Keeping Score.
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of the source material. Naruto/Naruto Shippuden belong to Kishimoto Masashi.
Character: Uzumaki Naruto.
Summery: Naruto's musings after beeing asked, god knows how many times if everythings allright with him.
A/N: after some serious thinking I decided to change the genere of this story. This is now a K+ Angst story
All of you keep hiding things away from me. It's always like this. It's because of that fur-ball that you lie to me, isn't it? You are afraid. You're all afraid that I'll lose control if you tell me whatever it is you're hiding from me.
And it's also because of the fur-ball that I am simply not allowed to hide anything from you, right?
You are afraid. All of you are afraid of the possibility of the fur-ball corrupting my thoughts, leading me down a dark path. That's why you make me talk. But you're also worried, genuinely worried about me. At least, that's what you're telling me. You want to protect me from harm. But the way you show me your concern for my well-being, demand to know if everything is alright with me, is annoying. And quite frankly, I'm beginning to doubt your sincerity. It is suspicious.
It's your fear asking me, lying to me after all, isn't it?
You pressure me until I talk to you, whenever I'm a bit too quiet. When I'm not the loud-mouthed knuckle-headed ninja, the mask that you all came to know. When I'm myself. You force me to lie to you, to put the mask back on.
I cannot tell you my thoughts and worries. My real thoughts and worries, for you may not understand the real me.
I cannot tell you that there's nothing to be afraid of of the fur-ball. That he isn't what you all think him to be. That I've gained control. I cannot tell you all that and much more, for you will think he's already corrupted me.
It's all because of the fur-ball, and it's all for the sake of one another. I am worried about you, too. I lie to you because of the fur-ball. You lie to me because of the fur-ball. I lie to you, for your own sake, just like you do for mine.
In this regard we are even, aren't we?...
A/N: This short was originally part of a bigger fanfic, which ended up in the trash can, because ugh :/