"Naruto..."
Inside the Ninja Academy classroom.
Uzumaki Naruto was sound asleep, sprawled on his desk, when he was suddenly woken by this gentle, pleasant call. In a daze, he lifted his head and saw the face of the girl he constantly thought about.
The morning sun was just right, casting a soft glow on the girl's delicate and beautiful face. Her pink hair was gently tied back with a clip, and her bangs fluttered slightly, covering her somewhat broad forehead. A pair of lively green eyes were slightly narrowed, looking at him with a gentle smile.
"Sa... Sakura-chan?!"
Drool involuntarily escaped from Uzumaki Naruto's mouth.
He wasn't sure if it was from sleeping or from seeing his goddess.
"Are you awake?"
Sakura Haruno continued to ask softly.
Uzumaki Naruto was overjoyed. Why was Sakura so suddenly gentle with him today? Could it be... had she finally discovered his charm and fallen for him?!
He immediately nodded vigorously.
"Awake, I'm awake, Sakura-chan!"
Sakura Haruno giggled.
Then... she suddenly threw a punch.
Bang—
With a loud thud, Uzumaki Naruto was sent flying directly, crashing into a whole row of desks and chairs before finally falling heavily to the ground, looking utterly disheveled.
Everyone in the classroom looked over, erupting in cheerful laughter.
"Ah—"
Uzumaki Naruto was a bit dazed from the blow. He covered his swollen face and asked, feeling both wronged and confused.
"Sakura-chan, why... why did you hit me!"
Sakura Haruno put her hands on her hips and huffed, "I already told you I was going to Sasuke-kun's side!"
"But you were sleeping here like a dead pig, blocking my way, and you wouldn't wake up no matter how much I called!"
"Don't you think you deserved it?!"
As she spoke, she stepped over the desks and chairs that Uzumaki Naruto had knocked over, approached Uchiha Sasuke, and instantly changed her expression, putting on a bright, sunny smile.
"Sasuke-kun!"
"I specifically brought you some homemade rice balls, would you like to try one?"
"I made them myself!"
Uchiha Sasuke snorted coldly, turned his face away, and looked out the window, with no intention of acknowledging her.
Uzumaki Naruto watched this scene, clenching his teeth and fists.
"Damn it!"
"That Sasuke, he just knows how to act cool and show off!"
"Why does Sakura have to like a guy like that!"
He angrily got up, patted his bottom, and instead of blaming Sakura for hitting him, he strode towards Uchiha Sasuke, rolling up his sleeves.
All the girls in the classroom couldn't help but shout.
"Naruto! Don't get close to Sasuke-kun!"
"You idiot Naruto, what do you want to do to Sasuke-kun?!"
Naruto aggressively approached Sasuke, their eyes now almost touching.
Uchiha Sasuke gave him a disgusted glare.
"Diao Che Wei, do you want to die?"
Hearing that appellation, Naruto became even more enraged.
"What did you say, you bastard Sasuke?!"
"If you're so tough, fight me!"
However, before he could make a move, Sakura Haruno, unable to hold back, threw another punch.
Bang—
It landed squarely on Naruto's forehead, sending him flying again.
"What are you doing, Naruto!"
"Stay away from Sasuke-kun!"
Uzumaki Naruto fell to the ground again, rubbing his aching forehead, and looked at Sakura Haruno with a wronged expression.
"Sakura, you... you..."
The classmates in the classroom burst into laughter again, looking mockingly at Naruto on the ground, pointing and whispering. But no one approached him, let alone helped him up.
Uzumaki Naruto stood up, fuming, once again sensing that loneliness and pain.
But he seemed to have gotten used to it.
Or rather, he forced himself to act like he was used to it.
"Hmph, what's so great about that!"
"One day, I'll become Hokage and make all of you acknowledge my existence!"
If he had one thing he was good at, it was probably his ability to self-soothe... otherwise, he might not have survived a single day.
He certainly wasn't brilliant, but he wasn't a fool either.
He could feel the entire Village's strange, cold attitude towards him.
It wasn't even dislike... it was hatred.
But what exactly had he done?
He couldn't understand.
Even though Sakura Haruno, whom he liked the most, treated him roughly, she was at least willing to acknowledge him and talk to him. For Naruto, who had suffered years of neglect and cold shoulders, this was even a luxury, a kindness... while others simply didn't want to be near him.
At this moment, not only Sakura Haruno, but also Ino Yamanaka and others, were all gathered around Sasuke, chatting and laughing, desperately showcasing their charm and affection, trying to get Sasuke to look at them.
Meanwhile, the boys in the class had formed their own small groups, also laughing and playing around.
Only Uzumaki Naruto was left alone.
He lowered his head, a hint of sadness in his eyes.
But he quickly dispelled the pain in his heart again, put his hands behind his head, and strode through the noisy crowd, kicking open the classroom door and walking out of the school.
The bustling crowd seemed to belong to a different world than him.
Why does no one care about me... Uzumaki Naruto clenched his fists and angrily kicked a small pebble on the playground.
Bang—
The pebble hit a distant wooden barrel, next to which were some painting tools.
Uzumaki Naruto looked at the brushes and paint cans, and suddenly his eyes lit up. He slammed his right hand into his left palm.
"I've got it!"
..."The Fourth Hokage-sama, a hero who sacrificed himself and protected the Village with his life..."
"Hehe, how about this!"
On the Hokage Rock in Konoha Village, Uzumaki Naruto was freely wielding his brush, applying paint and colors evenly onto the statues of the past Hokage.
He contentedly added two small mustaches to the Fourth Hokage, then stepped back a little to look from a distance, quite proud of his work.
Just then.
Suddenly, Naruto felt a chill down his spine, as if sensing some terrifying presence.
He struggled to turn his head.
"Uzu! Ma! Ki! Na! Ru! To!"
A voice suddenly rang out, scaring him so much that he jumped. He barely managed to steady himself, turned to look, and realized it was Iruka Sensei.
"Iruka Sensei, you scared me to death!"
Iruka Umino angrily huffed, "It's class time! What are you doing here!"
Uzumaki Naruto was startled, then scratched his head and laughed.
"I'm creating art, Iruka Sensei, don't you think it has artistic flair?"
"Especially the Fourth Hokage-sama's graffiti, that's my masterpiece!"
Iruka was furious: "Clean it up immediately! Then come back to class with me obediently!"
Uzumaki Naruto: "...Oh."
He pouted defiantly, but in the end, he obediently cleaned off the paint graffiti.
On the way back to the Ninja Academy.
Iruka couldn't help but ask, "Naruto, why did you do such a thing?"
Uzumaki Naruto chuckled, "Because I can! No one else would dare to do this, right?"
"Only I, Uzumaki Naruto, have such courage!"
Iruka, of course, understood his thoughts and also his loneliness and pain.
He sighed, "Naruto, I know you want to gain attention and recognition from others, but you can't achieve that through pranks. Shouldn't you be studying and training harder?"
Uzumaki Naruto quickly said, "I'm already trying very hard, Iruka Sensei!"
"But, but... there are many things I just can't learn. Not to mention compared to that bastard Sasuke, I'm not even as good as any other classmate..."