A Mother's Love: A Naruto Fanfic

Chapter 10: Serious Missions

A/N: I'm really bad at ending chapters of this story. It doesn't feel like it closes off easily and that's annoying to me, but I cannot do anything about it. I just have to live with it. This is a small time jump from the end of the Academy, the same way they kind of do in Canon. I'm not gonna go through D-Rank missions or things because I think they're annoying and it just is filler, so we're gonna skip those and just focus on the good, juicy bits. Hence, time skip. Just know Naruto and his team have done A LOT more actual Shinobi training than what they've done in canon, because Kurenai focuses on skills and advancing her Shinobi and not just worrying about teamwork and not teaching them any new skills (Yes, I still think Kakashi was a good guy but a terrible Sensei in canon). On with the show!

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

*Actions (will not be used much)*

Formal Japanese Term(English Translation)

Japanese Jutsu Names(English Translation)

I do not own Naruto. All rights go to Kishimoto.

*Story Start*

"Let's go again." Kurenai said.

"Right!" The Genin yelled.

"Tajū Kage Bunshin No Jutsu (Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu)!" Naruto yelled. Fifteen more copies of Naruto appeared, all of them spreading out to not be popped at the same time. Ten of them started writing seals on the ground with Naruto's battlebrush, while three of them moved in to engage Kurenai with the original. Shino stood and released a wave of kikai towards Kurenai, the bugs circling above Naruto and his Bunshins so that Kurenai couldn't escape to the air. At the same time, Sakura released a few smoke bombs around Kurenai as she wove her fingers for a few handsigns. All the Naruto's perked up simultaneously and disengaged lightly as Shino let the bugs move in and the original Kawarimi (Body Switch) with another clone behind him.

"All set up!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Right! Hikari no Shifuto No Jutsu (Shift of the Light)!" Sakura yelled. Suddenly Kurenai's eyes forcefully readjusted to a change in the light source around her, causing her to hesitate in her step with the Bunshins. The kikai swarmed but then stopped, floating above Kurenai as she dispelled the Genjutsu cast on her. At the same time, four of the Kage Bunshins around Kurenai got into a cross legged position on the ground, far enough that Kurenai couldn't reach out to pop them before they did the Jutsu they were casting.

"Fūinjutsu: Shishienjin (Sealing Art: Four Violet Flames Formation)!" Naruto yelled. Before Kurenai could stop them, a barrier of purple, angry fire shot out of the ground from around the Naruto's, the four of them smirking at her in triumph. Kurenai looked up and saw the kikai still circling around above her to block the opening left in the square barrier. She put her hands up in surrender as Naruto cheered, popping all the Kage Bunshin and collapsing onto the ground in semi-pain.

"The memory aspect of these Bunshin... that's tough." Naruto said.

"Naruto, remember you don't have to go through every clones memories. You can just ignore them and they'll fade away from you." Kurenai told him.

"Yeah, I know I know... I just like to go through some if I ever have the opportunity to." He admitted.

"That doesn't seem the most practical thing to do. Why? Because if you're brain gets too full of memories you won't have the room to make more, plus you might forget something important." Shino cut in.

"Shino's right, Naruto." Sakura told him, placing a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "Not about the memory thing, I don't know how much of that is scientific, but I still agree that going through that many clones memories at once isn't probably good for you. Be sure to stay safe, okay?"