Okay, so I've been trying to figure this out...Naruto failed the graduation test 3 times, yet he's the same age as everyone else. I didn't really know how to make that work, so I just put him in a different class. Again, I'll go into more detail about that later on.

Oh and by the way, I own nothing besides *my* characters: Tsunami, Kyoko, Honako, Link, and Asuka-sensei.

Rachel

"Why are you so nice to him?" Kyoko asked in disgust as Naruto walked away with a small smile on his lips after I had given him half my lunch because he had forgotten his (again).

"Why aren't you?" I shot back as we sat down in the grass for lunch. I had decided not to tell Kyoko about what had happened a few days ago. No particular reason, I just felt like keeping it to myself. And besides, the whole thing scared me...I felt like I would cry every time I thought about it, and Kyoko would make fun of me if I cried.

"I'm not nice to anyone," Kyoko commented with a mischevious grin. "Anyone except you."

"You're not even that nice to me," I replied.

"And it's not just me that is mean to Naruto," Kyoko continued, not bothering to keep her voice down. Luckily, Naruto was all the way across the playground. "everyone is."

"Why?" I asked, sadly, watching the boy eat by himself over by the swing.

"We're not supposed to talk about it, but Sinchi told me everything," Kyoko explained in a hushed tone, and I glanced over at her.

"What did he tell you?"

"You can't tell anyone."

"I won't," I promised. "Now spill!"

"Well, you know how the 4th Hokage died to protect the Village from the Nine-Tailed Fox?" I nodded. My dad had told me a few stories about that. "He had to seal the spirit away somewhere, so he put the demon inside of a newborn baby. And there he is." Kyoko pointed at Naruto. "But don't say anything. Sinchi said that hardly anyone knows about it in the entire town. Not even Naruto knows."

"You're lying," I insisted.

"Cross my heart and hope to die. I swear it's the truth." I got up from my spot on the ground and dusted off my pants.

"What are you doing?" Kyoko asked.

"I'm gonna go talk to him," I replied.

"What? No! What if he hurts you?"

"He's not gonna hurt me," I said and made my way over to him. "Hi."

Naruto looked up at me in surprise.

"Hi, Tsunami." I sat down next to him.

"You know, you really should remember to bring your own lunch. I gave you all the good stuff," I said, grinning, but he just looked sad.

"Do you want it back?"

"No, you can have it," I said, and then sighed. "Listen, today is Friday so that means there's no school the next two days. Do you want to sleep over tonight? We could order pizza and play videogames, and then watch cartoons on Saturday morning."

"Umm..." Naruto looked like he was in shock. "okay. But can we do it at my house?"

"Sure. We should walk back to your house after class so I know where it is."

"Okay."

"Alright, kids, lunch is over!" Iruka-sensei called and everyone started to walk or run inside.

I was sitting in class with Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji, my best guy friends. Kiba and Choji were passing notes, and Shikamaru whispered in my ear,

"I saw you talkin' to Naruto at lunch. What was that about?" I rolled my eyes.

"Don't tell me you hate him, too."

"I don't hate him. I was just wondering."

"Oh. I invited him to sleep over." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, and I added, "No one's ever nice to him."

"What about me? I thought I was your best friend. How come I didn't get invited to sleep over?" he asked with a grin and I giggled.

"You can sleep over tomorrow night."

"Just kidding. I don't wanna sleep over at your house."

"Well then."

"But we can still hang out tomorrow."

"Okay." Shikamaru and I always hung out on Saturdays. Sometimes Choji tagged along, too, but we didn't really mind.

"Can I come?" Choji chirped and I giggled.

"Sure, if you want."

"AHEM! Shikamaru, Tsunami, am I interrupting your conversation with my teaching?" Iruka-sensei asked, and suddenly all eyes were on us.

"No," I said, quietly.

"Good." I could hear Shikamaru snickering next to me and I elbowed him in the ribs as Iruka-sensei turned back around.

"You buttwipe! You got me in trouble."

Class was dismissed and everyone ran outside, happy it was Friday.

"Hey, Tsunami! Walk home with me, come on," Kyoko cried, grabbing my arm, but I shook her off.

"Can't. I have other plans."

"Hmm, since when did you get more popular than me?"

"I've always been more popular than you."

"Go screw." I left her behind me, and went to go find Naruto.

"Hey," I said, tapping him on the shoulder. He was waiting out front.

"Hi!" Naruto cried, happily.

"Let's go to your house!" I cried, grinning and he grabbed my hand, and we took off running.

"Hey!"

"Watch where you're going!"

"Damn kids."

"Get outta here!" were some of the things people yelled at us as we plowed through the streets of the Village, tripping people and knocking over carts.

"This is where you live?" I asked as we stopped in front of a large building filled with apartments.

"Yeah."

"COOL!" I yelled and we ran inside and up to his room.

"Are you sure your parents won't mind that I'm here?" I asked as I sat down on the couch.

"I don't have parents." Naruto was looking through the fridge.

"So, you live here all by yourself?"

"Hokage comes to check on me sometimes," Naruto murmured and stuck two cups of something in the microwave "You like ramen, right?"

"Umm...yeah," I lied. I had never tried it.

Naruto sat down, cross-legged in front of the microwave and drummed his fingers on the floor.

"Do you have any games?" I asked as the clock on the microwave ticked down from 3 minutes.

"Like what?"

"Like Candyland or Shoots and Ladders or Apples to Apples."

"No, I don't think so." 2:20, 2:19, 2:18.

"What do you do for fun?"

"I eat ramen, and I watch TV, and I train sometimes."

"That's it?" 1:59, 1:58, 1:57.

"Yeah." We waited in silence for a while. "Aaahh! I *hate* the 3 minutes you have to wait for Instant Ramen to cook!" Naruto yelled, and I giggled. This didn't seem like the same person that Kyoko had described to me, the same person that the entire town hated. I just couldn't believe that I knew this huge secret about him, something that he didn't even know, and he knew nothing about me.

"My mom thinks I'm possessed," I said and Naruto glanced over at me. 1:24, 1:23, 1:22.

"Huh?"

I took a deep breath. "Do you remember that day that I ditched?" Naruto nodded. "I didn't really...ditch. I transported to my mom's side, and now she thinks I'm some kind of freak. She was like, begging the Hokage to take my "powers" away." I used air quotes around the word 'powers'. I sighed. "I never told anyone that. Not even Shikamaru, and I tell him everything."

"Wow." 0:30, 0:29, 0:28.

"I'm really glad that the Hokage decided not to take away my powers, because I have to become strong. I *have* to."

"Why?" Naruto asked.

"Because I have to become strong enough to make the Kashuni clan fear me. They've been stepping all over my clan for years, and I'm sick of it. I wanna make them afraid, make them wish they never messed with us. I wanna be strong for my family," I explained. "What about you? Why do you wanna be strong?"

"I kinda want to be Hokage. The Hokage is the best ninja of them all, and everyone has to look up to him. If I was Hokage, then everyone would have to stop disrespecting me and treat me like I'm somebody. Somebody important. Then everyone will have to admit that I'm the best, and that I worked really hard to get there. And I will."

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The beeping blasted through the apartment and Naruto jumped up. "The ramen's done! Yay!" He opened the microwave door and took the cups out, and set them in front of me with four chopsticks. "I wish I had someone to talk to every time I make Instant Ramen. It makes the 3 minutes go by soooo much faster!"

I smiled and started to eat, but I couldn't get Naruto's words out of my head: Then everyone will have to admit that I'm the best, and that I worked really hard to get there. And I will!