Like Father, Like Son, a naruto fanfic

First fic, hopefully somebody out there will enjoy it…it's a Naruto story ( Obviously) with a male Oc ( Not so obvious) And the ending and romance will be up to you readers! So, as I've never been one for long ANs, here you all go, hope ya enjoy. Feel free to let me know with a comment *hint, hint*

Being born sucks. Just gonna put that straight up to ya before we continue. There's a reason why babies cry, idiot. Imagine being pulled out of a comfortable place, the most comfortable place you can imagine in fact, to be placed somewhere cold and confusing and disorienting, and, to top it all off, you can't understand anything. So, it goes without saying that I thought an especially cruel joke was being played on me when I was pulled (Well, really, pushed, but that's a minor detail, the point is I was afraid, dammit!), kicking and screaming out of the warm cocoon I had previously been enveloped in. Noise edged into my consciousness as pure panic controlled my senses and I shrieked, incredibly annoyed. I thought death was supposed to be peaceful!

I was picked up, and placed on a cold, hard surface, before I felt something wiping me, not roughly, but not softly either, and I lashed out, aggravated. I felt myself being picked up, placed into something comfortable and much like the place I'd been previously. It took a few seconds, but after I realized this was the best I'd get, I relaxed into it, and stopped screaming, although I still let out a whimper every now and then.

More noise made my sensitive ears itch; frustrated that I couldn't understand, I tried to speak, but no words came out, only a small gurgle. I heard a small gasp, and then a tired laugh, and I was switched from the comfort of, well, wherever I was, to somewhere no less comfortable, but more…powerful, somehow. I felt strength in whatever was holding me, and my brow furrowed ever so slightly, my brain trying to make sense of the proceedings.

Okay, whoa there. Calm down…wait, what the hell?! What…what's my name? I don't know my name! Do I have amnesia? No, that can't be, I still remember Father and Mom and Big Sister and Little Brother, and even the Youngest Brother, who was barely ten…but what…what were their names? Their personalities? Dammit, what sorcery is this?

Hold on, wait. I remember…I remember…lying in a hospital bed, coughing up blood, knowing I was about to die and telling myself I had accepted it, when really, I was as afraid and unprepared as a virgin. And I was a virgin, a death virgin. I'd never died before. Then again, who had?

…At least, that's what I thought, before this happened. Is this Heaven? Hell? I was never one to believe in Gods, but now I find myself praying to someone, anyone, anything, to explain to me exactly what the hell was going on. How did I get here, wherever here was? What was my purpose?

I could almost laugh at myself, looking back and realizing that I'd been thinking like I was many, many times older than I actually was. Of course, the realization that I was a baby, and had been reborn, hit me hard. Even if I didn't really remember my past life, I remembered somewhat my family, and my life. I knew I had a girlfriend, and was going to propose, before the cancer took me. That damn disease took away my life. I could only hope that where I was, they had a cure for such diseases as that, and perhaps the average lifespan was even higher than in my old world.

If only I knew that most people died much sooner, and from much more serious things than silly disease, in the place I'd been reborn. That's right, I was reborn into the Naruto universe.

I'd read enough fanfiction to know where this was going. I could either choose to let my knowledge out, and help people, as was common, or I could choose to stay quiet and try to help on my own, from the sidelines. As far as I knew, nobody had as of yet written a fic where the character became the antagonist, although there was that possibility open as well. It was at that moment that I realized I could shape my own future. No longer was I afraid of death, only curious of the new adventures it would bring (or so I told myself, of course).

I could become anyone, anything, I wanted. Hell, if I'd been graced with good genes, skill, and a decent clan, I could even shove Sasuke to the ground and become the one all the ladies fawned over. I literally had my life made.

That's what I thought, until I saw the horror of the shinobi world. As a kid, you think battle is fun. Sure, you know you could die, but you don't really know, until you've had a brush with death yourself. Even I, having died once, and with all my otherworldly knowledge and 'wisdom' (ha, what a joke) underestimated this world. This world where it was kill or be killed. This awful, wretched world where it seemed I could do nothing but keep my worthless life and live to see another day.

I can't put into words what it's like, going out and fighting, knowing your friends could be dying at this very moment. My Dad was a veteran from the Air Force, and even that hadn't fully prepared me. I was just so, so incredibly naïve, and looking back, I can't believe I ever thought like that.

Of course, I still had to realise all this. Come on, you didn't honestly think I'd just skip through my childhood like it was a field of daisies? Nope, I'm gonna put you all through every second; every damn, annoying, torturous, motherfucking second. Why? I have no clue. I guess I just want somebody to finally understand me, even if it's only a stupid book. Ha, and I remember when I scorned my mother for giving it to me. 'It's a diary,' she said, 'Write in it,' she said. I laughed then, but now I find myself doing the very thing I'd vowed not to and I'm writing in this silly, small black book, just to make sure I'm not going crazy, and that this adventure really happened.

Well, anyway, where were we...ah yes, my birth, although I didn't realise it was my birth at the time. I was too busy trying to figure out where in the hell I was, and why everything was so big. I remember clearly, the moment when I realised that I was a baby. It was my first birthday (Hey, I'm a little slow! Don't judge me!) and my mother brought over the cake. At this point I could understand a bit of what was being said, and I giggled happily as the sweet treat was placed in front of me.

"Happy first birthday, my dear Takeo!" my mother said happily, and at that moment my body froze as I realised why I couldn't understand, why my senses were blurred, why everything was so damn huge, and what that awful sensation exactly a year ago was. My birth. I was, in effect, an adult living in a one-year-old body. Barely able to walk and talk, but with thoughts far ahead of anyone my age, I was frustrated at my lack of understanding, but a piece in the puzzle that was my life had been placed, and a large one too. Now all that was left to understand was exactly where I was, and of course how I got here, although I didn't expect to know that, well...ever. If I didn't believe in a God before, I sure as hell did now, and I was damn well praying that I didn't fuck up over here like I did in the past, and that he had mercy on me.

After that, I spent all my time trying to figure out my origins, and where I came from. If I could have asked, I would, but seeing as I couldn't talk, I instead relied on books. If you had to ask my parents what I was like as a baby, they'd say I cried far too much and read far too often.

Well, I say read. The first time I picked up a book, (Although not really the first, but you get my point) I glanced at the cover before opening it, and was met with a foreign language, the possibilities of it being alien alive, but the probability low. No, it was probably some form of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, although Korean has a very distinct style, and this was not it, ruling it out. Therefore, this was either Japanese or Chinese, and unfortunately, I had not the tools to discover which. From listening, it sounded like Japanese, but then again, I haven't really heard Chinese spoken, so I don't know.

I would have simply cast it aside and said it didn't matter as long as I understood the words spoken, if finding the language had not been a good clue to knowing where I was. I did my best with what I had, however, with my limited authority as a child, now almost two, I was practically powerless. The only other clue I had was my name, Takeo, which I figured out by the fact that when speaking directly to me, that word came up at least once, almost every time. The name definitely sounded Japanese, so I was willing to place my money on it, as it seemed the more likely of the two possibilities at this point, but that still left a few questions such as what time, and of course the how. The humongous, monumental how, that consumed me whole. Every waking moment I wondered about it, although, dwelling on it got me no further, and indeed, the more I thought on it, the more crazed my theories became.

So instead, I had to find something else to occupy my time. I didn't really get along well with the other children, for my thoughts were far superior to theirs, and despite my size and strength being average to the group, I would have won every game we played due to my past experience and, dare I say it, 'expertise'.

What I did find, however, was that inside me, there was an odd force, a pulsing force, and I became acutely aware of it when I was halfway through my second year. I was playing around with my fingers, and, jokingly, made a few random handsigns I'd remembered from my past life when I watched the Naruto anime. You could say I was a bit of a Naruto nerd...all though I was pretty much an all-around nerd.

I only knew Snake, Monkey, and Tiger, since those were by far the easiest, and so, at the age of two, to test my memory I formed them, and I felt something, deep in my gut, tugging on my energy. Frightened, I wrenched my hands apart and ran inside from my position on the front lawn of my family's apartment complex inside, where I stayed in bed the rest of the day.

The next day, however, I was curious as ever, and so I experimented with the new force, all the while wondering what it was. Now, I'm sure you're wondering, with that big, fat, ginormous clue, how could I not figure out I was in the Naruto universe? And the reason is because, I was a bit slow ( Yes, I'm blaming this on my brain dammit!) and because what is the probability that anyone, much less you or I, dies, and then is reborn and transported into a fictional world as a baby, which they not only have knowledge of, but practically know the future of? Probably less than 1%. I mean, come on. That was a bit too far-fetched, I thought. Sure, I entertained the thought, and I noticed that it would make many things fall into place and be explained, but never in my wildest dreams, my oddest fantasies, did I ever, for one, single second, believe that it was real, or anything close to that.

Imagine my surprise when, for my third birthday, my mother showed me the Hokage Mountain, with four faces carved into it. "You see that, Takeo? Those are the Hokages, the leaders of our village. When you're older, I'll explain more."

If I was any less stunned, I would have exclaimed of my prior knowledge, shouted out to the Heavens, let this whole, damned shinobi world know about all the betrayals, fights, sacrifices...but, of course, I didn't. Why? I guess I'm a pussy. All I knew at that moment was that everything suddenly made sense.

The people I saw jumping from the rooftops, the respect even the elders gave to some teenagers, the way I rarely saw my father, and that odd, strange force inside me that I'd been idly playing with soothe my boredom. Chakra. It was chakra. In an instant, millions of possibilities opened, just as billions of others closed, and I found myself wondering what my nature was and where I'd go from here. I could join the Academy, or I could not, and I found myself hoping against hope that I hadn't been born into an important clan. It seemed the Gods had spared me in this regard, for though my father was, indeed, a ninja, I was not born into a family with a clan to uphold. I did not have to go to the Academy! I was overjoyed by this thought, happy that the Gods had given me this one reprieve. Ha, what a joke.

At the age of four, just about right for the academy, although most people went at age five, my father deserted the village. That's right. My father, a man who I'd barely seen before, just had to go and decide to leave, having killed a Konoha shinobi no less, and suddenly I felt a new weight on my shoulders as I struggled to hold up the family name. People looked at us with disgust, and I knew the only way to stop those looks at my poor mother, my poor, grieving, amazing mother who I'd come to love, was to join the academy.

And so, at age four, younger than most but older than some, I joined the ninja academy. I quickly learned that, while good at remembering and forming the handsigns (Due to my past life as a Naru-Nerd) I was severely lacking in the physical part of being a ninja. In my past life, I wasn't bad at sports, although I was definitely not the most athletic. I most certainly wasn't built, by any standards, and I wasn't one of those football jocks. Instead, I had played around with soccer and baseball, although what I really loved was basketball. I was rather tall in my past life, about 6'2", and so basketball was my game. I could only hope that in this life, I would grow to be around that height. Even so, I wasn't athletic. And in this life, I'd definitely exercised my muscles less than I should. And so, it came to be that every day when I came home, I practiced taijutsu. It became common to see me running around the village, doing laps, and then staggering through the village, completely exhausted, to my house that I shared with my mother.

Ah, my mother. Where to begin with her? She was the kindest, sweetest, most wonderful mother any kid could hope to have. She was as much a ninja as I was girl, which is to say, not at all. I'd grown to love her through her doting attention on me, even though at the time my father left, she was pregnant with her second child, a girl who she named Junko. She was a shining, bright light in my muddled life, before my father left. When he did, she became sickly and weak, and rarely came out of the house, leaving the search for food up to me, which, ashamed as I am to admit it, led me to steal multiple times. I would have worked and gotten the necessaries honestly, but I was too young and my schedule too busy. As I knew that ninja missions paid rather well, that was another reason for me to get through the academy.

I had few friends, and the ones I did could all help me in some way. For example, I made friends with the Yamanakas, and Ino developed a huge crush on me, which I supposed was good, seeing as she could get her father to do me favours.

Speaking of crushes, I had, in fact, got rather good genes, in my opinion of course. It seemed I would grow tall, for at age five I was already 116 cm, a few inches taller than most of my classmates. It also seemed I had retained my old build, lithe and lanky, although there was a strength in my frame that previously had not been present. My black hair, not having the time nor money to cut it, was long, going to just past my shoulders, shorter pieces falling around my face and occasionally covering my amber-yellow eyes. My eye colour was something I always wondered about, for neither my mother nor my father, as best I remembered him, had this colour. I was curious, but no longer did I have time to ponder as I did when I was younger, for by now I was six years of age, and my sister almost two, and I had to do more than ever.

When I was six, aside from my busy schedule, an important event in the history of Konoha happened. I'll give you three seconds, ready? Three...two...one...DING! Time's up! If you said 'Uchiha clan massacre' you were….100% correct! Even though I didn't really talk to Sasuke, I knew that this was a defining factor in his life, so I made an effort to get to know the boy, although he pushed away all my advances. So, I gave up, hoping that I'd be able to influence him in other ways.

Wake up early, scrounge for food, train a bit, go to the Academy, train some more, eat, study, and the go to sleep late, waking up early. I began to get into a monotonous schedule, unbroken by much else, other than to care for and feed my family. By this time, dark rings under my eyes became common, and sleep exhaustion was no longer felt. By the age of seven, I had developed a severe case of insomnia, sometimes not sleeping for days, even weeks at a time (I believe my record was twelve days at this age, although later I would go months).

Many other things happened at seven, including that I realised I could be aware of others' chakra levels. I couldn't tell you anything else, just approximately how much chakra they had inside them. Even Naruto's chakra, while it should have been separated from the nine-tails' and the nine-tails' chakra should have felt 'dark' if I was a true sensor nin, was not, and I could only sense that he had massive reserves, probably at least six times greater than mine, even at this young age, and I had lots of chakra. I probably had about the fifth highest chakra in my class, under people such as Sasuke, Naruto, and Neji, but above most such as Tenten and Lee.

Speaking of chakra, also at the age of seven, I discovered my chakra nature. In order to go on more difficult missions (which in turn earn more money) I needed to be able to use more jutsu, and that meant learning my nature. So, one day, I stayed after school and asked the teacher how I could figure it out. I already knew, of course, but simply asking for chakra paper would be hard to explain; as it is asking about chakra natures is difficult to explain.

So, I asked, "Iruka-sensei, I was doing some reading on jutsu and came across a section entitled 'Chakra Natures'. I was wondering if you could tell me what mine is?"

Iruka raised a brow. "Well, I'd need to get my hands on some chakra paper for you. When you funnel your chakra into the paper, its reaction will tell you what kind of chakra you have. If it crinkles, you have lightning, if it splits, you have wind, if it burns you have fire, if it disintegrates you have earth, and if it dampens you have water nature chakra. There's so much more I can explain to you about chakra, but I suppose you already read much about it, am I correct?"

I smiled slightly, thankful that he assumed I read it already (which I had) and so I didn't have to go through an entire lecture for things I already knew. "Hai," I said with a nod.

Iruka smiled and clapped his hands together. "Good!" he said. "Then, I'll try and find some chakra paper for you to use by tomorrow. Come early or stay after class and I should be able to help you out. Although, if I may ask, what brought this on?"

I smiled sweetly, the smile I used to get all the adults to gush over me and give me money. "Just curious, sensei!" I said. Iruka nodded and smiled. "Alright then! Go on home Takeo; I'll be sure to have that chakra paper ready for you in the morning!"

On my walk home, if I'm being honest, I was really excited about what my nature would be. I was honestly hoping for fire, because it just seemed so cool…fun fact, in my past life I was a bit of a pyro (I worked on explosives for the army). Entering my house, I checked in on my mom. She was sleeping, her thin, frail body wrapped in many sheets, skin pale and sallow. Her brown hair, once rich and beautiful was now rough, stringy, and dull, and her blue eyes that once held so much life were dimmed. She looked the epitome of a sick person, which unnerved me. I hated seeing her like this, although I suppose I should have gotten used to it. I'd been living with her like this for three years now, of course. The next order of business was to look at my baby sister. Now three, she could talk and walk, and was beginning to become independent. She had gorgeous blue eyes, and shared my black hair, although hers was closer to a dark brown, looking very much like a younger version of our mother. I tried to shield her as much as I could, and if there was one thing I knew, it was that she was not joining the Academy.

My stomach growled in hunger, and I bit my lip. No family would give me money; I learned that the hard way when I went begging for the first time, only to be met with a door to my face or a foot to my chest. The angry, mean words the people spoke hurt me, and I still remember them now. One family, in particular, told me that 'I didn't deserve to live'. Ever since then, I've lived a life of dishonesty, stealing and rifling through trash cans to get my food. The Yamanakas could only do so much without being looked down upon, one meal a month at most, and usually not even that. Today would be a hungry day if I didn't go out and get food now.

I slunk out of my house, and, ignoring the gnawing in my stomach, went to one bread stall in particular that was easy to steal from. However, just as I put out my hand to take a loaf of bread, I heard a commotion behind me, and I turned, accidentally dropping the bread to the ground.

"Thief!" the shop owner shouted at me, while I could see across the road a boy with bright blond hair and blue eyes being shouted at and shooed away from a mask shop, despite him not stealing anything. With a jolt, I realized this was Naruto, and quickly, I ran over to him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him in the direction of my home, while the shopkeeper shouted at me.

Damn. There goes fresh bread for weeks, I thought as I ran. I slowed to a stop as I reached my house. Glancing over at Naruto, I saw he was barely winded, but there were slight remainders of tears in his eyes. The only reason why I helped him out in the first place was because he was the main character, and making friends with them is always good. Besides, he was under protection of the Hokage, and though I seriously doubted it, maybe my friendship with Naruto would help me get slightly on the good side of the man, or at least good enough to get some sort of money or food rations.

"Hey," I said, not unkindly. Naruto looked at me. "Hey!" he said, his face with a bright smile. My eyes widened, and the words tumbled out. "How can you be so happy?" I asked him. I was always a realist, living in poverty had taught me so. Although not talkative, I considered myself to be alright at making friends, although it wasn't my strong suit, and certainly a hard-worker. Funnily enough, I was the exact opposite in my past life: A dreamer, creative and imaginative, lazy beyond belief and extremely sociable. I suppose getting reborn into another universe would change your personality a bit.

"Well, I met someone new!" Naruto responded, moving me back to the present. "...You're happy because...you met...someone new?" I deadpanned. "OF COURSE, DATTEBAYO!" he yelled out, making me jump. "Holy shit! Why the hell are you so fucking loud?" I yelped. Naruto's eyes widened. "Hokage says we shouldn't say that word!" he said. I raised a brow. "That damned Hokage can go stuff himself. Besides, since when do you care what he says? I've seen some of your pranks, super cool by the way," I responded.

"Thanks!" Naruto laughed. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm gonna be Hokage one day, in place of Grandpa, believe it!" he said, wearing a large grin. I sweatdropped. Well he sure is...energetic, I thought.

"Himawari Takeo, pleasure," I responded. "So, where do you live Takeo?" Naruto asked. I pointed to the run-down shack my family and I called home. It used to be an apartment complex, before everyone moved out because they didn't want to be near us. "Right here," I said.

"Here?!" Naruto gaped. "But it's so...so...worn down! And hey," he said, looking at me, "Your clothes are all in rags!" I rolled my eyes. "Yes, this is what it's called to be poor, Naruto," I said with a sigh.

"Can you live okay? Do you have any family? Why do you live like this?" Naruto asked me. My eyes widened at the flood of questions. "Uhh…" I mumbled, not sure how to respond. Something drew me to this boy, I'll admit. What they said in the anime and manga about Naruto's odd leadership qualities was definitely true. Something about him was so genuine, so...pure. It made me want to spill my guts to him. And so, giving into instinct, I did.

I told him of my father's betrayal, of how the Leaf treated me, and of my family, not missing a single detail, other than my odd circumstances of birth. When I finished, Naruto's eyes were wide and downcast, as he nodded a bit sadly. "Oh...well then, I guess we're sorta the same," he said. "What do you mean?" I asked, although I knew full well what he was referring to.

"My parents are dead, and everyone but Hokage and Iruka-sensei seem to hate me. I don't know why, either. Maybe it's because I pull pranks, but really, that's just for the attention. I wish I had a real friend...maybe we could be!" he perked up as he looked at me hopefully. I shrugged. I honestly couldn't see why not.

"Sure, I guess," I said. Naruto chuckled. "We'll be great together, believe it!" he said, giving me a thumbs-up. Looking at the sun, his eyes widened. "I gotta go, but…I'll bring you some food tomorrow okay?" he said. My eyes widened at the thought. "R-really?" I involuntarily stuttered. "You better believe it,' Naruto grinned, before running away.

The next few months, years actually, passed easier with the help of Naruto. I got stronger and stronger, figuring out that my natural affinity was for water, unfortunately the opposite of what I'd been hoping for, but still, as I came to realise, capable of defense and attack, making it versatile and useful, not to mention plentiful, seeing as there was water almost everywhere. I also became accustomed to using Bojutsu, although what I really wanted to learn was Kusarigamajutsu, which is sickle-and-chain. By now, I was eleven, while Junko was around seven, making me about to graduate from the academy. Today was, in fact, the day of exams, the day I'd get my forehead protector, and become an official genin of Konoha.

I walked into class to see it a bit more busy than usual. I'd cleaned up as best I could for today, washing my still-scruffy hair and even putting on clean, new ninja clothes which I'd bought, thank you very much, with some help from Naruto and from the money I got working in the back of Ichiraku's Ramen, a job Naruto also got me. Really, I was rather indebted to him at this point, as I could see no way to pay him back for everything he'd done for me, so I just settled for being the best friend I could be, encouraging him when he was down, and even going so far as helping him with his Sexy Technique, which I also became proficient in.

They called names in alphabetical order, so Naruto was after me. I sat, bored, as kid after kid walked through the door, and came back out proudly flashing their new gear. They got to the M's quick enough, and soon I heard my name.

"Himawari, Takeo!" I heard Iruka-sensei call out. Whispers immediately began in the room as I walked through to get to the door. I could hear a few girls squealing over me, while others, boys, looked on with disinterest, and I could hear a few nasty things about my family too, though I ignored all of them. One voice, however, stood out among the others.

"Go get 'em, Takeo! Show 'em whatcha got! You'll pass, believe it!" Naruto shouted out. I sighed and rolled my eyes, a gesture I found myself expressing more around Naruto than anyone else, not that there was much of anyone else. "Be quiet baka, of course I'll pass." I'd been practicing the clone technique, and so far could make eleven working clones. I could only hope that was enough. I heard a few girls giggle and sigh at my 'cool demeanour'. I did my best to act like Sasuke, and, while certainly not quite as good looking as he, I had my own fanclub, headed by Ino. As soon as she realised Sakura was grabbing Sasuke, she called dibs on me. I honestly would have hated it, if it hadn't meant a few extra people to help me out. As it was, I barely tolerated it, and a rush of sympathy for Sasuke overwhelmed me as I walked into the judging room. I glanced around, noting the sliver-haired man that would try and sabotage Naruto. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he merely raised his brows and smirked.

With a scowl, I took my place. Quickly, I formed the handsigns, and said, "Shadow clone jutsu!" Exactly nine clones appeared beside me. I could make eleven, as I stated before, but I wanted to still have some chakra left. The clones were fully functional, and Iruka threw a kunai at each to make sure. They each disappeared, one by one, with a 'poof'.

Soon enough, I walked out holding my forehead protector. Tying it around my neck, I proceeded outside, where I waited for Naruto. Almost half an hour later, he showed up, dragging his feet. I bit my lip. "...Naruto?" I questioned. He simply shook his head, and I tried to act shocked. "Oh….I see. But...I mean…" I paused, unsure if he wanted to talk about it or not."Well then, see you, ah….around," I said, before walking off. It was late, and I needed to get home. I knew Naruto would find that scroll and pass. He just had to.

Entering my house, I was surprised to find Junko already in the kitchen making dinner. "Hey, Junko," I said with a smile, stroking her hair as I passed. "Nii-san!" she said happily, a large smile on her face. "You passed, right?" I nodded at her.

"Yes, of course," I said with a chuckle, before looking at her. "I'm going to train for a bit, so if you don't mind finishing up dinner, I'll be back in an hour."

Junko pouted. "But nii-san," she whined. "I never get to see you!"

I sighed. "I know. I'm sorry Junko. But hey, soon, we'll have lots of extra money from my missions!"

"Really?!" Junko laughed happily. "Yes!" I said with a smile, and Junko nodded. "That's amazing! You're the best, nii-san! Please stay though, just for today?" she said. I bit my lip. There was no way I could resist. "Well...Okay," I said, and Junko jumped around happily, before going back to cooking. I fell onto the couch, not even realising my eyes were closed before the action was completed. I fell into a deep, much-deserved sleep, one not even my little sister wished to wake me from.

The next day, I was to find my team and meet my sensei. I wondered, of course, what they would be like. I sincerely hoped we got along, for as Kakashi said, teamwork is key. Although, I suppose, we were put in our teams based on our strengths. I quickly reviewed mine.

High in ninjutsu, low in genjutsu, no kekkai genkai. Average in taijutsu, but could use some improvement. Intelligence is slightly above average, but by no means genius. Overall rather well-rounded, other than genjutsu.

Upon reaching the academy, I was greeted with a commotion inside. Apparently, someone had knocked Naruto into Sasuke and the two had kissed. I snickered as I remembered the moment from the anime. It was honestly one of the best moments of my life.

Walking up the steps, I went to my regular seat in the middle of the class, near the window. Sitting down, I found myself playing with my fingers and hair, running my hands through my hair and brushing it as best I could. Listening to the teams being called, I could see how they clicked. Team Guy, for brute force. Team Kurenai, for tracking. Team Asuma, for stealth. Team Kakashi, for an overall balance. And then- "Team Masao! Haruno Masami, Hyuuga Rei, and Himawari Takeo!"

I stood up, joining my team. Rei seemed to be a loud, boisterous, rebellious individual, rather odd for the Hyuuga clan, while Masami seemed to be only slightly more reserved, but far more catty, and also apparently a fangirl of mine, as she clung to me the moment I stepped within a five-foot-radius of her. Both my teammates were girls, but my sensei, Masao Hyuuga and father of Rei, who had become a jounin to watch her and make sure she wasn't 'disgracing the Hyuuga name'. He was a strict, cold man, who rarely joked or smiled, and valued being perfectly on time. I could tell I was going to have quite a time.

I walked with my team outside, to a place in the trees that Masao-sensei had selected previously. As soon as we reached it, he sat down, motioning for us to do the same and said, "It doesn't matter whether you like each other or not, we're working together, so you better say what you're good at and do what I tell you, or it's back to the Academy for all three of you!"

I bit my lip, trying to keep silent. I hated being treated this way, but being sent back to the Academy was not an option. Rei, however, spoke out. It seemed I had judged her correctly, for she said, "No, it's not! You think I don't see through that? Please, I'm not scared of you. You won't fail me, that would bring too much shame to the clan! And if I fail, they fail, so really, you can't fail any of us."

...Actually, she's correct. I snickered lightly, a bit out of character for me, but I smirked at Rei, and she grinned back, a slight flush on her cheeks. I almost raised a brow at it, before I realised she was trying desperately to hide it, so I didn't want to embarrass her. Masaki clung to me, and started squealing at my 'smile'. I sighed, and almost hit her over the head, before I remembered my old chivalry and thought better of it. Instead, I let her cling to me, as I looked at Sensei, wondering what he'd do.

He glared at Rei, looking very intimidating, and practically growled out, "Don't bet on it." Even Rei gulped a bit, and backed off a little.

"Now, Haruno. What are your strengths?" Masami looked up from where she was playing with my hair.

"Huh?"

"What are your strengths?" Masao-sensei repeated, sounding none-too-happy.

"Oh, well...I'm really good at noticing and breaking Genjutsu, and I'm super pretty too!" she giggled. I bit my lip, stifling a snort. She was pretty, it was true, but her personality more than made up for her physical beauty. Masao-sensei nodded and said, "Anything else?" Masami thought for a second before saying, "Umm, well...I can do basic healing ninjutsu, but not much more." "Any weaknesses?" Masao asked. Masami bit her lip. "No, not really!" she giggled. I sighed and raised a brow. "Your weakness is self-defense and taijutsu," I said, and she looked up at me, startled. "Eh? But-but I'm perfect, Takao-kun, perfect for you," she whimpered. My eyes widened; I never realised she thought that way...luckily, Masao-sensei saved me by looking at Rei next.

"And you, brat?" he spat, his tone full of dislike. I felt a pang of empathy for Rei; her own family didn't like her. That was very sad. "I excel at taijutsu and chakra control, which is good, because I don't have much chakra," she said. Masao nodded. "Good. Finally….Takao. Our only male. Your father was a traitor, give me one good reason why I should trust you," he said. "Like father, like son after all."

I started at his distrust, before I felt anger welling up within me. I knew it wouldn't help my case, but I couldn't believe that after all the hate I'd suffered, I had more to go through. And besides, how could they, the villagers, possibly think that being cruel to me wouldn't fuel my rage against them? My hands clenched into fists and my teeth gritted. My eyes narrowed into slits as I said, "My name is Takeo Himawari, not Takao. My strength is ninjutsu, my weakness is recognising genjutsu. My father was a traitor to the Hidden Leaf. Do you really want to antagonise me?"

Masao-sensei raised a brow. "I should be asking you that. I am a jounin, and your sensei no less, you're just a stupid genin. I am a member of the Hyuuga clan, you can never hope to defeat me."

"That may be so, but I don't care! I'm not normally hotheaded, or rebellious, like Rei seems to be, but I won't stand for any more! Do you idiotic villagers think that this cruelty and hate, this distancing yourself from me, is going to make me like you more? You can fear me, yes, just like you seem to fear Naruto for his jinchuuriki blood, but cruelty to us only makes us more of a threat! Us disliking you means you are a direct range of fire when we snap. And one day, I swear upon my life, I'll show you all, and help Naruto become Hokage, even if it takes my life!"

By the time I finished my speech I was breathing heavily, and extremely worked up. Glaring hatefully at my sensei, I stalked out of the clearing, leaving the gaping mouths of my team behind me.

Okay, quick note. Takeo is a year younger than Naruto and his team, as is Rei. Masami is the same age as Sakura, being her twin sister. They all graduated the Academy at the same time, they just were different ages/Rei and Takeo started at age four while Masami, Sakura, etc. Started at age 5.

Because FanFiction hates links….

For Rei's hair, search 'Yoruichi Shihoin short hair' and that's what she looks like, aside from the dark skin and yellow eyes of course. (She has the Hyuuga clan Byakugan eyes)

For Takeo, search 'Anime guys with yellow eyes' and scroll. I'll pretty much leave it up to you which you pick for Takeo.

For Masami, search 'Anime girls with long pink hair' and once again, I'll leave it up to you, although keep in mind she has brown eyes and straight-across bangs, much like the first one that appears on my computer. I stress my because it might not be the same for you.

For Junko, search 'Anime baby girls' and on my computer, it's the second one, of the little girl with black pigtails and blue eyes.

For Takeo's mom, search 'Anime women with brown hair' and on my computer, it's the second one.

For Masao, basically think of an older Neji and you're good

Behind the names….

One of Rei's meanings is 'spirited', plus it sounds cool and goes well with 'Hyuuga'. Rei Hyuuga. ( Pronounced Ray Hyoogah)

Masami's meaning is 'elegant beauty'. I don't know, just thought it would suit her, plus, once again, it goes well with 'Haruno'. Masami Haruno. (Pronounced Mah-sah-mee Hah-roo-noh)

Takeo's meaning is 'valiant, strong like bamboo'. It sounded cool, plus he's gonna be strong, as well as the fact that I don't think I've seen a fic yet with this name for the MC. Takeo Himawari. (Pronounced Tah-Kay-Oh Hee-mah-wah-ree)

Junko's name means 'pure child' or 'obedient child'. This comes from her willingness to follow her brother. Junko Himawari. (Pronounced Joon-koh Hee-mah-wah-ree)

Whoo, sorry. I PROMISE my ANs usually aren't this long, and actually his was a pretty long chapter (for me) too. Don't be expecting such long ANs or chapters in the future, unless you want to wait a week or more for a new update. I honestly NEVER make such long chapters.

P.S. I swear I didn't mean for all the team people's last names to start with H!