AN: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form, it all belongs to Kishimoto-dono

Chapter 2

Two Weeks Later

It was the time for assigning the Genin teams. Everyone who passed the test started to walk into the assigned room. Everyone started to take their normal spots except for Shikamaru.

He was average height for his age of 13, with regular shinobi pants, a mesh shirt, and a light tan vest with his forehead protector tied around his arm. The only thing that stood out about him was his hair which was tied back looking slightly like a pineapple. He noticed the one thing that was supposedly off in the room.

Walking up to Naruto, Shikamaru asked "I thought you didn't graduate?"

"Well I did manage to pass the makeup exam" Naruto said slyly with his trademark grin and pose.

'Since when was there a makeup exam?' Shikamaru thought wondering about it but not bothering to inquire further.

"Well, I guess congratulations" Shikamaru responded in his usual lazy manner.

The only other person who truly took notice of Naruto was Hinata who after hearing the truth about Naruto had made an effort to try and spend more time with the blond with whom she was infatuated with. Within those two weeks she started to feel something else was stirring within her every time she thought about the young man with blue eyes that reminded her of the crystal like lake near her family's home and whisker like birthmarks that she could now see how they resembled those of a fox. When she talked to Kurenai about these feelings all Kurenai would do was to give a slight laugh, and a look of knowing that Hinata was unable to decipher while telling Hinata that she would learn soon enough.

As they were waiting for Iruka to enter with the team assignments Hinata and Naruto were able to see each other and chat for a bit. When the time for the meeting to take place, Naruto left for his chair giving Hinata a grin that left her blushing, barely able to focus on her teacher instead wishing that she could spend more time with her closest friend.

"Good morning everyone and congratulations on making Genin. Today, you shall be placed into your three-man cells and you shall also meet your Jonin instructors." Iruka announced. As he went through the various teams Hinata started getting nervous. She really did not care about whose team she was on as long as Naruto was there too.

"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto…" Naruto sat up; nervous about whom he was to be teamed with "Hyuuga Hinata…" Both smiled enthusiastically, Hinata also developing a slight blush "and Nara Shikamaru." With that Shikamaru lifted his head up slightly before going back to sleep. "Your Jonin instructor is Hatake Kakashi." If anyone looked closely enough they might have been able to see Shikamaru's eyebrow rise in curiosity.

"Team 8 is Inuzuka Kiba, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Choji. Your Jonin instructor is Yuuhi Kurenai."

As Iruka carried on "Team 9 is still in circulation from last year. Team 10 will be Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. Your Jonin instructor is Sarutobi Asuma. You all have One hour for lunch. Be back after that to meet your new instructors."

With that Iruka said his goodbyes to his students of four years and left the classroom.

Naruto walked up to his new teammates and asked if they wanted to get lunch together.

"Too troublesome to walk back home and get it, why not." Shikamaru replied.

"Sure, I would love too." Hinata said thankful that her crush was on the same team as her.

"Besides even if our orders take a long time getting to us, we will have plenty of time" Shikamaru said on the way to the restaurant causing his teammates to look at him perplexed.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"If memory serves me correct, my dad worked with Kakashi-sensei for a while and said that he is perpetually late to everything." Shikamaru replied his voice making it seem as though it put too much strain on him.

"That explains the look of pity on us from Iruka-sensei" Hinata chimed in.

As the group ate their lunch, they started learning more about each other, Naruto seeming to be on guard with his eyes constantly moving and being cautious with his responses to questions. As they left for the academy Shikamaru asked,

"Naruto, what is with the anxious looks and short answers. Normally you are loud and troublesome but today you seemed different."

"I usually have to be on the look out for angry mobs for one reason or another so this is actually how I act normally in public." Naruto responded shocking Shikamaru and saddening Hinata who was beginning to fully understand all that Naruto has endured.

As they entered the academy, they saw that many of the teams had already been picked up leaving only Teams 7, 8, and 10. As the teams were sitting around Sasuke decided to reveal his thoughts "I don't know how a dope like you was able to pass any type of exam but I am sure that you will wash out soon enough"

"You are so right Sasuke –kun, there is no way a baka like Naruto will be able to make it like you will" Sakura, a Sasuke fan-girl with pink hair and voice that was inherited from a banshee, chimed in.

Ino, another Sasuke fan-girl with long blond hair, joined her crush and her rival stating "I didn't think that any team would accept him." With that statement made Hinata decided to stand-up for the one who gave her encouragement.

"Do not speak about Naruto-kun like that. Though he may not have seemed like much he still works harder than any of you and even if he fails at something he still gets up and continually tries."

"Though it normally is too troublesome to enter in an argument, I must agree that you should not insult my teammate like that." Shikamaru said causing Naruto to look up with slight tears in his eyes.

"While he may be crazy, he still is a good friend to me an Akamaru, right Boy?" Kiba, an almost feral looking boy with twin triangles under his eyes and a small dog that was constantly with him, stated getting a small bark in reply as they remembered some of the antics that they had pulled with each other.

"Mess with Shikamaru's friends then you also have too deal with me." Choji, a pleasantly plump boy with little swirls on each cheek responded. He and Shikamaru had been friends since each of them could remember.

"…" Shino didn't really say much but he gave a harsh look to his two teammates. His reason for backing up Naruto was that Naruto was one of the only people to accept him and his family despite their unusual association with insects.

"Do you really think that all of you can take down someone as cool as Sasuke-kun?!"

"Yeah, he can wipe the floor with any of you!"

Sakura and Ino shouted nearly starting a fight until there were two loud pops with smoke entering the room where Kurenai and Asuma were standing "Enough of this!" Asuma shouted.

"While you all may be on separate teams you are all still Konoha Shinobi and will act accordingly." Kurenai said with a hint of killing intent aimed at the group causing problems.

"But we didn't start anything; it is all Naruto-baka's fault" Sakura lied trying to get out of any punishment that would be coming towards the group.

"Who are you?" Asuma asked still sounding mad.

"H-Haruno Sakura" she replied meekly.

"Very well, you and your teammates come with me now." Asuma said sternly leading a scared Sakura, an arrogant and self-centered Sasuke, and a still mad Shino.

"Team 8; come with me so we can get to know each other." Kurenai said in a disturbingly nice voice while glaring at Ino who seemed to have caused some of the trouble for Naruto.

"Team 7, you may want to get comfortable as it may take a while for your sensei to arrive." Kurenai exclaimed looking slightly upset that she wasn't to take neither Hinata nor Naruto under her wing.

"Actually they won't have to wait to long at all" A lazy yet jovial voice sounded behind Kurenai startling her.

"You are actually on time for once Kakashi" Kurenai said in voice that combined surprise and happiness. Kakashi while being constantly tardy and a slight pervert, was still one of Kurenai's friends and comrades. It didn't hurt that they also had crushes on each other.

"Well there are times when I like to surprise people every now and then" Kakashi responded with an eye smile. The eye was the only indicator that it was a smile since most of his face was covered with a mask while his left eye was covered with his forehead protector.

"Team 7; please join me on the roof in five minutes." Kakashi said as he vanished from the room. As Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru exited the room, Kurenai offhandedly stated "remember what you all did for Naruto here."

Each of them was curious as to what she meant when she said that. Once they all gathered on the roof, each member of the team made a realization. It had taken them three minutes to reach the top, yet their sensei was not there. After waiting for an extra fifteen minutes the masked Jonin appeared in a swirl of leaves. Kakashi decided to open up the team meeting before anyone could start complaining about the time.

"Alright why don't we introduce ourselves and get to know each other better" He stated with another patented eye smile.

"Why don't you show us what you mean Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata asked.

"Well, my name is Hatake Kakashi, my likes are… my dislikes….I have a few hobbies and my dreams are kind of personal" He stated causing everyone's jaws to drop.

'So all we know is his name' was the common thought for team 7.

"Well I guess since we are to be gentlemen how about ladies first."

"My name is Hyuuga Hinata. I like flowers, medicinal herbs and my friends" she said with a slight blush and a glance at Naruto which was noticed by Kakashi and Shikamaru. "I dislike those who disregard others before getting to know them. My hobbies are growing flowers and my dream is to be praised by my father and change the Hyuuga family for the better" Hinata said with determination.

"Blondie you are up" 'He reminds me so much of Minato-sensei for some reason'

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I like my friends and ramen. I hate it when I am judged before people know me. My hobbies are gardening and cooking. My dream is to surpass all Hokages before me!" Naruto declared with a fist in the air.

"Alright last one up".

"Mendokuse. I'm Nara Shikamaru, I like clouds and shogi; I dislike troublesome things; hobbies are cloud watching, playing shogi, and napping; no dreams to really speak of." Shikamaru stated lazily.

'Just like his dad' Kakashi thought in his mind.

"Alright now that that is out of the way we can get ready for your first mission tomorrow which is a survival exercise." Kakashi informed his students.

"Didn't we do that sort of stuff in the academy" Naruto asked.

"This is to determine if you are to be Genin" was the matter of fact reply from the sensei.

"NANI? Then what was that back at the academy?" Naruto practically yelled at the one-eyed Jonin.

"That was to weed out the hopeless cases; this is to see who truly deserves to be named Genin of Konoha. By the way there is a 66.7% chance of failing. Be at Training Ground 7 at 7 AM tomorrow and don't eat any breakfast, you will just throw it up." Kakashi said with an eye smile, disappearing in a flurry of leaves before anyone could complain.

'Not eat, what is he up to?' Shikamaru pondered. "See you guys tomorrow at my house by 6:00 AM for breakfast." Shikamaru said to his new teammates.

"But didn't Kakashi-sensei say not to eat before hand?" Hinata asked unsure of what was going on.

"Think about what was said earlier by Kurenai-sensei and by what was taught at the academy. We need to look underneath the underneath. If we don't eat and show up at 7 then we will be hungry once he arrives and won't think clearly; on the other hand if we eat and he shows up on time then we will have the energy to think everything through, even if he doesn't show up on time like Kurenai-sensei said was his normal pattern." Shikamaru said leaving Naruto and Hinata to wonder at where he thought that up.

With that they all agreed to meet up at six to prepare for whatever it was that Kakashi was planning for them while in the leaves of a tree in the school yard a voice could be heard

"Well this is already starting to look like a more promising team than all of the ones before."

"Will this team pass you think?"

"From what the teachers told me and score wise I would not bet a whole lot on them passing, but if what Shikamaru just said is any indicator, plus how they acted together in the room earlier taken into consideration, they just might make it." With those words being said there were two swirls of leaves as the yard fell silent for the night.