Canon Fodder

Everything turned black. Slowly the red glow of the room came into focus around me. I let out a long sigh of relief. “Fuck that,” I repeated. A shiver running through my body. “Gantz is hard mode.” I brought up my status screen. 

There were 10 other doors I hadn’t checked. I knew there were thousands of different animes, but so far I was thrust into the apocalypse ones. I started to think that the North wall of doors had a theme. It sucked that I had to risk 24 hours in another new world again, but I was willing to risk it. The next mission in Gantz was a lot deadlier than the first. I practiced with the gear, but still, I wasn’t confident. 

Looking down I noticed I was in my Gantz bodies street clothes. But there was no black armor. I let out another defeated sigh. I had hoped to have it for the next world, but since I failed the quest I guessed that was asking too much. 

The key still in front of the North-North-West door I decided to try the one next to it, opposite the Gantz world. On a new wall this one was West-North-West. I ground my teeth prepping myself. But I eventually took the plunge. Stepping through into complete darkness I was soon met with a very familiar view. The faces of the 4 Hokages. 

“Fuck yeah!” I yelled as my arms were thrown in the air. Laughing hysterically some tears came to my eyes as I studied the 4 carved stone faces of the Hokages from Naruto. There was Hashirama Sengu, the First Hokage. Tobirama Senju the Second Hokage. Hiruzen Sarutobi the Third and current Hokage. And finally Minato Namikaze the Fourth Hokage. 

I cried tears of joy as I accepted I was in the Narutoverse. The series followed a young ninja orphan as he aimed to become the Hokage, the leader of his village. Possessed by the Jinchuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox no one trusted him because the Fox had almost destroyed the village. 

Tears in my eyes I couldn’t believe my own luck. This was the kind of feel good anime I could actually live in. There were risks of death of course, but not near as bad as the other 2 worlds I had visited. A smile on my face I got up. Looking around for a mirror I was met with the notification. 

I let out a whistle. Looking back up to the faces on the mountain I noticed that they had drawings on them. Mustaches, swirls on their cheeks, I was right at the beginning of the story when Naruto had vandalized the Hokage mountain. Soon after he did so he was tricked into stealing a sacred scroll. The one that taught how to make a Shadow Clone. 

Looking around, I wasn’t too sure how to go about helping, so I moved to find a mirror. I wasn’t so lucky, but I did find a fountain. Walking up to it I peered down to see an even younger me. I was about 12 years old, Naruto’s age. My hair was still unruly, and I was shorter, but it was me. Wearing a black long sleeve shirt, and black pants with some pink heart designs on it I at least wasn’t wearing bright orange. 

The memories moved into my mind easily. I was Weston Watanabe still. 12 years old I had just passed the ninja class and became a Genin. I was wearing my leaf headband already. My parents were both alive. I had 3 older sisters away on missions for the village. The Watanabe clan wasn’t overly large, but we had the Hokage’s ear. More like the family of Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru in terms of power. Not like the Uchiha or Hyuga clans that were known for their strength. 

As more memories filled my mind I actually began to understand chakra and ninja techniques. Chakra was an energy in the body that was able to do amazing things through the release of seals and practice. 

There were 4 main types of jutsu, or ninja techniques. Ninjutsu which was manipulating the chakra to affect reality. Taijutsu was basic martial arts. Genjutsu which uses chakra to make illusions and sensory changes. Finally there is Senjutsu which allows the gathering of natural energy. 

I was an average student so I knew a little of all but the Senjutsu. That was a rarer move. The Watanabe clan were masters of Genjutsu so I knew a lot of illusions. Trapping people in them and creating a world that only they could see and couldn’t escape. 

I remembered that Itachi had trapped Kakashi in one. It only lasted a few seconds in the real world, but the Genjutsu felt like years to Kakashi. Knocking him out of commission for weeks. 

I was getting pumped. As I understood Chakra I wondered how my quest worked. If I completed it, would I awaken it in my body. I already had chakra in this body, so that must have meant in my real one. Would that also have worked for the bodies in the other worlds? I couldn’t help but hope so. High School of the Dead and Gantz would be so much better with ninja powers. 

I knew a simple transformation jutsu, a clone technique, and all the other techniques needed to become a Genin. The basic level ninja. Comprised of kids I hadn’t gotten my assignment for teams yet. Since I wasn’t in the show I hoped I would be in one of the main teams. 

Lost in my thoughts thats when I saw an orange blur running away from the main part of town. A large scroll on his back Naruto was easy to notice. My senses kicking in I didn’t hear or see anyone chasing after him. 

I decided this was my best chance so I ran after him. My body naturally went into a Naruto run. Arms back trailing after my body I cursed at my familiarity with the running style. Starting to move my arms I became unsteady as the body wasn’t used to it. Grumbling I let the arms relax and trail behind me as I ground my teeth. 

Almost losing Naruto I watched as he jumped up to a tree branch. My first time doing it I let my body take over. It naturally began channeling chakra into my legs, throwing me through the air 20 feet to land on a branch. 

“That’s awesome,” I said, jumping to another branch. Thankful that I wouldn’t have to learn to use chakra it still felt alien to me. Naruto running in a straight line from branch to branch I followed silently as I felt the chakra move in me.  

Like a well of strength in my gut it made my legs tingle as it flowed through my veins. Empowering me to do things normal bodies shouldn’t be able to. I felt better than in the Gantz gear. The possibility of learning how to do this in any body was too tempting not to want. 

After some time Naruto finally dropped down. I stopped chasing and sat on a branch. My black clothes blending in with the shadows I let Naruto open the large scroll and began to read. He obviously struggled with it. Doing hand signs he failed over and over. But he kept getting back up. Continuing to read. Before I knew it I had watched him for a few hours. 

I decided I had to actually work for the quest. Jumping down to the floor my body naturally pulled chakra to my legs, allowing me to easily absorb me hitting the ground. Not a sound made I began to walk through the brush toward him. 

“What’s up Naruto?” I asked, walking up to him. 

The blonde kid jolted as if struck. Laughing awkwardly he began to rub the back of his head as he turned to me. “Hey Weston,” he said. “Wha-What are you doing here?” 

“Just hanging out. What you got there?” I asked. 

“N-Nothing,” Naruto said beginning to roll the scroll up. I channeled chakra through my feet jumping to him. Naruto was the worst in the class at this point. It wasn’t too hard to get the drop on him. Showing up behind him I read aloud the name of the scroll. 

“Shadow Clone Jutsu?” I asked. “Sounds fun. Mind if I try it out?” 

“You want to try it?” Naruto asked, a little hesitant. 

“Well yeah. We are going to be Genin, right? We should learn all we can,” I said. Naruto had been one of my guilty pleasure mangas to read. Staying up late feeding my newborns I would read it on my phone while my wife slept. 

“You are, I’m not,” Naruto grumbled. 

“Oh who cares about that? Wasn’t it just the clone jutsu you had trouble with?” I asked. “I bet if you could master this you’d be a Genin.” 

“That’s what Mizuki said,” Naruto blurted. 

“Yeah don’t trust that guy,” I said. I remembered that Mizuki was a teacher that tricked Naruto to steal the scroll. Then he would take it from Naruto to sell or learn. I couldn’t recall which. “But this still looks like a great technique.” I began unrolling it. The huge scroll was only written on for a few feet. 

Naruto and I began to pour over it. “So the normal Clone Jutsu is pretty much the same thing. Same hand sign. It looks like the biggest difference is the chakra required.” 

“Where do you see that?” Naruto asked, practically panting as I pointed out information on the scroll. 

“Here. Where the clone technique is short range. There is really no limit on the Shadow Clone. It’s much more like a real double of you. But dang it takes like 5 times the chakra, at least,” I said. Frowning I knew that I could only manage to do a few clone jutsus before I was out. Kakashi and others had always said that the Shadow Clone only worked for Naruto because he had so much chakra. I didn’t realize how much though. 

“Damn, so is it impossible?” Naruto groaned. 

“For you, no,” I said. “You know what chakra is, right?”

“Uhh yeah,” he said, his eyes looking to the side. “But you can explain it if you want.”

So I did. “Chakra is in all of us. It powers our techniques and lets us do all this amazing stuff. You know how you need food for energy, and energy to move? Chakra is just that.”

“And how do I access this chakra?” Naruto asked. Trying less to act like a know it all. 

“Just feel it,” I said. “Sit down. Iruka has walked us through this a million times.” Naruto frowned but sat next to me. “Relax your mind. Breathe in and out.” I said the words slowly and waited until I heard him do that a few times. “In your gut there is a white hot energy. That is your chakra. If you don’t feel it at first, that’s fine. Just keep breathing. It will come to you.” 

We were quiet for a long while. I thought maybe Naruto was asleep but he eventually said, “I think I feel it. But it’s red hot. Not white. Almost angry.” 

“Fuck,” I whispered. I had forgotten that the Jinchuriki was also in his gut. He could access the tailed beasts chakra too. That was why Naruto had such trouble accessing his chakra, because the Fox’s own mixed in with it. 

Grinding my teeth I thought some more. “Let’s try it then,” I said. It was getting dark anyway. Naruto jumped up and we stood side by side. I began to focus on my chakra. Building it up it was going to take all I had to do just one of these. 

“Build up the chakra. Move it to the outside of your body. Then do the hand sign,” I said. Building mine up to higher than I had before I did just that. Doing the hand sign that somehow released the chakra I felt it pour out of me. 

My chakra plummeted. But I stayed standing. Smoke appeared next to me and I was looking at myself. “Holy shit,” I said. My shadow clone smiled back at me. 

“You did it! On your first try too!” Naruto exclaimed excitedly. 

My head began to spin and the skill ended. Dropping to my knee I couldn’t help but chide myself. “What’s wrong?” Naruto asked. Grabbing my shoulder. 

“Nothing, I just don’t have the chakra reserves you do,” I said. “I’ll be alright in a bit.” I groaned getting up. My chakra was gone, and apparently I had used so much it zapped my energy as well. Moving to a tree I sat at the trunk. 

“Don’t worry about me. You keep trying,” I said. 

Naruto frowned but nodded. He began focusing. I couldn’t see the chakra but I thought he was actually trying this time. Naturo tried over and over. Never asking for help as he kept looking back to the scroll. Focusing he wasted the chakra of dozens of clones, never stopping. Then as the sun set he succeeded. 

The 2 Narutos stared at one another and they both cried out, hugging one another. “We did it!” Naruto said looking over to me. 

“You did it,” I said. “Try again.”

Naruto nodded. He failed again, but the second try he got it. “Great,” I said. 3 Naruto's staring at me. 

“Thanks Weston, I didn’t think I would get it,” Naruto said. 

“No prob,” I said. “I knew you could.” 

“When I saw you I thought you would turn me in or make fun of me,” Naruto admitted. 

I had memories of teasing Naruto. Something that people actually let happen. Almost pushing their kids to do it since he had the Jinchuuriki inside of him. “Guess I had to grow up,” I said. “Sorry for all I put you through.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Naruto said. A big smile on his face I considered telling him who is parents were, but it wasn’t the time or the place. 

“Keep practicing,” I told Naruto. “I need to get some rest.” 

“Okay,” Naruto said. I received the notification. 

I did a mental fistbump. I finally completed a quest, and supposedly I would be able to keep chakra in my main body. I walked through the woods leaving Naruto to his sensei confrontations. No quest popped up so I didn’t think I needed to be there for it.