For the rest of their time at the academy, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chōji hung out together. Shikamaru continued to supply Naruto with lunches, under the excuse that his mother was so troublesome that she would always pack him more than he could possibly eat on his own.
Fact of the matter is, after that first time on the roof, Shikamaru went home and told his mother, Yoshino, and had a long conversation with her about the issue.
Shikamaru raced into the house, a very uncharacteristic action that immediately gained his mother's attention.
"Tadaima!" Shikamaru called as he swiftly removed his shoes.
Yoshino met him at the entrance to the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron. "Okaeri, Shikamaru. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Shikamaru became a bit sheepish, instantly calming down and returning to his lazy behavior. He slipped his hands into his pockets before he continued on. "Could you make a large enough lunch for me to share it with two people from now on?"
Yoshino was confused. "Who would you be sharing with? I know you normally share with Chōji, but who would the second person be?"
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "It's Naruto. He mentioned something about not having lunch, so I figured I could help him out, you know?"
This made his mother perk up a bit. Yoshino had been friends with both Minato, and Naruto's mother, Kushina. In fact, she had been on Minato's Genin team all those years ago. Knowing that her son was getting along with their child warmed her heart.
"How did this come about?"
"He didn't have any lunch, and from what I had observed, it seemed like he hasn't had a lunch really since we've been in the academy. At first I thought he may have forgotten it constantly, especially with his reputation of being the idiot dead last in our year, but now I'm not so sure. Today, when he came to class, he was his loud, annoying self, but the second everyone else turned their attention away from him, it was like a mask fell off. So I watched him at lunch time today, and saw him just sitting on the swing in front of the building, all alone, and not even looking like he wanted to eat.
"I went up to him and invited him to join Chōji and I for lunch. He said he didn't have one, so I offered up the rest of mine, that I was planning on giving to Chōji until the idiot gave himself a stomachache. He did something that really surprised me too. He went up to Chōji and simply touched him, his hand glowed like a medical ninjutsu, except orange instead of green, and Chōji was fine again."
Yoshino didn't know what to say at first. She was just as surprised by that action as her son.
"So do you think you could make me enough lunch so I can share it with both him and Chōji for the rest of the academy? I don't want him to starve any more than it seems like he already is if I can help it."
Yoshino smiled at her son. He was growing into a very kind young man, and was helping out his friends when they need it.
"I'd be happy to do that for you, dear. Now go wash up, its almost time for dinner. And make sure you keep an eye on that boy for me."
Finally, it was the day of the graduation exams. Over the remainder of their academy time, Shikamaru became more confused by Naruto's behavior. He'd see him interacting with his classmates like he was an idiot and accepting any of their insults with a smile and a laugh, but the second they were gone, and he believed he was alone, his smile would fall, his eyes would dull, and it would almost seem like he was a completely different person. Someone who was hurt by everything that was said to him.
Not to mention the fact that, on numerous occasions, Shikamaru had witnessed Naruto training on his own, outside of class. He'd caught him doing so well with his target practice, hitting every single one on the first try so easily, that it almost seemed like when Naruto missed during class, it was actually harder than hitting the targets.
There were several instances where Shikamaru had seen Naruto perform a jutsu that he shouldn't have been able to do, with such ease, that the Pineapple was left baffled.
One such occasion, Shikamaru had been asked(read: told) by his mother to go buy groceries, and he stumbled upon the blond training. The Pineapple stopped in his tracks simply to watch, and was amazed when he saw Naruto use a wind blade jutsu and slice through a tree in front him with such accuracy, it didn't damage any other tree or blade of grass in the immediate area.
Shikamaru was almost caught watching, and quickly hurried on with his task.
Students were being called one by one and sent to a separate classroom to be tested on their jutsu knowledge and ability. When Shikamaru was called, he passed Naruto and saw the blond simply staring out the window, as if he didn't even care that this could affect whether he would be a shinobi, or remain in the academy for another year.
Of course, the resident genius passed, but being the laziest student as well, he just barely did so.
It was Naruto's turn, and he was asked to do clone justu and create three perfect clones, a substitution jutsu, and a transformation jutsu.
"That guy with the light blue hair is planning something. He smells like snakes," Kurama spoke up. Naruto gave an internal nod, and forced himself to do his absolute worst.
Of course, he wanted to do a good transformation, so he went with his mask's goofy transformation, and caused the proctors to all get bloody noses. Kurama was sent into a rolling fit of laughter, and Naruto acted the fool as he guffawed loudly at the shocked faces.
When it came to the clone Jutsu, he knew he couldn't do it, and wouldn't even attempt to do it well, when he could barely make one decent clone.
The three clones almost looked like copies when the printer was running out of ink and the paper was left in the rain.
Naruto was quickly told he failed his exam, and walked out with a bowed head, only to hear what some of the proctors had to say behind his back, knowing full well he could still hear them.
"I'm so glad that demon brat didn't pass this time," one said.
"I know what you mean," replied a second. "Can you imagine all the hell we'd have to go through trying to keep that beast in the village if it ever became a ninja?"
Naruto had heard enough. He ran out of the building, to his one safe place: the swing. Sadly, it wasn't that safe.
"Hey, Naruto," said a somewhat familiar voice. The blond looked up, for once letting a little of his genuine emotions through. "I heard you failed your exam today."
Naruto simply nodded, and went back to looking down at the ground, wishing this guy would just leave him alone already.
"I was told by Iruka-sensei, that there's another way for you to pass." Naruto seemingly perked up at this prospect. "All I want you to do, is steal the 'Scroll of Sealing' from right under the Sandaime's nose and bring to me in the forest near the village wall. If you can do that, without getting caught, you'll have proven that you can be a good ninja, and pass your remedial graduation exam. Sound good?"
Naruto again simply nodded. Mentally though, he was groaning. He couldn't believe this guy was so stupid as to ask a child to steal something like a forbidden scroll. Then again, the blond figured the guy must work for the old missing nin Orochimaru, which would explain it.
(ᵔᴥᵔ)
That night, Naruto did what was asked of him, with one added bonus.
A ninja ran into the Sandaime's office in a panic. "Sir, it's a travesty!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced up from his paperwork and nodded his head for the man to continue.
"Someone has stolen the forbidden 'Scroll of Sealing'!"
Hiruzen was on his feet in seconds. "Do you have any idea who it could have been?"
The ninja produced a small, folded slip of paper that simply read:
Do not open, please deliver to the Hokage
Hiruzen took the slip and unfolded it, reading the short message:
I'm the one who took the scroll, but I only did it to capture a traitor. His name is Mizuki-sensei, and he told me that in order to graduate, I had to steal the scroll. He smelled like snakes, so I wanted to inform you right away. I'm sorry I took the situation into my own hands. He wants me to meet him in the forest on the edge of the Village. Please prepare an ANBU squad to capture him.
Naruto
Hiruzen let out a chuckle and shook his head. "That boy."
The ninja was confused. Seeing this, Hiruzen simply dismissed him, and then ordered for a squad of ANBU to report to his office immediately.
(ᵔᴥᵔ)
Naruto sat in the forest, reading through the forbidden scroll he had "stolen" looking for any useful Jutsu he could use, when a pair caught his eye. 'Shadow Clone and Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, huh? Those sound like ones I could do. Says here, that the techniques are forbidden because each clone cuts the main body's chakra reserves in half, which limits the number of clones possible to most shinobi. "The Jutsu were created by Tobirama, with aid from Mito Uzumaki, and many other members of the Uzumaki clan. Only those that are descended from said clan are capable of using these Jutsu, as they have such a vast reserve of chakra, that three or more clones wouldn't even deplete them enough to exhaust an Uzumaki." Does this mean I'm from a clan? If so, where do we come from, and where is that clan now?'
Before he could contemplate the matter further, he felt a presence near him, and was forced to replace his mask.
"Naruto, did you steal the scroll?" The voice was highly familiar, so Naruto decided to play a small prank on the man.
"Nooo...." the blond replied, refusing to look his teacher in the eye.
"Then what's that behind your back?"
"It's a Bleach wall scroll!"
Suddenly, a voice came from somewhere above, "Naruto, give me the scroll."
Iruka was frustrated. He turned to face Naruto, only to find him gone.
"Come out, come out, Naruto. Bring me the scroll, and I'll tell you why everyone hates you!" Mizuki began.
Naruto was hiding behind a tree, and unbeknownst to anyone there, a certain Pineapple was also listening in on the conversation, trying to find out more information on his blond puzzle.
"You know that's forbidden to talk about!" Iruka shouted, trying to stop Mizuki from telling the blond.
"Do you want to know why everyone hates you? Why the villagers shout at you and won't let you in their shops or buy their goods at a fair price? Do you want to know why even your teacher hated you at first?"
Iruka couldn't believe his ears, and neither could Shikamaru. Naruto, on the other hand, already knew what Mizuki was going to say, but he still decided to play along and come out.
"Why, Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asked.
"Don't say it!" Iruka begged, but it did no good.
"It's because you hold within you the reason that their loved ones died! You hold the creature that took Iruka's parents from him, took so many people from this village, and killed two of the most beloved shinobi in our village! You hold the Kyūbi no Yōko within you! That's why everyone calls you a demon!"
Shikamaru couldn't believe it. But at the same time, it sort of made sense. If Naruto was seen as the demon itself, then the villagers would hate him for all their suffering. That would explain his ill treatment. Now I understand what my mother meant by the scroll and the kunai. Naruto is the scroll, and the Kyūbi no Yōko is the kunai. People see Naruto as the kunai, when he's actually just the sealing scroll that holds it.
While Shikamaru was busy thinking, Naruto was nearly impaled by a giant Shuriken. Thankfully, Iruka jumped in front of it in time, saving the blond while getting himself injured in the process.
"You aren't the demon fox, Naruto," Iruka said, looking at Naruto with such a loving, fatherly gaze that Naruto had never before received from anyone. "I may have been a little nervous when I first met you, but now, I see you as my Sochi, and not as anything else. Don't believe anything that Mizuki says to you. You are loved, Naruto. Especially by me." Iruka gave Naruto a gentle smile, before he began to fall forward from the pain of the blade imbedded in his back.
The blond swiftly caught his favorite teacher, laying the man down on his side, before he stood up with the scroll next to him, sending Mizuki his most deadly glare. His mask began to slip slowly, but he didn't care.
"You're going to die, Mizuki," Naruto said, his voice a bit deeper than usual. "Nobody hurts my family and gets away with it."
Mizuki took a step back on his branch, a bead of sweat slipping down his temple. He was becoming nervous.
The blond made a hand sign, crossing his index and middle fingers in a sort of cross sign, before shouting, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Instantly, the forest was filled with more Naruto's than Shikamaru could count, and he really hoped Naruto didn't take him as an enemy at the present moment.
Quickly, the many shadow clones descended upon Mizuki, covering him in a ball of orange, making him fall to the ground. It wasn't long before Mizuki was beaten to a pulp by those many clones, and soon a squad of ANBU arrived.
"ANBU-San, here is the forbidden scroll," Naruto said to one, handing the scroll over. "I didn't allow him to get anywhere near it. He tried to kill me, and instead hit Iruka-sensei in the back with a giant Shuriken. I can take care of him, but I wanted to have his injury added to the report if nothing else. Also, he revealed an SS-rank secret to myself, and one other Genin, without the proper clearance."
The ANBU, although at first glaring at the blond beneath his mask after knowing the stories of the blond, was beyond surprised when he heard the boy speak in such a mature and polite manner. It was a serious shock.
"Thank you for that information. It will definitely be added to the report, on top of the attempted treason," the ANBU said not unkindly.
Naruto nodded and walked away, leaving the situation in the hands of the professionals. Shikamaru also left, heading home in order to make sure that he could come to grips with all he learned tonight. Even geniuses have their limits for surprising information.
The blond walked toward his wounded teacher, quickly removing the Shuriken from his back, and beginning to heal the injury. He wouldn't heal it completely, otherwise that would be too suspicious, but he did make sure it definitely wasn't life or career threatening at least.
Within minutes of him finishing bandaging the remaining wound and sitting the man up, Iruka's eyes opened. Naruto replaced his idiot mask and hoped for the best.
"Naruto? Is that you?"
The blond grinned. "Yup, that's me, dattebayo!"
"You did an amazing job with Mizuki. I came to a little bit and managed to see what you did. That Jutsu was incredible. Can you close your eyes for me?"
Naruto was nervous. If Iruka was awake, did that mean that he saw Naruto heal him? If so, would he say anything? With these thoughts running through his head, Naruto did what he was asked, and closed his eyes.
When he opened them, he found Iruka without his hitai-ate, and Naruto's goggles in his hand. The blond's hand flew to his forehead, only to feel the cool metal of the headband beneath his fingertips. He stared down at his teacher in awe.
"Congratulations on graduating, Naruto." Iruka smiled at the blond, as the sun rose and peaked through the leaves. Naruto threw himself at his teacher, genuinely grateful for the first time.
ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
A/N: Chapter two is here! I'm really excited for this book. It might follow the anime, a little bit, especially at first, but there will be some serious canon divergence the further we get into the story. I hope you all are enjoying it! Until next time. じゃあね！･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+