Naruto: The Crimson Error

(Bonus Chapter for 50 Powerstones, We are currently 96th rank(lol) in fanfics released in the last 30 days, for this week. Let's try to reach under Rank 50.)

The next morning dawned bright and early, finding Naruto and Sora back in the thick of the cleanup efforts. This time, however, they had some... unexpected help.

"Alright, listen up!" Iruka-sensei's voice rang out over the assembled group of Academy students. "Today's lesson is going to be a bit different. We'll be learning about the importance of community service and teamwork by helping with the village clean up!"

A chorus of groans met this announcement, the loudest coming from a certain spiky-haired Nara.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, eyeing the buckets and scrub brushes with distaste. "Why do we have to clean up the mess that annoying blonde made?"

Beside him, Choji munched on a bag of chips, somehow managing to look thoughtful despite the constant stream of food entering his mouth. "Well, look at it this way, Shikamaru. The sooner we clean this up, the sooner things can get back to normal. And the sooner Ichiraku can reopen."

At the mention of his favourite ramen stand, Naruto's head whipped around so fast it was a wonder he didn't get whiplash. "That's right! We've gotta clean this up fast! For the ramen!"

And with that battle cry, Naruto threw himself into the cleanup with renewed vigour, his shadow clones multiplying faster than rabbits on a sugar high.

Sora, watching this display with a mix of amusement and exasperation, couldn't help but shake his head. "You know," he said to no one in particular, "I'm starting to think Naruto's stomach is actually the source of his seemingly endless chakra."

"An interesting hypothesis," came a monotone voice from beside him, making Sora jump. He turned to see Shino Aburame, his expression as unreadable as ever behind his dark glasses. "Why? Because it would explain his ability to consume vast quantities of ramen without apparent ill effects."

Sora blinked, not quite sure how to respond to that. "Uh, right. Well, we should probably get back to cleaning before-"

He was cut off by a sudden commotion from the direction of the Inuzuka compound. Turning, he saw a sight that would haunt his dreams for weeks to come.

Kiba Inuzuka was running down the street, pursued by what appeared to be a pack of very orange, very angry ninken. At the head of the pack was Akamaru, looking less like a cute puppy and more like a tiny, furious sun.

"I said I was sorry!" Kiba yelled as he ran past, narrowly dodging a flying scrub brush. "How was I supposed to know the paint wouldn't come off?!"

Sora watched as the orange canine parade disappeared around a corner, leaving behind a trail of painted pawprints and the distant sound of barking. He turned to Shino, who hadn't so much as twitched during the whole spectacle.

"Should we... help him?" Sora asked hesitantly.

Shino adjusted his glasses. "I believe Kiba would say this is a valuable lesson in the consequences of one's actions. Why? Because he was the one who suggested using paint thinner on the ninken's fur."

Sora decided then and there that the Aburame clan's deadpan delivery was perhaps the most terrifying thing in Konoha. Well, that and whatever was making that ominous rumbling sound from the direction of the Hyuga compound.

Wait. Ominous rumbling sound?

Sora's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "Oh no. Naruto, don't-!"

But it was too late. With a sound like a thousand water balloons bursting at once, a massive wave of soapy water erupted from the Hyuga compound, carrying with it a veritable rainbow of orange paint... and one very surprised-looking Naruto clone.

The wave swept down the street, catching civilians and ninjas alike in its sudsy embrace. Sora watched in a mix of horror and reluctant admiration as the impromptu tidal wave did in seconds what hours of scrubbing had failed to accomplish.

As the water receded, leaving behind a much cleaner (if somewhat waterlogged) street, Sora couldn't help but laugh. There, in the middle of the road, sat Naruto's clone, looking for all the world like a drowned orange cat.

"Well," Sora said, offering a hand to help the clone up, "I guess that's one way to speed up the cleaning process."

The clone grinned, its eyes sparkling with that unique Naruto brand of mischief. "Hey, it worked, didn't it? Though I think I might have accidentally given Hinata's dad a bubble beard. Do you think he'll be mad?"

Before Sora could answer, a voice that could only be described as "barely contained Hyuga rage" echoed from the compound. "UZUMAKI!"

The clone's eyes widened comically. "Uh oh. I think that's my cue to exit, stage left!" And with a poof, it was gone, leaving Sora to deal with the aftermath.

As he watched Hiashi Hyuga storm out of the compound, his normally immaculate hair now resembling a bird's nest and his robes dripping with soapy water, Sora couldn't help but think that life in Konoha had certainly gotten a lot more interesting since he'd met Naruto.

Interesting, and very, very orange.

---

As the day wore on, the village slowly began to regain its normal colour palette. Well, it's mostly normal. There were still a few stubborn orange patches here and there, like the top of the Hokage Tower (how did it even get up there?) and a curiously symmetric pattern on the Nara clan's deer enclosure that looked suspiciously like someone had used the deer as living paintbrushes.

Sora, taking a brief break from his supervisory duties, found himself wandering towards the Academy. As he approached, he heard a commotion that could only mean one thing: Naruto was nearby.

Sure enough, as he rounded the corner, he saw Naruto surrounded by a group of younger Academy students, all of whom were looking at him with a mix of awe and mischievous glee.

"And that's how you set up a paint bomb without getting caught!" Naruto was saying, gesticulating wildly. "The key is to use a shadow clone as a decoy while you-"

"Naruto!" Sora called out, causing the blonde to freeze mid-sentence. "What exactly are you teaching these kids?"

Naruto turned, a picture of innocence that wasn't fooling anyone. "Oh, hey Sora! I was just, uh, giving these future shinobi some valuable lessons in stealth and misdirection!"

One of the kids, a boy with spiky brown hair and a long scarf, piped up. "Yeah! Naruto-nii is teaching us how to be awesome pranksters like him!"

Sora pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Naruto, I don't think creating a new generation of pranksters is going to help with the cleanup efforts."

"Aw, come on!" Naruto protested. "It's not like I'm teaching them anything dangerous. Just some harmless fun!"

As if the universe itself wanted to prove Naruto wrong, there was a sudden explosion from the direction of the teachers' lounge, followed by a cloud of glitter that sparkled ominously in the sunlight.

"KONOHAMARU!" came Iruka-sensei's exasperated shout.

The boy with the scarf - Konohamaru, apparently - looked torn between pride and panic. "Uh oh. Gotta run, Boss!" And with that, he took off, leaving behind a very confused Naruto and an exasperated Sora.

"Not teaching them anything dangerous, huh?" Sora said dryly.

Naruto had the grace to look sheepish. "Okay, so maybe I underestimated their enthusiasm. But hey, at least it wasn't more paint, right?"

Before Sora could respond, a familiar voice called out. "Yo! Naruto, Sora!"

They turned to see Kakashi approaching, his visible eye curved in what they assumed was a smile. His usual Icha Icha book was nowhere in sight, replaced by a small orange notebook.

Sora was the one to address him "Oh, cyclops-san!, Have you come to help with the cleanup?"

Kakashi's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Ah, not exactly. You see, I've been tasked with documenting this... incident for the village records. Can't have future generations missing out on such a colourful piece of Konoha history, now can we?"

Sora eyed the notebook suspiciously. "Village records, huh? And I suppose that has nothing to do with the betting pool I heard some jounin talking about? The one about how long it'll take to clean up the village?"

If Kakashi was surprised by Sora's perceptiveness, he didn't show it. "Maa, maa, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. Though, hypothetically speaking, if such a pool existed, I might be interested in knowing your estimated completion time. For the records, of course."

Naruto, who had been uncharacteristically quiet during this exchange, suddenly perked up. "Hey, wait a minute! If there's betting going on, shouldn't I get a cut? I mean, I'm the one who made this whole thing possible!"

Kakashi's eye widened slightly, and Sora could have sworn he saw a bead of sweat form on the jounin's forehead. "Now, now, Naruto. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Why don't you tell me about how you managed to get paint on top of the Hokage Tower? I'm sure that's a story worth recording."

As Naruto launched into an enthusiastic (and highly embellished) retelling of his exploits, Sora couldn't help but shake his head in amazement. Here they were, in the middle of what could only be described as a village-wide disaster, and people were treating it like some sort of festival.

Then again, he mused, maybe that was just the Konoha way. Turn a prank into a community event, a cleanup into a training exercise, and a headache for the Hokage into a betting opportunity. It was chaotic, unpredictable, and more than a little insane.

And Sora wouldn't have it any other way.