With Business Concluded, One Feels Bored

What Does One Expect when talking to something, similar to a Door…

Wandering into unknown territory…

Reveals abilities beyond thy glory…

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Chapter 7: Experimentation & Savior

With their business concluded, Princess Celestia also had to talk to Twilight about some other particular matters. What it was, Naruto didn't know, since it was his turn to wait outside. He stared at the guards as they stood next to the door, not moving a single muscle… He poked at their armor, feeling the hard and cold surface. He looked back at the guards and they still made no move. Naruto grinned slightly as he poked their noses too. No response.

Then he tried sticking his tongue out. No response. He crossed his hoofs while standing on his hind-legs. But even though he was human once, it was hard to keep balance as he fell on his butt once more. He sat up and stared at the guards for a couple minutes, before growing bored. He tried talking to them.

"So uh… how 'bout them ponies, eh? You two got any girlfriends I should know about, or maybe boyfriends?" Even with this line, the guards still made no reaction. Naruto was starting to grow bored. These were really loyal guards, he thought. He'd hate to be one of them if it involved standing around all day and not moving a muscle.

He wondered what took Celestia and Twilight so long inside, knowing that a few minutes have already passed. He just sighed. He still had an urge to go to that farm-looking area he saw earlier, plus he needed to practice walking a little more. He looked back at the guards.

"Hey guard ponies; I'm going to take a walk. If the Princess and Twilight comes out before I get back, let them know, will you?" The guards give a brief nod of their head. Of all the responses to give, they responded from that comment? It didn't matter; he needed to head to that farm.

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Since Naruto was now walking alone, on his way towards the farm, it gave him some opportunity to get things straightened up. His walking was fine now, but he has yet to run anywhere. As he walked, he slowly started to increase the pacing in his hoofs, going a little faster than he was before. He tripped a couple of times while achieving this, but eventually, he started to power walk.

"So far so good… Let's try a little jog…" He starts running a little faster, putting one hoof in front of the next, making sure not to trip over himself as he does so. In no time at all, he was so focused on learning how to run properly, that he ran into a wooden fence, face first. He gritted his teeth in pain as he shook his head, feeling a sore mark on his nose. He looked up at a sign and a fence post that read 'Apple Acre Farms'.

"I knew it, a farm." Naruto said to himself. It was worth exploring, since he hadn't been anywhere else. This was a good opportunity to test his jumping skills, to see if he still had it. He backed up a little bit, getting some running distance. And then, he ran as fast as he could, and immediately jumped over the fence, cleanly… at least that was what to be believed.

One of his hind legs caught the gate, and Naruto landed on the other side of the gate, face first. He growled in the soft dirt as he spat it out when he sat up. He looked around. It seemed to be a typical farm, although what caught his eyes was the endless amount of apple trees in front of him. His jaw dropped at the apple forest, and it led him closer towards it.

Nearing a random apple tree, he looked up at it, realizing it was well beyond his reach. He looked back at the base of the tree, and back at the apples. He looked around, not seeing anyone around. It was a good opportunity if his chakra system still worked.

A technique he learned back when he was a lot younger, when Team 7 was still in full swing. He remembers back when Kakashi was teaching him, Sasuke, and Sakura how to use chakra within their own feet, making it so that they could climb up solid objects, be it trees or otherwise. It slowly grew natural to them as time went along.

But obviously, he didn't know if it applied when as a pony. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes as he focused. He pushed the chakra into his system as he directed it all the way towards his four legs, storing the chakra inside his hoofs. A small but brief chakra aura formed around Naruto as he opened his eyes. He looked back up at the tree, and placed a hoof on the bark of the tree…

As each hoof made a connection to the tree, and then another, he slowly started to walk up the tree. One hoof dangled every few seconds, but a little more boost in chakra helped with that. Climbing up the tree slowly, he was near the branch. Reaching both front hoofs out, he threw his body towards the branch, while desperately climbing up it. Eventually, his lower body climbed onto the branch, and sat on it. Naruto had beads of sweat on his face as he wiped it away with his left hoof.

He did it. It took some alterations, but he still had his chakra system and his own chakra. He took a nearby apple with both hoofs, and took a look at it. It was a red shiny apple. There was a small bruise on the top, but it didn't matter to him.

He sunk his teeth into the juicy and colorful apple, biting every chunk off it and spinning it as if it were a cob of corn. He feels his stomach plumping up slightly as the apple went through his digestive system. He gave a light burp as he relaxed into the tree, satisfied with it, and threw the apple core down below.

"Ah, that was a good apple." He said as he rubbed his stomach.

As he rubbed it, he took a look at his hoofs in front of his face. Not a single finger. It made him realize something very important as he went wide-eyed. He couldn't use most of his Jutsu anymore. The seals required fingers, and without them, he couldn't use almost anything. His thoughts went forward with the Jutsu he did know and tried to think what he could use.

The Rasengan; a move that has saved Naruto several times in the past… He wasn't sure he could use it, since that required the assistance of the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Speaking of which, it would probably be possible to perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he thought. It was one very simple hand sign after all, and it could probably be adapted.

He placed his hoofs in a cross like pattern, with one arm crossing horizontally, and the other vertically. It could probably substitute for having no fingers. He crossed them and focused his chakra.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled.

…As Naruto expected, there was no response. He needed fingers. He placed his hoofs at the side of his stomach. He felt his strength cut in half, realizing that most of his jutsu were impossible to use. But he'll find a way, he always did.

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"Come on you pesky apple… Egh… I almost got you…!"

A small red haired pony, whom seemed to be in a random apple tree, was trying to grab an apple dangling from a tree. She was holding on to the branch that held the apple, keeping herself balanced. As she reached out, she slightly touched it. She gave a small smirk, with her confidence raised.

"Almost got you… I'll show her… I'll show everyone that I'm good at pickin' apples. Maybe that's what mah cutie mark will be too! It has to be somethin' about apples…!"

As she inched herself closer to the apple, the branch bent even more: as the balance of weight started to shift towards the other end. She paid no mind to it as she made a desperate grab for the apple, with it grasped in both hoofs. She gave a big bright smile as she grabbed it.

But that was short-lived as the branch broke. Horror struck her face.

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Relaxing his head on the tree, he looked at the splendid view in front of him, seeing endless apple trees as far as the eye can see. It was a breathtaking sight. He could even see a small pond nearby next to another apple tree. It was an odd place to see on an apple farm. But then again, Naruto wasn't an architect, so he had no right about questioning a choice like that.

Enjoying the view, watching the sun, even watching the fishes splash up and down in the small pond he just saw.

"Help me! I *blubble* can't swim!"

Yep, just nothing but the fishes yelling how they can't swim, Naruto thought.

…

There was something really strange with what Naruto just thought. He sat up and looked at the pond once more, with a squint in his eyes. He could've sworn he heard some fish calling for help.

"Help—blublublub—help!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he heard the words for help. He wasn't imagining it after all! He immediately hopped down from the branch, ninja style, and landed safely on the ground as he forced chakra into his hoofs, cushioning his fall. He then sped off towards the direction of the pond, where he saw splashing and the call for help.

As he ran towards the pond, the sounds of help got louder as he rushed towards his target, while dodging an occasional apple tree that comes by. As the pond got bigger, the thing that was calling for help became more apparent. It looked like a smaller version of a pony in his eyes, with a red wet mane and a light yellow color of the body. It seemed to be a child in his eyes. The drowning pony immediately takes sight of Naruto and starts to beg.

"Mister, Help me—blubububub—I can't swim!" The young pony begged to him. In naruto's eyes, there was no telling how long the child would last. Looking at the pond, he focused his chakra into his hoofs. He had to make sure it was a balanced amount of chakra, because water was completely different from a solid object, making him use more effort and control than it usually was.

He placed one hoof on the pond, and it stayed. So far so good he thought. He placed his other front leg out, and once more, it stayed in place. He slowly started to walk across the water, until he felt one of his hindlegs sink slightly. Naruto caught it just in time as he lifted it.

The young pony was shocked to see Naruto walking on water like he was. But eventually, her shocked expression came to a halt as the young pony slowly lost her strength and disappeared under the water's surface. Naruto went wide eyed and cursed himself, and immediately reached out to bite the pony's hair. He could feel a very weird taste in his mouth as he was almost pulled under along with the young one.

Strengthening his back, he pulled the young pony out of the water and threw her across towards the other side of the pond. He could see the young pony land safely on the soft grass, and gave a sigh of relief. But this sigh was short lived as he felt his feet almost give way under him. He couldn't relax, not yet. He slowly walked off the small but deep pond, and onto dry land.

He collapsed on the ground as he tried to catch his breath. It was scary, and forcing his techniques into a rushed experiment was a big risk, but it all worked out in the end, he thought. It just showed him he had a long way to go in this body of his. He eyed the young pony, examining it from head to toe. She looked to be still breathing, which was good.

But Naruto wondered where it came from. Did it live on this farm, he wondered. As he was trying to gather his thoughts on this, he stood up, hearing voices from the distance. The voices had a certain accent to it, and the voices were shouting for someone named 'Applebloom' or something similar to that.

As the voices got closer, he could see an orange pony galloping up. It looked like a female pony in his eyes, sporting a cowboy hat and a blonde mane in a ponytail, and a dull orange body. From the sounds of her accent, he's never heard anything like it.

The cowgirl looking pony went wide-eyed as she saw the young pony collapsed on the ground, wet and shivering. She gritted her teeth at the suspect pony on the right.

"YOU, BLONDIE, WHAT DID YOU DO TO APPLEBLOOM!" The cowgirl shouted. Naruto waved his hoofs in front of him.

"Whoa, calm down! I don't know who this Applebloop or whatever that name is, but I had to save a drowning pony from that lake there!" He said as he pointed towards the lake. The cowgirl pony raised a brow as she took another look at the pony, and then looked at Naruto as she pointed towards the pony.

"You saved Applebloom?" Naruto gave a nod. He assumed the young pony's name was Applebloom.

"I was just minding my own business until I heard shouts for help. I came here as soon as I could, and saved this drowning pony, from, well… drowning." Naruto explained.

The cowgirl pony lowered her stance as she walked over to Applebloom, nudging her.

"Applebloom, wake up!" She said as she nudged.

"She's going to need rest. That whole experience took a lot out of her." Naruto said.

The cowgirl looked back at Naruto, and then at Applebloom. She gave a firm nod towards him. Naruto grabbed the pony using his front hoofs, and placed her on the cowgirl's back. She gave a big smile towards him.

"Thank ya kindly, stranger. If it weren't for you, ah wouldn't know what would have happened to mah dear little sister… So thank ya…"

"It's no problem… My name's Naruto by the way."

"Mine's Applejack, Pleased to meetcha." She said as she placed her hoof in Naruto's. They could both hear a big and deep voice within the distance. Applejack looked back at Naruto.

"Well, I gotta get back to my brother. He was lookin' for Applebloom too. I owe you today, Naruto, I really do." She said with a big smile. Naruto merely smiled back.

"Anytime Applejack." with this response, Applejack was about to head off, until she looked back and got a good look at Naruto.

"Bah the way Naruto… Did I mention you had a…"

At this point, Naruto wished he didn't have ears. He KNEW what she was going to say, he just knew it. So by saving her the trouble he interrupted her.

"Yes, I know, I have a fluffy foxtail, what is with everyone and tails!" He ranted. Applejack tilted her head at his comment, and merely shook her head.

"Ah was going to say that those whisker marks were kinda cute, kinda like a kitten." She said with a slight blush. This took Naruto back a little as a blush formed on his own.

"Oh… I suggest you get off the farm as well. It's off limits. I'll make an exception this time because of what ya did, but ask for permission next time." She said as she galloped off towards the distant voice. He was still a little stunned at the whisker comment, since it was a bit different than his fox tail. He shook his head, shaking away from the blush.

"Huh, at least that Applejack pony is… nice, I think?" Naruto said to himself. He didn't want to linger here any longer, since he didn't want to cause any more trouble than necessary. He galloped off towards a random direction, jumping over a fence as he did so. He assumed he was off their property now, but one more major detail had to be solved.

He had to figure out where the hell Twilight's house was.