Naruto 1. Disclaimer and Summary

_**Disclaimer**__: All characters, and such are the copyrights and property of their respective owners. I claim no ownership of any character and such in any way._

_**Disclaimer Number 2**__: BEWARE! This story contains many long descriptions. Some of them may seem useless, but it's natural for me to include the useless parts, so, sorry!_

_**Summary**__: It was the sixth festival of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's demise. All of Konoha was thrown into a wild celebration because of this, all but one small boy, who happened to have a birthday on the same date. Instead, he was brooding, wondering why all the villagers seemed to hate him... but, this time around, he would finally find out why all the villagers despised his existence, always calling him a 'demon' or shooting him glares, filled with hate and disgust._


	2. Demon Child

_**Demon Child**_

_A story of a child - made container - for the legendary nine-tailed fox demon._

_Chapter 1 - Demon Child_

As the sun set and the bright orange light faded from the land, an inky blackness slowly overtook the sky, a pale moon slowly becoming more and more visible, as the night drew on. With the arrival of the moon, it cast a pale glow onto the quiet forest below and with that forest, the moon also shone upon a set of four stoic faces, carved into unyielding rocks, their presence looming over the excited village below, which was currently engaged in a wild party. The falling of night and the illumination of the stotic faces didn't seem to disturb the excited villagers, instead, it seemed to excite them. All along the endless sea of thatched and metal roofs, there were banners and fires, throwing the village into a bright, orange glow.

It was the tenth of October in Konoha. It had been six years today in Konoha's past, in which, the legendary nine-tailed demon fox - Kyuubi no Kitsune - was vanquished by the leader of Konoha, the Yondaime Hokage. While the majority of the village was thrown into a wild celebration of drunkenness and happiness, there were a few who were not. Included in this small portion of the village was one, small boy.

* * *

Inside the towering forest near the village, a young boy sat, gazing out at the celebrations below him, leaning his head against the lush bark of the tree. He had a head full of wild, unkempt blond spikes. A pair of shining blue eyes accompanied this, along with three dark whisker marks adorning both cheeks, giving the young boy a unique, fox-like appearance. He was dressed simple: a white tee-shirt hanging from his thin shoulders, reaching down to his waist where a pair of loose, black pants - made from a soft cloth - adorned his hips. A pair of worn-out, faded blue sandals covered his thin, dirty feet. His name is Uzumaki Naruto. 

"They're always so, so happy..." he murmured quietly, his voice echoing his sadness, looking down at his lap, in which rested a pair of clenched fists. Today was the tenth of October and the celebration of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's defeat. He was old enough to understand this, but it was also his birthday. He turned six today, but no one had noticed. "Not that I thought anyone would notice..." he said, letting out a soft sigh. He had no one to call his home. No parents, siblings, relatives or friends to spend this joyous occasion with. Instead, he usually hid. The villagers used any excuse to get drunk and when they were drunk, the villagers tended to get especially rowdy and disoriented, something which Naruto despised immensely. This usually occurred in the villager's chasing him and yelling insults in his direction, though, he had no clue why they called him such names as 'Kyuubi' or 'demon child'.

Unbidden, a small smile crept across his depressed visage, gazing down at his lap. Sitting in his lap, was a worn, black shuriken holster and a small roll of bandages. Next to those two items was a tan cloth pouch, clasped closed and filled to the brim with different items. He didn't want to steal the shinobi's equipment, but they had been drunk and rowdy and haphazardly left their equipment laying around. Naruto took his chances and managed to steal the items without anyone's notice, not that anyone noticed him anyways, which for once, he counted as a blessing. Resolutely, he shook his head and tried to banish his guilty thoughts away. He felt bad for stealing, but he had no money. Sarutobi-ojiisan usually only gave him enough ryo to pay for food, clothes and his tiny apartment.

"At least someone is nice to me..." he murmured sadly before he steeled his resolve. "But, now, I can start my training to become a shinobi," he said out loud, hoping to receive some answer, but only the chirp of the crickets responded. His smile came back to him, though, when he thought about his training. He felt a dull throbbing in his forehead, ignoring it, before he felt something slam into the back of his head, making him gasp and bend forwards, clutching his forehead in immense pain, causing his blond spikes to tip forwards, covering his face slightly. Through his pain, he heard a voice.

_**So, this is my container, hmm...**_ said a soft, quiet voice. Naruto blinked and rubbed his forehead furiously, trying to banish the pain from his mind. It seemed to work, as the sudden, immense pain dulled rapidly into a dull throb, only a ghost of the earlier sensation.

"W - Wha... W - Who's there!?" he called out, panic rising in his voice. He had never heard such a soft voice before. It sounded friendly, but Naruto now knew better then to blindly trust everyone he met. He heard a soft chuckle echo around him, which made him lift his head before he started to look around quickly, his blonde spikes flying with every movement of his head.

_**Shh... Call yourself, child...**_ murmured the same quiet voice. _**I'm inside your head,**_ it finished. Naruto blinked several times and rubbed his forehead again, trying to banish the dull throb.

"I... Is that why I felt t - that pain in my forehead?" he said, still trying to look around for the voice, but not as quickly this time.

_**Yes, it is, child, but I had to break through the barrier separating us before I could speak,**_ it said, the voice still quiet and soft, which Naruto was finally able to identify as female. He frowned and tilted his head before leaning it back against the lush brown trunk next to him.

"W - Why are you inside my head, ma'am?" he asked quietly, his two hands absently fiddling with his ninja equipment. He didn't hear anything for a few moments and became panicked, thinking he scared the quiet voice away.

_**It's because, child, I'm the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the one who 'attacked' this village six years prior,**_ said Kyuubi, her voice quiet, soothing Naruto's panic. Naruto frowned and stopped his fiddling, thinking.

_I wonder why she attacked the village? She seems to nice..._ he thought to himself, not aware Kyuubi could hear his thoughts. He heard Kyuubi chuckle softly and 'tsk'.

_**I didn't attack the village, child,**_ said Kyuubi, her voice firm, though still quiet. Naruto blinked, not expecting her to answer his thoughts. He frowned again and concentrated.

_You... You can read my thoughts?_ he asked, closing his eyes, waiting for the Kyuubi's reply. It was a few moments before the voice replied. In that time, he could faintly hear the sounds of the festival, the sounds of happy people partying, blissfully aware the bane of their existence was speaking with a true demon.

_**Yes, child, I can read your thoughts,**_ said Kyuubi, after the few quiet moments. Naruto nodded and shivered lightly, feeling a gentle breeze brush across his body.

_Why did you attack the village, though?_ he asked again, gripping the items in his lap tighter.

_**I didn't, child. I was merely wandering near the village. I happened upon a patrol of shinobi from your village and they ran, screaming in terror, **_stated Kyuubi, her voice sound amused, as if the thought of shinobi running in terror was a funny sight, although, it probably was, to her._**Anyways, apparently, they alerted Konoha and then, well, the rest is history. I ignored the first few shinobi that came to try and destroy me, but they started to use ninjutsu on me, which annoyed me. Unfortunately, I had to slaughter the shinobi that kept coming at me, simply because they wouldn't leave me in peace,**_ she stated calmly, not disturbed in the slightest by her casual slaughter of Naruto's village. Naruto's face twisted into a grimace, but Kyuubi continued. _**And, in the end, the Yondaime, riding atop Gamabunta, sacrificed himself to seal me inside a newborn babe... You, Naruto,**_ she finished. Naruto sighed and nodded sadly, finally understanding why the villagers treated him so harshly.

_I... I - I see... Thank you, Kyuubi..._ he thought to himself, quiet. He steeled his resolve and clutched the items tighter. Slowly, he stood to his full three foot height, one item held in each hand. He reached behind him, attaching the weapon's pouch at his left hip. He then leaned down and wrapped the bandages tightly around his right thigh before tying his new shuriken holster on the same thigh. He heard a quiet chuckle.

_**So, you want to become a shinobi, Naruto?**_ asked Kyuubi, her quiet voice echoing inside his mind. Naruto nodded his head.

"I do! I'll become the best shinobi this village has ever seen!" he declared into the woods, shivering, as a breeze rustled his clothes.

_**That's a good profession, Naruto... and starting your training so early will be good for you, in the long run,**_ said Kyuubi. Naruto had the impression she was smiling at him, from inside his mind. A grin split Naruto's face, but it slowly melted into a frown.

_I don't know the first thing about being a shinobi, though..._ he thought, his shoulders slumping.

_**I could help you with the basics, child, but you'd have to find another source for the other information, **_said Kyuubi, making Naruto brighten, picking himself up quickly. His frown turned into a bright grin.

"Thanks, Kyuubi! You're the best!" he exclaimed into the night, only the chirping crickets answering his exclamation. He heard a quiet chuckle in the back of his mind. He could just imagine the Kyuubi shaking her head at him, but he didn't care. He was going to learn how to become a shinobi and that's all that mattered.

* * *

Morning slowly broke over the village, swiftly chasing away the dark night, the pale moon slowly fading as the sun started to break over the horizon. The ray's of bright orange cast a glow upon Konoha, which was now quiet, compared to the previous day of celebrations. The four stoic faces watching over the village came into view again, illuminated by bright rays of sun, instead of beams of the pale moon. 

Inside a small apartment, located near the edge of the village, Naruto slept peacefully, sprawled out on his small bed, arms and legs akimbo. His usually wild, unkempt hair was obscured by a blue, penguin shaped hat. He was wearing a blue pajama pants and shirt, both of which were covered by numerous green swirls. He seemed to be sleeping deeply, sunlight slowly breaking into his small bedroom and casting rays of bright orange on the sleeping figure, shining onto his whiskered face. His nose twitched cutely, a large yawn breaking out across his face, his eyes slowly coming open for a moment before shutting tightly, getting a face-full of bright sunlight before he was even awoken.

"Mm... s - someone turn off the light's... " he muttered sleepily, turning over and wanting to go back to sleep, but a dull throbbing in his forehead kept him awake.

_**Naruto, it's time to wake up, child, **_whispered a quiet, beautiful voice. Naruto's nose twitched again before his eyes slowly came open, blinking owlishly at being awoken at such an early hour.

"W - Wah...? Why now...?" he muttered, reaching up and rubbing his eyes with the back of his left hand. He heard a soft chuckle in his mind.

_**Because, dear, you need to start training to become a shinobi, remember? **_said Kyuubi, still chuckling at Naruto's sleepiness. The reminder of his ambition seemed to snap the young boy awake, making him sit up suddenly. The penguin cap on his head slipping off his head, revealing his unkempt blonde spikes.

"Oh yeah!" he said excitedly, remembering the night before and what he had borrowed. He continued to rub his eyes with his left hand, whilst he looked around his room. It was small, barely large enough to fit what he needed inside. He had a small, five foot bed tucked into the corner, by a small window, which was open and letting the sunlight stream through, a beam of sunlight hitting the area where Naruto's head used to be. He had a small dresser at the foot of his bed, worn with age. On the far wall, there was a door with chipped, white paint that was his closet. He looked to the side, at the nightstand that stood beside his bed, squinting to read the small, digital cloak.

"It's only 6 o'clock, though," he whined, rubbing his eyes before massaging the dull throb centered in the middle of his forehead, which always appeared when Kyuubi talked to the young boy.

_**It's never too early to start training, child, **_chided Kyuubi gently. _**If you want to become the best of your generation, you need to train,**_ she reminded him. Naruto, who was still grouchy at being awoken so early, perked up at her last statement.

"I guess your right..." he muttered and resigned himself to starting training, to which the Kyuubi chuckled softly. He turned and placed his feet on the floor, standing and walking over to his dresser, rummaging around inside the worn furniture, wondering what he should wear.

_**Do you have any long shirts, Naruto? **_said Kyuubi, observing her containers actions through his eyes. Naruto frowned and tilted his head, but he nodded and closed the top drawer, after brining out some clean boxers - orange and decorated with bright red swirls - he reached down, tugging open the second drawer. It only took him a few seconds to find what the Kyuubi wanted: a long, white shirt that almost reached down to his thighs. He held it up, inspecting it, wondering why he would need such a large shirt._**Because, Naruto, you need to hide your stolen items from the villagers. If they see you with your equipment, they'll think the worst,**_ she said, reminding Naruto of the villagers hate for the innocent six year-old. Naruto frowned at this, but nodded at Kyuubi's logic. He quickly closed the second drawer and dipped down, opening the fourth one and pulling out a pair of loose black pants, made out of a soft cloth material, similar to what he wore last night

_"_Do I need anything else?" he asked curiously.

_**No, Naruto, not for now. Go ahead and take your shower,**_ said Kyuubi, her voice soft as always, Naruto nodded his head and clutched the garments closer to his chest, quickly going in the direction of his bathroom, with Kyuubi's soft chuckles echoing in his head.

* * *

It was barely fifteen minutes later that saw Naruto out of the shower, his unkempt blonde spikes matted to his head with water. He was now dressed in the outfit he had picked out for himself, the white tee-shirt successfully covering his shuriken holster and tan weapon's pouch, both of which were strapped in their respective places: the holster on his right thigh and the weapon's pouch attached behind him, at his left hip. He was still in his small bathroom, a discarded orange towel lay at his feet. He rubbed his left hand on cracked mirror, wiping away the steam that rose from his shower and looking himself over for a moment before nodding. 

"Ahh... I feel so much better," he commented to himself, knowing he wasn't alone, though. A dull throb in the middle of his forehead alerted him to Kyuubi's presence, letting the innocent six year-old know she was still there. _I still don't trust her... _he mused to himself, trying to keep his thoughts away from his tenant's mind, but he was unsuccessful.

_**That's a good choice, Naruto,**_ said Kyuubi, praising her container from where she was locked, deep within his mind. Naruto stopped gazing at his reflection and blinked, but shrugged and looked down at the off colored sink he was leaning over. Using his left hand, he turned on the cold tap, letting it run for a moment. He glanced over his shoulder, looking at the shower stall that was barely two square feet wide. A worn, sliding mirror door closed it off from the rest of the world, a long crack running along the length of it, starting in the top left corner and going down to the bottom right hand corner. He could hear a faint drip, which he quickly rushed the length of the room, managing to not slip on the wet, tiled floor.

"Such a hassle..." he muttered, catching himself from slipping and reaching his shower stall in mere moments, leaning inside and turning off the tap, making sure it was nice and tight before he returned to his off colored sink, sighing. "At least it's better then living in the streets," he reminded himself, shaking his head before picking up an orange toothbrush from a cracked, blue cup and running it under the water for a moment.

_**That's true, Naruto,**_ said Kyuubi, making Naruto nod absently before he removed his toothbrush from under the water, spreading a thin line of toothpaste on the brush before he set out furiously scrubbing at his teeth, foam quickly forming inside his mouth. It took him less then a minute to finish, spitting out the mint-flavored liquid from his mouth, watching the swirling waters carry the substance into the sewers. He rinsed his toothbrush off before switching hands, holding the toothbrush with his left, using his tight to snatch the cracked cup up with one, quick motion, running it under the water for a few seconds before pulling it back and tipping the contents into his mouth. He gargled for a moment before he spit the water out, wiping his lips with his right hand. He replaced the toothbrush and cup in their respective places before turning the tap off slowly.

"So, what are we going to do today, Kyuubi?" he questioned out loud, walking out of his small bathroom, since his business was done. He closed the chipped and peeling wooden door behind him, making his way towards his living room, his bright eyes absently wandering and scanning the chipped white paint on the walls of his apartment.

_**Well...**_ said Kyuubi, her voice trailing off for a moment before she picked up the thought. _**The basics, child. You need to learn how to use your newly acquired weapons,**_ she said, finishing her thought. Naruto nodded, appearing calm on the outside, but on the inside, he was twitching with anticipation, wanting to get started right away. He heard a soft chuckle in his mind, knowing Kyuubi had picked up on his eagerness. _**At least you're eager to learn your chosen profession, child, **_she said softly. Naruto nodded and grinned, fox-like. He was _definitely_ eager to start. He passed his bedroom door, which was worn and chipped with age, closed at the moment. He decided to leave it that way, as he couldn't think of anything he needed from there. It only took him a few more seconds of walking to reach his small living room, looking around it.

His living room was barely that. It was only about seven square feet wide with a worn, wooden coffee table placed directly in the middle, with four wooden chairs placed on either of the four sides, appearing to have the same worn style. He had managed to secure a ratty old orange couch, which was made from a cloth material, stuffed into the corner of his living room. To the couch's right side was his apartment door, which didn't even have the usual hole to peer through. Even the locks were rather trashed, but they still worked, if barely.

"Well, this place keeps me warm," he reminded himself, once again. At first, he didn't mind his living conditions, but it soon became apparent that his particular furniture of house was well beyond what the lowest quality apartment in Konoha had. He steeled his resolve and strode across the floor, ignoring the feel of loose carpeting beneath his bare feet. He crossed the door frame separating his living room and kitchen, entering the tiny room. It was about the size of his bathroom, barely enough room for his appliances. A battered looking fridge sat in the right corner, bordered by a peeling counter. A beaten stove was placed near the door frame he had stepped through. He turned and started fiddling and turning the dials. He did this for almost fifteen seconds before the stove started to heat up, which is what he was waiting for. He stepped past the stove and snatched a kettle, which looking realitively new compared to the rest of the kitchen. Naruto filled this quickly with water from a squeaky tap, placing it on the stove to heat up.

"At least I have ramen..." he said to himself, his stomach letting out a loud noise of agreement at his statement, grinning widely.

_**Eating ramen as your only meal isn't healthy, Naruto,**_ chided Kyuubi gently, but she knew Naruto could barely afford ramen, especially at the outrageous prices the villagers charged the boy. Naruto only nodded, patiently waiting for the water to start boiling, which it did after a few minutes. Eagerly, Naruto leaned up, opening his counter and taking out a white, styrofoam cup containing his favorite meal. He peeled back the cover and poured the boiling water in before grabbing a slightly rusted fork, remembering to turn off the stove before heading back into his living room, setting his breakfast on the table before hopping into one of the worn chairs, his back towards the kitchen.

_So, Kyuubi, what am I going to learn today?_ he questioned, bubbling with energy, bouncing in his set with anticipation.

_**Well...**_started Kyuubi, before trailing off, mulling over his question in her mind._**First, you'd have to learn how to properly hold and throw shuriken, Naruto, as well as kunai, which should be in your pouch. They're silver knifes, shaped like a diamond,**_ she finished. Naruto nodded and reached behind him with his left hand, the clasp giving way to his hand, rummaging around inside of his pouch. He felt his fingers trace over a bandage and quickly tugged out the item, bringing it in fornt of him.

_So, this is a kunai,_ he thought, rolling the dagger over in his palm. The small dagger wasn't very big, only about seven or eight inches long from tip to tip. The main blade was shaped like a diamond, polished to a gleaming silver surface. The handle was tied with cloth, letting Naruto assume a greater grip on the small dagger. At the end of the handle, there was a small, metal ring with a red and gold tassel tied on the end, letting the string dangle.

_**It is, Naruto**_, said Kyuubi, confirming his thoughts. Nodding slowly, Naruto continued to roll the small dagger over in his hands, inspecting it with wide, blue eyes.

_It looks... deadly,_ he muttered before he returned the dagger to his pouch. He reached down, flipping open the shuriken holster on his thigh and taking out one of the small stars and brining it to his face. This item was even smaller then his kunai, only about two or three inches from tip to tip. It was a standard, four-pronged metal throwing star with a small hole placed directly in the middle of the weapon, allowing a user to grasp the star with a single finger. He noted that each of the points shaped themselves, each of the points forming separate triangles with a sharp point. _And, so does this..._ he muses, turning it over and spinning it on his finger, being careful to avoid being cut by the sharp points. He returned the shuriken to his holster before leaning down, sniffing his ramen and nodding, deciding it was ready. He picked up his fork before eagerly tearing the partly removed top all the way off, breathing in the wonderful scent of miso ramen.

"Ikadamatsu!" he cries out before digging into his meal, hearing the Kyuubi's soft chuckles echo inside of his head.

* * *

_**A/N**__: Currently, I'm undecided in if I should chronicle the time between now and his genin exam or simply do a time skip. Thoughts? _


	3. The River of Dreams

_**Demon Child**_

_A story of a child - made container - for the legendary nine-tailed fox demon.  
_

_Chapter 2 - The River of Dreams_

The sun slowly broke over the eastern horizon, painting the palate of the sky with oranges, pinks and yellows, this small bit of light slowly starting to illuminate the quiet village below. The four stoic faces of the Hokage's faces slowly came into focus, being illuminated by the early morning suns rays, causing dark shadows to appear over the village below. Although, a majority of the village was sleeping, some of it's inhabitants were already woken.

* * *

It had been six years since Naruto first started his shinobi training, after his faithful meeting with the demon who had been locked inside of him. Naruto was currently sitting with his legs dangling down from the Yondaime's hair, his elbows propped up upon his knee's with his head resting in his cupped, gloved palms, gazing out across the quiet village he'd known all his life. He still had the same wild, unkempt blonde spikes and accompanying bright blue eyes and six adorning whisker marks, three on each cheek. The young boy was dressed the same he had been when he first met his tenant, with a few changes. 

He still wore the same, white tee-shirt, but now, it had a dark orange spiral placed at the small of his back, the Uzumaki clan symbol. His shirt continued and stopped at his waist, where a pair of loose, black pants - made from a soft cloth - continued down his legs, reaching his ankles where a pair of rather new dark blue sandals covered his feet, as he had to replace his old, worn-out blue pair when they became too small for his feet. During his self-training, he had bought a pair of black fingerless gloves, made from a soft, but durable cloth; each glove had a two inch metal plate sown into the back. On his right thigh, he had the same black shuriken holster, though, it appeared to be worn with age, the accompanying bandage tied underneath it. His kunai pouch was attached behind him, at his left hip, as always.

Naruto let out a soft sigh and gently leaned back, stretching out over the Yondaime's head, still dangling his leg's over his forehead. He pillowed his head with his left arm and brought his right up, squinting at it through the light of the morning glare. On his right wrist, there was a bandage that started about mid-forearm before going down and disappearing into his gloves. It was evidence of his training.

_I injure myself too much..._ he mused, his forehead slowly starting to throb dully, a pain that he now connected to his demon companion, the legendary Kyuubi no Kitsune.

_**You do, Naruto-kun,**_ said Kyuubi, her voice still gentle and soft, as it had been for six years. Naruto absently nodded his head, having gotten used to the Kyuubi's little random quips and additions to his name. Over the years, Kyuubi had grown fond of the small boy, although, it took many months for Naruto to fully trust the legendary demon.

"At least, I never have to worry about injuries," he said out loud, even though he could just voice his thoughts to his companion.

_**That is true, Naruto,**_ said Kyuubi, agreeing with his statement. Naruto had found out, in addition to having a second, massive chakra supply, he had extremely accelerated healing, thanks to the Kyuubi's demonic chakra. Naruto nodded before lowering his arm, allowing it to join his left, giving his head more support. A soft breeze rustled his unkempt spikes, making his nose wrinkle.

"Hmm... I guess I should start heading back to Konoha," he said quietly, after a quick glance towards the sun's position. He heard a quiet murmur of agreement in his mind, making Naruto grin. He stretched his arms out high above his body, bringing them together and cracking them, hearing satisfying _pops_. With a quick hop, Naruto was on his feet, in a crouch before he slowly rose to his full 4'4 height. He had only grown sixteen inches in the past six years, which he accounted to bad eating habits, not that he had much choice, considering his budget. With a quick shake of his head, he banished his thoughts and stretched his back, hearing another loud _pop_.

"Ahh... Much better," he said to himself before he glanced down the monument before shrugging. He took a few steps back before sprinting, letting his arm's flow at his sides, his short sleeves rustling with his swift run. He easily vaulted over the Yondaime's head before starting a steep fall. He glanced down, seeing the ground quickly coming up towards him, almost as if it wanted to swallow him. It only took him a few more moments before he hit the ground, landing in a crouch to absorb the shock of the fall. From his crouch, he grinned and took off into a sprint, heading in the direction of the slowly awakening Konoha, his arm's flowing freely at his sides.

"It's time to pass the Genin exam!" he shouted, a large grin splitting across the boy's face. He heard the Kyuubi's quiet giggles in his head, which only made him grin wider for a moment before letting out a joyous laugh. He'd finally complete the first step of his dream: becoming a shinobi.

* * *

As the sun continued to rise and rise, painting the sky sharply with a deep orange, the quiet village below started to stir and awaken, it's inhabitants roused from their dreams by the bright light shining over head. Slowly, villagers started to pour from the houses, sleepily rubbing the sand from their eyes and starting to re-open shops, blue, red and all manner of cloth-covered curtains or doorways slowly opening, only to be passed by a swift white and black blur. It took more villagers a few moments to process this information before they glared hatefully in the direction of the retreating blur. 

The said blur was Uzumaki Naruto, who was currently racing down the streets of Konoha. Luckily, since it was so early, he managed to avoid many of the villagers. He started to slow down, though, after noticing how close he was to the academy. With his heightened senses, Naruto could barely make out the shadow of the ninja academy in the background. As Naruto slowed to a walk, he jammed his gloved hands into his pockets, craning his head skywards and gazing up at the painted sky above him, smiling at the sights. Not even the hateful glares he caught out of the corner's of his eyes dampened his mood.

_This is my big day,_ he thought to himself. _The day I become an official shinobi,_ he thought with barely contained excitement, a foxy grin splitting across his face. He side-stepped a shopkeeper's cart, almost absently mindedly, all his focus on watching the white puffs of clouds drift by him lazily. _I guess Shikamaru is right... This is relaxing,_ he noted with a small chuckle at the lazy ninja's expensive, who's favorite past-time was gazing at clouds and sleeping.

_**You should get some food first, Naruto**_, said Kyuubi softly, breaking the shinobi trainee out of his thoughs. Naruto nodded thoughtfully and lowered his gaze, scanning across the streets. He smiled when he spotted his favorite ramen stand, Ichiraku.

_Time to get some ramen,_ he cheered mentally, making the Kyuubi's chuckle from her cage. Naruto quickened his pace, reaching the small ramen stand in moments, raising his left hand to brush away the cloth-covered entrance, kanji spelling out 'Ichiraku' on their surfaces. Ichiraku was a quaint little store, but Naruto liked it this way. In front of him, there was a long, gleaming wooden counter that stretched the length of the shop, lined with padded, wooden bar stools placed evenly along the length, about a foot or so apart. There was a shining cash register on the counter. Behind the counter, there was a doorway to the left, covered with the same cloth used for Ichiraku, the kanji for 'Kitchen' written into the surface. To the opposite side of that, there was another doorway with the same cloth, this time, sown with the kanji for 'home', which is where Naruto knew Old Man Ichiraku and his daughter, Ayame, lived. With a grin, Naruto plopped himself down on one of the stools, leaning his elbows on the counter.

"OI! Ojii-san!" exclaimed Naruto, looking around for the owner of the shop. He looked between the two doors he had spotted before he saw a head pop out from behind the doorway labeled 'Kitchen'. He grinned and turned that way, waving at the head of Old Man Ichiraku. The head of Ichiraku grinned at his favorite customer before fully stepping out. In addition to going gray with age, Ichiraku-ojiisan was starting to go bald, which Naruto only noticed because of his steadily thinning gray hair, making it coarse. Ichiraku had a wrinkled, kindly faced that was topped off by twinkling blue eyes hiding behind a pair of thin spectacles. The man was much taller then Naruto, reaching a massive height of 6'2. Ichiraku was dressed simply, with a white apron covering the front of his body, stained with the faded colors of ramen soup. Underneath his apron, he wore a short-sleeved, beige shirt and matching pants, with a pair of worn, black boots covering his feet.

"Ah! Naruto-kun! How are you?" questioned Ichiraku, grinning wider at his favorite customer, crossing the distance between them in two long strides. Naruto grin widened.

"I'm doing good, ojiisan! I just need some of your wonderful ramen," he said, barely contained excitement dancing in his tone. Ichiraku peered down at his customer, the wrinkles along his face becoming more pronounced.

"Oh? What's the occasion, Naruto-kun?" he wondered, not realizing why Naruto would be so happy. Sure, he was loud and excitable, but the blonde demon-container was almost bouncing in his seat.

"Its the Genin exam today!" he said happily, immediately blurting it out the second the owner had asked. Ichiraku's eyes lit up and he shoot a grin at Naruto.

"Ah! That's wonderful to hear, Naruto-kun!" he said, smiling at the excited container, who nodded happily back at him. "I'll be back with your ramen in a moment, Naruto-kun," he said before turning and disappearing back through the cloth-covered doorway to the kitchen. Naruto's smile dropped, though, when Ichiraku disappeared behind the curtains.

_What do you think, Kyuu-chan? What type of exam might it be? _he thought, addressing his tenant with a nickname that seemed to annoy the demon, though, he had a feeling she was used to his persistence by now.

_**Well, Naruto-chan,**_ said Kyuubi with a hint of amusement. Naruto visibly winced from this. _**It'll either be ninjutsu or taijutsu, child, that I'm sure of,**_ she said slowly, making Naruto nod. He was rather about average with genjutsu, his skills were passable, simply because Kyuubi had grilled it into his thick skull. Almost all of his training was self-taught, though, with the Kyuubi chiming in here and there, when she thought it was appropriate.

_I hope it's taijutsu, personally,_ he mused. He rested his right elbow on the counter, leaning his head into the palm of his hand. It was only a few moments more before the cloth doorway parted, revealing Ichiraku, carrying an extra large bowl of steaming hot ramen, a slow trail of steam drifting up from the liquid contents. A pair of chopsticks, held together by a white piece of paper say, balanced over the steaming soup. Naruto's nose twitched before his eyes lit up, straightening himself up.

"Miso ramen! You're the best, ojiisan!" he exclaimed, his bright blue eyes following the steaming ceramic bowl in Ichiraku's hands. When it was placed in front of him, he immediately tore off the paper covering the chopsticks and broke them apart, clapping his hands together. "Ikadamatsu!" he cried before straightening his chopsticks and quickly plunging them into the sweet smelling soup in front of him, tucking into his meal with a barely contained gusto.

He heard Ichiraku's chuckles, but Naruto ignored his amusement, in favor of quickly demolishing all of the noodles drifting around in his bowl. It barely took him thirty seconds to slurp every last noodle down, placing his chopsticks near his bowl before lifting the heated, ceramic object to his lips, drinking the liquid inside deeply. With one last loud _slurp_, Naruto set the bowl back down on the table, having cleaned out the entire contents of the ceramic object.

"Ahhh. That was delicious, ojiisan!" he stated happily, leaning back and patting his belly exaggeratedly, which made Ichiraku shake his head. Naruto grinned up at Ichiraku, leaning forwards and reaching into his right pocket with his right hand, intent on paying the kindly old man. The same kindly old man saw Naruto's motions and shook his head again.

"No, no, Naruto. This one's on the house because of your upcoming exams," he said, reaching down and placing the chopsticks inside of the ceramic bowl, which previously held miso ramen before lifting it with his right hand. Naruto tried to protest, but Ichiraku cut him off with a wave of his left hand. "No buts, Naruto-kun," he stated firmly, making the protests die before they left Naruto's mouth, who only looked dejected for a moment before he brightened up.

"Thanks, ojiisan, but I need to get going now," said Naruto, turning and hopping off the bar stool, landing on his feet easily. He turned back around and waved at Ichiraku, a grin on his face.

"OK, Naruto-kun, you have fun now," said Ichiraku, waving back at Naruto before disappearing through the cloth-covered door, labeled 'Kitchen'. Naruto grinned before starting himself in a slow gait. He did have plenty of time to get to the academy, after all. No reason to rush...

_Except for those stupid villagers,_ he thought, a frown crossing his features, as he parted the cloth barrier to the outside street with his right hand. His eyes roamed the streets, which were beginning to stream with life, as people awoke and went about their daily lives. He groaned, as he caught glares the second he was noticed. _Maybe I should just Henge to avoid all of this bullshit..._ he mused, but he decided against it, as he did have a few friends. He did want to be recognized, by them, at least. Naruto stuffed his hands into his pockets and started his way to the academy, walking leisurely, not a care in the world.

"Demon..." muttered a voice to Naruto's left, which made his hands twitch inside his pockets, wanting desperately to slug the person who said it, but he knew he couldn't. The elders were already pissed off at him, simply because he existed, which Sarutobi-ojiisan had told him. He needed to keep his cool and simply ignore the muttered and whispered insults.

_**You should feel proud, Naruto-kun,**_ said Kyuubi, her voice echoing inside of his mind. Naruto raised his head skywards, glaring at the clouds that drifted by lazily. He absently side-stepped a fallen cart of fruits and vegetables, hearing the fallen produce rolling along the floor, echoed by the cursing of the female owner.

_Why's that, Kyuu-__**chan**_ he asked, emphasizing the '-chan'. He heard a quiet chuckle in the back of his mind.

_**Because, Naruto-kun, hate makes people irrational... The villagers might try something, other then whispered insults and you'll be able to retaliate, in the case of self-defense,**_said Kyuubi, trying to make her container feel better, but her words only made Naruto let out a snort.

_Like those bunch of idiots will actually try something,_ thought Naruto, shaking his head. He knew the villagers would never try and directly attack him, if just in fear of what he could do, because of his powers. There was an advantage of having the legendary nine-tailed demon fox sealed inside your body. _Other then awesome healing abilities, an enormous amount of chakra and a cheeky fox,_ he added to himself, knowing his constant companion could hear him. His comments only made Kyuubi burst out into actual laughter, instead of the quiet giggles and chuckles he always heard. _Ah ha! I made you laugh,_ he thought triumphantly to himself, which only made his demon companion laugh louder.

_**A cheeky fox, hmm, Naruto-kun?**_asked Kyuubi, sounding quite amused, though, she knew it was true. Naruto nodded his head, twirling around walking villagers gazing through shop windows, finally lowering his head.

_Ahh... There we go,_ he thought, a grin coming to his face. He stepped through the open, metal gates, which were secured to the granite walls that lined the entrance into the academy grounds.

In front of Naruto, there was a massive building, made purely out of concrete and stone. A path, made from various large stones, cut through the lush green grass, leading up to a set of concrete steps, which lead to a pair of polished, wooden doors. A large, gleaming golden bell hung in a stone arch, sitting atop the towering building, along with many shaded, overhanging areas, covered with umbrellas and other types of overhangs. A sign below that read '**Konoha Shinobi Academy**', writing in swirling, black kanji, which blended nicely with the deep red of the sign. He could just make out the dancing flames in the background of the sign, a tribute to the Hokage's, done in it's on little way. The building stretched on and on, just the front being about a thousand feet long before it stopped with sharp corners, though, Naruto knew there was more to the building. Windows also painted the front of the building, evenly spaced about every fifty feet or so, from what Naruto could see. To Naruto's left, there was a single tree growing, it's leaves a lush green. A single, wooden swung hung down from one of the branches, tied to it with two firm pieces of rope. A enormous forest stretched out on all sides of Naruto, disappearing behind the towering figure of the academy.

_Ahh... That swing brings back memories..._ mused Naruto, but he quickly shook his head. Naruto started forwards, his hands still stuffed inside his pockets, his feet naturally making no sound while he walked towards the academy doors.

* * *

It only took Naruto about ten minutes of wandering through the shining, polished hallways before he found the gleaming wooden door to his classroom, which was marked 'Room 106'. He smiled and grasped the brass doorknob, slowly turning it before pushing open the door. Inside his classroom, there were seven rows and levels of sets, each with three polished, wooden desks, a comfortable looking chair tucked in underneath each wooden table. Directly in front of Naruto, there was a set of stairs that lead to the base level of the classroom, which is where a singular desk stood, polished with several books and papers stacked neatly on top of it, a comfortable wooden chair tucked under it. Behind the singular desk, there was a giant blackboard stretching across the length of the wall, the metal brace under the board fully supplied with chalk and erasers. 

He glanced around, but Naruto saw no one. He shrugged before walking down to the second level, walking off the middle isle and into the left side of desks, sitting at the one nearest to the wall, which sat below a window. He took his hands out of his pockets, placing them on the table before resting his head on his arms. He adjusted the position of his arms, making sure they pillowed his head before he closed his eyes, his mind drifting into a peaceful state.

_I wonder how much longer before anyone else arrives,_ he thought, completely relaxing his mind and body, mentally going over the list of what he knew, since he didn't know what kind of test to expect. He had to be prepared for anything.

_**Probably only a few minutes, Naruto-kun,**_said Kyuubi softly. Indeed, it was only a few minutes before Naruto heard the door open. His right ear twitched, hearing the sound of soft footsteps on the concrete floors of the classroom. He grinned to himself before returning his face to neutrality. Slowly, Naruto continued to hear more and more people enter the classroom, a quiet conversation starting to pick up, about fifteen minutes since the first person had entered.

_Well, at least they're not shocked about seeing me here so early, _he mused to himself and his demon companion. Naruto was considered the 'dobe' of the class, simply because the teenager didn't try. He didn't need some simple scores to tell him how good a ninja he was. For example, Shikamaru, one of Naruto's friends. He was just as low as Naruto in the class scores, but the blonde knew that if Shikamaru wasn't so lazy, he'd probably be near the top of the class.

_**That's a good analogy, Naruto-kun,**_ said Kyuubi softly, remembering Naruto's interactions with Konoha's laziest clan, the Naru's. Naruto nodded his head absently, agreeing with his companion's statement. He heard the door open once again, but this time, the talking, which had escalated from quiet to loud in a few minutes.

"QUIET!" shouted a very familiar male voice, which immediately hushed any lingering conversations. Naruto mentally grinned before slowly opening his eyes and raising his head, glancing behind him.

The man Naruto laid his eyes upon had a young face, tanned by the sun. Across the bridge of his nose, there was a long scar, running from cheek to cheek. His eyes were a deep brown, which were currently narrowed, looking over his class. He had dark brown hair, done up in a simple, high ponytail. Around his forehead, rested a blue headband, with a gleaming metal plate resting directly in the center of his head. Etched into the metal was a swirl, placed directly in the middle of the surface with a triangular point protruding from the right side of the spiral. His attire was simple, wearing the standard-issue forest green chuunin vest,, which had a high collar, covering his neck from all side views. Included into the chunnin vest were six different scroll pouches, three resting on the left side of his chest and three on the right. Underneath this vest, he wore a long sleeved, dark blue shirt with two red circles resting on each shoulder, a thin, black spiral outlined in it. He wore the same colored pants, which were made from cloth, reaching down to his ankles, where a pair of blue sandals covered his feet; a shuriken holster was attached to his right thigh, along with a bandage wrapped under it. Attached behind him, at his left hip, was a tan cloth pouch.

"Hai Iruka-sensei," atoned the class, plus Naruto, who had snapped back forwards when Iruka had started to walk down the isle. Naruto saw Iruka glimpse at him and flash him a quick, small smile before turning and continuing down towards the lone desk, as the class settled itself. Iruka pulled out the chair and collapsed into it, letting out a sigh in relief before he turned his gaze towards his class, a smile on his face.

"Today," he started, making the class go still, "is the day of the Genin Exams," he said before he was interrupted by a loud cheer. He shook his head and waited for his class to calm down, which they did in a few moments, with only passing whispers between them. "As I was saying... Today, is the Genin Exams. Today is the day in which you'll all become full fledged shinobi, a day where your old life stops and a new one begins," he finished before standing, pushing his chair out. He clasped his hands behind his back before walking in front of his desk, roaming his eyes around the class room.

"The exam this year is..." Iruka started slowly, the class holding it's breath in anticipation.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ There's the second chapter for you guys. I know, I know, a cliffhanger and a rather large one, but I'm undecided, atm, on if I want to go the route of the usual Genin exams or switch it up, hence the cliffhanger. I'm thinking of slapping a taijutsu test as the Genin Exam, since every fanfic uses the silly Bushin test, which is rather lame, in my opinion. Anyways, I should have chapter 3 up within a week or so, depending._


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