Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"Talking"

Thoughts

Flashbacks

----------- Change of scene

Tenchi means angel. So that's more of a nickname then an actual name for Naruto's guardian. On with the chapter!!!!

Demons Dawn Chapter Seven: The Choice

The sun was setting making everything seem like it was on fire. The wind was getting cooler as it started to blow. It playfully lifted and ruffled Naruto's hair, he closed his eyes to enjoy the pure beauty of it all. It settled his pounding hear, he had almost beaten Sasuke except he had sensed Iruka sensei and couldn't help but show off a little.

Flashback

The sun had wilted even the more resilient of weeds. It was a world of cold gray steel and blistering asphalt. The people went on their way, unsuspecting minds oblivious to everything but themselves and their discomforts. Some cursed the sun for the heat that that made their shirts stick to their backs, but as much as they talked and complained about the weather they could do nothing about it....

A boy sat at his desk in a pleasantly cool classroom. All around him kids were scribbling away in silence, their faces close to the papers. The teacher was away in her own little world reading a book. The only movement that away that she was alive was the way her eyes moved and the way her chest rose in quiet regular breathing.

The sapphire-eyed boy quietly lay down his pencil and laid his head on his arms. He liked the quiet and without realizing he toned out the soft scratch of pencils. He liked finally being able to go to school, and show everyone what he could do despite his previous situation.

He had learned to read and write from an old lady in exchange for living with her until she died. He had agreed out of eagerness his eagerness to learn, and had spent the best year of his nine year old life with her. Then she died in the night. And before anyone had time to suspect the little blond boy that had lived with her for a year he left taking only what he needed. He had come to love the old lady and had stayed on for her sake, even thought he had long ago learned his lessons.

In the end she had served her purpose, to educate him. Even he recognized that, but with a softer edge to it.

The boy snapped back to reality with a cruel jolt. He had heard his name. The teacher had looked to the announcer with some interest and then she looked back at the boy.

"Go to the office, and take your things. You can finish the test later," she said her voice soft and quiet, making it hard to hear her.

"Oh. Um I'm already done," the boy said as he swung his book bag over his shoulder and grabbed the sheet of paper and pencil off the desk. The teacher raised an elegant eyebrow over glasses that were too big for her round face.

He had set the paper down at the teacher's desk and exited the classroom. She picked up the paper, the lines printed neatly across it. She read his answers and smiled. She rarely smiled.

"Return to work class," she said quietly and picked up her book once more. Immediately the only sound herd was the scratching of pencils on paper.

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His palms were wet and he rubbed them furiously on his gray cargo pants. He straightened out his white T-shirt that was worn thin but was yet to become translucent. He checked that his shoes were tied and since they were he entered into the office.

A high cultured voice without any accent greeted him.

"Take a seat," the man said. He did so while looking to his left. His beloved sensei was there. His jet black hair was neatly done and he looked sophisticated almost even with the cold look toward the man behind the desk. But even he could not, or rather would not, hide the lines on his cheeks seeming to run from the inside of his eyes and on his cheeks. A cold fear gripped him, was he in trouble again?

The man read from a long list of his infractions. Mostly fights, the boy hung his head even thought he had only been defending himself. His sensei and guardian was quiet nodding only at the appropriate times. Then the man turned to the boy's academic records, and only then did the man smile.

"He has perfect grades. A perfect attendance in fact," the man had trailed of deliberately.

"Tell me quickly. I have better things to do then waste my time in talking to you," his guardians voice was cold and cruel. The slightly pudgy man flinched. The boy turned to his guardian, he had never heard him use such voice before. Not with him at least.

"Naruto has been nominated to go to Konoha, as a peace a sort offering. The best of our academic students are sent there, permanently. But they are greatly honored," the man said.

"You mean that you just want him out of you way. I understand," his guardian said. He turned questioningly to the boy. He knew what the boy, he knew the answer before it could have had the chance to pass the boys lips.

He nodded at his guardian. His fate was sealed. They all knew that he had been chosen because of a freak accident that had made him loose control, reveling to the public his true power and potential.

"He will go. To learn not as a peace offering. He will become a Shinobi."

End Flashback

It was a moment before Naruto suddenly realized that Sasuke was glaring at him.

"What!?" he nearly screamed.

"Where you acting like an idiot, and only pretending to have lost to me?" Sasuke said quietly his cheeks tinting a pretty pink. Naruto froze in place he was quivering slightly.

"Bah! Ha! Ha! Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Naruto burst out laughing clutching his stomach. "The great Uchiha—ha—is actually saying that I could— ha, ha—be better then him? What a great honor!" Sasuke gave him venomous glare and turned his head to the side. After that Naruto had, what seemed to most passerby's, a pasted smile that could have illuminated a room. He had his hands in his pockets and was whistling happily. His eyes slightly closed he steered around people looking like a fool as they made his way back to the schoolrooms.

Sasuke was startled out of black mood as he heard Naruto speak.

"Your good Uchiha. But not as good as Tenchi-san," Naruto continued to speak without noticing that Sasuke was about to open his mouth to shut him up. "No I wasn't pretending to be an idiot and I would never let you win. But can you imagine having to hide your abilities for so long that when the times comes to show them that you are rendered almost useless because in order to survive in the outside world you to breed an instinctive fear. They would sooner see me dead then allow me to develop my abilities." Naruto's heart was pounding, he had never told anyone that other then Tenchi.

Sasuke was silent, thinking it over.

"I think I understand," Sasuke said in his usual manner, saving Naruto the embarrassment of having bared part of his heart and soul to an almost perfect stranger.

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Naruto fell in bed as soon as he had changed into the light blue nightclothes that he had been given because of the hospital. He took off the bandages and laid them on a neat pile by his bedside. The skin was smooth and unbroken without any bruises left. Even his arm had healed exceptionally well with only a scab left, but even that would be gone soon. He pushed the covers over his head and slept a deep dreamless sleep.

His roommate was another matter entirely his eyes were wide and awake. He was thinking of the blond besides him. He was thinking of what he had said. Had he truly understood? The question went unanswered as sleep stole over him.

End Chapter Seven

Next Chapter: Naruto as an official Cadet. Introducing a new character (sort of)! (not sure how excited about this one so it only gets one!.)

So chapter Seven is done. It was kind of short but I needed to get some background on Naruto on how he got to Konoha in the first place. Any suggestions would be helpful. So please review!!! ;