Naruto: The Crimson Error

19

Chapter 19: The Destined One

Sora stretched lazily as he finished his daily training routine. The sun was high in the sky, and a gentle breeze rustled through the leaves of Konoha's many trees. With the Chunin Exams just a few days away, most genin were frantically preparing, but Sora? Well, he had other ideas.

"Hmm, what to do, what to do," he mused aloud, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I could prank Kakashi-sensei again, but last time he retaliated by replacing all my clothes with spandex jumpsuits. Lee was thrilled, but I'm still finding green fabric in unexpected places."

As he pondered his options, a sudden thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. "Wait a minute! What about that reverse summoning jutsu I read about in the Hokage's secret library? ...Which I definitely didn't break into. Nope. Not me."

Excitement bubbled up inside him as he remembered the details. According to the scroll, performing the jutsu would transport the user to the realm of the animal they were destined to form a summoning contract. It was typically used by Jonin or experienced chunin, but since when had Sora ever let silly things like "rules" or "common sense" stop him?

"Well, no time like the present!" he declared, cracking his knuckles dramatically. "I wonder what kind of majestic, powerful creature I'll be connected to? A dragon? A phoenix? Ooh, maybe those ninja ostriches I've heard about!"

With a grin that would have made any sensible adult very, very nervous, Sora began forming the hand seals. His chakra swirled around him, building to a crescendo as he completed the final seal.

"Reverse Summoning Jutsu!"

There was a loud "poof" and a puff of smoke. When it cleared, Sora found himself... in a forest?

"Huh," he said, looking around. "This is a bit anticlimactic. I was expecting something more... I don't know, mystical? With glowing mushrooms or talking trees or-"

His monologue was cut short as he realized he wasn't alone. Dozens of beady eyes were staring at him from the surrounding trees and bushes. As his vision adjusted to the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy, he realized what those eyes belonged to.

Squirrels. Hundreds of squirrels.

And they did not look happy.

"Uh, hi there!" Sora said, waving awkwardly. "I come in peace? I definitely haven't stolen any nuts recently, if that's what you're wondering."

The squirrels continued to stare, their tiny paws twitching as if itching to throw something. Preferably something hard and painful.

Suddenly, a deep voice boomed from above, causing Sora to jump. "Hooman, it seems that you are fated to our clan."

Sora looked up to see the source of the voice: a squirrel easily the size of a bear, perched on a massive branch. Its fur was a dignified silver, and it wore what appeared to be a tiny acorn-shaped crown.

"Oh, wow," Sora breathed. "You're like, the Squirrel King or something, right? Do I bow? Or offer you a nut? I'm a little fuzzy on squirrel etiquette."

The giant squirrel's eye twitched slightly. "I am the Elder of the Chestnut Clan, young one. And if you wish to form a contract with us, you must first pass... the test."

Sora's eyes lit up. "A test? Ooh, is it a riddle? I love riddles! Okay, hit me: What's brown and sticky?"

The Elder Squirrel blinked in confusion. "What? No, it's not a-"

"A stick!" Sora exclaimed, laughing at his own joke. "Get it? Because sticks are brown, and they're sticky! ...No? Tough crowd."

The Elder Squirrel sighed deeply, a sound that seemed to convey millennia of exhaustion. "The test, young one, is simple. You must avoid getting paint on you for the next three hours."