Afterthoughts

by Epidot

Time-travel, that isn't really time-travel. Naruto makes his way from his first day as a genin, with a 'feel' about how he should do things as a shinobi, and dreams about what 'a' future holds.

2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only.

Afterthoughts

Chapter 2:

Friends:

Birthday parties were something that happened to other people. At least, that's what Naruto had always thought.

Naruto had never concerned himself about his birthday while he grew up, the only difference from any ordinary day was that Teuchi-Ojisan and Ayame-Oneesan congratulate him and gave him an extra treat and a visit from the old Hokage. There was never a celebration for him like the other children had, but that was alright. The small sign of recognition was enough to make the day special.

That was why he never really thought about birthday celebrations and parties. It was only some obscure events that happened to other people, and was, for some reason, filled with happy laughter, and the whole thing had been one of life's many mysteries.

He'd always hoped to be invited to one, of course, but never in a million years had he ever believed that someone would ever bother to throw him one.

But now that he and his friends were all seated around a wide table in the back of the restaurant, the realization was starting to creep up on him.

They were actually celebrating his birthday. They were celebrating his eighteenth birthday.

It had been such a surprise that he had barely been able to utter three of four complete sentences since they told him. Before that, his only true goal that day had been to beat Chouji in a Ramen eating contest (which he had every plan of fulfilling as soon as he got his senses back).

Now, looking around the table at all his friends as they talked cheerfully among themselves, he couldn't stop himself grinning like an idiot.

Kiba and Lee were having a heated discussion over Lee's claim, that tortoises made better ninja's then dogs. Tenten was trying to calm the two, with minimal success. Neji was calmly explaining table manners to Sai (and the reason why people didn't like to hear him talk about the human reproductive organs while eating).

Shikamaru was snoring audibly, he claimed it to be a natural defence he had developed against Ino's voice (and orders that could be ignored), who were busy talking to her boyfriend Chouji, who in turn, was happily eating from what was left on the table.

Right across from Naruto, Iruka-sensei was interviewing Shino about his upcoming lecture at the academy. He was suppose to teach the children about poisonous insects and spiders, but Iruka was worried that the children might not understand everything he would say, and tried to give the younger man some pointers on how to interact with children (something Shino never grasped completely).

Hinata had been there too, a moment ago, but she had forgotten something and ran off to get it.

Hyuga Hinata. She was the sweetest, kindest and the most beautiful woman alive, and she was his girlfriend. If he could make his smile any larger, he would have. She was without a doubt, the best thing to ever happen to him and he missed her already.

The only people missing were Sasuke and Sakura, but they were on their way. Knowing the two, he guessed it to be Sasuke's fault. He was the only person that was as inexperienced with relationships as Naruto himself. Sakura had been rather shocked by the fact that the Uchiha genius was a real klutz when it came to his knowledge of girls.

As he sat there thinking about relationships, a couple of soft, slender arms snaked their way around his neck and hugged him from behind. He turned his head and was greeted by soft lips as they placed a light kiss on his cheek, "Happy birthday, Naruto-kun."

He couldn't stop the blush that coloured his cheeks, but he didn't care, because Hinata was back. "Thank you, Hinata-chan," he replied happily and saw that she also sported a cute blush from her own action.

Seeing the two brought a "D'awww!" from Ino and Tenten, and a playful snicker from Kiba which were quickly silenced by someone's elbow. .

Hinata just smiled and placed a cake, that she had picked up on the way, on the table so the others could reach it. She then seated herself next to him, and placed a small gift in his hands. She didn't say anything, but her eyes urged him to open it.

"Can I open it now?" he asked, just to make sure that he read her correctly. Getting together with Hinata had made him more considerate of others, and he was working hard to improve his social skills, clearly showing the influence Hinata was having on him.

Hinata didn't say anything, she just smiled shyly and nodded. She too had changed somewhat since they got together. Her confidence was greater then ever, even as her shyness remained. She had also developed a playful attitude and was not above pulling a prank on him from time to time, but her kind nature always prevented her from doing anything too embarrassing.

Getting an 'okay' from Hinata, Naruto tore into the wrapping like a happy five year old, eager to find out what Hinata had given him. Sakura had commented that such behaviour made him look greedy, but he couldn't help himself.

The gift Hinata had gotten surprised him. It was a book, featuring research on animals and animal senses. The release date revealed that it was very new, released earlier that year.

Her choice of present confused him a little, but realization soon dawned on him. He had mentioned his interest in developing new detection techniques that could be taught at the academy a while back, but he had been out of ideas.

It was just like Hinata to remember something like that. Ever helpful of others, she wouldn't miss a chance to aid others in reaching a goal, and helping him help the academy, she would walk though fire for such a chance.

Faster then she could react, he spun around and embraced her in a strong hug. "Thank you Hinata-chan!"

Hinata squealed in surprise and her pink blush suddenly bloomed into a rosy red from the sudden show of affection. Never the less, she hugged him back almost immediately.

"You're…very welcome…Naruto-kun," she replied slowly, fighting her stutter that threatened to reappear at her momentary surprise.

"Sensory apparatus in the animal kingdom: A thorough and detailed overview the workings of animal senses," he heard a familiar voice, one that tried it's best to hide any sort of interest, say when he finally let go of Hinata so she would be able to get back to her own seat. Sasuke had entered the room, and was now holding the book while he read the title out loud.

"I didn't know you were interested in biology Naruto…" he commented in a smug voice, suggesting that he had more to say. Before he had time to add his usual sarcastic comment however, Sakura walked out from behind him and over to Naruto's side, giving the blond a nearly backbreaking hug, "Happy birthday Naruto."

Sasuke, who was holding her hand, also gave him an uneasy smile and congratulated him, with no trace of the comment Sakura had interrupted.

Most people would write the uneasy smile off as his disappointment at being interrupted, but Naruto knew that Sasuke was very happy to have Sakura stop his less acceptable behaviour. His uneasy smile was just the outcome of Sakura's happy one.

It was the smile she used when she was annoyed, disapproved of something, disagreed with someone or was violently upset. Having been on the receiving end of that smile on several occasions, Naruto knew exactly what category that smile fell into.

He didn't even have to look at Sasuke's hand, the one that Sakura was currently holding (which by some strange coincident seemed to have lost its colour and if you listened carefully, produced faint cracking noises) to know who her anger was directed at this time.

"Biology you say?" she asked, trying her best to cover up Sasuke's late intention. She didn't say anything more, but she gave Naruto one of her asking looks. She was probably as confused by the topic as nearly everyone else.

Both of his old team-mates were doing well for themselves. Sakura was a superb medic Nin and soon, if the rumours were true, to be the director of the hospital. Sasuke had risen to the station of ANBU-captain, showing just how good he really were, even now that he no longer possessed the famed, now extinct, dojutsu.

But all that was of little interest among their friends. The fact that they were now dating was of much greater interest to the village at large, not to mention their close circle of friends.

Naruto was about to explain when Shino felt the need to give his two cents. "It has a good collection of scientific facts on various insect sensory abilities featured."

The Aburame was such a quiet individual that Naruto had nearly forgotten that he was there with them, so Shino's input startled him somewhat. He was careful not to voice his thoughts about it though. For 'a man of mysteries', Shino could be unusual touchy.

"You've read it?" Sakura asked as the two newcomers seated them selves at the only two remaining seats at the table. The others, who had been waiting for them to arrive, started to help themselves with the cakes.

Shino shook his head. "No, my clan helped supply research that was to be used in writing it," he replied, not even looking up.

Silence followed, until Kiba snapped his fingers, shifting the attention to him. "Oh, I remember! I think my sister said something about a man asking questions about dogs and their sense of smell…that was…months ago."

"Yes, it should have taken several years to gather all the necessary information from experts…and from shinobi clans no less. I would say that the writers are some very brave men, to go around asking questions from…gatherings of people that secure their trade by keeping those secrets," Shino replied, a touch of respect in his voice.

Naruto had to agree with that statement. He was well aware of the value secrecy had in the shinobi world. After all, a secret that is known is a secret that can be countered and used.

"As I recall," Shino continued, "The man who came to see us was a civilian. He was careful to ask specific questions and made it perfectly clear that anything we did not wish to share, he would not pry into. He was a very reasonable individual."

"Who is he?" asked Tenten. She, as the rest of them, wanted to know about these people. Shinobi didn't make a habit of sharing information, and any civilian who had the courage to knock on their door and ask questions that could be considered 'trade secrets' was people that was worth hearing about.

"Yes! Who is the youthful individual that would go so far to fuel the fire of his trade!?" Lee joined her.

Sakura looked at the last page, which would normally feature the author of any given book. To her surprise, there were none. "It say's that the book was researched and published by the University in the capital city, here in Hi no Kuni. The head researcher's name is…Uchiyamada, it says here that he's…sixty-two years old."

Lee just got more exited when he heard this. "YOSH! THE FLAMES OF YOUTH IS STRONG ENOUGH TO EVEN BURN BRIGHTLY WITHIN OUR SENIOR CITIZEN!" he cheered loudly, causing Tenten to hit the back of his head.

Neji settled on a humoured smile as Lee tended the growing bump on his head, before settling back to hear the rest of what Shino had to say.

"Yes the man that visited us was at an advanced aged," Shino confirmed. "But as it is published by a university, it would be reasonable to assume that the book holds the combined work and research of several individuals. I, for one, am glad that research is now being done by civilians and not shinobi."

Sakura, Hinata, and Shikamaru nodded their agreement to Shino's words. The others were more confused. After a short time, Konohamaru lost his patience and had to ask. "Why is it better?"

Shikamaru was the one that answered, noting that Shino was getting tired of talking, probably from the way he was eying the cakes the others had already started to eat.

"It's because research done by Shinobi has ultimately one usage, combat. But research done by, and for, the civilian population no doubt will be used more peacefully, and ultimately spread through trade. It's a mark of progress."

It was about this time that Ino, who had gotten bored with the conversation, turned the attention back to something that could be described as a more pressing matter.

"What's more important now however is this rumour that I've heard...Why on earth would you wish to have an eating contest on your birthday, Naruto?" she shot in before Shikamaru had time to say anything more.

The sudden change of topic didn't faze anyone. They all knew Ino well enough to know that she would get bored eventually, and then take matters in her own hand to solve the problem.

The eating contest was news to some of his friends, and from the look on the faces around the table it was clear that Ino wasn't the only one that wanted to know why he would want one.

They tried not to show their interest of course, but by this time Naruto was a better ninja then any of them (arguably of course) and was able to spot their curiosity (not on Shino of course though, who was happily digging into his first piece of cake).

The question deserved and answer, but Naruto doubted that it would satisfy their curiosity. "I knew that today…I would be the one to choose what to eat," He responded with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head.

It was received as he had expected. Several blank stares were directed back at him, and a humoured smile from Hinata and Sakura.

With a happy sigh he continued. "I know that I only have a chance to win if it's Ramen. I'm not dumb enough to challenge an Akimichi to an eating contest without being able to choose what we should eat."

This brought another snicker from Kiba and a sigh from Hinata. She was used to her boyfriend being more thoughtful, but this was a petty challenge that Naruto had been planning for nearly half-a-year. Not to mention that Naruto was a big enough fool to challenge the Akimichi to eating contests without being able to choose the dish.

The heavy set shinobi seated by Ino's side just smiled. Chouji was just as sensitive about his weight as he had been when he was a child, but Naruto did make a valid point. Not the part where he said that he would not challenge his family without the choice, as he had already challenged several Akimichi to eating contests and lost every time, as they, the challenged party would have the choice of weapon. It was almost always BBQ, the fuel of the Akimichi, and now the bane of Naruto.

On the other hand, the challenges had made Naruto more prone to eating vegetables, much to Hinata's secret delight. It was only so much Ramen the 'normal' human body could take before getting sick of the dish. Naruto, on that matter was a completely different story.

Chouji gave his girlfriend a peck on the cheek, making Ino blush from the light touch of his lips. He got to his feet quietly and made his way over to Naruto.

Naruto was getting worried that he had insulted one of his kindest friends and was about to apologise when Chouji lifted him as easily as a feather, and tucked him under his arm and roared. "TOO THE RAMEN STAND! AND LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE!"

Konohamaru found the scene hilarious and started laughing so hard that it broke into a coughing fit. With a shake of her head from Chouji's antics, Ino started patting the younger boy (still a kid in their eyes) on the back.

He was a close friend of Naruto, and they constantly schemed new ways to trick an opponent with new perverted jutsu. Their latest creation was not exactly perverted, but the effect it had on kunoichi and civilian woman was terrifying.

Ino shuddered at the though of the dreaded 'Chibi no Jutsu'. It had the ability to reduce any female to the state of a nine year old school girl getting a pony.

Naruto and Chouji were out the door before anyone else. As Chouji made his way to their destination, Naruto enjoyed the setting sun, visible on the end of the street. It was beautiful, until it started to beep. Wait…the sun was beeping?

////////

Naruto's hand fumbled clumsily over the nightstand, trying to silence the evil device that was responsible for his torment. It had brought him back from a land where he had lots of friends, and lots of ramen. What it had done was unforgivable.

Resisting the urge to toss the infernal device out the window, he got up in a sitting position and tried to get a grip on reality. The sharp rays of the sun helped him with that task, but it was far from comfortable.

It just wasn't fair, denying him all that ramen, something his belly eagerly agreed upon. A few seconds later he sighed in defeat. He didn't have time to dwell upon life's troubles now, he needed to get to the academy; after all, he didn't want to miss team assignment.

With an exaggerated stretch he fell out of his bed. It was tempting to just stay there, on the floor, but he decided against it. He needed to get ready for the big day.

Just like the day before, the dream he had still lingered after he woke up. He started to move automatically through his morning routine, but his thoughts were occupied with what his mind had cooked up during the night. There had been no pervert in this dream, just him and…friends.

Naruto didn't have many friends, just a couple of people that tolerated him more then others. Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba were the only people of his age that he could consider to have something of a friendship with. After all, they had played together at times, both after and during classes at the academy (Much to Iruka-sensei's dismay).

In the dream however, he had lots of friends. People like Sasuke-teme, Shino and Ino had been there, and people that he had never even heard about. He would have remembered the one with the bowl-cut, especially when you added those eyebrows.

As for the others…He had never even spoken to Shino, well he tried to, but it got boring when the larger boy told him that his suggestions were too chaotic and irrational. But still, he had been there, meaning just as much as his other 'friends'.

Neither had he ever gotten along with Sasuke, the genius bastard, who had been like a best friend in the dream. Strangely, he didn't feel what he usually did towards any of them. Usually, just thinking of Sasuke would make him irritated…but not today.

What was really different from any other dream however, was his dream girlfriend. It had been totally different from any other dream he had ever had involving a girl.

When he usually dreamt about a girl, it had always been Sakura. And those dreams nearly always had some sort of danger for him to save her from.

It was strange to think of Hinata in such a role. She was cute, true, but she always looked away when he saw her, and whenever he tried to talk to her, her voice would be little more then a whisper, making it hard to hear anything she said.

Dream Hinata however was very different from the one he knew. She was just as kind as the Hinata he knew, but she was much more open and outgoing. She was also older then she was now, and thinking about how close she had been to him in the dream almost made him blush.

There had been no danger, no peril to save people from. There had just been her and their friends, celebrating his birthday. It had felt so real, like he could just reach out and touch her hair and he could imagine her fresh flowery scent…it made him feel tingly all over.

Now, just the thought about the dark haired girl from class made him feel the same as on his first day at the academy. It felt like his belly was filled with fluttering butterflies and that there was no cloud in sight. It felt good, just like a fresh start.

With some difficulty, and regret, he pushed the thoughts away. He didn't have time to dwell on dreams today as he really needed to be on time. He didn't want to miss being assigned to a team after all.

A stray thought about teams brought back the sensation from his dream. There it had been him, Sakura and Sasuke…something he probably would have thought as both a blessing and a curse yesterday. Now…it really didn't sound all that bad.

With renewed effort, he shook the distracting thought away and got back to his morning routine. His previews attempt at suppressing the dream just made him double his effort, and he fared much better this time around.

He ate his breakfast in a hurry, not even checking his milk for anything green this time. He was sort of glad that he didn't taste much of it when he gulped it down, as it was a bit more…chewy than normal.

The t-shirt he'd decided to wear was waiting for him in the bathroom. He'd taken some time last night to attach the 'Uzumaki' swirl on the shoulder, but it wouldn't remain there if he had to spar against someone. It was only fastened with some thin thread, but it was the best he had time for last night.

If he wasn't such a fast healer, he would have more then just the few bloodstains around the patch to show for his effort, but that was life. He pulled the t-shirt on with little ceremony and proceeded to brush his teeth. He considered brushing his teeth the most important thing to do in the morning.

He still remembered the horror stories Hokage-Ojisan had told him about what happened to people that didn't brush their teeth (Which he had told Naruto after he discovered that the Hokage could remove his own teeth). What had really made an impression were the pictures he had shown him. Naruto shuddered at the thought of those dreaded photos; he had nightmares for weeks.

When he was done with everything that he needed to do, he picked up his hitai-ite and fastened it loosely around his neck. It did, as a matter of fact, make him look cooler, if that was even possible. It would also be perfect for protecting his throat if it was needed.

Naruto lingered a little in front of the mirror. He traced the lines of the leaf symbol with his finger and smiled. It was happening. He was actually a shinobi, a real shinobi. The first step towards his goal, too become the greatest Hokage ever.

/////////

Hinata entered the classroom with her eyes locked firmly on her feet. It was a habit she thought she had rid herself off months ago, but today she didn't care about her apparent relapse. He wouldn't be there today.

Naruto was the only one to not pass the genin exams this semester, and seeing him so downtrodden and depressed afterwards made the whole thing so much worse.

He had worked so hard and trained for hours on end, but it hadn't been enough. She had seen him practise after class several times, and whenever he didn't get something right, he would just get back to his feet and try again. That was the reason that she admired him so, the ability to always get back up and just try again, no matter what anyone said.

On the genin exam however, he didn't get a second chance, and thus he failed. He'd been so depressed after that, that Hinata couldn't help but feel like she should have failed as well. It wasn't something she should feel guilty about, that she knew, but it was one of those irrational feelings that you couldn't argue with. He had tried harder than she had, harder than anyone, so why shouldn't he also be allowed to pass?

Why couldn't they test them on the 'Henge no Jutsu' instead of the 'Bunshin no Jutsu'? She knew, without a doubt, that he would have passed that test easily.

She had seen him work on the transformation technique so many times, so much that he had perfected it to the point that he was probably the best in their class with that particular jutsu.

He was so familiar with it that he not only knew how to impersonate people flawlessly, he'd even started using it in his pranks, showing that he was able to utilize it properly as well.

Sadly, his perfection of the 'Henge' was on the cost of the 'Bunshin', which they had chosen to test them in. After all his hard work, it just wasn't fair that he should be the only one to fail.

With a depressed sigh she reasoned that, not looking for him wouldn't magically make him pass and appear in the classroom. She lifted her eyes from the floor and looked around the classroom. What she saw made her heart skip a beat.

Naruto was there…… and he was…waving at her. She didn't know why, or anything else at the moment, but she automatically averted her eyes, hiding the blush she felt blooming on her cheeks. Her feet automatically made their way towards her seat, while her lungs started working again with a considerable effort.

Unconsciously, she had started to tap her fingers together, trying desperately to regain focus as she quickly made her way to her usual seat on the back row. Her head was tingling with all sorts of questions and feelings. What was he doing here? Did he pass? Why was he waving at me? Should I have waved back? Did I upset him?

Just seeing him there made her happy, and her belly felt as if it was full of fluttering butterflies. The tingling sensation felt wonderful, even though it threatened to make her giggle uncontrollably. It was the visible blush she could do without, and she made an effort to hide it.

Taking a deep breath, she managed to calm herself enough to think things over more rationally. Naruto wouldn't have waved at her…would he? No, who would?

Wanting for an answer to her question, she dared a glance up from the desk. She noted that Sakura had entered behind her, so Naruto had probably been waving at her. The butterflies settled, and the light tingling was replaced by an uncomfortable hollow feeling in her gut. It was the same she got whenever he tried to ask Sakura for a date.

She watched as Sakura made her way over to where Naruto was now talking to another classmate. She observed with a sad heart as Sakaki walked away, and Sakura demanded that Naruto should move out of her way.

She knew how Naruto would react when Sakura was around. He would start to blush and comply. Then eventually, he would ask her for a date, which in turn would for some reason give her a bellyache.

His reaction this time however surprised her.

She couldn't hear what was said between them, but Naruto just looked at Sakura in confusion before turning towards the person seated on the other side of the bench.

With his head turned away from her, she couldn't see his expression, but as the person sitting there was Uchiha Sasuke, she could imagine that he was frowning. At least, that's what she thought at first, but some instinct told her she was wrong. Somehow, his body-language seemed light, more carefree then it normally did when he was near the number one student in class. It was as if there had never been any tension between them in the first place.

She didn't have time to think over it anymore though, as then the pink haired girl proceeded to trample over her idol, seating herself next to Sasuke.

Hinata lost focus at that point. She was afraid Naruto would see her staring at them, which he had done before, and think her even creepier than he already did.

What she'd seen didn't prove anything of course, but the small change in behaviour pattern was enough to make her imagination go crazy with ideas. 'He could have looked at me!' she thought to herself, she could hardly believe it.

She fought the thoughts back. It was no use getting worked up over nothing. It could easily have been anything else. After all, he didn't have any reason to notice her at all. She had done nothing to deserve his attention.

She knew that she was being silly, but Naruto was the person she admired more than anyone in the entire world. She could still remember the first day she'd seen him. He had been so strange in her eyes, and yet, he had been so amazing.

It had been her first day at the academy and she'd been terrified by the new experience. She was alone among people that had known each other for years. That had been terrifying by it self, but the added pressure of not embarrassing the clan was also a heavy burden.

It only got worse when they started testing their skills in front all the others students.

When they were to test their skills in the 'Bunshin no jutsu' for the first time, she had been so terrified that she'd actually felt herself tremble. She would be one of the last to try, but that was a small comfort, as people seemed to pass with no more then one or two tries each.

Then, it had been Naruto's turn. He walked up to their teachers, looking more confident than anyone. When he formed the seals however, only one sick looking clone appeared.

It was normal to fail the first try, even though the others usually didn't produce a thing when they failed, so he had been told to just try again, and again, and again, but it was always the same result. After five attempts, people had started to snicker, and some even started to laugh. Hinata however had been transfixed.

Naruto had become more and more frustrated at his lack of result, but he never gave up. He didn't start crying when people laughed. He never lost his confidence, even as he failed again and again. This display of failure after failure was amusing to the other students, but what Hinata had seen was bravery unlike any other.

In the end, he had imitated the sick look on the Bunshin, and been told to keep practising.

Seeing how he handled losing. Seeing how he never let his failure get to him, and just got back up, she could not help but admire him.

He was everything she wanted to be. He faced everything she was afraid of, but seemed to just shrug it off as if there was nothing to it. When her turn came, she was still terrified. On her first try, she produced nothing. Neither did she do anything on her second try.

She had started to lose her nerve, but the thought of how Naruto refused to give up, made her feel…like she could try again as well. On her third try, she produced a perfect Bunshin. It lasted only a couple of seconds, but it was enough to let her pass, and she knew that she owed it all to Naruto.

Was it any wonder that she became as fixated on the boy as she did? She had been so smitten that she actually sought out stories where the hero's name matched Naruto. She had done it on a whim, after school one day, and to her surprise, she found one book where the hero was named Naruto.

It was called 'The legend of the gutsy ninja', and it had been her favourite book ever since. Another surprise came when she read it and discovered that the hero was just like Naruto in character as well. Everything about hero's personality reminded her of the real Naruto.

It had only served to make her even more curious about the boy. That was also when she'd taken to following him after school. It was an act that she wasn't very proud of, but she couldn't resist.

Just seeing him train was enough to lift her spirit and make her forget her own failures. He would train for hours on end, never stopping until he managed to do what he tried to do right just once.

And even with little natural talent, just like her, he would not bow to taunts or critic. He would just laugh in its face and try again. He just would not give in.

Oh, how she wished she could be like him…even just a little bit.

////////

When Hinata seated herself…

Hinata's response caught Naruto off guard. She'd seen him waving at her, he was sure of it, but she'd broken eye contact so suddenly that he now found himself very unsure.

He watched as she hurriedly made her way back to her own seat, looking intently at her own feet while she pressed her fingers together. It was as if she tried her utmost not to show interest in him.

That thought hurt more then he would have liked to admit, but he was also strangely glad she didn't wave back at him at the time. When he'd seen her enter the classroom, he'd found it strangely hard to think straight, and he'd just waved at her automatically.

He didn't know what he would have done if she'd waved back, but a growing hollow feeling in his gut desperately wanted to know why she'd been so intent on not looking at him.

With a dawning realization he came to a terrible conclusion. She didn't want anything to do with him. It made sense. They had never actually talked that much. And the times they had, she made sure that she didn't look directly at him. Maybe he disgusted her…like he did with so many grownups.

The notion that Hinata could actually hate him felt, unreal. The track his thoughts had taken brought a lump to his throat and the hollow feeling was replaced by a deep pit where his stomach should have been. 'Doe's she hate me like so many others do?' Just the thought of her hating him made him feel sick.

What should he do?

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down. It didn't matter if she hated him now. Everyone hated him now (Not Iruka-sensei, Hokage-Ojisan, Teuchi-Ojisan or Ayame-Oneesan, but most others did), But he would change that.

He would do anything to try and get her attention, no matter how long it would take. One thing was for certain, he would not give up. He would never give up!

He couldn't just ask her out however, that hadn't worked with Sakura, so why would it work with Hinata? He quickly realized that he was making excuses not to ask her out. It wasn't that he didn't want to ask her out, he really did…it was just a sneaking fear of failure and 'what ifs'. What if she said no? What if she thought him a loser?

He needed to think, needed to understand and take things one step at a time. Maybe I should try to get to know her first…and try to win her heart form there?

His thoughts were interrupted by a classmate leaning over him. "What are you doing here Naruto? This is only for real shinobi," he informed Naruto with what he probably thought was an intimidating voice.

Sakaki was one of the less attentive students in class, but somehow he had managed to pass his exam just like all the others. Sakaki was also an opportunist in every sense of the words. He would try and act tough when he had something going, but usually, he was all talk and no bite.

Naruto leaned back and lifted the hitai-ite from around his neck so the 'tough guy wannabe' could see it clearly. "I am a real shinobi, see?" he grinned. He enjoyed the way Sakaki suddenly seemed less sure of himself. The boy's face went form surprised, to angry, to uncertainty.

Luckily that was all he was prepared to argue, and he just left without saying anything else. Naruto was happy about that. It wasn't often he had the benefit of winning a disagreement with others, and even less often was the times when it was they who left speechless. Usually it would be him that would argue wrong and make a fool out of himself, one way or another.

Caught up in his own small victory, he didn't even notice Sakura approach. "Get out of the way, Baka! I'm going to sit with Sasuke-kun!" she demanded, disrupting Naruto from his thoughts. In his surprise, he only looked confused at Sakura, and the only intelligent thing he thought to say was the word "Huh?"

Collecting his thoughts, he turned his head around to see why exactly Sakura wanted to sit next to him, when she clearly said that she wanted to sit next to Sasuke. The genius was there. Sitting with his hands folded in front of his mouth, looking directly at the blackboard, as if he was ignoring the entire world.

He didn't have time to say anything, or get clear so Sakura could pass, as the girl in question proceeded to climb over him, not even trying to be careful.

As he was being trampled he heard Sakura say "Good morning Sasuke-kun! Is this seat taken?" in an all too sweet voice that was completely at odds with her violent act.

She settled herself between Naruto and Sasuke, but the boy which held Sakura's interest didn't even bother to look at her. It bothered him that the Uchiha had been able to seat himself without him noticing, but he quickly realized that he was more irritated by his own slip then he was about Sasuke sitting there.

It was also strange to realize that he didn't feel more then mild affection towards the pink haired girl. He wasn't angry with her at all for the manhandling he'd just received, and neither was he jealous of the way she was ogling Sasuke. It would appear that he really was over his crush on her.

Actually, he could not even imagine asking her out anymore. The thought just felt…wrong, and it wasn't just because she was totally focused on the brooding genius. Sakura looked like she was about to start drooling from the way she stared at the rookie of the year. Only the occasional giggle made it clear that there still were some sort of mental function going on.

Personally, Naruto never liked Sasuke that much. He was arrogant, unfriendly and never helpful. What really edged Naruto about Sasuke however was that he didn't seem to even try when they learned something new. Everything they did seemed to come way too easily for the genius. It was something Naruto would never understand.

Strangely, he didn't feel much hostility towards the arrogant teme. The dream he'd had seemed so real, and that Sasuke was, if not overly friendly, still his friend. Sasuke noticed Naruto looking at him, "What do you want?" he asked glaring in Naruto's direction.

Before Naruto had time to think of an excuse however, Sakura pointed innocently at herself and asked in that sweet voice, designed to show innocent interest, "Me?"

She provided the perfect excuse for Naruto, and he wasted no time, silently mouthing the word 'That', before Sasuke had time to correct her. It was bad enough to be caught staring, and at a boy no less.

With a smile he leaned back in his seat, rather proud about what he had just done. Sakura and Sasuke were together in the dream, and they had seemed happy. Why not get them together in real life as well?

Sasuke, seeing that Naruto was not going to elaborate, just dismissed the whole thing, ignoring Sakura altogether.

The class calmed down when Iruka entered the classroom. Naruto was probably the only one to notice that their teacher was still not fully recovered; then again, he was probably the only one that knew about the injuries.

He could still see some bandages around Iruka's neck, and the sight made his stomach contract a little bit.

The chuunin was carrying just a piece of paper and not the usual pile he usually dragged with him to class. He walked to the desk and turned to face the centre of the classroom. He placed both hands behind his back before he started to talk, "From this day forward, you are no longer students at this academy," he began. "You are now full fledged shinobi."

He raised a hand to stall the building noise. When they were quiet again he continued, "But among shinobi, you are mere novices, genin. The lowest of the low," he paused a little to let the message sink in. "Your greatest challenges all lie ahead."

He stopped once more for theatrical effect. Probably a side effect of having the attention of the whole class for the first time in years. "The next step is the assignment of official duties to you all on behalf of the village."

He seemed to be loosing some of the less attentive students at this point, but noted to his surprise that Naruto was actually listening. As for the others that were not, the next bit would certainly change that. It always did.

"We will begin by dividing you into three-man cells," he stated louder then before. As he had guessed, several heads came up from their station on their desk when he said it.

"Each of which will be mentored by a Jônin, a more senior ninja who will guide and coach you as you become familiar with your assignments."

This was received with silence. The students looked like they were going through mental lists of who they wanted to be on teams with, and Iruka did not look forward to crushing their expectations.

He noted that Naruto glanced towards the back of the class. As if on cue, Hyuga Hinata's head dropped enough that Iruka was unable to see her face properly. Naruto then proceeded to slump over his desk, as if disappointed by the girl's reaction. Hinata had started to press her fingers together like she usually would when she was nervous.

That was something to remember the next time he would treat the boy ramen, but first he needed to crush some dreams. It wasn't a pleasant thing to do but it was better to just get it over with.

"I made the selection so that each cell's abilities would be approximately equal," was all he managed to say before the protests and outrage was sent flying.

Naruto was just as outraged as the rest of the class, mostly because there weren't that many he would like to be on the same team with. Sakura was a given, he liked her, as a friend; more surprising was that he would also want to be on the same team as Sasuke. They had been team-mates in the dream, hadn't they? And that looked like it was going well. Even so, mostly he would like to be on the same team as Hinata.

His mind wandered and he missed who was on the first teams. When Iruka started on the second he thought about whom else he would have no problem being placed on team with.

Kiba, Chouji and Shikamaru would be fun. He had nothing against Shino, but he hadn't really understood him, not even in the dream. Dream-Ino was much like her real counterpart, noisy and bossy, but he thought she would be nice enough. It would be fun to have someone to argue with.

Even so, his thoughts kept drifting back to Hinata.

If he was placed on the same team as her, he would see her every day. He would have lots of chances to get to know her, and she would get used to him eventually. It would be perfect. Anyone else would be fine, as long as he ended on the same team as Hinata.

Even as he was thinking how great it would be if he ended on the same team as the once that had been in his dream, he was totally unprepared for what came next.

When he heard Iruka say the words, "Team seven" and "Haruno Sakura" his ears perked up. When he proceeded to say "Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto's jaw nearly hit the desk. Could it be? To his left he noticed Sakura's shoulders drop in defeat, but he didn't care. "And Uchiha Sasuke," Iruka finished.

Naruto didn't believe it. He didn't even notice Sakura's victory punch right next to him. He was downright shocked to have a dream come true, literally.

He wasn't disappointed with his new team, but he still wished that he'd been put on a team with Hinata. Iruka continued to name Team eight, and a part of Naruto's brain that was still functioning complimented Kiba and Shino for being so lucky as to end up with Hinata. He was a little sad that he wasn't one of them, but at least she would be with friendly people. Well, they were friendly in the dream…

His own team however, was still his main focus and with some effort he turned his head towards Sasuke and Sakura. His expression was quickly noted by both of them, as it resembled very much that of a goldfish. Sasuke only glared back at him, "Just don't get in my way," he said threateningly.

That sentence was enough to snap Naruto out of the daze he was in. He didn't shout back, just turned his head away and pouted irritably. He was disappointed by Sasuke's response, not angry. It was the first time he actually didn't feel like shouting back at someone that talked down on him for a very long time. It just didn't appeal at the moment.

"Ok everyone. I'll be introducing your senior Jônin instructors this afternoon. Until then, you're dismissed!" Iruka finished. Naruto had missed who the other teams would be, but he noted that Chouji and Shikamaru, who were seated a couple of benches ahead of him seemed happy enough. Well, Chouji was anyway, so they probably ended on the same team

/////////

As recess came, Naruto didn't know what to do. Hinata seemed to be in a hurry to get out the door after her new team-mates. It made sense he supposed, but a lingering thought that she was trying to avoid him would not leave him.

Sakura was on her way out the door as well, along with the rest of Sasuke's fan club. The genius had already left when Iruka told them they were dismissed.

It was sad to see how the people he'd dreamt about acting so differently in real life, but that was probably just because he wanted too see what he had dreamt. After all, they weren't acting much different than any other day, except maybe different groups.

Everyone was gathering in their selected teams so they could eat together. He noted that Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji were walking together. Chouji and Ino had looked happy together in the dream, so he could not help but smile for them to be on the same team.

It would seem that everyone he recognised in the dream had ended up on teams with one another. It made him feel a little bit uneasy for some strange reason. Not the team selection, just the dream about it.

He wrote it of as educated guesses made in his sleep. After all, there were other people in the dream as well. People that he had never even heard about or seen, it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him.

Even so, he was a little jealous that the others were going to have lunch together with their own teams, while his team had no such plans. Too bad he was on a team where people didn't want anything to do with one another. Well, the others didn't want anything to do with him.

Naruto furiously murdered that thought. He wasn't the sort of person too feel sorry for himself. Living alone for several years had taught him that self-pity did nothing but make things worse then they actually were.

If he was to be on the same team as the arrogant teme and his former crush, he might as well try to make the best of it. 'I am going to make friends with my new team, no matter the cost!' With that thought he got up to try and find his team.

When he got outside, he noticed that the mob of fan girls seemed to have scattered. Some was looking for something among the trees that was spread throughout the academy area. Others were running back and forth between the few buildings that also was school property. It didn't take a genius to guess 'what' they were looking for.

Naruto had to shake his head at their behaviour. 'Of course he's not hiding himself at the academy grounds,' he thought to himself. Sasuke used to eat by himself two buildings down the road.

He and Kiba had made a habit of tracking him down from time to time, just to give the location to his groupies whenever they felt like teaching him a lesson for showing off. Naruto had to admit that Kiba was much better at finding the genius then he was, but he wasn't too bad himself.

He didn't see Sakura anywhere, until he made his way down the road towards Sasuke. He spotted his female team-mate sitting by herself on one of the stone benches lined along a path, leading towards the trade district. She looked a bit sad where she sat, eating alone, and Naruto had to think twice about who he was to talk to first.

After a short internal debate he settled on Sasuke. He now knew where Sakura was, so if Sasuke wasn't where he was supposed to be, then he knew where he would go next. He hurried towards his destination, just in case Sakura decided that she wanted to move before he got back.

He found the genius, exactly where he thought he would be. He was standing in front of an open window on the second floor of a storage building, so Naruto decided that he would try and surprise him. After all, who didn't like surprises?

He darted into the building and made his way up to the room behind Sasuke. Silently he crept inside and over to the window. Sasuke didn't seem to notice him at all. He was still eating his lunch, oblivious too Naruto.

With an effort of will, Naruto managed to not think of his own lunch that was still resting in one of his pockets. His stomach was the only part of his body that would openly sabotage him every time stealth was required.

He stood up slowly and leaned on the window frame, still unnoticed by Sasuke. The genius seemed too occupied with keeping a lookout for his fan club to even notice Naruto…or so he thought.

"What do you want?" Sasuke inquired in a rather irritated voice without turning around. It was clear that he wasn't happy about having his lunch interrupted and his tone made it clear that Naruto should be quick about it.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I thought that since we're suppose to be on the same team…you know…we should try to burry the hatchet, so to speak," he answered with the best smile he could muster.

Sasuke turned around to look at him for a second, and then he just turned back and made to leave. "As I told you before, just leave me alone and don't get in my way."

With those words, Sasuke jumped away, leaving Naruto alone once more.

Naruto had to fight his own impulse to shout after the arrogant bastard. How on earth could he ever think that he could ever be friends with that teme?

But even as he thought about it, he knew that he was more irritated on Sasuke then angry. Was this because of the dream? It felt like Sasuke was just trying to deal with something and wanted peace, and weird as it sounded, Naruto could sort of understand that.

Now that he'd tried with the first one, he took off in the direction of the other. Before jumping off the roof, he noticed Shikamaru and his team eating on a landing, on the building opposite from where he stood. They were two floors higher up, but they still saw him. He waved at them, but Chouji was the only one to wave back.

He knew Shikamaru well enough to know that he was way to lazy to do anything unnecessary, so he wasn't surprised that he didn't wave back. Then he headed over to the bench where he'd seen Sakura eat her lunch. However when he caught sight of her, she was talking with Sasuke as he passed by.

Not wanting to interrupt their conversation, Naruto lingered behind a corner for a while. Sasuke wasn't interested in talking to him, but if Sakura got him talking, that would be good for him, wouldn't it? After all, company was what helped Naruto get over the 'Mizuki' incident.

After a minute or two, he looked around the corner to see if they were still talking. To his disappointment, Sasuke had left, and Sakura was looking even more depressed then she had before. She rested her head on her arms and her lunch was just sitting there by her side, nearly untouched.

Just the sight of her made Naruto a bit nervous about talking to her. When Sakura looked like that, it was usually best to just let her be, in his experience. No, he needed to at least try.

As he jogged up to her he called out, "Hey Sakura-chan! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Sakura raised her head to look at him with wide eyes, startled by his greeting. She seemed to bite back her first response before she answered him. "Yeah, sure. What'd you want to talk about?" The way she said it, made it sound somewhat forced. As if she really didn't want to talk to anyone, but were still going to try.

Naruto was unsure why she was so friendly towards him. Usually she would snap out some accusation or rude dismissal. "Eh, I thought since we are going to be on the same team, that we might as well be able to talk a little, if that's ok?" he responded, a little unsure of himself.

After a moment she just nodded, much to his surprise. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked as he seated himself on the opposite side of the bench.

Naruto took out his lunch before answering. He really hadn't thought of that. "Eh, I tried to talk to Sasuke earlier, but he wouldn't talk to me. Have you spoken to him?" Naruto began, knowing that they had.

He realized that it was the wrong approach, as Sakura's mood instantly darkened. It would seem that whatever they'd talked about was none of his business.

As the moment dragged on, Naruto found the silence more and more uncomfortable. As he unpacked his lunch, a sandwich and some orange-juice, he thought over what subjects he could try. "So, eh, what'd you think our Jônin sensei will be like?" he tried. It wasn't the most engaging subject, but Naruto wasn't used to talking to girls at all. Who knew what they would want to talk about?

Sakura took a deep breath and regained her focus on the here and now. "I don't know what kind of sensei we will have," she replied, seemingly not too keen on the subject.

After a while, she looked over at him with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry Naruto…I have a lot on my mind right now. I need some time to think, ok? Can we talk about this another time?" she asked silently. It was clear that she wanted to be alone, but still tried to be civil about it.

He was surprised that she was this polite, even when she really didn't want to be there, so he just smiled kindly and nodded an answer to her question. Whatever Sasuke and Sakura had talked about, it sure had made some changes. He halfway wondered if Sasuke also would have been changed after their conversation. "Maybe Sasuke isn't that bad after all?" he thought to himself as he watched her leave.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by his stomach. It was roaring like an animal and Naruto now knew that some of the food he had eaten must have been bad.

There was a time and a place for thinking, and a time and a place for action, Naruto had to hurry to get too the latter.

////////

After recess, Hinata spent her time watching Naruto form her seat. He was acting differently today then he usually would. He hadn't tried to ask Sakura out on a date even once that she'd noted.

More noticeable however was that he had yet to work himself up over anything, not even when Sasuke told him to stay out of his way. She had succumbed to using her Byakugan and read their lips for a second and caught some of what had been said.

All he'd done was turn away and pout (the adorable childish pout). She had to turn her head down towards her desk when she thought about how cute Naruto could be. It was an automatic movement to hide her blush. When she looked down towards Naruto's seat, she was surprised to meet his eyes again.

She was stunned, dazed even. Only the familiar feeling of her blushing cheeks made her lower her eyes towards the desk once more. She pushed her fingers together in an effort to keep calm. It was a childish habit that helped her to keep focus when she was unsure of herself.

When she dared to look up again, Naruto had turned around, and seemed slumped over his desk. Was he sad about something? Maybe Sakura-san turned him down?

Iruka came in through the door, followed by nine other shinobi. If Hinata had guessed right, this would be their Jônin-sensei's.

"Be quiet children," Iruka started. "One of these people," he indicated the other nine shinobi with one hand," will be your new sensei in your time as genin."

He paused to make sure that they were paying attention to what he was saying. As there were no interruptions he continued, "Every team will be assigned to their own sensei that will from now on be responsible for your training. Listen to what they say and do not disrespect them. They are in effect both your team leader and your immediate superior."

He started listing up all the teams, starting with team one. Hinata's thoughts were only half-way listening, as she occupied herself by looking at the back of Naruto's head.

This was probably the last she would see of him for some time, and it was hard to not give away her sorrow at the thought. The only comfort was that they were in the same line of work, so, one day, maybe they would work together.

It was a small thing to hope for, she knew, but it was more or less realistic. That was, if she didn't mess it up too badly. Silently scolding herself for thinking like that, she decided that she wouldn't let that happen. She would work hard, just like Naruto would. She would not give up.

Iruka's voice brought her back to reality, when team six moved down towards their sensei.

"Now, team seven's sensei will be, Hatake Kakashi."

Silence followed Iruka's words. None of the other jônin's seemed too surprised or particularly worried about one of them being missing. "Well, I'm sure that he'll turn up sooner or later," Iruka added, probably because he wanted to get on with team assignment.

Hinata was a little out of it as well, but only for a second or two.

"Ok, team eight's sensei will be Yuuhi Kurenai."

A tall woman in some very strange clothing took a step forward. Hinata was struck by how confident she looked, and how strange her appearance was.

She was dressed in some strange white and black jacket that seemed to be made of a long, white fabric with a black line in the middle, about as wide as a paper napkin, loosely wrapped around her body to form a jacket. The only thing that resembled usual clothing was her sandals, her hitai-ite, and a red sleeve on her right arm, that somewhat pulled attention away from the confusing outfit. The other sleeve was bare. Her hair seemed almost wild and strands of if stood out here and there, making it look messy, but the way it moved when she did, said otherwise. Her eyes seemed to consist of two separate layers of red, making her overall appearance both stand out and disorienting.

Their eyes met, and suddenly Hinata remembered that she had seen this woman before. On her first day at the academy, she had been the special Jônin that had escorted her to the school grounds. She'd been dressed differently then, in a simple Jônin vest and dark pants. Hinata felt a little guilty for not recognising her right away.

As Hinata made her way down the side of the classroom, with her other two team-mates, Yuuhi Kurenai smiled at them. "Follow me please," was all she said when they reached her. Without any other words she led them out of the room. Hinata was the last one to leave and just as she went out the door and took a last look back, she met Naruto's eyes once more.

It made her legs go wobbly and she could feel the blush coming. Even so, she couldn't hide her shy smile properly as she turned away to catch up with her team-mates. She remembered her own promise. She would work hard and do her best. Just like Naruto would.

Back in the classroom, Naruto had noticed the smile and felt the butterfly effect in high gear. She may have looked away as she always did, but she smiled, and what a cute smile it was.

////////

Naruto was getting more and more agitated by how late their sensei was. It had been nearly a half-hour since Iruka left, and in effect, that would have been the end of detention, on a regular school day. Why was their sensei so late?

He was starting to get hungry again too, and there was no conversation in the other two. Well, Sakura-chan was trying to talk to Sasuke-teme, but she didn't seem to make much progress.

He'd tried once or twice to talk to them, but Sasuke had only told him to shut up, and Sakura had said that she was busy talking with Sasuke.

At long last he got out of his seat. He needed to move around.

He walked over to the blackboard, to see if there was something he could use, anything. He needed something to do.

"Stop it Naruto," he heard Sakura say. Both Sasuke and Sakura were looking at him in annoyance. He was fiddling, and it seemed to annoy them.

"Why are we the only cell whose teacher hasn't shown up yet?" he asked back at them. "All the other teams have already gone off with their teachers. Even Iruka-sensei has gone!"

He resumed his scavenger hunt with an irritated sigh. Sadly, all the chalk was taken by the teachers when class ended. It had been like that since Naruto had used them on all the seats in the classroom during his second year. That had been a good prank.

What the teachers did leave was the chalk eraser, covered in chalk dust. With that, inspiration struck. He moved a chair over too the door. It was the sliding type, all the indoor door's at the academy was.

He took the eraser and placed it between the door and the wall, making a nice trap, of the good old classic type.

"Hey! What are you up to Naruto," he heard Sakura say as he made the finishing touch to his booby trap.

He jumped down from the chair he had stood on before her replied, "It is his own fault for making us wait!" She had no doubt already seen what he was up to, so there was no need to explain.

Sakura huffed in annoyance, "Grow up! I want no part of it."

Sasuke, who had yet to rise from his seat, just looked at Naruto with a bored expression. "There's no way a superior shinobi would fall for such a simple trap," he commented.

Naruto scowled in annoyance and turned towards him. "Well I don't see you doing anything, genius." He added the last part with a little sarcasm. He was getting fed up with how Sasuke acted towards both him and Sakura.

Behind Naruto the door creaked open and the eraser hit the masked person that entered right on top of his head.

Naruto however didn't notice, and just continued talking. "I mean, you haven't done anything but brooding all day," he ranted on. His patience with the Uchiha genius had been tested, and he had not resorted to shouting at all. He needed an outlet.

The masked shinobi, whom had just entered, didn't say anything. He only raised an eyebrow in what could easily be a questioning look.

Sasuke and Sakura had gone quiet as well. Both because their new sensei had arrived, and they were a little disappointed, and because Naruto had not noticed.

"I mean, instead of just being negative, couldn't you try to contribute something? If my trap is that bad, why don't you show me how it is done?" Naruto turned around to point at the eraser, so he could continue his complaint.

His finger found the eraser, perched on top of chalk covered, masked head. He wasn't prepared to come face to face with an unnervingly familiar face…that he had never seen before, so his rant stopped dead in its tracks.

The shinobi scratched the back of his head, making chalk-dust fall from his hair, along with the eraser. "Well, this is a nice start. I think we'll get along, like oil and water," he said with a smile.

///////

Five humiliating minutes later, they had moved to the roof.

Kakashi settled himself on the railing, while the newly made genin seated themselves on a couple of steps, leading to a wind-protected area intended for the study of trees. Naruto was seated to the left of Sasuke, and Sakura had placed herself on the Uchiha's right.

Not one to beat around the bush, Kakashi began. "Now, I would like you all to tell a little about yourselves."

At first he was met with silence. Until Sakura asked the question, "Like what?"

"You know. The usual…your favourite things…what you hate most… Dreams, ambitions, hobbies. You know….things like that."

Again he was met with silence, until Naruto chipped in, "Help us out here sensei. You go first, show us how it's done."

Sakura gain some courage after Naruto started talking. After all, it is a widely known fact that no one wants to be first to talk about something with a teacher. "That's right…after all, you're a complete stranger to us…a mystery."

Sasuke stayed quiet.

"Oh…me?" Kakashi started with a perfectly blank face. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I'm the sort of person that doesn't feel like talking about his likes or dislikes. My dreams for the future are…well…I have lots of hobbies…." His face didn't show any sign of it being a joke.

Sakura was the one to say it, "He said a lot…but all we learned was his name…" Naruto nodded in agreement. This teacher was something else from what they were used to. He looked bored, but not like the other teachers did. He just didn't seem that interested.

"Well, now it is your turn. Starting with the one on the right," Kakashi said, nodding towards Naruto.

Naruto straightened himself, and began talking, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! What I like is instant cup-ramen! What I like even better is when Iruka-sensei treats me to ramen at Ichiraku's ramen stand! What I hate is the three minutes it takes before the ramen is ready after pouring in the boiling water." He started fiddling with his hitai-ite while he talked.

Kakashi seemed to either get very bored or really tired as Naruto talked. Naruto didn't notice that, but he did pause for a second or two and continued with more determination. "My dream is to one day become a better shinobi then the Hokage! Then all the villagers will have to acknowledge my existence!"

Kakashi's eye opened a bit more, but that's all the reaction the masked man seemed willing to give.

"My hobbies are pranks and practical jokes," Naruto finished.

Kakashi scratched his head where the eraser had hit him, "I see…next."

Sasuke didn't move, but started talking. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are plenty of things I dislike, but I don't see that it matters, considering there is almost nothing I like. It seems pointless to talk about dreams, that is just a word…but what I do have is an ambition. I plan to restore my clan. And there is someone…I have sworn to kill."

By the end, the atmosphere had gone cold. No one said a word, but even Kakashi had adopted a serious expression. Considering he was wearing a mask and his hitai-ite covered his left eye that said something.

Naruto didn't know why, but Sasuke's words sent chills down his spine. The words was scary, true, but it was something deeper then that. He couldn't explain it; he just instinctively knew that it would lead to something terrible.

Sakura's eyes however, were filled with admiration. As if Sasuke's 'cool' factor had just been raised to a new level.

The mood was lifted when Kakashi, at long last broke the silence, "And finally…the young lady," signalling for Sakura to begin.

Sakura blushed slightly and glanced over at Sasuke before she started. "I am Haruno Sakura. My favourite thing is…well it's not a thing, it's a person. A boy…and that boy is…hum…" she looked over at Sasuke and blushed.

"Lets move on to my dream," in stead of telling them her dream, Sakura blushed and squealed in delight. Naruto couldn't help but wonder if Sakura might have a perverted side to her as well, from the way she was acting. The next thing Sakura said broke Naruto's line of thought completely.

"I hate…Naruto!"

Naruto's jaw dropped. He thought she was nicer now. What she and Sasuke had talked about earlier seemed to have worn off, and now she was back to her old self. He could only hope that they would talk again soon. He liked friendly Sakura much better.

After a while, Kakashi told them that it was enough.

"I believe we all understand one another. Formal training begins tomorrow."

Naruto perked up. This was what he had been waiting for. With a salute he asked the question on every ones mind, a bit louder then the other two would have of course. "Yes sir! What will our duties be?!" Inside, he was even more ecstatic. This would be his first real mission.

Neither Kakashi's voice nor expression changed. "Our first project will only involve member of this cell." He started.

After a small pause he looked at them and said, "Survival exercise."

He was met with uncomfortable silence once more. Again it was Naruto who broke it, "Survival exercise…?"

Sakura, once more being the one to ask the real question noted, "…But why would that be a mission? Our school days were full of survival training!"

"But you'll have to survive…against me. It won't be your typical practice," Kakashi replied.

Naruto didn't say anything, but he suddenly got a weird feeling in his gut. There was something that Kakashi had yet to tell them.

"What kind of practice will it be?" Sakura inquired after a short pause.

Kakashi stayed silent for a couple of seconds before he asked, "You sure you want to know?"

He was answered with nods from two of the Genin. Sasuke had yet to contribute anything.

"Of the twenty-seven members of your graduating class, only nine will actually be accepted as junior-level shinobi. The other eighteen must go back for more training," Kakashi informed them. He placed his head in his palm, with his fingers shading his visible eye. The effect was surprisingly intimidating.

"The test we're about to perform has a sixty-six percent rate of failure."

No one said anything after that. There was suddenly a weight in the air that hadn't been there a minute ago. Even Sasuke looked nervous about the prospects of failing.

After the shocked silence, Naruto was the first to attack the new information. "What about our graduation test?!" he shouted. "Was all that work for nothing?!"

Even as the words left his mouth, he knew that they weren't really true. A small portion of his mind was arguing vividly, that no amounts of work could be a waste of time, and the lessons learned would always be worth the trouble, but at the moment he was too worked up to really listen to it.

Kakashi, oblivious to Naruto's internal debate continued on as he would, "Oh! We wanted to eliminate all the hopeless cases from your ranks. The ones who are left are the only students who show true potential."

Naruto didn't reply, but several thoughts were fighting him as Kakashi continued to tell them what the exercise would involve.

Naruto was thinking of Hinata. Would she fail? Somehow he doubted it. She would probably beat any test that was sent her way with ease. He just knew that he needed to make genin if he were to see her again, let alone, look her in the eyes.

He was so occupied with his own thoughts that he only caught the end, when Kakashi told them not to eat any breakfast, because they would only throw it up again. 'Not eating breakfast?' That sounded horrible.

Kakashi move towards them and took out tree pieces of paper. "The details of your assignment are in this handout. Memorize it…and don't be late!"

Naruto took the paper and tried to read it. To his horror, it was all written in kanji, something he always had trouble reading before. But that was just it. He'd had trouble reading it before, now he managed to read it easily. He understood every symbol, every sentence at first glance. When he looked up, their teacher was gone.

"Eh… where did he go?" he asked the other two.

Sasuke didn't answer; he only grunted and walked away. He had curled the paper into a paper ball, having already memorized it. Sakura followed close behind him. "Maybe we could train a little Sasuke-kun?" she suggested timidly, getting ignored just like before.

"Hey! Hey, wait up!" Naruto shouted as he made to follow.

Sakura whirled on him, anger burning in her eyes. "Go away Naruto! Sasuke-kun and I want to be left alone!"

When she was done shouting, Sasuke had disappeared.

She seemed genuinely confused at first, and then all her attention was back on Naruto with a vengeance. "This is all you're fault!"

He was actually really scared of her when she got like this. Stars would usually follow close after, as Sakura packed on hell of a punch.

Surprisingly, no stars appeared. Sakura just took a deep breath, and left without saying anything, leaving Naruto to get his heartbeat back on track.

Sakura had been really weird today. First she'd nearly pummelled him when she wanted to sit near Sasuke. And then she had been nice and polite when he talked to her during recess, after her talk with Sasuke. And then she was back to hating him.

Was all girls like that? He was actually getting even more worried about asking Hinata out. What if she was the same? He didn't believe that Hinata would punch as hard as Sakura did, but for some reason, he didn't think she needed to. The whole Hinata situation somehow just got more complicated then it already was.

Even so, he wouldn't give up…just take it a bit slower.

/////////

It was evening when Naruto finally got to Ichiraku's for supper.

"Hello Naruto-kun, how'd it go?" Teuchi asked when his favourite customer seated himself.

"Hello Ojisan, I don't think it went that well," Naruto answered. "Can I have some miso ramen please?"

Ayame came in through the backdoor of the stand, carrying several newly cleaned kitchen ornaments. "Oh, Hello Naruto-kun, how'd it go last night? Did you learn anything good?" she asked.

Teuchi chipped in before Naruto could answer, "Don't worry about it Naruto. I'm sure that you did your best, no matter what that shinobi said"

Ayame only took a second or two before she caught on to what her father meant, "As long as you did your best, that is good enough," she said reassuringly.

Naruto got a bit confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked as Teuchi went to work on the ramen.

"The jutsu, that Ebisu fellow was supposed to teach you, yesterday. Didn't you promise to tell us all about it?" the ramen chef replied, not even put off track by the misunderstanding. "What was it you were talking about?"

Ayame seemed to catch on to her fathers meaning faster then Naruto would ever have done, as she too seemed to keep with the subject, even if she missed the start of the conversation. "That you did Naruto, now, how'd it go?"

Naruto took a moment to realize that they had changed subject before he started to tell them about what he had learned. It was nice to have someone to talk to when you lived alone, and Teuchi and Ayame had always time to listen. He told them about how Ebisu had defied gravity, and just walked up the tree, as if it were nothing. He considered lying about his own attempt, but decided against it. If there were someone that deserved the truth, it surely was these two.

"It was so hard. I mean, I fell like a thousand times trying to do it, but I haven't got it yet," he finished. A thousand times was a little exaggerated, he knew, but it was the feeling that counted. "I only managed to do sixteen steps before I fell down today."

Teuchi placed the order in front of Naruto. Smiling kindly he said, "Don't worry about it Naruto, you'll get it in the end."

"Thanks Ojisan, Itadakimasu!"

"By the way Naruto, what'd you mean when you said that it didn't go so well?" Teuchi inquired as Naruto ate.

Naruto looked up and was about to answer when Ayame chipped inn, "Don't talk with your mouth full."

Naruto obeyed automatically, and swallowed the noodles before talking. "Thanks Oneesan," he smiled at her, before answering Teuchi. "I was talking about the team assignment today."

"What happened today Naruto?" the ramen chef asked, leaning over on the counter.

"I'm not sure. We just didn't get along I guess," replied Naruto after gulping down another mouthful. "I was placed on a team with Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan."

Teuchi raised a questioning eyebrow. "I thought you liked that Sakura girl?"

"Yeah, eh, I did. I mean, I do, but not like that…anymore. I like…eh…I mean…" Naruto tried to explain. Ayame who had let her father talk decided that Naruto needed to be rescued from what she liked to call, the inquisitive parent.

"Leave him alone Otousan, no need to try and embarrass Naruto while he eats," she said as she placed a glass of water in front of Naruto. "Let him tell us how it was without interruption."

Teuchi just smiled and nodded.

Ayame still remembered how it was like the first time she a crush on someone. Her father wouldn't shout, not tell her not to be with him, and just ask calm questions. It was rather effective really. She had been too ashamed to even look at the boy for nearly a week afterwards, for no reason at all.

After a few seconds, and another mouthful of ramen, Naruto proceeded to tell the ramen making duo about his team-mates, how they were and how they acted. He told them about his new teacher and how he had introduced himself; all the while they just listened. That was, until he told them about the survival exercise that they were going to go through the next day. Specifically, the advice Kakashi had given them to not eat breakfast.

"He told you what?" Teuchi asked with a little trace of outrage detectable in his voice. He waved his hand in the air, gesturing that Naruto didn't need to repeat what he'd just said. "Breakfast is the keystone for a good day Naruto. It gives you the energy you need to get started."

Ayame nodded her agreement. "You know what? If what you said is exactly what he said, then he didn't really order you not to eat, he just told you that it is a bad idea. Now listen to us Naruto, we may not be ninja, but we are chefs. That means that we know about food. And trust me when I say, if what you'll be doing is hard enough to make you throw up, then you will need something to start the day with."

She moved to the back of the stand and reached for something in a paper bag on the floor. She came back with three oranges and placed them on the counter in front of Naruto, who in turn, only regarded them with suspicion.

"These are good for keeping you energy up Naruto, without leaving much to throw up again. Now, you will eat one or two of these, tomorrow morning," she ordered him. It wasn't a stern voice, just firm. Even so, the familiar tone was enough to stop any arguments on Naruto's part. "Don't worry Naruto, they taste great and they're not vegetables. They're fruit."

Teuchi, who had been looking at his daughter's little outburst of care for Naruto was smiling. He'd always been proud of his daughter, and this little scene showed one of the many reasons why. He decided that he needed to go by her example as well.

"Now supper on the other hand," drawing both teen and preteen's attention. "Eat a lot before you go to bed. You'll digest better when you sleep. If you don't use too much energy before you go to bed tonight, you should feel less hungry when you wake up."

Naruto was looking wide eyed at Teuchi and his daughter. They'd just told him to not take his new sensei's advice, and practically ordered him to eat before the test. If he hadn't trusted them completely, he would have thought that they were giving him bad advice. But as things would have it, he did trust them.

He had nothing against eating a large supper, that part sounded rather pleasant. The oranges on the other hand…he was less sure about. Even so, Ayame had told him to eat some of them before the test, and he would. If they left little to throw up again, then that teacher wouldn't have anything to scold him for.

"Oh, and Naruto…" Ayame chipped in. "Don't stay up and practice tonight."

Naruto was amazed. "How'd you know I planned to train!?"

Ayame just shook her head lightly. "You always stay up and train before something big, silly. You always have."

Naruto didn't know what to say. He never really realized how much the ramen making pair knew. It made him happy. He could still remember the dream about the white haired man, but even if he told him that secrecy was a ninja's greatest weapon, it still felt really good to have someone knowing him.

"Thank you," he said in a weak but happy voice. He was getting a little overwhelmed by his own emotions.

Ayame glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow, then with a smile she said "Don't worry about the oranges Naruto…you can pay me back with a small favour."

Naruto was a little taken aback at first, but then he realized that she was just trying to get his mind on a less sensitive subject. She peeked over her shoulder at her father, who was occupying himself, cutting vegetables.

Then she leaned down towards Naruto, and whispered, "I believe that you were about to say who you like, now that it is no longer Sakura. Who is she?"

What she asked made him choke on the broth. Ayame just smiled at him, much like her father had done before. The way she looked at him made him feel like she already knew, and just waited for him to admit it. But she couldn't know. He hadn't told anyone. Naruto could feel himself starting to panic.

Not knowing another way to escape, Naruto hurriedly said his "Gochisousama!" as fast as he politely could, and took off. He wasn't sure, but he thought he could hear feminine laughter as he ran away.

As for why he was running, he told himself that it was to get ready for the next day, but truthfully, he just couldn't tell anyone yet. He wasn't ashamed of it, Kami forbid. He just didn't want to jinx it.

As for leaving…he needed to go anyway. After all, he had a big day coming up. "The paper said six…or was it seven tomorrow morning….I should have memorized it," he though as he made his way home. He needed to eat some more, and go to bed early. The oranges he got from Ayame were breakfast, no matter what that Kakashi said.

And even if he get in trouble for it, he still believed Ayame-Oneesan and Teuchi-Ojisan over some Jônin that couldn't even dodge an eraser, any day.

End of chapter 2.

Please leave a review.

Updated: 10/05/09

Authors Note:

Sakura was depressed and not really dismissive because she just had the 'orphan talk' with Sasuke. She badmouthed Naruto and was dismissed as more annoying then he was. That is also why she agreed to talk a little with Naruto as well. The difference is who she met first.

Yes, I support InoChouji. I think it's a lovely pair. I won't be heartbroken if it doesn't happen (I really doubt that it will), but ever since she told him that he should try to keep himself thinner(anime), I've seen them as future husband and wife.

I am sure that Kurenai's outfit is styled to confuse and disorient. The mesh of confusing patterns against the eye-catching colour of her right sleeve…she is after all a genjutsu mistress.

The names Sakaki, and Uchiyamada are both taken from GTO (Great teacher Onizuka), and any other Japanese names that you will not recognise from Naruto in future chapters of this story will all be taken form other manga, since my Japanese is nonexistent.

In the dream, I realize now that Sakura's method silencing Sasuke, may reflect badly on her. Please don't hold it against her. Lets just say that she wanted to get there sooner than they did, and part of that was Sasuke's fault, who had forgotten what day it was. He'd met, in full ANBU gear, in the Hokage's office. Due to old habits, he entered via the window, so the secretary didn't know to inform him where Naruto would be. So he just waited there. Needless to say, Sakura had good reason to be mad at him.

The 'Uzumaki swirl'. I don't know if this is the mark of a clan, or something Naruto picked up in some store, so to mark his surname in some way. Both are possible, so go with the one you like the most.

I used the 'butterfly sensation' a bit much in this story, but isn't that what characterize a childhood crush? I keep mentioning it because it play's such a big role in innocent uncertainty (Not like now, when I get a belly ache whenever I have to do something I'm uncertain about).

Yes, Hinata follow Naruto around. I've probably written this before somewhere (or in later chapters that I've forgotten about), but a twelve year old who follows another twelve year old is not stalking. I wouldn't even judge her if she still did it in the second half (which there is no evidence that she does) as they're just sixteen. That might sound stupid to many people, but the Naruto series takes place in an alternative universe, and not to mention, is based on a different time period. Kishimoto has himself said that the technology in the series is based on the sixties or seventies (a time when the young were socially allowed to be young, and not small adults), so people shouldn't expect to recognise themselves in these situations. It's a very different society, and our norms and values differ as well.