thanks to the people who followed and favorited the previous version of this story. the old one I didn't like, the jokes weren't good, the background and prologue wasn't set up right so I deleted it. i aim to fix all that and make it better with this one
Episode 1: Skeletal Beginnings
The warm light of morning crept into a modest, cluttered apartment tucked into a quieter corner of Konoha. A rumbling snore echoed in the room, mingling with the faint sound of villagers chattering outside. Suddenly, the alarm clock let out a shrill ring.
A bony hand shot up from under a tangle of blankets, slapping the alarm off in a single motion. Naruto Uzumaki groaned as he sat up, his blond hair an unkempt mess. He rubbed his eyes, one of which flickered faintly blue for a moment before returning to normal.
"Alright, Naruto," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. "Today's the day you graduate and show everyone just how bone-fide awesome you are!"
Grinning at his own pun, he hopped out of bed and grabbed his signature blue hoodie from a chair. Slipping it on over a black shirt and pairing it with knee-length shorts, he finished the look with a pair of pink slippers. His reflection in the cracked mirror caught his eye, and he paused, narrowing his gaze.
"Yeah, they'll rattle when they see me coming," he quipped, striking a goofy pose before heading out the door.
The Streets of Konoha
The morning bustle of Konoha was in full swing as Naruto strolled down the street, hands in his hoodie pockets and his head held high. A small group of villagers turned their heads, their whispers not nearly as quiet as they thought.
"Look, there he goes again."
"What's with those weird clothes? He always looks so… strange."
"That boy… always acting like nothing matters."
Naruto's grin faltered for a brief second before he plastered it back on, pretending not to hear. His slippers clacked softly against the stone path as he muttered to himself.
"They're just jealous they don't have killer style like me," he said, though the joke lacked its usual punch.
As he reached the Academy, Naruto paused outside the doors, staring up at the building that had been his second home—and his battleground—for so many years. Today was the day of the Genin graduation test, the final hurdle to prove he was worthy of becoming a ninja of Konoha.
"No pressure," he said with a chuckle, pushing the door open.
Inside the Academy
The classroom was already buzzing with chatter when Naruto walked in. Rows of students filled the seats, but one stood out above the rest: Sasuke Uchiha, sitting near the window with his trademark aloofness.
"Well, if it isn't Mister Cool-and-Broody himself," Naruto called out, sauntering up to Sasuke's desk. "Don't get too comfortable, Sasuke. Today's the day I show you who's boss!"
Sasuke didn't even glance his way. "Hmph. The only thing you're going to show is how bad you are at basic jutsu."
Naruto bristled. "Oh yeah? Well, I—"
"Naruto! Get to your seat!" Iruka-sensei's stern voice cut through the air.
Naruto grinned sheepishly and shuffled to his desk, slouching into his chair. As Iruka began explaining the day's test, Naruto's confidence wavered. The Clone Jutsu had never been his strong suit, and he knew the odds weren't in his favor.
The Graduation Test
One by one, students were called to the front of the room to perform the Clone Jutsu. Most passed with ease, and Naruto could feel the weight of their eyes on him as his name was finally called.
He stepped forward, palms sweating as he glanced at Iruka. His sensei's kind but firm gaze didn't ease his nerves.
"Alright, Naruto," Iruka said. "Show us the Clone Jutsu."
Naruto formed the hand seals, concentrating as hard as he could. Chakra swirled around him, and in a burst of energy, two skeletal figures appeared on either side of him.
The room fell silent. The clones were barely standing, their bony frames wobbling like they might collapse at any moment. One had arms of wildly mismatched lengths, and the other's skull was lopsided.
A wave of laughter erupted from the students, and even Iruka struggled to keep a straight face.
"Naruto…" Iruka sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This… isn't quite what we're looking for."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, forcing a grin. "Hey, at least they've got good structure, right?"
The laughter grew louder, and Naruto's grin tightened.
The Scroll of Seals
Later that evening, Naruto sat on a swing outside the Academy, watching the other students celebrate with their families. His chest tightened as the voices of the villagers echoed in his mind.
"That boy… He's hopeless."
"He'll never amount to anything."
Naruto clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "I'll show them," he muttered. "I'll show them all."
As if on cue, Mizuki appeared, his voice soft and encouraging. "Naruto, I know how you can prove yourself."
The Betrayal
The clearing was eerily quiet as Naruto stood before the unfurled Scroll of Seals, sweat dripping down his face as he struggled to make sense of the complex jutsu within. Mizuki's sudden arrival didn't immediately alarm him—until the man's kind expression twisted into something cold and cruel.
"Naruto," Mizuki sneered, "you've served your purpose. Now hand over the scroll."
Naruto stepped back, clutching the scroll tightly. "What are you talking about? You said this would help me become a ninja!"
Mizuki laughed, a sound that sent a chill down Naruto's spine. "You don't get it, do you? You're nothing but a monster. The Nine-Tails' vessel. That's all you'll ever be."
Naruto froze, the words hitting him like a physical blow.
Before he could react, Mizuki lunged. Naruto's instincts kicked in, and his left eye flared blue. Bones erupted from the ground, forming a barrier that stopped Mizuki's attack.
Mizuki stumbled back, shocked. "What is this?!"
Naruto didn't answer. His hand shot out, summoning a massive, glowing skull that materialized in the air above him. The Gaster Blaster roared to life, firing a brilliant beam that forced Mizuki to dive out of the way.
Resolution
As the sun rose, Naruto stood before Iruka, clutching his newly awarded headband. His face was smeared with dirt and exhaustion, but his grin was brighter than ever.
"I did it," he said, his voice cracking. "I finally did it."
Iruka placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly. "You've always had what it takes, Naruto. Never forget that."
Naruto's grin widened, his left eye flickering blue once more. "Guess I'm finally starting to bone up on being a ninja, huh?"
Iruka groaned, but his laugh came a moment later. "You'll be fine, Naruto. You'll be fine."Title: Naruto: Soul of Determination
Episode 1: Skeletal Beginnings
The warm light of morning crept into a modest, cluttered apartment tucked into a quieter corner of Konoha. A rumbling snore echoed in the room, mingling with the faint sound of villagers chattering outside. Suddenly, the alarm clock let out a shrill ring.
A bony hand shot up from under a tangle of blankets, slapping the alarm off in a single motion. Naruto Uzumaki groaned as he sat up, his blond hair an unkempt mess. He rubbed his eyes, one of which flickered faintly blue for a moment before returning to normal.
"Alright, Naruto," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. "Today's the day you graduate and show everyone just how bone-fide awesome you are!"
Grinning at his own pun, he hopped out of bed and grabbed his signature blue hoodie from a chair. Slipping it on over a black shirt and pairing it with knee-length shorts, he finished the look with a pair of pink slippers. His reflection in the cracked mirror caught his eye, and he paused, narrowing his gaze.
"Yeah, they'll rattle when they see me coming," he quipped, striking a goofy pose before heading out the door.
The Streets of Konoha
The morning bustle of Konoha was in full swing as Naruto strolled down the street, hands in his hoodie pockets and his head held high. A small group of villagers turned their heads, their whispers not nearly as quiet as they thought.
"Look, there he goes again."
"What's with those weird clothes? He always looks so… strange."
"That boy… always acting like nothing matters."
Naruto's grin faltered for a brief second before he plastered it back on, pretending not to hear. His slippers clacked softly against the stone path as he muttered to himself.
"They're just jealous they don't have killer style like me," he said, though the joke lacked its usual punch.
As he reached the Academy, Naruto paused outside the doors, staring up at the building that had been his second home—and his battleground—for so many years. Today was the day of the Genin graduation test, the final hurdle to prove he was worthy of becoming a ninja of Konoha.
"No pressure," he said with a chuckle, pushing the door open.
Inside the Academy
The classroom was already buzzing with chatter when Naruto walked in. Rows of students filled the seats, but one stood out above the rest: Sasuke Uchiha, sitting near the window with his trademark aloofness.
"Well, if it isn't Mister Cool-and-Broody himself," Naruto called out, sauntering up to Sasuke's desk. "Don't get too comfortable, Sasuke. Today's the day I show you who's boss!"
Sasuke didn't even glance his way. "Hmph. The only thing you're going to show is how bad you are at basic jutsu."
Naruto bristled. "Oh yeah? Well, I—"
"Naruto! Get to your seat!" Iruka-sensei's stern voice cut through the air.
Naruto grinned sheepishly and shuffled to his desk, slouching into his chair. As Iruka began explaining the day's test, Naruto's confidence wavered. The Clone Jutsu had never been his strong suit, and he knew the odds weren't in his favor.
The Graduation Test
One by one, students were called to the front of the room to perform the Clone Jutsu. Most passed with ease, and Naruto could feel the weight of their eyes on him as his name was finally called.
He stepped forward, palms sweating as he glanced at Iruka. His sensei's kind but firm gaze didn't ease his nerves.
"Alright, Naruto," Iruka said. "Show us the Clone Jutsu."
Naruto formed the hand seals, concentrating as hard as he could. Chakra swirled around him, and in a burst of energy, two skeletal figures appeared on either side of him.
The room fell silent. The clones were barely standing, their bony frames wobbling like they might collapse at any moment. One had arms of wildly mismatched lengths, and the other's skull was lopsided.
A wave of laughter erupted from the students, and even Iruka struggled to keep a straight face.
"Naruto…" Iruka sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This… isn't quite what we're looking for."
Naruto rubbed the back of his head, forcing a grin. "Hey, at least they've got good structure, right?"
The laughter grew louder, and Naruto's grin tightened.
The Scroll of Seals
Later that evening, Naruto sat on a swing outside the Academy, watching the other students celebrate with their families. His chest tightened as the voices of the villagers echoed in his mind.
"That boy… He's hopeless."
"He'll never amount to anything."
Naruto clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "I'll show them," he muttered. "I'll show them all."
As if on cue, Mizuki appeared, his voice soft and encouraging. "Naruto, I know how you can prove yourself."
The Betrayal
The clearing was eerily quiet as Naruto stood before the unfurled Scroll of Seals, sweat dripping down his face as he struggled to make sense of the complex jutsu within. Mizuki's sudden arrival didn't immediately alarm him—until the man's kind expression twisted into something cold and cruel.
"Naruto," Mizuki sneered, "you've served your purpose. Now hand over the scroll."
Naruto stepped back, clutching the scroll tightly. "What are you talking about? You said this would help me become a ninja!"
Mizuki laughed, a sound that sent a chill down Naruto's spine. "You don't get it, do you? You're nothing but a monster. The Nine-Tails' vessel. That's all you'll ever be."
Naruto froze, the words hitting him like a physical blow.
Before he could react, Mizuki lunged. Naruto's instincts kicked in, and his left eye flared blue. Bones erupted from the ground, forming a barrier that stopped Mizuki's attack.
Mizuki stumbled back, shocked. "What is this?!"
Naruto didn't answer. His hand shot out, summoning a massive, glowing skull that materialized in the air above him. The Gaster Blaster roared to life, firing a brilliant beam that forced Mizuki to dive out of the way.
Resolution
As the sun rose, Naruto stood before Iruka, clutching his newly awarded headband. His face was smeared with dirt and exhaustion, but his grin was brighter than ever.
"I did it," he said, his voice cracking. "I finally did it."
Iruka placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly. "You've always had what it takes, Naruto. Never forget that."
Naruto's grin widened, his left eye flickering blue once more. "Guess I'm finally starting to bone up on being a ninja, huh?"
Iruka groaned, but his laugh came a moment later. "You'll be fine, Naruto. You'll be fine."
To Be Continued...