At the age of thirteen, Naruto Uzumaki made the best decision of her life.

She made this decision after Sasuke left the village. As soon as she had recovered from the mission and saw her friends were alright, she decided to do what she always wanted, to find a place where she felt like she belonged. She didn't want to stay in Konoha, not when she could hear the whispers of the civilians about how much of a failure she was in not capturing Sasuke, not where she could see Sakura's disappointed face. She wanted to see the world she heard the merchants talked about, the world where almost no shinobi existed. She wanted to find a home, find a place where she didn't have to deal with the whispers.

So in the dead of night, she packed her bags with most of her clothes, the scrolls the Sandaime Hokage had left her in his will, and of course with her emergency ramen. No one in the village knew of her journey, of her decision because if they did then she had no doubt everyone would stop her and tell her to stay when all she really wanted to do was to experience the freedom she wanted. She didn't know when it started, when she started to see the village she loved so much as a cage. Maybe it started when she accidentally overheard Tsunade-obaachan arguing with a couple of old geezers, who wanted her to be banished or how one of them suggested she should become a weapon that they need to use.

Naruto loved her home but she wasn't going to be anyone's pawn, she made that decision after seeing what happened to Haku.

She didn't remember exactly how she sneaked out from the noses of the chunin on duty, didn't remember how far she ran before she started to wander aimlessly. All she remembered that one day she crossed over the veil separating the two continents. She remembered gulping at the sight of the tall buildings towering over her, remembered screaming at the sight of the machines, which she later heard a pedestrian called a car. She later scowled at the pedestrian who asked her if she was doing some kind of cosplay.

Even though she had lived in this town for a year now, Naruto didn't understand the term cosplay.

Her life in the other world wasn't easy, it took her a long time to find a place to stay and even then she made her shadow clones pretend to be her parents because apparently this town or country didn't accept the fact a thirteen-year-old could live by herself. It took her shadow clones a lot of bargaining and a bit of gambling before the landlords allowed her to stay there. Who knew her gambling skills were going to be so useful in this world?

Finding a job was more difficult but the problem was easily fixed with her shadow clones, who she made henged into a random person of her imagination. The first place she got them to find work was in a ramen stall, a beautiful ramen stall that taught her to make the ramen she loved so much. The owners of the ramen stall had been nice to her, had somehow understood her clone couldn't say everything or explained her situation to them but they allowed her to work with them.

Though, she hated the fact the ramen owners scolded her shadow clone for making her 'daughter' not go to school when she came in during a weekday. When her shadow clones informed them they didn't have the money or the paperwork to send her to school, the ramen owners told her they could talk the principle in letting her in, saying how they were very close friends. In her mind, she really hated the fact the owners were practically forcing her to go to school when she didn't want to.

Having spent six years in school, Naruto knew she couldn't last another Kami knows how many more years in that hellhole.

With great reluctance, Naruto spent the new few nights with the help of her shadow clones completing the paperwork, where she either lied about the information given or made things up. It was only after that day, she could understand why the Sandaime Hokage always tried find ways to sneak out of the office or why Tsunade-obaachan drank more alcohol then she usually did. After all, how could one last so long after doing the damn paperwork? Some of the paperwork were very repetitive, making her want to tear her hair out and burn it in the fire but she couldn't do it. Not when the nice ramen owner had been able to convince the principle to let her in even if she didn't have all the paperwork needed.

It was from there that the motions of the future was set but Naruto never knew this, wouldn't know this until a year later but for now she cursed and complained to herself about having to go back to school.

Going to Namimori Middle School was where everything started if you asked her in a couple of years time. If she hadn't went to this school, hadn't been forced to go to this damn school and give in the paperwork then she would have not known more about everything hidden from her. Of course, she didn't know about the last bit until a few months later but for now she was going to a school that would be pointless to her seeing as she didn't want to go to go to higher education.

The moment she met a brown-haired boy on her way to the school was from there her problems started but looking back now, Naruto decided if she hadn't met that blood-thirsty prefect or even the brown-haired boy then she would have faced more problems in the future. If she hadn't met them then she probably wouldn't have known about the future she would have, the future she thought she could avoid but never seemed to avoid. She also knew if she hadn't met them, hadn't became friends with brown-haired boy then maybe she would have been lost, would have grown weak and for that she was grateful for him and the bloodthirsty prefect.

Looking back, Naruto knew if she hadn't asked the boy for help then maybe her life wouldn't have turned insane but she didn't know how to get to the school. Having been in the town for less than week, Naruto barely knew her way around the town. It was just her good luck, she saw a brown-haired boy walking in the streets with a depressed look in his face. With a big smile, she walked over to him and asked him where to go, hoping the boy would be able to tell her where to go. He looked at her, stuttered before nodding his head furiously, telling her he would take her there since he was going there anyways. This only made her smile. Something about the way he seemed so flustered reminded her of Hinata, who was so easy to embarrass. Shaking her head, she made small talk with him.

"So what year are you in?" Naruto asked him while they walked through the corridors of the school.

He blinked his eyes, scanned the area as if he was afraid of someone attacking him, which was understandable since she just fought with a prefect. "I-I'm a first year of this school."

"That's great! I might be in your class!" He smiled nervously, reminding her of a little deer with his nervous smile and frightened eyes. With that look on his face, all she wanted to do was to protect him and tell him that everything was going to be alright as well as pout at the unfairness of boy looking more like a girl than she did. "I'm going to be transferring to this school too! If there's no problem with the paperwork then I'm going to be starting school tomorrow."

"W-Why are you giving the paperwork? Shouldn't your parents do the paperwork?"

She felt her heart grow heavy like it always did whenever someone brought up the topic of her parents. Shaking her head at her thoughts, she gave him a wide smile, "They're busy with work," she lied, staring into the boy's brown eyes, "So they told me to give in the paperwork to the school instead of them."

"So what do they do?"

She smiled and gave him her very first lie. "They're working in a ramen stall."

It was the first of many lies but Naruto wouldn't know that until her past came back to haunt her but for now she told a simple lie.

The two of them stopped walking when they reached the admission office, the ladies in the office blinked and blinked their eyes at the sight of them. Frowning at them, Naruto glanced at Tsuna, who looked so awkward and nervous standing there. All she wanted to do was squeeze his shoulders, tell him to stop being afraid and show him there was nothing to be scared of. Shaking her head, she squeezed his shoulders, earning a feeble smile from the boy, who looked so surprised of her reassurance.

What kind of life had he been living?

"I-I have to get to class," He stuttered, looking nervously at her and then to the admission ladies, who couldn't stop staring at her.

"Alright, it was nice meeting you…wait a second I forgot to ask you your name!" She slapped her forehead, making the boy frown at her, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto!"

"N-Naruto…like the fishcake?"

Scowling, she crossed her arms at him and tapped her feet impatiently. "My name also means maelstrom! It doesn't just mean fishcake! It's maelstrom goddamn it!"

"O-Okay," he glanced at the clock and squealed, "I-I really got to go!"

She nodded her head, kept her eyes glued on the boy and watched him as he dashed towards his class. Naruto nearly whistled at the speed at which he ran, he was even faster than some of the civilians boy she knew and maybe a little bit faster than Konohamaru. Shaking her head, she looked at the admission ladies, who just stared at her and then to the fading back belonging Tsuna. She tapped the table, snapping the ladies from their thoughts, and handed in the paperwork that the ramen owner had given her shadow clones to complete. What she would do to be in her shadow clone's shoes now. They were making ramen while she had to deal with this stupid work!

The ladies stared at the paperwork, skimmed read it and then stared at her before opening their mouth to say something to her but Naruto never knew what they were going to say. The admission ladies had turned pale as a ghost, shivering as if they were seeing the devil right in front of them. What on earth could they be scared of? Tilting her head, Naruto turned her body around and blinked her eyes when she saw a black-haired boy looming over her with tonfas in his hands. When the hell did he get here? And why didn't she sense him? She was usually good in sensing when people were behind her after all.

Looking into his blood-thirsty grey eyes, Naruto just knew she was in trouble but for the first time in her life, she didn't even know what the hell she did to be in his bad side.

"You're trespassing on school grounds Herbivore," he stated, tightening his grip on the tonfa. "And for that, I've to bite you to death."

Before she could even argue with him, he swung his weapon at her and without even thinking, Naruto ducked from the attack. She barely did anything to the guy for him to do this to her! And what was the deal with the 'I've to bite you to death'? It sounded so perverted! The kind of thing Ero-sennin would put in his books. She glanced at the admission ladies for help but the ladies were pale and their hands were shaking form the sight in front of her. Well if she had any hope of them helping her deal with this guy then she better think again.

Not that she needed help because it shouldn't be too much of a problem to deal with him.

Shaking her head, she dodged another one of his attacks and then grabbed one of his tonfa, earning a raise eyebrow from the boy while she glared at him. "Look bastard I'm just here to give in the paperwork," she blocked his other tonfa, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him, "And how the hell am I a Herbivore? I like to eat meat! Not vegetables!"

With that, she kicked him away from her, sending him flying to the walls of the school before looking at the ladies, who just gawked at her. What was the big deal? She had to ask herself, twisting her body around to see the boy giving her a look of irritation. Oh great, she just made him mad but hey he started the fight! It was only fair she fought back. Besides, she had more right to be mad at him! She barely came into the school and he started attacking her, what kind of a guy was he?

She growled when the boy swung his tonfa at her again. With an irritated sigh, she grabbed his tonfa again but this time pulled it away from him before pointing it at his neck. The older boy didn't look fazed at what she just did, if anything he looked almost dare she say thrilled by what she just did. Not that she blamed him because she was starting to have fun. This guy was someone she might be able to use as a sparring partner if she ever want to keep her fighting skills up to scratch and it didn't help he wasn't a weak civilian. This guy was actually quite strong without chakra.

Grinning, she looked down at him. "I have your tonfa so that means you have to listen to me if you want it back," he grunted and stilted his eyes at her but she simply shrugged her shoulders at him, "Now listen to me bastard and listen to me good, I just came here to hand in some stupid paperwork so I can go to school tomorrow."

He quirked his eyebrow. "Oh? And how do I know you're not lying?"

"Hmm…maybe you could actually check with the ladies right over there who have my damn paperwork!" She snarled, pressing her hands into her pockets. "Why else would I bother to come to school?"

He glared at her, making her glare right back at him. With an irritated sigh, the older boy glided to the receptionist who looked at her and then to the boy before gulping at the teenage boy. Naruto blinked her eyes at this, wondering why the hell were two adults were just so scared of one teenage boy. She crossed her arms, tapped her feet and listened as the two ladies scrambled the papers together before handing it to the older boy, who flipped through the pages before gazing at her with narrowed eyes.

"There're documents missing."

"I know but the principle has been told about it," Naruto leaned against her foot, "And even if the documents are not there how the hell is it any of your business? And see didn't I tell you the truth when I said I was giving in my paperwork?"

"You still trespassed on the school grounds," He pointed his tonfa on her neck. "If you're a visitor then wear the tag. The next time I'll bite you to death."

She crossed her arms. "Right, the next time I decide to come the school I'll wear a damn tag! It wasn't like I was told to wear one anyways!"

The older boy didn't answer her instead he simply grunted at her before shoving the papers to the admission ladies, who were blinking at the sight in front of them. Shaking her head at the ladies, who were still staring at them, Naruto looked at the dark-haired boy and noticed for the first time since she saw him that there was an armband around his arm. Tilting her head, she noticed the armband had the character of discipline.

Oh great, she got into trouble with the disciplinary committee.

"Herbivore…"

"I'm not a Herbivore!" She snapped. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, use that instead of Herbivore, bastard!"

He grunted. "Herbivore if you're late to school tomorrow, I'll bite you to death."

"For you to do that means you've to actually beat me in a fight," She smirked, "After all, you haven't landed a single hit on me!"

She didn't know what the hell the bastard was thinking but she did know one thing was for certain and it was that the black-haired bastard almost looked thrilled to have a fight with her again. If Naruto was going to be honest with herself, she actually liked the idea of fighting him. Sure she wanted to live in this world and experienced freedom but it never meant she wanted to give up fighting, not when she could almost hear a small part of herself telling her that she shouldn't give up in her training.

It wouldn't be a year later until she realized just how true that instinct was, it wouldn't be a year later until her past collided with her future but Naruto never realized this.

For now, she was just content to finish the paperwork and go back home, where she could relax and study the scrolls the Sandaime Hokage had left her.

A/N: Please review