Chapter One

"I want you to take a team this year." What? Surely he hadn't heard right.

"Sensei-" Hiruzen Sarutobi held a hand up asking for silence.

"I know you busy Orochimaru." Hiruzen addressed the pale young man before him. "So is most of Konoha. We are short on senseis right now." Orochimaru's lips thinned. This didn't please him. A team would interfere with his research.

"What about Jiraiya?" The toad summoner had always wanted a team. Now was his chance.

"Already getting one. Tsunade too." Hiruzen covered all his bases knowing Orochimaru would ask about the blonde.

"Sensei they're genin. Wasting my time teaching them would be tedious."

"I taught you." Hiruzen reminded. "Was that tedious?" Orochimaru hating the way Hiruzen was speaking to him like he was a mere child remained quiet refusing to indulge him. "Everyone needs to begin somewhere Orochimaru. A hokage needs to be patient. What good is a leader who can't be that?" Hiruzen who still knew how to work Orochimaru like in his genin days did so. Orochimaru who was aware of what his sensei was doing knew the best card to play was to play to his sensei's tune and let the old man think he still had control over him. Once he became hokage boy was the old monkey in for a wakening.

"Fine." Orochimaru agreed. "But I get to chose my team." If he was going to sensei a team he would sensei the strongest team the Leaf had ever seen.

"I can allow that." Hiruzen obliged his favourite student. "Who do you want?" Hiruzen asked knowing he already had his eye on someone.

"Naruto Uchiha, Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha."

"I see why you've chosen them." Hiruzen knew they were three students who held great potential a frown however still marred his face telling Orochimaru there was a but. "But are they cohesive? Can they work as a team?" The but came.

"That's my job sensei." One thing Hiruzen always believed in was his favourite student's abilities and Orochimaru would use that to his advantage. "As their sensei I will make them work." Two sharingan users and the Kyuubi, Orochimaru was not giving this up. Now that he thought of it why had he argued with Hiruzen in the first place.

"Okay." Hiruzen knowing all three had passed agreed. "Your team will meet you tomorrow." Laughing sinisterly at what his sensei just said, Orochimaru left the bearded man wondering what was so funny.

"No sensei." Orochimaru told him. "My team will meet me today." The pale man met no objections. Orochimaru Hiruzen knew had his way of doing things.

Line break

She had passed. Kushina couldn't believe it, staring down at her hitae that was proof she indeed passed Kushina was convinced she was in some kind of illusion. A cruel genjutsu of sorts that showed you what you wanted the most.

'You are in no illusion brat. You only passed because I let you.' A flashback of the Kyuubi feeding Kushina answers in her weak area the written exam going through Kushina's mind.

'I didn't want them!' Kushina pushed the memory aside defiantly tying on her hitae that she and she alone earned.

'That didn't stop you from using them.' The Kyuubi countered back his voice sounding pleased with his work.

The Kyuubi will try manipulate you. Mito had warned. You can't entertain it. Heeding the aged woman's warning. Kushina dulled the mighty beast's voice and focused on everything else around her. As per expected the outside of the academy was filled with two things, happiness and disappoint.

Those who had passed like her were beaming. Joyously celebrating with their parents and friends. One or two didn't look fazed that they now had hitae. These being Fugaku who was stoic as ever and Hiashi who also was stoic as ever. Boy weren't those two quite the pair.

Those who had failed had tears pouring down their face or disappointed frowns. Kushina wished she had parents around like they did to comfort her if she were in similar shoes.

"I'm disappointed in you." Kushina heard a voice say behind her turning her around thinking the voice was talking to her.

"I'm sorry father." Kushina saw who it was talking to her classmate Mikoto Uchiha. "I tried my best." Mikoto apologised softly. Taking in the scene before her Kushina was confused as to what was happening. Mikoto had a hitae around her head. She was the one girl who did really well so why did she look like someone who failed.

"You're best wasn't enough." The man before Mikoto harshly reprimanded. "When you wear this you carry the whole clan." The man pointed at the fan on her back. "When someone looks at you they see the Uchiha." Never before had Kushina heard a man sound so cruel without raising his voice. "You disappoint me. You disappoint you're mother." The man walked away along with the stern faced woman next to him that Kushina assumed was his wife. A tear faced Mikoto left behind.

"What a jerk!" Naruto Uchiha who Kushina hadn't noticed was standing a short distance away came over to comfort his friend. "I should have kicked his ass! I'm going to next time he does that!" Kushina couldn't help nod agreeing with the Uchiha.

"Please Naruto, don't do that." Mikoto sniffled wiping away her tears and turning to her friend. "Just stay out of it. You promised you would." Now that wasn't fair. Mikoto fought Naruto's battles all the time everybody in class had seen it. In fact Kushina often thought of the Uchiha boy who was evidently strong from his performance in class as a coward for allowing it.

"You're father is right you are weak." A mocking voice said behind Kushina taking Naruto's chance to speak away.

"Take that back mister." Naruto balled his fist. Anger crossing his shark like features and making the blue skinned boy look very intimidating.

"Why?" The owner of the voice moved from behind Kushina and made his way in front of her. "You're also weak. Who's going to make me if I don't?"

"Naruto," Mikoto laid a warning hand on her furious friend recognising who this man was before them as did Kushina. Naruto's mind too clouded by anger to.

"I'm going to." Naruto who wouldn't stand here and allow his friend Mikoto to be dished crap in front of him again ignored her warning.

"Like I said." The man smirked watching the now charging Naruto. "You are weak." Naruto hunched over as he caught a blow to the gut his intended fist to the face caught by the man. "Catch him." The man instructed Mikoto kicking Naruto hard into her and sending both genins tumbling down.

The man Kushina recognised as Orochimaru rounding on her. The man looking at Kushina as mockingly as he had the two Uchiha gestured at her to come forward. To attack him if she was brave enough. Kushina who was never one to back down was made quick work of and sent crashing down next to his two earlier victims.

"That was a very good effort." Orochimaru's sarcastic voice carried to every student and parent who had grown quiet watching the commotion before their eyes. Each individual too afraid to stop the sannin. "If you three are going to be on my team. I expect a better effort in our spar tomorrow." Seeing the fear his words left in his three genin's eyes Orochimaru smiled to himself satisfied. His job here was done. He could leave.

After Orochimaru left the courtyard remained silent. Neither the victims or the witnesses of the pale man's sadistic actions moved. The genins who thought today was their greatest day because they passed suddenly realised it could be their worst because they did.