Uzumaki Naruto looked into the mirror across from him, searching his head for any signs. When he found a small splotch in his hair, he sighed and grabbed a bottle.

-000-

Uchiha Sasuke woke up from a dreamless sleep. He looked at his side and saw the piece of wood gently leaning against the wall and felt relieved.

-000-

Hyūga Hinata sat at a table and wordlessly ate her food. Her new Hitai-ate on her head was ignored by her family, as was she.

-000-

Hatake Kakashi received the report from the Hokage. The documents inside were on the three Genin that would be assigned to his team today. Generally, the Jonin instructors would already know who they were having, that was except for Kakashi. He didn't want to put in the effort to learn about his students. He had other things to do.

"Now, I'm sure some of you won't like everyone on the teams, and not all the teams are… equally balanced. However, I did try to make sure at least two would pass." The old Hokage watched as some of the Jonin glanced at their files.

"Please do be careful with them, they are the future of the village after all. We need to make sure they're ready for it. Now, before I dismiss you, do any of you have questions?"

Kakashi looked down at the manilla folder, and flipped it open and glanced over the pictures of the Genin inside. His eyes rose and met the Hokage's.

"What is the question, Kakashi."

"Sir, with all due respect, are you sure these three should be on a team? Considering that incident, I don't know i-"

"I assure you Kakashi, they will be fine. Plus, you're the only one here with any experience in Dojutsu, you'll be needed to help them, and you have a connection to Uzumaki already."

Kakashi sighed, and accepted what the Hokage said. He didn't fully agree, but the Hokage was the leader of the village and the one with the final say in any matters concerning the village. If he said the team would be fine, then it would be fine.

He still didn't like how the Hokage said he had a personal connection with Naruto though. He'd never even interacted with the child before. The memories hurt too much.

With a wave of his hand, the Hokage dismissed the Jonin, and they disappeared in various ways. All except for Kakashi.

"Hokage-Sama, wi-"

"Kakashi, I want you to look over those three."

"Excuse me?"

The Hokage walked up and stood in front of Kakashi "I want you to watch over them, and make sure nothing goes wrong concerning the incident. I would have a Hyūga as their Jonin, but the Byakugan can't see anything abnormal about them. Maybe the Sharingan can. Plus, you're the only one who can teach the Uchiha how to use the Sharingan."

"Sir, how would the Sharingan see something the Byakugan couldn't?"

"Kakashi, your eye's… abilities are still unknown. Who knows? Maybe it'll have some way of seeing if something goes wrong with them."

Kakashi sighed, and with a parting message, disappeared from the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi walked back to his desk and sat down, turning to face the four portraits on the wall, the portraits of the previous Hokage. Senju Hashirama, the founder of the village, Senju Tobirama, Hiruzen's teacher and the inventor of several powerful Jutsu, Sarutobi Hiruzen, himself, the so called 'God of Shinobi' during his prime when he was considered the strongest Kage, and the final portrait.

Namikaze Minato, the fourth Hokage, the 'Yellow Flash', the hero of the Third Shinobi World War. Hiruzen's successor.

Hiruzen sighed, and turned back to his desk, filled with paperwork. 'Minato, I wonder what you'd think of your son today.'

-000-

Naruto sat in his seat, all but bouncing with joy.

He had passed the exams to become a Genin.

Not normally, but why should his graduation be normal? He was going to become the next Hokage, so him finding a spy in the academy and turning them in was only natural, even if it was by accident.

Naruto reached up, and touched the Hitai-ate, feeling the cold metal under his fingers sent shivers up his spine. He'd waited for this day for so long! First he'd get an awesome team with Sakura on it, then he'd complete several S-Class missions in record time, -all while saving his team- until the old man would be forced to make him Hokage!

Nothing in the world could ruin this moment!

"Team Seven, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata. Instructor is Hatake Kakashi."

Naruto stopped his fantasies of saving the world from evil ninja, and fell out of his chair.

"Hey! Iruka-Sensei! Why does someone as great as me have to be on a team with the loser!"

Iruka looked at Naruto, and held back a sigh. "Naruto, Sasuke graduated at the top of the class. You, at the bottom. That's why you're on a team together."

"But I don't want him on my team!"

This time, Iruka didn't hold back his sigh. "Naruto, you're a Genin now, a ninja, stop complaining."

Naruto opened his mouth to continue, registered Iruka's words, and sat down.

Iruka smiled, glad that Naruto had listened to his not-so-cleverly hidden manipulation.

"Now then, for the next team…"

-000-

Naruto sat in his seat, bored out of his mind.

His new Jonin-Sensei was late. This 'Hatake Kakashi' was sure to be a great Jonin, and an even greater Sensei with him being over an hour late.

Naruto sat there, trying to find something to do, and decided to look at his other teammates.

There was Sasuke, the Uchiha kid who was at the 'top' of the class. He was the best in every single category for the practical parts of school, except one. Naruto was the best at throwing Kunai, much to the Uchiha's ire and Naruto's pleasure.

Naruto would have been fine with Sasuke, if not for the fact that he acted like everyone was beneath him, as if they would hold him back and prevent him from something. Plus, all the girls liked him and hated Naruto. Something about being 'quiet', whatever that meant.

Naruto's head swiveled to the other side to look at his other teammate, the Hyūga girl. Naruto looked at her, and felt a shiver go up his spine. Her eyes always freaked Naruto out, with their lack of pupils and all. Naruto tried to think of what the girl was like, and drew a blank. Thinking on it, he didn't know if he'd ever heard her speak before. Naruto just chalked it up to him never paying her much attention and moved on.

Naruto heard something from where the door was, and turned in anticipation of his sensei coming through the door, only for it to never open.

Naruto could feel himself getting mad. Thoughts like their Sensei must have an important mission, or anything else that would excuse him weren't in his mind, only the thought of how his Sensei was late. So, Naruto decided to do something.

He stood up, and walked over to the board. After searching around for a few moments, he grabbed an eraser that had some chalk dust in it and positioned it in the door.

Perfect.

Naruto then walked over, and sat back down.

Then waited.

And waited.

Waiting.

Wait…

Wa...it…

W…

Naruto jumped up slamming his hands on his desk and yelling, "WHERE IS THIS STUPID SENSEI?!"

In response, the door opened and a man walked through, saying, "Did someone call for m-" The eraser fell on the man's head, and landed on the ground. He looked down at the eraser that had just hit him in the head and fallen to the ground. He then turned up to look at the three Genin he was supposed to train.

One was laughing his guts out screaming, "You fell for it!"

One was sitting, not paying attention to his teammate, and instead looking at the man with apprehension.

The final was sitting in the back, seemingly trying to disappear into thin air.

Great.

"Hello, my name is Hatake Kakashi, your Jonin Instructor. My first impression of you all is…

I hate you."

The blond stopped laughing and looked at him.

"Meet me on the roof in five minutes."

Kakashi disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving the three Genin alone.

Naruto turned around to his teammates and asked, "Does he really hate us because of the eraser? Man, that's…"

Sasuke walked past him, saying, "Stupid."

Naruto looked at the Uchiha and asked, "What was that? You calling me stupid?!"

Sasuke turned around and looked at Naruto like he was an idiot.

"Hey! Fight me you bastard!"

-000-

The three Genin had gotten to the roof quickly, with Kakashi already there.

"Now then, we're going to do introductions. Say a few things so we can get to know each other."

Kakashi waited for his genin to introduce themselves, and was greeted by silence.

"Uh, Sensei, what do you mean by 'introductions'?"

Kakashi looked at the blond, and felt a strange twinge go through him. This was the Uzumaki? This… idiot?

"I mean things you like and dislike, your dreams, oh, and your names."

The blond brightened up and said, "Oh oh! I can answer that! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen, I dislike the time it takes for cup ramen to heat, and I'm going to become the Hokage! The best one ever! Then everyone is going to have to respect me!"

The Uchiha made a sound like a scoff.

Naruto spun to face him, and yelled, "Hey! What's that for?!"

The Uchiha looked at Naruto, and said, "Like anyone would respect you."

"What was that you basta-"

"Now now children, no need to get heated. Let's move onto the next one." Kakashi looked at Sasuke. "Your turn now."

Sasuke turned away from Naruto, ignoring the fuming blond, and spoke. "Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like anything, and I have many dislikes. I don't have a dream, for I will make it real. I will restore my clan and kill a certain man."

"Wow, that's the most I've ever heard you speak!"

Sasuke closed his eyes, and ignored Naruto.

Kakashi looked at the last member of the team, and flipped his hands into different symbols quickly.

The girl watched his hands fly into different positions, and soon her own were flying into different movements.

The two boys looked at their new Sensei and teammate waving their hands at each other. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, Naruto's quirked with confusion.

"Why are you two moving their hands around so much?"

Kakashi looked at Naruto. "Do you not know SHL?"

"SHL? What's that? I've never heard of it."

Kakashi blinked his one visible eye at Naruto. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah… why?"

"Are they not teaching it in the class anymore?"

Sasuke spoke up. "No, they are. He's just an idiot."

"Am not!"

Kakashi looked at Naruto, and once again felt the same twinge.

'Is this seriously my new team?'

He had a loudmouthed idiot, a stoic genius, and a mute whose skill was unknown.

'I really wish I had a different team. Ah well, I'll just have them fail the test and repeat.'

"Well, anyways, I believe we all understand each other now. Formal training begins tomorrow."

"Wait! Sensei! You never went!"

Kakashi looked at Naruto. "What?"

"You never introduced yourself!"

Kakashi looked at the Uzumaki, and felt a migraine coming.

"Fine. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I don't want to tell you my likes and dislikes. Same with my dreams."

Naruto shot up like a bullet. "Hey! You told us nothing!"

"Precisely. Think of that as your first lesson. Shinobi don't reveal anything to someone who could be an enemy."

"But you're our Sensei, not our enemy!"

"Really? Do you know what tomorrow is, Uzumaki?"

"Nope! But why does that matter?!"

"Because tomorrow is a survival exercise."

"Survival..?"

"Yep, you three are going to have to try to survive…" Kakashi looked at the three Genin, and could tell chills ran down their spines. "Against me."

"Survive… against you? The hell is that?!"

"It means if you fail, you go back to being academy students. With a Sixty-Six percent failure rate, at least one of you is leaving tomorrow."

"Sixty-Six?! Wait, go back?!"

"With that being said, we're meeting tomorrow at training ground 7." Kakashi reached behind himself and pulled out three pieces of paper. "Take these and meet me there tomorrow. Bring all your Shinobi weapons and tools. Oh, and don't eat breakfast. Unless you enjoy throwing up, that is."

The three looked over their pieces of paper with the instructions for the test on the,, and as Kakashi was about to leave he left them one final note.

"Make sure to not be late!"

Then, Kakashi disappeared.

The three Genin departed and headed home to prepare for tomorrow.

-000-

Kakashi appeared in the middle of the training ground to greet his students, and heard their enthusiastic cries at beginning proper training.

"You're late!"

Well, only one cry, and not-so ready for training.

"Sorry! I was turned around because I had to help an old lady carry her bags!"

"As if! That took you an hour?!"

"Well, after that a black cat crossed my path, so I had to go the long way around town."

"Get here on time! You're the one who said that!"

"Now, now, no need to get upset, I'm here now so we can start."

Naruto seemed to settle down with that. Kakashi looked over the three to see what they'd brought, and felt disappointed. Only the Uchiha had brought something, and it was a bow that was too big for him. The other two just had their regular clothing.

'Guess they don't have other equipment…' Kakashi looked at Naruto, who was trying to hide that he was picking his nose. 'Or they're just idiots.'

"Alright, let's get this started."

-000-

Kakashi looked at the singular Genin who hadn't hidden when he said "Start" and instead decided to stand in the same spot.

'Is he really trying to be a Ninja?'

Kakashi saw the boy lower himself, readying to dash at a moment's notice. Kakashi returned the gesture by doing nothing.

"If you want the bells, you're going to have to take them. Standing there won't do anything."

"I know! I'm just waiting…"

"Waiting fo-" Kakashi tilted his head to the side, a kunai slipping by. "-or what?"

Naruto didn't answer, and instead dashed forward.

'I know where Sasuke and Hinata are hiding, that Kunai wasn't one of them…' Kakashi reached into a pouch, and watched as Naruto's approach halted.

'He stopped moving when I went for the bag, smart.' Kakashi let go of the blade he'd grabbed and instead grabbed a book. "Let me teach you your first Shinobi Skill, Taijutsu, the 'Art of The Trained Body'." Kakashi pulled the book out, and turned to his current page.

'He's stopped. Why isn't he attacking a foe that's distracted?' Kakashi was about to say something, when another Kunai came at him, this time from a different direction.

'Again? It's not Sasuke or Hinata, and whoever it is disappears after one throw… Could it be…'

Kakashi looked at Naruto, who had returned to his charge, and had a thought.

Kakashi caught the punch the blond threw, and spun the Genin around, causing his kick to fly into the air above him. Kakashi was about to throw him, when he instead let go and jumped into the air, Kunai landing into the ground he'd just been standing on.

'Yep, it's that technique. Impressive, although the kid is an Uzumaki.'

Before Kakashi landed on the ground, he disappeared. Naruto looked around, then looked off at the trees.

A moment later, Kakshi reappeared in front of Naruto.

"Shadow Clones in the trees with Kunai, huh? Impressive. When did you make the clones?"

Naruto looked at the adult, and replied, "Before you got here."

"Hm, good decision. However, they're all gone now, so what's the next step?"

Naruto's mouth lifted up into a smirk. "Take you down and getting those bells, obviously!"

'Yep, still an idiot.'

Naruto reached behind himself, and into a Kunai pouch he had hidden underneath his jacket.

'He should be planning another strategy to get the bells. A strategy that would work. But instead he's working alone. As I'd thought, this group is going to be fai-'

Naruto pulled out a kunai, and Kakashi stopped.

Thinking, Breathing. Everything.

Kakashi knew that kunai.

Before Naruto could react, the kunai he'd pulled out was gone, his hand empty. Kakashi stood in the same place he was previously, now with the Kunai in his hand, and the book put away.

"This kunai…"

Kakashi held the Kunai in his hand, his visible eye shaking. He looked at Naruto, and subconsciously started leaking his killing intent.

"Where did you get it?"

In his hands, Kakashi held one of his old Sensei's kunai. One of the Fourth Hokage's kunai. One of Namikaze Minato's kunai.

A Hiraishin kunai.

Kakashi wouldn't hear the answer, the shuriken and kunai embedding into his face distracting him.

Sasuke watched from the trees as Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, a log riddled with blades rattling on the ground. He turned around to change location and was met with Kakashi's upside face.

"Now now, it isn't very nice to interrupt other people's conversations, is it Sasuke-Kun?"

Sasuke reached at his side for his kunai pouch, only for his hand to swipe past air.

Kakashi raised a hand, with Sasuke's kunai pouch dangling from it. "Are you looking for this? I figured we couldn't have a real conversation if you were trying to stab me with pointy things the entire time. This way works better for the both of us, right?"

Sasuke didn't answer, and instead jumped backwards to create some distance between him and the Jonin. Kakashi just stood still and watched as he jumped back.

"Now, I understand that you saw an opening and took it. However I wa-"

Kakashi's eyes widened when the boy started running through hand seals, four completed when he moved to the side, the fifth one done when he was at Sasuke's side, and the sixth and final activating the Jutsu, a fireball burning the spot he'd just been in.

'He can use that jutsu already? I guess he learned it while he still had someone to teach him.'

"We're going to have to work on the whole, trying to kill people while talking thing, aren't we?"

Sasuke reacted to Kakashi's voice and spun around with a kick aimed at Kakashi's head.

Kakashi sighed, thinking, 'Guess we're doing it this way then.' as he caught the kick.

"He's your second Shinobi skill, Genjutsu, the 'Art of Illusion', something you can use quite well when you awaken your Sharingan." Kakashi let go of Sasuke's leg, and backed didn't move.

"You can activate Genjutsu through stimulation of any of the five senses. Although, I guess this explanation isn't doing much right now." Kakashi then looked over his shoulder, to where the real him was.

'Guess I'm going away now.'

Kakashi dispersed into a puff of smoke, and the Shadow Clone disappeared.

Sasuke was statue still, his leg frozen in place, trapped in a Genjutsu

- III -

So, this is the first chapter of my Naruto story. This is going to be a retelling of the story, with a twist. I hope anyone reading this will continue to do so, and I hope you enjoy the story. I'm going to be changing some things from canon, so I guess this will be an AU story, though I'm not sure if that's right or not. The reason I'm writing this story is because I was… slightly put-off by the canon storyline with the inconsistencies and ret-cons. So, I'm hoping I can change the story, and have it make more sense, while also giving readers a different experience. This story will NOT follow canon, at least by the ending. At the beginning it will follow the major story beats, and by the time the Wave Arc comes around the story will truly begin to separate from canon. I will also be introducing several OC characters, and will try my best to make sure they aren't horrendous. They will mostly exist as antagonists in arcs where I can't find a way to work a canon character into the position.

If you have anything to say, please leave a comment. I will read all of them. If you have any advice for the story, I would love to hear it.

Oh, I also don't have an update schedule yet, so the chapters will come sporadically. When I get into the groove of writing them, I may set out the schedule then.

Have a great day!