Chapter Four: Just The Two of Us

Takumi Fushiguro POV

A week had passed since the incident with the villagers I kept up with my normal routines and worked on both the father and mother puppets whenever I could. Naruto however, frequently barged in practically dragging me out of my apartment to do something together.

Today was one of those days. I sipped from a canned drink while Naruto devoured a bowl of ramen from Ichiraku "man, I just don't see what's the big deal with that Sasuke guy. Girls are always running after him left and right, including Sakura-chan," Naruto complained.

I sighed as he kept up on his endless rant you see on the third day at the academy. Naruto had fallen hard for a pink-haired civilian girl named Sakura Haruno and since then he couldn't stop talking about her. 

That same day during kunai throwing practice Naruto tried to show off but failed miserably. Meanwhile Sasuke Uchiha the top student of our class year, struck all of his targets better than most of the other kids.

 The boys got jealous, and the girls including Sakura cheered for Sasuke. Naruto challenged Sasuke only to be humiliated rather quickly "maybe actually aim first before throwing, dobe," Sasuke had said, and the nickname stuck, with many other kids using it to make fun of him. 

"Maybe you should just give up on that girl, Naruto. She's clearly not interested," I suggested taking another sip of my cola "as for the Uchiha he's from a clan of great renown a founding member of our village, so it's only natural that most of the girls flock to him while me, the sensei's give him more attention compared to the other people in our class," I continued.

Naruto's face twisted up into a face that made it seemed like he was going to throw his food up "blergh! What a bunch of bullshit just because he's from a clan they think he's all that but we are just as strong and talented despite being civilians," he replied in indignation.

Mentally I couldn't help but agree with what Naruto had but seeing an opportunity here I chuckled causing Naruto to give me a confused look "you seriously think yourself to be strong and talented?" I teased.

"Ah screw you Fushiguro! I am plenty strong and talented. Just wait and see once we become ninjas, they'll call the two of us the strongest in this entire world, Dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, flicking his hand at me.

I couldn't help but let out a slight smile at the thought "hmm I guess being the strongest wouldn't be too bad," I replied thinking about how I would one day be strong enough to kill the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

Slurping up the last bits of his ramen Naruto let out a sigh of content "Man that hit the spot…by the way I heard that the Rinne Festival is happening next Monday. Wanna check it out?" he asked.

I shook my head "nah not interested I'd rather spend that time training and improving my puppets."

Naruto whined "ahhh, but Takumi you're always holed up in that apartment working on your stupid dolls, Dattebayo! Go outside once in a while, breathe some air!" he said spreading his hands out to emphasize the air part.

My eyes twitched when Naruto called my puppets dolls. Taking the final sip of my drink and tossing it into my empty bowl I said "fine I'll go if it'll get you to stop bothering me," with that, I put the money for our meal on the counter and left Ichiraku in a grumpy mood, with Naruto following behind opening his own can of cola.

He took a few sips, moving his body side to side while talking over my hunched back "so what's our plan today Fushiguro?" Naruto asked, wondering what we should do.

"Training obviously. Your weapon throwing sucks and I still need to figure out how to properly maneuver my puppets in combat," I responded.

Naruto pouted "but I wanted to try another prank today like the one I did on you the other day but a lot bigger Hehehe!"

I turned with a look of comical fury "you call that a prank?! I could kill you right now just for reminding me!"

Naruto slowly backed up shaking his head with a nervous look plastered on his face "N-now calm down for a second, Fushiguro. It was just a joke I totally promise I won't do it again," he replied not wanting to suffer my wrath.

I let out a small click of annoyance and turned away "today we do things my way not to mention the fact that you can't become the strongest if you don't train…idiot," I replied.

Naruto pumped his fist and screamed "idiot?! I am not an idiot, you emo edgelord!"

"And you're a filthy monkey every time I come by your place it's never fucking clean! Then I have to go clean it because I refuse to sit in a pile of garbage," I shouted back with an obvious tick mark appearing on the side of my forehead.

Our argument continued like this until we made it to our usual training spot "here practice with these while I work on my puppets," I said handing him a couple of wooden kunai.

Naruto took the wooden kunai with a resigned sigh "right, right I got it," he said walking over to the throwing range while I went further into the grassy field. 

Sending a surge of chakra into my right arm both the mother and father puppets came forth with a poof. My hands extend out connecting a few strings of chakra to their bodies up with another poof two weapons appeared in their hands for the father he carried a dagger like blade with a chain attached at the end while the mother carried a black colored scythe. 

Storage seals were one of the most basic things that puppet users needed to know so that they could have them on their person at all times. 

Narrowing my eyes in complete focus my hands began to move guiding the puppets through several made-up kata movements.

Each strike, block, and parry required precise control and concentration. I practiced having both puppets execute a series of attacks and defenses envisioning a real life combat scenario. As the training progressed, I pushed the puppets to engage in a mock battle pitting them against each other.

The father puppet lunged forward, the chain rattling as it swung the dagger blade in a wide arc. The mother puppet dodged gracefully its scythe slicing through the air with deadly precision. I could feel the strain on my chakra as I kept the strings taut ensuring every movement was deliberate and calculated.

The father puppet's blade whistled through the air, aiming for the mother puppet's torso. The mother puppet parried the attack with the shaft of its scythe deflecting the blow with a metallic clang. I commanded the mother puppet to counter its scythe sweeping low to trip the father puppet. The father puppet jumped the chain trailing behind it as it flipped backward avoiding the attack.

I could feel my chakra fluctuating with the intensity of the practice controlling two puppets in combat required immense focus. I had them clash again the father puppet using the chain to entangle the scythe pulling it close. The mother puppet twisted using the momentum to deliver a spinning kick the impact made the father puppet stagger back and I took advantage of the moment to have the mother puppet press the attack.

With a series of rapid slashes, the mother puppet drove the father puppet back. The father puppet retaliated the chain whipping around to disarm the mother puppet. The scythe flew out of its grasp embedding itself in the ground I felt a slight surge of frustration but quickly refocused guiding the mother puppet to retrieve the scythe while dodging the father puppet's relentless assault.

The father puppet's blade struck out repeatedly and the mother puppet danced around the attacks each movement more fluid than the last. I had the mother puppet execute a feint pretending to strike high before sweeping low with the scythe. The father puppet stumbled, and the mother puppet capitalized on the opening swinging the scythe in a deadly arc.

The blade connected, and I visualized the fatal blow. The father puppet fell to the ground defeated I released the chakra strings panting slightly from the exertion. Naruto's voice broke through my concentration "whoa, that was awesome, Takumi! You made those puppets fight like they were real people!"

I turned to see him standing nearby, his kunai practice momentarily forgotten "thanks," I replied, trying to catch my breath "it takes a lot of focus and control to do what I just did not to mention the chakra consumption it takes to maintain them in constant combat. I am hoping once we graduate that my reserves actually grow a bit larger."

Naruto grinned, tilting his head to the side he asks in the most shameless way possible "hey Fushiguro what's catra?"

My brow twitches as I turn to look at him "oi Naruto...are you telling me you haven't been paying attention to anything the sensei has been teaching us?"

Naruto laughed, rubbing the back of his head "it's not my fault all Iruka-sensei does is drone on and on about this and that to the point where I fall asleep or just stare off into space Dattebayo!" 

A sigh escapes from my mouth as I quickly go over to my puppets and seal them back into my right arm before coming back to explain today was going to be a very long day of explaining. 

-end of chapter four-

There you have it chapter four is out and I really hope some of you got some of the jjk references I made in this chapter. 

the following next few chapters will cover: 

Five-The Uchiha Massacre- it's not going to actually cover the massacre but rather the aftermath and that once specific scene where Sasuke is sitting by himself near the lake while Naruto stopped 

Six-Rinne Festival - so a slice of chapter (really hoping I can pull it off since I've never done a slice of life) 

Seven- Hinata Getting Bullied by those kids making fun of her (honestly, I like the Naruto x Hinata pairing but I've never seen an actual Male Oc x Hinata fic and no these lemon fics that I keep finding on this site doesn't count. Naruto I've decided will go with a certain Yamanaka instead which I may create a chapter one shot maybe idk.) 

The rest of the chapter details I'll keep secret to myself till then ciao.