A Hero's Journey

by mugiwara-no-lucy

Boruto has always wanted to know more about his father, especially his past when he was younger. Thanks to a forbidden jutsu in a scroll found in the Hokage's office, Boruto and his teammates find themselves traveling through Naruto's memories. However, not all things are meant to be seen. How will Boruto react to seeing his father's various triumphs, pains, successes and failures?

8. Team Seven

I know I've said this countless times already and I will say it again:

Thank you all SO MUCH for all the support you have all given this story! Your constant feedback is what gives me the motivation to continue this story, even if I have to push the dates back on chapter updates, your support is what drives me to continue and I hope you all continue to enjoy and support the story all the way until it's completion! Thank you again and let the story begin! ^_^

---

"So that's how Konohamaru-Sensei and Lord Seventh met." Sarada smiled as she and her two friends patiently waited for whatever the next memory would be.

"Now I know why my dad and Konohamaru-Sensei are so close. It's not because they both have a similar dream of becoming Hokage but rather it's because they can relate on wanting to be seen more than what the public perception of them are." Boruto noted.

"I can only imagine how Lord Seventh would be had Lord Fourth and Lady Kushina had survived…" Mitsuki pondered as Boruto and Sarada actually looked deep in thought about that.

"Considering Lord Seventh would have still had the Nine Tails inside of him, I can imagine that because of Lord Fourth they would act cordial to Lord Seventh but in reality they would just be walking on eggshells around each other…It's so sad….seeing how he was treated just because he had the Nine Tails within himself….At least the Nine Tails isn't seen as evil anymore." Sarada smiled as her teammates nodded their agreement.

"Totally. Now I wonder what we're gonna see next?" Boruto asked before the bluish-purplish foggy mist suddenly enveloped the three as they found themselves within Naruto's apartment or rather his dirty room.

"Ugh…would it kill Lord Seventh to clean up after himself?" Sarada shook her head in disgust.

"Yeah no kidding." Boruto nodded because if Hinata ever saw Boruto with a room as dirty as this….

The sound of rustling sheets got the team's attention as Naruto suddenly stirred awake as he yawned while stretching his arms. He then got out of his bed while literally walking through Team Konohamaru like they were ghosts.

"Okay that will always be creepy." Sarada recoiled, remembering how she and her team were practically ghosts.

"I dunno, I think it's kind of neat." Mitsuki smiled as Naruto threw off his pajama cap before stopping as he noticed a circled date on the calendar in his room as he blinked before smiling as he realized what day it was. The day where his Ninja Adventure finally began.

"Someone looks excited." Boruto laughed at the excited gleam in Naruto's eyes as he quickly made his way to the kitchen where he had his usual breakfast of cup ramen.

"Today's the day so let's chow down!" Naruto grinned before quickly downing the cup of ramen he set out for himself before drinking the milk carton next to him. Naruto drunk it a little too fast before quickly throwing the carton away.

However, as he did, Sarada's eyes immediately widened as she realized something.

"Uh oh…" Sarada blinked as her teammates turned to her questionably.

"What's wrong?" Boruto asked.

"Uh…that milk is like three weeks past its expiration date." Sarada blinked as her teammates just stared at her before ultimately realizing what the after effects would be.

"…Oh shit…" Boruto face-palmed, wishing he could go in the memory and smack his father for doing something so stupid.

"Literally!" Mitsuki laughed as his teammates could only stare at him not believing he could find such a thing so funny. Then again, this was Mitsuki….

"Moron….you'd think he'd be more aware of the difference between regular and spoiled milk. I mean the taste and especially the smell should be obvious enough…" Sarada muttered as she rubbed her forehead as Boruto's eyes immediately became downcast.

"He may…not know. I mean we saw in those earlier memories how those villagers threw him out of their stores so it may be that the spoiled milk may have been all dad could have been able to get. After all, ramen is essentially dad's comfort food…" Boruto frowned as Sarada looked down, realizing Boruto might indeed be right.

However, they were soon snapped from their solemn thoughts as they noticed Naruto leave the kitchen area before he made his way to his bathroom where he got dressed in his typical orange and blue outfit. Before he put on his regular green goggles as a part of his annual morning routine, he noticed the headband he lay on the right side of his sink. Almost as if this was something he had been prepping for.

Naruto picked up the forehead protecting before smiling as he quickly removed his goggles and replaced them with the Konohagakure headband, identifying him as no longer an Academy student but rather a graduated ninja.

"Today's the day…I finally get to wear this! Hehe, looks perfect!" Naruto snickered with a closed eye before quickly running his way out to where his balcony overlooked the entire ninja village.

"Alright! Starting today, I'm a genin!" Naruto grinned with a salute as Team Konohamaru stared proudly at Naruto with smiles to prove it.

"Today, the legend of Naruto starts!" Boruto grinned, excited to see the upcoming memories.

"I can only imagine what we're gonna see. Something tells me, it's gonna be a very bumpy ride." Sarada mused.

"Bumpy but enriching." Mitsuki chuckled as Naruto decided not to waste any more time and decided to get his butt to the Ninja Academy so he would finally get assigned his team for the future.

As Naruto walked the streets of the Leaf Village, he was so excited he didn't even notice the poorly made fence tarp easily concealing Konohamaru behind it.

"You're mine, Naruto!" Konohamaru yelled as he tried attacking Naruto like he did the day before only to fall flat on his face, finally getting Naruto's attention.

Naruto just looked puzzled by the whole thing.

"Uh…what do you think you're doing, Konohamaru?" Naruto asked in a voice that showed just how lost he truly was.

"That was a slick move. That's why I respect you as a rival." Konohamaru grinned, despite the pain in his face as Naruto looked even more lost.

"Uh….he didn't even do anything, shrimp." Boruto snickered as Sarada rolled her eyes.

"Kids." Sarada sighed, wondering why everyone, except for her dad, so immature back in the day.

"But I didn't do anything." Naruto honestly said as Konohamaru was finally able to pick himself up before making a hand sign.

"Alright, now fight me fair and square!" Konohamaru grinned, ready to go although Naruto had no time for it.

"Sorry, I've got orientation." Naruto sheepishly apologized as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Orientation?" Konohamaru asked in surprise as Naruto smirked proudly.

"That's right. As of today, I'm a ninja. Believe it!" Naruto grinned, proudly smirking to his headband as Konohamaru finally noticed the Leaf insignia across Naruto's forehead.

"Whoa, seriously!?" Konohamaru's eyes widened in shock and awe while Naruto's smirk only widened.

"Hehe, yep! So like I said I can't really play with you today but whenever I have some badass stories to tell you, I'll definitely feel you in!" Naruto promised as he pat Konohamaru's head before going on his way as Konohamaru was still stunned before smiling at Naruto's back.

"Big bro! Do your best!" Konohamaru shouted.

"Yeah!" Naruto waved before giving Konohamaru a thumbs up, not even looking back at Konohamaru.

"Aww…they're like brothers." Sarada mused, wondering how things would be if she had a sibling. Although she accepted the fact that she may never have a sibling.

"Yeah…" Boruto smiled, wondering how things would be if Himawari was actually a boy. That…might actually be worst…..Boruto paled as he remembered the whole stuffed toy incident before quickly shaking those thoughts out of his mind.

Naruto finally reached the Ninja Academy where he looked around for a place to sit before noticing a brooding Sasuke sitting by himself in the corner.

Naruto's eyes softened as Team Konohamaru saw a flash of Naruto wanting to call out to Sasuke but his pride was clearly holding him back.

"Hey Sasu-"Naruto tried holding a hand out before quickly stopping himself as he huffed before finally sitting down, although it was ironically next to Sasuke.

"Geez….I really wish he would stop being so damn prideful and just talk with Dad…." Sarada sighed, not understanding the whole "Macho Manly Pride" that so many boys liked to display. Was it so hard for them to swallow their pride and just talk things out?

"Although whether he knew it subconsciously or not, he still decided to sit right next to him." Mitsuki noted.

"Yeah…it's almost as if they're…connected…" Boruto said as Naruto looked down before decided to smile, realizing what day it was.

"Who cares about him, I'm finally a ninja!" Naruto grinned as he proudly gestured to his ninja headband before a familiar voice got his attention.

"Huh? What're you doing here, Naruto? This isn't for dropouts. You can't be here unless you graduate." Shikamaru asked in confusion as Naruto decided to rub it in the lazy Nara's face.

"Oh yeah? Do you see this? Do you see this? Open your eyes, Shikamaru. It's a regulation headband. We're gonna be training together. How do ya like that?" Naruto proudly bragged as Shikamaru merely huffed while Team Konohamaru chuckled at Shikamaru's lost expression and subsequent reaction.

"And he doesn't even know that he'll be Lord Seventh's advisor." Mitsuki chuckled.

"Dad totally has Uncle Shikamaru wrapped around his thumb." Boruto snorted.

"Lemme put it to you this way, I look great in this headgear, like it was made for me!" Naruto grinned proudly grabbing his headband as Boruto noticed Hinata shooting a look full of adoration.

"And he doesn't even notice mom…" Boruto sighed.

"Yeah, it's almost surreal to believe they end up getting married later. I wonder what changed…." Sarada tilted her head as Mitsuki decided to add his two cents in.

"She probably had to die to get noticed by him." Mitsuki bluntly stated as his teammates sent him bewildered looks.

"Seriously! Why do you have to be so freaking morbid!?" Boruto asked in irritation as Shikamaru eventually left before the sound of footsteps equivalent to that of stampeding bulls got the attention of nearly everyone in the room.

Team Konohamaru turned to see the source was a very sweaty and exhausted Sakura and Ino, both of whom were clearly in some sort of race.

"I won again, Sakura." Ino jeered at Sakura who would hear none of it.

"Give it up, I had to look back to see you. My toe was at least a tenth of an inch ahead!" Sakura smirked back.

"Talk about chill dude…geez…" Boruto muttered as Sarada looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole.

"Oh mom….how embarrassing…" Sarada face palmed, clearly petrified.

Naruto then noticed how Sakura was looking at him or rather in his direction.

"Sakura….she's smiling at me…I think she likes me in this headband…" Naruto smiled like a dork with a huge blush on his face as Boruto and Sarada face palmed while Mitsuki chuckled.

"Uh yeah no." Boruto sighed.

"Yeah, she's ninety nine point nine percent looking at the boy directly next to you." Sarada deadpanned as Sakura quickly ran to where Naruto and Sasuke were.

"Hi, Sakura. What's up?" Naruto eagerly waved to the pinkette who obviously took no notice of him.

"Move it!" Sakura immediately shoved Naruto out of the way, sending him crashing into the floor below.

"Harsh." Boruto winced.

"How embarrassing…" Sarada covered her face as she started to slowly turn red.

"Good morning, Sasuke. Mind if I sit next to you?" Sakura smiled as Sasuke turned to her although his face showed he was clearly uninterested in Sakura's offer.

"Back off, Forehead. I'm sitting next to Sasuke!" Ino grabbed Sakura's arm as she gave Sakura a death glare who scoffed.

"I was here first!" Sakura immediately wrenched herself from Ino's tight grip.

"I walked into the classroom before you did! Everybody saw it!" Ino argued.

"Dream on!" Sakura scoffed as soon several girls soon joined in their argument on who was going to sit next to Sasuke.

Sasuke merely turned his head to the side in annoyance as he wished all those girls would disappear. He wouldn't voice it out loud but he would rather take his chances with Naruto.

"This is so embarrassing…" Sarada turned beet red, embarrassed of her mother's fangirl stage.

"I feel so bad for Uncle Sasuke…" Boruto cringed, thankful he never had to encounter fangirls despite his status as the son of Naruto Uzumaki.

"I can relate to him." Mitsuki said although he was smiling, clearly amused by what he was watching.

"Ugh!" Naruto grit his teeth as he was honestly sick of the whole Sasuke worshipping he got. What the heck was so great about this guy anyways?

Before anyone knew it, Naruto was immediately on the desk immediately in front of Sasuke as both boys sent glares of utter disdain towards each other.

"Oh boy…." Boruto muttered.

"This is not going to end well." Sarada pointed out as the entire Uchiha fangirl brigade were not happy at how close Naruto was to Sasuke. Whether it was because of how he was disrespecting their crush or rather that he was way closer to Sasuke, thus indirectly taking their dream of being next to Sasuke, was unknown. But either way, they weren't standing for this.

"Naruto! Hey, stop glaring at Sasuke!" Sakura barked as Naruto sweated, literally feeling the killing intent rolling off of the Sasuke fangirls.

"Sakura…." Naruto muttered before turning to Sasuke in defiance, regardless of what the girls were yelling at him.

"Geez…why are they so obsessed with him? 'Sasuke. Sasuke.' What's the deal with this guy?" Naruto asked as their faces were mere centimeters from each other as lighting sparkled between their eyes.

"Get lost." Sasuke growled.

"Hmph!" Naruto spat before he was suddenly pushed forward by a student clearly not paying attention where he was swinging his arm when he was laughing.

"Oh sorry, did I bump you?" The student asked as everyone both in and out of the memory were silent as an image soon arrived that would forever stay in the minds of those watching…

Naruto and Sasuke's lips were on each other!

"What the hell!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled clearly in dismay of what they were watching before they turned to each other, remembering the time they nearly kissed. Thankfully, history was kind enough not to repeat itself as Sarada was quick to keep her foot in the way from tasting Boruto's lips.

"This doesn't really surprise me. In a way, they're like soulmates." Mitsuki laughed.

"What is wrong with you!?" Boruto and Sarada yelled.

"…So…dad's first kiss…" Sarada felt like she was going to faint as she tried to hold onto something, not believing her eyes.

"…Was dad!" Boruto and Sarada simultaneously yelled highly disturbed as Mitsuki still kept his laugh.

"I wonder what Lord Seventh would taste like." Mitsuki furrowed his brows as both Sarada and Boruto wanted to get into Mitsuki's mind to see what his problem was.

"Seriously!? What are you on!?" Sarada yelled as Naruto and Sasuke quickly pulled away as they gagged, clearly not enjoying the experience.

"I'll get you Naruto…." Sasuke tried spitting the taste of Naruto's lips from both his mouth and mind.

Naruto barely had time to gag before quickly feeling an ominous air in the room.

"Naruto…you are so dead…" Sakura growled as a demonic aura summoned around all the girls.

"Welp, you were right in this ending badly, Sarada." Boruto muttered as Sarada nodded.

"Hey! Whoa! It was an accident!" Naruto tried saving his tail as they were clearly hearing none of it as they all cracked their knuckles.

"You're finished!" Sakura yelled as Naruto looked ready to soil himself.

"Hold on…" Naruto tensed as he sweat like a dog in the desert before they all rounded on the poor goofball.

The result was Naruto lying in a bruised, bloodied heap.

"….I almost feel bad for him…" Boruto tensed as Sarada gulped.

"….Mom…was even scarier back then." Sarada tensed, knowing for certain now definitely not to get on her mother's bad side.

"I still I know for certain why Lord Seventh and Mister Sasuke are so close." Mitsuki smiled as his teammates cut their eyes at the son of Orochimaru.

"Seriously, it's not that month of the year yet." Boruto muttered as it was then when Iruka walked into the classroom before he noticed the battered form of his favorite student. Iruka sent Naruto a sympathetic glance before deciding to speak to everyone in the class.

"As of today, you are all ninjas. To get here, you faced difficult trials and hardships. But that's nothing. What comes next will be far more difficult. Now you're only genin, first level ninjas." Iruka began his speech to the class.

"He sounds like a proud dad." Boruto mused.

"Well can you blame them? He had been with them for nearly five years so obviously this day would be sentimental for him." Sarada stated in a matter of fact voice as Iruka continued his sermon.

"All the genin will be grouped into three man squads. Each squad will be led by a jonin, an elite ninja." Iruka stated, getting the attention of everyone in the room as everyone had their own thoughts on who they wanted to be paired with or in certain people's cases, not to be paired with.

"Pfft, groups of three. That'll only slow me down." Sasuke scoffed at the pure notion of being paired with anyone.

"Man….I don't think I'll ever get used to this edgy-overlord persona of Uncle Sasuke…" Boruto muttered.

"Yeah…I wonder what changed?" Sarada asked.

"I wanna be with Sakura and well….I don't care as long as it's not Sasuke." Naruto said softly as Team Konohamaru snorted at Naruto's wish.

"Yep, we'll see how that lasts." Mitsuki chuckled.

"We want each squad to have a balance of strengths and abilities so that's how we set them up. I will now announce the squads. Iruka stated as he then began reading down the teams starting from Team One all the way to Team Seven.

"And now Squad Seven. Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka began getting the attention of Naruto who looked closed to dozing off.

"Sakura Haruno." Iruka added as Sakura paled as she looked depressed as Naruto was all too eager to have the love of his life on his team.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered as Sakura groaned.

"I'm doomed…." Sakura gloomed as Team Konohamaru snickered at the two.

"And the person you're doomed with is who will end up as your best friend." Sarada chuckled as Boruto shook his head in amusement, remembering how the two were in his voyage to the past.

"And Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka finished as it was Naruto's turn to pale and look depressed.

"Yeah!" Sakura cheered as Naruto groaned.

"I'm doomed…." Naruto groaned as Team Konohamaru laughed again.

"The start of a beautiful friendship." Boruto laughed, thinking of how close Naruto and Sasuke would get in the future.

"Too bad it couldn't evolve into something more." Mitsuki smiled, getting bewildered looks from his two teammates.

"Are you talking about the kiss? It was clearly not romantic in nature!" Sarada argued as Mitsuki winked.

"I dunno…those two have a very unique relationship…in more ways than one it seems…" Mitsuki chuckled as Boruto sighed.

"You really are something, dude." Boruto deadpanned as the team were quick to note how Sasuke's face didn't betray any emotion. It was obvious he couldn't care if he was paired with three people or a thousand. They were all equally worthless to him.

"At least dad's being a team player." Sarada noted as Boruto noticed his mother's saddened expression as it was clear she was disappointed that she wasn't paired with Naruto.

"Poor mom….I wonder what would've happened if she was paired with dad?" Boruto asked.

"He probably would've noticed her sooner." Sarada said as Boruto couldn't argue with that.

"Yeah you're right." Boruto agreed as the news of his teammates or rather teammate didn't sit well with Naruto.

"Iruka-Sensei, why does a great ninja like me have to be in the same group with a slug like Sasuke!?" Naruto demanded as Sakura looked ready to pounce on Naruto again while Sasuke just looked irritated by any and everything present.

"Slug, huh?" Boruto snorted.

"Yeah. Sorry Lord-Seventh but you're not all that impressive yet." Sarada added, still not quite believing such an arrogant, loud-mouthed brat was the Lord Seventh she admired and aspired to be like while Iruka glared at Naruto for his rude outburst.

"Sasuke had the best scores of all the graduating students. Naruto, you had the worst scores. To create a balanced group, we put the best student with the worst student." Iruka stated bluntly as the majority of the class laughed as they found this funny save for Hinata for obvious reasons, Sakura who obviously didn't care as long as she was with her Sasuke, Shikamaru who couldn't care less since he was so lazy and Sasuke who just wished he could be left alone.

"Just make sure you don't get in my way, loser." Sasuke scoffed, not even considering Naruto worth his time which Naruto easily caught.

"Hey what did you say!?" Naruto spat as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Hard of hearing?" Sasuke scoffed making a majority of the class break out into giggles as Iruka quickly got the class to quiet down before the rest of the teams were assigned before they all broke apart for lunch while being assigned to come back as soon as lunch was over.

Team Konohamaru followed as everyone went their separate ways as Sakura walked around the outside of the Academy as it was obvious who she was looking for.

"Sasuke, where are you?" Sakura asked before looking down with a frown.

"Since we're in the same group and all, I was hoping we could have lunch together and get to know each other…" Sakura frowned sadly.

"Oh mom…." Sarada sighed, feeling bad for her mother as Naruto quickly made his way up to Sakura as it was obvious he wanted Sakura's wishes but with him instead.

"Hey, Sakura! Since we're in the same group and all, I was thinking we could have lunch together and get to know each other!" Naruto offered as Sakura coldly scoffed, thinking Naruto was ridiculous for suggesting something so asinine.

"Why would I eat lunch with you? How could that thought even cross your mind?" Sakura harshly spat as Naruto looked slightly hurt by her obvious rejection though he decided to press further.

"Well I was just thinking…." Naruto tried suggesting as Sakura decided to nip his offer in the bud.

"Naruto, you're annoying." Sakura cruelly said as Team Konohamaru were left speechless at Sakura's harsh rejection.

"Okay that was just cold! What is wrong with her!? How could she be so harsh when all he wanted to do was get to know her!?" Boruto angrily glared at Sakura's retreating back as Sarada glared at Boruto.

"Hey, don't talk about my mom like that! Yeah she was really rude to Lord Seventh but it's obvious she was just a young girl in love!" Sarada spat as Boruto grunted as he looked to the side while Mitsuki decided to add in his two cents.

"And not to mention, she may have been conditioned by her parents to not be that friendly with Lord Seventh and his reputation as the Academy's class clown is not helping Lord Seventh's case." Mitsuki added as Boruto sighed.

Naruto was obviously hurt by Sakura's rejection before he went up to a random building in the village as he thought over Sakura's words.

"Ugh…what a pain…I get into the same group as Sakura and he's gotta be in it too….There's got to be a way to deal with this…." Naruto muttered before his eyes darted over to where he caught wind of Sasuke eating a rice ball in a nearby window as Naruto's eyes gleamed.

"Got it!" Naruto grinned with a look of mischief, unnerving Sarada.

"Oh no…what is he thinking?" Sarada groaned.

"Obviously nothing good." Boruto dryly replied as he quickly eased to where he was behind Sasuke in the window before tackling him in the compound he was in as a brief scuffle ensued.

"Naruto!?" Sasuke asked, obviously taken aback as Naruto tried getting a good hold on him.

"Pipe down!" Naruto yelled as he tried restraining the Uchiha with rope and tape and with a "fight" that didn't last for even thirty minutes, Naruto ended up with tape across his mouth as he was tied like a fool.

"Hmph. Nice try." Sasuke scoffed as Boruto and Sarada face-palmed in embarrassment for their father and idol alike.

"What an idiot!" Boruto groaned.

"Well who didn't see this com-"Sarada was about to face-palm before the "Naruto" poofed away, revealing a lone log.

"A substitution jutsu?" Mitsuki asked as Sasuke was taken aback before barely having time to react before finding himself being swarmed by the real Naruto with five clones by his side.

"I've got it!" Naruto and his clones yelled before Sasuke soon found himself tied with duct tape around his mouth.

"You…." Sasuke grunted out as Naruto grinned.

"Now who's the dead last and who's the cool one?" Naruto snickered before Naruto suddenly transformed into Sasuke, surprising everyone present.

"Wait, why is he transforming into Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto tilted his head in confusion as Sarada groaned while face-palming.

"I have a pretty good idea why…" Sarada deadpanned as Mitsuki nodded.

"Yeah, he must be trying to get close with Miss Sakura." Mitsuki said as Sarada shook her head.

"While she was rude and tactless to him, transforming into dad is just as cruel as that's in essence playing with her feelings." Sarada said as Boruto couldn't disagree with his friend.

"Yeah…like as things were at the moment, she probably would just walk away and leave if dad appeared right in front of her as he was but this is a dick move on dad's part." Boruto agreed as "Sasuke" left the window before sneaking through the village before looking for Sakura all the while trying not to blow his cover.

"Okay….gotta get my moves down and walk cool like the bastard." Naruto said as he "tried walking" like Sasuke only to look silly as Mitsuki chuckled while Boruto and Sarada sighed.

"You can't walk like Uncle Sasuke, you dumbass." Boruto deadpanned.

"At least it's entertaining to watch." Mitsuki chuckled as the transformed Naruto eventually found where Sakrua was, looking down at the ground.

"Found her! Okay…." Naruto said to himself before easing his way to the tree across from her before deciding to call out to her.

"Sakura…your forehead is so wide and charming…." "Sasuke" said as he walked to Sakura, making her look at him in surprise as Sasuke had obviously never directly sought out Sakura before.

"It makes me feel like kissing it." "Sasuke" finished with a smile that only a knight from a romance fairy tale story would bestow upon a princess.

"Now that's just cheesy. There's no way dad would say that to mom." Sarada snorted as Boruto and Mitsuki weren't far off from disagreeing with her.

"Totally. This ain't a shoujo anime!" Boruto snickered as Sakura's face spoke her emotions as she looked as if Sasuke had bestowed to her a rose while asking to accept him as her lover.

"Just kidding. That's the kind of dumb thing that Naruo would say." "Sasuke" smiled as Sakura deadpanned while Boruto and Mitsuki chuckled.

"How doesn't she see that's obviously not Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto asked.

"When a girl's in love, she's in love." Mitsuki mused as Sarada glared at her teammates. She obviously wasn't liking the way Naruto was playing with Sakura's feelings.

"Sasuke" then sat down right next to Sakura before he decided to speak.

"I wanna ask you something. Naruto, what do you think about him?" "Sasuke" asked as Sakura looked at the boy in surprise before looking to the side.

"He knows about my feelings and he purposely tries to get in the way. He enjoys interfering and making me feel bad. Naruto…he doesn't understand one single thing about me. He's just annoying!" Sakura coldly finished as "Sasuke" tensed, obviously hurt by Sakura's words.

"In a way….she's not wrong. By posing as Sasuke, he is in essence getting in the way and while he's not enjoying or desiring to make her feel bad, he's still getting in the way of what Miss Sakura would want in favor of what he wants." Mitsuki stated a bit too honestly for Boruto's tastes as he sighed in admittance.

"Yeah….doing this…he's just playing with her and it would have been better if he just directly approached her herself. Now she thinks that the real Uncle Sasuke complimented her forehead." Boruto added as Sarada put her hand to her chin in thought.

"I wonder…if that's why mom is so in love with dad?" Sarada asked as her teammates turned to her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Boruto asked as Sarada continued her assumption.

"Mom told me how when she was little that she was bullied for her forehead before she met Aunt Ino who helped build her confidence. And to hear her crush compliment her biggest insecurity would obviously mean a lot to her…." Sarada finished as her teammates stood in silence at her words.

"…Wow….dad…you really messed up…" Boruto sighed with a face palm as he in essence may have killed any chance with getting with Sakura with this simple gesture.

While meant to be simple, it was still selfish and cruel of Naruto to do so.

Sakura then shook her head before turning to "Sasuke" with a smile.

"All I really want…it for you to accept me Sasuke. That's all." Sakura softly smiled as "Sasuke" looked lost for words.

"…You just want me to accept you?" "Sasuke" asked as Naruto was lost for words of just how much Sasuke's opinion really mattered to Sakura.

"Yes, that's how I feel. I'd do anything for that…." Sakura blushed as she leaned in for a kiss as Team Konohamaru were honestly…disturbed at what they were seeing.

"…Talk about desperate…" Boruto bluntly stated.

"Boruto!" Sarada chided the blond although she was disturbed at how easy Sakura was willing to kiss Sasuke and what really bothered her along with Boruto was how Naruto was willing to go along with it!

"Geez…where are dad's morals?" Boruto asked as if he kissed her like this, he'd be no better than her when she cruelly rejected him.

However…just when their lips were inches apart…..

"Sasuke" clenched his stomach as a loud painful gurgle was heard.

"…And I think that's the milk from this morning." Mitsuki chuckled as "Sasuke's" eye twitched in irritation, upset at how his first kiss was robbed from him.

Well, his first kiss from a girl anyways.

"If that's not karma, I don't know what is." Boruto deadpanned as Sasuke quickly ran off.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Sakura asked, tilting her head in confusion as "Sasuke" waved his arm while grinning despite the pain he was in.

"I-I'll be right back!" "Sasuke" promised as Sakura blushed, obviously thinking that Sasuke was shy and needed to freshen up and make himself presentable.

Naruto then continued running before luckily finding an available bathroom in the Ninja Academy.

"…Yeah…I'm not going there." Boruto bluntly stated.

"Same here." Sarada agreed as Mitsuki also nodded in agreement.

"Ugh….close….really close…..My stomach was so upset that I almost lost control of the jutsu….Why did it have to happen right then….just when she was about too….Ugh!" Naruto groaned as Team Konohamaru heard him behind the door separating the four.

"I can't say he didn't deserve that." Boruto said as Sarada nodded.

"Right. Because as uncouth as how mom has been to Lord Seventh, that still didn't give him the right to play with her feelings the way that he did. That made him no better than she was." Sarada stated as Mitsuki nodded.

"She thinks that I'm annoying? She said that three times…I transform into Sasuke, get close to Sakura and she has to say that?" The group heard Naruto say through the door before they heard him mischievously snicker.

"Hey, I know what I should do! I'll make Sasuke act totally obnoxious, believe it. Then, she'll hate him even more than me!" Naruto's voice said as Boruto and Sarada groaned in frustration.

"Seriously!? Didn't he learn from the first time he tried that!?" Sarada yelled as the door opened as Naruto was finished with his business before the bathroom door opened.

"I've gotta hurry. I hope Sakura's still waiting for me!" Naruto hastily ran before he noticed Sasuke walking down the Academy hallway, much to Naruto's dread.

"A wild Sasuke appeared!" Boruto joked as Sarada sighed in relief.

"Hopefully he can stop Lord Seventh and his foolery." Sarada shook her head before Naruto quickly came to a halt in front of Sasuke, showing their height difference as Sasuke looked down on Naruto.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here!?" Naruto asked as Sasuke was the last person he wanted to see right now as Sasuke smirked at Naruto's expression that was the equivalent of a child about to wet himself.

"I used the escape jutsu. No sweat, it's a very basic technique." Sasuke snorted as Naruto was definitely feeling uncomfortable as Sasuke's expression suddenly turned serious.

"Why'd you do that? Transform into me?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed as Naruto would be damned as to reveal his actual reasons why.

"I wanted to see if I could so I did!" Naruto yelled as he jumped in the air before summoning four clones by his side.

"Ugh! The same technique again!?" Sasuke asked as he couldn't believe just how much of a one trick pony Naruto was showing himself to be.

"This ain't gonna end well." Boruto deadpanned.

"That's right! Get ready, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, preparing the lay the smack down on Sasuke before the familiar sound of his stomach gurgling in pain was heard as Naruto and the clones grimaced.

"What'd I tell you?" Boruto sighed as the clones fell to the ground, clutching their stomachs as they ran to the bathroom, trying to push each other out of the way as Sasuke could only stare in a combination of annoyance and dismay.

"Okay, this is too funny!" Mitsuki laughed as Boruto and Sarada both had second hand embarrassment.

"What a moron." Boruto and Sarada muttered in unison as Sasuke had the same notion as he turned around with a scoff.

"What a loser." Sasuke shook his head before leaving, definitely having enough of Naruto and his BS.

Eventually after cleaning himself clean, Naruto slowly made his way to where Sakura was, hoping she was still waiting and much to his relief and the team's surprise she was. But…she had a sullen look on her features as she looked down.

"Mom? What's wrong with her?" Sarada asked.

"It looks like she's reflecting on something…" Boruto observed as Sakura immediately took a notice to Naruto before getting up and actually waving to Naruto.

"Naruto! Let's walk back to class together!" Sakura smiled to Naruto. Or rather, forcibly smiled at him.

"S-Sakura?" Naruto asked.

"That's a change. I guess we see how they became friends." Mitsuki said.

"Yeah…she's definitely faking that smile." Boruto snorted.

"Well, at least it's a start." Sarada shrugged as the look on Naruto's face told the team that he definitely didn't believe that Sakura would be nice to him.

"Wait, I get it! Sasuke must have transformed into Sakura to get back at me!" Naruto said as Boruto and Sarada face palmed while Mitsuki chuckled.

"Dumbass!" Boruto groaned as Naruto readied himself for a battle.

"Trying to trick me, huh wise guy? Well forget it!" Naruto yelled, ready to hand Sasuke or who he thought was Sasuke his ass.

"Oh no don't tell me, he's gonna try to attack her! That's my mom you idiot!" Sarada yelled as Boruto snorted.

"You think that moron would listen." Boruto rolled his eyes.

"Please, something stop him!" Sarada pleaded to some god who may have been listening before….a familiar gurgle was heard as Naruto clenched his stomach in pain.

"Welp, looks like you got your answer!" Boruto snickered as Sarada felt like she needed an aspirin.

"Why is this happening again!?" Naruto yelled before quickly running to the bathroom as Sakura looked puzzled before anger clouded her judgement as she obviously was taking back whatever oath she may have made to treat Naruto decently.

"Dumb Naruto!" Sakura growled, wanting to just wail of the knucklehead.

"And that went well." Sarada rolled her eyes in annoyance as Boruto stopped his snickering.

"At least we got a good show from it." Boruto snickered as Mitsuki smiled.

"We only get entertainment like this from an anime." Mitsuki grinned as his teammates stared at him in bewilderment.

"What are you talking about?" Boruto asked as Sarada put a hand on his shoulder.

"At this point, let's just go along with it." Sarada sighed as Boruto grunted in agreement.

As the team followed to where Naruto was, they could hear his voice behind the bathroom.

"AM I GONNA SPEND MY WHOLE LIFE ON THE POT!?" The voice of Naruto yelled, clearly in pain as that was enough for Boruto and Mitsuki as they were practically on the ground laughing as Sarada cut her eyes at them in disgust.

"Oh brother…" Sarada groaned.

"What the hell!? Dad was such a moron back then!" Boruto was wiping tears from his eyes as Mitsuki was more controlled in his laughter.

"I must say this has been the most entertaining memory that we've seen in a while." Mitsuki mused as Boruto was quick to agree.

"Totally." Boruto snickered as it was clear Sarada was the odd man out of her teammates.

"Oh brother." Sarada rolled her eyes as once Naruto was down with his business he reunited with his teammates where they watched as every other team had left with their respective teams as even Iruka had left, leaving only Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. While Sasuke and Sakura were obviously irritated with the lateness of their teacher, Naruto had those feelings and took them into overdrive.

"Talk about punctuality." Boruto snorted.

"Yeah, where is Kakashi-Sensei anyways?" Sarada asked in confusion.

"I wonder if we'll ever know why he's such a late ass." Boruto muttered as Mitsuki and even Sarada agreed who would have normally chided Boruto for using rude language.

"Naruto! Just sit down!" Sakura said to her teammate in annoyance as she was getting agitated watching Naruto wait at the door like a vulture.

"I don't want to! How come our teacher's the only one that's late? I'm ready to roll, believe it! The other groups already met their new teachers and took off on some adventure or something and Iruka-Sensei's gone too!" Naruto added as Sasuke couldn't disagree with Naruto as Sakura sighed in irritation.

"We know okay?" Sakura muttered before noticing Naruto putting the eraser from Iruka's board under the door sill so that it would hit their sensei over the head whenever he arrived.

"Oh boy. Does he honestly think that's work?" Sarada rolled her eyes.

"I bet it would." Boruto muttered as Sakura walked to her teammate, appalled that he'd do something so mischievous.

"Naruto!" Sakura chided her teammate who was unfazed with her annoyance.

"That's what he gets for coming late. Surprise!" Naruto smirked proudly at his handiwork as Sakura scowled at Naruto while Sasuke was just disinterested in any and everything around him.

"You're asking for trouble. You know you shouldn't do that!" Sakura glared at Naruto as Sasuke turned his head away.

"Hmph, our teacher's a jonin, an elite ninja. You think he'd fall for that?" Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto paid his new teammates no mind before the door opened revealing the younger Kakashi that Team Konohamaru had seen several memories ago before it actually fell on his head, leaving an eraser mark on his head as the room were dead silent.

"Hahaha! I got him! He totally fell for it!" Naruto nearly fell on his butt laughing as Team Konohamaru couldn't believe their eyes.

"You mean to tell me that stupid prank actually worked!?" Sarada exclaimed, feeling a migraine coming.

"…..Yeah Old Man Kakashi was definitely trolling him." Boruto dryly muttered.

"Besides, don't sell someone like Kakashi Hatake short." Mitsuki added as Sarada could only shake her head in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, sensei! I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. I'd never do anything like that!" Sakura frantically apologized as it was obvious she was trying to save her own ass.

"Kissass." Boruto rolled his eyes as Sarada was quick to smack his skull.

"Boruto!" Sarada growled.

"I mean he's not wrong." Mitsuki shrugged as Sarada couldn't believe how outnumbered she actually was as Sasuke merely blinked not even bothering to voice his disappointment and astonishment with what Kakashi has displayed or rather, the lack thereof.

Kakashi slowly picked up the eraser before scanning his eyes over all three ninja before putting his hand to his chin in thought.

"Probably trying to come up with his first impressions of everyone." Boruto snorted which Kakashi actually verbalizing Boruto's words.

"Hmm….How can I put this? My first impression of this group?" Kakashi asked as the team looked expectantly at their sensei, or rather Naruto and Sakura did.

"You're a bunch of idiots." Kakashi bluntly stated as all three children deadpanned.

"He's not wrong." Mitsuki chuckled.

"Nope." Boruto snorted at the look of disappointment of not only Naruto but Sasuke's faces too.

"Yep." Sarada sighed as once they gathered themselves, the children and Kakashi made their ways upwards to the rooftop of the Ninja Academy where the children got themselves comfortable while Kakashi sat across from them.

"Alright. Why don't you introduce yourselves one at a time?" Kakashi started as the children stared at him in surprise.

"Introduce ourselves? Well, what're we supposed to say?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Things you like. Things you hate. Dreams for the future. Hobbies. Things like that." Kakashi clarified.

"Oh I see. A nice ice-breaker activity." Boruto smiled.

"That would be good considering how much time they're going to end up spending with each other." Mitsuki agreed.

"Why don't you tell us stuff first? I mean, before we talk, tell us about you so we can see how it's supposed to work." Naruto said as Kakashi decided to take up Naruto's offer.

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate….I don't feel like telling you that." Kakashi shrugged as the kids stared at their teacher bewildered.

"My dreams for the future….never really thought about it. As for my hobbies…I have lots of hobbies." Kakashi finished in a laidback tone as Naruto, Sakura, Boruto and Sarada all deadpanned.

"Well that was useful." Boruto whispered to the Uchiha on his team.

"As useful as ember coils to put out a fire." Sarada sighed.

"That was totally useless, all he really told us was his name." Sakura muttered in irritation as Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Okay, your turn. You on the fight, you first." Kakashi looked towards Naruto who looked happy to talk about himself.

"Believe it! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen in a cup and I really like the ramen Iruka-Sensei gets for me at the Ichiraku noodle shop. But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them." Naruto explained as those within the memory looked very uninterested with Naruto's love for ramen.

"Okay, all we're 'learning' is how much of a fanboy dad is over ramen." Boruto yawned as Sarada grunted in agreement.

"And my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody, somebody important!" Naruto smirked as he touched his headband for emphasis as Team Konohamaru smiled at the orange clad ninja.

"And luckily for him, that dream actually comes true." Boruto smiled.

Kakashi's eyes softened as he was thinking, almost reflecting on something important.

"You know something I've been wondering? If Kakashi-Sensei's master was the Fourth Hokage, why didn't he look after Lord Seventh? You'd think he would if they were close…." Sarada put her hand to her chin in thought as Boruto was just as confused when he thought about her words.

"You know, you do have a point…." Boruto looked down.

"No use dwelling on it now." Mitsuki pointed out as Kakashi turned his eye to Sakura.

"Alright, next." Kakashi said as Sakura slightly blushed as everyone's attention was turned to her, or rather Naruto and Kakashi's while Sasuke looked as indifferent as always.

"I'm Sakura Haruno. What I like…uh..I mean the person I like is…." Sakura turned to Sasuke lovingly who looked as uninterested in her as ever.

"Uh…my hobby is uh….My dream for the future is…." Sakura squealed as Boruto, Naruto and even Kakashi cringed at Sakura's fangirlism.

"Talk about a fangirl." Boruto rolled his eyes as Sarada was quick to smack Boruto's skull yet again.

"Quit being so tactless!" Sarada spat as Boruto glared at his teammate as she rolled her eyes.

"And? What do you hate?" Kakashi asked, suddenly wishing to get this over with, at least with Sakura.

"NARUTO!" Sakura spat as Naruto looked close to tears while Sasuke continued brooding in his spot.

"Harsh….How did they become friends again?" Boruto asked as Sarada and even Mitsuki were wondering the same thing.

"Last one." Kakashi said as Sakura giggled in Sasuke's direction though he ignored her completely.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things and I don't particularly like anything." Sasuke said as everyone, even Naruto, was unnerved by his words.

"…Talk about a bad boy…." Boruto muttered.

"Not even mom?" Sarada asked in disappointment.

"It shouldn't be that much of a surprise." Mitsuki pointed out as Sasuke continued.

"What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone." Sasuke finished as those in and out of the memory were left unnerved at Sasuke's words, everyone save for Mitsuki and Kakashi.

"When I went to the past….I heard that he wanted to get strong to avenge his clan…..did you know?" Boruto asked Sarada hoping he didn't reveal too much to Sarada, remembering how fragile the relationship between her and Sasuke was.

"…I know…the Uchiha clan was wiped out but by who? I don't know…" Sarada frowned as Mitsuki was silent as he was fully aware of Itachi being the clan slayer of the Uchiha as well as the truth behind the Uchiha Clan Massacre but he chose not to say anything…knowing these memories would reveal the truth sooner or later.

"Good. You're each unique and you have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow." Kakashi decided to be the first one to speak after hearing of Sasuke's agenda.

"Unique? Talk about a lack of a better word." Boruto snorted.

"And I wonder what their mission will be?" Sarada raised an eyebrow as Naruto's color came to his face at the prospect of a ninja mission.

"Eeyup, what kind of mission are we gonna have?" Naruto grinned with a proud salute.

"It's a task the four of us will do together." Kakashi began as Naruto looked ready to cream himself.

"What!? What!? What!?" Naruto eagerly begged to know.

"A survival exercise." Kakashi answered as both the team in the memory as well as out of the memory looked at Kakashi in confusion.

"Huh? Survival exercise?" Naruto's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Is it like the bell exercise we had all that time ago?" Sarada put her hand to her chin in confusion.

"Guess we'll see." Boruto shrugged.

"I thought we were supposed to have a real mission, not more practice. We already did this stuff at the academy. That's how we got here." Sakura was quick to point out to her new sensei who quickly rebuffed her.

"This is not like your previous training." Kakashi clarified.

"So uh…what kind of training is it, then?" Naruto tilted his head before Kakashi actually starting chuckling to himself, slightly creeping out some of the children watching.

"Uh…what's so funny?" Boruto raised an eyebrow as Sakura agreed with him.

"Hey, hold on. That's a normal question. What's so funny?" Sakura asked, getting irritated at what was apparently so funny to the Jonin in charge of them when Naruto was clearly not trying to be funny.

"Heh, well if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it~" Kakashi said in a sing song voice as Naruto looked puzzled.

"Yeah I can see that." Sarada nodded as Kakashi quickly lost his laugh.

"Of the twenty seven graduates who just came here, only nine will actually be accepted as Genin. The other eighteen will be weeded out and sent back to the Academy. In other words, this is a make it or break it pass-fail test and the chance that you'll fail is at least sixty six percent." Kakashi explained thoroughly as even Sasuke looked unnerved at how much the odds were stacked against them.

"…Well he was right about them not liking it." Mitsuki chuckled at their pale faces.

"You know, if lowly academy kids like us could make it, I have no doubt these guys could hack it!" Boruto grinned.

"We'll definitely have a show to watch." Sarada mused.

"See? Didn't I tell you, you wouldn't like it?" Kakashi asked as everyone picked up clear amusement in his voice.

"That's crazy! We worked hard to get here, believe it! What was that graduation test for anyways!?" Naruto yelled as he regained his will to speak.

"Oh that? That was just to select candidates who might become Genin…or not." Kakashi nonchalantly said.

"What!?" Naruto exclaimed, not believing just how far the odds were stacked against him though Kakashi seemingly took no notice of this.

"That's how it is. I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at Five AM and bring your ninja gear." Kakashi ordered as Naruto clenched his fists while donning a determined expression.

"Well I'm not gonna be weeded out! People are going to look up to me some day! I've got to pass this test! Believe it, believe it!" Naruto vowed.

"And you will." Boruto smiled.

"If I fail, I'll be separated from Sasuke. This is a trial of love!" Sakura vowed as Sarada rolled her eyes in slight annoyance.

"Oh mom…" Sarada felt slightly embarrassed at how much of a fangirl her mother was.

Sasuke merely clenched his fists together, clearly determined not to fail.

"That's it. You're dismissed. Oh, tomorrow you better skip breakfast or else, you'll puke." Kakashi stated as the three newly made Genin looked unnerved with that piece of information.

"But if you do a mission on an empty stomach wouldn't you puke regardless?" Boruto asked.

"Yeah, that's definitely not healthy since you're denying your body the calories it needs to function. Ninja need more to stay up to snuff after all." Sarada said to Boruto as Mitsuki realized what Kakashi's intent was.

"It's a trick. Clearly Kakashi-Sensei doesn't actually want them to go into this exercise without any food but he wants to see if they can catch his bluff." Mitsuki pointed out as Boruto sighed.

"And it looks like they're not gonna catch on." Boruto shook his head as Kakashi handed the team a piece of paper each between the three of them.

"The details are on this piece of paper. And don't be late tomorrow." Kakashi explained as Naruto tensed along with Sakura who looked ready to rip her hair out.

"Might throw up!? Is it that tough!?" Naruto looked ready to soil himself as he could barely hold the paper of instructions along with Sakura while Sasuke merely crumpled the paper up before throwing it behind him. Kakashi didn't appear pleased with this but said nothing.

"Okay….I don't think I'm going to be used to this arrogant version of dad…" Sarada frowned not believing this arrogant young boy was the kind, wise man that was her father.

"I know….I'm so used to Uncle Sasuke being so humble…." Boruto frowned as the team soon left with the next day on their mind with nothing but expectations of success on their mind.

Sakura quickly ran behind Sasuke who walked home with his hands in his pockets, clearly a lot on his mind.

"Hey Sasuke, wanna walk home together?" Sakura suggested with a smile as Sasuke didn't even look back to acknowledge her.

"No way. I'm finally a genin and I have no intention of failing here. I'm going to train alone." Sasuke bluntly rejected Sakura before leaving without another word.

"Harsh…" Boruto blinked as Sarada frowned at her sad looking future mother.

"Poor mom…" Sarada wished she could comfort her mother who looked close to tears.

"….I guess…you're right…" Sakura frowned. Though unknown to her, Naruto watched the entire scenario from a nearby corner.

He frowned in sympathy for Sakura before quickly scoffing.

"That guy…acting so uppity!" Naruto scowled at Sasuke's retreating back before making his way home as nightfall fell before crafting a cheaply made motionless Kakashi doll.

"Talk about a good artist." Boruto snorted as the Kakashi doll looked more like a scarecrow than Kakashi.

"Almost as good as Uncle Sai." Sarada sniggered as Boruto realized something.

"I wonder where Uncle Sai is…." Boruto muttered.

"Definitely somewhere." Mitsuki chuckled as he knew it would be a couple of years when Naruto would finally meet the pale Root ninja.

Naruto quickly kicked the Kakashi doll from all angles.

"Where he comes at me I'll do this and I'll throw a punch here but then he'll kick with his right left and then I'll kick him in the balls!" Naruto yelled.

"That's nice and all but it won't do you any good to come to training all exhausted from no sleep, moron." Boruto rolled his eyes before the scene suddenly shifted to the clear night sky with Naruto and Sakura staggering to the training field clearly exhausting with Sasuke being the only one who was awake and ready to go.

It eventually reached sun rise and early morning when Naruto and Sakura were starting to doze on each other as Sasuke waited, clearly agitated and ready for Kakashi to appear.

"Is he just being a dick on purpose?" Boruto yawned starting to get tired from all this waiting.

"I dunno but this is making me miss my bed…." Sarada also yawned.

"Eh, I'm fine." Mitsuki shrugged as Kakashi finally appeared around nine that morning.

"Morning, everyone. Ready for your first day?" Kakashi smiled as he waved to his team as they were less than pleased to see him.

"Hey! You're late!" Naruto and Sakura barked at him while Sasuke merely glared daggers at him.

"Well a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way." Kakashi's eye curved upwards resembling a smile as none of his team looked convinced nor grateful for Kakashi's answer.

"Right." Boruto snorted.

"Did he sleep in or something?" Sarada asked.

"We'll find out the sooner we go into these memories." Mitsuki said as Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Well, let's get started." Kakashi said, getting everyone's attention as he put down a couple of Bento boxed lunches by three logs as he also set down a small alarm clock on one of the stumps.

"Here we go. It's set for noon." Kakashi set a time on the clock before pulling out two bells as Team Seven stared at the bells in confusion.

"I was right! It was the same bell test he used with all of us!" Sarada pointed.

"Actually we thought that too, not just you." Boruto gave the Uchiha a crap eating grin as she whacked his skull.

"Shut up!" Sarada yelled.

"Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me. That's all there is to it. But if you can't get them by noon, you go without lunch. And you'll watch while I eat my lunch in front of you." Kakashi explained pointed to the three log stumps as three hungry stomachs rang through the air with low growling sounds as Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura all looked uncomfortable.

"Oh talk about a dick move…" Boruto winced, thankful Kakashi didn't do that with him and his other Academy friends.

"He's definitely doing that just for spite…" Sarada sighed as it was then that Team Seven quickly realized why Kakashi gave them to "no food" rule.

"Wait a minute, there's three of us. How come there's only two bells?" Sakura asked realizing how there was only two bells for the three of them.

"Heh, well that way at least one of you will end up tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the Academy. Then again, all three of you could flunk out, too. You can use any weapons including Shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells." Kakashi explained.

"If like with us then the main objective of the test isn't so much about strength as much as it is about teamwork." Mitsuki pointed out.

"But will they figure it out?" Boruto asked.

"Considering where they are now, obviously!" Sarada yelled as Sakura looked unnerved at what she was hearing.

"Those weapons are too dangerous, Sensei!" Sakura was quick to point out, not wanting to cause any harm to her sensei.

"Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser." Naruto laughed, clearly having a low opinion of his sensei which was obviously reciprocated.

"Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them, lowest scores, losers." Kakashi pointed out, making Naruto lose his amused mood.

"Well, he's not wrong." Mitsuki noted.

"Talk about a low blow though." Boruto muttered, knowing how much Naruto hated being reminded of his lack of talent back in the Ninja Academy.

"When I say start, you can begin." Kakashi turned to Sasuke and Sakura, clearly disregarding Naruto who growled as the word "loser" kept ringing through his mind.

Without even thinking, Naruto quickly grabbed one of his kunai and charged right at Kakashi who quickly restraining Naruto with tying the arm with his kunai behind his head with the kunai being directly beside his head by several centimeters.

"Talk about fast! I couldn't even see him!" Sarada pointed out.

"And I thought Old Man Kakashi was badass now but back then…." Boruto could hardly wrap his head around it.

"Given how he is in his twenties right here, he's still in his prime and so his strength would be greater than what it is currently." Mitsuki said as he understood the hype behind Kakashi even clearer now that he could see him in his prime and he was certain he would see even more of his strength the father they go down these memories.

"Don't be in such a hurry. I didn't say start yet." Kakashi said in a tone of voice that let everyone both in and out of the memory know that Naruto was clearly not a threat to him at his current level. Sasuke and Sakura were obviously unnerved at what they were seeing as they back up clearly startled as Kakashi quickly let go of Naruto while giving him back his kunai.

"But…you came at me with the full intention of destroying me so…how can I say this? I'm actually starting to like you guys." Kakashi said with a small smile under his mask though no one could see as even the team in the memory blushed at Kakashi's praise as they smiled, slightly happy to see they gained an iota of Kakashi's respect.

"And that's how they started off as one big happy family." Mitsuki smiled.

"It's a start." Boruto gave a small laugh.

"Get ready… …start!" Kakashi said as they all scattered. Around a couple of minutes, it was obviously that Sasuke and Sakura had hidden in either the nearby bushes or tree well….

And as for Naruto?

"You and me! Right now! Fair and square!" Naruto exclaimed with a huge smile with his arms crossed, unguarded and all in the open as even Kakashi looked lost for words at how moronic this boy was.

"Moron." Boruto muttered as Sarada face-palmed.

"At least he has spirit." Mitsuki chuckled as Kakashi struggled to find words.

"You know…compared to the others, you're a bit weird." Kakashi pointed out as Naruto closed one eye while glaring at Kakashi.

"Oh yeah? The only thing weird is your haircut!" Naruto spat.

"Nice diss!" Boruto snickered as Naruto quickly charged at Kakashi as the Jonin put no hands up to defend himself as the look in Kakashi's eyes showed just how uninterested he actually was in perceiving Naruto as an actual threat before he got one hand in his back ninja pouch as Naruto readied himself for whatever Kakashi was planning to do.

"Shinobi Battle Techniques, Part One. Taijutsu-the physical art." Kakashi said before pulling out not a weapon but an orange book.

"….Uh….what?" Boruto deadpanned before his eyes widened.

"Hey! That's the Make Out Paradise book Old Man Jiraiya wrote!" Boruto pointed as Sarada's eyes widened at Boruto's words.

"Seriously?" Sarada asked.

"I wonder what's in there?" Mitsuki curiously asked as Boruto's eyes narrowed.

"I tried finding out but everyone said we were too young." Boruto crossed his arms with confusion in his eyes as Sarada blinked in realization.

"You know…maybe we're better off not knowing…" Sarada grimaced at the slightly pervy look in Kakashi's eyes as he started reading his book.

"What the?" Naruto blinked as he actually lowered his arms, thinking it to be completely asinine that someone would read a book in the middle of combat.

"What're you waiting for? Make your move." Kakashi said as Naruto actually took a step back in apprehension.

"But…I mean, why are you reading that book?" Naruto blinked, utterly lost.

"Why? To find out what happens in the story, of course. Don't let it bother you. With your weak attacks, it doesn't really matter if I'm reading or…whatever." Kakashi shrugged as Naruto looked even more lost than normal before clenching his fists, as anger clouded his judgement.

"I'm going to crush you!" Naruto yelled, upset at how he wasn't being taken seriously as he swung a right hook at Kakashi followed by a kick that Kakashi easily dodged with little to no effort.

"H-huh?" Naruto asked while not even knowing that Kakashi was behind him.

"Don't let your enemy get behind you all the time." Kakashi said as he made a hand sign.

"Wait a second. That's a fire seal! Is he gonna incinerate him?" Sarada quickly noted.

"Yeah, I know he wants to show dad his place but that's overkill!" Boruto yelled as Mitsuki was surprisingly calm.

"Something tells me not to worry about it." Mitsuki smiled as both of his teammates looked to him in confusion.

"How can we not worry about it? That's a fire seal when dad's not ready for something like that!" Boruto yelled as the voice of Sakura rang through the air.

"Naruto! Get out of there quick! He's going to destroy you!" Sakura yelled, her voice alarming everyone.

"Mom?" Sarada asked as Naruto looked around to find Sakura.

"Too late. Leaf Secret Hidden Finger Jutsu!" Kakashi yelled as Naruto looked down in confusion before he stopped as Team Konohamaru looked at the young boy in confusion.

"Dad? What's wr-"Boruto yelled before he stopped and paled as the team looked to see Kakashi's fingers up Naruto's ass.

"…..U-uh…" Boruto blinked with wide, blank eyes.

"….The hell…." Sarada couldn't even form words as Naruto was sent flying as his screams rang loud through the air as Kakashi's fingers sparkled.

"A THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!" Kakashi yelled as Naruto was sent flying into the water pond nearby.

"…..Did he just shove his fingers in his ass?" Boruto asked.

"…That was just an over glorified ass poke…" Sarada muttered as Mitsuki was actually laughing at the whole thing.

"Like I said this has got to be the most entertaining thing we've seen since coming in these memories." Mitsuki cheerfully chuckled.

"Of course you'd find this funny." Boruto deadpanned.

"Look at things like this, at least he got a free prostate!" Mitsuki chuckled as Boruto and Sarada looked at him disturbed.

"What is wrong with you!?" Boruto yelled.

"…I hope he at least washed those fingers…" Sarada muttered, not really wanting to shake Kakashi's hand anymore the next time she would see him.

Team Konohamaru then followed Naruto who was looking pretty frustrated in the water at how things were clearly not going the way he planned.

"Ugh…I'm not gonna let it end like this! I'll attack from the water. Now!" Naruto yelled, throwing two Shuriken with Kakashi's defenses seemingly lowered although he caught the Shuriken stars with his fingers, not even needing to look up from the pornography he was reading.

"….Talk about being mismatched…" Sarada muttered.

"You know, Old Man Kakashi was a beast when we faced him. I wonder how our exams would have gone if we faced him here when he was twenty years younger?" Boruto asked.

"It definitely would have been harder considering he was in his prime." Mitsuki said although he was certain he would have won if he had his Sage Mode.

"Damn it! There's no way!" Naruto cursed as he clenched his fists as his mind flashed to all the naysayers he met in his life.

"You? Become Hokage? Don't make me laugh!" One Academy kid laughed at Naruto.

"Becoming Hokage? Yeah? On what planet!?" Kiba jeered at Naruto.

"There's no way the class loser can compete against Sasuke!" A random Academy girl snickered at Naruto.

"You're the Nine Tailed Demon Fox who destroyed the village! Who'd ever acknowledge you!" Mizuki jeered at Naruto before the image of Iruka was seen through these memories.

"I've acknowledged him as one of my excellent students!" Iruka smiled with the utmost confidence in Naruto.

"I can't! I won't fail here!" Naruto yelled as he made a hand sign.

"And you won't!" Boruto smiled in support of his father.

"Yeah, you'll prove everyone who ever doubted you wrong!" Sarada added as several shadows were shown across the water.

"He must be making his move with his Shadow Clones." Mitsuki amusingly noted as Naruto crawled out of the water, coughing out water all the while.

"What're you doing now? You know, you won't get lunch unless you get a bell." Kakashi lazily pointed out to Naruto who looked frustrated with both anger and hunger.

"I know! I know! You told us already!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi merely continued reading his book, not even really acknowledging Naruto.

"You look pretty wobbly for someone who's going to become Hokage." Kakashi said in a voice that sounded like he almost mocking Naruto's dream as Naruto's stomach chose in that moment to gurgle in hunger.

"Ugh! You told us not to eat breakfast so how can I fight when I'm starving to death!? So you caught me off guard! That's all it was, believe it!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi walked off, losing interest in the current conversation.

"Carelessness can be your worst enemy, you know?" Kakashi asked as Naruto grunted, hunger and anger clouding his judgement.

"…I'm so hungry I don't have any strength but I can't let that stop me…I've got to get one of those bells no matter what. I'll find the strength somehow, believe it. I'm going to pass this test and I'm not going back to the Academy! I will become a ninja!" Naruto vowed with his stomach growling in hunger before several clones erupted from the water behind him as Kakashi looked surprised at this recent turn of events.

"Looks like things are starting to turn over now." Boruto smiled.

"Haha, you're over confident, sensei! That's why you weren't ready for a Shadow Clone attack, my best jutsu!" Naruto smirked as he ran to Kakashi with several clones running by his side as Kakashi's visible eye widened as he looked as if he were remembering something important.

"It looks like the stories are true, he can produce Shadow Clones. It's a forbidden skill….and he defeated Mizuki with it." Kakashi's eye softened as a look of what appeared to be respect filled his eye.

However it soon changed as he realized despite Naruto's recently gained technique, it still wasn't enough to defeat him.

"Great technique. But I don't think you can maintain it for very long. You talk like you're the best Naruto but you're still the worst student. You can't beat me with this jutsu." Kakashi stated before one clone actually was able to get and subdue Kakashi from behind his back.

"What the!?" Kakashi asked, surprised as he clearly wasn't expecting this.

"That's living up to the unpredictability from his name." Mitsuki mused.

"Is he gonna do it?" Sarada asked.

"…Something tells me this won't be too easy." Boruto noted as the Naruto clone laughed triumphantly.

"Didn't you say, 'Don't let your enemies get behind you?' Good advice sensei, believe it. I had one of my clones come out of the water and sneak up behind you!" Naruto smirked as he jumped in the air as he reeled his fist back.

"Now this is for nailing me in the butt earlier!" Naruto grinned.

"Do it Lord Seventh!" Sarada cheered like a schoolgirl in love as Boruto rolled his eyes.

"If you love him so much, why don't you marry him?" Boruto scoffed as Sarada whacked his skull yet again.

"Shut up!" Sarada yelled again as Naruto's smirk turned into a deadly glare.

"You're mine and so are those bells!" Naruto yelled as he smacked Kakashi or rather…..his Naruto clone.

In short…Naruto hit…Naruto….

"Wait, what just happened?" Sarada asked as Boruto sighed.

"Like I said, this was way too easy for someone like Old Man Kakashi. Even with someone like dad." Boruto said as Naruto and the clone fell to the ground before an idea hatched in Naruto's head over what happened.

"Wait, it's you! You're Kakashi-Sensei, aren't you!? You transformed into me using a jutsu!" Naruto accused with a pointed finger as he pointed at one of his clones as they logically got angry at him.

"No you are!"

"You're Kakashi-Sensei!"

"You are!"

"Believe it!"

"You smell like an old man, you must be him!" Were some of the comments heard as Boruto and Sarada deadpanned.

"It's an idiot free for all." Boruto groaned, feeling a headache of sheer stupidity coming.

"For once I agree with you." Sarada sighed as Mitsuki laughed.

"Yep, definitely the most entertaining memory we've seen so far." Mitsuki smiled as Naruto quickly got everyone's attention with a shout.

"Hey, let's undo the jutsu! That way we'll know who's who!" Naruto said as a clone glared at him.

"Should've thought of that sooner, fool." A clone spat as he glared at his master with disdain.

"You're the jerk, why didn't you think of that!?" Naruto spat back.

"Just undo the jutsu!" Another clone yelled as Naruto did just that, ending the jutsu as he stood in the middle of the field with a lone tear in his eye.

"He got you, moron." Boruto rolled his eyes.

"You know something? Where are mom and dad? They should be out here helping Lord Seventh but they're nowhere around." Sarada pointed as she looked around.

"Like we said earlier they probably haven't figured out the meaning of this test is teamwork. That and they probably know that they probably won't have much of an effect against Lord Kakashi either." Mitsuki answered as a metallic ring got Naruto's attention as he looked at the silver bell like how a kid would react upon finding a certain golden ticket in a chocolate candy bar.

"Hm? A bell!? Hehe, I must've got to him with my attack! He dropped a bell!" Naruto laughed as he ran to the Bell eagerly.

"Don't take the bait you dolt!" Boruto and Sarada simultaneously yelled before he was hoisted by a nearby rope on a tree as he like a fish dangling on a hook.

"Ugh! Moron! How is this the Lord Seventh we know now!?" Sarada groaned with a face palm.

"Dad…if the bait is right in front of you…don't take it!" Boruto yelled wishing his father could hear him as Kakashi came right at that moment, getting the Bell the ground as Naruto looked disappointed as Kakashi sighed in disappointment at the orange clad ninja.

"Think before you use a jutsu or else your opponent might use it against you. And also, if the bait is obvious, don't take it." Kakashi smiled as Boruto and Sarada nodded fervently.

"Told you so!" Boruto and Sarada simultaneously said.

Naruto however just growled as he struggled against the rope restraining his feet.

"A ninja must see through deception." Kakashi said as Naruto continued struggling through the rope.

"I….get…it…!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi decided to pojnt out how ridiculous Naruto was being.

"I'm telling you this because you don't get it. You think you get it which is not the same as actually getting it. Get it?" Kakashi asked.

"Okay is he just patronizing him at this point?" Sarada asked, getting slightly uncomfortable. Yeah Naruto was outmatched but did Kakashi have to point it out so bluntly?

"Won't you ever lea-"Kakashi was about to start another lecture before he was suddenly a flurry of Kunai and Shuriken, sending blood splattering from all angles.

"Holy shit!" Boruto yelled. Yeah he knew Kakashi survived and all but still that was overkill. And given that Naruto was tied up and Sakura clearly didn't have it within her to be so vicious that only left one more person.

"Was that…dad?" Sarada asked, not believing how vicious her father used to be.

"Whoa! He just got blasted by Shuriken! Are you out of your mind, Sasuke!? You went too far!" Naruto yelled as the "body" of Kakashi fell to the ground before it poofed, revealing a log that was clearly reminiscent of a pincushion.

"That wasn't very smart. Now he's revealed his location." Mitsuki said as the sound of footsteps running were heard. Although what bothered some of the team was how Sasuke and Sakura were completely disregarding Naruto in his current predicament.

"Why aren't they helping him!?" Boruto asked, frustrated at how no one was coming to Naruto's aid and how he was essentially ignored.

"It's because of since he's the Academy loser they don't consider him worthy of their help." Mitsuki bluntly stated as Sarada was taken aback at how cold her parents were being described by Mitsuki.

Although…he wasn't really wrong when she stopped and thought about it.

"Well they should get their heads out of their asses and help him because if they don't, they're all screwed." Boruto sighed.

"It's not like they know." Sarada reminded Boruto as Naruto grunted remembering Kakashi's words to him not too long ago.

"'A ninja must see through deception.' Yeah, yeah. How am I supposed to do that? Hmph! Well I'm sure not falling for any more of his traps!" Naruto yelled as he touched down, grinned at his supposed victory before he was hoisted up again.

Boruto snickered before nearly falling on Mitsuki laughing.

"I see what you're talking about Mitsuki!" Boruto was practically wiping tears in laughter as Sarada merely groaned.

"I fell for it again!" Naruto yelled.

"You sure did!" Boruto laughed as Sarada gave a small smile despite her irritation as Boruto stretched his arms.

"You know something? Since we can talk around in these memories, I wanna see how Auntie Sakura and Uncle Sasuke fare against Kakashi. Since they seem to think they're above dad." Boruto put his hand in his pocket.

While Sarada would typically disagree with her teammate, she was slightly curious as to how they fared against Kakashi also.

"Sounds good." Mitsuki said as both boys walked off.

"Hey, wait up!" Sarada said as she catched up with both boys before a loud familiar scream got everyone's attention.

"Wait a second! Was that mom?" Sarada cringed at how deep and fearful the scream was.

"I think so! But from where?" Boruto asked.

"Over there!" Mitsuki pointed as the team followed the trail from where Mitsuki pointed his finger before they found Sakura on the ground pale with tears streaming down her eyes with foam around her mouth.

Boruto and Sarada were…unnerved to say the least.

"…Uh…is she…okay?" Boruto blinked, poking the unconscious Sakura only to phase through to her.

"Obviously not!" Sarada snapped at Boruto before looking at her mom in concern.

"It looks like she was placed under a genjutsu of some sorts." Mitsuki observed the unconscious pinkette.

"No doubt by Kakashi. But I don't even think I wanna know what he put her under…" Boruto shuddered.

"Same." Sarada said as the team decided to advance further before noticing a tuft of black spiky hair and a blue shirt.

"Dad!" Sarada smiled as the team ran behind Sasuke who merely smirked.

"Hmph, I'm not surprised he caught Sakura with Genjutsu but I'm not like Sakura and Naruto." Sasuke's eyes darkened as everyone noticed Kakashi mere feet away from Sasuke.

"Say that after you get one of these bells. My Sasuke~Hehe." Kakashi was quick to remind the young Uchiha of what was at stake, not even bothering to look up from his novel as Sasuke scowled, realizing that Kakashi wasn't even perceiving the last Uchiha as a threat.

Sasuke's fingers twitched as he stared down Kakashi, not even fazed at how he was half of Kakashi's size.

"Here we go…." Boruto said.

"I wonder how dad's gonna do." Sarada murmured, clearly invested in this fight before Sasuke threw a flurry of Shuriken at Kakashi who easily dodged with little to no effort.

"There's no point using normal attacks." Kakashi boringly said as Sasuke merely smirked before throwing a kunai at a rope as Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized it was just a ruse to lure Kakashi into a trap which Kakashi was narrowly able to dodge a flurry of kunai that would have turned him into a pincushion had he not dodged fast enough due to him suppressing himself to not go overboard with these trio of Genin.

Before Kakashi could even breathe, Sasuke gave Kakashi a very sharp kick which Kakahsi was able to catch while catching a right hook from Sasuke followed by a kick from Sasuke's remaining leg before Kakashi's eyes widened as he felt his bells jingle.

Sasuke smirked as his plan was seemingly close to working.

"He's got them!" Sarada cheered before Kakashi was able to jump back.

"Damn, so close!" Boruto cursed as Sasuke's teeth grit in frustration.

"This kid! He's fierce…..I won't be able to read 'Make Out Paradise' now." Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he realized he would half to get just a tad bit more serious if he wanted to keep his bells.

"Looks like Kakashi-Sensei is learning they're not all talk." Mitsuki smiled as Sasuke huffed before standing up straight before going through a series of hand signs.

"Horse! Tiger! Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke yelled as Kakashi's visible eye widened.

"What!? Genin can't do fire jutsu. Takes too much chakra. There's no way!" Kakashi looked at the young Uchiha in amazement.

"Then again this is Sasuke Uchiha so…" Mitsuki's eye rolled as Sasuke spat a large ball of fire at the Jonin who was seemingly incinerated by the jutsu as nothing of him was present.

"Yeah he's definitely not going down that easily." Sarada's eyes scrolled around, wondering where Kakashi was as Sasuke was just as stunned.

"Where did he go!? Behind me? Above?" Sasuke asked before his eyes widened as a familiar voice spoke from below him.

"Where? I'm where you least expect me." Kakashi said from the ground below as everyone looked to see Kakashi's hand tightly grip Sasuke's ankle.

"Holy shit! I wish I could do that…" Boruto muttered as Sarada cut her eyes at him.

"You have way more powerful jutsu!" Sarada pointed out before Sasuke was then brought and practically buried underground save for his head making him look like a decapitated scarecrow or painting.

"Right under your feet. Earth Style Headhunter Jutsu." Kakashi pointed out as Sasuke grunted as he looked down both in anger and frustration with himself for thinking that Kakashi would be taken out so easily. He was a Jonin, after all.

"That was Ninjutsu, the third shinobi battle style. You have talent and you were right, you are different from the others but different isn't always better. They say 'the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down'." Kakashi stated matter of factly before walking off, knowing Sasuke was of no real threat to him than the others.

"I mean he's not wrong." Mitsuki shrugged.

"He really is just patronizing them at this point." Sarada muttered.

"Oh great!" Sasuke growled, upset at his failure.

"Well…I guess we should go back to dad?" Boruto sighed, feeling disappointed that Sasuke really did no better than Naruto or even Sakura.

"Eeyup." Sarada sighed just as disappointed as they walked right over to the tree where Naruto was, or supposedly was as they found he was no longer there.

"Where is that idiot?" Boruto groaned, feeling a headache coming from all this stupidity as Mitsuki laughed.

"Right over there." Mitsuki smiled as the team followed the sound of laughing as Naruto was grinning as he had chopsticks while looking hungrily over two boxed lunches.

"Don't tell me he's gonna…" Sarada deadpanned.

"He's gonna try to eat everyone's lunches." Boruto face-palmed.

"And this is not going to end up well for him." Mitsuki laughed, the only one finding amusement at what he was seeing as he noticed Kakashi walked behind him before standing over him while Naruto was too far into himself to notice.

"Sensei told us that if we don't get a bell, then we don't get any lunch. But if I eat my lunch now, then there's nothing he could do. It's chow time!" Naruto grinned, drooling and about to dig in.

At least until…

"Hi, there." Kakashi said as Naruto screamed before turning as pale as Sai before looking up to see Kakashi scowling down at Naruto, clearly unpleased at Naruto's behavior before he looked down, wishing for a way out of this.

"What'd I tell you?" Mitsuki grinned as Boruto and Sarada sighed, feeling equal levels of annoyance.

"Uh…I was just…joking sensei…." Naruto muttered, hoping to save his ass.

"Dumbass!" Boruto and Sarada yelled.

"Nice try." Was all Kakashi said before the scene shifted as Naruto soon found himself tied to one of the log stumps like a dunce in class with Sasuke on his right side with Sakura on their left as their growling stomachs filled the air with starving sounds.

"And…I'm just gonna assume they failed." Boruto dryly said as Kakashi decided to speak up right as their stomachs stopped growling.

"Uh oh, growling stomachs, huh? That's too bad." Kakashi sarcastically said before raising a finger, "Oh by the way, about this exercise? Well, I've decided I won't be sending any of you back to the Academy." Kakashi stated as Team Konohamaru looked to each other in confusion.

"Wait, what? They passed after all that?" Boruto asked.

"Yeah, they didn't even work as a team. They just went off on their own." Sarada added.

"It's definitely a ploy." Mitsuki pointed out though the team in the memory had no such suspicions.

"Huh!?" Naruto broadly grinned as Sakura just looked lost.

"What? I passed? All I did was faint and fall over. Do you get points for that?" Sakura bluntly asked as Boruto and Mitsuki snickered at Sakura's honesty while Sarada just looked embarrassed.

"I doubt it." Boruto snickered.

"Oh mom…" Sarada wished she could just crawl under a rock.

Sasuke smirked in satisfaction while Sakura jumped up and down like a kid on a field trip bus as Naruto was about to do the same despite the ropes restraining him.

"Then, then that means all three of us!? I mean, all three of us!?" Naruto gleefully exclaimed, expecting to hear the words "You Pass!" come from Kakashi's lips.

"Yes. All three of you are being dropped from the program…" Kakashi started with a cheerful smile before his face morphed into a judgmental scowl.

"PERMANENTLY!" Kakashi yelled as Team Seven's happy expressions transformed into those of horror and dread as they looked at their sensei.

"…..And that just killed the mood." Boruto muttered as Sarada looked lost for words.

"Wait dropped from the program? But no, that can't be! Given mom and dad's statuses now, that couldn't have happened. How?" Sarada asked puzzled.

"I guess we'll just have to see how." Mitsuki answered as the team turned back to the memory as Naruto was quick to call Kakashi out.

"Drop us from the program? That means we can never become ninja! You said if we couldn't take the bells, we'd get sent back to the Academy! You can't just change your mind and kick us out! Why would you do that!?" Naruto yelled, voicing the thoughts of his teammates better than they could while Kakashi looked unfazed by Naruto's anger and shock.

"Because you don't think like ninja. You think like little kids, like brats." Kakashi bluntly stated as the last part of that was enough to set Sasuke off as he charged Kakashi.

"Dad!" Sarada yelled.

"He couldn't lay a hit on him before when he was playing with him, what the hell does he think he can do now!?" Boruto yelled and as to prove Boruto's point, Sasuke was shoved to the ground with his arm wrapped tightly around his back with Kakashi's foot on his head as Kakashi resembling someone about to crush on bug.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

"That's going too far, isn't it!?" Sarada yelled in concern for her dad.

"He's too much of a wild card to just sit and listen. Especially with how arrogant we've seen him be in these memories." Mitsuki pointed out as Sarada had no comeback to that.

"You think it's all about you." Kakashi pointed out, more to all three of them rather than just Sasuke who grunted in both anger and embarrassment.

"Let go of Sasuke! You can't step on him like he's a bug!" Sakura yelled before Kakashi easily shut her up with a serious glare in his eye, making her step back as Boruto and Sarada were unnerved with the look in his eye. Never before had they seen Kakashi be so serious….even with them.

"Whoa…Uncle Kakashi….I've never seen him like that before…" Boruto observed.

"You don't know what it means to be a ninja. You think it's a game, huh?" Kakashi asked as Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were taken aback by the roughness in his tone.

"Why do you think we put you on squads? Did you consider that question for one moment?" Kakashi added onto his precious question as the team looked utterly lost.

"Uh…I don't know what you mean?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"I mean you never realized what this exercise is all about. Not even close." Kakashi pointed out, anger clear in his tone as a question mark was practically floating over Naruto's head.

"…What it's about?" Naruto asked, confusion clear in his voice.

"Yes, that's what determines whether you pass or fail." Kakashi answered Naruto as the brightest of the Ninja Academy graduates Sakura, couldn't have looked more puzzled than Naruto.

"But that's…I mean…I wanted to ask you about that from the beginning…." Sakura meekly muttered as Kakashi looked ready to rip his hair out in frustration as he couldn't believe these kids were this oblivious.

"Tsk, use your head. Three people on a squad. Why do you think we would do that?" Kakashi asked as Naruto's short fuse was already lit.

"Ugh! How are we supposed to know why you picked three people!? We didn't make the rules!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi kept his frustration together as he finally decided to literally spell it out for the three ninja.

"It's so basic. Teamwork!" Kakashi yelled as Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened as it seemed to finally set in the true meaning of Kakashi's bell test.

"Looks like they've finally got it." Mitsuki said.

"I hope so at least." Boruto responded.

"….Team work? Is that what you mean?" Sakura asked slightly embarrassed though Kakashi was unfazed.

"That's what I mean. It's too late now. But if all three of you had come with me, you might have been able to take them. Well anyway, it's over." Kakashi stated.

"He's right. With Lord Seventh's Shadow Clones, Mister Sasuke's fire jutsu and with Miss Sakura creating a diversion, they would have been able to get a bell with their collective efforts." Mitsuki said.

"…But…because they were being too selfish and preoccupied with their own selves and their own agendas, they failed." Boruto noted as Mitsuki nodded.

"Exactly." Mitsuki confirmed Boruto's answer as Sakura looked as if she were remembering something.

"Wait a minute! You set it up with three people but only two bells. If we worked together and got the bells, only two of us could keep them. And that would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up." Sakura noted.

"Yeah, it would've just led to a sort of team mutiny." Sarada agreed as Kakashi nodded as the team were finally understanding the real agenda behind this test.

"Exactly. I purposely pitted you against each other. I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the team ahead of yourselves. A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork. But you…it never even crossed your mind…." Kakashi scowled as he looked over all three of the Genin.

"He is right. Without teamwork we never would have been able to make it this far and we never would have overcome the Chunin Exams like our fight with Shinki." Sarada said as he looked to Boruto.

"Yeah, we all need to learn to work together in other to succeed." Boruto nodded as Kakashi decided to round on all three Genin.

"Sakura, you obsessed over Sasuke who was gone while Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn't lift a finger to help him. Naruto, you do everything on your own, everything. And you Sasuke, thought the others were so far beneath you they were worthless. Arrogance…" Kakashi stated with disgust and disappointment clear in his tone as the three all looked down in shame, at having been put on blast.

"He's not wrong…..dad was trying to do everything by himself to the point where he shut out any and everything around him, Auntie Sakura was too obsessed over Sasuke where it crippled her skills in helping dad while Uncle Sasuke didn't even consider the others worth his time." Boruto agreed with Kakashi as neither of his teammates could disagree with him.

"Yep." Sarada sighed her agreement, just wondering what changed between all of them.

"Ninja missions are carried out in squads. Of course you need individual skills but teamwork is the most essential element. Every Shinobi understands this. When individuals put themselves above the squad, this can lead to failure and death. For example…" Kakashi fished in his ninja pouch before bringing a kunai to Sasuke's neck, "Sakura! Kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies!"

Naruto and Sakura looked unnerved as Naruto looked ready to pee himself, hoping Sakura wouldn't knowing how big her infatuation over Sasuke was as Boruto and Sarada were just as unnerved.

"Okay I get he's trying to make a point but isn't that going too far!?" Sarada yelled.

"No it's not. Because if they acted on a real mission like how they acted in this bell test, one of if not all three of them would end up dead. And that's just the truth." Mitsuki brutally answered.

"Geesh….I can only imagine what the three of them ended up going on for Ninja Missions…" Boruto muttered as Kakashi quickly put his kunai back into his ninja pouch as he seemed relatively pleased he got his point across.

"That's what happens on a mission. The enemy takes a hostage and you've got impossible odds and someone ends up dead. On every mission, your life in on the line." Kakashi finally released Sasuke who looked down, utterly embarrassed for being humbled as Kakashi walked to a large blue stone not too far from them.

"Did you look at this stone? The names engraved on it? They are all ninja who are honored as heroes in our village." Kakashi stated as Team Konohamaru's eyes widened in realization.

"Yeah, I've heard of that! The Hidden Leaf Memorial Stone!" Sarada pointed out.

"Lord Jiraiya was put on there! Dad took me there after my whole big trip to the past…" Boruto looked down as Naruto grinned broadly.

"That's it then! Now I know! I've decided I'm going to have my name engraved on that stone! I'm not going to live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm gonna be a hero! One big hero!" Naruto grinned as Sakura scowled at Naruto for how insensitive he was being while Sasuke spared Naruto a sympathetic glance, realizing he probably didn't even know the real meaning behind it.

"He does know they were all killed in service for the village, right?" Mitsuki asked.

"Of course not." Boruto deadpanned as Kakashi repressed a sigh, knowing full well Naruto didn't understand exactly why they were on the Memorial Stone.

"They are…a special kind of hero." Kakashi looked back at Naruto who only grinned wider.

"What kind of heroes are they? C'mon, tell us!" Naruto grinned as Kakashi looked down, no doubt remembering horrible losses and tragedies throughout his life.

"…They are KIA…" Kakashi solemnly answered as Team Konohamaru looked at Kakashi's back with expressions full of empathy.

"….Well that explains things…." Sarada frowned.

"And from what I've heard, the scar on Kakashi's eye came from a mission where he ended up losing his best friend…" Boruto looked down as Mitsuki was silent.

"Oh? That sounds real cool!" Naruto grinned as it was Boruto's turn to have second hand embarrassment from his parent.

"Dad…" Boruto sighed as Sakura shot Naruto a look of pity as she quickly deduced Naruto had no idea what the acronym of KIA actually meant.

"It means 'killed in action'. They're all dead." Sakura pointed out as the excitement in Naruto's faced literally drained away into a sorrowful frown.

"…At the very least, at least he's not on there…" Boruto tried joking though no one laughed.

"This is a memorial stone. The names of my closest friends are engraved here…" Kakashi stated in a voice where it looked like he was barely holding back tears.

"Oh man….I wonder what happened to them…." Boruto found himself slightly curious at what happened to Kakashi's old friends.

"Given from what I've heard that he was alive during the Third Great Ninja War, it's curious he lost them during then." Sarada deduced as Mitsuki was still silent.

Team Seven shot Kakashi looks of empathy before he shook his head. After all, that was in the past and not was what was relevant right now.

"Alright, I'm going to give you one more chance but I'm going to make it much harder on you. You'll have three hours to get a bell." Kakashi began as the team looked stunned at him.

"So I guess this must be when they passed." Mitsuki said.

"I guess so." Boruto curled his arms.

"Eat lunch now to build up strength but Naruto doesn't get any." Kakashi stated as Naruto tensed.

"Serves him right." Boruto sniggered.

"It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself. And…if anyone tries to feed him then that person will immediately fail." Kakashi stated as neither Sasuke nor Sakura looked pleased at the conditions of their new rules, whether it was because of how higher the stakes could be or rather it was cruel for them to go into battle with full stomachs while Naruto would go hungry was unclear.

"I make the rules. You follow them. Got it?" Kakashi asked before body flickering away.

"I've got it!" Boruto announced as Sarada nearly fell on her bottom.

"Okay first of all, don't scream so loud! Secondly, what did you get?" Sarada asked.

"It's not so much of them getting a bell but to see if the both of them will get over their pride and feed dad." Boruto said, remembering Kakashi's words about teamwork not too long ago.

"You're right…but the question is….will they do it?" Sarada asked.

"Of course but it's just a question of how and when." Mitsuki said as Sasuke and Sakura began digging into their lunch boxes before Naruto's stomach literally cut them off from eating as it growled loudly and hungrily.

"This is no big deal! I can go without eating for days, for weeks! Believe it! This is no big de-"Naruto tried spitting out bravado before his stomach cut him off with another growl as he looked down in shame and in hungry.

"No…problem…" Naruto muttered ashamed.

"Really? Because your stomach says otherwise." Boruto dryly said before a boxed lunch was handed right in front of him.

"Here." Sasuke offered Naruto his boxed lunch.

"Uncle Sasuke?" Boruto asked as Sarada and Mitsuki smiled.

"And this must be when they passed…" Sarada happily gasped though Naruto and Sakura didn't share her happiness but were shocked and horrified respectively.

"What? No Sasuke, you can't do that. You heard what the sensei said." Sakura tried reminding her teammate who looked unfazed as his mind was set on his decision.

"Kakashi's gone. We need to get those bells as a team. If Naruto's hungry, he'll be weak and ineffective. That hurts the team and jeopardizes the mission." Sasuke softly stated as Naruto looked taken aback by Sasuke's token of generosity while Team Konohamaru smiled at how selfless Sasuke was being.

"Now that's the Uncle Sasuke I know!" Boruto grinned as he was starting to turn into the Sasuke he knew and loved.

"I'll say." Sarada smiled her agreement as Sakura looked at her boxed lunch before presenting it to Naruto who looked teary-eyed at the love of his life offering him her food as she smiled warmly at him.

"…Okay…thanks…" Naruto was about to start sobbing as Sakura had to fight to roll her eyes at how overdramatic Naruto was being.

"What a dork!" Boruto snickered.

"Yeah, I can't help but wonder what made him end up with Miss Hinata." Sarada laughed, wanting to see that particular memory.

"Don't thank me, just hurry up and eat." Sakura said as Naruto looked a bit remorseful about taking Sakura's lunch. Sure Sasuke offered him his but Sakura was higher on Naruto's totem pole of Naruto's important people.

"But isn't that your lunch?" Naruto asked as Sakura seemed to be starting to regret offering Naruto her food.

"Uh…I'm on a diet…I mean I don't eat as much as Sasuke so uh…just take it Naruto!" Sakura yelled as Naruto gestured to his ropes.

"I can't take it…because I can't move my hands…so….you've got to feed me!" Naruto said as Sakura's brow twitched at the thought of doing so.

"Huh!?" Sakura yelled.

"She looks just excited to do so." Mitsuki chuckled.

"As excited as hit in the face with a rock." Boruto muttered as Sasuke looked around before being quick to remind Sakura what was at stake.

"Hurry up. He could come back any minute." Sasuke quickly reminded Sakura who growled as she was ready to shove her lunch box in Naruto's face.

"This is one time only….That's it! I will never do this again, is that clear!?" Sakura demanded.

"How very generous." Boruto rolled his eyes though Naruto was unfazed with Sakura's anger.

"Clear as a bell, Sakura." Naruto grinned as he happily accepted the food from Sakura's lunch box as this was the closest he felt to heaven, having the love of his life feed him while Sakura looked ready to gouge out his eyes with her chopsticks.

However, before Naruto could get any more food, a cloud of smoke covered the field, revealing a very irate Kakashi.

"YOU!" Kakashi growled as a gust of wind erupted around the three, nearly sending all three Genin skidding back.

"And he looks just happy!" Boruto yelled, just wondering what was going to happen now.

"What's wrong with him!?" Sarada was taken aback at how abrasive Kakashi was being as she had never seen Kakashi so scary.

"You broke the rules, I hope you're ready for the punishment." Kakashi glared at the three as he ran through several hand-signs as a thunderstorm was apparently summoned as the skies and clouds above darkened.

"Is he trying to kill them!? What's the point in all of this?" Boruto demanded as Mitsuki appeared to be the only one unfazed at all of what was happening.

"Once again, he's trying to make a point. Or just…show off." Mitsuki chuckled as Sarada sighed.

"Kakashi-Sensei is just a weirdo…." Sarada grunted as Naruto and Sakura were trembling in fear as Naruto gritted his teeth nervously."

"B-but you said…" Naruto stuttered out as Kakashi turned his glare to the orange clad ninja.

"Yes?" Kakashi tilted his head, curious as to what Naruto would say now that their ninja careers were apparently in the gutter.

"You said there were three of us! That's what you said! And that's why Sakura and-"Naruto started off.

"We're all on this squad and we're all in this together!" Sasuke added in support of Naruto.

"Yeah that's right! We gave our lunch to him because the three of us are one!" Sakura spat as Team Konohamaru could hardly believe their eyes. Was this the same Team Seven they had seen not even ten minutes ago?

"…It looks like they finally got it." Boruto smiled.

"Indeed." Mitsuki smiled though Kakashi looked unimpressed with their answers as he tilted his head back.

"The three of you are one? That's your answer?" Kakashi asked as Team Seven all glared defiantly at him before he suddenly smiled before saying the following words, "You pass!"

"Whomp, there it is!" Boruto grinned though Team Seven looked just confused and lost for words.

"…H-huh?" Naruto asked.

"What do you mean? How did we pass?" Sakura asked as the cloud skies slowly cleared revealing the once beautiful afternoon it once was.

"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves. 'A ninja must see through deception'. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true. But those who abandon their friends are worst than scum." Kakashi explained as Team Konohamaru smiled in agreement while Team Seven had clearly gained a newfound respect for the scarecrow lookalike.

"As stated by our lord and savior Kakashi." Mitsuki joked.

"Aww, dad looks like he's gonna start crying." Boruto snickered at his dad's teary-eyed expression.

"Well he's finally seen firsthand of what a ninja should be like." Sarada smiled at Naruto.

"H-he's you know….kind of cool…." Naruto muttered in awe as Sakura smiled while even Sasuke managed a small smile.

"The exercise is over. Everyone passes. Squad Seven starts its first mission tomorrow!" Kakashi declared giving his team a thumbs up along with a real genuine smile under his mask.

"Yes! They really did it!" Boruto and Sarada exclaimed hugging each other happily before they immediately realized in disgust what they did as Sarada pushed off Boruto harshly.

"Keep your hands off me, perv!" Sarada yelled with her nostrils flaring.

"I can say the same to you!" Boruto spat back as Mitsuki easily got in between the two.

"Now now." The mediator of Team Konohamaru broke the two up.

"Yes!" Sakura cheered as she jumped up and down.

"Yes! I did it! I'm a ninja, ninja, ninja!" Naruto cheered flailing his arms and legs around while even though he wasn't as joyful as the two, Sasuke still had a satisfied expression on his face.

"Let's go home." Kakashi said as everyone soon followed after him, retrieving their bags and looking forward to the upcoming future of their ninja careers.

Or rather…mostly everyone….

"Ugh! I knew they'd do this! It happens every time believe it!" Naruto yelled as Boruto, Mitsuki and even Sarada all laughed at Naruto's plight.

"They actually forgot him!? That's messed up in so many ways!" Sarada wiped a tear from her eye.

"What did I say before?" Mitsuki cheesily grinned.

"That this was the most entertaining memory we've seen so far." Boruto snickered.

"Something tells me there are gonna be even funnier memories the further we go down the road." Sarada managed to calm down while Naruto looked ready to breathe fire.

"YOU GUYS FORGOT TO UNTIE ME!" Naruto yelled as the bluish-purplish foggy-mist enveloped around the memory before it darkened…ending the memory of how Team Seven was formed.

---

As I type and upload this chapter, I can hardly believe we're reaching ten chapters! Huh…it feels like it was only yesterday when I uploaded the prologue to this story!

Which reminds me, just know I already have the last chapter to this story already typed up! Huh…kinda feels like Oda in that regard XP

Oh speaking of, as I've typed this chapter and went back to old episodes to get all the dialogue for the memories used in this chapter and even the last couple of ones, it's kind of surreal with how far the animation has come from the OG Naruto days to where we are in Shippuden as well as Boruto.

Which brings me to my question for you guys:

Which OST do you all prefer? The OG Naruto, Shippuden or Boruto's?

With that all being said and done, I will see you all in Chapter 9 coming March 11th! ^_^

Until then, kindly stay beautiful! ^_^