Unshackled: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 5: Intro

Naruto stood in front of a large building, the Academy that he would be attending for the next six months. He swallowed a small bit of saliva that had gathered in his mouth, trying his best to steel his nerves.

Was he nervous? Of course he was. It was one of his goals to make bonds, and whoever resided in the classroom he had been assigned by the Third Hokage, were to be the ones he'd forge bonds with. Naruto quickly walked inside, seeing no point in waiting any longer outside of the large building that contained whatever his future in the Leaf would hold. 

He walked past a numerous amount of doors that were no doubt filled with wannabe-shinobi. He heard his footsteps hit the wooden flooring, echoing throughout the empty hallway. He stopped as he recognized the number on the door. He took a deep breath through his nostrils and released the oxygen through his mouth.

It was now or never. 

He almost chuckled at the thought, a smile gracing his lips before he did a quick three rhymic knocks on the wooden door and waited patiently. A second later, the door slid open, revealing a tan-skinned man whose hair was tied back and sat on his head, hanging just a bit towards his back. . He had a Leaf headband on his forehead and a large scar that spread horizontally across his nose. 

"You must be the new student," The man said as a smile graced his lips. "Welcome to the Academy, Naruto Uzumaki. My name is Iruka Umino and I'll be one of your instructors until you graduate. You may call me Iruka-sensei or Umino-sensei if you want." Naruto beamed at the man who was at least two heads taller than him. 

"Nice to meet you Iruka-sensei!" He said cheerfully, grinning as he held out his hand. The Chunin instructor shook the raven-haired boy's hand with a smile. 

"Come on inside and you can introduce yourself to the class. Unfortunately, the other teacher of this class, Mizuki, caught a cold this morning and had to call off." Naruto nodded. Iruka moved out of the doorway and Naruto walked into the classroom, a grin still on his face. 

As Naruto glanced at the class that was eyeing him curiously and immediately recognized several students who were clan heirs to some of the major clans of Konoha. He kept his smile on his face and stood in front of the desk that Iruka or Mizuki usually sat at to grade papers. 

"Go ahead and introduce yourself to the class for us," Iruka said as he watched the aspiring shinobi. These next few moments would probably cement any thoughts he would have of this boy. Naruto met the gazes of a few students until he settled his eyes on one particular student and his eyes widened just a fraction. 

The said person that Naruto was looking at was one he had memorized at the age of four. She had blonde hair that was tied in a ponytail that ran down her back. She had dark brown eyes that met his sky blue and they only narrowed as the raven-haired boy refused to disconnect the eye contact. 

She was the Jinchuuriki of the Two-Tails, which was of no doubt in Naruto's mind. He had been told that Konoha had taken possession of Two-Tails after the Raikage tried to steal the Hyuga Heiress, but to think he'd be put in the same class? It was a bit unreal. 

He broke the eye contact and simply gazed across the classroom for a moment before taking another deep breath. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I like a ton of things and don't really dislike anything. I don't really have any hobbies besides training. Still discovering those," He chuckled awkwardly as the class remained silent. "Uh, oh! My dream is to protect my future comrades and to become a hero like my father!" 

Iruka rose an eyebrow. "Who was your father?" He asked politely. He hadn't remembered any heroes of Konoha with the name of the extinct Uzumaki Clan. His brows furrowed in thought for a moment. He hadn't heard of any Uzumaki within the village except for the woman who had been with the Fourth Hokage and-