A/N: Here's the third chapter!

Now, reviews… (please note this is my fanfiction which I am writing for fun, and I will write it the way I want. Flame me all you want.)

First Guy: Yes, Itachi is OOC, but will still be rather obedient and will still obey orders. Technically the Hokage didn't order him to do anything, too, and he was allowed to speak of his own free will. About Naruto being rude… Do remember he has a thousand-year-old demon fox yelling in his mind constantly, and he's been influenced xD

crazeface: Thank you!

hornet07: Do take into consideration the fact that Naruto has a thousand-year-old demon fox in his mind. Naruto will have picked up a few swear words and somewhat decent vocabulary from Kurama. Also, he didn't understand most of the words Itachi said, so that also goes to show that he is more advanced than normal three-year-olds but not some magical genius.

Time skip of 1 year

The Academy kids were in their second year, with Iruka as their teacher and Mizuki as Iruka's assistant. "Now, kids, today we will be learning about the five main ninja countries…" A vein near his forehead popped as he saw two kids sitting next to each other in the exact position, sleeping and snoring away.

"NARUTO! SHIKAMARU!" he hollered in frustration, chucking a chalkboard eraser at Naruto's head. He felt a twinge of satisfaction as the blind blonde boy screamed and promptly fell out of his seat. Sheesh! What happened to my reflexes? Naruto grumbled inside his head. I thought my reflexes were honed enough to block or catch that!

Oh, I might have done something, Kurama mumbled in a sing-song voice. Wait, I didn't do anything! NO! STOP! I promise, your reflexes are now as great as ever, okay?

Naruto grinned in satisfaction. Do that again, and you'll be treated to a worse sight than a mini version of yourself getting squashed.

… That was horrible! Wait, what? Don't tell me…

You'll be treated to the sight of a certain sunrise genjutsu!

AHH, I've been trying to get that out of my head! Thanks a lot, Kit! Kurama grumbled sarcastically. Naruto had been wandering around the Academy when he saw a boy with creepily thick eyebrows practicing his punching.

"Hey, wha'cha doin'?" Naruto called in a friendly manner as he walked towards the kid.

The kid turned around and Naruto was creeped out by his bushy eyebrows. "I have heard that you are the blind boy a year younger than me!" the boy said. "Oh, do forgive me. My name is Lee, but I am unable to wield chakra, therefore my dream is to become a successful ninja using Taijutsu alone!"

"It's a goal, not a dream!" Naruto said with a thumbs-up. "You'll do it for sure!"

He soon regretted what he said as the bushy-eyebrows almost strangled him in a vice-like hug. "Help… Can't… Breathe," he choked out. Lee immediately released him.

"Apologies!" he yelled. "That reminds me, what is your name? You are incredibly good to be able to navigate here and sense me even when blind!"

"Um, I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto muttered. "Have you, um, met the Jounin Maito Gai? He's a Taijutsu specialist…"

"Wow, really? Thank you, Naruto-kun!" Lee smiled energetically. "I will find this Gai person!"

Naruto totally regretted introducing Lee. The last time he met Lee, it was in Training Grounds 9, and both he and Gai were in a very disturbing pose. The dreaded 'sunrise genjutsu' not even Genjutsu Mistress Kurenai Yuhi could escape from. Then Lee had noticed him and bounded towards him screaming about the springtime of youth.

"Troublesome," his lazy friend Nara Shikamaru yawned, stretching.

"If you think you can sleep through this, mind telling me what are the five main ninja countries, then, Shikamaru?" Iruka yelled at the half-asleep Nara.

"Uhh… Damn it," Shikamaru mumbled sleepily.

Naruto kicked his foot under the table. "Use your brain, Shika! You don't have it for nothing!" he hissed in amusement.

"Oh… Uh, Konoha, Kumo, Iwa, Kiri and Suna," Shikamaru said.

Iruka looked surprised. "Very good, Shikamaru. How did you know that?"

"Too troublesome to explain," Shikamaru mumbled before his head dropped as he fell asleep again, much to Iruka's annoyance.

Mizuki walked up to Iruka and whispered something in his ear with a glance at the wall clock. Iruka nodded in agreement. "Alright, class, we're going to practise Taijutsu now… Off to the training field! Can someone wake Shikamaru up? Thanks, Ino…"

Naruto walked next to his best friends – Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino and Kiba – as they made their way to the training field. He was okay with Hinata and Shino, but both were quiet and Hinata was really shy. Ino, surprisingly, had become his friend after he had managed to snap her out of her fangirl tendancies.

"Okay, first match is Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka!" Mizuki called.

Ino walked up, facing her former best friend. "Sakura, huh," she said with a tiny smile. "Looks like I'm always fighting you, some way or the other."

"What do you mean?" Sakura said, narrowing her green eyes.

"I thought you were supposed to be the top kunoichi," Ino said. Sakura bristled, drawing her fist back.

Mizuki, seeing how riled up the pinkette was, hastily declared, "Begin!"

Sakura charged at Ino, trying to punch the blonde. "You're careless and reckless!" Ino criticized as she dodged the numerous punches flying at her.

"Go, Ino-chan!" Naruto cheered. Ino smirked. "Yamanaka Style: Clover Step!" She ducked under Sakura's arm and unbalanced the pinkette with a clever sweep of her legs. Sakura gasped as she landed on the ground, flushed pink with exertion.

"Winner, Ino Yamanaka!" Mizuki smiled. Hm, the Yamanaka is suddenly strong! How did that happen? I thought she was a weakling! Naruto secretly smirked, nodding at Ino.

Good job Ino… Finally broke out of that silly crush for real. One day in the Academy Sakura had tried to fight with Naruto because Naruto completely ignored Sasuke, and Naruto's harsh words had been enough to snap Ino out of her stupid crush on Sasuke. Ever since then she worked harder and even shyly requested help from her father from time to time.

"Second match, Uchiha Sasuke vs. Uzumaki Naruto," Iruka said. Naruto eyed the Uchiha boy as he did the same. They both had a grudging respect for each other, but were definitely not friends or anything. "Hajime!"

Sasuke flew at Naruto, twisting himself and throwing quick punches and kicks at Naruto, then being continuously frustrated as Naruto slapped his hands away and blocked his kicks with his own legs. How does he do this? He's blind! Sasuke thought in vexation.

The irritated Uchiha lunged forward, striking Naruto hard in the stomach. His lips formed a smug, arrogant smile and the fangirls screamed out his name. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he realized Naruto had barely been affected by his strike. "You let your guard down," was all Naruto whispered before punching Sasuke square in the face.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka announced.

But a blind ninja should be the dead last… Sasuke thought angrily as he hit the ground with a thud.

"Don't underestimate people, Sasuke… You had better learn your lesson before it costs you your life…" Naruto's words floated to the Uchiha.

The raven-haired Academy student picked himself up and brushed dirt off his clothes with a small hiss. As he made his way back to the spot he had been in earlier, he narrowed his coal-black eyes at Naruto's back.

You are much stronger than you seem, Uzumaki…