This story was uploaded on the 1st of January along with 4 other stories to be considered New Year's presents, to give thasnks to my few followers and reviewers who have kept me in high spirits about writing. Thank you all for your support and any sort of encouragement you gave/give to me on my long journey as a writer.
Naruto is no fool. He may look like one, he may act like one, but he is no fool.
However, he is a coward.
Naruto feels like he's always been a coward; to Sasuke, to Sakura, to his friends, to his village, to every single person he's met.
He's seen Sasuke's pain, Sasuke's loneliness. He's known about it; he's known about it for a long time, but what did he do? Nothing. He had done nothing, and he has to pay for it, for his cowardice, because his cowardice has let Sasuke down, has let Sakura down, and has to pay for that cowardice of his.
However, he's not only a coward, but also big talk and no bite.
His cowardice has also let Sakura down; he's talked big, he's given her a hope that he knows can very easily be broken, he's given her a promise to bring Sasuke back but he knows it's highly unlikely.
However, he's not only a big talker with nothing behind it and a coward, but also greedy.
He's being accepted by the village gradually, but he is greedy and wants more. He thinks he should feel thankful; thankful that they don't hate him as much anymore, thankful that they don't whisper Demon and Monster behind his back, thankful that they say "Good morning" to him instead of "Go and die somewhere, nobody wants you here", thankful that they smile back and that they don't ignore his pain. But he isn't, because he's greedy and wants more attention, more acceptance, more love, more smiles, more greetings, more more more. He's greedy.
However…
He may be a coward, but he tries his best not to be, tries his best to make it all better and tries to jump into the unknown and tries not to hesitate when he's not sure. He likes to think that all his efforts are worth something, anything to balance out his cowardice.
Naruto may be a big talker with nothing to back it up, but he tries to back it up with something, he tries to make what he says come true (which mostly succeeds!), tries to make everything he says have some impact for a few people, and tries to make the impossible possible (which he also manages to make it happen!). He may be a talker with nothing behind it, but he makes the impossible possible, and he likes to think it counts for something in his world.
And finally, he is greedy, oh and how greedy he is, but he likes to think of himself like a dehydrated man in the desert having found water; he just wants more because it's a relief, because he hadn't tasted it in so long (the only time where he tasted love – the day of his birth, the few glimpses with Sarutobi-jiji, his meals with Iruka-sensei) and it is not enough, never is enough. He is just starved, and he thinks that with time he'll stop being so desperate and greedy, and stops wanting more and more and even more love and attention, and will finally find peace with what he has, easing it into everyday life – being content with it and happy (everyone knows he deserves it, everyone but him, because he sees himself as greedy).
But, as many bad aspects the blond believes to have, he has just as many – and even more – positive aspects, even if he doesn't see them.
He is loyal.
Naruto is fiercely loyal – to his friends, to his village, to Sasuke, to Sakura, to his senseis, to his beliefs – and it's such a remarkable trait because, despite his cowardice, he stands firm and won't let his opinion or loyalties be wavered by anything or anybody. Everyone thinks, he is so brave for being so loyal, for standing up to what he is loyal to, to never even doubt or hate something he is loyal too - no matter how many time it hurts him.
And, along with being loyal, he keeps promises.
Naruto is a promiser*, and he sees every promise he makes – to himself or to anyone else – is like an oath, and worse than a sin to him if broken. Because, despite his big talk, he goes out of his way and fear and doubts to make that promise be fulfilled. And, to everyone else, he is a person who, no matter what he says, will keep it true. Whatever he says will happen, no matter how ridiculous.
Along with being loyal and keeping promises, he is selfless.
Naruto is selfless – to people who've hated him and to people who love him – because he thinks he has little worth with his cowardice, big talk and greediness, and thinks that other's are more important, more worthy to live; better, kinder. Because, despite being greedy, he always tries to do his best in order to make them comfortable – by making them happy, making them safer, making them cheerful, making them less burdened – and it was that selflessness that changed people's minds, that made them trust him, even love him. To everyone else he is selfless, kind. To everyone else, he is loving and helpful. To everyone else, he is pure and as if no matter what he does is right, because he is always, always so selfless to anyone whom he meets – be it friend or foe.
Naruto is a coward, a frightened coward; he is a big talker, a liar and deceiver; he is a greedy person, always wanting more and more and more. But he tries not to be a coward, tries to mean what he says, tries to not be too greedy; tries to be loyal, tries to keep promises, tries to be selfless. And he mostly succeeds, but people can only expect him to try.
Because even a hero can only do so much.
Author Note: This has been in my computer for over three months nearly-but-not-quite finished. It is actually quite good, I think. I had this idea really out of nowhere; it started with the sentence "Naruto is no fool" and I just thought 'And? What is he then? A hero, a savior, a friend?' and, somehow, I found myself writing that he is a coward, a big talker and greedy. It sort of came from a story of Imperial Mint because he/she wrote reasons why Naruto could be considered selfish (with a bit of ItaNaru at the end saying that Naruto hadn't wanted Itachi because he was greedy, but in love. Read it yourself and will make much more sense).
I also think that the whole anime and manga make him seem so selfless and everything, and I don't have anything against that because it was that selflessness and everything which made me fall in love with Naruto; I just wanted to show a possibly new side of him. A new way of thinking, if you will.
I hope you enjoyed.
* Promiser: I know this word doesn't actually exist, but if I'd have to describe Naruto I'd say he is a promiser, simple as that.