Chapter 12

"Naruto," the Sandaime Hokage said holding a headband with his right hand. He pushed it towards the blond, who just stared at it. "I know you lost the one I previously gave you. In any case, treasure this one as you will now be officially a Genin of Konoha."

That meant that Anbu life was over. It had been a short journey in the black ops, but a fruitful one that made him understand things in a new light and he was able to make some plans as well as plant his seeds. Agreeing with the Sandaime in joining Anbu hadn't been the wrong option, but a right one that would prove useful. He had gained a lot, including precious battle experience and got more familiar with the workings of Konoha's structures.

Even so, being Genin wasn't all fun and games. Naruto would rather he be given another rank other than genin. The rank was the lowest and it would be nothing but troublesome. He would be forced back into the grace of the brats he left at the academy.

Naruto wasn't really looking forward to engaging that group. Their heads were filled with fun and games. Life for him wasn't like that. He had serious matters to handle than playing in the park or playing a game of hide and seek. He hoped he would not be forced into the company of useless brats who would be nothing more than annoyances.

The blond stared at the headband before him for a long minute before grasping it with his right hand. He then tied it around his forehead and looked back at the Sandaime who was smiling broadly.

"It looks good on you," the old man said happily. "This proves that you're a shinobi of Konoha and that your loyalty lies with the Leaf," the old man added in a bit of a serious tone.

Seriously that was about just pushing it. The Sandaime clearly knew that he wasn't loyal to Konoha and that he would abandon this village without even thinking twice. The old man knew this and yet was still saying that. Perhaps he just trusted him to stay behind. Well, as long as the old man remained Hokage, Naruto would fight for Konoha, but the moment things change, he was fleeing.

Appearances did matter in this shinobi life. While he could not wear the damn metal plate with a smile, he could wear it as if he was proud. He could not afford to be seen glaring the headband with resentment. That would definitely look bad on him and it would give the eyes watching him a reason to act.

For now, he would play the part.

Naruto spoke, "I will make sure never to lose this one," he said calmly. "It is what is expected of a Konoha shinobi. Genin's are put into teams, who am I going to be put in a team with?"

"You can make a guess," The Sandaime said with a smile. "I did have some resistance in putting this team together. there are some people who think that you will be a bad influence on their kids and think that you shouldn't even be put in a genin cell, but rather continue working as an Anbu."

Interestingly enough, most of the clan heads seemed to be in agreement with the thought brought up by Danzo. It had been the first time that they had agreed with the war hawk. Perhaps they were also worried about Naruto's loyalties towards the hidden Leaf. There had been arguments that sending him into a genin cell would be wasting his skills. It was to better serve the village as Anbu than being a normal shinobi.

Hiashi in particular had been vocal in his disproval of his choice. Despite the man's political backing, the Sandaime had stood firm on his choice and reminded everyone that he was the Hokage and that his decisions were final. Of course that hadn't stopped Hiashi arguing with him, but the Sandaime had dully reminded the man of his place.

Although the Hyuga had discarded his eldest daughter, he really didn't want her in a team with Naruto. The Sandaime didn't really understand why because the blond was not really a disease and if anything, it was Hinata who would learn something from Naruto. That is if the blond doesn't ignore her.

Hiruzen was surely hoping that Naruto influences the Hyuga girl. If he was able to change the girl into a serious Kunoichi, it would look good on the Hyuga and Hiashi will be forced to acknowledge his daughter. Of course by then, the man would be forced to thank Naruto. If things went according to plan, Naruto would have the Uchiha and the Hyuuga behind him.

That would ensure that even if he does go from this office, those two clans would put enough power to force good to come to the blond's way.

If he was a mad man, the Sandaime would've been surely giggling at his grand scheme. This was just genius. Naruto didn't have to be loyal to Konoha to fight for it. He just had to be treated in the way he wanted and everyone just had to mind their own business and the blond would fight for this village. It was simple as that.

Only Danzo could ruin his best laid plans.

Naruto didn't even need to think about who his sensei was going to be in the genin cell. It was going to be Kakashi. No one was suitable to the job than the Jonin. If there had been someone could do a better job at trying to form attachments and be strong enough to handle him, he would have chosen someone else.

Naruto figured the old man accounted for his mind when picking the team. The Sandaime wouldn't put someone who didn't know him. It would be dangerous if he put someone he could easily outsmart. Kakashi may not look like it, but the man was smart and highly observant and the added fact was that the Jonin cared for him and the Sandaime trusted him with his own life.

Sasuke would form a teammate. Naruto suspected that was just part of some agenda from the Sandaime Hokage. But he would not complain with that teaming. It would give him a better chance to look after Sasuke and ensure that the Uchiha grew to levels he could be useful.

Ino was out of the picture… Naruto shook his head. The Sandaime would want someone he wasn't familiar with. Ino could still try to force her way into his life even without being in the same team as him. There was no need to team her with him. He could not figure who the fourth member of the team would be, but he was sure it wouldn't just be a random someone.

"Kakashi and Sasuke, who will be the last member?"

The Sandaime just smiled, "Go to the academy after 1pm and you will meet your teammates and sensei," the Sandaime said calmly, "You'll be surprised when you find out who the final member of team Kakashi will be."

Naruto stared at the old man for a moment before shaking his head. "I will head there," he said turning away from the old man.

The Sandaime Hokage looked at the blond with a careful eye. This world was really strange. It bitterly amused the old man at times. Naruto was someone he liked, but the thoughts inside his head about the blond were not ones that would make everyone happy. There was always a plot, a deeper meaning to the words he said.

Well, it was a game he played with the blond. It didn't matter if people would get it or not. Besides, for people to know the kind of game they played, they would have to enter their heads. Although there was the unwritten law that they should always be frank with one another, both of them had their own secrets.

Interestingly enough, the Sandaime often wondered who would come out victorious in this little game of theirs. Perhaps having such thoughts proved he was slowly turning towards the boundaries of what was right and wrong. He couldn't be faulted. Dealing with Naruto would push one to the limits, especially if one knew the blond's true nature.

The famed shinobi opened the drawer on his left hand and took out a file: Hokage eyes only. It was his little file. He had created the file on Naruto and it wasn't really filled with his thoughts about the blond. The observers submitted their reports and the Sandaime would add his response to the reports before putting them together in the file. It was more like a diary entry than anything.

The old man motioned for an Anbu to appear before him. The Anbu flashed in front of the Sandaime's desk a second later and the old man didn't speak. He continued staring at the file. He knew that if such a file was discovered it would course some damage. The file contained the worries he has always denied having in front of the council.

If something happened to him and the file fell into the wrongs hands, it would have massive and severe consequences. There were things about Naruto that only he knew inside the file; things that would make even Shikaku – who has always sided with him on the Naruto matter – think twice.

The Sandaime handed the file to the Anbu before laying out his instructions. "Keep this file locked away," he said. "If anything happens to me, it should be burnt. Not a day later, but a second later. No one should see that file, I am understood?"

"Hai," the Anbu saluted before disappearing into thin air.

The Sandaime Hokage leaned back to his chair and breathed out a long breath. Everything was all set now; it was just time to see how things would play out. He had played his part, and now it was time for the pieces to move.

Academy

Iruka hadn't been well pleased when the Sandaime Hokage had him give Naruto the graduation exam so that he could be entered into the teams. The blond had left the academy years ago and he couldn't say that he was ready for such for a genin. Everyone had to go through the academy first, but the Sandaime had insisted and when the thought of special treatment had crept in, the Sandaime was forced to tell him a secret.

Naruto had been an Anbu trainee.

The Chunin hadn't made arguments with the Sandaime Hokage after that revalation, but merely nodded and accepted every decision he made. Who was he to judge? He was just an academy teacher and a failure of a shinobi. Sure he loved teaching, but as a shinobi, he had miserably failed.

When Naruto walked into the class, and went towards the seat he had usually occupied during his days in the academy, the brats started.

"Iruka-sensei," one of the newly graduated genins called out. "What is he doing here? And why does he have a headband with him?"

Iruka cleared his throat. "Naruto is a genin like you," he said firmly. "He did the graduation exam and aced it, even better than Sasuke…" Of course he wouldn't say the blond was the top graduate because he wasn't in class. Official records will say that the Uchiha was the top student in his class and rightly so.

There were murmurs around the class. "He wasn't even attending class with us… this smells special treatment… is it because he is the Yondaime's son?"

That was something that Naruto would never get used to – being called the Yondaime's son. He has always been called a demon by the villagers and they had looked at him with contempt. Of course with the revelation their attitudes changed a little, but nothing much had really changed. It was almost like they were waiting for him to make a certain move before he can decide on whether to love or hate him regardless of his parentage.

"I find it impossible to believe that person was able to do better than Sasuke-kun," a fan girl snipped.

Iruka had to expect that his students would have a difficult time believing that Naruto had really bettered Sasuke and according to the Sandaime Hokage, the blond was better than the Uchiha in every way. Well, during his short days in the academy, he had been better, and Iruka could not find a reason to deny anything.

The academy teacher looked towards Naruto to see if he would be up to defending himself, but Iruka merely caught the sight of someone who showed lack of interest in anything going inside the class: the blond had his eyes outside, and given the body language, Iruka could say he had a bored look on his face.

Iruka shook his head and decided it wasn't really up to him to defend the Sandaime's decisions and if Naruto wanted to defend himself, he would defend himself.

"That is enough about Naruto," Iruka said in a hardened tone. "I just want to congratulate you for getting your headbands. I hope you make me proud when you hit the ground running. In any case, let us get to team assignments…"

Shikamaru was occupying the seat in front of Naruto. The Nara was sitting in a row with Chouji and Kiba. He glanced at the blond – who despite his face staring outside the window, glanced back at him, for a moment that is.

"I'm not really surprised that you came back," Shikamaru said to Naruto. "I figured you'd join us…" the Nara added.

There was no reaction in Naruto's face. He had always known that the Nara was smart. People may think he wasn't because he never really out an effort in anything, but Naruto knew. The Naras were a clan blessed high IQs after all.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," came a response from Naruto.

There was silence as Iruka continued to read out the teams. "… Team 7: Hyuga Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. Jonin sensei will be Hatake Kakashi. Team 8: Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura and Inuzuka Kiba..."

Once again, Naruto looked away.

He was really surprised that he was put in the same team with a Hyuga. There was only one Hyuga in this class, and he had a memory of girl: a slightly useless girl. He really hoped that she had changed. But that wasn't the worrying factor. He wondered why the Sandaime Hokage had put him in the same team as the Hyuga.

She could not be of use in his development, or Sasuke's. Then why? It was certainly not for balancing the team. Both he and Sasuke were above normal genins and Naruto was thinking perhaps the Hyuga had some skills as well. Not to mention she was also a doujutsu user. Even if the Hyuga does prove to the a nuisance, it wouldn't take away anything from the fact that this team was seriously overpowered.

There could be no genin team to stand against this one. He wasn't even a genin to begin with.

Well, Naruto wasn't going to complain. If the Hyuga does prove to be useful, then he would take advantage of the situation to suite his needs. Still, without finding the reason the Sandaime brought her into the team would make him cautious.

The girl was too timid to be a spy for the Sandaime and Naruto was sure it wasn't just a mask. The role of playing a spy suited someone like Ino. The blonde Yamanaka girl was noisy after all and had some keen eyes. It would-

Naruto's thoughts were cut by a groan from Shikamaru. The blond looked down the Nara – who now looked as if the energy out of him had been sucked dry.

"I really should have expected this, but this has done nothing but confirm my worst nightmare," Shikamaru said tiredly. "Ino is a bit too energetic for my liking. It is just going to make things too troublesome."

"At least you have me," Chouji offered some words to console his friend.

"Yeah," Shikamaru said. "That girl though…" he said glancing down the rows towards the Yamanaka.

"To say a little energetic is a massive understatement," Naruto said.

Ino was really full of energy. She was just way energetic. If she had red hair, Naruto would have mistaken her for an Uzumaki. Another fact was that she never really stopped talking and as he was starting to find out, most of it was just gossip. It was just nuisance to Naruto. He didn't have time for gossip.

Well, at least he wasn't going to end up in a team with her. He would never get anything serious done with her and if she was still chasing after Sasuke, it would have proved to be even more of a chore to deal with her.

"Let us trade," Shikamaru said. "Hinata for Ino. If I remember correctly, you used to get along with her."

"No," Naruto simply said. "Hinata is fine…"

"I can't believe that you got Hinata," Kiba grumbled with a pointed look towards Naruto. "I would have been pleased if she was in my time. Instead, I got an Uchiha fan girl. She has nothing special about her either."

"She is smarter than you," Chouji quipped, earning a glare from Kiba.

How could he retort to that? No one would agree with him if he said he was really smarter than the girl. Sakura was after all a top student. She was just book smart and for someone who wasn't from a clan, she really did work hard.

"Yeah well, at least I can beat her up."

"Yay," Chouji said. "Be proud about being able to beat up a girl. How manly of you…" the Akamichi tone was dripping with sarcasm. Even Kiba was able to note.

The boy looked red-faced for a moment before he crossed his hands across his chest, and put on a defensive look on his face, cheeks puffed up a bit. "Gender doesn't matter with being a shinobi."

"That may be right," Shikamaru said, "But we have just graduated and Sakura is still just a girl. Have you even seen her fight?"

This was an argument that Kiba wasn't going to win and he went back to focus on Naruto who had remained quiet since he started talking. Looking at that bored look on the blond's face, Kiba frowned, but decided that starting a conversation wasn't going to give him anything. He was likely going to be ignored.

Still, he needed to have one last word. "If you dare make a move on Hinata, you'll regret it," Kiba warned. "I don't have to worry about Sasuke. The brooding bastard might be gay and Hinata doesn't like him."

"Sounds like someone likes Hinata," Ino suddenly said, appearing before the group. She was wearing a smile on her face that clearly indicated that she had found some material to use.

"And what if I do?" Kiba responded, staring fiercely at Ino.

"Ah, no fun when you act like that," the Yamanaka girl said disappointedly and stalked away from the Inuzuka. She stopped just beside Naruto and gave the blond a stare. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Naruto contemplated on whether he should respond on the question or not. It would be just annoying if he did not and the girl wouldn't stop pestering him. He sighed and answered calmly. "The last time I saw you I wasn't aware…" he merely said.

Ino stared at him for a few moments, trying to catch any movement he would make that would tell her the blond was lying or not. Unfortunately for her, Naruto remained stiff as a brick, causing her to sigh. "I would have liked it if I was in a team with you…" the girl grumbled under her breath.

At least with Naruto she wouldn't have to do hard work. The blond was her black Knight; he would always protect her against all dangers. In missions, she would not have to worry about anything, Naruto would watch her back. But the lazy Shikamaru would probably just call her out if there was danger.

"Why, do you like him?" Kiba asked with a grin after hearing the Yamanaka grumble.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," Ino responded with a shrug. "Who cares anyway? And it isn't like Naruto is a bad person. He is superior to you in every way, and even better than Sasuke. It wouldn't be a problem if I liked him."

Kiba said nothing, but he was really insulted. The girl had narrowed her gaze from head to toe; measuring him up and after all that, she said Naruto was superior to him in every way. He wasn't better but superior. That was a slap to his pride. A truly massive blow and Kiba really didn't like anyone who did that.

Before he could explode, "Team Asuma," Asuma said a bit lazily as he walked into the class. "Please follow me," he said.

"We are not done," Ino said to Naruto in a hardened tone before turning away.

Naruto said nothing.

Shikamaru merely shook his head before glancing at the blond Uzumaki. "…Shogi some time at my house?" He offered lightly. They did have some unresolved issues with their relationship and Shikamaru was going to follow up to it.

Naruto nodded, "Why not?" he said.

Shikamaru smiled slightly and waved his left hand as he followed Ino and Chouji. If Kiba was thinking he was going to get time to talk to Naruto, he didn't get it because Kurenai came in to take Team 8 away. What remained was just three genins of Team 7.

Hinata didn't know which way to look with Sasuke and Naruto in the class with her. With how nervous she was, she was really thinking of just running away from the class and wait outside for their late sensei. But she held firm. Her 'father' had warned her against embarrassing the clan any further. Anymore disappointments and she was likely to be sent to the branch family and branded with a caged bird seal.

It wasn't enough that the man she called father had stripped her of her rights as clan heiress but he had also gone on to brand her a failure. It wasn't that she was weaker than Hanabi; it was just that she didn't want to do anything to harm her sister. She was just gentle that way. but her 'father' didn't approve.

A failure, huh?

The Hyuga clan head had known that she was going to be placed in this team and had informed her that she would be paired with geniuses before harshly dismissing her. She already knew that Sasuke was a genius but she didn't know about Naruto. He had seemed smart back then.

Naruto…

The Uzumaki who had been hated by the villagers in every corner and when she was still considered clan heiress, she had been warned to stay away from him. Her 'father' had been worried about the clan's reputation. But he had still been a human being to her. She could not understand the hatred.

But in her eyes, he was strong. He was-

Hinata froze slightly when Sasuke's furious voice shattered the calm silence that had been in the class. She stole a glance: the Uchiha was looking at Naruto with a narrowed look on his face.

"Where is the damn sensei?" Sasuke demanded looking at Naruto.

Naruto ignored Sasuke. He had taught the Uchiha to control himself better than that. Perhaps the restraint had loosened because of what he had recently learned. Naruto didn't expect it to be easy to for the Uchiha to accept that the village elders had ordered his brother to kill massacre his entire clan. Sasuke didn't seem to care about the planned coupe, that bothered him was what had been instructed of his brother.

But still Kakashi was really late. Naruto really didn't have the patience for this kind of tardiness. He could have spent some time to do something useful instead of waiting in this class. He would have to work around that issue.

Speaking of the Jonin: Kakashi walked into the class, "Team 7… meet me at the roof top…" he Jonin looked unapologetic over his lateness. The man then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto merely shook his head as he stood up. If Kakashi was going to waste his time, he wouldn't operate in the way the man was going to operate. He would move on his time as well. With that in mind, Naruto put his hands inside his pockets and walked slowly out of the class.

The blond was the last person to reach the roof. The blond settled down beside Hinata with Sasuke sitting on the other side of the young Hyuga. She looked really ready to die at any moment.

"Okay," Kakashi started closing his book. "This is Team 7, before anything, let us introduce ourselves… name dislikes, goals and dreams…" the Jonin paused for a moment as he opened his book once again and started reading. "I am Hatake Kakashi… I don't have much in terms of dislikes… dreams… meh… likes… likes… meh…" The man looked up from his book and looked at Sasuke. "Your turn…"

"Uchiha Sasuke…" Sasuke started. "I don't like a lot of things, and I don't hate a lot of things… as for my dream… I wish to restore my clan to its former glory and kill some people…"

Naruto actually had no disagreements with that. He was actually proud of the Uchiha's response. He had been planning on doing it in the near future because the elders would really prove to be a problem when the Sandaime leaves the Hokage office. He wouldn't even hesitate to help out the Uchiha in that plan.

'Kill some people? I wonder who…' Kakashi thought, his eyes still pressed on his book.

Hinata poked her fingers for a few moments, her face red, lips moving up and down. Kakashi could almost say that it was cute and slightly amusing. He wasn't angry, but slightly amused, yet worried. Ah, being young. At least he hadn't been like this one he was young.

"H-hyuga H-hinata-a…" that was all she was able to stutter. She did not have the strength to say anything else. Hinata bit her lip in frustrations over her lack of courage. It really did bother her. Why couldn't she muster the courage to speak her mind? Other people spoke so freely, why couldn't she?

Naruto's gaze turned towards the Hyuga for a moment before he responded. "Uzumaki Naruto… likes a handful of things… dislikes, a few people… dream…maybe seeing to the restoration of my clan…"

It almost looked like the blond didn't even care about what he was saying. Kakashi shook his head. At least the blond hadn't lied. It was a pity that the Hyuga was unable to say anything concrete though.

"Okay…" Kakashi started. "We will do a final test tomorrow morning to determine if you can really become genins…" he was really just going through formalities here. Sasuke was already a genin n terms of skills; Naruto was a former Anbu and he was sure Hinata would follow in line. There was no need to test the two.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Even if you got your headbands, if you fail tomorrow's test, you will be sent back to the academy…" Kakashi said calmly. "Meet me at training ground 7 at 8am tomorrow morning to begin the test…" after saying those words, the Jonin disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I thought graduating from the academy meant that we have become genins," Sasuke said, looking at Naruto, who was now on his feet.

The blond walked past Hinata without as much as acknowledging her before he responded to Sasuke. "Don't get worked over it," Naruto responded calmly.

"How can I not be when there is a chance that I might be sent back to the academy?" Sasuke asked. He had been happy about finally graduating from the academy. This meant that he could start his journey to become a real shinobi and grow strong enough to eliminate enemies of his clan.

"You won't be sent back," Naruto said calmly. "Now stop fussing over it and let's just go…"

Hinata watched the two walk away from her. So, Naruto and Sasuke were friends. Hinata really didn't see what was so nice about Sasuke that girls fawned over him, Naruto was different. He had been in charge a second ago.

Even so, Hinata felt downed that he hadn't said anything to her or even look into her eyes. Perhaps it was because she had disappointed him. Naruto was strong. Obviously he would be attracted to people who could speak their thoughts, like Ino. She could not, not when there were eyes all over.

But on her own, she could speak. She could say, "Naruto." She could even scream it when she was alone. "Naruto!"

"You calling me?" Naruto voice cut Hinata from her thoughts and brought her down to earth.

The Hyuga slapped her mouth and shook her head vigorously. She hadn't realized that she had been speaking so loud. But that was the proof wasn't it? It was proof that she could do it. She just had to push a little harder in order to do it.

Uchiha Compound

The way to the Uchiha compound had been a silent one. Sasuke hadn't really minded the silence: it gave him time to think about things inside his head. While Naruto wasn't throwing insults towards, the blond did have a way with words, and when he was not talking, Sasuke appreciated it. Well, at times.

As they stepped into his house, Sasuke faced Naruto. "Are we going to train today?" He asked.

"No," Naruto said with a slight shake of his head. "I want to look at a few things. you can train on your own, but be mindful of tomorrow."

Sasuke stared for a few moments. If the blond wasn't here for him then he was here for his mother. It made the Uchiha scowl slightly. Naruto was getting a little closer to his mother. It wasn't a pleasant thought. It just reminded him of how close Naruto had been to his brother. He had noticed how brightly his mother smiled at Naruto.

The smile she gave him was different to the smile she gave the blond. Sasuke really didn't know what it meant, but he understood that they had different meaning. He didn't like it that his mother gave Naruto special treatment. The blond got that from his own mother, he didn't need from his mother as well.

Sasuke followed Naruto from behind. The blond stopped and turned to face him. "Is there something you want?"

"This is my house," Sasuke said. "Besides, you always want to speak to my mother in private. I want to know what you want to talk about with her… I don't like things being kept from me."

"I wasn't about to talk about you," Naruto said walking away. "Our world doesn't really revolve around you, Sasuke. I do have other things I talk about with your mother other than you…"

Sasuke suppressed the urge to glare and just followed the blond. They found his mother in the study, working through clan matters. The elder Uchiha smiled the two boys before speaking. "Team assignments over?"

Sasuke nodded. "We got this Jonin… and he made is wait for hours. Do you know that despite graduating we might still be sent back to the academy," the young Uchiha complained to his mother.

"You can play this game after I go away Sasuke," Naruto stated as he made himself comfortable on the chair in front of the small desk within the study. The blond faced Mikoto before speaking to her. "I have some questions that you can answer. I highly doubt my mother knows anything about it."

Mikoto blinked for a moment and then turned to face Sasuke. She was tempted to say adults want to speak, but merely smiled at her son – it was a bit apologetically because she was going to focus on Naruto instead of answering to his complaints.

"Anything for you, Naruto," Mikoto said with a smile.

"The Hyugas…" Naruto started in a calm tone. "What is the story with Hiashi and his eldest daughter?"

"Why do you think there is something there?"

"Because the Sandaime would not have put her in a team with me for no reason at all. There has to be a reason. If I can know the story, then I might be able find the reason…"

Mikoto appeared to think for a few moments. "Hiashi more or less disowned Hinata because according to him, she is weak. You must have seen it. He has deemed her unfit to be clan heiress and stripped her of that title and handed it to her younger sister. He doesn't look at her fondly… but I am guessing even when the situation is like that, he still does care for his daughter. Hiashi is the only parent Hinata has and considering how much he loved her when she was younger, I highly doubt all that love has disappeared."

Naruto's mind got to work for a few moments. "So he treats her like trash," the blond said. "Well I can see that happening…" he paused before asking. "Have you taken your seat in the village's council as a clan head?"

Mikoto nodded.

The blond tilted his head to the side and smiled. "If you were the Hokage and there was someone you wanted to have the support of the two most powerful clans in the village, what would you do?"

"Why would that be in the first place?"

"Because of an uncertain tomorrow… If a major clan dislikes a certain shinobi, you will do something to get that clan to like that shinobi. Hinata has been put as the bridge between Uzumaki Naruto and the Hyuga clan…" Naruto said standing up. "I will play the Sandaime's little game… enjoy the rest of your day, Mikoto…" the blond turned to Sasuke, but said nothing, he just walked away.

"What was that all about?" Sasuke asked his mother.

"Do you really have an interest in what you're asking, Sasuke?" Mikoto asked calmly.

Sasuke stared at his mother for a long minute before changing the subject.

Naruto's House

Dinner with the Uzumaki: it always a pleasant fare within the house. Naruto would never replace the time he spent enjoying his mother's food with anything else. She was a delightful cook and her food was the best. Perhaps he was saying that because he favoured his mother better than anyone.

"Ino was most displeased that you were not put in the same team as her," Kushina said to Naruto.

The blond merely shrugged. "I bet all she wanted was a muscle to do all her dirty work while she opens her mouth about this and that," he said dismissively.

It wasn't that he hated the girl these days. She could be considered a friend, but the thing was that he was a lot more focused on plotting for his future than playing friends with Ino. With Sasuke it was okay because he had plans for the Uchiha and he was Mikoto's son. He didn't even have to spend time talking about mundane things.

Ino would have her time, but for now, his mind could not accommodate her. He was content with knowing that she was closer and if he ever needed some noise to ring up on his head, he would visit her. It was a little different back then because the girl was focused on blackmailing him, but things are different now. Perhaps it had to do with her growth.

"I don't think she would be happy hearing that," Kushina said. "And what is wrong with being a muscle for her?"

Naruto stared at his mother when he couldn't really offer a response that would please her. Instead he changed the subject. "She must have also told that I got a Hyuga in my team," he said.

Kushina nodded. "She did, and then she said she felt sorry for the girl for being in the same team with you. What is it about the Hyuga anyway?" Kushina asked curiously. "Ino had really seemed worried and even wondered if the girl would even survive you and Sasuke."

"Hinata," Naruto said. "She is a timid girl who can't speak without stuttering. Sasuke's gaze will likely add to the pressure to strip her of her ability to speak. She even struggled to say her name today," of course Naruto would leave out his expression and just tell her about Sasuke. If he told her about his look, she would be questioning him about it.

The Hyuga had done something that interested him though. When she was trapped inside her own little world, she had called his name. There had been no stuttering, but a clear loud voice a gentle Hyuga. It was perhaps fitting. But that little action made Naruto think.

The girl was possibly telling herself that she could do it if she tried. Although Naruto would not say it to anyone, when someone was trying really hard to overcome their struggles, it drew his curiosity and with the Hyuga, it was the same. He was a little interested in getting her to stand on her feet. He was after all going to play the Sandaime's game but on his own terms and agenda.

"Her…" Kushina appeared to think for a few moments before speaking. "Kumogakure once tried to kidnap her and her father killed the man who tried to do it. It caused a major incident. You were not a bad person to her, were you?" Kushina questioned with a narrowed look on her face.

Naruto smiled. He was tempted to say 'of course not, mother' and she would have likely believed it. He shook his head. Could he simply lie to his mother like that? It felt as if it would be simple. Lying came simple after all.

"I will be good to her," the blond said to his mother with a smile.

"That is what I expect of you," Kushina said, with a smile. She understood that there were some parts of Naruto that really scared her. The fact that he was able to adapt well to Anbu life without suffering any strain is an indication that her son was not the little boy she saw in front of her. He had really grown.

Kushina had really been fighting hard to give her son a normal life. She would never say that considering everything, she has done well. She had failed in so many areas. Mikoto didn't agree with what she had been saying. The Uchiha said if it wasn't because of her, Naruto may have been somewhere, perhaps even followed after Itachi.

Much depended on Naruto and no matter how Kushina tried to force things to make him normal, she would not really succeed and Naruto would only try because she was asking him. Mikoto had said it was best to just allow Naruto to be Naruto but always keep her voice active as the moral conscience that would keep him grounded.

"…Something wrong, mother?" Naruto asked, with his cocked to the side, seeing a contemplative look on Kushina's face.

Kushina put on a slightly forced smile, but she quickly dropped it when Naruto saw through her. She sighed and spoke. "I am just happy that you're going to be doing something normal now. You're doing something children wish to do and I have a job… that is as normal as it can get."

Naruto nodded. "At least these days we don't have to worry about anyone trying something else. The villagers are exercising some restraint. I can do missions, you can do work, and we can return here at the end of the day."

"Don't forget to be good with your teammates… teams are all about team work and you're not really fond of that concept. You've usually focused on doing things yourself. This is an important rule with genin cells: team work… it is really an important principle for the functioning of any team really. For the team to be a success, you must be willing to work with others, utilizing each other's strengths to strengthen the team. You also have to cover your teammates' weaknesses. Working in a team means working together for the same objective. It is not Naruto, it is team."

"I almost forget that you're a retired Jonin," Naruto said to his mother. "Well, that is the same principle Anbu go by… well at least the good Anbu. Understanding one's mates is key for the survival and success of the team."

Kushina smiled. "Well, you had good company…"

Naruto nodded. "They were good and friendly people. We got along just fine. It is really simple though. What I have observed is that acceptance of one's teammates is essential for the team to click. If you cannot accept you teammates, you're obviously not going to get along."

"I don't see you struggling though. Kakashi and Sasuke have been in your life for some time, you have trained with both of them. From my experience, some shinobi understand each other through the exchange of blows. You have to integrate Hinata…"

Naruto nodded, he hoped it would not be difficult. But he still had to do it. He needed 'friends' after all. He had come to understand that within this world, you really need people who owe you and people who will be willing to do certain things for you. Without that, it was just a massive struggle.

The Following Morning

Training Ground 7

It was around pass ten and Hinata was still waiting for Naruto and their sensei to show up. She had arrived at the training ground before it was even 8 and Sasuke had arrived five minutes before the said time. Because she had been forced to wake up early, she hadn't even had the time to eat anything. She was usually up by that time, but she had slept a little late last time trying to do some training to improve herself.

She hadn't expected her sensei to be late, again. It was even more of a surprise that Naruto was even late. The blond didn't look like a tardy person. In fact, he dressed respectfully and carried himself with disciple. He was almost like someone who had been forced to grow as a clan heir.

The Uchiha sitting a distance away from her hadn't even said 'hello' to her, she had tried to say something, but the words just died in her throat and she had looked away from him. An hour went, and he kept his patience, but after two hours, he started losing it.

Hinata could not say anything: she merely watched.

But after three hours, when it seemed he was going to explode, Sasuke settled down into a meditative pose. She could have sworn she heard him cursing Naruto's name before he started closing his eyes, whispering words to himself. It had surprised Hinata to see that the Uchiha could actuall-

"Yoh!" Hinata nearly jumped when Kakashi popped up just in front of her. Although she had not jumped, she had squeaked as her heart nearly fled from her ribcage.

Kakashi merely smiled at the girl as he greeted her before turning towards Sasuke: he received a not so subtle glare from the Uchiha – who was now walking towards him.

"You're awfully late," Sasuke muttered in a barely audible tone. "Is this going to be a regular thing?"

Kakashi acted as if he hadn't heard the Uchiha. He was just curious to see how he would react to being ignored. "Where is Naruto?"

Sasuke responded in favour: he ignored Kakashi's question and looked away. He too was wondering the same thing. Naruto wasn't the kind of person to be late for something. If something was holding him up, he would have sent a clone to say that he would be turning up late.

Kakashi blinked. Had Sasuke just blatantly ignored him? Him?

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto gracefully walked into the training ground. Kakashi was certain that the blond had come late on purpose having figured that he would be late again. Ah, this wasn't going to be fun. Who was going to listen to his lame excuses?

"Where were you?" Sasuke asked.

"I was helping my mother at the Yamanaka flower shop, and had the time to stock some weapons," the blond responded calmly.

Sasuke stared at the blond, "But we were supposed to be here at 8."

Naruto gave the Uchiha a look that said he wasn't really interested in an argument. "Was he here at 8?" Sasuke shook his head. "Then you should have no complains. If I know he is going to be late, I'd rather not waste my time waiting for him. Instead I chose to do something useful," the blond said turning to face Kakashi. "Then?"

Kakashi shook his head. If he came up late every time, Naruto would do the same unless there is something that draws him to come here early. If not, this was going to be a daily occurrence. He could not have that and he was positive if Naruto grew tired of waiting; he would definitely play the manipulation game.

The Sandaime had said that Naruto was adept to playing the game because he had learned from him and they usually played it together. One would never really say that the blond was like that when looking at him. Naruto just appeared to be an indifferent person who lacked interest in things occurring around him, but in reality, he did some math inside his head.

When Kakashi became aware that Naruto was watching him, waiting for him, he felt slightly exposed and felt the need to guard himself. If the blond noticed, he didn't express it.

"Right," Kakashi drawled, organization his thoughts. "I already told you that you have to pass today's test in order to become genins…" the Jonin then took out two bells. "There are only two of these bells; you have to get them before 1pm. Whoever doesn't get a bell, fails the test and will be sent back to the academy. You can begin trying to get the bells… Now!" The Jonin flashed away.

"Looks like the Hyuga isn't going to make it," Sasuke said to Naruto. "We are getting those two bells and become Genins. How are we going to do this?"

Naruto looked up for a moment before looking towards Hinata, who seemed to shrink under his watchful gaze. The blond didn't say anything to the girl; he turned to Sasuke and spoke. "Did you try to understand things about shinobi cells, Sasuke?"

"No," Sasuke said, "Is there a need to understand anything about them? We just have to get those bells from Kakashi-sensei and we pass. What is there to understand?"

Naruto looked disappointed for a second. "For someone who is called a genius, you rarely use your mind. Sometimes I wonder if you are even a genius," the blond stated flatly, his expression now indifferent.

If Sasuke wasn't used to this, he would have retorted or come up with something, but he was used to it. Naruto was blunt in his assessments. What was stupid, he called stupid. "Is there something i missed, genius?" Sasuke couldn't help but allow the sarcasm to drip in his tone: it was mild, mixed with some bitterness.

"I have told you this before Sasuke: when you about to face a challenge, don't just charge in. Use your head. Don't act like you don't have it…" the blond then walked closer to Sasuke and leaned over to the Uchiha's left ear. "When my right foot is above Kakashi's head, use your kunai throwing skills get the bells. You understand what I mean by that, right? They should be visible enough to target them. I will handle the rest."

Naruto suddenly disappeared.

"You've really become quite the sensei," Kakashi said, as Naruto flashed beside him – he was sitting on a tree branch. He didn't even have his book with him. He could not risk it with Naruto. The blond was strong after all, and it wouldn't be good when he does give his report and learn that he had been embarrassed by the blond.

"Someone of your calibre should have been given a team before… so I wondered why? Earlier in the morning, I went on to ask the Sandaime about it and he told me you have failed your past students. The old man wouldn't tell me why.

"This test itself is peculiar. Our cells are always made up of three genins and a Jonin. If you fail one of us, we cannot be a team. There is a reason this team was put together, and its either we all pass or we all fail.

"Mother said teamwork is essential in team cells, I have been in Anbu as you; I understand the value of teamwork. There are times you will face a giant, you will have to work together in order to win the battle. If you have given this same test to your last assigned teams, they wouldn't have the chance to getting the bells because you're a Jonin and their just freshly graduated students with headbands." The blond paused for a moment. "I have spoken enough."

Naruto's right foot suddenly lifted up into the air, and flashed towards Kakashi's face. The Jonin raised both his hands to block the sudden kick. The Jonin crossed both his hands in front of his face and blocked the kick and he was still able to hold his position.

Two kunais slid from Naruto's cloak, sliding into the palms of both his hands. He grabbed the kunai on his left hand firmly, and drove it towards Kakashi's head. The Jonin leaned back, while folding his legs with the tree branch to make sure he doesn't fall off the tree as he leaned back. Naruto let go of the kunai and it whizzed past the Jonin's face, imbedding on the tree.

Once again, Naruto made the first move: he jumped forward while twisting around in mid-air to face the Jonin. Another Kunai slipped into the palm of his left hand before Naruto crossed his hands before channelling wind chakra into the kunais. The kunais disappeared from Naruto's hands, and sped towards Kakashi's chest. They hit him, piercing through him.

The Jonin suddenly turned into a log covered by a thick cloud of smoke.

Naruto landed into the ground and walked away from the trees, heading towards the clearing. He found Kakashi waiting for him, eye smiling the Jonin spoke. "Your speed has increased," he said.

"As it naturally should," Naruto responded as he started darting towards the Jonin. As he grew closer, his speed increased considerably and he jumped into the air, throwing a right punch towards Kakashi's face. The Jonin reacted quickly by side stepping the punch before grabbing Naruto's hand. He then lifted up the blond and then flung him over his shoulder.

The blond landed on the ground gracefully and quickly put both his hands in front of his face, creating a defensive wall, both palms were facing him and kunais slid through from the cloak into the palm of his hands.

A second later, Kakashi was flashing a high root foot kick. As he was doing that, Naruto flipped his hands, getting the palms of his hands to face the incoming kick. The kick connected with his defence, and the power behind it sent the blond flying backwards. He quickly recovered by flipping several twice before landing gracefully.

"Huh?" Kakashi blinked, staring at his foot, which was still above the ground. There was a kunai, right between his toes; it had cut through his shinobi boot. "Huh?" Kakashi was at a loss once again when drops of blood started falling down the ground.

"The base of the foot isn't the most sensitive part of the body," Naruto said as Kakashi went down on the ground to inspect his foot.

"I will need stiches after this," Kakashi said with a wince, seeing his blood. It wasn't much to worry him, but how had Naruto cut him.

Kakashi's instincts kicked when he sensed something coming in and fast. He cocked his head to the side and a kunai blew past his right cheek, before he could sigh in relief, he felt something. His mask started to slip through, revealing a cut through his cheek.

"Wind chak-" Kakashi didn't get to finish because Naruto's left foot suddenly crashed into of him, his right slamming down towards his head. Kakashi wasn't a Jonin for nothing; despite being surprised, and his mask slipping through, he managed to protect his face from being exposed by holding his mask together with his left hand while his right blocked Naruto's kick.

It was surprisingly light.

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly when his danger senses kicked in: the Jonin glanced down and saw both Naruto's hands falling on both his hands; the right hand had a Rasengan while the left had a kunai, both attacks poised towards his chest.

The bells on Kakashi's waist dangled as a kunai sped past him. The bells fell down the ground as Sasuke appeared in the clearing from behind Naruto, charging towards the two.

"Get the bells, or save your face from being revealed. But if you try to get the bells, the Rasengan will hit you, and the kunai will pierce through your left shoulder. I am fast enough to hit before you can get the bells and do a replacement jutsu," Naruto said calmly. "But of course, if you wish to test that speed, you're welcome to try."

"Alright you win," Kakashi said quickly and in a hurried tone just to get the danger off his face.

Naruto didn't move, he first allowed Sasuke to get the bells before lifting his right foot off Kakashi and then his Rasengan dispersed. Naruto then made the distance between him and the Jonin.

Kakashi was still holding his mask, and he was still bleeding. "I will be right back," the Jonin said before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I'm disappointed," Sasuke said. "I thought I would get my chance to fight a Jonin, but you did all the work. Well, at least we got the bells," that was something to smile about. This meant that they had passed the test and would not be sent back to the academy. He could go home and celebrate with his mother.

That brother of his was right; looking up to Naruto in fighting would certainly help him. he was a little jealous of the blond, that much Sasuke was willing to admit. But he was happy that Naruto was able to take time to teach him and he knew certain well that the blond didn't hold back when it came to training.

"Come out, Hinata," Naruto called out to the Hyuga before turning to face Sasuke.

Hinata slowly and timidly walked out from the bush she had been hiding. She had been right to think that Naruto was strong and if anything it appeared that he was the teacher of Sasuke. His tone earlier had seemed like a teacher lecturing his student.

Still, did this mean that she was going to go back to the academy? If so, she was as good as dead. Her father had told her that and he was likely never to recognize her again as his daughter. She would probably even be shipped into the branch family – who held no love for her by the way.

Talk about a cursed existence.

The time it took for Hinata to reach her teammates, was enough for Kakashi to get back from wherever he had gone to. The Jonin appeared and stared at Naruto. "You didn't have to cut me you know…"

Naruto shrugged. "I could have slipped a senbon through your hand when you flung me over your shoulder," the blond said nonchalantly.

Kakashi just shivered thinking about that. "How many weapons do you carry in the storage seals hidden under your cloak?"

"A number of them," the blond said.

"So you'd planned for Sasuke to make a move when you whispered something to him. I really should have expected you to do something like that…" Kakashi said. "You did do your homework; that is good."

Naruto turned to Sasuke. "I didn't win because I am strong, I won because I think before I make a move and I had analysed most things about him. It isn't always the strong who win, but sometimes those who think strategically and a few steps ahead of their opponent.

"Kakashi-sensei is a bit careless. I knew if I cut him he would probably sit down and that meant loosening his guard to inspect himself. I knew that the mask is a precious thing and he wouldn't risk letting it slip through. Cutting it in the way I did, meant that even if there was a mask beneath the mask, it would also be cut as well." Naruto decided against adding the book in the equation - that could come another day.

His sensei would have been proud really. Naruto was strong enough to make him work hard, but the blond hadn't engaged him to win the fight, but each move had been calculated, even anticipating what he would do. The kick had been light, that meant the blond had known he would block it and so he put much focus on his hands and balancing himself.

It was almost like fighting against a Sharingan user. Then again, the blond trained with Itachi, he had to know how the doujutsu operated.

Kakashi felt a bit giddy, just thinking about how the blond had executed the plan for today.

"So what are you going to do about the bells?" Kakashi asked looking at Sasuke – who was holding both bells.

The Uchiha threw one to Naruto and kept one but Naruto threw the bell given to him to the Hyuga. Hinata, though, failed to catch the bell. It was almost like it was trying to run away from her as she tried to take it from the ground with her trembling soft hands.

"I don't care if I fail. I will go back to my old job if that is the case," the blond said indifferently. "Besides, this team cannot be a team without another team member. I suppose there is a lesson behind this."

"Like you said earlier, Teamwork," Kakashi said to Naruto.

Naruto appeared to think for a moment. "Sasuke and I can work together just fine… more work will have to be done to get her," the blond said looking at Hinata, "to function. At this point she is more of passenger, but I think we can make it work."

"I will tell you this: in the shinobi world, those who abandon rules are called trash, but to me those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash," Kakashi said a bit seriously. "I guess I can pass you. Meet me here again tomorrow at…" the man appeared to think for a moment before speaking, "10am so that we can get started on team exercises and then our first mission. Don't forget to go fill in your shinobi registration forms by the end of the day. Ja ne…" Kakashi then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto would not have guessed that Kakashi was going to say something like that. he didn't put his mind onto it though. He turned towards Hinata, staring at the timid girl.

"Hyuga Hinata."

Hinata was firmly holding onto the bell that Naruto gave her. She looked down, afraid to look into Naruto's gaze. "Y-yes…"

Sasuke snorted at the weak response. "I'm going home," he said. "Are you coming?" the Uchiha asked Naruto.

The blond shook his head. "I need to deal with this matter," he said walking towards Hinata.

"Do as you like," Sasuke said indifferently, but did not leave the training ground. There wasn't anything he was going to be doing at home and he was sure that his mother was busy with clan matters. The Uchiha walked towards the tree and stayed there, watching Naruto.

Naruto stood just inches away from Hinata; he could feel her heart beat, she was even trembling, and almost looked as if she was about to hit the ground, but for some reason, she kept on clutching the bell he gave her.

Naruto held out his right hand and placed it under her chin before lifting her head up so that he could look into her eyes. Her face grew red, as she struggled to maintain her gaze. A second later, she fell down the ground.

The blond blinked in surprise. 'What just happened?' For a second he looked puzzled.

He knelt down and took her right hand; she was alright, just knocked out. What could have done that?

From the trees, Sasuke had amused himself. He didn't release a full blown laughter, but he had laughed. What was amusing was the puzzled look on Naruto's face. it wasn't always that you got to see that look. The blond rarely showed surprise.

It took a few moments for Naruto to wake Hinata up.

"Attack me, Hinata," Naruto ordered in a hardened tone.

Hinata hesitated. She put the bell on her pocket and asked, "W-why?"

"Because I want to see how good you are… for now I can only see a spineless kunoichi…"

The words seemed to deflate the girl, her shoulders slumped and she seemed ready to cry until Naruto spoke once again.

"Prove me wrong, Hinata."

That seemed to get her on the move, and the girl took a stance before charging towards Naruto. The blond dodged and blocked all her strikes before grabbing her by her right hand, pulling her closer to him before slamming his right knee into her gut.

Hinata let out a pained sound from her lips before falling down onto her knees. Naruto didn't attack her. He just stared at her, and Hinata looked back at him for a second before her eyes went back to the ground.

Humans were despicable creatures full of malice and hate. Naruto looked at them with contempt hidden behind a mask of indifference. Vile humans were always plotting something, and most humans were really inhuman things that Naruto despised.

But this timid girl before him was none of that. it was the first time that Naruto was coming across someone like her. She was gentle, her hands were too soft; she was a fragile little thing. He had thought he would hear glass shattering when he kneed her.

He could tell her to jump and she would probably do it. Her strikes were weak, but he believed she could do better. It was almost like she was afraid to cause pain. A unique trait within a human. She didn't want to hurt anyone, which made her look weak.

Her stuttering and fragility made her look like a pet that needed to be held together and shown how to walk. She wasn't the resentful Sasuke; she wasn't his beloved mother who could tear apart a worthless human in the blink of an eye.

Naruto held out his right hand and placed it on her head. The touch made her tense, when she looked at him; she relaxed, even though he wasn't smiling.

"You're weak minded. You can't make decisions of your own; you can't even voice your thoughts. You're a timid little girl who is just one knock away from being useless…" Naruto paused. "I was right, you're spineless."

Naruto felt it, she tensed, and her fragile face looked as if it was about to break apart. Her eyes were cast down, unable to face his gaze anymore.

"This is the honest truth, Hinata… if you want to survive in a world filled with vultures; you must not hesitate to strike. If you do, you will die within a second. You must be strong, or you will be devoured. Trust in your skills, and you will have the courage to stand on your feet. If you cannot raise your voice, you will be a spineless coward until you needlessly give away your life…" Naruto stated in a hardened tone. "Do you understand what I am saying?"

Hinata nodded.

"Now stand up: activate your Byakugan and attack me. Come at me with the same strength you when you called my name yesterday. Hearing that firm tone, I believed that there was more to you than you let on… Hyuga Hinata, do you want to prove me right or wrong?"

End chapter. I am sure that those who follow my stories will be surprised by Hinata's part in this chapter. I have, in the past, spoke of my displeasure with her being closer to Naruto. I am not saying that this will be a Naru/Hina pairing. I have something going on with Mikoto.

I understand some readers may not be too keen see Naruto in a genin team, but he isn't put in a team because he is a genin in terms of strength. The Sandaime's monologue must have explained all that.

The Omnipresent Sage