Naruto Remake – Chapter 2: Welcome to our team!

I was given clear instructions by the secretary on my way home that I should wait until tomorrow before visiting the ninja academy, since coincidentally; the genin exams are today! How convenient.

What I was secretly hoping for, is a moment of redemption in one of the missions, I don't wish to retake the damn chūnin exam because I might run into him. That silver eyed boy who picks on my best-est friend, Hinata-sama. Speaking of which, there she is sitting alone on a bench eating from her lavish bento.

"Kunichiwa, Hinata-sama!" I ran up to her cheerfully.

I've known Hinata since I was at least 6-years-old, she has been nice and polite to me no matter what the elders said to her. What is even more amazing, she is a potential heir to the Hyuga clan.

"Ah- Maki-chan!" she blinked at me, "What are you doing here?"

I sighed, folding my arms behind my back, "I got kicked out of my team, so tomorrow I will be enrolling into your class. Let's hope I'll be on your team!" I grinned.

"Kicked out?" She gasped in worry.

This is exactly what I love about her, she's always so caring.

"Uhuh, but that's alright; I didn't even like my teammates anyway..." I sat down beside her and glanced into her lunchbox. "Ah, that looks delicious! Who made that...?"

The food in there looks mouth-watering! Rice balls, exotic sushi, chicken balls covered in soy-sauce, and I bet everything was made by her loyal servants, who had the ingredients purchased by their own servants, who ordered the ingredients from other countries via their own personal messengers. That's how filthy rich I envision the Hyuga family as.

"I-I did..." Hinata blushed feeling flattered.

"What? Surely you don't need to waste your time on such a boring task such as cooking...?" I chuckled.

"Why not? I love cooking!"

"But couldn't the servants of your servants make this?"

"What servants...?" Hinata stared at me blankly.

The next day came really fast, I ended up going to sleep last evening because of my depression, the feeling of freedom felt... well, weird. No level C or B missions, just... peace. It drove my mind crazy.

When I pulled myself out of my bed, stretched my upper body and my arms; in the corner of my eyes stood my former team's picture. I walked up to it and frowned, I decided to gently pull out the photo from the cute picture frame Hinata bought me on my 12th birthday last year, and set the photo on fire in the stove. No more silly crushes, no more acting fake and trying to impress everyone. Of course there was a little smoke because of the ink, resulting a loud cough coming from my adoptive father's mouth, who was reading the newspaper like he usually did in the morning and enjoy a cup of coffee with toasted whole-grain bread.

"Good morning father." I smiled, stealing half of his toast, "Big day today!" I pulled on my arm and leg warmers, kicked on my sandals and walked down the stairs.

"Oi, Maki." My father muttered, "Yes?" I stop midway.

"Don't take it too hard." He said.

"I won't."

"And don't act as the team leader, you're a temp."

"Hai..."

"And don't expect this to be a temporary position, you're going to follow through with the rest of the class until your team takes the chūnin exam.

"What?" I ran back up the stairs, "But-"

"You're going to be late." He raised the newspaper in front of his face; that means the conversation was over.

"Fine" I arched my eyebrows in irritation and left.

"Alright class, I am pleased to announce that our beloved third Hokage's grand-daughter is here to join one lucky team. Please welcome your new temporary member; Maki Sarutobi!" Iruka announced, gesturing at me to enter the classroom.

I can't believe I am saying this, but I'm a little nervous... it feels like forever since I entered the ninja academy (about 3 years).

"Ohayo!" I walked in shooting the warmest smile I could at the class, in which the boys gave out an admiring gasp. A blond girl in the corner of the classroom gawked at me suspiciously. She probably thought I was there to steal her boyfriend when I clearly had no intention of doing so. I also spotted the lovely Hinata, who shyly waved at me. "Are you really a chūnin?" a boy with wild brown hair and red fang markings down his cheeks asked. He's pretty cute... I couldn't help but admit.

"I- uh..." it wouldn't be cool if I told them I was demoted, but I can't lie to them either... "I have a wide experience in the chūnin field, yes, and I have successfully passed the chūnin exam."

People nodded in interest, "What's the chūnin exam like?" a chubby boy asked with one hand stuck in a bag of chips.

"The chūnin exam changes each year... or so I've been told." I blinked in wonder.

"Why would a chūnin join a genin team? Isn't that unfair to the other teams?" the same untameable boy frowned, exposing his canine teeth.

"I-"

"Let's end it here folks! I will now be announcing the members of each team. Maki, please take the seat next to Naruto."

I turned my gaze at the blonde boy, who was asleep on his desk.

Iruka-sensei was clearly irritated by his pupil's behaviour and so he threw an eraser at him, "Wake up!"

"WHAT!" Naruto shouted.

Iruka's eyebrow twitched, "Please make some space for your new acquaintance..."

"Huh...?" he turned and looked at me, his eyes narrowed and focused at me. "Her...?" he pointed.

"Yes her!" Iruka-sensei shouted.

"Idiot..." a boy with raven hair and fair skin muttered, causing the whole class to laugh in unison. "He really is an idiot! Isn't he? Sasuke-kun?" a girl with pink silky hair who sat beside him joined.

Sasuke? I looked up at him, no way, I thought he was...

The boy caught me staring at him, and when he did, my mouth's corners turned up, I gave out a gasp as I tried to hold back my tears. "I thought..."

"Is something wrong, Miss?" Iruka blinked at me weirdly, so did Sasuke. Doesn't Sasuke recognize me?

"I-eh" I shook my head, then hopped up the stairs to take my seat beside the hooligan.

"Hello! I'm Maki! Pleased to meet you Naruto-san!"

The boy, uninterested, sunk his head back between his arms and mumbled "Hello Mai."

"Huh? It's Maki..."

"Whatever..."

I popped a vein and pulled him by his orange/blue jumpsuit "Listen punk! You're the one who drew over grandpa's face! That's disrespect! And I don't like people who disrespect my family, got it?"

Iruka-sensei interrupted my lecture with a few coughs, "Maki, I'm about to read the list."

"Gomen-nasai, sensei." I apologized, I could see Naruto grinning in amusement at my bad timing and I had to tell myself repeatedly it will be fine and that he does not deserve to have his face slammed against the desk. The girl with the pink hair mouthed "Sorry" and I waved at her in forgiveness.

"Sakura Haruno, you will be in Naruto's team." Iruka said.

The girl dropped in disappointment and Naruto cheered. Looks like the idiot has a crush on her.

"And... Sasuke Uchiha"

"Yipe!" Sakura jumped up, while Naruto slumped down in sadness. Sakura turned around to the blonde girl and gave her the victory gesture, who groaned in frustration. Sasuke has a few fan girls, how expected. Sasuke always had girls drooling over him ever since he was a little boy, he even used to tell them off by saying we were a couple- why doesn't he remember me?

"Maki will accompany team seven." The teacher said.

"Eh?" I lifted my head off my hand, realizing that I couldn't be in Hinata's team depressed me. But then turned to look at the three; Sasuke didn't seem to care, at all. Whereas Naruto snickered at me as if he was ready to cause even more trouble, but what surprised me wasn't Sasuke's or Naruto's behaviour... it was Sakura's glowing eyes, as if I was being challenged to a fight.

Funny, I thought Sakura and I were going to get along...

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