Many thanks for the reviews from:

Silvermane1

Creation to Ash

darkhuntressxir

garra king of the sand

TheRazGrizDragon

Lucio BetaBlake

I don't own Naruto


Waking up to the hellish invention that is an alarm-clock, Naruto couldn't help but be slightly upset. After all, he had the day off after failing, again, to graduate.

After slapping the alarm to turn it off, Naruto went back to bed.

Well, he tried to.

As he laid back down, he couldn't help but think about his failure to pass Irukas test. Such thoughts made sleep impossible.

With a groan, Naruto swung his legs out from under the covers and sat up.

After rubbing the crust out of the corner of his eyes, he started towards his dresser to start the day.

As he reached for the top drawer, he noticed an envelope on his dresser. Not knowing who it was from, Naruto cautiously opened the envelope, as if he was waiting for fire to shoot out of it.

It wouldn't be the first time someone sent a trap in an envelope.

No fire-ball or poison shot out of it, so he determined it must not be dangerous.

He was very wrong.

As he pulled the note out of its enclosing, he received one of the most painful lacerations that he could remember getting.

A paper cut.

Cursing, Naruto opened the note and as he read it his face brightened up.

"Dear Naruto,

I am so proud of you. You completely overwhelmed my expectations of you. It is my great privilege and pleasure to let know you that you finally graduated. Inside, you will find your forehead protector. wear it with pride.

Now get you butt to school. I set you alarm early for you. You can't be late on your first day of being a ninja.

-Iruka"

With a sense of profound reverence, Naruto slid the forehead protector out of the envelope, escaping the cold sting of another paper cut.

As he gazed upon the metal band, he noticed that it had numerous scratches and slight pock-marks littered over its face. the cloth, likewise, was worn.

Confused about why his "new" forehead protector was so damaged, he turned it around and noticed the name etched in the back.

Iruka Umino

Instantly, the events from the previous night flooded into his mind. His failing the test. Being tricked by Mizuki into stealing the forbidden scroll. The fact that he Knocked out two powerful men with a jutsu of his own and learned a new jutsu in one night.

' Black mail forever' Naruto thought with a chuckle.

Then he recalled that Iruka was badly injured when he ran from Mizuki. The fact that everyone knew about the Kyuubi. The pleasure he felt in calling upon the power that he possessed. Then the fact that he never did make it back to Iruka.

Looking at the forehead protector that he was clutching, Naruto silently crying.

" I...I wasn't strong enough. I failed him. I always fail." Sinking to his knees, he let out a moan.

"Why! Why Iruka. It should have been me. It should have been ME!" Naruto started sinking into despair. "I don't have anyone now. I can't go on." Taking out his kunai, he pressed it lightly to his naval, drawing a minuscule amount of blood.

Images of Irukas smiling face flashed through his mind, along with Hiruzen, Teuchi, Ayame, and Sasuke.

Determination found its way back to Naruto, flushing out all thoughts of suicide.

"Ni. I'm not alone. I will go on and be the best ninja ever."

Rising from the floor, he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Looking at his forehead protector, he stated,"I promise, I will make you proud." and set out for the Academy.

Naruto walked into the class room so sedately that no one even noticed him with the exception of Sasuke.

The room was buzzing with dozens of excited conversations about peoples dreams of being a ninja. Or in Shino's case, just the buzz of insects.

Naruto took his place next to Sasuke, who noticed the profound lack of excitement from him.

" Naruto. How did you pass" was all that Sasuke said.

"I'll tell you later."

Before Sasuke could say anything else, Sakura started screeching at Naruto about, how only people who passed were allowed in, and how he was defiling the air around Sasuke.

Without so much as a hint of annoyance in his body language, he pointed his thumb at the forehead protector on his head, earning the laughter of the class at her gaping expression.

"Alright, everyone. Shut UP!" Was the surprisingly familiar shout that came from the door way.

Naruto was left gaping at the person that he thought dead.

"Iruka!" exclaimed Naruto as he flung himself across the room at the said man.

Taken by surprise, Iruka could not dodge the blond cannonball that was Naruto.

"I missed you so much, I thought you were dead! Don't ever die, okay! Well, not till I'm as old and wrinkly as Jiji." Naruto half cried, half shouted.

Rubbing the back of his head, Iruka sheepishly muttered his agreement.

After finals consoling Naruto and getting the class to quiet down, Iruka started in on his lecture of a ninjas duties and the sacrifices that they will make for the greater good, all while Naruto tried his hardest to stay awake, just to hear Irukas voice.

"Now to announce the teams."

Everyone only listened to the teams and who they were with if their name was called or someone who they wanted on a team was called.

"Sakura"

Naruto, completely missing the name of the team leader, sat straight up when he heard Sakura's name, as did Sasuke.

Now, it isn't what you think. Naruto wanted to be on Sakura's team just as much as Sasuke did. That is not at all. Over the years, her grating voice and personality, along with the constant hitting, pushed her far from Naruto's heart.

"Sasuke"

Almost the same instant Sasuke's name was called, Sakura started to cheer, dance, and yell something about true love always winning, at a volume that made everyone cringe.

Sasuke was cursing up a storm and trying to barge with Iruka to be on a different team.

Naruto was just laughing at his friends cursed luck.

"And Naruto"

Face planting with enough force to crack his desk, Naruto started muttering about how life isn't fair and that bad thing always happen to him.

Sakura was loudly complaining about Naruto on Sasuke's team and how he would only pull them down.

Sasuke settled for an evil smirk and a dark chuckle, glad that he didn't have to suffer alone.

As Naruto wallowed in his ill fate, the rest of the teams were announced and the Jonin teachers started to arrive for their team.

After noticing that everyone that was not o his team was gone, Naruto sat up and just waited.

And waited.

And waited.

After thirty minutes of sitting and doing nothing, the three remaining people started with their own activities.

While Naruto started flicking pencils across the room and Sakura continued to stare at he love, Sasuke pulled out a thick leather-bound book that looked like its page count could give a dictionary a run for its money.

It wasn't a dictionary, of course, but a book written my Itach Uchiha, entitled, "Uchihas guide to .Fangirls" The front page read as so, "Tips for ridding yourself of fangirls. Tip #1: Genocide of the female race. Tip#2: suicide. The fangirl is a parasite that not even the mightiest of Uchihas can eradicate. Fortunately, there are way to shape and mold them to better suit your needs and goals. This book will go over the different methods and techniques of doing so. WARNING: Do not attempt any skill in this book until you have completed it. If you do attempt to use these skills before such time, you may unintentionally gain more fangirls and ruin future attempts at obtaining a normal life."

Sasuke started this book on the first day of his graduating year and, while only a quarter way through, was eagerly learning.

Sure, Itachi Uchiha is a genocidal psychopath with a god-complex. That doesn't stop him from having good advice.

After another thirty minutes passed, only Naruto changed his activities. He graduated from flicking pencils to setting up an elaborate trap (prank) using desks, wire, pencils, glue,a single black board eraser, and a gigantic bag of bright pink feathers. Where he got them was a mystery.

When their teacher walks in, at the two-hour mark, he was thrown into chaos.

When he opens the door, the black board eraser fell, hitting him on the head and pulling a single pencil, that was acting like a peg. When the pencil was set free, it released a line of wire that was holding up three desks, dropping them to the floor, releasing more pegs. As more desks fell from the ceiling, the first two landed on tubes of glue, which in turn sprayed the man at the door. The last falling desks tore open and flung the bag of pink feathers across the room.

The final result was a bright, pink feather, covered man.

Naruto was rolling of the floor with laughter, Sakura was berating Naruto for acting like a child, and Sasuke was struggling to hold in his own mirth.

"My first impression of you is," said the feather covered man, "I hate you. Meet me on the roof in five minutes." then looking down at himself, he said,"Make that fifteen." and with a clown of smoke, he was gone.

After gaining some small measure of composure, the three students made their way up to the roof.

What they saw started the laughing all over again.

As they were five minutes early, they witnessed their teacher being attacked by a medium-sized cat with a bow on its left ear.

After a quick struggle, their teacher, still covered in feathers, and now scratches, succeeded in subduing the beast and proceeded to punt it off of the side of the building.

They all sweet-dropped. 'This is our teacher' was there collective thought.

After punting the cat off of the building, their teacher turned to his students and told them to sit down.

"Okay. Tell me your names, likes, dislikes, and dreams for the future. Lets start with you pinky." He said, pointing at Sakura.

Unsure of herself, she asked, " Do you mind if you go first, that way we all know how to do it?"

"Why yes. I do mind." he said as he continued to stare in her eyes.

More than a little nervous, she started.

"My name is Sakura. I like.." she looked at Sasuke." I hate Ino, Naruto and whoever else gets in the way of my dream. My dream is .." She looked at Sasuke again and started to giggle.

He had to stop himself from shuddering.

Their teacher just looked at her, unreadable, for a bit, before he said. "Your name is Sakura? Wow. Your parents must have the combined imagination of a cantaloupe. Alright, now it is your turn Blondie."

"I'm Naruto, I like ramen, Teuchi, Ayame, Iruka, Jiji, and Sasuke. I hate the three-minute it takes to make ramen and people who hate others for no good reason. I dream of being the best ninja ever!" As he finished he jumped up and pointed at the sun.

"I think I hate you the most. And I have a very good reason." said the still unnamed man, earning another round of laughter from Naruto.

"Duck-Butt. It's your turn"

Scowling, Sasuke started. "I'm Sasuke." Sakura interrupted to yell, "Yeah you are!"

Ignoring her, he continued, " I like Naruto, my book and silence. I hate a certain man and fangirls. My dream is to rid my self of the bane of my existence and revive my clan."

Blushing, Sakura tried to say seductively," I'll help you with your dream, Sasuke."

However, Sasuke's and Sakura's view of that statement were very different.

-Sakura's daydream

She was walking down the ile. Cheery blossoms were floating down from the ceiling. Up at the altar, dressed in a traditional white kimono, stood Sasuke gently smiling.

After saying their vows, they crossed their wrists and the prest tied them together with a silk ribbon.

Lifting up Sakura's veil, Sasuke passionately kissed her.

"Shall we go, Sakura Uchiha?"

"I would love to, Sasuke Uchiha."

-end daydream

-Sasuke's Daydream

Sakura had gathered all of Sasuke's fangirls to a large, indoor stadium, for a "Sasuke Day Celebration".

As night fell, the party only got more rambunctious, and firecrackers and sparklers were being lit.

The smoke from the firecrackers wafted up to the sprinkler system which set off the fire alarm.

The moment the fire alarms went off, the sprinklers turned on.

However, instead of water, gasoline rained down upon the fangirls.

There were no survivors.

-end daydream.

" Well, all of you went, so I guess it is my turn. My name is Kakashi. My likes. dislikes, and dreams are none of your business." He finished with an eye-smile.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke face-vaulted.

"All we learned was your name." Sakura shouted, after recovering.

"And as ninja, you should know better than give out personal information. Now, we will meet tomorrow ar 0700 for a survival test." and before anyone could complain or say that they already took that test, he continued. "This test is unlike anything you have done before. In fact, it has a 66.6% chance of failure, meaning that all of you can fail."

This Information sent the new graduates reeling.

"Oh. You might not want to eat breakfast tomorrow either. You most likely will throw-up. Cho."

And just like that, Kakashi was gone, leaving Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke to go home and try to prepare for the grueling challenge that was ahead of them.


Thanks for reading and remember to review. It really helps to get my story out there.