Title: The night everything changed

Rating: T to be safe

Summary: The day of Naruto's graduation he failed. Instead of trusting Iruka, Naruto trusted Mizuki. How would this change everything.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. The characters belong to their original creator.

Author Comment: Found this story sitting in the document manager. It is honestly a wip but I would like to get feedback on the idea. I might continue with this story or I'll just let it sit on my profile page unfinished.

Edit: Edited the story a little, not much just another 500 words, and I decided I will continue with this idea. I kind of like it.

"Before today I never knew the reason why I was detested so much by the people of Konohagakure. After last night the picture became clear to me. Apparently many of them believe that I am the Kyuubi no Yoko sealed into the body of a child. After what they have put me through sometimes I wonder why I am not. Maybe then if they feared me I would finally be respected."

"We will now start the final exam. When your name is called come into the next room and the final exam will begin. Good luck, and I hope you all studied," Iruka Umino's voice rang out over the crammed classroom. It was the day of the practical portion of the final exam. The previous day the written exam had taken place. Many of the students were excited while others seemed very nervous. Iruka began to walk into the next room but he turned around to face the class again.

"I forgot to mention," he started to speak, "the test will be on the replication technique." Iruka left the classroom and once he did a developing roar of whispers broke out in the class.

"The replication technique," one of the girls scoffed as she turned to talk to her friend sitting in the seat next to her, "that's one of the easiest techniques we have learned this year," she paused for a breath of air, "I can't believe that is our final test."

"I feel sorry for the loser who fails this test," the second girl replied. She seemed to glance over her shoulder but then turned her attention back to her friend. The tow girls began chatting louder and eventually their conversation turned into typical girl talk; clothes, hair, gossip, and boys.

Naruto Uzumaki had been sitting right behind the two girls and had listened in on the first part of their conversation. He also caught the glance the girl gave him. It was common knowledge amongst the other students that Naruto had failed to become a Genin twice now. "The replication technique," he said quietly to himself, "that's the one that I am not very good at." The longer he spoke the quieter he became until he was no longer speaking. 'They said the technique was one of the easiest, does that mean…' he did not finish his thought as he shook his head, hoping to knock that thought from his mind.

"I may not be very good at it but… I'll have to do it!" Naruto said triumphantly. He had said it fairly loud and many of the students were staring at him. Naruto looked around the classroom with a sheepish grin plastered on his face. He caught Sasuke smirking at him with his typical Uchiha "I'm better then you look". Although he didn't verbalize his thoughts Naruto knew what he was thinking and in response to the smirk Naruto glared at him. The Uchiha just raised an eyebrow and looked out the window.

"That stupid…" Naruto had started to say as he got up out of his seat. The door to the other room opened.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Mizuki had called his name. Naruto jumped up from his seat. His mind had either gone blank or was on overdrive. Mizuki was holding the door to the classroom open, Naruto looked up at him when he walked by. Mizuki smiled. Naruto smiled back nervously. The door closed quietly behind him.

"Good luck Naruto," he thought he heard Mizuki whisper behind him. Naruto couldn't be sure that he really heard it or if his mind was playing tricks on him. He swallowed and walked to the center of the room.

In the room there was a desk and two chairs behind it. Iruka was already sitting behind the desk he had a piece of paper in front of him and a pen in this hand. Mizuki sat in the chair next to him.

"All right Naruto, whenever you are ready just show us the replication technique," Iruka said calmly. Naruto looked up at him nervously. Last night he had been so nice, he even let him have a few bowls of ramen. But now, he seemed like everyone else; cold and distant.

'Why is everyone like that?' Naruto thought. He looked over at Mizuki, 'At least he doesn't seem as cold as everyone else,' was Naruto's final thought before he started hi technique.

Naruto exhaled and brought his hand up and made the hand sign for the replication technique and called the name of the jutsu out. He heard a pop and a cloud of smoke filled the room. He looked to his right. He didn't see a clone. He turned to his left. There wasn't a clone until he looked at the ground. He cringed at the sight of his clone.

'It looks dead,' he thought and then he looked up at Iruka and Mizuki, 'maybe it's good enough to pass' he pondered to himself. The room was silent. Naruto wasn't sure what his two instructors were thinking at this point but hopefully they were not negative thoughts.

"You fail!" screamed Iruka. Naruto was shocked by the sudden outburst. He had heard Iruka angry before but this hurt much more than those other time. Naruto looked down at the floor adverting his eyes from both his instructors and he failure of a clone. He could feel something prick at his eyes. He couldn't cry not here, he hasn't cried in a long time.

"Iruka-sensei, have you no heart?" he heard Mizuki address Iruka, "His clone may not be the best but Naruto has great stamina and movement. He did create a clone this time," Mizuki was cut off by another one of Iruka's outbursts.

"Yes Naruto did create a clone," his words cut, "but look at it. That thing is useless," Iruka pointed to Naruto's lifeless clone on the ground. "I will not let a student who cannot create a clone pass and become a Genin. I'm sorry but Naruto has to be failed," Iruka finished his explanation.

"Sorry Naruto," Mizuki said to him, "maybe next year you will be able to pass," his voice sounded sincere. Naruto turned and left the classroom. He had been the last one to take the final exams. He looked up at his classmates; they were all staring at him. Naruto quickly took his seat at the back of the classroom. He crossed his arms and buried his head in them.

'Did they hear that? Did they hear that I failed?' he thought, 'I don't understand. I try as hard maybe even harder then everyone else but I still fail. Why?' Naruto's a barrage of thoughts ran though Naruto's mind. So many that he did not notice everyone had left the classroom. He looked out the window and saw all his classmates where outside, he got up from his seat and joined them outside.

He walked across the grounds just outside the entrance. He could feel everyone's eyes on him as he walked over to the swing. He kept his head down so he didn't have to make eye contact with anyone.

He sat on the swing sideways with one leg on each side of the swing. He watches the other kids celebrate with each other. Even the cold Uchiha looked happy and joyful. Sasuke turned and saw Naruto staring at him. He mouthed the word "Failure," towards Naruto and returned to talking with some of the other boys. Even thought Sasuke didn't have any parents, like him, he was popular and other parents were celebrating his success at graduating.

Naruto felt like something was pricking his eyes, just like before in the examination room, and he brought his arm up and rubbed them in hopes the feeling would go away. It did for a while. Parents came to the school several minutes later and upon hearing everyone, except Naruto, had passed started to celebrate. One of the students had moved class to where he was and Naruto could hear the conversation the boy was having with his family.

"I'm a real ninja now, right?" the boy, who came from a civilian family, asked his father.

"You sure are!" the father replied happily, "I would expect nothing less from my son." He said the next part in a much quieter voice, but it seemed to be directed at Naruto, "Even though it was in you class, you didn't talk to it right?" the man asked his son.

"Yes father, I did just as you told me," the boy smiled at his father.

"Congratulations on graduating. Mom's going to fix you something nice for dinner tonight," the family moved away from where Naruto was but another family had moved closer.

"Hey isn't that the kid?" it was a couple of parents taking to each other.

"You mean the only one that failed?" the second one asked. The first nodded.

"It serves him right," she said, "something like that shouldn't be allowed to become a ninja. Just imagine what would happen to the village and those on his team."

"It would only cause trouble for everyone. It's better that he failed. It would be even better if he just disappeared, it would get rid of a lot of problems," the second parent replied.

"Just imagine what it would have been like without those rules, we could have gotten rid of it a long time ago," the first one said.

"I know…" the conversation seemed to end. Naruto looked up to see why, the Hokage had showed up to at the school. The old man smiled at Naruto and then turned to Iruka and started to talk with him. Naruto looked back down at the ground.

"Hey there Naruto," the cheerful voice of Mizuki startled Naruto as he fell of the seat of the swing. Naruto started to get up and he felt two hands pick him up.

"I'm sorry for startling you, it was not my intention to make you fall off the swing," Mizuki apologized.

"It's okay Mizuki-sensei," Naruto paused, "I guess if I am startled this easily than maybe it's a good thing I didn't graduate. I would make a terrible ninja," Naruto spoke in a quiet and defeated voice. Listening to the parents praise their children and belittle him was not helping him. Mizuki noticed this.

"Naruto I would like to talk to you but not here," Mizuki said, "I know a great spot on the roof where you can see the Hokage Monument." Mizuki had added the last part to cheer Naruto up. It had worked, apparently as Naruto stood up quickly and looked ready to follow Mizuki.

'Mizuki-sensei was right,' Naruto thought, 'this is a great view of the Hokage monument.' Naruto continued to stare in silence at the mountain having forgotten why he was up here in the first place. Mizuki had wanted to talk to him.

"You know Naruto," Mizuki started to get his attention and Naruto looked over at him, "Iruka-sensei wasn't being mean to you when he failed you."

Naruto didn't think before he opened his mouth to retort, "Then why did he pick on me the most! I didn't hear anyone else failing or being yelled at because their clones were terrible! He just doesn't like me like everyone…." Naruto stopped mid-sentence. He didn't want to tell Mizuki about that.

"Iruka may be harsh on you but that's because he wants you to be strong. You're his favorite student Naruto, he just expects you to do better than all the other students," Mizuki replied. Naruto looked at his surprised by Mizuki's answer.

"I think it has to do with both of you not having parents," Mizuki paused and looked directly at Naruto, "He sees a part of himself in you and he wants you to do better than he did in school."

"Iruka-sensei did bad in school?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"Yes, he did. In fact he acted almost like you do. He pulled pranks on people, skipped class, and did everything he could do to draw attention to him, but you know what Naruto?" Mizuki continued.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"It took Iruka several tries to pass his Genin exam and do you want to know why he did finally pass?" Mizuki paused and then continued with his explanation, "He failed three times just like you did but his sensei pulled his aside right after failing and told him about a secret way to pass the exam." Naruto's eyes went wide and it took him a few second to put together what Mizuki was telling him.

"Wait, you mean there is a secret way to pass the exam?" Naruto stood up and jumped very close to Mizuki as he asked his question, almost to close to Mizuki.

"Yes Naruto, there is a secret way to pass the exam. But it's a secret so I can only tell you once," and Mizuki went on to explain how he would be able to pass the exam.

"So you understand your mission Uzumaki Naruto?" Mizuki asked at the end of his explanation.

"Yes Mizuki-sensei," after he said those words he took off jumping from rooftop to rooftop. He didn't even look back if he had he would have noticed the darkening grin plastered on Mizuki's face.

The mission to steal the scroll of sealing from the Hokage had gone perfectly, in Naruto's opinion. He may have been caught after retreating the scroll but a quick Oiroke no Jutsu took care of the problem. Naruto laughed to himself about using it.

"I still can't believe he fell for that!" Naruto continued to laugh about it. He took the scroll of his back and opened it. When he first touched it he almost cried out in pain, his stomach felt terrible and the longer he held it the worse the pain got. Naruto just assumed it was some kind of safety jutsu placed on the scroll.

"Let's see… the first technique is… Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he cried out. Another replication technique, he was terrible at these but he does have to learn something from the scroll. He quickly looked over the technique and hand sign required to do the Jutsu. He placed the scroll on the ground and began to practice the Jutsu.

Naruto laid down on the ground. He was completely exhausted, that Jutsu took him a while to learn. His breaths slowed and he almost fell asleep except he heard footsteps in the distance and they were getting closer to him. He sat up and was met by a very upset looking Iruka, who seemed to be out of breath.

"There you are Naruto," Iruka almost sounded like he was joking with him.

'He must be in on the secret,' Naruto believed.

"Oh man, I got caught. I only had time to learn one jutsu Iruka-sensei, but that should be enough to pass right?" Naruto asked in a happy voice. He had to learn just one technique from the scroll in order to pass, according to Mizuki. Iruka looked at Naruto with a confusing written all over his face.

Iruka didn't have time to ask Naruto what he meant by passing before Naruto spoke again, "Hey, Iruka-sensei. I'm going to show you the great Jutsu I learned from the scroll and if you think it's good enough I can pass and finally become a Genin."

"Wait Naruto, who said that?" Iruka asked.

"Mizuki-sensei" Naruto replied happily, "He told me that if I took the scroll, learned a technique from it, and showed you I would be able to pass. He even told me where it was and how to get here." Naruto had been to engrossed in this explanation that he didn't even notice Mizuki in the trees behind them. Iruka noticed and pushed Naruto out of the way.

"Iruka-sensei what are…" he was about to ask why he did that when he turned to see several kunai embedded in Iruka. Iruka was looking at someone in the trees when Naruto heard a chuckle.

"I am so surprised that you were able to find Naruto so quickly, Iruka," Mizuki's voice sounded different. It perturbed Naruto and he stood there staring up at his sensei. 'What's going on?' was all Naruto could think at the moment. Iruka and Mizuki seemed to go back and forth in the conversation but Naruto didn't hear any of it.

"Naruto," he was snapped out of his thoughts by Mizuki's commanding voice, "Give me the scroll now!" Naruto didn't even notice he had snatched the scroll during the conversation between his two sensei's.

"I don't understand. What's going on here?" Naruto was thoroughly confused at this point.

"Don't give Mizuki that scroll Naruto. Whatever you do don't give him that scroll," Iruka pulled a kunai out of his leg.

"Don't listen to him Naruto, he just afraid of you having possession of that scroll," Mizuki paused, "after all, I wouldn't listen to him. He has been lying to you since you enrolled in the Academy; he hates you just as much as everyone else in the village does."

"He's lying Naruto, don't listen to him," Iruka pleaded. He got close to Naruto and attempted to touch him. Naruto reacted and turned away from him and quickly stepped back a few times.

"How am I supposed to know who to trust!" Naruto yelled at the two men. Iruka stepped back from Naruto while Mizuki walked up behind Naruto. The clearing was silent but then Mizuki place a hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto reacted to this and jumped just out of his reach and turned to face him.

"Mizuki-sensei," Naruto whispered.

Don't be frightened Naruto," Mizuki said in a calm soothing voice, "I'll tell you the truth." Naruto looked at him. "The truth about why everyone hates you, why you don't have a single friend, why you…" Mizuki was cut off.

"Stop Mizuki you can't tell him!" Iruka cried in desperation. Naruto turned his back on Mizuki and unconsciously took a few steps closer to him.

"You are hiding something from me!" Naruto accused him, "What's so important that everyone besides me knows?" he asked.

"Naruto, I can't tell you," Iruka said once again walking towards him. This made Naruto try to run from Iruka but first he bumped into Mizuki. Before he could stop the boy Naruto had ran off deeper into the forest.

Mizuki followed Naruto. Iruka left the clearing and limped his way back to report his finding to the Hokage. The Anbu would be more suitable for tracking them down then he was. Mizuki had ran for several minutes before he stopped. Naruto had sat curled up in front of a large tree clutching the scroll for dear life. Mizuki approached him cautiously.

"Naruto," Mizuki waited from some kind of response from the boy, "you want to know the truth right?" Naruto shook his head.

"You remember how the Yondaime Hokage died, correct?" Mizuki asked him. Naruto looked at him.

"What does that have to do with me?" his voice cracked.

"Well you see the Kyuubi no Yoko is the most powerful demon known is existence and it could not be killed," Mizuki paused, "It can be contained but not killed." Naruto looked up at him. He still did not understand where his sensei was headed with this.

Mizuki inhaled a deep breath and let it out before he started speaking again, "The Kyuubi no Yoko was not killed on October 10th as you were taught in school. Its soul was put into the body of a child," Mizuki told Naruto. "Do you know who that is?"

Naruto looked down and thought about it for a moment. 'How many people could have been born that night… I know I was,' Naruto thought and then his head shot back up and he looked at Mizuki, "It's me! I was the person the Kyuubi is in," he told Mizuki.

"I'm sorry I had to tell you Naruto, I don't think it's right to keep this a secret from you," Mizuki told him, "There is more to the story but I don't know if I have the heart to tell you," Mizuki was cut off by Naruto.

"Please tell me," Naruto pleaded. Mizuki nodded.

"I'll tell you Naruto. When they sealed the Kyuubi in the boy it possessed him and well it still does. Kyuubi took possession of the body so it could continue living…" Naruto began to yell at Mizuki.

"Wait, so you mean I am the Kyuubi. I'm a demon that murdered hundreds of people," pools of water began to form in Naruto's eyes.

"I am sorry but that was what the rule was about Naruto. No one could tell you who you were, what you were," Mizuki bent down to Naruto's level.

"But why? Why can't I remember being a monster? Why didn't…" Naruto began to cry hysterically. Mizuki moved to comfort the crying boy. He waited a few minutes for Naruto to settle down before he continued to talk to him.

"The reason you can't remember is because when you were sealed into a child, part of you, your violent side, was locked away deep inside you." Mizuki paused and continued to tell Naruto the story of who he is, "The Yondaime hoped to make you into a perfect shinobi, a weapon for war. The Kyuubi is the strongest Bijou and having that kind of power under Konoha's control would be unstoppable."

"So why are you telling me this? Don't you hate me as well?" Naruto asked him.

Mizuki sighed, "You see Naruto, when I learned about the Hokage's plans to use you I didn't think they were an honorable thing to do. I sought out the help of a powerful Shinobi named, Orochimaru. He didn't believe in what Konoha planned to do to you were ethical either. He wants to help you escape from there and take you to a place where you will never be hated. He wants…" Mizuki was cut off as a Kunai struck him in the neck hitting the carotid artery. A spray of blood gushed from the wound and splattered all over Naruto.

Naruto screamed.

Naruto had run off and Mizuki followed right behind him. Iruka could not run after them but he didn't have to as a group of Anbu found him and took him straight to the Hokage. Iruka had reported to the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, that Mizuki not only was the one who had tricked Naruto into stealing the scroll but also had told him the truth about October 10th. Immediately Anbu were dispatched to find Mizuki, kill him, and retrieve Naruto. A medic-nin was summoned and healed Iruka's wounds in a few seconds. Now all that was left was to wait for the Anbu to return with Naruto.

"Hokage-sama," Iruka said, "wouldn't it be better to capture Mizuki and interrogate him instead of killing him?" Iruka asked.

"If this was a normal person that he had trick than yes, but I fear he may had done damage to the situation surrounding Naruto," the Hokage told Iruka.

"What do you mean, sir?" besides telling Naruto the truth what could Mizuki do to Naruto. Iruka didn't get his answer as two Anbu, one wearing the mask of a dog the other a frog, entered the room, two of them were holding Naruto by his arms and another had the scroll of sealing. Naruto looked like he had snapped not only that but having blood all over his clothes and face did not help his appearance.

"Let me go!" Naruto screamed at the Anbu as he struggled to break free of Anbu's grasp.

"I don't think that would be a wise thing to do," the Anbu with the dog mask said in a dull sarcastic tone. Naruto growled at him.

Iruka was the first one in the room to react and immediately got up and ran to Naruto's side. "Naruto! Are you okay?" he asked him but he got to close to Naruto.

"Get away from me!" Naruto screamed and he started to struggle but the Anbu held onto him. Iruka backed up.

"It's okay Naruto, we are not going to hurt you," Iruka attempted to reassure Naruto that he was safe.

"I don't believe you, you hate me just like everyone else does because of what I am! Just let me go!" he struggled against the Anbu again.

"And just what do you think you are, Naruto?" the Hokage asked him.

"I'm a monster, a demon. Mizuki told me that the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi into a human body and its me! I'm the Kyuubi," Naruto continued to yell at the Hokage, "He also told me that you wanted to use me, as a weapon! I don't want to be a demon! I don't want to be a murderer! I just want… I just want…"

"You just want to be normal, a normal human. Correct little one?" a voice inside his head completed his thought for him.

"I just want to be a normal person. I want to have friends, become a ninja, and just be me! I don't want to be the Kyuubi," this was Naruto's answer to the Hokage's question.

"Naruto, look at me," the Hokage commanded him, "You are not a demon. What Mizuki told you is a lie; you are Uzumaki Naruto and nothing else. The Kyuubi no Yoko was sealed inside of you but you are it's jailor and it is the prisoner. It has no power over you," the Hokage told him.

"But I don't understand sir, it all seemed to fit. Mizuki's story seems to true how is yours also true?" Naruto asked. He had stopped struggling against the two Anbu and looked down at the floor of the room. He continued to stare at the floor.

"Naruto look at me," Iruka asked Naruto. He did not look up at his former sensei and then Iruka bent down to his level and look at Naruto. Naruto shifted his gaze slightly to the left to avoid making direct eye contact with Iruka. Iruka shifted again to look at Naruto, "Naruto please."

"I don't want to see you! I hate you just leave me alone!" this time Naruto did break free of the Anbu's grasp. The dog Anbu was the first to grab him and quickly knocked the boy out.

"I never knew that within a few short hours everything could get this messed up," the dog Anbu spoke. The Sandaime agreed with him.

"Dog, please take Naruto back to his apartment and watch him, report to me when he wakes up in the morning," Dog bowed and left with Naruto once they were gone he continued, "hopefully in the morning the boy will be much more reasonable."

Author comment: What did you think? I would really like to hear your opinions on this.

Also I won't be able to update for at least 2-3 weeks. So enjoy this chapter and have fun waiting for the next chapter.