DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN Naruto EVEN IF I WISH FOR IT TO BE SO. SUCKS.
1. The Game Has Begun
The Hokage Tower was buzzing with reports as to what had become of Mizuki and the 'scroll'.
"If that scroll has left the village and the land of Fire, then we must prepare for anything that will happen. There was a reason why that particular scroll was sealed away. How Mizuki managed to obtain it is still unknown. But it seemed that whoever Mizuki was working with didn't keep their end of the bargain. Mizuki's death is only a warning. That whoever has the scroll now won't care who they have to kill as long as they reach their goal." the Hokage told all the occupants of the room: the ANBU's, the jounins, and chuunins.
"I want everyone alert and ready for any attack that may or may not come. As long as the scroll is not here, we cannot afford to be lax in our security and defense. Dismissed." He commanded and everyone left.
The Hokage sighed in frustration as he wondered how long will the charade last. The Godaime ought to just make himself known since he had the proper papers for the succession of the position. No protests from both Shinobi and Civilian council could take the position from whom it's supposed to be given to.
~Darkness Inside of Me~
At the Academy, three students had kept quiet which unnerved the whole class. It was shocking that the usually smiling and loud blond was quiet and staring at the door with boredom. One that was usually stuttering and looked worried looked the same. One who usually had food in his hands simply had a bottled water and was drinking from it.
No one managed to ask since the door had then slid open and Iruka had entered with the list of students who would be taking the exam.
"Good morning. As you all know, you will be taking the final exam to pass the Academy. You will be called in random so everyone please step outside." He instructed and everyone did so. Iruka had to look twice at Naruto who was quiet but didn't seem worried at all.
"First examinee, Uzumaki Naruto." Iruka said and everyone watched as the orange wearing jumpsuit menace entered the classroom and the door closing behind him.
No one had seen the discrete nod two others had given the blond before the doors had closed.
~Darkness Inside of Me~
Without trying, Naruto had left Iruka speechless.
He didn't know Naruto was that good. Naruto had controlled his chakra perfectly and created Shadow clones instead of the usual Bunshin clones.
He then Henge'd into the Hokage which Iruka made Naruto stop and tell him he passed.
"Congratulations, Naruto. You are now a genin. Come back tomorrow for team placement. It will be held in this room still." He said with a smile and handed him the forehead protector to the blond who bowed and just left the room without saying anything at all.
It worried Iruka a bit but then he knew that it must have been just nerves and that everything would be fine tomorrow.
~Darkness Inside of Me~
When the morning came, everyone (bar three others in the room) was excited for team placement. The whole room was relatively calm until two loud voices were heard from the outside, and was only getting louder: Ino and Sakura.
"I won!" Sakura yelled.
"You did not!" Ino yelled back.
"I won and you know it, Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled again.
"And I say you didn't, Forehead!" Ino yelled back again.
Sakura then ran up the stairs and was about to sit next to Sasuke when she finally noticed someone else was already there.
The whole room froze as they all finally noticed that there was someone there with them. Sasuke was staring in disbelief as he had NOT noticed at all until the pink haired loud mouth had made her way up.
Then Sakura noticed it was Naruto who was reading a book. He was wearing the normal black ninja sandals, blank pants, a sleeveless black v-neck shirt. His forehead protector was hanging on his neck and he had not even acknowledge Sakura like usual.
"Naruto! Move! I'm sitting next to Sasuke-kun." She demanded but got no reaction.
Naruto just flipped the page of the book he was reading.
"NARUTO!" she yelled and was about to punch him when she was blown back and slammed to the wall, cracking and making the area she hit crumble to pieces.
No one spoke a word. They all just stared at Sakura then at Naruto.
"What the hell just happened?!" Sasuke demanded in his mind.
Sakura stood up, limping as tears were on her eyes. She was in pain and Naruto didn't even do anything at all. Ino had ran to help her as well as Kiba. No one dared to speak at all. Two others raised a brow and scoffed before starring at the door once more.
One female managed to hide her smirk as she lowered her head down while the other hide his own amusement behind his water bottle.
The door opened and Iruka came in. He then saw the wall and the students that was helping Sakura up.
"What happened here?!" he asked as he then ran up to see if everything was alright.
He turned to look at the wall that was cracking and crumbling slowly.
"S-sensei… We… don't know really. Sakura was about to hit Naruto then the next thing we knew, Sakura got blasted back and she slammed into the wall." Ino explained.
"Naruto did this?" He asked as he turned to see the blond.
Iruka's eyes widen in shock. Gone was the horrible orange jumpsuit and Naruto was in an all black clothing. He just sat there, reading as if nothing had happened.
"Yes.. I mean no. Not really. He didn't do anything. He was just reading. Sakura was about to punch him and she just flew back. Naruto didn't move at all. He just sat there and read his book." Ino tried to explain and the teacher was getting more and more worried.
He helped the girl to a seat, away from the blond and went back to the front of the class. All eyes were on Iruka yet when the man reached the front and faced them, Naruto had finally moved and closed his book to look up at Iruka with emotionless and cold blue eyes that made the chuunin shiver.
"I will now read to you which team and jounin each one is assigned." He began and the whole class remained quiet.
When Ino got paired up with Shikamaru and Chouji, she was relieved. At least it wasn't with Naruto. It was a shame that she wasn't with Sasuke but she had a feeling that those two would be on the same team. And whoever was the third member was doomed. Chouji successfully hid his sneer when Ino was making facial expressions on what was going through her mind. He wanted to snap her in half so bad but knew his taicho wouldn't appreciate it.
Hinata was paired with Kiba and Shino (she mentally groaned). Kiba was relieved. Shino, though it wasn't obvious, was relieved as well.
"And Team 7: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke… and Uzumaki Naruto." Iruka said, nearly whispering Naruto's name.
Sakura's sweet victory was very short lived. She then paled when she heard the name of the third member.
Naruto.
"Your jounin will be Hatake Kakashi. You are all to wait here until they come and get you. Congratulations and good day." He said and left the room as fast as he could.
No one dared to speak. Ino saw Sakura paled but didn't move from where she sat in between Chouji and Shikamaru. Sasuke kept glancing at the blond who went back to reading once more. No one bothered him. No one even said anything to Sakura as well. She was now pitied as she was placed in the same team as Naruto who had not even moved but blasted her and made the wall crumble. They all turned to the wall that was still crumbling.
The door opened and Kurenai had come to take her team. Kiba had ran to her and the other two ushered her out without looking back at all. Hinata's brow was twitching but she managed to conceal it and walked out the room as she saluted to her taicho discretely and got his approval.
Ten minutes later, Asuma had arrived as well and the Ino and Shikamaru instantly ran to him while Chouji just walked normally. The other two had pushed Asuma out the door and led him out the school as fast as they could. They didn't want to spend any more time in the same room that was thick with tension.
Nearly two hours had passed and the jounin Hatake Kakashi had yet to show his face.
Sakura was slowly flexing her arm and back to shake the pain off. Sasuke was staring out the window, trying his best to avoid looking at blond who was silently reading his book beside him. It was so strange because to Sasuke, it seemed that the Naruto beside him was another person who he didn't want to be anywhere near of. The Naruto beside him was dark. The air around him suffocated Sasuke that he had moved a few inches further without making the blond look at him.
Then finally, the door opened and a silver haired jounin with one eyed came. He turned to look at the three remaining students who by his point of view didn't want to be there. Well, two of them didn't want to be there while the other was just there… reading.
"My first impression of you three… your boring. Roof top now." He said.
But before Kakashi could leave himself, the blond one closed his book then vanished. Sasuke's eyes widen more and Sakura was trembling. Kakashi would have dropped his jaw if he had not have his mask on.
The other two slowly stood up and ran up to the jounin who held them for a bit before leading them to the roof top.
When they got there the blond was sitting on the edge of the roof top, crossed legs and still reading his book. The other two sat near the jounin who was trying to sit near the blond.
"A-alright… Now that we're all here, lets introduce ourselves. Say your name, age, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dream." He said and the two nodded.
"Will you show us how to start, sensei?" Sakura asked.
"Alright. I'm Hatake Kakashi. I like many, I also dislike many. My hobbies are… Hmmm… My dreams… Hn." He said and both Sasuke and Sakura sighed. They only got his name.
"Your turn, Pinky."
"I'm Haruno Sakura, twelve. I like dresses and sweets. My hobbies are dressing up well. My dream?" she blushed as she turned to glance at Sasuke.
"Dislikes?"
"Ino pig!" Sakura answered, leaving Naruto out of it since she didn't want to make him angry or even do anything to her.
"Your turn bookworm." Kakashi said as he addressed Naruto who didn't even look up.
"Uzumaki Naruto, eleven. My likes and dislikes have never mattered to anyone so it wouldn't matter now. My hobbies and dreams were never important as well so I highly doubt it would matter if I say them." He answered as he then flipped another page of his book without looking at them.
Kakashi was staring at him.
The son of his sensei was cold, apathetic, and detached. So opposite of what his file spoke of him. He wasn't even wearing the orange jumpsuit he kept hearing about from many others! Who the hell was this blond that looked like the Yondaime?
"Your last, Blacky." Kakashi asked, diverting the topic now. He'd speak to the Hokage later about it.
"Uchiha Sasuke, twelve. I like little and dislike many. My hobbies are training and I don't have a dream. My goal is to revive my clan and avenge my kin." He said with a hiss as he thought of his older brother, Itachi.
Kakashi saw that one coming.
"Now that its done and over, Gather at training ground seven at six a.m. for survival training." Kakashi instructed and they all saw Naruto fall back on the edge.
Sakura screamed, Sasuke stared, and Kakashi paled. The next thing he knew, they saw a black eagle fly away.
Kakashi stared in disbelief.
Was that Naruto?!
~Darkness Inside of Me~
In his apartment, Naruto was smirking as he stared at himself in the mirror. The shiny forehead protector in reflected the light as he admired it.
"We finally moved forward into teams."Commented one Hyuuga Hinata who was sitting on the end Naruto's bed.
"Well, taicho would have had to pass it since we are passing this year as well." Lee commented calmly.
Behind closed doors and only in front of the other three and the Sandaime himself, Rock Lee was no loud mouth 'youthful' nin. He was calm and collected and usually the most quiet one.
"Lee is right. Though, we could have passed the Academy tests three years ago too. Remind me why we didn't do that one?" Chouji asked as he drank water from his bottle once more. It was a health drink that replaced all the food he usually ate with all the proper vitamins and minerals. It also repaired his body from all the food he had to eat to keep up appearances.
Naruto came out from the bathroom in an ANBU like standard ninja outfit: long black pants, a grey long sleeve shirt, bandages wrapped around his legs for support. Inside his shirt, bandages wrapped around his stomach as well. His shoulder length blond hair was kept back by his new forehead protector.
"We passed this one because if we passed the others, I would have kept other teams from passing. You know who I am and what I keep within me. So does the civilian council. They will fight tooth and nail to keep me as tied down as much as possible. Which would be a problem. This game were playing has yet to begin and I will not allow myself to use my cards yet. If I am paired with the Uchiha, there is no chance that team will be failing. The council themselves will not let the lone Uchiha fail and be recycled back into the Academy." He told them and they sighed.
"And why do we bother with this charade as a whole?" Hinata asked and all three turned to Naruto who smirked.
"Because its amusing and it will be more dramatic in the long run when the whole village realizes their mistake and how it will be too late for them to grovel for forgiveness." He answered.
Chouji was placed with the Yamanaka girl and the Nara boy. Hinata was with the Inuzuka idiot and the quiet Aburame. However, Lee was already complaining about the Hyuuga from the branch family and the two bun haired girl, Tenten.
"I swear, if your cousin speaks another round of 'destiny', 'fate', and the other crap he keeps saying, I will not be held responsible if I end up killing him with KI alone." Lee said as he groaned and dropped his head in front of the table.
"Try having to listen to that dog crazed cretin. At least Shino is quiet and his bugs keep to themselves. If I hear one more time how 'stronger' and 'better' he is than Godaime-sama, I will snap his neck where he stands." She said with venom in her words.
Chouji narrowed his eyes as well as Lee. For the dog breath to even think that they were better than their Godaime was blasphemy.
"The only complaint I have is the Yamanaka complaining about the Nara being too lazy and me 'eating' too much. I got the better end of the teams from the looks of it." Chouji said as he shrugged.
"And I got the worse. A weak, spoiled, avenging for all the wrong reasons, duck-butt haired brat and a useless kunoichi who is obsessed with the former. This will surely test my patience." Naruto said with amusement and leaned on the frame of the door and crossed his arms.
Yes, this was going to be one hell of a test.
Jason: Alright! So this is the part where an author (like me) tellsthe readers (you people) to 'read and review'... So Read and review! XD