Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! If I did, I would… actually, I dunno what I'd do.

A/N: Alrighty! Finally going to meet the other kids! Of course, we did meet Sasuke before huehue. There should be some fluffy cute scenes with the Rookie Nine, and I'll hopefully have the older 3 in it as well, to complete the Konoha 12 (11 with Sasuke).

Thank you all so much for the support! You guys are the ones who encourage me to write my best, and continue to improve! I love you all.

Begin!

Chapter 7
Of Decisions and Beginnings

Incessant shaking, that's what roused Naruto from his deep sleep. He muttered and rolled over, determined to stay in the comfort of the warm covers. The shaking only quickened.

"Let me sleep!" he whined, trying to bat away the offending person.

"Alright, I'll let you sleep… I guess I'll have to call in to say you won't be going to the Academy…" a voice sighed in sadness and regret.

Naruto blinked, running the sentence through his head. 'Academy… Acaaadeemyyy… WAIT!' He shot out of bed and onto the floor.

"HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN?!" he shouted excitedly, zooming around to get changed. They had been talking about having Naruto attend the Academy for about a week now. He couldn't wait! Just the thought of being able to learn and actually make friends around his age…

'Well I have Sasuke.' After their first meeting, Naruto and Sasuke had become best friends, frequently playing games with each other. But they led isolated lives… one being the son of the Head Uchiha and the other being the sonof the Hokage. There had been numerous times when Naruto felt pangs of loneliness.

Now mixed in with the exhilaration was nervousness… Would people like him? He didn't even know how normal children behaved! What if he did something weird, then the others might not talk to him.

Naruto shooed the thoughts away. 'There's no use thinking so negatively! I just have to be friendly! Say 'Hi' and introduce myself. No problem!' Heart lighter, he quickly finished getting dressed.

Naruto found Minato leaning against the doorway, and he tugged on his arm. "Daddy! Let's go, I don't want to be late!"

Minato chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Relax, kiddo! We have plenty of time. First, breakfast."

"Yay! Mom, what's for breakfast?" he yelled as he ran down the steps.

Minato followed at the slower pace, though his smile waned as he delved deeper into his thoughts. He couldn't help but feel faint twinges of protectiveness and fear. Once Naruto went to the Academy, Minato would lose the control he had over his safety. He had already talked to Kushina about it…

Flashback

"Maybe I can have Kakashi watch over him, while he's in the Academy…" Minato bit his lip. While it was true Kakashi was Naruto's main guard, he didn't watch over him 24/7. There was a rotation, though Kakashi was the captain of the squad members. Naruto and Kushina's protection was top priority.

To his relief, no problems had arisen while Naruto had been living with them. There were no attempts made on their lives or kidnappings… all the usual dangers surrounding a Hokage. He had the relative peace to thank. While the Great Nations were not buddies per se, there was less hostility than had been seen in a long time.

However, many people saw this as the calm before the storm. This peace couldn't last forever. Something was bound to happen, to break it.

Kushina rested a hand on his arm to get his attention. "Minato, I love Naruto as much as you do. I want him to be safe as well. And he will be. The Academy is close to the Hokage's office. It is one of the safest places in Konoha. I think… Naruto is ready to become more independent. He doesn't need to be watched over while in the Academy."

Minato thought for a moment. Eventually he shook his head in wonder. "Why are you always right, Kushina?"

"Because I'm a woman," she quipped back. "Let Naruto spread his wings. I can already see him becoming great. And I'm always right." She winked. Minato leaned over, cuddling her.

"My voice of reason... What would I ever do without you, Kushina?"

"Crash and burn, most likely."

End Flashback

'I guess I do tend to be over protective…' Minato mused. He couldn't help it… he would do anything to keep his loved ones safe. Letting Naruto go to the Academy was his first test at letting Naruto leave the proverbial nest.

'…Being a parent is tough.'

…

Naruto wasn't completely unfamiliar with the Academy building, as he sometimes explored inside. But that was only the main building… the Academy was huge, as expected with the central school in Konoha.

There were two main sections; the Civilian Academy and the Ninja Academy. As the name suggested, those who did not wish to be a ninja, or didn't have the qualifications, would be taught in a different area to children who were training to become Genin.

However there were other sections as well, that dealt with the younger children, from Kindergarten care to around the age of 6. Some parents would send their children here at a very young age, whereas others would choose to take full care of them. Most would then enrol their child around the age of 4 to 5, which was what Naruto was doing.

Now that he was here, about to enter the Academy, he felt that feeling of nervousness rise up again. Everything would be different to what he was used to. It was daunting…

They entered the main entrance into the large area in front of the complex. It was filled with parents milling around and chatting, and their children either clinging to them or running around and chasing each other for fun. The Hokage and his wife were noticed by a few, who bowed their head respectively in greeting.

"Kushina! Minato! Over here!" Mikoto called out. The three walked over to where she stood, with Sasuke. Naruto quickly went over to him and began chatting animatedly about going to the Academy.

"Hello Mikoto. Where's Fugaku?" Minato asked, looking around slightly.

"Oh, he's busy today…" Mikoto smiled, but her voice was a little strained. Minato frowned, but this wasn't the time or place to ask about their private matters. She changed the subject. "Sasuke here was so excited, he could barely sleep last night!"

"Mom!" said boy whined in embarrassment. Naruto giggled and shoved him playfully.

"I was like that too! And then I almost slept in this morning," he whispered to the other. Sasuke grinned back.

Mikoto exhaled dramatically. "On one hand I don't want to let Sasuke out of my sight… on the other hand, I will probably enjoy the relaxation!"

"I understand completely," Kushina replied in complete seriousness. Naruto crossed his arms and pouted.

"Hey! I'm super well behaved!"

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Oh, then it must have been a ghost that stole my cloak last week…"

"Apart from that."

"And then a few days ago Kakashi fell victim to a prank that made his hair pink…"

"…Uh…"

"And just yesterday I found out that someone had hidden oranges all around the house…"

"That's 'cause I love-!"

"Hokage-sama," a voice to the side said, distracting Minato. He was pleasantly surprised to find Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara and Chouza Akimichi there, all with their children. Inoichi continued, "My apologies for interrupting, we just wanted to greet you before the class placements were announced."

"Of course! I haven't seen your children in a while," Minato smiled. "I should be the one apologising for not visiting you since Naruto arrived. I don't believe you've met him formally yet," he said as he nudged Naruto forward a little.

Naruto blinked up at the new trio. 'They must be important…' he deduced, judging from their familiarity with his dad. They also had the same aura as Minato had… one Naruto would often sense around powerful shinobi like his dad and Kakashi.

"Hello! I'm Naruto," he introduced himself. It had been a while since he had had to do that, though now that he was about to meet many new people there was no time like the present to start up again. "Pleased to meet you!"

"Cute kid," Chouza noted. "We'll let the kids get to know each other, eh?"

"Alright, go on, Naruto. You can make some new friends now," Minato said. Naruto nodded, and they all went off to let their parents have their parent-y conversations.

Being the only one who was partially familiar with his surroundings, Naruto led the group to a patch of grass by a large tree. At once one of the children plopped down, with another following him. Eventually they all sat in a circle. There was a period of awkward silence. Naruto didn't speak at first, as he looked at the other children.

One of them, the one who had sat down first, had dark brown hair that was tied up in a high pony tail. 'It looks a lot like his father's hair…' The boy had a very bored look on his face. 'Hmm, maybe not bored. More… lazy.' He had on a grey shirt, with mesh being visible underneath.

Next to the lazy faced one was a more robust individual, with plump cheeks. As for those cheeks, there were bizarre vivid red swirls on them. 'His father had marks on his cheeks too, but different… Perhaps it's a clan thing.' He had brown, spiky hair, and looked perfectly content to sit there eating a bag of potato chips.

The last one was a girl. 'This is my first time meeting a girl my age… They aren't very different to boys, right?' A memory appeared. Obito had been practising fire jutsu in their garden. One thing led to another, and needless to say one of the trees caught fire. While Minato did douse it before it could get too damaged, when Kushina saw it… Well, let's just say Naruto could have sworn his mother caught fire herself.

'But that's impossible… right?'

The girl opposite to Naruto didn't look scary… though he knew better than to judge a girl by her appearance. She had short, light blonde hair, which had a clip on one side. Her eyes were a little strange, almost completely teal coloured. 'It looks a lot like her father- I really need to stop comparing them to their fathers…' She wore a light blue singlet and grey shorts.

Out of all of them, the girl was the most interested in them, not at all hiding the fact that she was staring at both he and Sasuke. Finally, someone talked.

"Hi, I'm Ino Yamanaka," the girl chirped, her voice very light. Naruto actually became slightly alarmed at how high it was. 'Then again, boys have high voices compared to adult males. Girls might be the same.' After all, his mother's voice was deeper than this. "My clan specialises in mind-techniques. My dream is to become a beautiful girl who can fight just as well as the boys!" she said resolutely.

'That's… that's really cool,' Naruto thought. He knew that generally female bodies were weaker than males, but there were many famous kunoichi in Konoha, most notably the Sannin, Tsunade. He had not met her yet… but he had heard stories about her from Jiraiya as well as Minato. And the mind-techniques sounded interesting. 'Dad told me that the clans in Konoha are powerful… these three must all be in one of them.'

"Oi, you guys introduce yourselves too!" Ino muttered, giving the eating boy a light push. Like a switch, the boy became shy, ducking his head at the attention. He turned to the boy on his right with pleading eyes.

"…How troublesome…" the boy with the lazy face mumbled. "I'm Shikamaru. That's Chouji."

Ino gave a scowl. "You guys suck at introductions! That one over there is Shikamaru Nara. He's really smart! And his clan specialises in shadow manipulation. This one is Chouji! He's kinda f-"

"Ino…" Shikamaru interrupted.

"-Er, I mean chubby. But that's 'cause his clan is super strong, and turns the fat into energy! Our clans are good friends." She finished with a nod, proudly crossing her arms and closing her eyes. "So what about you guys? Well, I know you're the Hokage's son!" she declared, pointing her finger at the blond.

Naruto stared cross-eyed at the finger. "Y-Yup! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I… uh…" Naruto frowned. 'Ino talked about clans, but I'm not part of one… What was the other thing? Oh, dreams!' "My dream is to make the most of everything and to never give up!"

"Why Uzumaki?"

"Pardon?" Naruto was a little startled to see that it was Shikamaru who had spoken.

Shikamaru seemed to instantly regret talking, as he dropped his shoulders in defeat. "Nevermind…" he murmured. It was silly of him to ask. After thinking a bit more about it, it was clear that the reason for taking his mother's last name was to draw less attention to himself. The name Minato Namikaze was famous… the one who had single handedly ended a war. 'Everyone is going to find out that he's the Hokage's son though… since they look so much alike. Is it more of a precaution against outsiders?'

If there was anything that got Shikamaru interested, it was riddles and mysteries. And Naruto was certainly an enigma. Most children were unaware, or had forgotten that Naruto wasn't actually the Hokage's son. From his knowledge, they were cousins. Or, at least that was the reason the Hokage gave.

But once he had overheard his father talking. It wasn't much, and it certainly wasn't accusing their Hokage of adultery… but his father just had the feeling that something wasn't right. That there was more to it. Shikamaru didn't want to pry into their personal life… but he was still curious. 'Just what is it you are hiding…?'

"Your turn," Naruto nudged his friend. Sasuke had improved a little on his shyness… but not much.

"I'm… Sasuke Uchiha. My clan… uh… specialises in fire techniques, and our doujutsu. My dream is… to be strong, like my brother," he said, giving a small smile. Naruto grinned at him.

"You'll get stronger in no time, Sasuke. You never know, you might even surpass him!"

Before anyone could say more, everyone in the crowd quietened down. A man stood at the front on an elevated stand.

"Good morning parents and children, my name is Muki Kitagame, I am the head of the Junior school division. Today I welcome students, both familiar and new, to the start of a new term. As you know, we call this important year before the separation the 'Preparatory Year'. Your child will be taught all basic academic subjects, but we will also be evaluating your child on numerous aspects. Should you wish for your child to enter the Ninja Academy at the end of the preparatory year, it will be our evaluation report that will determine whether your child has met the requirements."

For most of the shinobi adults, this was not news to them. By decree of the Nidaime Hokage, not everyone was allowed to train as a ninja. Rules were bent during war times, however at present time the regulations were that no child could train as a shinobi before the age of 5, for safety reason.

There was a minimum period of one year for the individual to be assessed, to see if they had the qualifications to enter the Ninja Academy and start basic training to become a Konoha shinobi. If the child did not meet the requirements, or the parents did not wish for them to become a ninja, they would go on to study in the Civilian Academy.

"To the parents. As Konoha's main academy, we pride ourselves on providing the best possible education and environment for your child. They are in good hands. If the children could please enter the hall to the right, we will give you your room numbers."

Naruto and the others made their way to the hall, but not before Kushina hugged him tightly.

"Be good! Your father will pick you up this afternoon," she said.

"Okay, Mom," he replied. "See you later!"

…

Naruto was ecstatic to find that he was in the same class as Sasuke, and the three new friends he had met. Each class had around 20 students, so that they could be evaluated properly.

His first day was mostly introductions, of the teachers, how everything would run, what subjects they would learn… all in all, quite hectic. By the end of the day, Naruto actually felt a little tired. Not much, since he had an almost endless supply of energy, but definitely noticeable to him. Exiting school, he smiled genuinely as he saw his dad waiting for him.

As if knowing what Naruto wanted, Minato easily hoisted him up, letting Naruto clutch around his neck.

"How was your first day?" he asked as they began walking back.

"It was good," he replied. "My teacher is really nice… We didn't really do a lot of academic learning yet. But hopefully that will be fun."

Minato chuckled. "They know you are all still kids, so I'm sure they will make learning more amusing. Focus on expanding your knowledge, but also playing with friends and enjoying the Academy."

Naruto was silent for a while, before tentatively asking, "About that evaluation…"

Minato slowed down slightly. "You… well, both Kurama and I had already agreed that you wouldn't become a ninja. The evaluation reports are automatically given to all students."

Nodding, Naruto fell silent again, thinking. He had known the entire time that he wasn't going to be a shinobi, and it had never bothered him before. His real father, Kurama, had sent him here for a few reasons, and not one of them included Naruto becoming a ninja.

'It is a strange thought, for a demon to be a ninja. Then again… a demon being a human is strange in itself.' What would he gain from becoming a ninja? Power? He didn't need that… For all he knew, Kurama might show up the next day, ready to bring him back home to live out his life as a demon. Not very likely… but still possible.

'I know… I know that being a shinobi is hard. It's dangerous… which negates the purpose of Father bringing me here. I'm not looking for trouble. I'm not seeking power. Living out my human life peacefully in Konoha… that's what I want. So, I won't become a ninja.'

Naruto felt happy with his decision. He had a home, he had a family to return to. There was no need for a change.

But sometimes, changes can't be controlled. They can't be predicted. It is a simple fact in life that change is inevitable. One day, Naruto would learn this. Experience it first-hand. Change is change… for better or for worse.

A/N: I'm not sure how well this chapter turned out haha. It was a little difficult figuring out how I was going to make the academic system, because there is not a whole lot of information on it in canon. I decided to expand on the idea of qualifications that was given on Narutopedia.

As for the ages… canon is strange. Itachi graduated at around 7, whereas Kakashi graduated at age 5. They are both prodigy students, but still… it's pretty ridiculous. So I made an age restriction of 5 for ninja training… hopefully it will be fine. That means that they have around 5-7 years of academics mixed in with basic ninja training until graduation… which again I hope is logical.

But, this is ignoring the fact that the current peace will not last… Change is coming, the graduation age is likely to be different when Naruto in canon graduated.

Ninjutsu – Do I really have to explain this one? It means ninja techniques (90% sure) and it pretty much encompasses most of the ninja things that involve chakra.

Doujutsu – Might be more unknown, this is eye techniques, that don't require handseals. Examples are Sharingan, Byakugan, and Rinnegan.

I might have mentioned this before, but I'm not hiding the fact that I love Shikamaru. If anyone figures out Naruto's secret, it will be him.

So yeah! This chapter isn't that long… :( But stay tuned! Reviews make me so happy! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!