Chapter 3
The morning sun cast long shadows across the trees as Naruto stood in his usual training spot, the small clearing just outside the village. A light breeze rustled the leaves above, but Naruto's focus remained fixed on the leaf balanced on his forehead.
"Come on, just a little longer," Naruto muttered under his breath, his brow furrowed in concentration.
He could feel his chakra swirling inside him, more controlled than before, though still not perfect. But today felt different. The leaf had stayed in place for nearly a minute, longer than ever before.
A smile tugged at his lips. I've got this, he thought. I'm getting stronger!
But just as the excitement bubbled up, the leaf slipped, fluttering to the ground.
"Aw, come on!" Naruto groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I was so close!"
He knelt to pick up the leaf, glancing at the scroll lying open on the ground next to him. The Hokage's words echoed in his mind: Patience and practice.
Naruto huffed, placing the leaf back on his forehead. "Patience and practice," he muttered to himself. "I'll show them. I'll show all of them."
With renewed determination, Naruto closed his eyes and focused once more. He had been training harder than ever, and today was the day. His first day at the Academy. This was his chance to prove himself—not just to the villagers who looked down on him, but to everyone.
As the sun climbed higher, Naruto knew it was time to go. With one last glance at the clearing, he grabbed his scroll and took off toward the village, a wide grin plastered on his face.
The Academy classroom buzzed with excitement as students found their seats, chatting and laughing with one another. Naruto stood in the doorway, his heart racing with a mixture of nerves and excitement. This was it. His chance to show everyone what he was made of.
As he scanned the room, his eyes landed on Ino, who was sitting with Shikamaru and Choji. She caught his gaze and gave him a teasing smile, her usual spark of mischief in her eyes.
"Hey, Naruto!" she called out. "You ready for this?"
Naruto grinned, walking over to her. "You bet! I've been training hard. Just wait, I'm gonna be the best in the class!"
Ino raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a playful smirk. "We'll see about that. Don't get too full of yourself."
Before Naruto could respond, the sound of hushed whispers filled the room. The girls sitting near the front had all turned their attention to a figure entering the classroom—Sasuke Uchiha.
Naruto's grin faltered as he noticed the way the girls, including Ino, seemed to be drawn to Sasuke. He stood aloof, his hands in his pockets, not paying any attention to the flurry of admiration surrounding him.
"Wow, Sasuke's so cool!" one of the girls whispered.
"He's definitely the best in class!" another chimed in.
Naruto scowled, his excitement fading slightly. He had heard of Sasuke, of course—everyone in the village knew about the Uchiha clan. But seeing how much attention he got, especially from the girls, made Naruto's stomach twist.
Even Ino, who had always teased him, seemed to take notice of Sasuke. She leaned forward, whispering something to Sakura, who was sitting nearby, and giggled.
Naruto shook his head, forcing a smile. Whatever. I'll show them. I'll be better than Sasuke. Just wait.
A few weeks into the Academy, Naruto found himself growing restless. The lessons were interesting, but there was only so much sitting and listening he could take. His mind wandered constantly, thinking of all the fun he could be having outside.
That's when an idea struck him.
Naruto glanced over at Shikamaru, who was lazily leaning back in his chair, his eyes half-closed in boredom. Next to him, Choji munched on a bag of chips, completely engrossed in his snack. A few rows over, Kiba and Shino were seated, both paying varying degrees of attention to the lesson.
A slow grin spread across Naruto's face.
Later that afternoon, as the class filed out for lunch, Naruto quickly gathered his small group of conspirators: Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Shino.
"Alright, guys," Naruto whispered, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "I've got a plan."
Shikamaru groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is gonna be a drag, isn't it?"
"Probably," Choji added, though he didn't look too bothered. "What's the plan, Naruto?"
"We're gonna prank Mizuki-sensei," Naruto said, his grin widening.
Kiba's ears perked up, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "I'm in."
Shino adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable, but he didn't object. Shikamaru sighed but nodded. "Fine, but don't expect me to do all the work."
Naruto quickly explained his plan: they'd rig a bucket of paint to fall on Mizuki when he entered the classroom after lunch. Simple, classic, and sure to get a big reaction.
With everyone on board, the boys got to work, setting up the prank while the rest of the class was outside. Naruto's energy was contagious, and even Shikamaru, though reluctant, found himself helping out.
Everything was set. The bucket of paint hung precariously over the classroom door, and all they had to do was wait.
As the students returned from lunch, Naruto and his crew sat innocently at their desks, trying to stifle their giggles. Mizuki walked in, completely unaware of the trap waiting for him.
And then it happened.
The door swung open, and the bucket tipped, pouring bright red paint all over Mizuki's head.
For a moment, the entire class went silent.
Then, a chorus of gasps and laughter erupted as Mizuki stood frozen, paint dripping down his face. His eyes narrowed, and he scanned the room, immediately locking onto Naruto, who was struggling to hold back his laughter.
"You think this is funny, Naruto?" Mizuki growled.
Naruto couldn't help it—he burst into laughter, slapping his hand over his mouth to try to muffle it. Kiba was laughing too, while Shikamaru shook his head, muttering, "What a drag," under his breath.
"Everyone involved in this prank, stand up," Mizuki ordered, his voice sharp.
Naruto stood up proudly, along with Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru, and Shino. The rest of the class watched, some snickering, others wide-eyed.
Mizuki sighed, clearly trying to keep his cool. "You boys are cleaning this up after class. And you're staying late."
Naruto shot a glance at his friends, a grin still plastered on his face. "Totally worth it," he whispered, earning a small smile from Choji and a chuckle from Kiba.
Despite the fun of the pranks, Naruto's determination to prove himself in class never wavered. But no matter how hard he tried, Sasuke was always a step ahead.
In one of their taijutsu lessons, Naruto found himself paired up against Sasuke for a sparring match. His heart pounded in his chest as they stood across from each other, the rest of the class watching eagerly.
Naruto grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I'm ready for you, Sasuke!"
Sasuke barely glanced at him, his expression cool and indifferent. "This won't take long."
Naruto's grin faltered, but he pushed down the frustration bubbling inside him. I'll show him.
The instructor gave the signal, and Naruto rushed forward, his fists swinging. But Sasuke moved with fluid precision, dodging every attack with ease. Naruto tried to keep up, but Sasuke's skill was on another level.
Within moments, Sasuke had swept Naruto's legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. The match was over before it had even begun.
Naruto groaned, glaring up at Sasuke, who stood over him with a smirk.
"Better luck next time," Sasuke said, his voice calm and arrogant.
Naruto clenched his fists, his pride stinging. I'll get stronger. I have to.
After the sparring match, Naruto slumped into his seat, fuming silently. But his sour mood didn't last long, especially when Ino slid into the seat next to him with a teasing grin.
"So, how does it feel to be taken down by Sasuke?" she teased, poking him in the arm.
Naruto scowled. "I'm not done yet! Next time, I'll beat him for sure."
Ino chuckled. "Sure, sure. But don't get too cocky, Naruto. Sasuke's on a whole different level."
Naruto crossed his arms, his frustration still simmering. "I don't care! I'll train even harder. Just wait, I'll catch up to him!"
Ino raised an eyebrow, her smile softening. "Well, if anyone can pull off something crazy like that, it's you." She paused, then added with a playful smirk, "Just try not to get into too much trouble along the way."
Naruto grinned at that, some of his anger fading. "No promises."
For now, their friendship remained intact, and even though Ino's attention sometimes drifted toward Sasuke, her playful banter with Naruto kept things light and fun. But deep down, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that things were starting to change. Ino wasn't around as much as before, and even when she was, her gaze often lingered on Sasuke, just like the other girls.
After class, Naruto met up with Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Shino to serve their punishment for the prank on Mizuki. They gathered outside the classroom, armed with buckets and cleaning supplies, ready to scrub the floors and wash away the remnants of the paint disaster.
"This is such a drag," Shikamaru muttered, already leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "All because of that stupid prank."
Choji shrugged, taking a bite of a snack. "At least it was kinda fun."
Kiba grinned, clearly still enjoying the aftermath of the prank. "Totally worth it! Did you see Mizuki's face? Priceless!"
Naruto laughed, slapping Kiba on the back. "Yeah! We've gotta come up with something even better next time."
Shino, quiet as ever, simply adjusted his glasses and said, "As long as we don't get caught again."
As they got to work cleaning up the mess, Naruto found himself genuinely enjoying their company. Sure, they were stuck scrubbing floors, but there was something about the shared mischief and laughter that made it all worth it. Even Shikamaru, who complained the whole time, couldn't completely hide the small smile on his face as they joked around.
Naruto might not have been the most popular kid in class, but he had found a group of friends who didn't mind getting into a little trouble with him. And that was enough for now.
As the weeks went on, Naruto continued to train hard, determined to catch up to Sasuke and prove himself. But no matter how hard he pushed, there were still moments when things didn't go his way—like when he tripped during a sparring session or struggled to maintain his chakra control.
In those moments, Naruto often felt a familiar presence in the back of his mind. A sarcastic voice that never failed to remind him of his shortcomings.
"Brilliant move, brat," the Nine-Tails sneered during one such moment when Naruto stumbled over his own feet in taijutsu class. "Next time, maybe try using your legs properly."
Naruto gritted his teeth, his irritation spiking. Shut up! I'm doing fine!
"Oh, sure," the Nine-Tails drawled sarcastically. "You're a real natural. Why don't you trip over yourself again, just for fun?"
Naruto clenched his fists, ignoring the fox's taunts as best he could. I don't need you. I'll get stronger on my own.
The Nine-Tails chuckled darkly. "We'll see how long that lasts."
Though Naruto didn't rely on the fox's power, the constant back-and-forth in his mind kept the presence of the Nine-Tails ever looming.
As the months passed, Naruto began to notice the subtle changes in his relationship with Ino. It wasn't something that happened all at once, but little by little, she seemed more focused on Sasuke and the girls in their class, particularly Sakura. Naruto would catch her whispering with them during breaks, her attention often drawn to where Sasuke sat, aloof and distant as ever.
Naruto tried not to let it bother him. He still saw Ino at the flower shop occasionally, though his visits had become less frequent as he poured more time into his training. Her parents would ask about him when he wasn't around, wondering if something had happened, but Ino didn't think much of it. She was too caught up in the changing dynamics of Academy life.
Naruto felt the growing distance, though he couldn't quite put it into words. The teasing banter they used to share wasn't as frequent, and while Ino was still friendly, there was an invisible gap between them now. It was subtle, but it was there.
She's just busy, Naruto told himself. It's no big deal. She's still my friend.
But as he watched her laugh and joke with Sakura, her gaze occasionally drifting toward Sasuke, a small part of him wondered if things would ever be the same.
Despite the growing distance with Ino and the constant rivalry with Sasuke, Naruto never gave up. He trained harder than ever, pushing himself to improve his chakra control, taijutsu, and everything else the Academy threw at him.
One afternoon, during a chakra control exercise, Naruto finally had a breakthrough. The exercise was simple enough—balance a leaf on his head using chakra—but it had been a constant struggle for him. The other students, especially Sasuke, had mastered it quickly, while Naruto had stumbled time and again.
But this time, as Naruto focused, something clicked.
The leaf stayed in place. His chakra felt stable, more controlled than before.
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. I'm doing it... I'm actually doing it!
The instructor glanced over, nodding in approval. "Good job, Naruto. Keep it up."
A wide grin spread across Naruto's face as he held the leaf steady, his heart swelling with pride. It wasn't a big victory—nothing that would catch Sasuke's attention or make him the top of the class—but to Naruto, it meant everything.
He glanced across the room and saw Ino watching from a distance. She didn't say anything, but there was a brief flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes before she turned back to her friends. Naruto's grin faded slightly, but he shook it off. This was his win, and no one could take that away from him.
As the day came to an end, Naruto left the Academy feeling a little lighter. He still had a long way to go, but he was getting there—one step at a time. And no matter how much things changed around him, he wasn't going to stop.
Not until he proved to everyone—especially himself—that he could be something great.