Chapter | XVI |

Author Note: You can skip this chapter if you want, it's just an introduction chapter equivalent to the Canon, most of you already know how it goes… So yeah.

P.S: The POV is going to switch to 3rd person, I did first person just cuz I wanted you to understand his personality a bit better.

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Naruto sat on his bench and waited. It was the deciding day, literally, the day they get picked in a four-man squad. Well, obviously the graduates didn't get to choose their teammates themselves, if they did, the squad would be imbalanced.

So, there were only 9 graduates at present, out of the hundreds of kids in the academy, these were the top recruits. The blond waited there, patient and curious about whom he'll be cooperating with.

As minutes ticked by, a man entered through the entrance of the classroom. His hair was black like a raven, his muscles were well-defined, and a bulky physique.

'A Jōnin'

The young one thought as he gazed at the man, the aura around him threatening, screaming danger into his ears. However, Naruto did not shy away from his gaze, instead locked eyes with the man for a brief moment.

'So this is the one'

The Jōnin thought as he broke eye contact with the golden-eyed kid, his gaze drifted toward three kids sitting in the front row.

"Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi... Follow me"

The Jōnin said before he parted, the following graduates stood up and followed his trail. As the trio left, the remaining kids began to murmur again.

Another minute passed, and another Jōnin entered, however, a woman this time. Her eyes like embers, and her aura hypnotic. As the blond lingered, the woman called out three names.

"Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame"

Not waiting for another second, her figure disappeared like a haze. As the trio exited the class, the weirdest and goofiest out of the three—Kiba—met eyes with Naruto. He opened his mouth, however, as the blonde's golden eyes peered into him, he shut his mouth and went away.

Minutes after minutes went by, with no sign of their Jōnin instructor. Naruto scanned the room, there were only three left now. He, Sasuke Uchiha, and... Sakura Haruno.

'Why do I have to wind up with these guys'

The young Uzumaki thought as he sighed. Noticing his distress, the pink-haired girl frowned.

"Believe me, I don't want to team up with you... The only reason I'm even here is-"

She paused, glancing at the dark-haired boy, and blushed. Naruto felt the urge to cringe but held in. To be frank, he was surprised to hear her.

'I don't understand this girl one bit, and I don't think I'll ever be able to

Naruto was perplexed, how can a person be so obsessed with someone that she is ready to risk her life being a Shinobi... or is she blinded by her love and unaware of the dangers of being a Ninja?

'Probably'

The young Haruno leaned her back on a desk, her brows twitching.

"He's late!"

She said in frustration. Naruto internally nodded, as well as the quiet Uchiha. What was taking their Jōnin so long? Like that, the trio sat there, bored. An hour passed by, and after what was like an eternity, the door slid open.

A white-haired man stepped inside, the lower half of his face covered with a black mask, and the left eye hidden beneath the leaf headband. The only revealing part of him was the section to his right eye.

The man stepped inside with a yawn, his hands tucked inside his pockets. His gaze leaped from Sasuke to Sakura, then toward Naruto.

"On the rooftop"

He said tiredly as his body flickered away, Naruto exited the class, followed by Sasuke and Sakura soon after. They arrived on the roof shortly, their Jōnin leaning at the edge. Closing in, the trio sat on the cold concrete.

The Jōnin and the kids stared at each other, silent.

"Well, introduce yourself"

The Jōnin broke the ice, Naruto waited for someone to take the initiative, but the others were thinking the same.

"Umm... How should we introduce ourselves?"

Sakura asked, the Jōnin sighed.

"Iike, things you hate? Things you like? Dreams for the future?"

"Tell us about you so we know how to do that"

Naruto said as relaxed. The Jōnin lingered for a moment before agreeing.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake, things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... Well, I never really thought about that... As for my hobbies-"

Naruto sighed, was that really an introduction?

"That was really useless, all he told us was his name"

Sakura said, irritated by their Jōnin's brief introduction. Naruto silently agreed, the man didn't even bother to try.

"Your turn"

"My name's Naruto Uzumaki, things I like... Well, I like to live, eat, sleep. Things I dislike? Torture. And my dream is... To get the answers to my countless questions"

Kakashi seemed slightly surprised. 'I thought he wanted to be a Hokage'. He thought before turning toward the pink-haired girl.

"I'm Sakura Haruno!-"

Naruto felt a headache coming seeing her enthusiasm.

"Me and the person I like is...umm". She took a glance at Sasuke. "My dream for the future is...". Another glance at Sasuke, her cheeks flushed.

"What do you hate?"

Kakashi nonchalantly asked. It was clear he was disappointed by her blushing figure and feminine side... And her introduction.

"Naruto!"

Sakura said with visible disgust, Naruto sighed.

'Girls at her age are more interested in boys than Ninja training'

Kakashi deducted after observing her fragile physique, it was quite evident that she neglected proper nutrition to her body for keeping her slim build, for reasons Kakashi didn't care.

"Last one"

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha-"

Naruto didn't like the increased pitch when stating the name 'Uchiha'.

"I don't particularly like anything-"

The atmosphere suddenly turned gloomy as his face darkened. The blonde noticed the all too familiar feeling of anger flare within those raven eyes of Sasuke.

"My dream is to restore my clan, and destroy, a certain someone"

'Just as I thought'

Kakashi frowned under his mask. However, that soon faded away, replaced by an eye smile.

"Be at training ground 0 at sharp 5:00 in the morning, we have a test... And by the way, a small tip: don't eat breakfast, or you might throw up"

He said before his body again flickered away like before, Naruto stood up and jumped on a roof, and made his way toward his home without any parting words.