A Ninja's Guide to Surviving High School
By: JAJapster
Copyright Stuff: Naruto is not mine, but this block of cheese I'm eating is! Don't reproduce this fanfiction on the internet without asking because that would be just about as awesome as the most un-awesome thing in the world.

Summary:
AU- High school is tough, but it gets a lot tougher when a demonic fox lives inside you and all your friends are ninjas. It's a world of angst, rivalries, friendships and romance inside the halls of Konoha High, but outside, trouble is brewing. A dangerous world awaits a new generation of ninjas after graduation…assuming they all don't kill each other first.

Chapter Three: Capture the Flag

Standing in the middle of the field, clad in the traditional blue jumpsuit and green flack vest of an upper-echelon Konoha ninja, was their instructor for physical training, Sarutobi Asuma. A large, powerfully built man with short black hair and olive colored skin, Asuma towered over his students with his arms crossed, patiently waiting for the last of the stragglers to emerge from the locker room. A cigarette dangled from the corner of his lips, smoldering embers falling to the grass as he puffed on it. Any other class might have pointed out that an instructor smoking in front of his students was nothing short of inappropriate, but the senior year of Konoha High was already aware that any complaint to their teacher about his habitual smoking was met with feigned deafness. Over time, they just ignored the fact he smoked like a chimney. In fact, the only thing that came close to rivaling the amount Asuma smoked was the amount of ass he kicked as a Jounin…or so he claimed anyway.

"Hurry up people." Asuma scanned the students, and made sure everyone in his class was present. Assembled before him were thirty-six boys and girls clad in their white and blue PE uniforms, sunlight reflecting off the forehead protectors each wore. "In case any of you have not noticed we're going to be playing capture the flag today."

Naruto could not help but grin even with the trepidation of facing Sakura's wrath looming over his head. Capture the Flag was the ultimate exercise for a ninja at Konoha High, a test of all their skills. It was nothing like the version of Capture the Flag that he had once witnessed some village children playing several years ago. They relied on individual speed and strength in numbers to win without hardly any use of teamwork, guile, or technique to aid in securing victory. It was laughable. No wonder the villagers relied so heavily on ninjas to fight their wars for them.

"We've done this a thousand times before, so I won't waste your time." Asuma muttered. He spat the spent cigarette stub in his mouth and lit a fresh one. "There's a red flag in a valley about three kilometers to the east, and a blue one equally as far to the west. Everything in between is no man's land. First team to get their opponent's flag back to their own territory wins."

"What do we win?" Bellowed Choji from somewhere in the back of the crowd.

"What?" Asked Asuma, blinking.

"What do we win?" The big ninja repeated.

Their instructor scowled. "You've been asking me the same question for ten years Choji, and the answer is always the same."

"Still, there should be some incentive in it. Otherwise, how else can we guarantee our best?" said Shikamaru cagily. "I'm sure we can reach some sort of compromise."

"Ice cream! Strawberry! Chocolate! Vanilla!" Yelled Choji clearly excited about the prospect of free food. Or maybe it wasn't even that it was free. Maybe it was just the thought of food period that had him so worked up.

"How about I let you pass my class, Nara and Akimichi, if you win?" Asuma growled. He was using their clan names –never a good sign. "How does that sound?"

"That doesn't sound like a very good compromise to me," Shikamaru grumbled, but he and Choji subsided into silence.

"Now if we're quite done," the Jounin muttered. "At the request of the Hokage we have to implement some ground rules." He produced a sheet of paper from his vest and looked it over. "Something about too many injuries.

This was met with a few chuckles, though Naruto noticed one heavily bandaged boy wasn't laughing with them. Capture the Flag quickly became a tense competition when students went toe-to-toe with each other. Outside squabbles were known to be settled on the playing field, and sometimes students became so set on fighting it out amongst their peers that the flag was completely forgotten. Serious injuries were not an uncommon occurrence, and as a precaution the Hokage had a medical team on standby for such an occasion.

"She says no high level techniques." Asuma glanced at his class. "I'm assuming she's talking to you two, Sasuke and Neji."

Sasuke smirked, Neji remained characteristically silent, and Naruto scowled irritably at having been excluded from Asuma's list.

The Jounin checked his paper again. "Also, no weapons are allowed. No kunai, scrolls or anything of the sort. Sorry Tenten, but that means you too."

Tenten, a girl whose brown hair was tied up in two neat buns, gave Asuma a long, dark, scathing look that would have sent most normal people scurrying for cover. While normally pleasant and cheerful, she was also renowned for her quick temper and her ability to throw things with uncannily perfect accuracy. The two traits made her a formidable opponent and an intimidating presence even amongst a classroom with prodigies like Sasuke and Neji.

"Get rid of them, Tenten." Asuma said. "Now."

It was amazing how many weapons Tenten had managed to hide within the tight contours of the form fitting green and pink jumpsuit she wore. A variety of daggers, swords, bombs, throwing knives and even a couple scythes were produced from the most unlikely places, and soon a small arsenal was gathered at her feet.

"Now the rest." Their instructor prompted.

Cursing steadily under her breath, Tenten continued to pull forth another armory from her outfit. Summoning scrolls, hatchets, and a collection of armor piercing needles joined the growing collection of weapons. Most of the senior year boys could only stare and drool at the beautiful markswoman, dreaming fancifully where exactly she hid them all.

Once Asuma was satisfied that Tenten was disarmed of her weapons, he fished into another of his vest's many pockets and drew forth a whistle. He blew it loudly. The shrill sound echoed throughout the field and instantly commanded the attention of all his students. "Teams are boys versus girls." He bellowed. "Any complaints?"

There were none. In fact, many of the students were now chatting amongst each other eagerly. There was a long standing rivalry between the girls and boys of Konoha's senior year, one that extended far beyond just a petty squabble about the superiority of the sexes. It might have started as that back in their formative years, but now it was a matter of pride and honor. Neither side was stupid enough to underestimate the strength of the other. For every weakness the enemy had, they had a strength to compensate for it. The equality only accentuated the competitive air between the rival genders, a rare spice in an already exciting meal.

"Dismissed!" Asuma yelled. The moment the words left his lips, his students scattered in all directions, disappearing in blurs of motion or obscuring clouds of thick smoke. The Jounin smiled and lit another cigarette. The Hokage would be furious when she discovered that Asuma had placed the boys and girls against each other. She would rant and rave about the likelihood of injury and accidents, but in the end she would see things his way.

Besides, what was life without a little danger?

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The boy's team had gathered around their flag where it had been stationed in the middle of the forest. Already some had dispersed to begin early reconnaissance of the girl's movement, but most of them were huddled around in a circle, speaking quietly. Naruto was amongst them as was Sasuke, Neji, Choji, Kyo, as well as several others. As usual, Shikamaru was at the head of the conversation, scratching lines in the dirt with a stick.

"Neji I want you to choose a squad and head towards the line. At the same time, Sasuke, I want you to take Choji and attack their flank." Shikamaru said as he drew out his instructions into the forest floor.

"Choji will slow me down," Interjected Sasuke. Choji glared at the young Uchiha and growled angrily, but Sasuke ignored him. "I'd need someone faster and less conspicuous if you want me to pull off an attack successfully."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Trust me. Take Choji. You'll need his bulk."

Sasuke relented with a small shrug, much to everyone's surprise. Sasuke seldom ever listened to anyone but instructors. The fact that he was willing to follow Shikamaru's advice only testified to the level of respect that everyone gave the Shikamaru's planning. While lazier than even Naruto was it came to school work, Shikamaru was a brilliant strategist. If anyone could come up with a solution to an obscure problem it was Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru, what about me?" asked Naruto.

Shikamaru looked at the blonde haired ninja. "Patrol the area and watch for penetration." He turned back to the rest of the group. "Now Neji, who do you want for your squad?"

"Wait a second!" intruded an outraged Naruto. "I have to stay on defense while the rest of you attack?"

Neji's gaze turned to Naruto and quietly he said, "Half the team is assigned to defense. Any more on an offensive mission will decrease our chances of undetected infiltration and success in accomplishing our objective. Your presence would be a burden to us."

"That's right," Sasuke sneered coldly. "An idiot like you would only get in the way."

Naruto was on his feet in an instant, his hands clenched into a tight fist. "What did you say, Sasuke?" He growled.

"What? Are you deaf as well as stupid?" The young Uchiha retorted. Naruto lunged at Sasuke, but instantly a dozen sets of hands were pulling the two quarreling ninjas apart.

"Enough!" Shikamaru bellowed. "We don't have time for this childishness, Naruto. You have your mission and Sasuke has his. Now, Neji, who's going to be in your group?"

Naruto turned away from the group furiously, his fists still clenched at his side. Seething with rage he stalked away into the trees, not caring about the rest of Shikamaru's plan. It was a stupid plan anyhow, Naruto decided as he idly kicked a stone away. He was a talented ninja, but everyone had a tendency to overlook his skills, even his own friends. They always gave Sasuke and Neji the good assignments and stuck Naruto with less than prestigious ones like standing guard. It was an important job, sure, but hardly one that would earn Naruto any attention from anyone.

"Stupid Sasuke," he muttered under his breath. The other ninja's taunting words still stung. Naruto did not want to believe that he was being delegated the job of defending the flag merely because he wasn't good enough to lead the attack, but what if there was even a bit of truth in Sasuke's insults?

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Sasuke. If things continued at this rate, he or Neji would capture the flag, further reinforcing their romanticized image of greatness in the minds of all the girls. And that was something Naruto definitely could not allow.

A small smile formed on his face as he slipped through the trees. He would capture the flag. He would. Screw Shikamaru's careful planning. Not Sasuke or Neji, but he, Uzumaki Naruto, soon to be the greatest ninja in all of Konoha, would bring the flag safely back to the boy's line and show the girls just how wonderful he was. After such a display of daring courage, even Sakura would have to be impressed enough to forgive him.

Beside Naruto, the sound of leaves rustling could be heard. Instinctively, the young ninja crouched down, suddenly alert. An intruder was nearby. He listened carefully, straining for any hint of the cause of the noise. For a moment, Naruto thought of doubling back and getting some reinforcements before checking out the disturbance, but decided against it. If he was to win any glory today, he would have to earn it by himself.

------

Hyuga Hinata cursed softly. Despite her caution her leg had accidentally rubbed against a tree and rustled its branches. It had not been a very loud noise, but if there was anyone nearby there was a good chance they might have heard it. She stole through the forest, taking care to plant each foot around dead tree branches, leaves, or anything that might threaten her concealment. Her one mistake was already too much; she could seldom afford a second one.

It was rather foolish for her to be here, behind the boy's line, all alone so early in the game. Normally, they would slip into enemy territory in traditional squads of four, but Sakura and Ino's planning session had degenerated into another mindless squabble about their idol, Sasuke's, affection and Hinata had grown weary of their petty arguments. She doubted any of the girls would notice that she had left for at least another half hour; that was plenty of time to scout for the boy's flag on her own.

The trees were proving troublesome for Hinata, though. They were so thick it was hard to see for more than a few feet in front of her. It would take ages to find the flag in these conditions. Fortunately, Hinata had a solution to this problem.

"Byakugan!" She muttered quietly. Instantly, blood and chakra rushed to her white eyes, and veins around her temple bulged out to accommodate the flow that fueled the Hygua clan's bloodline technique. The familiar blinding rush of energy filled Hinata, and when she could see again the world around her had changed. No longer was her vision obscured by the constraints of mortal men. They transcended the barriers of flesh and physical confinements of the world, allowing Hinata's gaze to pierce through the trees as if they did not exist.

In the distance she spotted her cousin, Neji, rushing through the treetops with some team mates behind him, but they were not heading towards her. Another squad lead by Sasuke was running in the direction of the front line, and a few stray boys were standing around on watch. However, the flag was nowhere in sight.

She frowned. While very powerful, the Byakugan was limited by its user, and though Hinata practiced rigorously to master her bloodline technique, it still had not reached the potency of some of her clan mates who could easily see things miles away without any difficulty. If she wanted to find the flag she would have to sneak further in.

Stealthily, she crept ahead, keeping a wary eye out for the boy's patrols. Hinata had not spotted Naruto amongst them, which meant that it was possible he could be nearby. The idea terrified and elated the young girl simultaneously, and unconsciously she found herself blushing at the thought of the blonde haired trouble maker. It was hard to explain her feelings for Naruto. There was just something about him that made him more interesting than all the other boys that her friends chased after. He might not have the grades of Neji, the raw ability of Sasuke, or the cleverness of Shikamaru, but nonetheless Hinata found his personality irresistible.

But alas Naruto barely even noticed her. It frustrated her to no end, but then again, it was mostly her fault. While Hinata liked Naruto, she had trouble summoning the courage to even approach him much less confess her feelings for him. She sighed miserably. An unrequited love was a terrible thing.

She was about ready to press on again, when suddenly someone grabbed her from behind. Hinata gasp of surprise was stifled by a hand clasped over her mouth, and her body was pulled firmly against her assailant, so firmly that she could feel the rhythmic beat of their heart against her back. She struggled briefly, but the one arm her captor had wrapped around her waist was enough to hold her. Internally, Hinata raged at herself. She had been so distracted by her thoughts about Naruto that she had not even noticed someone sneaking up behind her.

Hinata's body stiffened as the arm encircling her waist began moving further up her body with tantalizing slowness, almost as if teasing the young ninja, until they came to a rest, nestled gently under her breasts. A pair of warm lips gently kissed the side of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine, and then a soft whisper delicately caressed her ears.

"Got you." The voice whispered. "You're caught."

Hinata froze and her eyes widened in horror. She knew that voice! With a surge of desperate energy she broke away from their grip and spun around to face her assailant. None other than Naruto stood in front of her, chuckling softly with a roguish twinkle in his eye.

"Hi, Hinata." He said cheerfully.

Hinata could only stare at Naruto. Her mind raced, thinking of something suitable to do or say. Anything. She was an expert in hand to hand combat. She should punch him for daring to touch her, Hinata, the heiress of one of Konoha's most powerful clans! Or should she kiss him like she wanted so badly to do, to punctuate an already romantic encounter? What clearer confession of her affections could there be? Surely then Naruto would know how much she cared for him.

Finally, Hinata settled for a compromise. She fainted.

Naruto lurched forward to catch Hinata as she fell, and for a moment he held her in his arms, enjoying the feeling of her almost weightless form against him. She was so innocent, he almost felt bad for toying with her like that. Almost. Gently, he rested the blue-haired ninja on the ground and propped her head up against a tree. This wasn't the first time she had fainted like this, and knowing Hinata, it wouldn't be the last.

"Sorry, Hinata." Naruto whispered. He kneeled down and kissed her on the cheek, and for a moment he could have sworn he saw the unconscious girl smile. Laughing to himself, Naruto walked away. The game had only begun.

-----

Author's Notes:

Yay! Capture the Flag! My favorite past time mixed with lots of ninja goodness! What could be the results? Romantic encounters in the forest? Lots of kickass ninja battles? More awkward situations than accidentally going into the girl's bathroom? That and more on the next episode of this slowly updating fanfiction.

Sorry it's taking so long to get chapters up. Pretty busy. Going to only be updating it casually unless I get the idea that a lot of people are waiting for an update. Only got a dozen or so hits and three reviews last chapter, so if you want to see more, be sure to drop a small one liner or so telling me what you liked/disliked. Suggestions are cool too. Any kind of original characters you wanted inserted into the mix? I write for fun, but getting feedback is the true reward.

OK, enough with this pathetic plea for reader feedback while I still have some dignity. Too late you say? Damn it!