Chapter 3

On average, you will run into a closed door 54 times in your life. 20 times into a glass door. 20 times into a screen door. 10 times into your bedroom door. And 4 times into an opportunity.

5/8/6

"This is serious," The Hokage spoke in a dark tone before the high council, "We need to be wary of the Borizo Clan."

This statement earned mutters between clansmen. The room was rather small, and there was a long rectangular table sitting dead center filled with 5 clan heads on one side of the table, and five Civilian representatives on the other. The Hokage stood at the head of the table over-looking everybody, while the other end of the table was empty. He looked between the talking bodies mentally sighing. This council was made up of the clans and civilian families that have housed in Konoha since almost the beginning of the founding of the village. Due to this the following generations intelligence slowly got duller and duller. This, of course, was due to the spoiling of the heirs from the riches obtained by being in a prestigious clan.

"Hokage-dono, I am not too sure you are exactly correct in this assumption," a haughty Cvilian Rep. said, "They have only been kind to our people, and have only brought the best they have to offer our village."

"It's a shame their heir had to be so incompetent. How does such a clan produce such an inadequate offspring? Its nothing short of baffling." Another Civilian Rep said shaking his head.

"Besides their clan contributes a lot to the village. Between their peculiar jutsu, their bloodline, and the amount of money they donate to the village. It's a wonder you mean to accuse them of, well, anything really." Tsume Inuzuka said leaning on her fist. She obviously thought the old man had lost it.

"What she says is true Hokage-dono," Shibi Aburame intervened with his monotonic voice, "So far they haven't done anything wrong. If anything, I believe, that they should be put into high council."

"I second that motion." Another Civilian Rep. said.

"Whatever." Shikaku sighed rolling his eyes. His wife was NOT going to accept another council meeting as an excuse for him coming home late.

The Hokage closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He completely forgot that the Borizo Clan had been on their best behavior since they got into the village. He himself didn't even know their intentions, he had his complete trust put into Naruto's assumption. Due to the acceptance of the Borizo becoming an official clan of Konoha, he was not allowed to spy on them through his all seeing crystal ball. How could he overlook something so simple, evidence to support his claim. He would have to do some digging. He then shook his head and dismissed everyone. He followed suit as everyone shunsinned out of the room. He had to find some incriminating evidence on the Borizo and he had to find it fast. If there even was any.

5/10/6 6:30 am

Naruto was sitting in his hammock somewhere deep inside of the Forest of Death. He was sleeping as deep as a ninja in the Forest of Death could until something cold landed on his chin and startled him out of his sleep. "Ah! What the… EWWW!" he flailed around in his hammock until he fell out. His back made contact with a few branches on the way down. "Uhm… oooow," he said rubbing his back, "But bird shit? Really?" he looked up and saw a pigeon looking down at him. The bird had a twinkle in its eye. It let out a small coo and hopped off the branch and took to the sky. "Well played my feathered friend… well played, but this game is not over. No. It is just beginning." Naruto then quickly hopped out of his clothes and headed towards the stream to get ready for the important day.

Sasuke was in the middle of the training field awaking when the sun climbed over the trees and into his eyes. "Mmmmph… what the?" He looked around and noticed that everything was moving incredibly slow. The flock of birds were moving at a completely predictable pattern, and the leaves might as well have been moving in a straight line. It was then that he realized what happened. "YES!" he yelled even though he couldn't stand up. He stuck both hands straight up to the sky in balled fists. "I DID IT I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID I WONT LO-" he kept yelling until suddenly a birds dropping fell into his mouth. "Aggh uuugh kaaaah kuuuhh!" he kept choking on it until he swallowed it down. He grimaced at the test before he headed back to the compound to go get ready for the big day.

Tak rolled out of his bed onto the floor with a thud. Half his leg stayed on his bed along with the covers, as he kept snoring. Suddenly his alarm started going off, "BABY BABY BABY, OOOOOOH" he immediately shot up with is eyes the size of dinner plates. From that point, it took him .236 seconds to begin smashing his alarm clock, lighting a match, dropping it on his alarm before watching it catch flame, smiling evilly as it burned, and freaking out as his dresser caught on fire as well. "LOOKI!" he cried in anger as he began chasing his giggling little brother who he found laughing in the hallway outside his room. "Dammit," he panted sitting on his squirming little brother, "now I'm gonna be late. Loki, brother dearest, if I happen to be late and miss my chance to take this test. You will die… No that'd be too cliché, Ill show you why cousin Shinto calls me The Cracker." He soon got up and left his shaking brother. In truth he didn't care if he passed his test, but he wouldn't hear the end of it from his parents. He sighed and proceeded to the go to the bathroom to get ready for the dreaded day.

7:15am

Everyone was sitting in their seat, except for one seat in the back corner. "Well everyone, the graduation exams well soon begin, Iruka stated. "Let me just take a few minutes to take roll…" with that the random "present" or "here" was heard throughout the room at random intervals.

Naruto was sleeping right under the window. It was open as usual, the boy could only use the window to get into the classroom. As far back as anyone could remember, Naruto had never used a door He came in and went out of the same window, but people weren't too worried about it. They figured he'd have to use the door to get into his apartment. Little did they know, our blonde friend never stepped foot on his property.

"All right it's about time to start the Exams. Uuh Borizo Takahashi?" Iruka said looking around the room. Upon not hearing a present he decided to continue. "Alright then lets begin. First up, Aburame Shino. You will have to first create a henge then a-"

"IM HERE!" Tak said busting through the window landing on Naruto's head. "I was halfway here and then this DAMN BIRD-"

"I KNOW RIGHT!" He yelled sitting up causing Tak to fly head first into the ceiling, only his neck down could be seen dangling from the ceiling.

"Hn." Sasuke said with a sweat drop and a tired face. He absolutely would not admit to swallowing bird shit.

"Anyway… shall we begin?" A sighing Iruka dead panned as he looked at the future ninjas of the village.

10:30am

"Ok students, it seems you all passed this section with flying colors." Iruka said with two tissues up his nostrils. "Naruto be careful about when where and how you use… that jutsu." He muttered to a mildly beaten up blonde boy. The girls in the classroom didn't take to kindly to the jutsu, and all the boys in the class just cracked up as another hole was made in the ceiling that day, by a blood-propelled Iruka. "Now this year we're trying a new system. We will be playing a game of capture the flag." He then pulled two small flags, one with a frog on it and one painted with a fox. "Each team must protect this flag as if their life depended on it. In other words, this flag is your client. The first team to strike down the opposing teams flag will win. The prize? Well that's a surprise. Everything's already set up, now let me read out the names of the teams and lets get started." He said looking down at his clipboard.

10:50am

"You have to be kidding me…" Naruto looked at the remainder of his team. All was left was Hinata, Kiba, Ino, and Chouji. He sighed as he ran through the events that happened. Apparently Tak, Sasuke, and Shikamaru on one team was more then enough to take out most of his team. "Oh well, at least the weaklings are weeded out …" he muttered under his breath. He turned to his team as they were circled around their flag. "Ok guys new plan. Being a sitting duck wasn't on my list of things to do today. Ah… I need to get some ramen later. Maybe I should get miso… nah miso pork would be better… but I haven't had shrimp in a while…" he trailed off.

"Go with the miso pork Naruto! The texture of the soft meat ish sho delicioush." Chouji said in between bites of his bottomless bag of chips.

"You think so? I kinda like the taste of the shrimp better." Naruto said in deep thought.

"Good point. *Munch* Hmm well may-"

" SHUT. UP. If you two don't start getting into this mission I will eat both of you. I will not lose to billboard brow!" Ino shouted somehow using the Big Head no Jutsu.

"Sh-Shes right Naruto-san… we should get to work." She stuttered looking down at her fingers.

"Oh right. Mission. Ok. Lets do this. Kiba, you go scout the perimeter, take out the small fries, Hinata will help you. Try to avoid Tak and Sasuke. Ino you stay here, Chouji will be your support. Try to keep everyone away from the flag, obviously. I would give you a more in-depth plan but it would seem I have a bird to fry." Before anyone could object he was gone in a swirl of leaves.

"I really gotta learn how to do that…" Kiba said earning a yelp of approval as he hopped off and everyone followed suit.

11:00

"*Yawn* Choujiii I'm booored. Entertain meee." Ino whined due to the lack of action.

"I wonder what Shika's doing right now…" Chouji said eating his chips.

"OK. Seriously, do you two have something going on?" Ino asked out of the corner of her eye.

"W-w-w-w-what would make you think that. Its just-" Chouji was about to finish his sentence when the two heard a large boom.

"What the…" Ino muttered.

..Elsewhere in the Forest..

"What the FUCK?" Naruto said looking at the huge crater in the ground. "I could have DIED." He then tried to jump away before the ground fell from underneath him. "Ok seriously?" he deadpanned the clone then poofed out of existence before it fell the whole length. "Next time get Shikamaru to set up your traps." Naruto said as he appeared behind Sasuke who was in a tree a few feet away.

Sasuke jumped out of the tree leaving an explosive tag in his stead. Naruto smirked and disappeared within the tree trunk as the branch exploded. He then stepped out at the bottom of the tree where a seal could be seen for a split second before it faded. Sasuke, however, saw this with his sharingan spinning, he planted a kick right across Naruto's cheek causing him to sail through the forest into a small clearing. Naruto stood up and spat some blood as he smirked and wiped the remainder of the blood from his lip. He then motioned for Sasuke to attack. Sasuke wasted no time as he dashed in to Naruto's guard. He then released a flurry punches that Naruto ducked and weaved around. Naruto then grabbed hold of Sasuke's wrist as he overextended a punch. He attempted to shift his weight but Sasuke smirked predicting this and jumped, flipping over Naruto and dropping his weight under Naruto before placing one hand under his armpit and grabbing his wrist, he then promptly threw Naruto over his shoulder and straight into the ground creating a small crater. Sasuke jumped back and through a few kunai laced with explosive tags around Naruto causing him to fly high into the air. Sasuke then ran up the side of the tree while Naruto started his decent. He then jumped off the tree stopping his flight right above Naruto. He opened up a flurry of unblocked punches to directed to his body. His Sharingan spinning, he placed his hand on Naruto's body and pushed off while spinning parallel to Naruto like a mini tornado. He then brought his leg to Naruto's body causing him to crash into the ground. Sasuke then used the propulsion from the kick to hop off of Naruto and land about 5 feet away completely unscathed. "Hn. Weak. I knew you were a dobe, you'll ALWAYS be weaker then me. Why? Because I'm better. I'm smarter. Faster. Stronger. And most importantly, I will ALWAYS be loved." With that he turned to walk away. But then he stopped. He suddenly couldn't breathe. He couldn't move, his back broke out in a cold sweat, and he felt like he was going to faint. He tried to turn around but he suddenly saw flashes of his own death causing him to fall due to his knees buckling under him. He tried to stand up but failed landing him on all fours. He began to wretch as Naruto appeared over him with killing intent exploding from his entire body. Sasuke could barely look at his feet without feeling like he was going to faint. Every cell in his body was telling him he needed to get out of there. His brain was telling him he needed to keep consciousness. His muscles were long gone, along with his bladder.

Naruto cracked his neck and went over the crater where Sasuke's kick landed him. He picked up the log he used to replace himself with. He then broke it to pieces with one hand as he walked back to Sasuke, each step slow and deliberate. "If you think I care about petty things like the shallow love the villagers then you really are worse off than I thought." Naruto said unusually calm as he arrived in front of Sasuke's person, he then dropped the splinters right infront of Sasuke. Naruto crouched so he was just above eye level of Sasuke. He picked up a splinter and placed his finger under Sasuke's chin and lifted his head until he made eye-contact. He raised the splinter so that it was right in front of Sasuke's left eye. "You really aren't much without those pretty little eyes are you? Should I get rid of them for you? They must be a nuisance." Naruto then moved the splinter closer and close to Sasuke's eye. He then made a quick jerk causing Sasuke jump back instinctively but since he was so off balance he landed flat on his ass as Naruto stood. "Remember this: You will NEVER be better, smarter, faster, OR stronger than me. Now sit there in you puddle of piss, lament." Naruto then turned and walked into the forest while Sasuke slumped back, his mind finally feeling at ease he slipped into sweet unconsciousness.

Naruto looked at the sun now worried, he took of toward the other teams base. "Naruto!" He heard from behind him. He turned to see a panting Hinata. Her clothes were torn revealing the mesh she wore under it. "K-Kiba! Kiba *pant* Big Black Hooded Figure *pant pant* Kiba tried *pant* HELP!" Naruto was already heading towards Kiba's fading chakra signature, his fears turning to reality. He threw a laced kunai high up in the air. It sailed for a few seconds before it stopped and exploded creating a bright red S.O.S. in the skies of Konoha.

"Please be alive…" Naruto said while he rushed towards Kiba, he didn't expect it to occur so soon. Not to Kiba atleast, what would he do if a death was on his hands at this point in his plan?

Ah, new chapter sorry for delay. A reviewer, something you all should be brought up a good point thank you fanofmany.

What I meant was that Naruto for right now wont have a specific love interest, but later on he will for right now he's free-lancing.

Pieces.