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Chapter 4: Naruto

Naruto: Original Soundtrack, Track No. 20

Naruto Main Theme

Mizuki was not happy. The demon brat was doing way too well for his liking. The blonde's friendship with the last Uchiha and the former Hyuuga heiress made sabotaging his education much more difficult. They were helping him with his studies, and he never had issues during spars or weapons training. The boy was ranked third in the class, only behind his two friends. At this rate, he would never be desperate enough to fall into Mizuki's original trap. Unless… Mizuki grinned evilly as a new idea popped into his head. Just you wait, demon brat.

The three now eleven-year-olds happily exited the academy after a long day of lectures. They found the lectures to be boring, preferring to train with Kakashi or by themselves instead. Sasuke had joined Naruto and Hinata in their training sessions with the Copy Ninja after he reconciled with the two. He was surprised to see Hinata developing a new taijutsu style for herself, one that he got destroyed by on a regular basis. Unlike the stout defenses of the Gentle Fist, Hinata used her natural agility to her advantage, utilizing offense as her primary method of defense. With guidance from Might Guy and Ko, she was flourishing with her new style. While it wasn't complete by any means, it was usable in a fight, and very painful for Sasuke.

Naruto's taijutsu was very free formed. He made liberal use of Shadow Clones, with each one subconsciously feeding information back to the original. While Sasuke was no slouch at taijutsu, his strengths lie elsewhere. He knew that both of his friends had a very high aptitude for taijutsu, while he himself preferred to fight at a distance. He had already mastered the Uchiha's Fireball Jutsu, despite it being his secondary affinity. He recalled the day he learned about his primary affinity.

Flashback

The trio were wrapping up their warm-up spars when Kakashi arrived in the clearing with a copy of Make-Out Paradise in one hand and a sheet of chakra paper in the other. "Alright Naruto, before Master Jiraiya left, he gave me permission to begin training you and Hinata in your elemental affinities." After receiving excited nods from the two, he asked, "Sasuke, I presume you already know the Fireball Jutsu?"

"How did you know?" Sasuke asked in return, visibly surprised.

Kakashi gave the last Uchiha an eye-smile. "My best friend was an Uchiha. He told me it's a rite of passage for your clan. Isn't that right?"

Sasuke just nodded, not knowing how to respond. "Well, in any case," Kakashi began, "I still want to test your elemental affinity. All you have to do is channel a small amount of chakra into this piece of paper."

Sasuke did as told, and surprisingly, the paper wrinkled up before burning into ash.

"Woah!" Naruto exclaimed. "That's exactly what happened to Hinata's paper!"

"That's right," Kakashi confirmed. "Your primary affinity is actually lightning, not fire. Lucky for you, Sasuke, that is also my primary affinity. I'll be able to train both you and Hinata in the use of lightning chakra. While I can't teach Naruto more than the basics of the wind release, fortunately for him, one of my wind-using colleagues just returned to the village."

As if he was summoned, another figure leaped into the clearing just as Kakashi finished speaking. The bearded man bore a striking resemblance to the Third Hokage. He wore a flak jacket that was a slightly darker green than the standard edition, along with a sash bearing the kanji for "Fire" around his waist. He lit a cigarette and asked, "Which one's the wind user, Kakashi?"

The scarecrow nin pointed at Naruto with his book. "That's Naruto Uzumaki. His wind affinity is quite strong, according to Master Jiraiya."

Asuma grinned excitedly. With how rare the wind affinity was in the Land of Fire, he was very excited to have someone to teach. "Well, hello there, Naruto. My name is Asuma Sarutobi."

"Sarutobi? As in the Old Man's clan?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Old Man?" Asuma repeated.

"He means the Hokage," Kakashi replied nonchalantly.

Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief. "Naruto, you call the Hokage an old man?"

"Huh? I've been calling him that since I met him. What's wrong with that?" Naruto replied confusedly.

Sasuke just sighed in defeat. "Never mind."

Asuma grinned at the nickname. He would have to use it against his father later. "Of course we're in the same clan. The 'Old Man,' as you call him, is my dad." Not waiting for the blond's reaction, he began walking out of the clearing. "Alright, let's not waste any more time. I'll take you to a different area to practice, since wind can be a tad destructive."

Naruto grinned enthusiastically as he followed Asuma out of the clearing.

End Flashback

Sasuke was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar voice call out his friend's name from behind them. "Naruto! Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blue-haired chunin, knowing that he didn't like his friend very much. He noticed Hinata tense as well. She was the first to recognize Mizuki's fake attitude towards their friend. They wanted to stay with Naruto to make sure nothing would happen to him, but the blond-haired boy silently told them to go on ahead towards Ichiraku's.

"Sure! What's up, Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asked as he separated from his friends.

"Congrats on your performance in class! I know you must have been putting in a lot of hard work with your friends to reach where you are."

Naruto knew something was up, as Mizuki had never approached him like this before, so he decided to wait and see what the chunin was planning. "Thanks, sensei! Hinata especially helped me a lot with the boring topics, dattebayo! She's always patient with me, helping me understand stuff I normally don't get."

Mizuki inwardly smirked. "So, you want to be on her team then?" he asked, receiving a quick nod from the blond. The blue-haired chunin gave Naruto a fake sympathetic smile, one that he saw right through. "Unfortunately, the way the teams are made, the Rookie of the Year is put with the highest scoring kunoichi and the dead last to balance out the teams. Exceptions can be made, but it's usually rare. So, with the current standings, your friends would be on a team with Kiba Inuzuka, as he's the current dead last."

Naruto scowled at that name, remembering when the boy slighted Pervy-Sage. He also knew that Mizuki was trying to bait him into doing something, so he remained quiet, patiently waiting for the blue-haired chunin to reveal his intentions.

"I have a way for you to be on the team you want. There's a special test that if passed, lets the passing student pick their teammates. I know it seems like an odd time to take it, still being a little more than a year away from your graduation, but it needs to be taken early so the Hokage knows what team you want ahead of time. What do you say? Want to try it?"

Let it be known that Mizuki was not the sharpest kunai in the shed. Naruto wanted to roll his eyes, but he carefully maintained his facial expressions to not give away his thoughts. "Sure, sensei! What do I have to do?"

Hinata was beginning to get worried. She and Sasuke had split and left for home a while ago. Naruto was never one to miss ramen, so something must have happened to him. It was already dark out, but since Naruto hadn't come home yet, Hinata decided to take action. Activating her Byakugan, she searched the village for her best friend, noticing him exiting the village walls with a large scroll on his back. What is he doing? She immediately left their home and chased after him, hoping he wasn't doing anything stupid.

Naruto stopped at a worn-down shed in the middle of the forest surrounding the village. The Old Man is a crafty bastard, telling me to turn a shadow clone into the scroll. That dumb Mizuki is going to be so pissed, hehe.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the shout of "NARUTO!" from a familiar voice, and not the one he was expecting.

"Iruka-sensei! What are you doing here?" Naruto asked in genuine surprise.

"Naruto! What do you think you're doing? Do you know what you've just stolen?" Iruka scolded with a stern expression on his face.

"Mizuki-sensei said that if I passed a special test, I would get to pick my teammates when I became a genin! Isn't that awesome?" Naruto replied jovially.

"N-no…" Iruka muttered as he realized what happened. Hinata, who had just arrived, managed to catch the tail end of the conversation. Naruto-kun isn't stupid enough to believe that. Something else is going on here. I'll stay hidden for now, until he needs help. She quickly hid herself amongst the trees as another figure appeared in the clearing.

"Congrats on passing the test, Naruto!" Mizuki praised with fake happiness. "Now give the scroll to me, and I'll test you on which jutsu you completed."

"No, Naruto! Whatever you do, don't give him the scroll!" Iruka shouted desperately.

"I know that, Iruka-sensei. I'm not stupid enough to fall for a trick like that. I'm doing this under the Old Man's orders," Naruto replied while glaring at the traitor, the scroll on his back poofing out of existence.

Iruka sighed in relief, happy that one of his favorite students wouldn't have to face any punishment.

This wasn't how this was supposed to go! Mizuki swore internally, recognizing that the blond was preparing an attack. Fine, I'll have to resort to that. "Hey, Naruto! Do you know why the villagers all glare at you like you're the scum of the earth? Ever wonder why you have such high profile shinobi watching over you?"

"Mizuki, NO!" Iruka shouted in vain. "It's forbidden!"

Despite everything Jiraiya and Kakashi taught him about not trusting his enemies, Naruto, still being a child, gave into his curiosity. "W-why? I've wanted to know for so long. Why?"

"Because on the night of the Nine-Tails attack, the Fourth couldn't kill it, so he sealed it into a newborn. YOU! YOU ARE THE NINE-TAILED FOX!" Mizuki shouted with pure hatred.

"I-I'm the fox?" Naruto asked in an unusually small voice. Having been trained by Kakashi in the basics of sealing, he knew that what Mizuki said made no logical sense, but learning that the Nine-Tails was sealed inside of him made thinking rationally very difficult. Why did no one ever tell me? Did Pervy-Sage and Kakashi-sensei only watch over me because I'm the fox? What about the old man?

"YES! That's why the villagers hate you! Why Jiraiya and Kakashi watch over you. Because they can suppress you if you ever show your true nature! HAHAHAHA!" The blue-haired chunin seemed to have answers for all of his internal questions, causing the blond to go into a catatonic state. H-has my whole life been a lie?

Hinata's eyes widened in both shock and understanding. They hate him because the fox is sealed inside of him? How stupid are they? Naruto-kun isn't the fox. That should be obvious! Anger boiled up inside her as she remembered the way her best friend was treated when Jiraiya and Kakashi weren't around. Naruto acted like it was nothing, but she wouldn't forget the looks of sadness and confusion on his face.

"NOW DIE!" Mizuki launched a flurry of kunai at Naruto, who was still frozen in shock. However, before any of them could land, Iruka jumped in front of them, making himself a human shield for his student.

"I-Iruka-sensei?" Naruto stuttered out, eyes wide with fear.

"Why would you defend that scum, Iruka?" Mizuki asked in his crazed state. "The fox killed your parents! Don't you hate it?"

"You're right, Mizuki," Iruka responded, causing Naruto to slowly back away from his sensei in fear. "I do hate the fox. But Naruto is not the fox. He is one of my precious students, and I won't allow you to hurt him! He is Naruto Uzumaki of the Leaf!"

Tears spilled from Naruto's eyes in response to his sensei's words. "Iruka-sensei…" He was distressed, yet grateful. Angry, but afraid. He didn't know what to feel, as an endless stream of emotions continued to swirl around inside of him. Unfortunately, he wasn't given any time to sort them out as another Mizuki launched another volley of kunai towards the two.

"You're pitiful, Iruka, defending the fox like that. I'll just have to kill you too!" Mizuki yelled. The scarred chunin was ready to accept his fate in defending his student when another figure jumped out of the tree line.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Ball!" Several crackling orbs of pure electricity clashed with the kunai, completely eviscerating them. The figure jumped in front of Iruka and Naruto, a pair of Byakugan glaring daggers into Mizuki's eyes. "Make one more move against Naruto-kun, and your life is forfeit."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the newcomer with wide eyes. W-what is she doing here? Does she know about the fox?

Mizuki was about to mock the former heiress when he noticed her eyes flash red for a moment. W-what? What the hell was that! However, when he looked at her again, it was gone. Heh, must've been my imagination. He began to smirk as he taunted, "What are you, the fox's pet, going to do about me, a chunin?"

Hinata's chakra flared to dangerous levels in response to his words, with tendrils of lightning beginning to form around her feet and hands. Visible chakra began to gather around her palms as she blitzed towards the blue-haired chunin quicker than he could react. "Gentle Fist!" She slammed the heel of her palm into Mizuki's core, launching him into a tree. The chunin had trouble controlling his abdominal muscles as the paralysis from the lightning chakra began to set in.

Naruto watched in awe as his best friend nearly knocked out Mizuki with one hit. Woah. Hinata's awesome! What was that lightning thing she did with her body? It looked so… hot. Waitwaitwait what am I saying? The blond took a page from Hinata's book, his face lighting up in the form of an atomic blush as he shook his head rapidly. Iruka noticed and smirked inwardly, keeping that bit of knowledge to himself for future blackmail.

The Hokage had called Hiashi and Kakashi to his office to watch the pseudo-mission unfold through his crystal ball. Originally, he had only called in Kakashi, but after seeing Hinata chase after Naruto, he decided to call in the girl's father as well. He was clad in his Hokage battle armor in case something went wrong, but he had a gut feeling that it would work out. The three of them were shocked to their core when they saw what Hinata managed to pull off.

"T-that looked like the Fourth Raikage's lightning cloak. When did she learn to do that?" Hiashi asked in slight amazement and disbelief.

"I taught both her and Sasuke the basics of the lightning element, as well as a low ranking jutsu, but nothing to this extent," Kakashi answered automatically, still not believing his eyes. "Based on what I saw, it may have been subconscious due to her anger at Naruto's treatment and Mizuki's words. I don't think she'll be able to do it again any time soon, even if I train her further in her affinity. Regardless, to do something like this before graduating from the academy is incredible. Although her temper reminds me of Kushina's…"

The three shared a quick laugh as they were reminded of the redhead's short fuse. "Though her anger seems more like a cold fury than anything, quite the opposite of Kushina's fiery wrath," Hiashi added.

As they turned their attention back to the crystal ball, Hiruzen smiled slightly as he thought of a plan. "Kakashi, how would you feel about taking on a team a year early?"

Hinata subconsciously deactivated her lightning cloak as she approached Naruto and Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, are you okay?" she asked worriedly, seeing the multiple kunai still stuck in his back.

"Don't worry about me, Hinata," Iruka replied reassuringly. " I'll be-"

"Look out!" Naruto shouted as he tackled his sensei and best friend to the ground. A Fuma Shuriken flew right over their heads, courtesy of Mizuki, who was still half-embedded into the tree.

Naruto, now truly angry, stood up and glared right at his former sensei. "I've had enough of you! You tried tricking me into turning against the village. You tried breaking me by telling me about the Nine-Tails. You hurt my sensei and you tried hurting Hinata! I'm going to crush you! Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Nine Naruto clones poofed into existence around the forest, each taking aim at the chunin. Simultaneously, all ten Naruto called out, "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" The blasts of air impacted Mizuki from all directions, shattering bones in many places and bending limbs at awkward angles, causing the chunin to faint from the pain. Bastard got what he deserved. After calming himself down and dispelling his clones, Naruto turned back to his friend and sensei, who both deadpanned at him. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and smiled bashfully. "Sorry, I kinda went overboard."

As the adrenaline from the fight wore down, he began to remember the information Mizuki revealed to him. His apprehension grew as he realized that his best friend would have also likely heard the traitor's words. "H-Hinata, did you hear what Mizuki told me earlier?" Naruto wasn't sure what to expect, but instead of receiving a verbal answer, he received a massive hug.

"I heard everything, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied softly, whispering into his ear. "You're not the Nine-Tails. You are Naruto Uzumaki, my childhood savior and my best friend."

"T-thank you!" Naruto sobbed out as he wrapped his arms around her, tears of happiness streaming from his face. The two remained in each other's embrace until Naruto's sobs gradually died down.

Iruka, having already patched himself up, watched his students in pride. The two of you handled that admirably. You were thrown a curveball, and instead of crumbling under the pressure like most students your age would have, you rose to the challenge and conquered it. You'll both make fine shinobi one day.

Once Naruto calmed down enough, he had time to think. Think about why he was never told about the Nine-Tails. "Iruka-sensei, how come I was never told about what's inside of me? All the adults know! Are they hiding anything else?"

Before the chunin could respond, the Third Hokage appeared in front of the group, flanked by Kakashi and Hiashi. A squad of ANBU dug Mizuki out of the tree and took him away. "I'll answer all of your questions in my office. Some of that information is too sensitive to be talked about in the open."

The mood in the Hokage's office was tense. In Naruto's mind, the adults had a lot of explaining to do. Hinata gripped his hand firmly in a show of support. While she was worried about her friend, she was also focused on her father, who for some unknown reason was involved in this meeting. She hadn't seen him since he broke the news of her expulsion to her. Iruka was taken to the hospital to professionally treat his wounds, leaving the rest of the adults to answer Naruto's questions.

Naruto, deciding that the silence was too much for him, asked the first question on his mind. "Tell me, Old Man, would you have ever told me about the Nine-Tails if that traitor didn't?"

The aged Hokage nodded. "The original plan was for Jiraiya to tell you when he felt you were ready. After he left for his mission, the responsibility was transferred to me, and I would have told you shortly after you graduated from the academy. We wanted you to live as normal of a life as possible, considering your circumstances."

"Then how come all the adults know?!" Naruto shouted angrily. "They all glare at me because they think I'm the Nine-Tails! None of that was ever normal!"

Hiruzen sighed in regret. "I told the clan heads and my advisors about your tenant because they all knew that the Nine-Tails couldn't be killed. They would have known I was lying if I told them the Fourth killed the Nine-Tails. I swore them to secrecy, but, against my orders, someone from that room leaked the information to the public. I have my suspicions as to who did it, but I have no evidence to accuse him with."

Naruto looked like he wanted to retort, but his body just sagged instead. "Sorry for yelling at you, Old Man. I thought that you told the village or something."

"I don't blame you, Naruto," Hiruzen replied reassuringly. "I may have thought the same if I was in your position. Now, is there anything else you want to know?"

"Did Pervy-Sage and Kakashi-sensei only take care of me in case the Nine-Tails broke out?" Naruto asked wearily.

"NO!" Hiruzen denied vehemently. "Mizuki was spouting bullshit. While they coincidentally do possess the means to suppress the Nine-Tails, Jiraiya and Kakashi have taken an interest in you for completely different reasons." Kakashi nodded in affirmation, giving his little brother an eye-smile.

"Jiraiya knew your parents well, Naruto," Hiruzen continued. "We kept that information from you during your childhood because knowing who they are would put both you and the village in danger. While I believe you are ready to know now, I also believe it would mean more to you if Jiraiya was the one to tell you. He is your closest remaining family, after all."

"He is?" Naruto asked with wide eyes. I have a living family?

Hiruzen nodded. "Your parents made Jiraiya your godfather well before you were born. He may not be your family by blood, but he treats you like his own son. He had a feeling that your status as a jinchuuriki would have been leaked. I should have believed him, but I didn't, and I'm sorry for that. From the moment he laid eyes on you, Jiraiya made sure that he would be one to take care of you, so that he could protect you if the villagers ever tried anything."

Naruto waved off Hiruzen's apology. "I already said, I don't blame you for everyone knowing, Old Man. Like you said, Pervy-Sage made sure nothing happened, so there's nothing to apologize about." A couple tears leaked out of the blond's eyes as he exclaimed, "But it does make him a little cooler in my eyes, dattebayo!"

"He was the one who gave you your name," Hiashi supplied. "He told me that story shortly after you were born. I'd be happy to tell you about it another time, but like Lord Third mentioned, it would probably mean more to you to hear it straight from his mouth."

Naruto's smile illuminated the room as he wiped away his tears of happiness. The rest could feel his elation exuding from him. Turning his attention to the last adult in the room, the blond asked excitedly, "What about you, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Well, little brother," Kakashi replied casually, causing Naruto's jaw to drop. "Your father basically took me in and raised me after my own father died. He and my best friend were responsible for my own ninja way. I know I was a bit late, but it is an older brother's duty to take care of his younger broth-" he wasn't able to finish his sentence as the blond-haired boy barreled into him while tears resumed streaming down his face.

"I-I have a family!" Naruto sobbed out. While he was still curious about his parents, he was over the moon with the people he had. He had already treated Jiraiya like a father and Kakashi like an older brother. And Hinata… he didn't have a word to describe her yet, but he knew she was the most important person in his life. She accepted him with no hesitation after finding out about the Nine-Tails. He could go on and on about her, and-

"Naruto!"

The Hokage's call snapped him out of his thoughts. "Are you okay?" the old man asked gently.

Naruto wiped his tears away and beamed at him. "Best day of my life!" he exclaimed happily.

Hiruzen returned the smile with a genuine one. Naruto sincerely treasured the little family he had, something the aged Hokage found very heartwarming. "I'm truly happy for you, Naruto. But, unfortunately, there's still more regarding the Nine-Tails to talk about tonight, more specifically about Hinata than you."

Both children looked confused. Naruto asked, "Huh? What does Hinata have to do with the Nine-Tails?"

The Hokage was about to respond when Hiashi cut in. "Lord Hokage, allow me. It's my responsibility as her father to tell her."

"Tell me what, father?" Hinata asked nervously.

"There's no easy way to say this." Hiashi didn't beat around the bush. "You, like Naruto, are also the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki."

Both preteens' eyes widened at the new information. "H-how is that even possible?" Naruto asked. "There's only one Nine-Tails!"

"In order for me to tell you that," Hiashi began, "you must know more about the night of your birth. Please, do not interrupt me until I'm finished. It's a long story."

Naruto's mood soured significantly after learning about the events of that night. While he was happy to share his birthday and another trait with his best friend, he wished that trait wasn't being the container to half of the most powerful entity in the Elemental Nations. He would have been happy to bear the burden himself so she didn't have to, but he knew that she would have died that night without the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Hinata, to her credit, took the news quite well. After learning about how the Nine-Tails chakra saved her life, she couldn't bring herself to be anything but grateful. She was also relieved to finally know the reason behind her expulsion from the clan. After seeing the way Naruto was treated by the populace, she realized that her father did everything he could to keep her jinchuuriki status hidden so she would not have to face the same fate. Although she felt guilty about being treated better than Naruto despite being in the same situation, the blond waved it off immediately, as if he knew what she was thinking.

"I'm sorry, my daughter," Hiashi replied. "Hitomi and I didn't want you to bear this burden, but it was the only way to save your life."

"It's okay," Hinata replied, a small but genuine smile on her face. "I know that you did everything to protect me. I don't blame you for any of it." She walked up to her father and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you, father."

You are too forgiving, Hinata, Hiashi thought as he returned her embrace.

Naruto smiled happily as he watched his best friend reconcile with her father. After listening to the story of their births, he had many more questions, like why the Fourth chose him, and who the Fourth's wife was. For some odd reason, Hiashi had carefully avoided mentioning her name. The academy never mentioned him having a wife either. Naruto decided to look into those questions later, but there was one question he couldn't help but ask. Mainly because it involved his best friend. "Old Man, why are you telling us this now? If I was supposed to learn about the Nine-Tails when I became a genin, it would have been the same for Hinata, right?"

Hiruzen grinned mischievously. "Good thinking, Naruto. I believe you answered your own question."

"Huh?" Naruto replied intelligently.

However, Hinata caught on immediately, unwrapping herself from her father and rushing to Naruto's side. "Naruto-kun, we're being promoted to genin!"

It took a second, but once Naruto understood, his eyes lit up as he pulled his best friend into a hug, causing her to blush slightly. "Awesome! We're going to be genin, dattebayo!"

Hiruzen cleared his throat before announcing, "I am giving academy students Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga field promotions to genin for their role in capturing a traitor to the Leaf. They will be assigned under Jonin Kakashi Hatake as Team 7 with a third teammate to be determined after the next graduation exam. Congratulations, you two." He pulled two Leaf headbands out of one of his drawers and handed one to each of the newly-made genin.

"Best day of my life, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted enthusiastically, quickly taking the headband and tying it around his forehead. He turned back to his best friend and asked, "Hey, Hinata, how do I look?"

The bluenette blushed and stuttered out, "Y-you look great, N-Naruto-kun!"

It was then Naruto noticed that Hinata had tied her headband around her neck. She looks cute like that, he thought. After realizing his own subconscious thoughts, he blushed as well and avoided eye contact with her. Kakashi let out a few perverted giggles, but sobered up immediately when Hiashi gave him a Byakugan-enhanced glare. Hiruzen just smiled proudly at the two newly-made genin. Once the pair snapped out of their blushing stupor, Naruto asked, "What's gonna happen to Sasuke? I wanted to be on a team with him too, but…" the blond genin lowered his head in sadness at the thought of not being on a team with his only other friend. Hinata looked down at that too. She knew that the team formations weren't up to them, but she had daydreamed many times that the three of them would be on the same team.

Hiruzen smiled again. The aged Hokage had already planned for this in advance. "You know, Naruto, while it is not encouraged to do so, The Fourth, Kakashi, and Itachi all took the graduation exams early. Kakashi here graduated at the age of five. Maybe if you give Sasuke a hint…"

The pair's eyes lit up, both understanding what the Hokage was trying to tell them. Suddenly, Naruto fell to the floor laughing. "Oh, man! Sasuke's gonna hate us for leaving him alone with the fangirls!"

The blond's comment threw Hinata into a fit of giggles as she envisioned their Uchiha friend being swarmed by his female classmates.

After giving the children a few moments, Hiruzen cleared his throat, regaining the attention of the two genin. "I won't be assigning you missions until your third teammate has been selected. For now, just focus on training under Kakashi. It's getting late now. The two of you should head home with Kakashi. Hiashi, I have a couple of things I want to discuss with you."

Once Kakashi escorted the two genin out of the office, the Hokage asked, "Do you have any records on your predecessors combining the Gentle Fist with elemental chakra?"

"Not to my knowledge," Hiashi replied. "Are you referring to when my daughter subconsciously laced her palm heel strike with lightning chakra?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Lightning as an element seems to synergize extremely well with her variation of the Gentle Fist. Kakashi has already decided to train her further in her affinity. If she can manage to recreate the Raikage's lightning cloak, she may very well be the strongest Hyuuga in generations."

"From what Ko has told me," Hiashi began, "Her personal modifications of the Gentle Fist focus much more on offense than defense. It seems the offensive striking style coincidentally allows her to handle the enhanced speed and power of the lightning cloak. It would only be a matter of her affinity and physical capabilities. However, if we go forward with this, she will be targeted, from both inside the village and out."

The Hokage sported another mischievous smile. "That's why you'll train her in secret. I'm assigning you to a weekly mission to work on a project for the benefit of the village. That should give you a valid excuse to use against the elders to leave for a long period of time every week to train her. Will you accept this assignment?"

"Gladly, Lord Hokage," Hiashi replied, internally happy he would be able to spend more time with his firstborn.

Naruto lay wide awake on his bed, processing all of the information he learned today. While there were definitely blemishes on what he would have otherwise considered to be a perfect day, he couldn't help but be happy.

Hearing the door to his room open, he propped himself on his elbows to take a look at his visitor. He smiled gently at the person in his doorway, who was attempting to be stealthy. "What's up, Hinata? Another nightmare?"

"No," the lavender-eyed girl whispered sleepily as she made her way to his bed. Without warning, she crawled under his blankets and snuggled up to his chest, causing him to blush.

"H-Hinata! What are you doing?" Naruto whispered in surprise. She only acted this touchy when she had nightmares, so seeing her cuddle into him so casually made him nervous, in a good way. His heart skipped a beat when she rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"You could have died today, Naruto-kun," Hinata breathed out. "I don't wanna be alone tonight. I wanna know you're okay."

Listening to her state how much she cared about him caused a chain reaction in his body. His heart began beating at an accelerated rate. He could feel an increasing amount of butterflies in his stomach, but somehow, he knew it felt right. He didn't respond to her words, instead electing to wrap his arms around her protectively.

The princess in his arms sighed blissfully at his gentle touch. He could feel her breathing soften as she drifted off to sleep. The blond listened to his best friend's rhythmic heartbeat until his own eyelids began to droop, as exhaustion from the day's emotional rollercoaster set in. Gradually, he drifted off into his own sleep, dreaming about a certain blue-haired girl currently nestled between his arms.

Sasuke knew something didn't feel right. Naruto and Hinata would always arrive at the academy early, after he himself arrived. But by this point, the class was already full, and the two still hadn't shown up. The next thing he noticed was that Iruka walked in without Mizuki at his side. That's odd.

"Alright, class. Today, we'll be learning abou-"

"Iruka-sensei!"

"Yes, Sakura?" the scarred chunin answered, slightly irritated by her interruption.

"Where are Naruto and Hinata? They never miss a day," the pinkette asked curiously.

Sasuke was mildly surprised. She, of all people, noticed? I thought she was too focused on me to notice anything else.

"Well," Iruka began with a proud smile on his face, "the two of them were promoted to genin, for their contributions in protecting the village from a traitor."

So, Mizuki was the traitor, Sasuke surmised. He recalled when the blue-haired chunin wanted to speak to Naruto alone yesterday. But how did Hinata get involved? The rest of the class began to converse amongst themselves, trying to come up with a believable scenario in their heads.

"I'm kinda glad Naruto's gone. He kept glaring at me all the time," Kiba said in relief.

"Well duh, you never apologized to him for insulting Master Jiraiya," Shikamaru replied with a yawn. "So troublesome."

"Oi! Who are ya calling troublesome?"

Once the small talk between students quieted down, Iruka remembered the letter Naruto gave him this morning. "Oh, that reminds me. Sasuke," he called. "I have a message from Naruto for you."

Sasuke was about to go up and get it when Sakura leaped out of her seat, making her way to the front of the room and snatching it from Iruka's hands. She quickly made her way to Hinata's old seat and handed the letter to her crush.

"...Thanks," Sasuke replied, not knowing how to react outwardly. Internally, he groaned while thinking, she only asked about their absence so she could sit next to me. Why must it be me? He was too busy sulking to do anything about her close presence. The other fangirls grew increasingly agitated once they realized Sasuke hadn't pushed the pinkette away.

"How come she gets to sit next to Sasuke-kun?"

"I should be the one sitting next to him!"

Kiba, wanting to instigate more drama, announced, "Hey, look! There's one more seat!"

"That seat's mine!"

"No, mine!"

"Troublesome."

"I'm taking that seat!"

Iruka face-palmed.

"No way! That seat's mine!" Ino yelled, using the little training she had to beat the other fangirls to the seat.

The rest of the banshees were about to cause an uproar when Iruka shouted, "SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!" with his big-head justu.

The class immediately quieted down, not wanting to face the wrath of their instructor. Sasuke, noticing that Sakura was still staring at him with hearts in her eyes, shook his head in disappointment. What happened to that sweet girl that asked nicely to sit next to me? Now she's like the rest of them. Ugh. Knowing how nosy the pinkette could be, he made sure to open the letter out of view of his new neighbor.

Hey, Sasuke!

Sorry about graduating early and leaving you behind, but the Mizuki thing kinda just happened, and the Old Man gave us field promotions. He even told us about people like Lord Fourth and Kakashi-sensei, who took the genin test early, even if the village doesn't encourage it.

Hinata and I got assigned to a team with Kakashi-sensei leading it, but the Old Man won't assign us a third teammate until the next exams happen, which is in a month.

We'll tell you everything that happened at the Third Training Ground. Kakashi-sensei says that now we're an actual team, we'll be doing training there instead of our usual spot.

Cya later!

Naruto

P.S. Oh yeah, sorry about the fangirls. Your Fangirl Repellent Jutsu is gone now, so good luck surviving the next month, dattebayo!

Sasuke groaned at his comment in the postscript, but that annoyance turned into excitement as he reread the letter. While Naruto didn't tell him explicitly to take the test, Sasuke understood the blond's implications. I guess I'm graduating early like you, Itachi. No thanks to you. One day, I'll find out why you killed everyone. I'll figure out what your real motives were.

"Congrats on passing the graduation exams," Shikaku Nara stated. The Jonin Commander was coerced into monitoring the exams, as after the Mizuki incident, parents were worried about their children being sabotaged. "Neji Hyuuga is the Rookie of the Year," the Nara head announced lazily. Sasuke perked up at that name. He's the one Naruto always talks badly about. If he really put down Hinata like Naruto said he did… The Uchiha decided he would keep an eye on the Hyuuga. "Rock Lee is the dead last. However, your situation is special, is it not?" the Nara asked.

The boy just nodded. "Troublesome," Shikaku sighed tiredly. "Alright, let's get this over with. Team assignments are next week, same time. Dismissed."

Sasuke walked out of the academy with a large smile on his face. I'm finally free! No more fangirls! He was met by his two friends, who were waiting for him in the yard.

"Did you pass?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Are you kidding me?" Sasuke replied in an offended tone.

"Right," Naruto mumbled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The three were about to head to Ichiraku's when one of the older genin approached them. "Where did you get that headband, Lady Hinata?" the Hyuuga boy asked in a demeaning tone.

Naruto was about to retort, but Hinata grabbed his hand tightly, silently telling him to calm down.

"That's none of your business, Neji," Hinata replied firmly, glaring at the older boy the whole time.

While he didn't show it, Neji was surprised by her confident response. She had even stopped calling him "big brother," something that hurt him slightly, even though he refused to acknowledge it.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke, let's go," Hinata said.

The two did as asked, not wanting to get on her bad side. "So, this is the guy you said had a stick stuck up his ass?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

"Yep!" the blond grinned. "I bet Hinata is way stronger than that bastard now."

"Naruto-kun," Hinata warned, not liking it when the blond called her cousin names.

"I know, I know. But I can't forget all the mean things he said to you before! I'm not going to let him get away with it." Naruto crossed his arms while squinting back at the academy. Hinata couldn't help but smile at his protective nature. She knew he would never let her get hurt, no matter what.

They were surprised to see Kakashi waiting for them at the ramen stand when they arrived. "Congratulations, Sasuke. I assume the test wasn't too much trouble for you?"

"Honestly, it was a joke," Sasuke replied flatly.

"As expected. The academy standards have dropped significantly compared to even when I was in it, but there's nothing we can do about it now. Welcome to Team 7," Kakashi said with an eye-smile. "My first order as your sensei is to take today and the rest of the week off. No training. Just enjoy yourselves."

"Huh?" the three chorused.

"You're still kids. Yes, you've all been trained in the shinobi arts, but you're just eleven. Take the next week off to just have fun. Once your life as a shinobi starts, you won't have time to be kids anymore. We'll begin training again after your team assignments, though for you three, being there is just a formality. Understood?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Good. Now, I'll treat you three to ramen," Kakashi began, causing Naruto's eyes to light up, "but I'm only paying for three bowls, Naruto. Any more and you'll have to pay from your ramen allowance." The blond's mood shifted dramatically, sulking at the counter while Hinata put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Poor Naruto-kun.

A/N: Yep! The three are graduating one year early. This gives me freedom to write their first missions more freely without being pressured by the Land of Waves and the Chunin Exams. For my in-universe explanation, Hiruzen believed that keeping the three in the academy for another year would be detrimental to them. They are all skilled beyond their own class, but no amount of skill can make up for true battlefield experience. As Captain Rex says in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, experience outranks everything. Yes, the academy's purpose was to prevent children from going to wars on the frontlines, but look how well that turned out with Nawaki and Team Minato. Hiruzen won't send them on C-ranks immediately, but instead, he wants Kakashi to train the three full time so they aren't wasting time and potential at the academy. That doesn't mean Naruto won't argue for C-ranks though.

As always, any feedback is appreciated. Especially this chapter, as it wasn't my best work. c:

Edited 06/28/2024. No content changes, mostly fixing awkward sentences and minor mistakes.