The Other Jinchūriki - A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 44

"What even are these things?" Sakura asked.

"Clones by the looks of it," Kabuto said, looking at each and every one as he took a step back. "And a whole lot of them too."

"Hah!" One of the clones laughed. "Like cornered rats!"

"'Cornered rats', huh?!" Rizaki exclaimed, plunging her 'staff' into the clone's stomach.

"Yes Rizzy-ttebayo!" Naruto cheered.

"That'll show 'em!" Sōma yelled. However, the stick went through the clone and it became goop.

"Ew! Not on my weapon!" Rizaki kicked the clone off and shook the goop off the stick. "Phew..."

"Rizaki, watch it!" Sasumi jumped in front of her as a clone tried to attack with a kunai, slashing its hand off with a shuriken. The blunette's ear twitched and she turned to see another clone jump in and try flinging a kunai.

"Duck!" She exclaimed as she shoved the female Uchiha and herself down to the ground, however getting a cut on her cheek in the process.

"You guys okay?!" Sōma asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I just saved Kechi's ass! Maji!"

"More like I saved yours," Sasumi scoffed as she turned her head away. "Baka."

"I risk my life for you and this is how I get treated—?!"

"SHANNARO!" Sakura yelled, bonking them both in the head, getting small whines in return. "You both saved each other's asses, alright?! Now get your heads back in the game!"

"Surrender your scrolls!" The clones began to chant. "Surrender your scrolls!"

"So if Rizaki is bleeding from her cut," Naruto began. "Then these are real Shadow Clones, right? These things should be vanishing by now, dattebayo! What the heck are we dealing with here?! Another sort of Genjutsu?!" He growled in annoyance as the clones kept chanting, pulling out a kunai. "Alright, come and get it!!"

"It's no use!" Sasuke stopped him. "Save it!" Naruto grunted, though he seemed to have calmed down just a little. "You'll only be fighting illusions. It's a Genjutsu alright."

"Well my wound is real enough!" Rizaki huffed, wiping the blood off her face.

"That's true," Kabuto agreed. "But still, Sasuke is right. It could be the real enemy hiding somewhere in the woods nearby, launching real attacks from behind so we'd think it's actually the clones attacking."

"Then let's find these stupid clowns and kick their asses!"

"Hold on Rizaki. They'd want nothing better than to have us go searching blindly in the forest trying to look for them. We could split up and they'd pick us one by one. We'd make their job easy for them. I know this kind of attack, and they use it since they're bad at Taijutsu and hand-to-hand combat. At least, according to my data." Rizaki grumbled in annoyance but nodded, glaring at the clones.
There was a silence, until Kabuto broke it and spoke again. "Guess there's no choice. We'd have to hold our ground and fend their attacks."

"Then let's get to it already!" Naruto exclaimed. Kunais were thrown at the group, each dodging the attacks. The blond pulled up a familiar hand sign. "Alright, this isn't going to work! Time to wing it!"

"No, it's pointless," Kabuto warned. "You'll only waste your chakra. By trying to fight these, you'll be doing just what they want."

"Tch...like you said, we don't have much choice." Rizaki set her stick down before making the same hand sign. "Besides, if we eliminate all the illusions, whoever is behind this won't be able to throw kunais at us and we'll see where they're hiding. Alright Naru, I got your back! Let's show them that two can play at this game!"