_UNKNOWN FOREST_
After Neji had vanished into the darkness of the hole, a quiet moment passed. Then, slowly, a figure appeared in the black sky above the strange forest. It was Sakura, falling gently down, almost as if she were floating. She landed hard on the ground right beside the edge of the large hole that had swallowed Neji. Her head hit the ground with a dull thud, and a thin line of blood immediately started to seep from the side of her head.
A wave of dizziness swept over her, making the shadowy trees spin. Sakura groaned, her mind hazy. She had no idea where she was.
One moment, she had been inside the bark of that giant tree back at Training Ground 3, in the bright afternoon. Now, she was in a dark, cold forest, and it was night. 'What happened? How did I get here? This makes no sense at all!' Her thoughts swirled with confusion
.
She held her head, a soft cry of pain escaping her lips. "Ow... my head..." she whispered, looking around wildly. The silence of the forest was thick, unsettling. "Hello? Is anyone there? Help me!" she called out, her voice shaky. There was no answer. She was completely alone.
Slowly, using her hands to push herself up, Sakura managed to get to a sitting position. Her body felt weak, and her head throbbed. She looked around again, her eyes wide with fear in the gloom. "Ino... Hinata..." she called out in a low, weak voice, hoping for a familiar sound. Still nothing. She pushed herself up, standing weakly, one hand still pressed to her throbbing temple.
She took a shaky step forward, trying to steady herself. But as her foot moved, she suddenly felt nothing under it. Her one leg was floating over empty air, while the other was still on the solid ground. 'Oh no!' she thought, her eyes widening in terror as she realized she was standing right at the edge of the same giant hole. But it was too late. She lost her balance completely. With a desperate, loud scream, "Aaaahhh!! Help me!" Sakura tumbled forward and fell into the same terrifying darkness that had swallowed Neji.
After Sakura fell into the dark hole, the strange forest became very quiet again. Then, Lee suddenly found himself standing there, right next to the big hole. His eyes opened wide in shock. 'How did I get here?! Just a moment ago, I was at Training Ground 5 with Hinata-san, looking for Neji!'
A cold fear filled his heart as he quickly looked around. Hinata was not there. 'Hinata-san?!' he called out loudly, feeling sudden fear.
'Hinata-san, where are you?!' He turned quickly, looking at every tree, hoping to see her. But the dark, strange forest stayed silent.
'Did... did something happen to her too?' He worried a lot, thinking of bad things.
He stood there for a moment, not moving. He was usually full of energy, but now he was just confused and worried. He put his hands together. 'What should I do now? What is going on?!' Lee looked up. He saw how dark it was above him. The sky was very black, with no stars. It was not the blue sky he knew. 'This is wrong... This is not Konoha... Where am I? What happened to this place, and to me?' His heart beat very fast.
Suddenly, a sound came from the thick trees nearby. A person fell out of the shadows and landed close by. It was 12-year-old Uzumaki Naruto. He looked a bit messy. His orange and blue clothes had mud and dust on them. His spiky blonde hair looked even crazier than usual. He was rubbing the back of his head, looking confused.
Lee's eyes opened even wider. For a moment, he forgot his worries because of this new surprise. 'Naruto-kun?! But... what is he doing here? He should be outside the village, training hard with Jiraiya-sama!' Many questions filled his head.
"Naruto-kun!" Lee called out. He was surprised and also happy to see a familiar face in this strange place.
Naruto had just started to understand where he was. He saw Lee. A big, clumsy smile appeared on his face. "Hey, Bushy Brows! What are you doing here, dattebayo?! And where are we, anyway?" he asked, still looking very confused.
Lee quickly walked closer. He was confused, but he really needed answers. "That's exactly what I was going to ask 'you', Naruto-kun! Where are we? And what are you doing here?! You should be far away, training with Jiraiya-sama outside the village!"
Naruto just blinked. He became even more confused. He scratched his head. "Huh? Training with who, dattebayo? Jiraiya-sama? What are you talking about, Bushy Brows? I don't understand!"
But before Lee could explain more, the ground under their feet shook strongly. They were standing very close to the big hole, just a few inches away. It felt like a strong, invisible hand pushed both boys from behind. With a sudden gasp, Naruto and Lee lost their balance and were pushed into the dark, quiet hole.
They both felt shocked and scared as they fell down fast, plunging into the middle of the dark hole. Naruto did not want to fall all the way to the ground and get hurt. So, he quickly knew what to do. He gathered all his chakra and used it to stop himself. He created a strong force under his feet, like an invisible cushion. With a loud grunt, he managed to stop his fall, hanging in the very middle of the hole, far above the ground.
But Lee, who could not use chakra like Naruto, kept falling fast below him. His eyes were wide with pure fear, and he screamed loudly. "Aaaahhh!"
Naruto saw his friend still falling. He did not wait. "Bushy Brows!" he shouted, his voice full of worry. Very fast, he made some hand signs. "Taju Kage Bushin no Jutsu! (Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu)"
'I have to save Bushy Brows, dattebayo! He's going to get hurt badly!' Right away, smoke popped up below him. Many Naruto clones appeared, one after another. They grabbed the legs of the clone above them. They made a long ladder that went down into the very deep, dark hole.
Lee was very, very close to the bottom. He closed his eyes tightly, ready for a painful hit. He thought he would be badly hurt. But then, just when he thought he would crash, he felt something soft and firm touch his face. He slowly, carefully, opened his eyes. He saw that his face was just a few inches above the hard, rocky floor below! He looked up. His eyes followed the line of Narutos above him. They went up into the darkness, like a strange, orange rope saving him.
A big, happy smile came onto Lee's face. He even had tears in his eyes. "Naruto-kun! Thank you, Naruto-kun! You saved me! You are truly amazing!" he shouted. His voice showed how happy and thankful he was.
The Naruto clones held on strong. They yelled down to him. "Don't move, Bushy Brows! We're trying to pull you up, dattebayo!"
Lee quickly said sorry. His voice was very serious. "Oh! Right! I am very, very sorry! I got too excited!"
Then, the real Naruto, who was holding the highest, grunted. "Alright, Bushy Brows! I'm going to pull you up now, dattebayo! Just hold on tight!"
Lee nodded very strongly. He was very thankful. "Understood, Naruto-kun! I am ready!"
All the Naruto clones worked together. They slowly pulled Lee up. It took some effort, but they pulled him up to where the real Naruto was. As soon as Lee was next to Naruto, he quickly took a kunai from his bag. He pushed it deep into a strong crack in the rocks nearby. He held the kunai handle with one hand.
Now, both Naruto and Lee were next to each other, hanging safely in the air. They used the strong rocks and their quick thinking to stop themselves from falling more into the deep hole.
Suddenly, Ino and Tenten appeared. They tumbled out of nowhere, landing just a few inches from the edge of the large, dark hole.
They looked completely shocked, their eyes wide. For a moment, they couldn't even speak or think. They stared at each other, trying to understand. After a short silence, Ino opened her mouth, about to ask Tenten something.
But then, it happened again. It felt like a strong, invisible hand pushed them from behind. With a gasp, both girls lost their balance and were shoved forward. Their lunch boxes, tied to their backs like small backpacks, went with them as they plunged into the hole.
"Aaaahhhh!" they both screamed, their voices echoing loudly as they fell into the darkness.
Inside the hole, Naruto and Lee were just talking amongst themselves, hanging safely by their grips on the rock. Suddenly, they heard the loud screams of two girls from above. They both looked up, their eyes trying to see through the gloom. To their surprise, it was Ino and Tenten, falling quickly down towards them!
"Tenten!" Lee shouted, his voice filled with worry.
"Ino!" Naruto yelled, shocked.
Tenten, screaming, yelled, "What should I do?!" Ino shouted, "Save me!"
Naruto quickly shouted up, "Hey! Use your kunai! Like Bushy Brows!"
Ino, falling fast and confused, couldn't hear him properly. "What?!" she shouted back, her voice panicked.
But Tenten, always quick to act, understood. She swiftly pulled out two shining kunai from her bag. In a practiced move, she grabbed one in each hand. Then, with strong jabs, she pierced both kunai into the rocky side of the hole, hoping to stop her fall.
"I said use your kunai, Ino!" Naruto yelled again, louder this time.
Ino finally understood. She quickly reached into her bag, pulled out two kunai, and pierced them into the rock walls too, just like Tenten.
But what Naruto and Lee expected them to do – stop hanging in mid-air, safe and sound, just like Naruto had – didn't happen. Ino and Tenten kept sliding down, even with their kunai stuck in the rocks! The kunai just scraped down the rough surface, unable to hold them.
"What are you guys doing?!" Naruto shouted, surprised. "Why aren't you stopping?!"
Ino, now very frustrated, yelled down as she sped past Naruto, still falling further. "I can't stop myself, Naruto! These kunais are not able to hold me!"
Naruto's eyes widened. "Oh man, this is bad, dattebayo!" He quickly cursed out loud, his voice reaching everyone. "Ugh, these stupid rocks! And this stupid hole! Why are things always so difficult?! If only Sakura-chan was here instead of you, Ino! It would be so awesome to save her, the one I love, dattebayo!"
Ino, who was still falling but close enough to hear him clearly, shrieked. "Get Sakura out of your head, Naruto, and come save me, you idiot!"
Naruto, acting lazy even in this situation, mumbled, "Yeah, yeah, I'll save you, Ino. Just give me a sec, dattebayo!"
"WHAT?!" Ino screamed back, disbelief clear in her voice.
Meanwhile, Tenten had also now slid past Lee and Naruto, screaming as she fell further. She couldn't stop herself either. Lee saw her panic. Without a moment's hesitation, he used his own kunai to carefully slide himself down the wall. He called out to Tenten, "Tenten! Do not worry! I will save you!"
Naruto, seeing Lee go after Tenten, realized he was now alone with Ino still falling below him. 'Alright, I guess it's up to me now, dattebayo!' He quickly performed his hand signs. "Taju Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Just like before, a long 'rope' of Narutos appeared, one after another, each clone holding onto the legs of the clone above, creating a living ladder that stretched down deep into the hole.
The real Naruto, who was the very last one at the bottom of this clone ladder, just above where Ino was falling, quickly shouted up to Ino, "Hey, Ino! Spread your hands upwards! Quick!"
Ino, still falling, looked confused. "Why?!"
"Just trust me, dattebayo! Don't ask questions!" Naruto yelled, his voice firm.
Ino, seeing no other choice, quickly believed him. She spread her hands upwards as fast as she could. One of her hands, flying upwards, accidentally hit Naruto's cheek. It was almost like she slapped him lightly.
"Ow! What are you doing, Ino?!" Naruto complained, rubbing his cheek.
"Sorry!" Ino yelled back immediately.
Naruto quickly let go of that mistake. From his position at the bottom of the clone ladder, he reached out and grabbed Ino's hands tightly as she fell closer. "Okay, ready?" he yelled. "One... two... THREE!" With a powerful swing, he pulled Ino hard and let go of her, sending her flying towards the ground of the hole. Ino screamed as she went, sliding down the rocky surface as if she were on a giant slide. She landed on the ground at the bottom with a soft thud, sitting upright. She was safe and alright, just covered in mud and dust.
Then, the real Naruto landed proudly on his feet beside her, letting his clones disappear. He puffed out his chest and flexed his arm. "See that, Ino?! You should be super grateful to me! I saved you, dattebayo!"
Ino stood up, brushing off her dirty clothes. She was safe, but still annoyed. She thanked him, but her voice was a little sharp. " Yeah thanks, but you swung me so hard my clothes are all dirty and dusty now!"
Naruto threw his hands up in the air. "Ugh, come on! I should have never saved you if all you're gonna do is complain like that, dattebayo!"
Ino was about to shout something back at him when suddenly, Tenten and Lee also landed safely on the ground nearby. They were both alright.
Naruto immediately pointed at Lee. "Hey, Bushy Brows! I'm mad at you for leaving me alone and going after Tenten!"
Lee quickly bowed his head in apology. "My sincerest apologies, Naruto kun! But Tenten required my immediate assistance!"
Tenten, brushing herself off, gave Lee a grateful smile. "Thanks, Lee! You really saved me back there!"
Naruto then looked at both Ino and Tenten, a playful smirk on his face. "Heh, looks like some people just can't save themselves, huh, Ino? You two needed a real hero, dattebayo!"
Both Ino and Tenten glared at him at the same time. "SHUT UP, NARUTO!" they yelled together, a playful anger in their voices. It was not a serious fight, but a funny, lighthearted moment between them.
---
QUESTION:
What was the unexpected result when Ino and Tenten tried to stop their fall inside the hole by piercing kunai into the rock?
Options:
A) They were able to stop their fall perfectly, just like Naruto.
B) Their kunai immediately shattered upon hitting the tough rock.
C) Their kunai scraped down the rough surface, unable to hold them in place.
D) Lee quickly slid down and caught both of them before they could use their kunai.
Share your answers in the comments down below!
AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS FOR CLARIFICATION 🐢✨
Hey there, awesome readers! Just wanted to clear up a little something about how our favorite ninjas—Sakura, Lee, Naruto, Ino, and Tenten—all ended up in this weird forest. 🌲🤯
So, nope, it wasn't just random luck or a crazy training exercise gone wrong! They were all actually teleported to this spot. And who's behind this super confusing (and kinda rude, lol) move? Well, that would be Uraume, the cool turtle you might remember! 🐢 She was just doing her job, following the direct orders of Hikaru, the big boss orchestrating all this wildness. 🤫🔮
Basically, these guys are here because someone else pulled some serious strings! Oh, and just a heads-up: Uraume isn't done yet! Expect a few more familiar faces to join this chaotic party very soon. Get ready, 'cause things are about to get even crazier! 😉
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Phew! What an absolutely wild ride Chapter 4, "More Falls, More Friends," turned out to be! 🤩 I hope you all had as much fun reading about those chaotic, unexpected arrivals as I did writing them. We've gone from Neji to Sakura, then Naruto and Lee, and now Ino and Tenten have officially joined the party! 🎉 Talk about a full house in a very mysterious hole, right? 😂
It's been a blast watching these characters try to figure things out, save each other, and still manage to get some classic Naruto-style bickering in! Their reactions were exactly what I hoped for, and I'm super excited about how well their personalities clashed (in the best way!) even in such a crazy situation. Getting those rescue scenes just right was key, and their teamwork (and Naruto's complaints 😉) made it all worth it.
But hold onto your headbands, because the mystery is only just beginning! 🤔 We've still got a lot to uncover about this strange forest and the secrets of the hole. And guess what? The gang's all here... but not all are here! 🤫
Get ready to discover what truly lies at the bottom of this mysterious abyss. Are they alone? Or is something else waiting for them in the depths? And as for those "few more familiar faces" I hinted at earlier... well, you won't have to wait long to see who else Uraume has brought to the party! Expect some shocking revelations and perhaps a bit more chaos as our heroes try to make sense of their new, very strange reality. 🌀👀
Thank you all so much for sticking with 'NARUTO: A CHANGE IN TIMELINE'! Your enthusiasm keeps this story going, and I can't wait to share what happens next. See you in the depths! 👋✨