The sounds of children shouting and enjoying their recess filtered into the filled classroom. However, none of these joyous sounds penetrated the miasma of anxiety, fear, and unease hanging about the people present. The classroom was filled with nervous students either ready for, studying for, or woefully unprepared for the test that could determine the course of the rest of their lives. What test I hear none of you asking because you're a good audience that doesn't interrupt? The Academy Final Exam of course. But none of the students were more nervous than one girl a year younger than the rest. The short, blue haired child wore a cream colored jacket and blue short pants. Her pupiless eyes, which normally would be incredibly unsettling yet seemed to work on her…somehow, were scanning over the copious amount of notes she had taken.

You see, this girl was Hinata Hyῡga. She was actually the eldest daughter of the head of the largest clan in Konoha, which was also the biggest and most powerful Hidden Village on the continent. She, like all the others around her resisting the urge to rip their hair out of their heads, were about ready to take the test that would determine if they were capable to be soldiers in the villages army. The reason she was more nervous than the rest though was because she wasn't technically supposed to be here. She actually belonged the class one year younger who would be taking this test the following year. However, she had decided to try and graduate a year early.

The reasons for this were varied and complex, but I'm going to explain them like they're not so here we go. Hinata wasn't well liked by her clan. No wait I lie that's not quite it, she was liked by a lot of her extended family, in fact she's better liked than her father and the entire head council combined. What she wasn't was respected, especially by said father. Many of the main branch, I'll explain later, saw her as a failure who would most likely die on her first mission outside the village. She hoped that by showing that she was capable of passing the genin test one year early she would earn their respect. A long shot she knew, but it was still a shot.

Breathing deeply Hinata centered herself and did her best to ignore the glare drilling into her back in an attempt to set her ablaze, again I'll explain later, and to focus on her notes. The door slammed open and everyone started at the sound. In walked a boy no older than Hinata herself clad in an impossibly orange matching jacket and pants set. Hinata eeped and started using the shinobi technique of hiding in plain sight as the orange-clad boy scanned the filled classroom looking for an empty seat. Now while practicing an important ninja technique in preparation for an important test sounds smart, that is not why she was doing it.

You see the child that just walked in was named Naruto Uzumaki and he was the villages pariah. He stole from every store he could, had the foulest language, was a massive pervert, terrorized small children, and was a demon made flesh…at least that's what Hinata had heard all the adults say about him. It was around this point that Hinata realized that the only empty seat in the filled classroom was the one right next to her and Naruto was heading directly towards it. Hinata tried to even out her breathing and calm down her racing heart before she suffered an anxiety attack. While many would consider the cause of said girl's anxiety to be forced to sit down next to the village's resident monster Hinata was nervous about sitting next to him for an entirely different reason, and it was a reason that Hinata was sure only she knew about him.

You see Naruto had a stalker that followed him around whenever they got the chance, and that stalkers name was Hinata Hyῡga. And for the 0.00% percent of you out there unfamiliar with the anime or manga I'm sure that came as a surprise. Of course the story of how the heir apparent of one of the most powerful families in the world came to be sneakily following around an ostracized orphan child will have to be given another day…hey don't look at me like that, the author didn't include it.

Hinata's breath quickened as Naruto ascended the steps and sat in the chair directly next to hers. What didn't help was when Naruto started staring at her with a quizzical expression on his face. Naruto either ignored you or gave you his full undivided attention, there was no middle ground with him, and right now his full attention was on Hinata. Her face started heating up and she started feeling light-headed as Naruto's gaze bore into her. She was about to faint when "Hinata!"

"Yes!?" Squeaked the girl nearly jumping out of her skin. "Heh, sorry about that. You're usually so quiet in class that it took me a moment to remember your name," Naruto said rubbing the back of his head. Hinata was now filled with two conflicting emotions, on one hand Naruto remembered her, on the other she was disappointed it took him so long to do that. "Are you also taking the genin test?" Naruto asked when it became apparent Hinata wasn't going to continue the conversation on her own. "Y-yes, y-you t-too?" Hinata asked, though the answer was plenty obvious, why else would he be here. Plus, Hinata also knew he had taken, and failed, the genin test last year. "Good luck," Naruto smiled. "Hey you okay?" Naruto asked as he saw her looking remarkably red. "I-I-I'm f-f-f-f-fine," Hinata barely managed to get out, inwardly cursing her stutter. "Don't worry too much about the test I'm sure you'll do fine," Naruto said incorrectly guessing the nature of her discomfort. "Y-you too, I-I s-sure you'll p-pass no problem," Hinata said knowing that despite his confidant demeanor it was all a façade, and that Naruto was incredibly nervous.

Naruto stared at Hinata like she had just grown a second head. When he had tried to cheer her up he had expected her to be dismissive, or insulting like all the other kids his age. Thinking back to the very few interactions he had with the girl he realized she had never once said anything mean about him, granted the interactions between the two were few and extremely far between. She was really weird, not bad weird, good weird. "K-kay," Naruto said turning away from Hinata not knowing how to deal with such a bizarre situation. Hinata, thinking she had done something wrong internally berated herself, of course that didn't stop her from unabashedly staring at the back of his head. She found herself getting lost in his luscious blonde locks jutting out at impossible angles barley held back from his eyes by a pair of goggles. Though she couldn't see it she knew he had a set of three whisker marks running along his cheeks, she found them unbelievable cute. And his ocean deep blue eyes that sparkled with mischief and good cheer, eyes that she could get lost in, eyes that were currently looking at her.

Hinata panicked as Naruto had caught her staring at him. Luckily she was saved as at that exact moment one of the teachers walked in and grabbed the entire class' attention. "Okay listen up if you're here it's to take the genin test, if not then get out, you're in the way!" When no one left the teacher continued. "Okay first up is the written part, afterwards you'll take the taijutsu exam, then you'll take the ninjutsu exam. If we teachers think you're capable enough you'll graduate, be given a headband, and assigned to Jonin-sensei. Any questions?" Numerous hands went up into the air. "None? Good, let's begin."

Hinata was studiously taking the written test and was quiet proud that she wasn't letting being so close to Naruto distract her, she had only glanced at him approximately 639 times. What, she just found his concentrating face so cute. He was currently chewing his pencil to splinters working on a particularly hard problem. She was tempted to show him her own answers to give him an upper hand, but then realized that this was Naruto. He was either going to do it his way, or break the system and still do it his way. Not to say she was breezing through it, the test was brutal. A lot of it was stuff Hinata hadn't gone over in her year yet and she only knew it from her own studying. Granted she could easily use her unique familial trait to easily pass the test, but she was going to pass this test, not her D.N.A..

A collective sigh of relief swept through the classroom as the last written test was collected and the teacher left to get the taijutsu test ready. After coming up with a thousand different permutations of what would happen Hinata finally gathered the courage to talk to Naruto, who was currently resting his head on the desk. ""H-how did y-you do?"

"P-pretty well," Naruto laughed nervously. "Better than the others I took. Who knows when we both pass maybe we'll be on the same team…

...same team...

... ...same team... ...

... ... ...same team... ... ...

... ... ... ...same team... ... ... ...

The phrase coming off of Naruto's heavenly lips echoed through Hinata's mind as images started coalescing. Both Hinata and Naruto stood on a cliffs ledge, looking older and cooler, a majestic wind blowing through their long hair. A large ominous castle situated at the foot of the impossibly tall cliff was teeming with enemies. Smirking the pair, plus another unimportant member, leapt form the cliff face and descended on their enemies like an unstoppable natural disaster.

The enemy ninja came at them like a swarm, unending and unceasing. But Naruto and Hinata worked as if they were one organism. Every blow balanced by the other, every enemy attack blocked by the other without a single thought. Theirs was a deadly dance for two as they cleaved through the enemy ranks like a scythe cleaves through wheat. A bone rattling roar filled the air and scattered the enemy shinobi as a dragon fell from the sky and landed on the castle sending a shockwave through the air.

The dragon roared again and flame filled its maw as it unleashed its fiery wrath upon the two shinobi. Fire surrounded them but Naruto and Hinata were unconcerned as they clasped their hands together. combining their chakra together they thrust forward their joined hands and unleashed a pure beam of their love that scattered the flame before it and destroyed the dragon in one glorious burst of light. Their hands still clasped the two looked deeply into each other's eyes. Their attention was pulled from one another when the pink haired princess they were ordered to save descended from her tower and threw herself into Naruto's arms forcing him to carry her like, well a princess. Naruto took one look at her and unceremoniously dropped her. He then turned to Hinata, took her into his arms, dipped her low, and…

A-hem

…Anyway Hinata filed that particular fantasy away for further exploration later, right now she had to focus on talking to Naruto. "I-I'd like that," Hinata smiled. The saga of Naruto being confused by this quiet, weird girl, but she did have a nice smile. "Y-yeah," Naruto said. The teacher came back in and called out five names seemingly at random. The five got up and left, leaving the rest of the class to stew in their own anxiety. "H-how do you think you'll do with the taijutsu test?" Naruto asked trying to hide his own nervousness. Hinata wasn't worried, the Hyῡga training was far more intense than the academy was. "I-I think I'll d-do alright."

"Yeah me too, it's just throwing punches after all."

"Y-Yeah, we h-have to be on the s-same team a-after all."

"Uzumaki, Naruto!" The teacher shouted, probably not the first time if you take into account the impatience in his voice. "Here, coming!" Naruto shouted. Jumping to his feet. "G-good luck," Hinata said as Naruto started down the steps. "Heh, you too Hinata. See you when I'm a ninja." Hinata suddenly felt lonely with Naruto's absence. To comfort herself and to calm dpwm for the upcoming test Hinata started exploring the fantasy she was having before.

Afraid she would faint from pursuing the scenery in her head any further Hinata brought herself back to earth. The classroom was nearly empty, Hinata and a few others were the only ones left. "Yosh! If I can't go up and down these steps one hundred times before my test, then I will do two hundred push-ups!" A boy wearing a white shirt and sporting a pony tail and some gloriously bushy eyebrows was running up and down the stairs next to the desks. Hinata was confused, mostly because she couldn't comprehend someone doing intensive exercises before taking a physically intensive test.

"Greetings!" The boy shouted when he noticed Hinata looking at him. "Would you like to do some exorcises with me?" He asked jogging in place. "N-no thanks, I w-want to rest for the t-test. Sh-shouldn't you be d-doing the same?"

"No worries! I will be going last, after everyone else, so I still have time to become even more splendid!" the mystery boy shouted giving Hinata a thumbs up. "H-how do you know th-that? I thought the s-students were called r-randomly."

"They are!" The boy shouted starting a squats routine. "But I am taking a special test, so I'm going last."

"W-what kind of s-special test?'

"You see I cannot use ninjutsu, or genjutsu. But that will not stop me! I will prove to everyone that I can become a splendid shinobi using only taijutsu. And I will accomplish this thanks to the majestic Guy-sensei who has taught me to never give up and to never-"

"Hyῡga, Hinata!" The teacher shouted saving Hinata from having to continue to deal with the high-energy boy. "C-coming!" Hinata shouted leaping to her feet. "Good luck Miss Hinata, may your flames of youth burn ever brighter!" The boy behind her shouted as Hinata left the room.

"Congratulations Lady Hyῡga, you are now a Shinobi of the leaf, wear your Hitai-ate with pride." The teacher said handing the forehead protector to her. "Th-th-thank you," Hinata whispered accepting the metal clad strip of cloth. Leaving the room Hinata felt some of her strength leave her as she sagged against the wall. She passed. She managed to pass the genin test a year early without relying on her familial power. Slowly, reverently Hinata raised the head band and tied it around her neck. She was now a shinobi. "I did it!" Hinata shouted leaping into the air. Realizing what she just did Hinata quickly scanned the hallway and sighed in relief when she didn't see anyone. Barely containing her joy Hinata rushed outside to find Naruto, she wanted to hear if he passed or not.

Outside the classroom evening was falling over the Village Hidden in the Leaves and there was a crowd of students, teachers, and parents milling outside the Ninja Academy. Parents happily embracing their children in celebration, and in consolation. Some parents were shaking hands and talking with the teachers. Hinata scanned the undulating crowd looking for Naruto. She didn't know why it was taking so long, when Naruto wanted to be seen it was near impossible to ignore him. Yet despite her sharp eyesight she couldn't make out any eye-bleeding orange. Walking around the crowd Hinata was about to start using her familial technique when she heard the creak of rope straining against wood. For some reason the sound pierced Hinata's soul to her very core.

Turning her head in the direction of the sound she finally found Naruto. He was sitting on a lone rope swing, his head hung low. Hinata was about to approach him when he looked up. A lump caught in Hinata's throat and her heart shattered into a million pieces. His eyes, normally bright and cheerful, were vacant and forlorn as he watched the parents and children interact. His hair hung limply, and the warm summer day felt so very cold to her as she watched her hero bow his head in defeat. Naruto...had not passed the test.