Ninja Stranded at Sea

Schattendoppelgänger

Marco's POV:

After leaving behind the hardships of yesterday, I tiredly wipe my face, hoping to dispel the fatigue. A glance at the clock tells me it's time to head to the cafeteria. I long for a relaxed day without too much exertion.

The familiar murmur of the crew greets me outside. A card game is spread across tables as everyone waits for the meal. I take my place next to Oyaji and Jozu when Thatch arrives with steaming dishes, instantly awakening the entire crew.

After the food is distributed, Thatch sits across from me. "Did you give the kid the list?" I ask him. "Yes, I handed it to him this morning; he was the first one up," Thatch replies.

"Perfect, he should be able to handle it by the next island," I comment, satisfied.

"I even caught him cleaning the weapons this morning," Izo adds, enjoying his meal with impressive elegance that few can achieve with fork and spoon.

Before I can respond, Visto mentions that Naruto has already cleaned the halls. Thatch ponders, "He also helped me set the tables before focusing on the list."

A surprised "Huh, wasn't he in the cabins tidying up?" from Haruta echoes in the room. "Okay, does that make any sense?" someone from the group asks.

Before we can exchange thoughts, a loud bang from the deck shakes the cafeteria. The crew immediately jumps up to investigate the cause. I think it might be a Marine attack.

To our surprise, we see Naruto, who has stacked several heavy stall plates over his head. One lies on the floor, causing the noise.

"Ahhh," Naruto apologizes, "Sorry, I was lost in thought, and one plate slipped." He picks it up as if it's lightweight and stacks it back on his head. Without further words, he passes by us.

Naruto's POV (Before the Accident):

A sigh escapes me. Not only do I not know where I am, but I also can't establish contact with Kurama. I hope he's okay.

Lost in thought, I don't notice a stall plate slipping from my head and crashing to the floor. "Damn," I complain internally. The door to the deck is thrown open, and half the crew is there, led by Marco.

"Ahhh," I say half cleverly, "Sorry." Not knowing what else to say, I pick up the plate and walk past the crew down to the deck to take it to the engine room.

Narrator's Perspective:

The captain, unlike the others hurrying upstairs, sits relaxed with Thatch, Jozu, and Izo in the cafeteria. "Isn't this strange?" Izo asks. The captain, having a rough idea of what's going on, replies that Naruto seems capable of creating some sort of doppelgänger and even multiples.

"What a handy ability," Thatch enthuses. I agree, and Izo adds that Naruto mentioned he's a ninja.

"Hey," everyone turns to Jozu, "do any of you know where Ace is?"

......................................................................................

While the crew rushed worriedly to the loud crash on the deck, Ace remained hidden. He had concealed himself in the pantry, enjoying a secret snack. The pantry door was usually locked, but Ace had skillfully opened it by stealthily stealing the keys.

Meanwhile, Naruto continued his tasks guided by the list Thatch had given him. When he reached the pantry, he couldn't help but notice the door slightly ajar. Curious, he opened it further and heard loud smacking sounds that nearly stopped his heart in shock.

The room was dark, and the smacking sounds came from a corner. Surprised by the darkness and unusual noises, Naruto hesitated for a moment before bravely asking, "W-who's there?!"

The smacking sounds abruptly ceased, and silence engulfed the room. The only thing audible was Naruto's quick breaths. Then, slowly, Ace stepped out of the shadows, and the first thing Naruto saw was his wide grin.

"Ace?!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise as he finally recognized who was there.

Ace, with a mouthful of food and an amused smile, said, "Hey, Naruto. Surprise!"

Overwhelmed by sudden relief, Naruto started laughing. "Man, you really scared me! I thought there was a huge rat or something in here."

Also laughing, Ace said, "Well, I hope I don't look like a rat when I eat." He pointed to the plates of food he had taken from the pantry.

The two sat on the pantry floor and began laughing about the absurd situation. Ace explained that he just liked taking a little break in the pantry, and Naruto had walked in at the worst possible time.

Just as the two were deep into their laughter, the pantry door was swung open. Marco stood there, arms crossed and a stern look on his face. "What's going on here?" he said with a serious tone.

Ace and Naruto, feeling caught, exchanged a nervous glance. Under Marco's stern gaze, Naruto noticed an uncanny resemblance to Sakura. He'd prefer a giant rat right now. Marco sighed and shook his head. "Ace, I've already forbidden you from raiding the pantry."

Suddenly breaking the tense silence, before anyone could react, Marco gave Ace a bump.

The three left the pantry, and on the way back to the crew, Ace and Naruto shared a bit about themselves. The humorous encounter seemed to dissolve the tension between them.