Just a little one shot. No love story or something, just a few thoughts I got to get out of my head. I think everyone who ever felt alone knows, how important friends are. It's meant like a thanks to two of my friends who believe in me no matter what I do, hope you enjoy it.

I do not own Naruto, though I wish I would.

Have you ever asked yourself why life is so hard? Well, that's something everyone sometimes thinks and feels. But what if you were born on the shadow side of life? If you get up in the morning, wondering which obstacles you have to overcome today. If you can answer this with 'no' then call yourself lucky.

Al his life he stood alone, wondering why he was there at all. He felt useless, unseen and worthless. It felt like suffocating in darkness and sorrow. The cold and abrading stares following him where ever he went. Their whispers hunting him even in his dreams. He never felt angry if other-ones treated him like dirt, he only wished that they would be able to see into the downs of his soul.

He was standing behind the fence of the playground, watching the other kids laughing and he felt a sting. He tried so often to deny that feeling, but he couldn't. He was unable to lie to his self, because of the always present shadow, which lingers around him.
Later as their parents showed up to fetch them it felt like dieing. But he stood there strong, watching them on their way back home. At night, when he lay on his bed he would cry silent tears, and the only thing reminding him of them would be the little salt crystals in the corners of his eyes.

Suffering under this loneliness would be enough for everyone to bring him to his limits, but he had to suffer even more.

He had such big dreams, but in away a lack of talent too. He always needed twice of the time to learn a new jutsu like the others. But he never gave up and that's what he had sworn himself a long time ago. And he never goes back on his words.
Over his good and pure soul always lingers the worst daemon ever. With his lack of talent in his own way he wasn't alone, there was another soul suffering.

Always he tried but he never made it. He trained like hell, started earlier than the others and trained longer than all of them. But no matter what he did, he never made any efforts. He watched the others with their training, could tell exactly which jutsu they were up to perform, but never was able to perform one himself.
Sometimes thought of giving up and broke down crying, but he didn't wanted to give up either. He had the wish to be respected, and with that he wasn't alone either.

He was different to the others, a natural born genius, but alone too. He felt caged, unable to do what he wanted to do. He suffocated in all those rules, that tried to cut him down. He was used to his cloak of hate and coolness, but inside his soul was screaming. He often watched the moon, wondering if he ever would be free and able to fly. He lived in his own darkness, tapping around unable to find his way out.

But no night lasts forever, and the sunrise would be even more beautiful the longer the darkness had lasted. The daemon was laughing at him, but he didn't listen. Only a few people were able to look into his heart for an instant, and the longer he walked his way, the more friendly words he heard. They helped him to chase out the darkness of his heart and while doing that he changed himself into a very bright light. A light that brings hope, a light that tries to fight the darkness wherever possible.

First he showed that no-one is completely talent-free, everyone had things he's good at, a genius at. So he saved the first one of his darkness. After that he showed that no-one is just a play-ball of fate, if you stick to your dreams and wishes they can become true. So he saved the second of his darkness.

Three lonely souls fond something that shines bright enough to keep the darkness away. The light that shines in everyone of us: friendship.

They didn't have to tell it, they knew because they feel. Without friendship you're sitting in a dark nowhere that drowns you, but the more you're there for your friends, the brighter that light shines. Those three knew, because they're bright shining stars: the daemon with the good heart, the talentless genius and the bird with the broken wings that started to fly.

It's so good to know that Naruto has such a good influence on everyone, and I think if you look at Neji you can see those changes most. My friends changed me too, and somehow this is my way to thank them. They were my Naruto, and I hope I can be like him for them too. Hope you like it.