Naruto: The Crimson Error

17

Chapter 17: The Great Chunin Exam Caper

Sora crouched on a rooftop, his fiery red hair hidden beneath a dark cap as he peered down at the streets below. His sharp eyes were fixed on a particular civilian - a middle-aged man with shifty eyes and a nervous demeanour. The man kept glancing around, flinching every time a ninja passed by.

"Now that's suspicious if I've ever seen it," Sora mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Wonder what he's up to? Probably stole some old lady's cat or something equally nefarious."

Just then, the man looked up and caught sight of Sora. His face instantly drained of all colour, turning so pale he resembled a ghost more than a person. He stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to get away.

Sora's eyebrows shot up. "Okay, definitely not a cat thief. Unless it was a really, really big cat. Like, tiger-sized." He grinned mischievously. "Oh, this is gonna be fun to investigate!"

His plotting was interrupted by the arrival of Hanabi Hyuga, who landed gracefully on the rooftop beside him. The young Hyuga heiress fixed Sora with an exasperated look.

"Alright, I'm here. What's so important that you had to drag me away from training?" she demanded.

Sora's grin widened. "Oh Hanabi, my dear rival and occasional partner in crime! You're just in time for the show!"

With a dramatic flourish, Sora bit his thumb and slammed his palm onto the rooftop. "Summoning Jutsu: Shadow Clone Spectacular!"

A massive cloud of smoke erupted, completely enveloping the rooftop. As it cleared, Hanabi found herself surrounded by dozens of Sora clones, each striking a ridiculous pose.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" one Sora announced in a booming voice.

"Boys and girls!" added another.

"Ninja and civilians!" chimed in a third.

"Cats and dogs!" shouted yet another.

"Living and... well, just living, I guess," mumbled one in the back.

"Welcome," they all chorused together, "to the greatest show in Konoha!"

The clones then launched into an elaborate, if slightly uncoordinated, dance routine. They twirled and pirouetted, occasionally bumping into each other or tripping over their own feet. One particularly enthusiastic clone attempted a backflip, only to crash into two others, creating a small domino effect.

Hanabi watched this spectacle with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "Sora," she said flatly, "what in the name of the First Hokage are you doing?"

The real Sora, who had been conducting his clone orchestra with great gusto, turned to her with a beaming smile. "Building suspense, of course! You can't drop big news without a proper build-up!"

"Big news?" Hanabi's eyebrow arched sceptically. "The last time you said you had 'big news', it ended with half the Hyuga compound covered in glitter and my father threatening to use his Gentle Fist on places I'd rather not mention."

Sora waved his hand dismissively. "Pfft, that was nothing. This, my dear Hanabi, is the real deal. I, Sora the Great, have discovered the secret path to our dreams!"

"Our dreams of what? Becoming the village's most wanted pranksters?"

"No, no, no!" Sora exclaimed, dispelling his clone army with a snap of his fingers. He leaned in close, his eyes shining with excitement. "I've found a way for us to become official ninjas!"

Hanabi's eyes widened in shock. "What? But we're only six! And you barely even attend the Academy!"

"Details, details," Sora said, waving his hand again. "Since when has a little thing like 'rules' or 'common sense' ever stopped us?"