Naruto: Paradise for One [R-18]

After their confrontation with Kiba, Saul headed out to go find Naruto. He needed the Uzumaki to legitimize the multi-shadow clone jutsu. After seeing his little altercation with Sakura and Sasuke this morning, he had an idea on how to get him to help.

Outside the Academy Building

Naruto was jumping from tree to tree, cursing. He finally had teammates! For the first time he had companions in the village! He wanted to know what it was like, just having people to sit, talk, and keep him company. Of course, Naruto couldn't have that.

When he was about to ask everyone about mealtime, Sakura just brushed him off and followed after Sasuke. It was always about Sasuke for her. Naruto had nothing personal against the guy, but god it was just so freaking annoying! What was so good about him, huh?

He had followed after the pair - they paid him no mind. After entering some forest pathway, Sasuke suddenly jumped away. He was heading back towards the academy? Sakura, having just been abruptly ditched, was too stunned to follow.

Naruto had an errant thought. If Sasuke didn't want her... What if he looked like Sasuke? Maybe then he could finally talk to her! The girl certainly wasn't open to anything else but hitting him if he ever tried asking persistently, but what about Sasuke? She'd be overjoyed, right? She'd immediately tell him everything, right?

Suddenly Naruto felt a hand tap his shoulder.

"Hey, Naruto. I had something to talk with you about. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but would you like to have lunch with us?"

Naruto looked back to see where Sasuke was going, but he didn't see him anymore. He turned his eyes back to Saul. Then his companion, Hinata. He had misunderstood her intentions in the heat of the moment because of the situation. He made a mistake. Yet, they were offering to have lunch with him? They were ready to forgive him?

Naruto blurted out his response immediately, "Yeah, of course!"

The trio sat around a couple of trees. Saul motioned for Hinata to start; she had wanted to speak with him the other day.

"Naruto-san."

"Yes, Hinata?" He remembered her name from the other day.

"Are you feeling better?" She gave him a small smile.

Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.

"Yeah... I'm really sorry about the other day. I was going through a lot at the moment, and I shouldn't... I shouldn't have yelled at you like that! It's fine now. I trained really hard, got this new and powerful and awesome jutsu, and I'm actually a ninja now! Look!"

He pointed to his headband, smiling really wide.

"I'll be able to go on missions, learn new jutsu, and become accepted by everyone in the village! Isn't it great!"

Naruto seemed quite proud. But he didn't come here just to hear Naruto talk. Saul posed a calculated question.

"What about your teammates then? I couldn't help but notice the way you act around that pink haired girl. Do you like her?"

Hinata's ears perked up at the question. Still has some un-requitted feelings left, huh?

Naruto blushed, just from thinking about her. "Ah, Sakura-chan? Hehe..."

Saul challenged, "Really? She seems to only have eyes for Sasuke though."

"She'll come around eventually! Believe it!"

"With the way you're going about it, I'm not sure..."

"Hey! What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Saul changed the subject, "Your new jutsu must be pretty impressive too, for them to allow you to pass!"

Naruto was easily carried away by the shift in conversation. He really wanted to show off his new jutsu!

"Right!? It's called the multi-shadow clone jutsu! It's a really really hard jutsu, way harder than the clone jutsu! I learnt it in one night! Awesome, right?"

Saul chuckled. "Really?"

"Yeah! Believe it!" Naruto immediately got up. He put his fingers together in the seal under Saul's observant eyes.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A bunch of Naruto's appeared around the group. They all shouted in excitement, all equally loud and rambunctious.

"See!" The group of clones said together.

Naruto dispelled the jutsu. Saul looked impressed, and Naruto couldn't have been prouder!

"I can make as many clones as I want! And all of them are real copies too! They're all just as strong as me, dattebayo!"

Hinata interjected. "If you were using a Kunai, would it be copied too?"

"Yes, everything!!! Amazing right!"

Oh Naruto... The potential of this jutsu is so wasted on you...

"Wow!!! Could I learn it too somehow?"

Naruto scratched his head embarrassedly. "Well actually... I learned it from an ultra-top secret scroll! You know!? It isn't given to just anyone!"

Saul insisted, "But you learned the jutsu though, right? Since you're so good at it, I bet you could teach it! Plus I'm not asking you for free!"

Naruto's morals were not the best at this point in the series. He'd do anything to get what he wanted even though he wasn't the smartest. This can be seen from his decision to try and steal the scroll of seals in the first place, or the fact that he would have kissed Sakura in Sasuke's appearance if he hadn't had a sudden stomach ache! Even though he knew it wouldn't be right to teach someone else a jutsu he had stolen, he'd do it regardless if the price was right.

"Sakura. I can help you massively improve your relationship with Sakura."

Naruto gulped. This? What? He'd love that, but he knew deep down, the girl liked Sasuke! How could he ever have a chance?

Saul could tell from Naruto's pensive expression that he was considering it. Saul pulled Hinata close, hugging her from behind. She blushed.

"Trust me, I know how to pursue a woman. Aren't you wondering how I got into a relationship with this absolutely lovely girl in my arms?"

Hinata's face flushed even more.

"Saul-kun..." She tried to say admonishingly, but her expression gave away how she truly felt.

Naruto was already convinced by her reaction alone!

"Really! How!?"

"Well it starts with understanding the woman you're pursuing." Saul ran his hand through the long, silky black strands of Hinata's hair as he continued. "Their likes, dislikes, and most importantly, what they are truly looking for in a man. In Sakura's case..."

"In Sakura's case!??"

Saul smiled. "Not like that Naruto. I'm going to need you to show me some sincerity first. Teach me the multi-shadow clone jutsu, and I'll teach you everything I know."

"Ok, but you'd better keep your promise! Otherwise I'll beat the hell out of you, believe it!"

Saul intended to keep his promise. He wanted to see if Naruto, a Naruto who actually pursued his love intelligently, could somehow pull through.

"Don't worry, I won't go back on my word. You've already had to endure enough from the village."

Naruto literally had tears in his eyes! Yes! Finally someone who understood! Naruto immediately began explaining how he used the shadow clone jutsu.

A lot of the content was the same as what he already knew. Turns out the issue was pretty simple, Saul had been putting the wrong hand in front. It was a fairly serious error as the tenketsu of his hands would all be wrong as a result. There was an interesting deviation Saul noticed in Naruto's multi-shadow clone jutsu than the scroll's, however.

One of the tenketsu points had been swapped! The Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu Naruto used was actually different from the one on the scroll!

Knowing Naruto, he'd probably just carelessly tried the jutsu until it succeeded, not caring too much about chakra wastage, directions, or anything like that. Yet it actually worked after being done wrong? Maybe this was the cause of why Naruto's shadow clone jutsu seemed to be so different from everyone else's!

Having finally finished explaining, Naruto smiled smugly. 

"Did you get all that? I learned the Jutsu in just under 3 hours! The old man was shocked by my awesome talent, hahaha!"

I bet he was more surprised by the ridiculous amount of chakra you had to waste trying to learn it...

"Alright, let me try..."

Naruto watched on in shock as Saul performed the jutsu correctly on his 'very first try'!

Author's Note: Another one completed. This chapter was posted in full on the discord - placed there for community review before its official release! Want to be a part of the story? Check out the discord, and let me know what you think! The story will be better for it!

discord gg YwperMGsBq (no spaces, '.' before gg and '/' before Y.)