Well, good to know that a whole 7 of you managed to find the poll on my fanfic page, but, you know, whatever…I didn't really make that clear I guess.

I AM REALLY TRYING TO UPDATE MORE, BUT I'M BUSY! Ok? I say quality over quantity for now on…because let's be honest, those first few chapters had quite a few mistakes.

On a side note, I actually have been really busy with homework and writing my senior essay this semester. Also, I've joined the Naruto video game league if you guys are interested in joining.

Review responses:

The Keeper of Worlds: That seems to be the more popular choice…

NeoJubiSannin1870: I will certainly try to update more

Guest: What does "supert" mean?

StormyTempest: We will keep in touch my friend

Arashi the Solar Phoenix: Good idea…I might just do that

Arba: So am I…

the DragonBard: Really? Hmmm, I guess I'll have to get back to you on that one / oops…yep, I'll probably rewrite this story anyways, so thanks for the heads-up

god of all: I am trying my best to update, but this is by far my busiest summer. I can't promise many speedy updates, because that would sacrifice quality.

Music: Yes, the NaruSaku will be starting in this chapter. I just wanted to give some background on Naruto's life before I get all lovey-dovey on you.

bankai777: Good suggestion…

inamehyuuga: Thanks…I didn't want Naruto to be god-like, but still powerful…the Rinnegan battle will have to wait a while, but it's probably going to happen. Believe it!

cohlmcclung: Sorry…it would be a rather short scene. Remember, Naruto is a genius who has already discovered the Kyuubi (in this story), not a clown who hasn't.

Relina16: didn't see that coming…

FYI: there is a 3 year time skip and Naruto is now 10-11 years old.

(Konoha Gate)

"It's been a while, Ero-sennin," said a blond boy approaching the gates. Not much has changed in a while for the young "genin". He's been traveling all over the world meeting new people, seeing several new villages (lots of bath houses), and experiencing how often women can actually spot Jiraiya peeking on them. Having to save his sensei on more than one occasion made him believe that it was a way for him to get some training in by outrunning some elite shinobi they happen to come across. For a kid his age, it's actually quite shocking.

He quickly grew out of his old clothes. He now wears black ANBU style pants with a red tanto strapped onto his right hip holster. In addition, he ditched his old orange jacket for and dark, navy blue jacket over his mesh chain shirt. He decided against wearing his sword on this trip, however, which is usually placed beside his right hip. Thank God for seals…

"Will you stop calling me that already gaki?" Jiraiya asked exasperatedly.

"Nope, not until the day you die," Naruto replied.

"*sigh* No respect for your elders…where did I go wrong with you?"

"You became a writer for smut"

"I guess so, but I will never regret it. The chicks love me, and I can't disappoint my favorite fans."

"It doesn't seem like they admire you as much when you are using them as inspiration for your next novels."

"Hmmm, what do you know gaki? Getting experience in the real world with real women is better than coming up with your own ideas."

"Whatever, we're already at the gate anyway," Naruto sighed as he approached the so called "eternal gatekeepers", also known as Kotetsu and Isumo. Nobody has ever been able to figure out what is under Kotetsu's bandage, except for Naruto due to the power of his dojutsu.

"Welcome back, Jiraiya-sama, Naruto-sama." Isumo said after checking their ninja badges for verification.

"Mah, mah. Just Naruto will be fine," Naruto reasoned with them while walking into the village. "Better go stop by tou-san's office before he gets too worried."

"I'll head in with you, just to see how my favorite student is doing." Jiraiya replied.

"You always say that about tou-san. I'm starting to think you're playing favorites."

"I do because he actually treats me with respect, unlike some gaki I know of."

"I told you already, drop the porn, and then I might respect you."

"Never, even if my life depended on it." With that, Jiraiya and Naruto started sprinting across rooftops towards the Hokage Mansion. As they entered through the window, they saw Minato reading a certain book of Jiraiya's.

"Oh no, not you too," Naruto said as he entered in the room. This caused Minato to become a little flustered as he quickly shut the book before disposing of it into his secret compartment.

"Why can't you just enter a room like a normal person?! And by the way, don't ever tell your mother about this." Minato warned in the most serious manner he could muster at the moment.

"Aww come on, Minato. You can tell me if you like it or not," Jiraiya said. "That edition was one of my better ones. I bet you'll be happy to hear that my new edition comes out next week."

"I'm not going to comment on that, but you better promise, Naruto, not to tell."

"Yeah, yeah, sure…Anyway, when can we get to the part of this discussion that actually involves catching up because I haven't been here for 3 years?" Naruto asked rhetorically as he plopped down onto a sofa.

"Ah," Minato started to stutter nonsense until he finally got into his father mode and came over to hug Naruto. "How was your trip? Give me all the details."

"Sorry dad, a ninja has to keep his arsenal a secret. Right, ero-sennin?"

Minato, expecting this, turned to Jiraiya with a smile. "You trained him well, sensei. But, I do demand a full report from you, Hokage's orders."

"Technically, I'm not part of this village's active ninja roster, so I'm not obliged to follow. However, I'll do this just for my best student." Jiraiya said, looking at Naruto during the last comment.

Naruto scowled, "Fine, but if you do, then tell him what you think what rank I truly am."

"In truth, he's at the skill level of a jounin."

"Impressive," Minato commented. Naruto gave his signature smile at this. "However, you still have to go through the Chunnin exams with a Genin team, no matter what skill level you are."

"Are you serious?!"

"Yes, just because you are my son does not mean that you are allowed to undergo special treatment. Don't worry though; I'll make sure that you will be placed with one of this year's best teams, so they won't hold you back much. Lucky for you, the next batch of genin take their exams soon"

Naruto sighed; he didn't like the idea of having to work with another genin team after the rough experience from his last one. However, his father did have a point. "Fine, but I get to keep my sensei."

"That's ok with me. Now go on home. I'm sure that your mother is worried sick about you right now. I swear, sometimes she became rather problematic. Plus, with you not around, I thought all hell was going to break loose."

Both occupants in the room could instantly sympathize with the Hokage. Kushina was a dangerous woman when people opposed her. Naruto made sure to make a mental note not to piss of his mother for the next week or so.

"All right," Naruto said as he exited through the window.

"I see that he inherited your dislike of doors."

"Why enter lamely through a door when one can simply make a flashy appearance through a window?" Jiraiya asked as he also made his way to the still open window. "Now, I got to get some more research done. Remember, this week my best student." With that, he dashed out of the room.

Before Minato could respond, Jiraiya was already gone. He prayed that neither his sensei nor son would tell Kushina about the Icha Icha. 'I don't want to know what would happen if it did…' he thought, shuddering afterward. He tried to use paperwork as a way to distract himself for the moment.

(Next week)

After a very motherly greeting, full of hugs that lasted hours and kisses that gave him hickeys, Naruto decided to go to bed early. As much as he wanted to spend time with his little sister, he had to meet his new team and sensei today, which meant another trip back to the academy. It was nostalgic at first when he greeted Iruka-sensei in the hallway, but then he soon realized why he hated it so much. As soon as he entered the room where the newly made ninjas were waiting, he saw a large group of girls completely swarming one boy with raven black hair and eyes. Naruto recognized him as Uchiha Sasuke, the last Uchiha. 'Fangirls…sucks to be him' he thought.

Strangely, there were only two girls not swooning over him: one from the Hyuuga who had dark purple hair, and another one with strangely pink hair. Naruto remembered seeing her before; he just couldn't remember when and where.

Thankfully, as soon as he took his seat, a familiar face came in to quiet the rowdy students down. "All right students, you are ninjas now, which means…" Iruka started as Naruto started to stare out in space. He already heard this speech before from his year.

After the speech was finally over, Iruka got around to announcing the teams. Naruto already knew his teacher would come extremely late, so he was mostly here just to see whom his dad put on his team.

"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. Your team's sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."

As the teams were announced and most of the team's senseis had picked up their teams, team 7 was the only team remaining in the classroom. Naruto began to analyze his future teammates. The Uchiha would obviously be skilled, but there was a doubt that his background would make him cold and distant from everyone. That would definitely hurt their teamwork in Kakashi's test. 'Arrogant bastard, just like the rest of the Uchihas…'

The civilian girl, on the other hand, seemed like she was kunoichi of the year for the sole fact that she was smart. Her physical attributes were lacking at best, but at least she would be willing to work with him. In addition, her pink hair wasn't exactly subtle. She seemed a little shy and timid, hopefully she wasn't as bad as the Hyuuga girl.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kakashi finally entered through the door. "Sensei, you beat your old time by two seconds," Naruto commented.

"Well, I guess I was lost on the road of life a little bit faster. Anyways, meet me up on the roof." With that, Kakashi shunshined up to the roof, closely followed by Naruto. After snapping out of their shock, Sakura and Sasuke hurried up the stairs to catch up.

"All right, now that everybody's here, why don't you all introduce yourselves?" Kakashi asked as Sakura and Sasuke sat down next to Naruto onto the step.

"Why don't you introduce yourself first, sensei?" Sakura asked.

'Déjà vu' thought Kakashi and Naruto at the same time.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have no intention of telling you my likes and dislikes. As for my dream…I have a few hobbies" Kakashi answered.

'Also déjà vu' Naruto thought, remembering his first day as a ninja all over again.

Kakashi, recognizing his nostalgia, called out to him, "Alright, blondie, you start."

Naruto deadpanned at this; nevertheless, he responded, "My name is Namikaze Naruto. I like Ichiraku ramen and sparring with my father. My dislikes are when people hurt my friends and comrades. My goal is to become the best Hokage in history, surpassing my father. My hobbies are studying jutsu and training."

'Good to know he matured a little' Kakashi thought with an inward eye smile. "Next, you pinkie."

"My name is Haruno Sakura. I like…*giggle*. I mean my dreams are…*giggle*. My hobbies are hanging out with my best friend Ino and reading." Every time she giggled she looked over at Naruto, remembering the time he complimented her.

FLASHBACK

6-year-old Sakura was crying in the middle of the pasture behind the Hokage monument. Several older boys today came up to her in the hallway teasing her about her forehead. Ino tried to calm her down, but there a certain limit she could handle before she hit her breaking point.

Suddenly, she caught someone in her peripheral sight with strangely blond hair that resembled the Yondaime, but younger. He saw her crying and walked over to her to see what was wrong. After hearing about her story, he said, "There's nothing wrong with your forehead. Those guys just don't know what they're missing out on. Your hair is so pretty and pink."

Words couldn't express her happiness towards the mysterious blond, so she instantly hugged him and thanked him for his compliment several times. After about a solid minute or two, they broke the hug and Naruto showed her his favorite hiding spot next to the Hokage monument in a section of forest that just happened to bloom cherry blossoms at the time.

She never really saw him again except for the occasional glimpse of blond hair she saw in her first year as an academy student. Ever since then, she took Ino to his hiding spot at least once a week.

FLASHBACK end

The thought of having her hero be on the same team as herself made the pinkette ecstatic. All everyone else could think of was, 'Am I missing something here?'

"Next"

"Hn. Name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't really like very many things and really hate fangirls. My goal, or rather ambition, is to kill a certain man and rebuild my clan."

'I knew it. Itachi just had to use Tsukuyomi on him. Now look what happened to him' thought the blond.

"Now that that's out of the way, the real genin test will start tomorrow at 8 am at training ground 7. And remember, don't eat breakfast. You'll just puke." Kakashi informed the group as he turned into a cloud of smoke.

Before Sasuke could take off, Naruto warned the others, "The threat he made is bologna. Make sure to eat a good breakfast cause he'll probably show up 3 hours late again."

"Hn, what do you know about the test?"

"Cause I've already taken it, teme. Now quit arguing against my warning and listen as my teammate."

"Whatever," Sasuke replied as he took off.

"So Naruto, right?" Naruto nodded. "You want to go on a date sometime?"

"Um…shouldn't you be more worried about the test? How about this, if we pass, then I'll treat you to ramen tomorrow."

"O-o-ok, sure. Sounds great" Sakura replied as she sped home to tell Ino.

"Well, this will certainly be interesting" Naruto said to no one in particular and flashed home.

As Naruto had foretold, Kakashi still kept to his lazy ways and showed up 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 58 seconds late. (AN: yes, it's a running theme) Sasuke made a mental note not to question the son of the Yondaime.

"Right, same rules as last time. You must get these two bells from me before the noon." The squad shifted into their battle stance while Kakashi kept an eye on Naruto.

"Ready…GO!"

Don't you just love cliffhangers?

I need more names for Naruto's little sister. Come on people!