Chapter 3: The Naïve
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Sasuke Uchiha, a boy of ten year old with inkjet hair, was one of few Uchiha still alive. Only three child, six men and eight women with five teenagers survived the clan massacre, and out of twenty-two only fourteen Uchihas had acquired Sharingan and he was not one of them. Sasuke was one of the two members alive of his family and the second person was that man, he had admired that man as a brother. Itachi Uchiha was a traitor to his clan, village and family.
Sasuke had always idolized Itachi, but that fateful night he had lost everything. That fateful night, which lasted for over twelve hours, had taken everything away from him.
*Flashback; Three years ago"
Sasuke Uchiha was strutting around his house compound, waiting for his brother to come and train him. Itachi had started training him in Shuriken and Kunai throwing. He had also emphasized on teaching him how to use ninja wires with them. Sasuke's father, the man was strict and cruel in the eyes of Sasuke. At one point, Fugaku had even tried to thrash Sasuke with a whip when Sasuke threw a tantrum over Onigiri. Fortunately, Itachi had saved him. On the other hand, his mother was a very sweet and caring woman, who loved both her sons equally.
An hour had passed when he heard distant cries from the clan area. Suddenly, he heard several screams of terror and fear echoing throughout the area. His mother ushered him into his room and instructed him to stay there no matter what he heard. Time passed, and he waited for her to come and tell him everything was all right, but instead, it never came; only muffled noises could be heard. Discreetly, he climbed down the stairs to investigate what was happening.
He moved toward the room where the noises were coming from as quietly as possible. He slid open the wooden door quietly. However, what he saw inside dried his blood to the core. His brother was poised above their father's body with a blood-dripped tanto impaled through the man's back. Yet, that wasn't what horrified him; on the other side of the room, the most precious person in his life—his mother—lay in the pool of her own blood. Then he saw what was etched into his soul as the eyes of a killer, two crimson eyes with a shuriken-like pattern in them, peered up at him without any hint of emotion in them.
*Flashback ends*
That sight had been haunting Sasuke for three years now, and he still had nightmares about that fateful night. The pain of loneliness, a lot of pain and suffering accompanied those nightmares. He was not the last surviving member of his clan. Albeit, due to his brother's deed, he was feared and ignored by most of the villagers. People heard and believed that Itachi had slaughtered his clan to test his power. Therefore, they feared him; they feared that if he snapped, he would go on a similar killing spree. However, nobody knew that it was far from the truth. He wasn't like Itachi; he never wanted power or prestige - that was unlike him.
He just strove to avenge his mother. He didn't care about his father or the clan; they had never adored or acknowledged him, but his brother and mother did. So, he made his aim to avenge her, but before he could do that, he needed to know why from his brother. Because, much as he knew Itachi, his elder brother was kind and loving to their family, especially to Sasuke.
He was the best student in his class at the academy; only a few other students could keep up with him. And, even fewer would dare have a conversation with him. The only boy who poked fun at him was Naruto Uzumaki, the blonde idiot. He wasn't as daft as he let on. Sasuke had caught him pulling back his punches and kicks. He had also noticed Naruto's weak punches weren't just due to his lack of skill; they were strategic. Naruto's strikes focused on joints and weak points, which was not something true brawlers did. Only trained martial artists understood the impact of striking those areas was far more destructive than it seemed. Naruto had failed the first two years of the academy and was labeled a loser who couldn't do anything right, but that was far from the truth, and Sasuke knew it.
Sasuke had received positive attention from only three individuals in the village: his clan head, Shishui Uchiha, who did everything to help Sasuke; Shishui hadn't started training him because Sasuke had to earn his trust first. The second person to acknowledge him was the Hokage, who would occasionally come to check on him and help if any problems arose. The last person on the list was that blonde idiot, Naruto, who was constantly trying to converse with him or bicker with him by riling him up.
(_-_-_X_-_-_)
Naruto woke up early to complete his morning exercise routine before heading to school. For the past two years, he had followed this exact routine every morning, except for off days. After finishing his exercises, he went on to attend the academy a little later.
Suddenly, there was a knock on his door, and he went on to check the early hour guest. He opened the door to come face to face with a Horse-masked Anbu. The masked ninja informed him that Hokage-sama had requested his presence today. Quickly, he downed his daily attire and donned a half-sleeved black skin-tight tee shirt with a sleeveless orange jacket over it and blue pants with black shinobi sandals. He had worn an orange jumpsuit for his deceptive act and adopted a loudmouth, good-for-nothing brat's façade, who constantly blabbed about becoming the Hokage.
He exited his apartment, locking it in the process, and hid the door key under the stone panel on the floor, where Inu or Anko could find it easily, should they decide to come looking for him. He then went on to his sensei.
Naruto strode through the doors of the Hokage Chamber; Hiruzen and Jiraiya were already present inside. He went on to stand beside Jiraiya, who ruffled his hair fondly.
"You called for me, Sensei," Naruto said respectfully. Jiraiya looked at him in surprise; Uzumaki Naruto didn't follow norms, which was an unspoken fact.
"Yes, I called for you, Naruto. We have something important to discuss and it isn't in either of our benefit to stall it" Hiruzen accepted placing his hat on the table.
"Are you considering increasing my training? Or, did I make a mistake?" Naruto asked a little nervously; he didn't ever want to upset his sensei. The last time he had done so, the whole week of training was completed in just two days. Even though he had unseen stamina, Hiruzen Sarutobi's training regimen had left him dead on his feet.
His fear was not unfounded, as it wasn't out of the ordinary for his sensei to call him up in the early hours of the morning.
"No, nothing like that," Hiruzen denied. "Today, we have decided to inform you about something crucial. Initially, we had agreed to notify you of this after you've graduated from the Academy." Hiruzen said, standing up and walking to the open window. "However, as your training results suggest, you are competent enough to understand this. Jiraiya, you have the right to tell him." Sandaime instructed Jiraiya and opted to gaze outside.
"Naruto, do you remember the story surrounding the Yondaime Hokage and Kyubi?" Jiraiya asked initiating the discussion they will have.
'Yes, Yondaime fought and defeated the Kyuubi, but he had to sacrifice his life for that." Naruto answered soundly, getting a little sad at the end. He has always idolized Yondaime Hokage as his hero; his untimely death due to the Kyuubi wasn't liked by most of the village, including him.
"Its only half truth, Naruto. The Kyubi is a being purely made of chakra and cannot be killed, it can only be sealed in a living vessel" Jiraiya clarified.
"The truth is, on that day..."
"The Yondaime sealed the fox inside me, didn't he?" Naruto interjected softly, looking down and unable to meet the eyes of either two.
"How did you...?" Jiraiya started to ask but was cut off by Naruto.
"It's the only explanation; the villagers fear and avoid me. My birthdate and the date of the Kyubi attack are the same. I have also noticed that when I use my chakra, a seal appears on my stomach." Naruto rambled, but the words were coherent enough for them to understand. "Does this mean I am the Kyubi? Did my parents love me? If they did, then why would they leave me to be used as the Kyubi's vessel?" Naruto posed his questions in a quivering voice. His nose was crinkled, and his eyes were filled with tears.
It was astonishing that Naruto was able to calculate all of this by the help of mere hints. Their thoughts always revolved around the idea that he had inherited Kushina's keen sense of observation, sharp but still somewhat untrained. However, it was clear by his ability to procure results that Naruto was just like his father in many aspects. They both had learned a lesson that day, "You should never underestimate Uzumaki Naruto."
Jiraiya knelt in front of Naruto and gripped his shoulders firmly. "That's not what it is, Naruto," he said. "You've learned how to seal things in paper seals, right? Does the paper change into the thing that you're sealing inside it?"
Naruto shook his head in negative.
"The same could be said about the seal on your stomach; you're just a jailer for that monster, and that makes you the monster yourself," Jiraiya continued as Naruto looked up to peer at him expectantly. "As for your parents, I've never seen anyone being as happy as them for their child, you. The only thing that I can tell you about them is that they were true heroes who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the village," Jiraiya praised Minato and Kushina to lift up his mood.
"Do you understand?" Supportive Jiraiya asked.
"Yes, I understand," Naruto replied as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Now go on, you have classes to attend. Make your godfather proud, Naruto." Jiraiya patted his back and led him out of the gate.
Naruto nodded his head and went on to Ichirakus' house for breakfast.
(_-_-_X_-_-_)
At first, Naruto was tense upon hearing this news, but now he was relieved by Jiraiya's explanation. He would train his hardest and one day, he would show everyone that he is nothing like the Kyubi.
Naruto prepared for his first day of third year; from today onwards, he would be able to show everyone that his failure was not permanent. He had completed his training in stealth and deception, and only a few were suspicious of his abilities.
Those selected few were Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara, Hinata Hyuga and Umino Iruka.
Sasuke was his rival, who had been set from the beginning of the academy. The Uchiha was one of the best students in the academy, and Naruto was determined to prove himself just as capable. Through their taijutsu sparring sessions, Sasuke noted how Naruto held back his strikes.
Shikamaru, on the other hand, was a genius in disguise. He had helped Naruto plan some of his most deceptive traps for pranks, and he knew that the Nara clan had a suspicion about him. Though, he was a friend, so he just let it slide.
Hinata Hyuga has changed completely over the past three years. She is now much more confident and has not lost any taijutsu spars apart from the one she lost to Sasuke. Even the brash Kiba is no match for her. Her uncle Hizashi has taken up her training and trained her in taijutsu. He has also increased her chakra reserve, by constantly depleting it, and her chakra control, which was already precise due to her Byakugan.
Finally, Iruka was like a big brother to him. Therefore, Naruto let him see some of his moves from the "Hummingbird Style".
His training with Hiruzen was far more tiring and harsh than he had anticipated. His laps around the village had increased to nine, with 250 push-ups, 250 pull-ups, and 300 squats. Additionally, his Bo-Jutsu was at the fourth level out of seven. He had mastered defensive techniques and was working on strength attacks. The Sarutobi style Bo-justu had seven levels; stances, guards, defenses against taijutsu, strength attacks, speed attacks, low-level ninjutsu with the Bo, and finally, the hardest, combining elemental jutsu with the Bo.
Moreover, his taijutsu was also incorporating strength attacks to joints. He wasn't trained in summoning techniques yet; however, he had taken up an interest in seals. Jiraiya was overjoyed to teach the basics of sealing to Naruto, as he had also taught Minato. However, as with Minato, he illustrated everything with books and theory. Naruto was unlike his father in that department, hence, he had to be taught by a practical method, and try-fail method.
Naruto was able to use a Wind technique called "Futon: Wind Bullet" after rigorous practice. Although he could only manifest them the size of a tennis ball, it was still better than nothing.
On his tenth birthday, Jiraiya had given him his precious Gamachan and some handmade resistance seals of level 0.50x, enough to increase his speed but not much to stunt his growth. However, after all the explanations with Hiruzen and Jiraiya, he didn't want to show his abilities; he just wanted to lock himself in a room. But, Naruto Uzumaki never backed down from a challenge, no matter how hard it was, he would reveal his true potential today to everyone.
He had dressed himself and was walking towards the academy, musing about Kyubi. He was either ignored or frowned upon by most of the villagers; he had once tried to gain their attention by pranking them mercilessly, but was stopped by Hiruzen who explained to him how gathering negative attention was worse than no attention at all. He still pranks them, but not to get attention, instead for fun - after all, he's Uzumaki.
He entered the classroom to see only two people present there - Hinata and Sasuke. They both peered toward him as if he was an enigma, probably due to his early arrival and new wardrobe. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him and then returned back to his silent musing. Naruto always felt that Sasuke shared his loneliness. They both lived alone, didn't have parents, and most of all, both were either feared or frowned upon by the villagers. Hinata was also glancing toward him while poking her finger together; she was confident around others, but was somehow still nervous around him. He smiled at her before taking a seat behind Hinata and gazed out the window at the training grounds.
Thirty minutes later, the entire class had filled up, but everyone still felt like something was missing. Even Iruka was slightly unnerved as he entered the class to see it so quiet, well as silent as it could be without Naruto's yelling. He searched the classroom for Naruto and found him sitting in the back, staring out the window quietly; this behavior was unlike the blonde bundle of trouble and joy.
To say Iruka was stunned was an understatement; Naruto had answered all the questions asked to him correctly. He was just second to Sasuke Uchiha in shuriken and kunai throwing and the taijutsu spar was something else, the spar was as usual between Sasuke and Naruto.
They bowed to each other, but they didn't move for several seconds after that. This wasn't like Naruto; he would go headfirst into spars, but today something was going to change for the blonde ninja. Periodically, a slight breeze signaled the start of their spar. Sasuke charged first, as he was interested in seeing what Naruto would do. Sasuke threw a right punch that was blocked by Naruto's right forearm. He then tried to grab Naruto's arm, which was avoided by Naruto's stepping back. Naruto caught Sasuke's extended right hand and kicked his abdomen, making Sasuke lose a little of his balance. For Sasuke, the kick was fast but strong, not quite like Naruto.
Naruto went on to deliver a bicycle kick to Sasuke, which was caught and used as leverage for a left high kick to Naruto's face; however, it was blocked by both of his arms. The bout continued with the two genin engaging in a fast-paced, intense fight, leaving everyone watching them truly awed by the level of taijutsu skill both academy students displayed in mere moments. Kicks, punches, and grabs flowed fluidly between them, making it seem as if they were dancing; if a kick landed on Naruto, he would return it with a punch of his own.
Naruto was enjoying this, sparring with Anko and Hiruzen were fun, but not quite like this. Sasuke was his perfectly matched opponent; if he had strength and speed, Sasuke had flexibility and accuracy. He extended his limits and removed his resistance seal by forming one hand into a ram seal. This caused problems for Sasuke. Naruto was already strong and fast, but after making a hand seal, he was much faster. Sasuke was not able to use the edges to his benefit due to the increase in Naruto's speed. After nearly ten minutes of Naruto dominating him, Sasuke was frustrated; the spar was going head-to-head until that strange hand seal thing.
He dropped a punch on Naruto, as expected and similar to his last few attempts, it was blocked by Naruto's forearm. As to not take a chance, he tried to uppercut Naruto with his free arm. Naruto caught it and delivered a kick to his chest, which stopped the air from entering his lungs for a moment and his feet left the ground. Naruto was about to jump for his roundhouse kick when he noticed both of Sasuke's eyes changing red with one Tomoe in each eye. For Sasuke, it felt like his eyes were on fire for a few seconds and then suddenly the pain went away, his vision becoming clearer than before. He could also follow up Naruto's movements and could foresee his next movement somewhat. It wasn't like he could see the future; no, he could only guess accurately where his next punch or kick would be aimed at.
Naruto heard a "wow" from the crowd and found the culprit covering her mouth, Sakura Haruno. She was a civilian student with pink hair and could be always seen beside Ino Yamanaka. Naruto had heard that she was bullied because of her hair and forehead, but he didn't give much attention to it; instead, Naruto stopped his onslaught and smirked a little at his rival.
"It looks like you've finally acquired your Pink Eyes, congratulations!"
Sasuke's eyes widened to the size of saucers before a grin found its place on his face; he was both happy and curious. Happy, because now he had his Sharingan, which his clan was so proud of, and curious, because he had heard that Sharingan can only emerge when one feels a tremendous amount of physical or mental pain. He nodded to Naruto as a sign of thanks; Naruto wasn't like others – Sasuke had seen the looks that Naruto received from villagers.
Yesterday, he had suspected that Naruto might be slightly stronger, but today his suspicions were proven true. Naruto was at least equal to him, if not stronger. In another timeline, he might not have tolerated this because he was spoiled rotten by the villager's praise and support, since he was the last of his clan. But in this timeline, he too was a loner like Naruto, and he was also feared and ignored by the villagers for his brother's deeds. He accepted that Naruto would be a good rival to compete with and a friend to have, as they shared a similar background.
Iruka called the match a tie and went on to congratulate both boys; his ruffled Naruto hairs and patted Sasuke's back.
Shikamaru knew that the blondie was troublesome; he had concluded this through his observations. He had observed him several times, and Shikamaru was now convinced that Naruto's full power was still not on display. He and Choji had known Naruto since they were children; they used to roam around the village and play pranks together. Unlike other parents, their parents didn't fear the Kyubi. They had been classmates with Minato, and they trusted his skills in the sealing art. They respected and trusted him, and the same applied to Naruto. Shikamaru's father, Shikaku, also knew who Naruto's parents were and respected and trusted them and their son for the sacrifice they made for the village and its people.
Shikamaru moved next to Naruto and started conversing with him.
"So, my presumption was right," he said. "You were holding back all this time, you troublesome blonde." He added with a smirk, "By the way, congratulations on your win against the loner." His voice was filled with more amusement than any real grudge.
"Yep...*munch munch* you were totally...*munch munch* awesome man." Choji joined Shikamaru in munching on their potato chips.
"Thanks guys, so wanna have a bite at Ichiraku after class?" Naruto offered, as the three of them regularly visited Ichiraku together for lunch.
"Troublesome, but why not? I think we should bring Kiba along with us, he's been behaving nicely for quite some days." Naruto shrugged in response; Shikamaru was his childhood friend. If he thought it was a good idea to bring Kiba along, then there was nothing to discuss. "Looks like my next match is up, trouble." Shikamaru mumbled to himself.
Naruto smiled at the two boys; they were more valuable than they themselves knew. Naruto wasn't an idiot to not understand the pressure the parents of his classmates placed upon them to stay away from him. Still, these two were always there with him. Perhaps, their parents weren't like others. After a few minutes, he strolled toward Sasuke and stood beside him. He eyed the onyx-eyed boy cautiously and poked his ribs. Sasuke hit his hand off and glared at him.
"Hey! No need to get offensive," Naruto said, a little amused by the boy's short temper. "I was just here to ask if you wanted to come with us to the Ichiraku for a small treat? Me, Shika, Choji, and Kiba are going. You're welcome, only if you want." Naruto waved him and stood beside Shikamaru, who had his match called off because of Shikamaru's refusal to fight Choji.
After the school day ended, the five of them went to the Ichiraku for ramen. Choji, Naruto, and Kiba had a ramen competition, while Shikamaru and Sasuke spent their time gazing upon the trio's antics while eating. It was rather gross if you asked Sasuke, whereas Shikamaru was familiar with Naruto's and Choji's antics. Kiba wasn't that surprising if you considered his behavior in class.
They paid for their meals and traveled to a nearby park to relax at least that's what Choji and Naruto needed. Their stomachs were bloated from the heavy amount of noodles they had consumed. Shikamaru took a seat under a tree and closed his eyes for a quick nap, while Naruto, Kiba, and Choji were conversing amongst themselves and Sasuke was gazing above in the sky.
"I still can't believe it, dude! Eight bowls of ramen? That's a feat in itself. I can only eat six, and Kiba, here, wasted away after four." Naruto said, sounding astonished.
"You three are all quite troublesome; can't you see I'm taking a nap here?" Shikamaru said in an irritated voice.
"Yeah, and you are the laziest of us all. It's look like all your chakra goes to your brains not your body, lazy ass" retorted Kiba annoyed at the lazy boy.
"Don't be so loud, dog breath," Sasuke bit back. It was indeed a new feeling for him; these four didn't fear or judge him. Although, Kiba and Naruto were loud, Choji was foodie to his core, and Shikamaru was as lazy as a sloth, yet he somehow fit with them.
It was hard for Sasuke to make friends; even if he did, they were quite mistrustful of him. That was not the case with these four. Naruto seemed to be the middle of the group. Choji and Shikamaru were long-term friends of his, and Kiba was probably new to the group, similar to Sasuke. Still, they didn't act as if they hadn't known each other for long. Naruto was frank with everyone, while Choji was careless in that regard, Shikamaru was sharp but didn't act without Naruto's agreement, and Kiba was as loud and brash as one could be, yet, he didn't comment on anything offensive. Sasuke still had to find his place in this group, but that didn't mean he was left out or ignored; rather, they made as much effort as they could to draw him out of his shell.
Between their bickering, they failed to see four people surveying their activities from afar and enjoying their conversation.
Two month later:
Naruto was walking towards the Hokage Tower for his daily training; from tomorrow onwards, Hiruzen would start his ninjutsu training, consisting of all the five elements. It would at least take him six years to be able to use all the elements for jutsus, and another ten to master each element completely. With that, he would also learn summoning and how to take their help, but that was all for tomorrow.
Well, at least he had some companions in school now; he had Shika and Choji from long ago. Kiba and Sasuke had joined their group, but the latter was still being his brooding self. Often times, Sasuke was either riled up by Kiba or Naruto for fun. The Uchiha was dangerous when angered, and that, Kiba had learned the hard way by igniting his pants. Still, the Inuzuka boy didn't quiver even a little bit and continued his poking of Sasuke, not only theoretically but literally too.
He entered the Hokage Chamber quietly and took a seat on the sofa, waiting for his sensei to complete the paperwork. This was something he had learned from the old leader; observing people. His sensei had taught him that a shinobi should be observant and composed.
"Ah Naruto, sorry for the delay but this was a last moment permission slip, let us go to the training ground in basement" said Hiruzen looking up to Naruto from his paperwork.
The training ground in the basement was only named as such; it was approximately 20 feet high, 30 long and 25 wide, with numerous weapons displayed on its walls. The room was formerly used by Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage and mentor of Hiruzen. Initially, it was used by the Hokages or their apprentices for personal training purposes. The room had blue tile floors, green walls, and a red roof.
Hiruzen had scheduled the day to help Naruto tap into the endless reserve of chakra within his seal; it should be done under the supervision of a skilled and formidable shinobi. Attempting it without any support would not be a very smart idea.
So today, I want you to meditate and focus on finding the fox's chakra within your seal," Hiruzen instructed as he shrugged off his Hokage robes to reveal the training armor he wore underneath. "I know you don't want anything to do with him, but having such a vast amount of raw chakra and not utilizing it would be a waste, Naruto," explained Hiruzen, noting the hesitation in Naruto to tap into the power of the fox that had destroyed the village, and likely killed his parents.
Naruto nodded reluctantly, still not keen on the prospect of taking aid from the maniacal beast. He sat down cross-legged and focused on his mind to find the second chakra within his system; the attempt continued for over an hour before his eyes suddenly opened into a sewer-like place with pipes going around. He stood up to assess his surroundings, much to his surprise, the area was not a sewer but a tunnel of some sort. There were several pipes going around with the walls, at least the place wasn't stinking bad. He decided to walk forward where the pipes were more clustered together than others. After an hour or so of tireless walking, he reached a large, vast room, with huge metallic gates in the middle of the area, with a piece of paper stuck in between them that reflected kanji for 'seal.' He moved closer to the gate slowly.
One thing was clear, there was a being behind those doors. Malice was evident in the attempt to reach the being with his sensory ability. Rip; Tear; Destroy; Demolish. The words rang out like an alarm through his senses, and he quickly severed the connection.
"Anybody there? I know you are there, whoever you are" Naruto inquired a little adamantly.
The reply came in the form of two bright red eyes with slit and a huge amount of Killer Intent filled with Hate and contempt spreading through the hall. Naruto was pushed out of his mind, he came back sweating profusely.
"I was not able to find it, Sensei. I can only feel my chakra and not the other one" Naruto lied.
"Thought so. Well, I remember that you told me that you can't use clone jutsu." Naruto stood up and shook his head in affirmation. "That's because you have too much chakra to use normal Bushin. I am going to teach you two types of Bushins. The first technique is a Kinjutsu due to its high chakra usage, while the second one is an elemental jutsu. You know that you aren't allowed to show these techniques to anyone before your academy graduation exams, right?" Hiruzen asked knowingly, to which Naruto replied with a "Hai Sensei."
Hiruzen nodded and formed five hand seals, and then created solid clones beside him. Clones appeared behind him instantly; they looked tangible to Naruto unlike the normal clones that were intangible.
These are "Shadow Clones," commonly known only to Konoha shinobi, developed by Nindáime-sama, and they are solid manifestations rather than just illusions. There are some other uses for them, but I will teach you about those later. For now, form these five hand seals and create a solid clone.
Hiruzen taught him "Shadow clones", which can be used to speed up his training in elemental manipulation by several folds; furthermore, Naruto can use them to perform combination jutsus.
Naruto tried it twice without any success; the third time he focused more on the clones' structure rather than hand signs, and that brought him success—he was able to conjure ten clones in his first successful attempt. He was then instructed to practice forming no more than two clones per day, and the training continued throughout the evening. In addition, Naruto learned a Doton technique called "Doton: Rock Clone" during that month.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was walking towards Shishui's house; he wanted some answers regarding his Sharingan. He knocked on the door of the current clan head, who welcomed him and led him to the living room for the conversation. He had heard about the incident involving the boy's Sharingan; after all, it wasn't common for one to develop a Sharingan through sheer determination and effort.
"So, what brings you here, Sasuke?" Shishui asked, knowing of the ebony-haired boy's mental turmoil.
"I wanted to ask you something, Shishui," Sasuke said, looking at him curiously, with a slight bend of his head as a sign of respect.
Shishui gestured for him to go ahead and took a seat beside him.
"I have read about the Sharingan; our clan prides itself on it. The book I have at my apartment says that it can only be awakened in circumstances surrounding extreme turmoil or tragedy. However, mine awakened differently. It was during a spar with someone." Sasuke spoke calmly. "I believe it was during a sparring session with someone."
"I know you are associating with Uzumaki-san, Sasuke, and I am happy that you have found a friend you can relate to." Shishui intoned knowingly. "I've tried to make the clan members and others understand that you're not like him, but they still hold resentment toward him and they show it towards you." Shishui added sadly.
"As for your Sharingan, you're book overpasses some crucial information, Sasuke" He said reaching to the stack of scroll he had took out from the clan old directories, considering Sasuke's circumstances. He handed one of the middle scrolls that looked quite weary yet was surely stored carefully. "Sharingan is activated due to the adrenaline rush to one's body that eventually reaches brain the cells and activates the eyes, here" explained Shishui pointing to the singular phrase that described such.
"So, it's all okay, isn't it?" asked Sasuke uncertainly. "It says here that Sharingan developed through sheer determination are far stronger than the ones derived in hate," he read aloud.
"Yeah, it's all good." Shishui smiled at him and placed the scroll back at the table. "Beside, I wanted to ask something to you. Are you still interested in training with me?" queried Shishui eyeing the Uchiha clan symbol on the wall.
'Yes, I need to be stronger," said Sasuke determinedly.
"And why is that, Sasuke?" asked Shishui, glancing toward Sasuke.
"I want to avenge my mother's death," said Sasuke in a sad but confident voice.
Shishui gazed at Sasuke kindly as he took a seat beside him. "As your clan head and a friend, I will suggest you not to make revenge the aim of your life and the reason to become strong, Sasuke. For your life will become void after your revenge is completed; instead, be strong for your friends, to protect them," he said, placing his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
Shishui stood up and said, "Come to the clan's training ground starting tomorrow evening."
Sasuke pondered for a moment and then nodded his head; he bowed down before heading to his apartment.
(_-_-_X_-_-_)
13 years after Kyubi Incident :
Naruto Uzumaki was truly excited; today was the day of his graduation from the Academy. The last three years had been consciously pleasant for him; he and his group of friends were closer than ever now. Even, Sasuke had opened up allot in these past years, and didn't brood as much as before.
Kiba was still a loudmouth yet he was fully loyal to them, just as wolves are loyal to their packs.
Shikamaru has started studying more seriously and answering the questions a little more openly after receiving some encouragement from Naruto, Choji, and Kiba.
Choji was also there, but he was only close to Shikamaru and Naruto. His associations with the Inuzuka and the Uchiha were minimal.
Naruto's training was at its peak. Naruto was able to use four of the five elements - Doton, Katon, Suiton, and Fuuton; he hadn't learned Raiton yet. This was likely due to Raiton being the direct opposite of his strongest affinity, Fuuton. He had been able to learn to use the four elements because of his mastery over shadow clones, which gave him a significant advantage over others. If anyone else tried to learn more than one element, besides the Uchiha, who could do so due to their eyes, it would take them years of practice. Whereas, Naruto needed only a few years for his elemental manipulation training to begin.
He was able to reach up to the fifth level of Sarutobi-style Bojutsu and was now working on combining the small jutsus with his bo. He had also mastered the fourth level of "Hummingbird Style." His fuinjutsu was stagnant at low-powered seals, like storage or barrier seals. Lastly, Hiruzen had spent quite some time teaching him summoning; he remembered the day he first summoned a toad, and then how he summoned Gamabunta.
*Flashback, 2 years ago*
Naruto was just warming up for his physical exercises when Hiruzen entered the training room; since Naruto had limited his training to the Hokage training room, as he didn't want others to see him train and copy his movements or jutsu. In addition, if spies from other villages leaked his information regarding this, his safety would be hindered.
Neither Sarutobi nor Jiraiya wanted him to be a target for the other villages.
'Naruto, you can relax today; we won't be doing any physical exercises. Instead, you will learn how to summon familiars, and use their help." His sensei ordered.
"First, I am going to show you which hand signs are needed for summoning 'Enma.'" Hiruzen said and cut his thumb, then he spread the blood on his palm and performed seven hand seals before placing his hands on the ground. "Summoning jutsu: Monkey King Enma," he shouted, and Enma appeared in a puff of smoke.
"Now, Naruto, you will have to cut your thumb, as the summoning requires a sacrifice. Next, follow my hand seals." explained Hiruzen. He had trained Naruto to control his chakra through the 'Tree walking exercise' and the 'Water walking exercise.' It took Naruto two months and ten shadow clones each day to completely master tree walking. After two months, he was able to fight upright on a surface for four hours straight. However, the water walking exercise was even harder; yet, after three months, fighting on a water surface became a second nature to him. Moreover, with jutsu learning and chakra controls, Hiruzen had explained the memory-returning benefits of shadow clones to Naruto.
Naruto cut his thumb and did the needed hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu" he yelled, but Nothing happened.
"Hey sensei! Nothing happened, here" Naruto said scratching his cheeks nervously.
"No need to worry, Naruto," said Hiruzen. "The summoning technique is an A-rank jutsu; it took me six hours to be able to summon a single monkey on my first try."
After nearly twenty-five more tries, Naruto poured even more of his chakra than before and performed the seven hand seals, "Summoning Jutsu!" he yelled tiredly. To his surprise, in a puff of smoke a toad of about the same size as a small dog appeared in front of him. The toad was orange in color with a green underbelly, particularly on its arms and legs; the skin around its eyes and lips were magenta purple.
He peered up at Naruto curiously and then croaked, "Heya there! I am Gamakichi, the elder son of Gamabunta. And you?"
"Oh, yeah... Hi there, Gamakichi. I am Naruto Uzumaki, apprentice of Hiruzen Sarutobi and godson of the Toad Sage, Jiraiya," he said, extending his hand to the larger-than-average toad.
At first, he was astonished to see a talking toad, but then he recalled the lecture about summons from Iruka sensei. It was known that some of the higher-class summoned animals developed abilities to manipulate chakra, wield weapons, and converse in human language.
He conversed with Gamakichi after shaking its hand; webbed hand or webbed front leg would be rather accurate. The toad informed him about several toads that resided on Mt. Myoboku, and their divisions into clans, each specializing in various skills such as stealth, combat, healing, and even sealing. Hiruzen also told him that since he had summoned Gamakichi at his first try, thus "Kichi" would be his familiar.
Naruto was also able to summon Gamabunta after ten days, who offhandedly declined him as his summoner. Naruto had to summon Gamakichi, who explained to Gamabunta that Naruto was Jiraiya's godson. This intrigued Gamabunta's curiosity since he knew who made Jiraiya the godfather of their son; in the end, he accepted Naruto as his summoner.
The Toad Clan wasn't like the Monkey Clan; it didn't accept shinobi from a particular clan. Summoners of the Toad Clan were from various clans throughout history, but one thing was common among them - they had all been tested and proven worthy enough to handle toads before they could summon.
*Flashback ends*
Naruto as a summoner had a closer partnership with Gamaken, as they both shared similarities in their choice of long-range weapons. Gamaken used a sasumata and a shield, while Naruto used a metal bo. The metal bo was a gift from Hiruzen for Naruto's last birthday, his twelfth birthday. It was at least four feet long, black in color with dim red flames at both sides adjoining yellow plates at each end. It had the ability to extend or shorten at the wielder's will, and Jiraiya had connected the bo to Naruto through a summoning tattoo on his wrist. The tattoo was of a vertically erect bo on fire from its lower end. He used a black mesh cover to carry it on his back.
He also had re-adjusted his wardrobe and was now wearing a half sleeve black skin tight tee, blue shinobi pants, and blue shinobi sandals with a sleeveless orange zip up jacket.
He locked his front door and walked on to the academy.
In an apartment on the other side of the village, Sasuke Uchiha got ready for his last day at the academy. He was wearing an elbow-length black T-shirt with knee-length dark blue shinobi pants, black forearm warmers, and black shinobi shoes. An inkjet sleeveless haori adorned his torso, holding his two tanto horizontally at his waist.
Over the past three years, Sasuke had trained with Shishui in taijutsu, kenjutsu, and ninjutsu. He had two primary affinities: Katon and Raiton; the latter was stronger than the former. His chakra control was top-notch for a genin and exceedingly better than Naruto's, as his Uchiha heritage helped in this regard. His chakra reserves were at least on par with a Chunin. He preferred katanas over tantos because they were longer and provided an extended arc to swing. The tantos were a gift from Shishui, so he respected his wishes and wielded them. However, unknown to him, these were the same tantos Itachi also used while serving as an ANBU agent.
He had progressed his Sharingan to three tomoe in both eyes, enabling him to cast strong Genjutsu, copy Ninjutsu from others and predict enemy's movements. His speed was only second to Naruto, at least during the Academy years, but his agility and flexibility always proved fruitful for him during Academy sparring sessions against the blonde.
He had opened up a lot in these three years, he was more friendly towards Naruto than others. He had recounted the events of that night to his Naruto and his treatment within the clan. Naruto told him that he would help him as much as he could, and assured him that they were brothers in all but blood. That hit him hard. Sasuke was used to Naruto being like a brother but they never accepted it openly; he would be happy to have a brother like Naruto to fall upon. He and Naruto knew each other's fighting styles perfectly due to their infinite sparring sessions. He was allowed to copy some of Naruto's jutsu, albeit, he took permission from him before doing so.
He laced up his shoes and took the route toward the academy.
(_-_-_X_-_-_)
Sakura Haruno was anxious for today. Sakura was from a low-shinobi background; her father had been a seasoned chunin before retiring following the third war and opening a tool shop, while her mother was a dentist. She wanted to become a doctor when she was young, but an incident in her past had changed her aim. It was her sixth birthday when a drunk civilian entered her house and started harassing her mother. Her father was not in the village. She tried to fight the bully but was pushed aside. After 10 minutes of shouting and screaming, a ninja in an animal mask came hearing the commotion, and helped her and her mother. From that day forward, she changed her aim to become a kunoichi so she could protect herself and her family.
She was always bullied for her pink hair and so-called large forehead. She was at the top of the class in kunoichi training, but by brainpower alone. She was at the top because of her intelligence and knowledge; however, these qualities would not be enough to help her survive in the shinobi world, where in a blink of an eye, one could be killed.
Sakura had promised herself that she would never give up, and she would fulfill her promise no matter what. After getting ready for the academy and eating her breakfast, she headed off to the academy.
Iruka was evaluating the class; these were this year's students preparing for their graduation exams. Some had skills like Naruto, whereas others had Kekkai-Genkkei like Sasuke or Hinata. Some were a little lazy like Shikamaru, while some were knowledgeable like Sakura. However, one thing was clear as water; this generation of Genin would do wonders and would definitely surpass the previous generations.
Mizuki glanced at the academy students from the side of Iruka; these maggots will take their graduation exams. His eyes landed on one blonde, the demon kid. Mizuki had seen him develop from a loudmouth, good-for-nothing brat into one of the top students of the academy. Tonight, he would leave all this behind; he just needed to get the secret scroll from the Hokage Tower.
The written test was nothing short of a joke; it consisted of decoding several messages, evaluating certain situations and taking actions accordingly, solving mathematical puzzles, learning the history of the entire Shinobi Nation, and much more.
The second test was of taijutsu against instructors; Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke were the only three who could land hits on the instructors, while the others fared much better than in the previous test.
The third exam tested the mastery of Substitution jutsu, Transformation jutsu and Clone jutsu. Naruto used rock clones for evaluation since he didn't want to reveal his Shadow clones just yet, and rock clone was a better jutsu than normal illusionary clone.
Iruka entered the class an hour later. Twenty-one individuals out of sixty-three students passed the graduation exams. Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata all passed the examination with flying colors. Sasuke was named Rookie of the Year, followed by Naruto. Hinata was named Kunoichi of the Year, followed by Sakura.
Your teams and senseis will be announced in a week's time. Until then, rest and enjoy with your families," Iruka said with a proud grin.
"Hey guys, wanna hang out at Ichiraku? Let's celebrate our graduation with a party." Naruto said excitedly.
"Yes! It will be fun, guys," agreed Kiba enthusiastically.
Sasuke shrugged with a bored look on his face; he loved Ichiraku's Tomato Ramen soup, but that revelation was not necessary.
"Calm down, both of you," Shikamaru said as he pointed at Naruto and Kiba lazily. "It'll just cause trouble."
They all moved on to the Ichiraku Ramen Stand to have their little party. After two hours of eating, bickering, and childish boasting about themselves, mostly by Kiba. Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba went on towards their clan compound after a little conversation.
"Say Naruto, should we have a little spar? It will help us to digest food" asked Sasuke looking toward Naruto. Naruto nodded and they both went on toward the nearest training ground.
As they were moving toward the training grounds, they heard some noises coming from the nearby forest suddenly. Naruto, being the curious one, went on to check the source of the noise, and Sasuke followed his friend. They reached a clearing, and what they saw made their blood boil. In the middle of the clearing, Iruka was on the ground struggling with Mizuki, who stood on top of Iruka, trying to stab him with a kunai.
They charged without thinking; they couldn't let the white-haired chunin harm their teacher. Sasuke took the front and parried Mizuki's kunai with one of his tanto and pushed him back. Naruto took a defensive stance, forming two Shadow Clones discreetly. He ordered one to check on Iruka while the other one was to inform the Hokage about the ongoing events.
What happened, Iruka sensei? Why was Mizuki trying to harm you? asked Naruto's clone worriedly.
"Naruto! You're here," Iruka exclaimed dazedly.
"Yeah, I am here, Sensei. Now, please tell me what's happening" He requested kindly.
"I was returning from the academy when I heard that he had stolen the secret scroll of sealing from the Hokage tower. I was able to intercept his trail and found him fleeing through the forest route. I came here to stop him but made the mistake of underestimating him, he was just about to kill me when you both interfered," said Iruka weakly looking toward Sasuke who was using his tanto to counter Mizuki's strikes.
"Oi, bastard! You need to fight someone of your own caliber," roared Naruto, and nodded toward Sasuke.
Mizuki snarled. "I'll teach you brats some discipline; then you'll learn not to interfere in other people's matters."
He hurled a dozen of shurikens toward them. Sasuke sidestepped the shurikens, while Naruto was ready behind him. "Fuuton: Great Breakthrough!" he yelled, exhaling a large amount of wind chakra toward the incoming projectiles.
The Shurikens changed their direction and returned back towards Mizuki. Mizuki cursed himself but dived to his right, dodging the shurikens. Sasuke glanced toward Naruto, signaled him, and made four hand seals "Katon: Fireball Jutsu", which was followed by a shout of "Futon: Wind Bullet". A fireball of the size of a large rock was joined by a football-sized ball of wind. By combining both elements, the fireball's color changed to white, and it rushed toward Mizuki, scorching everything in its path. Mizuki's eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly formed several hand seals and yelled "Doton: Mud Wall." The wall of mud and stone stopped the fireball in its path, but not before turning the wall black from brown.
Iruka was in awe at the turn of events; these two academy students were using Jutsus in such perfect synchronization. His awe turned to respect the next moment, as Naruto and Sasuke pulled off yet another combination Jutsu.
Sasuke and Naruto smirked when they saw the Earth wall. Naruto nodded toward Sasuke. He formed eight hand seals and placed his hands on the ground. "Doton: Earth Dome." A dome made of stone surrounded Mizuki, restricting his movements. Sasuke made his own hand seals and placed his palm in front. "Raiton: Lightning Bolt Jutsu." A bolt of lightning shot out from Sasuke's palm and struck the earth dome. Earth being a conductor of electricity absorbed it, and due to overcharging, it exploded with a loud boom and shattered into pieces because of the immense power contained within it.
Mizuki was thrown out of the dome; his right arm was missing, and his body had several crushed areas where blood was leaking.
Sasuke asked, "Don't you think we overdid it, Naruto?" as he eyed Mizuki carefully.
"No, a traitor cannot be forgiven," Naruto spoke up diligently. Sasuke nodded in agreement with his friend's words.
Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of Hokage, Shishui, Kakashi, and four Anbu agents. Hiruzen glanced toward Mizuki and signaled the Anbu to take him to the hospital, and then send him to Ibiki for further investigation.
"Very good, Naruto and Sasuke. I expected no less from two of the top students graduating academy this year." Hiruzen praised them with a gentle smile. "You both showed excellent performance today, and saved the life your teacher here" said Hiruzen proudly,
Naruto and Sasuke were ushered to their homes; Sasuke went on with Shisui, while Naruto went on with Kakashi. Kakashi had told Naruto his real name after making him swear not to reveal it.
(_-_-_X_-_-_)
That Same night, Hokage tower :
Kakashi and Shishui had returned to the tower as per Hiruzen's orders; he signaled them both to take a seat on the sofa.
Hiruzen asked, "Did you observe the destruction, Kakashi?"
Kakashi shook his head. "Hai, Hokage sama." He said. "The both of them did a number on Mizuki; he lost one of his limbs due to their combined jutsu."
"Indeed, to see such harmony and synchronization at this early stage, they would certainly reach great heights together," Shishui thoughtfully intoned.
"Ah, Yes, I have been made aware of that" Hiruzen took a seat beside his top Jonins. "If we could place them both on a same genin team with a third member, that would be most beneficial for all." He continued placing a file on the desk.
Hiruzen said, "I have a candidate for the third member of your team." He opened the file and gestured towards it. "Haruno Sakura has exceptional chakra control; if guided properly, she could reach the level of Tsunade."
"Indeed, Hokage-sama. However, they need a sensei of that caliber to control them and satisfy their needs for knowledge. I would have taken up the mantle, but the clan responsibilities hold me back," Shishui said, looking genuinely sad.
"What about you, Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked. "You're one of our elite jonins; you're not only capable enough to control them, but also know thousands of jutsu and techniques to teach them. Their hunger for knowledge can be easily satiated by you."
"I...I will do it, but I have two conditions," replied Kakashi after a brief pause.
"Playing terms, Hatake," said Hiruzen amused by the childish behavior of one of his Jonin. Kakashi wasn't Kakashi without his unnatural antics and aloof personality.
Kakashi stood firmly. "I want to be Naruto's second guardian, and I want the Uchiha as my apprentice." He stated emphatically.
"These are quite extravagant demands, Kakashi," Hiruzen frowned as he thought. "The apprenticeship of Sasuke is quite easy, if Shishui agrees to it. But... about Naruto. That's...an entirely different case, Hatake." He looked up at Kakashi stoically.
"His second guardian falls on her, and I don't think she would be happy to learn that her rights have been hindered," stated Hiruzen.
"Well, if not that, something equal will be appreciated, Hokage-sama," said Kakashi, bowing his head.
"We will see about that Kakashi, rest assured I will still train Naruto" said Hiruzen. He glanced toward Shishui and said "And, you would also be able to train Sasuke in his free time. He needs to be stronger to able to defend himself"
Shishui bowed his head and took his leave, soon followed by Kakashi.
(_-_-_X_-_-_)
One week flew by quickly; Naruto and Sasuke had been having sparring sessions throughout the week. It was finally time for their team assignments and introductions to their sensei.
Naruto was ecstatic; he wanted to be on a team with either one of his friends. He showered and started to cook something for himself. His cooking training with Kakashi was finally paying off; he could now cook breakfast or dinner for himself, but for lunch, he would still choose Ichiraku's delicious Ramen.
He chose a discreet route to the academy; he didn't want to experience the fear or hate from the villagers today. He was happy, as his career as a Shinobi was about to start today. Little did he know that he was going to be surprised today.
He reached the academy and took his seat beside Sasuke, which were their regular seats since last year. Sasuke nodded toward him and then went on to stare out of the window, as usual.
Twenty minutes later, Iruka entered the classroom with a high-arm sling on his right side, and everyone went quiet as he began his speech.
"I am really proud of you all. You all have passed the exams for your graduation to become genin. The life of a shinobi is tough and unpredictable, but you should always remember that you are doing this to protect your friends, family, and loved ones."
Then came the announcement of teams; the first six were not that significant as they were from various civilian students, but then came the three most important teams.
"Team 7 consists of: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto piped up and cheered at that. Sasuke was also happy with his team arrangements; at least Naruto was with him, even if the other member was unknown. "Your jonin sensei will be... Hatake Kakashi," Naruto sat stunned and happy at the same time. He had never known his big brother had agreed to take them on as a team. The happiness outshone the shock transparently.
"Team 8 consists of: Hyuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Kiba Inuzuka," said Iruka. Hinata and Shino nodded, while Kiba was glancing toward Shino with a bored expression.
"Team 9 is still in progress. Team 10 will consist of: Nara Shikamaru, Choji Akimichi, and Yamanaka Ino. Your jonin sensei will be Sarutobi Asuma," said Iruka. Shikamaru grumbled under his breath, while Ino nodded her head. She would have yelled about not being in a team with the Uchiha, if he was a golden boy, but here he was just a normal student. Choji just nodded and went on to munching on his chips.
Several Jonins entered the room, but two of them stood out from the rest; they exuded superiority and confidence. They were Asuma Sarutobi, a man with spiky black hair and beard. His attire consisted of the standard Jonin uniform with an additional red waist sash bearing the kanji for "guardian." He was one of the four elite Jonins of Konoha, a former member of the Twelve Guardian Shinobis, and one of the best melee fighters nurtured by Konoha. Beside him was Kurenai Yuhi, a beautiful black-haired woman with red eyes. She was also an elite Jonin who had earned the moniker of "Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress" due to her exceptional illusion techniques.
Asuma said, "Team 10, come with me," and led Shika, Ino, and Choji with him.
Kurenai moved out with her team.
Soon, every Jonin took their team and left, leaving Team 7 alone.
An hour later, Sasuke's right eye was twitching, displaying his irritation, while Sakura was reading something about healing herbs and was repeatedly glancing between the door and her teammates. Naruto was the most calm of them all; he knew his brother's habit of being late. He would not react to it, as that would only amuse Kakashi of all things.
Hatake Kakashi was strutting through the corridors of genin academy, he would have been a lax person but he knew that this particular team needed a sensei that should be active enough to control them. Naruto alone was at least low Chunin level add him with a Uchiha at elite genin level and a kunoichi with an exceptional chakra control, they were hot iron rods ready to be beaten into dangerously sharp swords.
Kakashi entered the classroom to receive instant glares from Sasuke and Naruto, and a nervous smile from Sakura. He gave them a reassuring smile before turning his attention to them. "Meet me on the roof in five minutes; don't be late." With that, he disappeared through a shushin.
Sasuke put his hand in his pocket and stepped out of the window onto the roof by walking on the walls. He was soon joined by Naruto. Sakura was surprised by this; she had read about the tree-walking exercise, but seeing two of her classmates perform it so casually was truly shocking for her. Nonetheless, she walked out of the room and rushed toward the roof.
Kakashi was not even a little surprised to see Naruto and Sasuke displaying such skills; he had known that they had been training with the Hokage and Shishui, respectively. He signaled for them to sit down, soon Sakura joined them.
He began. "So, first of all, we all need to introduce ourselves. I am the senior here, so I should go first. My name is Kakashi Hatake; my likes and dislikes are of no concern. As for my dream…I never really thought about it, but reading is my hobby."
Naruto and Sakura sweatdropped at his antics, while Sasuke's left eye twitched again, a sign of irritation.
Kakashi gestured toward Sakura. "You go first, pinkie."
"Hi, my name is Haruno Sakura. I like reading and gardening, I dislikes perverts and arrogants. My dream for future is to be a strong kunoichi" expressed Sakura with a smile that didn't reached her eyes.
"Next, the brooder." Kakashi said, looking toward Sasuke.
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I enjoy training and katanas; I dislike a certain person. I don't have a dream. My hobbies are training and sparring with this idiot next to me," Sasuke stated, pointing at Naruto who responded by throwing a punch at him, which was met with laughter from Sakura.
Kakashi noticed the slight strain on Sasuke's face; he understood that Sasuke's hunger for revenge was still there and that it would be a topic of discussion.
"Now you go, blondie," Kakashi said as he received a glare in response; nonetheless, Naruto spoke.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto 'ttebayo. I like my friends and ramen, I dislike traitors and ignorant people. My hobbies are training, pranking and learning new jutsu." said Naruto adjusting his headband.
"Okay, the introductions are out now. Tomorrow you would have a Survival exercise," Kakashi said eye smiling at the three.
"A survival exam? We have never heard of this before, sensei." said Sakura hesitantly.
"Well, now you have. Be ready and don't eat breakfast. 7 am tomorrow morning at training ground number 7." said Kakashi and vanished in a shunshin.
"Damn that looks cool, I need to learn that jutsu" expressed Naruto.
"So wanna I" Sasuke intoned from beside.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, All rights are reserved to Kishimoto...