DISCLAIMER: I own a computer. I used it to write this chapter, as well as this disclaimer. What I don't own is Naruto. That is a really sad truth, though :(
Uzumaki Naruto woke up with a loud and obnoxious yawn from his sleep, if you could even call it sleep. Truth be told, he had been awake most of the night. He had been anxious about today.
'Today is the day. It's finally the day of the graduation test!' He thought as he continued to yawn.
The past two years, Naruto had taken the graduation exam and felt similar to how he did today. Those days, however, resulted in failure. He wasn't able to pass and ended up spending more years at the academy. Today, however, he felt more confident than the last two years. He knew he had improved from before. He was no longer the 'dead last' after all!
'I will do it today! I will become genin. I will become a shinobi and be once step closer to being Hokage dattebayo!' He mentally shouted.
Naruto rushed to get ready as fast as he could for the day. He got dressed, brushed his teeth, and managed to eat something really quick that he could find in his apartment. He then hurried off to meet up with his friends and head off to the academy. The boy made sure to leave earlier than normal. He was not going to be late today of all days!
"As you all know, today is the day of the graduation exam. You've all been training so hard the past few years and more. It is now your time to show us what you have learned in order to become genin of Konoha!" Iruka informed the class.
Class had officially started. It was time for the graduation test. None of the studnets said a word, a rare moment. Everyone knew the importance of the day. They were all going to listen to every word Iruka said to make sure they graduate.
"Your test is divided into three parts. The first test is a written exam based on information I've taught over the years in the academy. The second part is a test on weapons and your accuracy and skill with them. The final test is a test on the required jutsu. You must be able to perform all three jutsu perfectly in order to pass that part of the test and graduate!" The scarred-chuunin explained.
Naruto could barely hide his excitement at this point. 'Oh, just wait till you guys see my clones!'
"We shall begin now. I shall pass out the tests. You may begin when you get your papers." Iruka spoke up again as he started to hand out papers to students.
Naruto immediately turned his head to Shikamaru and Chouji, who were sitting in the table behind him. He gave them a silent nod, wishing them good luck. Both boys returned his nod, wishing him the same. Naruto then turned his attention to Hinata, who was sitting next to him.
"Good luck Hinata!" He whispered to her, a large grin on his face.
Hinata felt her cheeks flush a little but was able to smile back and response. "Y-You as well Naruto-Kun!"
Eventually, all papers were passed out. The students went to work, starting to answer all the questions on their written exam. Iruka stood in the center of the room, watching of all his students. His eyes then moved over to Naruto, who was staring hard at one of the first questions.
'Naruto...you can do it this time!' Iruka thought to himself, wishing his secret-favorite student the best.
"It is now time for the third and final test. Please, come follow me out of the room and over to the examination area when I call your name. After you finish, whether you pass or fail, you will be asked to leave the building. You can wait for friends outside if you must. First up: Aburame Shino!" One of the academy instructors stated.
Naruto watched as Shino, the quietest student in class, headed out the room without a sound and followed the instructor.
Naruto's excitement was at an all time high, especially after the first two parts of the test. The written exam was relatively bad, but Naruto, due to recently paying attention in class and studying with Hinata, Shikamaru, and Chouji, was able to pull off enough correct answers to pass the first part barely. On the second exam with weapons, Naruto excelled, showing proficiency with both kunai and shuriken. He owed his successes there to Nara Yoshino and Shikaku and their practice sessions.
Now, it was time for the third part of the exam, where Naruto would do more than just excel. He was excited to see the results of all his hard work.
"Akimichi Chouji!" The instructor stated the name of Naruto's friend, ending his thoughts on his own excitement.
"Really? That fast? Did Shino already finish?" Naruto asked in surprise.
Shikamaru shrugged in response. "Probably. Shino's good. He probably did it fast in near record time." The lazy Nara then turned to his childhood best friend. "You really don't need it, but good luck Chouji."
"Yeah! Good luck Chouji!" Naruto stated as he turned his attention over to his 'bony' friend.
"D-Do your best!" Hinata added.
The Akimichi heir chuckled as he got up from his seat. "Thanks guys! See you all soon!"
The big-boned Akimichi left the room and all remained quiet. It took a little longer in comparison to the Aburame heir, but the instructor eventually came back and called out the next name.
"Chouji definitely passed. No doubt about it!" Naruto stated confidently.
"No doubt." Shikamaru mumbled in response.
Names continued to be said. More and more students continued to head on out of the room. A certain tension and nervous feeling seemed to grow in the room with each student that left. Hinata started feeling it the most amongst her friends. She started paying attention to the floor only as she fidgeted with her fingers.
"Hey Hinata, don't worry so much! You're going to do great!" Naruto informed her with a smirk. "We've been practicing this stuff for how long? You'll kick ass dattebayo!"
Hinata blushed once again, partly due to Naruto's praise and partly due to his language. Nevertheless, she nodded her head in response and was able to turn her head upward towards him. "I-I know. Thank you Naruto-Kun."
Soon after Naruto's encouragement, the instructor came back and called out the next name. "Hyuga Hinata!"
"Eep!" She gasped. She hadn't really been paying attention to the names being called, so she wasn't expecting to all of a sudden hear her name.
"Don't worry Hinata, you'll do great!" Naruto informed her once more.
"He's right you know." Shikamaru added his own two cents. "It's not that hard and you're a good ninja. You'll do great."
Hinata still had a look of fear in her eyes. All of her life she had been told she was a failure by her clan. Wouldn't it make sense to fail here and show everyone she was a failure? Still, she knew those fears were baseless. She was able to pass this test and she had her friends' support. She could do this.
"T-Thank you both. G-Good luck to you guys!" She told them as she got out of her seat and walked off, following the instructor.
Naruto and Shikamaru were left alone. The blonde boy took the opportunity to leave his seat and go sit in the desk behind in the seat Chouji sat in next to the lazy Nara.
"Just curious, who do you think will pass?" He asked him.
"...troublesome. That's a rather specific question." Shikamaru grumbled. "Honestly, I'd bet nearly everyone here. It's not too difficult of a test after all."
"It's not that easy though. I mean, I failed it two times before." Naruto pointed out with a grumble. He hated to admit that, but he still didn't like it when people when said the test was easy. He really did fail the test two times before after all.
"That's because when you took it the last two times, you were an even bigger idiot." The Nara deadpanned.
"HEY!" The Uzumaki glared.
"Calm down, it was just a joke. Troublesome blonde." Shikamaru grumbled, a slight teasing smirk on his face.
Naruto turned away from his friend in mock anger. He knew the boy was joking, but still felt like playing up a show as if he was angry. The two boys didn't talk to each other until the instructor came back after another wave of students. "Nara Shikamaru!"
"Well, my turn now. Great..." Shikamaru groaned, forcing himself out of his desk.
"Good luck Shikamaru." Naruto told him as he watched his friend walk off. Shikamaru merely waved back to him in response as he walked off.
Now Naruto was left alone to his thoughts.
'...I did fail it two times before...what's stopping it from being three?' Naruto thought for a split second before he shook his head. 'No way! I can't think like that or I will! Besides, I've been saying it over and over again: I'm better than I was before! I've been training like mad for this! I'm passing this time dattebayo!'
Naruto said nothing as he watched more and more students head in. He grumbled a little watching Sasuke head off in his usual 'cool,' 'uncaring' demeanor. His complaining about his fellow classmate didn't last too long, though, as soon the instructor came back. "Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Hell yeah! My turn now dattebayo!" Naruto cheered as he hopped out of his desk and ran over to the instructor. Any signs of his previous pessimism were completely gone.
Naruto followed the instructor as he led him into a small room in another hallway of the academy. Inside, there was a large table where the teachers at the academy were all sitting at. Naruto recognized Iruka, Mizuki, and Sayuri on the top of his head. In front of Iruka, were the Konoha forehead protectors. Naruto eyed them, wanting to take one and put it over his head already.
"Uzumaki Naruto, please perform the three academy jutsus. First, the Substitution Jutsu. Trade places with a log that's placed in the corner of the room." One of the teachers that Naruto didn't recognize informed him.
The blonde boy turned his head instinctively to check. There were indeed logs in the corner of the room. He then turned back to the academy instructors, gave them a smirk, and vanished in a poof of smoke. A log was seen in his place while the boy was currently in the corner of the room, sitting on a different log.
'Without hand signs? As an academy student? Impressive Naruto!' Iruka mentally noted, a proud smile on his face at the work of his student.
Unlike Iruka, the other teachers didn't have the same eager excitement. Some down right looked disappointed at the boy's skills and success. Nevertheless, they didn't voice their opinions.
"Verygood. Now, the second jutsu: the Transformation Jutsu. Please turn into a copy of one of the teachers in the room. And please, do not use that stupid 'Sexy Jutsu' of yours!" The teacher from earlier informed the boy with a glare.
"Yeah, yeah. It's a test! I'm not stupid enough to do that!" Naruto dismissed the man's words as he moved from the corner of the room and back in front of them.
The boy made the necessary hand sign and soon vanished in a poof of smoke. In his place stood Umino Iruka. The man was an identical version of the academy teacher in every way. His height and body stature was exact, as was his clothing.
'He even got my scar just right as well!' Iruka noticed. He then coughed a little before speaking. "Very well done Naruto. Considering that it is me, I can tell that you did an excellent job and could probably pass of as me!"
Naruto dropped the transformation immediately after his teacher's words. The short blonde kid was grinning proudly at his teacher.
"Now, the final jutsu." Mizuki spoke up, a slight smirk on his face. "The Clone Jutsu. Please, make as many clones as you can in the room."
Naruto took the second to look at the teachers in front of them. Other than Iruka, who was looking at him with pride, and Mizuki, who he just couldn't read, all of them were staring at him with disbelieving eyes. All of the teachers knew of his weaknesses with chakra control and they knew the Clone Jutsu was his weakness. He felt as if they thought he wasn't going to pass.
'Time to show them up!' Naruto mentally shouted, a smug grin coming over his face. He then made the hand sign of his newly learned jutsu.
Before any of the teachers could react at the different hand sign, the room filled with smoke. When it cleared up, ten clones of Naruto surrounded the boy. Each of them were all staring at the shocked faces of the teachers, grinning smugly just like the original.
"So, what do you think?" One of the clones asked proudly.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu? Impossible! You are an academy student. There's no way you could pull that off! I cant even do that jutsu!" Sayuri shouted in disbelief.
"No...they're real..." The teacher who spoke first looked at them with the same disbelief.
"Naruto...you just went beyond the limits we have established for graduation. I can't think of any student who deserves to graduate more than you right now!" Iruka informed the boy proudly as he picked up a Konoha forehead protector and tossed it to the boy. "Congratulations! You are now an official genin!"
Naruto caught it and didn't waste any second to put it on over his head. He took off the goggles and placed the forehead protector on instead. When he finally looked back at the teachers, his eyes were filled with excitement and almost looked as if he was near tears of joys.
"I'm finally a ninja! Thank you all! Just watch me, you'll see me become the greatest ninja Konoha has ever seen dattebayo!" Naruto proudly declared before he sprinted out of the room.
Most of the teachers continued to stare at the boy in disbelief. The demon brat, the dead last, had just graduated and done beyond any expectations. Slowly, the seeds of doubt on their judgment started to form. Perhaps they were wrong about his success. Perhaps they were wrong about him. Perhaps he wasn't a demon, but a great Konoha shinobi...
'Naruto...I am taking you for ramen tomorrow when I get the free time. I am so proud of you!' Iruka thought to himself, his smile not fading.
Mizuki continued to stare in similar disbelief to the other teachers. His disbelief, however, stemmed from something else.
'No! That's impossible! He may have been improving, but the one thing he should never have been able to do was pass. He couldn't make a single clone! But no...now he has shadow clones instead. That ruins everything!' Mizuki nearly screams in his head.
The white-haired chuunin took a deep breath, calming down his inner rage. 'I have to calm down. So what if he passed? That doesn't ruin my plans. It just means I have to change them a little...'
'It doesn't matter though. In the end, I will get my scroll! And, if I play my cards right, that demon will be dead as well!
Mizuki decided to get out of the room and give himself a minute or so to think on how to change his plan. He stood from his seat and turned to the other teachers.
"I believe our business is mostly done, since we only have one student left. I expect her to pass as well! Anyway, I told you guys I had a prior engagement today, so I'm going to have to head to it now. If you will excuse me!" He told them.
The other teachers nodded at their co-worker's words and watched as he walked out of the room. Mizuki's brain was working the entire way as he walked out of the room, trying to redesign his plans.
Hinata and Shikamaru stood outside the academy entrance, waiting patiently for a certain blonde boy to come out. The two were wearing their Konoha forehead protectors proudly, Hinata over her neck while Shikamaru tied his to his left arm.
All other students had left, leaving either with family, friends, or on their own accord. Even Chouji had to leave, as his father came to take him to the traditional Akimichi Clan's graduation feast. The two were the only ones still there.
"Naturally his clan's name starts with a U. Would put him at the end of the list. Troublesome." Shikamaru complained.
"D-Don't complain too much Shikamaru-Kun. S-Sasuke-San just l-left, so Naruto-Kun must be close to done."
"True, but still." The Nara shrugged.
The two continued to watch the door, looking for signs of their friend. After what felt like forever, a familiar blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid walked out, forehead protector on and a large grin on his face.
"Guess who's a genin now?" He said excitedly.
"Naruto-Kun! That's great!" Hinata stated as she rushed over to him. She wanted to reach over and hug him, but the thought of initiating physical contact with him made her blush and she stopped herself.
"You had to be near the end of the list. Seriously Naruto. Thanks for making us wait." Shikamaru grumbled as he walked over to the boy.
"I didn't ask you guys to wait!" The boy fired back with a glare.
"Doesn't change the fact that we did." The Nara replied. His neutral face then turned into a smile. "Congratulations though, Naruto. You're a genin now and one step closer to your dream."
Naruto's glaring expression immediately went away and he was back to his grinning self. "Thank you! And congrats to you both too! I knew you both could do it! Now, who is up for some Ichirakus?"
"M-Me. F-Father told me earlier t-that I was f-free the whole day cause of the graduation exam." Hinata informed her friends.
"I'm good with that as well. If Mom and Dad complain that I was gone, then I'll just say I was hanging with you guys. They shouldn't complain about that." Shikamaru told them with a smirk on his face.
"Awesome! Then let's head over there fast before the ramen gets cold! ONWARD!" The newly-appointed blonde genin shouted in excitement.
"Naruto, can you wait a second?" A voice called out.
The three graduated students turned around to see their sensei, Mizuki was now walking out of the academy. He was looking over at them, more specifically Naruto. He obviously needed to talk to him for a second or so.
"Sure thing Mizuki-Sensei! Hold on a sec!" The boy shouted to him before turning to his friends. "I'll be back in a second! Let me talk to him real quick and we can be on our way to ramen!"
Hinata and Shikamaru nodded in understanding at their friend's words. Naruto then rushed over to Mizuki, wondering what his sensei wanted to talk about. The chuunin then started to walk off a little bit away from anybody that could possibly overhear their conversation. The genin followed right behind.
"What's up Mizuki-Sensei?" Naruto asked when they both finally stopped walking.
"You did a really good job today in the exams Naruto. I mean, doing the Shadow Clone Jutsu...that's beyond impressive!" Mizuki informed him.
"Heh, thanks a lot Mizuki-Sensei! It's pretty awesome, no?" The blonde-haired graduate replied, his grin still plastered on his face.
"Indeed it is." The chuunin noted with a warm smile. "...awesome enough that I nominated you for a special program the academy offers to one student."
Naruto's grin dropped a little, replaced with a curious expression. "Hmm?"
"Well, you see, the academy has a second exam that occurs right after the first one. It's only offered to one graduate. The teachers have to nominate one student of their choosing and then vote amongst the nominees to decide who will take it." The academy instructor explained. "If the graduate takes the second exam and passes it, then they are automatically promoted to chuunin. And this year, you were chosen to take it!"
Naruto's eyes widened to the size of his favorite ramen bowls. "I was chosen? Why? And what do I have to do?"
"Why? Didn't you see everyone's faces after you performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Mizuki asked him, his smile getting even warmer. "That's beyond the skill set for a genin! You truly showed that you are a genius to be able to accomplish that. All of us instructors decided that for that reason alone you deserve to take the second exam more than anyone else! As for what the exam is, you have to promise you'll take it before given it. It's kind of like a test as well. You don't get to pick the missions the Hokage assigns you all the time, so it's just like that."
Naruto continued to stare at Mizuki in disbelief. The chuunin assumed that Naruto was simply in shock about learning that he could 'become a chuunin' right away. 'My plan's working perfectly already...'
Naruto, indeed, was in shock by Mizuki's offer. However, it was not for the reasons the academy instructor thought...
"It doesn't make sense. I actually paid attention on the day Iruka-Sensei went over the chuunin rank this year. I even did good on that test dattebayo! The only way to become chuunin is through the Chuunin Exam or through a field promotion by the Hokage and the Council. The academy doesn't have the authority to do offer me this test...' Naruto thought to himself in confusion.
'Also, the teachers would actually vote for me for this? Sure I'm awesome, kicked serious ass in the exam, and shocked them with my shadow clones, but the teachers all hate me! I couldn't have shocked them that much that they would choose me for this, especially over their 'precious' Sasuke...'
'Something about Mizuki-Sensei always never seemed right. He was nice, but weird at the same time. And this whole thing is fishy. What is going on here...'
"Naruto? Are you okay?" The chuunin asks.
The blonde-haired boy is pulled away from his thoughts and brought back to reality. Mizuki is still there, a look of confusion on his face.
"I'm fine yeah. Don't worry about me!" Naruto replies excitedly, putting his grin back on his face. "Now, let's hear about this extra exam. I got a promotion I need to get dattebayo!"
'If Mizuki-Sensei is really up to something fishy, then I need to know what he's doing. And if accepting his stupid exam is the only way to find out, then I'll do it!' Naruto inwardly noted.
Mizuki's smile turned into a grin: a grin that almost seemed maniacal.
"So you'll take it? Excellent!" The chuunin stated excitedly. "Alright Naruto, before I tell you about the exam, let me ask you a question. What do you know about the Scroll of Seals?"
"So you're telling us that Mizuki-Sensei wants you to steal the Scroll of Seals from the Hokage's Office for a graduation test to chuunin?" Shikamaru asked Naruto. When the blonde boy nodded in response, the Nara heir sighed. "Sounds like a pain. And completely fishy."
Right after he finished his conversation with Mizuki, Naruto met up with his friends and took them to Ichiraku's, like they planned. While there, waiting for their ramen, Naruto told them all about the extra exam.
"That's what I thought as well. There's no way that the academy has the authority for that!" Naruto mumbled in response.
"They don't. That would mean t-that Mizuki-Sensei is t-trying to get you to s-steal the scroll for himself. But...w-why would he?" Hinata voiced her concerns. "H-He was our sensei for y-years and h-he is a loyal Konoha shinobi. W-Why would he t-try to steal it?"
"Guess he's not that loyal after all." Shikamaru shrugged. "So, what are you going to do about it Naruto?"
At this moment, Teuchi came forward and delivered three bowls of ramen for the new graduates. Naruto immediately started to dig into his bowl rapidly. Only when he finished it did he start to speak again.
"Well, I plan on talking to Old Man Hokage about it. After that, I plan on taking down Mizuki personally!" The blonde genin told his friends. "He thought he could trick me into stealing the scroll for him, so I feel like I should be the one to take him down!"
"B-But Naruto-Kun, that w-would be dangerous!" Hinata spoke up quickly. She felt concern for her crush, knowing that Mizuki would be a tough person to beat on his own. "Y-You shouldn't go alone!"
"She's right. Mizuki's a chuunin and he was our sensei. You may be a ninja now, but he on paper should be able to defeat you easily if you fought on your own." Shikamaru added, trying to convince his plan to go through with a different plan.
"Well...yeah, true I guess. I guess I could ask the Old Man if he has anyone willing to assist me. But I personally want to take down the guy, so hopefully they won't interfere too much!" The Jinchuuriki informed them.
"W-Why not let us help?" The Hyuga heiress asked.
"Eh?" Naruto focused all of his attention on Hinata. The idea actually surprised him, especially coming from Hinata, who was the kind of person who would want to avoid conflict if possible
Hinata blushed a little at having her crush's attention so focused directly on her. Her words failed to come out and her ramen bowl seemed to be more interesting than staring back at Naruto. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and spoke up again.
"Mizuki-Sensei may be a chuunin, b-but if we all f-fought him together, we c-could take him out ourselves. We would just need to use t-teamwork." She explained her thoughts. "Please Naruto-Kun, d-don't fight him by yourself! W-We can help you in case y-you need it!"
Naruto continued to stare at his friend in surprise. He knew that she probably did not like the idea of fighting, especially someone who was their academy teacher, but she was still offering to help him. She was willing to help him fight to make sure he would be okay. Eventually, Naruto stopped staring and simply gave her a large smile.
"Thank you Hinata. Sure, you can tag along. We can take down him together with no problem!" He told her.
Hinata smiled back in response, her blush getting a little darker due to Naruto's tone of voice and his smile. She could tell he was very happy by her suggestion, which in turn made her happy. She was indeed nervous to have to fight their academy teacher, like they thought they would, but she was willing to do it to help out Naruto.
"Naruto, you realize she said 'we' right? That would also include me as well." Shikamaru pointed out, finally speaking up as he put his bowl of ramen to the side.
Naruto turned to his other friend and gave the same smile to Shikamaru. This one, though, was a little more like a smirk.
"Sure it's not too troublesome for you Shikamaru?" The boy teased.
"It is, trust me. But Hinata is right. Wouldn't want to see you guys getting hurt or something. Teaming up would be the best option." He responded back.
"You're right. And together, we will kick his ass and bring him over to the Hokage in no time dattebayo!" Naruto shouted excitedly.
"Speaking of the Hokage, we should really discuss this with him first though, like you said originally. Remember?" The Nara questioned.
"Ah!" The blonde genin nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Well, we can't waste any time! We have to hurry and talk with him, cause it's going to get closer to time for me to meet up with that lying sensei!"
The three new graduates paid for their meal, thanked Teuchi, and hurried over to the Hokage tower, ready to talk to the Hokage about their plan.
Despite his polite, friendly, and joking mask, Mizuki was a rather serious and humorless person. Nevertheless, he couldn't help give a real chuckle as he thought back to his plan.
'In the end, it really didn't matter if the brat passed or not. I still convinced him to steal the scroll for me! Now, to collect my prize!' Mizuki thought happily in between his laughter.
The chuunin would be lying if he didn't think in the back of his head that Naruto could possibly have not gone through with the plan. He was hoping to capitalize on Naruto's desperation to become a genin to make him go against any better judgment. Mizuki was relieved to hear the boy still stupidly believed his lie about promoting him to a chuunin. Everything was going according to plan. All that was left to do was meet up with Naruto, take the scroll from him, possibly kill him, and head off to Otogakure.
Mizuki continued to move through the forests around Konoha, searching for the clearing he told the boy earlier. After a few minutes of searching, the white-haired chuunin found him there, holding a large scroll.
"Hey! Naruto!" Mizuki shouted to him, making himself visible to the boy. "You really did. You got the scroll. I knew you would be able to do it!"
"Heh, what can I say? I'm going to be Hokage after all dattebayo! And now I'm one step closer to getting there!" Naruto informed with a large grin.
If Mizuki wasn't in such a good mood over his plan's 'success', he may have noticed that the boy's grin was fake. This could possibly have made him more cautious. Nevertheless, he never noticed.
"Very good Naruto! Now, hand over the scroll to me. I can test you on one of the jutsus then." The chuunin requested, holding out his hand.
"No need for that sensei! Watch this: Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as he made his new favorite hand sign.
Three shadow clones appeared in a poof of smoke standing right behind Naruto.
"This is crazy, I know, but the Shadow Clone Jutsu was actually one of the jutsu in the scroll. So technically, I already passed the second test when I did the first one! Pretty awesome, eh sensei?" Naruto informed the man in front of him.
Mizuki blinked, trying to hide his anger. There were only rumors about what jutsu were actually in the Scroll of Seals. Apparently the one complex jutsu Naruto happened to be in there. This made it more difficult to get the scroll from him.
"I...I see. That's pretty awesome indeed." Mizuki replied, making even more effort to keep his polite, 'sensei' mask up. He then crafted another possible reason to need the scroll and started to say it. "Naruto, you still need to give me the scroll though. It's a little too much of a coincidence that the scroll just so happens to have the Shadow Clone Jutsu in it. Let me check it to make sure!"
"Sure thing Mizuki-Sensei! I'll show you when we get back to Konoha, though." Naruto responded. "It's getting kind of late and any longer and the Hokage might actually start to need his scroll back!"
Mizuki's mouth almost dropped. The boy had a response even to that as well. The chuunin was now starting to get even more angry and impatient. Finally, after a few seconds of awkward silence, he dropped his mask and raised a fuuma shuriken that was attached to his back.
"Naruto! Just hand over the scroll to me now!" The white-haired man shouted.
Naruto nearly smirked, finally having confirmation that his 'sensei' was a traitor. Still, he put on the mask of a scared, nervous kid who was tricked.
"W-What are you doing Mizuki-Sensei? Let's just go back to Konoha and I'll show you the scroll there." Naruto mumbled out quietly in fake nerves.
"You don't get it, do you Naruto? Well, let me spell it out to you. There is no second graduation exam! You just helped me steal the scroll, and now you are going to die if you don't hand it over to me right now!" The traitor informs the boy.
In another moment of impatience, Mizuki chucks his fuuma shuriken at Naruto, not even waiting to see if he will hand over the scroll. 'Say goodbye demon!'
To his surprise, the scared, nervous Naruto quickly calms down and jumps out of the way of the giant shuriken. He then tosses his own small shuriken right towards the chuunin.
'Damn it! He should've been too shocked and scared to react! What the hell?' Mizuki groaned as he jumped out of the way in time to avoid Naruto's shuriken.
Once again to the chuunin's surprise, more shuriken flew at him at different angles from the forest. He was definitely not expecting this. The white-haired man jumped out as quickly as he could but managed to still get hit by one shuriken in his side. He winced in pain for a second, his eyes getting filled with more anger.
'Where the hell did those come from? He brought company it seems. Damn him!' Mizuki cursed mentally.
"Who else did you bring out here with you brat?" He hissed aloud.
"Just a few friends that were looking forward to kicking your ass with me!" Naruto replied with a smirk.
On cue with his words, Hinata and Shikamaru came out of hiding. They jumped down from their positions in nearby trees and landed side by side to Naruto. Hinata landed with her byakugan activated while Shikamaru looked noticeably focused.
"...so that's it huh?" The traitor mumbled in anger. "So, you've been playing with me haven't you? This all some game to you? This is how you treat someone who said they'd promote you?"
"Just drop it Mizuki!" Naruto shouted back, dropping the 'sensei' title. "There was something fishy with your offer and you even admitted that you had no intention of promoting me. This was a set up for me, so I'm just turning the tables on you! And I have some backup with me to make sure you get rightfully taken down!"
Despite his growing anger, Mizuki tried to calm himself down. He knew he had to find a way to defeat the three students. Although they were genin, the three were actually rather impressive in some way. Together, they would also be a major challenge to beat. Mizuki knew he had to separate them quickly if he wanted to get away from them.
'Separate them...like maybe through some facts about the demon!' The traitor smirked.
"They wouldn't be helping you, though, if they knew the truth about you, you demon!" Mizuki shouted towards the three.
"Truth?" Naruto mumbled in response. "What are you talking about?"
"The reason why everyone hates you of course! No one your age knows the truth, since the Sandaime made the law thirteen years ago. You don't even know! But if you all did know..." The chuunin couldn't stop himself from laughing, just imagining the reactions to the 'truth'.
'Law? What law? What could he possibly know that would turn us against Naruto-Kun?' Hinata thought to herself. She couldn't help but glare at Mizuki as she tried to understand his words.
'He's trying to psych Naruto out. Get him distracted or disturbed and somehow turn myself and Hinata against him. But how?' Shikamaru's brain was working hard. He was trying to process the traitor's words while also being prepared to to strike against him if necessary.
Unlike his two friends, Naruto ended up dropping his guard. He couldn't help himself. Despite Mizuki trying to set him up for stealing, he was offering information that the boy always wondered about.
"Why I'm hated? What are you talking about? What law?" He asked uncertainly. His voice was actually a little shaky. He was both anxious and worried to find out exactly why he was hated.
"The law prevents anyone from telling your generation that you are the Kyuubi, the demon that attacked Konoha years ago!"
Time seemed to stop when Mizuki's words left his mouth. Hinata's and Shikamaru's eyes widened in pure shock. Naruto merely stood still, completely stunned.
"You've all been liked to you all your life! The Yondaime couldn't kill that damn fox. The thing was too powerful for him, so he sealed into a newborn baby to stop it. That baby was you Naruto! It's why everyone hates you!" Mizuki continues to rant. "You destroyed many parts, houses, and buildings of Konoha. Many civilians and shinobi died because of you. Many kids, including your sensei Iruka, grew up as orphans because you killed their parents. You are the reason the Yondaime is dead. Everything that happened that night is your fault, you damn demon!"
Naruto continued to stand frozen in time, still in complete shock.
'..no...it can't be true. But...it makes sense...but...no...no...' Naruto's mind was working in overdrive.
'...it's not some lie. It makes sense. It matches everything! Everything makes sense!' Shikamaru realized. 'It explains his freakishly large stamina...'
'...it helps explains Naruto-Kun's insane amount of chakra...' Hinata realized as well, thinking on the same wavelength as her other friend.
'...Why he gets singled out by the teachers and glared at...'
'...why he grew up alone...'
'...why he is hated.' The two kids reached the same conclusion.
The two kids turned their heads toward Naruto and stared at him for a second. Any fear or ill feelings that could have been within the two were completely eliminated the second they looked at him.
'Naruto-Kun...you were treated so badly by the people around you and you had to deal with the fox within you...and you still wanted to be Hokage? You still wanted to fight and defend these people? To earn their respect? Naruto-Kun...you are truly amazing." Hinata felt new feelings for her crush come about. She felt even more pride in him, more awe by his kindness and strength, and something more...something she didn't know how to describe.
'He should hate everyone in Konoha for everything they've done to him. And he doesn't. As a matter of fact, he actually wants to change their minds. Naruto...you are one of a kind.' Shikamaru noted with a slight smirk.
Naruto didn't take the news in anyway like his friends. The boy continued to stand completely still.
'They...they really do deserve to hate me. Everything's my fault. I'm just...a monster...' He reached his conclusion.
"Now that the truth is out, I'm sure you all won't mind when I remove this monster from the world! Goodnight demon!" Mizuki shouted as he took his second fuuma shuriken and tossed it at Naruto.
The Uzumaki boy continued to stand still; still in shock. His friends, however, were able to move. Shikamaru used his Shadow Possession Jutsu to take control of Naruto's body. He then forced the boy to jump out of the way of the shuriken. Hinata jumped right in front of them, holding a kunai and ready to deflect any shuriken Mizuki could throw at them.
"Why are you helping him? Didn't you hear me? He's the damn demon who nearly destroyed the village! He killed many of your clansmen!" Mizuki shouted to them, still trying to turn them.
"You said the demon was sealed within him. That doesn't make him a demon; only a container at most. He's not the Kyuubi!" Shikamaru spoke up, louder and more defiant than he had ever previously spoken.
'...Shikamaru...' Naruto looked over to his lazy friend in awe. His friend was smart and Naruto could trust his word. '...I'm not the demon? You really think so?'
"If anything, he's a hero to the village! He keeps the demon locked within him. Naruto-Kun is the furthest thing from the Kyuubi! He's our savior who keeps it from attacking us!" Hinata shouted back in an out of character way. She didn't stutter and her voice matched Shikamaru's loudness.
'...Hinata...' It was her turn to be the subject of Naruto's awe. He had never seen such determination in her before. '...there's now way she could ever be wrong. Not when she acts and speaks like that...Hinata...'
"So naive. Don't think too much into this: he's the demon! And it would be wise to get away from him before you get hurt while I kill him!" Mizuki informed them.
'...hurt them? Hurt Shikamaru and Hinata?' Naruto's mind went out of its shock. His eyes flared in anger and determination.
"Don't you dare come close to them!" The boy hissed at his 'sensei'. "They are precious to me, and I'll do anything I can to protect them!"
Hinata and Shikamaru looked back to Naruto and gave a warm smile towards him. They then turned back to Mizuki, ready to strike. The traitor realized any hopes to separate them and turn them against the boy were not going to work. He was going to have to kill them as well.
"Tch, whatever. You're all dead!" Mizuki roared as he tossed smaller shuriken at the academy graduates.
Mizuki blinked when he saw what exactly his shuriken hit, though. Instead of the three individual genin, the shuriken made contact with the three shadow clones Naruto made earlier. In seconds, all three clones disappeared in a poof of smoke. All three genin were nowhere to be seen.
'They used substitution with the clones the demon made earlier, back when he was showing me the scroll...' He noted. The academy instructor inside him was actually a little impressed with the skilled use of the jutsu and the quick, unnoticeable exchange. He, however, was also pissed that they managed this trick on him.
"Hide well brats, cause I'm going to find you guys! I'll kill you all!" He shouted.
Mizuki made the necessary hand signs before turning his attention to the forest around him. "Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!" He shouted before launching fireballs into the forest.
Nearby trees caught on fire. Some trees were completely burnt in seconds while others collapsed from the damage. Mizuki watched as he cleared the area around him, looking for the first sign of one of the genin.
He didn't have to wait too long. A group of twenty Narutos shot out and charged directly at the chuunin.
"More shadow clones? Is it seriously all you can do? You're screwed, demon brat!" The traitor taunted as he dropped into his personal taijutsu stance.
All Naruto clones attempted to assault the chuunin at once. He immediately went on the defensive, blocking them to the best of his abilities. Mizuki was able to avoid too many direct hits while striking back. He was able to destroy six of the clones after a few blows.
The Konoha traitor noticed that one of the clones was not disappearing. It would keep getting up after each hit and would charge back, ready to strike with its palms. 'Guess that's the original demon. Weird fighting style for him, but whatever. It's not helping him any!' Mizuki thought with a smirk.
The assault by the clones continued. As time passed, Mizuki was getting more physically tired. He started to take a few more hits than usual from the clones, including the Naruto that was striking him with his palms. Despite his weakening state, Mizuki was able to bring down the number of clones to six. It was at this point that the chuunin noticed something very wrong with himself.
'What is happening to my chakra? Why can't I use it? I haven't used any since my fire jutsu! The demon shouldn't be able to do this!' Mizuki groaned on the inside. He was getting slightly nervous at this new development. Then, an idea hit him of what was happening. 'Then...that means...'
Before Mizuki could continue his train of thought, he found himself completely immobilized. He couldn't move, no matter how hard he tried or struggled.
"Caught you!"
The chuunin found his head turning around on its own accord. He saw his shadow mixed with the shadow of one of the Naruto clones. At this moment, the clone dropped its transformation, revealing a smirking Shikamaru.
"You..." The traitor hissed.
"Didn't notice me did you? Or Hinata I'm guessing?" The Nara asked as he turned his head, forcing Mizuki to turn his head as well. They were now facing the Naruto that Mizuki originally thought was the original. This Naruto dropped the transformation and revealed itself as Hinata.
"You knew that Naruto was skilled with the Shadow Clone Jutsu, so you assumed that all twenty 'clones' of Naruto were simply clones. It never occurred to you that two of those clones could have been Hinata and myself under the Transformation Jutsu." Shikamaru explained the tactic to the traitor. "Therefore, you failed to notice that Hinata, under the guise of one of the clones, was sealing your tenketsu, and therefore sealing your chakra, with the gentle fist with each attack. You also never watched the shadows, since I was 'nowhere to be seen'. Because of that, you are caught in my Shadow Possession Jutsu, and you have so little useable chakra that you can't break through."
"Damn you...damn you all!" He hissed once again.
"You tried to mess with me, and then mess with my friends as well. I don't appreciate it!" Naruto stated as he walked forward, his remaining clones following close behind. They all cracked their knuckles simultaneously. "Time to show you what happens when you try and mess with us dattebayo!"
Mizuki's screams could be heard for miles throughout the forest.
"Um...hehehe...I might have gotten a little carried away?" Naruto laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
Mizuki was lying face down on the floor of the forest, unconscious in a small pile of blood. Naruto and his clones beat down on the traitor hard. The man, while still alive, would not be waking up anytime soon. He would wake up in a few hours later probably, locked up in a cell or in a room alone with Ibiki. Mizuki, if he was conscious, would be praying for the former.
"You might have, but it was worth it. Deserved to." Shikamaru shrugged. With the situation over, he was back to his less focused, lazy demeanor.
"R-Right..." Hinata added as well, making sure she was looking away from the traitor. The sight of him and his blood was making the Hyuga heiress a tad queasy.
"He did deserve it! After everything he did, from trying to steal the scroll to threatening you guys, he definitely did!" Naruto stated firmly.
Their was a silence that filled the air. Hinata and Shikamaru stared at their friend, who seemed as if he was trying to come up with some words. Finally, he was able to let them off.
"Guys...um...about what Mizuki told us..." Naruto started. He was nervous and uncomfortable, something very unusual for the boy. His two friends couldn't help but feel uncomfortable seeing him like this.
"Naruto, if you think we are going to think any differently of you just because of the Kyuubi, then you are stupid enough that you should've been the dead last." Shikamaru told the boy bluntly. Naruto, despite his feelings, couldn't help but glare at the boy. "Look, we aren't stupid. We know you aren't the Kyuubi. You are just the container, and there is a major difference. You are definitely not a demon! You are way too troublesome, but also too nice to be one."
"Shikamaru-Kun's right. And what I said earlier was true as well. You are the savior of Konoha, who keeps it back. If anything, Naruto-Kun, knowing about it only makes me respect you more..." Hinata told, slightly blushing. Just like previously, she was able to say her thoughts without stuttering due to the subconscious need to let Naruto know what she felt.
Naruto couldn't take it anymore. He felt tears starting to fall from his eyes. He had finally found out the reason why everyone hated him and it was overwhelming to him. He, himself, was starting to accept the demon label until his two friends spoke up for him. Just like before...
His fears of being rejected by them were gone. Naruto almost didn't care if he ever earned the respect of the village or not right now. For right now, all that mattered was that he had two friends who he would protect with his life: two friends who knew why he was hated and didn't think anything different of him.
"Hinata-Chan...Shikamaru...thank you!" Naruto nearly shouted amongst tears as he charged forth and tackled his friends in a hug.
Under normal circumstances, Hinata would have flipped out that Naruto had called her 'Hinata-Chan' and would be blushing beyond red at the physical contact. She probably would have passed out. Under normal circumstances, Shikamaru would be complaining that he was having trouble breathing in Naruto's hold. He would struggle to get out and complain about his friend being 'troublesome'.
These were not normal circumstances, however. The two simply returned their friend's hug, giving him a warm smile.
It's almost ironic. Mizuki's attempts to divide the group apart ended up bringing them closer to each other than ever before...
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but smile as he stared into his crystal ball. After Naruto and his friends came in and told about Mizuki's plan, he had kept careful observation of the three. He had felt some wariness with allowing three newly graduated students from the academy to take on a traitorous chuunin shinobi, but he felt more confidence that they could handle it. Something within him told him that the three would be fine. Just like he predicted, the kids were fine. They were now heading towards Konoha, holding onto Mizuki and heading to hand him over to anbu to do place somewhere. Most likely with Ibiki. The kids succeeded in their mission.
'More than just succeeded.' Hiruzen noted with a chuckle. The three genin demonstrated great teamwork with each other. Hinata and Shikamaru went out of their way to save Naruto's life and the three were able to overwhelm Mizuki with great teamwork, such as the strategy utilzed with Naruto's clones and Hinata's and Shikamaru's transformations. They complimented each other well and were able to take down a ninja with more skill than them.
The Sandaime was also pleased when he realized that Hinata and Shikamaru didn't treat Naruto differently when Mizuki revealed the news of the Kyuubi. Sarutobi, although a rather smart man with great foresight, failed to predict that Mizuki would reveal the information about the demon to the kids in desperation. For a few seconds, the old man was rather nervous and was tempted to head out there himself to end the man's life before any damage was done. Thankfully, Hinata and Shikamaru took the news very well and actually praised Naruto for being able to be the container. They helped Naruto handle the information as well and not let him get overwhelmed by it.
'They truly went above any expectations. They were perfect. They worked well together...' Hiruzen noted with a smile. At the moment, something clicked in his head.
'...they really should be a genin team. The three of them together.'
Truth be told, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already designed the genin squads. None of the three kids were going to be placed on the same squad, as Naruto would be with Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke under Kakashi as an assault team, Hinata would be on a tracking team under Kurenai, and Shikamaru would be with the other children of the Ino-Shika-Chou trio under his son Asuma. The aged Hokage thought the team assessments were wise decisions but after seeing the teamwork performed by the three students, he was really second guessing himself.
'...teamwork like that is so rare to find in kids so young. It could only get better and stronger as they grow older. I can't separate them...' Hiruzen thought.
The Sandaime sighed. It would mean more paperwork. It would maybe take a little while to explain to anyone who already knew his original plans. Nevertheless, he knew something now and he was going to go by it: Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru had great teamwork together and needed to be on the same team.
'...great, now I have to think of a sensei for them too.' Hiruzen realized with a frown as well. 'More work...why did I take this job again?'
Hiruzen started making notes of the Jonin available to be a sensei. Kakashi would probably be an excellent choice, due to his love for teamwork. However, the Hokage, as well as the council, felt that Kakashi should train Sasuke in order to work with the sharingan once it becomes activated. Asuma and Kurenai would also be perfect senseis for Shikamaru and Hinata respectively, but not for the other. Asuma's bluntness and his overall behavior would probably intimidate Hinata while Kurenai would not have the patience to effectively train Shikamaru.
'...well I guess none of those three. Well, who is left?' The Hokage thought to himself.
At that moment, a knock on the door disturbed the aged man from his thoughts. He turned his attention to it and spoke up. "Yes?"
"Hokage-Sama, sorry for coming so late at night! I have just returned from my mission and I know you wanted my mission report immediately!" Said the voice from the other side.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened when he realized who had arrived. An idea started to form into the aged man's mind. An idea that he played over multiple times to make sure how it would work. He couldn't help but give a smirk at it.
'It's perfect. Every scenario I come up with works perfectly with it. It's official. I have a sensei now!' Hiruzen chuckled to himself before he turned back to the door and spoke aloud again. "Yes, please come again. We will discuss your mission report now. Also, I have something else I would like to discuss with you!"
The door opened...
"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?"
A loud scream awakened many people living in Konoha. Anyone with good ears could piece out that the scream came from the Hokage's tower. All of them had to wonder though: who could have caused such a scream and why were they screaming?
Author's Note: I'm sorry for the small wait on this chapter! Funny, I just declare that I would do weekly updates. Then I end up being late by a little more than a week :( I blame college! Which, on a side note, I'm loving :D
Hope the long chapter made up for the wait though :) They're shinobi now! Now, things will be getting fun kind of soon! We shall see...:D
Thank you all once again for all the support! It's amazing how many people like the story so far! Thank you all so very much! :) Please continue to read (and review if you have time!) Remember to let me know any questions or concerns with anything. I'll try and address it to the best of my abilities, and it can only make me a better writer and the story even better. It's a win-win for all of us :D
Anyway, it's really late right now, so I'll end this here. I'll see you guys as soon at the next update! Until then :)