To live was to be in pain. To be in pain meant that you were alive.
Naruto Namikaze was very much alive. The pain in his chest and stomach proved this to be true as he panted, his body aching, begging for relief.
But this was an everyday occurrence, and he covered it with a smile, as his father had instructed him to do. It was nice, to see the relieved smiles on people's faces as they saw him. They thought he was happy.
They thought that he wasn't internally screaming at all times, wailing like a child.
But he had to be strong.
He was Naruto Namikaze, the son of the Yellow Flash and the Red Habanero.
He had to be strong.
Or else peace would never be acquired.
"Itachi Uchiha," A Kumo Chunin announced loudly as the raven-haired boy stood up at attention, knowing what was going to happen to him.
The test was a simple one: See if you're chakra is strong enough. Kumo prided themselves on being able to sense strong chakra, so they have a test to see how strong one's chakra really is by using their best sensor, which happened to be an Elite Jounin, to help.
If you failed to prove your chakra was strong enough, you failed. If you had strong chakra, you passed, it was quite an easy concept.
"I guess Kumo doesn't really like to waste time on flashy Exams, huh?" Izumi whispered to Naruto, who nodded in return, a tiny smile on his face.
"It would seem so," They didn't hear the words that were exchanged between the Jounin and Itachi, but Itachi made a single hand sign and his chakra flared impressively, making all the Chunin-hopefuls look at him with amazement.
It didn't help that he was still nine-years-old.
"Izumi Uchiha!" Izumi grinned at Naruto.
"Good luck," He said with a grin. "You'll ace this thing, no problem!" She blushed a little as she stood up and walked from under the canopy that was acting as the Genin's shade, walking onto the dirt as she greeted the Jounin and Chunin, once again, Naruto was unable to hear them.
"I still can't believe they let brats that are too young to be in the academy in the Chunin Exams in the first place," A Stone Ninja from Iwa stated strongly.
"Yeah, they probably just sent them out because they wanted them gone and dead." His teammate said, sounding utterly sure of herself.
"Why don't we just put the smallest one out of his misery?" Oh yeah, Naruto, despite being one year older than Itachi and Izumi, was still shorter than both of them. It was slightly irking, but he came up with an excuse.
He would be harder to hit.
"This won't get us disqualified will it Horo?" The girl stated nervously. The boy named Horo shook his head.
"Of course not, Kumo will probably thank us for doing it, remember we teamed up with them just to get rid of those tree huggers!" Horo said. "Now quit worry Aiza, we can do it quietly without anyone noticing."
"You do realize that we heard you, including the boy you're plotting to kill, right?" A girl said as she stepped in between Naruto and the boy named Horo.
"What're you doing? You're Kumo shinobi! Quit trying to save that kid! You should be siding with us!" Horo protested.
"Let's not, okay?" Naruto spoke up as he looked at the girl who saved him and the boy who conspired to kill him. "We have no need for useless conflict as of yet, so why to resort to such measures when we can just wait until the Third Exam, which is held like a tournament, we'll be fighting each other sooner or later, so why not kill me then?"
"Oh, you think you're so cool huh?" The Stone Team's other teammate, Raizo, said sarcastically. "Just because you're a Genin doesn't mean you have what it takes to be a Chunin, we're the best Genin from our village, what makes you think you're so special hot stuff?"
"It wasn't my intention to offend you, I was just-"
"Just shut up already. We'll wait," Horo stated as he glared at Naruto and then the girl and her teammates who had defended him. "But we'll be killing you last, so you can see your idiot teammates die first."
Crack.
Naruto's eyes lit up as they turned crimson red, two black tomoes circling around his pupil, which glared at the Stone Genin who froze as killing intent was felt throughout the atmosphere.
"How does he have this type of presence? He's just a kid!" Horo stammered as he felt his lungs take less oxygen in, the pressure of death overlooking him like rain does a storm cloud. Was he going to die?
"Please refrain from threatening my teammates," Naruto said, his head tilted just slightly to the left, his grin never disappearing. "I'd hate to have to kill you."
"Naruto Namikaze!" The Chunin shouted. The whole crowd of Genin froze, now all attention on Naruto as he smiled at the Stone Genin, his Sharingan was still active.
"N-Nami..kaze?" Horo whispered in a terrified voice.
"That's right, I look like my dad don't I?" He said before he glanced at the Kumo ninja who had defended him. She was a couple of inches taller than him, probably twelve or thirteen from his first guess. She already had a developing bust, which was surprising for kids their age, but that didn't matter. She had narrowed blue eyes and bright blonde hair that reached her shoulders. "Thank you, despite you defending someone like me, I thank you!" He bowed. "But I have to go, I'll see ya later!"
The girl seemed taken aback by the ten-year-old's words but nodded.
"No problem, you seem pretty cool so yeah." He grinned as he turned around and exit the shaded area, the sun hitting his body as a sudden warmth enveloped him, his smile increasing as he saw Izumi wave at him before going into the room where the candidates that passed went.
"Hello Namikaze," A Chunin greeted. "The exam is easy, just gather your chakra and release it. Depending on how strong it is will depend on whether you pass or not." Naruto nodded before looking at the Jounin, who was a dark-skinned man dressed in the normal Kumo Jounin attire.
He had his white hair slicked back all the way in little cornrows with a pair of glasses on his face, hiding his eyes with a single red tattoo on his shoulder, a budding mustache and beard growing on his face.
"Hello, thank you for evaluating me!" Naruto said, bowing respectfully, getting a nod from the Jounin, who grinned.
"No problemo kid, just let's get started so we can advance!" Naruto nodded before clasping his hands together, his fingers intertwining with each other like stitches before an awkward silence assumed.
"You can release it when you want," The Chunin said as a bead of sweat flowed down his chin. Naruto only grit his teeth.
"I am!" He shouted. A group of chuckles could be heard from the Genin under the shade, laughing at the kid who couldn't even activate his chakra.
"Then this test is over," The Chunin began but the Jounin put a hand on his shoulder.
"Patience," He whispered. The Chunin nodded nervously as he waited.
"Just give up already!" Naruto heard Horo shout.
No. He could do it. He would do it.
"I have to become Hokage!" Naruto shouted as he felt a burning sensation in his throat and nose. "I have to surpass my dad!" He cried louder as blood began leaking out of his nose as he suddenly coughed up blood, it splattering across the dirt.
"Jeez, quit it, kid!" The Chunin shouted before looking at the Jounin. "Can he stop now!?" The Jounin was quiet for a second and faltered, nodding. "Now stop and go sit with the rest of the failures!" Naruto didn't listen, he just kept struggling, his entire body shaking furiously, more blood pouring out of his mouth and nose.
"I said stop!" The Chunin shouted as he punched Naruto in the forehead, making him slide, but he never released his hands.
"I won't ever stop!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs. "I will not be a failure! I will become Hokage! I will surpass my father! And," Naruto's bloodshot eyes widened as he began screaming once again. "I WILL BECOME A GOD!" Then, like a tsunami, his chakra released.
The powerful chakra made a tornado around Naruto, swirling around him as if there was nowhere else for it to go, blowing away the Chunin and making the Jounin take a ready stance.
The ground under Naruto cracked as he screamed, the chakra shaking all of the buildings nearby.
"His chakra is more powerful than mine!" The Jounin shouted to himself as he squinted, barely being able to see the boy that was enveloped in his own chakra.
Just as suddenly as it came, the chakra disappeared, revealing Naruto who was panting heavily, blood staining the lower half of his face, his eyes hardened, but his smile always there.
"Did I pass?" He got out. The Jounin just nodded, not noticing the slight crack in his glasses.
"You did." Naruto nodded, his hands going through his blonde locks before walking calmly to the room to greet Izumi and Itachi.
"What the hell happened?" The Chunin uttered in shock. The Jounin laughed.
"He's just like his father," He said with a grin.
Flashback
"Hi mom, hi dad." Naruto greeted as he sat in front of his parent's graves, including his little sister. "Hi little one, today was great. I met Shisui Uchiha, my new sensei and I'm officially a Genin of Konoha, I hope you're proud of me.
"Kakashi-nii is teaching me many things, including how to use my Sharingan, but I suspect Shisui will be able to teach me better. Kakashi-nii knows a lot of jutsu though, so I'm looking forward to learning all of those as well."
He was silent for a few moments.
"I miss you so much, my chest is always hurting. I don't know why," His smile was now shaky, his throat tightening. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be like this, I don't want to make you mad, dad." The tears were already in his eyes, ready to crawl down his cheeks at any given second.
"I just wish you guys were still with me, but you're not. He took you away from me. He took you all away from me!" He whispered as he laid down on the ground beside their graves. "I'm tired." He whispered before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
"Makes me wanna cry damn it," Shisui said from a distance, standing next to Kakashi, who was a few inches taller than him.
"Yep. He does this every year. I hate to see him sad."
"He's very good at hiding it. Like a mask." Shisui commented.
"Indeed," Kakashi said as he looked at Naruto, his visible grey eye tinted and glazed over with sadness. "I just wish I could help him, fill that hole in his heart."
"He'll fill it eventually with those he cares about, they always do." Shisui said before the two Jounin disappeared in a shushin.
Flashback End
To live was to be in pain. If you were in pain then you were alive.
Naruto Namikaze, a ten-year-old Genin from Konoha was very alive.
For how long though?
And done. How was it? Good? Bad? Tell meeeeeeeeeeeee!
Anyways, yeah. Late, sorry, don't touch me!
So yeah, late update because of reasons and everything so yep.
Til next time my lil demons!