Naruto: The Crimson Error

Chapter 4: The Great Infiltration

Time flies when you're having fun, or so they say. For Sora, the self-proclaimed Crimson Prankster of Konoha, the past few months had been a whirlwind of mischief, learning, and increasingly elaborate schemes.

"Let's see," Sora muttered, flipping through his now well-worn notebook. "Basic chakra control? Check. Transformation Jutsu? Double-check. Next on the list... infiltrate the Ninja Academy!"

He grinned, remembering the day he'd first attempted the Transformation Jutsu. It had taken weeks of secret practice, countless failed attempts (including one memorable incident where he'd accidentally given himself elephant ears), and more than a few close calls with curious onlookers. But finally, he'd mastered it.

"Time to put it to good use," Sora chuckled, his mind already whirring with possibilities. "But first, reconnaissance!"

Over the next few months, Sora dedicated himself to gathering intel on his targets: the students of Naruto's class. He focused primarily on the civilian-born students, figuring they'd be easier to impersonate. 

One such student was Hana Tanaka, a bright-eyed girl with a penchant for daydreaming. Sora had spent weeks observing her, noting her habits, quirks, and mannerisms. 

"Let's see," he murmured, reviewing his notes. "Hana Tanaka: always ties her shoelaces three times, has a secret crush on Sasuke (but then again, who doesn't?), and tends to doodle flowers in her notebook during history lessons."

But gathering this information wasn't always easy. Sora had faced numerous challenges in his self-appointed spy mission.

There was the time he'd nearly blown his cover while tailing Kiba Inuzuka. He'd forgotten to account for Akamaru's keen sense of smell, and only a timely distraction involving a stray cat had saved him from discovery.

Then there was the Shikamaru incident. Sora had thought the lazy Nara would be an easy target to follow. He couldn't have been more wrong. Somehow, despite appearing to be asleep most of the time, Shikamaru always seemed to be aware of his surroundings. Sora had barely managed to avoid detection by diving into a conveniently placed trash can.

But perhaps his biggest challenges were Naruto and Sasuke. Despite their vastly different personalities, both boys seemed to have a sixth sense of when they were being watched. 

Naruto, in particular, was frustratingly difficult to track. One moment he'd be loudly proclaiming his future Hokage status, and the next he'd vanish without a trace, only to reappear across the village, usually in the midst of some prank or other.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was just plain paranoid. Sora had lost count of the number of times he'd had to abort his surveillance when those dark, suspicious eyes started scanning the area.

"Note to self," Sora grumbled after another near-miss with Sasuke. "Prodigies and idiots are a pain in the butt to stalk."

Despite these setbacks, Sora persevered. And finally, after months of careful planning and observation, he was ready to put his plan into action.

The opportunity came sooner than expected. While eavesdropping on a conversation between two civilian students, Sora learned that one of them, a boy named Takeshi, would be absent the next day due to a family event.

"Perfect," Sora grinned, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "Time for the Crimson Prankster to make his classroom debut!"

The next morning, Sora woke up early, buzzing with excitement. He carefully applied the Transformation Jutsu, checking his appearance in a mirror. A plain-looking boy with short brown hair and unremarkable features stared back at him.

"Hello, Takeshi," Sora smirked. "Ready for school?"

He made his way to the Academy, intentionally arriving late to avoid too much interaction with "his" classmates. As he slid open the classroom door, he put on his best sheepish expression.

"Takeshi!" Iruka-sensei's voice boomed. "You're late!"

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei," Sora-as-Takeshi mumbled, perfectly mimicking Takeshi's shy demeanour. "It won't happen again."

As he made his way to his seat, Sora fought to keep a straight face. 'If only they knew,' he thought, suppressing a giggle.

Throughout the day, Sora played his part flawlessly. He answered questions with Takeshi's usual hesitancy, fumbled slightly during shuriken practice (though he had to resist the urge to show off), and even managed to maintain the transformation during a surprise taijutsu spar.

But all the while, his real mission was underway. Under the guise of taking notes, Sora was actually mapping out the classroom, noting the positions of each student, and planning the optimal placement for his grand prank.

As the final bell rang, signalling the end of classes, Sora allowed himself a small, triumphant smile. Phase one of his plan was complete. Now for the fun part.

Late that night, long after the Academy had emptied, a small, red-haired figure slipped through the shadows. Sora, now back in his true form, crept into the classroom, a backpack full of supplies clinking softly with each step.

"Let's see how you like this, future ninjas," he chuckled, setting to work.

Hours later, as the first rays of dawn began to peek over the horizon, Sora stepped back to admire his handiwork. Every desk, chair, and even the ceiling was rigged with an intricate network of seals, tripwires, and paint-filled balloons. It was his masterpiece, a prank worthy of the great Naruto Uzumaki himself.

"And now," Sora yawned, exhausted but exhilarated, "we wait."

The next morning, Sora positioned himself on a nearby rooftop, eagerly anticipating the chaos to come. Right on schedule, students began filing into the classroom.

The first victim was Sakura Haruno. As soon as she sat down, a small puff of smoke erupted from her desk, leaving her with bright red hair eerily similar to Sora's own.

"My hair!" she shrieked, causing several of her classmates to turn and stare. In their distraction, they triggered their own traps.

Choji's chips bag exploded in a shower of red powder, coating him from head to toe. Ino's mirror suddenly sprouted cartoon whiskers when she checked her reflection. Shikamaru, in a rare moment of alertness, managed to dodge the first paint balloon, only to trigger a backup trap that left a perfect red handprint on his backside.

Kiba, laughing at his classmates' misfortune, didn't notice Akamaru's tail hitting a tripwire. Suddenly, both boy and dog were sporting matching red polka dots.

Even Shino, usually so composed, couldn't escape unscathed. His high collar, normally a perfect hiding spot for his insects, now resembled a bright red clown ruffle.

Naruto, predictably, thought the whole thing was hilarious – right up until he sat in his chair and was immediately launched into the air by a hidden spring, landing in a perfectly placed bucket of red slime.

Sasuke, ever-vigilant, managed to avoid the first few traps. But as he smugly made his way to his seat, he failed to notice the near-invisible wire at ankle height. One misstep later, and the last Uchiha found himself hanging upside down from the ceiling, his normally pale face as red as a tomato – partly from the paint, partly from embarrassment.

Iruka-sensei, arriving to this scene of chaos, could only gape in shock. "What in the name of the First Hokage...?" he began, before a final trap activated, showering him with a rain of red feathers.

As laughter, shrieks, and indignant yells filled the air, Sora allowed himself a moment of pure, unadulterated glee. "Mission accomplished," he whispered, giving himself a mental pat on the back.

But his celebration was short-lived. As the initial shock wore off, confusion set in among the students.

"Hey, wait a minute," Naruto said, wiping slime from his eyes. "Isn't Takeshi supposed to be absent yesterday? He said that his family event got cancelled, But I found out that it wasn't cancelled.."

A hush fell over the classroom as realization dawned. Iruka, still picking feathers out of his hair, narrowed his eyes. "You're right, Naruto. But I distinctly remember Takeshi being here yesterday..."

Panic gripped Sora as he watched the scene unfold from his hidden vantage point. He hadn't counted on anyone cross-checking as he had made an excuse that the family event had been cancelled

"Someone infiltrated our class?" Sasuke growled, finally managing to cut himself down from the ceiling.

"But how?" Sakura wondered, still trying in vain to return her hair to its natural pink. "And why?"

As theories and accusations flew, Sora decided it was time to make a hasty retreat. But just as he turned to leave, he found his path blocked by a familiar figure.

"Enjoying the show?" Kakashi Hatake asked, his visible eye curved in what might have been amusement or menace – it was hard to tell.

Sora gulped. "I, uh... I was just..."

"Practicing your stealth skills? Gathering intel? Causing general mayhem and chaos?" Kakashi supplied helpfully.

"Would you believe me if I said all of the above?" Sora asked weakly.

Before Kakashi could respond, a new voice joined the conversation. "Well, well. It seems our young friend has been busy."

Sora turned to find himself face to face with none other than the Third Hokage himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Hokage-sama!" Sora squeaked, wondering if it was too late to use his Transformation Jutsu to turn into a potted plant.

Hiruzen's eyes twinkled with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "I must say, young man, you've certainly livened things up around here. Though I'm not sure the Academy's janitorial staff will thank you for it."

As Sora stood there, caught between the legendary Copy Ninja and the God of Shinobi himself, he couldn't help but feel a strange mix of terror and exhilaration. Sure, he was probably in more trouble than he'd ever been in his short life, but oh, what a prank it had been!

"So," Hiruzen said, puffing on his pipe, "what do you have to say for yourself, young prankster?"

Sora took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders, and gave his most winning smile. "Well, Hokage-sama, I was just thinking... has the Academy considered offering an elective in creative problem-solving and covert operations?"

As Kakashi facepalmed and Hiruzen burst into surprised laughter, Sora knew one thing for certain: life in Konoha was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

Meanwhile, in his office, Hiruzen's crystal ball continued to show the chaotic scene at the Academy. The old Hokage's eyes softened as he looked at Sora. "Kushina," he murmured, "your legacy lives on. Though I fear for Konoha's sanity with not one, but two Uzumaki pranksters on the loose."

Kakashi, overhearing this, raised an eyebrow. "Uzumaki? You don't mean..."

It seems that shadow clones were with Sora at the moment.

Hiruzen nodded solemnly. "It seems some survivors of Uzuhiko had infiltrated after all. But for now, this information must remain secret. The last thing we need is for Danzo to get his hands on another Uzumaki."

As Sora bounced on his heels, already plotting his next great prank, neither he nor the adults around him realized just how much his presence would change the fate of Konoha. The academy would never be the same due to nobody clearing them about the infiltrator that day.