Author's Notes: This first chapter starts before all of it. Before Sasuke and Naruto's rivalry, Shikamaru and Chouji's friendship, Sakura and Ino's friendship, before anyone had a crush on anyone… before everything.
1.
The long line of eight-year-olds stood in the Academy courtyard, shifting, restless, muttering to each other. Dappled sunlight streamed through the trees and onto the flat expanse of green grass, the series of round white buildings with red roofs that made the Academy towering stately behind them.
Umino Iruka, a kind young man with a brown ponytail and a wide scar across his nose, stood in front of his new assembly of collected students, holding a clipboard. "It is a Konoha tradition," he said loudly in the silence, "that each year one Jounin or Tokubetsu Jounin should take three students out of the incoming Academy class, and privately train them as one team unit."
Several sets of eyes widened. Trained by a Jounin?
Uchiha Sasuke looked deadly determined. He had to do this, to help him achieve his goal.
Inuzuka Kiba grinned. "That's gonna be me!"
Nara Shikamaru sighed. "Well it's definitely not going to be me," he muttered. "And thank goodness. How troublesome."
"Alright!" Uzumaki Naruto lifted a fist in the air. "I'm going to make this Jounin acknowledge me, dattebayo! Then the whole village! Just you watch!" He pointed a finger at everyone.
Akimichi Chouji was munching nervously away at a bag of chips. Aburame Shino didn't even look like he'd heard the question, his expression still deadpan.
Mitarashi Anko stood back, unusually reserved. She was slightly behind Iruka, her expression revealing nothing, her arms crossed. Everyone had to know the Jounin was her; she was the only unfamiliar presence. Her purple hair up in a clip behind her head, she wore a skirt, fishnet armor, a long trenchcoat, and leg armor that made her shinobi sandals look like boots. She was tough, sexy, and adult; she was everything a kunoichi was supposed to be.
And so far she wasn't impressed.
The Uchiha boy was obsessed with revenge and highly unstable. Inuzuka was loud and braggadocious. Nara was lazy and unmotivated. Akimichi was a shy, timid comfort eater. Uzumaki in his own way had just as much to prove as Uchiha; like Uchiha, he had too much baggage. He was also obnoxious. Aburame was silent, but he also didn't seem to want it as badly as the others. No one else stood out.
Anko needed this to look good. Morino Ibiki had gotten her this post as a favor. They'd been friends ever since he'd mentally interrogated her for the way her Sensei had defected from the village and then left her to die. That sounded like an odd statement, but he had been the first to realize her innocence and he had supported her against all the moves Danzo on the council had made against her. But after all these years, Anko was still distrusted amongst the villagers. Perhaps, if she raised a healthy, successful team from the ground up, her reputation would improve.
Suddenly, there was a great explosion of noise. A little girl with short pink hair, long, scruffy bangs, and big green eyes fell out of line, tears in her eyes, trembling and holding herself away from the girls who had shoved her.
"Forehead Girl! Forehead Girl!" one shouted clearly, pointing. "You're never going to be chosen by the Jounin!"
"Hey! Screw off, don't pick on her that way!" a pale girl, much more confident, with blue eyes, short white blonde hair, a hair barrette, and a choker necklace said, clenching her fists and going to stand near the picked-on girl.
"Ami!" Iruka barked, clearly mortified in the presence of a Jounin. "Ino! Stop it -!" But he cut himself off. Everyone had gasped, stilling and going silent. Anko had walked over to the group of girls.
Even Ino and Ami swallowed, staring up at the expressionless woman.
"... Who is Ino?" said Anko. "And who's Ami?"
"Excuse me, Mitarashi-san, that's -" Iruka began.
Anko held up a hand. "Excuse me, Iruka-sensei," she said. "I wasn't talking to you." She looked between the girls. "Who is Ino?" she repeated. "And who is Ami?" She was almost whispering, but they heard every word effortlessly. A stark silence had filled the courtyard.
"I'm Ino," the blonde girl admitted nervously.
"And I'm Ami." The bully, a girl with short purple hair, glared defiantly.
Anko turned to the pink haired girl. "And who are you?"
"Sakura," said the girl, looking up at her in clear fear.
Anko turned to Ami. "And why," he said, "would Sakura never be chosen by me?"
Ami looked game, though Anko saw her fists clench and unclench at her sides. "Because she's none of the things a kunoichi is supposed to be!" she said. "She's an ugly brainiac nerd with no skills! She's not even from a ninja family!"
Sakura looked away, tears filling her eyes again.
"So let's break this down," said Anko. "She's intelligent." Ami paused. Sakura looked up. "Since she is not from a ninja family, of course she would have no skills. That means she is putting herself through this willingly, because she has the ambition to, with no family pushing her forward. And you say she's ugly."
"Yeah!" said Ami. "Just look at her forehead!" She pointed.
Anko bent down to Sakura's level. She did look very plain. "You're not wearing good color shades for your complexion type," she said. "Your haircut could use a little work. And…" She brushed Sakura's bangs out of the way to reveal a large forehead. "You need new bangs," she decided clinically.
"I think she should show off her forehead," said Ino boldly. "People only make fun of something when you show you're self conscious of it."
Anko stood and went over to Ino. "And that brings me to you. Yamanaka Ino. Why did you defend Sakura?"
"Because I don't like watching other girls get picked on," said Ino firmly. "Especially over something like their appearance."
"Yamanaka Ino. Your incoming kunoichi scores were the highest in the class." Ino looked proud of herself. "Your father works for ANBU Black Ops, yes?"
"That's right."
"And your mother?"
"She's a former Chuunin. She runs a flower shop," said Ino.
Anko turned to Sakura. "And you?"
"M-my mother is a single civilian parent," said Sakura, looking down in shame. "My father died when I was a baby." Anko saw Ami sneer out of the corner of her eye.
"And what is your surname?"
"Haruno, ma'am."
"Well, Haruno Sakura. Why do you want to be a ninja?"
Sakura looked up in surprise. "Well… well, I want to be important," she said. "The kind of girl who can, you know…" She blushed. "Who can seduce men and save her village and have a vote in politics… and stuff." She trailed off in a mutter. "Sorry," she sighed. "I guess that sounds more like a fairy tale, huh?"
"Less so than you might think," said Anko. Sakura looked up in surprise, and Ino gave her a smile. "How were your scores in chakra control, Haruno Sakura?"
"One hundreds all across the boards, ma'am." Sakura managed a shy smile. "They're the only thing I did well in."
Anko turned to Iruka. "My first two students are Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura," she said. Ino gasped in delight and Sakura looked up in disbelief.
"But what about me!" said Ami, indignant and thunderstruck.
"I don't want bullies on my team," said Anko coolly. "Besides. Only an unobservant person sees flaws instead of potential in a fellow comrade."
Ino grinned and stuck out her tongue at Ami, whose mouth was opening and closing silently. Sakura beamed.
Ami's face screwed up and she ran away crying. One of her friends ran after her.
"She'll have to get used to it," said Anko, her expression not changing. "The entire shinobi force is one of pass or fail. Now. Iruka-san." She turned to Iruka, who seemed shaken. "Let us have some tests to see who is Sakura and Ino's teammate, yes?"
And so Anko stood back, Sakura and Ino beside her, and watched as the students did countless tests before her. Sakura and Ino were trying to copy her tough, confident posture, something she found vaguely amusing. The tests were taijutsu sparring, weapons throwing, and chakra channeling.
Uchiha Sasuke was obviously trying to impress, and he was impressive - he was also vicious and antisocial with no friends and an arrogant attitude. Uzumaki Naruto was also trying to impress, and he failed miserably - even taking into account the Academy teachers' probable prejudice, the boy had no talent whatsoever. Some other people were good, but no one else stood out.
Until Anko saw one girl out in the taijutsu sparring ring. She had short blue-black hair and silvery-violet Hyuuga eyes with no pupils. She obviously knew more about what she was doing than her opponent, but she kept hanging back and hanging back hesitantly and getting knocked down.
"Who is that?" Anko asked Iruka in a mutter.
"The boy is Ryuu -"
"No. The girl."
Iruka paused, puzzled. "Hyuuga Hinata," he said. "Clan head Hiashi's daughter. He passed her over for clan heiress. She's the shyest, most timid student I have."
At last, Anko walked out into the ring, and both fighters paused. She knelt down beside Hinata. "Why aren't you winning this fight?" she asked simply.
"B-because I'm no good at -" Hinata began, looking down.
"No. You obviously know what to do. That is not the problem." Hinata looked up, confused. "The problem is that you keep holding back, telling yourself you won't do good."
"But - but I don't want to hurt anybody!" said Hinata in protest.
"Look, Hyuuga," said Anko. "There are only two reasons you would be in a fight. In the first, someone is trying to kill you. No thoughts about how well you are doing should enter your mind. You should only try to survive and win.
"But in the second situation, you're fighting a comrade. That's trickier, isn't it? But let me tell you something: when you fight a comrade, you are really trying to save their life." Hinata looked confused. "You have a little sister, right? Let's say you never fight your hardest against your little sister. Let's say she goes out on a mission, and the enemy does fight their hardest against her, and she dies." Hinata's eyes widened. "You could have prevented that. Do you see what I mean?
"You're not hurting someone by fighting hard against them. You're helping them." Anko stood back. "Now fight again. I want to see the difference. I have faith in your ability to save others, Hinata," she said.
Hinata's eyes were big. But then hard, fierce determination filled them. She looked back at her enemy, and got into a Hyuuga Gentle Fist stance. She did still wait for the other person to move first, which could be worked on, but then when they did her hands flashed out and in under a minute she had the person on the ground with a hand poised over them.
She stopped, breathing hard. A diamond in the rough.
There was slow clapping. Hinata turned around to see Anko standing there, a small smile on her face. "Hyuuga Hinata," she said. "Congratulations. You are my third pupil."
Hinata looked surprised. She knelt and bowed low. "Th-thank you, Anko-sensei," she said, "for this great honor."
"An all-women team, Anko?" Iruka muttered to Anko.
"Yes," said Anko, smiling. "I think a team without a lot of big egos is just what Konoha needs. The three I have chosen," she said. "Come with me." She turned away.
"Wait!"
Naruto and Sasuke both ran out into the center of the courtyard behind Anko.
"I want to prove to you that I'm really great!" Naruto said loudly, pointing at Anko. "Give me one more chance!"
"Naruto, the Jounin has made her choice, don't be an idiot!" Iruka despaired, angry.
"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata began worriedly, "I'm sorry, I didn't think -"
"You shut up!" Naruto rounded on Hinata, determined. "I'm going to beat you!"
Hinata felt her heart clench as the boy she'd admired, the boy who'd saved her from bullies, now rounded on her. "B-but -"
"Fight me! Right now! I'll beat you!"
"N-naruto kun… there is nothing I'd like more than for you to win, b-but I have to be a good ninja too and I-I have no reason to fight you right now…" Hinata's fingers were pushing against each other nervously.
"What?! I can't hear you!" said Naruto loudly.
And at last, Hinata got angry. "I said I have no reason to fight you right now!" she shouted quite loudly, surprising everyone. Then she turned away. What an idiot she'd been, she thought. How stupid.
"My decisions are final," said Anko, still revealing nothing. "They will not be changed."
Sasuke's teeth were gritted in resentment. Suddenly, he flashed out in a flurry of kunai, attacking Anko. But they hit the tree beyond her. Anko had disappeared.
Then suddenly Sasuke felt a nerve pinched on his neck. His body went numb and he fell limply to the ground. Anko picked him up and growled into his face, "Attacking a Jounin is usually a stupid move, for future reference. Idiot." She gave a sickly sweet smile. "I could have paralyzed you permanently. Instead, I went easy on you and the paralysis will wear off in a few minutes. You look really cool, but you overestimate your abilities." She tossed Sasuke aside. "A fatal flaw."
Sakura and Ino watched with wide eyes as the boy they'd always thought was so cool was suddenly revealed to have feet of clay. To be a nobody, in the grand scheme of things.
"Let's go," said Anko, and she walked away off the Academy courtyard, past a frightened Naruto and an almost-equally-frightened Iruka. She's… she's terrifying… she's amazing… Naruto thought, shaking.
Hinata, Sakura, and Ino looked back over their shoulders one last time at the two boys - and then uncertainly followed their fearsome Sensei off the Academy courtyard.
They would spend the next four years being trained by Anko instead. They would never enter the Academy once.