Now that the three Team 7 genin had found some rocky semblance of unity and comradery, they slowly slipped into a rhythm in their new life. Naruto developed the first close bonds and friendships he'd ever had, as Sakura and Sasuke both accepted him and were the first of his age to treat him like a friend. Before, Naruto had spent the majority of his life by himself. But now with a team, he found himself living in close proximity with his teammates, as they would regularly work, eat, sleep, train, and live together. Before Team 7, Naruto had spent much of his time (except during school, of course) alone and by himself, but now that he was part of a shinobi unit, Team 7 became Naruto's near constant companions. Because of their close interaction by necessity of their line of work, Naruto became familiar with the personality, mannerisms, attitudes, quirks, and nuances of his teammates, becoming close to people in a way that he had never been close to another human being before.

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Naruto continued to prolong his immature competitive attitude with Sasuke, settling into a rhythm with Sasuke, a clear older brother/little brother dynamic. Naruto was insanely jealous of any attention that Sasuke received, whether that attention was based on his talent, skill, Uchiha heritage, or physical handsomeness. Any compliment or attention Sasuke received, Naruto immediately sought to redirect to himself by loudly protesting and being so outspoken that others must address him as well. Naruto loudly complained about Sasuke and criticized his rival as being overrated at any opportunity he got. 

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Naruto had a tendency to verbally protest against any orders or strategic plans Sasuke gave to his teammates - yet despite his adamant outcries Naruto typically obediently followed Sasuke's orders and plans anyway. In short, despite his outspoken complaints and protests and putting on a public show of disdaining Sasuke, Naruto's actions belied immense respect, as Naruto tended to defer to Sasuke as the team leader.

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Sasuke and Naruto sunk into a rhythm of fun banter between them. Naruto gets into trouble and Sasuke gets him out again, never failing to save his troublesome comrade. Rinse and repeat. Naruto came to depend heavily on Sasuke, though Naruto probably doesn't realize how much so.

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Sasuke continued to treat Naruto with a patient, brotherly tolerance. However, due to the heightened dangers they face on team missions, Sasuke became his teammates' protector and defender. Naruto was rambunctious and reckless, lacking in restraint and self-control. Naruto acted upon his emotions without thought of consequences. Lucky for Naruto, with Sasuke present and in charge, Sasuke frequently acted as a buffer between Naruto and the repercussions of his actions, jumping to Naruto's defense or aid whenever Naruto attempted a reckless move with potentially harmful or lethal consequences. Due to Sauke taking on the burden of responsibility for the team's protection and capability, Naruto was afforded the luxury of being able to act out and continue being his reckless, emotional self, because Sasuke, a watchful older brother, would come to his aid and protect and cover for Naruto without fail. Oftentimes, Naruto took Sasuke's dependable protectiveness for granted, not realizing how what hoops Sasuke sometimes had to jump through to compensate for Naruto's rash actions, sometimes even using his own body as a shield to protect Naruto. Sasuke's responsible protection allowed Naruto to continue being carefree and keep acting out and acting upon unorthodox impulses whenever he so felt like it. During the first year of his Team 7 days, for the most part Naruto was happily oblivious to and unaware of any real responsibility, as it is Sasuke's role to lead the team, perform well, and always keep the team on track. 

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Naruto was just along for the ride; he could try to be an over-achiever if he wanted but no one will much care if he doesn't perform with flying colors because they didn't expect anything exceptional or special from Naruto; the pressure of responsibility rested on Sasuke's shoulders. Naruto was under no real pressure to perform well because people were already certain he was a failure and an unimpressive loser. Of course, this lack of expectation and pressure to perform well placed an innate pressure on Naruto, as Naruto wanted people to expect things of him instead of being disrespected, ridiculed, or forgotten all the time. No one believed in Naruto unless he believes in himself, and that was a depressing weight on the young Uzumaki's shoulders and a constant reminder of his loneliness.

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Naruto's bond with Sakura doesn't much mature for the entirety of Part I of Naruto. Naruto and Sakura are both carefree and lighthearted and enjoy engaging in fun antics together, arguing in good fun, or taking pleasure in life's joys. The two both have a spirited, fun-loving persona that makes them somewhat kindred spirits. Sakura begins to be friendlier and kinder to Naruto and often patiently explains "complicated" information to Naruto by breaking down explanations into basic speak that he can understand. Naruto and Sakura are similarly united by a fun-loving and fiery spirit, with Naruto's fiery side being open and unapologetically blunt while Sakura kept her fiery thoughts often to herself out of respect for proper conduct and decorum. Both were the most immature of the team, and they were united by a shared love of fun and light-heartedness.

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Where Sasuke is unbothered and unmoved by Naruto's antics, and where Kakashi largely ignored Naruto's rambunctious ways or apologized for his student acting out, Sakura was not nearly so tolerant of Naruto when he acted out. When he was a nuisance or acted out in socially unacceptable or rude ways, Sakura would scold him or whack him – or both. Sakura didn't tolerate Naruto's nonsense, nor was she pleased about his constant attention-seeking. Naruto, however, has spent a lifetime being punished for misbehavior, so Sakura's scolding's had little effect.

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Naruto seemed to view Sakura more as a damsel in distress than anything, an object of his affection to be rescued and impressed.  Naruto didn't seem to think Sakura had or needed anything useful to contribute the team, which is why he never confronted her to improve her skills the way Sasuke does, nor did Naruto seemed bothered that Sakura was so often in need of protection and often incapable of protecting herself, offering little to Team 7 in terms of skills. That said, Naruto is deeply impressed by Sakura's skill and expresses his admiration whenever she exhibited it (which admittedly was rare in Part I). Naruto valued Sakura's knowledge, as he sought her help when he needs knowledge. Winning her heart was his primary interest in regards to Sakura at this point, though he didn't appear interested in actually getting to know and understand the nature of the heart that he intended to win. Overall, Sakura and Naruto's bond stays fairly superficial, if entertaining, for Naruto until a slight shift in their bond towards the end of Part I and then their friendship deepens greatly after the time skip. 

 

Naruto was in awe of Kakashi, the suave and cool sensei. It's one of the first times in Naruto's life that he had the attention of an adult figure, and it's an exciting prospect. Kakashi occasionally tried to look out for Naruto, such as when Kakashi delivered vegetables to Naruto's apartment, advising that Naruto needs to eat a better-balanced diet. Naruto wasn't as close friends with Kakashi as he was with his other two teammates, due to Kakashi's aloofness and the age gap, but Kakashi became a cool, super talented adult figure Naruto was in awe of.

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Naruto had finally found a home with teammates he could have fun with, and the team settled into a friendly dynamic, with Sasuke as leader and Sakura and Naruto as Sasuke's dependent subordinates. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura became very close friends during this time – the first friends his age that Naruto has ever had. Naruto settled into the comfortable, familiar role of complaining about Sasuke and pushing against his orders while also seeking to win Sakura's affection by redirecting Sakura's attention from Sasuke to himself.

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Naruto and Sasuke showed a shocking – perhaps unprecedented - knack for battle teamwork. Practically from day one they had smooth and flawless battle teamwork that was well beyond their years and experience. Yet with Sasuke, Naruto was able to expertly read and match Sasuke's fighting style, movements, and chakra levels to fight alongside his Uchiha comrade. At points the two could even understand each other's intentions even without verbally or explicitly communicating. Their awareness of each other and ability to read each other intentions was amazingly intuitive. Tobirama even later marveled at how flawless and high-level their teamwork was during the Fourth Great Ninja War. Fighting side-by-side the way Naruto and Sasuke did should take a ton of life experience and it takes an immense personal connection and very personal and deep understanding of one's battle partner, yet Naruto and Sasuke were able to fight together with great skill. Once again it's a sign of what a true genius Naruto actually is despite his erroneous reputation to the contrary, as well as indicating the strong connection and bond Sasuke and Naruto have with each other.

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Due to the team's heavy reliance on Sasuke, Team 7 ended up less a team and more of a family. Naruto's time with Team 7 marked a sharp upturn in his life. For the first time, he had friends he visited and cooperated with regularly, friends who actually cared about him and his welfare. He wasn't alone anymore.