Disclaimer: I own only the plotline and not Naruto or any of the characters.

Enjoy the chapter.ff

Chapter 3 – Academy troubles

Naruto was entered into the academy early to keep him out of trouble and keep those that wanted to hurt him away. Hiashi was pushing Hinata to perform beyond any reasonable expectations and he was not sure why. Hanna died in childbirth with Hanabi. Sarutobi suspected foul play but could not prove it as she seemed to be suffering from hemophilia just before she delivered Hanabi. Fugaku had some of his non-Uchiha officers protecting Naruto so he was better protected mostly. Naruto also learned from some of the ANBU how to run away better and hide his presence, one in particular was a wolf masked Uchiha.

The next couple years were hard for all involved. The Uchiha were having problems with the Hokage and the elders on the council. The Hyuuga mainly the elders and Hiashi were having problems Hinata's progress, as in she was not progressing fast enough. Hinata was sent to the academy by Hiashi as he did not think she was worthy of the Hyuuga name so she was pushed aside for Hanabi's training. Naruto was having problems with teachers at the academy not teaching him. They would mostly send him outside the classroom saying that he was a disruptive influence and was needed to be removed from class often.

Around Naruto's seventh birthday he was talking to a fellow student Hinata who was brought to the academy by a chunin instructor name Kurenai. "Morning Hinata! How are you?" Naruto asked.

"F… Fine Naruto-kun. H… H… How are you?" Hinata answered with a blushing face and a smile.

"Great, if they can keep me in class today. Morning Kurenai sensei." Naruto smiled a foxy grin.

"Good morning Naruto. What do you mean if they keep you in class?" Kurenai asked as if confused. She had never had a problem with Naruto but also has never had him in any of her classes.

"Well the stupid teachers keep on saying I am disrupting class and won't teach me anything."

"T… That is awful Naruto-kun." Hinata said with a gasp.

"Which subject are you having trouble with? I might be able to help you if my duties do not interfere." Kurenai suggested with a smile.

"Really? You could help me? That would be great. Well let see. Reading, writing, math, chakra studies, and oh yeah understanding basic taijutsu." Naruto said with a huge smile.

"What? Naruto did you know that is the whole curriculum?" Kurenai said shocked that he needed help with every subject.

Naruto scratches the back of his head and gives and embarrassed smile. "Well you see. All my teachers do as little as they can to help me. I have had to learn how to read on my own, and I know I am not that good at it. Also I have seen the tests that I take and that the other students take. Mine are a lot harder. I am sure I could pass the tests the others get." Naruto said as his grin faltered but then recovered.

"That is terrible Naruto-kun." Hinata was appalled that her friend was having such problems.

"Naruto, meet me and Hinata after school tomorrow and we will work on some of the things you need help on. I know tomorrow is the festival but meet us in the park by the lake. We will be there at four." Kurenai said as she rumpled his hair.

"Okay sensei, I will be there. Even though I usually hide on that day." Naruto said with a slight quiver in his voice and an apprehensive look on his face.

The next day Naruto missed Hinata in school as she did not show up at all. His teachers were being their usual but selves by kicking him out for the important part of a lesson or ignoring his questions. He finished the day and hid in the woods near the park until four.

Hinata had missed the day's academy for the reason that that clan council had determined to test her on her abilities to use the gentle fist style. She was pitted against her cousin Neji who was ruthless in beating her and not showing her where she had made mistakes. The council was not pleased and determined that she would be either have the caged bird seal put on her or jusft eliminated.

Hinata while beaten and bruised wanted to see her friend Naruto. She packed a day pack and headed towards the park. She had seen several of the branch guards keeping a close eye on her for some reason and she was not sure why. Even so she snuck out and headed towards the park.

Kurenai was held up by paperwork given to her by another teacher Mizuki. The work took her several hours and she would be late arriving to meet with Naruto, she told Mizuki to go and let Naruto know about this and with that Mizuki headed to the park.

Mizuki found Naruto waiting for Kurenai just inside the forest that bordered the park. Hinata arrived just in time to see Mizuki hit Naruto with a shuriken. Naruto ran towards town and Mizuki followed. Hinata instead headed towards his apartment. Naruto was eventually able to evade Mizuki and go back to his apartment. He found a beaten and crying Hinata waiting at his door.

He quickly opened the door and grabbed as much of his stuff as he could. "What are you doing Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"I am leaving. Isn't evident that I am not wanted in the least in this village. You are my friend aren't you?" Naruto asked with fear evident on his face.

"Y… Yes Naruto-kun, I am your friend." Hinata answered as the door burst open with two chunin Hyuuga looking ready to fight.

"Hinata Hyuuga you are found by the council to be lacking and are thus not worthy of living as you will not be a good head for the family. It has been decided that you will either take the caged bird seal or you will die." One of the chunin stated bluntly.

"What do you think you are doing breaking into my house and threatening my friend?" Naruto asked angrily.

"Shut up demon. We will handle you in a minute. So Hinata what is your decision. As it stands now you are betrothed to both the demon and Sasuke Uchiha. They want the demon eliminated and you are not up to par for marrying the Uchiha. You are not worthy to be his wife or heir for the Hyuuga. Now decide."

Hinata had a look of utter fear in her eyes as she cried. "I don't want to marry Sasuke."

Naruto was confused by the turn of events but was not happy to hear that the Hyuuga clan council wanted to kill him. "You mean you are going to kill us both in cold blood? We are not even ninja yet. We are only academy students."

"Shut up demon, you are going to die today as is the weakling heir." The chunin stated coldly.

Naruto not thinking grabbed his pack and Hinata's hand and leapt out the window. They landed on a roof near his apartment. They then headed towards the gate as they spotted other Hyuuga chunin were blocking their path to the Hokage. They continued to run and dodge kunai and shuriken. Kurenai saw this and started to head towards the battle only to be knocked out by a passing Uchiha who then also gave chase.

Naruto and Hinata made it to the gates and found the guards there. They asked for help but the guards would not help as the Hyuuga approached. They wanted nothing to do with the situation. Seeing that they would get no help they ran out the gates and into the surrounding forest heading northwest.

After running for twenty minutes Hinata was tiring quickly so they rested only to be found by a Lightning ninja. "What do we have here? An unsealed Hyuuga and a blond brat, I am sure I could get a good reward for this." The ninja commented.

"You will not have the child. All three of you will die by our hands." One of the pursuing Hyuuga said.

"Okay let's play and see who gets the prize." The lightning ninja drew his sword and charged the five Hyuuga chunin.

"Hinata I know you are tired but we need to run some more so that we might get away." Naruto said as he helped her up to her feet. They ran again towards the northwest. They were able to go for about another ten minutes before Hinata collapsed from exhaustion. Naruto grabbed her and helped hide them both in the crook of a tree.

About ten minutes later they heard a voice calling to them. "Come on little children come out come out where ever you are. I will take you away from here." They recognized it as the voice of the Lightning ninja. They pressed even harder against the tree.

Suddenly a bloody face popped out of from beside the tree. "Boo! I found you! Now you will come with me!" The ninja demanded.

Naruto immediately stood in front of Hinata with his arms held wide blocking the way to Hinata. The ninja just pushed a kunai into his stomach and hit Naruto aside. "Foolish boy you have no chance of fighting a jonin like me. Even five Hyuuga and an Uchiha were no match for me. What makes you think you are even have a chance against me? You are a fool and will…" He was cut off when Hinata hit him in the chest with a chakra laced palm. He coughed then drew another kunai slashing it at Hinata. "You little bitch!"

The kunai dug into her right chest scraping the bone and dragged up and across her chest leaving a cut that exited right near her jugular vein. She collapse in a lump as the jonin felt a spike in evil chakra from his left where Naruto had ended up in a heap. He looked and saw a pool of blood, but the boy was attempting to rise even with the loss of so much blood. The jonin suddenly felt a pain the back of his neck as he heard someone say "killing children is not the way of a shinobi."

A/N: Is it an ally or an enemy? Will Hinata and Naruto survive this encounter.