I am

They call me a demon. They say I'm a monster, a murderer, that I don't deserve to live. They whisper behind their hands, giving me those looks of theirs – I hate it. I don't know why they do it, and they wouldn't answer if I asked. I've asked myself why, and I couldn't find the answer.

I hate those names. But I can live with them, because demons are living things too, right? I'm sure Kyuubi had a reason to attack my home a long time ago, and even if I'd never understand it, it's still a reason. And they call some of our enemies and nukenin demons and monsters and murderers too, so I guess they see me as one of those.

But they are people, too, and shinobi, so it's almost like they acknowledge me as a person when they call me those names. Someone they hate, but still somebody.

I could handle it if I had to. Demon, monster, murderer… They hurt, but I could ignore them.

But what they call me, almost casually, every day… That's what hurts the most.

"It."

…I hate "it".

What am I, an animal? No— an object? Am I really equal to a lowly pebble I can find along the side of a road? Can I be thrown away as easily as a broken kunai? A simple tool?

Will nobody mourn my passing? Wait— I already knew that. I figure they'll even celebrate, since they call me "demon", but will nobody even notice? I'd rather they be happy when I die, because then they'd at least notice.

Shinobi are supposed to be like tools, I know, lacking emotions and being obedient and disposable, but— screw that! They aren't, none of them are; they have friends and family and people who love them, and I'm not even a shinobi yet! I'm just a kid, okay?

And even they – even the faceless ANBU – even they are known as "he" or "she", aren't they? They, the ones who are supposed to be lowly objects, tools, even they aren't known as "it".

Sometimes, people even call them by name.

But me? No, of course not. I'm worth nothing to them – who cares about that lonely pebble on the side of the road.

Do I really have to work so hard for basic human rights? I know they don't see me as human, but… Why? Why me?

They should be able to call me "he" just for the fact that I am, nothing more, nothing less. I think, and therefore I am, right? I do think, whatever they might say. I exist. "It" means that they're refusing to acknowledge that!

Why?

I'm pretty sure that they can all tell that I'm male. And I wouldn't mind too much if they accidentally called me "she", either, because then I could just easily correct them, right? If I thought that they were just not willing to take the risk, "it" wouldn't be so bad, but I know better. They really don't care, do they?

I can't stand that. It may be selfish, but I won't stand for "it".

"It" isn't good enough for me. I'll open their eyes with my bare hands if I have to. I'll show them – I'll make them see me for who I am.

I'll make them see me.

Even if I have to aim for the top, they'll see me. They'll all see me. I'll make sure of it.

I don't know exactly how I'll do it, but becoming Hokage will make sure everyone knows my name, right?

And my goddamn gender.

Yeah, one day I'll be the Hokage. One day they'll see me for a human. One day they'll see that I am.

"One day".

I can wait for that day. I will strive for it, because that means everything to me.

I'm not "it".

I'm not an animal. I'm not a demon. I'm not a thing.

I'm human, and I have a name.

I am Uzumaki Naruto.