Naruto
Shinobi's Pride
Chapter 01
Naruto was on all fours a sinister red chakra enveloping his body before him was a scared chunin by the name of Mizuki, behind him an injured Umino Iruka also a chunin. And what was Naruto, an academy drop out that couldn't even make a simple clone.
Naruto growled threateningly at Mizuki. Naruto looked just like the demon everyone said he was and now Mizuki had angered the demon. Naruto launched himself at Mizuki at a speed no one expected of him. He reached Mizuki in less than a second.
Naruto raked his claws across Mizuki's chest cutting into his vest, even drawing blood from shallow cuts to his torso. Mizuki jumped back away from Naruto. He didn't want to see what Naruto could do with that demonic chakra of his. Mizuki began running through hand seals preparing a jutsu.
"Doton: Asusupia!" Mizuki yelled slamming his hands on the ground.
As Mizuki slammed his hands on the ground, large earthen spikes erupted from the ground around Naruto. Naruto weaved through the spikes closing the gap between himself and Mizuki, Naruto wanted the traitor dead. As Naruto reached the traitorous chunin he formed a spear with his right hand and arm and this time when he tore through Mizuki's chest piercing the traitor's heart killing him instantly.
Iruka, still feeling the effects of Naruto's demonic chakra, slowly stood up and approached the young blonde.
"Naruto?" Iruka asked cautiously.
Naruto turned his head to look at Iruka and the chakra faded away as Naruto's features returned to normal.
"Sorry you had to see that Iruka-sensei." Naruto said looking down in shame.
"Naruto what exactly was that?" Iruka asked.
"That was the Kyubi, my literal inner demon." Naruto replied.
Iruka let out a sigh. "So that's what the Hokage meant." Iruka said. "Come on Naruto, let's take the scroll back to Hokage-sama."
Back at the Hokage Tower Naruto and Iruka stood in the Hokage's office with Naruto leaning against a wall and Iruka standing beside him.
"So you used the Kyubi's Chakra to kill Mizuki?" asked Sarutobi Hiruzen Sandaime Hokage.
"Hai." was all Naruto said.
"Naruto just because you have the Kyubi sealed inside you does not make you the Kyubi itself. The Yondaime always intended for you to use the Kyubi's chakra as your own." Hiruzen said trying to reassure the boy.
"But everyone blames me for the attack fourteen years ago. They call me the Kyubi and tonight I gave in to my anger and used the Kyubi." Naruto said looking at the floor.
"Naruto, you are not the Kyubi. Believe me when I say this. The Kyubi was unleashed on Konoha by an unknown third party you were just born the night it was released." Hiruzen explained.
"Naruto, you are one of my best students. Yes you cause trouble and always goof off but you work hard and even when faced with something hard you persevere and come out on top." Iruka said. "In fact Hokage-sama I believe Naruto is ready to become a shinobi. He may not have a clone jutsu but tonight proved he has what it takes to be a fine shinobi."
"I agree Iruka." Hiruzen said pulling out a Konoha Hitai-ate. "Naruto, age Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato I hereby grant you the rank of genin."
Naruto took the hitai-ate and smiled a genuine smile and tied the hitai-ate around his left arm. "Thanks Jiji I promise I will make you proud." Naruto said.
"I know you will Naruto." Hiruzen said with a smile on his aged face. "Now go home, get some rest you've earned, be sure you're at orientation tomorrow."
XxXxXxX
The next morning Naruto arrived at the Academy and entered his usual classroom and took his seat next to Yamanaka Ino, his closest friend in the academy. Ino had platinum blond hair and pale blue eyes. Nartuo wouldn't admit it but he had a crush on Ino but he pretended to have a crush on Sakura, another girl in his class.
"Hey Naruto. Didn't expect to see you here today. How did you manage to graduate without a clone jutsu?" Ino asked.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Naruto replied, he really didn't want to admit he killed one of his sensei to get his rank.
Ino could tell that Naruto did something but she respected his wish to not speak about it. Whatever Naruto did, it was big.
"So what team do you think we'll get put on?" Ino asked trying to distract Naruto.
"Well they will probably recreate your father's team so it will probably be you, Shikamaru, and Choji." Naruto replied. "With my grades I will probably be put with top ranked students. Which means Sasuke and and most likely Sakura since she is the smartest girl in class."
"Actually I heard Hinata had better grades than Sakura." Ino said trying to cheer Naruto up about being put with Sasuke.
Just then Iruka walked in with a clipboard in his hand and walked to the front of the class.
"Alright everyone today you will be put into your genin teams. This may be the last time we see each other in this setting I wish you all luck in your ninja careers and never forget what you learned here in the academy. Now listen closely for your teams." Iruka said starting the list of teams.
Naruto was listening for his team but he was pretty sure he would be teamed with Sasuke and either Sakura or Hinata if what Ino said was true.
"Team Seven will be Uzumaki Nauto, Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Hinata." Iruka said.
Yep Kami hated him.
"Team Eight will be Haruna Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino. Team Nine is still in rotation. And finally Team Ten will be Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji." Iruka said finishing the team listings.
Naruto sighed he knew that he couldn't get a new team so he would have to find some way to work with his new team.
"You are all dismissed for lunch, be back here at one o'clock to meet your new Jonin Squad Leader." Iruka said.
Naruto rose from his seat and left the academy. Ino followed Naruto knowing he was going to Ichiraku's for lunch, maybe Ino could cheer her best friend up.
As Naruto entered the ramen shop he saw Ino already sitting there with two bowls of ramen one for herself and one presumably for Naruto.
"Hey Ino, how did you beat me here?" Naruto asked.
"It's a secret." Ino said teasing Naruto.
Naruto chuckled and sat down next to Ino who slid the second bowl of ramen over to him.
XxXxXxX
After lunch Naruto and Ino returned to the academy and took their seats before them in the front of the class were eight individuals, though Naruto was sure there should have been nine.
"Alright class, these are your jonin squad leaders when they call your team stand up and follow them." Iruka said loudly, making sure everyone heard him.
Meanwhile, while the students were getting their teams called Kakashi, the leader of team seven was visiting his team's homes trying to get a feel for his new team. Kakashi had already visited Sasuke and Hinata's homes. Now he was at Naruto's home on the edge of the village, a small run down apartment on the edge of the red light district, Kakashi frowned beneath his mask.
"So this is where Naruto lives?" Kakashi asked Hiruzen.
"Yes it's not much but it's the only place I could put him without putting him with a clan and the council always blocked any clan from getting Naruto due to the Kyubi." Hiruzen explained.
"Who are his Parents?" Kakashi questioned.
No one knows he was found at the sealing sight with the seal holding the Kyubi on his stomach but know one knows who his parents are." Hiruzen said. It was a lie of course Hiruzen knew exactly who the boy's parents were but this information had been kept secret to protect Naruto.
"So why name him Uzumaki after sensei's wife?" Kakashi said fishing for the truth.
"Because the boy needed a name and Kushina always wanted a son. He was found with him in her arms so we named him Uzumaki." Hiruzen said, another lie.
Kakashi remained quiet but he suspected Hiruzen knew more than he was telling and he had suspicions that Naruto might be his sensei's son but he couldn't prove it.
Back with the students there were only three teams left and two team leaders but the question was whose teams were they?
"Team eight with me." said a woman with wild black hair and red eyes.
"What about team seven?'' asked Sakura, curious why a team was skipped.
"Their squad leader isn't here yet, they will just have to be patient." the man beside the woman said.
"Team Eight." the woman said again.
Sakura, Kiba, and Shino all rose from their seats to follow the woman.
XxXxXxX
Three hours, three damn hours, that's how long Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata were left to wait for their wayward squad leader, even Iruka had left the academy. Needless to say this stunt caused Naruot to lose respect for their squad leader. After three hours the door opened and in walked a man with silver gravity defying hair.
"Team Seven?" the man asked.
"Hai." was the unison reply.
"Come to the roof." the man said turning to walk out.
The three genin of team seven followed the man to the roof where they each took a seat on the bench.
"Now we are going to do some simple introductions. Tell me your names, likes and dislikes, hobbies, and dreams for the future." the man said. "Blondie you first."
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, my friends, and my plants. I dislike rapists, traitors, and those who judge a person before getting to know them. My hobbies are gardening, and training. As for my dreams for the future, well I haven't really thought about it. I know I want to discover who my parents are and maybe even become Hokage someday." Naruto said.
"Well said, Naruto." the man said. "Hyuga-san you're next."
Hinata gave her introduction followed by Sasuke then the man who turned out to be Kakashi finally introduced himself.
"Good now that we know each other I guess it's time to tell you none of you are genin yet you have one more test before you start taking missions and this time your opponent for this test is me." Kakashi explained.
"Then what was the graduation exam for?" Sasuke demanded more than asking.
"To weed out those who don't have what it takes to be shinobi." Kakashi replied. "Be at training ground forty-four at six in the morning. Oh and I would skip breakfast if I were you."
With that said Kakashi left via shunshin and a smirk on his masked face.
XxXxXxX
The next morning the three genin hopefuls of team seven arrived at training ground forty-four and saw it was closed and locked with Kakashi leaning against one of the poles surrounding the forest.
"Good morning." Kakashi said closing his book.
"Good morning Kakashi-senpai." Hinata said.
"Um Kakashi-san, why are we at the Forest of Death?" Naruto asked.
"Well that's the fun part, this will be the sight of your test." Kakashi said amused. "Your goal is to capture me while in an unknown and dangerous area full of dangers. You have until noon to capture me and I advise you to come at me with an intent to kill."
"I see now why you made us skip breakfast because you wanted to weaken us." Sasuke concluded.
"That's only partially true." Kakashi said. "I wanted to put you in a position where you experienced a state of fatigue and hunger while on a mission. By skipping breakfast, yes I weakened you but I also put you in a position where you feel like you have been on mission for an extended period of time without proper supplies. Now remember you have until noon to find and capture me."
With that Kakashi suddenly poofed in a cloud of smoke.
"A Kage Bunshin. Guess the test starts now." Naruto said to his teammates.
"So what's the plan?" Sasuke asked.
"We work as a team no matter what." Naruto said.
Doton: Asusupia: Earth Release: Earth Spear