging the boar's charge. "What the hell is wrong with this place?"
Sasuke leapt into action, his sharingan spinning as he sidestepped the boar's attack and delivered a precise strike to its side with his sword. The boar bellowed but didn't go down.
Naruto formed a hand seal, summoning a massive wooden root from the ground to entangle the beast. "Stay still, you overgrown pig!"
The boar struggled against the wood, its strength nearly snapping the roots before Sasuke finished it off with a perfectly aimed Chidori. The boar collapsed, smoke rising from its charred hide.
Naruto wiped his brow, staring at the massive creature. "This is insane. What kind of place has boars the size of horses?"
"Keep moving," Sasuke said, his sharingan scanning the area. "There's something... strange about this island."
They pressed on, only to encounter more bizarre creatures—bears with fur as thick as armor, a massive tiger with fangs longer than his katana, and finally, a serpentine dragon that burst from the trees, its scales shimmering like molten gold.
The dragon roared, its long whiskers trailing behind it as it lunged at the two shinobi. Sasuke rolled to the side, launching a barrage of lightning-imbued shuriken at the beast. The dragon recoiled, its scales crackling with electricity, but it didn't fall.
Naruto clenched his fists. "Alright, big guy. Let's see how you handle this!" He pressed his hands into a snake seal and shouted, "Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!" Massive trees erupted from the ground, surrounding the dragon and trapping its long body.
Sasuke took the opportunity to leap onto the dragon's back, his blade crackling with electricity. He drove the blade in between the dragon's scales, sending a surge of lightning through its body. The dragon roared, writhing in pain before collapsing to the ground.
Panting, Naruto and Sasuke surveyed the scene. The dragon lay still, its golden scales glinting in the moonlight.
"This place just keeps getting weirder," Naruto muttered, catching his breath. "Let's try Summoning Jutsu and get the hell out of here."
They both performed the necessary seals, but nothing happened. The Summoning Jutsu failed to activate, their chakra dissipating into the air in an ineffectual display.
Naruto stared at his hands in disbelief. "What? Why isn't it working?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Something on this island is interfering with our Summoning."
The realization sent a chill down Naruto's spine. "Great. So we're stuck here, with no backup, no summons, and a bunch of monsters trying to eat us. Fantastic."
Sasuke smirked faintly, despite the situation. "Guess we'll just have to survive the old-fashioned way."
Naruto groaned. "You owe me so much ramen for this, asshole."
—
Naruto and Sasuke trudged through the thick jungle, the oppressive heat of the island bearing down on them. The massive creatures they had encountered so far seemed endless, and Naruto's clones had been scattered in every direction, only to report back with nothing but failure and peril.
"I've sent clones all over this stupid place," Naruto grumbled, kicking a rock into a nearby tree. "And all they find is giant bugs and oversized lizards that want to eat us! This island sucks, Sasuke."
Sasuke, walking a few paces ahead, glanced back over his shoulder. "Then stop complaining and focus. If we're stuck here, we might as well train."
Naruto perked up at the suggestion. "You're serious? You're not just saying that because you're bored?"
"Maybe. But I need to keep sharp, and it's better than waiting around for another monster to attack us."
Naruto cracked his knuckles, a grin spreading across his face. "Alright, Sasuke. Let's see if you've gotten any better since last time!"
They moved into an open clearing, the air thick with tension. Sasuke's sharingan spun earnestly as he prepared for the first move. He vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing behind Naruto with his signature Chidori crackling in his hand. Naruto ducked at the last second, narrowly avoiding the strike, and spun upwards in an uppercut motion, Rasengan in hand, forcing Sasuke to retreat.
The air cracked as Naruto summoned dozens of clones to flood the battlefield. The clones rushed at Sasuke in waves, each one armed with a Rasengan or wooden staff created from their own Wood Release. Sasuke leapt into the air, his newly unsealed Gunbai in hand. He spun midair, sending a ripple of wind to enhance the Fireball Jutsu he exhaled, incinerating the incoming clones.
"Impressive," Sasuke said, landing gracefully. "But you'll need more than that to touch me."
Naruto grinned, raising his hands into a seal. "Oh, I've got plenty more!" He slammed his palms into the ground. "Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!" Massive roots erupted from the earth, intertwining and racing toward Sasuke in a veritable tidal wave of wood. The branches twisted and turned, forming a voracious mass that sought to engulf Sasuke entirely.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Let's see how well that holds up." He made a series of rapid hand seals, his sharingan blazing. "Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A wall of fire roared forward, consuming the incoming wave of wood in a spectacular explosion of smoke and ash. Naruto's clones were dispelled one by one as the heat engulfed the battlefield.
When the smoke cleared, Sasuke was already upon him, their fists colliding in a furious exchange of taijutsu. Naruto's movements were wild and unpredictable, while Sasuke's were calculated and precise. The ground beneath them cracked with each impact as their battle intensified.
Then Sasuke whispered, his voice low enough that only Naruto could hear, "We're being watched."
Naruto didn't falter in his movements, throwing a punch that Sasuke dodged easily. His face stiffened as he processed Sasuke's words. "By who?" he muttered, continuing his attack.
Sasuke ducked under a roundhouse kick, countering with a sweep of his leg that knocked Naruto off his feet. "Not sure. But they've been watching us for a while."
Naruto hit the ground hard, but a sudden impression from one of his nearby clones flashed through his mind. His eyes widened as he scrambled to his feet. "It's the Hidden Cloud Village," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Sasuke froze for a fraction of a second before straightening. "Cloud Village?" He frowned, glancing toward the treetops contemplatively. "How far north have we drifted?"
"Far enough for the Raikage's people to be spying on us, apparently." Naruto's knuckles turned white and he forced himself to let his fists unclench.
Sasuke scanned the shadows, his sharingan spinning furiously. "If they're watching us, they're probably trying to figure out what we're doing here. We need to figure out their intentions before they act."
"Or we could just call them out and make them talk." Naruto said. He grinned, cracking his knuckles.
"Subtle as ever, Naruto." But he knew there was no sense in arguing with his friend.
Naruto cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting into the jungle. "Hey! We know you're out there! Why don't you stop hiding and come get your ass kicked properly, like some real shinobi?"
Sasuke eyed him with incredulity. Whether the incredulity was directed at Naruto's counterintuitive idea of what being a 'real shinobi' entailed, or just at his core being as a person, was anyone's guess.
For a long, protracted moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, a rustling sound came from the treetops. Two figures emerged from the shadows, their Hidden Cloud Village headbands reflecting the overhead sun. One was a tall man with dark skin, sunglasses and a muscular build, while the other was a petite woman of similarly dark complexion with sharp eyes and a confident smirk. Her amber eyes brimmed with unbridled fury.
The woman stepped forward, her arms crossed under her chest. "So you noticed us? Impressive. I expected no less from the infamous Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki." The woman smirked, her gaze shifting between the two. "But the question is, what are you two doing all the way out here? This isn't Leaf territory."
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance. Whatever the Cloud shinobi were here for originally, it was clear they were on edge, reactionary in the face of what they surely perceived to be foreign invaders.
The two dark skinned Shinobi of the Hidden Cloud sized them up. The man loomed over his companion. His blonde hair was pulled into tight braids atop his head. An intricate seal emblazoned on his right shoulder. Something about the seal tickled Naruto's mind, as if seeing a picture of a long lost friend from before you had even met him. The space between the groups was palpable with tension. The collective presence the two shinobi from the Hidden Cloud carried was unlike that of anyone they had faced before. Killer Bee grinned widely, his posture casual as he leaned on the hilt of one of his seven sword holsters. Karui, on the other hand, looked ready to pounce, her katana already drawn.
"What are you two doing here?" Karui asked sharply, her amber eyes darting between the two Leaf ninja. "This is a sacred island. Outsiders aren't welcome."
Naruto crossed his arms, glaring back at her. "We didn't exactly choose to be here. Our ship went down in a storm, and we got stranded."
"Convenient excuse. What's your real reason for being here?" Karui's gaze narrowed.
Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but Sasuke interrupted, his sharingan spinning lazily. "If you're so concerned about intruders knowing about this island, why attack first and ask questions later? It would be smarter to determine what we know before you attack." His voice was icy, and Karui faltered slightly under his gaze.
Before she could respond, Killer Bee chuckled and stepped forward. "Yo, Karui, don't get so tight. Let's see if they're here for a fight."
Karui groaned, visibly annoyed by her sensei's freestyle. "Sensei, now is not the time—"
But Killer Bee wasn't done. He waved his hands rhythmically as he faced Naruto. "Check it out, little bro, you've got some flow. You're number nine, I'm number eight, and now we're both at fate's gate!"
Naruto blinked in confusion. His eyes narrowed as he processed the words. "What are you talking about? What do you mean, 'number nine'?"
Bee grinned wider, pointing a thumb at his chest. "I'm the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, little man. And you… you're the Nine-Tails, understand?."
"Wait… what?" Karui said. She froze, her katana lowering slightly, and her wide eyes snapped to Naruto, scanning him up and down. "You're the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? The one that… that destroyed the Leaf Village all those years ago?"
Naruto's fists clenched, his jaw tightening. "I didn't destroy anything. The Nine-Tails did. I was just a baby."
Karui's grip on her katana tightened again, her expression unreadable. "And they… they put it inside you? At that age. Irresponsible."
"You don't know anything about me or my village. Don't act like you do." Naruto's eyes flared with anger.
"Karui," Killer Bee's voice cut through the tension, calmer than before. "Chill it, girl. Don't be cruel. Nine here's got his own rule."
"Fine," she muttered, sheathing her katana. Karui hesitated, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she took a step back. "But we can't just let them roam around here. This island is sacred ground."
Sasuke, who had been watching the exchange with a calculating gaze, finally spoke up. "What's so special about this place? Why is it protected?"
Killer Bee grinned again, folding his arms. "This island is more than it seems, a training ground for Jinchuriki dreams. But you two don't belong here, see? You're drawing danger, like the Akatsuki."
"The Akatsuki." Sasuke's sharingan spun faster, his face darkening.
Naruto's heart sank. "You've fought them too?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
Bee nodded, his expression serious for the first time. "They came for me, same as they'll come for you. But they don't know who they're messing with."
"Sensei, what are we supposed to do with them? We can't just let them wander around here." Karui stepped closer to her sensei, her eyes flickering back to the Leaf ninja.
Bee shrugged, his grin returning. "We take 'em to Raikage-sama. Let the big fool decide what to do."
"Take us to the Raikage? We didn't do anything wrong! What makes you think we'll just go along with that?" Naruto tensed, his fingers flexing in preparation.
"You're feisty, I like it. But if you want to stay, you've gotta prove you can play. Let's see what you've got, number nine," Bee said with a chuckle, pulling one of his swords free.
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance. Sasuke smirked, having already drawn his katana.
"If that's how it's going to be, fine." Naruto cracked his knuckles, the familiar excitement of a challenge bubbling to the surface. "Bring it on, octopus guy."
Karui groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is going to be a disaster…"
The battle began.
The moonlight glinted off Killer Bee's seven swords as he spun them around his body with expert precision, his movements more like a dance than a battle stance. Naruto and Sasuke stood side by side, tense and ready, their eyes locked on their opponent.
Naruto gripped his Wood Release staff tightly, the smooth, polished wood feeling reassuring in his hands. "Are you ready for this?" he muttered to Sasuke.
Sasuke smirked, his sharingan spinning lazily as he drew his katana. "I hope you can keep up, Naruto."
"You boys better bring the heat, or this octopus will have you beat!" Bee grinned. Before either could respond, Bee charged. He was a blur of movement, his seven swords striking from every angle at once.
Sasuke's sharingan allowed him to predict Bee's attacks, but even then, the sheer speed and unpredictability of Bee's movements forced him onto the defensive. Sparks flew as Sasuke parried with his katana, his blade barely keeping up with the whirlwind of steel.
Naruto darted in from the side, his staff swinging in a wide arc. "Wood Release: Enhanced Staff Technique!" The staff extended suddenly, its length tripling as it extended towards Bee's midsection. Bee twisted effortlessly, one of his swords deflecting the blow while another came down toward Naruto's shoulder.
"Too slow, number nine!" Bee taunted as Naruto barely managed to block the strike with the other end of his staff.
Sasuke seized the opening and lunged with his katana, his blade crackling with Chidori's chirping chakra. Bee blocked the strike with two of his own lightning-imbued swords, the clash sending a shower of sparks into the night. "Not bad, Uchiha, but you're still too stiff!"
Bee spun in place, his swords forming a deadly vortex that forced both Naruto and Sasuke to retreat. Naruto leaped backward, panting slightly. "This guy's insane! How does anyone fight him?"
"He's not just strong—he's unpredictable. We need to find a way to throw him off balance," Sasuke said and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, his eyes narrowing.
Naruto nodded, forming his signature cross seal. "I've got an idea. Just cover me!"
Bee's grin widened as dozens of Naruto clones suddenly flooded the clearing, each armed with a Wood Release staff. "Oh, so you wanna play numbers? That's fine, I'll show you wonders!"
The clones attacked from every direction, the flurry of staves swinging in unison. Bee's seven swords whirled around him like a tornado, cutting through the clones with ease. One by one, they popped into smoke, unable to land a single hit.
Meanwhile, Sasuke moved in silently from behind, his katana aimed for Bee's blind spot. But just as he was about to strike, Bee ducked and spun, one of his swords slicing upward. Sasuke narrowly dodged, flipping backward and landing next to Naruto.
"That didn't work."
Naruto huffed in response before saying, "This guy's a monster! We need—"
Before he could finish, a kunai whizzed past his ear and embedded itself in the ground at his feet. Naruto and Sasuke looked up to see two figures descending from the trees: Samui and Omoi, their weapons drawn and their expressions grim. Karui joined them, her katana gleaming in the moonlight.
"You three have had your fun," Karui said, stepping beside Bee. "But it's over now."
Samui's voice was calm but firm. "Surrender peacefully, or we'll have to use force."
Naruto tightened his grip on his staff, his eyes darting between the new arrivals. Sasuke, however, lowered his katana slightly, his sharingan still spinning but his posture less aggressive.
"Naruto," he said quietly, "we're outnumbered and outmatched."
Naruto glanced at him, his expression conflicted. "But—"
"They've got the advantage," Sasuke said firmly. "This isn't the time to fight."
"Smart move, Uchiha. Now, number nine, what's your call?" Bee chuckled, resting one of his swords on his shoulder as he waited for Naruto's answer.
"Fine. We surrender." Naruto sighed, his shoulders slumping as he dismissed his staff.
Karui stepped forward, her katana still raised. "Good choice. Now, hands where we can see them."
Naruto and Sasuke complied as Samui and Omoi moved to secure them. Bee sheathed his swords, his grin never fading. "Don't worry, little bros. Raikage-sama's got a thing for diplomacy. You'll be just fine—probably."
As the group prepared to move, Naruto glanced at Sasuke, his voice low. "This is your fault, you know."
Sasuke smirked faintly, his tone dry. "You're the one who agreed to come."
Naruto groaned. "This is going to be a long trip."
The group set off toward the Hidden Cloud Village, their mission derailed and their fates uncertain.