Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Naruto.

- There will be strong language throughout the story.

- Rated higher to be safe.

- "Someone is thinking."

In the village Hidden in the Leaves there was a boy who was about to take his final exam to become a ninja. Just as he was going to perform the bunshin no jutsu he suddenly began to have a migraine. The young boy stumbled slightly and dropped his pose before regaining his balance. The two teachers who were judging his performance merely glared at him. The first teacher voiced his annoyance. "Any day now brat." The second one only rolled his eyes at the kid while waiting in silence.

Once the kid stopped holding his head in obvious pain he opened his eyes and scanned the room. The surroundings weren't familiar to him, and the two other people standing in front of him weren't jogging any memories either. The second teacher finally had enough of the stalling. He continued on with a bored expression on his face. "Hey Uzumaki. Either try to pass the test or get out and stop wasting our time."

"Uzumaki? Is he talking to me?" I looked around the room to make sure that the man was actually focusing on me before turning back to the irritated proctors. "Well I have no idea of what I should do here." The first teacher sighed before speaking again. "Come on Naruto. You're the last student we have to test today. At least try to perform the bunshin no jutsu before the day is over."

"The bunshin no jutsu huh? Did they watch too much anime last night? Wait did he just call me Naruto!?" I looked down at my clothes and immediately noticed the blindingly orange outfit paired with blue ninja shoes that leave your toes uncovered. Then I quickly reached my hands up to feel the goggles that were settled on my head. "Well, shit. I don't know how to perform any of the jutsus that I need to use right now. The actual Naruto wasn't able to use this technique in the academy, so I doubt that I can do better. I don't even know how to access my chakra." Thinking on my feet I noticed that the teachers in front of me weren't Iruka and Mizuki. "That must mean that this isn't the time that I actually need to graduate. Though it will be embarrassing, I'm going to have to drop out."

"I don't think that I'm ready to pass just yet sensei. My clones still suck." I put on a frown and dropped my shoulders to try and sell my act. The two teachers glanced at each other in slight surprise at the fact that I admitted my weakness, although they already knew that I probably wouldn't pass yet. "Well if you're positive that you can't pass, then we'll keep you in your current grade level. Try to make an effort to study for the month that you have off now, ok Naruto? You're going to have to catch up to your peers so that you don't flunk again."

I blushed in embarrassment while rubbing the back of my neck. "I'll do my best sensei! The next time I set foot in my class I'll be one hundred, no a thousand times better! Believe it!" I knew that I was laying it on thick, but I didn't want the teachers to become suspicious of my quiet behavior. "I can gradually attempt to tone down 'my' enthusiasm. That way I can make it look like I'm just taking my training more seriously and maturing as a result."

They both nodded at me before sending me out of the testing room. As I entered the classroom attached to it, I saw that it was completely empty. "Well that basically proves that Naruto really was friendless throughout his childhood. No one from his actual class came in to cheer him on." It was a sad thought that he didn't connect with anyone in his age group before the series started.

I frowned again as I made my way out of the classroom and stopped to try and pick a path to get out of the academy. I thought that it was odd when I felt an urge that compelled me to start walking off to the right. I let the urge take over and soon found myself right outside the entrance of the school. "Well I'll be damned."

My thoughts were cut off as I looked at the large crowd of people not too far from the door. Children were showing off their new ninja headbands to their proud parents. I tried not to draw too much attention to myself as I casually walked towards them. Unfortunately I'm wearing extremely bright clothing and have equally as bright blonde hair to go along with it. I felt like I was holding a big ass neon sign when people immediately turned my way.

I grimaced as all of the parents took in my form and not so subtly moved themselves, and their children, away from me. Some looked apprehensive; while others openly glared at me with such hate that I was taken back for a moment. I tried to calmly walk through the path that was opened for me without making too much of a scene. Groups of people began chatting or whispering to each other while staring at my form. I heard a man say, "Well it looks like the brat didn't make it through again." The woman next to him snorted. "Like that idiot could ever pass the test. If he ever becomes a ninja I'll bet it's because he cheated."

I briefly stopped after hearing that blatant slander before keeping my frown and continuing my long walk away from the crowd. "How the hell do they think that I can't hear them?" I began to pick up my pace. Then I heard another person who was talking even louder. "Why does he even try to become a ninja when he's the worst in all of his classes? My son said that he hardly ever turned in his assignments, and when he did they were done half assed. You could barely read his writing, if you can even call it that. It was hard enough to read the crap that he wrote for each topic, let alone his own name!" Another man answered with, "He shouldn't even be studying with our kids! Who knows if the fox brat might snap one day and…" He trailed off when he realized that he was probably saying too much to the public.

"God damnit! I shouldn't have to listen to their shit after failing what was obviously an important test for the original Naruto. How did he put up with all of this bullshit on his own?" I started to walk even faster in the hopes of escaping the asshole parents of the Hidden Leaf. At least most of the children were too focused on talking with their friends to be listening to the bullshit that their parents were spouting off. Of the few kids that were actually listening to the gossip, most showed obvious confusion over the subject matter. Only a select few of them understood that they were talking about me, and they didn't look too happy at the people who were speaking.

I, however, didn't see any of that since I was attempting to hold my head up high and look as though I didn't hear anything that they were saying. I felt my expression waver as the insults were piled higher and higher. Relief coursed through my body as I made it out of the clusterfuck of people and instantly jogged away rather than walk. "To hell with acting casual. There's no fucking way that I'd stay anywhere near those assholes for longer than necessary." I slowed to a walk as soon as I was out of sight of the academy.

I was feeling pity for the old Naruto and how he must have lived while also feeling angry and sad for myself. "It's not like it was Naruto's fault that the attack on the village happened. He's only eleven years old at this point too. He shouldn't have to deal with people's shit all the time." I scuffed my right foot along the dirt road as I walked, and kept my head down. My mind wandered as I walked around the village.

My whole situation didn't make sense to me. I suddenly become a different person, from an anime nonetheless, and I had no idea why. I didn't remember dying suddenly before 'waking up' as Naruto or wishing that I could somehow be in his shoes. I walked for a while as I contemplated my new life before coming to a stop. I looked around in wonder as I took a seat on top of the mountain facing the rest of the village. Specifically on the fourth Hokage's head. Sitting this high up gave me a beautiful view of the village as well as a sense of peace over my situation.

"I definitely have some of his memories if I came up here when I needed a quiet place to think. Maybe I can access some of them on purpose." With that thought in mind, I focused on my question of how I can access my chakra. A few seconds went by before information trickled into my head. I started to have a vague idea of how to accomplish it, and after a minute I got it down. I had to search for my chakra through meditation as I'm not an accomplished ninja that can do that at will just yet. A few minutes later and my breathing became slow and even enough to enter the right state of mind.

The large pool of power consumed all of my senses as I delved deeper into my consciousness. Calming waves of my own chakra gently swirled inside of me. I couldn't see anything, but I could definitely feel what I was initially looking for. I basked in the warm feeling for a while as I studied my chakra pool. With the initial contact reached I slowly dragged myself out of my meditative state. I felt completely relaxed after that enlightening experience.

My first goal was reached, and for that I was happy. I stayed put on top of the Hokage Monument for the next few hours. It was the perfect place for me to be myself and enjoy the silence. By then my stomach was telling me that I should have fed it a long time ago. Sadly I left the peaceful place and instinctively walked towards a familiar looking shop. The scent of something absolutely amazing reached my nose as I steadily walked towards the curtained off area. "Ichiraku Ramen here I come!"

AN: I really needed to edit this chapter a while ago. The way I worded certain phrases didn't sound right after reading through it recently, so I fixed it and added a few new things as well. I'll get around to editing the other chapters that need it eventually :)

- Edited 7/15/18