A Trickster's Alternative- Chapter one: Team Teasing
Summary: Naruto, after a year of training from Sheikka and taking tests from the academy, must now face the task of being a true Shinobi of the leaf, but maybe it isn't what he anticipated? Especially with a certain silver-haired Cyclops involved? No pairings.
Author: Adameia Kirantro
Rated T: for no pairings, innuendo's, and some minimal violence.
Disclaimer: I did not create, and do not own the characters from Naruto, They are owned by the one who wrote it, and I may borrow them for your possible and hopeful enjoyment. But I DO own Sheikka and all of anything related to her, the changelings, and the land of Dreams, so do not steal or else you will feel my wrath once I find out that you did.
Author's Note: Hello guys! For those of you who don't watch my other story, Apprentice of the Trickster I STRONGLY recommend that you read that story first because this is a branch off of its' sixth chapter. And for those of you who do read AOTT then as I said this is a branch off story so you could see how I would write the story with the Cannon team setting. Enjoy! There will be some Sasuke and Sakura Bashing in later chapters and the Sasuke bashing will be the same in AOTT too but I may write it differently in this one depending on how I get to that point. And yes I know this is a short chapter for me but I will lengthen the chapters after this one to my norm.
Chapter one: Team Teasing
The Hokage and Iruka were shocked that I knew that they were there, and listening to my conversation with the now sleeping Naruto. I explained things in my own unique way and teased them some, though they didn't know that I was. I made sure they understood clearly what I was planning that I thought they should know, and manipulated their consent for their parts in it. I could be quite the sneaky fox when I want to be, maybe that is why I feel so comfortable in that form, but for some reason I sometimes get the feeling that it isn't complete, so I know it isn't the best form for me, I just need to find it. So, after they left I carefully lifted Naruto into my arms and I shifted my form slightly into my fox form and disappeared from the clearing in a burst of high speed and made my way to the Clan Compound that both of us have started to call home, I caught even myself calling it that despite the fact that I am well aware that my home is back in the Land of Dreams also known as Mugen No Kuni by the few Ninja who know of it.
Perspective Change
Today was the day I finally get my team assignments and I knew I had to be prepared for anything. So after I ate breakfast with Sheikka I got dressed in what has now become my standard Shinobi outfit, made personally by my honorary O' Nee- Chan. I quickly slipped on my chain-mesh shirt over my under shirt and my blue-black tunic style shirt on after that. I strapped my sword to my back with the proper green-black leather straps and tightened the belt around my waste and my brown-black ninja styled pants that rested underneath the bottom part of my tunic. Sheikka popped into my room as I pulled on the combat-styled boots that were a common place among the fighting type Changelings to say, "You ready to go kiddo?" she asked, with an eyebrow raised at my get up, "you know, it is just team assignments, I doubt you will really need any of that, and don't try to hide it, I know you put on those special leg guards on under those pants of yours… " she said, and then she turned and left. I quickly finished getting ready, leaving off the other pieces of armor after considering her words, I knew Sheikka had a little bit of pre-cognitive abilities and so I trusted her judgment and walked out the Front door and used my round about rout to head to the academy, Sheikka in her usual silvery fox form, jumped onto my shoulder to accompany me as my official fox-partner.
I got to the classroom before any of the other kids, and placed myself carefully in the back corner of the room and used one of the useful skills Sheikka taught me to blend in with the shadows that lingered there, and relaxed. I knew no student stood the chance of finding me unless they physically stumbled into me. I waited for a time, Sheikka was snoozing as she lay across my shoulders, and eventually kids began to file into the room. I recognized quite a few Clan heirs/heiresses to various clans among the student and I was surprised by the shear number of them in this graduating class. I snorted. –well, what a coincidence, I was stuck in a class full of the next generation of clan heads when I am the heir of two myself… it is like fate is out to mock me... –I grumbled in my thoughts, inadvertently awaking Sheikka with radiated annoyance and the slight stiffening of my shoulders as I refrained from glaring at the irony of the situation.
Sheikka looked around and spotted what had gotten me this annoyed– well... – she started to telepathically say to me but I interrupted her with a look that clearly said 'if you say what a coincidence I will knock you off my shoulders and let the girls see you' and she seemed to re-think her words for a second, –isn't this quite the coincidence?(I face palmed) oh don't give me that, there was no way I could have known when I decided to hold you back, and at least this way you are stuck with only the possibility of two annoying teammates, if I had kept you in the last class, you would have had three teammates and would be a lot less skilled over all then you are now. And you probably would not have been prepared for Shinobi life… now it is less likely that I will have to save your butt out there…– she said, over the mental link she made of course, both getting a small amusement for herself and helping relieve my tension a little bit with the distraction. My possible attempt at a come back was soon thrust out of my primary thoughts as I noticed Iruka entering the room, with a stack of papers propped in his arms.
"Congratulations Graduates! From here on out your official Ninja's of the leaf. The world of a ninja is a hard one, and it is a place each of you will have to face from this day onward. You and your teammates will face many hardships and I wish you luck on your journey, even though each of your journeys through life will not be the same, every experience has a lesson to give you so, without further delay, the team assignments… Team one is…" and I Droned out most of the team assignments he listed, only making note of the occasional one that had a member of a clan that I found interesting but nothing more, the ones that stood out the most in my mind were "Team Seven: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno" for more than obvious reasons, and "Team 8: Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga, and Kiba Inuzuka." As well as "Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara." These two teams caught my attention mainly because they were comprised completely of major Clan Heirs... and heiresses. As the team assignments drew to a close, I paid closer attention, "now, you are all dismissed for lunch, but meet back here afterwards and your new Jounin-Sensei will come pick you up." And after that, the kids all shuffled out and I carefully slipped out the nearby window and wall-walked my way up to the roof I had a feeling that this was going to be a better spot to spend my time then to continue to linger around the other graduates, I would get to know my teammates soon enough. I just hoped that The Jounin in charge of my Team wasn't completely hopeless.
Perspective change
I sat, amusedly on Naruto's shoulder during the introductions, I knew the silver haired Nin would be fun to be around, but I also knew that he was a high level Jounin and I should be careful around him. The other boy of the team practically screamed avenger, and I am pretty sure I know why… well if he doesn't snap out of that emo-broody power hungry stage then I will happily… help him along. Now the pinky is the one that shocked me the most. – How in the world did a banshee disguised as a girl that is the worst kind of fan-girl imaginable manage to fool everyone to think she was human...? Let alone pass the exam? I will never know how she managed it because if they willingly did that then humans are more incompetent than I thought. But this Kakashi fellow sure has his work cut out for him, especially if he underestimates Naruto... That will be the biggest mistake of his life… unless he thinks like the civilians do then \it would be the SECOND biggest mistake of his life. – I thought, smirking at his reaction to Naruto's little 'piece of his own medicine' tactic. – This will be fun... – I thought as I watched the events transpire, not only did Naruto manage to irritate everyone, but he also managed to ruin Kakashi's attempt at scaring them. Nice.
As I looked on, appreciating Naruto openly following in my footsteps I carefully stared at the back of his head with the ' I am So proud' look with fake slight teary eyes which he caught and smirked lightly as his response, I curled up and pretended to sleep right as he introduced me as his official Fox-Nin Partner and said nothing else on the matter, I carefully looked up at the avenger and gave him an eye contact look that says 'if you even think about asking I will claw your eyes out' as I sensed his thoughts turn a little power hungry/jealous. He carefully averted his eyes and I smirked internally, – I still got it– I thought in Glee, letting the thought carry over to Naruto as well as images of what I just did so he would understand. I could feel him repressing a smirk as well. The newly made Team 7 was dismissed with their final warnings on Kakashi's part as well as a reminder of when to meet him, with Naruto not ruining his attempt for once. I stood from my position and sat carefully on his shoulder as we watched his two teammates leave, the silver-haired guy already left in a puff of smoke. Once we were alone, Naruto Smirked, I copied him as we disappeared back to our home in a Flash of swirling flames. Leaving behind a shocked copy Nin who had hid to observe how they interacted, and we had knew he was there, and we had known that the other Gennin hadn't had a clue about his presence, well, he was a Jounin for a reason, but even Jounin cant fool a Changeling or her apprentice. This was definitely going to be fun later on, i just knew that it was going to be a blast messing with the cyclopse.