A.N. 1

I've recently moved to Dallas and it has been a hectic week. Then when I tried to publish this chapter, I couldn't log in to the website. I'll try to release a chapter in 3-5 days but it's not guaranteed a chapter will be released so soon. I changed the rating of this story from a T to M because of language. I'm also taking jutsu suggestions but they can't be overpowered. Just give me a description and I'll see if I can use it. The voting for the harem will be closed in 3 days so vote if you hadn't already. I won't explain how the voting works since I think you should know by now. Here are the results as of this chapter's release:

Tenten Higarashi – 22 votes
Anko Mitarashi – 13 votes
Fu – 13 votes
Kin Tsuchi – 9 votes
Samui – 9 votes
Yugito – 9 votes
Konan – 7 votes
Hana Inuzuka – 6 votes
Kurotsuchi – 6 votes
Mabui – 6 votes
Mei Terumi – 5 votes
Karui – 1 vote

As you can see, Tenten is in first place by a wide margin. The only way she's out of the harem is if everyone plots against her. Anko and Fu are tied for second so they're both in if the results stay the same. For the person who voted for Karui, I'm sorry but her chances are pretty much diminished.

I would like to thank everyone because not only did I pass the century mark for follows but also for favorites! This is the longest chapter I've ever written and I hope I was able to keep up the quality. This is my thanks to everyone for reading my story. This chapter also finishes up the introductory before we move on to Konohamaru and Wave. That means Haku would make her long awaited appearance (for me anyway). I hope you enjoy this chapter.

A.N. 2

This chapter has been edited as of 1/4/16. More details were added.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

Jutsu/Biju

'Biju Thoughts'

Chapter 5: Reassessment of Fate

*A month later*

Hiruzen sat in his chair and replayed what had happened in the past month. He was hospitalized for one week as a precaution for minor injuries and chakra exhaustion. The defeat of Danzo caused quite a few of events to occur. Danzo's body was burned after it was announced that he was a traitor. Most didn't believe that such an esteemed elder could be a traitor but when evidence of him collaborating with Orochimaru came to light, there was no protest to the burning.

Jiraiya was unable to track Orochimaru's slippery trail which seemed to disappear into thin air. Unable to find him in the darkness, the toad sage went back and reported to Hiruzen. The Hokage ordered a widespread search for possible tunnels or caves that could lead out of the village. The shinobi were able to find several deserted labs but none of them led outside the village. Jiraiya then left the village, hoping that his spy network would aid him in finding where the snake hid.

Danzo's Root was secretly kept in operation but this time under the guidance of Lynx, aka Tenzo, who was named Root Commander. All Root shinobi that were loyal to Danzo were executed for treason. The others surrendered and were admitted into T&I. Documents regarding Root's activities were collected for Hiruzen to review. It was amazing that Danzo had put his plans and dealings on paper. Some of the stuff the man had done was frightening. It clearly showed how much he strayed from the right path.

He was involved with Hanzo the Salamander to quell Amegakure's rebellion, in hopes that Hanzo would help him invade Konohagakure so Danzo could be Hokage. He gathered, against their will, young children to be put in his program. He would even kill the parents if the child had potential to be used as a weapon. Danzo even made children kill each other to get rid of their so called 'useless emotions'. He attempted to kill Shisui to steal his Sharingan but he was only able to steal an eye before Shisui escaped. That explained the real reason why Shisui had committed suicide, to prevent Danzo from acquiring the other eye.

In addition, there was a roster of every Root ANBU. Even the ones that were killed were listed. Hiruzen checked the list and matched it with his own roster of shinobi. The Sandaime wanted to ensure that no Root ANBU loyal to Danzo was alive. He skipped over the ones killed in action as they were dead.

Danzo's papers even revealed how the other elders and some civilian council members were persuaded to join his side. This caused Hiruzen to strip those council members of their seats and send them to T&I for questioning. Koharu and Homura were asked to retire because if the villagers knew that all three elders were involved in traitorous actions, the villagers wouldn't trust the higher ups.

The two ex-elders regretfully retired from their posts and Hiruzen was forced to select new elders. He decided on his two loyal students: Jiraiya and Tsunade. Jiraiya would only be available for council meetings if it was deemed important. Tsunade was chosen because Hiruzen wanted to groom her to be the next Hokage, not that she knew that. Although he didn't want to remain Hokage, he knew he had to teach Tsunade everything that was needed to become Hokage before he retired.

The younger kids in Root were put into an orphanage and were adopted by the villagers to help them regain their emotions. Two of the kids requested to live with each other instead of with a guardian. Hiruzen didn't like the idea of having kids live by themselves. He was going to dismiss the request when his surrogate grandson barged in.

*Flashback Begins*

Naruto had barged into the Hokage's office when he heard that the old man was hospitalized. "Jiji, are you ok?" Naruto asked, ignoring the fact that Hiruzen was with company.

"As you can see Naruto-kun, I'm in good health. I wished that you would've knocked because, as you can see, I have company." Hiruzen said while chuckling at his grandson's antics. Naruto looked at the two boys that looked around his age. The one that seemed older had blue hair while the younger one had black hair. Both boys seemed awfully pale.

"Oh sorry about that Jiji, I was just worried about you." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly in embarrassment. The blonde boy sat down on the couch so he wouldn't disturb the two guests while he waited. The two guests, seeing that Naruto wasn't leaving, continued the conversation with the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, can you please allow us to live together?" The blue haired boy asked hopefully. "Sai is like a little brother to me and I don't want us to be separated if one of us gets adopted." The blued haired boy explained. The black haired boy named Sai nodded his head in agreement.

Hiruzen sighed out loud. He honestly didn't want to separate the two boys but living without an adult was hard for children that were still in the Academy. "I'm sorry Shin-kun but it's difficult to live without a caretaker. Finding a place to rent you an apartment would also be quite difficult." The Sandaime informed.

Before the blue haired boy called Shin could respond, Naruto cut into the conversation. "Jiji they could live in my building since no one else lives there besides me." The young jinchuriki commented. The two boys looked at Naruto as if he was the savior to their problems. Naruto began pressing Hiruzen even more. "Plus, they'll have an orphan stipend until they graduate from the Academy, which should be more than enough to live by. I really hope you don't separate family just because they don't have an adult to take care of them. Look at me, I've turned out just fine even with my 'circumstances'." Naruto stressed the word 'circumstances', hoping to guilt trip the old man.

Naruto's plan worked as work as Hiruzen felt remorseful for not taking care of Naruto better. The Hokage took a puff from his pipe before blowing it out. "Fine you'll have your wish." The Sandaime said. The two boys looked at each other and smiled. "But you'll need to pay rent and attend the Academy to become a shinobi." Hiruzen smiled as he thought the conditions were too lenient, but he didn't feel like facing Naruto's wrath.

*Flashback Ends*

It was later reported that Shin had a life threatening medical condition. Normal doctors were unable to pinpoint the reason for his disease and a way to cure it. Luckily, Tsunade wasn't a normal doctor and had seen such a disease in her travels. She was able to successfully cure him and he no longer had to worry about dying from the disease. The medic program that Hiruzen had installed at the hospital not only helped the Academy students but the doctors as well. The doctors were better equipped to handle more difficult injuries and diseases, thanks to Tsunade's guidance. The students were taught basic medical techniques like how to use a first aid kit and other simple things that could help a wounded shinobi in the field. Tsunade refused to teach medical Ninjutsu to the students because it required good chakra control. She also believed that they needed to be at least Genin for them to be worth her time. Hiruzen agreed as chakra control was something their Jonin sensei was supposed to teach them.

Hiruzen spun his chair around to face the picture of Minato. "I hope I'm doing you proud Minato. I'm slowly but surely fixing my mistakes. Hopefully I can take care of my greatest mistake before I pass on." The evening sun shined on Hiruzen's rock face on the Hokage Monument. Hiruzen smiled as if Minato had asked the heavens to give Hiruzen an answer.

*Two Years Later*

Naruto sat on the swing as he watched students walk out of the Academy to their parents with their hitai-ate. Of course, Naruto didn't receive his hitai-ate like the others. After all, he was taking the Genin exams next year. The blonde was actually waiting for Shin and Tenten to come out. Sai, wearing all black shinobi clothing, was sitting next to him on his own swing. He had gotten close to his neighbors and they were like a family. Shin was the oldest, Naruto in the middle, and Sai the youngest.

When they had first met, Shin was like Naruto in some ways. Both were hyperactive and loud but Shin was more absent-minded than Naruto was. Shin would sometimes stumble into things because he would be thinking about other stuff. Sai was the reserved one of the trio. He preferred to draw or read books. He and Naruto shared a common interest when it came to books. Sai was very impressionable, due to the fact that he would take anything a book would say as advice.

He had once read a book on nicknames, which stated that giving people nicknames was a sign of friendship. That next day, Sai gave everyone in class a nickname based on their appearances and personality. Naruto had to stop Sai's frankness because he kept saying mean things unintentionally. The blonde had to give his younger brother a book on manners to stop him. Sai apologized but the damage was already done. Now everyone saw Sasuke's hair as a duck's butt. Strangely enough, Sasuke's fan club seemed to increase after the incident.

Sakura now took out her wrath out on Sai, instead of Naruto, after Sai had called her 'howler monkey'. Only Sai would dodge her attempts and the pinkette would hit whatever was near Sai instead. She was scolded by Iruka after she broke too many chairs. Naruto's affections for the pink haired girl had decreased due to the fact that he was constantly training. Most of his time was used to hone his skills or to pull pranks. After a while, he no longer saw Sakura as anything more than a classmate.

He attributed his liking of Sakura to the fact that he thought of Sasuke as a rival. The blonde still considered Sasuke as a rival but he didn't voice it. He tried to befriend the raven haired boy like he promised Mikoto. Despite multiple attempts to strike up a conversation, Sasuke would only reply with grunts. The jinchuriki really wanted to be friends with the Uchiha since they both understood what it was like to lose a family. Mikoto and Itachi were as much of a family for Naruto as they were for Sasuke. He eventually gave the raven haired boy space after Sasuke said that he refused to associate with a loser like Naruto.

While disheartened by the Uchiha's comment, Naruto didn't mind as he had a group of friends. Shikamaru would invite him, and by extension Shin and Sai, to dinner at the Nara Compound. Yoshino quickly warmed up to the two boys and constantly doted on them like she did with Naruto. At first, they loved the attention since neither had a mother. But before long they understood that Yoshino's affection was… troublesome.

Naruto was now able to beat Shikamaru in shogi but still lost four out of five times. Shin was too impatient for the game while Sai preferred to draw. The blonde felt confident enough to challenge Shikaku, only to be beaten to the ground in a few moves. The Nara heir smirked as he knew his dad was a difficult opponent. Ino and Chouji would often come over to play as well.

Chouji was quick to open up to Shin and Sai after he saw that Shikamaru had done the same. Naruto's and Chouji's eating contests were constantly going back and forth with the Akimichi currently in the lead. Naruto started to train with the big boned boy at Shikamaru's request. The Nara heir figured that this generation of Ino-Shika-Cho would likely be placed on the same team. Shikamaru wanted the plump boy to get stronger so that he could do less work. The jinchuriki knew that Shikamaru just wanted to make sure Chouji could handle himself in a fight.

Ino, on the other hand, didn't like Sai at all. After Sai had called her 'blond howler monkey', she was displeased that she was compared to Sakura. The two girls would constantly fight or scream at Sai, much to the annoyance of the class. The pale boy ignored them while smirking, making Naruto swear his little brother was sadistic. Ino was on much friendlier terms with Naruto and Shin. She was still the co-president of the ever-growing Sasuke fan club though.

Hinata had become more outgoing and she stuttered less. The Hyuuga girl started to gain confidence from sparing with Naruto. The blonde finally asked why she constantly stalked him every day. She fainted on the spot as Sai came to get Naruto for dinner. She was nicknamed 'closet pervert' courtesy of Sai after the event. Naruto, hoping to not hurt her feelings, told her they were just friends and that he didn't plan on being in a relationship anytime soon. Hinata was dishearten but settled with being a friend. The Hyuuga heiress hoped to get stronger to impress both her father and Naruto.

Kiba and Akamaru had a strange kind of friendship with the blond. Akamaru would actively greet Naruto and his friends and was rather close to Naruto. Kiba, on the other hand, refused to associate with the jinchuriki for some reason. Naruto later found out from Ino that Kiba had a crush on Hinata but she only paid attention to Naruto. Kiba apparently wanted to be friends with Naruto but his pride got in the way most of the time.

Shino was Naruto's best friend of the entire group. Although he was great friends with Shikamaru, the Aburame boy understood him better. They were both disliked by most of the populace because of what they carried. Naruto was scorned because of the Kyuubi while Shino was stared at with disgust because he carried kikaichu in his body. The blond would often visit the Aburame Compound and was generally accepted by the clan. Naruto even met Shino's childhood friend Torune, who had recently came back from a long term mission.

Tenten was Naruto's best female friend. They constantly spar and train together. Naruto taught her Fuinjutsu to incorporate with her fighting style while Tenten worked with Naruto on his Kenjutsu. She quickly became friends with Yugao after she found that the ANBU woman also loved weapons, even if it was only swords. Tenten was ecstatic to meet her idol, Tsunade, but was extremely disappointed when she had met the drunkard. From that point on, Tenten only admired Tsunade's beauty and skills as a kunoichi.

Naruto wanted to tell her about the Kyuubi but was afraid how she would react. She was his first true friend and he trusted Tenten. But unlike with Shino and Shikamaru, Tenten was directly affected by the actions of the Kyuubi. He didn't know until the brunette told him about her past. The Kyuubi had killed her parents, leaving her an orphan. Kajiya and Tera had adopted the girl afterwards. Naruto was scared that he would lose her when he revealed the truth.

Meanwhile Naruto's skills were progressing at a nice pace. He had finally succeeded in using the Bunshin no Jutsu after receiving Yugao's advice. He made 70 clones, instead of the required 3, and they didn't come out deformed. The blond boy was able to use his other jutsus without hand signs after his older sister had pointed it out to him. Yugao told him about chakra memory, which was similar to muscle memory.

After using one jutsu multiple times, the body was able to remember how much chakra was needed and how it was molded to activate the jutsu. Hand signs were a way to make the body learn the jutsu faster and to stabilize the jutsu. Generally only E and some D rank jutsu were used without hand signs since other stronger jutsus required more power and the hand signs helped with controlling that power. Naruto asked Yugao if it was possible to do one handed signs. Yugao nodded but stated that one must possess amazing chakra control. If the person had lousy control, the jutsu would fail or backfire.

Naruto had then began working on the leaf concentration exercise to increase his chakra control. Initially he loathed doing leaf concentration since it reminded of him of the time that Iruka made him do it as punishment. Eventually, the blond was able to hold three leaves on his body for six hours. To make the exercise more difficult, he would run while applying chakra to make the leaves stick to him. He had asked Hayate for a more advanced chakra control exercise but his Kenjutsu sensei said that those exercises were only available to those who were Genin and above.

Hayate was cured of his coughing problem thanks to Tsunade's medical expertise. It was weird for a while for Naruto and other shinobi to not hear the man cough. Yugao became even more infatuated with his sensei now that he was cured and at one point, he didn't see them for an entire week. Naruto's training in Kage Iai Ryu was progressing thanks to the help of Hayate and Shizune. Shizune taught him human anatomy and where the pressure points were located.

Using that knowledge, Hayate instructed Naruto on how to strike those areas with his sword. Thanks to his constant training, Naruto's physical abilities was now comparable to most of his classmates. He had now possessed high Chunin stamina. His strength was near the lower half of his classmates as his skill set didn't rely on strength. He wasn't exactly sure where he stacked up against his classmates since he never went all out.

He did know that he was weaker than Shin and slightly stronger than Sai when going at full strength. The three boys often sparred without holding back. They told him about the old Root program and Naruto remembered that he was also recruited by Danzo when he was younger. They were instructed by Hiruzen to not garner too much attention since their skills were that of a high Genin.

When Naruto was ready for level 3 in Fuinjutsu training, he sought out Jiraiya for training. The Hokage told him that the toad sage had left on an important mission. Naruto sighed and wished he had talked to Jiraiya earlier even if his godfather was a pervert and an ass that left him alone for 8 years. After all, his father and mother made him his godfather. He must've been important to at least one of them.

Naruto hoped that his Jonin sensei would be able to teach him Taijutsu, maybe even Genjutsu if his chakra control got better. Just as Naruto finished musing, Shin and Tenten walked out of the building. Shin was wearing all black ANBU clothing from top to bottom. Naruto had suggested outfit changes for both Sai and Shin but they refused. They were used to wearing ANBU clothing because of their time in Root. Shin's hitai-ate was wrapped tightly on his left bicep.

Tenten wore a pink qipao blouse as her top and dark green pants covering her legs. Her hitai-ate was tied to her forehead with the cloth being a darker shade of blue than her shinobi sandals. The quartet quickly left and went to Tenten's house for a celebration for the two new Konoha ninja. Tenten hoped she had a cool sensei and team. Naruto already knew that Shin enlisted in the new Root program since he had many comrades there.

The requirement for joining the Root program was unknown since it technically didn't exist. Shin was allowed to enroll because he was a part of the old program. The new Root ninjas were trained in espionage and were usually on missions outside the village. This allowed the ANBU to concentrate their forces inside the village. Root ANBU even served as backup members on difficult missions or when a squad requested reinforcements. The program was only known to Chunin level and higher shinobi. It was kept from public knowledge to ensure that there wouldn't be any backlash.

Sai had wanted join at the same time as Shin but the oldest brother urged him to spend more time with his friends. Sai nodded, promising to join after he graduated. Naruto preferred not to join because he wanted to be Hokage. Since Root mainly worked in the shadows, his mission records wouldn't be publicly known. There was no way the villagers would accept him as Hokage if they didn't know of his accomplishments. Plus he doubted that would enjoy staying away from the village, where most of his friends were.

The families of the new graduates celebrated as their kids had joined the ranks of Konohagakure shinobi. In another year, Naruto would also be a Genin.

*Ten Months Later*

Naruto was jogging around the village in the early morning hours when he spotted two silhouettes from a distance. As he got closer, he saw two males walking on their hands. It was hard to miss them due to the fact their outfit was green spandex. The only redeeming feature of the outfit was the orange leg warmers, at least according to Naruto. "Look Lee, someone else is exercising on this youthful morning." The older man beamed to his disciple.

"Yosh, Gai-sensei! This person is worthy in becoming my rival." The younger version proclaimed to his sensei. Lee jumped from his position and landed in front of Naruto, stopping the blond from moving forward. "Hello my name is Rock Lee, may I have your name?" Lee asked while he held out his hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you Lee but I need to finish my jog." Naruto shook Lee's hand, hoping to flee from the green spandex boy. Lee's bushy eyebrows were sending chills down his spine.

However, Gai stopped the blond by placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Ah, you must be young Naruto, whom our Tenten talks about. It seems that you're a very hard worker just like she told us." Gai commented.

Before Naruto said another word, Tenten came running up to the group. "Gai-sensei you're late for the team meeting, what are you doing?" Tenten asked when she spotted Naruto. "Naruto what are you doing here?" The brunette wondered.

Naruto answered with his own question. "These two are a part of your team?" He said, pointing to Guy and Lee before continuing. "I thought you said that your sensei and teammates were super cool?"

Gai and Lee smiled brightly, causing Naruto's eyes to flinch in pain. "Did you hear that Lee? Our youthful Tenten told her friend that we're cool. I'm one step closer to beating my rival Kakashi in coolness now." Gai shouted out.

"Hai Gai-sensei! I think that Tenten was embarrassed by our coolness so she only told her friends." Lee added on.

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

This image of two males in green spandex hugging each other with tears falling from their eyes was horrifying. Naruto had lucky closed his eyes because the Sunset Genjutsu soon came into effect. The early morning goers that saw the scene passed out with foam coming out of their mouth. Tenten simply cringed because she had seen the image many times, too many by her count. "Naruto I hope you understand why I lied to you." She whispered.

Naruto nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder. His eyes were full of pity and sadness for his friend. "Tenten I'm sorry, I don't know how you can deal with them." Naruto replied, trying to console her while giving her a reassuring smile.

Gai ended the Genjutsu with Lee and turned to the Naruto. "Young Naruto-kun how would you like to train with us today?" Gai asked the blond. The jinchuriki winced at the idea, not wanting to spend any more time with the spandex duo.

"Even though he's weird, Gai-sensei is the best Taijutsu user in Konoha." Tenten told him.

"Sure." The blonde replied, changing his mind. "I was hoping someone could help me with my Taijutsu, as it's one of my weak areas." Naruto added. The quartet headed towards Training Ground 9 where a long black haired boy stood. The training ground was like Training Ground 11, except that it had dummies and was littered with weapons. 'I keep telling Tenten to pick up her weapons after she's done with them but she never listens.' Naruto thought in his head.

"Guy-sensei I wish you would inform me and Tenten if you're going to be late." The boy said to Guy, annoyance evident in his tone. Naruto noticed that the boy oddly resembled Hinata. Most likely a Hyuuga, seeing as the boy wore a khaki shirt and dark brown shorts. Bandages were wrapped around his right arm and right leg. The blue shinobi sandals on his feet completed the outfit.

"That was unyouthful of me Neji; I'll be here on time from now on. IF I'M NOT, I'LL RUN A THOUSAND LAPS AROUND KONOHA ON MY HANDS!" Gai announced, much to the disdain of the people nearby.

"Anyways, are we going to train?" Neji inquired. "I have clan matters I must attend to." The black haired boy said even though he had no such thing. It was the only possible way to escape the spandex duo. He finally noticed the blonde standing next to Tenten. "What's he doing here?"

Gai smiled at Neji's question. "This here is Naruto-kun, a friend of Tenten's and an equally youthful person. Naruto-kun this is my other student, Hyuuga Neji." Gai introduced the two.

"Hello my name's Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you." Naruto greeted.

Neji frowned and had a look of distaste. "I see. You're the boy that is friends with Hinata-sama." The Hyuuga male remembered. Naruto smiled but Neji continued. "No wonder. Trash tends to stick together. After all, fate dictates that they'll never amount to anything." Neji said, causing Naruto to fume.

"Hey, I don't care what you call me but DON'T call my friends trash!" The jinchuriki roared.

"I have every right to call you whatever I please. Fate separates the winners from the losers. You're fortunate that a talented kunoichi like Tenten is even friends with you. A loser can only lick the ground of where the winner stands." Neji finished his monologue. Tenten was furious at her teammate for insulting her best friend. She was about to tell him off but Lee intervened.

"Neji, in your eyes a loser will always be a loser but with hard work anything can change." Lee advised.

Neji smirked at the spandex boy. "Lee, you were the dead last of our graduating class and you aren't able to mold chakra yet you still persisted on being a shinobi. I'll admit that I no longer see you as trash as your skills has grown since training with Gai-sensei." Neji admitted, causing Lee to smile at the acknowledgment. Neji would once again down his spirits. "You're now the ground under my feet instead of the trash that rolls around."

Naruto was mad, no he was infuriated! "Gai-sensei, can I spar with your student?" The blonde requested as he desperately tried to control himself. Naruto's mind was raging to thrash the disgusting human being in front of him.

Tenten put a hand on his shoulder. "You might be good for an Academy student Naruto, but Neji was the Rookie of the Year. He's arguably the best of our generation." She warned.

Naruto shrugged the hand off his shoulder and looked at Tenten, dead in the eye. "Tenten, titles like Rookie of the Year don't matter out in the battlefield. I may be weak but I'm not as weak as you think." The blonde refuted.

Naruto turned away from her and stood opposite of Neji. Tenten was stunned by Naruto's words. She always sparred with him so she knew how strong he was. Why didn't he understand that she was trying to protect him? Gai approached the two boys and stood in the middle. "Naruto-kun I thank you for being civilized and requesting a spar against my student instead of outright attacking him." Gai bowed in gratitude before standing back up. "This is a spar so they'll be no killing blows. The spar ends when I say so or when your opponent surrenders." Gai explained the rules of the spar.

"This is your last chance to surrender before I pummel you into the ground. Fate dictates that I'll emerge victorious." Neji smirked before getting into his Juken stance. The jinchuriki chose not to comment and simply looked at Neji impassively. The outgoing Naruto was replaced as his serious side kicked in. Naruto was analyzing the male Hyuuga like a book, trying to find a weakness to exploit. After deciding on a plan of attack, he unsealed his wakizashi from its scroll.

Lee waited with anticipation for the spar to start even though he was still feeling down from Neji's comments. Tenten sighed in defeat and just hoped the two wouldn't hurt each other too much. Gai raised his hand up and after a tense moment dropped it saying "Hajime!".

-Naruto vs Neji-

Neji and Naruto both stood there, waiting for the other to attack. Neji was obviously not taking this seriously as he didn't even activate his Byakugan. Naruto decided to take the initiative and try to capitalize on the fact that he was being underestimated. "Bushin no Jutsu." In an instant, hundreds of Narutos filled the training area.

"Such a useless technique when faced with 'Byakugan'." Neji activated his Doujutsu and scanned the area. However he was unable to find the real Naruto among the crowd. "Hmph, he ran away as soon as he had the chance." The Hyuuga concluded. Naruto suddenly appeared in front of Neji, with his back to the Hyuuga. The only person that saw what had happened was Gai. After making the numerous bunshins, Naruto used Kawarimi no Jutsu to replace himself with one of the abundant shuriken on the ground. The shuriken the blonde chose to replace himself with was more than 50 feet away. Gai concluded that Naruto had experience with fighting the Byakugan to know some of its limits. Naruto then applied chakra to his feet and sprinted to attack Neji.

To knock Gai out of his thoughts, Naruto slid his wakizashi back into its sheath. "Kage Iai Ryu: Mikadzuki (Shadow Quick Draw Style: Crescent Moon)." The jinchuriki whispered out. When the blade was fully in the sheath, blood sprayed out from all over Neji's back. A crescent strike was etched into his back and red liquid was dripping out of the wound. "You shouldn't have underestimated me. If we were allowed killing blows, you would be dead right now." Naruto said with no outward emotion.

Tenten had never seen her friend like this before. Every time they had sparred, there was always a smile on his face. 'Is this how strong he really is?' Tenten thought while observing the spar.

Neji panted before gathering his breath. "So even a loser can injure me, I'll make sure you'll never hit me again." The Hyuuga arrogantly commented even though his back was dripping blood. Naruto put his hand up to activate a seal. Neji saw this and noticed that there was a paper seal on his back thanks to Byakugan.

"Looks like you've noticed my seal on your back." Naruto said as he smiled at Neji. "Too bad you noticed it too late. You lose Neji." Naruto activated the seal and light surrounded Neji. The male Hyuuga was blinded by the sudden light, forcing him to deactivate his Doujutsu. "Kage Iai Ryu: Tsubame no Mure (Shadow Quick Draw Style: Swarm of Swallows)." Naruto rapidly slashed Neji's body dozens of times. When the light dissipated, Naruto was slowly sheathing his blade while Neji stood there frozen. As soon as the wakizashi returned into its scabbard, red liquid splattered into the air.

Naruto bent down to face Neji, who had fallen to the ground. "This so called trash just defeated you. If what you said was true, then what are you now that you lost to trash? Your so called fate didn't help you win even though you said it would. You said that fate dictates life, then why not change it? You didn't try to change it because you're a coward. You took the coward's way out and wallowed in self-pity and arrogance." Naruto then got up and apologized to Guy for hurting his student before leaving the training ground.

Neji laid there with his face on the ground, thinking about Naruto's words. Gai sat down next to his defeated student. "Neji everyone here believed that you were strong, much stronger than Naruto-kun." Gai comforted the Hyuuga. "The only one who didn't believe that was Naruto-kun. He was able to beat you because you were arrogant and underestimated him. I hope you learned an important lesson today and think about the words that he told you." Gai said in a serious tone, unlike his usual exuberant self.

'Is it possible to change fate? He was obviously weaker than me yet he was able to win. I may not know if fate could be changed but I'll at least try from now on.' Neji thought as he reached a self-realization. "Hai Gai-sensei." Neji said with a rare smile on his face.

"Yosh! I'll also make Naruto-kun my eternal rival." Lee shouted at the top of his lungs. The spandex duo then carried Neji to the hospital but not before telling the stunned Tenten that she had the rest of the day off. Gai also told her to tell Naruto that he was welcome to join in their training.

Tenten nodded before running off to catch up to her best friend. The weapon mistress didn't need to run far as Naruto soon came into view. "Naruto, wait a minute." The brunette shouted as she grabbed Naruto by the arm, stopping him from going any farther.

Naruto's eyebrows arched up in confusion. "What's up Tenten?" Naruto asked his friend.

"What was all of that Naruto? I've never seen you move like that before." Tenten asked since every time they had sparred, Naruto never displayed such skills.

"Well, to be honest, I didn't want to attack the stick up the ass (Neji) like that." Naruto rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "He made me so mad for insulting my friends. I don't care if he talks about me, I'm used to it. But when he talks about my friends, it's a different story. So I wanted to pummel him and make him regret it. Those attacks are mainly used to severely injure or kill my opponent. I would never use them against my friends." The blonde admitted to his best female friend.

Tenten sighed for the second time today and approached Naruto. 'Why is he always so selfless? He never thinks about himself. It's an admirable trait yet why does it feel so sad?' Tenten thought as she wrapped her arms around Naruto. Naruto was surprised by the action but he hugged her back. They stood there together for a brief moment until a booming voice rang throughout the village.

"Look Gai-sensei! I told you Tenten embraced your teachings of youth!" Lee shouted from a hospital window.

"Yes!" Gai replied. "You're right my student, youthful Tenten is just too shy to show it." Gai then flashed a nice guy pose towards Tenten and Naruto. Lee followed the action and his teeth twinkled. The blonde and brunette blushed and quickly separated from each other. A nurse came by and told them to leave since they were disturbing the patients. Naruto and Tenten laughed as the nurse chased Guy and Lee with a clipboard, held over her head ready to strike.

*Graduation Day, two months later*

Naruto sat there anxiously as the rest of the class came into the room. Some were nervous while others just wanted to get the exams over with. Naruto waited his turn for the Ninjutsu part of the exam. The boy answered enough questions on the written part to pass. He was able to pass the throwing weapons test with ease. In the Taijutsu portion, Mizuki went up against Naruto. The blond was able to win using a style that Gai taught him.

Gai taught Naruto as promised and after seeing Naruto's horrible Taijutsu, was motivated even further. The blonde's Taijutsu was called Suifuto Tsubame (Swift Swallow). It was an original style inspired by Naruto's Tsubame no Mure attack. It was an evasive style that used Naruto's instincts and limber body to dodge attacks. The blonde would dodge or parry before attacking different areas of the body. The style fitted the jinchuriki to a tee since he knew many of the pressure points of the human body.

It was thanks to Neji, however, that the style had been formed. After being discharged from the hospital, the Hyuuga wasn't as pessimistic nor did he belittle others like before. While he was still serious, Neji smiled more. When Gai asked Neji for advice, Naruto was sure that the Hyuuga male would refuse since the Juken was a clan technique. Instead, Neji instructed the blonde on how the Juken worked and in return, Naruto would spar with Neji. The Hyuuga teen wanted to see how the Juken stacked against a style similar to it.

Naruto constantly had his tenketsu points closed since Neji never went easy. Eventually Naruto was able to parry Neji's attacks but still couldn't land a hit. The new style would take time to perfect since it was new. Neji acknowledged that Naruto might one day be an equal to him and Lee in Taijutsu. When the blonde used the Suifuto Tsubame against Mizuki, it was the first time that he had ever landed a hit. This resulted in him sending Mizuki to the floor in pain.

Mizuki was escorted to the hospital as everyone looked on in shock. Sasuke was seething with jealously and demanded Naruto to teach him that style. Naruto refused since it was his own and he wanted to perfect it before teaching anybody. Sasuke didn't say anything as Naruto didn't outright refuse or accept to teach him. The Uchiha simply grunted and went back to brooding. The Ninjutsu portion was the last part and it went in alphabetical order.

Naruto was among the last in the room before his name was called. "Alright Naruto, I need you to do the three basic Academy Justus." Iruka said. The two were the only ones in the room since Naruto had sent Mizuki to the hospital. Naruto used Kawarimi with a chair in the room and used Henge to turn into Iruka. He finished off the test with 50 Bunshins. Iruka was beyond happy and congratulated Naruto before grabbing a hitai-ate.

"Naruto, if you would let me, can I put your hitai-ate on you?" Iruka asked his now ex-student.

"Sure sensei, by all means." Naruto replied with a grin. Iruka bent down and replaced Naruto's goggles with the hitai-ate. When he finished, small tears formed from his eyes.

He hugged the boy tightly before releasing. "I always believed that you could do it, I'm so proud of you." Iruka smiled as he wiped away the tears.

Naruto, this time, embraced his teacher. "Thank you for not hating me like everybody else Iruka-sensei. I learned a lot from you, even though your lectures were boring." The blonde joked. The two shared a quick laugh and promised to meet at Ichiraku's another time. Naruto met up with his friends and they went to the Akimichi's to celebrate their graduation. It was a festive day and around nighttime, Naruto left the compound to talk to the Sandaime.

He entered the room to find a limping Mizuki with a large scroll in his hands. "Look at my luck! Just before I leave the village, I get to kill the demon brat." Mizuki grinned evilly while placing the forbidden scroll down.

"So you're a traitor Mizuki-teme. I always thought your smiles were fake. Let me ask you a question before you die, who are you working for and why?" Naruto asked but went into his Taijutsu stance. Mizuki laughed hysterically at the boy.

"Who are you to ask me those questions?" The traitor mocked. "Since you're going to die anyway, I'll indulge in your last wish. I work for the great Orochimaru-sama and he promised me power to match even the Kages." Mizuki confessed to Naruto.

"There's no way you could do this alone. You're too stupid for that, who's helping you?" The blonde inquired, trying to goat Mizuki into revealing more information.

"I'm not stupid you fucking demon." The ex-teacher yelled. "Wait, why are you so calm when I'm about to kill you?" Mizuki's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Damn. I was hoping to get more information out of you. He's all yours ANBU-san." The jinchuriki called out. At Naruto's words, an ANBU appeared from the shadows and captured Mizuki with ninja wire. Mizuki didn't have time to react as the Hokage came into the room.

"ANBU, take the traitor to the T&I building and give me a report on all the findings." Hiruzen told the ANBU, who immediately left. The Sandaime sat down in his chair and faced his surrogate grandson. "Looks like you graduated Naruto-kun, congratulations on becoming a Genin." The Hokage congratulated his newest Genin. His face then warped into one of seriousness. "Good job on getting Mizuki to reveal information but how did you know there was an ANBU nearby?" He asked Naruto.

Naruto gave a wide grin. "I just figured that there would be one nearby since an ANBU usually follows me around. Luckily I guessed right and Mizuki was apprehended without me lifting a finger." The blonde explained. "Oh, I won't be committing anymore pranks so you can tell them to stop tailing me." The new Genin added.

Hiruzen sweat dropped at the boy. Naruto had knew about the ANBU tailing him and the reason why they did. "Ignoring that last sentence, you shouldn't have provoked an enemy shinobi." He warned.

"I'm pretty sure I could take on Mizuki but I'll be more cautious next time." Naruto nodded and thanked his grandfather for the advice.

"Anyways Naruto, you'll receive partial pay for a B rank mission for your assistance in apprehending Mizuki. This won't go on your record as you're not officially a Genin until you see your Jonin sensei."

Hiruzen mixed some truth with the lies to prevent Naruto from knowing about the official Genin test. "Okay Jiji. I just stopped by to tell you I graduated but I see that you're going to be busy so I'll leave." Naruto said while saying his goodbyes to the Hokage.

When Naruto left the room, an ANBU Shunshin into the room. "What's the status of Mizuki, Dragon?" Hiruzen asked the ANBU Commander.

"Mizuki has revealed everything after he was interrogated by Ibiki. Inoichi mind walked into Mizuki to confirm that he's telling the truth. He has ties with a spy of Orochimaru, a Genin named Yakushi Kabuto. Kabuto's currently working at the hospital. We've also found a hideout that leads out of Konoha thanks to Mizuki." Dragon finished his report. The Hokage recognized the name Kabuto and scanned Danzo's Root roster.

"I want a team to capture Kabuto but proceed with caution. From Danzo's records, Kabuto was a former Root ANBU so he has at least Chunin skills. Take another team to investigate that hideout." The Hokage ordered. He had miscalculated, trusting in Danzo's papers. Hiruzen frowned that he allowed a mole to remain in Konoha.

Dragon nodded and left to gather the teams. Hiruzen lit his pipe with a small fire jutsu. 'How did Kabuto infiltrate Konoha without anyone knowing? He even hid in broad daylight yet no one suspected a thing. Is it possible that there's another traitor within our midst?' The old man mused as he was left alone with a stack of paperwork.

*A week later at an unknown location*

"I've returned Orochimaru-sama, Mizuki was captured by Konohagakure. I was unable to assassinate him before he revealed your secrets. I wish for you to forgive me for this failure." Kabuto reported while bowing. His ash grey hair was styled in a ponytail while the shinobi wore a high collared purple shirt with matching pants. A flask was thrown across the room and impacted the wall next to Kabuto.

"I knew I should've killed that idiot when I had the chance. It'll be more difficult to infiltrate Konoha now that Sarutobi is on the lookout for us." Orochimaru raged and accidentally killed the specimen on the table. The Sannin's extremely pale skin glowed in the dark cave. The man's golden iris' were able to strike fear in most beings. With purple markings around his eyes and fang-like teeth, it was appropriate to call him the snake Sannin.

"Shit! I killed this fool." Orochimaru cursed, throwing the corpse to the side. "This is unfortunate but we'll need to push back our plans to invade Konoha. The invasion will happen sometime after the Chunin Exams. Go and inform the Kazekage that the proposal is null and void because of complications. Also Kimimaro, I've a mission for you." Orochimaru barked out orders before turning to an equally pale skinned male. Two scarlet dots were marked on the male's forehead, proving him to be a member of the Kaguya clan. His white hair swooshed as he bent down to his knee.

"Is there anything I can do for you Orochimaru-sama?" Kimimaro asked his savior.

"I've heard of an interesting rumor out of Kusagakure. Apparently there's someone with abilities to heal people if bitten. I want you to find that person and bring them back here alive. They might be an interesting subject to test or a tool to heal my troops. Either way, take the rest of the Sound Five with you and don't fail me Kimimaro." The snake Sannin ordered Kimimaro.

"Of course Orochimaru-sama, your wish is my command." Kimimaro said before walking off.

'Sarutobi-sensei, your beloved Konoha will fall to me and on that day I will kill you. kukuku.' Orochimaru laughed as he looked at the jars that contained the Sharingan eyes that he was going to implant in Danzo's arm.

*At the same time in Konoha*

The Academy graduates waited patiently for Iruka to come and announce who would be their teammates. Unknown to them, the Hokage and several Jonins were watching them interact through his crystal ball. After a few short minutes, the Jonins backed up and waited for the Sandaime to speak. "You can now make your requests, if you have any." Hiruzen told the soon to be senseis. Three people raised their hands. Those Jonins were Sarutobi Asuma, Hatake Kakashi, and Yuuhi Kurenai. "I'll hear you out and decide whether to accept the request or not." The Hokage pointed to Kakashi first.

"I would like Uchiha Sasuke on my team as I'm the only one capable of teaching him the Sharingan." Kakashi said with an eye smile. The former ANBU captain was once again late to the meeting, forcing everyone to wait for him.

"I would like to request Hyuuga Hinata on my team for personal reasons Hokage-sama." Kurenai, the newest Jonin, requested.

"I want this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho." Asuma smirked as he ran a hand through his spiky black hair. The Sandaime's son had just returned from his service as a member of the twelve guardian shinobi. His attire consisted of a standard blue Jonin outfit. The main difference was that he had on a white sash with the kanji 'fire' written in red, tied to his waist. He had a goatee similar to his father. The younger Sarutobi was itching for a cigarette but a quick glare from his former teammate, Kurenai, stopped him.

Hiruzen pondered the requests for a moment. 'Kakashi's right as he's the only one able to help Sasuke. I should put Naruto on that team and see if Kakashi recognizes his sensei's son. Kurenai could hopefully boost Hinata's confidence and train her to be a respectful kunoichi. Asuma, on the other hand, is just being lazy. He knows that it's tradition for a Sarutobi to be the sensei of each generation of Ino-Shika-Cho.' The Sandaime mused.

Hiruzen scribbled names on a paper, detailing the teams and sensei. He sent an ANBU to give the parchment to Iruka. He then gave all the Jonins a scroll with information on their team. "All requests are approved and you'll meet with your teams now. You're all dismissed except for Kakashi." The Hokage announced. As the Jonins funneled out of his room, Hiruzen turned to perpetually late Jonin. "Kakashi, you've got to stop being late. I don't care what you do on your own time but when it interferes with other people's time, we have a problem."

"Of course Hokage-sama." Kakashi replied but the Sandaime knew that the silver haired male had already forgot about the discussion.

"I didn't want to resort to this but I need to make sure you're no longer late." The Hokage sighed before reaching into one of his cabinets. The old man pulled out book with a red cover that depicted a man thinking about love. The book was autographed by the author, Jiraiya.

"That's the mega-rare misprint of Icha Icha: Violence with Jiraiya-sama's signature on the cover!" Kakashi shouted, his visible eye widening in disbelief. Only five copies were ever released because Jiraiya had accidently sent the unfinished manuscript of the third book instead of the completed second. It was rumored that Jiraiya had destroyed the copies to prevent anyone from knowing about the third book. The rumor turned out to be false since Hiruzen held one in his hand.

"As I suspected, you know about the existence of this book." The Hokage said as he gently laid down the book on his desk. It was common knowledge that Kakashi was an avid collector of Icha Icha. He had the entire collection baring two. The book in front of him was one. The other was an exclusive book about a red haired woman and a blond male. "This book could be yours."

Kakashi's body jolted on the spot. He desperately wanted that book but he knew that there was a catch. "What do I need to do to obtain that masterpiece?" The Jonin asked.

Hiruzen smiled, knowing that he won. "You simply need to be on time for an entire year. That includes being on time for meetings, missions, and everything in between." The Sandaime replied, causing the Jonin to nod. The Hokage glanced at the clock. "Looks like you're going to be late to meet your team." He said nonchalantly and Kakashi was gone in a puff of smoke, along with the book.

Back at the Academy, Iruka was quieting his class. The Jonins walked into the room to observe the prospective Genins. Kakashi Shunshin'ed into the building, surprising everyone. The Jonins and Iruka were astonished that he was even there. The students were surprised to see someone appear suddenly. Kakashi made his way to the back and Iruka continued where he left off. "Okay I'll announce the teams and you'll follow your Jonin-sensei. Before I begin, I would like to announce that the Rookie of the Year is Uchiha Sasuke while Haruno Sakura is our Kunoichi of the Year." As Iruka finished, screams came from the girls as they congratulated Sasuke. Naruto and a few others congratulated Sakura but she was too busy admiring the Uchiha.

Iruka coughed loudly to get the attention once more. "I want to say that I'm proud of all of you for making this far. If you work hard enough, you'll succeed at whatever you choose to do. Good luck on your careers as shinobi. Alright Team 1 is…" Iruka announced the fist few teams. "Team 7 will consist of Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto while your sensei is Hatake Kakashi."

Sasuke grunted in confirmation but he didn't like his team. 'Great, I get Sakura the fan girl and the dobe. At least the fan girl's smart and she's the Kunoichi of the Year. There's some hope for her. The dobe is going to drag me down with his idiocy. Although the Taijutsu he showed was interesting. This sensei better be competent and teach me everything I want to know. I need to get stronger to kill Itachi.' Sasuke thought as he ignored Sakura's proclamation of true love.

The Uchiha's attire consisted of a high collar blue shirt that had the Uchiha symbol on the back. White shorts and matching arm warmers completed the outfit. His hitai-ate was fastened on his forehead. Sakura had grown out her hair after a rumor had circulated, stating that Sasuke liked girls with long hair. Similar to Tenten, Sakura also wore a qipao although of a red variety. She wore tight green shorts underneath with green sandals to match. Her red bow was replaced with her hitai-ate.

Naruto sighed as he laid his head on the desk. 'This team isn't too bad but those two don't particularly like me.' Naruto sighed inwardly this time. The blonde wore a larger version of his old dark shinobi clothing. He had grown taller over the years, ranking in the middle of the class. The only change was that his hitai-ate was worn comfortably where his goggles used to be.

Iruka announced the next team. "Team 8 will consist of Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba with your sensei being Yuuhi Kurenai." Shino and Hinata nodded but both were disappointed that Naruto wasn't their teammate, albeit for different reasons. Kiba was all smiles as he was on the team with his crush. The Inuzuka didn't particularly mind the presence of Shino.

Shino sported the typical look of his clan with a high collar greenish jacket and dark shades. Burgundy shinobi pants finished the look. Shino's hitai-ate was also worn on his forehead. Hinata wore a conservative tan jacket with the symbols of the Hyuuga Clan on both arm sleeves. In addition she wore black shinobi pants and blue shinobi sandals. Her hitai-ate was underneath her jacket and hung loosely around her neck. Kiba's outfit remained the same as he still wore his grey jacket. The only addition was the hitai-ate on his forehead and his matching grey pants.

"Team 9 is still in rotation so Team 10 will consist of Akimichi Chouji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino with your sensei being Sarutobi Asuma." The boys smiled at each other as Shikamaru knew this was going to happen. Ino groaned that she had chubby and lazy instead of being with Sasuke.

Benefiting his lazy nature, Shikamaru wore a simple grey jacket over a mesh shirt. His hitai-ate lay loosely tied around his left sleeve, right underneath his clan symbol. He was wearing brown pants given to him by Yoshino. In contrast, Chouji had the most articles of clothing. On top he wore a white shirt, with the kanji 'food' on it, over which he wore an unbuttoned green haori. A long white scarf was fastened loosely around his neck and he wore black shorts. Both his arms and legs were wrapped in bandages. His hitai-ate was on a headgear that allowed Chouji's brown hair to poke out. Ino wore a vest like blouse and skirt in her favorite color purple. The gap between the two clothing was filled with bandages with her hitai-ate worn like a belt. She also wore bandages underneath her skirt and white arm warmers. All three wore silver loop earrings.

"Sai has been selected to be an apprentice of Tenzo." Iruka announced as a brown haired man raised his hand. Although Naruto didn't know who the man was, he believed that Tenzo must have been a part of Root. The others looked at Sai, who wore the same outfit as Shin, wondering why he had been chosen.

The Jonin senseis collected their teams and left the room. "Team 7 meet me at Training Ground 7 in 10 minutes." Kakashi said as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto said his goodbyes to his friends as he followed Sasuke and Sakura. Near the entrance of the training ground was a grass field with three thick wooden poles standing upright. The majority of Training Ground 7 was a forest that extended into the next training ground, which was 150 feet away. When they arrived at the training grounds, Kakashi motioned them to the spot with three poles. "Alright how about we introduce ourselves? Tell me your likes, dislikes, dreams, hobbies and skills." Kakashi said as he eye smiled to his team.

"How about you go first sensei?" Sakura asked her sensei.

"Okay, my name's Hatake Kakashi and I'm an elite Jonin of the Konohagakure. I like a few things, dislikes are none of your business, I don't exactly have a dream, and all you need to know about my skills is that I'm strong." Kakashi answered half-heartily. The Genins sweat dropped at their sensei's answer. "Alright bubblegum, it's your turn." Kakashi pointed to Sakura.

'Shannaro! My hair isn't bubblegum color, its cherry blossom color.' The girl thought as she introduced herself. "My name is Haruno Sakura. My likes are *blushes as she glances at Sasuke* and my dream is *once again Sakura glances at Sasuke*. My dislikes are Ino-Pig and Sai-Baka. My hobby is *glancing at Sasuke*. My skills are my intelligence and I know a few medical skills." Sakura concluded her introduction. Kakashi then pointed at Sasuke to introduce himself.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke, the last loyal Uchiha. I don't like much and I dislike people inferior to me and fan girls." Sakura looked ashamed when Sasuke said that. "Dreams are irrelevant. My ambitions are to revive my clan and to kill a certain man. My only hobby is training to get stronger. My skills are better than everyone in my class as I'm the Rookie of the Year." Sasuke said smugly as he finished. Sakura had hearts in her eyes while staring at the Uchiha. Both Naruto and Kakashi knew who Sasuke was talking about. Kakashi decided to ask Sasuke about it private.

Kakashi pointed to his last student, the pariah of Konoha. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. My likes are my friends, people that care for me, ramen, pranks, and reading. My dislikes are the three minutes it takes for instant ramen to cook, people who judge others without getting to know them, and getting chased around by the crazy snake lady." Naruto said as a small chill went down his back. Kakashi shivered as well as he knew only one person who used snakes and she wasn't someone to be trifled with.

"My dreams are to become Hokage and to find other Uzumaki, if there are any left in the world." The blonde continued. Sasuke snorted at Naruto's dream.

"As if a clan less dope like you can ever become Hokage." Sasuke smirked. Kakashi thought Naruto would start arguing with Sasuke.

Instead the Uzumaki calmly answered Sasuke's jab. "Even if there isn't any more Uzumaki out there, I'm still one." The blonde replied as he pointing his thumb to his chest. Sasuke wanted to refute but couldn't as it was also partially true for him as well. The jinchuriki continued his introduction.

"My hobbies are gardening and reading all sorts of books. My skills aren't anything special." Naruto lied with a straight face. Kakashi scanned Naruto for any hint of deception. 'It seems I really can't trust the Academy reports on Naruto. He was able to prank me when I was in ANBU, either he's really good in stealth or he's trying to purposely hide his skills.' Kakashi thought while observing the blonde.

"Hey sensei, why are we here?" Naruto asked, snapping Kakashi from his thoughts.

"Oh right, you're about to take a test that will determine whether you become Genin or not." Kakashi answered lazily.

"WHAT!?" The lone kunoichi shouted. "We already passed the test to become Genin at the Academy." Sakura protested.

Kakashi showed a neutral face. "That test determines if you have the potential to be a shinobi. The real test determines whether your skills are enough to be a Genin. Only a third of the graduated students will actually become a Genin." The silver haired man answered.

"That means we only have a 33% chance of passing. That's unfair to us." Sakura complained.

"The world of shinobi is unfair but you'll have to deal with it. Anyways, if you want to pass, all you need to do is get a bell from me." The one eyed Jonin said as he held up two bells.

"But Kakashi-sensei, there are only two bells." Sakura stated the fact.

"That means one of you is going to be sent back to the Academy." Kakashi responded.

Kakashi looked at his students for their reactions. Sakura was yelling how she and Sasuke wasn't going to fail. Sasuke hmphed with arrogance as he believed he couldn't possibly fail. Naruto sat there silently and didn't show a single reaction. 'Okay, either he's shitting his pants on the thought of failing or he's already thinking of a plan. Man he really is the most unpredictable ninja.' Kakashi thought as he was stumped again by the blond enigma.

-Kakashi vs Naruto/Sakura/Sasuke-

"You'll have exactly one hour or when this clock rings to get one of these bells. Come at me with the intent to kill. The test starts now!" Kakashi announced. At the signal, all three hopeful Genins dashed away from the Jonin. 'Looks like they're smart enough to hide. Now let's see here, I found Sakura in the bush over there. Not bad but I'll need to help her blend into her environments more. Sasuke's in the tree a couple feet away spying on me, pretty good for an Academy student. Naruto is…shit! I should've stopped Naruto from going into the forest. I'm definitely not going to search for him.' Kakashi evaluated the three and then pulled out Icha Icha: Paradise. He had placed his newest Icha Icha book at home to prevent it from collecting dust.

Sasuke was infuriated with the Jonin. 'He's calmly reading a book. Does he think I'm not a worthy opponent?' The Uchiha fumed when he felt a tap on his shoulders. The raven haired boy glanced up to find Naruto hanging upside down with his legs holding onto the branch. 'When did the dobe get there?'

"Hey Sasuke you want to team up together with Sakura? I have a plan." Naruto whispered to his new teammate.

"Hn, I don't need your help. I'm an Uchiha, an elite. There's no way I'm working with you or Sakura." Sasuke said before leaping off the tree to engage Kakashi. Naruto sighed inwardly and went to find Sakura. When he proposed the idea of working together with her, the kunoichi refused saying only she and Sasuke was going to pass. Naruto wished his teammates would at least try to cooperate with him. Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, the blonde went back to placing traps.

Meanwhile Sasuke was attacking Kakashi with Taijutsu. The Uchiha had yet to land a single hit on the Jonin nor had he made Kakashi look away from the book. Sasuke was frustrated with his lack of progress so he switched to Ninjutsu. "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)." Sasuke blew out a large fire ball towards Kakashi. The Copy Nin, seeing the size of the jutsu, disappeared underground. When the fire jutsu finished, charred ground was all that was left where the silver haired man had been standing.

Sasuke smirked at his apparent victory until hands grabbed him by the ankles and pulled him underground. "Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique)." Kakashi said as he jumped out of the ground. "I must say, you surprised me with the size of the fireball but you're too confident in yourself." Kakashi remarked before he leapt away to where Sakura was hiding, leaving a buried, except for his head, Sasuke.

Kakashi was able to instantly fool Sakura with a simple Genjutsu that knocked her out and was now tying her and Sasuke to the posts. 'Looks like another team that failed to pass. It's quite a shame, seeing how Naruto asked them to work together. Now I have to find Naruto since I'm required to see his skills even though I don't want to.' Kakashi shuddered and proceeded carefully into the forest. After what seemed like five minutes, the Jonin still couldn't find the blond boy.

As he placed his foot on the ground, a trap sprang into action. Kunai came from the left while shuriken came from the right. Kakashi jumped into the air, only to pull a trip wire. An iron ball came from behind him, threatening to shatter his back. With a quick Kawarimi with a tree branch, the Copy Nin escaped the iron ball. Just when the Jonin thought it was over, an explosion came from under him. Kakashi was able to escape in time due to his experience.

'Damn it! It's like he knows exactly where I'm going to land. I shouldn't have told them to come at me with the intent to kill. I need to get out of this forest.' Kakashi thought as he dodged two more kunai. Kakashi sped off towards the clearing where Sakura and Sasuke were held. Unfortunately, the two were no longer there. The silver haired man figured they had gone back into hiding. So he waited but they didn't come out. 'Why hasn't the alarm rang yet?' Kakashi wondered as he walked towards the alarm clock.

As soon as the Jonin reached for the alarm, Sasuke appeared from the forest and charged the Copy Nin. In the instant Kakashi turned around, a surge of electricity rang through his body. Kakashi collapsed to one knee and looked to see a grinning Naruto. The jinchuriki grabbed the bells and tossed them to Sasuke and Sakura, who had also came out of the forest. "I think we passed the test, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said as he released his seal.

After a few quick breaths, Kakashi got up to his feet and nodded. Sakura jumped up and down while also trying to hug Sasuke. The Uchiha dodged her as he smirked smugly. Naruto shouted for joy and did a quick victory lap. "Before I tell you why you graduated, tell me how you caught me." He asked his new students. Naruto decided to answer the question.

"When you went into the forest to search for me, I came here and untied Sasuke and Sakura. After I finished untying them, I reset the alarm time. I then proposed my plan once again and they accepted when I told them I'll give them the bells. When you noticed that something was wrong with the clock, we initiated the plan. Sasuke appeared from the trees to distract you momentarily. I used Kawarimi no Jutsu to switch places with the clock and I slapped a stun seal on you. You know the rest from there." The blonde explained.

Kakashi nodded but was frowning inwardly. 'In the end, Naruto did most of the work to beat me. It seems like I have a Nara in Naruto without the laziness. If Sasuke can let go of his arrogant pride and Sakura with her infatuation with him, this could be a really good team. I need to fix those issues before I train them.' Kakashi thought while showing the trio an eye smile. "Alright, Naruto congratulations on passing the test." He said, much to the shock of the three Genin. "You two will be sent back to the Academy." Kakashi added, pointing to Sakura and Sasuke.

"WHY!?" The kunoichi hollered. "Sasuke and I are the ones who got the bells, not Naruto. He should be the one going back to the Academy." She protested. Sasuke gave Kakashi a full on glare. Naruto sat down wondering why he had passed, when it came to him.

"The actual purpose of this test is teamwork. The only one who actually displayed that was Naruto when he saved you two from the posts and gave you the bells." Kakashi explained.

"Let me tell you a saying my friend once told me, 'Those who don't obey the rules are trash but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash'." Kakashi repeated Obito's words. He spotted that Sakura was about to complain so he spoke again. "Don't tell me that you two are better than Naruto. Out on the battlefield, titles from the Academy mean nothing. The enemy couldn't care less if you were the Rookie or Kunoichi of the Year. Sasuke, you're too arrogant and think you can accomplish everything on your own. Sakura, you only worry about Sasuke and never once thought about Naruto's safety. Naruto also have flaws that he needs to correct. When he set up his traps, he never thought about your safety. While I survived you guys don't have my skills or experience and would have died if you walked into one of his traps." Kakashi finished talking. Sasuke gritted his teeth in annoyance, Sakura looked down in shame, and Naruto slowly nodded as if he was admitting that Kakashi was right.

"Despite this, I'm passing all of you because I believe we have the potential to be a great team." Kakashi said to them. They all had smiles on their face, although Sasuke's was a small one. "So from now on, we're Team 7."

Reviews:

skg1991 – Well I did want to make this story original. I do know some stories where he doesn't have Kage Bunshins, so it isn't exactly a new idea. The elemental clones will give him more advantages but he won't have the information transfer.

Xanaris – Thank you for the advice. When I have time, I'll try to polish up my earlier chapters.

bankai777 – He might or he might not. If he does, it'll be during the three year time skip.

NinjaFang1331 – Thank you for the compliment.

sparrowhawk13 – I hope the pace wasn't too fast this chapter. I didn't have much left to introduce in the Academy stage. The Sandaime will be slightly stronger than he was in canon.

gual1 – Thank you for reading and reviewing.

emilbootanimefreak – The Puppy Eyes Jutsu is officially an E to S rank jutsu since it depends on who uses it and who they use it on lol. Naruto only has Chunin level stamina because he's still young. When he gets older, he'll have more chakra which means more stamina. I'm not giving him the Kage Bunshin. The polls are above and it would take a drastic effort from everyone, for Tenten not to be in it.

moon fire 13 – I have a way that I think will work stopping him learn B rank and above jutsus. Biju cloak won't be used until the three year time skip when his enemies are stronger.

Ryuujin96 – Thank you for the long review. It makes me happy that you took the time to write all of that. Yeah different events causes different chain reactions but not all of them are good. I like the idea of Dosu's drill but I fixed Naruto's Taijutsu with something original. I might incorporate the drill but for something else. I read a lot of fanfics where Naruto pranks the ANBU. Anko is a great character to write since she's so crazy and hilarious. I'll use different reasons to justify each person in the harem. I also think Haku's a great match for Naruto since they're similar.

Naruto-kun257 – I really can't see Haku as anything other than a girl. Freaking Japan makes girls look like boys and boys look like girls.

Silvermane1 – Thank you very much.