Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Three Demons of Konoha ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Thirteen year old Naruto dashed hastily down the street followed by a small group of angry villagers. The old man goes away for two weeks and the idiots think that I have a target painted on my back again. He growled mentally as he skidded around a corner only to be yanked into an alley. "Transform." A sharp voice hissed even as his rescuer began flashing through hands seals. Naruto immediately did the same and seconds later a non descript brunette man stood in his place,  immediately laughing at something his black haired girlfriend had said.

"Hey!" A voice barked from the mouth of the alley. "Have you seen the demon brat?"

"Not here," The disguised Naruto said. "He doesn't seem that smart so he's probably still running in a straight line."

"Ah, of course!" The irate villager nodded before taking off down the street. A moment later the ebony haired girl brought her hand down hard on the brunette's head.

"Don't ever let me hear you insult your intelligence again." She growled.

"Come on, let's get going." The brunette murmured nursing his swelling head as the pair shot to the roofs.

"Why were you running anyway?" Hinata asked, releasing her jutsu as the pair shot across the rooftops.

"I got tied up," He said, releasing his own transformation as he gestured to the barely functional watch on his wrist. "and this thing is on it's last leg. The damn thing doesn't even keep the proper time anymore."

"Back up," Hinata  said as they dropped to  the academy grounds. "Tied up where?"

"Um... nowhere." Naruto mumbled, backing hastily away from the young woman.

"Naruto..." The Hyuga heiress growled darkly.

"Come on, Hinata," Naruto chuckled, still backpedaling. "You don't think I'd keep any deep dark secrets from you, do you?"

"Yes, Naruto," Sasuke said as the young blonde backed into him in his haste to escape from his friend and sister figure. "Now Naruto, tell us just what's been occupying your time lately."

"All right," Naruto slumped. "I've... I've been learning a new taijutsu style."

Both teens gasped. "Naruto you promised we would all train together! Why did you feel the need to go off on your own?"

"Because you have the Gentle Fist,  Hinata, and Sasuke has the Intercepting Fist, and I have Academy Taijutsu, which I suck at. I couldn't bear to let you guys down so I took a chance and struck out on my own."

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. "Baka! The  reason we said we'd all train together was so we could all grow stronger together."

"And protect you from the multitude of people who would love to see you dead,"  Hinata reminded the blonde as they trudged towards the academy. "So who exactly are you training with?"

"You know Maito Gai?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke paled violently. "So help me brother, if you start wearing green spandex-"

"It's not like that," Naruto said. "The guy has some good ideas for building strength, speed, and stamina, but I think he takes it way too far. His wife on the other hand is far more reasonable."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. "Didn't know he was married. So what style is she teaching you?"

"The style is called Fox Dancer. She seems to find that style both highly suited to me, and highly amusing for some reason."

"Anyway, you looking forward to burning that jumpsuit?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh yeah. Today is the last day of the dead last! All I gotta do is pass today's exam, and get placed on a team and this thing is ashes!" Naruto grinned madly as he tugged at his traditional 'Kill me' orange jumpsuit.

"Yeah," Sasuke smiled. "It all comes down to this, doesn't it?" He said thinking back.

Flashback

"Damn it, Naruto!" Sasuke growled as a strike from his sparring partner forced him to slide back into a crouch. "How can  you be so devastating here and yet be such a... such a DEAD LAST in classes?"

"Is it so much to ask that I stay with my brother?" Naruto asked somberly.

"What?" Sasuke stared in surprise.

"Sasuke, you are Konoha's rising star, on the fast track to rookie of the year. If I were to truly go all out, I could probably keep up with you. But If I do that, they'll put me on a team of my own, with my own teammates to care for. And to balance the teams, you will be stuck  with the Academy's worst. The dead last."

"So you're saying..."

"We are two stars out of a trinity, but for your star to rise, mine must fall."

End Flashback

"Aren't you a little worried Naruto?" Hinata asked as the trio entered the classroom. "I mean you did fail the bunshin part of the test last year."

"I know, but I got it down now." Naruto grinned.

"Oh really?" Both teens were interested now, as the clone technique was something even they had difficulty with.

"Right, now all three of us have abnormally high chakra levels, so to do something simple like bunshin takes intense control. That you both know already."

"Keep going." Hinata said. She truly despised the simple jutsu, specifically because of her larger reserves.

"See, I have a second problem. My chakra... pulses, like waves. So all I have to do is catch the tail end of a chakra wave and that whiff of chakra should be enough for a clone." Naruto explained.

Drats. Hinata swore to herself. Since Sasuke and I don't have those surges it doesn't help us very much. Nothing to do but more control exercises.

"You sure your pulses are gonna come regularly enough?" Sasuke asked.

"One every five seconds, seems to be enough right?" Naruto mused a moment, as his stomach growled.

"Oi, 'ruto,"  Akimichi Choji called out, getting the blondes attention. "You sound hungry. Wanna bite to eat?"

"Oh, Choji, you are a lifesaver." The blonde student replied as the three moved  to gather around their mildly rotund friend. "What ya got?"

"Apples good for ya?" The Akimichi heir asked producing a small bag of the aforementioned fruit before dividing the spoils amongst his friends.

"Much obliged," Naruto ginned as he tucked into the fruity offering. "So what does your family think of your new diet and exercise plan?"

"They think I've lost my mind," Choji grinned. "but I've lost ten pounds and I set a new personal record!"

"Really?" Sasuke arched an eyebrow as he bit into his apple.

"Fifteen laps around Konoha!" The bigger boy exclaimed.

"Good for you, Choji san!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Meh, it's troublesome, " Nara Shikamaru mumbled as he sliced the apple with his kunai. "but it'll be better for your health in the long run, and your family jutsu will do even more damage since you're striking with muscle instead of fat."

"Tell that to my dad," Choji grunted. "He thinks I'm a disgrace to the family."

"There's only one way to prove your merits," Naruto said, finishing off his apple. "You have to prove that your new ways are as good as his old ways."

"Too troublesome," The resident slacker declared. "Anyway, we should probably take our seats. Iruka sensei will be here soon and you'll want to beat out the Sasuke fan girls to the adjacent seats." The trio nodded and hastily took their seats, Hinata on the far right, Sasuke in the middle, and Naruto narrowly edging out Haruno Sakura into the empty seat on Sasuke's left.

"Move it, idiot!" The pink haired girl barked. "Don't you know you're standing in the way of true love?"

The blonde youth leaned back casually in his seat and gave the irate girl a lazy stare. "The only thing I'm standing in the way of is a deluded fan girl trying to take something she hasn't earned."

"Naruto, get your ass out of my chair!" Sakura growled, hoisting Naruto half out of his seat by his collar  .

 "Let go of me," The blonde hissed. "or don't and then I can make you let go. That'd be fine with me, either way."

Sakura growled and jerked Naruto forward. "Get out!" She snarled.

"No more mister nice dead last." Naruto grinned and brought his feet up an instant before planting both into her chest before sending her flying down  the aisle before dropping back into his seat.

"Nice move." Sasuke murmured.

"You ever need to lose fan girls, lemme know." Naruto chuckled, settling back and waiting for Iruka sensei to arrive.

Iruka mused as he sat finishing a cup of coffee, listening to the stammering report of one of the younger teachers who had investigated the abnormally loud crash that was Naruto's response to Sakura's demand for his seat. And here I thought Naruto was attracted to her. Iruka mused silently. I wonder what other surprises he has in store for me today.

"I guess I should get to class then," Iruka stated. "You coming, Mizuki?"

"I wouldn't miss it." The silver haired chunin smiled broadly as the pair headed back to the classroom.

"All right everyone, settle down." Iruka said taking in the academy students, his eyes lingering on Sakura as she glared at Naruto while rubbing her chest. "Today is the last day of your lives as academy students. The only thing standing between you and your ninja careers," The chunin grinned as he waggled a sheaf of papers at his students. "is this graduation exam."

"There will be four parts," Mizuki said, as he received the written exam from Iruka. "first is this written exam, then we'll move outside for weapon accuracy and taijutsu. We'll break for lunch  and finish with ninjutsu. Any questions?" Taking the group's silence as a negative, the assistant instructor handed out the papers.

Naruto frowned at the paper he received and made a quick hand seal. "Excuse me, sensei,"  The blonde growled as he dispelled the genjutsu from his test. "You had a jonin exam in there."

"Good eye, Naruto," Iruka said, swapping the exams. "That must have gotten in there by accident."

"Must have." The orange clad student narrowed his eyes at both Mizuki and Iruka. Some accident.

AN: I thought this would be a good stopping point, to illustrate a bit more of the deviation from canon. Next up, the exams, but first a little audience participation in the form of polls.

1. I'm 99% certain I'm going to make this a Naruto/Hinata pairing. Should I make Naruto monogamous, or should I use the old "Rebuilding a clan" excuse for a harem?

2. Who should Sasuke be paired with? We have the usual suspects of Konoha, a female surviving Haku, and Temari of the Sand. Any other suggestions? Harem or No?

3. Should Naruto have a bloodline ability? If so what kind?

4. I'm thinking that Naruto begins to study seals, Sasuke takes an interest in creating new jutsu, and Hinata creates poisons and other chemicals in their "off duty" time. Do you think they should take a second or possibly more levels of specialization? Please specify what exactly you have in mind.

As always reviews are appreciated and help me write a better story. Next chapter coming out ASAP.