Naruto could feel the pain ease as his body grew colder and colder by the minute. Though it defiantly hurt being impaled, watching Sakura desperately trying to save him and Hinata sobbing quietly by his side while holding his hand tightly was far more painful that he would have thought.

"Naruto"

"What is it Kurama? I'm busy dying." Naruto replied silently. He looked deep in his consciousness to look at the red eyes of the nine tailed fox.

"I will not let you die that easily, don't panic when everything seems to be spinning in a minute and you getting a nausea."

"What do you-"

Naruto suddenly felt a swirling pain mixed with awful nausea when the world seemed to spin around him. Yes, the fox did have a pretty good point that he shouldn't panic instead, Naruto decided that a black out should cover it up.

Naruto opened his eyes slowly. He glanced towards the little ray of sunlight that entered the room he was in. Naruto sat up. He was in a bed, it wasn't much to brag about, cheap and in bad state. "This looks like my old apartment." Naruto whispered to himself.

"It is you old apartment." Kurama stated.

That was when Naruto's eyes perked up. He jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen. It was his usually messy apartment with ramen cups scattered around. Tossed on the table he noticed his orange jumpsuit. The one he wore before he went to train with Jiraiya. Naruto lifted the jacket up, there were minor holes, paint stains and some places covered in dirt. Naruto pulled on the jacket and the rest of the jumpsuit followed soon after, though he did enjoy the jumpsuit he got from Jiraiya which was orange and black, not orange and blue.

"You got some explaining to do Kurama." Naruto said as he looked out on the not nearly destroyed Konoha. "You see, you were close, like very close to dying as you know and I figured I could try to help with the healing process. So I took like supremely almost all of my and your chakra to the wound, but then some other strange chakra mixed up and I am not completely sure, but it seems that approximately you time traveled." Kurama said. "You're kidding?! I time traveled? Awesome! Wait, how long back are we?" "About the time right before your graduation exam, which mean you are ten minutes late for the academy." Naruto stood there for a second. "Wait, I have to go to the academy again? You're kidding with me? Please say you are kidding!" "nope, get going if you want to be a genin, let alone a jonin in the future." Naruto rushed out of the door and jumped across the rooftops as quickly as his body found possible. Which was extremely fast. "It doesn't seem I lost my abilities." Naruto said. He and Kurama mostly had their conversations inside Naruto's subconsciousness. "Well, I did try to heal you, not take away your abilities."

Naruto stepped inside the classroom, and he noticed the class looking at him. Especially Iruka. "Naruto... You're Late!" He screamed with his Special style: Big head no jutsu. Naruto bent his head in defeat as Iruka started to lecture him with "being tardy is not good for a ninja" talk.

"Everyone, the genin exam is tomorrow, I want you all to study hard on the basics. I will give you more information tomorrow." Iruka announced. Naruto knew what was coming, and though he still despised the clone jutsu, he was sure he would be able to pass with the shadow clones. It was almost the same. "Naruto." Iruka said as he was about to leave the classroom when the bell rang. "What is it Iruka-sensei?" Naruto said and walked over to his teacher. "What you say about some ramen? My treat?" Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement. It had been a long time since Iruka had treated him with some of the best ramen in the world. The Ichiraku's ramen shop was heaven for the mentally 20 year old, being there with Iruka was even better.

"Sensei, I have a favor to ask..." Naruto started. "What? Want another bowl?" Iruka answered looking at the twelve year old. "mm... no! Let me try on you forehead protector!" Naruto knew that he would get a no, but it was just for fun, since he weren't a genin yet.

"Naruto remember, you are dead last in your class, don't go overboard tomorrow." "I know, I know." Naruto sighed mentally. "No no, this proves that you have graduated from the academy, you'll get yours tomorrow." Iruka smiled brightly. "mmm... Another bowl!" Naruto shouted.

The next morning Naruto woke up earlier than he usually would at his age, around six in the morning. "You know Kurama, now I could pass the genin test easily, and Iruka-sensei wouldn't have to get hurt..." Naruto stated. "But then you wouldn't know about me, since Mizuki never told you, and you wouldn't have the same forehead protector either, do you really want to do that?" Kurama stated. Naruto frowned. He really didn't enjoy being dead last when he was the (future) Hero of the hidden leaf, also the one who ended the war (with a lot of help of course).

Naruto ventured down the streets of Konoha, and that was when the stares hit him. He had long forgotten the ugly stares of the citizens of Konoha. Though this time he knew why, but he still could feel the hatred borrow its way down to his guts. Finally Naruto arrived at the academy. When Iruka started to explain the rules, he didn't listen because he already knew what the exam would base itself on. The bunshin jutsu.

Naruto heard his name being called and he ventured into the classroom next door. He saw Mizuki sit next to Iruka and he could feel the hatred towards the traitor boil up in him. Though he remembered his talk with Nagato and refrained from doing anything rash. "Okay Naruto, the bunshin jutsu please." Naruto thought for a second. He couldn't manage to do a bad clone, he had good control and it was hard for him not to show his skills. He created a shadow clone (muttering the words so Iruka couldn't hear him) and made the clone transform into a sucker clone. Naruto bowed his head when he thought how this could have turned out differently. He could only imagine the shocked faces of the two teachers if he had created a dozen of shadow clones instead of that measly sucker shadow clone.

"You fail." The words hit him hard, even though he was prepared for it, hearing it so bluntly was terrible. He knew how he had reacted last time he had heard this two words from his teacher.

"Maybe we can pass him? He did replicate and his stamina is good." Mizuki stated.

"Everyone else can create at least two clones, and Naruto's wouldn't even be a bother. It is not cut out for shinobi life." Iruka said strictly. Naruto left the room and went outside where the parents gathered around their children. "Dad...mom... why did you have to die?" Naruto thought as he looked at the families. He could see the two women speak about him. They did not mention him being the "demon brat" but he sure knew that they wanted to.

"Naruto, come with me." Mizuki said.

Naruto had already ventured and stolen the scroll of sealing, entered the forest/ hiding spot Mizuki showed him (though he did already know where it was) before the third managed to send out word. Though Naruto did have the feeling that the old man already knew where he was. He read further into the scroll this time, just for fun's sake of course, he couldn't learn another jutsu and then use shadow clones.

"Naruto!" It was Iruka who had found him. Naruto showed his foxy grin. "Man... I got caught and I only learned one jutsu!" He scratched the back of his head. He had never paid any attention to Iruka's awestruck face, though it was priceless. "Sensei can I graduate now? I learned a jutsu from the scroll right? I can graduate now right?!" Naruto said, he sweared he could hear the laughter from kyuubi in his deep consciousness. "Who told you that?" Iruka said. "Mizuki-sensei!" Naruto said, he was smiling. Irukelooked bewildered, but before he could react; Mizuki the bastard arrived. "I'm surprised you found this place Iruka, now I got another person in my way.

"Mizuki! What's the meaning of this?!" Iruka shouted. Mizuki smiled deviously. "The scroll of sealing of course, that monster over there would probably just use it to unseal himself and run havoc on the village again and in the middle of this, I will take the scroll and become powerful." Mizuki laughed. "M-monster?" Naruto said, he tried his best "I am afraid" face. From the kyuubi he could hear the crude laugh that almost made him deaf. "There is a rule Naruto, a rule only you cannot know about!" Mizuki stated. "A rule? What is it? Why can't I know about it?" Naruto quickly said. "Mizuki don't!" Iruka shouted. "The rule not to call Naruto a monster fox!" Mizuki laughed. "Why did you think the villagers hated you? Because twelve years ago the kyuubi destroyed the village and killed many people, including Iruka's parents. He hates you for it!" Mizuki said. Naruto knew he was planting lies within the truth. Iruka started his defense. Naruto knew the procedure and ran away from the stabbed Iruka. The fuma shuriken was planted in his back and he was there crying for Naruto to come back. Even though Naruto hated to leave Iruka, he knew that he couldn't change the past too much.

Hidden behind the tree, Naruto listened to the conversation Iruka and Mizuki had. No matter how many times he listened or remembered this words, the fact that Iruka acknowledged him was far by one of the most precious things he had in his world. "Die!" Naruto heard. It was finally time for his amazing appearance. He ran out of the trees and blocked the attack Mizuki tried to land on his sensei. "If you lay a hand on Iruka-sensei, I'll kill you!" Naruto said. He used the familiar hand sign. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!" He shouted and a thousand of clones appeared. "Beat up time!" He shouted and showed the clones way towards Mizuki. After a long period of beat up, Naruto dispelled his clones. "Maybe I overdid it?" Naruto scratched the back of his head. Iruka smiled. "Naruto come here... I want to give you something..." Iruka waved him over. Naruto jogged over to his injured teacher and watched him, eyes wide. "Close your eyes..." Iruka said. Naruto felt his goggles fall off, or rather taken of, and something else made its place on his forehead.

"You can open your eyes." Iruka said. Naruto blinked as he saw the forehead protector-less Iruka. "Congratulations, you pass." Iruka smiled. Naruto grinned. "Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cried out and jumped on his tea- fatherly figure. "That hurts!" Iruka exclaimed, Naruto just laughed.