A rooster crowed, signaling the rising red sun in the distance.
Rays of pink painted the sky brightly.
The scarlet paint on the stone dried slowly in the heat.
A bright moustache twirled around the face of a young man with bright hair and a light headband.
Two horns twirled around a stern-faced man's forehead.
A mask covered the face of the second to the right.
The third to the right, a young man with a short beard and calm eyes, lay painted in geisha makeup.
Laughter echoed over the hot morning sky.
A boy leapt between the gaps in the statues.
Bright orange flashed across the gap.
The boy let the paint cans drop into the lake, cackling.
An arm wrapped around the boy's arm.
The boy turned, revealing blue eyes beneath a shock of blond hair.
The Anbu looked downward, black eyes flickering behind a lion mask. "How… interesting," he remarked after a moment.
"You should just let me go. It's not like I hurt anyone."
"As you wish." The Anbu released Naruto's shoulder.
"Ah… Uwah!" Naruto toppled over the edge of the mountain.
Another Anbu, a man whose face lay hidden behind a tengu mask, reached out and caught Naruto.
The first Anbu looked downward, his face still hidden. "Bring him to the Hokage."
"Right." The second blurred away.
The passage felt like an eternity.
Flames flickered within the mud-and-stone enclosure of the tower.
A small shrine sat in the corner of the room.
Hiruzen scowled, running his hand through his beard. He tilted his head to one side, regarding the boy like a beloved family pet that kept tearing up the furniture.
The boy looked back innocently.
"Why, Naruto-kun?" Hiruzen asked finally.
"Why what?"
"You know—" Hiruzen exhaled, calming his rising temper and lowering his voice. His temper had been much, much worse in his youth. "You know what I mean," he repeated in a calmer tone. "The defacing of the Hokage. Why do you persist in playing pranks like this?"
Naruto looked upward, smiling. "Aren't you the one who taught me, jii-chan?" He adjusted his arms in the grip of the Anbu, wincing slightly.
"Yes, but that's not the point—and don't change the subject!" Hiruzen exhaled and inhaled, counting to five. "I taught you those things to make friends, not to alienate the villagers and act in mean-spirited ways. What do you think the Hokage are to this village, anyway?"
Naruto exhaled. "They're the greatest heroes the village has ever known," he recited in a bored voice. "But none of them are gonna matter, because I'll surpass all of them."
Hiruzen blinked.
The tengu-masked Anbu snorted. "Yeah, right. Like that could—"
"Please, Seijutsu-san." The lion-masked Anbu glanced toward the boy. "It is possible, however unlikely."
"You have quite a long way to go before surpassing the Second and Fourth Hokage, let alone me." Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his fingers in circles around his temples. "Penitence, humility, and charity are all virtues before the spirits, and you possess almost none of them."
Naruto looked sullenly away from the trio.
"If you would only listen—but no, I cannot ask a kami of nature to transform the way things are. Since you show no repentance for this, please clean off the statues before tomorrow."
Naruto scowled. "There's no way I'll do that!"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed dangerously. He rose from his throne. "Won't you?" he asked in a loud voice.
Wakefulness
"Hey, Naruto!" a loud voice called up the side of the mountain.
Naruto groaned. "What is it?" he demanded, rubbing the rag along the red lipstick on the Third Hokage's face.
The black-haired boy rubbed his hair, his ponytail bobbing slightly. "Class was a drag, so I decided to come out here and see how you're doing. How's it going?" he asked, sitting down on a nearby rock.
"Terrible," Naruto replied, wincing as he scooted to the other side of the statue. "I've got one of those headaches from not sleeping; someone feeds the migrating geese well…" He pointed meaningfully at green stains in his hair.
"Oh." The boy glanced upward, grimacing. "Want some help getting that out?" he asked.
"It's fine." Naruto sighed quietly. "I'll fix it up tomorrow."
"Tomorrow may be a bit troublesome," the boy conceded, studying the stone faces. "You remember, right?"
"Sure. Wednesday…"
"Exam day," the boy corrected, rubbing the back of his head.
Naruto's eyes widened. "What?!" he demanded in shock. His foot slipped. "Uwah!" he screamed, tumbling downward.
Sighing, the boy held out his arms, catching Naruto in them. "You don't mind if I take over, right? I'm pretty good at not being noticed, and it's too much of a drag to study anyway."
Naruto sighed. "Fine, Shikamaru. Though I probably won't study either."
"Sleep's good enough." Shikamaru reached upward, taking the rag and balancing on the stone. "Just get some sleep…"
Red paint descended into the lake.
Naruto turned away. "Thanks, Shikamaru," he declared, knowing that his friend would do a thorough job despite his complaining.
Shikamaru grinned. "Hey, no problem."
Wakefulness
The stone amphitheater roared with energy.
Naruto's hands clapped together rapidly. It's only the Clone Technique! I've done way better than usual on the other sections. I can make it; I can definitely make it! His hands clapped together one final time.
A clone formed on the air. Unable to breathe, the clone collapsed to the ground, choking.
Naruto blinked. "Uh-oh," he remarked.
Iruka glanced down at the test papers.
"Gyahaha!" a pink-haired girl with a large forehead cackled, pointing at Naruto with a grin.
"Shut up." The black-haired boy folded his arms, turning his gaze to the scoreboard. How disgraceful…
"If you say so, Sasuke-kun," Sakura remarked with small hearts in her eyes.
A white-haired girl looked downward, her eyes quiet as she studied the figure. She ran her hand over the surface of her short hair.
Maybe, with the other sections, it'll be just enough… he did pretty well previously. Iruka marked down a five in the slot. "Okay. Next is Kōju-san…"
The white-haired girl rose to her feet.
Wakefulness
Cherry blossoms drifted through the air.
The exam board flickered brightly, the paper slightly yellowed by age.
Naruto looked upward, his eyes wide.
Uzumaki Naruto, Fail, the last entry read in flowing script.
Naruto couldn't feel his extremities. Tears rushed down his face. He knelt. He wanted to get up, run, do something besides look at the graduates. It didn't matter what he did—even studying those stupid books would be better than this. He needed to do something. Tomorrow he'd have passed. Somehow.
"Hey, isn't that the kid?" a calm voice asked. Glasses glinted on the person's face.
"Don't you have a clue how to keep your damn mouth shut?" a woman with a headband questioned, her red hair flowing backward.
The pair moved away.
The sun lowered in the sky.
A faint sensation pressed against Naruto's back.
Naruto whirled around. "What do you want?" he demanded aggressively.
The small-bodied girl from earlier—Kōju-san, was it?—bowed her head slightly as she patted Naruto on the back. She released Naruto's back as soon as Naruto turned around. She reached downward, drawing up a white flower from the grass. "Here. Take the flower."
Naruto took the flower warily, as though expecting poison. He paused a moment as he looked downward.
Kōju had deep green eyes, like the depths of the forest outside Hidden Leaf, and they bore a striking intelligence. She patted Naruto's arm ineffectually. "Uzumaki-kun… Are you certain that you want to be a shinobi?"
"Of course," Naruto responded with no hesitation.
"You have poor grades. You are not good at learning. Your work ethic is strong, but your wit slows you and therefore you fail most intelligence-gathering exercises. In addition you have poor taijutsu and ninjutsu skills, to say nothing of your nonexistent skill at genjutsu…" Kōju spoke the words in a calm voice.
"Rrgh." Naruto gritted his teeth. His fist clenched. "That's true, but—"
"I will ask again. Bearing these things in mind, are you certain you want to be shinobi? Perhaps this event was a sign of a truer profession for you." Kōju spoke in the same level tone.
"I have to be a shinobi, because I can't be Kage until I have been a shinobi. So yeah, I have to be a shinobi," Naruto retorted calmly.
"In that case… let me offer you a suggestion." Kōju raised her finger. "The teacher, Umino-sensei, is a friend of yours. The test results are not made official until tomorrow, I think you will find. For this reason, if you get a high enough test score on clones—your worst category, if I saw right—you can become a genin. You have time to demonstrate a better version of the technique." She smiled, her heart-shaped, serious face lighting with enthusiasm.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Whoa. You're right… Wait. Why are you helping me?" he asked suspiciously, his eyebrows furrowing. He leaned closer. "This isn't some kind of trick, is it? Like if I try again and fail, I can't become a genin or something?"
Kōju sighed. "Your suspicion is understandable, given your past… but I don't like seeing people unhappy. Seeing people sad makes me sad, really. I have high empathy. So for me, I don't like seeing such cruel things as a failure. Please… succeed."
Naruto grinned. "All right! You bet I'll be the best shinobi ever!"
Kōju giggled behind her hand, suddenly looking young and girlish again.
A shadowy figure ducked behind a nearby tree.
Wakefulness
"Clone Technique!"
The smallest of flames lit the trees, firelight flickering between the forest trees slowly.
Naruto gritted his teeth. He clapped his hands together. "Clone Technique!"
A shadow emerged from the forest.
"Clone—"
The hand landed on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto spun around.
Mizuki looked downward, his face inquiring.
"Emperor, Mizuki-sensei… You scared the crap out of me." Naruto glanced around. He leaned back against the tree.
"I understand you'd like to graduate. Is that true?" Mizuki asked, his eyebrow rising.
Naruto glanced downward. "Yeah," he admitted after a moment, as though confessing to a sin. "But I'm still no good at it."
"There is a method by which you may still succeed. In the Hokage's offices, there is a certain black scroll. If you recover it and bring it to me… well, that would demonstrate enough skill to show your ability. Am I correct? You should pass from such a feat of intelligence-gathering, your second-worst skill on the test." Mizuki paused. "Even if it's not—well, what Iruka-san doesn't know about how you passed can't hurt him, can it? I could make a little adjustment in the grade." He smiled broader.
"You'd really do that for me?" Naruto asked, his face lighting in a fit of exuberance.
Of course not. Demon child, who could forgive your sins? When I heard of the plan of the Hokage to preserve your life, I was furious… To involve Hatake-san as well is an unforgivable act. By doing this, I smash the faith of those who trust you. As well, I gain the secret techniques of the Midnight Scroll for myself. In this way I gain authority… No part of me can forgive you. Mizuki hid a faint tremor in his heart, even from himself. He nodded. "Of course. Get to it."
Naruto grinned. "All right!" He leapt away through the trees, bobbing through branches. "Thanks, jii!" he called over his shoulder.
Mizuki's face turned red. Brat! I'm not that old! He exhaled slowly. No, it's fine. Everything's just fine.
Wakefulness
The room lay silent and deserted.
A clicking noise sounded through the door.
After a moment, the door swung open.
Naruto poked his head into the room. Nervously, he glanced from side to side of the room. His blond hair flickered in the firelight from far below.
The wind blew through the room, a sigh of flames.
Naruto entered, hearing no motion, half-expecting Hiruzen to appear.
Hiruzen did not appear.
Naruto stepped closer to the desk.
The desk drawer lay locked, a heavy padlock covering the outside.
Naruto groaned. "Great…" He reached down to his pouch.
A set of lock picking tools lay inside the pouch.
Naruto forced the lock open with the tools.
The drawer slid open.
A black scroll bound in black wax and silver thread lay on the surface of the drawer. Shadows flickered around the scroll.
Naruto reached upward, drawing out the scroll.
Crimson light formed at the bottom of the drawer.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Uh-oh…" He dove backward.
The door lit with crimson flames.
"Youch!" Naruto declared, pulling back his hand quickly and breathing on the flames across his hand. "Okay, I was hoping to avoid getting attention… Plan B!" He dove out the window.
Five pillars of crimson light cut through the forest outside.
Flames raced across the ground.
"Aiee!" Naruto leapt backward, gripping the scroll tightly. "So much for stealth!"
Wakefulness
Screams of terror echoed across Hidden Leaf. Flames rushed across the ground, steady pillars of crimson flame cutting through the space.
"I haven't felt this much power since the Kyuubi attacked…" Iruka gritted his teeth. "Mizuki-sensei, what on earth is going on?"
"I have no idea." Mizuki turned his gaze away, his eyes slightly wide. I may have overstepped myself slightly. What on earth is in that scroll with such power, after all?
"Listen to me!"
A voice boomed across the forest.
Hiruzen-san… Mizuki blinked. Whatever I stole must be very important indeed.
"The worst situation has occurred. Someone has stolen a scroll dating back to the first days of Hidden Leaf, and I can no longer seal off the wards. Bring him and the scroll back to me, or Hidden Leaf will be razed to the ground." Hiruzen paused. "That is all."
Iruka bowed his head. Whoever that moron is, he's gonna get torn to pieces…
Wakefulness
Flames crackled across the ground.
Stone melted beneath the furious gaze of the flames.
Ink glistened in the firelight.
"Come on…" Naruto gritted his teeth, studying the kanji girding the scroll. "Okay. Focus shakra like so, divide it… What the hell is shakra?" He folded his arms, attempting the gestures.
The flames fell.
Burning embers scattered across the ground.
"Come on!" Naruto placed his hands together, his fingers forming a cross.
A puff of smoke appeared beside Naruto.
"I'm about to die here, aren't I?" Naruto asked wearily, not hearing the motion.
The tree fell.
The clone caught the tree, diverting its path enough for Naruto's survival. "Get going, boss!" the clone declared, wincing as it vanished beneath the tree.
Naruto blinked. "Huh?"
Smoke spread from beneath the fallen tree.
"Interesting…" Naruto remarked, his eyes widening.
A blade shot out of the undergrowth.
Naruto ducked downward.
The blade passed through Naruto's hair.
"You really are trouble, you cretin." The sword retracted. Sasuke stepped out of the shadows, his body trembling. His arm drew out a scroll, his eyes narrowing. "To think it was like this! You'd even abandon your own village for success!"
"What are you talking about? I'm going to give the scroll to Mizuki-sensei the second I'm done with it."
"Enough lies!" Sasuke slammed his hand into the ground. A scroll unfurled rapidly.
A long kama appeared in the scroll with a puff of smoke.
Sasuke gripped the hilt of the blades rapidly. He rushed forward, spinning sideways in a moment. "You're planning to go to another village. Hidden Sand or Hidden Cloud, maybe. In exchange for becoming a genin… You cretin…" His arm slashed forward.
Naruto ducked under the whirling blade. "If you'd just listen to me for a second," he claimed. Deciding attack was the best portion of defense, he rushed forward, tackling Sasuke into the ground.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
Soft…? Naruto's mind slowly reasoned, placing two and two together. "You're… a girl?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "But…"
A chill wind emanated from Sasuke's body.
Naruto swallowed hard.
"I don't have to leave you alive; you know… that wasn't in Sarutobi-sama's instructions. Do you have any last words before I cut you into pieces?" Sasuke asked, reaching downward and dripping blood on the scroll again. Her palm slammed against the ground.
"It was an accident; believe it!" Naruto clapped his fingers together. Several shadow clones appeared around the clearing. "Run for it!"
The group scattered.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Cretin…" she muttered, ignoring the slight flush in her cheeks. "I'll just hunt them down one by one." A thin spiked chain appeared on the scroll. Grasping the chain, she rose to her feet. "You can't escape, you hear me?!" she declared in a louder voice, her eyes narrowing. "I'll find you, all of you, you idiot!"
Wakefulness
The flames rose through the forest. Smoke blew into the clearing.
Naruto exhaled. Panting, he glanced over his shoulder. Girls are really scary…
Iruka rushed into the clearing. He stared at the black scroll, his mind putting two and two together.
"Hey, Iruka," Naruto declared cheerfully, sweat dripping down his brow. "Do I pass?"
"YOU'RE THE THIEF?!" Iruka roared, his eyes blazing. "YOU IDIOTTTTT!" His head grew larger.
"I just did what Mizuki-sensei told me to!" Naruto protested, glancing over his shoulder.
Mizuki-sensei…? Surely Naruto-kun is mistaken… Iruka glanced upward, warned by a feeling of motion.
The shuriken spun over the trees.
Iruka gritted his teeth. Blood trickled from between his fingers as he gripped the shuriken.
Mizuki tugged on the chain.
"Like this, you won't be able to act as you'd like. Why?" Iruka spat. A drop of blood wept from the hand.
"That brat…" Mizuki lifted his hand. He released the end of the chain, his eyes narrowed. "I had every right to ensure he didn't pass. His other scores were good—but if he could produce a mere two clones, all that went to waste. He might actually get a retest. And that that demon could pass?! UNACCEPTABLE!"
That shuriken of his… it probably isn't the only weapon in Mizuki's arsenal. Though he focuses on it… I'm too out of it due to my weapon injuries… Iruka glanced at Naruto.
Naruto glanced at Iruka. "Two clones, huh?" He frowned in consideration.
"Naruto-kun… Take this guy down, and I can get you to pass." Iruka looked upward.
"He called me a demon. What's with that?" Naruto asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
"What the hell does it matter? He's a liar… there are truths the village hasn't told you. I'll tell you after he's…" Iruka exhaled. In this matter there was no choice.
Flames flickered higher.
Mizuki's lips curled upward.
"After he's dead."
"Okay." Naruto nodded firmly. He placed his fingers in a cross position.
Three copies appeared rapidly.
"After he's dead? That's a rather amusing turn of phrase. I don't think I'll die here." Mizuki smiled, lifting his hands. "The reality is that all the two of you add up to be is zero. Two zeros are still zero. And I can obliterate you using that method…" His hands clapped together rapidly. "Flame Style: Melting Pot!"
Flames rushed over the clearing.
Iruka leapt upward, balancing on a tree branch.
Naruto wiped at his face, soot coming away from the surface. The flames passed below his tree. Damn. He clapped his fingers together. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
A hundred Narutos stood around the edge of the clearing.
Mizuki's eyes widened slightly. After a moment, he laughed. "Naruto-kun, surely I taught you better than that. No matter what number you multiply zero by, it is still zero…"
"I am not zero. I am someone! UZUMAKI NARUTO!" Naruto shouted. "I am the one who's gonna surpass all the previous Hokage!"
Mizuki sighed theatrically. "This little show of ours has gone on too long. It's time to bring down the curtain." He tugged on the shuriken.
Slickened by blood, the shuriken slipped out of Iruka's hand.
Iruka gasped.
The flame pillar cut closer.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. He looked up at the pillar. He looked down at Mizuki. A thought crossed Naruto's mind.
"Well?!"
Naruto clapped his fingers together.
A thousand clones appeared around the clearing.
Mizuki gasped.
The clones landed on top of Mizuki.
"Let go of me, you demon bastard! LET GO!" Mizuki shouted.
Wind blew along the grass.
Naruto's clones tightened their grip.
Mizuki screamed.
The pillar engulfed Mizuki.
Mizuki vanished into ashes as the flames engulfed his body.
Naruto screamed loudly, running his fingers through his hair. "Ouch!" he shouted, running his hands across his body.
"Naruto-kun, you're fine. Let's go return this." Iruka lifted the scroll.
Wakefulness
The dark office creaked. Wind blew through the curtains.
The drawer closed and locked.
Hiruzen nodded gravely. "Done." He clapped his hands together.
The crimson pillars, one by one, winked out.
"Sorry, jii-chan." Naruto bowed his head. "I screwed up, didn't I?"
Hiruzen sighed. "Big-time. However, Mizuki is dead, and the scroll restored… you did well enough by the village. I don't believe there were any casualties. I would advise you not to make a habit of it, however."
Naruto nodded slowly. "About the demon…"
"Yes." Hiruzen harrumphed. "Iruka-san, step outside."
Iruka nodded.
"Twelve years ago, the Kyuubi was sealed… but, like other Tailed Beasts, it required a living vessel. An animal or beast would have been easily overcome by the power of the fox." Hiruzen reached forward, tapping Naruto's stomach. "That 'birthmark' there of yours… That is where its yin chakra was sealed."
"Whoa. Back up a second. The demon fox is…?" Naruto glanced downward, his eyes wide.
"Yes." Hiruzen inclined his head. "That is correct."
"So… I'm the demon fox?" Naruto's eyes widened. No way… no wonder Mizuki hates me. He blinked away a tear. "I'm not even me anymore…"
"There are some who say that." Hiruzen turned his gaze out to the village. "Some say you'll rampage. Disrespect authority. Spit on tradition. Things like that are what is expected of you by the civilian population and many of the shinobi population… Power is not respected so much as kindness, and it is expected you will not be kind."
Naruto looked downward, weighted down by depression.
"Prove them all wrong."
Naruto looked upward. Slowly a smile crossed his face.
"Now, then…" Hiruzen coughed. He removed the test from the piles. "Let's see. Adding six points for shadow clones, and two points for intelligence-gathering exercises, you…" He hesitated, his face falling slightly.
Naruto gulped.
"Pass." Hiruzen clapped Naruto on the shoulder. "Get to bed. Tomorrow begins team introductions."
Naruto grinned broadly. "Great!"
Hiruzen smiled.
Naruto looked over the village. Yep… Tomorrow's a new day, all right!