theoriginator0000

[theoriginator0000]

Leveling Shinobi: Chosen By Legacy

...art is not mine, credits to the original artist.

Chapter Eight

The real Naruto still stood on the tree, looking at his clones fighting each other. During the fight with Mizuki, he didn't know the effect of using Shadow clones, since Mizuki had not been able to retaliate.

But when Kakashi destroyed his clones, the memories of seeing Kakashi swinging the kunai and shuriken were transferred to him.

'This is incredible! Now I can create a few more clones and take more books from the library!!' Naruto was getting distracted, but he quickly pinched his cheeks and looked at the crowd of clones he had created.

He didn't know how many there were, but surely the count surpassed 100. He would have canceled the jutsu when Kakashi disappeared since that would only leave the Kakashi that had transformed. But when he considered the possibility of Kakashi using a henge, it seemed rather dumb.

Henge jutsu wasn't something that could be used mid-fight. It was more like a deception jutsu, to trick people.

So Naruto decided to let the clones fight, even if canceling them later wouldn't get him any good information. But letting them be there might get him a chance to roam around and find Kakashi, who was nowhere to be seen. It did drain his chakra faster, and he was also starting to feel tired from all the chakra usage. He had never used it this long voluntarily. But he needed to find Kakashi. Once that was done, he could force his way with more clones again.

Naruto was about to jump away, but suddenly, he felt incredible chakra from the opposite side. He squinted his eyes. He couldn't see anyone, but the chakra was surely building up from that side.

On the opposite side from where Naruto was, Kakashi formed countless hand signs. "Forgive me Naruto, but I think you can survive this much" Kakashi made his final sign, the Bird. With his insane speed, he was able to complete the 44 hand signs in an instant.

Kakashi jumped up, now visible in the air, above the tree. He muttered, "Let's see the real one..." and as he pushed both his hands forward, water formed...out of nowhere.

The water splashed and soon took the shape of a dragon. It kept getting larger until it was huge enough to swallow a whole tree.

-Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu-

And, at an insane speed, the dragon rushed toward all the shadow clones of Naruto. All the shadow clones started to run away, wanting to get farther away or hide.

Just when it was going to ram into them, the dragon shape disappeared and the water flooded the ground, washing away all the shadow clones with it.

One by one the clones started to disappear in smoke. Kakashi landed on the top branch of the tree, waiting like a cunning wolf to spot the real Naruto in the water. But it never happened.

And before he could admire Naruto for his decisions in a fight that had forced him thrice, including the current situation to retrieve and re-evaluate his expectations of him, he was attacked with kunai and shuriken.

He knew this was going to happen since he had revealed his location. The shuriken came from the other end of the ground, right from the tree where Naruto had sent the clones.

'So he didn't attack himself, even with these many clones' Kakashi landed on the ground and started to dash towards the tree where Naruto was. 'He is trying to gauge my strength. Smart,...'

Kakashi was dashing ahead while assessing the surroundings. He hadn't forgotten the other two. But he doubted that they would come out now, when Naruto, the unexpected idiot had done so much in just 10 minutes than they had expected to.

As he neared the center of the ground, an orange blur crashed with him, kunai colliding with each other. And in front of him stood those familiar blue eyes. For the first time, after such a long time he had witnessed that freshness in such bright eyes.

And even his grin was contagious, which he hadn't seen in the past 12 years. Ah, 13, since that guy also had this idiotic grin.

'Is this finally the real one?' Sakura wondered. She had been invested. She never,....like, NEVER in her life expected to see Naruto going head to head with a shinobi. At that, with actual tactics, jutsu and not being a brat or brash.

'He is stronger than me...' Sakura couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest. All the times she berated him about being a weakling in front of Sasuke clouded her mind. But now that she was seeing how strong he was, she felt ashamed and insecure.

'I dreamt of being a strong kunoichi. Someone capable of standing beside Sasuke-kun, who is so cool and strong. But I am not even anywhere near those two...' Sakura could feel a lump of saliva stuck in her throat, threatening to choke her out of breath. She couldn't help but think,...what even was she doing all these years?

But suddenly, her attention was equipped back on the battlefield. Naruto was on the ground, coughing hard. He seemed tired. His hands were shaking and his eyes drooped.

Kakashi stood there, looking at Naruto. "Well, seems you can't stand up anymore. It's no surprise after you wasted your energy on forming that many shadow clones." Kakashi spoke as wiped his pants that had leaves on them.

Naruto, however, was thinking of something else. 'He is gonna mock me soon, isn't he?' Naruto glared back. Kakashi could see the spite in his stare.

For a flicker of seconds, Kakashi's face, though covered expressed more regret and sadness than Naruto had seen on anyone's face except his own.

But soon, it disappeared like he was mistaken. But Naruto understood and felt these emotions of sadness, regret, and fear better than many.

"But you did great. To be honest, I didn't expect you to ever win against me. And I still don't, but I was wrong about one thing. I didn't think you would be able to make me fight back." Kakashi said, and his eye closed, an indication of a smile. And for some reason, he felt like he was looking at Iruka. That type of smile meant the person was acknowledging him.

"Hah,...I haven't won yet." Naruto said, forcing his hand on the ground, trying to stand up. But suddenly, a sharp sound could be heard tearing the air and something sped up towards them.

"Shit!" Kakashi jumped away as he lightly kicked Naruto away. Three shuriken sliced through the waist area of Kakashi,...or at least where he should have been. And the shuriken landed right where Naruto had fallen.

A few meters away, Naruto grunted and glared. Sasuke stood atop a tree, already doing hand signs.

'What? Naruto's an exception. Or else, a Genin shouldn't have enough chakra to perform that.' Kakashi thought as he landed on the ground, the bells still jingling from the impact.

"Did you forget I was here too?" Sasuke looked at Kakashi, as he dashed forward, his hands still doing signs. Sasuke inhaled hard and then, as he blew out, a huge ball of fire rolled towards Kakashi.

-Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu-

The fire landed on the ground, charring the grass beneath it. As the smoke rose in the surrounding, Sasuke slid to a side, to see what happened to Kakashi. Right now, all his eyes could see were the bells, and all his mind was focused on was to defeat Kakashi.

'If Naruto made him fight back, I HAVE to defeat him' Sasuke never liked being bested by others. And never by Naruto.

When the smoke cleared a bit, Kakashi was gone. In his stead, there was a log, burned completely.

'Tsk!' Sasuke cursed and jumped backward, cautious not knowing where Kakashi was.

"Well, well,...that's the Uchiha Clan for you. The #1 strength of Konoha." Kakashi dusted off the dust from his jacket, as he stood in front of Sasuke. "That was surprising. So, let's see how well you can do"

Before Kakashi could finish speaking, Sasuke was at his head level, his left leg rushing in for a kick. Kakashi was startled by the speed at which Sasuke closed the gap between them. 'He is fast. Faster than Naruto' Kakashi grabbed Sasuke's leg with his left hand.

But that was not the end. Sasuke wasn't like Naruto, who fought purely on instincts. Sasuke always calculated his moves and attacked. Even in his rage right now, he didn't risk fighting without a plan.

Sasuke punched immediately when his right hand was caught, but Kakashi caught even his fist with his right hand.

However, Sasuke kicked with his right leg. With both his hands occupied, Kakashi took the blow by blacking it with his right hand's forearm.

Then it clicked him. Both his hands were now busy and he couldn't move because of Sasuke's force in the kick and punch. So, the bells were completely unprotected, and Sasuke's left hand was still free.

So he was ready to move away after releasing Sasuke. But, Sasuke had clicked his hand with the hand that he had punched with. 'He released the punch while fighting!' Kakashi's hand was now grabbed by Sasuke.

He couldn't move unless he threw Sasuke away. But, instead of going for the bells, Sasuke threw three shurikens behind Kakashi with his free hand.

'What?'

'What?'

'What!?'

Sakura who was running out of the bush towards Kakashi from behind to snatch the bells, Kakashi, and Naruto were all confused and startled.

The shuriken flew past Sakura and cut a rope. 'Shit! It's a trap...' Kakashi threw Sasuke away, who now had a crazy smirk on his face. Once the rope was cut, many knives flew out towards where Kakashi was.

However, in between was Sakura, who couldn't respond fast enough despite seeing the shuriken closing in.

Kakashi disappeared, replaced by a log of wood. He dashed towards Sakura and jumped away by grabbing her. The shuriken went straight at the log and jabbed into it.

Kakashi landed on the ground and placed Sakura down. Kakashi checked the bells and sighed in relief when he saw them still attached to his belt.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke, who was glaring daggers at him. He hadn't expected Sakura to be at the place where the trap was. Or that she would try to ambush Kakashi from behind and snatch the bells. He expected her to just sit idly and do nothing.

But even with that situation, he didn't care. All he hoped was for Kakashi to be defeated. And yet, Kakashi was able to escape, pretty easily.

"Hah,...so you really want to kill me and get these bells, eh?" Kakashi said as he looked at Sasuke. He didn't think either of the three would ever think of seriously hurting him.

'Did Naruto's fight trigger him?' Kakashi thought and looked towards the other side, where he had kicked Naruto. But surprisingly, the place was empty. 'Did he hide again?' Kakashi looked around but couldn't sense any chakra in the trees and bushes surrounding the ground.

"Shall we start round two?" He heard a voice. When he turned his head around, Naruto stood there beside Sasuke. 'Did they plan this together?' It was impossible, even Kakashi knew. Before this team was given to him, Kakashi had been informed about Sasuke and Naruto's banters and fights. So he was sure they weren't much of a teamwork duo.

And it was proven right when Sasuke looked at Naruto with utmost confusion and disbelief.

Kakashi had accepted to attend to this team and test them, to see what had become of the last Uchiha. Whether he could help this Uchiha, at least.

'Naruto...' Kakashi felt like Naruto was reminding him of things he had buried deep and forgotten like a prick. And it hurt, but he didn't hate it.

[theoriginator0000]

Leveling Shinobi: Chosen By Legacy

...art is not mine, credits to the original artist.

Chapter Seven

"Just for your bravery of trying to attack me without hesitation, I will be generous and add another condition to the test. The one who cannot get the bell, will not only fail the test, but will also be tied to that tree stump, which I obviously did not prepare beforehand, while I and the other two eat in front of the loser." Kakashi said, his only visible eye closing which confirmed the smile under his mask.

'So that's why he told us not to eat...' Sasuke grumbled, as his stomach churned from hunger. He shouldn't have obeyed that rule. It already seemed suspicious, but Sasuke expected that to be logical since it came from a Jounin.

"Then, start" Kakashi said and the three were gone.

"Good. It's common sense for a ninja to hide themselves well." Kakashi said, as he surveyed the field while shuffling the pocket of his pants.

As the dust cleared from the force that the kids jumped away, he was able to see the slight shade of grey. He thought it was probably the rising sun's ray.

Out of his pocket came the highlight of the past decade, 'Come Come Paradise', a very cultured book of extremely cultured men.

But out of his sight, he was able to glance at a figure standing with a huge grin.

'Idiot,...tsk' Sasuke cursed as he landed on the top of a tree nearby, carefully hidden from sight, from any angle.

Sakura face palmed. She had thought that Naruto would have changed since Iruka had passed him. But he was still the same, barbarian like. 'That's what happens when you skip lectures.'

"Well, you seem a bit odd..." Kakashi spoke, gulping the disbelief he felt. Just a day ago, he had seen the kid fight head-to-head with a Chunin and win. 'Not like he used his brains there. It was just a brute force of clones,...but still.' He had expected the blonde to be a bit more...reasonable and sane.

Naruto seemed nowhere near these expectations, as he stood under the rising sun, a huge grin on his face.

"Why don't you come fight me, and find out how odd I am?" Naruto said, taking out a kunai from the holders. 'I will make you taste some dust from this dead last.' He thought and the next second, he was bouncing, covering a huge leap in the blink of an eye. At last, he jumped as high as he could and threw the kunai at Kakashi.

"Fine. I will teach you Taijutsu." Kakashi said, still holding the book as he deflected the quickly approaching kunai with the back of his hand. The metal on his gloves clanked with the kunai and Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the collar of his jacket as he was landing, in a few seconds.

"Lesson #1, never approach an enemy with only one move" Naruto hung in his hand, his hands flailing.

"Say that, after you keep that book away!!" Naruto shouted as he announced a kick at Kakashi in the chest. But Kakashi simply extended his hand and Naruto's kick landed on his biceps.

"You are certainly strong," Kakashi said as he kept reading the book. "And don't worry about the book. It won't make much difference against you guys" he let go of Naruto, who landed on his butt.

"Hah, you are so annoying, you old man with a bad haircut!" Naruto jumped back to his feet and launched a punch at Kakashi, which landed on his waist like a pillow.

'Stop embarrassing us already...' Sasuke could help but cringe at Naruto. It was evident that Kakashi was just playing with Naruto. As if, Naruto was just a 'kid', and not a Genin candidate.

'Ugh,...so uncool' Sakura remained hidden. Sure, Naruto was fast and had done some moves he never did in the spars in the academy. But against a Jounin, it was common sense not to go head first. But it was Naruto they were talking about, he never did anything with sense.

"You don't learn, do you?" Kakashi said, as he swiftly motioned Naruto's hand in a circle and palmed his chest, with slight force. Naruto flew back and crashed into a tree. Dust arose and it was impossible to see.

'I didn't push him that hard...' Kakashi thought as he looked at the tree intently. As the dust cleared up, he was surprised. There was nothing at the tree.

"Ha...haha..." Kakashi laughed in disbelief. 'He proved me wrong. He IS sane. He isn't idiotic, eh.' Kakashi still kept reading. Just because Naruto had exceeded his range of assumptions of the three didn't mean it was anything serious. 'The real one won't be much different'

'What!?' Sakura almost jumped out of the bush. 'What did I just see? Wasn't Naruto right there, crashing into the tree?' She scratched her head. Naruto had disappeared like a clone. But Naruto couldn't be using a clone.

Firstly, because he was never able to execute that jutsu in the academy. Second, because she didn't sense a hollow clone. It was the real Naruto!

'Damn it!' Sasuke gritted his teeth. 'What was that?' he thought, a curse almost escaping his lips, threatening to reveal his location.

He was sure that the one fighting was Naruto. But when he crashed into the tree, for a split second, he was sure he saw smoke rising and Naruto disappeared.

'What weird jutsu is that?' Sasuke couldn't help but feel relentless. Naruto outsmarting and out-skilling him was never a possibility.

While the three were surprised by this new but amazing antic of Naruto, he observed from a much closer tree. He looked at their sensei, who was still reading the book. It annoyed him, but at the same time reminded him of Kakashi's strength.

Even if it was a shadow clone, it was just like Naruto. And a real human is very unpredictable. To have 'played' with it wasn't just arrogance. It was skill.

"Fck, he is strong. He isn't anything like Mizuki" Naruto stood up on the branch of the tree. He smirked. Not like usual, not like a brat. It contained fear, hunger, and excitement. A thrill he had never felt before, from anyone. Not from the guard shinobi who chased him, not from the pranks, not from the fights with bullies. Not even Mizuki. This was different.

Like a wall which he HAD to climb, either by scratching, clawing, or shattering. Because it was THAT sturdy.

"But that makes it more fun, right?" The entire tree's branches had at least three or four Naruto standing on them.

"Damn right!!!" A loud roar collided with the air and vibrated the other three's ears. Kakashi was surprised, as a sudden flood of orange poured out of the nearby tree. And...it was fast. Unusually fast, even more than the previous shadow clone.

"Tsk,..." He clicked his tongue and jumped away. "Such foolery. Shouting and charging with a vast amount of shadow clones is not going to help you if you can't reach me." He looked at his book, reading from where he had left off.

But suddenly, the orange in his vision was approaching closer. 'How?' he was confused, since he had already backed off a lot.

When he looked up, what he saw made him shiver with awe. 'It's the second time,...' Naruto had already shattered his assumptions twice, back to back.

Both Sasuke and Sakura were even more surprised. No, they were shocked and terrified. What they saw didn't make sense. How was it, that there were more than 100 Naruto? Equally loud and brash?

But what surprised them even more was the amount. It kept increasing, as if the tree was growing Naruto instead of fruit.

And when Kakashi jumped back, they weren't disappointed. They were still surprised by the sheer number of that many Naruto. And from what Kakashi said, these were Shadow clones. They hadn't heard of it much, but it was not a skill taught to academy students, meaning it was far above their levels.

'Maybe even higher than my fireball. And with that amount,...how much chakra does he have?' Sasuke could feel sweat forming on his face and wetting his hair. The dense chakra he felt was terrifying. And it was only Naruto's.

But then, Naruto did something even more surprising. When Kakashi was out of reach, Sakura and Sasuke were ready to see Naruto face defeat again. But that did not happen. Rather, the number of clones increased and they started to throw each other in the air.

Any clone that found its footing would jump even further towards Kakashi, getting support from other clones. Soon, like a chain, and soon a beast, a huge collection of Naruto was on the ground.

'Damnit!' Kakashi fell for his own carelessness. One of the clones almost grabbed his collar. He ducked, but then another clone crashed into him, launching a kick. He dodged, but 10 more flew to that side.

'He isn't giving me time to attack' Kakashi threw a few shuriken, as his hand instinctively slid the book back in his pockets.

The clones in the air puffed in smoke but another batch took their place.

Kakashi dodged again when the clones landed on the place he was at, with incredible force. 'He isn't just trying to get the bells. He is fighting.' No one could see, but under that mask, there was a smile.

"You made me keep my book away. Good,...I guess you aren't all bark." Kakashi, instead of rushing away to escape another set of Naruto, charged forward. And in a flash, he made them disappear.

"Now, let's see, why don't you come fight me directly? I don't have the book, so maybe I will defeat you faster." Kakashi smirked. 'Provoking him will be easier than fighting these endless clones' Kakashi thought as he sliced another pair of Naruto.

"Not a chance!" But because the amount kept increasing as fast as he sliced, he wasn't able to track them all. One clone had successfully grabbed him from behind.

"Lesson #2, never let an enemy get behind you. It's for me of course..." Kakashi gave an awkward chuckle and disappeared, now replaced by another Naruto.

'Kawarimi...' Sasuke was spectating the fight, with a mix of jealousy and awe. He never thought Naruto could make a Jounin fight him seriously.

But for Naruto who wasn't able to understand what happened, it seemed as if Kakashi used henge to transform into Naruto.

And so, the clash of all the Naruto started, to find the real Kakashi. Curses, slurs, insults, and fists to each other, as if they weren't the same person.

[theoriginator0000]

Leveling Shinobi: Chosen By Legacy

...art is not mine, credits to the original artist.

Chapter Six

It wasn't fun. After opening the rewards yesterday, Naruto was confident that his melodic and sweet days had started. That, he was now only going to get stronger from here on.

But reality was harsher.

"Ugh...It hurts like hell." Naruto grunted, holding his legs as he fell onto the sofa, in his apartment. He had woken up at 4, at dawn. That alone was a feat he could never dream of achieving. Despite his energetic attitude and crazy antics, he was a sloth when it came to waking up.

However, not only had he woken up when the sun blinked, but he also did his Warm-Up quest! The people in the village couldn't believe their eyes, seeing the blonde running laps around the village with such dedication.

'Is this dangerous?' and 'Is this the start of a new world?' were two contrasting thoughts among the citizens. Because Naruto ACTUALLY doing something meaningful was not what they ever expected to witness.

And all that, from dawn to now, till 6 had made him limp. As if, someone was sitting on his entire body with all their might and weight.

'Allot 3 points to stamina' Naruto instructed the System. And Naruto could feel the change. The agonizing pain and his heavy body now felt more relaxed. He could move well.

Naruto sat straight and looked into the space, at the screen. "Open the random box" Naruto said, gulping down his excitement.

For Naruto who had never seen anything besides food, ramen, and free weapons in the academy, which were all identical, these rewards were so exciting that he always felt a lump form in his heart. He didn't even expect the rewards to be grand. He just wanted to see new stuff.

And as if his wish was granted, Naruto was again given something different. Unlike yesterday's 'Potion' he got an item today.

[ Leather Pouch

A pouch that can store up to 100,000 ryo ]

The leather pouch was now in the Inventory, visible to Naruto. The excitement on his face dropped soon. "Are you making fun of me?" Naruto muttered, a dark shade covering his eyes as his hair loomed on his forehead.

"Where am I gonna get that crazy amount of Money!!!" He shouted, raging at the white screen that seem to give no shit.

After a few seconds of punching the System and pacing through it in thin air, he calmed down. It was already 6:30 and the System seemed to just ignore his complaints. So Naruto decided to leave.

[ Leaving for the test without eating will only be a hindrance. After an intense workout, eating something will help you replenish some energy. ]

The System spoke only at such times when there was something to correct, advise, or suggest.

Naruto did not stop and exited the house. "I know that, but it's an order from Kakashi-sensei. And as a Shinobi, I should obey the orders of my leader." Naruto replied as he locked the apartment.

The System did try to convince him again, but Naruto was a stubborn kid, so it had no success.

Naruto arrived at ground 7, which was assigned for Team 7, temporarily. If they passed today's test, the ground would be theirs, forever, until they led their own teams. Naruto entered the ground and his eyes met the green freshness, the emeralds that he always loved.

Sakura had just arrived, a few minutes ago. She hadn't been able to sleep properly the whole night, so her eyes looked tired and red. She didn't want to be late and give a bad impression to her Sensei, since it could impact the result of the test. Unlike Sasuke, who was a prodigy, she had to consider every little aspect of the test. As for Naruto, she didn't know what he was thinking. She never really tried to understand, because he did the same. Or at least she thought so.

She believed that Naruto would be the only late one. And maybe even back to his usual self, boisterous, loud, and full of antics. And she wouldn't mind it, since it could help lessen her guilt.

But it seemed, Naruto had no intentions of sparing her any relief. He appeared on the ground just a few minutes later. And the moment their eyes met, she could see his emotions in those little oceans.

But she was surprised that the emotions were more of confusion and doubt, when she had expected to be met with anger and disgust. And in that split second, everything seemed like it was floating and she felt light. A thought trembled in her mind, causing her very reason to hate Naruto.

'Who is Naruto?'

Sure she hated him. And he gave her many reasons for that. He acted like a barbarian, like a pervert. He wasn't cool. He always told her how he loved her, but never tried anything to prove that. And mostly because he wasn't Sasuke.

But the moments since yesterday, when she didn't see a smile on his face and a smug look,...she felt like she was seeing a Human. Someone real and raw. Maybe she was going crazy because of the pressure from the upcoming test, but whenever she thought of him, only his tears were drawn to her mind.

And right now, when she saw his eyes, it felt like she had lost that stable footing in her own conscience.

<Tsk, stop being such a wuss and just apologize! However he may be, what you said yesterday was wrong. Too wrong>

Sakura inhaled, a sharp and cold air infiltrating her nose. She felt her mind calming down, as if she was landing back on the ground.

She looked at Naruto, who was now walking to her, but his eyes didn't notice her anymore. Or more like, he avoided noticing her.

Her fists tightened their grip and she opened her mouth to speak. To apologize and accept that she was wrong.

But her words were blocked and she almost felt a choke, when Sasuke arrived too. And NOW she was met with that anger and disgust she had expected from Naruto. But instead, it was Sasuke.

And for the first time, when she wasn't worried about losing Sasuke's interest and genuinely wanted to apologize to Naruto, the atmosphere felt 'wrong' to even speak. Here stood two orphans, one she had berated in front of another. And no less, the one she had berated WAS the one listening.

Sasuke walked to them and stood a bit further away from them, as usual. He always kept a distance between himself and people. Sakura always found it kind of cool and even concerning. But for the first time, she was relieved about it. It was already difficult to stand among them without crying, so if they were closer, she didn't know what would become of her.

For the next hour, none of them spoke. And neither did Kakashi arrive. Naruto was already on the ground, tired and bored. He was doubting again, whether their Sensei was even legit.

Sasuke on the other hand was also irritated, but showed none. He was angry that his precious training time was being wasted.

Sakura was annoyed too. It was crazy enough to be together with Naruto and Sasuke after that incident. Kakashi was just adding more trouble to her life.

Sasuke got up from the ground, alerting both Sakura and Naruto. "I am leaving." he said and walked away.

"Sure, sure. We don't want to waste valuable time of our precious prince now, do we?" Naruto said, mockery densely fused in his words and tone.

Sasuke looked back, his glare so intense, one could see murderous intent in it. But facing it was Naruto, who couldn't even see much difference in Sasuke's attitude. The Sasuke scale in his mind was always: Grumpy, Too Grumpy, Lord Grumpy.

Sasuke was ready to drain a bit of his venomous words to silence Naruto, but a gust of wind quietened him. And before them stood Kakashi.

"Hey, Good Morning!" Kakashi said, with a very pleasant smile and tone. But it didn't connect well with his students.

"You are late!" It was Sakura, who spoke first. For her, it felt like she could finally breathe normally. With Kakashi there, the situation did not seem so uncomfortable.

"Ah, well I am sorry. I was helping a grandma on my way here, so I was late." He said, chuckling a little.

"Well, that's fine then." Naruto was easy to trick if the trick was kindness. But Sasuke and Sakura could see the blatant lie. Kakashi seemed too relaxed to have helped someone and come here, with a proper outfit and well-kept hair.

They both sighed.

"Alright, we will now begin the test! It's actually really simple. I will set a timer till noon. And before the timer ends, you have to snatch these bells from me." Kakashi explained as he showed them the bells on his waist.

"There are only 2 bells, so one of you who is not able to get a bell will fail the test, ultimately failing the test." His words hit them like a brick, hard and dangerous.

"So, don't hold back and attack me with all you have got. Unless you come at me with the intent to kill, forget the bells, even touching my hair will be a dream." Kakashi said as he hit the timer on the small clock he had brought with him.

"But...wouldn't that hurt you? If we tried to kill you?" Sakura asked. Even saying that sounded scary. But following her, Naruto said something similar.

"Yeah, even if we are Genin, what if we really kill you?" Naruto's voice didn't sound very concerned. Rather,...his hand was already on the kunai, which was tucked in the holders on his pants. All those times Kakashi had called him 'dead last' since yesterday were coming to his mind. It just wasn't good for his anger.

"Idiot,..." Sasuke muttered, which alerted Naruto a bit. But before he could understand why Sasuke said that, Kakashi disappeared in a blur. "You are too hasty" Only a voice could be heard.

And somehow, his body reacted in a brief second and ducked, when he felt a touch on his hands.

This resulted in Naruto ducking, but Kakashi had already gotten hold of his hand. But his other hand remained unattended in the air, where Naruto's head was supposed to be. "I haven't said 'Start' yet"

If observed intently, one could see the surprise on his face. 'His instincts are crazy...' Kakashi thought. But the other three's thoughts were the same, 'This is going to be difficult'

A sweat drop formed on their faces, as Kakashi stood behind Naruto, a looming figure like a demon.

[theoriginator0000]

Leveling Shinobi: Chosen By Legacy

...art is not mine, credits to the original artist.

Chapter Five

Konoha had a single library, shared by everyone. However, depending on your privilege one would be allowed access to books, scrolls, etc. And the privilege was dependent on rank.

A civilian could only get some topic or subject-specific books or story books. An academy student wasn't allowed anything above D-rank jutsu scrolls and history books. A Genin and Chunin were allowed up to B-rank scrolls and a few A-rank scrolls. And above that, any scroll or book was accessible.

But, there were a few 'restricted' books or scrolls, that were anonymous and could not be owned by anyone; not even the council. So, the library protected them. Except for council heads, Hokage, and Anbu head, no one was allowed to use them.

One of those scrolls was 'Shiki Fujin', used by the 4th Hokage, to seal the nine-tailed beast.

Naruto gave his ID to the library guard, who inspected it for longer than a normal inspection. And Naruto was aware of it. Rather,...a lot aware.

He felt it even when talking to Tuechi and Ayame, but whenever he spoke or met someone, he would get some unusual thoughts.

'Am I annoying them?'

'Am I being rude?'

'Did it sound idiotic just now?'

'Is this right?'

And every time the thoughts came, Sakura's words rang in his ears; 'He never understands me!'

His hands tightened their grip on the ID when it was returned, verified. He exhaled, deeply. Naruto brushed off the thoughts and unsettling feelings. After all, he never liked thinking about anything, and always did what he felt like.

As he entered, the few whispers in the Library quietened and almost every eye turned to him. Eyes that judged him, mouths that cursed, and a few hearts that accepted him, all observed him; head to toe.

Naruto squirmed in his place before darting off to the Genin section. Even though he was still not officially a Genin, until the test was finished, every academy graduate was allowed to visit the Genin section.

But, because the Genin section had many higher level Jutsu or material, not many academy graduates visited the Library. Learning them was gonna be difficult and time-consuming, which wasn't ideal for them. And it was late too, around 8 pm. And that was an advantage for Naruto, he thought. Since it would be embarrassing to meet them,...in a library. Naruto and anything related to studies never went hand in hand. If anyone saw him reading books, instead of praise, there would be mockery.

So, he hurriedly took a book and was ready to occupy a seat. But the System informed him.

[ You can take many books because you won't have to read them personally. All you have to do is flip through them and I will scan the books. ]

Naruto didn't quite get what the System meant, but he was elated. It meant he could get this over with quickly!

He grabbed around 10 books. The receptionist was surprised by the pile of books but clicked his tongue when she saw Naruto. 'Why is he making me file 10 books when he won't even read one single page? Now I will have to keep them back too.' She stamped a paper with Naruto's name, which meant that he sort of had his own little page on the register. Any new book he would read later will be input on that page, till it was filled. But the register was huge and could store 200-300 book names on it easily.

Naruto sat in the farthest corner and placed the books down one by one, side by side. And he hurriedly started to flip the pages. It was already 8 pm, so he had only 2 hours before sleeping. He would have to leave half an hour early since the Library was far from his apartment.

Naruto looked around as his hands kept flipping the pages by 4-5 seconds gap for each page. The library was as quiet as dead. He felt like his head was ringing continuously with such dead silence. Naruto didn't sit well with silence,...literally.

But due to his {Calm Mind}, Naruto was able to hold on. To distract himself from the hushed room, he focused on the System.

'Inventory' he thought and the white screen appeared in front of him. It had only been one night and day since this thing was attached to him, but it oddly felt familiar.

The inventory had two sparkling boxes, filled with blue color. He imagined selecting the first one and the screen changed to a narrow screen, which gave him options.

[ Training Quest - Getting warmed up!

Time Limit - 12 hours

Status - Complete!

You have gained the following reward:

1. Status Recovery

2. 3 stat point

3. Random Box ]

Naruto's eyes widened and he almost jumped from his seat. But he composed himself and kept flipping the pages.

'Status Recovery!' It was evident what that meant, just from its name. 'Why didn't you tell me about this before!?' because he was unaware of this reward, Naruto had suffered hell after completing all exercises. If he had used this reward then, the fatigue he had accumulated would have vanished.

But now it was no use because he had recovered significantly. So, he had a doubt. However, it seemed that the System was attentive to him while also scanning the books.

[ You had been informed about the reward right after completing the quest. Since you did not ask for information about the rewards, I did not say so. Also, about your doubt,...yes. You can do 'that'. ]

And then, the System was quiet again.

However, Naruto had the answer to his doubt, which would be incredibly helpful for him, tomorrow.

'What are these stat points?' Naruto thought, still flipping the pages. The random box was pretty simple to understand. It meant he would be getting anything random from it. But what type would it be, he had no idea.

[ The stat points can be added to any attribute of your. For example, adding a point to wisdom will increase it to 4, making your mind relax in unsettling or tedious situations. It also directly relates to {Calm Mind}, so you will be able to stay calm and reason with the situations, easily.

As for the random box, you can gain anything. More stat points, skills, and items. However, items from your daily Warm-up quest are not powerful or special. They are comparably common and modest. ]

Naruto scratched his head, confused about the Random box. He did get the gist of it, but he was trying to understand what skills and these items meant. 'Will I be able to get Ramen from it?' Naruto pondered, but with no response from System, he was left with no conclusion.

'Fine, I will know it when I open the box. First, let's allot the points!' Naruto was curious. Would simply allotting these 'points' which he couldn't even see, really help him get better? Was it even possible, to get powerful by...just adding numbers?

To get answers to his doubts, he allotted the stat points. Now, his strength was 1 and stamina 2, making them (11) and (22) respectively.

He did not feel any different, but he surely felt a weird sensation in his body as soon as he allotted the points. 'It's like, I have lost weight.' He thought. Because of all that intense exercise in a day, he was walking around the village, feeling as if he was carrying tons of weight. But an increase in strength and stamina reduced that strain.

Naruto immediately closed the screen and opened the inventory again. He was feeling excited and tingly. Opening the box meant he would be getting something. And whatever it was, at his level, it was going to be beneficial.

He thought of selecting the box and then opening it. The screen now showed a box, which opened up, revealing a dazzling light. Soon, the light dimmed and a shape appeared.

Naruto read the name of that item.

[ {Healing Potion}

Upon consumption, the Player's body and mind will recover from any fatigue and minor injuries. Will not work if health is below 10% ]

Naruto saw the round bottle with red liquid inside it. The description's later part did not make sense to him. '10% health?' He wondered.

[ By considering your overall stamina, strength, and physical attributes, health is determined. Less than 10% of health generally refers to a dying state, where critical medical attention is needed. Health potions do not offer such effects and therefore are useless below 10% of health. ]

Naruto sighed. Whatever the system said was complicated for him. But he could somewhat understand. To avoid getting injured where his health will be in low percentage, he would have to get stronger. He understood that much.

Naruto then focused on the next thing in the inventory. The random item reward from System Activation. Without further ado, he selected it.

The screen popped up in front of him. He caught a glimpse, but then he felt his head swinging down as a hand slapped his neck.

"Ugh..." Naruto groaned and rubbed his neck. Before he could see the person, their voice made it simple to recognize the person.

"XYZ" Naruto muttered.

[ XYZ? ]

The boy standing in front of Naruto was his classmate. He had brown hair, a round face, and average looks. His clothes were simple enough to blend into the crowd. A brown T-shirt and black shorts. Beside the boy were other lackeys, his 'friends'.

Naruto was annoyed. Angered. But he still didn't feel like lashing back at them, which was the usual response from him. And it wasn't just because of the {Calm Mind}. Sure, it did its part, but the reason was entirely different. XYZ had not passed the Academy Graduation exam. It was the first time, that Naruto was not the dead last.

"What are you doing idiot? Are you reading the book or checking the page quality? Are you thinking of making pages or something?" XYZ laughed followed by his lackeys.

[ What are these lame jokes? No,...they aren't even jokes. It's a pathetic try to crack one. ]

Naruto did his best to control his chuckle. XYZ and his lackeys were still laughing. Naruto looked at the clock behind them. It was already late, so he had to leave. And he was done with around 7 books, so he decided to stop.

He picked up the books and started leaving for the receptionist. But XYZ pushed him and the books fell on the floor. The receptionist was alerted immediately as if she had sniffed the books falling.

Naruto sat down and picked up the books. XYZ was annoyed. He wasn't getting any reaction from the blonde. If this had been any other time, he would have felt nothing. But today, he was an academy student, while Naruto was a Genin. That was a huge attack on his ego.

"Tsk,...academy brats" Naruto muttered, low enough to be a whisper, loud enough to be heard. He walked past XYZ and the lackeys. But XYZ felt a gaze. When he looked back, he saw an uncanny and horrendous smile on Naruto's face. One that emitted scorn and insult. XYZ stumbled as his lackeys supported him. And soon, they faded into the background.

"Don't play with the books." The receptionist rebuked as she took the book and checked for any damage.

"I didn't. They pushed me and the books fell." Naruto replied and as he expected, the receptionist didn't believe him.

"Yeah yeah..." She gave Naruto the register to sign the books he was done with. When he signed 7 of them, she almost chuckled.

'Did he only read the names?' she thought as she took the books away.

Naruto stood in the street, the screen open in front of him. A smile spread across his face. "Tomorrow's test is going to be fun" he walked away slowly, his body still feeling the stress of excessive training.

[theoriginator0000]

Shinobi Leveling: Chosen By Legacy

...art is not mine, credits to the original artist.

Chapter Four

[Alert!

Training Quest - Getting warmed up!

Time Limit - 12 hours

Goal

Push-Ups - [100/100]

Sit-Ups - [100/100]

Squats - [100/100]

Run - [10/10 km]

Caution - Failing to complete the Quest will incur a Penalty. ]

The last exercise was completed and Naruto collapsed on the ground, near the Ichiraku Ramen. After all those exercises, he had run for 2 hours straight, completing the 10 km run.

He was fast. A lot faster than his peers. But that was not so true in the long run. With no training, his muscles and body remained weak, only his stamina being naturally vast. And for that reason, he had to stop after every 3-4 KM.

But finally, he had done it. The entire quest was done and he felt relieved. Though he had to do this every day, with his fast recovery, he wasn’t much worried about it.

Naruto got up, his body aching in pain. But there was a slight refreshment he felt, which he had never felt before. Maybe it was the System, he thought. But it was the accomplishment of something for the first time, in his life.

He entered the shop and sat at the table at the counter. Seeing their regular, lovely customer, Ayame came out of the kitchen.

“Hey Naruto-kun,…how are you doing? It's surprising you didn’t visit for 2 entire days.” She asked, putting on her gloves to start preparing the noodles. She knew what he would ask for, so she didn’t waste time making him wait.

“Well,…I was busy.” He said, as his hands tightened the headband. Ayame hadn’t noticed it before, since she was questioning him about his absence for 2 days. And now that she saw it, she immediately called her father.

“Wah~, Naruto-kun,…you are a Genin now?” She asked him, ruffling his hair and pinching his cheek. Naruto just chuckled. He liked it here. It felt like home.

Tuechi smiled, brightly as usual. But today, there was even more joy on his face. The ramen shop had been one of the places where he hadn’t been treated as an outcast.

Both father and daughter congratulated him on graduating. He wanted to tell them that he hadn’t become a Genin yet, and that there was still a test pending, but he didn’t want their smiles to fade,…or rather, he was comforting himself by not saying it out loud.

“Well, this calls for a celebration!” Ayame said as she closed the curtains of the shop and headed to the kitchen. “I will prepare your favourite ramen, with extra fried chicken.” As she said so, Tuechi started to prepare the noodles.

“Ne~, Ayame-nee, give me extra vegetables, not fried chicken,” Naruto said and both the adults looked at each other and him, confused.

”What? You? And more vegetables?” Ayame snickered. She thought Naruto was joking, messing with them as usual.

“Yes. I should start eating better now. I am not just a student anymore, after all.” Naruto said, his expression sincere.

In all honesty, he was going to order a full plate of fried meat to eat. But before coming to the shop, the system told him, that his diet should change now,…at least until he is stronger.

His weak body would only weaken if he ate excessively fried food. So, until his body’s functioning is tailored to his stamina and vigor, he would have to follow a healthy diet.

And, he wouldn’t even comply, if he had not felt how weak he was while exercising.

Ayame looked at Naruto for a while and smiled. Just after graduating, Naruto already seemed different. As if,…he was growing,…as a person.

She was preparing two bowls of ramen for him. As soon as she gave him the first bowl, he dug in right away.

Until the bowl was empty, Naruto’s growling stomach had calmed down. As he sat there, watching the other two prepare another bowl, his mind drifted to the incident in the park. Since he had been exercising, almost like he was dying, his mind didn’t jump to that time.

But with an empty mind, a full stomach, and a saddened heart, he was back in the whirlwind of thoughts. Naruto’s expressions dimmed.

Ayame, who was coming to him with the ramen bowl noticed his expression. She wouldn’t be surprised or worried if it were someone else, but Naruto was an exception. Him being saddened at the ramen shop, at that when another bowl was pending was nearly impossible.

She kept the bowl in front of him, but he didn’t even notice. “Naruto-kun?”

Naruto woke up from his stupor. “Huh! Yeah!?” He asked and then noticed the bowl. His face lit up again, a bit. Naruto began eating the food. But Ayame was still not done.

“Did something happen? You seemed really sad just now.” Ayame asked, worry shrouding her voice.

“Wha-? No, nothing happened.” Naruto replied, with his usual wide, foxy grin. But Ayame knew he was trying to lie.

“Then, what were you thinking about, with such sad look? As if, you would cry immediately?” She asked again, her voice stronger, as if demanding a truthful answer.

Naruto grunted. “Well, the thing is...” Naruto explained what happened during their lunch break in the park. Ayame listened to him carefully.

Naruto ate his ramen quietly after that. Ayame waited till he finished his food and once he did, she began speaking.

"I see. That's really sad." Ayame said as she looked at Naruto's face. It seemed, Sakura's words had hurt him quiet badly.

"Ok, Naruto-kun,...here's an idea!" Ayame said, cheerfully. She didn't like seeing Naruto sad in the shop, since he endured it enough outside. Plus, helping this troubled fox, more so, in terms of love was her dose of stress relief. So when the chance walked right into her embrace, she couldn't and wouldn't refuse.

"Wh...what?" Naruto had become accustomed to get alerted, whenever Ayame exuded this...unstable aura. As if,...she was crazy.

"I will ask you a few question and you have to answer honestly. Without any lies or filtering them. And you have to swear on our Ramen shop to not lie!" Ayame said, poking his face with the ramen bowl.

Naruto growled in submission. He exhaled,...worried but the tension was washing away now.

"Then, let's start. What do you like most in the world?" She asked. When the question was asked, Naruto thought it was as easy to answer as it sounded. But no. He was troubled. There were so many things, some people, so many places. He couldn't decide.

"Don't think too much. Just answer any 'thing', not a person." Ayame cleared his confusion, since it was so blatantly visible on his face.

"Then, Ramen!!" Naruto answered quicker than anyone else could. Despite excluding people, there were still so many things he liked, yet Ramen stood untouched in comparison.

"Great! Now, why do you like it?" Ayame asked, immediately, after his answer.

And as expected, Naruto didn't even wait a breath before answering, "Because it tastes good!"

"You are doing good!" Ayame responded. Then she looked at Naruto, who was delighted to have answered correctly.

"Now, WHO do you like?" Ayame asked, emphasizing the only word. Naruto scrunched his face, thinking hard. He had a few people in his life whom he liked very much. But it was difficult to choose, since they were equally important. But this was a game, so he decided to be bold and choose one person.

"I like the old man a lot. Since he gives me an allowance!" Naruto said, crackling a laugh after answering. However, what he couldn't say was, 'Because he was the first to consider me normal and human'

But that thought needed no words to be expressed. It wasn't a secret that the Third adored and cared for the kid.

"Alright! Now, this brings us close to the end of this game!" Ayame said, in a very energetic and cheerful tone,...maybe even overpowering Naruto.

Naruto got excited too, leaning to and fro.

"Who do you LOVE?" She asked. And even to Naruto, his only three brain cells could understand the meaning of that question. And with how Ayame emphasized the word, rather than question...it was specific enough.

Naruto's face lost its cheer and dropped. He opened his mouth twice, thrice, and kept closing it. Finally, tightening his grip on the ramen bowl, he muttered in a low whisper. "Sakura-chan..."

He hated himself for saying that. It felt like his heart, head, and ego had all been stepped on. But what he hated more was, the one stepping on them wasn't even aware. And he didn't want to retaliate about it. Nor the stepping nor the ignorance. He felt pathetic, angry, and sad.

"Right" Ayame said, calmly. Her tone shift wasn't jarring or alerting. It made Naruto feel 'understood'.

"And why do you like her so much?" She asked. Her eyes didn't have that scheming glint anymore. It had a calmness and understanding, that meant she was serious.

Naruto sat there, not moving. He couldn't really think of a reason. He always declared to the world how he loved Sakura. Even to her. Despite being neglected or straight out rejected, he never changed that statement. He was always firm about it. And even after her harsh words, he couldn't bring himself to,...hate her.

Sure he was angry and even frustrated enough to never tell her he loved her. But that didn't change the fact.

"I don't know." He reached that conclusion. "I don't why. But I know I do." He said, his eyes still as pure as before. Maybe purer.

Ayame smiled, lightly. "That's it then! You have your answer!" Ayame said, smiling ear to ear. However, a confused Naruto sat there, scratching his head and eyes juggling like balls.

"Wasn't this a game? Wouldn't I be a winner? Why am I getting an 'answer' instead of a reward?" Naruto asked, his voice drifting into the void along with his last brain cell.

"Of course it was a game. And the reward is the answer!" Ayame ruffled Naruto's hair. "Didn't you want to know WHAT to do now, since you heard Sakura's thoughts? You don't understand what to do. And you are on the same team, so avoiding each other is not permanent. And even if it was, you can't bring yourself to do so, right? But despite knowing all that, you still don't know what to do." Ayame said, quietly and slowly, letting him absorb everything she said. She knew it was true, but he needed to accept that as well. Right now, he was just delaying those feelings.

"But to know what one should do, they need to understand why one needs to do that. And in your case, you need to understand WHY you love Sakura. And trust me, once you understand that, you won't feel conflicted about matters, such as today. So, from now on, you need to understand, whether you love her. And if you do, then why?" Ayame said as she stood up and cleared the table. She walked away with the bowls, but left Naruto with a relaxed mind, but a heavy heart.

'So,... It's possible I don't like her?' The very thought scared him. If it were true, then what would he do,...after doing so many embarrassing things!?

'You even sang a song for her!!!!' the angry Naruto hit, mentally. 'In front of everyone in the academy at that!!' the idiot Naruto kicked. And the Romantic Naruto fell to the ground from these attacks, tears flowing from his eyes, as he kept muttering 'No, I love her. I do.'

Outside, Naruto had become dysfunctional. Ayame tapped his forehead with her knuckles and brought him back to the world. "Don't think too much. I am not saying you don't 'LOVE' her. It's a possibility. But if you do, then you need to find the reason for it. Else, you would never be able to confront her about today nor make her see your way."

His eyes opened wider, but this time, no miniature of himself tortured his mind. 'I still don't understand it well,...but somehow, I feel motivated.' Naruto thought.

'Fine! So, until I find the REASON, I won't bother Sakura-chan!!' Naruto thought.

[I do not appreciate you wasting time on such ridiculous tasks. This will only hinder your training and goal.]

The system notified him, but Naruto swept away the screen. 'No,...it won't.' He said, but the System didn't believe in Naruto's words. Because, for it, the task of unraveling Naruto's potential and achieving that potential was the most important one.

And so, it decided it could only hasten the process of Naruto's folly.

[Fine. So, I suggest you try to avoid this girl, Sakura, until you find your answers. That way, you will be able to focus on both your training and able to understand your feelings. Since feelings can easily dwindle if you are unable to think straight. And that girl can make your mind go haywire with just talking to you.]

Of course, the system had no proof for its suggestion, nor did it believe that it would work. That suggestion was solely focused on making Naruto avoid unnecessary engagements and only focus on getting stronger.

But with only text, Naruto wasn't able to understand that, as he nodded his head with an understanding look. As if, what the system said was the golden rule, blood-carved formula to success.

"As you say!" Happy and filled with confidence, Naruto left marching towards the library.

[theoriginator0000]

Shinobi Leveling: Chosen by Legacy

...art is not mine, credits to the original artist.

Chapter Three

[Alert!

Training Quest - Getting warmed up!

Time Limit - 12 hours

Goal

Push-Ups - [80/100]

Sit-Ups - [0/100]

Squats - [0/100]

Run - [0/10KM]

Caution - Failing to complete the Quest will incur a Penalty. ]

Naruto was now panting. His heart beat crazily, breath heavy and his hands aching and trembling. In the heat of the moment and trying to relieve his frustration, Naruto did 80 push-ups in a go.

Now, with his stamina this should have been a piece of cake. But because his Strength was still low and not compatible with his high stamina, he couldn't keep up. Except that, this much exercise should have been possible for a Genin.

Naruto sighed. 'Hah….I never thought I would be this weak.' He thought, slumping, losing hope.

[ Struggling with this exercise does not reflect your prowess. It is a way through which you keep growing, even if slightly. What defines your prowess is how you handle battles. From yesterday, I can say you do have great sense of battle. However, I cannot be sure, since I do not know what level the opponent was. ]

The System's way of comforting was weird. It felt like this white screen was both taunting him and still praising.

"How did you not know Mizuki's rank, when you have given me the Genin rank?" Naruto asked, confused about the System's remark.

[ The rank I provided you is through your conversation with your Teacher. Only after I understood your rank, I updated it in the stat window. Except the things I have heard and understood myself, I do not know anything else. ]

Naruto grunted. So, even his rank wasn't a perfect one. Even though it said Genin, the system had only given him that rank after listening to Iruka's remark of passing the academy exam.

Now it concerned him more, whether he was even as strong as a Genin.

"How are you going to gain all that knowledge then?" Naruto asked, getting up again and beginning his push-ups, as the counter kept increasing for Push-ups. His hands still hurt. It felt like ants were crawling under his skin, but he HAD to complete the training.

From how the system had referred to the penalty as, he feared he could even get seriously hurt in it. And he wouldn't like that, right after becoming a Genin.

As he kept thinking, the system replied, the screen popping up in front of his eyes for him to read.

[ I have two ways to do so. First, I can simply keep listening to conversations around us and try to learn as much as possible. This process will take a lot of time to understand everything, accurately.

Another way is to have your help. If you start reading the books in library, I can immediately learn everything, with precision to boost. ]

Naruto almost lost control, safe from hitting his nose on the ground. "Ugh, I have to read books? Is there a third way?" Naruto asked, reaching his last push-up.

[ There is. ]

Naruto felt excited, forgetting all the frustration in a jiffy.

[ I can leave your body and find a new host, who will read the books for me. Though, you will die after that, since all your rewards will be taken back. ]

Naruto almost choked on his own breath.

"NO! No,…I will do it. I will read those books." he hurriedly replied. After waiting a few minutes, he asked again. "Will I really die if you leave?".

The system did not respond for a while, as if teasing his patience.

[ No. That was a simple joke. However, you rewards will indeed be removed. ]

Naruto sighed with relief. 'The jokes of this screen are horrendous'

For a while, there was silence on the roof. He sat there, still thinking of the ruckus in park. But again, he suddenly had a doubt.

"Wait! If your don't know anything about other ranks, how did you give me those numbers for other attributes? Like strength or wisdom?" Naruto asked eagerly. He just wanted the System to say it was all a lie and that he was sincerely ranked Genin.

[ I calculated your strength based on average strength of kids of your age, you opponent yesterday and found the best value that could describe you stats. ]

Naruto slumped again, releasing a huge sigh.

As Naruto continued his training, the situation below, in the class had progressed.

It had been another half an hour after Naruto left to the roof. Sakura tried to talk with Sasuke, but every time he would ignore her without a single look or directly tell her to shut it.

After a few tries, she gave up.

A few minutes later, they heard the classroom door opening. Both thought it was Naruto. But another person entered the room.

His eyes roamed around, as if scanning the entire place. Both the kids understood, this was their Sensei.

Sakura felt angry that he was so late. But she could not burst at him and ruin her first impression.

"Where's your other team member?" The man asked in his slightly hoarse voice. Sakura looked at the man properly this time.

He had his headband crossed on his left eye, covering it completely. His hair were striking silver and his all over posture just explained how laid back he was.

"He is on the roof." Sakura answered as she observed their team leader. Perhaps they really were doomed, just like Kiba said.

"Hm. Lets go to the roof then. We will continue there." Saying this, the guy walked out and towards the roof. Sasuke tagged behind, leaving only Sakura behind.

She steeled herself, to face Naruto again.

As they reached near to the roof top, heavy breathing and grunts could be heard.

"Hah….Hah…." Naruto was doing sit ups on the roof, his orange jacket thrown to a side. His entire face and body was covered in sweat, as if someone had soaked him in water.

He was struggling to do each and every move, which only made everyone realise how weak his stature was.

Naruto sat up, ready to go down again when he saw the three of them. He let loose and stood up.

'Is that our Sensei?' He picked up his jacket and wore it, thinking if this person was their teacher.

"Well, this is unexpected." The guy said, amusement evident in his voice. Except Naruto, other two somewhat felt the same.

"What is unexpected?" Naruto asked, a bit confused of this remark.

Kakashi walked towards the fence wall of the roof and sat on it. "Well, I did not expect the dead last of the entire Genin batch to be the only one training."

'Ugh…' Naruto mentally cursed. It seamed, he really couldn't escape that title even after graduating. However, this remark didn't affect him as much anymore.

"Well,…I don't wanna stay a dead last forever." Naruto replied, grinning sheepishly as he scratched his head.

Both Sakura and Sasuke looked at Naruto, still not used to seeing Naruto so quiet after being mentioned as 'Dead Last'.

Sasuke scoffed it off, thinking this was a reaction of the previous situation in the park. Sakura on the other hand, was still shocked.

She had known Naruto since they were kids. Of course, she always hated his chaotic and over the top personality, that always comprised of only pranks. But it also meant, that she knew at least a few things about him.

One being, that he only ever 'talked big'. For example, becoming Hokage. You would never see Naruto training. Even in academy, he always made excuses, or ran away with Shikamaru, bunking lectures.

So, when she saw him exercising, rather than his weak stature, the entire thing shocked her.

But all her shock and surprise vanished the moment Naruto looked at her and quickly looked away.

'Well,….I guess its for the better. Now he won't bother me much at least.' She thought, but still felt the guilt of saying what she said.

After a while, once they had settled down, their Sensei began speaking.

"Ok. Lets start with some introduction, shall we? Tell me about yourself. Your names, likes, dislikes, hobbies and dream. Lets start from the right." He looked at Sasuke, who was sitting on the very right. But before he could begin, Naruto interrupted.

"Why don't you do that first Sensei? We don't even know you." He said, looking skeptically at the Jounin.

The man stared at Naruto for a while, ultimately accepting.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi, the leader of your team. I have no desire to tell you guys my likes and dislikes. Dreams…? Hmmm…not any that I remember. Well, I have a lot of hobbies." Kakashi said in an undertone, as if just thinking about all this was tiring.

"So…all we got to know was his name?" Sakura said. All three had a deadpan expression, eyes judging their Sensei as hard as they could.

"You…do look suspicious after all." Naruto remarked.

Kakashi coughed, averting their thoughts. He looked at Sasuke and motioned him to begin.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are tons of things I dislike, and not many that I like. Rather than a dream, I have an ambition. To resurrect my clan and…kill a certain man." Sasuke spoke, hate and stubbornness strong in his voice.

Kakashi looked at the young Uchiha. 'Its worse than I expected.' He sighed.

'That sounds scary.' Sakura thought as he mentioned about killing a human. 'But he sounds cool.' She couldn't but think. Sasuke always said thing with such ease and ignorance, anything he did and said seemed cool.

'I hope its not me. I haven't even started training yet.' Naruto thought.

Kakashi looked at Sakura next, who was sitting in between the two boys. And so, Sakura began.

"I am Haruno Sakura. The person I like is…" she looked at Sasuke. "My dream for future is…" Sakura squeled. For every word, as she looked at Sasuke, he felt a second hand embarrassment.

'Why do girls around this age always think of love more than anything else?' Kakashi grunted.

"The thing is dislike is…" Sakura almost said Naruto but the moments of the park flashed in her memory.

"When Ino tries to take whats mine." Sakura ended the sentence again by glancing at Sasuke.

Naruto would have been overjoyed that Sakura didn't mention him as her dislike. But now he didn't really believe that. And he did feel jealous that she kept looking at Sasuke every time she mentioned likes and dreams. But even that jealousy seemed trivial. As if, he was fretting over something that wasn't his to begin with.

"Your turn, dead last." Kakashi said, his eyes fixated on the boy.

'He keeps calling me that.' Naruto looked at his sensei, left eye twitching in annoyance. He wasn't particularly surprised by this. Not many in this village liked him. Even though he didn't know the reason for this hate, he had been used to it.

"My name is NARUTO UZUMAKI." he particularly emphasized on his name, piercing daggers at Kakashi, who in return chuckled.

"I like ramen! Especially Ichiraku Ramen. I hate the three minutes it takes to ready instant ramen." Naruto spoke, almost drooling.

"My dream,… Is to become Hokage."

These words were common to Sasuke and Sakura, who had listened to it everyday in class. However, even they were surprised and looked at the boy.

Why?

The tone of Naruto's voice had changed. For the first time, they had heard him say it with such conviction and ambition. His eyes seemed sharp, filled with belief and courage.

Kakashi on the other hand, was rather smiling. 'He has grown in an interesting way.' The Jounin thought.

"My hobby….? Ah, I like pranks!" The mood returned to normal.

"I would like it if you tried one on me. Who knows? Maybe you are AT LEAST good at that." Kakashi taunted him again.

Naruto didn't know why Kakashi was so blatantly poking his weak points, but it sure annoyed him.

"I swear you don't want me to." Naruto said, a vein stretching on his forehead.

For the first time, Kakashi had seen the other two in unison with Naruto, nodding their heads. Sakura knew well what pranks Naruto always pulled out, from god knows where.

Sasuke had been caught in one during lunch. Not to mention, he had escaped a few before. Though he escaped those pranks, he knew how annoying, humiliating and haunting those pranks would be, if he was caught.

'Well,…he did trouble Hokage-Sama.' despite thinking so, Kakashi chuckled and replied, "I would like you to."

He wasn't you average nin now, right? He thought.

After their introductions, Kakashi began to speak again.

"Now that we are done with our instructions, lets talk business. Tomorrow, we start our duties." Naruto was excited, extremely. And you could see this on his face.

"But even before that,…we have an even more important task to do." Kakashi said, staring holes in their faces.

Despite being weirded out, Sakura asked. "What task Sensei?"

"A Survival Test." Kakashi replied.

"A test? The first thing we do after becoming a Genin is a test?" Naruto asked. He was extremely scared. Scared of tests.

"We did do a test to become a Genin though. Why is there another test?" Sakura asked, again.

"Huhuhu,…you are going to be freaked out when I tell you this." He crackled a laugh, creeping out the kids.

"Whats so funny Sensei?" Sakura asked, sweat flowing from her cheeks. Their Sensei was really weird.

"Of the 27 graduates, only those who pass these tests would be accepted as Genins. Rest will return to either the academy, or quit if they wish to. This training is a very crucial program of our ninja academy, with a fail rate of 70%." Kakashi laughed again.

All three were sweating buckets now.

"But…But what was the exam even for, which we cleared in the academy then?" Naruto asked.

"Oh that? It was only to select those who HAVE the chances of becoming a Genin." Kakashi replied.

Each of the three was worried, each for other reasons than another.

Sasuke knew that Jounins were strong individuals. He had seen many. So he was worried if this test would be easy or not. And their Sensei wasn't normal in particular. He had heard his name a few times, but he couldn't remember well, where. And if he knew his name, it meant this guy was not an average shinobi. 'I would struggle to defeat even Iruka at the moment. If its this guy,…' After all, there was significant difference between a Chunin and a Jounin.

Sakura was worried about being left behind. 'If I fail here, I will be separated from Sasuke-Kun's team. I can't let that happen.' If she failed, meant another year till next try. And till then, she would be assigned another team. That would be dreadful.

Naruto on the other hand, was self-conscious. 'I barely passed even the academy test. Be it a theoretical test or practical,…I am bound to fail against a Jounin.' He gulped his worries. However, he now had something to back him up.

'I should give my best to prove my strength to him. With just the Calm Mind, I am able to be relax despite all the chaos. Maybe today's training quest will also give something good to me.' He thought, cracking his fingers in nervousness.

[ You also have the reward from yesterdays mission completion. ]

The system popped up and Naruto was surprised from its reply.

"Yesterday's reward?" He blurted out loud.

"What?" Kakashi asked, confused from this reaction.

"Uh…! I..I mean, what will be the reward for completing this test?" Naruto asked, thinking immediately of something to cover up this blunder.

"Reward? You already get to become a Genin. Hm…" Kakashi thought for a while. "Well, lets say you do pass this test, which I highly doubt,…but if you do, I will give you all a success party."

This cheered up both Naruto and Sakura, but Naruto was still a bit confused about the System's reply. And then, in response to his confusion, the system popped another reply.

[ Quest: Strength of The Outcast.

Prove your strength to your opponent who considers you an oddball.

Reward: System Activation, Random item. ]

[ There was another reward for completing this Quest. The random item still remains untouched in your inventory. ]

Naruto was now in joy, excited to see this item. He wished there would be something to immediately make him strong.

[ There is no such item which will grant your immediate progress. Strength craves efforts. ]

Though Naruto was immediately pulled down from his high horse, he still didn't lose hope. Even if not such a drastic change, he could still gain something useful.

"Then, see you tomorrow at ground seven. These are the details for your test." Kakashi handed them a paper each and vanished in a puff of smoke.

The paper read:

Genin confirmation Test. Time: 7 am (Do not be late)

Do not eat lunch(Or you might throw up). Bring any shinobi tools you have or wish to.

Yours lovely,

Kakashi-Sensei ~

The heart at the bottom cringed him, but the other stuff excited him. Since they were to bring the weapons, it probably meant a practical test.

'Well, I can at least TRY to pass this test.' If it were theory, he would have to voluntarily give up.

Naruto stood up. When he did, he noticed Sakura looking at the paper, worried sick. He had the urge to comfort her, but her words always hit the back of his head. He chewed his words and sighed.

"I will get going first. Best luck for tomorrow." Naruto walked out, and Sasuke left after him, Sakura following him. She glanced towards Naruto for last time, a bit surprised he hadn't forgotten all that happened and started jumping around her again.

'I did comment on his parents. Guess this time he will stay away from me for real.' She was still worried, how this might affect their team, but personally, she would love it. There was no more of Naruto commenting like a pervert on her or clamoring around her.

[ Quest: Genin Confirmation Quest (Difficulty - Hard

Pass the test given by Hatake Kakashi and become an official Genin.

Reward: Stat Points, Random item/skill(calculated on rank in test).

Failure: Will lose the system and all the items and stats received from it. ]

Naruto's eyes lit up. Despite the harsh failure set back, and the 'Hard' difficulty of the test, the reward seemed great. And before he could even ask, the system explain that the Stat Points were some extra number he could increase in any attribute, which would directly affect that aspect in him.

'It already sounds hell lot of interesting! I better prepare for this Quest.' Naruto marched off,…starting the Training Quest again.

[theoriginator0000]

Leveling Shinobi: Chosen by Legacy

... art is not mine, credits to the respectful artist.

Chapter Two

What he always dreamed of waking up to was, Sakura in a very cute dress, trying to wake him up. Since that was a dream far from possible, at least chirping birds would be good.

But every day, the wake up call was dogs barking near his apartment.

Naruto’s ears started to be bombarded with the barks beneath his apartment. He sat up straight from the sudden barks, his eyes still half closed and hair disheveled as the headband lopsided on his left eye.

Naruto grumbled, feeling slight ache over his body. But yesterday entire fatigue had disappeared like miracle. And this was no first time. Even before if he got into fight with the older bullies or his peers, after a thorough beating, next day would be like the beating never happened.

Naruto considered it his prodigal talent or trait, to recover so quickly.

He pulled off the headband and rubbed his eyes. As his lids lifted, a white screen extended in front of his eyes out of nowhere. That very second, everything that happened yesterday jogged through his mind, but the shock of this white floating screen was much more. And the shock made him crash down on the floor.

A small squeal left his mouth as he stumbled to get up, because the screen now reappeared in front of his eyes again.

But he calmed down rather quickly. Naruto took deep breathes and closed his eyes. Upon opening his eyes, the screen still persisted.

This assured, that yesterday’s happenings were not a dream.

“So,…what are you?” Naruto asked, surprised by his own calmness.

[ I am here for assistance. To assist you to leverage your full potential and also provide support. ]

The text appeared instantly. However, the answer only confused Naruto even more. But before he could ask anything further, the screen changed the text again.

[ All your confusion will have to remain as is for the time being. Only thing you need to know, is that I mean no harm. ]

Naruto started to feel a slight pain in his head from all the weird thoughts he was getting about this ‘System’. He felt like this thing was suspicious, but it had indeed helped him yesterday. So, he didn’t know what to consider.

He gave up on the excessive work of thinking and looked at the clock. There was still time till the group allocation. Naruto started his daily routine.

As he started to move, he began questioning the System.

“So, can I at least know what help I will be getting from you?” He asked as he struggled to strangle the toothpaste out of the tube. Since yesterday, all he knew about the system was that it had white color.

[ I am an assistant, guide. Even a mentor. I will help you to gain strength. Unleash your potential. ]

Naruto couldn’t shake off the feeling that the way the System explained him things were like a scammer trapping others.

“And how do you intend to do so?” Naruto asked again, gargling and spitting in the bathroom.

[ For starters, you have daily training mission. Completing that will help you strengthening yourself. You will also be rewarded for completing the mission. Aside from that, you will also get missions to clear, which can be anything that improve you overall. Another factor would be, dungeons. ]

As Naruto read, the last word equipped his attention. ‘Dungeons!’ he thought.

Dungeons were the nests of monsters and demons. They were the base from where the monsters scouted human world and tried to invade.

Naruto had always wanted to enter one in his life.

[ Dungeons will not be available yet, as you are too below the level to begin Dungeon missions. ]

And, as soon as his excitement was rising, the System drenched it all. Naruto grumbled and went to the bath.

As he was about to enter, he suddenly halted. He looked at the screen and muttered, “You aren’t a girl right?”

The system halted for a second and then replied, its answer a bit offensive this time.

[ I have no race, sex or body. I am not a lowly thing as you. ]

Naruto scratched his head and scoffed off the brutal remark. He wasn’t really in a mood to fight with this monotonic text.

Naruto asked his actual question this time, as he prepared the water to take a bath. “Level? Whats that?”

[ Levels are numeric values used to define how powerful you are. Levels will help you understand how strong you or others are. ]

Naruto was yet again excited. This sounded extremely fun! He wanted to quickly check level of Sasuke. And as if to correct him, the system replied after reading his thoughts.

[ You do not have the ability to see others Statistics such as level or strength. ]

Naruto sighed. He took a good shower and wore his favorite orange jump suit. For a quick second, he felt like the System printed a disgusted face on the screen.

“So, what level am I right now?” Naruto asked. He expected the System to simply tell him a number, but another screen opened up beside the previous one. This one was taller and short in width.

The screen had mini him, standing just the way he was right now. The mini him would move just how he did. After playing around with mini him for a while, he looked at his stats.

[ Player Information -

Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Age: 12

Rank: Genin

Level: 8

Player Statistics -

Strength: 10 (9)

Stamina: 20 (10)

Speed: 15 (10)

Wisdom: 3 (8)

Chakra: 2000/2000 (600-800) ]

Naruto read it all, and he somewhat understood it. He knew these number showed how strong he was, but how would he compare it, to understand the exact prowess of his?

The system, yet again replied before he even questioned.

[ The numbers in the (brackets) represent the stat of an average person in the same rank as you. So, in comparison with an average Genin, your Strength is one point higher. That fares as one punch more power. ]

“Crazy…” Naruto muttered as he tightened his sandals. “So I have this much more stamina than other Genins?”

[ Yes. However, why it is so, I do not know yet. I will need more time to analyze your body to come to a conclusion. ]

The system replied back. Naruto simply hummed. He quieted for a while and then asked the system again.

“I feel a lot calmer than usual. Why? Is it because of you? Did you do something?” Naruto asked. He had been bugged by this thought since he woke up, but despite all the unbelievable stuff happening since yesterday, he was not even much awestruck. He was simply,…going along with it.

[ In a way. After you passed the test and activated the system, you became a player. And a player, initially is gifted with a skill ‘Calm mind’. Its an innate ability given to the player. It keeps developing the more you experience life. Just like any other ability of yours. ]

“Whoa,…that’s amazing. So like,…I must look like Sasuke now. A calm and cold person, very calculative.” Naruto scrounged his face, trying to imitate Sasuke.

[...]

[ I do not know. But it would be helpful if you could get rid of that disgusting look on your face. ]

Naruto stumbled hearing the remark and tried to punch the system, but his hand simply passed through it.

“Well, anyways. I should get going. Or else I’ll be late.” Naruto took out the bread and milk from the refrigerator and sat down on the chair to eat it.

[ Analyzing the surroundings…]

[ Alert!

The food is expired. Please refrain from consuming it. ]

Naruto looked at the system for a good while and then checked the carton of milk and bread packet. And just as the System mentioned, it had truly expired. He sighed and threw the packets in the trash. Naruto got out of his apartment and departed after locking it.

“What a bummer. I feel hungry.” He sighed yet again. He got an apply on his way to academy, which was yet another head ache. Those hateful gazes didn’t hurt as much now, but it still boiled his blood.

As he walked to the academy, Naruto was prompted with another Alert from the System.

[Alert!

Training Quest - Getting warmed up!

Time Limit - 12 hours

Goal

Push-Ups - [0/100]

Sit-Ups - [0/100]

Squats - [0/100]

Run - [0/10KM]

Caution - Failing to complete the Quest will incur a Penalty. ]

“Warm Up!!” Naruto halted in his track. The amount shown in the Quest panel was insane to call it a warm up. And to boot, he never even exercised, except the spars conducted in Academy.

“And what penalties? Will I get beaten up by you or something?” Naruto said half jokingly. Considering the System’s behaviour, that might even be possible.

[ Worse ]

Naruto was irked. One by one, the system was bringing up idiotic stuff in his life. As he contemplated again, whether all this really was worth it, the System panel popped up.

[ Do not worry. Whatever I propose or state is anything but useless and idiotic. My purpose is, as you know, to unleash you potential. I will never bring harm. ]

Despite the silence of its words and no sound or emotions felt physically, this silent screen made him feel more human and cared for than anyone had ever done until now.

“Haha. Sounds very human of you to say that.” Naruto scoffed off his worries and walked to the academy.

Naruto reached the class. In all his years of coming to the academy, he had never felt not nervous. The people’s stares made him anxious and scared. Everything felt foreign and made felt inhumane.

However, this was the first time in forever that he felt really calm. His heartbeat was stable, his head didn’t swirl with thoughts, his hands didn’t itch, wanting to do any activity.

As if, his entire body had equally distributed the chakra in every part.

Naruto walked inside the classroom and suddenly the entire class went silent for a second. But soon enough, Kiba roared from the back of the class, joking about why a failed student was in their class.

Generally, Naruto would want to smash his face in. But now? He felt nothing. As if, Kiba’s jokes,….heck, even Kiba wasn’t worth it.

He walked towards Sasuke, the only guy in the entire class who looked everything except surprised to see him in the class. There was anger, annoyance, despise in his stare.

Naruto scoffed and sat on the bench, beside him

“Why are you here?” Sasuke asked in an irked whisper, barely audible to even him. Naruto looked at him, trying his best to think of a great answer that would slap Sasuke around the face and shut him up.

“Why do you care?”

‘Aaaagh!! What am I? His girlfriend!?’ Naruto cursed himself for coming with such a pathetic response even after thinking so hard about it.

But before Sasuke could respond and their banter could begin, a loud crash was heard. When the entire class looked outside, they could see a blur of pink and blonde on top of each other. As soon as the dust cleared out, two girls stood there, dusting themselves.

Naruto’s eyes beamed and he grinned ear to ear. As if everything else melted into water, the surroundings splashed around and the only people in the vicinity seemed to be him and Sakura, the pink haired Kunoichi.

Naruto stared at the pinkette, as she set her hair and patted her dress. His eyes roamed on her face and pretty smile. Pretty…smile? Suddenly, her face looked almost like a monster. And, even worse,…she was walking towards him!

Her every stomp was crystal clear in his ears even in such a chaotic room. This all made one thing sure for him. Whatever the ‘Calm Mind’ was, didn’t save him from his fear of Sakura. His heart and mind was a mess!

But, seemed like it did help him a bit. Before Sakura could reach him, he got up and stepped aside, which halted the girl in her place.

Now, usually, Naruto would need some rock-hard punches to get his butt moving. And this was universally known, that until Sakura busted him open, he wouldn’t get things straight.

But maybe, the world was changing? How did he NOT hinder Sakura today?…is what Sakura was thinking when she saw the boy sit on the desk behind her, with Shikamaru.

‘Well, my mind doesn’t go blank as soon as I see her anymore. Guess that means this Clam mind thing is working?’ Naruto thought, indirectly trying to assure it from the System.

[ Fears beyond your minds control cannot be suppressed entirely by this ability. ]

In short, Naruto was doomed to be scared of her either way. He sighed and banged his head lightly on the desk, startling the sleeping Nara.

Sakura still surprised by the blonde’s antic had somewhat regained herself. She walked to Sasuke and sat close to him, maintaining enough distance to not trigger him.

“Sasuke-kun, wouldn’t it be amazing if we are teamed together?” She asked, her voice chirpy, like a happy squirrel.

Sasuke looked at the girl for a few seconds and then looked away, grunting, showing his disapproval.

Though Sakura kept smiling and giggling, her face still reflected the hurt Sasuke always caused by his cold demeanor.

Naruto who was watching this from behind, clenched his fist, holding back his anger. ‘This idiot! If it was me, I would have already gone to Iruka-sensei and requested to team me up with Sakura-chan!’ Naruto tried his best not to hit Sasuke in the back of his head.

‘Well, that’s better for me though. As long as he keeps acting like this, I have a chance to win over Sakura-chan!’

“What are you looking at?” and his day-dreaming was stomped on as soon as Sakura grumbled. When he returned to reality, he cursed himself. He had been looking at Sakura for so long that she had noticed it.

“Huh!? Ah! Right! Wouldn’t it be awesome if we both were in a team Sakura-chan? Of course, as long as this brat isn’t with us.” Naruto scowled as he glared at Sasuke, who did the same.

“Hmph, as if! I had rather quit being a Shinobi than team up with you alone. AND, Sasuke-kun is not a brat, you are!” Sakura hissed at Naruto who in response just sat down, accepting defeat.

‘Hah….girls are so difficult!’

After a few more minutes, Iruka walked inside the room, the scroll containing their teams list in his hand. Everyone stood up and greeted up. Naruto was almost jumping on his feet, trying to keep calm regarding the teams.

To dissipate some of his energy, he decided to chat with Shikamaru beside him. “Who do you think your team is?” He asked.

Shikamaru looked at him with groggy eyes, sleep still lingering on his eye-lids.

“Its probably Ino and Choji. Our families have been teamed up for years now. Its like an unwritten rule.”

“Must be nice to already know your team huh?” Naruto grunted.

After everyone settled down, Iruka gave a short speech as always. About how they should focus on their missions, be serious, not take anything for a joke anymore. How a shinobi’s life is dangerous and they need to be prepared for it.

After that, the moment for which everyone was excited for followed. He opened the scroll and started reading the teams.

Naruto wished his team would be called out soon, but also not. The hope of getting a good teammate and Sakura was exciting. But being teamed with someone annoying was fearsome.

And as he clenched both his fist, Iruka called out Sakura’s name under Team-7. Naruto’s heartbeat increased and he started to sweat.

“Uzumaki Naruto” Naruto almost jumped out of the bench, but contained himself to only yell ‘Hell Yeah!’.

Sakura, however, was slumped. But the next name cheered her up even more.

“Uchiha Sasuke.” However, now it was Sasuke’s turn to grunt. He had two idiots tag him in the team.

The rest of the teams were allocated, and as Shikamaru said, his team, Team-10 was with Ino and Choji. And neither seemed surprised.

“Your team leaders will be announced after a short break. So be back after this break.” Iruka said and smiled at them. Before leaving, he gave a short look to Naruto and muttered ‘Best of Luck’, which Naruto grasped rather quickly.

Everyone left to eat their lunch. Naruto however, followed Sasuke quietly. As if walking on thorns, he was very light on his feet. The system had asked him to rather train than doing something stupid again, but he kicked off the suggestion.

Naruto followed Sasuke until the Uchiha had begun eating.

‘Gotcha!!’ Naruto threw the rope around Sasuke’s body, which startled the boy. But he still tried to escape. Sasuke threw his sandwich at Naruto, hoping at least something would enter his eye and there might occur a chance to break free.

But Naruto was safe and he pushed Sasuke down, tying him by the rope and pushing him on the floor.

And then, right in front of him, Naruto transformed in Sasuke himself.

“Ugh! Damnit! Naruto, don’t do anything stupid and release me now!” He glared at the blonde. Naruto looked at the boy for a while and then chuckled,…just how Sasuke would do, and left the place.

[ What do you even wish to achieve by doing this? ]

The system asked Naruto,…now Sasuke, as he walked towards the park of their academy.

“Maybe Sakura-chan hides how she feels about me whenever I am with her. So I want to know if she really likes Sasuke. And if she doesn’t, what does she think of me?” Naruto said excitedly.

[ But what if she does hate you? ]

“Well, I won’t say she hates me. But even if she dislikes me, I will try my best impress her and like me.” Naruto spoke with confidence.

Naruto had arrived at the park, and there sat Sakura. Her eyes staring at the blue sky, trying to find something.

Naruto, yet again was mesmerized by the girl he liked. He walked to her, making sure he behaved just like Sasuke. When Sakura noticed him, she started to fidget and blush. She was smiling at him.

Naruto felt weird. This was the first time Sakura had ever smiled in front of him, but it didn’t feel as good. Since he was ‘Sasuke’ right now, Sakura smiling at him made him more jealous than happy.

He sat down beside her. As soon as he sat down, she got a little closer to him. When she did, he could smell a sweet scent from her, like a flower.

“Sasuke-kun, did you eat your lunch?” she asked, feeling delighted that Sasuke had taken a seat beside her on his own. He was even looking at her differently. She couldn’t pick out what it was, but his gaze didn’t make her feel like an annoyance.

“Yeah, I did.” Naruto replied, trying his best to act and sound like Sasuke.

“Then,…do you want to go on a date today?” Sakura asked, without wasting any other moment.

However, she already knew the answer. As usual, his reply would always be a No, she just always tried out her luck, but kept no hopes.

“Hn,…if you are paying.” Naruto said. ‘Making Sasuke agree for a date with condition that Sakura-chan pays will obviously make him look bad in her eyes.’ He thought as he nodded.

So when he said yes, Sakura was blown away, as if something impossible had happened. Like,…Naruto not bothering her, or not fighting with Sasuke. Sakura was in a stupor.

“Sakura,…” He spoke, trying his best not to utter ‘chan’ right after, and woke Sakura from her headspace, blissful that Sasuke was finally accepting a date. She didn’t care about stuff like paying for the date if it was going to be with Sasuke.

“Hm?” Sakura responded eagerly. This was the first time Sasuke had ever talked to her by his own too. This day was unveiling a lot of firsts of Sasuke and Sakura.

“What do you think of Naruto?” Naruto asked, rounding his hands in a fist, hoping to get a positive response.

For a second, Sakura felt like the entire planet rotated in a jerk and she flew before landing right at her place. The question Sasuke had asked was something so out of the world. Not because he was even TALKING about someone else to someone else. But it was about ‘Naruto’. That’s weirder than her ever liking Naruto.

She looked at him. Sakura never really thought much about that boy. She always did her best to ignore him. But he would do something so stupid and irritating, that she just couldn’t let him be.

And as she continued to think about it, she felt annoyed. And words started to pour out.

“He is really annoying…” Sakura spoke. Naruto’s heart throbbed, like someone was holding it. He did expect her to say something similar, but it hurt more than he imagined.

“He never understands me. Always acts rash and like a pervert. He ir

[theoriginator0000]

Leveling Shinobi: Chosen by Legacy

...art is not mine, credits to the respective owner.

Chapter One

The wind blew, The leaves rustled. Beasts growled. Everything was as fine as ever. Everything…but his life.

A short boy stood in the middle of a clearing in the forest. A huge scroll, almost the same height as him, hung behind his back. The boy stared at a man, sitting a few meters of distance from him on a tall tree. The blue-haired man held a scowl on his face, trying to intimidate the boy.

Naruto’s blonde hair danced with the wind and his entire body was being washed by the cool air. However, he still felt hot. As if someone was burning him from inside. The reason? Mizuki.

Behind Naruto, Iruka sprawled on the ground, holding onto his dear life, as the blood kept spilling from his torn back. He could not feel his body anymore and was starting to feel weaker. But with all his will, he was keeping awake, trying to warn Naruto to run away. Assuring the kid that he will stop Mizuki and get him some time to escape and get the Hokage. But he didn’t know how that was ever going to happen,…in such a pathetic state.

However,…the boy did not budge. Nor did he respond. All the blonde did was stand there,…and stare at the traitor.

“Naruto,….give me that scroll and I will at least let you live” Mizuki spoke, his eyes almost dripping hate.

“Well, maybe I will break a leg or two of yours,…but that shouldn’t be a trouble to a monster like you, eh?” He hissed, snarling at the kid.

Naruto, not bothered anymore by this rogue nin’s remark, simply stood still, but his grip clenched on the scroll.

“Then, why don’t you try and take it from me huh!” Naruto bellowed, pointing at the man. Mizuki’s lips twitched at the corners. He knew that this little devil was an annoyance, but he had never felt it firsthand.

And now that he did,…his face seemed even more punch-able. The way this stature of bones showed aggression, reminded him of his teammate during his Genin days. Unlike that aggression, his neck didn’t last long under his hands. And he wished to do the same to this little pest. However, the scroll was holding him back.

Iruka listened, feeling a sense of pride in his student. A few hours ago, when the Hokage had told them all about Naruto’s new shenanigan, he was a little worried. Usually, his pranks only ever troubled others. But this one could have hurt many and even him.

So he was scared, worried, and anxious. But when he saw the battered Naruto, grinning at him, telling him about his achievement of learning the shadow clone. The surprise of Naruto learning the Jutsu was nothing in comparison with the feeling of relief and happiness that he was safe and still sane.

It all went downhill though, when Mizuki attacked. Their battle was long. And he had to fight while protecting Naruto. So even if he could have parried with Mizuki, he lost badly from the constant distraction of protecting the boy.

He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel relieved when Naruto declared to stay and protect him. Though he believed it was impossible, Naruto’s words made him feel like a family. And that feeling of a family about Naruto he got was being confirmed by Naruto’s care.

Naruto clenched his free hand in a punch. His anger was reaching new limits. He always felt like the most hateful were the villagers who ignored and behaved rudely towards him. But Mizuki proved everything wrong. This guy was much more hateful. And…he also wanted to kill him,…so that was also a reason for the hate.

Naruto had been more eager to prove to Iruka that he could also be a great student, than passing as a Genin. Proving his worth to the only people that cared for him was what kept him moving every day. Until today, he relied on pranks. But now that he could learn something and prove it to Iruka, he was all for it.

The thought that Mizuki would be a traitor, not only to him but to the entire village never occurred to him. So when Iruka was suddenly pierced with shurikens by Mizuki, he was shaken to the core. It was the first time he had seen someone’s else blood. And it was terrific.

Even though he wanted to help,…he didn’t feel the courage. But that lack of motivation to help led Iruka to get impaled with a Fūma Shuriken. But the words Iruka said to defend Naruto, the way he accepted Naruto, not only as a person but a citizen of Konoha made him forget the fear. His heart was flared with rage for Mizuki and his courage to save Iruka.

Even if it killed him, he would take down Mizuki and save Iruka.

So,…when his remark provoked Mizuki and he launched a Fūma Shuriken at Naruto, he was about to duck or jump back. But,…his feet felt really heavy. As if, a weight of almost a hundred kilos was holding him down.

Naruto tried to break free from the force, but the more he tried, the stronger it got. In that split second, he felt as if his life was going to end the very moment, he saw the shuriken flash at intense speed toward him.

He closed his eyes, a reaction that naturally occurred under the presence of fear and in front of death.

But, even after a considerable while, he did not feel pain. When he opened his eyes cautiously, he was surprised!

Mizuki was moving at an incredibly slow speed. As if he was floating mid-air. But he did not seem to notice that since he was making an angry face which looked really weird.

However, what surprised Naruto so much was not only this. Even more astonishing was the whitish floating plate in front of him, which looked weirdly transparent. And, it even had text on it!

Naruto tried to read the text, but the language seemed odd and still similar. But in just a second, the language became Japanese and he was able to read the text, which read:

[Alert - New Player!

You have cleared the qualification checkpoints! Player-specific quest is generated.

Quest: Strength of The Outcast.

Prove your strength to your opponent who considers you an oddball.

Reward: System Activation, Random item.

Yes | No

Note: Select within 5 seconds or lose the opportunity for life.]

‘Strength of The Outcast?’ naruto blinked a few times before he understood the meaning of the sentence.

“Who are you calling an oddball huh!?” as soon as he shouted, another screen popped up.

[Time remaining: 3 seconds]

“Huh!? Huuuh!?” Naruto was surprised. He didn’t really understand what all this meant. But the word reward always meant ‘free stuff’ right? Then he was all in for it!

“Fine! I accept it!” how he didn’t know, but he understood that as soon as he had said that, time would flow in normal motion. So he was all ready.

As soon as he accepted the quest, the screen disappeared, shrinking from both sides until it became a thin line and disappeared completely. And immediately, the Fūma Shuriken flew at him at an insane speed.

However, all Mizuki saw was an orange blur that bounced in the air and landed back. After the resultant dust had cleared out, Mizuki saw Naruto squatting there, holding the shuriken in his hand.

“That would have killed me…” Naruto muttered as he stood up, gripping the shuriken tightly. And the next moment, he had thrown it at Mizuki. As a sudden reflex, Mizuki slid to the side, but the shuriken fell to the ground flat before even reaching him.

“Ha…hahaha” Mizuki started laughing and looked back. But soon, his vision became hazy and he felt his body flying. Mizuki landed hard on his back. He sat up, shaking his head as the world started to revolve around him. When his vision was clear,…the green forest had seemed to turn orange.

Countless Naruto stood in front of him, each one with a new annoying grin and face. Three Naruto stood in his previous place, their legs still in the air.

One of them tilted his head and looked at Mizuki from behind his leg and smirked.

“How’d ya like that, Sensei~” Naruto spoke in a rhythm,…which was followed collectively by the other Narutos.

Mizuki’s blood boiled and he sprang to his feet. But before he could even move, a barrage of attacks followed on his body.

In just a few seconds,…you could see a beaten-up Mizuki crawling on the ground as Naruto, to be precise, a Naruto staring into empty space sat on his back.

[Alert!

Quest: Strength of The Outcast

Status: Completed

Rewards: System Activated, Random Item in Inventory]

Naruto read the system message and was yet again surprised. Mid-fight, when he took a short break from bashing Mizuki while his clones handled the task, he had wondered.

‘Was I simply hallucinating?’

Because from the beginning till the end of the fight, he had not seen the screen even once. So he was doubtful, whether he had only seen that weird thing due to fear and panic. And the speed reduction of time? ‘Well, maybe I am just so prodigal that I can even slow time’, was his conclusion.

And right when he had thought so, as if to hit him with reality, the screen stretched from the middle of his sight to both sides.

However, before he could question the system, Iruka whispered, calling him close.

The reality of the situation dawned on him as he saw the grave expression and blood pull of Iruka. He dashed towards his Sensei and helped him sit straight. Maybe he had lost control of his body and slid down.

“Sensei, wait a few moments! I am taking you to the hospital!!” Naruto was about to pick Iruka up. His heart had started to beat like crazy. The situation Iruka was in, seemed really scary. Heck, this was the first time he had ever been in such a plight.

But before he could even hold Iruka, he was stopped by the same. Iruka held Naruto’s hand, a small smile planted on his now pale face.

“Before that, I have something to talk about Naruto” he said, his voice weak but filled with pride, so much that even Naruto could understand it. And he felt really great about it, experiencing it for the first time.

“I am sorry Naruto.” Iruka said, patting Naruto’s head. Naruto felt confusion swirl in his mind, and as if sensing the same, Iruka continued.

“I should have believed in you. It was wrong of me to directly reject you. If I had given you another chance, maybe Mizuki wouldn’t have been able to trick you. I lacked as your Sensei and I am sorry for that.”

Naruto wanted to reject and halt Iruka from saying this stuff, but….he could only stop himself from shedding that dam of tears. Why? He didn’t know, but his heart and head felt heavy. As if countless emotions were juggling in his heart, he felt like screaming.

Iruka, noticing this, ruffled Naruto’s hair, watching the kid's hunched figure staring at the ground, which was getting wet from a trickle of tears.

Soon, a clothe wrapped around Naruto’s head, a metal shone in the bright moonlight. Naruto was surprised and hiccuped.

Looking up, he touched his forehead and then noticed Iruka’s headband missing.

The trickle of tears now started to flow like a leakage. His face scrounged and he sniffled, still trying to hold back. The warm cloth covering his forehead was not just a certificate for him.

It was recognition. It was acceptance. It was a compliment to him. It was his first-ever win!

Naruto felt like he had been awarded the best gift in his entire life.

“Thank you….thank you….” he muttered, holding the sleeves of his Sensei, as they shivered while holding back the hiccups and cries.

Iruka simply rubbed his eyes and wiped his tears.

Naruto wiped his tears and smiled. He proceeded to lift Iruka and hold him on his back. Though it was kind of difficult, he did his best to not let Iruka fall.

“Take me to Hokage-sama first Naruto” Iruka muttered. Naruto halted and asked.

“Why? Shouldn’t you be in hospital right now?” Naruto started walking again.

“I do. But it's as important to go to Hokage-sama. Or, do you want me to go to the hospital and leave you in that wild herd of other shinobis?” Iruka chuckled as he finished his sentence.

Naruto hurriedly shook his head and walked faster. They had almost reached the exit of the forest when a shadow suddenly passed them.

Naruto was alerted for a second, scared that Mizuki had woken up and come to attack again, but was relieved when someone else walked out of the dark.

The guy’s face and even hair were covered. He could only see a few white strands of hair sticking out.

The man had held Mizuki in one hand like a rag doll and was walking towards them. Naruto noticed his headband and Jounin's clothes. He, for the first time, felt relieved by seeing a Shinobi.

“I am here to escort you both.” The guy said and took Iruka on his own back. He looked at Naruto for a few seconds and spoke again.

“Don’t let go of the scroll and follow me closely.”

Saying so, the guy started walking…almost running. Naruto did his best to keep up with his tired self. It seemed like Iruka and the guy were talking about something, but he was too tired to pry.

Soon, they had reached the grounds of Hokage Tower. Unlike every day, the Hokage tower was lit with lights, still awake. The guards were on full alert, patrolling around the tower continuously. As they approached the tower, one of the guards hurriedly ran inside the tower and another rushed towards them. After a few words with the guard, the shinobi helping them signaled to follow.

Naruto followed behind. The third was standing in the middle of the ground, a few other Jounins.

For the first few minutes, the third only spoke with the Jounin who helped them. After that, he looked at Iruka.

"You should have gone to the hospital. Fox would have taken care of the remaining stuff for you." The third spoke calmly as some other Jounins patched up Iruka's wounds and did some first aid.

"I had to be here. There are some things I need to report, personally." He spoke, Iruka's voice radiating a different kind of confidence. Which was new and surprised the third. Iruka had generally been a one-sentence guy. For every question, he would answer shortly in a short form. Just enough to answer the questions.

This was the first time he had spoken about something more than needed.

"And what would that be?" The third asked, looking at Naruto.

Naruto wasn't scared of the third. After all, even before Iruka, The third was the one who had been friends with him. Naruto was just worried that the Third would start to consider him annoying. Because even he knew, that the thing he had done tonight was not a simple prank. It was almost treachery.

Iruka spoke calmly again. "What would be the punishment for stealing the scroll, Hokage-sama?"

The third was startled. He hadn't imagined that Iruka would be asking for Naruto's punishment.

"If it was an adult shinobi, maybe a few years of jail. If other villages citizen, a few months or a year's jail. And for a citizen of Konoha, at that a child, it will be at least two months of House-Arrest." As the third finished his sentence, a ball of anxiety churned in Naruto's stomach.

"And what would be the price for stopping a traitor of the village and putting a stop to further damage to the Village?" Iruka asked, yet again.

The third thought for a while...and then smiled a little. "It would be a reward befitting their participation in that case."

"Then I suppose Naruto will be getting the price and a release from house arrest too, right?" Iruka said with a smirk and the shinobi around him started to mutter in disbelief of what this man had said.

However, the only one calm was the Third. Of course, because he had seen everything that had happened in the forest. He could have easily interfered and stopped everything, but this situation was necessary for Naruto to learn the weight of his actions. And so, he let everything happen. Well, he did have fox on standby to take immediate actions if needed.

But what he saw really didn’t need any of his interference. He was shocked when Naruto dodged the shuriken at the last moment, so precisely. And the number of shadow clones he formed. Sarutobi never imagined he would ever see a Genin-level shinobi child could ever do this.

‘And that’s his own chakra alone…’ Sarutobi looked at Naruto, who was standing there, smiling at Iruka.

‘I hope you learn from today’s situation Naruto. Only then will you ever give your best for that dream of yours.’

“Well, that’s true. I have got the report from Fox, that Naruto defeated Mizuki, saved Iruka, and also secured the scroll. This not only excuses him from a punishment, but also a reward.” The old man said and the disapproving voices quietened.

Sarutobi never really wasted chances to praise Naruto, but such occurrences were rare. Naruto never behaved. Well, he didn’t dislike that side of him either. So he never tried to stop him personally.

Sarutobi continued, “So, Naruto. What do you wish for?”. It had been many years since that disastrous night, but for the first time, Sarutobi could see both Kushina and Minato in Naruto.

Well, actually, only Minato. Naruto always acted like Kushina. But Naruto seemed somewhat calm, as if, ACTUALLY ‘thinking’.

Naruto took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and thought for a while.

‘I can’t think of anything!!!’ His expressions, however, couldn’t lie. Sarutobi chuckled but still waited. He was already ready to give Naruto extra allowance, or a month's amount for Ramen. He knew what the boy liked

“Can I ask for this reward later?”

HUH!!?

Sarutobi was startled. He never, and never in his life, ever thought that Naruto was actually being patient and logical. He looked at the boy, who stared into his eyes as if demanding his right and not pleading.

Sarutobi recovered quicker than the others and nodded. Naruto smiled.

‘I did as this thing said,…but is it worth doing so? What if the old man forgets about the reward later?’ Naruto thought as the white screen floated in front of him.

[Alert!

Do not ask for any reward right now, as it would be disadvantageous for you.]

Naruto gave up on thinking too much about it and the screen disappeared. He felt tired. Suddenly his body was getting heavier and his head hurt. The recoil of using a newly learned jutsu and fighting was hitting him now.

“Can I leave now? I am really tired.” Naruto asked Sarutobi. He didn’t really have anything to here anymore. Since Iruka had been taken to the hospital.

Sarutobi looked at him hunching forward and tired expression. Sarutobi looked at Fox with a side glance and the Anbu had already picked Naruto.

“Whoa! Hey!!” Naruto tried to fight back. But Sarutobi spoke.

“Let him take you back to your apartment Naruto. You are tired.” Naruto pouted, but let the Anbu take him. He always hated when someone picked him up or treated him like a child, except Iruka.

But this guy somehow made him feel like Iruka was the one with him. It was a friendly aura he felt from the man.

Before soon, they were already at his apartment. The Anbu put him down at the door. He waited there and a few seconds, and both of them stared at each other. Naruto, tired, sighed and went inside.

“Thanks...” Naruto said as he clashed on the couch itself, too tired to go into the bedroom.

The man outside rubbed his shoulder, where he had put Naruto. For a flash second, guilt, hope, happiness, and many other emotions flickered through the guy's eyes. But the next moment, he pulled out an orange book and walked off.

[Alert!

Scanning Player’s environment…

Scan Complete!

Poor environment. Poor Player!]

“Phuck byou…” Naruto muffled on his pillow and dozed off.