Chapter 1
NARUTO
No one can deny its grandeur. The building stood tall and confident, casting a shadow that stretched longer than the eye could see. The building was light brown, with bricks that you could tell were older than generations and yet showed not a single crack on them. It was surrounded by lush gardens and ponds spilling with life in them.
This was a new school. High school. A big deal. This school was made for the purpose of housing people who were gifted; people who’s proven to have multiple talents, not only just in quirks but also in character. Naruto’s quirk was cloning and body morphing. Not a lot of students could do that, but that wasn’t a big deal to him. To him, his real talent was climbing. He could climb anything. Nothing was ever too big. Except this building.
Before he came to this school, he thought of ways to stand out from his peers. His original plan was to climb the top of the building and make multiple clones of himself to announce his arrival.
But after seeing the sheer magnitude of the building’s height, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Nonetheless, he still had a huge smile on his face.
It was a new challenge. Another thing to climb.
He looked around, trying to find where the center of attention was but the groups were scattered all over the lawn. There were groups of people with their books discussing about the things in their books and all of the stuff that brings with it. They were not the people he was looking for.
He turned around and saw them. The jocks. The men of the football team. Those were the people he needed the attention. Naruto stomped boldly over to them.
“Hey!” Naruto yelled, slamming his fist on his chest. “I want to join the football team!”
Kiba turns around slowly, visibly annoyed.
“You think you’re first person to ask that? I already got ten people ask me that today,” he let out a tired sigh, “look try outs are tomorrow, ok? Leave me alone.” Kiba then begins turn back to his group.
Naruto grabs him before he could rest.
“I want to join today! Let me be a part of the team! I can try out and show you what I can do!” Naruto yelled confidently.
Kiba pauses and examines Naruto.
“What you’re able to do can you do it at anytime” he asked.
“YES!”
“Then do it tomorrow.” Kiba tries to shrug Naruto off him but Naruto’s grip is strong.
“Ok then how about I come with you guys to practice?”
“Get off me!”
He then goes forward to push Naruto but Naruto spins out of the way resulting with Kiba to trip and fall to the ground.
Naruto towered over Kiba.
“That’s what you call a spin move right?” Naruto said with a grin that spread from ear to ear.
Laughter erupted in the background. Kiba’s eyes were filled with anger.
“Hey, why don’t we all just relax, huh?” Choji said, emerging from the crowd of jocks, trying to get in between the two .“Look, class is about to begin, and we don’t need to fight about anything.”
“Fight?” Naruto said confused. “I was just showing off my moves to him.”
Kiba gets up and glares at Naruto. Then, the bell rings. School is about to begin
“You can show your moves tomorrow. That’s when try outs are. I am not discussing this any further.” Kiba turns around and stomps to class. The rest of the current football team follows with him.
Naruto smiles again. He had done what he set out to do. Grab the attention of the football team.
Things seem to be turning out in his favor here at this school.
*********
The boy screamed.
The entire homeroom class turned to Naruto, but he didn’t care. He was just too excited.
“IRUKA! YOU’RE MY HOMEROOM TEACHER?!” Naruto grabbed his head, trying to contain himself, but it was Iruka Umino. His elementary english teacher. The only person who’s really stuck by him his entire life. Been more of a father than Sarutobi. How low of a chance this could’ve been.
Iruka let out an embarrassed smile.
“It’s Mr. Umino, Naruto,” Iruka sighed. “Yes, I got the job over the summer and wanted to surprise you. But we can talk about this later, class is about to begin,” he pointed Naruto to his seat and urged him to sit down. Naruto cooperated.
As he sat down, Iruka began to take attendance. As he took attendance, Naruto saw this as opportunity to set himself out from his peers (again).
He wasn’t as nervous as he was before. This time, he was going to do what he planned to do earlier, just in a smaller setting.
“Shikamaru Nara…” Iruka called
“Here,” he answered.
Naruto’s name was soon. He was ready.
After a while, Iruka paused and looked at Naruto. He mouthed something to him, but Naruto couldn’t tell what he was trying to say, but he was keeping track and knew his name was next.
“Naruto.”
Naruto immediately made two clones of himself. All three of them sprung up and posed like they were in an action movie, each making finger guns and pointing them at differing directions. Then, in unision, they cried “HERE” and let out a huge smile.
The entire class said nothing. It was completely silent. They all stared, not even cracking a smile.
“Well, it was worth a shot,” one of the clones said. Both of them disintegrated, turning into air.
Naruto sat down feeling a little embarrassed. He really thought that would work.
“Ahem… Karin Yukinari,” Iruka continued.
******
He forgot how exhausting class was. Staying in a room all day, learning about things like numbers and stuff. Naruto either slept or doodled throughout the entire first half of the day. But finally, he could escape. It was time for lunch.
Lunch had been something that had always made him uncomfortable. He sat alone most of the time, so each day, he had to figure out where he was supposed to sit at. He also made sure to always rush to lunch because if he’s late, there would be no spots available. Naruto quickly grabbed his lunch and scouted the area. There, he saw it. An empty long table. Naruto ran to the table and said in the middle and waited. After a little bit, more kids came in, and then eventually, the cafeteria was crowded with children. There were very little spots to sit at and even fewer long tables.
Still, nobody sat next to Naruto. He decided to stop waiting and eat his food alone.
Today’s menu was a chicken sandwich, apple slices, potato salad, and milk for a drink. Naruto was starving, he doesn’t eat all that often and the summer was cruel to his stomach. He ate everything, even the potato salad, which he always hated but after the summer, he found a new appreciation for food since it wasn’t guaranteed.
“Look at you, finally eating potato salad.”
Naruto looked up and grinned. It was Mr. Umino.
“It’s actually really good,” he said with his mouth full.
“I told you so,” Iruka sat down next to him and opened his lunch box.
He had an apple, two turkey sandwiches, bottled water, bag of chips, and a chocolate brownie. Iruka grabbed the brownie and handed it to Naruto.
“So, how are you enjoying your first day of high school?” Iruka began to eat his turkey sandwich.
“It’s fine. The teachers are ok, but Mr. Hatake really didn’t say anything. He looked really tired.” Naruto then devoured the brownie. They were good, as always. He knew that Iruka was a talented baker.
“Yeah, he’s like that all the time. You know, the first time I talked to him, I swear I thought I was really boring him because he literally was falling asleep as I was talking,” Iruka laughed. Naruto did too.
“Did you meet anyone new,” Iruka asked.
“Well, Jiraiya seemed really nice. I talked to him a little about what he did before he was a teacher. Did you know he was in the military?”
“Wow, I didn’t know that. But, what about the students? Did you meet anyone new from them?”
Naruto paused. He felt a little sad from the answer.
“Well, no,” he quickly smiled, not acknowledging his sadness. Iruka put his hand on Naruto’s shoulder.
“It’s ok, you’ll make friends here, I know it. Tomorrow’s another day and you have no idea what is in store so don’t stress, just because today didn’t work out doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t. Plus, you’re really funny, so I know you’ll make friends soon enough,” he said with a reassuring smile. Iruka always knew how to make Naruto happy.
“I hope so, Mr. Umino.”
“Oh, come on, you know you can call me by my first name,” Iruka started scratching Naruto’s hair, “I only said that because the other kids are around, which remember, I don’t want them thinking I’m showing you favoritism, so around the other kids, refer to me as Mr. Umino, ok?”
Naruto smiled. “Ok!”
They continued to talk and eat together until the bell rang for class.
As they both were exiting the cafeteria, still chatting, they were interrupted by someone.
“Naruto. Are you on your free period?”
Naruto looked up and saw him. The man who his relationship with he could never describe.
The principal/owner of this school.
His caretaker.
Mr. Sarutobi.
“Yeah, it’s my free period.”
“OK, please come with me to my office.”
“Why?”
Sarutobi glared at Naruto. His eyes looked right into Naruto’s soul, piercing it.
Naruto reluctantly followed Sarutobi to his office.
When they arrive to the office, Naruto waited in the lobby of the principal office while Sarutobi talked to a bunch of adults. He had missed his next class which he was excited for: P.E. He missed it waiting to talk to Sarutobi.
He always did this. Always disregarding Naruto’s own desires and emotions.
“I’m taking care of you, so you will do what I say.”
Always that same statement when any sort of objection came up. And the look that Sarutobi would give him while saying it. A look of disgrace. It was like he was never proud of Naruto. Always acting like it was obligation to take care of him.
“Alright, thank you for coming,” Sarutobi said with the hugest smile. It was off putting to see him with a warm face instead of a cold one.
The adults shook each other’s hands and left. Sarutobi then walked over to the counter and whispered, “Anko, I’m gonna have a meeting with the kid. Could you point all walk in appointments and disciplinary matters on hold while I handle this?”
“Do you want me to send them to Jiraiya?”
“Hmm…Is he free?”
“I think this is his free period. I could call him.”
“Oh,” Sarutobi reconsidered, “actually, let’s not go through the hassle of calling him up and figuring out his schedule, I think this won’t take too long.”
“You really need to get a vice principal Mr. Sarutobi.”
He chuckled, “I do, huh? But, have anybody who comes in just wait in the lobby. I won’t take too long with him.”
Sarutobi walked to where Naruto was sitting. He motioned for the boy to get into the office.
Saurtobi closed the door and stood behind his desk. He waited for Naruto to sit down, then he sat in his throne.
“Today is your first day. How has it been,” Sarutobi said.
“Good,” Naruto responded. Saurtobi showed no interest in what Naruto had to say.
“That’s good. Today, I will be taking you home. I don’t know if it is a good idea for you to take the bus home today.”
“Why?”
“But, because I am taking you home, this means you will have to stay a little later than most students. I have some work to do before I go, like every teacher here, and I can’t go home without finishing it. So, today, you are going to attend detention.”
“Is that clear,” Sarutobi said.
“Yes,” Naruto reluctantly answered.
“Good, since there are no questions, you can leave.”
“Why are you taking me home?”
Sarutobi glared at the kid. Naruto simply got up and left.
“Tell Ms. Mitarashi that you’re done talking to me before you leave,” Sarutobi commanded as Naruto walked out the door.