Chapter 5 Beginings
The council chamber of Kumogakure felt colder than the wind clawing at its stone walls. Heavy banners hung unmoving, their gold lightning bolts stark against the black cloth. The air smelled faintly of rain and steel.
Raikage A sat on the elevated seat at the far end of the room, arms crossed, the returned operatives' confiscated gear laid out on the table before him — knives, comms scrolls, even the cloth headwraps they'd worn to mask their features.
"They claim the Hokage has proof," one advisor spat. "Fabricated. Designed to humiliate us."
Another shook his head. "Fabricated or not, the result is the same — the mission failed."
Murmurs filled the chamber until A's voice cut through, deep and deliberate. "Enough."
The room stilled instantly.
"We've reviewed the scrolls Konoha sent with our people,they are real" A said
One of the elders leaned forward. "Then we answer it, Raikage-sama. Show them Kumogakure doesn't—"
A's palm slammed against the armrest, the crack echoing. "Do you think I've forgotten the war?" His gaze was sharp enough to pin them to their seats. "The Third Shinobi War ended only years ago. We lost jonin, specialists, half our infiltration corps. You want to fight Namikaze Minato — the man who crippled Iwa's army — while our own ranks are still rebuilding?"
The words hung heavy in the cold air. No one dared interrupt.
A rose from his seat, walking to the high window. Beyond the glass, the peaks of the Land of Lightning jutted into low, restless clouds. "This is not the time. Every great village is watching the others, waiting for the spark that will light the Fourth War. Whoever moves first will be the one every blade turns toward. I will not be that fool."
An advisor cleared his throat. "Then… what is our course?"
A turned back to face them. "We wait. We rebuild. We watch Konoha's next moves. Minato's sealing network is a problem — infiltration will be harder now. But seals can be broken. New generations are easier to target than veterans."
His voice lowered, dangerous in its quiet. "When the board is ready, we'll take the pieces we want. Until then, Kumo will be still."
The council members bowed their heads, understanding.
Four winters passed quietly in Konoha.
Quietly, at least, by the standards of a village full of shinobi.
A faint hum in the air for anyone with fine tuned chakra senses. Patrols were sharper now, eyes always turned outward, but within the walls, the streets thrummed with life. Merchants called from stalls, training grounds rang with the clash of practice weapons, and the laughter of children spilled through alleys and courtyards.
For Naruto, that laughter was his morning soundtrack.
"Come on, sochi-chan, or you'll be late for your very first day," Kushina called from the kitchen, her voice full of that teasing warmth only she could pull off. She was already packing the bento with swift, practiced movements.
"I'm coming!" Naruto skidded into the room, sandals only half-tied, hair looking like he'd fought a wind jutsu in his sleep. Minato, seated at the low table with a scroll, glanced up and smirked.
"You're about to meet kids who might be on your team one day," Minato said. "First impressions matter."
"I'll impress 'em," Naruto grinned, tightening his sandal straps, "with my awesomeness. Dattebayo"
Kushina smiled at the verbal tick he had inherited from her "Or," Kushina said, handing him the lunch, "with good manners."
By the time they reached the Academy, the morning sun was spilling gold over tiled roofs. Parents clustered near the gates — some in clan attire, others in civilian dress. Minato didn't linger, but his hand settled briefly on Naruto's head before he turned to leave for the Hokage Tower.
The courtyard buzzed with energy.
Shikamaru Nara leaned against a post, hands in his pockets, looking half-asleep. Beside him, Choji Akimichi crunched on a bag of chips, sharing them without comment. Ino Yamanaka stood nearby, bright and chatty with a few other children.
A little apart stood a dark-haired boy with a calm, assessing gaze — Sasuke Uchiha, the younger son of Fugaku. His eyes seemed to weigh each person who passed.
Naruto spotted him, tilted his head, then wandered over with a grin. "Hey. I'm Naruto. You look like you'd be good at tag."
Sasuke blinked, slightly caught off-guard. "…Depends on who's chasing me."
"Guess we'll find out," Naruto said easily, before his attention caught on a pale-eyed girl near the edge of the group. She stood quietly, fingers nervously curling into her sleeves — Hinata Hyūga.
Naruto walked over without hesitation. "Hi! I'm Naruto. You in my class too?"
"Y-yes," Hinata said softly, glancing quickly at the ground.
Before he could ask more, a voice from behind called out cheerfully, "Bet I can beat you in a race to the door!" A boy with brown hair and a tiny white puppy on his head grinned at him — Kiba Inuzuka.
"You're on," Naruto replied, already breaking into a run.
Iruka-sensei's voice cut through moments later. "Alright, everyone inside! Find a seat!"
As the children filed into the Academy, the sun caught the high windows, bright and warm. And somewhere above, unseen on the roofline, the Hokage watched with quiet pride.
The classroom smelled faintly of chalk and fresh wood polish. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting warm rectangles across rows of low desks.
Naruto slid into a seat near the middle, plopping his bento onto the desk with a satisfied grin. Kiba dropped into the chair next to him, Akamaru curling up on the desktop like it belonged there.
"I totally won that race," Kiba said, brushing hair out of his eyes.
"You wish," Naruto shot back. "You were, like, two steps behind me."
"Two steps ahead," Kiba insisted. Akamaru barked once, which Kiba interpreted as agreement.
At the far side of the room, Sasuke sat near the window, one elbow propped on the desk, gazing out over the training yard. His posture was relaxed, but his attention flicked back whenever someone new entered the room — a quiet habit Naruto noticed but didn't comment on.
Ino breezed in next, plopping into the seat beside a reluctant Shikamaru. "You better not sleep through the whole day," she said.
Shikamaru gave a noncommittal "Troublesome…" but didn't move.
Choji sat on Shikamaru's other side, cheerfully opening a second bag of chips. "Want some?"
"Thanks," Shikamaru mumbled, taking one without looking.
Hinata entered quietly, her gaze scanning the room before settling on a seat a row behind Naruto. When he glanced back and waved, she smiled — small, but genuine.
Iruka-sensei strode in just then, his voice carrying easily over the chatter. "Alright, everyone — settle down."
The room hushed, though a few whispered comments still passed between friends. Iruka set a stack of papers on the desk and looked over the class.
"This year marks the beginning of your journey toward becoming shinobi of the Leaf. Some of you come from clans with long traditions; others are starting that path for the first time. Here, you will all train together."
Naruto sat up straighter, his eyes bright with excitement.
"Today, we'll start simple," Iruka continued. "I want each of you to introduce yourselves — your name, something you like, something you dislike, and your dream for the future."
The introductions went around the room, a mix of shy murmurs and bold declarations.
Kiba went first in Naruto's row, grinning wide. "I'm Kiba Inuzuka! I like Ninken, my family, meat, and winning races. I don't like people who smell fake. My dream is to be the best Inuzuka clan head ever!".
Naruto followed. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze! I like ramen, training, and hanging out with my parents. I don't like quitting. My dream is to be an awesome shinobi like my parents — and maybe Hokage one day!"
Sasuke's turn was later. He spoke evenly, no extra words: "Sasuke Uchiha. I like training, and my family. I dislike losing. My dream… is to become strong like my brother."
Hinata's voice was quiet, but steady when it came: "Hinata Hyūga. I like flowers. I dislike hurting people without reason. My dream is to grow strong enough to help my clan."
By the time the circle was complete, the room felt different — a little warmer, a little more connected.
Iruka smiled faintly. "Good. We'll see how those dreams hold up after your first test day."
The clatter of pencils on desks filled the classroom. Outside, the sun had shifted just past midday, casting a golden glow through the high windows. Iruka paced between the rows, hands clasped behind his back, keeping a watchful eye on the class.
Naruto sat hunched over his paper, pencil tapping against the desk as he read the next question:
"If a mission's reward is divided evenly among four shinobi and totals 12,000 ryō, how much does each shinobi receive?"
Naruto muttered under his breath, "Easy — three thousand…" He wrote it down quickly, then moved on.
A few rows over, Shikamaru had already finished and was now staring out the window, while Ino kept glancing sideways at his paper. Hinata, brow furrowed in focus, wrote neatly and steadily, checking each answer twice.
When the test was collected, Naruto leaned back in his chair with a satisfied grin. "Not bad at all," he whispered to himself.
Kiba smirked from the next desk. "Bet I did better."
"We'll see," Naruto shot back.
Iruka didn't hand the results out right away. Instead, he clapped his hands once. "Alright! We're finishing the day outside — obstacle course time!"
The announcement sparked a wave of energy through the room.
Minutes later, the class was gathered on the training field, where a long line of wooden platforms, rope nets, balance beams, and swinging logs stretched ahead. At the far end, a tall wall marked the finish.
"Speed and control," Iruka reminded them. "You'll run one at a time. No shortcuts, no skipping obstacles. First up — Naruto!"
Naruto grinned and trotted to the start line. At Iruka's signal, he shot forward, feet pounding the dirt. He vaulted the first hurdle cleanly, scrambled up the rope net with practiced ease, and balanced across the beam without slowing.
When he hit the final wall, he didn't pause a burst of strength sent him up and over in a smooth climb. He landed lightly on the other side, grinning wide looking like he'd barely struggled.
"Forty-two seconds," Iruka called out. "Very good."
"Ha!" Naruto pumped a fist. "Beat that!"
Kiba tried next fast, but slipped on the balance beam and had to recover. Sasuke's run was quick and precise, though a touch slower than Naruto's. Hinata moved with quiet determination, her steps careful but steady, finishing mid-range for time for a clan child.
When everyone had run, Iruka gathered them together. "Today was just the beginning. You'll see these tests again and by the end of the year, I expect all of you to improve."
Later, back inside, Iruka finally posted the written test scores. Naruto found his name at the top third , well above average, but not first.
Sasuke and Hinata were higher; Shikamaru had somehow gotten a perfect score without looking like he tried.
Naruto stared for a moment, then grinned. "Guess I'll just have to work harder."
Kiba nudged him. "You mean study harder."
"Yeah, yeah…" Naruto said, though his mind was already on beating his own record tomorrow.
By the end of their first month at the Academy, patterns had started to form — not from any rule or teacher's order, but the natural gravity of habits, old ties, and new impressions.
At lunch, it was already clear who gravitated where.
Under the shade of a wide oak, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji sat on their usual bench — the "Ino–Shika–Cho" trio. Their parents had been teammates, and the three of them had been together since they could walk. Choji passed Shikamaru a bag of chips, who lazily accepted without looking up from cloud-watching. Ino was mid-story about something she'd overheard at her father's flower shop.
A short way off, Naruto sat cross-legged in the grass with Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. Kiba was animatedly describing how Akamaru had "totally chased off" a wild boar near his house. Hinata smiled softly, contributing here and there, while Shino's quiet voice added small, precise observations that somehow made Kiba's story sound even more dramatic.
Sasuke wasn't exactly with them, but he was close enough — leaning back against the tree trunk just behind Naruto's group, arms crossed, listening without comment. Every so often, Naruto would glance over his shoulder to include him in the conversation, and Sasuke would answer in his usual cool tone.
On the far side of the yard, a loose group of civilian-born students — Sakura, Ami, Tsubasa, and a few others — were gathered. They were friendly with everyone, but tended to spend free time together. Sakura, however, had one ear on her own group and one eye on Sasuke.
By the second week, the "fan clubs" had quietly formed. It wasn't official, but everyone knew: Sakura led the group of girls who seemed determined to win Sasuke's attention. Ino, meanwhile, had somehow ended up at the center of Naruto's — mostly because she openly declared she "appreciated a boy who wasn't all broody and boring."
Naruto didn't seem to mind. "Guess I'm just that good," he said once with a cheeky grin, earning himself an eye-roll from Sasuke and a quiet laugh from Hinata.
It wasn't all about attention, though. Their classes were competitive, and everyone knew the top performers. Naruto and Sasuke consistently traded the fastest times on physical drills; Hinata scored high on precision work; Shikamaru somehow passed everything without visibly trying; Ino was sharp with tactics; and Kiba dominated any exercise involving scent tracking.
The competition was friendly… mostly. There was always a murmur of who would win next time, and small challenges erupted on the training field between classes.
One afternoon, after a particularly close obstacle course run, Naruto flopped down beside Sasuke on the grass. "Bet I'll beat you by more than two seconds tomorrow."
Sasuke smirked faintly. "You'll need more than speed if you want to stay ahead."
Kiba, overhearing, leaned in. "Oh, he's got plenty of speed — it's you who needs to catch up."
Hinata, sitting nearby, hid a small smile behind her hand.
In the end, everyone talked to everyone, but the little circles stayed — close friends in the center, friendly rivals at the edges, all spinning around each other in the slow, steady rhythm of their first year.
The morning air buzzed with an unusual kind of energy. The Academy training field had been set up with two roped-off sparring rings, and every student was talking about who they thought would win.
Iruka-sensei stood at the center, clipboard in hand, while Mizuki-sensei explained the rules: "No lethal strikes, no chakra techniques, no weapons. Points are awarded for solid strikes, ring-outs, or clean takedowns. We'll have two tournaments today — boys and girls — and everyone fights until one is left standing."
The boys were up first. The first few matches were quick — the civilian kids, eager but lacking proper form, were dispatched by the clan heirs without much trouble. Kiba overwhelmed his first opponent with raw aggression. Shikamaru yawned through his opening bout but still won on a clean sweep. Sasuke dismantled his match in under a minute, his footwork sharp and precise. Naruto took his first fight slower, testing his opponent before ending it with a clean shoulder throw that sent the kid tumbling out of bounds.
Quarterfinals
Naruto faced Kiba first. The Inuzuka heir came in fast, darting left and right like Akamaru on the hunt, but Naruto didn't let himself be baited. He caught Kiba's wrist mid-swing, pivoted, and used his momentum to flip him flat on his back.
"Winner Naruto!" Iruka called.
Kiba groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "You've been practicing throws."
"Maybe," Naruto said with a grin, offering him a hand up.
On the other side of the bracket, Sasuke drew Shikamaru. For the first thirty seconds, Shikamaru barely moved, hands in his pockets. When Sasuke lunged, Shikamaru sidestepped with lazy precision, countering with a sweep that nearly took Sasuke down.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered when Sasuke blocked it. A few exchanges later
"I forfeit" Shikamaru shouted as sasuke was about to land a hit.
After the seal of reconciliation Ino shot shikamaru a glare for being so lazy to which he responded "i was already going to lose whats the point in get beat up" causing Ino to huff
Semifinals
Naruto now faced Choji. The Akimichi boy was strong and each hit Naruto blocked sent shock through his arms. But Naruto was faster. Ducking under one of Choji's wide swings, he slipped behind him and pushed with both hands, using Choji's forward momentum to send him tumbling out of the ring.
Meanwhile, Sasuke dismantled his own semifinal match, using quick strikes and footwork to unbalance Choji before landing a clean takedown.
Finals
The crowd of classmates was louder now, with Ino calling out encouragement for Naruto and Sakura shouting for Sasuke.
Naruto and Sasuke stepped into the ring, eyes locked. For a moment, they didn't move.
Then Sasuke struck first — a sharp jab that Naruto blocked before countering with a low kick. They traded blows, each blocking or sidestepping the other, neither able to land a decisive hit. Naruto's speed kept him just ahead, while Sasuke's timing forced Naruto to think before every move.
Finally, Naruto caught Sasuke mid-pivot, hooking his leg and using a shoulder push to send him stumbling toward the edge. Sasuke twisted to recover, but Naruto was already there, a palm to his chest sending him over the line.
"Winner Naruto!" Iruka called.
Sasuke stood, dusting himself off, and gave the faintest smirk. "Don't get used to it."
Naruto grinned back. "We'll see."
The girls' matches were quieter but no less intense. Ino breezed through her first fight with confident footwork, while Hinata relied on calm, measured strikes to guide her opponents out of bounds. Both reached the finals, where Ino's aggressive style met Hinata's patient defense.
In the end, Hinata redirected a strong lunge, sending Ino just past the ring's edge.
"Winner Hinata!" Iruka announced.
By the end of the day, the winners stood side-by-side for the class photo — Naruto grinning ear to ear, Hinata blushing faintly, Sasuke calm but with that subtle spark in his eyes, and Ino pretending she wasn't already planning a rematch.
The weeks after the first sparring day blurred into a steady rhythm of training, classes, and small rivalries.
Naruto's breath came in clouds as he dashed across the academy yard, feet pounding the packed dirt of the obstacle course. Ahead, Sasuke vaulted a wooden wall, landing smoothly. Naruto grinned and pushed harder, overtaking him in the sprint to the rope climb.
"Don't get cocky" Sasuke called without looking back.
"Not cocky , i'm just better!" Naruto shouted, pulling himself up the rope with quick, practiced movements. He beat Sasuke to the top platform by half a second.
Iruka's whistle blew. "Better form, both of you. You're not just racing — you're training."
The two boys exchanged smirks and jogged back to the start line.
Lunchtime.
The lunch tables had their own unofficial seating arrangement now. Ino-Shika-Cho always sat together under the shade of the big maple tree. Naruto's group — Hinata, Kiba, and Shino — usually sat near the edge of the yard where Akamaru could flop in the grass.
Sasuke often ate nearby, not quite in their circle but close enough to join in if he felt like it.
"You still practicing those throws, Naruto?" Kiba asked, tossing a rice ball to Akamaru.
"Yup. Mom says I should learn all the basics before I start making up my own stuff."
Hinata nodded. "That's… smart."
From the next table, Ino leaned over. "It's also why he's the top of the obstacle course board and most physical activities."
Afternoon sparring.
The class moved from simple strikes to actual combinations, with more emphasis on controlling their power. Naruto and Sasuke both adapted quickly, though their styles were different — Naruto favored sudden shifts in pace and unorthodox angles, while Sasuke was all clean, deliberate precision.
On the sidelines, Shino's quiet consistency began earning respect from the others, and Kiba's raw energy started finding structure. Hinata's accuracy improved noticeably; her shy hesitation was giving way to a steady confidence.
Family evenings.
At home, Naruto often sat cross-legged on the living room floor, a practice seal spread in front of him. Kushina leaned over him, pointing to the finer details of the brushstrokes.
"That line's too heavy. Try again — smooth and steady."
Minato would sometimes watch from the doorway, a faint smile on his face. "Don't just copy her work, Naruto. Understand why it's written that way. Then you can change it when you need to."
They'd finish with a shared dinner, Naruto recounting the day's highs and lows, Kushina laughing at his more exaggerated retellings, Minato offering quiet advice.
By the second month, it was impossible not to notice. Ino's "Naruto fan club" (really just her and a few other girls) spent a lot of time praising his wins in physical training. Sakura led Sasuke's "support group," which often devolved into heated debates with Ino's crew.
The boys in the class had their own opinions, but most of them were more interested in outdoing Naruto and Sasuke in the next test than picking sides.
Naruto did better than most expected on the written work. He wasn't top of the class — that spot rotated between Shikamaru, Sasuke, and sometimes Hinata — but he was solidly above average.
When Iruka handed back a test one day, Naruto's 81% got a nod of approval from his teacher. "See what happens when you actually study?"
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. "Still not as fun as sparring."
The leaves turned red and gold, and the morning chill deepened. The class moved on to more complex drills — team exercises, where Naruto's energy and quick thinking made him a natural point man. Sasuke proved just as capable in a leadership role, though his methods were quieter, more calculated.
On one particularly crisp afternoon, their two teams faced off in a capture-the-flag exercise. Naruto's team won by a hair, his last-minute dash stealing the flag just as Sasuke was closing in on theirs.
"Not bad," Sasuke admitted afterward.
"You too," Naruto replied — but his grin said he was already thinking about the rematch.
By the time winter crept in, the once-scattered group of Academy students had begun to take shape. Rivalries pushed them to improve, friendships formed quietly in the spaces between drills, and the promise of more challenges kept everyone looking ahead.