Disclaimer: I take absolutely no credit, ask the rather twisted plot bunny (also known as my lawyer if suing is on your agenda).
This is a rather strange one-shot…I must admit that is only meaningful if you take care to analyse and really think.
The leaves rustle gently in the slightly damp breeze, accompanied by the salty aroma of the sea. The boisterous blonde does not realise this, as he is currently occupied with his latest escapades, the adventures of Naruto, a squirrel and an impossibly tall tree.
However, one sullen boy does and wrinkles his nose wryly in disgust. He despises anything that reminds him of his former life, including his once passionate fervor for water. He finds it hard to believe that something so pure, so cleansing, can be contaminated by even the slightest disturbance. Surely, it is a sign of weakness, something the boy simply cannot tolerate.
He sighs and crosses his arms, temporarily losing his sanity to the inner demons that ravage his very being, the same demons that urge him to torture, defeat and kill his former brother in the most inhumane ways possible. It's ironic, how none of his is emotional turmoil can be detected from the surface, yet behind his stoic mask, no mere mortal can fathom the depth of his hatred. He is too far gone to retrace his footsteps now. Uchicha Sasuke is hopelessly lost.
A slender figure nearby picks absentmindedly at the petals of a delicate blossom, too busy fantasising about a certain raven-haired ninja to notice. Her daydreams are incredibly naïve and even she knows this. She prefers to live in a world of fantasy, one where everything is perfect. One where all her desires are made reality. One where nothing can go wrong.
In her mirage though, there is no bliss, blessings or peace because sadness, misfortune and war simply don't exist. In her world, nothing lives, nothing breathes. It is all a dull, dead abyss, devoid of any meaning and direction, despite the illusion that everything is perfect. She will never wake from her ostensibly idyllic fantasy. Instead, she dreams on, sleeping an eternal slumber, oblivious of the perils of her life. Haruno Sakura died in her dreams.
The orange-clad individual falls from the tree for the umpteenth time today, cursing the particularly agile squirrel with a vast variety of colourful words, previously unknown to his teammates.
The boy lies in the long grass and contemplates various tactics that could possibly enable him to capture that damned squirrel. A proverbial light bulb appears above his head and the boy shoots up the tree once more, ignorant to the fact that the presumably foolproof theory is utterly useless against a mere squirrel.
Thud.
The squirrel evades the seemingly brainless boy yet again.
He furrows his brows and finally gives up on the annoying mammal. As he throws his head back, it comes into contact with a rather thick tree trunk, causing him to howl in pain and clutch his head, mumbling incoherently.
The other two simply ignore him, they know the routine. Naruto tries. Naruto fails. Naruto tries. Naruto fails. Naruto tries. Naruto fails. Naruto gives up. Naruto regrets giving up. Naruto tries again. This process usually repeats itself until the assigned task is accomplished successfully, or at least, until the mission is accomplished. His stubbornness actually does come in handy on the odd occasion that determination of an unfeasible measure is needed. Which now, fate decides, is actually quite frequently.
Naruto disregards his so called routine today entirely, choosing instead to lie in the long grass once more and stare at the sky. He is vaguely reminded of Shikamaru, the one who observes the clouds and just watches the world pass him by. Naruto cannot understand how one goes about this, as he always strives to be the centre of attention, practically begging the world to look at him. How he wishes everyone would acknowledge him, not as the infamous bumbling fool who can't do anything right but as the selfless, astute hero who possesses not only courage but a good heart.
Long ago, he aspired to liken himself to Sasuke, the boy who had the girls swooning, the teachers wrapped around his finger and the reverence and respect of the village. How ironic that, now, he is beginning to pity his stolid comrade. Sure, his self-achieved greatness is something not to be taken lightly, yet living life purely to exact revenge on a family member is despicable. Utterly despicable.
So now, Naruto seeks a different path. He no longer wishes to be all-powerful, with awesome techniques, incredible skill and unrivaled wits that he can boast about. He hopes that one day he shall become a leader of men, regardless of his abilities. He wants to become one with his team, to feel their triumphant battle cries echo through his bones, to cry the tears of sorrow when an ally is lost and most of all, to enjoy a quiet moment where they can share their innermost feelings without fear of prosecution.
For he knows what it's like, when there's no one you can talk to. No one to reveal the terrible thoughts that gnaw at your insides, draining you of hope, vitality and life. It goes by the alias helplessness, the horrible feeling when you know that everything is nothing because it wouldn't matter anyway. His greatest dream is to ensure that no one ever has to go through what he did, the repulsive loneliness that once left him hollow inside. So, Naruto concludes, he will do anything he can to become Hokage, to fulfill his admirable and achievable dream.
For this is the life that ninjas are destined to live. One filled with pain and misery accompanied by immense ecstasy and joy. All of them react differently to their roles, some retreating behind self-made barriers while others doing the exact opposite. Though in the end, despite the stark differences in their approaches, most make it through.
As characters cannot develop without conflict, ninjas cannot succeed without failure. Yet all ninjas strive for the highest. Why? Why do they try and fly when they have no wings? Simply because they can.
Yes…that was a tad weird. Everyone likes reviews. Flames are embraced with open arms.