Forgive me if it seems a bit rushed at the end. In any case, review as they are the medicine with which I stay alive!

XoXoMaya-chanXoXo
And covertly stealing all your snacks,
XoXoMimi-chanXoXo

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~*~*~The Ten-Tails Keeper and The Byakugan Genius~*~*~

Chapter 2: Finally a Genin!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I still don't see why I have to do this…" You muttered very audibly for the fifth time, glancing up at Iruka-sensei through narrowed ears, your fox ears twitching erratically in annoyance.

A cool breeze blew your long bangs in front of your eyes, thwarting your attempt at glaring hard at the irritated Iruka-sensei. You rubbed your hands firmly against the cloth of your hips to wipe off the soupy water in order to part your bangs. You hated how your long bangs would always flop over your eyes, especially when you were glaring at someone. It ruined the entire intimidation process.

Not that people were usually intimidated…

Damn, I really need to learn how to intimidate…

"You already know why, Rukia." Iruka-sensei called back from on top of the Third Hokage's head.

Stone head.

Currently, you and Naruto were being punished for 'misbehaving' during class by having to wash all the graffiti you both had drawn that same morning. The apparent misbehavior involved a certain jutsu Naruto had created with your help.

Sexy No Jutsu.

With the appropriate hand seals and the right figure in mind, a beautiful naked girl would appear right where Naruto had been standing. Of course since 'Naruto' – the show – is for young teens as well as old, thin white puffs of smoke surrounded her body in a very tantalizing way; a disappointment to many old men – and in some cases women – who have a pedophilic attraction to young half-naked women.

In any case, the smoke was thin enough to send Iruka-sensei in to a slow motion Tekken-type K.O. with a severe nose bleed. The only thing missing was the deep announcement of-

Never mind, you had done that…

"And besides," Iruka-sensei's exasperated voice added. "You helped make this mess in the first place."

You snorted and resumed your punishment, muttering under your breath.

Iruka-sensei looked from your darkly muttering form to Naruto's angry figure. A gentle pitying look enveloped his expression, softening his irritated features in to something more… fatherly.

"After you both finish, you can go home."

"What's the point of going home if there's no one to go home to!?" Naruto yelled, pausing his harsh scrubbing to glare up at Iruka-sensei.

He could see the hurt in Naruto's eyes and from his shaking hands, Iruka-sensei deduced that an empty home wasn't as relieving as he had first thought.

Iruka-sensei looked from Naruto to you; his eyes narrowed in worry.

Naruto, you should be careful with what you say… Rukia is more sensitive than you…

Whereas Naruto was huffing heatedly whilst continuing his harsh scrubbing, your shoulders were slumped in, what looked like defeat. Your hair fell ungracefully over your face, blocking an outside view of your eyes and your expression; your hands quivered from the coldness of your own body. Your chest silently heaved from suppressed tears as you sunk your two front teeth painfully in your lower lip; a defense mechanism to help control poignant emotions Iruka-sensei became aware of a few years back. He could see your knees shake as if they would give way any second.

Clearly, you were taking it much harder than Naruto.

"Hey…" Iruka-sensei softly said, leaning back on his hands and smiling hazily. Both you and Naruto looked up reluctantly at him. An unusual tinge of sadness blended with his kind brown eyes. Intrigued, both siblings looked curiously at him, forgetting about their reluctance. Stretching his legs casually, Iruka-sensei winked at the both of you. "After you two finish, how about I treat you guys to some ramen before dropping you home?"

A question with an obvious answer.

"That's some serious motivation!" Naruto called happily, eyes twinkling as he scrubbed with newfound energy.

"We'll have these faces cleaned up in no time!" You exclaimed happily, mirroring Naruto's twinkling and scrubbing.

Iruka-sensei lowered his left leg gently on the stone hair of the Third Hokage, placing his elbow near his knee and resting his chin on the palm of his hand with a soft smile. He loved Uzumaki Naruto and Uzumaki Rukia like his own children.

And sometimes, it truly felt like they were…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Because I'm going to be a better Hokage than all of them combined!" Naruto answered, pointing his chopsticks at Iruka-sensei with a determined wink.

Iruka-sensei sighed, expecting this kind of answer. He slurped down a few noodles of ramen before turning to you with a raised eyebrow. "And why did you paint the Hokage's faces?"

You shrugged and smiled brightly before pouting your lips and wagging a knowing finger in front of Iruka-sensei's face. "I'm loyal to Naruto and happily oblige in helping him achieve his dreams of becoming Hokage."

Iruka-sensei smiled warmly at you.

"And it was so much fun!"

His smile dropped as his lips became occupied by another sigh.

Stifling a yawn, you gulped your ramen heartily, taking extra special care to take out the onions before doing so. The onions that came with the vegetable toppings always disgusted you. The bitter taste and the funky after smell that it left in your mouth was more than enough for you to officially declare with a hard thump on the table and a fiery look in your eyes that onions were the worst vegetable ever!

You roughly laid the empty bowl down with a satisfied sigh, a small puff of steam emitting from your mouth as you did. Unfortunately, the yawn you tried to stifle forced itself out and you received a tender look from Iruka-sensei as he coaxed you in to going to bed instead of ordering another ramen.

You shot him a suspicious look; either he was really concerned about you or he was trying to save himself from bankruptcy. But either way, you still left him and Naruto alone. You were truly tired and your fingers ached from the scrubbing you forced yourself to endure for the sake of ramen. The cleaning took most of the day but the ramen was so worth it in your eyes.

The moon shone in the cloudless sky; lighting the dark street of the alleyway you were walking in. As you gazed up at the giant pale hunk of rock in outer space, the image of the Hyuuga blurred your vision.

His long dark hair loosely tied with locks falling elegantly past his shoulders; grazing his face almost tantalizingly. His face carved with the utmost care; every contour blending and complimenting the natural beauty he was born with. And his eyes…

Those eyes… they looked so much like the moon that shone in the dark night sky: mystifying, secretive, beautiful.

Even at first glance, such indescribable mysteries were held within the pale pupil-less orbs he looked down at you with. Though the words he uttered had caught you off guard, disallowing you to dreamily take in the appealing sense of anonymity he held; the picture perfect image burned in to your memories allowed you to currently do so.

A Hyuuga. He was obviously a Hyuuga. Pupil-less eyes, trademark long dark hair, condescending air; all traits Hyuuga's are known to have.

But curiosity kept nipping at you to find out more about this Hyuuga. Something about him felt… to say the least, different.

Among the Hyuuga, there have been many who looked at you with contempt and hatred. Their icy cold glares more damaging than any others. All of them alike regarded the Uzumaki twins as the filth underneath their shoes; something that deserved no respect. And no kindness.

They treated you like a monster…

But these Hyuuga eyes… they were whiter; like a blanket of translucent ice layering them. They were whiter than any other Hyuuga you had the misfortune of coming across. The natural tinge of lavender those unique eyes held looked as though it had faded. Over time, faded away and left emptiness in its wake. Like a light dimming before completely vanishing; the lavender in his eyes paled and was slowly fading to white… No… no, not only whiter… colder… Much, much colder…

Suddenly, a jagged pebble hit your head hard with a surge of pain, snapping you out of your deep thinking. You hissed out an uneven breath, clutching the slowly forming bump on your head and turning to see a group of girls passing by. They all threw their heads back in laughter before scurrying out of sight.

Probably to brag to their parents what a wonderful job they had done! You thought bitterly, glaring at the spot the group had been standing. You pursed your lips and shut your eyes in pain. A thick substance pressed against the tips of your cool fingers. Blood.

You bit down on your lower lip hard. Though it was an extremely small amount of blood, it was still there as if proof that people didn't care. The tiny trickle of blood flowed down your scalp to your neck. You quickly take out a napkin from your short pocket and dab the blood away. Once satisfied, you looked at the blood smeared napkin with sullen eyes before shoving your newly formed fists in to your pockets and continuing your journey home.

How much blood would be shed until the tears finally leaked out?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You moaned as sunlight hit your face with a heated glare. You scrunch your eyes tight before allowing your senses to realize their uncomfortable surroundings.

You felt your sweaty cheek pressed against the wooden floor of your bedroom. Without much choice, you pried your eyelids apart and adjusted your pupils to the lighting. The dust bunnies under your bed became visible almost immediately, causing you to take mental note to clean it… eventually…

Your limbs felt numb; they refused to cooperate with you as you pushed yourself off of the floor before your arms gave way, tumbling you to the floor.

You moaned, feeling a migraine beginning to form. A glossy layer of sweat coated the floor, smearing your cheek when you fell back down. You shivered in disgust; the feeling of sticky sweat drying on your cheek made you want to physically vomit. Giving yourself a few minutes to regain complete control over your rebellious limbs, you once again pushed yourself off of the ground and trudged off to the washroom.

You sighed, feeling the warm water soak your back. The nightmare continuously replayed in your head as you soaped your body with shaky hands. It was the same dark figure uttering the same incoherent sentences in the same dark area.

But there was something more this time…

The usual blurred figure had taken form. Though the body itself remained blackened, the outline clearly showed the thin figure of a woman. Her long hair had made you believe it could have been that Hyuuga you bumped in to. But no; the form was too much like that of a woman. The thin waist, long legs, slim arms; it had to be a woman. But that left you reeling.

What kind of significance did this women play? What did she have to do with you?

And more importantly, why did she move like that?

Her legs were separated in a steady stance and her arm was fully outstretched as though she was about attack with some sort of technique. Her other arm was bent towards her black form; because the two colors blended undetectably, you couldn't make out what exactly she was doing with that hand. But the constant swinging of her elbow must have meant she was indeed doing something… important?

You growled, slamming your fist against the white tiled walls above the shower taps before gently pressing your forehead against the cool wall with your eyes shut tight. No matter how you looked at it, no matter how you tried to understand it, no matter how many times you broke it down and thought about it; it just didn't make any sense. This feeling of incompetency angered and frustrated you to an extent reached only when you felt truly helpless. The feeling of being weak…

You growled again, pushing yourself off the wall and forcefully pulling aside the shower curtain. You grabbed a towel, shut off the water, and grabbed your toothbrush consecutively. Your fluid movements surprised you but you thought nothing of it. When you were angry, you tended to move more swiftly, though more often than not, those movements were quite sloppy and all over the place.

Finishing your daily routine, you walked down the hall and pass a small wall calendar.

But just as you were about to descend the stairs, you zoomed back with amazing speed and stared wide eyed at the calendar.

A large circle was drawn sloppily around the 31st of March. This could only mean one thing…

"THE GENIN EXAMS ARE TODAY!"

After a chorus of happy 'the Genin Exams are today' with Naruto, who had zoomed to your side after you had exclaimed, you happily bit in to an apple before dragging Naruto out the door and onto the streets.

Of course, the streets were filled with Academy hopefuls. Some looking nervous whilst others looked confident. A few students you recognized had their heads buried in books and scrolls for last minute studying. Some others were practicing a bit of chakra control by flowing chakra to their feet to walk faster. A boy your age briskly walked by without bothering to notice you or Naruto; he seemed to be reciting some sort of hand seal sequence.

Everyone was readying themselves of the upcoming exam.

After all, becoming a Genin meant officially becoming a Konoha Shinobi.

You raced to the Academy beside Naruto, eager to finally get that hitai-ite you had been longing for throughout most of your fifteen years of life. Though there was a certain headband you wanted more than any other, you knew you couldn't have that one. It was too sacred to the village. But you tried your best to pay no mind to it. Another headband would be good enough, right…?

The classroom Iruka-sensei taught filled up immediately. No tardiness whatsoever, even from the notorious Uzumaki twins who were, in a way, famed for their impeccable lateness. And, of course, their dramatic entries.

But no, not today. Just like everyone else, the Uzumaki twins sat in their assigned seats and waited silently for the Chuunin instructor's arrival.

Thankfully the wait wasn't too long as the door slid open to reveal a happy Iruka-sensei entering the room with his usual clipboard-from-hell. No one truly knew what he constantly wrote on that clipboard. Any misbehavior and Iruka-sensei's hand would rocket across the sheets of paper attached to that board. Rumors would constantly fly around; most of them started by Naruto.

But you had an ominous feeling it was more than just stick figures of students being tortured or a list of new and completely boring assignments. You had an ominous feeling that Iruka wasn't even his real name. Iruka was just a rather cunning alias; no one would suspect that dropping the 'u' and rearranging the letters would reveal his true identity.

Too bad L didn't have enough common sense to see that. [1]

"Now," Iruka-sensei began, scribbling something down on his hellish clipboard. Leaning forward for a better view, you eyed the clipboard in his hands in an attempt to see whose name he was writing down. You hastily snapped back up straight just as Iruka-sensei turned his full attention to the excited class. Upon seeing students even shaking with excitement or nervousness, Iruka-sensei laughed. "You're all taking this way too seriously."

He smiled warmly at the confused looking students. "You see," He waved his clip board menacingly, "All you have to do is perform a simple jutsu and you'll all be Genin."

The anxiety immediately lifted and an excited murmur filled the classroom.

"That's a relief…" You muttered, placing your chin on the desk with a relieved sigh. "I thought there might have been a written exam or something!"

Hinata giggled beside you. Over the last day or so, Hinata's sickly image returned to its normal state. You remembered her telling you about the embarrassment of vomiting all over her father after he interrogated her about why she was so late. You had grinned widely; Hiashi-teme deserved that. More even! But since that was the best Hinata could do without sentencing herself to an early death, you accepted it with a mischievous smile and a hearty wink at a flustered Hinata.

The small girl pressed her fingers together with a small smile. "I'm… I'm also glad it isn't a written exam…"

"Why?" You asked curiously. Hinata was one of the smartest kids in the class. Though she didn't measure up to Nara Shikamaru's wit and logic and Haruno Sakura's brains and Genjutsu know-how, Hinata was very intelligent. She liked to read and discover knew things. She also liked to teach them to you then explain it thoroughly after you gave her a confused look.

She twiddled her fingers and blushed. "You and N-Naruto-kun are better at practical exams so it'll be… easier for both of you to pass."

You smiled and stuck out your tongue playfully at her. "Thanks!"

She smiled back.

"So now we will begin!" Iruka-sensei called out happily, double checking whatever he had written on his clipboard. "We will call the students one by one to a separate room for the examination."

You waved your hand rapidly in the air, you bum mere millimeters from your seat. "Iruka-sensei! What jutsu will we have to do?"

A few annoyed glances came your way. Your loud voice wasn't as appealing as you had assumed. But seriously, everybody was wondering!

Iruka-sensei saw the glances and intervened immediately. "Students will be performing Bunshin No Jutsu."

B-Bunshin No Jutsu? Your hand froze mid frantic wave. After a moment of stunned silence, you purposely slammed your head against the desk. That's my worst jutsu!

Hinata looked at you worriedly as you continued to slam your head against the desk, losing precious brain cells in the process. She knew Bunshin No Jutsu was your worst jutsu and was frightened at the possibility of you not passing. Hinata turned her gaze a few seats in front of her.

Naruto was clutching his head, his eye twitching dramatically.

Hinata sighed. More than anything, she wanted to become a Genin with you and her Naruto-kun. The prospect of advancing in rank and leaving the two of you behind saddened her deeply.

"When I call your name, follow me to the examination room." Iruka-sensei, completely oblivious to the emotional turmoil he had just forced three of his students to endure, flipped a paper and looked at the list of Academy students. He smiled. "Uzumaki Rukia."

Damn it! You cursed, exchanging hopeful glances with Hinata and Naruto before hesitantly walking down the stairs to the waiting Chuunin. You glared weakly at him. Hasn't he ever heard of alphabetical order?

Iruka-sensei led you out of the classroom and, passing by a few doors filled with more nervous looking students, he paused in front of a blue door labeled 'Examination Room One' with you waiting anxiously behind him.

His hand paused on the door handle and you distinctly heard him sigh. Iruka-sensei turned to you with a loving look. "Good luck, Rukia." He barely whispered, gazing at you.

A genuine, almost shy, smile formed on your lips.

A warm feeling radiated off of him and sheathed you affectionately; giving you a warmth and comfort you rarely felt. You savored the warm comforting sensation he enclosed you with; something so sweet and delicate more precious than gold. His amorous smile and concerned eyes made you feel a type of safety you often never felt. As though no one could hurt you while he was there; as though he would protect you from any type of heartache; as though he would harm anyone who even dared to look at you wrong…

At times like these, you always found yourself thinking the same thing…

So this is what it would be like… having a father…

Iruka-sensei slowly ripped his gaze from your dazed form and hesitantly opened the door, walking in and beckoning you inside as well.

You snapped out of your dreamy stupor and entered the room behind him, looking around.

The room was quite empty, giving students much room to spread out and take tests peacefully, with a single long desk laid at the front. On the desk were numerous headbands, some with straps of different colors instead of the usual blue, laid out and gleaming in the sunlight. You doubted the one you wanted was there but you didn't complain. The thought of receiving any of those headbands, being labeled a kunoichi of Konoha, and taking one step towards the dream of a lifetime consoled you greatly.

"Stand in front, Rukia." Iruka-sensei instructed, pointing to a white 'X' while taking his seat behind the desk. Next to him was a silver haired Chuunin you immediately recognized as Mizuki-sensei. Though he was quite harsh with you and Naruto at first, he grew softer for some reason. But something about that softness… It was completely different than the type Iruka-sensei displays. It was… darker…

"Hai!" You replied, strolling as coolly as possible to the gestured area. Even after that touching moment with Iruka-sensei seconds ago, a familiar type of nervousness kept nipping at you from the inside. This nervousness was the main cause of all your failures. The nipping feeling ate away your insides, leaving you feeling naked and vulnerable. An emotional jolt of fear and pain would halt your movements for an instance. But that instance was enough for a sparring partner to get the better of you. Another side affect to these nerves was the numbness your fingers would endure. Starting from the tips, the numb feeling slowly edged its way down your fingers and hands. Because of the stiffness that usually followed, your jutsu's failed and, often, backfired. If that wasn't enough, Bunshin No Jutsu happened to be your worst jutsu. Combine that with the nervousness and the side affects you were currently feeling and you truly had quite a slim chance of passing.

But your hardheadedness refused to give in. Maybe that personality trait would be enough to pass…

"As I had instructed in the classroom, make at least two clones of yourself." Iruka-sensei ordered; his usual kind tone vanished much to your dismay. A serious expression donned his features and you couldn't help but feel a twinge on desperation. Without the fatherly Iruka-sensei, your confidence lowered dramatically, decreasing your already slim chances.

You nodded in confirmation. Taking a deep breath to compose yourself, you produced the appropriate hand seals and, pausing on the final seal: 'Ram', focused your chakra to the best of your ability. "Bunshin No Jutsu!" You called, feeling your chakra flow almost erratically from your body.

You looked frantically around the room, searching for the clones you so desperately tried to make. But there was nothing there but an empty space. Hearing Iruka-sensei sigh, you narrowed your eyes sadly and turned to look at him.

He was glaring at you angrily with his palm laid flat on the surface of the long desk. "I thought you said you practiced!"

"I did!" You replied hastily, not bothering to throw on your emotional mask. Your eyes showed exactly how desperately frightened you were. You couldn't accept it! "I have been… every day…"

But Iruka-sensei continued to glare. "You failed, Rukia. That means you weren't practicing."

"I-I have been!" You retorted. You were getting desperate now. "But Bunshin No Jutsu is my worst jutsu!"

"Hey, Iruka." Mizuki-sensei spoke for the first time. He glanced at you before turning his attention wholly on Iruka-sensei, who looked at him curiously. "She seems to have the determination of a true shinobi. How about we let her pass?"

Your eyes widen hopefully. This guy… wanted you to pass? You didn't know whether to be suspicious or euphoric. But this puzzle didn't last longer.

"No, Mizuki." Iruka-sensei replied, shaking his head. "In order to pass, Uzumaki Rukia must have made at least two clones. She wasn't even able to produce one!"

You cast your eyes to the floor, letting your long bangs hide most of your face. "But I… practiced so hard."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I'm a real ninja now, right?"

"Great job! This is something I'd expect from my son!"

"Congratulations on graduating! Mom is going to fix you a great dinner tonight!"

The cheery voices of graduates and their parents mixing and chatting about their success filled the front yard of the Konoha Ninja Academy. Starry eyed children showed off their headbands to one another. Parents chatted and continuously checked and rechecked the test scores pasted on notice boards both outside and inside the building. Apparently, the competition of whose child or children surpassed who was still the hype among the competitive mothers and fathers.

Boys sparred playfully with each other; showing off their ninja skills. A couple girls formed a small circle on the grass, comparing which colored headbands matched perfectly with their ninja clothes and where to wear them.

A forehead protector is meant for your forehead, idiots! You thought bitterly, twisting a blade of grass between your dry fingers.

After your failure, you couldn't bare to face the rest of the class. In an attempt to avoid the sarcastic questions and not-so-shocked expressions, you walked outside the Academy and sat down next to the homemade swing Iruka-sensei had once built for the students. Memories, both good and bad, sometimes involved this swing. You loved to feel the rush of the wind hit your face and blow your hair everywhere. But every time you felt completely away from the pain of the villagers you somehow tolerated, a bunch of girls, led by a pathetic waste of bone and flesh named Ami, would push you off even if you were still swinging. Small scrapes and bruised pained your body every time they pushed you to the floor. You always guessed they waited until you were swinging at your highest to push you off because that was when they would always come. Always when you were swinging your highest.

Why?

Because it would hurt more when you fell.

Naruto eventually trudged out the Academy doors, spotted you and continued his ashamed march with the face of a failure. He sat down on the swing as you made enough room for him to do so. Something compelled him to stare at the graduates as they ran to their parents happily. He slowly turned his body and leaned his head on the rope of the swing, clutching it as well with his sweaty hands. Much like you, Naruto's mask wasn't in place either. In rare moments like these, when you felt like your dreams had been shattered and the broken pieces of your fragile heart were stepped on repeatedly, neither Uzumaki twins troubled themselves enough to put their emotional masks back in place. It would hurt too much to even try… Putting the mask back on would be like accepting the failure.

"Hey, those two are the only ones that failed, right?" A black haired woman maliciously whispered to her brown haired friend; clearly aware that those two who failed could hear her perfectly.

"Serves them right!" The other woman replied, matching not only the same audible whisper of her friend but the malice as well. "If they become ninja, it'll only cause trouble."

"Because they're really mon-"

"Hey, it's forbidden to say anything more than that!" The brown haired woman reprimanded, cutting her friend short.

And besides… accepting failure is much more painful…

Soft footsteps halted in front of you. Mizuki-sensei sent the two women cold glares, sending them shuffling away. The silver haired Chuunin looked warmly at the sight of the two teens sitting sadly before him. They hadn't made Genin and would be forced to undergo remedial classes until they could. But at the rate those two were going, Mizuki-sensei knew that would take too long. But suddenly, an idea struck the Chuunin as he extended a hand in a friendly gesture. "Come with me. I want to show you both something."

Naruto looked up at him and slowly nodded, not really caring about any repercussions in leaving with this man. He was, after all, one of the only people nice to him.

But you, on the other hand, were way too tired. The stress and pain of this day took its unholy toll on you and you found yourself answering his question through a long yawn.

Mizuki-sensei smiled and waved, signaling that there was no need for you to stress yourself further just for him.

You flicked your hand dismissively and upon seeing Naruto nod sadly in return, you turned your back and left.

Unfortunately for you, the villagers took keen notice of your bare forehead and sneered disdainfully. You assumed they were thinking along the same lines those two bitc- women were. They would start off with glares and sneers, some even sending hate filled scowls. Than after the faces, they would begin whispering very audibly. They called you this and that, sometimes following with a hit or two, than ending the torture with the words 'monster' or 'demon' prior to scurrying out of sight.

'Monster' and 'demon'. Those were the two names you could never understand the meaning of. Why would they call you a monster? Or a demon? Was it because of your ears? If so, then why do the same with Naruto?

You bowed your head as you walked past a split in the dirt road; the main walkway leading to the eastern district of Konoha where you lived and the stray trail, surrounded by bloomed Sakura trees, leading to the secluded Hyuuga Compound. Such a peaceful sight it seemed; walking to the Hyuuga Compound. But you knew better. The Hyuuga were strict and stuck up, considering that almost anyone outside the clan was considered a 'commoner', and therefore, unworthy of respect and the title of 'ninja'.

You could safely conclude that the Hyuuga weren't your type of people. With the exception of Hinata of course.

Hinata… Your thoughts went back to the hisses of those two women. They had clearly said that you and Naruto were the only ones that failed. That must have meant Hinata had passed and achieved the rank of Genin.

Oh, you only wished you could see her fathers face when he heard the news and slip in some snide remark about the length of his hair as you trampled him wearing sharp cleats. Though this thought was very murderous, and subconsciously you noted that these types of thoughts might be what were triggering the looks and words from the villagers, but it satisfied your urge to stomp to the Compound and whack Hiashi-teme over the head nonstop!

You sighed and continued your walk home, receiving your daily dosage of snarls and hisses with snide remarks about your failure today as an added bonus!

Oh, how fun life was!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You jumped from tree to tree in search of any kind of orange blur or humorous laughter.

It was at least one o'clock now and Naruto hadn't come home. Your train of possible situations and predicaments started taking an insane turn as eleven thirty had approached. Naruto never stayed out late without informing you. Even if it meant traveling all across Konoha and back just to tell you, Naruto would do it. He kept saying how he didn't want to worry you so every night he spontaneously planned to stay out after nine, Naruto would come hurtling in to the apartment red faced and puffing, panting out something like 'need to stay out" or "training must do" or, and this one confused you, "giant ramen bowl flying in the sky". His information usually depended on how far he had run to get to you.

But tonight, Naruto hadn't come. His red face was no where to be seen and as you stood on your roof, peering at the emptying streets and restaurants, you could only assume he was in some kind of danger. You had spent hours on end searching for him or any sign of him. And as you searched, you caught glimpses of gathered Chuunin discussing where Naruto could be. This only made you search more frantically. What if Naruto got in serious trouble this time?

You remembered your idiotic train of thoughts before deciding to search for him.

What if he accidently killed someone during a late night prank? This thought seemed normal enough. But as the time flew by, it got worse. What if he's being eaten by bloodthirsty Sasuke fan girls!? Anyone could admit, this thought wasn't that off. Those fan girls always looked at the boys who disrespected Sasuke hungrily. You wouldn't be surprised if they indeed turned out to be cannibals. But there turned out to be more. What if he ditched Konoha to join a Transylvanian folk singing nomad group with man-skirts and shiny hats!!?? This, much like the eaten by the fan girls theory, wasn't completely off. Naruto always had a knack for singing and he said he always wanted to travel to Transylvania (where ever that is). Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it. WHAT IF HE'S BEING CHASED BY A PAIR OF PANTS POSSESSED BY FRUIT-BY-THE-FOOT!!!???

Now that was just plain silly. But… there always has been something strange about fruit-by-the-foot…

And so, with this… disturbing train of thought, you yanked on your sleeveless vest and set out in search of your slightly crazy older brother.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Naruto?"

"Yeah, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, still dreamily touching his forehead protector. The fact that he had just passed was still sinking in.

"Don't tell Rukia…" Iruka-sensei cast his gaze to the floor, a mixture of sadness and hurt filling his deep brown eyes. The way Naruto had behaved was to be expected by the brown haired Chuunin. And even though, deep in his heart, Iruka-sensei knew you would react the same way… He just didn't want you to know.

The Kyuubi and the Jyuubi.

Two monsters sealed inside two innocent children; invading their bodies and destroying their lives.

One with nine tails and one with ten; each tail signifying how much power it held; each tail signifying how much it crippled its containers abilities; and each tail signifying the pain it made them go through.

Not much is known about these beasts except that there are eight others. And that some type of secret can be discovered through the right means involving all Ten Chakra Beasts. What that secret is remains to be seen. But in the mind of the troubled Chuunin, it may be seen sooner than many expected.

"Naruto! Iruka-sensei!" A familiar voice broke through Iruka-sensei's thoughts. He looked up to see your breathless figure running frantically in his direction; occasionally tripping over your own feet in your haste. As you reached them, you lowered your head, panting, and placed your shaking hands on your equally shaking knees, trying to catch your breath before speaking again. You looked up at the two males with one eye shut. "Where have you guys been?" You demanded.

Your eyes suddenly widen before either male had a chance to answer. There, on Naruto's forehead, tied securely, clear as day, was a blue Konoha headband. The rising sun reflected on the metal of the headband, causing you to squint as it gleamed in your direction. "W-where did you get that…?" You asked breathlessly. It wasn't the running that caused your breathlessness; in fact, your breathing had returned to its normal state. It was the sight of his headband that was causing it.

Naruto proudly stood up and adjusted his headband to his comfort. "Iruka-sensei just gave me his headband because I just passed!"

"You passed?" You asked incredulously, wide eyed. Naruto nodded cockily as you shuffled nervously in place, catching his attention. "That's… uh… that's great…!" You tried to sound cheery; truly you did! But the thought of him leaving you behind drew out strong emotions you just couldn't hide.

Naruto looked at your pained expression before taking off his new headband and staring at for a few moments. His face contorted with many different emotions as though he was debating over something. But in a few moments, Naruto settled on a resolution. He looked sadly down at the headband he held loosely in his hands. More than anything, he wanted this but…

"No…" Naruto whispered, handing the blue headband to Iruka-sensei.

"What?" He asked, not the least bit surprised. He looked at the headband for an amused moment before holding Naruto's unwavering gaze with an odd smile.

"No." Naruto repeated, more firmly this time. He shook the hand he held his headband in, gesturing Iruka-sensei to take it.

"Naruto-kun, you don't have to do this." You whispered in his ear, hoping the honorific would help change his mind. In your heart, this was what you wanted but you wouldn't give in. You wouldn't hold Naruto back just because of your inability to pass the Genin Exams. "Please Naruto-kun."

"No." Naruto said, his voice rising. "I'm not going to leave Rukia-chan behind. If she doesn't become a ninja," Naruto paused, grabbing Iruka-sensei's hand and placing the headband in his palm. "Than I won't either."

Naruto-kun… You looked at him desperately. "Please don't…" You whispered, guilt eating away at you. You were going to be the reason he didn't become a shinobi…

"Okay, Naruto. If you feel that strongly then…" Iruka-sensei began, pushing himself off the ground and dusting himself off; he looked as though he had been through a rough fight. That odd knowing smile continued to play his lips as he teased the two students before him for a few precious seconds. His smile widened. "Then we'll just have to give Rukia another chance, ne?"

Two pairs of wide blue eyes widened in shock. Neither could comprehend what was just happening. Was this just a dream? Were you going to pass as a Genin and finally become a ninja only to be woken up by an annoyingly loud alarm clock?

Oh Kami, you really needed a pinch right now!

"H-how?" Naruto whispered, somehow finding his voice.

"Easy. Naruto, teach Rukia Kage Bunshin No Jutsu and if she learns it in time, she passes." Iruka-sensei said. He glanced at your confused face and explained. "You see, Rukia. There's a loop hole. The specified test was Bunshin No Jutsu but there was nothing that specified what type of clone."

"I see!" You exclaimed happily. "I can make a shadow clone and still pass! But wait…" You suddenly realized. "Kage Bunshin is way harder…"

"But I got it!" Naruto said proudly, thrusting his thumb hard against his chest.

"Really?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Now go on." Iruka-sensei coaxed. But there was no need. In a flash, you and Naruto were setting to work.

Naruto handed you a giant scroll, informing you that it would help greatly. He pointed to a sequence of hand seals entitled 'Kage Bunshin No Jutsu' with a clear description written formally underneath it. You happily begin the sequence, feeling confidence charge through you. Naruto had gotten it, right? You had no doubt in your mind that you would too!

But even after several tries, no clones of any sort were made. On your seventh try, you began getting desperate; using an obviously unnecessary amount of chakra in the hopes that it would work. But it was all in vain as no clones whatsoever appeared. Much like during your formal Genin examination, only emptiness surrounded you.

Iruka-sensei reappeared beside a worried Naruto, healed and bandaged appropriately. The young Chuunin's fight had worn him out greatly but, to the best of his abilities; Iruka-sensei left the warm confines of a hospital room to continue to observe your desperate last minute chance at ninja-hood. He gazed at your frustrated figure, shaking and tripping as you hastily continued. With cheerless eyes, Naruto stared hopelessly at you, his throat like sand paper from all the depressing thoughts zooming through his over active imagination.

Iruka-sensei, sensing Naruto's thirst, opened a bottle of water and carefully handed it to him. Naruto simply pushed Iruka-sensei's hand away from him without even looking up, knocking the bottle carelessly to the forest floor. The clear liquid spilled, slowly trailing to the area you had been training where you collapsed on your knees helplessly.

No matter how hard you tried, it just wasn't working. You felt the fight drain out of you as you slowly lifted yourself from the ground and silently grabbed the opened scroll, walking to the two sad males standing a few meters away.

This was it. Even your last chance went to waste all because you couldn't perform that damned jutsu! Clones! Why clones? Why did the Genin Exams have to revolve around making fake copies of yourself?

But it didn't matter anymore. You weren't going to become a Genin. And because of you, Naruto wouldn't either. You held yourself as well as your brother back. This feeling shamed you more than anything. But what could be done? Your final hope was lost and there no way-

Splash!

Your feet stepped on a small trail of water. You looked down at the water, seeing your own dull reflection stare back at you. Hopeless blue eyes and the face of a loser; they stared back at you.

Ashamed, you turn your gaze back to the scroll, only to have your eyes fall on something very interesting. You furrow your eyebrows in interest.

Iruka-sensei and Naruto began turning their backs and walking ahead as you approached, only to pause upon hearing something very fascinating.

"Mizu Bunshin No Jutsu!"

Iruka-sensei and Naruto stared wide eyed at you… and the three other look-a-likes that suddenly spiraled from the ground like twisting water before molding themselves to look like Uzumaki Rukia. Funny thing: they even wore the same confused expression you did.

The real one, suddenly morphing her features in to something more hope-filled, spoke up. "Do I…?"

Unable to find his own voice, Iruka-sensei simply nodded dumbly. The fact that you had formed three water clones was still sinking in.

Simultaneously, you and your clones burst in to hysterical laughter and singing; two even started dancing with joy. You had done it! You had become a Genin! It was really true!

Your real form, stopping its strange victory ritual, just stared at Iruka-sensei with an indescribable happiness. Your wide sapphire eyes bore in to his deep brown ones, asking a desperate question.

Is this real?

Iruka-sensei nodded quietly with a small smile. A proud feeling welled up inside of him.

His two worst students were about to become the two greatest ninja's.

You beamed joyously back at him, taking a few moments to relax and take in everything.

I'm finally a Genin!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[1] A joke with the essence of Death Note. Dropping the 'u' and rearranging the letters in Iruka's name equals 'Kira'. Interesting, neh?