A/N: Well, the last chapter hit my first milestone twice as fast as I had hoped. I had hoped to get 1,000 views by chapter ten, but my hopes have been heavily beaten as my fic has broken 1,200 in less than 12 hours since chapter five has been posted. I cannot thank you all enough for the support you the readers have all given. I'm so very happy that my story has been seen with such positive reviews.

Also, the poll on Sasuke will be up until I finish the second year of the academy. So far, my reviewers have commented on having him still being arogant as in canon, but not the jerk he's known to be. His friendship with Naruto and Hinata (which I will get more into in this chapter) is going to be his saving grace so far. We'll see how things go over the next few chapters. Uchiha clan massacre is still up in the air as well. Depends on reader input. I have plans in place that can go in either direction and this story is going to be shaped by the readers/reviewers just as much as it is me. In fact, reviewers have already given me ideas to start another story in a completely different direction. Though I will not be starting that fic anytime soon. I plan on focusing entirely on this one for the foreseeable future.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto-sensei won't even consider me unfortunately. You think we could change his mind?

Chapter Six: The Academy Days: Year One

As the second day of the academy started, Naruto couldn't help but notice that people were staring at him. More specifically, they were staring at his eyes. They had never seen eyes like that before. It almost reminded them of the Byakugan, but there was no way that is could be like that, right? After all, his last name was Uzumaki.

Finally, the most curious of the group spoke up during lunch. A blonde girl with a long pony tail walked up to him and spoke. "Hey, I'm Ino Yamanaka. You're Naruto Uzumaki, right?"

"That's right, I'm Naruto. And this is Hinata Hyuuga." He gestured to his left and pointed out a girl with indigo hair and pale lavender eyes.

"Hello." Hinata said curtly. She wasn't sure what to think of Ino just yet.

"So what did you come over for?" Naruto asked. "Probably to ask what everyone wants to know right?" Naruto said this just loud enough for anyone nearby to hear so that his answer to the inevitable question wouldn't have to be answered more than once. He hoped.

A bit embarrassed at being caught so easily, Ino blushed a bit and looked down at the ground mumbling an apology. She recovered then went ahead and asked anyways. "Well, since you saw through me so fast, yeah. I would love to know why your eyes look like that." She mumbled under her breath, not knowing that Naruto and Hinata would be able to hear her, "they look so pretty."

Naruto ignored this, though Hinata had a bit more trouble doing so. She wasn't sure why. Naruto went ahead and answered in the only way he figured would be good enough. "Byakugan." He looked up at her and said, "It was a gift from my family. I was given my families bloodline ability."

Ino could see his eyes change to the Byakugan and she gasped at their beauty. They didn't look like the regular Byakugan, but that didn't take away from them in the slightest as far as she was concerned. Everyone else was listening intently, some of them openly staring in shock at hearing this. It was unheard of for a bloodline to be shared with someone who wasn't born with it, let alone someone who was adopted. Most of them didn't even know it was possible. I showed that the Hyuuga clan trusted Naruto completely with their most treasured and most guarded secret.

Shikamaru, sitting at the next table, wondered what Naruto could possible have done to have earned such a level of trust and respect from the noble Hyuuga clan. He didn't like not knowing something, so he would ponder this and look into any information he could until he solved this mystery.

Sasuke, having already been aware of this just smirked at the shocked expressions surrounding the blonde. He knew many of them would be trying to befriend or smooth talk Naruto just so they could find out how and why he had the Byakugan. He figured many of the students from the civilian family especially would be trying to learn if they too could gain access to a bloodline. The fools.

Shino did not outwardly show any surprise or shock. His clan was just too good at hiding emotion so as to make more logical decisions. He was interested, but no more than would be appropriate in this situation.

Kiba was wondering if that meant Naruto was learning the Hyuuga style of taijutsu as well. Being from the Inuzuka clan, taijutsu was kinda one of their specialties. If Naruto was learning the Gentle Fist, he would be a highly formidable training partner.

Ino was stuck staring into his eyes. It seemed to her that his eyes could look into her very soul. It was unnerving to say the least, but she just couldn't seem to look away. It wouldn't be until much later that she identified why this was.

Sakura was deep in thought, wondering if his eyes had all the powers of the Byakugan, or if it was a weaker version since he wasn't actually a Hyuuga. He could help her immensely either way, since she was very interested in learning all she could during the academy. She was determined to be the top of her class to show that even a civilian not from a clan can become a top rate Kunoichi.

Choji was... well... Choji. He was listening to be sure, but he simply didn't care. As long as Naruto was a good person, all would be fine. That, and he was busy eating, which was something that always took a priority from any member of the Akimichi clan.

After a brief moment of silence Ino thanked Naruto and apologized to him for seeming selfish or insensitive to a personal topic. "That's pretty cool Naruto. Thank you for sharing with me. I'm sorry if it was rude, I'm just a very curious person."

"It's no problem at all, I don't mind. There's nothing to apologize for, I promise." Naruto said evenly.

Sasuke, who was sitting next to Naruto spoke next. "Well Naruto, I can see from the looks on everyone's faces that not all either not all their questions were answered, or your answer gave them more questions. How about during recess we have a little spar and show them just what you can do? I'd be able to pay you back for last time and prove I can hold my own."

To say that the rest of the students around them were surprised would be an understatement. Uchiha were notoriously difficult to beat, but here they were hearing that Naruto had apparently beaten Sasuke in the past. Now recess was sounding very appealing.

After everyone finished eating they all headed to outside for recess. The 'playground' was actually more like a recreational sparring and target practice range. There were target dummies for both shuriken and kunai, as well as wooden dummies for practicing katas for various taijutsu styles. There was an area for one on one sparring large enough for numerous combatants to practice at the same time. There was also a large ring designed for only two people at a time. This is where everyone was standing, surrounding the ring as Naruto and Sasuke stared each other down waiting for their 'referee' to start the match.

Hinata had agreed to mediate the spar between her two friends. As she stood slightly off center between the two, she made sure the rules were in place. "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san, this is a one on one spar. Any taijutsu style is allowed. Ninjutsu is also allowed as long as it does not cripple or maim. Same for your strikes. No crippling or vital strikes."

Both boys nodded in agreement. They had been training together, just the three of them, for just over a year now and knew the rules quite well. The explanation was more for the audience than anything. Naruto and Sasuke did like to put on a good show after all.

Hinata looked left, then right. "Alright, ready? Hajime!" she yelled.

As soon as she yelled to begin, the two boys took off at each other. Their speed wasn't all that impressive to a trained Shinobi, being at a low to mid genin level in speed. But for students only in their second day of their first year, it was highly impressive. They met in the middle with the Uchiha throwing a punch towards Naruto's solar plexus, knowing it would be blocked. Naruto, at the same time, threw both hands forward with chakra enhanced strikes. His left hand meeting Sasuke's fist while his right aimed for Sasuke's shoulder. Naruto was trying to make Sasuke's arm go numb to take it out of the fight early.

Sasuke reacted by ducking the blow, Naruto's open palm glancing the tips of Sasuke's hair. He then pulled back his blocked fist, planting it on the ground. At the same time he spun around showing his back to Naruto while lunging out with his left foot with a mule kick. Naruto back flipped out of the way to avoid what would have been a very painful blow.

Sasuke continued his spin with the momentum of his kick as he rose back up into a ready stance. "Well Naruto, I think we've limbered up. Ready to get serious? It's time to show you just how much better I've gotten. I'll leave you in the dust, mark my words."

"You wish, Sasuke. Byakugan." Naruto activated his eyes, getting gasps from the audience as they saw the veins appear beside his eyes as they changed color. Naruto took up the Gentle Fist stance and waited.

Sasuke smirked. "Hn." Sasuke's eyes suddenly changed from jet black to red with black pupils. He had one black coma in each eye, showing he had learned to activate the first and lowest stage of the Sharingan.

Naruto saw this and smiled brightly. "Sasuke, you activated your Sharingan! When? How? Congratulations!"

"Hn. Don't get excited yet, dobe." Sasuke took up the standard Uchiha taijutsu stance. It's a style that is highly ineffective without the use of the Sharingan to read an opponent's body movement as it is a style that relies heavily on reactions and counter attacks.

"No way, teme. I'm excited to finally fight you with the Sharingan, so don't hold back!" Naruto exclaimed loudly as he lunged forward with an open handed Jyuuken strike. Sasuke was able to read Naruto's movements better now, almost as if he was moving slightly slower than he had before. It wasn't much of a difference, but it was enough to level the field. They went back and forth with their strikes for about four minutes without landing a single strike against each other. The audience was surprised and excited at seeing such a display during their first week of school. True, their forms were sloppy and unrefined to any Shinobi with even the slightest bit of training, but again these were just first year academy students. It was impressive for their age and level of instruction.

Iruka was on his way back to the academy from his lunch break when he saw a circle of excited children surrounding one of the training rings. He assumed it was a 'playground' brawl between two students that didn't get along. 'Only the second day and already I have students at each others throats. Kami-sama, what did I do to deserve this so soon.'

Iruka approached the ring ready to break up a fight, but instead of seeing an all out brawl he saw a structured spar complete with a mediator. He asked one of the students who he identified as one Kiba Inuzuka, "How long have they been sparring?"

Startled and nervous that they might get in trouble he couldn't help but sweat as he answered honestly. "About five minutes now, Iruka-sensei." Iruka could tell he was nervous.

"It's okay Kiba, no one is in trouble. I can see they have no intention of turning this into a brawl. I'm just curious to see what they know. Honestly this makes it easier, as I was going to have a bit of a sparring tournament this afternoon to judge who has any kind of training already, as well as who needs the most work on taijutsu."

Kiba was relieved, but was quickly broken out of it as they heard the unmistakable call of a jutsu.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu" Sasuke let loose a fireball about three feet tall as it sailed towards Naruto. With hardly any time to react Naruto let loose the only water style technique he knew in the hopes that it would be enough.

"Water Style: Violent Water Wave" Naruto shouted as he expelled a decent amount of water out of his mouth. It was roughly the same amount of water that Sasuke had expelled in fire for his technique. The two Jutsu met in the middle and exploded in a small amount of steam.

Iruka was mildly surprised that two students were able to use any kind of elemental jutsu already, but considering they both came from the two strongest clans in the village decided it was only natural. It wasn't as if the jutsu were all that powerful. Maybe low genin at the strongest. Neither jutsu would cause serious damage. What Iruka didn't know was that both boys were holding back so as not to involve their audience in the spar. They were just putting on a good show. It was almost as if they had already planned to have this little fight to show off to their fellow students.

After the steam from the two jutsu colliding disipated, Naruto and Sasuke met in the middle once more to continue their taijutsu bout. Jyuuken met Uchiha style in the middle and they again went toe to toe without landing a single strike for a good three minutes. Hinata was off the the side of the ring watching intently with her Byakugan just in case she needed to call the match at any time. She was happy to see that both of her best friends had come so far since they first started training.

Iruka watched in silent amazement that he was going to have such exceptional students in his first year as a homeroom teacher. He just knew this class would be very influential one day, and NOT because it was full of clan heirs and heiresses. No, this class would prove influential one day because they would all grow up to be powerful and exceptional Shinobi and Kunoichi.

Finally a strike was landed. Naruto had landed a chakra enhanced strike to Sasuke's right shoulder, throwing off his balance. Naruto quickly followed up the strike with another to Sasuke's left hip, sending the Uchiha to the ground. Before he could react, he opened his eyes to see Naruto's open palm inches away from his face.

Hinata called the fight. "The winner, Naruto Uzumaki." She rushed over to congratulate him as he helped Sasuke to his feet.

Sasuke scowled, "Damn it..." he muttered. "Not again." He then spoke a bit louder, "Looks like you win again. Though not nearly as quickly this time. I'll beat you yet."

Naruto just smiled. "I won't make it easy for you. I'll keep getting better and better too. I have to if I'm going to protect my friends and family." As he said this, Iruka walked up and congratulated the two on a great spar. He then asked, "Do you two know about the traditions surrounding the sign of reconciliation?" Both boys shook their heads no. "I'll be teaching it to the class later. For now, get cleaned up and head to the class room, recess is about to end and we have a lot to cover." He said this last bit loud enough for the audience to hear, even over their murmuring about the awesome fight they just saw. They all agreed that fighting with either one of these two would be a bad idea right now.

After class

As Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata were leaving the academy they were stopped by their classmates who wanted to talk to them after the spar but didn't get the chance because class was beginning. Kiba spoke up first.

"Man you guys, that was a great fight earlier. How did you guys learn those jutsu? I would love to learn some myself." His excitement could practically be tasted in the air.

"Hn," was Sasuke's only reply. He didn't really talk to many people besides his friends and family, and he was most open with Naruto, Hinata and Itachi.

"Well, Sasuke here probably learned it from his clan. It's kinda a rite of passage with the Uchiha after all." Naruto explained. "As for me, I found a jutsu scroll in our clan library when me and Hinata-chan were doing some research a long time ago."

Hinata spoke next, "It was really surprising to find it, too."

Ino's curiousity was acting up yet again. "Why is that?" she asked.

Hinata answered, "Well, the Hyuuga clan mostly focuses on our Gentle Fist and refining our chakra control and Byakugan. Traditionally we don't use many jutsu, and most of the ones we do are using the Gentle Fist."

"Oh." That was Ino's only response, her curiosity sated on this topic.

"So what are you guys up to now?" Sakura asked. "We were going to head to the park to hang out until our parents got here to meet us. They probably want to know how our first real day here went."

"We are waiting for Ko-san. He's our escort and guard anytime we leave the compound." Naruto responded.

This time it was Shikamaru who was curious. "Wait, you two need a guard just to leave your compound? Troublesome..."

Hinata looked down at the ground, feeling kinda out of place after that comment. "Well, our father is a bit protective of us. He just wants to make sure we're safe."

"A bit?" Ino asked increduously. "I'd say that's more than a bit. That's just crazy. If my To-san did that to me I'd go insane with boredom."

Naruto tilted his head a bit with his eyes closed and his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. It made him look very fox-like with his whiskers and all. "Well, it is a kinda formal. I'm not really that good with formal stuff. It makes me feel... what's a good word?"

"Smothered?" Sasuke suggested. "Hiashi-sama smothers you both and you know it."

"Sasuke-san," Hinata interjected. "It's not like that, honest. He has a good reason to be protective and you know it."

Sasuke got the hint and dropped it, but Ino's curiosity was at it yet again. "What do you mean?" she asked. "What kind of reason does he have to be so protective of you?"

Hinata realized she had just put her foot in her mouth, so to speak. She was referring to the fox, as they had told Sasuke a year ago about it when they started training together. So he knew their secret. But she didn't want to tell the others just yet. After all, they had only just met yesterday and, even though they seemed like great people and would likely be great friends one day, this wasn't something to take lightly.

Luckily, Naruto caught on rather quickly and came up with a reasonable excuse. "Well..." he started, pausing for effect. "Two years ago, back when Kumo sent that guy here to sign some kind of treaty, Hinata-chan and me were kidnapped..."

Ino gasped, as did the majority of those present. The only two who didn't besides the two in question were Sasuke, who knew, and Shikamaru, who was always listening in on his parents when they discussed what went on in the village at meals. He may be lazy, but he was both intelligent and curious. A deadly combination at times, which he would learn in the future.

"Really? What happened?" Ino asked when she recovered from this most recent shock.

"Well, it was the ambassador from Kumo who took us," Hinata explained. "He was killed and we were rescued by Oto-san and the Anbu." It wasn't technically a lie, but they didn't need to know that it was Hinata who had killed the man. She didn't even remember how it happened. She just remembered coming to while standing over his lifeless form covered in blood. His blood. The memory made her shiver.

Ino noticed the shiver and decided to drop it, seeing how something like that could be very traumatic. She was from the Yamanaka clan after all, and her clan taught from a very young age about the workings of the mind and the effects that can happen to it.

"Wow, I'm sorry." was all Ino could say. "Anyways," she changed topic, "would you three like to join us in the park until that Ko person gets here?"

"Hn, no thanks. I need to train." That was all Sasuke said as he walked towards the Uchiha compound.

"Hinata-sama, Naruto-sama, it's time to go." Ko had just walked around the corner and saw the two children talking with what he assumed were there new friends. "I'm sorry, but your father has requested that you both come to his study as soon as class let out." He said this gently, but firmly at the same time. This left no room for argument. Not that they would have anyways. The two knew that more questions would be brought up. And they weren't ready to answer too many more yet.

"Goodbye everyone, we'll see you tomorrow." Naruto waved goodbye to his new friends as he walked away.

"Gomen," Hinata said as she bowed to her new classmates. "But we must meet Oto-san right away."

It turns out, Hiashi just wanted to know how their day went before they started their daily training with him, as well as propose something to his daughter. They had progressed fairly well in the last two years, but they still had a long way to go as far as Hiashi was concerned. Naruto had taken to the style rather well, despite not being born a Hyuuga. Hinata, however, was having trouble with the Gentle fist. She was adept enough for her age, but she was falling behind. This worried Hiashi, as they couldn't have a weak heiress.

So he started digging in the clan archives for anything that could help. He started doing his research into past clan techniques a month before the academy started and still he had little progress. But what he had found so far was promising. When Naruto and Hinata knocked and entered his study he had a slight smirk on his face. This told the two children that Hiashi had found something to put him in a good mood.

"Hello, Hiashi-Tosan. You look really happy today. Did the elder's finally drop?" Naruto asked smiling at his little joke.

Hinata giggle a bit as Hiashi gave a light chuckle saying, "No Naruto, not yet. Those old fossils are not so easy to get rid of." He had genuine amusement in his voice. "No, actually I found something that may help Hinata here."

Hinata was very happy and excited to hear this. "You found something to help with my failure at learning the Gentle Fist?"

"Hinata, you are not a failure. I have told you before that not everyone in our clan is proficient in our style, that is why we have sub styles. To answer your question, I have. It's a clan bylaw that will allow us to forego your training in the more advanced katas of the Gentle Fist and instead work on adapting it to your own personal strengths. The bylaw states that 'If a member of the clan has proven to be ineffective to a certain degree in the standard katas of the Gentle Fist, said member may request of the clan head to learn one of the sub styles developed to cover any inconsistencies. However, if no such style exists that fits with the Hyuuga in question, the council may grant the development of a new style for the betterment of the clan.' This means that with the council's 'approval' you can begin to develop your own style of the Gentle Fist so that you may maintain your position as heiress."

Hinata was disappointed to hear that non of the clan's sub styles were suited to her, but was excited at the thought of creating her own style. It would take a lot of hard work over many years, but she would tackle the challenge with everything she had to probe to the fossils in the council that she was strong.

"But, Oto-san... how will we get the council's approval?"

"But that's just it, Hinata, I have already gotten their approval. I will not tell you how, as you do not need to know that just yet. Just know that they approve on the conditions that you must have the basic katas of your new form fully developed and combat ready by the time you make chuunin. I am confident that you can achieve this and agreed to this with the council on your behalf. I know you'll make me proud. The next condition is that you must develop your new style without my help. I am sorry, but I could not sway them on this. They seemed adamant. However, that just means you will have no problems proving to them once and for all that you have what it takes to lead this clan when you succeed. You'll do fine."

Hearing his tone of voice, the two children knew he was dismissing them. So they bowed and said goodbye as they walked out of the office. Naruto was excited for Hinata. She would finally show those old fossils what she was made of. Hinata, on the other hand, was excited and very, very nervous. She didn't have any clue where to begin developing her own style. She didn't even know what her strengths were, let alone how to incorporate them into the Gentle Fist. Luckily, as her father had said, she had plenty of time to figure it out. At least six years, if traditions were followed. Five if they weren't.

One month later

The academy was getting more and more boring every day for Naruto. He already knew everything they had gone over since day one. It was all chakra theory classes and the academy style of taijutsu. Those from a clan with it's own style were exempt from the latter of the two. Though he opted into it just for something new. It was almost as boring as the chakra theory classes, almost.

Hinata on the other hand, opted out of the taijutsu classes, focusing instead on trying to find some kind of basis for her own style during her free period. A month of searching and still no answer had come to her. She just didn't know where her strengths were, if she had any. She was beginning to doubt herself. Luckily, any time she tried to voice this, Naruto would remind her that she had plenty of time and that he believed in her. This was almost always enough to silence the doubt in her heart.

So one day, she had had enough. She approached Iruka-sensei one day during her free period and asked him if he could help her with something. She explained that she was 'tasked' by the council to create a new style of Gentle Fist that was more compatible with herself and her strengths. She then explained that she didn't know what her unique strengths were.

He agreed to help her today by watching her go through her clans katas and point out where her weaknesses and strengths were. He watched her move from form to form in an almost agonizingly slow way that would strain the muscles of anyone not familiar with the style. After she was done she approached him and he explained what he saw from an outside perspective.

"Hinata, it seems that the Gentle fist relies on two things. A rigid form based upon a solid foundation, and quick and precise strikes that left little to no time to react. You have the quickness and precision down it seems. But the rigid form is where you're having your trouble. I want you to try a few forms for me. I will explain them and you will try to move through them at the same time."

She nodded in agreement as he explained the forms. The first one was a solid stance with feet at shoulder length apart with elbows bent at ninety degree angles at her side. It was as if she was supposed to be some kind of stone in the wind, strong and unrelenting. She had a hard time staying in the form for long as it relied on core strength to an absurd degree as he circled her, nudging her in various directions as she had to try to maintain her stance.

"This one's no good. It's too rigid and un-moving." Iruka new this one would be no good, but he had her do the exercise anyways to be thorough. Next was a style that relied on leg strength. She was to tak a low crouch position with one leg underneath her while the other was extended out in front of her. Her left leg was her forward leg, putting most of the weight on her right. Her right arm was at her side, elbow bent at a ninety degree angle similar to the last stance, but her left arm was aimed forward parallel to her leg. It was uncomfortable and she almost instantly fell out of it.

"Hmm..." Iruka said. "I didn't think your strength would lie in your legs, but we had to check, right?"

She only nodded as she got up. They went through several more stances and forms looking for one that was both comfortable and fitting. None of them were what they needed until the last form. An idea stuck Iruka as he noticed something he hadn't before.

"Okay, Hinata, are you ready to try one more. I think I've narrowed it down to one that will be perfect for identifying your strengths.

Again she nodded, not speaking as she was very exhausted from the exercises she was going through. He directed her into a standing position and had her move through various stretches, bending in ways she hadn't thought of before. She easily moved from one bend to another as Iruka identified exactly what her strength was.

"You can stop now Hinata. Why don't you sit down and rest while I explain what I just discovered?"

She complied, clearly excited despite her exhaustion. She had been at this for quite a while. Four hours, as they had lost track of time and her free period was coming to an end. Iruka didn't know where she got her energy from. She was just a stamina monster, just like her stepbrother.

"Well Hinata, we ruled out core strength, leg strength, rigid forms, reactive forms, high power forms with little movement, low power forms with high movement from one kata to another, and many others. However, I have found the strength that you need to create your own form. It lies in you unparalleled flexibility and speed. I've met jounin who couldn't move with half the ease your lithe form is capable of. If you need to create a new form, it is one that should rely on your incredible flexibility and speed."

Hinata's face lit up in realization. None of the Hyuuga styles were flexible at all. Yes, there were many different styles that were as different as a tree was to a stone, but almost all of them were rigid forms. No, she needed a form as different from the rest as the sun was to the moon. She now had a basis.

"Thank you so much, Iruka-sensei. You have no idea just how much you have helped me. With this, I can make my Oto-san proud!" Hinata jumped up and hugged Iruka firmly before blushing at the familiar gesture she had just given her teacher. She released him, still blushing, "Gomennasai! I didn't mean to do that."

"It's okay Hinata, you were just excited. Your welcome and good luck. I'm sorry buy I need to go, I have a meeting soon and we lost track of time here." And with that, Iruka left for a meeting with a few of the other academy instructors.

Class was let out only a few minutes later and Hinata met up with Naruto to share what she had just learned before heading out to one of the private training grounds of the Hyuuga clan to get started. Naruto was all too happy to help her develop her new style. It would take many years, but they were confident it could be done.

Two months later

It's been three months since the academy started and it was finally about to get exciting, or at least that's how Naruto saw it. They were going to start learning the three core jutsu of the academy that were required to graduate at the end of their fourth year. These jutsu were the Transformation Jutsu, Replacement Jutsu, and Clone Jutsu. Each week this month would be dedicated to going over the basics for each jutsu with the fourth week being a review for anything the students needed help with.

The first two weeks were easy for Naruto and Hinata as the jutsu didn't fail when too much chakra was pumped into them. In fact, the two created a whole new Jutsu called the True Transformation Jutsu on accident when they pumped so much chakra into the Transformation Jutsu That it caused a literal shapeshift instead of an illusion. Not that they realized this right away. They didn't notice it until later in the week when they were practicing at home and the Byakugan couldn't see through the 'Illusion'. After Hiashi put them through several tests, the discovery was made and kept secret. After all, misinformation is a ninja's greatest tool.

The second week was the Replacement, and it came quite easily to the two. It was almost as if trickery was in their very blood the way they took to these jutsu. They were able to replace themselves with chairs, logs and other large objects by the end of the week. Though they still had difficulty with smaller objects.

The third week is when things started going downhill. The clones they made were pitiful to say the least. They looked thin, pale, and all around very sick. By the end of the week they were very frustrated. Luckily the Byakugan works for many things, including watching the chakra pathways when learning new jutsu. Because of this, Hinata was able to realize that the failure was because they were putting too much chakra into the technique without realizing it. So using the precise chakra control exercises of the Hyuuga, the two were able to minimize their chakra output to the absolute lowest they could. It was still too much to create one clone, however if they used the same amount of chakra to create ten clones, then they were successful, though only just barely.

During the fourth week the two brought this to the attention of Iruka. He then brought it up with the Hokage, who set the curriculum for the academy. It was decided that a new test was to be added to the academy. Though it isn't the kind of test one would be able to fail. It was a test to determine students chakra levels on a numerical scale.

"Okay class, we are going to be trying something new today." This got a lot of attention. Everyone hoped it would be a new jutsu or technique of some kind. "Today we're going to measure everyone's chakra capacity to see what kind of jutsu and techniques you are capable of learning in the future. Remember, your chakra capacity would continue to increase as you train and grow."

It wasn't jutsu, but it was the next best thing in most of their minds. It showed them what kind of potential they had. Iruka then went to explain how the measurement worked. "The Hokage had a seal drawn onto a metal plate that sits on the ground and connects to the wall under the chalk board. When your name is called, you well stand on the plate and I will activate the seal. This will detect your standard chakra capacity and display it on the chalk board in numerical form. The standard measurement goes as follows:

Academy Student – 1-10 CR

Genin – 11-50 CR

Chunin – 51-200 CR

Special Jounin – 201-500 CR

Jounin – 501-1000 CR

Kage – 1001-5000 CR

S-Rank+ 5001+

SR stands for Chakra Rating, which is the standard scale used to measure the chakra of any living thing. Remember students, it's quite possible for someone to be born with a chakra capacity well above their actual skill level. Also, this seal was designed many years ago by our very own Yondaime Hokage." When Iruka said this, he noticed Naruto and Hinata shift uncomfortably while the rest of the class murmured in excitement. "This means the seal is of the highest quality and as such is 100% acurate."

He looked around the class making sure everyone was paying close attention. They were. Good.

"In alphabetical order by last name, first up is Shino Aburame."

(A/N: to save myself from having to create 12 civilian OC's I'm going to skip over them. The less OC's I have in the beginning the better in my oppinion.)

Shino moved up to the front of the class and stood on the plate. Using the tiger hand sign, Iruka activated the seal and the number 9/11 appeared on the chalk board. Iruka spoke up once more. "Okay class, I have a short explanation as to why Shino has two numbers. Simply put, his clan has a unique circumstance that eats away at their chakra. The first number is their usable capacity while the second is their max capacity." The class accepted this.

"Choji Akimichi"

Choji stepped forward and his number appeared as well. It was 16, as he had been eating since he woke up and his clans bloodline converted calories into chakra.

"Sakura Haruto"

Her chakra measurement was 5.

"Hinata Hyuuga."

This is where things got interesting. When she stepped onto the plate and Iruka activated it, the sealing matrix lit up for a moment and while the number appeared on the chalkboard and continued to rise until it stopped on an impossible number. Or rather, two impossible numbers. 250/90,850.

The class gasped in surprise and Iruka was shocked. He knew she was a Jinchuuriki. The Hokage had told him that she would have two numbers. He knew they would both be high, with the second number representing the half of the fox within her. But he did not expect this. Luckily his explanation earlier had set up the ground work to use a cover story that the Hokage had come up with for this situation.

"Settle down class. I'll explain this after the measurements are done, as she is probably not the only one to have incredibly high numbers." The class slowly quieted down at the promise of an explanation.

"Kiba Inuzuka."

10

"Shikamaru Nara"

7

"Sasuke Uchiha."

23

More murmurs. Though, no where near as much as Hinata.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

280/92,925

This got the class just as riled up as Hinata's measurement did. Eventually Iruka managed to settle down the class to get the last student.

"Ino Yamanaka."

8

"Now then," Iruka started. "Would Naruto and Hinata please come to the front so I can discuss something with you?"

Naruto and Hinata both walked up to Iruka where he held a quiet conversation with them that no one else in the class could hear no matter how hard they tried.

"Naruto, Hinata, I know you're both nervous. I know why your numbers are so high, and I know that you know why as well. The Hokage and I have come up with a convincing explanation as to why your numbers are so incredibly high. However, Sandaime-sama said that he would like to give the two of you a chance to reveal the truth to your friends if you wish. So if you want to, you have permission to reveal the secret to them now. If not, I will use Sandaime-sama's explanation instead."

Naruto and Hinata looked at Iruka with shock. After a moment they recovered and looked at one another. Their eyes locked, they seemed to have come to some kind of agreement through eye contact alone.

Naruto spoke first. "Iruka-sensei, we appreciate the offer, but we aren't ready to reveal this yet. It's not that we don't trust our friends, we trust them very much. But we don't want to burden them with this yet. It is a heavy thing to bear. We have already talked to each other about this quite a bit."

Hinata spoke next. "However, Iruka-sensei, we would like to hear the Hokage's explanation here first. That way, if we don't like it we can reveal ourselves anyways. And if we do like it, then we can play along until we are ready to say otherwise. We don't really like to lie..."

Iruka nodded. "Very well, Hokage-sama told me to tell the class that Naruto has such a high chakra capacity due to the clan that he comes from, the Uzumaki clan. Naruto, your clan and history are part of the second year studies and the class would be told as much. I trust you are already aware of your own clan history?" Naruto nodded. It was one of the subjects covered during the past two years since the Blood Rite. "As for Hinata, we were going to lie and say that it was her blood used in the ritual that gave you the Byakugan, and as such, her chakra capacity was raised to almost match yours."

Naruto and Hinata thought about this for a moment. Hinata broke the silence first. "Iruka-sensei, that does make sense for the first number, but I don't think it will convince them for the second one. It's just too large."

Iruka nodded, he thought as much. Neither he nor the Hokage thought the number would be as high as it was. "So what do you want to do then? We can't just leave the class without an explanation, it would lead to too many complications for you both in the long run."

They sighed, knowing they were going to have to reveal the secret sooner than they though. Naruto spoke up next. "We'll use your excuse for the civilian members of the class, they don't know how bloodlines really work. But our friends from the other clans won't believe it, so we need to tell them the truth. Can you call them up here so we can tell them separate from the rest of the class?"

Iruka did just that, calling them all out into the hall instead of in front of the class. Naruto and Hinata told their friends the truth out in the hall where their reactions wouldn't be a dead give-away to the rest of the class. Because they knew it would get out to her anyways, they told Sakura as well even though she wasn't part of a clan and could technically be considered a friend. While this was happening, Iruka told the rest of the class the excuse and explained that the ones sent into the hall with Naruto and Hinata were being given a more in depth explanation, as clans were privy to more knowledge on the subject of bloodlines. The class accepted this.

Out in the hall, the reactions were all the same except for Sasuke who already knew. They were shocked. Suddenly, a lot of things made sense. They now knew why some of their aquantances were secretly hostile to the two, as well as why Naruto and Hinata were kept in the clan compound so much. It made more sense why they had a guard/escort. Naruto and Hinata were afraid that they were about to lose their friends. However, to their surprise, all of their friends accepted them, as clans taught their children much earlier than civilians, and the clan heirs and heiresses present knew the difference between the kunai and the scroll it's sealed in.

The only exception was Sakura. Not being from a clan, she didn't know much about Fuinjutsu. But after seeing the rest of her friends accept the two, she followed suit. She trusted her friends and knew that she could count on them and their judgment. The children all filed back into the classroom after a few moments of silence to digest what they had just learned. They all agreed to meet up after class to hear more details. Naruto and Hinata heartily agreed to the request, relieved that they were accepted.

The rest of the class went by without any kind of interruption, all of the student caught up in the subject of Chakra Ratings and how to increase your capacity. Iruka was glad that no-one questioned his explanation, as well as the fact that those who learned the truth didn't make a scene.

After class, the Konoha 9 all met up in the 'playground' as the rest of the students all went home. It would be a little bit before their parents came to collect them, as they had all been informed of the gathering going on with the children. The Hokage had informed the parents to come one hour later than normal as the extra time was going to be needed for extra emphasis on a subject covered in class that day. The parents didn't question his request and complied.

Naruto and Hinata explained everything. From the attack eight years ago, to Naruto's parentage, to the Kidnapping two years ago. Everything was revealed.

The rest of the year passed uneventful. The Konoha 9 became great friends after that day and eventually started training together where they were finally submitted to the grueling torture... I mean training that Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke had been undergoing to reach the level they had.

A/N: Thank you all for reading. Wow, this one was a long one. I expected it, but it still managed to surprise me. My poll from the previous chapter(s) is still open. There's still plenty of time for the events of the massacre to play out without having to change the story. Like I said last time, I have contingencies in place for either event.

Also, please leave a review to let me know what you think of the twists I put in place this time. I really appreciate the feed back and it helps me refine the story in ways I hadn't imagined before. I borrowed some ideas from those who have already reviewed the past chapters, so who know. Maybe your idea could make it in to the story. The next chapter will be on the second year of the academy. I probably won't begin writing it until sometime next week at the earliest. Until then, enjoy!