Oh hey, this story's back. I'm going to try and keep it updated and shit. you can guess what the basic premise is by the title, but be warned, I have a lot of ideas so don't expect it to just be a humorous thing. And it most certainly will not just follow canon, so yeah. Trying to be epic and shit here. Anyway. Read, now.

The sun was bright, its light peering into the classroom full of happy and young students. However, the only person in the room who took note of it had nowhere near a sunny disposition.

Hinata Hyuga's name might have meant "Facing the Sun", but that was nothing but a cruel irony. Her life had been nothing but sorrow after sorrow, disappointment after disappointment, a neverending stream of rain clouding down upon her mockery of a name. That is, except for a brief ray of sunshine that entered her life. A ray of sunshine that was now long gone. One which she had long ago lost hope would ever return.

"Alright, listen up!" their Academy Sensei, Iruka, called out. A few of the more quiet students, such as Hinata and the last Uchiha, were as calm as ever, if not attentive in the Uchiha's case, but the majority of the classroom was still as rambunctious as ever. A visible tick formed on Iruka's head as his students refused to listen to him.

"LISTEN UP!" he shouted even louder than before, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "You aren't kids any longer! Soon, you'll be Shinobi of the Leaf! Act like it!"

He gave himself a moment to calm down as the students sheepishly got into "learning" mode. After taking a deep breath, he began his lecture. "As you know, the Graduation Exam is next Friday. Once you all take it and pass it, you will all be assigned jounin senseis, who will further your training and take you out on real missions. Therefore, it is vital that you study everything that we have learned. Out on the field, you will have to have complete control of your regimen. I will not always be there to train you, nor will anyone else. As such, you will be doing all further studying and training for your exam by yourself. Any questions?"

As always, no one piped up. Iruka brushed away the thoughts of a wayward troublemaker and what he would have said were he still here.

"Dismissed."

With that, the students filed out of the classroom one by one, leaving their former sensei to his thoughts. And as it often did, his mind returned to a particular student from this very class from long ago.

'Naruto… I wonder what you're up to now…?'

Hinata thrust her hand forward as the Hyuga fighting style commanded her to do, but her opponent easily dodged it.

"Use force in your attacks! Harder! Stronger!" her father, clan head Hiashi, barked at her from the sidelines, the cold and almost uncaring nature of his voice causing shivers of fear and disappointment through her bones. Seeing his chance, Neji thrust his palm forward and easily sent her tumbling down to the ground. He had not even come close to breaking a sweat.

Hiashi shook his head as his daughter meekly got up. As both his daughter and his nephew turned to him with looks of fear and feigned indifference respectfully, he simply look at them with cold, passionless eyes. Without another word, he turned and left the dojo.

Hinata was almost ready to burst into tears, but she somehow managed to hold it together as her father left her alone with her cousin. She would not cry. She could not cry.

Neji turned to her, his eyes blazing with a deep, unspeakable hatred. Without a single word, and yet saying so much, he turned and left her alone.

No longer able to contain herself, Hinata ran to her room as fast as her legs could take her and cried.

"Is there anything I can do to change your mind, Kakashi?"

"... I'm sorry, did you say something?" the famous copy nin lazily replied.

The temperature in the room dropped a considerable amount as the Third Hokage's killing intent rose. A faintly visible ban of sweat formed on Kakashi's brow as he realized the mistake he just made. 'I should remember who I'm talking to...'

"What I mean, Lord Hokage," he swiftly stated, his calm demeanor in no way betraying the sheer terror he was feeling at the moment, "is that I do not believe I am best suited for taking on a squad of genin, no matter what potential they possess. As you know, tensions with the Mist have intensified recently, and I, quite frankly, it is in the best interest of the village not to pull one of your best shinobi off of the active duty roster. … Not to toot my own horn, or anything."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, seeing the point the copy nin was making. Aside from his pupil Jiraiya, who was God knows where, and perhaps himself, even in his aged state, Kakashi was presently the strongest ninja swearing loyalty to the Leaf. He couldn't afford to sentence him to months of menial D rank missions. Not in this political climate.

"Be that as it may, it is vital that Sasuke learns how to control his power," Sarutobi said as if he wasn't conflicted on the matter himself. "Not only on how to control his sharingan, but also… The Uchiha curse."

Kakashi closed his visible eye as if he were mulling over what the leader of his village said. The Third Hokage simply waited patiently as he awaited his answer.

However, the answer would not be one he would have predicted in a million years

"If I may," Kakashi said finally as he opened his eye. "There is one other possible sensei for Sasuke…"

Hiruzen closed his eyes and sighed, knowing full well whom the copy ninja had in mind. "You don't mean…"

A few weeks later, after the graduation exams, Iruka looked over the papers detailing his former students' grades..

Sasuke had taken the spot as the Rookie of the Year, as pretty much everyone had expected. Of course, Iruka knew that, truly, that rank belonged to another ninja… But he put that thought away for now. Regardless, while Sasuke was the closest to being a ninja in terms of skills, he lacked the mental discipline to work with his peers, which would most certainly lead him to a dangerous demise. This lack of faith in his peers and blind ego would be something his new Sensei would have to work on with him.

This year had had many children of clan heads with much riding on their shoulders, and fortunately for them and their clans they had all passed with decent grades. Even Hinata Hyuga, who had started as one of the more talented kunoichi when school began before gradually getting worse and worse grades, had managed to pass. Of course, it was as the "dead last", but Iruka had quite frankly been worried about her failing his class. He could only hope that whomever her sensei was going to be, they could do a better job than he did. Sometimes, he cursed himself and constantly failing his students… But once again, he put that matter aside.

But of particular note to Iruka was that of Sakura Haruno. Whereas many of her peers were heirs to esteemed ninja clans, she herself was a simple daughter of a carpenter. Even so, her intellectual level was through the roof, pitting her as the top ninja in theoretical terms. Of course, theory was not always practical, and she seemed to have little in the ways of physical or emotional preparation for the life of a ninja, opting instead to glamourize life and fantasize about a certain someone. He felt she was in for a rude awakening when she began going out into the real world. Once again, this was something her Sensei would need to help you on.

Satifisied with their grades, he began looking over the document to see who the various Senseis would most of them, he simply made a note in his mind and went on. However, he immediately stopped in his tracks when he read who Team 7's Sensei would be.

"What in the world…"

Hinata sat quietly in the back of the classroom, trying to tune out the happy chatter around her. She tried to congratulate herself in having managed to at least get this far, but the fact it was only just barely gnawed at her mind and left her unable to take solace in it.

Her father barely reacted at all, as per usual. It used to be that he would have subjugated her to an intense sparring session when she brought home a bad grade, but those aches and pains she received were now a pleasant memory to the discarded and forgotten Hyuga. Aside from the occasional bout to prove her worthlessness, she was completely forgotten.

'Maybe my new sensei will be able to help me...' she futilely tried to comfort herself. Of course, she was very fond of Iruka-sensei, but he wasn't exactly the best ninja. Maybe a jounin would be able to help her? 'Oh, who am I kidding...'

Iruka entered the classroom once again, and gave a final shout for attention. As if everyone had realized the weight of what they now were, they all paid close attention to him right away. Iruka let out a tiny smile. 'They can learn.'

"My fellow shinobi," he began, startling a few of them in how he had essentially referred to them as his equals. "You begin a new age of your life today. Starting from this day on, you will be undergoing training unlike any you've underwent here. However, I believe you all are strong and carry the Will of Fire, and will be able to shoulder this burden. I may have no mo to teach you, but know this:I may no longer be your sensei, but you will always be my students."

A pleasant wave of satisfaction went through every students, and Iruka gave a small smile before going on. "Now, as you know, you will be assigned into teams of three under a Jounin Sensei. Your new Sensei will help mold you into the type of shinobi you wish to be. Your sensei and teammates have been specially selected by the Hokage to compliment your abilities. Learn from them, befriend them. They will be your family from now on."

A few girls visibly broke their moment of maturity to pass glances to the resident "prince" of the classroom, but Iruka simply moved on.

"Now, I will tell you what your team name is, so listen up."

The first few rounds went over fairly well. A few girls were upset they weren't with Sasuke, but for the most part they were reasonably content with the assignments. Hinata simply waited to see whom she would be paired with.

"Team Seven will consist of Sasuke Uchiha..."

Practically every girl's ears perked up at that, especially the ones who weren't called yet.

"Hinata Hyuga…"

Every girl turned to face the heiress, glaring daggers at her as the sole non-fangirl of the classroom tried to bury herself in her coat.

"And Sakura Haruno."

"YES!" Sakura shouted out, standing up in the middle of the classroom. However, a disapproving glare later and she meekly sat back down in her seat.

'Great… The weakling and the fangirl,' Sasuke brooded to himself. 'They will simply slow me down...'

Iruka coughed to regain the attention of all the disappointed girls… and boy. "Your sensei will be… er, a surprise."

"What?!" Sakura shouted, having seemingly forgotten Iruka-sensei's earlier glare of disapproval. "What do you mean, a surprise? Everyone else heard their sensei's name!"

Iruka, however, simply rubbed the back of his head in an awkward manner. "Well… He kind of made me promise to let it be a surprise. Don't worry, you'll know him when you see him."

'Hm… it must be a ninja of unparalleled caliber to be that mysterious…' Sasuke brooded to himself. 'Must be a relatively high ANBU to warrant such a deception… Good, that will serve me well.'

As everyone got back into the fold, some with dashed dreams, Iruka called out the remaining teams. Kiba groaned at being with the two creeps of the classroom, Shino and Sai, while they stayed as silent as ever, while the new InoShikaCho trio were reasonably content with their assignment, Ino having figured they were her best possible team, after Sasuke of course. Afterward, he gave them one last speech and dismissed them for lunch, telling them to return for their sensei's afterwards. He sighed and fell back in his chair as the last student left, before turning around to face an inconspicuous vent.

"You ready for this, kiddo?"

A grin popped through the vent. "Believe it."

As the students left the classroom for their lunch break, the various teams seemed to decide on their own to eat lunch with their respective teams. Every team, that is, except for Team 7.

"Hey Sasuke! Wait up!" Sakura yelled hopefully, completely leaving Hinata in the dust. Said brooding Uchiha seemed to twerk his ear in irritation, but otherwise did not alter his pace.

Sakura, however, was undeterred. "Say, Sasuke, I was thinking, since we were on the same team now, maybe we should… hehe… eat lunch together?" she asked hopefully, with what she hoped was her cutest face.

Sasuke would not know, however, as he did not turn to face her. Instead, he kept walking.

Sakura's lips began to quaver, but she still would not give up. This was True Love, after all! So she ran ahead in front of Sasuke, in an attempt to cut him off."So, Sasuke, would you-"

"Enough, Sakura," he growled, shocking her. "It is bad enough I have to be on the same team as you and that weakling, but to consistently be bothered by you like this? It… it's infuriating!" he snapped angrily at her.

Sakura's eyes began to wate, and through the pain, a faint trace inside of her recognized that this was the most Sasuke had ever said to her. "But I-"

"Shut up, Sakura. Leave me alone, and try not to be a burden." With that, he left the devastated fangirl standing alone in the hallway.

The students piled back into the classroom, Sakura moping after what Sasuke said to her during their lunch break, and sat back in their seats. They were surprised to see Iruka wasn't there, but within seconds several puffs of smoke as nine ninja appeared at the front of the classroom. They called out their teams and left, leaving Iruka alone with Team Seven.

Hinata sat quietly in her corner, looking out the window. 'Looks like the sun is out again,' she thought to herself dryly. She almost let out a chuckle.

Sakura, however, was in her own seat, lips quivering as she stared down at the table. 'Is what he said true…? Am I really… a burden? Can I… Should I… What am I…?'

Sasuke continued to brood as per usual, his mind acing through thoughts on whom his teacher could be and just how much stronger they could make him. He let out a quiet smirk at the thought.

Iruka sighed. Thirty minutes late, and still no sign of him. 'It seems he picked up a few bad habits from Kakashi, after not that one...'

"Sorry about this, guys, but I have an appointment to get to," Iruka said sheepishly. None of the three students seemed to respond, so lost in their own thoughts as they were. He frowned as he saw just how broken and disjointed Team 7 was, but unfortunately there wasn't much he could do about that. Sighing, and praying for a miracle, he packed up his bags and officially departed as their Sensei.

The three Genins in training sat in silence for ten minutes, none of them bothering to talk to one another. The silence could be cut with a knife.

"Man, you guys are boring!" an almost familiar voice echoed throughout the room, causing them all to look around. "I would have thought I could at least see how you guys interact, but you're not even making this fun for me!"

'Is that… no… It can't be...' Hinata's mind raced as she thought of something, anything, that could be the conclusion she came to.

Sasuke, meanwhile, simply stared straight ahead, disappointed in himself in not being able to sense that he was being watched. Yet also confused, as that voice sounded somewhat familiar…

"Wh-where are you?" Sakura verbally asked what the others were thinking, her mind racing through all of the possibilities. But none seemed likely. Especially the one that her mind first jumped to.

"Right here," the voice called, finally materializing in the room. All three student's mouths dropped, even if ever so slightly, at the arrival of someone they never thought they'd see again.

"Naruto?!" they all shouted, their voices ringing with complete disbelief.

"That's Naruto-sensei to you three," the former dead last smirked, looking down at his three former classmates who were now his squad.