The Windmill Turns Both Ways

Double

It didn't take long to leave the Land of Rain, but they were still a good distance from where the fighting was taking place.

No enemies had appeared yet. The biggest obstacle was the lack of information about where Orochimaru or Madara were. Until they found an information source, it was as good as guesswork.

Nagato tried to trace Orochimaru's energy back from the Edo Tensei, but it hadn't worked because he and Itachi were no longer under control, and therefore not receiving any orders that could be traced back to the source.

After traveling the better part of the day, the trio reached a wide, open lake. First Nagato stopped. Then Itachi. Naruto stumbled to a halt behind them.

"What—" Naruto started, but then he saw.

A flash of flaming orange flickered through the trees, moving so quickly it was at first hard to follow. Then it appeared up ahead, vaulted over a few tree branches, and landed smoothly down in front of them.

"Yo!" the older Naruto said cheerfully, putting two fingers to his temple and saluting. He had a wide grin on his face.

The younger Naruto stared at his older counterpart for several moments. He could barely recognize himself at first glance. He was somehow glowing, flames licking his entire body, giving off warmth and golden light like the sun.

There were other differences, too. He was taller, with broader shoulders and a more angular face. His eyes were yellow instead of a clear blue, but it didn't look menacing. Instead, it looked... almost comforting, somehow.

"W-what?" the elder said with a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ahhhh, so coooooooool!" the younger enthused, stepping closer and looking his counterpart up and down eagerly. "How are you on fire? Can you teach me how to do that? How did you find us? Where've you been this whole time? Can you show me a cool jutsu?"

"Eheheh..." The elder scratched his cheek, looking flattered. "Um... let's see... this is what it looks like when I'm in Kyuubi Chakra Mode. I don't know if I could teach you, there's some kind of waterfall test thing you have to pass first. I found you because I can sense you—the Kyuubi says there's some kind of connection with jinchuuriki, so I guess that includes you, too. I was in a weird forest on the back of a giant turtle training to use the Kyuubi's chakra. And something cool? That's an easy one."

The older Naruto held out his hand. Little chakra claws sprouted from the bright aura around him and waved around his hand, molding chakra in his palm. First it started out as a small, familiar ball of whirling energy—the Rasengan. Still, the younger Naruto watched intently, waiting for something to happen.

It didn't take long. A sharp, metallic whine started as tendrils of white swirled around the Rasengan, growing larger and larger, swirling around it in the form of spinning white blades. The elder raised it over his head and the blades got longer and longer, the spinning generating a wind that picked up dust and tossed his hair around.

"Fuuton: Rasen-Shuriken!"

He turned and launched the Rasen-Shuriken at the lake. It moved with incredible speed—but only for a split second. Before it hit the water, there was a splash as Nagato skidded out over the lake's surface and held up his hands, right in the path of the Rasen-Shuriken. When it hit him, it wobbled, unraveled, and finally dissipated into nothing.

"Nagatoooo!" the older Naruto complained, waving his arms. "You ruined it! It's not like it was gonna hit anything!"

The younger Naruto wasn't sure what was more amazing—the Rasen-Shuriken, or Nagato stopping it with his bare hands. Or that his older self didn't seem the least bit surprised when he did. For the first time ever, he felt like the most ordinary person in a group.