I do not own the anime/manga series "Naruto" or its plot and characters. They all are property of Masashi Kishimoto. However, original characters made for this story and the plot of the story itself does belong to me. Please enjoy my fic and support the official "Naruto" release.

Naruto: Kimza Chronicles

Chapter 2: Dreams and Reality

Saphiro, Kaede, and Art still sat in the assembly of the academy, waiting for their sensei to come. The three children heard a lot about Tagaranon Nakado and his exploits. At the time, the only thing that they were worried about when it came to him was his poor timing. So far, the children were waiting for him at least half an hour. While their patience was thinning, their emotions were kept in check; Saphiro and Kaede's anyway. Art, however, was losing his patience and his temper.

"Where is this guy?" Art asked, his eyes flashing in indignation.

"He probably had something to do," Kaede answered quickly, "Just give the man some time."

"We already gave him thirty-seven minutes," Art retorted, pointing at his wristwatch as proof, "At this rate, my dinner's going to be cold before the guy even gets halfway here."

"I agree with Art," Saphiro added, "This is taking a long time. Maybe we can make an excuse as our reasons for leaving. I hate to get caught in the cold."

Kaede opened her mouth to voice her response, but quickly closed it again. She sighed and followed after the two boys, whom started to walk from their sitting positions and towards the door. As Art reached for the door, the three newly-made genin stopped as the knob turned and opened. Saphiro and Kaede stepped back as Art stood and stared in awe.

In front of them was a man that reached a height of around six feet tall. He seemed muscular yet limber and agile. He wore the standard garb of Konoha shinobi, complete with a flak jacket, blue pants, and blue combat sandals. One oddity about his outfit was a blue bandanna tied around his neck that hung in a triangular fashion. He had shoulder-length white hair and azure eyes that rivaled the sky. He had a smile smirk on his face, staring at the three genin ahead of him in amusement.

"Hello, you three," the man said, his voice gruff yet smooth, "I assume you are Art Uzuba, Kaede Meitochi, and Saphiro Kimza?" When the three kids nodded, he smirked a bit more and continued, "I am Tagaranon Nakado, your sensei and team leader. This is Squad 22, am I right?"

"Y-y-yes sir," Art stuttered. This short moment left Saphiro and Kaede in surprise. Art Uzuba was not a boy to be afraid of anyone. This must've meant that Tagaranon was a bit more than they assumed.

"Good," Tagaranon chuckled, "I am glad I found the right room. I was lost in here forever."

Art's fright quickly faded and a scowl was etched on his features, "The reason you were taking years to come," he shouted, "was because you were lost! We were dying of boredom in here!"

Tagaranon shrugged and chuckled a little more, his right hand rubbing the back of his head, "That's the reason," he replied, "This place has changed so much since I was a student. I lost my way very easily around here. I hope I can get a better bearing next time."

Art scoffed a bit, "Next time, you might need a map or a guide. For a near-legendary shinobi, you seem to be pretty dense, eh Tagaranon-sensei?"

The room darkened and grew a bit colder as Tagaranon bent over and got eye-to-eye with Art. The young boy could feel his veins freeze over as he stared into the cold, icy abyss of Tagaranon's eyes. Saphiro and Kaede felt it as well, for they stepped back a bit and seemed to shiver. The jonin-level sensei's eyebrows furrowed and his breathing slowed to a threatening crawl.

"Do you want to end up like the last person who crossed me, Art Uzuba?" the man asked, his voice reaching a deep growl, "If so, you are doing a good job at crossing me. Do you wish for me to call your parents and tell them why you're buried in an unmarked grave?"

Art's fright returned all at once and he shook his head vehemently, "No sensei!" he cried, "I don't wish for that, man! Please, I'll do much better!"

The cold atmosphere of the room faded away and Tagaranon gave Art's head a friendly pat, "You take things way to easily," he said, "Calm down, Art. I am not going to hurt you or any of my students."

Art nodded, but his body still shook from the ordeal he just experienced, "Y-y-yes Tagaranon-sensei,"

"In fact," Tagaranon went on, "We can meet at Training Ground 9 and we can explain each other more. I know you guys are tired of this dark classroom." Saphiro, Kaede, and Art nodded in agreement, to which Tagaranon laughed a bit, "Come on, then. Let's get going. We're wasting time standing here."

Upon arriving at Training Ground 9, Tagaranon sat down in the grass in front of some practice dummies. Saphiro, Kaede, and Art sat in a semicircle around him. It was a calm afternoon in Konoha, and Mother Nature herself was seemingly aware of it. The grass and branches of the trees swayed peacefully in the wind and the stream nearby was clear and flowing. The sun beamed down and gave the area a good amount of visibility. The temperature was a comfortable 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Tagaranon and his students took in the surroundings before the sensei turned towards the children.

"Okay," he said, "This is how we're going to do this. I'm going to tell you my name, a bit about myself, and some sort of dream I wish to accomplish. Afterwards, I expect you to do the same. So, I suppose we start with me. My name is Tagaranon Gen Nakado. I am your jonin sensei of course. I am known as the Fireworks Ninja due to my mastery of many fire-elemental jutsu. I was involved in the Fourth Shinobi World War years ago, but that's all I'll say about that. My dream is to start my own fireworks shop and find a way to create fire that doesn't burn. Art Uzuba, you're next."

Art nodded and rubbed his chin, "Okay," he said, "My name is Art Uzuba. I am 13 years old. I am the second-in-line for the Uzuba throne after my dad steps down. I love collecting rocks and listening to DJ Killer Bee on my radio. My family is descended from Iwagakure, I think. And my dream is to someday become the legendary Uzuba master, wielder of the Sacred Uzuba Arts."

Kaede joined in next, "Well," she said, "My name is Kaede Meitochi. I am 12 years old, and I am an immigrant from Shiragakure, the Village Hidden beyond the Plateau. I rather not talk about my past… But, one of my dreams is to become one the greatest water ninjutsu users in the world."

Tagaranon nodded at Kaede's explanation and turned his attention to Saphiro, whom was quiet the whole time, "Your turn buddy," he said.

Saphiro nodded in response and looked up from the ground, "Okay," he said, "My name is Saphiro Kimza, and I am 12 years old too. There's not really much to say about me. I like reading and learning about jutsu, though I can't perform any advanced jutsu. I kind of get angry easily and my last name is kinda strange for this village."

"What about your dream?" Tagaranon asked quietly, his eyebrow arched in query.

"Oh. Well, um, my dream is to prove to the entire former student body that I am worth my status as a shinobi of Konoha and show my proof by defeating my greatest rival, Genzo Nekiogama. I want to become stronger and better as a shinobi."

"You beat Genzo?" Art laughed, "That's something I'll actually pay to see."

"I heard that Genzo has been subjected to special training," Tagaranon included, "That'll make beating him right now a pipe dream. Besides, I heard that you are a below average shinobi."

Saphiro's eyes flashed the moment he heard that, "Below average?" he growled, "I was one of the smartest students in the academy."

"Test-wise, yes you were," Tagaranon retorted, "However, you can only use E-rank and at least one D-rank ninjutsu, you have limited or no skill in genjutsu and your taijutsu is average at best. Overall, you're a below average genin. Genzo however is a gifted child, with both talent and a clan worthy of praise. The gap between you two is wide."

"You're better off trying to become a baker," Art jeered, "because you are not going to beat Genzo; not now and not in a hundred-thousand years."

Saphiro frowned heavily at Art's display of nonbelief in him. He cocked his fist back and fired it towards Art's face. Before it could hit though, Tagaranon appeared between the two and grabbed Saphiro's fist. He stood Saphiro up and glared at him with his icy blue eyes.

"You absolutely think striking Art is going to make this any easier?" the jonin-sensei asked, "I hate to do this to you, but if you want to try fighting Genzo tomorrow, have at it. Don't say I told you so when you're thrashed."

Saphiro glared at Tagaranon in return, unfazed by what just happened, "What kind of sensei are you! You're supposed to support me and help me whenever I'm in need. You're acting as if Genzo should've been on this team and not me!"

Tagaranon let out a shallow sigh and stood up straight, "I am supporting you," he said, "I am telling you not to fight Genzo for your own good. It'll only end in your defeat. However, you might learn something about him if you do. As for the last comment, I rather not disclose what I think on it. You dream of defeating Genzo, but you have to race reality. Genzo is in another league for the moment. Give up."

"I had enough of your negativity," Saphiro growled, walking away, "I'm going to fight Genzo tomorrow, and there is no one that's going to stop me. I'll see you tomorrow, Tagaranon-sensei."

"If he wants his ass beat, let him do what he wants," Art said nonchalantly.

"Watch your tongue around me, Art," Tagaranon said sternly. However, he thought, that's going to be the probable result anyway. Saphiro and Genzo, you should call that a cricket and a praying mantis. But, I heard about his strange display during his test earlier. Was that a new power finally awakening, or was it just adrenaline and desperation. We'll find out tomorrow. Once Tagaranon left his thoughts, he quickly noticed that Kaede was also gone, running after Saphiro. He dismissed Art and went to the Hokage's office, his head still spinning thoughts.

Kaede ran down the lighted street after Saphiro, who was walking briskly and keeping his head down. Once she reached her friend, she placed a hand on his shoulder and shook as an indication to slow down and stop. Once he did, Kaede turned Saphiro to her and gazed into his green eyes. Her face was full of concern and a small a bit of anger.

"Don't let what Tagaranon-sensei said get to you," she said, "He was only looking after your well-being, Saphiro."

"How so?" Saphiro replied, "By telling me that I am a worthless ninja not worthy of my forehead protector?" He pulled his headband and gazed at it for a while before sighing and letting it hang between his limp fingers.

Kaede pulled the forehead protector from his hands and started tying it around his head again, "That's not what he said, not a bit of it."

"That's what he was implying, Kaede. Didn't you hear the seriousness in his voice?"

Kaede finished tying the knot in the headband and placed her hands on his cheeks, "Maybe he was criticizing you," she continued, "but not for the wrong reason. We're just genin. We have a long way to go before we can become something worthy of Konoha respect. You can become stronger and challenge Genzo. We've been ninja for only about an hour. Take your time with your dreams."

Saphiro sighed again and pulled from Kaede, "You don't understand," he said, "Genzo will not stop calling me a loser until I finally prove him wrong. I have to fight him tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" Kaede asked.

Saphiro let out a small smile, "It's the day all of this between me and Genzo started. It's the day that began our rivalry and it's the day it'll come to an end. Everyone will see me as the person I was meant to be, full of pride and power. Wait and see, Kaede, I'll show them."

Kaede smiled back and kissed his cheek gently, "Good luck Saphiro. No matter what happens tomorrow, I'll be behind you. Show Genzo that you have that shinobi spirit within you."

Saphiro smiled again and started running home again, "See you tomorrow, Kaede. Hurry on home before it gets dark outside!"

Once Saphiro got home, he opened the door and walked into the living room. He sat down on the chair and let out a low sigh. His head was running with a lot of thoughts. For one, why was Tagaranon looking down on him so much. So what if Genzo was the rookie of the year and he was starting special training? Saphiro knew that he also had the will of fire within him. Another thing was the strange use of the Clone Technique he activated during his test. The power within him was extreme and even scared him a bit. He could also see a lot better than he ever could for some reason. There had to be a reason behind this. He just had to find out.

As Saphiro sat on the couch and stared at the wall, a teenage girl walked into the room and leaned onto the couch next to her. She let out a small chuckle and nudged him gently, "Seems like someone was having a rough day," she giggled.

Saphiro looked up and smiled a little, "Kira," he replied, "I didn't know you were here. I thought you were gone for a mission."

Kira shook her head and ruffled Saphiro's brown and blonde hair with her hand, "I'm a lot quicker than you think, my little brother," she giggled again, "Lemme guess, Genzo Nekiogama has gotten to you again, eh?"

Saphiro chuckled and pushed Kira's hand away, "That's part of the problem," he retorted, "It also has something to do with my new sensei."

Kira tilted her head to the side, "New sensei?" She then took a glance at Saphiro's forehead, which now sported a blue headband with a metal plate with the emblem of Konohagakure on it. She smiled and tapped it with her index finger, "You're a ninja now. Congratulations! We have to go celebrate. Who's your sensei?"

"Tagaranon Nakado," Saphiro muttered under his breath.

Kira was shocked, "Tagaranon Gen Nakado? That man usually does covert missions alone and doesn't come back to the village for days or even weeks at a time. Why does he want to become a jonin sensei now, let alone yours?"

Saphiro shrugged as a response and resumed his silence. Kira took another look at Saphiro and her face darkened, "Okay. What has happened between you and him?"

"It's a long story, Kira."

Kira smirked in defiance, "I love a good story."

Saphiro sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Fine. I'll make it short. Me, and my teammates were at Training Ground 9, introducing ourselves. When I said that my dream was to beat Genzo, Tagaranon-sensei told me that there was no way that I could beat him any time soon. So, I told him that I was going to fight Genzo tomorrow. Knowing Art Uzuba, Genzo should already know about the fight by now."

Kira nodded her head as she comprehended Saphiro's speech, "Guess you and Genzo are finally going to have at it tomorrow. I can't see my adorable little brother pummeled. Want me and Mom to train you for a bit."

Saphiro thought about his adoptive mother, Kurenai Yuhi for a while and shook his head, "I would love for you to train me, but I don't want Mom to freak out and worry over me. I think it's best to—" Before he could finish his sentence, the door was opened again and a middle-aged woman with long, curly black hair walked into the room.

"I heard about you and Tagaranon," the woman said, "You want to fight Genzo tomorrow, huh?"

"Mom!" Kira beamed, "Look!" She pointed at Saphiro's forehead protector and smiled.

"Finally a shinobi, just like Kira," Kurenai said, "I am proud of you, Saphiro. However, it doesn't change the fact that you had a confrontation with your sensei. Verbal, sure, but still a confrontation. And to add insult to injury, you want to fight Genzo Nekiogama to prove him wrong?"

"I wanted to fight Genzo someday," Saphiro explained, "But Tagaranon-sensei was certain that I was running a fool's errand. I was not going to let him smash my dreams into the ground. I'm going to fight Genzo tomorrow. I have to. Tomorrow's the very day that Genzo started belittling me."

Kurenai's stern face faded away and she smiled a bit, "You've gotten stronger in just a day," she chuckled, "When you started academy, you didn't want to fight Genzo until you became a chunin. Your heart is growing up fast."

"I want to help him train, Mom," Kira interrupted, "He'll need it if he wants to fight Genzo."

"Hey!" Saphiro shouted, "That's mean!"

Kira grinned and played with Saphiro's hair again, "You know you want the help. C'mon little buddy." She took her little brother by the wrist and walked towards the backyard, "We'll be done within an hour or two."

"Okay," Kurenai said, "Train as hard as you can allow."

As Saphiro walked to the backyard, all he could think about was how he was going to beat Genzo. Sure Genzo was strong and he had incredible jutsu already, but Saphiro knew all his techniques and how to overcome them. He also had that strange surge of power he encountered during the test. If he could find the right motivation, he could release it time to fight Genzo. Only fate could tell.

The next morning, a somewhat large group was gathered around the front of the academy. People had heard from the Uzuba clan that there was a special treat going on today. Today was going to be the day that Genzo Nekiogama, heir and child prodigy of the Nekiogama clan was going up against Saphiro Kimza, the great loser of the Konoha Ninja Academy. In this case, to them it was merely a showcase of Genzo's skills and jutsu. To Saphiro though, it was another matter. Today was the day that he would show everyone what he could do against Genzo. No one would ever insult him again after today.

As Saphiro weaved his way to the space around the crowd, he caught a glance of Genzo talking to his teammates; Rosetta and Oro. Neji was nearby, listening to the trio and smiling a little. As Saphiro stepped into the ring, Genzo looked up from Rosetta and towards him. The Nekiogama walked towards Saphiro until he was a few feet in front of him and grinned harshly.

"I'm actually surprised that you want to do this," he laughed, "All this time, I thought you had no backbone. Guess even losers stand up for themselves once in a while."

"Sticks and stones, Genzo," Saphiro replied, "I had enough of you and your clique attacking me at every turn. My years in ninja academy were horrible because of you. Today, I'm going to finish this and prove to the whole village of Konohagakure that I'm just as good as you."

Genzo smirked and laughed a bit more, "Big words coming from a small kid with a smaller chance of being victorious over me. That chance being zero."

Ino stepped into the ring and stood a short distance away from the two. Tagaranon walked even closer and gazed at both of the boys, "I want this fight to be quick, clean, and respectful," he said, "If you have jutsu, use them if you want, but not to kill. Understand?"

Both boys nodded their affirmation and continued to glare at one another.

"Tagaranon has added a special condition for the loser," Ino included, "The loser has to do 325 push-ups every day until the victor has been beaten or they are promoted to jonin. Do you accept?"

Genzo and Saphiro nodded again and stepped back a bit.

"No doubt that loser is going to be you, Kimza," Genzo sneered.

"I am not going to back down, Nekiogama," Saphiro growled back, "If I do lose, I will use those push-ups as a guide to help me beat you one day."

Genzo cracked his knuckles, "You sure you rather fight me? Those push-ups might be sounding pretty tempting right now."

Saphiro got into a fighting stance, "Not a chance," he said, "We're here, so we might as well not let these people be disappointed. Here and now is where I'm starting my chronicle."

Tagaranon gazed at Genzo, then at Saphiro, "Are you two ready?" he asked, raising his hand up.

Both boys nodded and prepared to make a move.

Tagaranon nodded and threw his hand down, "Okay. Then BEGIN!"

AN: Thanks for waiting people, and I apologize for the absence. I am going to continue rewriting chapters 3 through 9 of Kimza Chronicles and then start writing again at chapter 27. I hope you can forgive me and have enjoyed this rewrite of chapter 2. Did pretty good if I say so myself. In the next chapter, Saphiro and Genzo begin a fight could decide Saphiro's new status among Konoha. Will he be able to change Genzo's view on him, or will his rival one out on top once more? Review please and look out for chapter 3 of Kimza Chronicles. See you around!