Fanfic / A Drop of Poison

A Drop of Poison is a Naruto Alternate Universe Fic by AngelOfSnapdragons.

When the traitor Mizuki strikes down Iruka, his shuriken is poisoned, causing Iruka to fall unconscious and miss out on seeing Naruto's rescue. As a result, Naruto doesn't get a field graduation from the Ninja Academy; he fails and has to return for another year. However, with more time on his hands that evening, Naruto realises that some of his clones still have copies of the Scroll of Forbidden Techniques. Armed with an assortment of dangerous knowledge, a new appreciation of his shadow clones, and a determination to graduate this time, Naruto launches an epic secret campaign that will change Konoha forever.

The story was last updated in December 2019.

Not to be confused with Androgyninja's A Drop of Poison, another Alternate Universe Fic focusing on Sakura.

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A Drop of Poison provides examples of:

• Achievements in Ignorance: Naruto was sabotaged by his Ninjutsu instructor and given invalid instructions for the henge technique. Somehow he made it work anyway, and his henges are not just illusions but physical transformations. He has no idea that that's unusual.
• Becoming the Mask: Long-lived clones in full-time disguises tend to adopt traits of their cover identities and effectively become unique individuals, although they still share skills and memories with the swarm and remain unquestioningly loyal to each other. Ariko, for example, becomes much more feminine and embraces her role among the "Konoha Fashion Ninja".
• The Cavalry: Things look pretty grim for Team 1 when facing Shukuen's mad science creation. Then Jiraiya literally flattens him under a giant toad and pulverises what's left with a Rasengan.
• Charged Attack: The Akiraka Jigokuhi technique creates a black ball of solidified fire chakra. When thrown at an enemy, it explodes in a moderately sized fireball. The reason it's a forbidden technique, however, is because the holder can make it stronger by feeding more fire chakra into it, with no limit except their own ability to keep the ball stable. By the time of the Sand Invasion, the clones have half a dozen balls that have been fed continuously for seventy days, enough to kill Orochimaru's giant snake summons.
• Cold-Blooded Torture: Shiruba makes use of this on Shippou, partly to compel obedience, but mostly because he's sadistic and vengeful.
• Corporate Warfare: The clones' merchant network soon finds that the Konoha Merchant Council has a suspicious level of influence over local businesses, but they can work around it. Then they start to encounter warehouse fires, stolen shipments, and even murdered suppliers. It really gets personal after Ichiraku Ramen is burnt down.
• Dangerous Forbidden Technique:
  • Naruto copies down the entire scroll of them. Turns out that when you can churn out disposable copies of yourself, a lot of harmful or outright suicidal techniques become much more usable.
  • Special mention goes to Akiraka Jigokuhi, "evident hellfire", which is at the same time safe enough that Naruto himself uses it, and yet even more dangerous than other forbidden techniques if it goes wrong. Saishuu Houden would injure or kill the user, but a charged-up hellfire sphere could torch the whole area.
• Dead Guy on Display: Gato keeps a public showcase of the severed heads of his enemies. The swarm anonymously donates his own head to the collection.
• Disguised in Drag: Quite a lot of Naruto's clones take female guises. Iruka reflects that that's hard to pull off convincingly, but a very effective disguise if you can manage it.
• Energy Absorption: One forbidden technique allows the user to drain chakra from other sources. Ordinarily only those of the Akado bloodline can safely use it, but it's a game-changer for shadow clones, who don't have to worry about ruining their chakra coils, and can now persist indefinitely. It's also handy in combat, perfect for taking people alive by draining them to exhaustion.
• Fake–Real Turn:
  • To hide their existence when helping fight the Sand Invasion, the swarm disguises themselves as a previously unknown ANBU branch, the Doukeshi (clowns). Afterward, the Hokage starts getting requests from ANBU members wanting to transfer to this exciting new unit. He actually thinks it's a good idea; Naruto's combination of shadow clones with forbidden techniques has proven to be a highly effective strategy worth teaching to others, and the secretive ANBU won't think it's strange to have clones teaching them.
  • After restoring order in Wave Country, the clones keep the peace as supposed samurai mercenaries, the Torasen. Then the remaining non-evil soldiers in the area start asking to sign up...
• Feed It with Fire: Orochimaru's barrier during the Sand Invasion can incinerate just about anything, but Naruto's fire sphere technique is specifically designed to absorb and store fire chakra. It doesn't take many spheres to cause a complete overload and utterly exhaust the ninja maintaining the barrier.
• Fluffy the Terrible: The ultra-secret, anti-invasion, ANBU division that devastated the Sand-Sound Invasion is called 'Doukeshi,' which means...'clown.' Makes sense though when you see their outfits.
• Forensic Accounting: Trawling through business records looking for anomalies is a dull and time-consuming business, but the swarm has ample motivation to do it after their hidden enemies burn Ichiraku Ramen — and they can throw immense numbers of bodies at the problem. It doesn't take all that long before one of them finds a number of payments with invalid recipient details and suspicious dates.
• Genuine Imposter: When Ariko and Muremaru release their henges and transform back into Naruto, Sarutobi assumes that Naruto is playing a prank, and wants to know where the real Ariko and Muremaru are. Iruka collapses on the floor laughing.
• The Gloves Come Off: When it becomes clear that Hinata has the upper hand, her cousin escalates to lethal force, stabbing her clones through the chest or eye. She in turn unleashes Mabushii Kagayaki, "blinding radiance", leaving him blinded and in hospital for days.
  Hinata: You should not have done that, Neji. You will regret it.
• Good Is Not Soft:
  • How Konoha is considered in the aftermath of the failed Sand-Sound Invasion, especially after Naruto's clones created an army out of nowhere.
    They'd thought the Leaf weak, but it had only been an act. It was clear they'd been prepared for the invasion.
  • As kind and helpful as Naruto is, he is not afraid to kill if necessary, as seen when a clone runs Shiruba through with his sword from behind for his atrocities.
  • The Third Hokage cares deeply for his people, and is quite kind to Naruto. However you do not want him angry with you.
• Hates My Secret Identity: Naruto is disappointed at the contrast in Kiritori's treatment of himself and Muremaru, assisting and encouraging Muremaru while resenting and holding Naruto back. He eventually calls Kiritori out on his Moral Myopia and they begin to form a better relationship.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: Naruto is in two minds about starting sword training, since he has important training to do in improving the capabilities of the shadow clone technique, but ultimately, swords are too cool for him to pass up. (It's actually a decent choice for his style; improving his skill at melee fighting will make the swarm that much more dangerous.)
• Heroic Sacrifice: Kiritori-sensei protects Muremaru at the cost of his own safety, making Muremaru feel guilty afterward; after all, he's replaceable.
• Hired Guns: Ninja are frequently this, but some notable examples:
  • Zabuza is initially angry about the clones killing his employer Gato, but once his fee is paid off, he mellows out and leaves peacefully.
  • He later returns the favour by making arrangements for the Mist rebels to hire a clone army as part of their uprising.
• Hive Mind: Ebisu-sensei notices the unusual coordination and unity of Team 1 and is unnerved by it. The swarm isn't perfectly coordinated, but the combination of regular telepathic updates and the fact that they started as the same person means that they regularly Speak in Unison, agree easily, etc.
• Immunity Disability: Gaara's instinctive sand control gives him automatic armour even when sleeping, by wrapping himself in sand. Unfortunately, it also means he can't use shadow clones, because his clones instinctively surround themselves in sand, which is enough interference to burst them.
• In the Back: Tora doesn't mess around when dealing with Gin Shippou's kidnapper, stabbing him through the heart before he can turn around.
• Internal Reveal: "The Prank", with disguised Naruto clones performing long-term infiltration of the Academy and various other roles, is gradually revealed to relevant parties.
  • Iruka finds out pretty much immediately, and helps with the initial setup.
  • The Hokage discovers it when he simultaneously field-promotes Naruto and both clone students after their contributions to thwarting the Sand Invasion.
  • Jiraiya finds out pretty much immediately once he's actually in town, although that takes a while.
  • Tsunade can easily recognise clones, being a medical expert, and makes Naruto come clean.
  • Ebisu recognises that something is up when Muremaru takes a fireball without injury (due to the chakra shield technique that the clones use to avoid bursting during spars), and demands answers.
• Invented Individual: Invoked deliberately by the swarm, particularly for the Academy infiltrators, but it does rather grow beyond what they intended when Muremaru becomes Kiritori's apprentice and legal heir, even inheriting his surname. Iruka becomes increasingly concerned, and Naruto intends to tell Kiritori about the deception before swearing his apprenticeship oath, but circumstances interfere.
• Mad Scientist: Shukuen has been experimenting with splicing animal bodies and mechanical parts together, under Orochimaru's patronage. When he captures Team 1, he takes Ebisu aside to perform experiments on his pain tolerance, and when the team escapes and disrupts his work, he transfers his mind into a giant cyborg/hybrid monster that they have a very hard time fighting.
• Magikarp Power: Naruto persuades the Konohamaru Corps to get serious about training their basics, by trouncing Konohamaru with nothing but Kawarimi substitutions. When they're later ready to learn a new technique, he offers them... the Fire Candle, which makes a very small flame appear at the end of one's finger. Because it's the foundation of training control of fire.
  Naruto: Those who start with the Grand Fireball often burn their lips and tongue when they fail.
• Meaningful Name:
  • The clones who enroll at the academy choose the names Ariko, "ant child", and Muremaru, "incarnate swarm".
  • The "civilian" clones are the Gisei — "copy" — family, with given names suggesting silhouettes and shadows.
  • The clones' merchant network starts trading under the name "Kuroneko", which is normally read as kuro-neko, "black cat". However, if it is written in Romaji, it could instead be seen as kuron-eko, "clone echo".
• Perception Filter: Nanabo-oh teaches Naruto a genjutsu that makes an object appear perfectly normal to those affected, no matter how bizarre it is.
  Bat: I am wearing my regulation armor over a black suit, with my sword strapped at my back. My mask is as usual half lime green and half hot pink, with a blue teardrop on the green side and a purple star on the pink side, both below the eyes. My regulation poofy nose is in place, as are my exaggerated eyebrows. My multicolor wig is in proper position and still curly. Should I go into more detail?
• Poor Communication Kills: Naruto repeatedly forgets to notify the swarm promptly when a dangerous situation crops up. They eventually find out about the Sand Invasion and Shukuen's cyborg abomination when clones start dying, significantly delaying their response.
• Raised by Dudes: The Konoha Fashion Ninjas assume that this is the reason Ariko knows nothing about fashion. They're not entirely wrong about Naruto's upbringing, since he did indeed have no mother figure.
• Sadist Teacher: Naruto faces several, particularly his maths teacher, who appears to have adjusted his whole teaching style so it will be easier to persecute Naruto (eg writing on the board instead of speaking aloud, so Naruto will miss out when standing in the corner facing the wall). Eventually, it turns out that Naruto is only one target; there's a systematic attempt to push orphans or poor civilians out by falsifying their results, and they frequently wind up dead or missing afterward.
• Shapeshifting Squick: Jiraiya is immediately in lust when he sees Hiruzen's new secretary who is practically the spitting image of his first Icha Icha book. Only to be immediately disgusted when Hiruzen gleefully tells him that the "secretary" is a disguised Naruto Shadow Clone. (Although he also had an intermediate reaction of "Tsunade will kill me slowly and painfully if she ever sees this.")
• Sherlock Scan: The Fashion Ninja teach Ariko (and by extension, all Narutos) about guessing someone's background by examining their clothing.
  Nishi: A peasant in his best clothes. This cut is quite out of fashion and he visibly isn't used to wearing them.
  Mihoshi: A successful merchant going to do something dirtying. While most of what he wears is old and used, he's wearing new fashionable sandals, and the bracelet he wears seems to be worth quite a bit.
  Ariko: How about this group?
  Fumichi: The girl... I'd say minor nobility. She has a posture like she's used to getting her way and most non-nobles wouldn't let a child out to play with a pendant.
• Spared by the Adaptation:
  • With the swarm reaching the Land of Waves before the Leaf team gets there, Zabuza and Haku never have to fight them and are unharmed.
  • The swarm is able to breach Orochimaru's barrier during the Sand invasion, interrupting his fight with the Sandaime and forcing him to retreat.
• Sure, Let's Go with That: When a secret ANBU group plays a large role in foiling the Sand-Sound Invasion, everyone assumes that the Third Hokage is responsible for the creation of the 'Doukeshi.' Sarutobi honestly has no idea where they came from, but claims he was indeed responsible for creating them as a defense force, and keeping it classified from even his closest advisors. Takes him a little bit to find out Naruto is responsible.
• Survivor Guilt: Muremaru understandably feels this after Kiritori pushes him out of harm's way and gets killed himself; Muremaru is more replaceable and feels that he should have been the one to face danger. Iruka tries to reassure him that Kiritori probably felt the same way, and that there's no way to know if he really could have changed anything.
• Taking You with Me: This is the lynchpin of the clones' fighting style, from swarming enemies under weight of numbers and ignoring the heavy losses, to actual kamikaze techniques such as turning all your chakra into lightning that fries both you and the person you're grappling. During the Sand Invasion, several clones leap into the mouths of Orochimaru's giant snakes, carrying spheres holding immense amounts of fire chakra.
• Telepathy: It doesn't take long for Naruto to start sending messages by creating and dispelling clones, thus updating all clones with his latest memories. Eventually, he's able to refine the technique to skip the middle step and just send out memories without creating a clone.
• This Is a Drill: Gaara's taijutsu is very mechanical and uninspired, but aided by creating sand gauntlets that make his arms unusually tough. Then Naruto does some brainstorming with him, and they strike on the idea of having his gauntlets spin, fast enough to disintegrate thrown rocks (or, more relevantly, an attacker's hands) on contact.
  Gaara: I see. Defence and offence at the same time.
• Took a Level in Badass:
  • Naruto obviously. It is worth noting though that of his genin team, all three versions of himself are making excellent progress. When he combines everything he has been learning though, he is terrifying. And that is without touching on the army he commands.
  • With proper, supportive teaching, and a technique which suits her better, Hinata definitely becomes this. If she was not going to be promoted for her defeat of Neji during the Chūnin Exams, the way she turned the medical ward into a meatgrinder against invaders targeting the patients would certainly have done it.
  • Iruka is training with Naruto, and definitely improving into a dangerous fighter himself.
  • Under Naruto's tutelage, the regular ninja who join the Doukeshi become far more dangerous than they already were.
• Unskilled, but Strong: When he starts working with Gaara, Naruto quickly discovers that Gaara's taijutsu skills are very sub-par, because his sand control is so overwhelmingly powerful that he's never needed to fight hand-to-hand. There isn't time to really bring him up to scratch, but Naruto is able to come up with some ideas to help him cover his close-range weakness (like surrounding his limbs with spinning sand drills, so his attacks can't be safely blocked).
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Sarutobi is surprised at first to hear that Naruto won't mind him sending a clone to a council meeting; many people would not be inclined to treat clones as people. It soon becomes clear, though, that the many Narutos are indeed fully sapient, just a bit less durable and more fungible.

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