Naruto: The First Step

Chapter 8

Naruto walked slowly towards the academy towards the swing where he and Sakura are supposed to meet. He looked down at the ground while he walked.

Once he arrived at the place, he looked up. Sakura wasn't there yet. He sat at the swing. He stared at the faces of the previous Hokage, including his favorite Hokage, the Yondaime. He once again made a new decision.

"I'll be Hokage...", he whispered then smiled.

He stood up.

"I, Uzumaki Naruto, will not only be a shinobi, but a Hokage as well!", he proudly acclaimed for the villagers to hear.

"Really?", a familiar voice asked.

He turned to the right where he heard the voice come from. He saw his first friend with 3 other kids.

"You want to be Hokage?", Sakura asked.

"Yeah! And the villagers will finally acknowledge me!", he proudly said.

A platinum blond girl looked curiously at Naruto.

"Hey... aren't you the kid the villagers want us to avoid?", the platinum blond asked.

Naruto's head bowed slightly.

"Ino!", Sakura scolded.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm used to it anyway.", Naruto reassured them.

"Troublesome girl.", a black pineapple like haired boy muttered.

"You think of everything as troublesome, Shikamaru!", the platinum blond pouted.

The 3rd kid doesn't seem to care as he is munching on a bag of chips. He had spirals on either side of his face and he also had brown spiky hair and he was fat.

"Hey, Naruto. You don't mind me bringing them along, do you?", Sakura asked.

"No, no! It's fine.", Naruto said then flashed a smile.

Sakura smiled back.

"Anyways, Naruto, I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Ino.", she pointed to the platinum blond girl.

"Hi.", Ino said.

"This is Shikamaru.", she pointed to the black haired boy.

"Troublesome.", the boy murmured.

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"And this is Choji.", she pointed to the kid eating chips.

"You want some?", the kid offered, holding out the bag of chips.

"Nah, I'm good.", Naruto said.

"Suit yourself.", Choji shrugged.

"Guys, this is Naruto.", Sakura introduced Naruto.

"Hey.", Naruto said and flashed a toothy smile.

"Do you guys wanna play?", Ino enthusiastically asked.

"Hell, yeah!", Naruto said.

"Okay!", Sakura agreed.

"Fine.", Shikamaru muttered.

"I'm in!", Choji agreed as well.

"Alright! What do you wanna play?", Ino said.

"How 'bout hide and seek?", Sakura suggested.

"Good idea, Sakura-chan!", Naruto agreed.

"You're it, Sakura!", Ino said.

"Okay...", Sakura said.

She placed her arms in a cross position on the tree and in front of her face and began counting 1-10 while the other began running around, looking for a place to hide.

Naruto climbed on top of the tree and hid behind some leaves. Ino hid under a log nearby. Choji and Shikamaru hid behind 2 trees nearby, opposite each other.

"10!", as soon as Sakura finished, she turned around.

She first went to the log where Ino was. And indeed, Ino was found.

"You're it, Ino!", Sakura exclaimed, smiling.

"No fair! You cheated!", Ino pouted.

"Did not!", Sakura defended.

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

"Sakura-chan, Ino, don't fight!", Naruto called from the tree.

"Wow, Naruto! How did you get up there?!", Sakura exclaimed.

Naruto chuckled embarassingly.

"How 'bout let's play another game?", Choji suggested.

"Tag, you're it!", Sakura said as she tagged Ino.

"Hey! No fair!", she complained while chasing around Sakura.

Choji and Shikamaru were already running away. Naruto jumped down the tree to play along with them.

So goes his second day of meeting friends.