The next morning, Naruto woke up early, the faint light of dawn creeping through his window. His small room was sparsely furnished, with only a bed, a cluttered desk, and a few scattered toys from when he was younger. He sat up slowly, staring at the fading paint on the walls. A soft, distant noise of clashing weapons drifted from the courtyard outside—Naruko and Menma were already training.
Naruto sighed. It had become a routine, waking up to the sound of his siblings practicing with their parents. Minato and Kushina's voices carried through the walls, but none of the praise or encouragement was meant for him. He rubbed his tired eyes and stood up, feeling the cold floor beneath his feet as he dressed himself in his worn-out orange jacket and shorts. No one had called him for breakfast, but he hadn't expected them to.
He quietly opened the door and tiptoed through the house. As he passed by the living room, he caught a glimpse of his family outside. His father was standing with Menma, showing him how to form a perfect Rasengan, the bright orb of chakra swirling confidently in Menma's hand. Naruko was sparring with Kushina, their laughter breaking the silence between every clash of kunai.
Naruto lingered in the doorway for a moment, his heart aching as he watched them. It wasn't jealousy exactly. It was something deeper—a sense of loss, as though he had already accepted that this was how things would always be. Still, some small part of him couldn't help but wish for a glance in his direction, for someone to call his name and invite him to join in. But no one did. He was always just a spectator. A Shadow in Distance...
"Forget it," he muttered to himself, turning away before they could notice him watching. He stepped outside and quietly closed the door behind him, heading toward the village.
As Naruto walked through the familiar streets of Konoha, he noticed how the village was already alive with activity. People were chatting, setting up their market stalls, and children were running around, playing ninja games. Naruto stuffed his hands into his pockets and kept his head down, blending into the background. Even though he knew these streets better than anyone, they never really felt like home.
Every now and then, a villager would glance his way, some with open hostility, others with a nervous sort of curiosity. He overheard snippets of conversation as he passed by.
"That's him, the one with the Nine-Tails' spirit..."
"Why does he even get to live here? He's dangerous..."
"He's not like the others. Naruko and Menma are heroes. But him? He's... different."
Naruto's stomach twisted, but he kept walking. He had learned long ago that reacting only made things worse. He had tried once, when he was younger, to stand up to them, to shout that he wasn't the monster they thought he was. But the more he fought, the more the fear in their eyes grew, and soon he learned that silence was the only defense he had left.
His feet carried him almost automatically to the training grounds near the outskirts of the village. It was a secluded spot he had found on his own, a place where he could practice away from the eyes of others. If he wasn't going to receive training from his parents, he would train himself. Maybe one day, if he worked hard enough, they would notice him. Maybe one day, he could stand beside Naruko and Menma, not as a shadow, but as their equal
Maybe one day, he could stand beside Naruko and Menma, not as a shadow, but as their equal
As he approached the clearing, he saw that someone was already there. A girl, dressed in black, with long dark hair tied in a ponytail. Sasuka. She was practicing her taijutsu, her movements sharp and focused, like a blade cutting through the air. Her expression was serious, her eyes cold and calculating, completely absorbed in her training.
Naruto hesitated at the edge of the clearing. Sasuka was always alone, just like him. They rarely spoke, but he often saw her training by herself, pushing herself harder than anyone else in their class. She, too, seemed to carry the weight of expectations on her shoulders, though hers came from the proud Uchiha clan. Even though she was surrounded by people who admired her, Sasuka was distant, unreachable.
For a moment, Naruto thought about turning back. He didn't want to disturb her. But as he took a step back, Sasuka's voice cut through the air.
"Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to train?"
Naruto blinked, startled. He hadn't expected her to notice him. "Oh, uh... I didn't want to get in your way."
Sasuka lowered her stance and turned to face him, her dark eyes scanning him with mild disinterest. "You won't. Just stay on your side."
Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Right... okay." He walked over to a nearby tree and started practicing his kunai throws, trying to focus on his own training. But his mind kept drifting back to Sasuka. She was so calm, so composed, and yet, he could sense that she was hiding something, just like him.
After a few minutes of silence, Sasuka suddenly spoke again, surprising him. "You're not bad with those," she said, nodding toward the kunai embedded in the tree.
Naruto glanced at his target and shrugged. "I guess... I practice a lot."
She raised an eyebrow. "On your own? No one's teaching you?"
Naruto felt his chest tighten at the question. "Yeah... no one really has time to."
Sasuka didn't respond right away, but her eyes softened ever so slightly. She turned back to her own training, throwing a barrage of punches and kicks with precision. "It's better that way," she finally said. "You don't need anyone to teach you. You get stronger on your own."
Naruto wasn't sure how to respond to that. He wasn't sure he believed it either. But hearing it from Sasuka, someone who was always so self-assured, made him feel a little less alone.
They continued training in silence for a while longer, each lost in their own thoughts. For Naruto, this was the most peaceful he had felt in days. Sasuka didn't treat him with fear or hatred. She didn't pity him or look down on him. She simply accepted his presence, and for that, Naruto was grateful.
As the sun began to dip in the sky, Naruto decided to call it a day. His arms were sore from throwing kunai, and his stomach was growling again. He was about to head back to the village when Sasuka spoke one last time.
"Tomorrow," she said, not looking at him. "You can come here again. I don't care."
Naruto stared at her, a mix of surprise and confusion on his face. It wasn't an invitation exactly, but it was as close to one as Sasuka would probably ever give. He smiled, a genuine, small smile that he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Yeah... okay!" he said softly. "I'll see you tomorrow."
As Naruto walked back home, he felt a strange warmth settle in his chest. It wasn't much—just a few words exchanged in an empty clearing—but to him, it meant everything. For the first time in a long while, he didn't feel completely invisible. Sasuka had seen him, acknowledged him, even if just for a moment.
"Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so bad after all..."