Naruto walked out of the classroom. He looked around carefully and sneaked out of the academy. Sneaking out was something he was already good at.
The streets of Konoha spread out before him. Chatters filled the air. People walking and going through the daily hustle of life like normal.
Naruto slipped into an alley and took two deep breaths.
On the way there, he kept thinking about who to transform into. Every time the thought crossed his mind, his heart started beating faster. Even though he knew the Hokage had his back, committing juvenile crimes carried real risks—like detention or something.
He doesn't know but definitely not something good. Especially if getting caught transformed. That's trouble right there. His chest tightened slightly with the rush of adrenaline.
Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself, not overthinking it, and transformed into some random dude he saw on the way here. He had spotted the one he wanted to transform into before reaching the flower shop.
"Transform,"
He whispered. A puff of smoke enveloped him. When it cleared, he was a normal-looking adult man. Calmly, he walked out of the alley, trying to keep his expression relaxed.
Despite the calm, his face was stiff, his heart drumming like a drum in his chest. Every step was careful, making sure no ninja could detect him.
At this moment, even the smallest gesture towards him made him almost flinch.
He entered the flower shop. The shop owner greeted him warmly. Naruto picked out some flowers and paid the bill, making sure not to take out Gama-chan. That little pouch could ruin everything if someone recognized it.
Bouquet in hand, he walked out of the shop, returned to the alley, and transformed back into his normal self.
"Huuuu~~~~"
He exhaled loudly, gripping his chest. Sweat coated his forehead, his hands shook, and adrenaline pumped through his body. He felt energized but didn't linger.
With a burst of energy, he sprang toward the academy, bouquet in hand, aiming to find Iruka-sensei. The wind whipped past his face, and his crooked smile spread wide. Sneaking around and fooling people had its own kind of thrill.
"Hehe~~ Damn. I see why those crazy people risked their lives in extreme sports for no reason. Fuck! It's fucking exhilarating!!"
Naruto couldn't help but exclaim. He almost shouted like a gorilla and hammered his chest like one from how energetic he felt. But he held himself back.
He couldn't make a fool out of himself more then he already is. His reputation needs to change. And acting like a gorilla in the middle of the streets isn't the way.
Naruto reached the academy quickly and entered Iruka-sensei's office. He knocked.
"Come in,"
Came a warm, calm voice.
Naruto stepped inside. Iruka-sensei looked up from his desk, where screws and brushes were neatly arranged. His eyes widened at the sight of Naruto.
"Naruto, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be waiting for your Jonin-sensei?"
Naruto smiled.
"Don't worry about that, Iruka-sensei!! Kakashi-sensei is probably still finding his way on the path of life. Anyways, congratulations on your recovery!!"
He held out the bouquet.
Iruka took it, eyebrows twitching. Naruto wasn't wrong—Kakashi was infamous for his excuses and late arrivals—but he hadn't expected Naruto to be this attentive.
Iruka studied Naruto closely. The boy stood with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes wide, a small smile on his face, spiky blond hair sticking up, whisker-like marks on his cheeks. Something about him seemed calmer. Yet he was still the same Naruto. Iruka couldn't help but smile.
He got up from his chair, walked to Naruto, and patted his head. Naruto let him. Iruka ruffled his hair gently, and Naruto recoiled slightly. Iruka laughed softly.
"Alright, Naruto. Enough with that. But thank you for the flowers. I really appreciate it. You should probably go now. Your Jonin-sensei might arrive sooner if this is important enough to make him hurry."
Naruto giggled and looked Iruka in the eyes. His demeanor shifted. His voice became firm.
"Iruka-sensei, thank you... thank you for believing in me, for standing up for me. You're one of the only two people in this world who still believes in me. I will not let you down. I will change! I will really change!! Not for the world, not for you, but for myself! Believe it!!"
He paused, shook his head, and corrected himself.
"No… don't believe it. Doubt me. Doubt me with everything you have. And I'll prove you wrong. I'll prove everyone wrong—the whole world wrong. Beli-"
He wanted to say "believe it" again but stopped himself. He took a deep breath.
"I mean it. I will prove the whole world wrong. I will become strong. I will change. So look forward to it, Iruka-sensei!!"
Iruka looked at Naruto and couldn't help but feel he had truly changed. He knelt slightly to meet Naruto's eye level, placing a hand on his shoulders.
"All right, Naruto. Prove me wrong. Prove the whole world wrong. Show them you can change. You are not hopeless. You are not the demon everyone says you are. You can become something people never expected. Go Naruto… go. Go and get strong. Prove everyone wrong. Make people remember who you are. Not what they think you are. Show them that you are Naruto Uzumaki. Not some demon."
Iruka stood again. Naruto felt his heart quake, eyes burning as his eyes slightly turned red, but he held himself steady and smiled brightly.
"Yes!! Iruka-sensei!! I will! And you better not die before you get to see it! See me at the top of the world!!"
He gave a thumbs up with a bright smile.
Iruka laughed softly.
"Haha~~ Alright~alright~. Enough of that. Now go."
Naruto nodded and sprinted out of the office. Iruka watched the door close, shaking his head, before returning to his work.
Naruto entered the classroom feeling light, happy, and brimming with determination. Sasuke and Sakura sat near the window, looking irritated—they were the only ones there.
The classroom was otherwise empty. Naruto chose a random seat at the front and waited for Kakashi to arrive. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
He was worried that Kakashi may actually have arrived. Naruto looked at the clock. Not much time has passed. Naruto sneaked out not to just buy some flowers but also try to prove something?
He didn't know why he felt that way that if he was not there the canon timeline might change. Its like the feeling when people think that looking away from the loading bar makes it load faster.
A weird feeling. But Naruto was had his belief about whether or not not the projection knowledge was true solidify.
Naruto leaned back with his hands behind his back. Thing stuff. Mostly about the perfect training ground he found in the Forest of Death. It was 3 hours run from Konoha. Far enough to be an exercise, quite enough to many things without problems.
And that place was near a water fall. Another plus as he could train his Water Chakra Release... or whatever that is called.
Sakura and Sasuke looked at him and gave some weird looks but they quickly went to do their own thing which is... basically doing nothing.
=====
The classroom was quiet. The graduates sat at their desks, fidgeting and talking in low voices. The door opened slowly, and a tall figure stepped inside. A mask covered most of his face, and his silver hair fell lazily over one eye.
"Team-7,line up. We're going to the roof."
The man said calmly.
Naruto shot up from his seat. He was dozing off and was having a good dream but the noise startled him. He jersey awake thinking someone might've come to attack him. But looking around, it was just Kakashi peaking through the door looking at him lazily before closing the door and disappearing.
Naruto wiped the droll with his sleeve as he started to get out of the class room. Sakura and Sasuke came down as well. Sakura had determined expression on her face.
Sasuke on the other hand was in his emo mode, expression unreadable. Naruto didn't pay much attention to them. There was nothing to gain.
The classroom door swung open again. The hallways were empty. Sunlight spilled through the windows as the group moved toward the stairs. Naruto led the way without a word, hands in his pockets... Well not quite leading, he was just at the front. That's all.
When they reached the rooftop, the wind ruffled their hair. The village stretched out below them. Buildings and trees dotted the streets. The sky was clear and bright.
Kakashi was already in the center of the roof, facing them with a book in hand. He calmly tucked it into his pocket.
"All right, we'll start with introductions."
He said.
"Uh… what do we say?"
Naruto said without thinking. Like someone had hijacked his mouth at the moment and made it spill out the exact words the Canon Naruto said. Naruto couldn't help but shiver slightly and couldn't help but think... is this fate?
Then damn bro that's terrifying as fuck! Naruto exhaled slightly and calmed himself down. This wasn't some Xinxia world where heavens are always watching your ass and ready smash your ass everything you go of the script.
This was shinobi world! There was no such thing... probably. Naruto couldn't find any confidence behind this thought. And before he could think further, Kakashi's voice interrupted his light speed summer saluting thoughts.
Kakashi raised a hand.
"Things you like, things you hate, your dreams, hobbies…"
He turned slightly, leaning against the railing. Somehow he was already there.
"I'll start."
He spoke in a calm voice.
"I'm Kakashi Hatake. I have no intention of telling you my likes or dislikes… and I have lots of hobbies. As for my dreams, I have few."
Naruto blinked, frowning.
"He didn't say anything!"
...is the thing he almost said but didn't. Bro he is gonna beat fate! His tellin' ya! Holding his tongue is first step towards that. Naruto at fhe moment couldn't help but curse Kishimoto silently for not coming up with something good for him.
Sakura, seated carefully on the rooftop edge, spoke next.
"I'm Sakura Haruno. I like Sasuke. I hate… this boy here."
She pointed at Naruto.
"My dream… my dream is to support Sasuke and help him grow."
Naruto grumbled, but didn't interrupt.
Sasuke crossed his arms.
"Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things. I don't like much. My dream is… to restore my clan and kill a certain man."
Naruto tilted his head.
"All right, my turn. I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen. I hate waiting for it to cook. And my dream is… is... something I'm thinking about deeply. For now it is to get stronger then ever!!"
Naruto said with quite determination. Sakura nd Sasuke gave him weird look. Probably thinking he would have shouted 'I will be the greates tHokage! Believe it!!' Buuut he didn't. Good for him. He is getting goood~.
Kakashi listened quietly, one eye half-closed. He let a pause hang in the air. Then he spoke.
"Interesting bunch. We'll start our first mission tomorrow. Actually… survival training. Out of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will become genin. The rest will return to the Academy."
He looked at them seriously, though his tone stayed calm.
"Bring your ninja tools. Don't eat breakfast… you'll throw up."
Naruto shifted his weight, staring out at the village. The wind carried the sounds of distant life below. He felt the weight of Kakashi's words and the challenge ahead.
The rooftop was empty except for them. The sun glinted off the railings, and the day felt wide and full of possibility.