Chapter 6: Round 1

"So was your first day enlightening?" Shibi asked his two sons sitting across the dinner table from him.

"More or less" Shino's replied casually.

"What are you talking about more or less, it was awesome" Naruto cut in as he started going through his first days events. "First we got to demonstrate some of our jutsu then we had to run this cool obstacle course."

"You had to demonstrate jutsu?" Shina interjected. "And what Jutsu did you reveal Naruto?" Shina asked curiously.

Naruto became a little nervous. "Well you see I kind of demonstrated my mass insect clone jutsu." Naruto answered hesitantly.

Shina raised an eyebrow "you kind of demonstrated it. How do you kind of demonstrate it?"

Naruto grinned. "I only summoned half the clones I was capable of creating."

Shina sighed "Naruto I recall telling you to keep your most powerful Jutsu's a secret."

Naruto looked dejected. "I know I didn't plan on showing that jutsu it's just."

"You wanted to prove you were the best." Shibi says finishing Naruto's statement for him.

"Come on you can't think that's what I was trying to accomplish." Shibi, Shina, and Shino gave Naruto a knowing stare.

"Ok I was, but you should have seen that Uchiha he thought he was such hot stuff when he used that fire jutsu. I just had to shut him up."

"No excuses Naruto you know showing off isn't our way. Leave that reckless way of behavior to the Uchiha's." Shina says with obvious disapproval in her voice.

"But how am I supposed to build a reputation for myself?" Naruto countered.

Shina narrowed Naruto a stern gaze. "So becoming famous is the goal you set for yourself as a ninja? I'm disappointed; I thought you were above such trivial temptation."

"It's not like that I have other goals too." Naruto replied indignantly.

"Is that so mind sharing with the rest of us?" Shina challenged.

Naruto took a moment to think about it. "I have been thinking about what I wanted to accomplish as a ninja for a long time. The problem was I kept drawing blanks until recently."

"I finally figured it out the day I met Hinata at the hospital." Naruto continued. "Her father was really ticking me off by the way he was treating her. So I stood up and told him exactly what was on my mind. I couldn't believe how good it felt and I don't mean telling off Hiashi, I mean standing up for Hinata. I've never had the opportunity to protect someone before. And you know what I liked the feeling so much I've decided to go for the occupation that gets to do it on a daily bases."

Shibi's eyebrows shot way above his shades. "You mean you wish to become hokage?" He asked more then surprised.

"That's exactly what I mean" Naruto responded proudly.

"Fitting I suppose" Shibi says looking towards Shina.

"Agreed" was her only reply.

"Huh you find it fitting I would want to become hokage, whys that?" Naruto asked while eyeing both Shina and Shibi carefully.

"No reason" Shina says before returning to her meal, leaving Naruto to his own thoughts.

(The next Day)

"Good morning class" Iruka says cheerfully to his drowsy looking students.

"Good morning Iruka-sensei" the class respond in unison.

"Ok the first thing were going to do today is assign you all to your respective sparing groups. Now the way this will work is you will each be given a number ranging from one through ten. With one being the highest rank and ten being the lowest. After we finish with that you all will be going out side to meet with the other first years in your group."

The students became deathly quite; no one wanted to face the embarrassment of being stuck in a lower group.

Iruka seemed to have sensed the tension in the room. "For anyone that is worried about being sent to a lower group you shouldn't worry that much about it. I only have your physical scores to go off of, if you prove a better fighter I'll move you up."

"Besides if you are sent to a lower group you will have motivation for moving up in the ranks. Now I guess I will start in alphabetical order. Naruto Aburame 1, Shino Aburame 1, Choji Akimichi 2. Iruka continued to call of the students until he was on the last one. "And finally Sasuke Uchiha 1."

"Alright everyone join the groups you were assigned too." Mizuki added once Iruka had finished listing the students.

Naruto, Shino, and Hinata walked over to a corner of the room and waited for the other number one's to join them. It wasn't long before Kiba Inuzuka and Sasuke Uchiha joined them.

"So it looks like were the top dogs here." Kiba said with a cocky grin.

Naruto and Shino just stared at him while Hinata continued to press her fingers together, and Sasuke had his back to them looking out a window.

"Just my luck I had to get stuck with all the stiffs." Kiba grumbled. "Two Aburame's the weirdest clan in the village. A Hyuga the clan that has their noses so high if it rained they'd drown. And finally an Uchiha enough said."

Shino adjusted his glasses. "I'd prefer you don't refer to my clan as weird." Shino says with little emotion in his threat.

Kiba scoffed. "So you can speak and here I thought the cat had your tongue."

"He only speaks when he has something worth saying" Naruto rebuked. "Which is more then I can say for you." Naruto added while glaring at Kiba.

"Listen up everyone" Iruka says cutting in on the tension between the three boys. "Now that you are in your groups I would like all of you to follow me outside to meet with the other students in your groups."

Naruto and Kiba ended their glare math and followed the rest of the class outside. When they got outside there were already numerous students standing in groups next to teachers holding up signs with numbers on them.

Naruto's group spotted the teacher holding up the number one sign, so they walked over to him.

"So you're group one from Iruka's class?" The instructor asked them once they had arrived in front of him.

Naruto and the others nodded.

The instructor nodded. "Okay join the other students and we will begin shortly."

Naruto and company went to stand in line with the other twenty or so students and waited for further instructions.

Ten minutes later they found themselves in front of a large ring drawing lots to see who they would be facing for their first sparring match. As fate would have it Naruto and Kiba were set to fight each other first round.

Kiba couldn't help the grin threatening to split his face when he and Naruto both drew the number one. He had gotten his chance to show Naruto whose boss and much earlier then expected.

"G-good luck Naruto-kun" Hinata says bashfully.

"Thanks and don't worry I'll beat this guy easy." Naruto replied smoothly while making his way up to the ring.

"Arrogant are we?" Kiba says with a smug smirk.

"Confidence isn't arrogance" Naruto answered simply.

"Pft thin line between the two if you ask me." Kiba countered.

Naruto shrugged "well I'm not asking you."

Kiba started to turn a bit red in the face. "Alright smart ass; we will see just how confident you are when I'm beating the crap out of you."

Once Naruto and Kiba got into the ring they squared off.

Alright students this is strictly taijutsu is that understood?" The instructor asked the two combatants.

Naruto and Kiba both nodded their understanding.

"I'll call the match if either someone is knocked out of the ring, gives up, knocked unconscious, time runs out, or I see there is no point in continuing the match. Is that understood?"

Both Naruto and Kiba nod again.

"Good you are free to start in three two one go!"

Kiba charged Naruto in the most bizarre fashion Naruto had ever seen. Kiba was down on all fours slashing wildly at Naruto.

"What's wrong not wining as easily as you thought?" Kiba goaded as he continued to slash wildly at Naruto.

Naruto didn't answer he just continued to dodge.

"So is dodging the only thing you can do fight back!?" Kiba demanded, his anger rising every time Naruto managed to dodge another blow.

Naruto allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "Sorry I just wanted the match to last for at least a minute but since you insist I stop dodging I guess it won't last that long."

"Ha there's that cocky ata…." Kiba wasn't even able to finish talking before a fist firmly planted it self into his face.

Kiba was sent hurdling back by the hit but managed to catch himself before falling out of the ring. Only to be kicked in the gut a second after composing himself, and landed with a thump outside the ring.

Kiba could only stare speechlessly at Naruto for a moment before he picked himself up from the ground, and walked away muttering something under his breath.

"Very impressive Naruto; that was quite a performance." The instructor congratulated.

"Thank you sensei" Naruto says happily.

"Alright can I get the two people who drew the number two slips?"

Hinata gulped and nervously made her way up to the ring, but not before passing Naruto whom whispered good luck to her.

Hinata and her opponent made it to the ring at the same time and squared off once they got there. Her opponent was about the same height she was and had short black messy hair.

"Ok you two have already heard the rules so there's no point in repeating them. But in your case miss Hyuga if you're going to use the gentle fist style don't actually use chakra with your hits understood?"

"Y-yes I u-understand." Hinata replied meekly.

"Good you two are free to start in three, two, one go!"

The boy charged at Hinata swinging and kicking like a mad man. Hinata could tell by his lack of fighting style that he had had no previous training before then and could easily block his hits.

The boy found himself quickly getting tired from his onslaught but kept up his barrage anyway. After about a minute of kicking and punching the kid decided to back off to catch his breath. When he did so Hinata saw the opening and charged in and struck him in the middle of the chest with a palm strike.

Effectively knocking out what little breath he had left in him. The kid dropped to his knees and started taking in massive gulps of air in a futile attempt to catch his breath.

Hinata was about to strike him to send him outside the ring but stopped when the teacher called for the match to end.

Naruto congratulated her when she joined him and Shino. After wards the matches continued to go until everyone had gone. Shino and Sasuke had won there matches seemingly effortless.

"Listen up everyone, that's just about it for sparing for today, but I would like for two more students to spar once more."

Most of the kids looked confused but some actually looked eager to get back into the ring.

"Now I know everyone has already gone but I feel I didn't get a proper assessment of these two students' skills. So I'd like Aburame Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke to report back to the ring.

Sasuke couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face as he walked towards the stage. Naruto simply kept a passive look on his face as he walked towards the stage.

"I'm sorry about making you fight twice on your first sparring day but you two beat your opponents so fast I couldn't assess your skills accurately. But a match between the two of you will be sure to last a bit longer then thirty seconds."

"I understand" Naruto said shifting himself into a fighting stance."

"Got it" was Sasuke's reply as he readied himself.

"Alright in three, two, one go!"

Naruto charged Sasuke and showered down a furry of punches at him. Sasuke avoided Narutos' attacks then countered with a leg sweep effectively knocking Naruto on his back. He tried to follow it up with a knee to Naruto's gut; but in one swift motion Naruto rolled out of the way and delivered a kick to Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke was sent hurdling a few feet but made a swift recovery just in time to block a punch that would have knocked him out of the ring.

"You're pretty good Sasuke, I thought for sure I had you there." Naruto says while grinning the whole time.

"Ha you really thought you could defeat me so easily? Not on your life." Sasuke says at the same time connecting his fist with the side of Naruto's face. Then continued his onslaught with a barrage of punches too Naruto's stomach.

Naruto performed a few backwards flips to put some distance between the two of them then dropped to one knee.

Sasuke looked at Naruto with a smug smirk on his face. "Don't tell me that's all you got." Sasuke challenged, letting his Uchiha arrogance show.

Naruto picked himself up and wiped away the blood from his lip. "Of course not" he replied bluntly.

Sasuke cracked his knuckles then took off at full speed towards Naruto. Naruto stood there patiently then side stepped Sasuke and sent a devastating kick to the back of his head.

Sasuke crashed hard into the ground and lay there motionlessly.

"It's over" Naruto says as he makes his way towards the edge of the ring.

"W-wait it's not over yet" Sasuke says while struggling to get to his feet.

Naruto just ignored him and continued to walk towards the edge of the ring.

"Did you hear me? I said it's not over!" Sasuke shouts.

Naruto stopped in his tracks. "Can't you tell when you're beaten? I purposely held back with that kick, I could have easily knocked you unconscious if I wanted." Naruto replied casually.

Sasuke was fuming now. 'No I can't lose father won't except anything but the best I have to be better I have too!' Sasuke thought.

Naruto was just about out of the ring when he heard "Fire style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Naruto didn't even have time to turn around before he was hit square in the back.

The students along with the teacher looked mortified by what had happened.

"Naruto!" Hinata screamed she tried to run for the ring but was grabbed on the shoulder by Shino.

She looked at Shino who looked back at her with no expression on his face. "He's fine" was all Shino said.

Sasuke looked on at the burning corner of the ring in horror. 'Oh no what have I done? I couldn't have.'

The teacher landed next to the fire then performed a few hand signs, and the fire began to recede. Once it cleared nothing was left but what appeared to be a burning stump.

"Substitution?" the teacher said aloud.

"Yep, it's a good thing I worked out all the kinks with that Jutsu." Naruto says letting his presence be known.

Everyone turned to face the voice they just heard. And to there surprise Naruto was standing just outside of the ring seemingly unharmed.

"Well most of the kinks, I only lost my shades and trench coat that time." Naruto says in a joking manner.

The crowd looked on speechless.

Sasuke didn't know how to feel. He was relived Naruto was unharmed but angry Naruto trumped his best attack.

"I guess it was a good thing there was an old log laying outside the ring. And by the way Sasuke what's the deal you could have killed me." Naruto says while leveling the Uchiha a dangerous glare.

"Hn" was Sasuke's simple reply.

Just then Iruka landed in the middle of the ring. "What happened hear, why did I see a fire Jutsu coming from this ring?" Iruka questioned, anger obvious in his tone of voice.

"Sorry about that Iruka, it would seem one of your students didn't fully understand our rules in sparing.

"Is that right, then tell me who was it?" Iruka says while eyeing his students.

"Uchiha Sasuke, he performed the Great Fireball Jutsu on Aburame Naruto in their sparing match." The instructor answered.

"What where's Naruto now!?" Iruka asked frantically.

"He's right over there; he escaped the attack with the Substitution Jutsu."

"What that's impossible." Iruka says looking at the instructor skeptically.

"No I saw it with my own two eyes; the kid has some real talent."

Iruka stood there silently for a moment before looking at Sasuke. "I'll have to deal with you later, but for now I would like my students to report back to the class room. All except you Naruto, we have urgent news to discuss."