Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any form or fashion, period!

Summary: Iruka makes a bet with Naruto that trigger events that will changes the destiny of the blonde genin….nothing will be same ever again. Slight bashing on Sakura and Sasuke, Smart! Kekkei Genkai! Naruto and not Godlike! Naruto.

"Normal speech"

"Thinking"

"Summon/Tail beast talking"

"Summon/tail beast thinking"

Special notes

The Diverging Path of a Shinobi

Prologue; A challenge from a teacher

Konoha, Academy 10:35 am

Kakashi had given team seven five days off. So Naruto decided to go to the Academy too see his former sensei. He felt melancholy for several days now of not seeing his favorite Sensei again after he graduated and becoming a full-fledged Genin over two weeks ago. Sure he sees Iruka at the mission desk but it was different, he wanted to talk to Iruka-sensei without being so formal infront of the man he thought as a brother or father. It really felt strange whenever he was talking to Iruka so formal like he did at the mission desk.

Well Naruto had reach his destination and walk into the academy without a care in the world. Well that and the fact that it was recess and launch period. He walk pass many students on his way to the teacher lounge. On his way he sees many children playing around; this made Naruto a little envious but just shrugged it off. Just as Naruto was about to move forward to the teacher lounge, he spots a poor excuse of a disguise.

"Konohamaru…"Naruto sigh heavily at the third Hokage grandson "Konohamaru really…you know rocks aren't rectangle or square in shape right?" After the blonde said that three figure emerge from the cupboard stone disguise; one of course being Knohamaru, a boy wearing glasses and a girl with a short twin pigtail.

"As expected of you boss you could see through my perfect disguise…" Konohamaru exclaimed at him without hesitation. Right now Naruto wanted to smacked his head to the wall; he was seriously wandering what that closet pervert (Ebisu) was teaching Konohamaru all this time.

"Anyway boss I wanted to introduce you to Udon…" The glasses wearing boy smiled and bow at him "…And Meogi" the girl also did the same as Udon "…And together we make Konohamaru's Army Corps!" After the declaration they struck a really strange group pose which made Naruto twitch for a second. He did not know if he was annoyed or impress at the three.

"Oh gods in heaven… please don't tell me that they want me to teach them!" Naruto prayed in his head while maintaining his calm and cherry self to the kids "Hey Konohamaru…what up?"

"Hey, hey can you play ninja with us?" Konohamaru asks eagerly.

"Is it true that you painted the Hokage Mountain without anybody noticing? If so you must be really good a tactician and stealth type ninja Boss!" The bespectacled Udon proclaimed and frankly apart of Naruto agreed with the boy; albeit reluctantly. He was also kind of nervous that the boy quickly adapted the title boss to him.

"Is it true that you prank the Hyuuga clan because they were doing things…" Meogi ask in very in a word of suspiciously silent voice of which the blonde identified as a gossiper tone of voice and frankly he did not remember pranking any clan; well maybe the Uchiha's but certainly not the Hyuuga's. By this time they were ready flinga thousand question at him. So Naruto decided to answer quickly to their primary question before it got out of hand.

"First, Meogi I never played any prank on the Hyuuga's who told you that? Udon yes I did it and it takes a lot of practice, hard work and careful planning as well…" Naruto then turn his attention to Konohamaru and he bow to the boy "…and Konohamru, as much as I want to but I'm gonna… well have to meet with Iruka-sensei for…" Before Naruto could finish his sentence a new voice was heard behind him and the blonde knew who it belonged too.

"You were searching for Naruto?" the voice of the person he was looking for was behind him. He turned around and jumped in surprise.

"Ahhh! Don't do that Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled at his former sensei in a spur of the moment adrenaline.

"Sorry Naruto… But it is a pleasant surprise and it is convenient to I have something to give you. And your timing is perfect; I have no classes in the afternoon so we can go to Ichiraku's. But first let me get something from my desk in teacher lounge I'll see you at the ramen stand Naruto." Iruka said as he retreated to his office.

Naruto once again turned to the Konohamaru Army corps "…Konohamru as I was saying I'm a little busy right now. If I have free time I will play ninja with you okay? You two as well of course…." The Genin eyed the three academy students critically waiting for their answer "…So what do you guys say?"

"Promise boss?" All three of them gave him puppy dog eyes which he can resist by the way because he use it on the Old Hokage all the time when he was seven to ten and he still use albeit rarely now. But they were kids so he made an exception this time.

"I promise… well I guest should be going now I don't want to be late to a meeting with Iruka-sensei. Bye guys!" The blonde gave smile to the three to their decives. As left academy before the recess finish, He was becoming a little err… okay a lot of melancholy feelings at the event that just occurred; it reminded him of his fellow former classmate.

"Speaking of which… I wonder how the others are doing on their respective teams?"Naruto thought to himself. At training ground 10, team Asuma was for a lack of words sleeping, shacking and nagging. At the same time at a heavily forested area, Team Kurenai was casing the bane of all Genin and if you listen carefully you could hear painful sound ripping, screaming and yelping within the forest.

"Eh… what am I thinking they're probably doing great!" Naruto said to no one in particular in his area. Unbeknownst to Naruto he had just jinxed the entire Rookie ninja's of his class; excluding him of course for the reason he is a luck dispenser.

After arriving at the ramen Naruto ordered miso ramen to eat and converse with Teuchi about things in their daily lives. After awhile thing became silent and boring for, since both Teuchi and Ayame had to serve other the customer so he had nobody to talk to. Now he was only waiting for Iruka and it was damn boring if you asked him. Naruto to his credit was a very patient person; even with his loud, brash and dense nature he have a bottomless pit of patient that could rival Buddha himself if need be. Even after waiting one hour for Iruka.

Then he saw the Person he been waiting for entered the stand "Sorry I'm late Naruto…but I needed to see Izumo and Kotetsu and get something from them, forgive for being late Naruto."

"Nah…its okay Iruka-sensei your only one hour late nothing compared to Kakashi-sensei for being three hours late; so no harm done at all!" The jinchuriki exclaim cheerfully. The scared Chunin was gaping like a fish for what just heard from his former student, he had heard about Kakashi tardiness from other people but to this extent! It was hard to belief that such a respected ninja like that to be that tardy!

Iruka was broken out of his stupor when Ayame asks what his order was; which was pork ramen. After getting his ramen, Iruka quickly ate it finishing it in ten minutes. Iruka took several glances at Naruto and the two bowls of ramen beside the blonde which great worried him, usually would there would twelve or fifteen bowls of ramen beside the blonde; but the worry was swiftly dealt with as he thought Naruto had no appetite at the moment. Silence reign between Iruka and Naruto. After two whole minutes of awkward silence, Iruka spoke up.

"Naruto, I need you to answer my question, if you don't mind?" Naruto turned to the Chunin and nodded "What has Kakashi Hatake been teaching you over two weeks?" Iruka felt really hesitated asking that a lot. Who was he to question a Jounin-sensei but he had a nagging feeling that he could not shake off and what Naruto said earlier made him troubled over many things.

Naruto on the inside was frustrated but on the outside he acted carefree "Ohhh…well Kakashi-sensei has been training team seven in teamwork exercises and maybe physical conditioning I guest, why do you ask Iruka-sensei?" After saying the blonde realize something "….If I think about it…Sukura doesn't put any effort in any of the training, the Teme seems uninterested and Kakashi seems unmotivated…Aw damn what is up with my teammates….is it just me? Or the team that I'm on is doomed to fail!"

Iruka twitch uncontrollably, now his suspicion was answered. Iruka thought it was strange that Naruto's chakra control did not improve and the answer was simple the blonde was not taught in how to control it. Now he was glad that he found out, he was determined to teach him but he knew that his hands are tied. Then he remembered Naruto's spirit whenever challenge by anybody.

"…Maybe I'll turn this into something beneficial for Naruto…maybe make a challenge out of it also for him…" Iruka smirked at the blonde Genin "Well Naruto…how about making a bet with me?" This gained the full attention of the blond.

"I never thought of you for a gambling type… So what is the bet Sensei?" Naruto ask mildly curious at the turn of events. Iruka was for the lack of word a model Shinobi, Naruto never once saw the man gamble that is until today.

Iruka smirked, he had gotten Naruto's full attention and without further a due he took out a Blue colored scroll mark as chakra control in bold lettering on it "… Well Naruto the bet is… that you cannot master the four of most basic Chakra exercise within this scroll that any new Genin can do with the time span of three days with perfect mastery over these exercises. These exercises are by level; Leaf concentration, Leaf Floating, Tree climbing and Water walking…"

"The four basic exercises of Genin…? But Iruka-sensei I already know how to mould my chakra and I already know how to climb trees sensei…" Naruto said in a quiet voice. The blonde was so confuse at the moment, he was wondering about what Iruka was planning.

"Well listen here Naruto…Chakra control exercises helps a shinobi's to build up chakra reserves and control over ones chakra, you know Naruto many Ninja techniques reacquire a certain amount of control over your chakra such as the Clone jutsu and an specific amount of chakra for it to work as well I might add. In your case you don't need to worry about your Chakra reserves but your control over your own Chakra is almost abysmal…so by practicing these primary exercises you'll at least gain some kind of control your chakra." Iruka explained to Naruto.

Naruto looked convince but still…"Tree Climbing? What does gaining chakra control have anything to do with Tree climbing Iruka-sensei?"

"I was getting to that…Naruto the tree climbing exercise is does not involve climbing a tree with your but in all respect walking on the tree vertically…" Iruka chuckled at Naruto astonish look on said blonde face it was priceless "…Well anyway Naruto the price of the bet is good if you can master these four exercise in the time span of three days then I will give you five jutsu scrolls and if you can't you can't eat ramen for two weeks... so what do you say, up for it Naruto?" The academy teacher smiled. His was a win-win situation for Naruto and himself.

Naruto weight his option. There were so many points in Iruka's explanations and as he sees it Iruka's was pretty beneficial for him, his decision was clear. Naruto took the Blue scroll on the table and screamed "I Except your challenge Iruka-sensei!"

Right after the declaration, Naruto paid for his Ramen and ran out of the stand and straight to a training ground leaving a smiling Iruka behind and eating his second bowl of ramen.

"that was a good thing you Iruka…"Teuchi the chef said smiling warmly at the teacher.

"I don't know what you mean…" Iruka said.

Chapter end!

AN: Naruto will have only Blood limit! He will not have godlike power! Thank you!