From April to June
Chapter 4
It had been the happiest day of his life when Iruka had given him his forehead protector. He didn't know if Iruka knew how much receiving genin status meant to him or the fact that the man had believed enough in him to give it; but the ninja had made a major impression in his life that morning. It was then he vowed to never disappoint the man who had become a hero to him.
That vow was why he refused to stay bested by Uchiha Sasuke. It irked him that Sasuke had the admiration of everyone and he appreciated none of it. He wanted to show his teammate what it was to be great. That was what fueled his rivalry with Sasuke.
Their mission in Wave Country changed his ideal. Haku had told him that fighting for a precious person was what made someone strong, not their amount of power. And the moment Sasuke had risked his life to save him; he had begun to understand Haku's words. It was when Haku died and Sasuke didn't, he had realized that in the boy he called a rival, he had somehow found a friend and that was worth fighting for.