Not going to continue this story, at least until the others are done.

All across Konoha, the streets where buzzing with nervous parents. Today was the final test at the ninja academy. Today their young sons and daughters would run out with, or without, the coveted headband.

Three years their kids trained for this, and today parents would gather around the academy doors waiting for the moment when the children would burst forth. The young ninja would embrace their parents and go off to celebrate at an expensive restaurant.

Except for the two taboos.

The two orphans, Uchiha and the Kyuubi brat. The parents faces darkened as their conversations turned to the young boys. Each mother and father dreaded their offspring being put in a team with them. And woe to whoever's child became their friend. At this moment, when the villager's thoughts turned to the orphaned kids, one of these taboo's head lifted off his arms, gazing with ice cold eyes out the window of the academy.

He ran his hand through his hair with nervousness and anticipation as another name was called, getting closer to the dreaded "U". Naruto Uzumaki's whiskered face returned to the window, watching a blue butterfly dance outside. Lucky butterfly, he thought.

He longed for that freedom. Not for the fake thing he had. Sure, he could walk outside, smell the flowers touch the grass, but in reality he was still in a dirty cell living off meat and water. He would fall to sleep in a comfy bed while he really lay on a cold concrete floor that smelled of mold. He ate at Ichiraku Ramen, ate and ate but despite it all, his stomach was empty. It was a cursed freedom, his senses telling him he was where he wasn't. It wasn't real.

Then again, what is reality? He pondered. Real is what your senses perceive, then how can you tell a psycho hallucinating what is real and what isn't? What if his reality was real? In reality, how can what we think is real really not be real? When do the lines of what we perceive and what-

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka yelled for the fifth time. The class giggled, laughing at the blond's stupidity. Of course, he knew when Iruka first called him. He had excellent hearing, in fact, there had been a fly buzzing around Ino for the last five minutes and she hadn't even noticed it. Alas, all was for the sake of his mask. His stupid, dobe, outlandish and infuriating mask.

The blond faked a start and gazed at Iruka with surprised eyes. Sasuke Uchiha had already been called out of the room and passed. His dark eyes traced the lines of the leaf symbol while he fiddled with the metal plate.

"You're up." Iruka said, striding into the back room. The class giggled again, knowing he wouldn't pass, but Naruto could barely suppress a grin. They were so stupid, and ninja were supposed to see PAST deception right? Of course Naruto would fail! After all the work he put into being the worst of the class how could he not?

He stood, giving Hinata a wink and mentally saying a cheerful goodbye to all the smelly human kits. He practically ran to the back room. As soon as the door closed, he grinned widely. Iruka sat, leaning back and looking at him with sad eyes. Naruto spoke first.

"Do you want me to do a clone jutsu? I've gotten really bad at that!" He smiled foxily.

"Don't bother I've already crossed your name off." Iruka said sadly, gazing at his favorite student. There was a sad, parting silence. "I'll miss you."

Naruto's smile faded. "Don't worry; I'll be back in about fifty years to cause more mayhem. Granted, I'll have a change of face and name…" The blond dropped his ninja gear in a pile and began to walk towards the exit.

"Wait you don't want your-"

"Naw. I'm off to pull a couple last pranks and I won't need it anyway." Naruto turned, his bright blue eyes piercing Iruka's. "Say hello to your parents for me, k?"

"I always do." He wiped a coming tear from his eye.

A strange emotion crossed Naruto's face. "I won't forget you human." And with that, he was gone.

Iruka collapsed on his desk, barely containing his sadness. Naruto's warmth slowly left the room, following his stray body. Cold air blew in through the window, ruffling Iruka's dormant form. And so he sat, mourning the loss of the hated, the feared and the loved boy he would probably never see again.