"Naruto…"
The gentle, lilting voice floated through the classroom.
Uzumaki Naruto jerked awake, drool dampening the sleeve of his orange jacket. Blinking, he found himself staring straight into the face that filled most of his daydreams.
Morning sunlight slanted through the open window, a soft gold haloing the pink hair of Haruno Sakura. Her delicate features were framed by bangs that brushed a smooth, high forehead; her bright green eyes sparkled with a teasing light.
"S-Sakura-chan?!" Naruto blurted, jaw slack. Heat flared across his cheeks—and, mortifyingly, a thin line of drool slid from the corner of his mouth.
"Are you awake?" she asked with a sweet smile.
For a dizzy instant Naruto wondered if she'd finally noticed his irresistible charm. Maybe she was about to confess her love!
He scrubbed the thought away and sat up so fast he nearly head-butted the desk. "Awake! Totally awake, Sakura-chan!"
Her lips curved… then her fist whipped forward.
Wham!
Naruto rocketed backward, bounced off a row of chairs, and landed in a sprawl that rattled the classroom floor. Laughter erupted around him.
"Ah—ow!" He clutched the side of his face, eyes watering. "S-Sakura-chan, why'd you hit me?!"
Hands on hips, she scowled. "I told you I was switching seats with Sasuke-kun. You were snoring like a dead pig and wouldn't budge no matter how many times I called!"
"Don't you think you deserved it?"
Before Naruto could reply, she hopped neatly over the overturned chairs and made a beeline for Uchiha Sasuke. Her frown flipped into a dazzling smile.
"Sasuke-kun! I made rice balls this morning. Want to try one? I cooked them myself!"
Sasuke didn't even glance at her. He gave a soft, dismissive snort and turned toward the window.
Naruto's teeth ground together. Damn that guy. Always acting so cool.
"Why Sakura likes a jerk like him is beyond me," he muttered, springing to his feet and brushing off his pants. Instead of sulking, he rolled up his sleeves and stomped toward Sasuke.
A chorus of horrified squeals rose from the girls.
"Naruto! Don't bother Sasuke-kun!"
"You idiot, stay away from him!"
Naruto ignored them and leaned forward until his nose was almost touching Sasuke's. The dark-haired boy flicked him a disdainful glance.
"Diao Che Wei," Sasuke said flatly, using a sneering slang for "sycophant." "Do you want to die?"
The insult lit Naruto's temper like dry grass. "What did you say, you bastard? Fight me if you're so tough!"
He barely got the words out before Sakura's fist came down again.
Whack!
Pain exploded across his forehead as he sailed backward a second time.
"Stay away from Sasuke-kun!" she barked.
Naruto lay on the floor, rubbing his throbbing head, eyes wide with wounded disbelief. "Sakura… that… that…"
The entire class dissolved into laughter. Fingers pointed, whispers buzzed, but not one person offered a hand to help him up.
Naruto forced himself upright, the familiar ache of loneliness pressing in. He clenched his fists, shoving the hurt down as he always did.
"Hmph. Whatever," he muttered under his breath. "One day I'm going to be Hokage. Then everyone will have to acknowledge me!"
If Naruto possessed a single talent, it was the ability to swallow pain and keep moving. He wasn't book-smart, but he wasn't an idiot either. He could feel it—the cold undercurrent of hatred in the village. Not simple dislike. Hate.
And he had no idea why.
Even Sakura's punches felt almost like kindness compared to the indifference of the rest of Konoha. At least she spoke to him. Everyone else acted as if he were invisible—or worse, a plague.
Across the room, Sakura had already rejoined a chattering circle of girls—Ino Yamanaka among them—each one angling for Sasuke's attention. The boys lounged in their own groups, laughing and teasing.
Naruto alone remained outside the swirl of friendship. He dropped his gaze, a flicker of sadness dimming his bright blue eyes.
Then, with a sharp breath, he shoved the feeling away. Hands laced behind his head, he sauntered through the noisy crowd, kicked open the classroom door, and strode out.
---
Outside, the village bustled with its usual midday rhythm. Naruto wandered across the playground, the laughter of his classmates fading behind him. Why doesn't anyone notice me? The question pulsed in his chest.
He lashed out at a loose pebble.
Clack!
The stone skittered across the dirt and landed squarely in a wooden barrel beside a pile of paintbrushes and half-used cans of paint.
Naruto's eyes lit up. He smacked a fist into his palm.
"I've got it!"
A grin spread across his face. "The great Fourth Hokage who gave his life to protect the village… he could use a little touch-up."
---
High above the village on the massive Hokage Rock, Naruto went to work. With sweeping strokes he added bright splashes of color to the carved stone faces of past leaders. When he finished, the Fourth Hokage sported jaunty orange whisker marks just like Naruto's own.
He stepped back and admired his masterpiece. "Perfect! Art at its finest!"
A chill prickled his neck. Someone was behind him.
"U-zu-ma-ki… Na-ru-to!"
The thunderous roar nearly stopped his heart. He spun around to find Iruka Umino glaring, arms crossed.
"Iruka-sensei! You scared me to death!"
"Class time, Naruto! What do you think you're doing?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head, laughing sheepishly. "Creating art! Don't you think it's got a certain flair? Especially the Fourth Hokage's whiskers—my best work yet!"
"Clean it. Now. Then you're coming back to class with me," Iruka snapped.
"Aw, man…" Naruto pouted, but he obediently grabbed a rag and scrubbed away his masterpiece.
---
On the walk back to the academy, Iruka finally spoke, voice gentler. "Naruto, why pull a stunt like that?"
"Because I can!" Naruto said with a grin. "No one else would dare, right? Only the amazing Uzumaki Naruto has the guts!"
Iruka sighed. He could read the loneliness hidden beneath Naruto's bravado. "I know you want people to notice you. But jokes and pranks won't earn their respect. Shouldn't you focus on training?"
"I am trying, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto protested. "But there's so much I still can't do. I'm not even close to the others—especially that bastard Sasuke…"
His voice trailed off into a frustrated huff. Deep down, though, his eyes still burned with stubborn determination—the same fire that would one day carry him far beyond anyone's expectations.
---