It didn't take long to find Naruto.
I already knew where he'd be.
I'd stumbled across the place days ago. A quiet, half-forgotten shack tucked deep in the forest, far enough from the village that no one came here unless they were trying not to be found.
When I arrived, Naruto was panting, crouched over a massive scroll spread across the grass.
"Naruto!" I called. "What are you doing out here?"
He jumped, then broke into a wide grin. "Takumi!"
"Iruka-sensei is looking for you," I said quickly. "And he looked pissed. We need to go back. Now."
Naruto waved me off. "It's fine. This is a secret test. I gotta learn a jutsu from this scroll before he finds me."
"…There's a test like that?" I frowned and glanced down. Sometimes, I even surprised myself with my acting.
"Yeah!" Naruto nodded eagerly. "Mizuki-sensei told me about it."
"But it's clones," Naruto groaned, slumping forward. "Why is it always clones? I suck at clone jutsu!"
He slammed his hands together.
Smoke puffed, and the clone blew up the instant it formed.
"See?!" Naruto snapped. "It won't stay!"
I crouched beside him and skimmed the scroll, committing every line to memory.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu."
It was exactly what I came here for, the chance to learn a forbidden technique.
I didn't have Naruto's chakra reserves, but with proper control… even one shadow clone would be possible.
Naruto raked his fingers through his hair.
"I don't get it! I can do the normal clone jutsu sometimes—why doesn't this work?!"
"…Because you're barely putting any chakra into it," I said.
He blinked at me. "Huh?"
"You're using it like the illusion clone," I continued. "That one barely needs any chakra. This one's the opposite."
Naruto stared at the scroll, then at his hands.
"So what do I do?"
"Gather as much chakra as you can," I said carefully. "Then perform the technique."
Naruto hesitated.
Then he took a deep breath.
I felt it before I saw it, the chakra swelling around him; it was thick and heavy, pressing against the air like a rising tide.
"Oh," Naruto muttered. "Ohhh."
He slammed his hands together.
Smoke exploded outward, swallowing the clearing.
When it cleared, Naruto wasn't alone.
Dozens of clones stood around him, on the ground, on the shack roof, between the trees, all staring back with identical expressions.
"…Whoa," Naruto grinned.
My brows twitched looking at the result.
This was the unstrained suicide version of the jutsu. The seal handled the division. All the user had to do was survive the cost.
Unlike Naruto, I'd have to divide the chakra precisely, or I'd run myself dry.
Every Naruto clone started cheering and dancing in the clearing.
I glanced back at the scroll, trying to see other techniques, but it was all gibberish.
'What was I expecting? It's probably a fake.'
Hiruzen probably switched it, using this jutsu as bait for the mastermind behind Naruto's theft.
After all, the old man had the ultimate peeping jutsu; he was probably watching right now.
Which was a good thing, cause I wanted to be noticed.
'Look here, old man, you'd better put me on a good team.'
"We should go back," I said. "Find Iruka-sensei."
"Yeah!" Naruto said. "I'll show him!"
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"
Iruka appeared, furious.
"Takumi! What are you doing here?!"
I pointed. "You ran away without paying, sensei. So, I figured I'd find you if I found Naruto."
Naruto nodded hard. "You're right on time, nose-bleed sensei! I've already learned a jutsu from the scroll! You can promote me to genin now!"
"Genin?" Iruka frowned. "What are you talking about, you fool!?"
"The secret test! Mizuki-sensei told me!"
"Mizuki.."
The sound of something slicing through the air cut him off.
I moved without thinking.
Iruka shoved Naruto aside and took the hit himself, getting pinned against the wall by a bunch of Kunai.
"You got here fast, Iruka," Mizuki chuckled. "Naruto, that scroll...give it to me."
"No! Naruto! Takumi!" Iruka shouted, "That scroll has forbidden techniques! Mizuki wants to steal it! RUN!"
Mizuki laughed. "He's lying to you, Naruto. Just like always."
"No, don't listen to him," Iruka said.
"You wanna know the truth, Naruto? The truth they've all hidden from you."Mizuki continued smoothly.
"Shut up! Shut up, Mizuki!" Iruka screamed.
"What are you guys talking about...?" Naruto questioned quietly.
"I'm gonna tell you the truth, Naruto. The reason why everyone in the village hates you."
"NO!" Iruka screamed, trying to free himself from the kunai.
"Iruka hates you, too, you know. After all, you killed his parents."
Naruto froze. "Iruka sensei hates me?"
"In other words...You are the nine-tailed fox demon that destroyed the village."
"NO! No Way! I'm the fox demon?" Naruto muttered, overwhelmed with shock.
"Yes, that's why they all despise you." Mizuki continued spewing venom.
"STOP IT!" Iruka screamed.
"If Iruka were honest, he'd admit it, too. In fact, everyone will be happy if you just die!" Mizuki hurled a giant shuriken at Naruto.
Naruto was still standing there dazed, finally realising the reason everyone hated him his whole life.
"NO, Naruto!" Iruka freed himself from the wall and jumped over Naruto, shielding him from the giant shuriken with his body.
"Iruka Sensei!" Naruto was shocked to see Iruka shielding him. Wasn't he the fox demon? Then why?
Clank
A giant log collided with the shuriken just as it was about to lodge itself in Iruka's spine.
'There, nobody can say I'm ungrateful'
I wasn't trying to be a hero; It's just that Iruka had been really good to me all these years.
"Why, you brat! Why are you getting in the way?" Mizuki looked pissed.
He'd assumed I'd just be standing there, frozen in fear. What can I say? People always ignored NPCs.
"Why? Cause that's my sensei and my friend, you piece of shit!" I said with a snort.
"Takumi!" Iruka looked back, his eyes about to cry.
'So fucking dramatic.'
"Friend..." Naruto muttered.
"Ha ha ha. Friend? What a joke. Didn't he kill your parents, too?" Mizuki laughed like a lunatic.
"I always knew you were an idiot," he sneered, pulling out another giant shuriken. "Just like Iruka."
"Takumi, run!" Iruka shouted.
"Let me show you what happens to idiots," Mizuki said, hurling the shuriken.
Iruka tried to push me away, but it was too late.
The blade pierced my chest.
"TAKUMI!" Naruto screamed—
—and I burst into smoke.
"Shadow clone!" Naruto and Iruka shouted.
Mizuki staggered. "What?!"
Another me appeared behind him. "You really were the worst teacher in the Academy," I said as I drove my heel into the back of his head, sending him flying.
"The most basics of basics for a shinobi," I said, landing on the branch Mizuki had been.
"Always watch your back. And always be two steps ahead of the enemy."
While he'd been running his mouth, I'd slipped behind him, leaving a shadow clone in place.
I have to say, it was the first time I felt my clone getting destroyed. And I didn't feel good at all.
"Takumi!" Naruto and Iruka looked at me, quite impressed.
But I only had half the chakra points left, not enough for another clone, so I was pretty much out of the battle now.
No matter how much Mizuki sucked, he was still a Chunin, and I was not going to push my luck.
"Naruto! Listen to me." I said in a heavy voice.
"I don't care if he calls you a fox, a monkey, or a toad. You're Uzumaki Naruto. And you're going to be Hokage someday. So believe it."
"Takumi..."
Naruto's hands clenched.
Mizuki snarled and threw a barrage of kunai. "Hahh! I'm gonna kill you, you brat."
I dodged the kunai, but the branch under me snapped.
"Damn it!" I cursed as I fell into a bush.
Iruka tried to engage Mizuki at close range - unfortunately, his injury caught up with him, and he went down hard.
"…Sensei." Naruto knelt next to him.
'This is so embarrassing, Iruka. Good thing I'm not your student anymore.' I thought, covering my face as I peeked out of the bush.
"You..!" Naruto got up, crossing his fingers.
"It's useless, I can take you down in a single move," Mizuki said, looking at Naruto. "Demon fox!"
"I'm...Uzumaki Naruto," Chakra erupted from his body, "and I'm gonna kill you for hurting my Sensei..."
Poof Poof Poof.....
"...and my friend.."
Smoke enveloped the whole forest.
When it cleared, hundreds—no, thousands of Naruto clones filled the clearing.
"..Believe It!" They all said in unison, and Mizuki fell backwards in fear.
-To be Continued...