Naruto: Shadows of the Divine Flame

The morning air was crisp as I adjusted my forehead protector, stepping out of my house. The village had settled down after last night's chaos, but I could still hear people murmuring about Naruto's stunt with the Forbidden Scroll.

Honestly, the fact that he actually learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu was the most shocking part. The idiot had struggled with the basic Clone Jutsu for years, and suddenly, he pulls off a high-level technique like it was nothing.

That was Naruto for you.

I made my way toward the Academy, where we'd be assigned to our genin teams. The streets were lively, merchants calling out to customers, shinobi moving between rooftops.

I spotted Naruto ahead, bouncing on his heels. He turned when he saw me, waving wildly. "Raiden!"

I sighed. "You're loud in the morning."

Naruto grinned. "You're just grumpy."

"Maybe."

We walked the rest of the way together, and when we got to the classroom, most of the other students were already inside. Sasuke sat near the window, arms crossed, his usual brooding expression in place. A few girls fawned over him, whispering excitedly.

Hinata was at her desk, quiet as ever, though I caught her glancing at Naruto a few times. Shikamaru had his head down, looking half-asleep, while Kiba was already being obnoxious about something.

Iruka stood at the front of the room, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright, settle down. Today, you'll be assigned to your teams."

Naruto slumped in his seat. "Man, I just hope I don't get stuck with Sasuke."

Sasuke barely spared him a glance. "Like I'd want to be on your team, loser."

I sighed. "You're both annoying."

Naruto shot me a betrayed look. "What?! I thought we were friends!"

"We are. You're still annoying."

Iruka started listing off the teams. Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji were together, forming the new Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Kiba, Hinata, and Shino made up Team 8. Tenten, Neji, and Lee formed Team 9.

Then Iruka moved to Team 7.

"Raiden Uchiha."

I straightened slightly.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

I blinked.

"…And Naruto Uzumaki."

The room fell silent for a beat. Then Naruto exploded.

"WHAT?! NO WAY! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE WITH HIM?!"

Sasuke scoffed. "This is the worst."

I sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of my nose. This was going to be a disaster.

Iruka ignored Naruto's outburst and continued. "Your sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."

That got my attention. The Copy Ninja? That was interesting.

The rest of the teams were assigned, and then we were dismissed to wait for our new sensei.

---

Hours passed.

Other teams had already left with their senseis. Team 7, however, remained stuck in the classroom. Naruto groaned, banging his head against the desk. "Where is this guy?!"

Sasuke scowled. "Tch. If he's this late, he's probably not worth our time."

I leaned back in my chair, tapping my fingers against the desk. "Or he's testing us."

Naruto looked at me. "Huh?"

I shrugged. "You never know. He might want to see how we react to being made to wait."

Sasuke scoffed but didn't argue.

Eventually, the door finally slid open, and a silver-haired man in a mask and headband covering one eye stepped inside. He glanced at us, then sighed. "My first impression? …You're all boring."

Naruto gawked. "You're late, and that's all you have to say?!"

Kakashi just ignored him. "Meet me on the roof."

Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto sputtered. "He just left!"

Sasuke stood up. "Whatever. Let's go."

I followed them up to the roof, where Kakashi stood casually, hands in his pockets. He gestured for us to sit.

"Alright. Introduce yourselves."

Naruto frowned. "What do you want us to say?"

Kakashi hummed. "Your likes, dislikes, dreams, hobbies. That kind of thing."

Naruto grinned. "Okay! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I love ramen, and I hate waiting for ramen to cook! My dream is to become Hokage so everyone in the village acknowledges me!"

Kakashi nodded. "Alright. You, broody kid."

Sasuke's expression darkened. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like much of anything, and I hate a lot of things. My dream… is to kill a certain man and restore my clan."

There was a beat of silence.

Naruto blinked. "Well, that got dark fast."

Kakashi didn't react. "Okay. You, the calm one."

I sighed. "Raiden Uchiha. I like reading, strategy games, and training. I don't like unnecessary conflict. My dream? Haven't decided yet."

Kakashi tilted his head. "That's a non-answer."

I shrugged. "It's an honest one."

Kakashi studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Now that we know each other a little better, let's move on. Tomorrow, we'll be conducting a survival exercise."

Naruto groaned. "Another test? We already passed the exam!"

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in amusement. "Oh, you'll love this one. Show up at Training Ground Three at dawn. Don't eat breakfast, or you'll throw up."

That sounded ominous.

He waved lazily. "See you then." And then, just like before, he vanished.

Naruto scowled. "What is with this guy?"

I just sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.