Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Young And The Hopeless ❯ Squad Seven; Destined For Failure?! ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

[01] The Young And The Hopeless [Squad Seven; Destined For Failure?!]

Uzumaki Naruto groaned as he pulled himself out from his sleep. He looked at the calendar. It said October 15, five days after Naruto turned twelve, and two days after he became a Genin. Today was orientation for the new Genin. Naruto grinned with a chuckle as he looked at the calendar.

"Today's... a special day so... Ikidakemasu!" the blond boy shouted happily, dipping his chopsticks into the hot ramen. He slurped up the noodles happily. A small sigh showed he was happy with his so-called breakfast. Naruto picked up the blue and white container of milk, drinking it happily, not realizing it was chunky and expired by two months.

Naruto adjusted the goggles on his forehead, adjusting the collar on his jacket right after. He glanced down to see the hitai-ate Iruka-sensei gave him two nights ago. He picked up the blue cloth with the metal plate, staring at it. He stared at Konoha's engraved insignia, showing he was a member of the Hidden Leaf's shinobi. With a chuckle, the Kyuubi jinchuuriki replaced the green goggles with the hitai-ate.

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Haruno Sakura stood in front of her mirror, making sure she looked perfect. She hummed a small tune as she fastened the hitai-ate around the top of her head. She placed one hand behind her pink har and winked at herself in the mirror with a giggle, a signal saying she looked great.

"Sakura-chan! Shouldn't you be heading out soon?" Sakura's mother called. Sakura's arm dropped as an irk mark appeared on her forehead. She scowled at the door.

"I know! I'm on my way out now!" Sakura called back in an agitated sing-song voice. Shannarou! How long do you plan on treating me like a child?! Sakura wondered.

Sakura walked towards the academy, looking towards the ground. That's right... I'm not a little academy student anymore. I'm Haruno Sakura, kunoichi in training!

"Itikimasu!" Yamanaka Ino called from the flower shop. Sakura's rival and best friend, dressed in purple and white, walked out of the shop and spotted Sakura. The two stared at each other for a minute, Ino smirking.

"Ohayou, Sakura." Ino said smugly.

"Ohayou, Ino." Sakura replied, just as smug. She walked on, passing Ino who began walking as soon as Sakura reached her.

"So they actually let you graduate? What a surprise." Ino said with a smirk.

"Those classes are ancient history. We're ninja now and we're both equals." Sakura replied, looking at Ino. "I won't lose to you anymore!" she said, walking a bit ahead of Ino. Ino inched ahead of Sakura, who in return inched ahead of Ino. Soon it turned into a race to the academy.

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"Geez, what a pain! Stupid orientation." Akyuzhou Takyua mumbled, tying her hitai-ate around her forehead. She shut slammed the door shut as she trudged over to the academy, only to meet up with her friend and occational enemy Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke looked abnormally tired, considering he was usually at the academy by this time.

"What's got you so tired Sasu-kun?" Takyua asked, looking at the half-awake Uchiha boy. Sasuke sighed and rotated his left shoulder blade.

"I stayed out too late last night training and didn't get enough sleep." he replied, rotating the other shoulder blade. Takyua grinned with a small giggle.

"I should have known. You seem to do that a lot lately." she said. Sasuke smirked and nodded.

"No worries though. I'll look how I normally do within five minutes." he said. Takyua nodded as the two entered the academy, Sasuke sitting in his usual seat and Takyua next to him. Soon the class filled up, Naruto surprisingly there. The blond boy giggling insanely to himself.

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Nara Shikamaru, Konoha's laziest Genin, walked down the stairs, noticing a familiar head of blond hair besiades that of Akyuzhou Takyua, who was sitting beside another blond.

"What the--? Naruto? What are you doing here? This isn't for drop outs! You can't be here unless you graduated." Shikamaru said, looking at Naruto. Takyua, noticing Naruto for the first time, blinked.

"Oh yeah? Do you see this? Do you see this? Open your eyes Shikamaru, it's a regulation headband. We're gonna be training together, how do ya like that? Let me put it this this way; this headband was made for me, dattebayo!" Naruto said with a laugh. Over in the corner, Hyuuga Hinata smiled while bushing.

Naruto-kun, you graduated after all! I'm so glad! she thought happily.

Outside of the classroom, stomping could be heard. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, fearing the worst. Takyua sighed and looked towards the door.

"Fangirls, ten o'clock." she muttered to her friend. Sasuke sunk down in his seat a bit before returning to his normal position, his fingers laced and his chin resting on his hands.

"I'm first!" Sakura and Ino shouted, running out of breath while shoving the other's face with their hands. Ino smirked.

"I win again, Sakura!" she said. Sakura smirked back.

"Get real! I had to look back to see you! My toe was atleast a tenth of an inch ahead of yours!" Sakura shot back.

"Have you always been this delusional?" Ino asked. Naruto turned to look at Sakura, blushing madly.

Sakura-chan... he thought. Sakura turned, as if hearing Naruto's thoughts, and smiled, seeing the boy behind Naruto. Naruto, of course, thought she was smiling at him.

She's smiling at me! I think she likes me in this headband! Naruto thought stupidly. Sakura giggled and ran down to Naruto's row.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ino asked as Sakura ran away.

"Ohayou, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said happily, half sitting half standing.

"Move it!" Sakura growled, shoving Naruto aside. Turning to glare at Takyua.

"Move, Takyua!" she demanded. Takyua turned to look at Sakura.

"...Iie." she said a moment later. Sakura glared even harder and frowned.

"Takyua, move!" she demanded once again.

"Do shite?" Takyua asked, leaning backwards with her eyes closed.

"O-ohayou, Sasuke-kun. Can I sit next to you, instead of Takyua-baka?" Sakura asked, ignoring Takyua completely. Sasuke glanced at Sakura before facing the way he had before and rolling his eyes. Ino stomped down the steps and pulled on Sakura's arm.

"Back off, hitai! I'm sitting next to Sasuke-kun!" she shouted.

"I was here first!" Sakura growled.

"I was in the classroom before you! Everyone saw it!" Ino said.

"Dream on!" Sakura snapped back.

"Actually, I was here before either of you!" one girl said.

"So did I! I'm sitting next to Sasuke-kun!" another said.

"No I am!" a third girl said. Takyua sighed and opened her eyes, only to roll them to shut them again. Sasuke sat where he was, ignoring the kunoichi's squabbling over the already occupied seat.

How annoying... he thought.

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"Is that this year's top male rookie, Uchiha Sasuke?" Sarutobi Asuma asked, looking into the Hokage's crystal ball.

"Yes, he's the one." the Hokage replied.

"He's the only survivor left of the Uchiha clan." Yuuhi Kurenai said with no emotion.

"Yes, that's right." the Hokage said. The crystal ball shifted from the picture of the Uchiha boy to the young girl beside him.

"And that's her, Akyuzhou Takyua. The only one to survive the Akatsuki raid on her clan's territory of Konoha. This year's top kunoichi when it came to ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu. Her tests, however, were as bad as that Nara kids." Hatake Kakashi mumbled, looking at the blond girl.

"Correct. She and Sasuke are good friends, and when they use their strength combined, they're an unbeatable team. Sasuke cares deeply for this girl, since she is his best, and most likely only, friend. Same goes for her. She cares deeply for Sasuke since he is her best friend." the Hokage explained. The crystal ball's picture changed from Takyua over to Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto, eh?" Kakashi pondered.

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With a small growl, and one nasty glare, Naruto perched himself in front of Sasuke ontop of the desk. Sasuke looked up, completely agitated. The two glared at each other while Takyua sighed.

"So, it's turned into another stare down. Wouldn't it be entertaining if something were to hapen, like Naruto lose his footing and falling into you Sasu-kun, in a lip-lock?" Takyua joked.

"Don't even joke about that, Takyua." Sasuke mumbled, not giving the other girls the pleasure of hearing him speak.

"Naruto! Stop glaring at Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted. Naruto turned to Sakura, slightly upset.

Sakura-chan... Naruto thought. He turned back to Sasuke and continued to glare. Everyone's all "Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun!" I don't get it! What's the big deal with this guy? Naruto wondered, glaring even harder at Sasuke. Imaginary electricity ran between Sasuke's and Naruto's eyes, only the way it happens between rivals.

"Hit 'im, Sasuke-kun!"

"Beat him up, Sasuke-kun!"

"What?! No way!" an overexcited Genin exclaimed, leaning backwards, bumping Naruto into Sasuke. The Genin looked backwards to apologize. "Oh, gomen! I didn't mean to bump you!" he apologized. Takyua sat there, mouth open in astonishment and in entertainment.

"Uh, what the-?" Sakura wondered, looking at the scene in front of her. Just as Takyua predicted, Sasuke and Naruto were lip-locked. Sasuke looked sick to his stomach, while Naruto looked like he was about to die. The two boys pulled away from each other a quick as they possibly could. Sakura screamed and fell to the floor.

Shannarou! I was going to be Sasuke's first kiss! Naruto, you will pay! she thought. Takyua bust out laughing as Sasuke gagged over the side of his desk, clutching his throat. Naruto leaned over the side of the desk, gagging towards the boy who bumped him into Sasuke in the first place.

"You jerk... Naruto! I'll kill you!" Sasuke coughed.

"Poison! My mouth is ruined!" Naruto choked.

"Uh, was that my fault?" the boy asked. Takyua looked at the boy, chuckling under her breath.

"Yeah kid, it was. But you just made my day! Arigatou!" she said happily. Naruto's eyes suddenly shot open, sensing very angry girls.

"Uh-oh! Danger!" he said, turning to look at the very mad girls.

"Naruto... you are so dead!" Sakura growled.

"It was an accident, I swear!" Naruto pleaded.

"You're finished!" Sakura said, cracking her knuckles.

"Hold on..." Naruto said, afraid. His screams echoed through the whole academy.

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"As usual, Naruto is right in the middle of some kind of trouble." the Hokage said, looking down at he scene through his crystal ball. Of course, the whole oom had burst into laughter when the excited Genin bumped Naruto into Sasuke, and there were a few chuckles remaining, but it was mainly silent.

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"As of today, you all have become full-fledged ninjas. However, you're still Genin, first level ninjas. From here on, you'll be grouped into three man squads, one squad considting of four from the uneven amount of graduates. You will carry out your missions led by a Jounin, an elite ninja." Iruka explained, holding a paper with each squad written on it behind his back. Naruto, Sakura and Ino gasped.

A three-man squad?! the three thought in unison.

"Well, someone's gotta be with Sasuke-kun. I wonder who." Ino said from behind Sakura, who ended up sitting next to Takyua and Naruto.

"I don't know." Sakura replied simply. Shannarou! I'm gonna be the one with Sasuke-kun, so stay away from him you hag! Sakura thought hastily.

Groups of three, eh? That'll slow me down if I'm not in Takyua's group. One, my sparring partner will be gone and two, I'll probably be stuck with idiots. Sasuke thought, getting more and more annoyed as he thought about it.

Well, I wanna be in Sakura-chan's group, and, well, I don't care, as long as it's not Sasuke or Takyua! Takyua may be cool an' all, but she hangs out with Sasuke an awful lot! Naruto thought.

What's the point in being a ninja if I have no one to spar with? Hopefully Sasu-kun and I will be on the same squad with someone like Hinata. Someone who won't bug us. Takyua thought.

"The groups have been determined by a balance of strength and abilities. I will now announce the squads." Iruka said. Takyua zoned out for most of the squads, up until squad six, considering her name hadn't been said yet. "Now then, squad seven. Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura-" a cheer from Naruto cut off Iruka. "Akyuzhou Takyua and Uchiha Sasuke." Iruka finished, getting cut off by a cheer from Sakura and a groan from Naruto. Takyua smiled when she heard Sasuke's name come after her own, but scowled when she remembered that Sakura and Naruto were on her squad. She smiled again, thinking it wouldn't be all bad.

I won't be with Naruto-kun then... Hinata thought sadly.

"Squa eight, Hyuuga Hinata," Iruka said, looking at Hinata.

"H-hai, sensei."

"Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino." Iruka said. Sakura turned around and flashed Ino the peace sign, signaling that she won.

"Ugh! How did you get in Sasuke's squad?!" Ino exclaimed.

Shannarou! True love conquers all! Sakura thought happily. Ino growled.

"I don't get it. What do you see in a guy like that? He's not so special." Shikamaru said from behind Sasuke.

"Don't you get it, Shikamaru?" Ino asked.

"No, I don't get it. I'm not a girl." Shikamaru replied, stating the obvious. Ino sighed.

"You are so full of yourself. Jealousy is a terrible thing. I'd hate to be on your squad." she said, resting her chin on one of her hands.

"Speak for yourself, Ino. If I remember correctly, you were jealous that Sakura asked Sasuke if she could sit with him before you did. And you sounded jealous when Sakura got onto his squad. And you're rather full of yourself as well. What do you know? You and Shikamaru are pretty alike." Takyua said, never turning around to look at Ino.

"What-?!" Ino excalimed.

"And finally, squad ten. Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru-" Iruka began.

"Ha! Did you say something about hating to be on my squad?" Shikamaru asked, looking at Ino's shocked face. Ino growled.

"And... Akimichi Chouji!" Iruka announced. Ino groaned and placed her hands on her head.

Not food boy too! she thought in disbelief. Takyua smirked.

"Karma's a bitch, ain't it Ino?" she asked, looking at the other blond kunoichi.

"Those are all the squads." Iruka said before getting inturupted.

"Iruka-sensei! Why does a great ninja like me have to be in a group with a slug like Sasuke?!" Naruto exclaimed, standing up and pointing at Sasuke. Sakura turned and glared at Naruto while Takyua sighed.

Here we go, another boring lecture for Naruto that we all have to listen to. Takyua thought. Iruka sighed.

"Sasuke had the best scores out of all the male graduates. Naruto, you had the worst scores." he said. The class began to laugh. "To create a balanced group, we had to put the best student with the worst." Iruka said. Naruto growled.

"Just make sure to stay out of my way, dobe." Sasuke said quietly, but loud enough for the class to hear.

"Oi! What did you call me?!"

"Hard of hearing?"

"Sensei! Why is Takyua on the squad then?" Sakura asked suddenly. Iruka sighed yet again.

"Sakura, while you had the highest scores out of the female graduates on the written exams, Takyua had the same scores as Shikamaru. Sakura, with ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu, you were almost as bad as Naruto while Takyua was as good as Sasuke." Iruka said, causing Sakura to blush from embarassment.

"Ooh, burn. Almost as bad as Uzumaki. Now that's a diss." Takyua said, causing Inuzuka Kiba to snort loudly with laughter. Iruka cleared his throat.

"You'll meet your new Jounin teachers after lunch. Until then, class dismissed." Iruka said, obviously annoyed.

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Sakura rushed outside, looking every which way for Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun! Where are you? Why did he go running off so fast? I thought since we're in the same group and all, I thought we could eat together." Sakura said sadly.

"Hey! Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted from behind Sakura. Sakura turned and saw the blond boy. "Since we're in the same group and all I thought we could eat together!" Naruto said happily.

"Why would I eat lunch with you? How could that thought even cross you mind?" Sakura asked.

"Well, we;re in the same group and all..." Naruto trailed off.

"Naruto.. you're annoying." Sakura said, turning around. "Sasuke-kun! Where are you?" Sakura called again, walking off.

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"Sakura's such a bitch!" Takyua exclaimed, looking down at the Naruto and Sakura scene. Sasuke looked at Takyua curiously.

"What do you mean?" he asked, taking a bite out of the onigiri he had for lunch.

"Sakura's looking for you, wanting to eat lunch with you since she's on the same team, wanting to get to know you, and Uzumaki comes along, asks her he same thing she was going to ask you, and she blows him off. Everyone knows he has a crush on her!" Takyua explained. Sasuke sighed.

"Love is a weakness. It's only for those who are weak." he said, taking another bite of onigiri.

"Hm, no wonder why it suits Uzumaki and Sakura so well. Sakura's madly in love with you, and Uzumaki's madly in love with her. Pathetic." Takyua said, sitting on the window sill of the room they were in, taking a bite of her own onigiri. Sasuke smiled, something he only did around Takyua.

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"Hey Ino. Looks like Takyua's having lunch with Sasuke. And get this, Sasuke's smiling." Shikamaru said, chewing on a bite of his lunch.

"What?!" Ino shrieked, turning around to see Takyua with Sasuke. Sasuke was smiling, like Shikamaru said, and Takyua was laughing. Shikamaru smirked.

So, Takyua and Sasuke are buddy-buddy, eh? Takyua, I'd watch my back if I were you. he warned in his head.

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"Oh! Sasuke, there you are! Are you ready now, you know, mentally prepared? Because I am! I'm raring to go!" Sakura squealed. "Hey, wait a minute!"

"Sakura, where's Naruto?" Sasuke asked, after finishing his lunch. Takyua was with him, just a bit ahead of him.

"Oh, there you go changing the subject again! Just leave Naruto alone! All he does is pick fights with you! You know why he's so selfish? It's because he wasn't raised right! You know! He doesn't have any parents, right? He always selfishly does whatever he wants!" Sakura said, trying to get Sasuke to agree with her. Takyua and Sasuke's eyes hardened at Sakura's words. "My parents would get mad at me if I did something like that! There are no parents to nag you if it's just you alone!"

"Shut up..." Takyua muttered, looking at the ground. Tears silently dripped down Takyua's face as she listened to Sakura's words.

"So his selfishness comes out at various times! He's all alone!" Sakura exclaimed.

"I said shut up!" Takyua shouted, raising her head. Sakura and Sasuke looked at her to see the tears streaming down her face. "Consider yourself lucky, Haruno! We, meaning the rest of your squad, don't have parents! We don't have anyone! We're, as you say, alone! Uzumaki may not have known his parents, but atleast someone has been there for him! Someone like Hokage-sama and Iruka-sensei! My parents were brutally murdered in front of my eyes! You're lucky enough to go home to someone who will care for you when you're sick, when you need someone to comfort you! Sasuke, Naruto and I don't have that! Just shut your mouth for once and think before you speak!" Takyua shouted, the tears coming down faster than before. Takyua turned her back and ran off towards the academy to wait.

"Alone... isolated. It's not about your parents scolding you. You have no idea what it means to be alone. Takyua, Naruto and I do." Sasuke said, continuing where Takyua left off.

"Why are you saying this too, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

"Because... you annoy me." Sasuke said, heading the way Takyua went.

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Naruto ran out of the bathroom, just to run into Takyua, who ran past him, crying.

"Takyua...?" Naruto wondered. It's probably something that that jerk Sasuke said! "Sasuke! What did you say to make Takyua cry?" Naruto asked the advancing Sasuke. Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I didn't say anything, It was your precious Sakura. She was insulting you, and Takyua decided enough was enough. Takyua stood up for you, but she was still hurt by Sakura's words and ran off. I came to find her." he explained. Naruto gasped slightly and looked up at Sasuke, considering Sasuke was two inches taller than him.

"She... stood up for me?" he asked. Sasuke nodded and walked around Naruto.

"Sakura was saying something about you not having any parents and something inside of Takyua snapped. You should find Sakura. We need to head up to Iruka's classroom. I'll find Takyua." Sasuke said, continuing towards the way Takyua went.

"But first... I gotta use the can again!" Naruto shouted, running into the bathroom.

Faintly, in the distance, you could hear Naruto shout something.

"AM I GONNA SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE IN THE BATHROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM?!"