Yo!
Next chapter here. Thank you those who reviewed. Again, I request, please review this chapter too. It motivates me to write more.
Now, on to the chapter.
Uzumaki Naruto walked inside the classroom, after sliding open the door. Immediately, he took in the almost empty classroom, before landing on one of the three filled seats.
In the center, sat a boy with hair resembling a pineapple, his head on the desk and eyes closed. Though, he lazily opened an eye when nudged by the chubby boy beside him, the latter holding a pack of chips.
Naruto was totally prepared to match the stare with his own, only for the boy to close the eye again, even tilting his head sideways. Huh? Didn't he sleep last night?
Shrugging, he shifted his vision to the corner in the left end where a girl, with dark blue hair which could almost pass as black if not for the light from the window on the other side, occupied the seat.
She had her head down, but as if somehow knowing he was looking at her, the girl looked up only to quickly bury her face again in her jacket. Still, the Uzumaki managed to take a glimpse of her eyes. She's one of those pale-eyed guys.
Naruto could recall, on his hands, of his sightings of those guys with white eyes; they never traveled alone and seemed to have a stick up their ass. As Kenta would say it.
Also, they behaved like they were too good for the others. But this girl's like she isn't even good for herself.
Eh, who cares? Let it be known, Uzumaki Naruto wasn't here to get attention, beg for friends or any of those things, but to get strong so that others would have to respect him.
"Fodder like you an' me are easily forgotten, only the strong get the respect."
That weird man's words flashed in his mind, only affirming his vow. There was no need to doubt that man, not when it was him who had set him on the path to the red light district in the first place. Yeah. I promise I will get strong, and I won't go back on my word 'ttebayo!
Reminding himself, for the umpteenth time, the former blonde walked up to the right end corner. Still, if someone approaches me on their own, I won't deny them.
Taking a look between the second-last and the last seat, he decided to sit on the latter, the adjacent window providing a better view of the outside.
Some moments passed in silence.
The door slid open again, a pink-haired girl ambled inside. Taking a peek, almost as if afraid, at the others from beneath her hair, she quickly took a seat in the middle of the very first row.
Not even a second later, a girl with pale blonde hair walked inside before quickly joining the pink-haired one on the seat.
Yawning a bit, Naruto decided to imitate the pineapple-haired boy and laid his head on the desk before looking out of the window. This is gonna take a bit.
The Uzumaki slowly opened his eyes, indistinct chatter invading his ears, before blinking a couple of times.
Suppressing a yawn, he looked towards the front only to gain an expression of mild surprise. Did I fall asleep?
The entire class was brimming with boys and girls of his age. Apparently, they had arrived when he was supposed to be just looking out of the window. Weird. And it seemed, some groups had already formed. Well, let's see who's here. . .
The pineapple-haired boy was still seemingly sleeping, the chubby one beside him still eating. Wow. They work hard. Snorting, he looked towards the front.
The pink-haired and the blonde-haired girls were animatedly talking. Eh? Where did that shyness go?
Then, his gaze drifted to the girls' left, at the very first bench in his own line. Sitting atop it was a blue shirt clad boy, hair… The Uzumaki blinked. His hair is like a duck's… ass. He began snickering, covering his mouth with his fist.
This went for some seconds before he purposely looked at the red-haired girl beside the boy. Red hair, huh? Wonder if I had them…
The sound of the door sliding, interrupting his thoughts, the now brunette directed his attention towards the entrance where a man, after closing the door, began walking to the center of the class.
Obviously a shinobi, his hitai-ate giving it away, the man had brown hair tied in a knot, tanned face, and the most prominent thing being a scar on his nose. Either he's a bad ass or a lousy one. The Uzumaki mused to himself, eyes focused on the scar.
The shinobi, after reaching behind the desk, placed a book of sorts on it before taking in the entire class, a silly smile on his face.
What's his game? Is he expecting somethin'? Naruto continued to look at the man, absentmindedly noting that no one had noticed the man, the chatter still ongoing.
Some seconds passed in the status quo.
Then, the man's smile dimmed a bit.
On the other hand, if possible, the chatter went up a notch.
Eh… The disguised blonde looked around in slight surprise. The duck ass, redhead, chubby and pale eyes aside, no one had even noticed the shinobi in front of them. And he's not even trying to hide.
Somewhat stunned, Naruto looked back, noticing the man's eye had begun to twitch.
Then, the scarred guy took a deep breath, closing his eyes. That's it? He's not gonna…
"SHUT UP!"
The Uzumaki recoiled in shock, the shinobi's head had grown several times in an instant. What the… ?
Silence ensued. The kids, earlier chatting, quickly sat like statutes, faces pale and eyes wide, directed at the scarred shinobi who waited a moment before nodding, seemingly to himself.
Then, the man smiled, the scar on his nose stretching. His mood shifts are faster than anything else I have seen. The disguised blonde contemplated while waiting for the shinobi to begin.
"Ohayo!", The shinobi started, still smiling. "I, Umino Iruka, a chunin of Konohagakure-no-sato, welcome you all to the shinobi academy. Here, you will learn how to be an asset in service to the great tree that is Konoha."
Iruka's smile widened a bit. "And, as your sensei for the next six years till your graduation, I will try my best to help you, guide you and prepare you to achieve the goal", The shinobi paused, looking at the faces of his students who were beginning to gain the earlier spunk and excitement.
"Understood?", The sensei asked, breaking the silence, the students began to nod and shout in affirmation. "Okay, enough."
Silence again followed. "Good. Now, the first and foremost task is to mark your attendance. Reply and raise your hand only and only when your name is called."
Picking up the book from the desk, Iruka cleared his throat. "Let's begin. Aburame Shino."
"Hai", The tone was totally bland.
Deciding to learn the names of his classmates, and see the owner of such a dull voice, Naruto aimed his gaze at the front desk, just adjacent to the door, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise.
A boy, wearing black round glasses and an almost grey jacket with a high upturned collar, was sitting there. The hell?! Where did he come from? I swear he wasn't there just a moment ago!
"Akimichi Choji."
"Here, sensei."
The next name wanting his attention, the Uzumaki shrugged at the weirdness of the situation, turning his gaze just in time to see the chubby kid lowering his hand. Ah. So, I just have to replace the 'ubby' in chubby with 'oji'. Hmmm…
As the name calls went on, Naruto tried his hardest to pay attention but the kids were too plain and boring to even consider. As Kenta says 'not everyone and their grannies are cool.'
"Haruno Sakura."
"Hai, sensei!"
Of course, the pink-haired one would be Sakura, I should have known. The former blonde snorted under his breath. Even now, he couldn't get his head around the shyness she had displayed in the beginning. Now, it was nowhere to be seen.
"Hyuuga Hinata."
Hinata… ? Naruto's face scrunched up slightly, the name resounding in his mind. I know I have heard it… but where?
"H-hai, s-sensei."
The disguised blonde whirled around, heeding to the sound, again just in time to see the pale-eyed girl lowering her hand. She's Hinata? But-but why can't I remember her? The name sounds familiar, though… and what's with her speech?
"Inuzuka Kiba."
A dog's yipping brought the Uzumaki out of his attempts to pry his own memory lane. The brunette, placing the 'Hinata' issue in the back of his mind, followed the sound to the third row in the third line where a boy, with wild hair and red mark on his left cheek, was sitting.
The Inuzuka raised both his hands; one coming to rest atop the head of a white puppy perched atop the boy's head, while the other hand went straight in the air. "Yo!"
Naruto waited for some seconds to see if the teacher would ask what a pet was doing in the classroom, but nothing happened. If anything, the teacher marked the attendance and looked back at the class. Datte… bayo?
It could only mean one thing, pets were allowed in the class. Cool! I wish I had one…
The next name calls went, none of the four students enticing his interest. Still, the Uzumaki continued to follow every kid when the respective name call was made.
"Namikaze Mito."
Silence ensued in the entire class. The red-head, in an instant, became the subject to almost every eye in the class; only Iruka and the duck ass hair beside her remaining unaffected.
The boys and girls alike began looking at the Namikaze heir in surprise and awe.
Can't say it's unexpected. The Uzumaki mused to himself, looking around as whispers of 'Yondaime's daughter', 'Mito-sama' began permeating the classroom. How could I miss it? The red hair is a dead giveaway.
A bit somber than earlier, he too fixed his gaze on the red-head who, to her credit, was calm and collected just like all those years ago.
Naruto walked out, parting the small curtains, into the street. The blonde purposely kept his head down, not at all wanting to spoil his good mood after ten delicious bowls of ramen.
As he took some steps, he heard a commotion from behind him. Curiosity overriding everything, the whiskered blonde turned around, witnessing a group of people of all ages, calling and waving, apparently, at someone.
Deciding to check who could beget such attention, he ran towards them. But even after several tries, he couldn't just get past the long legs of the grown-ups, while at the same time, not having the nerve to simply ask them.
"Namikaze-sama!"
The blue-eyed kid heard the shout, among many others, but barely paid any mind to it. Right now, he had to see this person!
Looking around, he spotted a dumpster adjacent to a wall. Cogs turning, the nearly four year old dashed towards it, managing to climb atop after several tries.
Some moments passed, as he waited for the person to show themselves from the spaces between the heads of the grown ups.
Naruto found himself leaning forward a bit when a man, wearing a weird cloth on his hair, black glasses on his eyes, became visible. This is the one? The blonde pondered. Why is he so special?
"Looking good Mito-chan!"
Chan… ? People didn't use 'chan' for grown ups, Naruto knew that. The lady at the orphanage used it for kids other than him. Who is it, then?
Immediately, the man took a turn, people paving the way, and began walking towards the Ichiraku's.
The Uzumaki froze, witnessing the sight before him.
A red-haired girl, just as tall as him, was walking beside the glasses wearing man, holding his hand. And on her face, on both sides, there were three marks… just like… like him!
Why does… she have them?! Naruto thought, eyes still fixed at the marks. The orphanage lady had told them that only family members looked similar to each other.
No one other was supposed to have the marks, he was sure of that; none of the villagers, he had seen till today, had them.
Is she… my f-fam- The blonde paused, suddenly remembering his hair, then looked at the girl's red hair as she entered the ramen shop. But our hair looks so different…
A slight gasp escaped his mouth, an image of a small blonde girl flashing in his mind. The orphanage lady's daughter! She had yellow hair, but the lady himself had brown. The lady had said her daughter looked like her daddy.
What if… ? He needed to, no! He would know. His mind made, Naruto got off the dumpster before running towards the group of people still surrounding the ramen shop.
Not caring for anything, the blonde dashed into the horde of legs.
He went past three people, counting while seeing how many more were there, only to halt when someone grabbed his collar.
The next moment, the blonde was facing the sky, a dull ache beginning to form in his left forearm.
"What the hell are you doing here?!"
Naruto looked ahead, taking in two men and a woman surrounding him. What… ?
"Haven't you done enough by giving her your mark?", The second man even clenched his fists.
"Poor girl! I can't even imagine how difficult it would be for her to live with those marks on her face", The woman began sobbing.
"B-but… "
"SHUT UP! This is the first time Mito-sama has made an appearance in the village, and you already want to spoil it? I won't allow it, results be damned! Listen well de- brat, if I EVER see you around this place, trust me, you'll wish you were never born!"
The men spared him another glare before walking away, the other two following him.
Naruto could only lay there, their words repeating in his head. What…did I do?
As soon as the old man led him out of the orphanage, the blonde halted. "Jiji, can I ask you something?"
The old man looked at him for a bit before nodding. "Of course, Naruto-kun."
"That day… I saw a red-haired girl at the Ichiraku ramen… She also had the same marks as me on her face. The orphanage lady says that only family members look the same… then why does she have them? People say because I corr-up-ted her… but I don't even know her… "
The blonde paused when the old man crouched before him, putting his big hands on his own shoulders. "Naruto-kun, listen to me carefully", He nodded. "That girl is Namikaze Mito, daughter of the fourth hokage; you know who he is, right?"
"Uh-huh", The Uzumaki nodded again. "The orphanage lady says he was the strongest ninja who saved the village four years ago from a monster."
"Correct. Sadly, when the monster appeared, both you and Mito were too close to it. Though, the fourth hokage managed to save both of you but not before you got these marks on your faces."
Even the fact that fourth Hokage himself saved him, couldn't lift his mood. He hadn't stopped thinking about the girl who might be his family, but that was not the case.
After all, if he were related to the village hero, his life would also have been like her.
"Also, do not listen to the villagers; they know nothing about what happened that night."
"Okay", The blonde replied in a small voice, slightly hurt that even though both of them were saved by the fourth Hokage, the people loved her because she was the Hokage's daughter, but hated and blamed him because nobody knew of his parents, not even jiji.
The disguised blonde sighed a bit, reminiscing that day. He hadn't seen Mito again till today, not even dared to go to Ichiraku's afterwards.
Though old man Teuchi had been a good guy, even giving free ramen, but he just wanted to avoid any more hatred and unwanted attention. Who knew how people would have reacted seeing him at the same place their 'Mito-sama' visited?
Wait! As I am now, I can easily go to the Ichiraku's; nobody will recognize me. Just like that his mood began to lift, a smile paving its way on his face at the idea of visiting the very place that had hooked him to ramen, the taste of the heavenly dish already beginning to permeate his mouth.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
"Hai."
An Uchiha?! Straight from N to U? I must have missed some… The Uzumaki paused his thoughts of the food of the Gods, the name call requiring his attention, and looked at the raised hand of the duck ass hair and blinked. He's with the police guys?
The disguised blonde had seen other Uchihas around the village several times. They never laughed, always glared at everything and seemed to have a stick as high if not higher as the pale-eyed guys. No wonder he hadn't moved even once.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
So, my name's just after him? Great… Still, having the mind to reply, the disguised blonde raised his hand, going for the reply used by Choji. "Here, sensei."
Naruto waited for any sort of confirmation but nothing came. After a bit, he tilted his head, seeing the expression that had appeared on the scarred shinobi's face who looked like he just heard of his demotion to a genin.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
"Here, sensei."
N-naruto-kun?! Hinata quickly peeked out of her collar, looking at the brown-haired boy, and immediately frowned. B-but he's supposed to be blonde...and his eyes...they are not blue… Even those marks are not present… this can't be the Naruto-kun I met two years ago, right?
Ever since he had arrived in the class, Iruka was sure he had scoured every kid at least five times, if not more, but there was no sign of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid having whisker-like marks on his cheeks.
As the turn came of the last name, Iruka announced it. "Uzumaki Naruto", and took in the entire class. The only way a bright blonde-haired kid could evade him, was by being absent.
"Here, sensei."
His eyes immediately snapped to the source of the voice, face quickly morphing into one of incredulity on seeing the boy. How? The boy had brown hair, a shade browner eyes and more shockingly, face without any mark let alone whisker-like marks.
"Uzumaki Naruto will be joining your class, Iruka-kun; Look beyond the stereotypes surrounding him, and you'll see a good kid who can surprise you."
If by 'surprise me' Hokage-sama meant this, I can't deny the feeling … Iruka paused, seeing the head tilt done by the jinchuuriki, realizing then, that he had been staring for a bit at the blon-err- brunette and slightly rubbed his nose. "Ahem, Yamanaka Ino."
"Hai, sensei."
Placing the attendance register on the desk, Iruka picked up a chalk and wrote 'Chakra' on the board before looking back at the class. "Anyone, unable to read this?"
Head shakes and yells of denial were the response.
"Good", Though inside, he sighed in relief at not having to deal with another Rock Lee. He definitely had total succor for the kid; being in hospital till five years of age for, still unsuccessful, treatment of Chakra deficiency, the kid had no way to learn even basic reading and writing.
Still, special cases like his aside, there was a reason why shinobi academy began at six unlike civilian academy beginning at four; two years gap was meant to cover such basic skills and instill learning and some basic independence in the kids.
"Moving on, can anyone of you tell me what Chakra is?"
"Moving on, can anyone tell me what Chakra is?"
Naruto was slightly startled by the sensei suddenly shifting the topic.
"You and Namikaze Mito will be the only orphans in the class, Naruto-kun; the other kids might behave a little differently due to being raised by their families, even Mito-chan has a personal caretaker being the former Hokage's heir, as such please don't be surprised or saddened."
Not sure about the 'surprise or sad' part, the old man hokage's words were clear that there was no one like him in the class, even Mito was different. Then why hadn't Iruka asked about him? Does he also hate…
The Uzumaki mentally shook away the thought. Sure, the scarred shinobi had looked at him a bit weirdly but it was still not enough to label it as hate or any other negative attention. If anything, it was similar to how others in the red light district looked.
Racking his brains for some moments, the six-year-old let go of the thought. It's not like I don't know how to read and write. The orphanage lady sure hadn't even listened to his doubts during her teaching sessions, but it had made him at least try to learn everything in the very first go.
Wait! Naruto paused in his pondering, getting a sudden realization. The Orphanage! Iruka must know about that… of course.
Satisfied, the Uzumaki again directed his full attention to the class.
Three hands were raised. Hmm… Ami, Mito and Sakura; all girls and not a single boy. The Chunin took in the excited and hopeful visages of the three for a bit. "Sakura-chan."
"Hai, sensei", The girl beamed before standing up. "Chakra is an energy produced inside the human body. It is the mixture of two types of energies - spiritual energy and physical energy. It can be released by 361 tenketsus."
"And, what are tenketsus?", She seems to have done her homework. Iruka thought, giving an encouraging smile to the pink-haired girl.
"Tenketsus are nodes, located on the Chakra pathway system, through which Chakra can be released. Again, there are 361 tenketsus."
Textbook definitions… Slightly amused, the scarred shinobi nodded. "Very good, Sakura-chan, keep it up", The pink-haired girl's face exploded with sheer joy.
Smiling, Iruka continued. "To describe Chakra in simple words, it is what makes shinobi as they are. It enhances the natural aspects of a human body - strength and speed to name a few - thus allowing the shinobi to perform special feats like jutsus."
The students were listening to him attentively, even the clan heirs. Let's hope they keep this attention for the next six years. "Now, since Chakra is the very foundation of a shinobi; the very first task is to unlock it."
Excited murmurs rose up in the class, expected grins dawning over the kids' faces. It wasn't surprising. Born and raised in a shinobi village meant no strangeness to Chakra and its usage.
"Silence", Iruka slightly raised his voice and the result was intended. The first year; they are always the best! Resisting an urge to sniff, he cleared his throat. "To unlock your Chakra, there is a certain process to be followed."
He channelled his own Chakra into the storage seal on his hitai-ate, a scroll appearing in the guise of some smoke. Quickly unsealing it, he spread the leaves that emerged out, on the desk.
Then, he took in the confused faces of the kids. "These leaves will be used to detect your Chakra. Once they stick on your forehead without falling down, it means you have successfully accessed it."
Announcing, Iruka evenly passed the leaves to the kids in the front row, while waiting patiently as the kids distributed the leaves among themselves.
Sakura raised her hand.
"Yes, Sakura-chan."
"Why only leaves, sensei? And, why the forehead?", Though, she quickly glared at the blonde girl, beside her, who was, for some reason, snickering.
She has a good head. Iruka nodded in approval. "Every village uses something that is symbolic of their village; Iwa uses small pebbles, Kusa uses grass and so on. In our case, it is a leaf. Regarding forehead, the very first tenketsu to release Chakra, on its access, is present there."
The girl nodded in understanding before sitting down.
The distribution process finished, the chunin cleared his throat to get the attention of everyone. "Now, while we will learn the thorough concept of hand seals later, for now, we need a single hand seal -Ram seal- one of the uses of which is to mould the Chakra. So, copy my hands."
The chunin slowly and carefully began showing the way to create the seal and…
"Sensei!"
The distinct raspy tone of the voice was a dead giveaway of who it was. "Yes, Kiba-kun?"
"How I am supposed to see you with this stupid leaf on my head? It keeps falling down!"
Iruka's eye began twitching. Every goddamned year! Why can't I have a class of no stupids? Why?! He took a breath. "IDIOT! You are supposed to learn the hand seal first and use the leaf later!"
"Eh… then, why didn't you say so?"
Some snickers could be heard at this point. Not paying any attention to them, the scarred shinobi sighed a couple of times. Calm down Iruka, he's just a kid, admittedly, a stupid one. "Please Kiba-kun, do as I say."
The Inuzuka shrugged before leaning backwards into his seat, eyes lazily fixed at him.
Iruka again sighed and began demonstrating the process of creating the Ram seal. Finishing, he began approaching the students, checking and even correcting them where needed.
Naruto tried imitating the chunin sensei, slowly and carefully bringing the hands together, joining the index and the middle fingers of both the hands, intertwining the others.
A satisfied expression began appearing on his face on getting the difficult part right.
Now only the thumbs remained… The Uzumaki blinked. Wait! Were the thumbs crossed or straight? Oh no! The disguised blonde tried to scour his brains for any hint so that he wouldn't need to ask but nothing came. Crap… Now, I gotta ask…
"Any problem, Uzumaki-san?"
The brunette slowly looked beside him, taking in the black and green clad figure of his sensei, the latter's arms crossed. Eh… that's an offer for help, right?
This was a bit unexpected, still not the one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he nodded. "The thumbs; I don't know how to place them."
"They are straight over the respective index finger; just like this", Iruka tilted his hands, showing the position of the thumbs.
"Oh", Naruto quickly complied, looking at his completed seal for a bit. "Thank you… sensei", He murmured, slight hesitation clear, gazing at the impassive face of the scarred man.
The chunin simply nodded before turning and walking to the front of the class, the disguised blonde looking at his retreating figure. Hehe, one can't get everything, huh? He may not show his hatred but it's clear from his attitude towards others…
Still, nothing was definitely better than anything negative.
Some moments passed, the scarred shinobi once again stood in the front. "Now, raise your foreheads, place the leaf on them before making the ram seal", He waited as the students did as told.
Satisfied, Iruka continued. "Close your eyes, take slow and deep breaths and try to clear your mind of any thought. It is easy; just let your thoughts flow; do not push them away."
"After sometime, your mind will be clear and the hand seal will be able to do its work. You will feel the leaf getting tightly stuck to your skin implying you have been successful."
Whoever came with the idea of hand seals, must have been a rare genius. These seals were the lifelines of a shinobi; without them, it was very difficult to use Chakra. Only the rarest of the rare were capable.
If not for the Nidaime Hokage's one handed seals, serving as a proof that seals could be modified as necessary, he was sure nothing could have made him believe in the very idea.
Further, teaching children to access the Chakra only made the task easier. The little brats were malleable; just waiting for the right person. Their simple thoughts, contrary to the complicated ones of the adults, were just the icing on the cake.
"Nothing is happening, sensei!"
The whining tone of the Yamanaka clan heir bringing him out of thoughts, Iruka approached the little blonde girl. "It will take some time, Ino-chan. Patience is necessary."
The six year old huffed before going back to the task. Kids these days. Shaking his head in slight amusement, the scarred chunin walked to the desk beside the girl's, looking at the calm faces of Uchiha Sasuke and Namikaze Mito.
The leaves, on their respective foreheads, were completely flattened as if someone had stuck them with a glue. It was an obvious work of Chakra. Can't say it's unexpected. If not these two, then who?
After all, one was the Uchiha clan head's son, brother of the prodigy Uchiha Itachi, and the other was the daughter of, as the villagers would say, their greatest Hokage.
Further, everyone worth their salt knew that Mito, despite not living together, was very close to the Uchiha clan head's family, especially the matriarch. It wasn't shocking that she would receive help from them, apart from her own personal teacher.
Well, better not say it; the others still need to keep their morale. And since these two have kept the silence, means they are smart and not full of themselves. Giving the duo another look, the chunin walked towards the other clan heirs.
The Aburame being the first, Iruka only smiled seeing the leaf flat on his forehead. Then, he continued, reaching the Akimichi and Nara clan heirs, and wasn't nonplussed even a bit, to see the former trying hard while the latter simply holding the position, eyes closed.
"At least, make an effort to show you are trying, Shikamaru-kun", A grin accompanied his words. This was the first day, he could cut them some slack, but only for today.
"Troublesome."
The sensei nearly chuckled, hearing the all-too-familiar expression. So, the rumors of this generation of Ino-Shika-Cho being pampered weren't unfounded. Ah, well, these are peace times; no need to rush. This way, they can be still what they are - children.
Two seats later, he was standing near the Hyuuga clan heir, the leaf on her forehead struggling between falling or staying glued. This is unexpected. She's a clan heir and still struggling to get it right? Neji managed in the very first hour. Guess, this time Apple did fall far…
Moving ahead, and turning around the next row before walking towards the front, the chunin halted before the Inuzuka clan heir who was also trying, his face scrunched. The Inuzukas; they are a rather odd bunch; always leaving the basics to the academy.. Hehe.
"Relax Kiba-kun, you are trying too hard", Suggesting, Iruka walked forwards to the front of the class before turning around and facing them. "Alright, that's enough for today. I have shown you the method; keep practicing whenever you can."
"This exercise is totally harmless; you can even try at your home. And, those who have managed to access your Chakra", He ignored the startled looks from most of the kids. "Keep trying as this exercise also counts as Chakra control which is very necessary to effectively perform various shinobi arts. We will learn the details later."
Pausing and letting the students digest the information, Iruka continued after a bit. "This concludes today's lesson on Chakra. The next lesson is on shurikenjutsu which will be taught by Touji Mizuki-san, another chunin sensei in the academy."
"Then, there will be a half-hour break for lunch, and after that, Ito Sasame-san will begin you on theoretical aspects like history, geography among others. That's all. Good luck."
The kids lined themselves, side to side, as told, curiosity and wonder clear on most of their visages, from their wide eyes and grins.
The clan heirs have a better control of their emotions, as expected. Outwards, Mizuki watched the little brats with a grin on his face. Hmmm… based on the previous stats, only clan heirs will be able to make it after graduation. The others don't even know what they are in for. Poor brats.
His eyes roaming over their faces, the chunin continued his ponderings. Though, every now and then, a no named gaki manages to outshine others. Who knows this year… He halted, eyes coming to stop on the face of a small brunette. So, this is Kyuubi's new look.
Iruka wasn't exaggerating. The white-haired man's eyes narrowed a bit. I should reveal this… on second thought, nah. Hmmm… let's think later how to use the gaki to my advantage.
Naruto did not allow his expressions to falter, months of conditioning coming into use. So, Mizuki also hates me. It wasn't difficult to notice. The white-haired man wasn't even trying to hide.
The chunin's smile had faded a bit, eyes totally narrowed, even now as the man was looking at him. No wonder, here also I'll have to learn without asking.
"Eyes on me", Mizuki loudly declared, getting the intended result. "I am Touji Mizuki, and I will teach you the art of Shurikenjutsu, Taijutsu and all other related things like nutrition plans, speed and strength among others."
"But for today, we will begin with Shurikenjutsu", The chunin raised an eyebrow when the pink-haired girl raised her hand. I ain't Iruka, girly.
"It means-", He nearly snorted seeing the dejected look on the girl's face. "-the techniques related to throwing shuriken, kunai, senbon, to name a few."
"Again, for today, we will begin with shuriken", Announcing, Mizuki made some seals before slamming his hands on the ground. "Doton: Doru Gaeshi." An earth wall, reaching upto his waist, rose from the ground.
Murmurs full of astonishment and awe filled the clearing. The chunin, paying them no attention, simply channelled chakra into his wrist band, a scroll appearing in the guise of smoke. Unsealing it, he spread the shurikens atop the earth wall.
"Silence", His voice leaving no qualms, the students immediately quietened. "These are wooden shurikens for practice purpose. Watch me carefully as I demonstrate", He picked up a random shuriken, still looking at the kids.
"Now, in a real standard shuriken, one side of the blades is blunt for holding purpose", Mizuki brought the wooden shuriken to eye-level. "While these are not real, the trick is the same. You'll hold the colored side of any blade in your index finger and thumb."
"Then, keeping your arm stable, I repeat, keeping your arm stable, you'll move your wrist," He slowly flicked his wrist to show. "There are two factors to determine the distance, direction and the impact your shuriken will make."
The students listening attentively, he continued. "First is how fast and hard you can move your wrist. Of course that will come with practice, so do that. Secondly, how well you can aim. Again, there is a trick to that."
"If the target is just opposite to you, you'll have to stop your wrist midway such that when the shuriken is released, your index finger and thumb point straight towards the target", He motioned towards one of the dummies to his left, the students following, before facing it.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he let the shuriken go, the wooden projectile whirling through the air before striking the bullseye. The children 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the result.
Satisfied, Mizuki again turned to face the students. "For today, we will practice this. One by one, as called, you will step forward and throw five shurikens at the practice dummy."
Pulling a sheet from his pocket and unfolding it, the sensei scanned it for a bit. "Let's start from the back. Yamanaka Ino, step up."
The pale-blonde girl confidently strode forwards, taking the shurikens held by Mizuki before facing the practice dummy.
Releasing a breath and with a flick of the wrist, she let go of the wooden projectile.
Naruto watched keenly as the first shuriken, thrown by Yamanaka Ino, not only fell short of the target but also went sideways.
"Power and aim, Yamanaka!"
The girl tried again. And this time, the shuriken almost reached the target, swaying just an inch or two from the dummy.
The blonde girl smirked and threw the remaining shuriken in succession, managing to hit one on the edge of the outer ring.
Power and aim, huh? The Uzumaki mused to himself, preparing himself for his turn.
"Keep it up, Ino."
"Hai, sensei", Replying, the girl took her place in the line.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
The brunette ambled towards the chunin, accepted the shurikens from the latter, before facing the target.
Trying the motion a couple of times, he grabbed a shuriken before throwing it.
… only to grimace.
The wooden projectile went way above the target.
Some snickers were heard. Ignoring them, he again grabbed a shuriken. Less power and more aim… Narrowing his eyes, the Uzumaki flicked his wrist.
The result was similar in a different way.
The shuriken curved midway towards the left. The hell?! I didn't even move my arm as much as Ino. This shouldn't be possible.
"Keep trying, Uzumaki."
Barely sparing a glance at the chunin, Naruto threw the remaining shurikens; all of them missing the target.
"It's alright. You'll definitely get it, just keep trying."
Slumped and disappointed, he still nodded towards the sensei before taking his place beside the Yamanaka girl.
"I was better."
Blinking, the Uzumaki looked at the girl who was smirking at him. Eh… Not in the mood to talk, he simply shrugged before looking back.
A huff was his answer.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
The duck ass came, received the shurikens and threw them…
… and got three bullseye and the remaining two in the third ring of the total five.
Amazing! Despite knowing that the duck ass obviously had some training due to his family being the police, Naruto couldn't help the feeling.
Slight envy also raised its head.
"Good, Sasuke-kun. Still, keep practicing; you have a brother to surpass", Mizuki suddenly faced them all. "Let it be your goal too; Sasuke-kun's elder brother, Uchiha Itachi, got a perfect score in the very first try; don't forget it."
Whoa! Naruto was floored. This Itachi guy must have been their age and still got the perfect score! It was unreal! Now, more than ever, he was utterly disappointed in himself.
"I know sensei", The black-haired kid replied before walking to his place.
The next five kids came as called, throwing the shurikens but none of them managed to even touch the dummy.
Still, they were better than him.
"Nara Shikamaru."
The pineapple haired boy lazily drawled himself to the front, received the shurikens, yawning a bit before lazily throwing them.
None of them even managed to reach halfway.
Naruto sweatdropped. Is he for real? Anyone can see he isn't even trying.
"Do the right way or your mother hears from me", Mizuki calmy voiced.
Immediately, the boy straightened a bit, taking another set of shurikens ahead of throwing them.
Two hit the second ring, one in the fourth, another in the outer ring and the last one simply passed beside the dummy.
"Good. I will expect the same dedication in future."
"Troublesome", Muttering, the Nara dawdled towards the line.
Naruto couldn't help but snort. So, this lazy ass is Nara Shikamaru.
"Namikaze Mito."
Again, the redhead, without paying any attention to the openly staring kids, calmly walked forward, got the shurikens and threw them.
The former blonde's jaw nearly dropped to the ground. Four bullseye! This girl is way good. Guess, that personal care taker guy must be a bad ass shinobi.
"Very good. As expected from you, Mito-chan."
"Thank you, sensei", The tone of the voice was polite yet slightly uncaring.
The next names were called but Naruto was barely able to pay them any attention, mind wandering back to his own lousy attempt. Just one would have been enough…
Thump!
The Uzumaki slightly yelped, something hitting him atop the head before falling down.
Following it, he blinked. A… shuriken? Slowly, he gazed up only to see Ito Genji rubbing his forehead with a thumb, face scrunched in clear embarrassment.
Some kids began to laugh.
"Uh… sorry?"
Sighing, the disguised blonde simply waved off the boy. How the heck did he throw it in the opposite direction? Baffled, he thought, looking at the wooden object.
A moment passed before he decided to let go of the weird happening, and looked away.
"Hyuuga Hinata."
The pale-eyed girl slowly walked, as if unsure of every step, received the shurikens, thanking the sensei, before throwing them.
Two hit the fourth ring, two missed and one hit the outer ring.
Even, she's better than me. If possible, the Uzumaki's mood slumped even more.
"Haruno Sakura."
The pink-haired girl missed the first four and managed to get the last one in the fifth ring.
Dejected a bit, the girl ambled towards the line.
Seeing enough for the day, Naruto shifted his attention around the school, watching the birds, trees and even the school building, mainly to distract himself from his mood.
Everyone and their grannies seemed to be better than him.
"Alright, this will be all for today. Tomorrow, we will begin with running and move onto other exercises", Mizuki paused a bit. "Now, off you go and don't wander too far in the break."
The students, regaining their energy on hearing about the lunch break, dashed towards the academy, obviously to pick up the meals prepared by their families.
Shrugging, Naruto thought about his own situation. Considering the distance, half an hour should be enough for a quick meal at Ichiraku… hmmm… let's do it.
His mouth watering at the mere notion, the disguised blonde turned around only for his feet to land on something.
Looking down, he saw the shuriken thrown by Genji. Snorting at the incident, he continued.
Only to halt after taking a single step. I don't know where to get these shurikens. Better keep this one. It will come in handy for practice later.
Turning around, he crouched, grabbed the wooden object and nearly dropped it. What the?!
The shuriken was far lighter from the ones he had received… He blinked… from Mizuki. Could it be… that the man purposely gave them to me?
Narrowing his eyes, he carefully looked at the wooden object. This needs a try.
"Naruto-kun!"
Startled a bit, he glanced over his shoulder to see Mizuki walking towards him. Quickly, he pocketed the shuriken before facing the man. "Sensei?"
"Ah, sorry for interrupting you but it's important. You see, you and Mito are the only orphans in the class, but she, being the former Hokage's daughter, has many advantages over you. So, as your sensei, it's my duty to give you a hand."
What's his game? "Uh… for what, sensei?"
"Your meals of course. Are they healthy enough for you? So, tell me what are you going to eat now?"
Though suspicious, the former blonde decided to be honest. "Ramen."
"You eat that everyday?"
The Uzumaki nodded. "Yeah."
"... Okay. What about breakfast and dinner?"
"Ramen, for all three of them… Uh, is it not good?", Naruto added, seeing the expression on the man's face.
The shinobi was giving him a genuine smile.
That was shocking in itself.
"No, no! It's good. In fact, you have quite a taste. I was worrying for nothing", The shinobi chuckled a bit. "Anyway, don't let me keep you away from your food. You deserve it."
Waving his hand, the chunin turned and walked away. "See you tomorrow."
"Sure", Replying, Naruto also followed, in the opposite direction.
"Naruto-kun, all this ramen isn't good for you. Why don't you try the other items? Like vegetables and meat? You know, it takes a lot of effort on my part to deliver them on your doorstep."
"But, I don't like them, Jiji!"
"It's not about taste, Naruto-kun. Vegetables and meat are necessary for your growth."
The conversation resurfaced in his mind, old man Hokage's words echoing over and over again.
Now, he just had to decide whose words were genuinely honest.
Mizuki's? Or jiji's?
Though, he was sure it wouldn't be that hard.
Please REVIEW.
I know of Rock Lee's history but changed it for my story.
Secondly, in case you're wondering, I won't spent 20 or so chapters on the academy. At the very most, you'll get five chapters before graduation. Even two of them will be based on something else.