A/N: Well... What did you think of the last chapter? The Gaara part was predictable, but did you see that Itachi thing coming? I thought not.
I think this story is really close to it's ending! T.T
I think CuteLikiMomiji Guy/Lee references are contagious.
Gaara's part is so short! I need to make it longer.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or Gaara for that matter.

Two Sides of the Same Kunai
Chapter 6

3 Years after the last chapter...

Ninja Academy training was over, and this was the graduation year (Or atleast, graduation year for Naruto's class. He was put in the class with the students who were gifted enough to pass this year... Classes were organized by skill-level, not by age)! Naruto was 9 now, but he had to admit that his chakra control hadn't improved much. What if he didn't pass? What if he had to repeat this year again? What if he failed, and no one encouraged him?

You've come this far, you can't back down! Naruto thought. You have to believe that you can pass! Believe it! Yeah!

You've probably guessed that this is how Naruto got his catchphrase Believe It!. You're right. Naruto, age 9, and he has a catchphrase. Our little Naruto is growing up! While you're crying tears of joy over that miracle, let me tell you what happened in the last three years:

After Sasuke's clan had been murdered, he was emotionally unstable. The village elders decided that perhaps Sasuke should drop out of the ninja academy. He still hadn't come back, but he was training at home, alone. Unlike Naruto, Sasuke knew how to read. The Chuunin and even some Jonin pitied Sasuke and so they lent him all the scrolls they had. Sasuke found that while he couldn't do every single ninjutsu, he could do the ones involving Lightning and Fire. So he focused on those (especially fire, because that was Uchiha's specialty). He also found that he was crap at genjutsu, so he dropped that and learned how to do all those cool useful things, like breaking a fall, or mid-air flips. The technique that he focused most on though, was the one he had observed Itachi preform, the one with the kunai and the targets. Sasuke ended up hurting himself more than a couple times on that one.

Naruto's training also intensified as he trained with real kunai, and shuriken too. He sparred with the other kids in his class, and he repeatedly attempted to master simple techniques, such as the transformation jutsu. When he perfected that jutsu, he infused it into one of his pranks, thus inventing the "Sexy Jutsu".

Prank #982: Success

Needless to say, he always ended up getting hunted down by ANBU when using that jutsu.

Prank #982 Escape: Failure

Gradually though, Naruto learned how to avoid even the ANBU, and he usually used this jutsu to get some training, as most people never willingly trained with him.

Prank #1386 Escape: Success

However, after the escape of Prank #1386, the instructors at the ninja academy were given the responsibilty of finding and punishing Naruto. Iruka was the one to find him, huddled up into a corner, crying.

Iruka felt sorry for Naruto, and asked, "Why are you crying, Naruto, after what you just did?"

Naruto stopped crying and looked up at Iruka, "Because it's too easy to escape the ANBU."

Iruka didn't know whether to laugh at the logic, or look blankly at him. "Why is that something to cry over?"

"No one wants to train with me, so I bother the ANBU and when they chase me, I consider that training."

"That doesn't explain why you're crying, Naruto." Iruka said impatiently.

"If I got so good the ANBU can't catch me anymore, I can't train and I can't get better!"

That's actually a good reason to cry, for someone like Naruto. "I can help you." Iruka offered without thinking. "I'll lend you some of my scrolls and you'll pick up tons of tips-"

"I can't read."

Iruka's eyes bugged out in shock. "You're nine, and you can't read? No wonder you're so awful at figuring out how the ninja system works. It's written down in books!" Naruto nodded excitededly in agreement. This could lead to something. "I'll teach you then."

Naruto nearly screamed with joy. He could become a better ninja, and he'd earn a teacher/friend while he was at it!

That's how their relationship started. Naruto quickly learned, and every time he made a breakthrough, Iruka would take him to Ichiraku Ramen. Every time Naruto pulled a prank, Iruka would shout at him and scold him like a father would. Maybe, Naruto thought, It might be better if I laid off the pranks. When Iruka's around anyways.

And whether Naruto knew it or not, all his pranks and training sessions were being observed. Hinata Hyuuga watched Naruto and admired his determination, and how outgoing he was. She saw how hard he tried, and tried to be like him. In the effort and determination section anyways. Maybe she wasn't ready to pull pranks.

Done with your tears of joy? Okay. Back to the present.

"This year, the exam will be on the two ninjutsu techniques that we studied - the Transformation jutsu, and the Clone jutsu - as well as releasing yourself from a genjutsu." Iruka announced. There was much smiling among the gifted students (which was basically everyone in the class), but Naruto was in despair. He had forgotten exactly how to release a genjutsu, and he SUCKED at the clone jutsu. He couldn't make any, let alone one that looked exactly like him. "For the clone jutsu, you must make 5 identical clones." Iruka continued. "If you make 5 clones but they are not identical, that's a fail."

Oh no! Poor Naruto! He was sure he was going to fail! But he had to try anyways, and when his name was called, he walked into the exam room. He preformed the transformation jutsu perfectly, and though he forgot how to expel a genjutsu, he did what his instincts told him.

"Congratulations Naruto. You successfully released yourself from a genjutsu. Now all you need to do is make 5 identical clones."

Naruto's hands were sweating, so he wiped them on his pants and made the hand signs for the clone jutsu. There was a puff of smoke and he made only 1 clone. Well, not really a clone... More like half a clone. His clone had only the upper half of the body, and it was floating in mid-air.

"Sorry Naruto. That's a fail. Try again next year."

For Gaara, life had not changed in the three years, except for the fact that he drifted even further from his family. Baki gave up trying to control Gaara, and constantly had to change plans during missions so that what Gaara did wouldn't ruin them. Missions grew harder, and a result Gaara did more killing. Team Baki avoided escort missions though, because they would be a problem with Gaara around. He might kill the person they're supposed to protect!

This year, Team Baki tried to apply for the Chuunin Exams. The Chuunin exams would be taking place in the Kumo, the Village hidden in the Clouds. They were turned down, but went to Kumo to show the Chuunin in charge of the exams that Gaara's age didn't matter.

While Team Baki was traveling to Kumo, there was little talk between Temari, Kankuro and Baki. Arousing Gaara's blood thirst was not a good thing when they were the only ones around.

They arrived in Kumo, and headed straight to the Raikage's office. When inside, they sat down and attempted to get organized, when Gaara accidentally fell asleep. Uh oh...

The Shukaku took over, and Gaara quickly transformed into a mini Shukaku. "Oh yeah! Shukaku's back, baby! Who's ready to be slaughtered by the world's most awesome raccoon?" Shukaku boomed.

The rest of team Baki quickly got out of there. Temari threw a shuriken at a window, shattering it, and prepared to jump out when she was pushed by Kankuro. "Hey!"

"I'm getting out of here first! Gaara's going to kill us all!"

"Break your own window!"

"No thanks!" Kankuro shouted over his shoulder as he leaped out the window. Temari turned around to see that Baki had copied her and broke another window to escape.

"Boys." She muttered, and she flew through the air, out the window.

Meanwhile, the Raikage and other Kumo ninja were looking at the Shukaku. They saw sand crush parts of the rock wall, creating more sand. It piled up at Shukaku's feet and over it's body, gradually making it bigger. There was only one thing to do.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" A Chuunin shouted. A wise decision.

~Later

When Gaara had regained consciousness, he found himself covered in grains of sand, lying in the Raikage's office. Or should I say, the ruins of the Raikage's office. He got up, collected the sand in his gourd, and walked calmly through the village. The rest of his team would find him sooner or later. For now, all he wanted to do was sate the bloodthirst. If he was lucky, maybe he could kill a ninja, who would provide more of a challenge. There was no fun in murdering defenseless people.

As he got to the gate, he passed by the chuunin who had been in the Raikage's office earlier. The chuunin looked at Gaara in terror, and there was only one thought in Gaara's mind. Those eyes again...