Off to a Rough Start.

"Uzumaki Naruto," called the instructor's voice.

Out of the long string of 11 and 12 year-olds stepped one blond, the smallest, and the only one wearing bright orange. He walked in a straight line along the sun-baked dirt that made up the training field to the place marked with an "X" in front of the instructor, who happened to be Iruka.

Please Naruto, thought Iruka, please pass this time, for both our sakes…

"Naruto" said Iruka, "I want you to try and transform into the Hokage."

Naruto looked around, from Iruka, to the academy building behind Iruka, to the strange ninja standing off by the schoolyard gate wearing half a mask and a cockeye forehead protector, and breathed a small sigh. Why does there have to be an audience for this? Naruto wondered, looking beyond the silver haired Ninja to the second man standing farther back. This more concealed character wore clothes stranger than the first, a jet black cloak that hid him from shoulder to toe, and a swirled orange mask with an opening for only one eye.

Despite the fact that he and Iruka had been practicing this transformation for days on end, Naruto still couldn't quite get it right. Something always seemed to go wrong, but nevertheless he formed the familiar seal of the ram and shouted "Henge!"

There was a loud "poof" and a puff of smoke, which the wind blew away revealing an almost exact copy Sarutobi. Almost... The spiky blond hair that erupted where the Hokage's hat should have been ruined the effect and brought uproarious laughter from the crowd of children.

Iruka sighed and put his fingers on his nose, rubbing slightly at the scar.

"Naruto…"

The boy released the jutsu and stepped back, begging Iruka for one more chance. "Please Iruka-Sensei," Naruto said, putting his hands together and staring at Iruka with watering eyes. This was his fourth time failing and one more letdown would be more than he could handle. "Please, I know I can do it this time."

"Naruto, you know I ca-"

"Please give him another chance Iruka-sensei" called a voice from the crowd.

Everyone turned to look at the source, Yamanaka Ino who quickly blushed. The little blonde girl slapped one hand over her mouth as her cheeks reddened.

"Err," she stammered, vying for some composure and slowly letting her hand drop down to her side. "What possible harm could it do? He hasn't passed yet so why not let him try?" She glanced at Naruto out of the corner of her eye, wiping a blonde lock of hair from her face as a small smile tugged at one corner of her mouth.

Naruto looked at her curiously, cocking his head off to one side. She hadn't complimented him, that much was certain, but at the same time there was no disdain in her voice. She wanted him to have another chance or so it seemed. Naruto didn't understand it.

Uchiha Sasuke shook his head, ruffling his raven hair and stared off towards the north. What a couple of morons, he thought.

I want to, Iruka thought wearily, and why not? He deserves another chance. He wants to be a ninja more than anyone here.

"Okay Naruto," called Iruka, "One chance and one only. But this is going to be more of a challenge. I want you to transform into … Nara Shikamaru!"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru all looked at Iruka.

Great, now I get to be made a fool of, thought Shikamaru.

Sasuke glanced between Iruka and Naruto, just as Naruto glanced between Sasuke and Iruka.

"I realize that Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke already performed that transformation," said the Chuunin, "but it should prove a challenge, seeing as how you were not told to practice it, Naruto. Do you think you're up to it?"

I see… thought Shikamaru.

Naruto glared at the Uchiha across the field. "I'll show you" he whispered to himself as he formed the ram once again.

Naruto closed his eyes and sparks of blue shot from his fingers as he yelled "Henge!" and erupted into a cloud of smoke.

For a minute, no one moved. There was no wind to clear the smoke now, so anticipation began to build.

"Naruto?" asked Iruka after another quiet moment passed without any signs of the blonde.

"Iruka-Sensei," called an almost raspy voice from inside the cloud as a silhouette began to take shape. "How's this?" asked a perfect copy of Shikamaru stepping from the mist, "do I pass?"

Iruka almost leapt up, even going so far as to crouch, ready to burst out for joy, but quickly regained his composure and walked forward to inspect the technique. Everyone sat silent, and the masked ninja turned away towards the center of town. Shikamaru smiled, and Sasuke pretended not to notice. Ino looked on and tried not to smile, but failed, then turned to look at Sasuke. She looked over the raven haired Uchiha, but glanced back at Naruto as Iruka inspected him, and nearly squealed with girlish delight at the Uzumaki's success.

Hyuuga Hinata merely pressed her fingers together and looked at the ground while trying to think of something to do to keep anyone from noticing she was blushing.

"Hmmm, good good," muttered Iruka trying to sound casual as he inspected Naruto's Henge. "Well, I'm impressed, perhaps even better than Sasuke's was earlier."

Sasuke snapped his vision on Iruka, but then resumed staring off into space as though nothing had happened, while Sakura was slightly more vocal.

"Are you kidding!?" shouted the young Haruno. "Sasuke-kun's was way better than that cheap imitation."

Iruka ignored the remark as Sasuke glared at Sakura, silencing her immediately.

"Hah!" yelled Naruto, poofing back to himself and pointing a finger enthusiastically at Sasuke, "hear that duck-butt? Iruka-Sensei said mine was better and- OWW!"

Iruka slapped Naruto on the back of the head and told him to be quiet or fail.

Duck Butt? thought nearly every student in line, turning or leaning to look at Sasuke' hair

SC

Back in the classroom Iruka settled everyone into their seats, took his place at the front of the class, and promptly began to congratulate the nine students who passed the exam while consoling the twenty some who could try again next time. But by the time he got passed the congratulation part, Naruto had become so wrapped up in his actually passing to notice when Iruka called his name.

Needless to say, the eraser soon hurled by the angry teacher found its way to Naruto's forehead with no resistance. It connected with a thunk.

"Now," continued Iruka, "Those of you who passed have been divided up into teams which I will now read off."

All eyes turned to the front. This was what they all wanted to know. These teams were essentially for life, and no one wanted to miss a minute of it.

"Team 7, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto Uzumaki."

Sakura at first nearly jumped up to cheer, but realization quickly set in and suddenly wasn't sure whether to applaud or cry. Sure she was with Sasuke, but Naruto? Was it worth it?

Ino glared down at Sakura from her seat and brooded until her name was called for team 9, along with Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji.

SC

Naruto bounded towards his apartment, chanting to himself that he was one step closer to being Hokage and that he had beaten Sasuke good, and that now Sakura was sure to notice him, and all kinds of self-assuring statements, stopping every few yards to declare to the bystanders that he was going to be a ninja now and that they probably never saw that coming. Most of them just ignored him, some huffed and turned up their noses, but no one really paid him the attention.

Ino walked quickly home, which was only a bock from the academy, and went inside to greet her mother who was standing at the kitchen table over a roast that could feed a family twice the size of the Yamanakas.

"You're home early, Ino," said the woman "is everything alright?"

"Yes mother" replied Ino warmly, "the exam was today."

"Oh? And how did you do might I ask?" asked her mother.

"I passed, but I didn't make it onto Sasuke's team."

Mrs. Yamanaka put a hand on Ino's shoulder and said she was sorry.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be, but still," sighed Ino.

"How many other's passed?"

"Eight besides me," said Ino, "Including Naruto."

Mrs. Yamanaka raised an eyebrow and chuckled a little. "That's impressive, well why don't you invite him to dinner?"

"What?" asked a very shocked Ino, "you'd, I mean why?"

"Why not?" said her mother, "I mean he's failed several years in a row, and this could be a nice way to say congratulations on finally passing. Plus have you seen where he lives and what he eats? Everyone needs a good meal once in a while."

Ino thought for a minute and then said "Yeah, I think I will, but father hates Naruto and says I should too…"

"Don't worry sweetie, Father won't be home till late tonight, so I don't think he'll mind if we don't let him know."

SC

By the time he arrived at his own door, Naruto was almost too excited to notice the note that was taped there but he ripped it off and dashed inside, going to the kitchen and taking the single, cracked bowl out of the poorly hung cabinet. He set the note aside without opening it and took out a pan from under the dripping sink. Filling it with water, Naruto set the pan on the stove and turned on the gas, not noticing the lack of the igniters clicking.

He sat at the table and picked up the note, breaking the wax seal flipping it open.

Scanning it revealed that he was invited to dinner at the Yamanaka house at 7pm, roughly two hours from now, and that it was their treat. He thought for a minute and looked over at the bowl and the unopened ramen pack and decided he didn't really want to, and that it was probably just a trick so that Ino's Father could try to hit him with yet another kunai.

It was then that he noticed something, two things actually. One was the smell of gas, lots of gas, and the second was the lack of flame under the pot of water on the stove. He quickly got up and turned off the stove to stop anymore gas from filling the room, and walked up to the window and opened it. There was no breeze to pull out the fumes, so Naruto walked to the light switches on the wall and flipped the one for the fan to get the air moving. He had never used it before, as he wanted to keep the electric bill down, but the fumes were horrible and burning his eyes. Just as he moved the switch, he looked up and noticed the copper wire running from the switch to the fan was badly frayed as it reached the ceiling.

"Uh-oh," he muttered as a spark leapt from the faulty wiring.

Passersby Naruto's apartment were knocked to the ground by a shockwave, and awed as a massive fireball exploded out the window of the housing complex on the edge of Konoha.

Naruto sat against the wall covering his ringing ears and trying to catch the breath the explosion had knocked out of him. He opened one eye and looked around what had been his kitchen and living room. Fortunately there was not much to burn; the only furniture, a decrepit couch which served as his bed was now a smoldering pile of splintered wood, and as the structure was made of concrete and the wallpaper had been burned up quickly, there was no real damage to the building.

He got up a minute later, and dusted down his blackened clothes, then decided to have a look in his closet. The doors had been blown in, but his meager wardrobe was in acceptable condition.

"Maybe I will take the Yamanakas up on their offer," he muttered to himself.