บท 12: 12. Prank Wars: Generation Alpha
As if to punctuate his point, a distant shout of "Believe it!" echoed from somewhere in the village, followed by the sound of something exploding and a chorus of surprised yelps.
Sora sighed, resigning himself to a very long, very orange day. "Well, gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I have more tasks to complete. And possibly a shower to take, if I can find one that won't be booby-trapped."
As he trudged away from the gates, leaving a trail of orange footprints behind him, Sora couldn't help but wonder if early Academy enrollment was really worth all this. Then again, he mused, at least life was never boring in Konoha.
With the gate inspection (and impromptu paint job) behind him, Sora made his way to Training Ground 7 for his next task: weed pulling. It was a tedious job on the best of days, but now, with the constant threat of Naruto's pranks looming over him, it seemed downright daunting.
"Right," Sora muttered to himself as he surveyed the field. "Time to fight fire with fire. Or in this case, clones with clones."
Forming the hand signs, Sora concentrated his chakra. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In a series of small pops, six identical copies of Sora appeared, each sporting the same vibrant orange hue as the original.
"Alright, team," Sora addressed his clones. "We've got a job to do. You two," he pointed at the first two clones, "are on lookout duty. Keep an eye out for any sign of Naruto or his clones. The rest of us will tackle these weeds."
The clones nodded, two taking up positions around the perimeter while the others spread out across the field. Sora himself knelt down and began the monotonous task of pulling weeds.
For a while, everything seemed to go smoothly. The lookout clones reported no signs of Naruto, and the weeding was progressing at a steady pace. Sora was just starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he might get through this task unscathed.
That's when things went sideways.
It started with a faint 'poof' sound from the direction of one of his lookout clones. Sora's head snapped up, eyes scanning the area, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just as he was about to call out to his clone, he felt a sudden wave of dizziness wash over him.
All at once, the memories of his captured clones flooded his mind. Images of Naruto's clones, transformed into inconspicuous weeds, silently taking out his lookouts flashed before his eyes. Sora staggered, momentarily overwhelmed by the influx of information.
"Oh no," he groaned, realizing what was about to happen a split second too late.
On some unseen signal, Naruto's clones sprang into action. Six orange-painted water balloons arced through the air, homing in on Sora with unerring accuracy.
But Sora wasn't the Crimson Prankster for nothing. Even dizzy and caught off guard, years of honing his reflexes kicked in. He ducked and weaved, his body moving almost on autopilot.
One balloon whizzed past his ear. Another splattered harmlessly on the ground beside him. A third he actually managed to catch and toss back, resulting in a surprised yelp from one of Naruto's clones.
For a moment, Sora allowed himself a triumphant grin. He'd dodged the worst of it! Take that, Naru-
His mental victory lap was cut short as he felt something grab his ankles. Looking down, Sora saw hands protruding from the earth, clutching his legs in an iron grip. His eyes widened in realization.
"The Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu?!" Sora exclaimed in disbelief. "Since when does Naruto know Earth-style techniques?!"
From his new, significantly lower vantage point, Sora could only watch helplessly as the remaining balloons found their mark. Orange paint splattered across him, adding new, vibrant layers to his already colourful ensemble.
As the barrage ended, Naruto's clones gathered around, grinning widely.
"That's two points for me!" they chorused in unison. "You should always believe that somebody else has better stealth than you, kid!"
With that parting shot, all the clones dispelled in a series of small pops, leaving Sora alone, stuck in the ground, and thoroughly painted.
"Great," Sora grumbled, spitting out a mouthful of grass and paint. "Just great. Why did I ever teach him that Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
It took Sora a good twenty minutes to wriggle free from the earth, during which time he had ample opportunity to reflect on his life choices and wonder if maybe he should have pursued a less prank-oriented hobby.
Like flower arranging. Or extreme ironing. Anything that didn't involve being repeatedly doused in paint, really.
Once he finally managed to extricate himself from the ground, Sora took stock of the situation. He was covered head to toe in a mix of orange paint and dirt, his clothes were a lost cause, and he still had five tasks to complete before 6 PM. On the bright side, he'd somehow managed to pull most of the weeds during his impromptu wrestling match with the earth.
"Small victories," Sora muttered, brushing himself off as best he could. "Okay, next up... arranging library supplies. At least books can't transform into Naruto clones. Probably."
Making his way to the Konoha Library, Sora couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Every civilian he passed seemed to be stifling a laugh, and he could have sworn he saw an ANBU member nearly fall off a roof trying to contain their mirth.
As he entered the library, the elderly librarian took one look at him and promptly dropped the stack of books she was carrying.
"Young man!" she exclaimed in a scandalized whisper. "What in the name of the First Hokage happened to you?"
Sora tried his best to look dignified, which was no small feat given his current state. "Official village business, ma'am. I've been tasked with arranging supplies here."
The librarian eyed him suspiciously, clearly torn between her duty to maintain order in her domain and her desire to not have orange paint smeared all over her precious books.
"Very well," she said finally, pointing to a back room. "The supplies are through there. But if I see so much as a speck of paint on any of my books, you'll be shelving returns for the next month!"
Sora gulped and nodded, making his way to the supply room with exaggerated care. To his surprise and mild suspicion, the task went smoothly. No exploding ink pots, no books that turned into clones when opened, not even a simple trip wire. By the time he finished organizing the supplies, Sora was starting to feel downright paranoid.
"Maybe," he mused as he bid farewell to the still-wary librarian, "Naruto's running out of ideas. Or maybe he's just biding his time, waiting to strike when I least expect it. Yeah, that's probably it."
Deciding that a change in tactics was in order, Sora opted to tackle the next two tasks simultaneously using shadow clones. He sent one clone, transformed to look like a nondescript civilian, to monitor the receptionist at the Hokage Tower, while he himself headed to Ichiraku Ramen for the delivery task.
As he approached the beloved ramen stand, Sora couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and dread. On one hand, Naruto would never risk damaging his favourite eating establishment. On the other hand, the promise of ramen might be too tempting for the blonde prankster to resist.
"Ah, Sora-kun!" Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku, greeted him warmly. "Here for some ra- oh my. That's... quite a new look you're sporting."
Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, acutely aware of the orange paint flaking off onto the ground. "Ah, yeah. Just trying out a new fashion statement. Anyway, I'm actually here to help with deliveries. Lord Hokage's orders."
Teuchi raised an eyebrow but didn't comment further. "Well, we can always use an extra hand. Ayame's out sick today, so you'll be a big help. Just... try not to drip on the ramen, okay?"
For the next hour, Sora found himself in a whirlwind of savoury aromas and steaming bowls. He darted back and forth across Konoha, delivering ramen to hungry villagers and shinobi alike. To his growing bewilderment, not a single prank materialized during this time.
Meanwhile, his clone at the Hokage Tower was having a far more... interesting experience. The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with a severe bun and an even more severe expression was acting decidedly suspicious.
The clone watched as she greeted visitors with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, her gaze darting furtively around the room every few minutes. At one point, she even ducked under her desk for a full five minutes, emerging with slightly dishevelled hair and what looked suspiciously like ramen broth on her collar.
"Aha!" the clone muttered to itself. "She must be the spy the scroll mentioned. I've got to report this to the Ho-"
The clone's internal monologue was cut short as a harried-looking chunin burst through the doors, waving a scroll frantically.
"Emergency!" he shouted. "The Daimyo's wife's cat has escaped again! We need all available genin teams to-"
The rest of his words were lost in the ensuing chaos as shinobi began pouring out of the building, grumbling about "that blasted cat" and "why can't they just let it run away for good this time?"
In the commotion, the clone lost sight of the receptionist. By the time order was restored, she was back at her desk, looking as prim and proper as ever.
As the afternoon wore on, Sora (the original) finished up his ramen deliveries without incident. He was just beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, he might make it through the rest of the day unscathed when he remembered the next task on his list.
"Oh no," he groaned, his face paling beneath its orange coating. "The Inuzuka dogs."
Making his way to the Inuzuka compound, Sora tried to psyche himself up. "They're just dogs," he muttered. "Big, possibly ninja-trained dogs with really sharp teeth. No big deal. You've faced worse. Probably."
After some convincing (and a thorough sniffing from several sceptical ninken), Sora was entrusted with a pack of twenty energetic ninja dogs for their afternoon walk. As he set out, leading the enthusiastic canines through the streets of Konoha, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was... off.
It wasn't until they were halfway through the village that Sora realized what was bothering him. He counted the dogs again, his heart sinking as he confirmed his suspicion.
There were twenty-one dogs in the pack.
"Okay," Sora said, trying to keep his voice calm as he addressed the extra dog. "I know you're not part of the original group. So why don't you just transform back and we can call this one a draw, huh?"
The dog in question, a nondescript brown mutt, just tilted its head and gave a small "woof."
Sora narrowed his eyes. "Nice try, Naruto, but I'm not falling for-"
His words were cut off as the dog suddenly let out an ear-piercing bark. Like a chain reaction, the other dogs joined in, their combined howls echoing through the streets of Konoha. Villagers stopped to stare, some covering their ears, others looking around in alarm.
"No, no, no!" Sora tried desperately to quiet the dogs, but his voice was lost in the cacophony. "Heel! Sit! Play dead! Anything!"
Just as he thought things couldn't get any worse, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. Looking down, he saw the brown dog - the one he was sure was Naruto in disguise - latched onto his leg.
"Ow! Hey, cut it out!" Sora yelped, trying to shake the dog off. But his struggles only seemed to excite the other dogs more. Before he knew it, he was at the centre of a whirlwind of barking, jumping, and very enthusiastic ninja dogs.
With a yelp that was decidedly un-ninja-like, Sora managed to extricate himself from the canine chaos. He took off running, the pack of dogs hot on his heels, their barks now mixed with what sounded suspiciously like laughter.
As he rounded a corner, narrowly avoiding a collision with a cart full of cabbages, Sora felt something being slipped into his pocket. A moment later, all the dogs suddenly stopped, sitting obediently as if nothing had happened.
Panting heavily, Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper. On it, in Naruto's messy scrawl, was written: "3 Points! Told you I was the alpha dog!"
Sora crumpled the paper in his fist, glaring at the now innocent-looking pack of dogs. "I don't suppose any of you want to turn back into Naruto so I can have a word with him?" he asked sarcastically.
The dogs simply wagged their tails in response.
With a sigh that seemed to come from the very depths of his soul, Sora began the task of herding the dogs back to the Inuzuka compound. As he walked, covered in dirt, dog hair, and slowly flaking orange paint, he couldn't help but wonder if this was karmic payback for all his own pranks.
"Note to self," he muttered. "Never, ever volunteer to walk ninja dogs again. Especially not during a prank war."
***
Thank you for Kenji_Neyra, Mohammed_Alshamsi, Desire96, DaoistcaqwL5, Kay_smiles101, Thecentipede, Kennchan, and Tsubaki12 for powerstones.
***
The Current Powerstone Count is 37, and the new scheme for bonus chapters(on an average of 1.5k words!) today is this:-
40 stones = +1 chapter
50 stones = +2 chapter
75 stones = + 2 chapter
100 stones = + 5 chapters (Okay, I am nervous about this one to have 5 chapters as a bonus, but I am ready to overwork, so bring out your best guys!)
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Desire96
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