I don't own Naruto in any way, shape, or form, it belongs to Kishimoto.

HOWEVER, if I did then Sasuke would've been brought back during OG, Naruto would've realized Hinata's feelings and returned them sooner, and Sasuke woulda bitch slapped Sakura for how she treated Naruto. But that's just what I think.

'Thinking'

"Talking"

"YELLING"

"Deity/Bijuu"

"Jutsu"

Chapter 3

The boy ran. He didn't know how long he had been running or how far he had run, but he couldn't stop. He just knew that if he did stop, he would die. He saw buildings fly by as he sprinted away from the horde of villagers behind him wielding knives and other lethal weapons. If he was correct, there may have been shinobi in the crowd as well. It was a miracle they hadn't gotten him already, especially when they could use chakra and he couldn't. Perhaps it was the thrill of the chase that kept them from killing him immediately. As he went by more market stalls, more and more villagers joined the group, some knocking each other over and trampling others in the process. What had he done? He was a 7-year-old with no parents. He had simply just gone out to enjoy the festival, and soon enough, he had come across a mask stall. He had stolen a fox mask when the owner refused to sell it to a "demon" like him, but a mask couldn't cause this much anger, could it?

As the boy turned a bend, he saw an open road going throughout the residential area with no one in it. He could only thank the festival for that, as most of the villagers were out of their houses for the night.

He could here the yelling behind him, "KILL THE DEMON!", "STOP RUNNING!", or "GET IT!" rang in his ears due to the villagers. What had he done to deserve such treatment? Rounding another bend, he noticed that he had made it back to the Red-Light District. Naruto looked behind him, hearing the screaming. The mob hadn't rounded the bend yet and they were on his turf now. Quickly climbing up a pipe on a nearby building, he maneuvered his way through all the garbage that had stacked up over the years.

He looked back to see that the mob was directly under him, unable to follow him, however, that only applied to the villagers. He looked to his side to see shinobi climbing up the wall. So he did the only thing he could do, he ran. He looked ahead of him to see a wire hanging from two buildings. He ran for it and jumped. He swung from the wire and let go, landing in an alley. Landing in a pile of trash, he submerged himself in the garbage, hiding from view. He heard the mob stomp towards him, screaming for him to come out and stop hiding. Naruto didn't move a muscle, fearing that if he did, it would alert them to his location. After nearly 5 minutes, he heard the mob crumble and curse about not getting the demon. He heard them walk away, and after a couple more minutes, he finally came out from hiding. Looking around, he looked down the alley to see if anyone was hiding, and when he was sure, he walked back to the road.

As he walked out of the alley, his throat was suddenly grabbed by a villager with KI coming off him in immeasurable amounts, at least to a 7-year-old. Naruto's eyes widened in fear as he saw more and more villagers come back into the alley, implying that they had been waiting for him the entire time. The villager who held Naruto grabbed his knife, stabbing him in the stomach.

Naruto let out a chilling scream, "AAAAAHHHHHH!"

He looked down at the blood gushing out of him and froze. He didn't know what to think. It just kept coming and there was no stopping it. He began to hyperventilate, only causing the villagers more joy. Naruto was thrown to the ground violently. The villagers loomed over him hungrily, knowing that this would be the night they would get him.

They all brought their weapons down at once and everything went black.

"uto…"

"ruTO…"

"NARUTO!"

"AAH!" screamed the now 12-year-old redhead, hitting his head against the classroom wall. He looked up to see half his class looking at him with either a raised eyebrow or disdain, which included most of the girls. He looked to the front to see his sensei, Iruka looking at him with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. However, if one looked close enough they could see the concern written across his face.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry Iruka-sensei, I fell asleep, what were you asking?"

Iruka sighed, "I asked, what jutsu was Yondaime-sama famous for using in the Third Shinobi World War?"

Naruto thought hard on this. He had read up on Yondaime several times, because the man was his idol, and he seemed to realize the jutsu Iruka was talking about. He knew it allowed Yondaime to teleport instantly, as long as he had markers, and it made him the fastest man alive, earning him the title of Kiiroi Senkou. However, for the life of him he couldn't remember the name of the jutsu.

"Sorry Iruka-sensei, I forgot the name of the jutsu, but I know it's that one where it allowed him to teleport instantly," he said sheepishly.

"Well, at least you know what that jutsu was," Iruka said, "The jutsu was called the Hiraishin, or Flying Thunder God, and like Naruto said, it allowed Yondaime-sama to teleport instantly. However, the jutsu was not developed by Yondaime-sama, but Nidaime-sama…"

At this point, Naruto began to doze off again. He just hoped he wasn't met with another one of those dreams. He hated those dreams. Maybe this time he would dream about being Hokage, with Sakura-chan hanging onto him for dear life, looking at him how she usually looked at Sasuke.

'Ya, that would be nice,' Naruto thought. However, that dream would never come as he took a chalk stick to the head and an angry Iruka.

…

Naruto had finally gotten through the day. And for some reason, today felt much longer than normal. Maybe it was the nightmare he had had early. Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine. He hated those dreams. The ones that reminded him of every festival. Quickly readjusting his thoughts onto those of happy ones, he spotted his target. A girl that was slightly taller than him, had long, pink hair, and was in a red dress.

"HEY! SAKURA-CHAN!" he yelled across the courtyard, waving his hand at her.

Sakura stiffened, and turned around slowly, "What do you want Naruto?" she said coldly, although the red-head didn't pick up on this.

"Do you want to go on a date w-" he started before being interrupted with a fist to the cheek that sent him flying.

"NARUTO! How many times do I have to tell you that NO! I WILL NOT GO ON A DATE WITH YOU!" she yelled before stomping off.

Naruto got up, rubbing his head, 'Man, why does have to hit so hard,' he thought.

"Naruto, wait up" said a voice. Turning around, Naruto saw Iruka jogging towards him.

"Huh? Oh, hey Iruka-sensei, do you need something?" he asked, smiling at his teacher.

"Do you remember how graduation is tomorrow?" Iruka asked, hoping Naruto had remembered this time. Alas, his hopes were dashed.

"OH SHIT! That's tomorrow?! I thought it was in two days! AAAH!" Naruto screamed, anime tears rolling down his cheeks.

Iruka sighed. Of course he had forgotten, "Naruto. How do you think you'll do as a shinobi?" Iruka asked seriously.

Naruto grinned, "That's easy, Iruka-sensei! I'm gonna be the best shinobi ever. You know me!" he said, pointing at himself.

Iruka sighed again, he was doing that a lot today, "Naruto, come with me."

"Huh, okay."

They walked for nearly 30 minutes, with Naruto complaining the entire time. When they finally arrived at where they were headed, Naruto was confused to see that it was a training ground. However, Iruka didn't stop, so he had no choice but to follow him. When Iruka finally stopped, Naruto saw him standing in front of a strangely shaped stone.

"Uh, Iruka-sensei, what's this," he asked.

Iruka looked at him, "This Naruto is the Memorial Stone, honoring the heroes of Konoha," he said.

Naruto's eyes brightened, "WOW! So cool! I want to be on this-"

"However," Iruka continued, "These are no ordinary heroes. These shinobi fought hard for Konoha, losing their lives in the process. That's why their names are here, to make sure we remember the sacrifice they made. Some of my closest friends' names are on this stone. Being a shinobi isn't something to take lightly Naruto, I need you to remember that."

Naruto looked down and nodded silently.

Iruka smiled and ruffled his hair, knowing the boy would hate it. And as he predicted, Naruto pushed his hand off of his head, puffing up his cheeks.

"C'mon Naruto, there's something I need to get you," he said smiling.

"Get me?" asked Naruto.

Iruka nodded, "Just come on," he said, waving his hand at him.

The entire time Iruka was walking with Naruto, the redhead would ask him continuously where they were going. He needed a break. Naruto continued to ask Iruka where they were headed, Iruka not responding once. Naruto pouted and looked away, 'stupid Iruka.'

However, once he stopped annoying Iruka, Naruto began to think of the life ahead of him.

'Iruka-sensei's helped me a lot, and it seems like he really wants me to succeed tomorrow. Why else would he show me the Memorial Stone and wherever we're going next. Maybe it will help me on my journey to becoming Hokage. But I barely know anything about the world. Maybe those lectures weren't useless,' Naruto thought.

He turned to his sensei, "Uhm Iruka-sensei?" he asked.

Iruka sighed, "Yes, Naruto?"

"What exactly does it mean to be a shinobi?" asked Naruto

Iruka thought for a few minutes before answering, "Well, it means you must always endure, even in the worst situations. You accept any mission you are given, big or small. You protect the village and its people, no matter what. You obey your Hokage's rule, no matter what you think of him. Everything you do is for Konoha and Konoha alone is where your loyalty lies."

Naruto thought about what Iruka had said for several minutes. He never really understood what a shinobi meant. He always thought it meant cool missions and flashy jutsu. But it went much deeper than he ever imagined.

"We're here," said Iruka.

"Huh?" asked Naruto, before looking at the building in front of them.

They were in front of a shinobi gear store, and it seemed to be a pretty expensive one as well.

"Huh? Clothes?" asked Naruto.

Iruka nodded, "If you want to be serious about your shinobi career, you need to ditch that orange or you're going to be the first one of my students on that Memorial Stone," Iruka said seriously.

Naruto gulped, but nodded. "Um, Iruka-sensei, this looks pretty expensive, and I'm not sure if I'll be allowed in here. A lot of stores just throw me out," Naruto said..

Iruka looked down at his favorite student and put his hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry Naruto, I personally know the owner of the store, and he is a retired shinobi. I'm sure he'll accept you with open arms."

"Alright Iruka-sensei, whatever you say," said Naruto, as he and his teacher walked inside.

"Ah, Iruka, it's good to see you again, and it seems you brought a student of yours I presume?" asked the store owner.

"Yes, it's good to see you as well Kenji, this is Naruto," said Iruka, smiling at his friend.

"What will you be needing today? Clothing, weapons, seals?" asked Kenji.

"Just clothing for now," said Iruka, "He can come back when he needs a restock on weapons."

"Alright, you can look around, and if you need me just ask," said Kenji politely to Naruto. Naruto just nodded, still confused as to how he hadn't been thrown out by now.

Deciding to look around, he eventually found clothing that caught his eye. There was a black shirt with a high collar that went all the way around, and it would cover his face up to his lips. It was mostly plain aside from the red swirl that most Chuunin and Jounin vests had on the back, but he found it nice. Quickly picking it up he looked around for bottoms that might go well. He again found something that interested him. They were blood red cargo shirts that matched his hair perfectly. It had two large pockets on the side that could store scrolls or other amenities (spray paint cans or stink bombs) with ease. They went past Naruto's knees, and they reminded him of his old green ones that he still sometimes wore, especially in the summer. He grabbed them and stacked them with the shirt. Turning his head, he found gray ninja sandals and gray gloves that had metal plating on the back. Wanting to cover his legs, he thought that black leggings would fit, but quickly changed them out for fishnet pants as he realized it would be more battle ready than leggings. Walking up to the counter, he dropped the clothes in front of Kenji waiting for the price.

Kenji quickly tallied the prices and gave Naruto the full cost, "Alright, that will be 2000 ryou."

AN: im making 10 ryou 1 american dollar.

Naruto frowned at the price, "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" asked Kenji.

Naruto stared at his jumpsuit, "Well when I bought my jumpsuit, it cost 3000 ryou, and that seems to be a lot more sturdy than this."

Iruka's and Kenji's eyes widened. Iruka clenched his fists in anger. They were making him pay 3000 ryou for one of those orange monstrosities?! Oh he was going to have a word with Sandaime-sama when everything was done and over with.

Kenji looked at Naruto and smiled, "Well don't worry, I'm not overpricing you like those other pieces of garbage, so if you want to get a few more over time, it won't drain your money. But I promise, it is only 2000 ryou."

Naruto quickly thanked and paid for the clothes and told Kenji he'd only shop at his store from now on.

When walking back from the store, Naruto couldn't help but think why Iruka-sensei had helped him so much. Sure, he was pretty sure he was his favorite student, but why so much?

"Hey, um, Iruka-sensei?" he asked.

"Hm, ya, Naruto?" the Chuunin answered.

"Why, why did you help me so much today?" Naruto asked.

Iruka smiled, "Naruto, you're a lot like me, you know. When I was your age, I had no parents to care for me, and like you, I would often pull pranks to get people's attention. I was foolish back then, and I just don't want the same thing that happened to me, happen to you," he answered truthfully.

Naruto looked at Iruka quizzically, "Huh, what happened to you, Iruka-sensei?" he asked.

Iruka looked down, "A few months after I graduated from the Academy, my sensei had finally asked for our first C-Rank mission. I was ecstatic. I was still a brat back then who wanted all the attention. I thought that we would be escorting a princess or a daimyo, but it turned out we were just capturing some bandits. I still thought that I was strong, and would dispatch them with ease. When we finally arrived, I was impatient. I rushed into the bandit camp without a second thought, thinking I was far stronger than them. However, soon enough I became overwhelmed. What I did was foolish, and I'll remember that day for the rest of my life," Iruka said, tensing up.

"Huh? What happened next sensei?" asked Naruto.

"Due to my foolishness, both my teammates were killed, and my sensei was crippled and can no longer serve as shinobi," Iruka said solemnly.

Naruto looked downcast. He now felt sorry for having Iruka bring that up again, "Sorry, Iruka-sensei," he said.

Iruka placed his hand on his shoulder, "It's alright Naruto, I'm the one who decided to speak about this to help you, I just want you to understand that being over eager or impatient can lead to detrimental endings."

Naruto nodded.

…

As it came to the point where Naruto and Iruka had to split off, Iruka had one more thing to ask his student, "So, are you finally going to ditch that orange monstrosity?" he asked, half joking, half pleading.

Naruto pouted, "It's not that bad Iruka sensei. But I think that I'll stick with it until I graduate. It's been with me so long, that it might as well see me graduate," he said, smiling.

Iruka chuckled, "Well, as long as you get rid of that and start wearing those clothes I gave you, we're even," he said.

"Huh? Even?" asked Naruto.

"Yep, since you're becoming a real shinobi after tomorrow, that means no more pranks," said Iruka, shunshining away before Naruto could react.

Naruto stood there stunned, 'No… More… Pranks…?' He swore he could here a demon laughing far away, but put it away to think about later, as a much more serious problem was at hand, "NOOOOOOO!"

…

Naruto walked into the classroom the next day, chest held high. Sitting in his usual seat next to the seat next to the teme, he laid his head down to fall asleep. As per usual routine, Sakura and Yamanaka Ino came running through the door, panting.

"I got here first forehead!" screamed Ino.

"WHAT?! No way! My hand pushed the door open, which counts as me being first!" countered the pink-banshee.

Naruto heard a groan beside him but ignored it. He put on a big smile and waved at his crush, "Hey Sakura-chan!" he said.

Sakura looked at Naruto and her face fell, getting up, she made her way up to him and pushed him out of the way, "Move it Naruto, I'm sitting next to Sasuke-kun!" she said.

Naruto scrunched up his face, but sat down anyway. After another few minutes, Iruka walked in, clipboard in hand.

"Alright," started the teacher. "today you have the graduation exams, which will make you perform the Henge no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu, and Bunshin no Jutsu," he said.

Naruto grabbed his head, 'AW MAN! Not the Bunshin! That's my worst jutsu!' he screamed in his mind.

Naruto nervously waited for his turn as one-by-one, each of his classmates went inside the examination room, and all of them came out with a Konoha Hitai-ate. Once it was just him, Sasuke, and Ino left, he watched nervously as his rival was called into the room. After around 2 minutes, he saw Sasuke come out with a headband wrapped around his head, and a triumphant smirk written across his face aimed at him. Naruto growled at the Uchiha, but didn't move.

Iruka came out of the room and looked at his clipboard, "Uzumaki Naruto…

END

Author's Notes

And another chapter is done. Took a lot less time than I thought! Next chapter will probably be up in a week and a half because of school and homework, but it will most likely be Forbidden Scroll and team placements. Thanks for reading :)