Chapter 2: Together, we're strong!

Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own Naruto.

A/N:

Q: will naruto have a bloodline like the mokuton?

A: It's debatable if I see fit. Naruto will eventually get an ability that's not in the Manga or Anime. I'll create it myself, but it's not going to be related to his bloodline.

Chapter 2: Together, we're strong!

Naruto is walking by himself with the sun hanging up so high in the sky. The sweat dripping off his forehead wasn't pleasant at all. He hated the heat, but sometimes he just has to deal with it. That's when Naruto see's two students walking down the alleyway that had all the shade, "It's nice here in the shade..." A female voice said, so it's a girl walking with...

"Whatever." The boy replied, by the shadows you could see him having his hands crossed behind his head. He looks laid back and isn't complaining about the shade. He just considers it useless to talk about it, "Sakura. We've strolled past the same block twice. Where's Sasuke?" The boy looks at her like she's hiding something.

Naruto's hiding above them on the side of the roof, clinging for dear life. He managed to get away before they noticed him, but he didn't get a good grip on the edge and he's probably going to fall in an awkward way that he can't land on his feet.

"S-Sasuke...Hm. I told you he should be around here somewhere. He's been avoiding all of this since we've got together. I think he's training." Sakura said, smiling, but Shikamaru wasn't having any of it, "Look, Kakashi said he has some type of special mission to give us and I want to know what it is. I heard from past students of his that it has something to do with a bell. I also heard no one has ever passed it before."

Sakura was about to answer him until Naruto's grip could no longer hold. He falls down and lands on his back, aching from the pain that spreads across his body. "Ow~?" Naruto looks at the two who's staring at him weirdly, "Where did this freak show up?" Sakura said, standing back like Naruto was some type of rodent. Shikamaru looked unchanged after the surprise drop, but then suddenly glares at him.

"You're the reason my dad gave me extra chores right?" Shikamaru got dangerously close, grabbing on Naruto's collar, but Naruto wasn't going to have it. He pushes Shikamaru's hand away violently and returns the stare, "I had nothing to do with that and you know it. I just happened to be a lot better than you." Naruto mocked Shikamaru and Shikamaru's face begins to twitch, "In your dreams. I know you got the spot I'm supposed to be in because Asuma's the son of Hiruzen and all the other teachers can't stand having a troublemaker like you!" There was a slight silence as Shikamaru shoot's first.

"You take that back..." Naruto said, not liking how his anger's taking control of him. He wasn't mad because of what Shikamaru said. He's mad because it's true. The whole faculty of ninja's probably hates his guts because of what's in him. "Y-you take that back..."

A smirk plants on Shikamaru's face while Sakura tries to hold him back. She didn't mind Shikamaru fighting with Naruto, but there are punishments for fighting outside of school grounds and without any supervision. She knows this because she read the rulebook last night which was 1000 pages long.

"Shikamaru, not here. Let's go and find Sasuke so we can get back to Kakashi. You can settle with this animal later." Sakura said, looking down at Naruto and thinking she's just supporting her teammate, but she didn't understand what she said created a painful gap in Naruto's heart.

Naruto liked her before the ninja academy and still liked her even though he wasn't picked inside the same group as her, but she passed the line. Naruto fights back the tears and turns his head, looking away from Sakura because despite all the love he had for her. It was replaced by hate.

"Fine, we'll see how strong you are in our joint-class mission today." Shikamaru said before the two left from Naruto's sight. There is a joint-class mission today and all the students are preparing for it right now. It seems that Naruto has to hurry before he gets late. He throws his emotion's aside for now and starts running to the appointed area.

Naruto finally arrives and see's Ino and Choji there waiting for him, but when he got there he could see Ino's eyes glaring at him. "Where were you Naruto!" She yelled, looking like she might beat him up any second. "Asuma-sensei went out looking for you because you were late. He said it's because of how we treated you...Well who cares! I think that if you leave we can get our right partner and not some beast. It doesn't even have to b-"

"Ino shut-up..." Choji said, munching down on some chips. He looks at Naruto and Ino could finally see how much pain she was causing him. Naruto had his hands clenched the whole time, his fingernails digging into his skin so hard that blood oozed out. "I'm sorry...Ino..." Naruto choked out, trying to find his bearings, but after the incident with Shikamaru. He felt like he could break at any moment. He would usually just joke around and say a cheesy comeback, but right now he doesn't feel like that.

"Naruto!" Asuma calls out, running to the three of them. He could feel the tension between his students and immediately looks at Ino disappointingly. "What!" Ino snapped back, ready to bear her fangs on any defenseless thing. "I don't want Naruto in our group, that's all."

"Well you're just going to have to deal with it, okay? I'm going to send you guys together inside a cave that I booby trapped. I wasn't really looking for Naruto when I said I was and I apologies." he said sarcastically with a smile, but Ino's confused, "Then why did you tell us you were looking for him?"

Asuma laughs and looks down at Naruto who's still having a hard time dealing with his emotions, "Because 1, I know Naruto's going to show up whether you guys like it or not and 2, I didn't want you guys to try and cheat, alright." Asuma's attempt to brighten Naruto day failed and he looks a little bit worried of how this training exercise will go. He got orders from his father on how to help Naruto control his emotions. He can go on a rampage if pushed over the limit and the dreaded nine-tails could be awakened.

He thought this mission could help them rely on each other, but he's unsure of how effective it will be if Naruto has his mind on something else. He then thinks quietly to himself and comes up with a plan. "Alright guys we're heading in a straight line. I need all of you to line up behind me." Asuma said, standing in front of Naruto, but Ino hesitates to line up behind Naruto.

"Ino?" Asuma looks at Ino who's pondering something in her head. In the end she folds her arms across her chest and pouts, "I'm not lining up with Naruto, Asuma-sensei. We'll just have to go on separate turns. I'm not working together with him, my father told me that if I deny him ever being part of the group then you would have no choice but to exclude Naruto." Asuma grunts after hearing this and he knows she's right. He doesn't know where Inoichi got the information, but the council of Konoha are still debating whether it's safe for Naruto to be part of a normal team. This mission is crucial to prove Naruto isn't a threat to society.

Naruto's eyes widen after hearing this and looks at Asuma for confirmation. Asuma could only keep quiet as he tries to find another way, but this proves something to Naruto. It proves he is nothing but a bother, he is nothing but a nuisance and is only able to prevent students from learning. He's not going to become Hokage because how can a monster like him become Hokage. Naruto decides it's best if he steps down and stop Asuma from worrying too much about him.

He lost...

There is no chance in hell he'll ever become something besides a monster...but before he could walk away and toss everything out the window...there was a voice.

"Alright Sensei!" The big child holding the bag of chips in his hands happily walks and stands behind Naruto. Ino gives a look of surprise and tries to drag Choji away, but the big boy isn't moving an inch. "Choji if you follow along than we can't make Naruto leave." Ino complains, desperately trying to convince Choji to move, but Choji only stops eating and says, "Ino...just quit it already. I know what you're doing and I don't like it. I know how it feels to be bullied. I know how it feels to be alone sometimes, but I manage to strive and become a ninja because I know I can go back home and be with my family. I also know Naruto doesn't have a mom or dad and I don't want him to know he's alone, because he's not. I'm going to stand with Naruto and remind him that he's got a friend in me." He smiles at Naruto and pats his back with his chips contaminated hand. Asuma couldn't help but smile at this small friendship growing right in front of him.

This small act of kindness...

Naruto smiles and raises his fist in the air with determination, "Alright Choji! Let's get this mission down and go to the ramen bar so we can eat to our hearts contempt!" Choji's eyes shine in amazement as he shakes Naruto's hand, solidifying their friendship even more, "Oh Naruto! Are you paying for it too!" Naruto smiles a bit shakily but nods his head, "Don't worry about it. I'll make sure Irukai-Sensei pay's for everything."

Asuma jumps right in and shakes his head at Naruto's offer, "No I'll pay for everything!" he says with a hearty laughter as Ino watches her plan fall right in front of her. "I'm your sensei now after all!" Asuma said as the three of them laugh as they walk away from Ino's dark aura and head to the booby trap cave.

Ino could only mope along her own mess while she follows the trio.

The dark and weird feeling of the cave made Naruto's back hairs stand. "Asuma-sensei...when you said you booby trapped this cave...how well did you do it?" Naruto asked and Asuma just scratches the back of his head with an unsure smile, "I ended up lazing about and had the ANBU fix it up for me. I told them to go easy on it by saying it was a test for the Hokage."

"Doesn't that mean the booby traps are on a Hokage's level..." Choji added, looking a bit disappointed at Asuma who's taking in all the information. He wanted a smoke break, but he didn't know the ANBU could quickly fix such an intricate booby trap cave. "Don't worry Choji. We'll make it through it with the combined forces of our power." Naruto assures him as Ino finally catches up, looking at the cave weirdly. She sends a nasty glare at Asuma and Asuma dodges it quickly.

She knew immediately who's work this is based on and it's on a whole different level. "Well..." she said, folding her hands inside her pocket while feeling conflicted, "I'm pretty sure I can make it through this, but I'm not sure about the other two idiots." she said, obviously looking at Naruto and Choji as they shared a bag of chips. "Oh yea?!" Naruto yells, glaring at Ino, "This cave is fit for a Hokage if you didn't notice and I'm going to be the best Hokage there ever was!"

"You, Hokage? Don't make me laugh!" Ino grins with her hands folded across her chest, "It's more unlikely for you to become Hokage then Asuma being a good teacher." Ino snaps back and Asuma quickly waves the white flag as he suddenly get drags in the middle of this big mess.

"Hah!" Naruto points at her threateningly, "Let's have a race then...whoever finishes the route first is the winner and the loser has to do something for them no matter what it is." Naruto stares at Ino's body and could only think of the things he could ask her to do, because no matter how bitter Ino is. She's still really pretty.

Ino quickly see's through Naruto's plan and covers her body using her hands. Trying to fend off the wild thoughts, but while she did this an idea popped in her head. If she wins she could throw Naruto off the team and Naruto would have to do it no matter what. She suddenly laughs and looks at Naruto triumphantly, "If you're a Hokage then you wouldn't back down from your words, would you?" She grins, knowing what Naruto's answer's going to be from the start.

Naruto nods his head and Ino could only bite back her immense amount of joy. "Alright then..."

The two stare at each other with lightning spitting out from both sides.

"...let's do this."

There's a huge dust of smoke as two blinding fast shinobi's run quickly inside the cave. Choji and Asuma could only stand outside with there eyes staring at them weirdly. "Who you think is going to win?" Choji said, finally breaking the silence. Asuma ponders about this but then suddenly realize something wrong, "Wait, aren't you supposed to be in on this too?" Choji looks at him as Asuma does the same and then Choji casually walks to the entrance of the cave, munching on another bag of chips.

(Meanwhile)

"You're too slow Uzumaki!" Ino teases, looking behind her as Naruto gains speed. She recognizes the danger and tries to move past her limit but to no avail. Naruto is slowly gaining the lead and she's worried about the outcome, as for the booby traps, they managed to blow past them with ease. There has to be something at the end that would be difficult, but she's unsure of what that is.

"I'm just giving you chance!" Naruto spat back, breathing heavily as he pushes beyond his limit by force. He can't make any sudden turns, but luckily this cave has only one path and it's straight. The two finally are head to head and Ino's beginning to break past her limit, causing the speed boundary to remain even. They need something to force this race on someone's side, but both aren't too sure of what that will be. That's when Naruto could see Ino pushing herself more faster and she's getting ahead.

"Do you really want me off the team?!" Naruto asked, looking at Ino and seeing tears sliding off her face because of the wind pressing against them. Ino doesn't answer, but Naruto could see the physical strength she's displaying just so Naruto could leave. He guessed it when the race started and realized his own mistake, but he's surprised how much Ino didn't want him in. She's actually beating him by pure will.

"It's supposed to be me, Choji and Shikamaru. You don't belong in this group Naruto." Ino reveals her true feelings as the speed becomes more uneven, but Naruto could still win if he pushes harder, but the more they ran, the more he understood. It's been the Ino-Shika-Cho for many years and the only reason that's changing is because of him. He's breaking a tradition that dates back since Konoha founding.

He doesn't know what Ino's parents hammered into her head, or what bond the three already shared, but he knows that he's actually unfit to be in this group. It's like trying to fit a piece of puzzle that doesn't belong there. It just doesn't work.

"Ino..." Naruto said quietly, but Ino's too engrossed on winning that she doesn't look back. Her eyes are steady at the winning light in front of her, all she has to to do is cross it and the tradition that her father cares about the most will finally be brought back because of her. Then her father will be happy for her. She will finally have what she sought out the most.

"I'm coming papa..." she said, but the ground where she planted her foot disappears and she quickly looks beneath her. There's a gaping black hole right where the entrance. "Eh?!" she looks back at Naruto who managed to stop before he faced the same fate. Their eyes meet for one last time and she could feel her body being pulled into the darkness, "NO!" she yells out, trying her best to reach the ledge before she falls, but it's too late. It's impossible for her to grab unto something.

She can't do it...She can't save her family's tradition...She can't save her father's smile. The last thing she see's is the roof of the cave, mysterious carved rocks with weird engravings. "I'm sorry..." she silently said, feeling her life...incomplete.

That's when she suddenly feels her hand grabbed, and the sound of bones breaking as it hits the rock. Naruto is glaring in pain when she looks up and she finds Naruto hanging on the ledge with his feet. His left arm looks mangled and she understood that it's because of the impact of her fall. He stopped her from falling despite how fast she was falling.

"Naruto?!" She yells and Naruto closes his eyes, trying desperately to concentrate. His bones are bent in an impossible way and she could see tears dropping down on her face as Naruto tries to bear the pain. It reminds her of an old folktale she heard from her mother when she was very young.

It was about a beast and a little girl. The little girl was frightened of the beast and she didn't want to be close to him, every time the beast got close to her. She would be in danger and somehow she would get out of it. She blamed the beast because of her misfortune and never wanted to see him again, but no matter what. The beast will show up and cause her more misfortune, but then one day the beast died when he tried to protect her and she finally understood. The beast was protecting her from the pain she caused herself.

Despite all of this...she never considered the beast to be like her even though he desperately tried to protect her over and over again, but this time when she watches the beast die right in front of her. She could see tears pouring down his face and she did the same. She could see blood oozing down from his eyes and she would do the same and because of this...she understood that the beast was not the person in front of her, but it was her who was the beast.

"Naruto...let go..." Ino said, she couldn't stand watching Naruto in constant pain, no matter how much Naruto is trying. She didn't want him to hurt no longer and she felt so stupid it took her this long to understand. "Naruto, I don't deserve to be protected...please, let me go!" She felt disgusted of herself. She didn't want to live any longer. Naruto just has to let go.

"Naruto, let me go! I don't want to be saved. Why are you trying so hard to save me!? Na-" Naruto quickly cuts her off and even though he was suffering from an immense amount of pain, despite being not too sure himself if he could save her, Ino could only see a gently, caring smile. "Ino, don't say things like that. I'm not going to let you go because...I'm your friend...even though you don't want me to be your friend. I'll be there for you...and I'll protect you from falling no matter what."

And with this small act of kindness...

Ino could feel tears sliding down the edge of her eyes as she smiles and nods her head, determined to live. The two hold on for as long as they could and in short time, Choji shows up and drag the two over the ledge. Naruto faints from having to withstand such pain in a short amount of time and they drag him to the infirmary to have him patched up. They patiently wait outside in the waiting room and had to cancel their participation in the joint-class mission. The join-class mission is being delayed until further notice.

Naruto wakes up and finds himself inside a small room with white lights blasting in front of his face. He looks around curiously and tries to sit up, but then suddenly feels a sharp pain piercing his left arm. He then remembers the whole incident and sighs to himself, punishing himself mentally for saying something so dumb.

"I really got to watch what I'm saying..." he said, standing up carefully this time and walking out of the infirmary. He reaches the waiting room where a doctor is standing with a clipboard. "Well speak of the devil..." he said, smiling at Naruto as Naruto gives him a look of confusion. That's when a blond young girl comes rushing past the doctor and sends her arms to Naruto, wrapping it around his body and bringing him close, "Naruto I'm so glad you're okay!" Ino said genuinely as Naruto looks confusedly at the Choji and Asuma standing at the back, trying to hide away their laughter.

"What happened?!" Naruto said, looking at Ino as Ino wipes her tears. He remembers saving Ino, but didn't Ino hate him? Didn't she race against him so she could have him kicked out permanently?

"What happen? Is that the first thing you say to your new girlfriend?" Asuma said with a smile as he pats Naruto's back, walking outside to the exit.

"Girlfriend?" Naruto said, more confused than ever.

"You have my condolences Naruto...lets head to the ramen bar to celebrate." Choji said, patting Naruto on the back as he follows behind Asuma.

Ino just blushes, but she doesn't deny a word they said and she drags Naruto outside to follow Asuma and Choji. "Ino you do know they said you're my girlfriend." Naruto explained, trying to hide his blush as he could feel Ino's warm body clenching against his right arm.

"I didn't hear anything~" Ino said happily as a new friendship is born