A strange new life [Naruto fanfiction]

The blast reverberated underground, deafening. The whole room shook, the ceiling cracked, pieces of stone fell around us, dust blocked our vision, but we weren't smashed by a fuckton of rock, so I reckon my reinforcements worked.

I was starting to have this feeling about explosions, the way they made my bones tremble, how the impact flowed through my body. This one was seven out of ten, ten being an evil laboratory pile of explosions after effect. The payload wasn't the highest, but I think being underground was enough to amplify the reverberations. Nice!

Me and Comm-chan were probably the only ones enjoying it, however. The other kids were scattered around, hands blocking ears, groaning, disoriented. Ugh, some people didn't know the good things in life. I pulled Karin-chan up, then the other kids. Comm-chan helped, and soon after, we ran through the exploded passage.

On the other side of the once barred passage, were stairs leading up. It opened up into a bigger complex, with lots of doors and other areas to explore. We didn't. From the layout I had memorized, I guided the sorry lot toward the door. There was no enemy yet in my sensory range, which I was conflicted about.

I had given Karin-chan a kunai, an explosive tag and, call me selfish, my Kuro Raiku beacon . Impressed upon her the importance of not losing the damn thing. I think I managed to convey how important it was. She held the hardwood kunai in a white death grip.

The lot behind us was a disorganized mess. The tall girl held a kunai, the oldest boy held another. The younger had shuriken, while the one in between had the wires. I had the remaining kunai, while Comm-chan had the last of the explosive tags, shuriken and smoke bombs.

The above complex still had locked doors we had to bypass, but they were just reinforced wood, nothing that normal explosion wouldn't solve. For a moment, I considered if I should try to find my supplies, the things I took from the laboratory. Having my own seals and weapons would help, having my own reinforced shinobi uniform would help more. I discarded the idea. But I vowed to return. I needed the data from the hideout.

We climbed yet another set of stairs, and blew yet more doors, until we burst out into an open area under a canopy of trees. The sky was foreboding and angry, full of dark clouds. Evening or dawn, I wasn't sure which. Looking back the place we just left was just an unremarkable patch of grass, with no indication whatsoever that something hidden lay beneath. Not even my chakra sense could pick up the fluctuations on the walls I could feel when inside.

Outside, there were no enemies. No ambush, no mob of shinobi waiting for us. The group stopped. For a moment, no one moved. Then the other prisoners fled as fast as they could, each running into a different direction, and leaving me behind, alone.

Karin-chan's hand found my arm. She grabbed it in an ever worse death grip. "No! Don't run!" She yelled, which only spurred the brats even faster. I looked at her, she was looking wildly. "It's a trap," she whispered. "They're waiting around us."

I looked around, I paid attention to my chakra senses again, and felt nothing. I knew Karin-chan was a sensor type, but was her sensing ability that better than mine?

Most of the escapees weren't stopping. If anything, they ran even faster after Karin's warning. In a way, I could understand them. This looked like a prime opportunity to flee. Would I stay with the crazy girl that likes exploding things.

I gritted my teeth. Fucking unfair.

Comm-chan picked up on my mood, understood my decision. Asked the question that needed to be asked. "Where to? Which way has the least and most enemies?"

Karin-chan looked around, pointed. I grabbed her trembling hand, gently pried the beacon from her fingers. Tossed the hardwood kunai to Comm-chan. For once, my clone was on the same wavelength as me. She hopped closer, gave Karin-chan a hug, then saluted me and flickered away, toward the direction Karin pointed had most enemies. Maybe that would help.

"W-what is she doing?"

"Can you hide your chakra signature?" I rasped out. I did what I just asked from Karin. I wasn't the best when concealing my own chakra, but it was impossible to always feel the chakra without learning a thing or two. I just never thought I'd need this ability. I should have trained it.

Karin-chan gave me a shaky nod, then faded from my perception. It was strange. Seeing her there, but not sensing her. I shook my head, waited. Counted to twenty. When I heard the first explosion, and yells, I grabbed Karin on a princess carry, pumped my body full of chakra and ran as fast as I could. All around, towards where Comm-chan went, I sensed enemies moving.

I ran, but Karin-chan was on the driver's wheel. Behind us, even from a distance, the sound of battle and explosions. They were from my best supply. Was Comm-chan creating them on demand? I approved. I had fantasized about doing just that. Thunder Flying God plus on demand explosions. That was a match made in heaven, wasn't it?

"From there," Karin whispered, pointing her finger. I swerved away, moved in another direction. "There," she said, and pointed again.

That repeated for a few more times. It was clear however, the enemy wasn't after us specifically. Most were moving toward the battle. Comm-chan hadn't dispersed yet. I sent her a prayer and a request. May she kill them all. Was I evil for thinking that?

Comm-chan knew her brain wasn't working right, more so than being a clone already screwed things up. Being a clone was a strange experience. Things just didn't seem to be that important or serious, no matter how much the original Hinata thought they might be.

Original-chan could be a little more open with her thoughts and her feelings as well. Suppressing things made it hard being a clone. All those repressed impulses were just like candy boxes waiting to be unwrapped. It made her want to do strange things.

Comm-chan gave Karin a hug and her biggest smile, and debated if she should snog the startled redhead. Decided against. Kissing Karin just to mess with the original was a tad too much, and she would feel bad. Comm-chan wanted to snog Ino, not Karin. Karin was cool, but she wasn't Best Girl Ino.

She saluted Hinata, then flickered away. Thoughts about the future pushed away from her head. Comm-chan was just a clone, there was no need to worry about the many hard decisions to come. No, she had a different purpose and goal.

It was finally time.

Original-chan finally decided it was time to stop holding back. She could see it in Original's eyes. A new name was needed. A fitting name.

Assassination-chan, the newly appointed, regretted she wasn't dressed up for her part. A ratty shirt and nothing underneath. She wasn't going to lie. It was embarrassing as hell, but that was life. Couldn't choose the cards dealt.

Her first victim entered her sensing range. It was a medium blaze, a bit over chunin. She knew ranking people over their chakra reserves wasn't the best metric, given she knew a sunshine brat that had more chakra than anyone else, but was also almost like an inoffensive puppy. Killing him would be so easy. Teleport, hug him, stab his eye while he is distracted.

…

Why was she thinking on how to kill the brat? Was she that far gone? She cast away those thoughts, the first victim was here. Hidden behind a tree trunk. She picked up a pebble, tossed it to one side of the soon to be dead enemy, the beacon to the other. As soon the pebble hit and the enemy bolted, she teleported, knee already in position to strike the fleeing enemy. He tumbled, she grabbed his head, filled her arms with chakra, snapped his neck.

Assassination-chan let go of the body, watched it flop to the ground. She nodded at a well done job. Being physically strong had its perks.

Then she tsked, bent down and grabbed the corpse. She slapped her hand at the corpse's back. Inscribed the explosion seal, special vintage. Propped the corpse against the tree, with the seal hidden. Jumped on another nearby tree, and threw nearby one of the normal explosive tags.

Assassination-chan was dedicated to the job, but chasing after prey was boring. Better set up the bait and make prey come to her.

The clone stopped. Thought back on that statement. Nodded. That was a suitable edgy and dark line for an assassin. She snickered, dimmed her chakra presence. It was time to get to work.