Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor am I an expert on the Naruto Universe.


Chapter 9: Graduation

"Alright, settle down," Iruka yelled to the class. "Take your seats."

Naruto closed his scroll and rubbed his face with one hand. He couldn't focus on studying anything. With the Graduation Exam so close, his nervous energy only allowed him respite when he physically trained. He envied Shikamaru, who slept face down on his desk.

"Tomorrow, I want all of you to do your best. I know what each of you is capable of, so do not disappoint me or, and more importantly, disappoint yourselves. Get a good night's sleep and eat a light breakfast tomorrow morning. The first half of the exam will be physical prowess. Then we'll have you take some tests before giving you a practical exam. Expect the exam to push your mental and physical capabilities. Any questions before I let you go for the day?" he asked.

"What happens if we don't pass?" Aikawa Shingen asked in a soft voice.

Iruka smiled at the long-haired boy. "Aikawa-kun, you'll do just fine. Remember what I've shown you over the last few months, and you'll graduate with ease. I expect all of you to pass," he followed up with a bright smile.

"No other questions?" Iruka asked after a minute went by. "Good, class dismissed. Be here tomorrow at seven."

Naruto snuck away before henging into a younger, female Academy student. None of the jonin waited outside, watching the students, but it didn't mean that Anko wasn't lurking in the shadows. He turned toward the closest alley and let the henge dissipate. Three seconds later, he appeared out of the other end of the alley, hunched over disguised as an older villager who'd yelled at him the previous week.

"Shouldn't you be resting for tomorrow," a familiar voice called out as Naruto finished a lethal strike on the training dummy. He pulled the kunai out of the chipped wood and turned to the speaker with a smile. "How was your mission, Tenten?" he asked.

The tall, slender kunoichi sauntered over to the sand circle containing nine practice dummies and drew out a curved dagger. "Boring as ever," she sighed. "I hate sacks of concrete," she complained as she rolled her shoulder.

"Hopefully, I'll be a genin soon. It'll suck doing all those boring missions, but at least I'll be one step closer to my dreams."

Tenten dropped into a crouch and started to circle Naruto. "You've been vague about what your dreams are," she commented.

Naruto switched his sharp kunai for a blunted one. He matched Tenten's stance and stepped into the familiar pre-bout dance. "It all starts with being a genin," he cheekily answered as he slashed toward her hand.

Tenten easily parried his attack and retaliated with a brief flurry of strikes. Naruto focused on defense, turning her attacks away with minimal movement of his hands like she'd shown him. "You're getting better," she praised with a smile. "What comes after that?"

Naruto fainted an attack at her hand once again before slashing at her right leg. Tenten smiled as she shifted her weight and dodged his attack. "Become a medical-nin," he answered as he pressed his advantage. He flicked the tip of his kunai toward her face before bringing it down at her wrist again.

Tenten moved her head back to dodge the feint and got her dagger up in time to deflect his attack. "You do realize," she casually said as she slashed at Naruto's wrist before turning the blade and attacking his left leg. "That you can't be on the front lines if you're a medical-nin," she finished when Naruto deflected her attack.

For the next several minutes, they attacked each other with a fury of slashes, lunges, and open-handed strikes. Tenten was a gifted knife fighter and she scored several marks across Naruto's clothes and left hand. Similarly, Naruto got in a few slashes that might have done some damage if their weapons weren't blunted. As it was, Tenten grunted with pain when he connected, but that seemed to spur her on instead of making her quit.

"I know I won't be on the front lines if I become a medical-nin. Is that really a bad thing?" Naruto asked as he turned Tenten's blade away and stomped on her foot.

She hissed and retaliated with a reverse slash that almost grazed his ribs. The attack would have slashed open his jumpsuit at the very least. "Cheat," she grumbled before resettling her stance.

Naruto just grinned at her. She'd done the same thing to him in one of their sparing matches. "I still can't beat you with a blade. How did you get so good?" he questioned as he half-heartedly attacked her again.

Tenten lept back, disengaging from their impromptu bout. "I've been practicing for years with my father and mother. Mom might not look like it now, but she was a demon with a tanto," she answered with a grin.

"You said your father used a chain and sickle?" Naruto asked as he slid the blunt kunai into his leg holster.

"Mom said he was probably the best in the village. He could attack from almost any angle, using his chakra to guide the chain. I would have loved to see him when he had both arms."

"You're usually with your mother this time of day. What's up?" Naruto asked as he inspected the red marks where Tenten's dull blade slashed him.

"I wanted to say good luck tomorrow," she grinned.

"Uh, huh, and what else?"

Tenten pulled a face and shook her head. "Boys," she huffed. "Fine, I wanted to see if you'd look at my training routine again. I've gotten better," she promised when she saw the look on his face.

"We spent three hours just last week," Naruto groused. "Going by Sannin Tsundae's training plan, you should have another month before we need to reevaluate. You even have the scroll. Why can't you do it yourself?"

Tenten looked uncomfortable. "Guy-sensei has the scroll," she admitted.

"What!" Naruto bellowed. "I told you to keep it safe. Ugh! Why did he even find out that you had it? There isn't another copy in the Academy Library. I'm not even supposed to have that one."

"How did you get it then?" a charming voice asked from somewhere behind Naruto.

Turning, Naruto spotted Tenten's jonin instructor. Might Guy was a tall and well-muscled shinobi. His fair skin, strong jawline, and dark, bowl-shaped haircut made him stand out in the village. Naruto encountered Jonin Guy on two occasions before. "I found it," he answered with a shrug.

"And you took it from the library?" the jonin questioned with a frown. A breeze opened Guy's green flack jacket to display the green spandex underneath. Naruto shook his head. "You didn't take it, then?"

"Oh, no, I did. I wanted to emulate her training plans. They've been useful. She tried to get the Academy to change, but it cost too much."

Guy smiled, his white teeth gleaming. "Then you won't mind me testing your progress," he challenged.

"No way," Naruto answered with a slash of his hand. "Jonin can't touch or help an Academy Student in any way. I could lose my chance to graduate if you did. No way am I jeopardizing that!" he yelled and jumped back, using chakra to give him even more distance.

Guy frowned and looked between Naruto and Tenten. "But you can spar with a genin?" he questioned.

"Genin or chunin, yes," Naruto answered with a nod. "Something the Second Hokage came up with... I think," he muttered. "It was in the Academy Rules."

"I wasn't aware," Guy mused with a shrug. "That's fine, once you're a genin, then we'll spar!"

"No way again," Naruto argued. He knew the muscle-brained jonin would beat him into the ground. Tenten told him how brutal her sensei could be. "After I'm a genin, I'll have my own jonin instructor. Only they can influence my training."

Jonin Guy pursed his lips. "You seem to have an answer for everything. Tell me, why did you want to use Lady Tsunade's training notes. They are notes... if you haven't guessed," he asked with a smile.

"I like Sannin Tsunade," Naruto answered honestly. Tenten shot him a brilliant smile. "I like her methodical approach to increasing weights, times, and repetitions to best suit where I am physically. It's all fascinating math that took me forever to figure out. With Iruka-sensei's help, we figured out what she was trying to teach, and I can't complain about the results."

"Now, I want to spar with you even more."

"Thanks, but I'll pass."

Tenten snickered but went silent at a single glance from her instructor. Might Guy grinned at him, his white teeth flashing once more. "You're in the springtime of your youth! Don't worry, when you're a genin, I'll work with your jonin sensei to show the village your accomplishments," he promised. "Hard work must be admired by all!" Guy laughed with his hands on his hips.

Naruto glanced at Tenten who gave him a one-shouldered shrug. "Ah, right, nice meeting you," Naruto called as he flooded his feet with chakra and escaped the training ground. Tenten just waved while Jonin Guy continued to laugh.

The next morning, Naruto woke early and cooked rice and one egg for breakfast. He spent a long time debating what he should wear. He wanted to show off the new clothes he got from Tenten's family shop but he'd feel worse if he somehow failed the graduation exam. He knew he could pass with distinction if the test wasn't rigged against him. After thinking about it for a long time, Naruto decided he would just wear his old jumpsuit, hopefully for the last time.

"Good morning," Iruka called to the assembled students on the training field. Naruto looked around as surreptitiously as he could. Standing in the middle of the field with the other students, he couldn't see as well as he'd like, but he could make out over a hundred watchers. Friends, family, other students, and shinobi of all ages watched Iruka speak. His eyes fell on the obstacle course. It looked even easier than the one Iruka had them practice on days before.

"... course one at a time," Iruka continued, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear around the training field. Naruto wasn't sure what he'd missed, but it didn't matter, he could do this with his eyes closed. "When your name is called, step up to the starting line. Complete the course as fast as you can. After you're done, sit in the grass over there," Iruka continued as he pointed to a small spot with a medical-nin standing by.

"Aburame Shino-kun, step forward," he called a moment later without reading off a list.

Naruto waited and waited and waited. It didn't take his fellow students long to get through the course, but he was excited to get it over with. A familiar face appeared in the crowd. Kabuto smiled at him and placed a finger over his lips before pointing to a boy who'd just run the obstacle course. Ige Takemi huffed and wheezed his way over to the medical-nin, a huge smile plastered on his face. Naruto tried to understand what Kabuto was telling him. He looked back and forth between the two, confused. Kiba went next and rocketed off the starting line with a howl. Somewhere in the crowd, a dog barked his agreement.

Kabuto repeated the gesture before pointing to Naruto. He made his hand flat and slowly lowered his hand. Naruto understood. Kabuto wanted him to lower his score to match Takemi. 'Why though?' Naruto thought with a frown. Something must have shown because Kabuto very carefully mouthed, "trust me".

This was his chance to show the village how far he'd come. How much work he'd put into wanting to become a shinobi. His eyes scanned the crowd. A few people were looking at him, standing near the back of the line with Sasuke and Ino, and glaring. Then it struck him, what Kabuto was trying to tell him. Why should he show off for the village? Nothing would ever change. He stopped his pranks, and they still hated him. The villagers still glared, they still tried to cheat him, they still wanted him dead and gone. Naruto looked up and nodded to Kabuto. His friend was right, he didn't need to prove anything to these people.

Sasuke went before him and as usual, the black-haired boy hissed a challenge that he'd do better than Naruto. "Just get it over with," Naruto huffed. His good mood was gone.

"What's up with you, grumpy-pants?" Ino asked once Sasuke dashed for the starting line.

"I just want this over."

"If you say so. Are you going to do like the guy in the glasses said? Go slower than your normal."

Naruto looked over at Ino, trying to ignore the howling cheers from the people around the field. "Yes," he answered with a shrug. "I have nothing to prove to them."

That made Ino frown, her eyebrows knitting inward. "Who?" she asked after a moment. Sasuke was already nearing the finish line of the obstacle course.

"The village," Naruto answered once Iruka had called his name. Ino sighed from behind him.

In the end, Naruto couldn't match Takemi's score exactly. He was a good bit faster but wasn't in the top ranking of the class. His fellow students just stared at him, shocked, while mutters from the crowd made it sound like they were unhappy too. Ino looked like she'd eaten a lemon. He wasn't winded, nor did he pretend to huff and puff as he went over to sit with the others. Sasuke glared at him and balled up his fists. Kiba scooted over as quietly as he could, which meant he made enough sound to wake the dead. "Why?" is the only thing he asked in a hushed voice.

"I didn't feel like running today," Naruto answered in a quieter voice so the others wouldn't hear him.

"You're a baka, you realize that right?" Kiba sighed.

"Probably."

After the obstacle course came weapon expertise. Naruto chose senbon. He wasn't as skilled with the weapons as he was a kunai, but he tried hard during this test. He drilled three senbon, thrown from one hand, into the target. The force of his attack split the wood between the vertical line of senbon.

After demonstrating their skill with thrown and melee weapons, Iruka moved them to hand-to-hand combat with a chunin. The Hyuga proctor forced a smile as Hinata tried her best. Naruto watched and frowned. He couldn't be sure, but he thought the proctor was actually trying to hurt their heiress. Hinata wasn't fighting as well as he knew she could be. When it came to his turn, all he got was a blank stare after the chunin bowed.

Naruto followed the combinations that Iruka called out. When his leg hit the Hyuga's hand, he felt a pulse of chakra enter his leg, right above a tenketsu. He stiffened as a shock of pain went through his leg. That pissed him off. Now he knew what the chunin did to Hinata. It took him a moment to reset. "So, you tried to sabotage her score," he said aloud, not caring who listened.

The Hyuga's face went white before turning a deep red. "What would you know?" he asked. "Next instruction," he hissed to Iruka.

Naruto nodded. He knew the score now. The next sequence started with a punch. He put everything he had into it. When his fist met the Hyuga's hand, it made a small clap of thunder. His leg sweep made a similar sound when the chunin raised his leg to block, as he was supposed to. A look of pure rage crossed the Hyuga's face. Naruto knew his attacks hurt the chunin, he'd meant for them too.

Iruka saw something and called the demonstration off after a few more exchanges. The Hyuga attacked Naruto's tenketsu whenever he could without making it look like outright sabotage. Naruto just grinned through the pain. The Head Instructor gave Naruto a worried look before turning to look at the Hyuga. "That will not happen again," he warned in a low, dangerous voice.

Ino went last and, under Iruka's intense gaze, performed well. After the hand-to-hand combat came a short rest. "Ano... thank you," Hinata muttered as she sat at the table beside Naruto in the auditorium. Short, black tables, lined up in five rows, had a bento box sitting on top.

"I thought something was wrong," Naruto answered with a shrug as he opened his box. He sniffed the sliced cabbage salad, rice, and three pieces of karaage before closing the lid.

Hinata frowned and looked between him and his bento box. She opened her and smiled. "This looks nice," she finally said.

"It smells off," Naruto warned. "The rice should be fine though," he amended after a moment.

That made Hinata pause. "What do you mean?" she questioned in a quiet voice as she looked around. Several students were already eating. Kiba, inhaling his food, almost had his box empty.

"I don't know. The cabbage and karaage smell off to me. I'll wait until later to eat. It might be my nose," Naruto shrugged. He sat cross-legged on his cushion and waited. Hinata looked indecisive but eventually closed her bento box and slid it away from herself. Naruto noticed Shikamaru and even Choji hadn't eaten as well.

After thirty minutes, the written exams started. At first, the questions were dead simple, then things changed. Several questions were open-ended with no true answer that Naruto could figure out. In one question, he was asked how he'd infiltrate a non-shinobi village. There were so many options that might be considered a correct answer.

Once he'd finished the first test, Iruka came over and took his exam. He nodded and gave Naruto ten minutes to relax. Once that time was up, Iruka placed another test in front of Naruto. The exam was specialist questions. Naruto struggled with a few areas, such as flower arrangement making, average prices of trade goods, and advanced team formations. Questions on the human body, chakra control, and basic justus were dead simple for him.

Iruka stood beside a small panel of judges, watching the students. Naruto noticed that the Head Instructor paid a lot of attention to one particular jonin judge that Naruto had never seen. The shinobi had a metal protector around most of his face, leaving his eyes, nose, and mouth exposed. His brown hair, cut short, shook numerous times as he read something from a test in front of him before he marked the paper.

After what felt like an eternity, Iruka told the students to relax as he took up the last tests. In total, there were seven tests. Kiba looked dead tired as he slumped over his table. He wasn't the only student who looked like they'd gone through Iruka-sensei's worse physical exercise punishments. Naruto glanced over at Hinata who looked bright-eyed and awake. She nodded to him with a grimace toward the bento box still sitting on their tables.

Iruka looked over his charges with a complex look on his face. He nodded to someone at the back of the auditorium. Moments later, several medical-nin came into view as they crouched over the exhausted students. Only one student was removed from the group, having fallen asleep. That sent chills down Naruto's spine. The food had been a trap, and after thinking about it for a moment, he realized why. Their mission, as students, was to graduate. Any food offered from someone other than your own hand could be a death sentence on a mission. Iruka specifically warned them to focus on the mission first and think through every step before making a decision. It appeared Sakura figured it out too as she stared down at the bento box she was about to eat. With a shiver, she closed the box and pushed it far to the other side of her table.

"Everyone has ten minutes to relax. You may not talk to one another. After you regain your strength, we'll move to the classroom for the final exam," Iruka instructed with a deep breath.

Naruto waited with the others. Kiba roused himself and even did jumping jacks to circulate the flow in his body. Naruto approved and shot the boisterous boy a nod. When the time came, Iruka reappeared in the auditorium and led the students to their homeroom classroom. Only one proctor was there, Mizuki.

"Alright, you're all almost there. I know it's been a tiring day, but push through and you'll graduate. Your final marks are being scored now. After you complete your jutsu demonstration, I'll lead you back into the auditorium," Iruka said as he took his place at the front of the room.

"Stand in line, alphabetical order," Mizuki called with a lazy wave of his hand.

Once everyone was in order, Iruka looked over his charges. "The Clone Jutsu is one of the most important jutsus you will use during your shinobi career. Outside of the Body Replacement Technique, which I've made sure to drill into your heads, the Clone Technique can distract and confuse your enemy. This will save your life one day. You must be able to perform the technique to graduate. Aburame Shino-kun, you're up first," he said with a nod to the sunglasses-wearing boy.

Naruto waited and performed the technique without issue. It was still harder than he wanted, but the two clones were whole, looked healthy, and more importantly could shadow his movements. He passed with the others.

Iruka left with instructions to Mizuki to wait until he called. Ten minutes later, the chunin led the students into the Academy's Formal Hall instead of the auditorium. Hiruzen sat at the head of the desk, Iruka at his right, and the unknown jonin shinobi to his left. Naruto followed the group until he stood near the back of the three rows. Once they were settled, the Hokage nodded to Iruka.

Hiruzen rose and looked across the room at the young students. "Everyone here has passed the initial requirements to become a Genin. When your name is called, step forward and receive your headband, your mark of adulthood, and pledge yourself to me and Konohagakure. Uchiha, Sasuke," he called as he stretched out a long scroll on the table in front of him. A puff of white smoke released from the scroll as twenty-two headbands, with the leaf symbol etched in the metal center, appeared on top of the scroll.

Sasuke strode from the back of the group up to the table, his head held high, as he took his place in front of Hiruzen. "Hokage-sama," he greeted with a hand-in-fist bow. Every student knew the ritual.

"Sasuke-san, you are a credit to your peers. Your hard work and dedication to your studies have set you apart and ahead of your graduating class. Take your headband," Hiruzen ordered with a wave. Sasuke took his forehead protector and bowed once more without expression. "Engrave these words into your heart and repeat after me," he instructed.

Sasuke nodded and stood straight, looking Hiruzen in the eyes. "Yes, Hokage-sama," he promised.

"By my life and Clan, I so swear to uphold the laws of Konohagakure. To protect my fellow citizens, no matter who they may be, and work toward a greater future for all. To listen and obey my superiors. By my life and Clan, I swear this," the Hokage intoned and watched Sasuke repeat the words. "This is but your first step toward becoming a Genin. Congratulations, Sasuke-san and good luck."

The Hokage repeated the ritual for each student. Sometimes in place of Clan, he would say family or village, depending on the status and upbringing of the student. For Naruto, Hiruzen asked him to swear by his life and clan. It was so unexpected that Naruto almost forgot his part of the ritual. Was Uzumaki a clan? He'd never even considered it. All thoughts flooded out of his mind as soon as Hiruzen dismissed him back to the others. His hands trembled as he clutched the headband to his chest. He was a genin, the first step to freedom was in his grasp.

A loud cheer rose as the Hokage dismissed the assembled students. Iruka laughed and clapped along with the other instructors. Mizuki stood in the doorway out of the Formal Hall. He stopped Sasuke from escaping his fan club just long enough to pass him a scroll. As Naruto moved to leave, Mizuki leaned over and said, "follow me, genin. That's an order."

Naruto blinked and looked back at Iruka, who was talking to the unknown jonin and the Hokage. Naruto shrugged and clutched his headband tighter. "Okay," he muttered. Mizuki seemed fine with his response and walked away, toward one of the classrooms. Once inside he turned around and looked Naruto over. "You passed, I'm surprised," the chunin stated with a shrug. "You aren't a genin yet, however. There are still two more tests that you aren't told about. The first is here, with me. Follow my orders and you'll move on to getting your jonin instructor. From there, they test you to see if they want to put up with a bunch of brats for a couple of years."

Naruto gulped and eyed the door. "Why didn't you approach other students then?" he asked. Everything about this felt wrong.

"Do not question orders. You simply do what a superior tells you. Now, this is your first real mission. It's sanctioned by the Hokage, his signature is at the bottom," Mizuki said as he passed Naruto a scroll. "Destroy it once you've read it. As your proctor for this last exam, I suggest you wait until you are sure you can complete this test before attempting it. Oh... and because I don't particularly like you, Naruto-tan, you have until tomorrow morning, at dawn, to meet me with the contents."

Naruto felt anger rising at the chunin's choice of wording. He marshaled his anger and took the scroll. "I see," he muttered as he started to unfurl the scroll.

"Not here, and you are not allowed to ask for help. In fact, don't speak to anyone about your mission. Your fellow students will receive their missions shortly. Leave," Mizuki ordered.

Naruto took one last look at the chunin before leaving. He stopped by the Formal Hall. Almost everyone was gone, except for a few students talking excitedly to each other. "Naruto, there you are," Iruka called as he walked up the hall.

Turning, Naruto smiled at his instructor. "Iruka-sensei," he bowed. "Thank you for helping me."

The chunin smiled and clapped Naruto on his shoulder. "It was my pleasure. Don't forget that you aren't quite a genin. Don't fail yourself, your team, or your jonin instructor. You'll be an amazing shinobi, I just know it," he said with a nod. "I wanted to congratulate you again. Your test scores are available if you want to see them."

"I know I passed," Naruto answered with a shake of his head. All that mattered was that he had a headband. He'd finish whatever mission Mizuki gave him and do whatever the jonin instructor wanted. There was nothing he wouldn't do to become a genin. Nothing he wouldn't do to find the freedom he longed for.

Naruto slipped past the other students, going out the back of the Academy and jumping over the low wall with ease. He went to his place in the abandoned hostel and just sat and stared at his headband. His headband! The excitement in his chest wouldn't abate as he imagined himself as powerful as Lady Tsunade, able to roam the Elemental Lands doing whatever she wanted to.

After a while, he settled enough to eat and open the scroll. All thoughts of a happy future fled as he read the words:

'Uzumaki Naruto, you are instructed to infiltrate the Hokage Residence, remove the Forbidden Scroll, and meet proctor Chunin Mizuki by Training Ground Eleven. This mission is classified as C-ranked. Intelligence puts the Scroll of Seals in the Hokage's Office. Succeed and you will become a genin, fail and you will be removed from the village.

Signed, The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.'

Naruto stiffened and read the scroll again. This was a death sentence of a mission. If he were caught in the Hokage Residence, it wouldn't be a problem, but if he were caught with the Scroll of Seals, then he could be put to death. Everything about Mizuki's mission smelled wrong. The only problem was, he couldn't be sure if it was legitimate or not. Naruto reread the scroll again, hoping against hope the words would change. The phrasing and layout on the mission looked wrong too. He'd only seen two other C-ranked missions from the genin ledger that Hiruzen allowed him to help with and the wording on his scroll was wrong. Naruto sat in silence for a long time, debating what he should do.

Dressed in his new outfit, Naruto kept to the shadows of the Hokage's Residence. It was midnight, and the chunin sentries had just rotated out with the night shift. Naruto snuck in by way of the kitchens, delivering two sacks of fresh vegetables. Henged as a villager he'd seen in the Hokage Residence before, no one questioned him. If anything, they looked tense as Naruto passed by.

Naruto had a plan, one that might keep him safe in case his worst fears were true, but he had to get the Forbidden Scroll first. Once he was out of sight of the guard, Naruto dropped the disguise and used his Cloak of Invisibility Technique to move from dark spot to dark spot along the long corridors. He thought someone spotted him twice, but when the chunin went to look, he walked right by his hiding place. Soaked in sweat from nerves, Naruto made it into the Hokage's Office. Sitting on the desk, as if Hiruzen had just finished writing, was the Forbidden Scroll. Naruto paused in the doorway. Something felt off, he retreated to a dark corner across the hall. Two long minutes later, a figure appeared in the open doorway, a white Anbu mask reflecting in the minimal light. The figure looked left and right before closing the door again.

Naruto shivered. He should have guessed the Hokage's Office would be guarded. An idea came to him that might work. Naruto stood and henged into Hiruzen, careful to get the details exactly right. He made sure he had an illusory pipe in his mouth. Everyone knew when the Hokage was thinking, he smoked his pipe. Naruto strode confidently toward the door and opened it. No one was in the office, but that didn't mean that the Anbu he'd seen earlier left. Naruto strode over to the Hokage's Desk and sat in the chair, trying to look like he owned the place.

Sitting in front of him was the unfurled Scroll of Seals. His heart hammered in his chest as he looked over the desk. A page, written in Hiruzen's hand, had the next few lines he was going to copy to the scroll. That meant the scroll on the desk was a fake. Naruto nodded to himself, tried to look important, and strode out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Naruto knew where the real scroll would be. He'd helped Hiruzen place it in the cabinet in the room adjacent to the Hokage's Office. Without thinking, he opened the door, strode into the room, turned left, and made his way quickly down the carpet in the middle of the rectangular room. At the far end, the real Scroll of Seals sat, or rather, the other fake. Naruto pushed open the small catch on the side of the podium where the scroll sat and looked inside. The real scroll, frayed ends on the top, waited for him in the darkness.

Getting out was easier than he'd dare hope. Something set off the guards on the other end of the residence. He used the confusion to leave through a window on the third floor, landing in a nearby tree easily. Chakra flooded his feet as he made his way through the village, keeping to the shadows, as he headed for the forest. As he reached his hideout in the abandoned hostel, he saw teams of shinobi taking off for the wall surrounding the village. Either something was very wrong, or the mission he'd been given was really a lie. Naruto wasn't dumb and it seemed the village was now on high alert.

Three hours later, Naruto landed in the clearing of the training ground. He had the Scroll of Seals tied to his back, his chakra-enhanced kunai in hand. No one was there. "I thought you weren't coming," a voice called from the darkness.

"Mizuki-san, I have the requirement for the mission," Naruto called, looking around for the instructor. He needed to keep calm.

"You know, I pity you," the chunin said as he exited the trees. "Too stupid to see the truth. A jinchuriki to a village that hates you." Mizuki frowned as he looked Naruto over. "You knew already? Hah, and you still want to protect this garbage village? Hand over the Forbidden Scroll. I'll allow you to live, or... you know what. No, I don't think I will."

Before Naruto could speak, Mizuki sent several kunai at him. Naruto dodged and blocked the only kunai that came close to hitting him. Everything happened at once. Several senbon flew from the trees and struck Mizuki in the back as two chains snaked around his legs.

"What!" Mizuki cried as he launched two kunai into the bushes where one of the chains led into. The other bush shifted as the chain wrapped around Mizuki's left leg yanked taught. A yelp and a burst of white smoke came from the first bush.

Naruto dashed into the treeline as he launched three senbon at Mizuki's right leg. Only one hit, but it hit with enough force to drive the needle deep into his upper thigh. Mizuki howled in rage. A giant sharp fan appeared in his hand. He threw it at Naruto as he tried to wrench the chain wrapped around his left leg forward.

Naruto played a hit-and-run game with the skilled chunin instructor. He managed to hit Mizuki several more times with senbon but got a nasty gash along his ribs from the fuma shuriken. Naruto only barely managed to get away as the giant metal shuriken returned to its owner.

"You wretched beast. I'll make sure you die tonight. I don't care what it takes! You'll die!" the crazed instructor screamed as he launched the fan again. Senbon, from two different directions, flew at him. One metal needle caught the chunin in the hand. The fuma shuriken flew wide as Mizuki's hand spasmed.

Nine different Narutos appeared from the trees and slammed into Mizuki's stunned body. The skilled chunin killed two clones with a kunai that appeared out of nowhere into his hand. With puffs of smoke, the two destroyed clones disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What... did..." Mizuki tried as ask as he attempted to parry several attacks. Blood ran from a deep cut across the chunin's forehead across his face.

The real Naruto stepped from out behind the trees, the chakra-enhanced kunai in his right hand. "I had a little time to kill while my friend did me a favor," he answered and charged.

Before Naruto could get to Mizuki to kill him, a blur slammed into his left side from out of the trees and he knew only darkness.

Naruto woke slowly, his left side hurt and it was hard to breathe. The gash along his ribs on the left side throbbed. It couldn't have been long since he'd been knocked out. After a moment, he realized his arms were held above his head by chains. Heavy manacles squeezed into his wrists. He slowly opened his eyes when he realized he was naked. In front of him stood two shinobi. One he knew, and one he didn't. Inoichi Yamanaka, Ino's father, had a puzzled look on his face as he inspected Naruto. The other shinobi, his face marred by two massive scars across his cheeks and down the side of his neck, glared down at Naruto.

"You're awake," Inoichi greeted as he took a seat.

"Yeah," Naruto coughed, it hurt to breathe. At least the pain in his side was lessening.

"Why did you steal the Scroll of Sealing?" the scarred man asked. The dark material on top of his head shifted a little as he leaned forward.

"Instructor Mizuki gave me a mission. It felt fake, but I'm supposed to follow any order from a senior shinobi. I took the Forbidden Scroll but then hid it," Naruto answered honestly.

"Where did you hide it?" Inoichi asked in a deep voice, almost sounding like someone else.

Naruto sniffed the air. Something wasn't right. He was locked in a cell, chained to a wall, but it smelled like grass. The sent was faint, but he couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. "I can't answer that," he said. "You aren't real," he added.

With a jarring sensation, the world around him warped. One moment, he was in the dark dungeon cell, and the next he sat in the forest. He could see the clearing for the training ground, but couldn't see anything other than bushes and trees. Inoichi and the strange shinobi were there, but so were Iruka and several other shinobi.

Naruto's mentor gave him a sad smile. "Answer the question, Naruto," Iruka prompted as he came closer.

"A boarded-up hostel. I use the place to practice trap-making and have some stuff there. On top of the scroll is the mission I was given from Mizuki-san. Is he alive?" Naruto asked.

"You were doing a good job of dismantling him until the fuma shuriken slammed into your side. You got lucky," the scarred shinobi answered and looked up. Three Anbu appeared out of the trees, hopping down to the ground. Naruto spotted Dog immediately. He didn't say anything, but he knew she was looking at him. "Retrieve the scroll, return when you have it."

"That won't be necessary," a familiar voice said as the Hokage lept to the ground lightly. "Naruto-kun, your friend reached me in time. I have all the evidence and have the scroll secured. This just became a sealed mission. You should have come to me yourself, but I suppose you were distracted," Hiruzen continued with a hard look at Naruto.

"Ah," Naruto tried to say. A figure appeared around the tree he was tied to and slashed the rope holding his arms above his head. With a grunt of pain, Naruto let his arms drop.

"I still need to finish here, Hokage," Inoichi said as he turned to the older man.

"Naruto, do you submit to having Inoichi-san delve into your memories of the past twenty-four hours? Only twenty-four, mind," the Hokage warned with a look at the taller shinobi. Inoichi nodded once and turned to Naruto.

"That's fine," Naruto answered. The tall, blonde-haired shinobi crouched in front of him and placed both hands over Naruto's temples. Before he could say anything, Inoichi made his vision spin. Naruto's sight narrowed and widened as shadows swirled at the edge of his vision. It was disorienting. Thoughts, memories, and decisions whirled through his mind as the events of the day flashed by in a dizzying swirl of color, smells, and images.

"... truth. However, you..." Inoichi was saying somewhere out of the darkness. Naruto felt like his head might burst from the pain. He looked up when a shadow crossed over his path. Two hands rested on his shoulders as a warm feeling spread through his body.

"He'll be alright now. He took a good beating earlier," a soft, feminine voice said as the shadow moved away.

Naruto started to feel better a few minutes later. The shinobi around him spoke in low voices. Hiruzen came over and crouched down. "You realize you could have killed yourself with the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I needed something to give me an edge. There is no way I could have fought Mizuki-san. I kinda hoped he talk my ear off like he always does. That way you all could have gotten here earlier. I'm glad Kiba could get to you on time."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Oh, he'll pay for it, so get him something as a thank you. His mother was less than amused when he snuck out of his clan's compound to get me your information. I'm curious, why did you ask Anko-san of all people to contact Iruka?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto groaned. "She found me as I was leaving my hideout. She... wasn't happy with me for hiding from her the last few weeks. If I didn't know any better, you were the one that sicked that psycho on me," Naruto complained.

Hiruzen smiled and shook his head. "I asked her to talk to you, once. It's her business if she wishes to keep talking to you. I'd listen to what she says. Anko-san is a smart woman and a better kunoichi. Now, tomorrow, you'll go to the Academy to meet your jonin instructor," the Hokage said with a thin smile. "I want you to... be open-minded. I know you've had some trouble before, but listen to me. This is your best shot at becoming a great shinobi. Your instructor knows what you want, what your goals are. Work with them, and they will work with you. Get along with your teammates as well," he finished with a smile. "Nothing that happened tonight is to ever be repeated, are we clear? I've already spoken to Kiba-san to keep his mouth closed."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Naruto answered with a nod. He started to rise but Hiruzen put a hand on his shoulder. "Wait a little longer. You came very close to dying tonight."

"How... what... is Mizuki-san..." Naruto asked as he tried to peer over or through the bushes.

"My ex-chunin instructor is in the custody of the village. He is alive. Your clones disappeared as soon as you blacked out, which I might add, was a good thing. If Mizuki-san died... well, it'd be your word we would have to go by. Remember that capturing spies of the village almost always is a better option."

Naruto nodded and sat back. He reached up and brushed a finger across the metal of his headband. "You chose well," the Hokage said as he rose. "I like your new look. I'll overlook that you read the Forbidden Scroll. I have to ask, did you copy anything?"

"Just the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto answered truthfully. "I wanted to do more, but I was already pressed for time. My clones helped me make the fake Sealing Scroll, so maybe I could have read a little longer."

Hiruzen stared down at Naruto and shook his head. "This is your life you hold in your hands. Those techniques could kill you if you use them at the wrong time. That is my only warning, and why I only have Jonin Shinobi learn it. They know their limits, you do not. Take heed whenever you use the technique. Understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Naruto answered.

Naruto, wearing his new clothes, recently patched up, and headband, was first into his homeroom classroom. Kiba and Arai Nao came in next. They both froze, mid-step, as they looked at Naruto sitting at the back of the class.

"You look amazing!" Kiba bellowed as he charged up the stairs. A yapping dog made Naruto smile. Kiba could bring Akamaru with him now.

"Thanks, it took me a while to pick the outfit," Naruto answered with a laugh.

Tenten's mother, Kazuki Yahiro, gave him some options and hand-tailored the outfit he wore. Gone was the faded, ripped, and patched, jumpsuit he wore for the last few years. Naruto now wore a form-fitting, flexible iron-mesh bodysuit underneath a dark blue, almost black, jacket that came down to his upper thighs. Across his chest, he had a dark belt with several pockets for scrolls, supplies, and weapons. The dark jacket had a protective lining that, coupled with the iron-mesh bodysuit, probably saved his life the night before. Naruto's new pants were dark blue as well with padding on his thighs and around his shins. In theory, Yahiro thought the extra protection would help him when he had to fight in hand-to-hand combat. Dark, supple wrapping covered his feet. After talking to Yano for a long time, Naruto decided to go with combat sandles over the boots he'd been eyeing. The last bit of his new outfit was the long band he used for his headband. Sitting on his forehead, the metal plate declaring his village's emblem had a long, dark blue wrapping to keep it tied to Naruto's head. The ends of the wrapping extended out, draping down his shoulders.

"You look like a professional shinobi," Kiba praised and look Naruto over. "Oh man, I need to get an outfit like yours. Ugh! I spent all my money mom gave me thought! Oh, right, how did last night go? I got in some serious trouble," he admitted.

"Thank you for getting the message to... well, you know. We can't talk about it. All that matters is that it's done. Thank you again. I owe you."

"What are... Naruto?" Sakura gasped as she looked him over. "Ugh, why are you trying to look like Sasuke-kun with all the dark colors?"

"This helps me blend into the darkness better," Naruto challenged. "This has nothing to do with him."

Sakura snorted and shook her head. "He'll be better than you, no matter what you try to emulate," she laughed.

Sakura wasn't the only one to think Naruto was trying to look like Sasuke. The brooding Uchiha sneered at Naruto, but didn't comment. Ino praised his new outfit, even going as far as to say she liked it better. Sakura tried to goad Ino into admitting she liked Naruto. That escalated into an argument.

"Settle down," Iruka ordered as he entered the room. The room finally settled down as the newly promoted genin found their seats. The Head Instructor looked around and smiled. "Well done yesterday, everyone. You put in your all."

"Did someone poison the food?" Handa Abi asked, her shoulder-length blonde hair swaying as she stood quickly. "Kaga-kun didn't make it! He said all of a sudden he felt too sleepy to continue."

Iruka looked up at her and nodded. "You were on a mission to complete the graduation exam. Focus and dedication until you complete a mission are necessary to become a competent shinobi. I spoke to everyone before about how important it was to eat your own food while on a mission and accept nothing from strangers. The food shouldn't have made Kaga-kun that tired unless he didn't eat that morning or didn't get enough sleep the night before," Iruka explained.

"What'll happen to him?" another student asked.

"He'll get another chance, but it won't be as easy as it was this time. Now, are we going to keep talking or do you want to learn which teams you'll be in?" Iruka asked with a smile. Everyone perked up. "I thought so. Now, Team One will be Handa Abi, Kyoya Shoyo, and Koki Toki. You'll meet your jonin instructors after lunch. Any questions?" he asked the three excited genin.

"No, Iruka-sensei!" the three answered in near unison.

Naruto sat through the next few minutes, waiting to hear his name. He felt a sense of dread creep into the pit of his stomach. None of the clan children had been picked yet and they were already on Team Six. "Alright, I know you two aren't friend," Iruka yelled over Koyasu Juro and Taira Shinji's argument. "You two need to work it out and fast. Team Seven, Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, and Uchiha Sasuke," he said as he glanced down at his list.

"Why do I have to be in a group with him!" Kiba yelled at the same time as Sakura cheered an ear-splitting scream of excitement. Sasuke looked resigned.

"Kiba-kun, you got the worst score in the entire class. If you hadn't eaten the food, you might have done better, but you didn't," Iruka explained in a soft voice. "You need to learn to work with Sasuke-kun. He'll be your teammate with Sakura-kun. We place the best and the worst scorers in the same team to even out the balance of the team."

"But, I'm not the worst in the class!"

"Maybe not, but that's not what your scores showed over the last four years. Kiba-kun, you slacked off. Continue to grow and get better. Now, next, Team Eight," Iruka called as his eyes flicked to his paper. He frowned. "Hyuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto blinked and looked over at his new teammates. Hinata had a red face but she smiled at him. From the other side of the room, Shino nodded before turning back to the front of the room. He was so glad he got a good team he completely missed who was in Team Nine.

"Team Ten, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru," Iruka called with a nod. "I thought they might but the Ino-Shika-Cho team back together. Your fathers worked well together, I expect you all will as well. Alright, that's everyone. Again, if you have a name in your group that isn't here, that's because they didn't make it as a full genin yet. There are other programs and opportunities out there. I encourage all of you to work with your teammates in the coming years. You have two hours before lunch. Meet with your new teammates, talk, and learn more about each other. After lunch, come back here to meet your instructors. Dismissed!"

Naruto followed Shino and Hinata out to the closest park. They sat on a bench under a huge cedar tree. Hinata, red-faced, stared at the ground while Shino stared into the woods. Naruto felt like it fell to him to say something. "So, any complaints on our team?" he asked a little lamely.

"No," Hinata quickly answered with an emphatic shake of her head.

"No, you're both competent," Shino answered with the barest of shrugs.

"Why do you think the old man picked us as a team?"

Hinata and Shino shared a look before turning to Naruto. "I don't know," Hinata admitted. "Information gathering," Shino answered.

Naruto mulled over what the quiet shinobi said. "That makes sense. You specialize in gathering information with your... bikochu, right?" he asked, almost saying the word bugs. He knew the Aburame Clan didn't take well to having their companions classified as bugs.

"I currently have bikochu and am cultivating kikaichu," Shino answered in a monotone voice. "The bikochu is best used for tracking by smell while the kikaichu are beetles that have several combat uses. It is acceptable to refer to them as my insects or symbiotes, as we have a symbiosis with our insects."

Naruto nodded and shrugged. "I just knew not to call them... you know," he hedged. "Anyway, your bikochu is useful for tracking. You might be right. I'm trying to be a medical-nin, but with my shadow clones, well... I could be an asset to the team as a scout or have more eyes and ears to cover a large area. Speaking of eyes, Hinata-san, your eyes are a great tool and weapon for gathering intelligence. Now that I say it all out loud, I think you're right, Shino-san," he finished with a nod. It did make sense.

"Just Shino," the Aburame said with a nod. "If I may call you, just Naruto."

"Yeah, we'll be teammates from now on."

"Hinata, please."

For a while, they took turns talking about each other's interests and what they hoped their jonin instructor would show them. Hinata wanted to work on her Byakugan and Shino just wanted to find more exotic insects to potentially form a bond with. Naruto just said he wanted to learn more medical-nin stuff and left it at that. He somewhat liked Shino and didn't mind working with Hinata, but he didn't trust them.

After lunch, the three heard an argument between Sakura and Kiba long before they saw the pair. Sasuke, looking more morose than normal, sat to one side of the classroom, far away from his teammates. The two bickering genin didn't even realize when everyone came into the class. It wasn't until Iruka yelled at them did they realize anyone existed outside of their argument.

Naruto got bored waiting for the jonin instructors and started to pull out a scroll. Just as he got it unrolled, he looked up to see Iruka smile and go to the door. Six jonin walked in, a short, lanky-faced man in the lead. "Group One, you're with me," he said before anyone else could speak.

Iruka shrugged and stood by the door. "Team Three, you're with me," one short-haired kunoichiordered in a voice just above a whisper.

Naruto's eyes tracked over the jonin instructors. He prayed he wouldn't get one in particular. Asuma spoke next. "Team Ten," was all he said as he looked up at the Ino-Shika-Cho group. Shikamaru sighed deeply.

Kurenai Yuhi stepped forward and looked at Hinata. "Team Eight, if you will," she stated with a smile. Naruto felt his stomach drop.

In a daze, Naruto followed his teammates out of the Academy. Kurenai guided them up the street toward the middle of the village. No one spoke. After a short time, the jonin stopped in front of a tea shop and entered. Naruto followed in behind the others and sat on the bench across from Kurenai. He let Shino and Hinata in first, so he could make an escape if he needed to.

No one spoke. The silence stretched on until a confused waitstaff appeared with a pad of paper. "Welcome, may I take your order?" the young villager asked.

Kurenai looked at the genin before answering, "I will have Sencha. I will pay for today." She turned to her charges. "Order if you wish, this is just so I can get to know you better," she instructed.

Hinata smiled shyly and answered, "Hojicha, please."

Shino paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Would water do?" the villager asked. He nodded as she marked something on her paper.

Naruto debated not ordering anything but he was thirsty. "Sencha, please," he ordered. He noticed the tightening of the villager's eyes, but nothing else was said.

"Some of you may know me, others probably don't. My name is Yuhi Kureani. Some say I am the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha, and to some extent, they are correct. While I specialize in genjutsu, I am quite adept at taijutsu and ninjutsu. I am a forthright person and respect those who tell me the truth. I enjoy painting and gardening," she finished with a smile. Turning to Shino, she said, "what are your hobbies and what do you like to do?"

Naruto listened with half an ear as he stared at his jonin instructor. He couldn't believe he got the worst possible leader he could think of for his team. It took him a moment to realize, Kurenai had asked him a question. "I enjoy cooking ramen, training, and getting better at medical-nin techniques," he answered.

Kurenai blinked at him and was about to ask something but was interrupted when the tea arrived. Everyone drank a little of their tea, except Shino, before Kurenai spoke again. "Medical-nin? That's... well, more advanced than what is in your file," she said in a soft voice.

"Naruto-kun's been studying it for like two years now," Hinata helpfully put in. Everyone stared at her, causing her to blush deep red.

"Is that true?"

"I honestly don't know, but I don't think it's been two years," he answered with a small shrug.

"Everything in your file says you've got chakra control issues. An enormous base, but little actual finesse. Sorry, I'm just trying to understand why things are so... incorrect," Kurenai apologized.

"He could have graduated a year or more ago, but someone's been altering his tests," Shino reported in a flat tone.

Naruto's head whipped around, almost hard enough for it to hurt. "You knew?" he gasped. "How!"

"Easy," Shino answered at the same volume, "you wrote an answer for every question, but the instructors kept saying you didn't finish your tests. Anyone with half a brain can figure out something is wrong. With minimal effort, I figured out someone was altering your grates. Just look at Fumi-sensei's class. You didn't complete one assignment, but somehow she kept grading your work."

Hinata nodded. "Ever since that detention you got with... I can't remember his name... but, ever since then, it was like instructors didn't care what you did," she reported with a grumble. "I couldn't look at your work when you stopped," she complained before going bright red.

Kurenai looked between the three of them. "Are... you kidding me?" she asked in a strange voice. Naruto didn't answer but Hinata and Shino seemed happy enough to answer. "How long?" she asked as she turned to Naruto.

He sighed and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm out of the Academy. I'll do what I need to to become a genin, and I'll be a medical-nin," he answered. "Iruka-sensei knows about the issue and... well, I don't know what he did about it, but I got a fair shot this year."

Kurenai just stared at him. "How long, Naruto-kun?" she asked again.

Naruto sighed. "Since the beginning, okay? It became obvious in my first year someone, probably the Council, didn't want me to graduate. I was sure of it in my second year. After that, well... does it really matter now?" he asked with a huff.

"Yes, it matters. It means a lot if someone is actively altering the foundation of our military system. You said Iruka-san knew of this?"

"Yeah, he had some hearing or something near the start of the year. He was gone for a while and Mizuki-san took over the class," Naruto answered. He couldn't help the anger he felt for the ex-instructor to creep into his voice.

Three sets of eyes stared at him. "You... really hate Mizuki-sensei, didn't you?" Hinata asked in a soft voice. Her face went blood red again when he stared back at her.

"I have a good reason for that. However, I can't talk about it. Hokage's orders."

That caused Kurenai to sit up. "No way," she muttered as she looked Naruto over again. "You and I are going to have a conversation after this is over. Don't give me that look, we've needed to talk for some time. Now, Hinata-kun, what are your hobbies and interests?" she asked in a soft tone.

Naruto listened to Kurenai talk to his teammates, only speaking when he had to. It didn't take long for him to realize the kunoichi had a soft spot for Hinata. He wasn't jealous, but it was surprising. Most of the instructors tended to ignore the blue-haired girl whenever possible.

"Tomorrow, you'll meet me at Training Ground Eight. Nine in the morning," Kurenai instructed as they left the tea shop. "Eat a light meal. Now, Naruto-kun, you and I need to have a conversation."