Hi, here is the second to last chapter. Only an Epilogue follows.

I hope you liked this story even if few wrote reviews. :(

Graduation Exams

It was Monday morning and the academy graduation exams were about to begin. Iruka looked over through the class and noted that everybody was there. He had problems to find Naruto first, because he was missing one feature. He had given up his orange jumpsuit and now wore an out fit that mostly consisted of black clothes. Black pants, a black t-shirt over a dark orange mesh-shirt that was so dark that it might have been brown. He didn't wear his goggles anymore and his blond hair fell more into his face. His shirt had two different emblems on his shoulders, one Iruka knew, the white spiral Naruto had also had on his orange jumpsuit, but the blue and white vortex he didn't know. If he had looked he would have seen that the spiral on the back of Naruto's shirt was also dark orange now but the spirals looked more like tails.

"Good morning, everybody. Today you will take your exams to see if you are ready to become ninjas of Konoha. Concentrate and do your best, then you won't have to fear failing if you have learned the things we have covered during your years here." Iruka said.

"Now I want to introduce you to two proctors that asked to oversee the exams."

Mizuki looked surprised. He hadn't been informed about additional proctors. It would be harder to screw the demon brat over if they were watching. But with the brat being as bad as he was, his plan should still be manageable. He looked towards the door and felt ill when he spotted just who would be watching.

"These are Ibiki Morino and Hiashi Hyuga. They are here to see if any of you show special talents. So do your best. We will start with the written test." Iruka announced and handed one pack of papers to Mizuki. Mizuki was cursing on the inside. With Hiashi Hyuga watching there was no way to exchange Naruto's test for a harder one or to place a genjutsu on it.

The class took an hour to answer all the questions. Naruto finished after forty-five minutes and looked like he was extremely relaxed. Shikamaru shook his head and continued his test. After the successful investigation and the fight he assisted in at the Adventure Land, his mother had threatened him that if he didn't do his exams properly she would show him what the consequences were. It was so troublesome.

Ibiki was the one to collect the tests and looked at Naruto's test and did a double take at the name on top. Then he looked at the boy more closely and began laughing.

"That's great. I can't believe I didn't see it earlier." He laughed. "That will be a slap in the face of the council."

He continued and collected the rest of the tests, still snickering. Only Hiashi had an idea what Ibiki found so funny. When Ibiki handed the tests to Iruka, the class was sent outside for the teachers to check the answers to see which of the students didn't pass and would be sent home already. Iruka, being curious why Ibiki was laughing so hard, searched for Naruto's test and looked at it. First thing he noticed was that all the questions were answered and the answers were all correct. That was a major surprise. Then he shifted his look at the name.

"What? That must be one of his pranks." Iruka exclaimed.

On top of the test was another surname, one he didn't recognize immediately.

"What did he do now?" Mizuki asked.

Iruka showed him the test.

"Naruto Namikaze? Why would he use another surname? I don't know who had that surname, but I am sure I heard it somewhere." Mizuki commented.

Iruka thought hard, the two snickering jonin didn't help. Then he was shocked. He remembered where the name was familiar from.

"That is a joke. He could never be his son." Iruka said.

"Like the boy always said, believe it." Ibiki said. "If you know the relation, it is obvious. Now I really have to get him."

"Just like his mother. She always loved a good joke." Hiashi added.

"Could anybody include me in your conversation? Mizuki asked.

"Namikaze is the surname of the Yondaime Hokage." Iruka explained. "His full name was Minato Namikaze."

"No way!" Mizuki shouted, not believing that the demon was the son of the village hero.

"It's true. Naruto is Minato's son. Hokage Sama confirmed it for me." Hiashi said. "I am here to see how he does during his exams. I owe him a debt for protecting my oldest daughter and revealing a conspiracy in my clan."

"I also want to see how he performs. He held back all the time here. He was an important part of the investigation against Kabuto Yakushi, the traitor that murdered Isamu, Takato and Shuichi. He was the first one to find out who the culprit was and managed to hunt him down. A really interesting boy." Ibiki commented.

Iruka nodded dumbly and continued checking the tests against the answer sheet. Then he sent Mizuki to call the students all back inside. None of them had failed the written test. And the results were really surprising him. Obviously more than one student in his class had held back until now. If somebody had asked him early in the morning today who would be Rookie of the Year, he would have answered Sasuke Uchiha, as the boy had been on top for all his academy career. He aced all parts of the tests and none of the others ever showed to be better. Now he wasn't so sure anymore. Five students had got full marks in the written part, Naruto being one of them. This would be interesting to see going on.

The next part was the weapon throwing exercise.

"You should just give up, dobe, you have no chance to beat me, an Uchiha." Sasuke bragged.

"You say something, teme?" Naruto asked bored, annoying Sasuke.

"Naruto, don't annoy Sasuke!" Sakura shouted, trying to hit him.

Naruto swiftly dodged the hit, grabbed Sakura's arm and turned it onto her back.

"Don't attack me, Haruno. You need your arm to throw weapons and make handseals. It would be a shame if I had to break it in self-defense, wouldn't it?" Naruto asked coldly.

The others were shocked at Naruto's movements and his tone. Didn't he have a crush on Sakura? Sakura screeched at him to let her go. She would tell her father who was on the council and then he would regret it.

"You are pathetic, Haruno. You will never make it as a ninja. If you can't even protect yourself against me, how do you think you will manage the harsh life of a ninja? The enemy isn't as nice as I am. And I don't care that your father is on the council. My father was Hokage, so don't you dare look down on me anymore. I have had it with your behavior." Naruto stated and let Sakura's arm go.

The other students began talking. Was what Naruto said true? Was he the son of a Hokage?

"Quiet!" Iruka called. "We will now test your skills with throwing weapons. You have to use shuriken and kunai. You have the choice to use another weapon of your choice for extra credit, but it has to be a thrown weapon. Does anybody want to go for the extra exercise? Note that it won't replace the shuriken and kunai scores."

Naruto raised his hand.

"I want to test for senbons, Iruka sensei." He said.

Iruka wrote it down. None of the others wanted to do extra credit.

"Very well, Aburame Shino, you are first."

The students went one after the other to the line from where they had to throw. Most of the children from clans performed better than the civilian children. Then Iruka called up Naruto.

"Namikaze Naruto, you are next."

The students started whispering again. So it was true that Naruto was the Yondaime's son.

"Pah, he still can't beat Sasuke." Sakura scoffed.

Naruto took the shuriken that were placed at the table next to the line and threw them all at once. They hit the targets bulls eye. Then he immediately took the kunai and repeated the feat. The others were giving very believable imitations of goldfishes. Then he took out senbons from his equipment pouch and threw them at the last target, hitting the dummy in all vital areas.

"Full…full marks." Iruka stuttered.

Ibiki was smiling and even Hiashi had a slight upwards curve at his mouth.

"Try beating that, teme." Naruto calmly challenged Sasuke.

When Sasuke was up he managed to hit all the targets but he couldn't use any additional weapons. He was seething. How did the dead last dare to show him up like that? He was an Uchiha, one of the elite. He should be the best. He had always been the best. He would show that dobe what he could do. He would beat him in all the other parts of the exam. He didn't even notice that Shino and Hinata had also got full marks like him.

The next part were taijutsu spars. They had to demonstrate that they could hold their own against an opponent for at least five minutes. The pairings were drawn from a sack by Mizuki. He would try to let the demon brat look bad. He had noticed the furious look in the Uchiha's eyes and would have those two fight against each other. Sasuke was the best student in taijutsu, he should be able to beat Naruto.

Shino had to go against a civilian student, who was quickly defeated. Shino had obviously decided to go all out for the exams and showed abilities he had hidden before. Hinata showed just how sorry an excuse for a kunoichi Sakura was. She humiliated her thoroughly. First she screwed her over mentally, then she used her juuken to make her lose control over her body functions. It was embarrassing for the girl when Kiba shouted that she had sullied herself. Hiashi raised an eyebrow at that. Normally his daughter wasn't so vindictive. Hinata just smiled sweetly. She had wanted to do that for a while. Nobody treated her Naruto like Sakura had done in the past.

Shikamaru also won his fight, but without being allowed to use jutsu he had a harder time. Nara's just weren't taijutsu specialists. They got teamed up with Akimichis for a reason after all. Then the last fight was Naruto against Sasuke.

"Now you will see that the Uchiha are superior." Sasuke sneered.

"Curious, why didn't we have any Uchiha as Hokage then, Sasuke? I remember the first two were from the Senju clan, the third is from the Sarutobi clan and the fourth, my dad, was from the Namikaze clan. No Uchiha whatsoever. It's strange if your theory is correct." Naruto responded.

"He is really good at riling the Uchiha up. But he is right. The brat needs to be brought down to reality." Ibiki whispered to Hiashi who nodded.

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled and attacked.

"Hey, I didn't start the fight yet." Iruka shouted.

Naruto evaded Sasuke's attacks without problem.

"Stay still, dobe." Sasuke yelled, completely having lost his composure.

"That would be really stupid and an enemy won't make it that easy for you teme. Hey, Iruka sensei, would you mind starting the fight? It is a bit boring to only evade and not hitting back." Naruto asked while still dodging with ease.

"Huh? Of course you can start." Iruka answered.

Naruto started his own attacks. He kicked at Sasuke's legs, making him lose balance and using the opening to place a barrage of punches to his torso and face. Sasuke did his best to block and dodge the fast attacks, but was too slow to block them all. Finally Naruto had enough abusing Sasuke as his punching bag and kicked him out of the ring where the fight was happening.

"Winner: Naruto Namikaze." Iruka said.

Naruto left the ring to sit down next to Hinata.

"You were great, Naruto." Hinata complimented him.

"Thank you, Hinata. The bastard had it coming for some time. Perhaps now he realized that there is always a stronger opponent than him." Naruto replied, smiling at her.

He remembered Friday evening when he was back at the Namikaze estate. Hiashi had asked if Hinata could stay there for the night because he wanted to clean up the Hyuga clan now that Hinata was healed from her amnesia and he wouldn't want her to get between him and the elders. Hanabi was already staying at the Utatanes with Moegi, Koharu's granddaughter, for a girls' night.

Flashback

Naruto was enjoying the warmth of the hot spring. His muscles had been over-exerted the day and were grateful for the warmth they now received. Then he heard footsteps. Thinking it was his brother, he didn't open his eyes.

"Naruto?" He heard Hinata asking.

Immediately his eyes shot open and he saw the girl he loved standing in front of him, wearing a two piece swimsuit. He was glad that she wore a bikini, but he still got to see so much more than ever before. He hadn't realized until now that she was fairly well developed for a twelve year old girl. He guessed her breasts were already a b-cup. No, bad thoughts. He wouldn't turn into his perverted godfather.

"May I join you?" She asked.

"Of course, come in." He answered.

She left her towel on the stone bench next to the spring and walked into the water using the steps at the right side. Then she walked over to Naruto and leaned against the wall of the spring, closing her eyes contently. They kept silent for a few minutes, just enjoying the spring water and each other's company.

"Naruto, did you really mean what you told me when we fled from Kabuto?" She finally asked.

Naruto knew what she meant. He couldn't and wouldn't take it back. He would reveal his heritage on Monday, it didn't matter anymore to keep his feelings for her secret.

"Yes, I did. I love you, Hinata." He confirmed.

Hinata stepped in front of him, smiling at him.

"I love you too, Naruto. I just never had the courage to tell you." She admitted.

Naruto was happier than ever before. He hadn't been sure if she felt this strongly for him. Sure she had a crush on him, but he didn't know she loved him too. He slowly closed the little distance between them and gently put his lips on hers. It was a very innocent kiss, but it created little happiness explosions in his body.

When he leaned back, he saw Hinata smiling at him.

"Will you be my girlfriend, Hinata?" He asked.

"Yes, Naruto, I would love to." She answered, this time she instigated the kiss.

Flashback end

Naruto took Hinata's hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. Hiashi seeing this sighed, Ibiki snickered.

"You should have seen that one coming." Ibiki stated.

"I am too young for that. Why couldn't she wait until she was older before she got a boyfriend?" Hiashi complained.

"Perhaps because she has been watching him for years now?" Iruka suggested.

"What?" Hiashi asked shocked. "That has been going on for years?"

"Well, yes?" Iruka carefully answered.

"I will have to question him thoroughly about his intentions." Hiashi murmured.

"Be glad she fell for Naruto and didn't follow the trend to swoon over the Uchiha." Ibiki said.

Hiashi looked slightly sick.

"Oh my god, don't give me that kind of image, Ibiki. No, at least she chose a good boy. But she is still only twelve. I have to make it abundantly clear to both of them that I am way to young to become a grandfather. I hope Naruto comes more after Minato than Kushina in that regard."

"Uh, I don't think they would do that very soon. Hinata and Naruto may have confessed their feelings but she still is a very shy girl. And he wouldn't do anything that could hurt her." Iruka tried to smooth things over.

"He better not." Hiashi said.

The last part of the exams was the ninjutsu part. They were called into a separate room one by one. When it was Naruto's turn, Hinata pecked him on the cheek for good luck. Once Naruto was in the other room, Ino dropped into the seat next to Hinata and grilled her for details about her relationship with Naruto.

The poor Hinata blushed horribly from some of Ino's suggestions.

Naruto stood in the middle of the room, facing the four proctors.

"Okay, Naruto. The last part of the exams is showing your ability to use clone jutsu." Mizuki explained.

"Okay." Naruto said.

He put his fingers into the sign for shadow clones and produced five perfect clones of himself.

"That wasn't the clone jutsu the academy teaches." Mizuki stated, trying to have Naruto fail this portion.

"No, that was the shadow clone jutsu, an A-rank jutsu. Due to my special circumstances and my relation to three clans that are famous for their enormous chakra reserves I am incapable to use the illusionary clone jutsu. But as the rules for the academy exams state that the normal clone jutsu can be replaced with any other clone jutsu, because the other clone jutsus are of a higher level and therefore more difficult to learn, I don't think that poses a problem." Naruto calmly cleared.

"He is right. I know that that rule has been put into the examination book by the Shodai Hokage himself when he founded the academy." Ibiki confirmed Naruto's statement.

Iruka was more shocked that Naruto obviously knew about the fox than that he was that knowledgeable about the rules.

"Just to satisfy my curiosity, which is the third clan with those reserves you are related to?" Hiashi asked, knowing about the Uzumaki and the Namikaze clans.

"The Senju clan." Naruto informed them.

"I didn't think the relation between the Uzumaki and the Senju was that close that you could call yourself related to them." Hiashi said.

"No, you are right, that relation is too distant, but I am related to the Senju through my dad. The Nidaime Hokage was his grandfather, which makes him my great grandfather." Naruto said grinning.

'The civilian council is so screwed!' Ibiki and Iruka thought simultaneously.

'Change in plans, I have to find another idiot to get me the forbidden scroll. This brat is too high up in the village nobility to risk using him.' Mizuki thought.

'I have to get him as my son-in-law.' Hiashi thought. 'It would be a great win for the clan if we were related to the last Senju descendant in the village and the son of the Yondaime. Perhaps I can refrain from giving him too stern a talking.'

"Okay, Naruto, you pass, congratulations." Iruka said, holding out a headband for him.

Naruto took it and tied it around his forehead.

"Thank you." He said and left the room.

It was the end of the exams and the only thing remaining to announce was the class standing.

"Okay, congratulations to all of you for passing. You are now ninjas of the village." Iruka told them smiling.

The new ninjas cheered happily at the announcement.

"The only thing I have left to tell you before you can go home and celebrate is the final ranking. Your teams will be announced in one week. I will tell you the top five, the others will be able to read up their position on this list, which will be pinned to the board." Iruka handed the list to Mizuki who pinned it on.

"Okay, the fifth rank is Shikamaru Nara. I am really surprised at this. Why couldn't you put in more effort before now?"

"Too troublesome and my mother threatened me if I didn't do well." Shikamaru answered.

"You have to admit, that's a very good reason, Iruka sensei." Naruto said seriously.

"Whatever. Fourth is Sasuke Uchiha."

That got shouts of outrage from the fangirls of said Uchiha, who didn't believe his ears.

"That has to be a mistake. Sasuke is the best." Sakura screeched.

"Shut up!" Iruka shouted using his demonic head jutsu. "The results are correct. Sasuke's overall score is fourth best. The whole exams have been overseen by two jonin, they would have noticed if something was wrong. Next, third ranked is Shino Aburame."

Shino just nodded at the announcement.

"Second is Hinata Hyuga."

Hinata smiled happily and Naruto kissed her on the cheek, which made her blush.

"And finally, first place and therefore Rookie of the Year is Naruto Namikaze." Iruka put his hands over his ears to avoid getting deaf from the shouts of disbelief, outrage and happiness, respectively from most of the class, Sakura and Naruto in that order.

"How can the dead last suddenly be Rookie of the Year?" Sakura yelled.

Hinata had enough and disabled her vocal cords with a well aimed juuken strike. Hiashi nodded proudly at his daughter's action. How often had he been tempted to do that with the girl's father in council meetings.

Done. Till next week.