Somewhere hidden away from the rest of the continent, there is a dark underground cavern completely sealed off with no means of entering or exiting. Not that it mattered, because a few moments later, nine transparent figures suddenly materialized from nothing, forming a circle in the middle of the cavern. The transmission offered no details about who these people were other than their basic outlines and the color of their eyes. Some were tall, some were short, at least one had a bulky outline, but all of them seemed to be wearing matching clothes.
"Have you heard the news?" said a calm, reserved man. "They're performing the International Selection again."
"So the thing managed to stick?" a short woman chortled. "I was so sure they would've slaughtered each other in the first year."
"Why should this concern us?" a stocky man questioned.
"Our information network has learned that multiple targets are about to be involved in the International Selection," answered the calm, reserved man. "And it's all happening in the Hidden Leaf."
"That doesn't sound good," said a woman with one visible eye. "Could they be consolidating power? Or is this a defensive measure."
"What do we do?" asked the stocky man.
"What we have always done," said the leader; a woman with pale-white eyes. "We watch. We listen. We wait. When the opportunity presents itself, that is when we will make our move. And besides, having them all together like this could prove to be a blessing in disguise…."
"A Brave New World! Welcome to the International Selection"
Uzumaki Naruto felt like he was on top of the world.
Though it was a roundabout way that started with a lie, it ended with him finally accomplishing his goal. Finally, he was a real shinobi with his own headband (well, technically it was Iruka-Sensei's, but he wasn't gonna get worked up over the details). He couldn't stop grinning as he sat at his former desk, swinging his legs eagerly for orientation to start.
That was when one of his only friends (okay, more like acquaintances) came down the steps, yawning into his hand like he always did. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a blonde-haired boy in a gaudy, eye-gouging orange jumpsuit sitting in front of his own desk. He blinked twice, then rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn't still asleep, but Naruto was still there despite circumstances saying otherwise.
"Naruto, what're you doing here?" he asked. "Drop outs can't be here. Orientation is for graduates only."
"Take a look at my forehead, genius," Naruto scowled, jabbing a thumb to his headband. "I'm a fully-fledged shinobi now!"
"Eh?" said Shikamaru in a disbelieving voice.
Before Shikamaru could name the hundreds of ways it was impossible for a dead last loser like Naruto to graduate, everyone in the classroom jumped when they heard the all-too-familiar thundering of footsteps rampaging down the hallways outside. No one was surprised when the door burst open and Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura practically steamrolled inside, sweating and panting from an unnecessary exertion of energy.
"I win again, Sakura," Ino wheezed with a smug grin.
"Hah, you wish," Sakura retorted with heavy breaths. "My toe was at least a tenth of an inch ahead of yours."
Shikamaru sighed with his usual comment ("What a drag.") and took his seat while the two girls got into an argument about whose toe passed the goal first. No one seemed to pay them any mind; they were accustomed to seeing the former friends bicker at least four times a day. However, Naruto was completely entranced by the image of Sakura; he could actually hear harps playing in the background of his mind.
'Sakura-chan is so pretty.' Naruto thought with stupid grin. 'I hope I end up on a team with her.' And as if somehow able to sense his thoughts, Sakura stopped bickering with Ino and turned in Naruto's direction, suddenly lighting up with glee. 'She's smiling at me!'
Sakura paced down the steps, leaving Ino bewildered behind her. She stopped at Naruto's row and said a quick, "Good morning!"
"Hey, Sakura, how's it goi-"
"Move it loser!" growled Sakura before she promptly shoved him to the floor. "Hey, Sasuke-kun, do you mind if I sit here?"
Naruto growled under his breath. Of course, she went straight for Uchiha Sasuke, who had been sitting in the seat next to his.
Naruto just couldn't see what was so great about him. I mean, yeah, he's the top of the class, has awesome hair, he comes from a rich and powerful clan, had this cool loner vibe, and was perfect in almost every way. But if you take away all that, what do you got…?
Naruto was almost afraid to answer that.
"Hey, back off, forehead, I was here first!" Ino scowled, marching down the steps.
"Well, I was here before any of you!" Another girl suddenly joined the debate.
"No, I deserve to sit next to Sasuke-kun!"
"No way, I do!"
"No, me!"
And like every other day, an argument broke out over who would have the honor of sitting next to Sasuke. The object of their affections only sighed in irritation, closing his eyes and resting his head against his folded hands.
'Why do they do this every day?' thought Sasuke exasperatedly. 'Izumi-nee-san says I should appreciate the attention, but how can anyone appreciate a bunch of stupid girls chirping in their ear day after day?'
Suddenly, someone jumped on his desk. Sasuke turned his head slowly and found Naruto glaring at him, their faces only inches from each other.
"Can I help you with something, loser?" said Sasuke, his voice dripping with annoyance as he glared back.
This was another thing that the class had become accustomed to. Even though Sasuke was the top of the class and could easily outdo Naruto in pretty much anything, he seemed to treat the blonde boy with even more animosity than anyone else. Some would even call them rivals if it wasn't for the fact that Naruto had zero talent for anything.
As the two become locked in a staring contest of stubbornness, Sakura and the other fangirls became aware of what was happening and directed all their bloodlust towards Naruto.
"Naruto, you idiot! What are you doing to Sasuke-kun?" roared Sakura.
"If you touch one hair on his head, I'll kill you!" snarled Ino.
"C'mon, Sasuke-kun, kick his ass!" another girl screamed as the rest of Sasuke's fans called for Naruto's head on a platter.
Naruto looked shocked how easily the girls turned on him for just looking at Sasuke, but at this point, he shouldn't be surprised. Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke – always about Sasuke! Naruto sincerely wished the worst thing in the world would happen to him right now!
"Hey, this is great, right?" said a boy in front when he accidentally knocked his elbow into Naruto's back. "Oh, sorry about tha – "
The boy's voice got lost in his throat when he looked back; everyone stood around in stunned silence; Sakura and the other fangirls looked like they were witnessing true terror for the first time. Even Shikamaru was wide awake for the first time in forever when he looked down upon the scene that had captivated so many people:
Naruto…kissing Sasuke…directly on the lips….
'NO!' Sakura screamed in her thoughts. 'I was supposed to be Sasuke-kun's first kiss!
'SHANNARO!' Sakura's second personality (Let's call her Inner Sakura) screamed furiously. 'That bastard! I'm gonna kill you, Naruto! SHANNARO!'
Naruto and Sasuke's brains shut down from the shock, but finally got their wits about them and started coughing dramatically, holding their throats like they had been poisoned.
"BLARGH! My mouth I infected!" cried Naruto.
"I'm gonna kill you, Naruto!" wheezed Sasuke.
But Naruto stopped for a moment when he sensed an overwhelming amount of killer intent directed towards him. He turned around slowly and saw, with great fear, the army of Sasuke fangirls leering at him with unbridled fury, Sakura leading the pack as she cracked her knuckles furiously.
"Naruto…," Sakura began in a deathly calm voice.
"I-It was an accident, I swear, Sakura-Chan!" Naruto stuttered frightfully.
"YOU'RE DEAD!"
"WAAAAAH!"
On the opposite side of the village, people had lined up all along the streets starting from the gates, leaning over one another as if expecting to see a parade come by. It wasn't a parade exactly, but it was definitely an occasion of great importance and was garnering attention quickly.
The massive wooden gates of the Hidden Leaf had opened and over a hundred people were stepping inside the village for the first time. They ranged from elderlies, to adults, to teenagers, and to children, but they all had one thing in common: they were all shinobi. Each and every one of them was wearing a metal plated forehead protector somewhere on their person, each one engraved with a different symbol representing their nation. It was rare to see at least one or two foreign ninjas in the village, but to see a hundred was certainly something beyond amazing.
And one of these foreigners was already attracting a lot of unneeded attention, much to their superior's exasperation.
The young girl – a kunoichi, as she kept reminding herself – jumped over the adoring crowd and climbed all the way to the top of the nearest powerline. Feeling the wind blowing through her short, choppy mint hair and the sunny on her coppery skin was so liberating; she wasn't even disturbed by the heavy container she carried on her back. From there, she could see the entire village stretched out in front of her…it's was actually really plain now that she saw it. And claustrophobic – why would people make so many buildings packed together like that? But the one thing that drew her attention was the mountainside with which five faces were chiseled into the surface.
"Whoa, they really do carve their leader's faces into the rock," she said in awe. "That's gotta take forever to do. Hope they're getting paid enough for it."
"Princess Fu!" the girl looked down, spotting two frantic waterfall Jonin waving her down. "Princess, hurry, we mustn't be late!"
"Coming!" Fu shouted cheerfully.
As the girl from the Hidden Waterfall village leapt down to join her guardians, another fledgling shinobi was watching her closely.
His eyes surrounded by black heavy circles and his hair the color of blood, the boy donned a forehead protector symbolizing his alliance to the Hidden Sand Villageon the strap that crossed his chest, which was bound to a massive gourd nearly equal to himself in size. The symbol for love was stamped across the left lobe of his forehead, but his impassive expression as he watched the girl walk away showed anything but love.
The child of the desert took a step forward, but was suddenly stopped when a sand Jonin with half his face concealed by a thin cloth slapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Control yourself, Gaara," said Sand Jonin. "Do not act irrationally this soon."
"…Yes, Baki," Gaara muttered softly, his eyes never leaving the girl.
"You understand how important this is for us," said Baki. "For the sake of the Sand, please, keep yourself under control.
"…Yes, Baki," said Gaara blankly.
When Iruka arrived in class an hour later, he wasn't the least bit surprised to see Naruto lying battered and bruised flat across his desk. As much as he loved that boy, he was always doing something to get himself in trouble, usually with this being the end result. Iruka sighed, shook his head, brought up his clipboard, and spoke in a loud clear voice for everyone to hear:
"Congratulation, students. As of today, you are all official shinobi. But the road only gets tougher from here on out. You've come a long way, but in order to move forward, you need to take a more individual approach to your training. As such, we will be assigning all of you into groups of four, three genin and one jonin. Please listen closely for your names as we begin assigning teams.
As Iruka started listing out the names one-by-one, Naruto's mind started to wander.
'I wonder what team I'll be on," he thought. 'Anyone's fine as long as it's not Sasuke.'
'I hope I get on Sasuke-kun's team,' Sakura thought anxiously
'I'd better get on Sasuke's team or there'll be hell to pay! Shannaro!' Inner Sakura screamed furiously
'Come on, how long is this going to take,' thought Sasuke impatiently.
"Team Seven: Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino," called Iruka. "Your Jonin instructor will be Yuhi Kurenai. Team Eight: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Aimichi Chōji. Your Jonin instructor will be Sarutobi Asuma – "
"NOOOO!" Ino cried in pure agony, slamming her head into the desk and openly sobbing.
"Geez, what a drag," Shikamaru groaned.
Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose irritably as he tried to regain control of his class. Ino wasn't the first girl to be disappointed in their choice of team (mostly because it wasn't with Sasuke), but she had thus far been the most vocal. Iruka took a deep breath and pushed on, listing the names of the students and their instructors.
After ten teams had been assigned, the only ones left were Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura. Realizing they were the last ones not to be pair up, Naruto openly whined at the prospect of having to work with Sasuke while Sakura looked ready to jump up and cheer. However, when Iruka had finished calling off the tenth team, Iruka tucked the clipboard under his arm and addressed them.
"All right," said Iruka, clapping his hands. "Now that you have been assigned to your teams, you are to gather in your given room numbers to meet your jonin instructor. That is all for today."
"Excuse me, Iruka-sensei!" Sakura practically flew out of her seat, raising her hand in a panic. "You forgot me and Sasuke-kun!"
"Yeah! Me too!" yelled Naruto, not wanting to be forgotten.
"I was getting to that." said Iruka, staring at the trio blankly. "Will Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzamaki Naruto please follow me to classroom 8-C."
Naruto and Sakura exchanged curious looks. Neither one seemed to understand why they had been singled out, but Sasuke took it in stride and walked down the steps with his hands in his pocket like a cool SOB. Iruka waited for them at the door and closed it behind them, leading the trio down the hall. Each of them wanted to ask the same question, but none of them dared to say anything as they took a left down another hall, then took a right, until they ended up in front of the sliding door bearing the sign 8-C.
"You three go on inside," said Iruka, gesturing them to enter. "The instructors will be along to explain everything shortly. And please, try to be nice to our visitors."
"Visitors?" Sakura repeated, confused. "What visitors?"
Rather than answering, Iruka smiled and slid the door open to let them inside. Once Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke stepped through, their jaws dropped in shock – even Sasuke.
Dozens of boys and girls around their age were scattered around the already cramped classroom, some sitting in chairs or on desks, others being forced to sit on the floor and lean against the wall. But the Shinobi Academy had such a small student body that Naruto almost knew everybody in it, yet he could not identify a single person in this room. They were all wearing different clothes that you wouldn't normally see in the Hidden Leaf with colors and styles he never could have imagined. Their skin tones varied up and down the spectrum and different shades of hair colors that made the room look like a giant rainbow. And while Naruto and Sakura were trying to get their wits about them, it was Sasuke who figured out where these people came from.
"They're all from other villages," he said, snapping Naruto and Sakura out of their stupor. "Look at their forehead protectors."
They both did a double take and realized that he was right. Everyone present in the room was wearing a forehead protector that signified their allegiance to other villages outside of their own. Naruto didn't understand a single emblem, but Sakura's clever mind easily managed to pick out the marks of the Cloud, the Stone, the Rain – all nations that had gone to war with the Hidden Leaf over a decade ago. As far as she could tell, they were the only Leaf Shinobi in the entire room.
"All right, you three have fun now," said Iruka casually. "And like I said, please try to be nice. That goes especially for you, Naruto."
"But, sensei – " Sakura started.
But the teacher had already vanished in a puff of smoke. Gods, how they hated it when he did that.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke faced the classroom again; no one seemed disturbed by the sudden inclusion of three new Leaf shinobi. The three of them looked at each other with uncertainty and reluctantly marched into the classroom. Sasuke found a nice secluded wall near the front and leaned against it with his arms cross. Almost like a magnet, a new swarm of girls caught sight of him and immediately flocked to his side. Sakura gritted her teeth and tried to push her way inside, but the swarm was too thick and she was rebuffed.
'Those filthy hussies, smoozing up to my Sasuke-kun!' Sakura mentally growled.
Meanwhile, Fu sat cross-legged on a desk in the back of the classroom, giggling as she watched the pink-haired girl's failed attempts to break through the seemingly impenetrable wall of fangirls. Gaara stood still as a statue in an isolated corner of the room, only sparing Sasuke a momentary glance. He could sense that the boy was powerful, but nothing for him to be concerned about.
As for Naruto...
Everyone looked up and around when a weird blonde kid in an awful orange attire suddenly stood on top of the front desk, fists on his waist and a wide grin on his face. A few brows were raised, others were snickering; Sakura looked to him in momentary dread and Sasuke barely glanced up from his space. Naruto took a deep breath and, jabbing his finger aimlessly into the crowd, shouted at the top of his lungs:
"All right, people, listen up!" he screamed, making a few of the people closest to him cover their ears. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be the next Hokage! And that means I won't lose to any of you!"
Several people appeared stunned by the blonde loudmouth's random declaration; they couldn't tell if he was being serious or making a joke. Whatever it was, he certainly made himself know to everyone.
'Shannaro! That idiot just made an enemy out of everyone in the room!' Inner Sakura screamed.
'I can't tell if he's brave or just that stupid…,' Sasuke thought exasperatedly.
"Ooh, he looks like fun," said Fu, grinning and bouncing with excitement. "I bet we'd be awesome friends."
"So loud…," mumbled Gaara.
"Such a bold claim," said a boy wrapped in bandages in the middle of the room. "This may be more interesting than I thought."
"Uzumaki…," a bespectacled girl mumbled, tucking a bright red hair behind her ear. "He said Uzumaki."
Naruto grinned and chuckled, feeling immensely proud of himself…right up until the point where he felt a familiar set of knuckles bearing down on his skull, sending him face-first into the floor.
"What did I just say, Naruto?" came Iruka's annoyed tone. "What did I just say?"
Naruto moaned and sat up, rubbing the lump that was starting to form in his hair. He opened his mouth ready to snap back when he realized that Iruka didn't come alone.
Various Shinobi – all ranking up to Jonin – were standing side-by-side in the front of the classroom lined up at the chalkboard. Like the younger Shinobi, they were all from different villages and had different appearances ranging from a pale-skinned woman from the Sand to the mocha-skinned man from the Cloud. And in the center of this group of elite Shinobi was a man dressed in formal robes of red and white with one eye blinded by a blue cloth and the lower half of his face tucked away in secret.
Even those who had never seen him before knew of him: the son of the White Fang who rose in the ranks during the Third Shinobi World War, where he earned the name Copy Ninja before taking up the position of the fifth Hokage.
It was Hatake Kakashi.
Kakashi looked down at Naruto, who immediately shut his mouth and sat up straight once he realized the Hokage was standing right in front of him. Underneath his mask, Kakashi smiled. He looked like his father, but acted more like his mother. If only they could see their son now…. But he did not wish to dwell on the past. He had a job to do. He took a step forward from the Jonin and spoke in a loud voice.
"Welcome, welcome, okay, let's all settle down now," said Kakashi calmly. "Now, I understand many of you have a lot of questions. Most of you probably came here without your instructors telling you what's going on. I'll admit I asked them to do that. Didn't want to spoil the surprise right away. You kids are about to take part in a very special event."
"Special event?" Naruto repeated, tilting his head.
"Ooh, this is getting exciting," said Fu, never losing her smile.
"Hmm…," Gaara hummed.
"So without further ado," said Kakashi, waving his arms dramatically. "Welcome to the International Selection."
The classroom fell silent, all eyes on the row of Jonin from other nations standing behind the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. Kakashi's only visible eye slowly shifted around the room, taking in every young shinobi present with thoughtful consideration.
His gaze fell on their forehead protectors, taking a quick count of all who were attending. Only nine villages had chosen to send a number of their genin: fourteen from the Hidden Cloud and eleven from the Hidden Stone – as to be expected from the largest military villages. Eight were sent from the Hidden Mist and the Hidden Grass had sent an equal number, which was a bit of a surprise. The Hidden Rain Village sent six while his own village provided four, and the Hidden Sand allowed two to join. The Hidden Waterfall and the recently established Hidden Star only sent one apiece, as to be expected from the smaller villages.
'Overall, not a bad turnout,' thought Kakashi. 'When the Fourth Mizukage requested to restart the program, I never would have expected it to be so successful. Looks like I owe him an apology. Although…'
His gaze subtly shifted to the back of the room where Gaara was standing in the corner away from everyone else, his eyes never once blinking as he took in what may as well have been his prey.
'So that's Gaara of the Desert. I find it hard to believe that the Fourth Kazekage would just hand his son over to the program so easily. Given his record, I almost hesitate to let him join, but the Mizukage was adamant in bringing him in. Well, he knows better than I do.'
He then turned his eye on Fu, sitting on top of a desk cross-legged in the middle of a classroom, leaning back and forth with surprised excitement and a happy-go-lucky grin that wasn't faked like the one Naruto used to wear.
'Nagare Fu of the Waterfall. It's strange to see how similar they are and yet they grew up so much differently. She may be a bright spot that people like Naruto needs.'
And, naturally, his eye fell upon the orange-garbed genin sitting on the floor in front of him, gapping like a fish out of water. It was so strange…he looked so much like his father, yet he acted more like his mother. It was like they were both in here with him….
"Um, Lord Hokage," Kakashi snapped out of his reminiscing before he delved too far, and spared a sideways glance at Iruka. "Would you mind beginning the orientation, or should I…?"
"No, no, that's all right, I'll take it from here," said Kakashi, waving the scarred man back and stepping around the front desk. As he moved closer, he noticed that several from the Cloud and Stone looked anxious; Kakashi was very much aware of his reputation in their villages. "As I was saying before, I would like to welcome you to the second year of the International Selection. Before we start, would anyone like to get their questions out of the way?"
It didn't surprise Kakashi that more than half the room shot their hands up as one. He supposed it was because of the classroom environment that made them act funny.
"Alright… Pinky, from the leaf," said Kakashi, pointing out the brightly-haired girl.
"My name is Haruno Sakura, sir," said Sakura respectfully, though clearly not appreciative of the nickname. "I was just wondering…what is the International Selection?"
Almost immediately, all other hands quickly dropped to their sides; it seemed they all wanted to ask the same thing. Kakashi was none to surprised, given that they were purposely given a minimum of information before they left their villages. Even during this brief period of peace that followed the Third Shinobi World War, it was highly unusual for any shinobi to cross into foreign territory unless given special permission from the village leader or nation's Daimyo. It was especially unusually that the Leaf would let the Cloud and Stone into the village, given that they were enemies not too long ago.
Kakashi shot a meaningful glance in Iruka's direction. The scarred man caught the sign and immediately stepped forward while the Hokage stood back, letting the teacher take the attention.
"Excellent question, Sakura," Iruka praised. "As some of you might be aware, most of our continent's nations are in a state of semi-peace. In an attempt to maintaining that peace, the International Selection was a pact drawn up by the majority of the continent's shinobi villages: Leaf, Mist, Stone, Cloud, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, and most recently, the Hidden Star Village. The hope was that this pact would prevent any further bloodshed between nations in the future. A little fun fact: The International Selection was actually first proposed by the Fourth Hokage shortly after the conclusion of the Third Shinobi World War."
"The Fourth Hokage?" Naruto repeated in awe.
A wave of murmurs passed through the classroom, many of the genin speaking in tones of admiration or animosity.
Just like Kakashi, the Fourth Hokage was a man who gained prominence during the Third Shinobi World War as the man who single-handed defeated an entire legion of Stone soldiers and the only man who ever outraced the Fourth Raikage. They called him the Leaf's Yellow Flash and he was widely regarded as the greatest Hokage since Hashirama Senju, even by Shinobi from other nations.
"All right, settle down, settle down!" Iruka shouted over the chatter, trying to stem the noise. "Back to the topic at hand, the Fourth Hokage proposed this pact shortly after his inauguration at the Kage Summit with the other leaders of the Five Great Nations. The idea was to create teams from multiple backgrounds as a way to strengthen the bonds between formerly warring nations and work towards a peaceful resolution."
"I bet grandpa wasn't too happy about that, the stubborn old coot," said a Stone Kunoichi, snickering.
"Yes, the Third Tsuchikage was difficult to please and fought against it at first," said Iruka, nodded. "But the Fourth Hokage was a wise man who appealed to the Tsuchikage's appreciation for military strength in the formation of these teams. It was only after the Fourth Raikage vouched on the Fourth Hokage's behalf that they managed a temporary term of agreement. For security purposes, the Five Great Nations only allowed genin teams of three from different nations to work together under a jonin instructor, not unlike that from normal teams from their respective nations."
Fu suddenly threw up her hand, unknowingly smacking a Mist genin in the face.
"Are there any special rules applied to us in terms of our teams?" she asked. "If we work together, does that mean we're not working for our own nations anymore?"
"Each member is still representative of their own nations," said Iruka, "so you are expected to act in a way that does not tarnish your village's name. Like normal teams, each group will be allowed access to each village that signed the charter for the International Selection and will be allowed to accept missions given by the village's leader. And while each team will be expected to travel from village to village, at least two teams will be assigned residency in one of the villages. During your stay in these villages, you will be spending your time training as well as your personal time, so you are expected to accommodate to their laws as if they were your own village's. After you are assigned to your teams, you will be given one week to collect all your personal items before they are relocated to your provided households.
"Be warned that even though you all have limited diplomatic immunity for taking part in this program, the village heads also have the freedom to deny anyone outside their own village. Anyone who is caught break the rules of their assigned village will have their punishments decided by both the village leader and the leader of the representative's nation. However, there are also cases where the situation will be handled directly by the village leader without the consent of the representative's nation.
"You mean infiltration," Gaara's soft voice carried across the room, drawing all eyes toward him in curiosity. "By opening your gates to foreigners, you allow the possibility of rivaling countries gaining access to a village's most prized secrets: specialized jutsus, unseen weaponry, and the village's defenses and battle strategies that were once withheld to one nation are now primary targets for others to steal. And it opens the potential for other nations to form bonds through marital relations, giving other nations access to previously unavailable clan techniques and Kekkei Genkai. The Five Great Nations in particular would doubtlessly take advantage of the situation, given their coveted power base.
'Well, it sounds like he's done his homework,' thought Kakashi interestingly. 'Then again, I suppose that's to be expected from the Fourth Kazekage's own son. I'll have to have Anko keep a close eye on this one.'
'Oh great, another guy who thinks he's so awesome,' Naruto grimaced. 'Look at him, standing there like that, trying to act so cool. I bet that gourd's just for show, anyway.'
"I knew it I was right, but I can't believe no else noticed," said Fu with a serious expression. "That guy has no eyebrows…."
"That's what you're taking away from the whole thing," said the pink-eyed Stone kunoichi, flabbergasted. "You're an idiot, Fu."
"Shut it, Kurotsuchi!" Fu snapped.
"Yes, that is true," said Iruka, nodding. "In the past, nations have used the International Selection as a means to obtain secret information from rivaling villages, and I will admit that the Hidden Leaf has also partaken in its own share of underhanded dealings. The leaders at the time attempted to resolve most of these issues by instating certain rules and regulations. In the end, the program did live out its purpose and shinobi villages were made stronger for it, building up relations with other countries to create the current state of peace we now enjoy. Sadly, the program was discontinued shortly after the Fourth Hokage's passing twelve years ago."
Many of the Jonin bowed their heads for the man. Though he had been their enemy for a time, the Fourth Hokage was a man worthy of respect and was the reason they were all brought together. Kakashi stepped forward past Iruka, coughing into his fist to catch everyone's attention once the moment passed.
"We realize now that the timing was poor when the Fourth Hokage established the International Selection," said Kakashi. "Nations were still recovering from war, tensions were at their highest, and nations were left vulnerable because of it. I'm sad to say that the program would have failed even without my predecessor's passing.
"But today is a new day. The villages have now had time to gather their strength and fortify their defenses and now we feel that it is time to start the program once more. This will be the second year that the International Selection has been undertaken after the overwhelming success of the first trial. Many teams have made significant strides not only in their training and relationships between the villages, but many have gone on to accomplish great things, and we can certainly expect the same of you. Your leaders have all chosen you because they feel you are the best that your villages have to offer. So before you are all divided up and sent on your way, I speak on their behalf when I say I have confidence that you will make us proud. Thank you."
The genin clapped respectfully save for a few individuals (Gaara and Sasuke). Kakashi stepped back with the other Jonin and Iruka once again stepped forward, holding another clipboard.
"All right, everyone, please be patient as I call out your names," he said. "I will now assign teams and their village of residence. First team: Kishimoto Masashi – "
And once again, Naruto had to sit through the arduously long process of team assignments. Naruto grumbled under his breath, shaking his leg and tapping his finger impatiently. As soon as their names were called out, most of the assigned genin joined their respective groups, some of them friendly, and others mistrustful of their new teams, especially between the Stone and Cloud. After twenty minutes of waiting and twelve teams were assigned, Naruto perked up when a familiar name reached his ears:
"The next team will be: Haruno Sakura of the Hidden Leaf, Kamizuru Kurotsuchi of the Hidden Stone, and Koguma Hokuto of the Hidden Star. Your assigned village will be the Hidden Mist."
'NO!' Sakura mentally wailed.
'SHANNARO! Whoever's in charge of this bullshit is gonna have their throat ripped out! SHANNARO!' Inner Sakura roared furiously.
'My new team…' thought Hokuto, gulping nervously. 'Why do I have a bad feeling that this isn't going to end well?
"Tch, you've gotta be freakin' kidding me," Kurotsuchi clicked her tongue with a displeased expression. "I get stuck with the fangirl and the mouse. That's just my luck. I knew I shouldn't have listened to gramps about joining this stupid project. I'm gonna rip that stupid mustache off his face when I get home."
"Next team," Iruka continued. "Uchiha Sasuke of the Hidden Leaf, Uzumaki Karin of the Hidden Grass, and Richi Hiruko of the Hidden Mist. Your assigned village will be the Hidden Leaf."
'Yes! Sasuke's not on my team!' Naruto cheered in my head. 'Things are finally going my way!'
So happy that he wasn't on the same team as his "sworn rival" that Naruto failed to noticed the name Uzumaki among the team. Sasuke, however, noticed and glanced sideways at the thin little redhead standing halfway up the staircase.
'So she's related to the same family as the loser,' thought Sasuke with an agitated sigh. 'Just my luck.'
"Oh…so an Uzumaki and an Uchiha are on my team," said Hiruko interestingly. "This is certainly an interesting turn of events."
"Next team," Iruka moved along down the list, "will be Nurui Samui of the Hidden Cloud, Nashi Chojuro of the Hidden Mist, and Kurama Yakumo of the Hidden Leaf. Your assigned village will be the Hidden Cloud."
Closer to the front of the class, a remarkably busty blonde genin hummed thoughtfully, looking around when her teammates names were called. The one who perked up when Chojuro was called looked a little scraggly and less than reliable, but she did notice that he was carrying a massively large weapon on his back; a sword perhaps? As for Yakumo, there was nothing impressive about her; she almost looked like a doll than a shinobi, so Samui could only assume that her talents must lie in a special talent or family ninjutsu.
"Nothing impressive on the surface," Samui muttered to herself, "but the point of ninjutsu is to conceal secrets. I'll have to wait and see before I make any assumptions."
With most of the teams already assigned, everyone could sense that the orientation was reaching its climax and Naruto still hadn't been called. He was starting to get worried that Iruka had made a mistake and that he wasn't going to be assigned a team; Naruto couldn't bear the humiliation that would bring. But a part of him knew that his mentor would never do anything so cruel and waited patiently, pinning all his hopes that the next one would be him –
"And for the last team," Iruka interrupted his thoughts, "Uzumaki Naruto of the Hidden Leaf, Subaku Gaara of the Hidden Sand, and Nagare Fu of the Hidden Waterfall. Your assigned village will be the Hidden Leaf."
"All right!" Naruto jumped up to his feet and screamed, causing many to fall out of their chairs and cover their ears. "Finally! Now I get to see some real action! I'm gonna get to show you all how incredibly awesome I really am!"
"That idiot is on my team," grumbled Gaara disapprovingly.
"Sweet!" Fu cheered, bouncing on the desk. "My team looks awesome! Way better than yours, Kurotsuchi."
"Oh, bite me, flat chest," said Kurotsuchi snarky.
"Who're you calling flat chest, flat chest!" Fu snarled, smashing her face against her rival's
"Oh, great comeback!" Kurotsuchi growled, pushing back.
"Now, now, let's all settle down," said Kakashi, waving his hand casually. "Your jonin instructors will still have a lot of paperwork to fill out before you can get started. Why don't you all take this time to get to know one another. And with that in mind, I'm off.
With a one-handed seal, the fifth Hokage vanished in a cloud of smoke with Iruka and the jonin following in his example.
With their newfound free time, Sakura thought it would be a nice gesture of friendship if she invited her new teammates to lunch at the most popular dango shop in the Hidden Leaf market. She was pleasantly surprised and grateful that they hadn't encountered the sadistic snake kunoichi, Mitarashi Anko. While Sakura had only encountered her a handful of times, each moment left a lasting impression on her that was bound to scar her for life. Honestly, she couldn't see why the Fifth Hokage was so smitten with her.
As her new team placed their orders, Sakura found this to be a good opportunity to study her comrades:
Kurotsuchi was definitely the muscle on the team; her body thin and lithe, but toned in a way that could only come from years of intense training. Her jet-black hair cut short in a way that almost made her look masculine if not for the narrow jawline and the bright, pupil-less pink eyes.
Hokuto was the complete opposite; small with no real defining features other than her free-speaking mannerism as she always shared her opinion with Sakura on the way to the shop. Since the Hidden Star is only a recently founded village, Sakura admitted that she didn't know a lot about her new teammate.
When their food had arrived, Sakura and Hokuto politely thanked the waitress, but Kurotsuchi quickly snatched the nearest stick, using it to gesture to the other girls.
"All right, first order of business," said Kurotsuchi, trying to sound authoritative, which was a little difficult with her mouth stuffed with dumplings. "Since we're a team now, we need to establish an order."
"Order?" said Hokuto, tilting her head.
"Yeah, like who's in charge," said Kurotsuchi. "Obviously, that's gonna be me. Second of all – "
"What makes you think you're the leader," said Sakura, leaning forward with her eyes narrowed challengingly. "Hokuto and I could be team leaders, too, you know."
"Yeah, but I can kick both of your asses from here to Black Rock Mountain," said Kurotsuchi smugly, waving her stick tauntingly in Sakura's face. "Unless you want to contest me for the spot? I wouldn't mind a chance to see just how well the Hidden Leaf's genin stack up."
"…No," said Sakura begrudgingly.
"SHANNARO! Who the hell does she think she is? I should totally kick her ass! SHANNARO!' howled Inner Sakura.
"Not to be rude or anything," Hokuto spoke up, raising her hand politely. "But isn't our sensei the leader of our team?"
"Not after I'm done," said Kurotsuchi smugly. "My grandpa's the Third Tsuchikage and he taught me a lot of jutsu no one else does. The first thing I'm gonna do is show our sensei who's really in charge."
"Oh, is that so…."
The team of Kunoichi immediately stiffened, but it was Kurotsuchi who was sweating bullets. Before she even realized what had happened, she found the empty dongo stick missing from her hand and pressed against her jugular vein, gently pricking into her skin. Sakura fell backwards out of her seat and Hokuto skittered sideways to join her.
A tall, pale-skinned woman kneeled directly behind Kurotsuchi, the top half of her hair tied into a mossy-green bun with two orange locks that framed her face. The forehead protector she wore indicated her allegiance to the Hidden Sand. She held the pointed stick against Kurotsuchi's neck for a few more seconds before deciding to relent and pull away; Kurotsuchi grasped her neck fearfully, taking deep breaths.
"Had this been the Hidden Sand, you would be dead before you even crossed the border," said the woman, tossing the stick back on its plate and taking a seat at the head of the table. "If you wish to survive this cruel world of shinobi, the first thing you must do is never assume your victories, for arrogance is the principle of defeat. Am I clear, Kurotsuchi?"
"Y-yes, ma'am," said Kurotsuchi, gulping.
"Good," said the woman. "As you may have already guessed, I am your Jonin instructor, Pakura. Some of you may recognize me as Pakura of the White Sands."
"Oh yeah, I've heard of you!" shouted Hokuto eagerly, raising her hand ever-so politely. "You're the hero who stopped the Stone's plans during their feud with the Hidden Sand, right?"
"For the most part," said Pakura. "As your Jonin instructor, I have no intention of going easy on you. I will work you three until your knuckles bleed and your bones crack. I will push you until you are within an inch from death. Your only options will be to become excellent kunoichi or die trying. Am I understood, ladies?"
"Absolutely, Pakura-sensei," said Sakura, nodding.
'Save me, Sasuke-kun! SHANNARO!'
Sasuke's team didn't travel far from the academy, having gone up to the roof where they could see the view of the entire village stretched out around them. His teammates had been eerily quiet ever since they were assigned together and even someone like Sasuke, who enjoyed the peace, found it unnerving. He leaned against the roof's railing, the wind blowing through his hair, as he took in his new squad with a hint of uncertainty.
First there was Uzumaki Karin – Sasuke couldn't get past the fact that she and the dead last dropout might somehow be related. They looked nothing alike; Karin had deep crimson eyes behind her narrow glasses and bright red hair done up in an unusual hairstyle: short and spiky on one side, long and straight on the other. Then there was the fact that they were from different villages, though Sasuke supposed Naruto's family – whoever they were – may have migrated here from at some point. But in a predictable fashion, Karin was staring at him intensely just as the girls who constantly annoyed him in class.
And then there was Hiruko. The white-haired boy was farther away from the rest of the group, staring off into space without a care in the world. His entire body was almost completely covered either in bandages or his oversized, high-collared coat. Sasuke didn't trust him; no one would need such attire unless they were trying to hide something. Maybe it was scar tissue from bodily surgery, or maybe it was for the purpose of hiding some type of new jutsu. Sasuke never wished more than anything to master his family's Kekkei Genkai right now.
"Um…excuse me," said Karin timidly.
"What?" Sasuke snapped impatiently, making Karin flinch.
"Uh, s-sorry," said Karin, fiddling with her finger nervously. "I just…wanted to say that…you have really nice chakra. It's so powerful for someone your age. You don't see that level of strength from normal genin."
"You can see chakra?" asked Sasuke curiously.
"Kind of," said Karin. "I'm a sensory type. I can see chakra from a certain distance and track individual movements. I can also perceive whenever someone is under a genjutsu, so I can automatically dispel it."
"Hmm…I guess you're not so useless after all," said Sasuke; Karin didn't know if she should take that as a compliment or an insult. "Hey, if you can sense the strength of a person's chakra, then how about him?"
"You mean Hiruko-san?" asked Karin, turning toward the mummified boy, who was still staring off into nothing. "Um…okay, sure, I guess?
She lifted her glasses and narrowed her eyes, focusing her blurry vision on Hiruko. In her eyes, the solid figure of her teammate faded away and was replaced by a solid mass of torrential energy. But where she saw a powerful flame of strength from Sasuke, she saw something completely different in Hiruko.
'This…this can't be right, can it?' thought Karin, her eyes wide as dinner plates. "One, two – no, wait, three – four…five. Five! There are Five different chakra colors swirling through his network. But that can't be right…that's impossible…. Unless….'
"Given the way you're staring so intently at him, I'm guessing you like him.
Karin jumped, throwing up her glasses, and fumbling to catch them before she replaced them on her face. She immediately turned around as Sasuke moved into a combative stance. Hiruko, on the other hand, finally pulled away from his dream space and slowly tilted his head in the direction of the voice, not at all surprised by the sudden intrusion.
The newcomer was not much older than they are, perhaps only reaching the end of his teenage years, with mangy black hair tied back in a small ponytail and very pronounced tear-troughs. With the simple flak jacket and forehead protector as his garb, they could tell right away that he was a Hidden Lead shinobi, though Karin and Hiruko did not miss the striking resemblance shared between their teammate and the jonin. Sasuke outburst that followed only confirmed their suspicions.
"Itachi, what are you doing here?" he asked agitatedly. "I told you and kaa – I mean, mother – that I don't need you checking up on me. I'm a genin now."
"I know that, Sasuke," said Itachi humorously, ruffling his brother's hair; Sasuke immediately swatted his hand away. "Relax already, I'm not here to check up on you or anything."
"Then why are you here?" asked Sasuke impatiently.
"Isn't it obvious," Hiruko finally spoke, his voice low and muffled by the bandages. "Your brother is our new jonin intrustor."
Sasuke stared at Hiruko with wide eyes before rounding to his brother, looking for confirmation. Itachi smiled in a playful way and almost immediately, Sasuke felt an overwhelming sense of dread wash over him.
"Son of a…," Sasuke started.
"Language, Sasuke," warned Itachi, waving a finger at his brother.
Sasuke groaned, burying his face in his hands. This must be god's way of punishing him; it just has to be.
Chojuro could hardly believe his luck – and it wasn't good luck.
He was always so awkward with his scrawny stature, his square earmuff-glasses, and his pointed teeth, and that's not even getting into his clumsiness. But worst of all, he was extremely shy around girls, and both of his teammates just happened to be the most beautiful girls he had ever seen since the fourth Mizukage's wife. And somehow, he managed to find himself sitting on a bench in between them in a very public park somewhere in the heart of the Leaf village.
He sat there, twiddling his thumbs through the awkward silence, occasionally glancing from side to side at his new teammates.
On the right was Samui, a cool-faced girl with a blonde bob and a humongous rack that was way too far along for someone that was only entering their teenage years. She coolly sipped on the cold soda she purchased from a vending machine, staring with disinterest at the park patrons.
And on his right was Yakumo, a more delicate beauty with skin like snow and dressed in a pink kimono that made her appear even more doll-like. Opposite of her fellow kunoichi, she focused all her attention to the sketched pad that she carried with her, her thin fingers carrying the pencil slowly across the paper.
The silence was so awkward. He needed to say something….
"So…nice day, huh?" said Chojuro awkwardly.
"Hmm…it's cool," Samui hummed.
"Yes, it is," Yakumo spoke softly.
And they were back to silence; Chojuro was tempted to slap himself.
Just when the awkwardness had reached its maximum, a strange man suddenly walked up to them, hands in his pockets and slouched over like he couldn't be bothered to stand up straight. Dark-skinned and a head of shaggy white hair that covered his left eye, he donned the jacket traditionally used by the Jonin of the Hidden Cloud village and carried a wide sword sheath on his back. The white-haired jonin scratched the back of his eyes, blinking lazily down at the young shinobi.
"Uh, hi," said the man lethargically. "My name's Darui and I guess I'm your jonin instructor. You're probably expecting some kind of speech or something, but those are way too dull, so let's just forget about it, okay?"
"I'm fine with that," said Yakumo casually.
"Cool," said Samui.
Chojuro wanted to scream; his team is so awkward!
Naruto's team never left the classroom, mostly because Gaara refused to leave his secluded corner. He was just standing there, arms crossed, glaring at an empty space of wall like it had insulted his face. Naruto and Fu got along well enough; their personalities were so similar that they became fast friends. Unfortunately, their third teammate made it quite clear that he wanted nothing to do with them, making a conscious effort to put distance between himself and the others.
"So…what're we gonna do about him?" Naruto whispered to Fu. "We can't exactly be a team if he doesn't talk to us."
"Why don't we just talk to him?" Fu suggested.
"But he looks like he'll kill us if we even get close," said Naruto.
"Oh, you're just exaggerating," said Fu, smiling brilliantly as she grabbed him by the arm. "C'mon, let's make friends with our teammate!"
"W-wait! What're you doing?" Naruto sputtered.
Gaara tilted his head up, noticing that his new teammates were walking up the steps toward him, Naruto being pulled behind by Fu, who was remarkably strong. She didn't let go of him until they were standing a couple feet away from Gaara, who may as well have been looking through them with that piercing stare. Both of them mustered up their best smiles, which obviously looked forced.
"Hel-loooo!" said Fu in a sing-song voice. "We're your new teammates. My name is Fu…from the Hidden Waterfall."
"Uh-huh," said Gaara with a noncommittal grunt.
"Uh, and I'm Naruto Uzumaki…of the Hidden Leaf," said Naruto, holding out his hand. When Gaara didn't take it, he pulled back awkwardly. "So like…yeah, nice to meet you."
"Hmm," Gaara hummed, his stare never wavering.
"What're you doing?" Fu whispered to Naruto.
"I don't know - help me!" Naruto hissed back.
"So…you're Gaara, right?" said Fu, chuckling nervously. "I heard you were from the Hidden Sand. That's in the middle of the desert, right Is that why you don't have any eyebrows? Because they got burned off in the sun."
For the first time since he arrived, Gaara showed the slightest hint of emotion, and it was annoyance. His eyes narrowed dangerously and a soft growl rumbled in his throat, the ever-present warning sign that he was gonna hurt someone. Fu took a step back, suddenly realizing that she may have gone a bit too far now; she always knew her mouth would be the death of her. Thankfully, Naruto stepped in between them, holding his arms out to keep them apart.
"Hey, hey, hey, calm down now," said Naruto anxiously. "I'm sure he didn't mean it to be offensive or anything?"
"Yeah, I totally – wait, he?" said Fu, quickly snapping her head at Naruto.
"Take it from me," Naruto continued. "Guys like him don't always think before they speak."
"I'm sorry – guy?" Fu repeated, her right eye suddenly twitching.
"It's not something worth getting upset about," said Naruto, not realizing the looming danger right behind him. "But we're a team now, and I think a team of three men should be able to work together without – "
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Naruto," Fu cut him off, turning him around by the shoulder. "I'm probably just mishearing this, but…it sounded like you think I'm a boy."
"Well, because you are," said Naruto, clueless to his mistake. "I mean, yeah, it's kinda weird seeing a boy in a skirt, but I just figured that was either the style from where you're from or you just like cross-dressing. Either way, I'm totally okay with having a dude wearing a skirt."
"Well, that's very kind of you," said Fu slowly, patting him on the shoulder. "Except…."
Gaara must have had nerves of steel. He did not flinch when a furious scream echoed in the tiny classroom, nor when a deafening boom exploded in his ears and chunks of wood sprayed around him. When the noise had passed, he looked down at the sizzling remains of Naruto's body buried half a foot in the floorboard, a bulbous swelling throbbing through his blonde hair. Fu had her fist raised, still smoking from when she clobbered the poor boy, with her jaw clenched and her eyes alight with a great rage that matched the throbbing vein in her temple.
For the first time in a while, Gaara looked amused.
"Ow…," moaned Naruto, lifting his head up. "What was that for?"
"I'm a girl, you idiot!" screamed Fu, enraged
"Wha? Really?" gasped Naruto. "But you totally look like a dude! Your chest is flat and everything!"
"You son of a – "
Fu pulled her fist back for another swing when she realized…she couldn't move. Her entire body has suddenly stiffened up, like she had been frozen in ice. Naruto made a surprised noise and even Gaara took a step back, looking equally surprised, both of them staring at the space in front of Fu. The mint-haired kunoichi went cross-eyed and saw that she was being held in place by a single, slender finger pressed against her forehead. She heard a soft noise – it sounded like a giggle – and when the finger pulled away, Fu suddenly fell very weak at the knees and fell back on her butt.
With a weak groan, Fu stared up with her teammates, suddenly realizing there was a fourth person in the room. She was a short, but spirited young woman with short, chestnut-brunette hair and purple rectangle marks tattooed on each cheek. The metal band around her forehead was etched with the mark of the Hidden Mist village, even though she didn't seem to wear their attire.
"Now, now, settle down, you three," said the woman in a soft, but firm voice. "You're all teammates now, so I expect you to get along. No more infighting, all right?"
'Whoa, where did she come from?' Fu thought in awe. 'I didn't even see her come in.'
'That was so cool,' thought Naruto in awe. 'She stopped him – I mean, her – with only a finger.'
'There's no way she should have been able to enter the room with me being able to sense her presence,' thought Gaara with a guarded stance. 'Even my father is not that skilled. Who is this woman…?'
The strange woman suddenly clapped her hands, snapping everyone out of their thoughts.
"Okay, do I have all of your attention?" asked the woman, looking around at the three genin. "Great. From this day forward, you three are a team and I am your jonin instructor…Nohara Rin, It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Okay, you all are probably wonder what's going on right now with all these characters suddenly appearing like this. Well, here's a little bit of background information to help get you situated:
First off, most of the events up to Rin's death are still canon. But in this universe, Kakashi managed to stop himself before he killed Rin. As a forced Jinchuuriki, Rin was still a time bomb and refused to return to Leaf, instead allowing herself to be taken back to the Mist where she was imprisoned until Yagura became Mizukage. Thanks to Yagura, Rin was allowed freedom, but was forced to remain as a Mist Kunoichi due to her possession of the Three-Tails. Though less than ideal, Rin and Minato, then Hokage, agreed to these terms.
With Rin still alive, Obito never became an evil simp and never caused the Bloody Mist events or the Uchiha massacre. He is presently not in the leaf, but he will turn up eventually.
In regards to the Uchiha Massacre, while most members are still alive, the Uchiha higher-ups responsible for planning the coup were quietly eliminated – a mission silently led by Itachi and Danzo. Their deaths were covered up as various incidents from accidents to assassination plots. The coup was quelled before it began, though there are some members who suspect foul play.
Unfortunately, just because Obito isn't a psychopath here doesn't mean Naruto's parents are around. Like canon, they died the same night he was born. Though the attack and the villain were different, the result was the same.
As for the rest, you'll see as time goes on.