Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, would I be writing fan fiction? – I obviously don't own Naruto.

Summary: Everyone has secrets. There are those who are trying to find out what it is that he is hiding and when his greatest secret comes into question, he will do anything to keep it hidden. Because if they knew his true identity, who knows what would happen.

AN: I'm going to refer to Naruto as Naruto instead of Arashi since you know that Arashi is Naruto – If it's too confusing, tell me, and I'll go back to calling him Arashi. Review Please.

Chapter Two: What's Going To Happen?


"Today i-"

The door slammed open and a brown haired boy ran into the classroom cutting off what Iruka was saying. As some of the students started to giggle, Iruka gave a loud sigh and began to say, "Arashi-"

"Sorry I'm late, Iruka-sensei. I swear I set my alarm but it didn't go off for some reason and I overslept," Naruto said with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Well, I suppose you made it just in time since we haven't started yet. Go sit in your seat, Arashi, so we can begin."

Naruto walked back to his usual seat next to Shikamaru. As he sat down, Shikamaru turned to him and whispered, "Your alarm hasn't gone off for the past week. Maybe you should get a new one."

Naruto gave an awkward chuckle and said, "I guess I should."

Shikamaru gave him a questioning look before muttering, "troublesome" and turning to face the front of the room. Naruto knew that Shikamaru knew that something was up, but Shikamaru didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Naruto wanted to tell Shikamaru because he knows that Shikamaru would probably be able to help, but he didn't want to drag Shikamaru into his problems. And no matter how much he trusted Shikamaru, he didn't really want to give up his biggest secret.

Naruto actually woke up on time this morning, and the past week, but he kept letting his paranoia get to him. Ever since he literally ran into Minato and Kushina, he goes to extra lengths to try to be sure it doesn't happen again. When he leaves his apartment to go to the academy or anywhere else, Naruto takes back ways and alleys to avoid the main streets as much as he can. He doesn't want to risk running into them again, so it takes him longer to get to where he needs to go. He means to wake up earlier or leave his apartment earlier, but it doesn't happen, so he's late.

"As I was saying, today is the graduation exam. The exam has been split into four parts. There will be a written exam to test your knowledge, a weapons exam to test your accuracy with throwing weapons, a taijutsu exam to determine your strength, and finally, a ninjutsu test that will show your chakra capacity and chakra control," said Iruka. "Both myself and Mizuki will be grading all of you on your performance."

"I will be passing out the written exam," said Mizuki as he stood from where he was sitting behind the desk. "Once you get the test, there will be no talking. Do not turn it over until I say to begin. You will have one hour to complete this test."

"Man… I hate written tests," Naruto groaned under his breath as he watched Mizuki make his way through the classroom.

Once every student had a test, Mizuki made his way to the front of the classroom. "You may turn the test over and begin."

The sound of papers shuffling filled the room for a moment before it was replaced by the sounds of pencils scratching away on paper.

Naruto looked down at his own paper with a worried expression. 'Okay, I can do this. It can't be that bad… Let's see, question number one – Two enemy ninja are running on a cliff 20 yards southwest of your position. A third ninja is coming from the south and will reach you in about 30 seconds. You have chakra left for only one jutsu and are down to your last kunai. What is the approximate trajectory in which your kunai will travel in order to hit both enemy ninja on the cliff? What will you do to avoid the third enemy ninja who is closing in on you from the south? … AH! What the hell?! … I'll just look at the next question… eh? Number three? …. Four? …. Ten?'

Naruto slammed his head down on the desk drawing the attention of a few people close to him. '…I am sooooo screwed!'


"Pencils down."

"We will move onto the next test - weapon throwing. Bring your test to the front desk and make your way outside to the targets," said Iruka. As the students got up and started walking, the talking started back up.

"So how'd you do?" Naruto asked Shikamaru and Chouji as they made their way outside.

"Feh, I know that I didn't fail it," said a boy who came up from behind the trio.

"I didn't ask you, dog breath."

"Too bad, idiot, cuz I answered anyway," said Kiba as his dog barked in agreement. "So, do you think you failed it?"

"N-no. Of course not!" exclaimed Naruto.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

"Quiet down and form three lines in front of the targets," Iruka said. "You will be tested on your accuracy in kunai and shuriken throwing. If you want to throw senbon and hit the target with precision, you will get extra credit added onto your score."

"Once you have finished, you will come over to me and be graded on your taijutsu skills," Mizuki said.


"Have you managed to get a handle on your chakra?" asked a raven-haired boy.

"Kinda," responded Naruto.

Naruto managed to get an 8 out of 10 for both the kunai and shuriken throwing. When it came to the taijutsu test, the Naruto had to spar with another student. Although he still had trouble with his taijutsu forms and he kept getting hit, Naruto also kept getting back up and managed to land a few hits on his opponent. Naruto wasn't sure what he got on the taijutsu test but he hoped it was enough to pass.

Now he was sitting in the classroom waiting to be called into a different room to be tested on ninjutsu. He was currently sitting next to Sasuke.

"What do you mean 'kinda'? Only a total idiot like you wouldn't have been practicing the chakra control exercise," Sasuke said.

"Hey! I have been practicing! It's just hard."

A few years ago, when Naruto first started the Academy, he met Sasuke. At first, he and Sasuke clashed a lot, with their very different personalities, but after a few months they realized that they had unintentionally became friends. Ever since Sasuke saw that Naruto had trouble with the low level jutsu they were learning, he tried to help him. Both Naruto and Sasuke couldn't figure out what Naruto was doing wrong. After experimenting for a while, they found out that Naruto was using way too much chakra. Naruto didn't know how to not use so much chakra so the boys asked Sasuke's older brother, Itachi, who showed them to walk up trees using chakra. Since then Naruto's control has gotten better but it's still not up to par.

"It's not that ha-" Sasuke began but was interrupted by Iruka coming into the room and calling out Sasuke's name.

"Looks like it's my turn," said Sasuke as he got up.

"Good luck."

"Hn. Just don't fail, moron," Sasuke said before he left the room.


"-up, Arashi! Get up!"

"Huh?" Naruto said sleepily as he sat up.

"You need to get up, Arashi. It's your turn to be tested," Iruka said.

Naruto looked around the room and saw that he was the last person left in the room. 'I guess I fell asleep soon after Sasuke left.'

"I'm up," Naruto said as he leapt up and followed Iruka into a different room.

After Iruka made his way behind a table that Mizuki was also stationed at, he motioned for Naruto to stand in the middle of the room.

"Arashi, you passed the weapons throwing portion of the exam and you barely managed to pass the taijutsu part; but you failed the written test. To pass the graduation exam you have to pass at least three of the four exams," Iruka said.

Naruto nodded. 'Okay, I just have to pass this last exam and I'll be a genin. I just hope that I don't have to do Bunshin no jutsu (Clone technique). Sometimes I can do them and they hold for about five seconds, but other times I can't do them at all. My chakra control isn't good enough yet.'

"Out of the three basic ninjutsu that you have been taught here at the Academy, you are to perform the…" Iruka paused to shuffle through some papers before he looked back at Naruto and said, "Bunshin no jutsu"

Naruto sighed. '…Damn it!'


"Hey, look mom! I passed! I'm a -"

"Congratulations son -"

"I can't wait to go on missions -"

"You did very good -"

As parents and other family members of the newly graduated genin gathered around the front of the Academy to congratulate their son, daughter, brother, or sister, one boy sat on a swing, further away from the crowd. The young boy was staring at the ground with a dejected look on his face.

'I really thought I would make it this time… I bet the Elders are happy that the demon child didn't graduate,' Arashi thought bitterly as he remembered his first meeting with the Elders.


A small, blond boy that looked to be about five or six years old was running down an empty street, heading towards the Hokage Tower. The boy looked tired and his blond hair was unrecognizable with all the dirt he was covered in, but he still kept running.

Before he could get far, a man in an ANBU style mask appeared in front of him and stopped him. Naruto later found out that the man was a member of Root.

"Naruto Namikaze."

It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"Y-yeah?" Naruto answered.

The man didn't respond, but he moved toward the boy. Naruto moved back as the man moved towards him, but the man reached over and grabbed the boy, transporting them to a different location.

After a moment of disorientation, Naruto looked around at the new surroundings, a little scared. It was a small room with three older people sitting in front of him, two men and one woman. The man who took him here was behind him. A moment later, the man in the mask bowed and disappeared out of the room.

"Naruto," said the older man who had bandages on his face.

"Wh-who are you? Where am I? Where's mom and dad? I-I was trying to go find them. Wh-where are they?" asked the frightened young boy.

"Naruto Namikaze," the man said sternly.

"H-huh?"


'That was when I found out about-' Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of one of his teachers, Mizuki.

"What do you want Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asked softly.

"I know that you really wanted to graduate, Arashi."

"Yeah. So?"

"Not very many people know about this but there is a secret exam, and if you successfully pass it, you can redeem yourself and become a genin."

"Really?!" Naruto questioned, a little wary but he was beginning to get excited. 'Could I still become a genin?'

"Yes. Follow me and I'll tell you more about it," Mizuki said.

"Okay," Naruto said as he got off the swing and began to follow Mizuki. Because Naruto was following behind Mizuki, he never saw the sinister smirk that briefly appeared on Mizuki's face.


AN: Gah! I have sooo much to do! Chem experiments, Term paper, essays, ACT prep! ~sigh~ I don't have as much time as I use to any more. I'm trying to keep my stories updated, but it's so hard to find the time to do it. – So anyway, I'm going to gradually give the back-story of why Naruto avoids Minato and Kushina and why they don't know who or where Naruto is. So, Please Review!