"It's a kunai," said Naruto.
"Yes, but scan it anyway," said Kakashi, still holding it.
"It's a kunai you bought at Olaf's Discount Weapons during a mission to Snow Country several years back," said Naruto.
"Oh? Is that so?" asked Kakashi.
"Wha?" asked Sakura.
"Yes, as a matter of fact - I was in Snow Country several years ago, and I think I might have resupplied at such a place," said Kakashi. "I hadn't remembered where I'd gotten it though. Try to copy it."
"But didn't you say he couldn't do that yet?" asked Sakura.
"Yes, but this is a common kunai," said Kakashi. "You start with small steps."
Naruto considered that, nodded then held out a hand and concentrated. A moment later, a piece of scrap metal appeared in his hand. "Crap!"
"Keep trying," said Kakashi.
Naruto dropped the scrap, which dissolved before it hit the ground. He kept it up though - because he'd at least gotten SOMETHING when he tried.
After five attempts, they began to resemble kunai. By the tenth, he seemed to have it down.
Glancing over at Naruto to determine that, Kakashi didn't move from where he'd selected to keep a guard out. "Hang on."
A kunai blurred and struck to the side of the road.
"It's awfully warm for ice," muttered Kakashi as he noticed that the glitter he'd struck had been a thin piece of ice in the shade of the nearby rocks. "Okay, Naruto, now... something wrong?"
Naruto had dropped to his knees and was clutching his head. "Unh. That was... oh. So that's what that means."
"What what means?" asked Sakura.
"One of the aspects of the weapons I scan is their movement," said Naruto.
"Huh," said Sasuke. "What would happen if you made a kunai and put a lot of chakra into their movement?"
Kakashi was considering that when he remembered. Naruto. Shadow clone jutsu. Way overpowered usage of said technique and the resulting orange armada. "Wait. Don't."
BOOM!
Echoes of the noise carried along the water.
Sakura pointed out over the water, where a line of ripples was still spreading. Her mouth was still hanging open as she slowly turned her head to stare at an obviously proud Naruto.
"I was going to say 'don't do that again' but I can actually see times where that might come in handy," admitted Kakashi.
"What the heck was that?!" asked Sakura.
"How much chakra did you put into that?" asked Sasuke, frowning as he considered the way the fog eddied where it had been pierced.
"About enough for five or six shadow clones," said Naruto, sticking his hand into the cold waters. "Ahhhh."
"Friction burn?" mused Sasuke. "Make it above your hand next time."
"Yeah," said Naruto, hand still in the water.
"Five or six shadow clones? But I've seen you make dozens," said Sakura, an eyebrow twitching. "Didn't Kakashi-sensei say that was a high-chakra technique?"
"I did," confirmed Kakashi, holding his orange book in one hand but obviously distracted even from the siren call of its contents. "If you tried to form a shadow clone, Sakura, you'd die from chakra exhaustion."
"One?" asked Sakura, blinking. "So..."
"He really is an Uzumaki then," said Tazuna.
"Eh? What's that mean?" asked Naruto.
"He means you're an Uzumaki," said Rin. "As in the Uzumaki who used to live in Uzushiogakure. As in the clan that was known for having superior stamina, huge chakra reserves, and a talent for fuuinjutsu. Also for red hair."
"I've seen Naruto's handwriting, I find it hard to believe he has ANY skill at fuuinjutsu," said Sakura drily.
"You remember Uzushiogakure?" Kakashi asked Tazuna.
"Never been there, heard about it," said Tazuna. "Old stuff, really tall buildings, ancient machines."
"I had a clan?!" asked Naruto.
"You're the last of your line, Naruto," said Kakashi softly. "And there's our ride."
"Eh? But -" Naruto looked like he really wanted to pursue details, but then shrugged. Maybe he could get details later. For now he had to work on HIS legend, the legends of his ancestors could come later.
"What the hell happened?" demanded Gato.
"We were on picket duty, patrolling out there in the fog," said one of the mercenaries. "All of a sudden, something slammed into the side of the boat."
"What?" asked Gato, eyeing the damage to one of his boats. "WHAT damaged one of MY ships?"
"I thought it was one of those ninja knives but we never found it," said the mercenary. "Just the mark of one imbedded on the wood - of the inside of the opposite side of the ship from the hole."
Gato had to consider the very unpleasant possibility that Zabuza knew that he was going to be double-crossed and killed at the end of this little venture. Which would make both much more difficult.
It looked as if it might be necessary to get that insurance anyway.
"One of those ninja knives did that much damage?" asked Gato.
"Don't know, whatever it was - too fast for me to see clearly," said another mercenary.
Gato made a dismissing gesture. "Well, patch it up and get everyone back on the water. I'm not paying you to sit around."
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(Posted Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:50)
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