Chapter 1

In the woods at night,

Behind a shed, Naruto was sitting panting from practicing a jutsu he learned from the forbidden scroll on his back.

Then Naruto heard foot steps coming his way and looked up to see Iruka. "It's all over" Iruka said before he chuckled, the same way he chuckled when he found Naruto for being late to the Academy and for doing pranks around the village.

The Naruto scratched the back of his head and nervously laughed then said, "You caught me already, and I only had time to learn one jutsu. You're fast, Iruka-sensei."

'He's been out practicing. I can tell how hard he's been working.' Iruka thought as he realized how a mess he looks.

"Listen Iruka-sensei" Naruto said with ethusiasm. "I'm going to show you this amazing jutsu and you're going to let me graduate so everything will be okay. That how things work, right? Any one who learns from this scroll passes." Naruto said.

"Huh? Where did you get this idea?" Iruka asked.

"Mizuki-sensei told me about it." Naruto answered, "He even told me where to find it and about this place to practice."

'Huh? Mizuki?' Iruka thought. He then sensed something coming their way and pushed Naruto out of the way when he saw kunais and shurikens while yelling, "LOOK OUT!" And ended up having some kunais and shurikens hit him while the rest hit the shed behind him.

"I see you found our little hide away, Iruka" A voice said.

"So that's the way it is, I should've known." Iruka said, then both him and Naruto looked up to see Mizuki on a branch, with two big shurikens attached to his back.

"Naruto, give me the scroll now." Mizuki said.

"WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Naruto asked. Looking back and forth between Mizuki and a panting Iruka, who's taking off all the kunais and shurikens off of him.

When he took the last kunai off of him, he yelled, "NARUTO, DON'T LET MIZUKI GET THE SCROLL! IT CONTAINS FORBIDDEN JUTSUS THAT COULD HAVE THE WHOLE VILLAGE IN GREAT ENDANGER! MIZUKI USED YOU TO GET THE SCROLL FOR HIMSELF! FOR HIS OWN POWER!"

After hearing that Naruto glared at Mizuki.

"Naruto, Iruka just saying that so you won't have the scroll." Then Naruto looked at Iruka, confused who to believe.

"STOP LYING, MIZUKI!" Iruka yelled, then looked at Naruto. "DON'T LET HIM TRICK YOU, NARUTO."

Then Mizuki chuckled and said, "I'll tell you who is really lying to you."

"NO, MIZUKI!" Iruka yelled.

"They've been lying to you, you're whole life, Naruto. Since the decree, twelve years ago."

"What degree?" Naruto asked.

"Everybody knows about it, except you. Iruka is trying to hide it from you, even now. He'll do anything to shut me up."

"What is this decree? Why does everyone know about it?"

"DON'T TELL HIM! IT'S FORBIDDEN." Iruka yelled.

"The decree is that no one is to tell you that the nine-tailed fox is inside you." Mizuki said, with an evil look.

'Huh? This can't be? Is that why everyone hates me?' Naruto thought.

"The fox spirit, that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village, has taken over your body. You are the nine-tailed fox." Mizuki said.

"STOP IT!" Iruka yelled to Mizuki.

"They all been sneaking around, hiding things from you , your whole life. Didn't you think how strange they have been treating you? Like dirt, like they hated you for being alive."

'No' Naruto thought. 'No, no, no, no...' Naruto chanted over in his head. Then chakra began to circle around him furiously. 'Naruto' Iruka thought as he looked at Naruto.

"That's why you'll never be excepted in this village, even your beloved sensei hates your juts." Mizuki continued.

Then Iruka began to remember what the Hokage said to him.

Flash back


In the Hokage's office,

"Iruka, Naruto never had a mother or father that cared for him." The Hokage said. "He shut out of everything and don't know why. Most people won't even look at him. How would you feel if everywhere you went people turns there backs on you. That's why he gets in trouble, so people would notice him, he may not show, but he thinks about the family he doesn't have. He's hurting inside."


End of Flask back

"DIE NARUTO" Mizuki yelled, as he was ready to throw one of the big shuriken at Naruto.

When Mizuki through it Naruto fell back and crawled back but was to late.

"NARUTO! GET DOWN!" Iruka said.

When Naruto complied and waited for the impacked that never came. And when he looked up to see what happened he saw Iruka behind him with the big shuriken stab him on the back. Then Iruka struggled to move and coughed a bit of blood on Naruto's cheek.

"W-w-why?" Naruto asked with a shocked and scared look on his face.

"Because we're the same. When I lost my parents no one seems to care, they didn't have time for me, they just forgot that I was there. My grades dropped and I became the class clown. I just wanted everyone to see me and to know my name. My school wasn't good enough to get their attention so I did crazy things, and then I had to pay for it. It was hard." Iruka said. "I know that's how you feels,Naruto." Then Iruka began to cry, from the memories that flooded through his head.

"You feel lonely and it hurts inside, and I could have been there for you more. And I let you down, I'm sorry. No one should suffer that much, no one should be alone like that."

Then Mizuki chuckled and said, "Don't make me laugh, Iruka always hated you, he was orphaned because the nine-tailed fox killed his parents and that beast is inside of you. He'd say anything to get the scroll from you."

After that, Naruto ran away. "NARUTO!" Iruka said.

One again Mizuki chuckled and jumped down and said, "You know, when he makes up his mind, nothing can change it. He's going to use the scroll to take revenge on the village. You saw the look in his eyes, didn't you? Those are the eyes of the beast."

"No" Iruka said after he took out the big shuriken off his back. "Naruto, isn't like THAT!" Iruka yelled as he throught the big shuriken at Mizuki, who just moved out of the way easily.

"You're a joke. As soon I eliminate Naruto, and get the scroll. I'll be back for you." Mizuki said, then went after Naruto.

'I won't let you.' Iruka thought.


In the Hokage's office

"This is not good" The Hokage said when he looked at the magic crystal ball to see Naruto jumping through branch to branch in the woods.

'Mizuki has a big mouth, he made Naruto feel so bad, worst than he has ever felt. He could have unleashed the fox's spirit inside of him. If Naruto keeps tampering with the scroll, the seal that locks the nine-tailed fox's spirit inside of him will be brokened, and the beast could come out. If that happens, fear for us all.'


Iruka jumped branch to branch to catch up with Naruto. "NARUTO!" Iruka yelled. "EVERYTHING THAT MIZUKI SAID WAS A LIE! GIVE ME THE SCROLL! HURRY!" Iruka continued as they kept jumping, "HE'S COMING AFTER YOU TO TAKE THE SCROLL AWAY!"

Then on a branch Naruto stopped for a second and jumped to headbutt Iruka on the stomache. Which sended 'Iruka' to land on the ground on his back while Naruto landed on his feet.

"It can't be" Iruka said.

When Naruto walked backward to a tree and sat while putting the scroll next to him, Iruka said,"How did you know, Naruto? How did you know" Iruka then turned into Mizuki in a poof and continued, "that it was me and not Iruka?"

Then Naruto chuckled and then another puff of smoke came around Naruto and the scroll. Naruto then turned into Iruka and the scroll turned into a log. Then Iruka said, "Because I'm Iruka"

"You're a fool. Why are you protecting that freak?" Mizuki said to Iruka. What he didn't know was the Naruto heard that to behind a tree near them. "He's the one who wiped out your family."

"I don't care what you say. You're not getting your hands on that scroll." Iruka said.

"As if you could stop me. Don't you get it, Naruto is just like me."

"How's that?" Iruka asked.

"He's want the scroll for his own power and for his own vengence. That's how beast are. He'll put all his rage into the scroll and destroy everything."

"You're right" Iruka said, which made Naruto surprised.

'So it's true. Iruka-sensei doesn't believe in me. He thinks I'm some kind of beast. He thinks I'm a freak.' Naruto thought.

"That is how beasts are." Iruka continued, which made Naruto's eyes wide from what he has heard. "But that is not who Naruto is. He's nothing like that. Naruto is one of a kind. He works hard and put his whole heart into it. Sure he messes up sometimes and everyone jumps on him. But his suffering only makes him stronger. That's what seperates him from being a beast. So your wrong, he's nothing like the nine-tailed fox."

"He's Naruto Uzumaki of the vilage, hidden in the leaves." The sentence made Naruto began to cry and Mizuki feel disgusted.

"You really believe that?" Mizuki asked as he took another big shuriken off his back. "Iruka, I was going to save you for later, but I change my mind. YOUR FINISHED!" Mizuki yelled while spinning his shuriken.

'So this is it.' Iruka thought with a smile.

Then Naruto came out off his hiding and headbutted Mizuki, which made him through the big shuriken at the wrong direction. Then Iruka's eyes became wide when he saw what happened.

'NARUTO!' Iruka yelled in his head.

"Not bad, for a little punk." Mizuki said, when he stood up with a little struggle.

"If you ever lay a hand on my sensei, I'LL KILL YOU!" Naruto yelled.

"Such big words, I could completely destroy you with a single move."

"Take your best shot fool. I'll give it back to you a thousand fold." Naruto said, glaring at Mizuki.

"LET'S SEE YOU TRY! SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO! NINE-TAILED FOX!" Mizuki yelled.

The Naruto did some hand signs, which made Iruka surprised, and yelled, "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Then a puff and about a one thousand shadow clones surrounded them, which made Iruka's eyes widened again and his mouth open.

'Naruto' Iruka thought, 'those aren't just illusions, their solid clones. He's mastered an extremely advance jutsu.'

"W-what?" Mizuki stuttered looking around himself. "What is this?" Mizuki said, as some of the clones said, "Come on" "Over here" or "No over here" Then fell to land on his butt.

"If your not coming" A clone said, "then were going to come after you." Another clone finished.

Then Mizuki had a terrified look and then screamed to the night sky, "AHHHHHH..." Then all the clones attacked him.

After a minute of a bunch of Naruto clones beat Mizuki up. All the clones dispelled and left with a nervously chuckling yet real Naruto scratching the back of his headas he looked at Iruka and said, "Sorry, I kind of got carried away. Are you alright, Iruka-sensei?" He asked, as he down at the beat up Mizuki in front of him and looked back at Iruka again.

"Yeah" Iruka answered. 'He's amazing.' Iruka thought as he looked at Naruto with smile on his face. 'He wants to surpass all the Hokages and I'm starting to believe he might do it.'

"Naruto, come here a minute, I got something I want to give you." Iruka said.


In the village,

A group of ninjas were talking and one of them said, "You're telling me no one can find Naruto?"

"Not a clue" One answered. "This is bad news" Another said. "We smoke him out or something." Another said.

"There's no longer to need to worry." The Hokage said, when he walked up to them.

Then everyone looked at him and then he said, "The scroll is safe, Naruto will be back soon."


After giving back the scroll and arresting Mizuki, it was already morning.

Then they went back to the forest, which Iruka suggested.

"Close your eyes" Iruka asked, when Naruto gave a confused look, he then complied, then Iruka took his hand and took him somewhere.

When they stopped then feltNaruto said"Sensei, how much longer?" He asked, wanting to open his eyes.

"Okay you can open your eyes now." Iruka said.

When Naruto did, he saw a smiling Iruka who said, "Congratulations, you graduate."

Which made Naruto surprised.

"And to celebrate, I have a surprise, we're going out for ramen tonight."

Then Naruto's mouth twitched which made Iruka confused and then it turned into a big smile and he jumped on Iruka while yelling, "IRUKA-SENSEI!"

And Iruka ended up falling on his butt and his back resting on the tree trunk. And said, "H-hey, that hurts."

Then Naruto laughed and then Iruka joined in.

'Naruto, this is only the beginning. The road gets tougher now that your a ninja, itf I told you that, I guess it'll ruin the moment. So I'll tell you later over ramen.' Iruka thought.