Autor's note: I am going to tell now more about the world. Those who don't want to read spoilers, don't read this.
Sasuke bullies Naruto during the academy, so their rivalry is even nastier. Also Naruto dislikes Sakura and Ino and actually all of the girls who like Sasuke, which he also believes are bullies, wether they were bullying him or not. Itachi managed to kill only a few Uchihas, since most of them live outside Leaf City. Nonetheless Sasuke has lost his parents and lives with his uncle, who has returned to his hometown.
Naruto likes Hinata, but he also has rival suitors, Kiba and Shino. Only Shino has admitted his love aloud, but Kiba and Naruto don't count them in since they see him too creepy to be honest. I will however leave the right one as mystery for now
There will be romances later on, but now everybody concentrates on their dreams. Member of the original teams (Except team 7) are together at the same jobs, for example Maito Gai, Rock Lee, Neji and Tenten are voluntary firefighters, but rest of the time actors. Original characters on the other hand work here and there.
Hyuugas don't use cursed seals (which are illegal) and main-branch system is abolished. They have taken a family tradition of firefighting, using their eyes to see through smoke and improved gentle fist to create impulses capable of extinguishing fire. Hizashi had a caged bird seal, but Neji doesn't. Neji is also half new-native Since there are no wars between villages, the kidnapping of Hinata never happens. But Hizashi dies nonetheless, when the Hyuuga mansion sets fire, leaving scars to several members of the Hyuuga clan. Thus Neji is not angry towards main house or believe in fate, however he is pretty dark and sarcastic character, though he tries not to. Hinata's personality is pretty much the same as in normal timeline, but she is also somewhat depressed.
That's enough information for now. Hope you enjoy this story.
Chapter 4: Rival suitors and lifelong dreams
It had been a week since the graduation exam. Naruto was happy to know he had passed. He had pretty bad score at the written test, but much better at the obstacle course and was the best of the class in special mission. Shikamaru had laxed pretty much in the test, so his scores weren't as good as could be. Siegfried's scores were so and so, possibly right in the middle. Choji was much better than expected. He had problems with the obstacle course, but his written test was almost perfect. But the best scores belonged to Kumari, even defeating her rival, Sasuke. Naruto was happy about the fact the bully Sasuke wasn't the best of the year this time, it was actually wrong that the leader of the bullies was also one of the best students, at least to Naruto.
Buddies had celebrated the graduation at Choji's home. Everybody ate their favourites while talking about, where they would continue from now. Siegfried's choice was petty obvious, he wanted to become an actor, one that would make his own stunts and was an expert martial artist. Shikamaru on the other hand had more easy plans. He decided to become a doctor, but not just any doctor. His dream was to be a plastic surgeon, a job that gave him easy money, and a lot of it, giving him a chance to retire perhaps before having own children. Kumari's choice was to become a spy, a job she could truly show her skills. Many had asked her several times, why she wouldn't go to the army instead, but according to Kumari girls are better spies than boys, while boys made better soldiers, and that was enough explanation for everyone. Naruto wanted to travel around the world, but being kept mostly at his father's estate he didn't have a chance to it, but now when he had a ninja-license, he could make his own decisions. Choji was yet unsure, where he could be most useful, so he decided to wait for the occupation day, before making any choises.
They were now currently back at the academy, but not to study. The main hall was filled with commercials of different jobs, having underneath them the number of the classroom, where the info was held. Naruto travelled around the hall from ad to ad until stumbling into someone. Naruto turned around.
"Hey! Watch, where you're go-go-go..." He suddenly begun to tatter, whe he saw Hinata in front of him.
"I-I'm so s-s-sorry, Naruto-kun. I d-d-didn't mean to" Hinata apologised with pretty much the same voice.
"N-no worries, Hi-Hinata-ch-chan. I-it was my fault a-actually."
"Oh, why must I be so shy." They both thought in unison. Hinata had always had a crush on Naruto due to his confidence and determination, what she missed. Naruto on the other hand liked Hinata first because she didn't spend time with Sasuke, or bullying according to Naruto. Later both of them had started to blush when meeting each other. Hinata had been pretty unsure about herself and her skills, while Naruto didn't really have the courage to speak first, his friends having made the first move. Both looked at the opposite directions, Naruto scratching the back of his head and Hinata putting her index fingers together. They propably would have stayed in that position for the rest of the day, if Kiba Inuzuka hadn't suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"HI THERE, LOVEBIRDS!!" He yelled, making both of them jump to the air.
"Do you need to be so loud?" Naruto asked annoyed.
"Otherwise you would have stayed in that position" He said smiling. "But the real reason I'm here is that I would like to invite Hinata-chan to the police."
Hinata looked surprised towards Kiba. "M-me? T-to the police? Why?"
"Your eyes would be useful if we are tracking criminals" Kiba explained. "And if I don't remember incorrectly, you didn't want to become a firefighter."
"And most of all, I get to be with Hinata." He thought, seeing several pictures in his mind, all with him and Hinata.
"Can I ask you something?" Naruto spoke interrupting Kiba's dreams. "Since you seem to know so well, what is the best job, could you tell me a job, where I could see the world?"
"Well in that case, why don't you try that one?" Kiba answered pointing at a poster.
Naruto looked closer and read. Are you a young lad or lass, searching for adventure in midst of job. COME TO THE INTERPOST. Our jobs take you from your hometown to the farthest places in the world. Requirements: Ninja-licence with at least good in physical abilities, extreme determination of getting the job done and courage to face what the nature and people give as obstacles. Meeting in the class 2-C. Naruto smiled, he had hit the jackpot. But then he realised, that he was forced to choose between Hinata and his dream.
"Problems with choosing?" Came a question with not a single tone of emotion. Naruto knew the owner of that voice, Shino Aburame.
"Y-yeah!" Naruto answered. "If you had to choose between your love and your dream, what would you choose."
Shino kept quiet for a while. "I'm not sure if I'm the right person to answer that, since both I and Hinata are going to the police. On the other hand I wanted to become a police long before meeting her, so I would say dream comes first. Besides both Ino and Sakura are going to the hospital, while Sasuke goes to the fire department. Also I believe Kumari understands your choice"
Naruto snapped. "Kumari? She is only a sister to me. Besides I know already she likes Lee." It did sound crazy, but it was true. Kumari had often said that Rock Lee was pretty much like her. She had told Naruto that the reason she was so good at ninjutsu was that she suffered from a some kind of anemia, it wasn't lethal, but made her unable to use taijutsu. In that way she was the opposite to Lee, who could use only taijutsu, but to Kumari he was the missing half, which together with her would create the ultimate ninja. Naruto didn't understand at all, but she must have told the truth since Kumari was pretty pale to a trade-native and reasonable without exceptions.
But Naruto stopped thinking about past and concentrated on the present. So the choice was the dream. Naruto found the room 2-C pretty easily, after all he had studied there. When he stepped in, Mizuki was already giving information to those present.
"You didn't tell me you were a post officer, Mizuki-sensei." Naruto greeted.
Mizuki turned to see Naruto. "Oh, hi Naruto, have a seat." He asked. "Like Naruto mentioned, I have been working for the Interpost for a few years before my current job. First of all I have to admit that working as a courier-nin is not the dream of every kid, but it's still a great job."
Naruto listened semi-intensely to Mizuki's explanations, while looking around. There were seven other students going to the Interpost. It wasn't pretty much if you thought about the fact that over two hundred ninjas graduated each year from just that academy and not a single one is eliminated. It was actually pretty funny considering that in the past in one year only about thirty ninjas graduated, and only one third in maximum got to be ninjas, on the other hand Konohakagure no sato was only a ninja village of a few thousand people and not Konohakokuto(Kokuto: Capital city), better known as Leaf City, the capital of Sunrise-Nation and home of around million people. It should also count in the fact that on nowadays ninjas worked for the government instead of customers and had the amount of jobs multiplied. Naruto found that rather funny. After Mizuki stopped his lecture, he showed contracts, which all chose to sign.
After the day was over, Naruto decided to go to the museum. He liked to stay out of home, not that he wanted to scare his father or anything, he just wanted to spend least possible time in the shogun's estate, which had started to feel a prison to him lately. Museum was still open, though it was pretty quiet now, since the closing time would be in a half an hour. Nonetheless he bought a ticket and travelled around, finally arriving to a room full of busts. There was only one other in the room, a boy about a year older than Naruto. He was wearing a traditional new-native seremonial outfit and sat meditating next to the busts of firefighters. Naruto recognised him, having seen him before.
"Long time no see, Neji" He greeted, making the boy look at him.
"Oh, Naruto, what brings you here?" Neji asked.
"I just didn't feel like going back to the home right away." Naruto explained. "By the way, you don't normally wear ceremonial clothes. Why are you wearing them now"
Neji sighed before telling. "I am having an anniversary to my dead parents. I lost my mother to a sickness when I was five, that is also why I live in here instead of the prairies of New-Nation. But the actual anniversary is for my father's and aunt's death. You may know already, that exactly four years ago a fire started in the Hyuuga mansion. On that day many souls were lost, my father died trying to rescue aunt. But this year I also came here to pray."
Naruto had listened and wanted to know more. "What are you praying for then?"
"Help" Neji answered. "Help to see our family happy again. After the fire it has felt like shadow of sadness had fallen onto Hyuugas, especially to my uncle and cousins. Uncle is spending less and less time at home and more and more time at the fire station, rescuing people being his only reason to live. Hinata-chan was so traumatised she is now very quiet and gives up easily. But Hanabi-chan is possibly in the worst condition, suffering from an extremely severe pyrophobia, even candles being too much for her. Uncle is training me to be the next heir of the clan, since his daughters are unable to, giving me the possibility to tie some loose ends." He suddenly stopped, when he heard naruto sniffing. "Guess it was pretty sad"
"I-I'm not crying. I-I have just catched a cold" He said. "I think we should go now, this place will be closed soon."
Neji nodded and stood up, both boys leaving the museum. They parted at the Shogun's estate, Neji continuing, while Naruto just stepped into the house. Luckily he survived with some scowling, his father apparently understanding him. On that night Naruto had difficulties of getting sleep, his thoughts in tomorrow, when he would start his first day as a courier-nin. Finally he went to sleep, dreaming ignorantly of the great shock on the next day.