Author Notes

Dear Readers,

By the off chance that some of you read my previous fanfiction called Just Naruto, you might recognize the premise of this story, however I started writing that story when I was 13 and by the time I was 18 it had 30k words and the story had become something I no longer recognized. A result of writing chapters years apart

I removed it from and tried to forget about it. As time moved on I got back into reading Naruto fanfics and after reading fic after fic I always find myself thinking of my own story and how there isn't really anything out there that scratches my itch.

Just Naruto was inspired by 2 frames at the ending of the pain saga intro sequence. When Yahiko and Naruto are running towards each other I thought to myself. 'Hmm, They look kinda similar' and so I found myself thinking how different the Naruto world would be if Naruto had different parents.

And yes I know. "Naruto can't contain the Kyuubi if he's not an Uzumaki!" but I don't think that's really true especially if he does not hold the whole Kyuubi.

But I don't really want to spoil too much of the story

Just know that things are more than a little different. Because of the changes I made, The whole story changes from the point of the Second Shinobi World War. I also adjusted the ages of some of the characters to make more sense. Lastly, Just Naruto was supposed to cross-over with so many things, from League of Legends to FMA which I feel is why the story became too troublesome. So none of that, it will however, feature one character from another show that I just have to have in here, you will know him when you see him.

The M Rating is for Violence and Profanity. There will be romance in this story but don't expect any lemons. If it comes down to characters doing the dirty I will likely resort to a fade to black.

Then I believe that's all I needed to say, thanks for giving this story a shot and let me know what you think. I will try to respond to reviews that I feel are important.

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

As the first rays of dawn tiptoed through the curtains, gently coaxing the young teen from blissful sleep, Naruto stirred awake. The early morning light spilled across his half-open lids, compelling him to stuff his face into his pillow, hoping to squeeze the last few drops of energy from the land of the unconscious.

The gentle whisper of a morning breeze, carrying the sounds of a village coming to consciousness, wafted through his bedroom window. Pulling the covers over his head, Naruto stretched his legs before sitting up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

His fingers brushed against the rim of his headband, and memories from the last few days rushed back. First, Mizuki-teme tried to implicate Naruto in a plot to steal the Scroll of Sealing. He almost got away with it, too. If it weren't for Iruka's interference, Naruto likely would be dead, and Mizuki would be on the run with the Scroll of Sealing.

.

His frown deepened as his thoughts drifted to the creature he contained, but a spark of warmth ignited within him as he considered the first person who accepted him, Iruka. The day after, he met the Hokage's grandson, teaching him the 'Sexy-Jutsu,' and just yesterday, he had his orientation, meeting his sensei, who instructed him to be ready at five in the morning.

Like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him, Naruto froze upon glancing at his clock that read '5:32.'

"Oh crap!" With a swift kick, he propelled himself off the bed, rushing to his equipment pack. He checked to ensure he had everything he needed, then dove out of his open window, heart pounding in sync with the urgent rhythm of his footfalls. The dirt streets blurred beneath his hurried steps as he berated himself for oversleeping on such a crucial day.

Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! His thoughts matched the frantic beat of his steps as he ignored the shouts of early risers, weaving through the streets in an admittedly impressive display of speed. It took him no more than seven minutes to reach the clearing where his team was instructed to gather. When he skidded to a stop in front of his teammates, Sakura pointed an accusatory finger at him while bellowing, "You're late!" Sasuke opted to silently scowl at him with crossed arms.

A yawn escaped Naruto's lips as he rubbed the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes. "Heh, sorry, Sakura-chan. I had a rough time falling asleep. W-was Kakashi-sensei mad?" He asked fearfully, his eyes darting around, searching for any sign of their one-eyed sensei.

The rosette simply folded her arms, a mix of irritation and impatience etched across her features as she looked to the side. "He hasn't shown up yet." She was too annoyed to notice the wave of relief wash over Naruto, who had, for a fleeting moment, feared the worst.

"Lucky!" Naruto couldn't help but cheer, thinking he had made it in the nick of time. Little did he know it would be another five and a half hours before their sensei would arrive.

Kakashi cheerfully bid them good morning with a wave. Instead of a friendly greeting in response, the more colorful members of his genin squad shouted, "YOU'RE LATE!" Kakashi, at least, had the decency to appear embarrassed, as much as someone can with eighty percent of their face covered. "Yes, well, a black cat crossed my path, and I had to take the long way around," he lamely said, offering an excuse as veiled as his visage.

His genin stared back at him unimpressed. Clearing his throat and regaining his composure, he placed a small clock on one of the three stumps in the clearing. "Right, well, the timer is set for noon. You have forty minutes to each get one of these bells," he said, holding up two small silver bells.

"But, Sensei, there are only two bells?" Sakura half-asked. Kakashi gave her his signature eye-smile before replying, "An astute observation, Sakura. However, that is intentional. The one who fails to acquire a bell will be sent back to the academy on top of not getting any lunch." As if on cue, all three genin's stomachs grumbled.

"Now you can use any tactics you deem necessary. Come at me with the intent to kill, or all three of you will be going back." Kakashi's face was now impassive as he continued. "We begin on my ma— Man, that's just unfair!" Naruto interrupted. "What was the point of the graduation exam then?" he complained as Sakura seemed to agree.

"The worst shinobi usually complain the loudest. Best to ignore those losers," Kakashi calmly stated, this time making Sasuke nod his head in agreement. Naruto, however, only heard one thing: Loser.

I'll show you a loser, Naruto thought, swiftly grabbing a kunai from his pouch and charging at his sensei, intent on skewering the cyclops. To Kakashi, Naruto might as well have mailed him the kunai, given how slow he was moving. A good chance to demonstrate the difference in power, Kakashi thought, effortlessly appearing behind Naruto, holding Naruto's own arm to the back of his head. The dust kicked up behind him was the only indication that he had moved at all.

Fast! Both Sasuke and Sakura thought in shock. Naruto, a beat behind, finally realized his sensei's disappearance and frantically tried to extricate himself, to no avail.

"I didn't say start, but at least you have the right idea. Remember, come at me with the intent to kill; anything less will end in failure!" Kakashi's voice echoed, carrying a stern urgency. He released Naruto, the sudden freedom feeling like a fleeting breeze, before lifting his hand and bringing it down with an authoritative snap. "Begin!"

Sakura and Sasuke darted into the surrounding foliage, aiming to gain cover for their chance to strike. Naruto, on the other hand, chose a more direct approach. With a sudden, agile roll, he drew two shuriken as he turned and swiftly released them toward his sensei. Kakashi calmly parried the shuriken with Naruto's kunai, still held from before, observing Naruto's approach.

Naruto, in a burst of movement, went for a jumping kick that Kakashi smoothly ducked under, vanishing from Naruto's sight for a second time. "You shouldn't let your enemy get behind you so often," he heard from behind him before experiencing the most uncomfortable sensation of his life. Kakashi jammed his fingers forward in a tiger seal, sending Naruto rocketing off into the air lake as Kakashi announced, "One thousand years of pain!"

"Aaayeeee!" Naruto exclaimed, holding his posterior, before splashing unceremoniously into the lake.

From his hidden position a flabbergasted Sasuke shook his head. Those idiots are fooling around, he thought annoyed. Sakura was wondering if her sensei was really a Jounin but was surprised when four Naruto's came rushing out of the water towards Kakashi as she thought, So he CAN make clones! Kakashi eyed the clones with suspicion as he noticed the water dripping from them. Shadow clone? He was slightly impressed by Naruto's usage of an advanced technique. Four clones even, most impressive.

"Take this! My ultimate technique!" The Quadruplet of blondes yelled in unison, swiftly navigating through the hand seals for Dog, Bear, and ending with Ram. "Harem no Jutsu!" they declared before the air was filled with swirling smoke. Emerging from the dissipating haze were four seductive, voluptuous blondes, each with a playful grin.

With a synchronized chorus, they descended upon Kakashi, their voices dripping with seduction. "Kakashi-sama, please let us have one of your bells!" they purred in unison, their flirtatious requests hanging in the air.

Sakura's jaw hung open in sheer disbelief at Naruto's audacity, while Kakashi stood ramrod straight, seemingly unfazed. However, a small trickle of blood appeared under his nose, and within moments, it turned into a veritable fountain, gushing like a faucet. The impact of Naruto's unexpected tactic sent Kakashi flying backward, colliding with a nearby tree.

Naruto released the Jutsu with a satisfied smirk, reveling in the success of his bold and unconventional move. He sauntered over to Kakashi's prone form, ready to claim his prize only to be yanked up by a rope trap leaving him upside down, hanging from the tree Kakashi collided with.

Said 'Kakashi' lay sprawled on the floor before morphing into a bloodied log. The real Kakashi emerged, stepping out from behind the tree with a nonchalant demeanor. "Really, Naruto? You shouldn't fall for such a simple trap; a ninja must always see through deception," Kakashi remarked, punctuating his words with a subtle sigh.

"Duh! I know that already!" Naruto complained. 'You don't know it, idiot; that's why I'm bringing it up!' Kakashi sighed, either in irritation or attempting to stem the blood flow from his nose—it wasn't exactly clear.

Suddenly, shuriken rained down from behind, catching Kakashi off guard. He gasped in pain before another cloud of smoke enveloped him, signifying the use of Kawarimi. In its wake remained the same bloodied log, now littered with shuriken.

Kakashi, however, was nowhere to be seen. "Tch," Sasuke grunted at his failure before bounding off to a different location, having revealed his position when he threw the shuriken.

Now alone in the clearing, Naruto crossed his arms with a pout before mysteriously disappearing, signifying he was a clone all along…

Sakura sprinted through the thicket, desperately trying to formulate a plan. Kakashi-sensei is so strong! I need to find Sasuke-kun to make sure he's okay. Her thoughts raced as she navigated the dense foliage. Suddenly, she was yanked to the side, her heart pounding at the unexpected ambush.

Her assailant turned out to be Naruto, who pushed her up against a tree. She was about to unleash the verbal beating of a lifetime when he swiftly covered her mouth. Desperation gleamed in his eyes as he held a finger to his lips, signaling her to stay quiet. He then glanced to his right over his shoulder. Following his gaze, she saw the silver hair of her sensei sticking out over some bushes; he had his back to them, seemingly scanning the surroundings.

Naruto removed his hand from her mouth, and they both lowered themselves, keeping a watchful eye on Kakashi's departing figure. As the imminent danger faded, Sakura was about to scold Naruto for his rather abrupt maneuver; a tinge of embarrassment colored her cheeks. However, before she could voice her complaint, Naruto spoke first.

"Neh, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei is super strong. Do you want to try working together?" he proposed, hopeful for her agreement.

"Why?" She asked suspiciously, crossing her arms. "There's only two bells, Naruto. One of us is going back to the academy, and I'd much rather have that be you than Sasuke-kun," she stated firmly.

"But I'm the one asking to work together! That jerk is somewhere off on his own." Naruto couldn't fathom what people saw in the last Uchiha. In his opinion, nobody likes a person who is all broody and weird. "Don't call Sasuke a jerk, baka!" Sakura yelled before wincing and looking around for their sensei.

Naruto found himself at a loss, realizing that he needed Sakura's cooperation to tackle the challenge posed by Kakashi. "Well, what if... if the timer runs out and you don't have a bell, then you can have mine?" he proposed before she could agree. However, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sounds of a scuffle nearby.

Stalling their discussion, they hurried toward the commotion and witnessed Sasuke engaging in a fierce exchange of blows with Kakashi. Naruto stood in awe, marveling at the impressive display of skill. He didn't linger too long, nodding to Sakura to convey their unspoken plan.

Kakashi executed a backflip to evade a trap set by Sasuke, only to widen his eye in surprise as Naruto appeared next to him, reaching for the bells. Reacting swiftly, Kakashi twisted his body mid-air, delivering a forceful kick to Naruto's head. The impact made the boy vanish in a puff of smoke.

Seizing the opportunity, Sakura charged through the dissipating smoke, arm outstretched in an attempt to snatch the bells. However, Kakashi caught her arm, and twisted his body as he landed, using the momentum to throw her several feet into the air. She yelped as she flailed helplessly, but a swift orange blur leaped to her rescue, ensuring a safe landing.

Meanwhile, Kakashi wasn't out of danger. Seizing the moment, Sasuke closed the distance again, engaging in a Taijutsu exchange. After trapping both Kakashi's leg and arm, Sasuke executed a powerful move, bringing down his other leg like a guillotine. Kakashi dropped his hold to block the kick with a cross over his head. Just as he thought he had the upper hand, Sasuke brushed his fingers against the bells, jumping back to deny Sasuke the bells. Kakashi found himself in Naruto's firm grasp.

"Get him, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, holding Kakashi steady. Hoping Sasuke would engage in Taijutsu, Naruto watched with anticipation. However, Sasuke smirked, swiftly flipping through hand seals, ending on a tiger hold. Kakashi's eyes widened, not at Sasuke's apparent skill in Ninjutsu, but because there was a small blond tick on his back about to get burned off.

Ripping himself from Naruto's grasp, Kakashi punted the boy away. This time, Naruto didn't burst into smoke, revealing it was, in fact, the real Naruto. Folding like a lawn chair around Kakashi's kick, Naruto just managed to get clear of the fireball that Kakashi was engulfed in.

Naruto and Sakura stood in awe at Sasuke's display of power. Only after the inferno cleared did Naruto start panicking. "Ah! Sasuke-teme, you jerk! You killed Kakashi-sensei. There's not even something left to bury!" Naruto turned pale, realizing he might be considered an accomplice in the apparent murder of their scarecrow-sensei.

Sasuke, however, knew Kakashi had likely made it out alive and started scanning left and right, hoping to see his sensei's approach. Above! He thought, looking up only to feel a pair of hands grip his ankles and pull him into the ground.

Kakashi burst from the ground, appearing in front of him and squatting on his ankles. Kakashi's visage showed he was not pleased. "Sasuke, that was really dangerous. You could have killed your teammate," Kakashi scolded, the displeasure in his voice clear.

"Hmph! It's not my fault the idiot was in the way," Sasuke said, not really appearing bothered by his action. Kakashi slapped him up the side of the head. "You fool, killing your teammate is not going to help you become a ninja," Kakashi scolded before the ringing of the timer could be heard throughout the woods.

"Well, I guess that settles it," Kakashi said as he freed Sasuke from the ground. "You were unable to get the bells from me. As such-" he was interrupted by a light jingle that didn't spring from him. He looked over at Naruto, who had a grin so wide it almost met at the back of his head as he held up two little bells, giving them a jingle for extra flare.

Kakashi's single eye widened. When did he… When I kicked him away? He was so concerned about Naruto's safety he never even considered that the boy might go for the bells. Kakashi was at a loss; they were never supposed to get the bells from him. However, he could still test them. "Very good, Naruto, you managed to get both the bells in time, but now the question is, who will you give the extra bell to?"

Naruto didn't hesitate for a second to give Sakura the extra bell. Kakashi looked at Sakura, who seemed torn for a moment before she walked over to Sasuke to give him her bell.

Kakashi was proud and about to pass them when Sakura turned to Naruto and held out her hand. Naruto looked at her hand in question before he realized what she wanted. "But I already gave you a bell?" Naruto held the little bell to his chest defensively.

"Yes, but you said you would give me yours if I didn't have one, right?" She asked with a wicked grin. "Or were you lying to get me to help you?"

Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine. He never expected this outcome. Naruto, on the other hand, was torn—first because he felt betrayed but also because of his stubborn insistence to keep to his word.

After a short hesitation, Naruto slumped his shoulders and handed Sakura the bell. Kakashi could hardly believe this outcome; It was going so well, how could it go so wrong so quickly? Perhaps one last test to try and salvage this. He thought.

"Are you sure about this, Naruto? You know this means you will fail the test, right?" Kakashi asked sternly, hoping the boy would ask for a rematch, anything to salvage this disaster.

Naruto seemed contemplative for a moment before looking at Kakashi with resolute certainty.

"Send me back to the academy if you have to, Kakashi-sensei. It won't stop me from becoming Hokage dattebayo!" he proclaimed, pointing at Kakashi in defiance.

Kakashi was vividly reminded of Obito and could almost see him in the place of Naruto. He sighed, knowing Naruto was not going to change his mind, as he turned to his last hope, Sasuke and Sakura.

"And are you two happy sending Naruto back to the academy?" he asked calmly, hoping against hope that they would come to their senses.

Sasuke didn't like having to accept this handout but knew he couldn't get stuck here. The academy was only in the way of him achieving his revenge, and he would do what he had to make sure his ambition came to pass. Sakura felt a little dirty for pulling that move on Naruto, but she was doing this in the pursuit of love, and all is fair in love and war.

They both nodded sharply.

"Well then, I guess I have no choice," Kakashi said, defeated.

"You all fail."

A/n: The first time around I wrote this story Sasuke and Sakura both ended up killing a clone of Naruto. I wanted them out of the story because I intensely disliked them. So i sent them to prison xD

I settled for failing the team this time, giving them the opportunity to stay in the story and maybe even redeem themselves

Sakura at this point in the story was probably at her most annoying.

I'm sure you guys have plenty of questions and feel free to ask. Any comments are welcome. Even if it's just to tell me I'm bad and I should feel bad. Just make sure you tell my WHY I'm bad so I can get better.

Any who the summer heat is murdering me, I live in the southern hemisphere. So I'm gonna go to sleep with some ice packs, have a good one.

Chao!