An eight year old Naruto Uzumaki was sitting alone at his dinner table eating ramen when he heard a knock on the door. It didn't surprise him, however. He knew exactly who it was. He hopped down off his chair and walked over to the door. When he opened it, he saw an old face staring down at him.
"Hey Old Man, you come to give me more money?"
The Third Hokage smiled down at the young boy.
"That's right," the man said.
He stepped over the threshold and entered Naruto's small apartment. He looked around the sparsely furnished home, his heart suddenly became heavier. He remembered when he used to visit the Fourth Hokage's home. It was always so bright and cheerful. Minato and his wife Kushina were always smiling, always happy. The Third Hokage sighed heavily as he remembered their fates. They were both so young, far too young to die such horrible deaths. The Third shook himself out of his memories. He could feel the young Uzumaki's eyes on him.
"Right then, here you go Naruto." He took a small packet out of his robes and handed it to the boy.
Naruto took it with both hands and looked at it solemnly. The Third could see a small cut on the boy's cheeks. He hadn't noticed it before.
"Naruto, what happened to your cheek?"
The boy looked up at him in surprise, then quickly looked away. His eyes narrowed.
"I scratched it after someone pushed me down yesterday." Naruto thought back to the day before.
Naruto was running down the street, trying to outrun the ninja who he had dumped a bucket of cold water on. He looked back to see if the ninja were gaining on him. He didn't notice the big man walking in front of him. Naruto ran into the big man and fell to the dusty ground.
"Hey you brat, watch where you're go- oh it's you."
Naruto picked himself off the ground and glared at the man. He was so tired of hearing people say that whenever they saw him.
"Yeah it's me. You got a problem with that Fatso?"
"Why you little!" The man pushed Naruto back to the dirt. Naruto could feel him cheek sting as it scratched against a small rock.
Naruto whipped his head around and gave the man a death glare.
The man actually looked frightened for a moment before regaining his composure. He noticed the cut on Naruto's cheek and gave the boy a smug smile.
"Hmm, good thing you got that cut. It helps distract from those cursed whiskers of yours! You should be ashamed of them!"
Naruto looked up at the Third Hokage, a pleading look in his eye.
"Old Man, what are these scars on my face? I know they look like whiskers, but people say that word with so much hatred. What's so bad about whiskers?"
The Third froze. He knew that a day would come when Naruto would ask about them, but he hadn't really prepared any explaination.
"Well Naruto, when you were a baby, you had an accident. That's why you have those scars."
"Oh," Naruto didn't look satisfied with the answer.
The Hokage thought it would be best if he left. He didn't think he stand looking at the young boy for much longer. The guilt was too much.
He bid Naruto farewell and left the apartment. He looked back before he closed the door behind him only to see Naruto touching the side of his face sadly.
The Third quickly shut the door and walked away.
It was many years later that Naruto met his mother and finally found out the truth of his "whiskers".
And, when he collapsed in bed, sleeping for the first time since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, he touched the side of his face, smiling.
Scars could be painful reminders of the past. But they could also be something to be proud of.
"Yeah," Naruto whispered, "I'm proud of my whiskers."
Yeah so I hate the ending. I feel like I could have done so much more with this idea. It was an idea I really liked. I will probably revisit it later.
Naruto's past always depresses me. I need to go read some fluff to cheer myself up.
I do not own Naruto. Blah.
Thanks for reading!
-SK