It happened the day he turned six. Naruto was planning on a big celebration, but first he had to go to the academy and pass the final exams of the school year. He had trained and read so hard that it felt like his mind and body were going to explode! I mean seriously, why did they have to know all that much? They weren't even genin yet. Shouldn't they take the slow and more relaxed route of education at such a low level? Anyway, he was determined to prove that he was definitely not a dropout, and that even talent-less people like him could become shinobi. He was adamant on that goal of his. So Naruto had studied and trained like he had never done before, even if it had only been for a month. But hey, every little helps. Plus, wouldn't it be sooo awesome if he actually passed with grades in the league of – or dare he think it, even higher than- the certified geniuses at the academy like Sasuke, Sakura (now that's one smart girl), Neji, Ten-Ten, Shikamaru (oh yes, Naruto knew about Shikamaru, and the fact that he was smarter than even Sakura and most of the compliment of Konoha shinobi), and even fuzzy-brow Lee. Oh yes, today would be a fantastic day, when he would show the entire village what a great shinobi he would become. But alas, that was never meant to be.

The prank worked perfectly. Three of Naruto's classmates managed to infiltrate Naruto's lodgings and wreck the entire apartment while they held him under a sleep-inducing genjutsu. Unfortunately, one thing they wrecked they hadn't planned on was Naruto's alarm clock. Even though they, along with everyone else, treated Naruto like crap, they knew the finals for this year were tomorrow, and even they appreciated that timing was of the essence. But, as the perpetrator said smoothly, who would give a damn in the brat failed? After all, he was just the orphan kid nobody liked. With those consoling words, they left the apartment, having the decency to at least take off the genjutsu. This was it. The defining moment when events spiralled out of control of human beings and straight into the clutches of cold, Lady Fate. The only witness to this crucial moment was just an old man, sitting safe inside his mansion with the same symbol he wore on his hat etched onto the front of his beloved home, "Fire". He watched the crystal ball in front of him, wearily resigned to whatever Lady Fate spat back at them.

Naruto walked down the corridor, rage and fury burning in each eye. The day had been a total disaster! First he had woken up early, for once, only to see that his room was trashed in a way that defied explanation. But Old Man Hokage's instructions had been clear from day one; take care of your apartment. So like the perfect tenant, he had spent the next hour doing his best to return the apartment to any semblance of normalcy. But that had been an hour too much. He only found out his alarm clock was damaged when he remembered that he had set it to go off at seven o'clock. With a sinking feeling he had taken a quick shower and gotten changed. He even used chakra, a bad idea as it was, to increase his speed as he ran toward the academy. That was one trick he had learned from watching Sasuke sparring. He had rushed into the first examination with all the haste of a flustered tourist, and had been coolly greeted by a fuming Iruka-sensei. He had looked at the watch, and his stomach had sank deeper as he saw that he was three quarters of an hour late, and that he had only half an hour to complete an inch thick paper.

Things hadn't gotten easier. In the end Naruto just barely managed to finish the paper, but he had had to give quick answers to questions that were worth a lot of marks. That was the rule of discipline here at the academy; you don't finish the paper, you automatically fail. Easy as. But then there was the taijutsu exam next. Students had to fight a chunin for three, three minute bouts. The chunins were only allowed to use basic techniques, but they still had the advantage of experience, speed and muscle. Once again Naruto had had to use what he thought the dodgiest way to use chakra. Students were expected to win at least one bout, and Naruto only managed this in the last few seconds of his last bout with Mizuki-sensei, and only because of a technicality. He was mentally and physically exhausted, and he still had one more exam to pass.

The ninjutsu exam had been hell. He was in no state to mould chakra, but he managed to do one jutsu out of the two required at their low level. He managed the Replacement Jutsu, but he couldn't do the Rope Untying Jutsu. He was spent. His body was aching and his vision was going blurry. He had used up too much chakra. Still, he had done all the other techniques. Sure he might not pass with a high grade, but he had done what was expected of him. Iruka had other ideas. Sure Naruto and he were friends, but he truly believed Naruto could do better, so he simply couldn't let such a performance pass. He expected better from all his students. He expected the best. And Naruto just wasn't cutting the mustard, so he had to redo the entire year again.

And this was why Naruto left the academy, flaming. This was just so unfair! He went down one street, and immediately took a side alley when he noticed Old Man Hokage. He had promised the Old Man he would work hard, and if Naruto prided himself on one thing, it was keeping promises. It was his Nindo. He heard the Old man's voice behind him, saying something about how he was going to talk to Iruka, but by now Naruto had had enough. He gave the Old man the slip on a busy main street, and went back to his apartment. He looked around the immaculate house … and cried. The emotions were just too much for his to take. Sure he could have stomached failing one exam, but all three? That was ridiculous. And Iruka-sensei? He couldn't believe that he had been failed just so easily, without a second thought.

"There is a way to redeem yourself, you know," an oily voice came from his open window. Naruto started, and looked up to see Mizuki-sensei crouched on his window sill, looking east, toward the Hokage's mansion.

"Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asked uncertainly. "How? I'll do anything to pass into the next class. Anything!" By now Naruto was standing, body tense and expectant. His chest swelled with what he hoped was not false hope.

"Deep in the forest of Konoha, there is a cabin which houses numerous things. One of these things is a certain giant scroll; The Scroll of Sealing. If you manage to find and learn a technique from this scroll, you automatically pass into the next year." With those words, Mizuki disappeared in a puff of white smoke. Naruto would have wanted to ask him questions, but he could manage without information. He would get that scroll even if killed him … which it nearly did.

Iruka was looking for Naruto. He couldn't believe it when he heard the news from Mizuki. Naruto has stolen the Scroll of Sealing. The ninjas had been in outrage, and since they had all heard that Naruto had failed his exam from one source or another, they were more fired up. Naruto was going to bring destruction to the village because of his search for power. Just like the Demon Fox had brought destruction to the village because of its own search for more power and its bloodlust. Naruto couldn't be trusted. There were the things Iruka heard, but he refused to believe them. Naruto was a nice student. He wouldn't do that.

It was nearing eight in the evening, and no one had see hair nor hide of his beloved student. He wanted to explain, to tell Naruto his reason for being so hard on him. Harder than he was on other kids. But he quickly deduced that the boy was not in the Village proper, so went into the forest instead. It was easy after that. He simply followed the large bursts of chakra emanating from deep within the forest. Putting on a burst of speed, he made his way toward the forbidden cabin. Naruto was there, panting, sitting on the ground. A cold fear bubbled within him.

"Naruto, what have you done?" His student looked up, startled.
"I have found and learned from the scroll, so you just gotta let me pass!"
"What are you talking about?" Iruka asked, momentarily confused.
"Mizuki-sensei said that if I could learn jutsu from this scroll I would pass."
"Mizuki!?" Iruka exclaimed, things coming clearer now.

"Yes, me," a cold voice said from the trees. They both looked onward as Mizuki became apparent in the shadows. A hail of shuriken suddenly came at Naruto, but Iruka pushed Naruto out of the way and got hit instead. Iruka was lifted off his feet and hurled into the wall of the cabin, crying out in agony as he did do.

"Now, Naruto, hand me the scroll," Mizuki asked softly.
"What!? Never! Why did you do that to Iruka-sensei!? Why!?" Naruto was panicking by now.

"Do you know why the villagers all hate you, why Iruka-sensei hates you?" asked Mizuki with a broad smile.

"No Mizuki!" Iruka managed to shout in his state. "It's forbidden! Don't tell Naruto!"

"Exactly. Forbidden. Do you know why it is forbidden Naruto?" again Iruka protested at the top of his voice.

"Mizuki don't!" Mizuki went on like there had been no interruptions.

"I'll tell you why. It's because-"

"Mizuki no!"

"Inside you-"

"I'm begging you!"

"You harbour the Demon Fox. The same Demon Fox that killed so many shinobi of the leaf, so many families and friends and relatives. That's why Iruka hates you. The Demon Fox killed his parents."

"Mizuki!" Iruka shouted helplessly.

Mizuki suddenly got a giant shuriken from his back. With a quick motion, he hurled it at Naruto, and Naruto being a slow academy student and paralysed by his own fear, he didn't the time, reflexes or the mobility to get out of the way. Just as he was his own death approaching, there was a flash of movement, and an instant later, Iruka-sensei was crouched in front of him, blood dripping from several wounds and from his mouth. Naruto was scared beyond belief now. His sensei, the only one who ever recognised him, hated him. It was too much. He got up with speed someone in his condition shouldn't possess and ran off. To buy him some time, Iruka removed the giant shuriken from his back and hurled it at Mizuki. Mizuki dodged it easily.

"Why do you bother, Iruka? You know what Naruto's like once he makes his mind up. He will see this through. He will make sure the village pays for how it has treated him." Mizuki gave a derisive laugh. Iruka took this chance to attack Mizuki, but again Mizuki was one step ahead. Iruka was knocked back onto the cabin wall.

"I'll deal with you later," Mizuki said to Iruka contemptuously. He jumped and disappeared into the foliage, in the direction Naruto had taken.

This is bad, thought the Hokage as he watched events unfold on his crystal globe.

I never thought Mizuki of all people would betray the village like this. Poor Naruto. He is in a deep emotional state, and with the Kyuubi more active within him in this state than any other, I cannot discount the ability that he will use the Scroll of Sealing to unseal himself and release the Kyuubi. If that happens … dammit! I should have talked to Naruto earlier on. I could see he was upset. Now events are beyond my control …

Naruto jumped from tree to tree with all the speed he could muster. The Scroll was fastened to his back, but he barely felt its weight with all the thoughts running across his mind. Iruka-sensei hated him. He had caused the deaths of Iruka's parents. That's why the whole village hated him. He was a monster, a wolf in sheep's clothing. But in this state of frenzied flight, all he felt most was the rhythm of his hands and feet. There was nothing to worry about. He could run away from the village. Find a place where he wouldn't be treated as a monster.

That's when he heard the patter of feet behind him. They had found him! Not knowing what to do, he jumped down and hid behind the girth of one oak tree. A few seconds later he heard Iruka-sensei and … himself? No, it was Mizuki and Iruka! They had both used the transformation jutsu; Mizuki to try and deceive Naruto, and Iruka to try and deceive Mizuki.

"Why do you protect him, Iruka? He killed your parents! He's a monster. An incarnation of the Demon Fox itself. Do you really think he won't hesitate to use the powers of the Scroll to get revenge? You know Naruto. You know the Demon Fox. He will bring destruction onto the village."

"You're right," said Iruka, and Naruto's heart broke. He didn't even stay to make sure his beloved sensei was alright. He simply stood and ran like all hell had broken loose. He ran with no sense of direction, no sense of time or place, no sense of being. Just that urgent need, that primal instinct in his body that kept telling him to move.

Slowly, he began to tire. In a few minutes he dropped from exhaustion. He sat there, on the cold, hard earth, panting. Time passed him by without him noticing. All he could do was sit there, thinking of the revelations this day had brought. His mind and body were numb, unable to cope with the stress. Slowly, however, he began to draw away from the state of shock he was in. Hunger was gnawing at his stomach, and it would not be ignored. He looked around, and noticed with a pang that he was back at the cabin. He slowly made his way toward it, but stopped when he noticed movement in the corner of his eye. He turned round and saw three men, half hidden by the shadows of the evening. The one on the right was a ninja, wearing a Konoha headband and a jacket usually worn by chunin. The one in the middle was very normal-looking, and on closer inspection turned out to be a samurai. The third one was old, maybe as old as the Hokage, and wore a similar outfit. His was all grey instead of the Hokage's red and white.

The samurai smiled at him.

"We have been watching you, boy." Naruto was in no mood to be surprised. He was emotionally and physically drained, and resistance seemed futile.

"And we aren't impressed at all," the ninja said. The samurai looked at the ninja with a half-smile, half-exasperated look on his face.

"Really, Sakumo. He's only a boy."

"A boy who narrowly missed destroying this village," Sakumo agreed amiably.

"He'll get better with time," said the samurai.

"He needs proper training. He has no idea how important he is, and neither, I think, does Sarutobi." This came from the scholar-looking guy. The other two guys all looked at him with interest. It was clear they hadn't expected this from him.

"Our mission, as you all know, is to protect the boy and the village as best as we can. Now you two might think us three enough at the moment, but I think different. We need to swell our ranks a little. The boy would be perfect for that. So far we are only gathering information for Sarutobi because the village is at peace and prosperous. This would be the perfect time to make sure an incident like this doesn't happen again. Ever." After his little speech, the man seemed suddenly self-conscious and looked away. The other two looked at each other, silently debating. After a few seconds, the both nodded. The scholar-like man seemed to know this without looking. He suddenly looked at Naruto.

"Mould as much chakra as you can boy. It has to be perfect." Naruto did as he was told, not even questioning it. His life, his heart, had stopped living. It took a long time, but finally he was able to do it.

"Now, boy," the scholar continued, "these are the seals I want you to do, in this exact same order." Again Naruto did as he was told, and this time he got the technique right in one. He didn't even bother telling them this was the first time he had got something right the first time. The technique, as he discovered, was some sort of Clone Jutsu. When he looked at the scholar, he suddenly felt the amassing of massive chakra. The scholar suddenly sent out a ring of red fire to each of Naruto's two clones … and then nothing.

"It's done," the scholar said. This will make things much easier for us, I think. Each of you will take a Naruto clone, and I will take the real one." Without another word, the two men left with a Naruto clone, and the scholar left with the real one. Naruto left with the Scroll of Sealing, and even though he would be gone for six years, he would come back with the scroll unsealed and unopened.

That would be in six and a half years.