A/N: And here is my first chapter of my own Naruto story. I remember watching quite a few episodes when I was a kid. One of many that I remember was when Sasuke got his Curse Mark for the first time. After a trip down memory lane, I decided I wanted to make at least two of them. One where my OC would be with Naruto and Sakura, and even Sasuke, and another where a different person would get the Curse Mark. At the moment, my other story, Wilting, is on deviantart, and it will serve as a continuation of this story. I hope this is enough to grab your attention. :)

Chapter 1: Graduation

Play Takaki Moshio Music: "The God Awakened"

One rainy day, a young boy and a little girl were walking together in a seemingly desolate village. He had small raven hair that stopped at his chin, as well as a small black Gi with a symbol of a white fan below what appeared to be a red sun on the back while the girl had a pink dress with a white outline of a leaf near the bottom. She also had a red ribbon tied around her head, her pink hair parting at the middle to reveal her large forehead. And they weren't alone.

They were also accompanied by a woman with emerald eyes and blonde hair, adorned in a red dress with two white circles in the back, along with a pink, spiky-haired man with blue sapphire eyes and in a grey Gi. Not one of them looked so happy at the dismal scene. The mother spoke softly to the young boy.

"This is your village, Shiro?"

Shiro nodded to her solemnly as an answer. The father spoke up next. Even he couldn't imagine something as tragic as this.

"Well... even as an ex-Shinobi, I never thought I'd live long enough to see something like this."

It was just as hard for the mother to believe.

"Me neither. A whole village just wiped out like this? How could something like that happen?"

Sakura remembered that all too well. She could still see the man who orchestrated such a massacre. She could still see his red eye piercing through her soul... Sakura's breath became uneasy, holding onto herself as she struggled not to cry. Shiro noticed this and gently held onto her open hand, making her look at him. Sakura began to rethink her position; after all, Shiro was the one who lost everything. And the same went for Sasuke.

Out of the entire Uchiha Clan, only the two boys managed to survive the massacre. Sasuke took it especially hard. Shiro tried to check on him the last time they got to the village, but he kept his distance. Any attempt Shiro made to talk with him since then has been shut down. The father seemed to acknowledge that.

"It's a shame that Sasuke boy couldn't join you. This was his clan, too."

The woman looked behind her to make sure nobody was watching them. Truth be told, the whole village was sealed off since the massacre. Frankly, she and her husband didn't think it was such a good idea to break in, but Shiro pleaded with them to let him hold a funeral. They didn't deserve to be remembered simply as victims. They meant too much to him for that.

Still, she didn't like being around the unsettling and dismal atmosphere any longer than she should be. The mother turned back to Shiro as she spoke softly.

"Shiro, let's try not to stay in there for too long, okay?"

Shiro nodded to her with a sad look. He knew he couldn't stay for very long. But he wanted to make the most of the time he had left in this place.

"Okay."

With that, Shiro, Sakura, and the parents walked deeper into the village before they were both lighting an incense urn in the middle of the room and setting down flowers beside it. After that, it showed a cross fade over the years with Shiro and Sakura beside a young boy with spiked raven hair, wearing a short-sleeved blue Gi and tan shorts in one scene with the parents absent. And in another, a young boy with blonde-spiked hair, whiskers, and blue eyes was present among them from that point and on another two scenes, showing their progression of age before showing a close-up of Shiro opening his eyes, revealing a red mark of two circles and three lines forming a pyramid as the narrator spoke about the unfortunate tragedy.

"Five years ago, the Village of the Hidden Leaf has witnessed a tragic event. The Uchiha Clan has been wiped out, with almost no survivors. Only two boys from the clan have survived this massacre, one in pursuit of revenge, and the other desperate to protect the life that has been left to him. Among the survivors, this young man... is known as Shiro Uchiha."

End Takaki Moshio Music: "The God Awakened"

Five Years Later

Shiro, Sakura, and Sasuke were sitting at a desk as they watched a ponytailed, brown-haired Shinobi with a scar across the middle of his nose as he spoke out to the blonde-haired boy. He seemed quite fed up with him at this point to say the least.

"I'm at the end of my rope here, Naruto. I'm glad your usual mayhem has died down some, but you have to stop sneaking out like this. You failed the Graduation test last time and the time before that. Tomorrow, you've got another chance, and you're messing up again!"

Naruto had a sheepish look on his face as he spoke.

"Sorry, Iruka-Sensei. I was so busy practicing my Jutsu for the test, I must've lost track of time."

Iruka made a soft smile at Naruto before he replied.

"Well, I'm glad you at least have the decency to apologize. But you have to know that there's consequences for sneaking out like that, so..."

Iruka turned to the class before he spoke out.

"Because you missed it, Naruto, everyone will review their transformation Jutsu."

As expected, the whole class grumbled at this. However, Shiro didn't see it as something to gripe about. Over the years, it was something he always pulled off. A moment later, Shiro proved it.

"Okay. Transform!"

In a puff of smoke, Shiro changed his appearance to mimic Iruka's.

"Transformed into me. Good."

Shiro then turned back to normal with a smile on his face before he stopped next to Naruto.

"Next, Sakura Haruno."

With the trouble he gets into lately, Shiro had a hard time believing he was entirely truthful.

"What exactly were you trying to practice, Naruto?"

"Eh, just a little something to make him lighten up."

"Really? Like what?"

Before he got the answer, Sakura went up next and spoke up.

"Okay. Sakura here. Let's do it. Transform!"

In a poof of smoke, Sakura became the exact appearance of Iruka.

"Not bad. Same as Shiro, too."

Sakura turned back to normal and began to get excited.

"Yes! I did it!"

As she continued celebrating, her mental image of her more tougher personality did her own congratulations.

"I kicked butt!"

Sakura then turned to Shiro and Naruto as she spoke her elation.

"Guys, did you see that?!"

Shiro nodded to her with a smile before she smiled back and went back to the line. When Shiro looked back at Naruto, he saw that he was blushing. It was obvious to him why it was the case. Shiro decided to use that to his advantage as he whispered.

"Naruto, if you really wanna make her happy, please try to take this seriously."

Naruto turned back to him with a confident grin.

"Of course I'm taking it seriously. Believe it."

At this point, Iruka called up someone familiar to Shiro.

"Next, Sasuke Uchiha."

Shiro made a light gasp as he walked ahead by him. When he passed by Shiro, Sasuke looked back at him before he spoke, mostly to Naruto.

"Just do what I do, alright? That's all you'll get out of me."

Sasuke then walked on with Shiro looking on, which only added to his point.

"See? Even Sasuke's trying to help you."

Naruto made a slight frown as he muttered to himself.

"Like I asked for his help..."

Of course, as with Shiro and Sakura, the result was to be expected. Sasuke ended up turning himself into Iruka perfectly.

"Uh... good."

Sasuke turned back to normal and walked away with an indifferent expression on his face before Iruka called out the next name.

"Next, Naruto Uzumaki."

Beside Shiro and Naruto were a boy and a girl who didn't look too pleased with the latter. The boy had raven hair tied up in a spiky ponytail with a short-sleeved jacket over his chain mail shirt while the girl had long blonde hair in a ponytail and was dressed in a purple cloak with bright pink sleeves and bandages styled as shorts on her lower body.

"This is a total waste of time, Naruto."

"We always pay for your screw-ups."

Naruto didn't necessarily care much about their opinions of him. As far as he's concerned, they weren't his friends to begin with.

"Like I care."

As Naruto walked over to Iruka, Shiro began to notice a little girl who blushed at the sight of Naruto. She had small raven hair with blank white eyes and a light tan jacket. Shiro looked back to Naruto as he thought to himself.

"I hope you realize how much you matter to her, Naruto. One of these days, you're bound to see her more often than you think. That is, if you can take this seriously for once."

Naruto then made his hand signals before he shouted.

"Transform!"

A swirl of blue energy went around Naruto before a puff of smoke overcame him. But when it was over, Naruto wasn't Iruka. Instead, he was a feminine version of himself, who was thankfully wearing his jumpsuit. All the same, Iruka and almost the entire class was caught by surprise, the sensei most of all as he suddenly reeled back before Naruto changed back to normal and laughed it off.

"Gotcha! That's my Sexy Jutsu!"

Frankly, Iruka wasn't too pleased with that ploy. In fact, he practically roared at Naruto over it in a dark, scary voice.

"CUT THE STUPID TRICKS! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!"

Sakura and Shiro both frowned as they spoke.

"And of course, he had to be the class clown, again."

"Why do I keep thinking that he'd grow up...?"

Later on, Sakura and Shiro were back home eating dinner. They were telling their parents everything about the events that happened at School today. To be frank, the mother was getting tired of it. The father, on the other hand, found it hilarious.

"Is he serious? Using an entirely different Jutsu just to make himself look like a girl? I don't think that's the transformation his Sensei had in mind."

"Well, he did ask for a transformation jutsu, and it looks like he got it!"

The father laughed again before Sakura chimed in with her worries.

"But he hasn't been taking this seriously since the beginning! If he fails one more time, he can't ever be a Ninja! Doesn't that bother you, dad?"

The father's laughter died down some before he spoke to his daughter.

"Don't worry, Sakura. I'm sure he realized by now how important this is."

Shiro spoke up next, voicing his personal doubts. From what he's seen so far, it doesn't seem likely at all.

"But that's the problem. If he hasn't figured it out by now, I don't know if he ever will. We tried to tell him to take this seriously over and over, but he never listens."

At that moment, Sakura chimed in once again to tell them her theory as her mother looked at her.

"You know why I think he acts this way? It's because he didn't have parents to help him learn right from wrong."

His father did see the logic. In a way, it would make sense. Though, while his face hid it well, he was a bit uneasy, like he knew more to the story.

"Well, that would make sense, I guess..."

"I mean think about it. He just does whatever comes to his head. I mean, if Shiro and I did things like Naruto did, well, you guys wouldn't be so happy with us. If you don't have parents to tell you, how would you know, right?"

While her question was out of general curiosity, her mother started to show a look of sadness. Shiro took notice of that look and grew puzzled. It was only a matter of time before Sakura noticed it as well.

"Huh? Mom...?"

After a short moment of silence, the mother broke it with a heavy yet soft tone in her voice.

"Sakura... Naruto isn't like this because he didn't have parents. It's because the whole village is against him."

That much Shiro could figure out. However, for all that time, he couldn't understand why.

"We know. But what we can't understand is why. Why couldn't they make the effort to be there for him? Like me and Sakura?"

The mother looked to the father with a serious look, something he gave back to her as he nodded before he turned back to the kids.

"Listen, you two. What we're about to tell you is extremely important. So much so that Naruto can't afford to find out."

Sakura and Shiro looked at the parents in disbelief. What kind of secret would be that... well, secret?

"What are you talking about?"

"What does he mean, mom?"

The father looked back to the mother before he inquired.

"You want to tell them, Mebuki, or should I?"

She gave him a nod before she replied.

"I'll go ahead, Kizashi."

Play Naruto Shippuden Music: "Colorful Mist"

Mebuki turned to Sakura and Shiro before she proceeded.

"No one in the village is allowed to talk about this around him, but... 12 years ago, a large Nine-Tailed Fox suddenly appeared. Its tails lashed out everywhere, smashing mountains and sending tidal waves crashing to the shores."

Kizashi then spoke up, adding further details to it before Mebuki.

"The ninja rose up to defend their villages. But, as they held the beast at bay, many lives were lost. More so than even the Uchiha Clan."

"But then, one Shinobi faced the Nine-Tailed Fox in mortal combat. He gave up his life to capture the beast and seal him away inside a human body. This ninja was known as the Fourth Hokage."

Sakura and Shiro took great fascination into the story as the former spoke up.

"But... what does this have to do with Naruto?"

Kizashi turned to his daughter before he answered with a sad look.

"Who do you think the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed inside in the first place?"

The instant she heard that, Sakura and Shiro gasped. They couldn't believe that Naruto, the kid who always clowns around, was actually holding the Nine-Tailed Fox inside him. Sakura spoke her disbelief first.

"So... you're saying that Naruto was used to seal the Nine-Tailed Fox?"

Mebuki nodded to him as she continued before Kizashi.

"After that, the village took an oath never to bring up that monster around Naruto. But after the trouble he caused, they just couldn't forget about it."

"Most of the village just wants him gone in general. Frankly, I'm surprised nobody tried to kill him, not that any of us want to see that. Some things are just more impossible to forgive than others."

Shiro couldn't accept that. To subject Naruto to that much hate without even telling him why was... was just too cruel.

"But that's wrong...! Naruto didn't do anything to deserve the way he's been treated. They had to know he never asked for that thing. He doesn't even know about it. They've got to know that, don't they?"

Mebuki and Kizashi only looked down sadly before the former looked at her daughter, who began to look guilty.

"I had... no idea. I thought I had to hate him once because all the adults were doing it. I'm glad Shiro talked me out of it when he did. Otherwise, I would've..."

Sakura couldn't bring herself to say it. Mebuki saw this and gently cupped her daughter's cheek and turned her to her face.

"Don't forget what I said, Sakura. In this life, your friends are your most precious assets. And in Naruto's case, it's true more than ever. Which is why I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

Mebuki leaned towards Sakura before she spoke softly.

"You and Shiro... must stay by Naruto's side. No matter what. Can you do that?"

Sakura widened her eyes, gasping softly as she looked between her parents before Shiro, who nodded to her with a determined look. Sakura felt that determination rubbing off on her before turning back to her mother.

"Okay, mom. We'll try..."

End Naruto Shippuden Music: "Colorful Mist"

The next morning, Sakura and Shiro were sitting beside Naruto as Iruka spoke to the class.

"We will now start the final exam. When your name is called, proceed to the testing room. The final test will be on... the Clone Jutsu."

Of course, Naruto didn't seem particularly hopeful about it.

"Ugh! That's my worst technique! Great! I'm never gonna pass!"

Just then, Naruto felt Shiro's hand on his shoulder before he spoke reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Naruto. If you can't think straight, just think of what we've been through since we've known each other."

Sakura then placed her hand on top of Naruto's remaining shoulder as she spoke next with a smile.

"Yeah. And just think what the three of us could do if we all become ninjas."

Naruto was genuinely confused by their positive feedback. All that time, they were telling him to take it seriously, and today if all days, they decided to loosen up.

"Uh, you guys are oddly positive today."

Nevertheless, Shiro continued his encouragement.

"It's gonna be fine, Naruto. We know you can do this."

Naruto looked at him in disbelief before looking back to Sakura, seeing her own encouraging smile. Naruto couldn't help but smile himself. The fact that these two believed in him meant more than anything.

"Thanks, guys."

Then, it came time for Naruto to take the final exams. He was standing in front of Iruka by himself in the testing room. Naruto tried to be confident, but it was safe to say that there's a lot at stake on this one.

"Alright, get it together, Naruto. You can do this. Believe it."

Naruto put his two fingers from his left hand on the palm of his right hand which also had two fingers pointing up. After engaging the hand sign, a big gust of blue energy gathered around him before he shouted.

"Clone Jutsu!"

Suddenly, a burst of smoke appeared with Naruto standing in place. But when the smoke cleared, he noticed that there was another clone of him. And it was in the exact same position as he was. Naruto's face beamed in great surprise while Iruka looked on in fascination. But it wasn't over yet. That clone began to do the exact same thing the original did.

"One more! Clone Jutsu!"

From there, another clone appeared. Naruto looked on in utter surprise, his smile getting bigger while Iruka thought to himself.

"Wow, two clones. He's really going all the way on this."

Then, that clone shouted as he engaged the hand signals.

"Clone Jutsu!"

And with that, the third clone was made. However, it wasn't as sprightly as the other clones were. In fact, he was on the floor on all fours, his tongue sticking out like a frog's. Naruto, his clones, and Iruka looked on in utter confusion as he began to doubt himself.

"Oh, no. With a clone like that, I'm as good as done..."

At that moment, another Shinobi spoke beside Iruka. He had clean white hair that reached down at chin-length, wearing the same outfit as him.

"Iruka-Sensei. He's off, but his moves weren't bad, and he did hang in there and replicate two perfect clones. This is his third try, so you know he really wants to become a ninja. We could cut him a break and pass him."

Naruto's face beamed in relief before Iruka spoke pragmatically.

"Mizuki-Sensei, the other students created at least three effective replications. Sure, Naruto made three, but the last one left out much to be desired. I mean, look at it. It's pitiful."

Naruto began to growl under his breath only for Iruka to speak again, making him stop his growling.

"That said..."

"Huh?"

"It is a weird hiccup at the end. But you were able to successfully create two clones. And Shiro told me you've been going at it for the past week. So, guess what?"

Iruka then made a proud smile towards Naruto as he spoke.

"You pass."

Naruto's face beamed brightly as he jumped up.

"Alright! I did it!"

Later, after the final exams, everyone in the class was able to pass and officially become a ninja. They were even showing their headbands to their parents.

"You see that? They called me first!"

"I did amazing with flying colors!"

"I wish your grandma would've seen this."

"I'm proud of you, son. We all are."

At the same moment, Kizashi and Mebuki were congratulating Shiro and Sakura of course for passing the final exam.

"I gotta say, those headbands suit you two very well."

"I'm really glad you were able to make it through."

Sakura and Shiro smiled at the two of them as they spoke.

"Aw, thanks, mom and dad."

"It's no big deal, really."

At that moment, Sakura and Shiro noticed Naruto sitting by himself, sitting on a lone swing, feeling sad. At first, they were puzzled. How come he looked so sad if he passed they wondered? Then, they remembered the story their parents told them about the Nine-Tailed Fox. His parents must've died back then, too, so of course they couldn't make it. Unfortunately, the other students knew the story, too. In fact, two girls from far away saw the boy sitting by himself with a sad look.

"There, you see him? It's that boy. I heard he's the only one who made two clones instead of three."

"If you ask me, I think he should've failed."

Unfortunately, Shiro overheard that. He turned his gaze right at the girls, but he didn't turn his head completely to face them.

"I mean, just imagine what could happen now that he's a ninja. I mean, he's the boy who—"

Before she could finish, the other girl shushed her friend.

"Shh! We're not allowed to talk about that."

Shiro growled under his breath and was about to go over to them, but Kizashi saw that just in time and stopped him.

"No, Shiro. Attacking them won't help Naruto. You know that, don't you?"

Shiro grunted in frustration at the thought of letting them get away with what they were saying. Mebuki also took notice of Naruto's loneliness, and instead gently nudged Sakura.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Sakura looked back up to her and smiled. She understood what she was talking about. If there was a time to include him, now would be it.

"Hey, Naruto! I wanna show you my parents! They wanted to meet you!"

Naruto widened his eyes in surprise.

"Really? They wanna see me?"

Sakura nodded to him with a big smile.

"Of course they do. Come on over."

Naruto sat up from the swing, still puzzled over the fact that they wanted to see him. But when he saw them waving to him with warm, accepting smiles, Naruto couldn't help but come over and meet them. He hasn't seen any adult who looked at him that way. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen anyone outside his friends who looked at him that way. When the little boy came over to the group, Sakura's parents were quick to welcome him.

"So, you must be Naruto. Shiro and Sakura told me all about you. My name is Mebuki."

"And my name's Kizashi. A former Shinobi, but an excellent one. Nice to meet you."

It seemed like every second, Naruto was getting more and more surprised.

"Really? It's nice to meet me?"

Mebuki nodded to him with a smile.

"Of course. Shiro and Sakura always told us about their adventures with you."

Kizashi stepped in next with a big grin on his face as he laughed.

"Yeah! Not to mention the time you used that Sexy Jutsu on Iruka-Sensei! That one was gold!"

Kizashi laughed again as Naruto began to smile and join in the laughter himself.

"Finally! Somebody who gets me!"

As the two laughed together, however, Sakura and Mebuki had looks of disapproval as far as that Sexy Jutsu goes.

"Great. There's two of them now."

"What are we going to do with these two?"

As for Shiro, he made an embarrassed smile, thinking to himself.

"Well, it looks like Naruto's become dad's favorite."

Just then, they heard footsteps coming closer to them. And they belonged to none other than Mizuki.

"Hey, there. You must be the Haruno Clan."

Kizashi smiled at the Shinobi as he held his hand out formally.

"Yeah, that's right. And you must be Mizuki. Good to meet you."

Mizuki nodded back to him before turning towards Naruto. The boy looked at him back curiously as he spoke to Kizashi and Mebuki.

"I know it's a bit sudden, but you two don't mind if I have a talk with Naruto, do you?"

The parents smiled at the Shinobi as they answered.

"Well, of course not. He is an official ninja, after all."

"I'm sure it's more than alright."

"Great."

Mizuki then looked back to Naruto as he held his hand out, the boy taking his hand and walking with him before looking back to Sakura and Shiro with a big grin.

"Looks like things are coming up, you guys. See you later."

Sakura waved to Naruto with a smile as she responded back.

"See you later, Naruto. Be sure to come back at our place, okay?"

Naruto nodded with a smile and a thumbs-up S he walked away. Sakura kept her smile, relieved that someone else around here believed in him.

"Mizuki-Sensei seems really happy to see him."

However, it was more than Shiro could say. He had a suspicious look on his face, gazing directly at Mizuki. Sakura noticed that gaze and became worried.

"What's wrong, Shiro?"

"Don't know. But there's something about that guy I don't trust. I just know it..."

Meanwhile, an elderly man stood by Iruka, wearing a white robe with a red hat on top of him. They watched the whole scene with Shiro staring at Mizuki with uncertainty. They never took their eyes off of the scene as the elder spoke to him.

"Iruka... there's something we need to talk about."

Later on, Naruto and Mizuki were watching the sunset on a ledge near a house far away. Mizuki spoke to Naruto with compassion as he spoke.

"Iruka-Sensei's tough, but he's not against you."

Naruto has a hard time believing that, even if he did show faith in him at the last minute.

"Then why? Why only me?"

"He wants you to be strong with all his heart. But that will never happen if he goes easy on you. He's like you, you know. No parents. No family."

Naruto's face softened a bit as he remembered earlier this morning when Sakura invited him over.

"But... I did have a family."

Mizuki looked at Naruto curiously.

"Hmm?"

"Sakura and Shiro... they were by my side the whole time. And their parents, they... they really cared about me. And I'm glad for that, really. But..."

"But what?"

"I was barely able to graduate with only two clones. I need to get stronger... I don't want to let them down."

Mizuki's face softened with a smile before he replied.

"Then I guess I have to tell you."

Naruto looked at Mizuki in curiosity as he continued.

"Huh?"

"It's a secret, but I'm gonna let you in on it."

Naruto looked at Mizuki in wonder as he thought to himself.

"A secret...?"

Little did he know that far away, just on top of the Hokage Summit's monument, there was a black-robed figure with piercing yellow eyes hidden beneath it. He also had small, yet sharp claws on his hands. And he didn't look too pleased.

Later on, at night, Sakura and Shiro were laying in bed, looking up at the ceiling. They couldn't stop thinking about the last time they saw Naruto. Shiro knew he wasn't wrong when he felt something... off about Mizuki. Everyone else hated Naruto because of what he is. For anyone to suddenly be friends with him seemed to be suspicious in itself. Beside that, Naruto hasn't come over yet, which made Sakura a little worried as she thought back on it.

"See you later, Naruto. Be sure to come back at our place, okay?"

After a moment, Sakura sat up and held her legs together as Shiro noticed.

"Naruto still hasn't come back, huh?"

"No. And after he looked so happy, too. You don't think maybe that...? You know..."

"That Mizuki might be trying to kill him? After the story we heard, it's not impossible."

Sakura practically felt as though she had butterflies in her stomach just thinking about it.

"But that can't be true, right? I mean, he's one of the Shinobi of the leaf. Surely the Third Hokage wouldn't allow it..."

Just then, they heard knocking on the door. Sakura gasped from the sound. That must've meant one thing.

"Oh! That's gotta be Naruto! He must've been late."

Sakura got up from the bed and went over to the door as Shiro followed her, hoping more than anything that she's right. When they got to the door, however, they saw that Kizashi had already beat them to it. And he was already speaking to Mizuki. He seemed exceptionally worried.

"Mizuki? What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Mizuki responded quickly, clearly too worried for his cracks to matter.

"Something terrible just happened. The Sacred Scroll has been stolen."

Kizashi, Shiro, and Sakura both gasped in shock over this. But the latter two could only watch the conversation go down as Kizashi tried fo find out more.

"What? How did that happen? And why isn't Naruto with you?"

Mizuki then began to explain the worst part of the news.

"That's the worst part. Naruto stole it."

Kizashi, Shiro, and Sakura were struck, as if their hearts were pierced. It was hard for him to believe that Naruto was capable of anything like that.

"But... why would he take it? He was so happy with us earlier this morning."

Shiro began to tremble in anger. The more he looked at Mizuki, the more the strange feeling he felt earlier haunted him. Sakura took notice of it and grew worried.

"There's no time to explain. But if you see Naruto, please turn him into the Lord Hokage."

However, Shiro wasn't buying it one bit. He stepped forward, glaring at him as he spoke bitterly.

"You're lying..."

Kizashi turned around to see the angry Shiro marching towards Mizuki.

"Where is Naruto?"

Kizashi was caught off-guard by the fierce look in his eyes. He tried to diffuse the situation before it got worse.

"Shiro... please calm down. I'm sure Mizuki wasn't trying to—"

Shiro only snapped further at Mizuki, exposing his Sharingan in the process.

"WHERE IS NARUTO?!"

Mizuki gasped at the sight of his eyes as he stammered before Mebuki arrived just in time to see Shiro speaking to Mizuki with malice in his voice, gasping at the sight.

"You were the last one with him, right? And I can already tell you know what he is, like everyone else does. So don't bother trying to lie to us and tell us he stole it! So what if Naruto did a lot of things no Shinobi should ever do in his age? If there's one thing I know about him, it's that he's not a thief! So tell me! Where is Naruto?!"

Mizuki stood in shock for a moment. But after a while, he regained his earlier composure and replied.

"If I knew where he was, I would tell you without hesitation."

Shiro's glare got worse as he glared at Mizuki. Kizashi noticed the tension and looked at Mizuki himself, seeing that something was off about him.

"Of course. Why didn't I notice that before?"

Mebuki then spoke up out of worry over the tense situation.

"Kizashi, what's going on here?"

He only raised his hand softly to her before he spoke softly.

"I'll tell you in a little bit. Thank you for telling us, Mizuki. Mebuki and I will keep an eye out for him."

Mizuki nodded to him before he replied.

"Thank you."

Kizashi then closed the door before Mizuki bore a sinister smile on his face and took off. Inside, Shiro was frustrated.

"How could you let him go?! He was lying to you!"

Kizashi then turned to Shiro with a serious expression.

"Don't worry, I saw through that."

Shiro and Sakura gasped in shock as the latter spoke up her inquiry.

"So then why did you—?"

"Because Mizuki would never have told us where he was even if we captured him. Which is where you two come in."

Shiro and Sakura looked at Kizashi in puzzlement, the former's Sharingan going back to normal before Kizashi explained further.

"You're official ninjas now, aren't you? Consider this your first assignment. I may not be your Hokage, but you better understand the mission. Follow Mizuki, get that Sacred Scroll of Sealing back, and protect Naruto, at all costs."

Shiro and Sakura stood in utter surprise for a moment before taking in the full details. Kizashi was sending Mizuki away to throw off suspicion, part of which was already tossed at him by Shiro. The two of them nodded to Kizashi before they both headed out of the door and took off quickly. Once they were gone, Mebuki looked to him in worry.

"I don't understand. What happened to Naruto?"

Kizashi sighed to her before he turned to his wife.

"That's what I want to know, too."

Meanwhile, Mizuki was hopping underneath the bridge, headed right for the forest as he snickered to himself.

"That was way too close. That Uchiha brat was too smart for his own good. Not that it matters. Now that I told everyone what Naruto did, I can eliminate him. They'll be glad he's gone. And, of course, I'll keep the scroll for myself!"

Little did he know, however, that just far enough away, Sakura and Shiro were tailing him. As they made their way over to him, they spoke amongst themselves.

"Mizuki-Sensei looks like he's headed for the forest. But why?"

"I don't know. But whatever he has planned, we're not going to let him have his way. We'll take a shortcut, get to Naruto, and head him off."

Sakura couldn't agree more as she focused on him.

"Right."

At that moment, her tougher mental personality was all in for it.

"Cha! That lying slug is going down for that!"

Meanwhile, Naruto was sitting by himself, the scroll on his back. He seemed exhausted. And then, he noticed a shadow looming over him. It was from Iruka, who'd just been informed of Naruto's theft. He had a smirk on his face as he glared at the boy.

"It's all over."

Iruka then laughed to himself. However, Naruto didn't see any harm in it as he made a slight laugh. Iruka was caught off-guard by this as Naruto spoke with happiness.

"Got me already. Not bad. You're quick, Sensei. I only had enough time to learn one technique."

Iruka looked more and more puzzled as he thought to himself.

"He's been out here practicing. I can tell how hard he's been working. But why would he do that? He already graduated, didn't he?"

Just then, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Naruto!"

The little boy turned to see Sakura and Shiro catching up to him. Naruto seemed more happy about them being here than ever.

"Sakura! Shiro! You guys are here!"

Sakura looked at him in worry as she tried to get to the bottom of it.

"Naruto, you said you'd meet at my parents' place. What have you been doing this whole time?"

Naruto bore a bigger grin on his face than before as he spoke up.

"It's okay. I was just doing some extra training. I'm gonna show you this amazing Jutsu, and I can be a better ninja for you so I don't become a burden for you guys."

"What? A burden?"

Shiro raised his eyes in curiosity as he spoke to him.

"Who told you something like that?"

"Mizuki-Sensei did. Believe it. He told me where to find the scroll, and this place..."

Naruto would've kept going, but he saw the worried looks on the trio's faces.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Sakura decided to break the news to him first as her face bore a serious look.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. But Mizuki-Sensei's been lying to you."

Iruka was just as surprised to hear it as Naruto was.

"Huh? Mizuki?"

Just then, Iruka felt an unsettling presence behind him, turning around to see a barrage of kunai headed right for him. Thinking quickly, Iruka pushed Naruto away as he shouted.

"Look out!"

At the same time, Shiro got in front of Iruka and countered every one of them with his own, though he couldn't counter the last one as it stuck itself on his shoulder, making him groan. Sakura, Iruka, and Naruto looked on in surprise as Shiro panted his breath.

"I see you found our little hideaway."

Shiro and Iruka looked up to see Mizuki looking at them with a sneer.

Play Naruto Shippuden Music: "Courtesy"

Shiro and Iruka glared back around him as they spoke up to the traitor.

"I knew I was right not to trust you!"

"So that's how it is, huh? I should've known."

Miruki turned his attention back to Naruto, trying to convince him to give up the scroll.

"Naruto! Give me the scroll, now!"

Being caught in the middle, Naruto was thrown for a loop as he looked to Iruka and his friends.

"Wait a minute! What's going on?!"

Shiro glared at Iruka as he explained.

"It's like Sakura told you! Mizuki was using you the whole time, Naruto!"

Iruka stepped up beside Shiro as he concurred.

"He's right! That scroll you're holding contains Forbidden Jutsu that could put this village in grave danger! Mizuki used you to get that scroll for himself, for his own power!"

Naruto growled at Mizuki, who only smirked back at the group before he spoke condescendingly to Naruto.

"Naruto, Iruka's just trying to scare you because he doesn't want you to have the scroll."

Naruto gasped in confusion before Shiro countered him.

"Why would Naruto need it in the first place anyway?! He's already capable of so much by himself! The last thing he needs is any of your lies!"

Mizuki only snickered at Shiro's words.

"Oh, I'll tell you who's really lying."

Shiro and Sakura became puzzled.

"What?"

"What are you talking about?"

Unfortunately, Iruka saw where it was going and became frightfully worried.

"No, Mizuki!"

"They've been lying to you your whole life, Naruto, since the decree 12 years ago."

Naruto was becoming utterly dumbfounded as he spoke up about the information he was hearing.

"What decree?"

"Everyone knows except you. Even your so-called friends. They're trying to hide it from you even now. They'll do anything to shut me up."

"What is this decree? Why does everyone else know about it?"

Iruka shouted to Mizuki, but sadly, it fell on deaf ears.

"Don't tell him! It's forbidden!"

"The decree is, no one can tell you the Nine-Tailed Fox is inside you!"

Naruto's eyes widened in utter disbelief over that as Mizuki continued taunting him.

"The fox spirit that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your body. You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

Iruka shouted again, but Mizuki continued to torture Naruto with the truth as
Shiro and Sakura looked at their friend in worry.

"STOP IT!"

"They've all been sneaking around hiding things from you your whole life! Didn't you think it was strange how they treated you? Like dirt! Like they hated you just for being alive!"

Naruto began to tear up from Mizuki's words, picturing how everyone had their backs turned on him.

"No…!"

His sadness didn't go unwatched. Sakura and Shiro looked at him with a guilty look in her eyes and a sympathetic one in his.

"Naruto…"

All the while, Mizuki continued to drive the nail into the coffin.

"That's why you'll never be accepted in this village! Even your beloved Sensei hates your guts!"

In his anger, Naruto began to summon a blue aura around him.

"No, no, no, no!"

The whole scene was too much for Iruka to watch as he looked at the poor boy while reflecting on the Third Hokage's words.

"Naruto…!"

"Iruka, Naruto never had a mother or a father to care for him. He's shut out of everything and doesn't know why. Most people won't even look at him. How would you feel if everywhere you went, people turned their backs on you? That's why he gets in trouble, so people would notice him. It may not show, but he's always thinking about the family he doesn't have. He's hurting inside."

Of course, Mizuki doesn't seem to care about that. When it came to the boy, Mizuki only wanted one thing: for him to die.

"Die, Naruto!"

He tossed his giant shuriken right at him, forcing him to crawl on his feet in an attempt to escape. However, Sakura took notice of that and shouted for him.

"Naruto, get down!"

The boy quickly got down and covered his head. He prepared for the worst when suddenly, he heard the shuriken connect. But it wasn't because it hit him. He looked up to see Iruka standing above him. He was stabbed in the back by the Shuriken!

End Naruto Shippuden Music: Courtesy"

And it didn't come without a cost. Iruka began to cough up blood onto Naruto's cheek. Mizuki growled at his failed attempt to murder Naruto. Speaking of, the boy looked at his sensei in worry, along with Shiro and Sakura.

"Why?"

After a moment of pause, Iruka explained himself.

"Because we're the same. When I lost my parents, no one seemed to care. They didn't have time for me. They just forgot I was there. My grades dropped. I became the class clown. I just wanted them to see me, and to know my name. My schoolwork wasn't good enough to get their attention. So I did crazy things, and then I had to pay for it. It was hard. I know that's how you feel, Naruto. You feel lonely, and it hurts inside. And I could've been there for you more. I let you down, and I'm sorry. No one should have to suffer that much. No one should be alone like that."

Shiro and Sakura looked at Iruka in utter sympathy. They never knew he was actually like Naruto. And Naruto didn't seem to know that, either. As for Mizuki, he only snickered at this, as usual.

"Don't make me laugh!"

Shiro and Sakura looked up at Mizuki with contempt as he continued.

"Iruka always hated you! He was orphaned because the Nine-Tailed Fox killed his parents! And that beast is now inside you! He'd say anything to get the scroll from you!"

It didn't take long for Shiro to snap at him quickly.

"Shut up, you traitor! You don't know a thing about Iruka, or Naruto! So don't bother lying to us anymore! You're dead!"

Shiro activated his Sharingan as he entered a stance with Sakura standing beside him and she turned to Naruto.

"Don't worry about us, Naruto. We'll hold off Mizuki while you get that scroll back to the village."

Naruto looked at his friends in surprise.

"Huh? Why would you trust me with something like that?"

Sakura bore a smile as she responded.

"Because you're our friend, Naruto. Fox or no fox, that's never going to change. We believed in you back when we first met And we always will."

Naruto was beginning to tear up at this point. But he knew that he shouldn't waste them with Mizuki wanting the scroll for himself. He needed to make things right. And so, he took off with a great dash as Sakura and Iruka looked on. Despite this, Mizuki still kept his smirk as he landed on the ground.

"You know, you're really stupid to let him go with the scroll like that. Once he makes up his mind, nothing can change it. He's going to use the scroll to take revenge on the village."

Shiro glared at him viciously as he spoke with a bitter tone.

"And what makes you so sure?"

"You saw that look in his eye, didn't you? Those are the eyes of a beast."

Shiro growled at him before he heard Iruka shouting at him as he took off the giant shuriken from his back.

"No… Naruto… isn't like that!"

Iruka tossed the shuriken at Mizuki, only for him to dodge with ease.

"Heh. You're a joke. As soon as I eliminate Naruto and get the Scroll, I'll be back for you."

Mizuki then leapt away, only for Shiro to counter him, knocking him to the ground before towering above him, his Sharingan flaring at him like a laser.

"No, Mizuki. You're not going anywhere. Not while I live!"

Mizuki didn't take kindly to that threat as he stood back up and drew out his giant shuriken.

"Alright. If I don't destroy your village, then your friend will! It's only a matter of time!"

Shiro glared daggers at this point as he and Sakura stood firm, ready to fight him.

Back at Konoha, the Third Hokage was overseeing the crystal ball as he saw the events that took place, both for Naruto and his friends.

"That was too close. Mizuki has a big mouth. He made Naruto feel so bad, worse than he's ever felt. It could unleash the power inside of him. But thanks to Shiro and Sakura, Naruto was able to move past it. That said, if he keeps tampering with the scroll, the seal that locks the Fox spirit inside of him could be broken, and the beast could come out. If that happens… I fear for us all."

Little did he know that someone was watching him from afar. It was the same one who was spying on Mizuki from the Hokage Summit. And his yellow eyes were fixated on the confrontation itself…

"And on that note… It's time you pulled your weight, Mizuki."

A/N: And this is where the first chapter comes to a close. Sorry I couldn't continue, but I wanted to build up some suspense, especially with a new character looming behind the scenes. Also, my OC Shiro Uchiha is portrayed by Josh Keaton while the robed figure spying on Mizuki is portrayed by Kellen Goff (the voice of Overhaul from My Hero Academia). And as you can see, Sakura will be more active in this story. And I'm sure you'll notice another difference about her as opposed to the canon Sakura. That said, you can expect another chapter coming soon to bring this first episode to a close. :)