Orange Day

Naruto winced under the not-so-hot sun. It was definitely cooler in the hole, but he didn't feel like being there. He wanted to go home. And stay home. At least she was there. At least Sakura was with him. Although she wasn't exactly 'physically' with him. Twiddling her thumbs and rocking back and forth in a spastic manner wasn't what Naruto had thought of earlier. It was best to leave her alone, however; he didn't want to wake up the cold person inside her. Which was not really 'inside' her at all, but rather was her.

A spiky-haired shadow loomed over the hole, stomping out what light had decided to escape into the impermeable layers of darkness.

"Yoo-hoo! Anybody down there?" The cheery tone of Kakashi echoed into the chasm. "I have a rope!" His amused chuckle was horribly annoying. Kakashi knew all-too-well that they were down there.

Naruto secretly groaned as the harsh fiber of the life-saving (or life-destroying; it's all perspective here, people) rope was dropped down the hole. Sakura glanced skyward, almost cried as she hurried before her teammate had the chance (Made him promise he wouldn't look up) and happily gripped the rope (Kakashi smiling stupidly as if nothing had happened). Naruto waited for her to ascend into the light. He looked down at his feet. He wasn't a perv. And he didn't feel like winning over Sakura today. The blonde-haired boy half-tugged the rope, half-crawling up the sides.

Sakura smiled and hugged the old man gingerly for his rescue efforts, and skipped down the cobblestone trail to the Academy. She didn't look back once, but then remembered Sasuke's state which destroyed her mood. She slumped the rest of the way to see if Naruto was coming close behind her. But he wasn't, and she felt depressed and lonely. Life wasn't always grand; you have to put up with the way things go, disagreeable or not.

Naruto gave a deadly eye to Kakashi, who in turn looked away and scratched his neck. The man disapeared behind a smoky mist (making Naruto cough ). The blondie walked down the path to the Academy. The excitement of a forehead protector was old news and buried. He didn't really care anymore.Once again, life wasn't always grand, but people try time and time again to make it that way. Never succeeding, but still closer to their goal then before. Naruto looked up to burning sun and ran down the path to the Academy. An epiphany had awoken.

Sakura growled at Ino as she took her seat next to Sasuke. The pinkie smiled at him, but was ignored, and the boar gave a warning glare as she sat next to Hinata. Sasuke held a jaded but cool look on his face. Even without the full power of a Shinobi, he was glorious in her eyes. But it was only a little fantasy of hers, the closest she could get to him was this seat, and nothing more. She gave up and stared ahead at Iruka, waiting for him to say "Sakura".

Naruto jumbled in the room, and gave a huge grin to anyone bored enough to look at him. Sure, there were groans, but he focused on the floor and that back seat that was his advocate.

Everyone settled down and Iruka started the tests. Three judges were to decide your skill in Jutsu, technique, and basic skill, while fiddling with their pencils and scratching their chins. Each had a pair of spectacles; no one doubted each needed them. At little desks they sat, and didn't say a word, and made little use of their writing utensils, as if each of them had had a perfectly good memory since birth. There was a rumor going around that, in fact, everyone was to be graduated. No one was left behind, even if they lacked the ability to wipe themselves or balance on one foot. Some said that the test was hard, with little rewards. No one pasted it, it was a joke. But that one was one of Neji's empathic-and-always-wrong theories.

Naruto gulped in air and didn't let it out when his name was called. He shakily stepped up in front of the judges like it was Judgement Day of the second coming. Because in a sense it was. He was a no talent loser with no destiny because no one had probably thought to give him one. He would end up like nothing if he didn't pass this test. Even a ninja wasn't was most revered career.

Out of a multiple chin, a judge cracked, "Do a level one Dopple-Ganger of your present state."

Naruto nodded and groaned at the same time, this was his worst skill.

An hour later Naruto sat in the sun and rolled the sleeve up on his orange sweatshirt. He had left his much-loved goggles at home; he didn't think they would be missed, but he was wrong. It was one of those quiet afternoons where you would be drenched in sunlight; happy, and in silence. Nothing at all was to bother you, and you felt tired from the sun's rays and wanted to sleep, but you didn't. And you could hear the distant yells and laughs of kids enjoying themselves on a playground, or just sitting on a hill thinking about the day. The happy cries and shouts weren't too far off. But he could still hear the noise clearly. This time it bothered him.

Naruto looked to the ground and waited for sunset, though he heard someone approach behind him. It was Sakura, the light from the sun glinted off of her new Konoha head protector. She smiled at him, meaning she felt bad he wasn't promoted. He didn't know why she was there, because her mother had called for her to come back several times. She didn't want her perfect daughter to be tainted by the demon fox child. But Sakura ignored that and stood in back of him with her hands tucked away behind her back. She leaned slightly over and her tao dress fell over her knees. Small ripples caused by the wind wrinkled her skirt, while still keeping its beauty.

She lingered there a moment, like to make a desicion. But the answer didn't come. Like the wind she stood up and left. He could see her Mother dragging her away.

Uchiha came next, but he wasn't as comforting. He wasn't smiling, a determined frown was across his face. They weren't yet rivals, Sasuke had become a shinobi,though Naruto got into a fighting stance waiting for the next action the other would take, and the next chance. Each time closing in on the goal that was set so far away.

Thanks to understar-sama

There may be one chapter after this (wasn't the best one either, I think). Thanks to all the readers and reviewers up to this point.

FINALOrange Day: Why does Kakashi have a second head protector in his hand? WIll Naruto graduate after all? What will he have to do to earn it? Valentines Day comes to Konoha. What will Naruto have waiting for Sakura? And did I see a card for Naruto in someone's hands?

also: the beginning of the end. Orange revolution :sequel: