Title: Courage
Series: Naruto
Parings/Characters: Naruto
Disclaimer: The entire series of Naruto, even the disgusting villagers full of hate and stupidity, belong to Kishimoto. He can keep them, but I want to adopt Naruto!
Rating/Warnings: T for language, mild abuse of a child.
Dedication: Chibi Naruto. Because he needs a hug! T-T
Summary: Chibi Naruto ponders on courageous acts.
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It took a lot of courage, he sometimes thought, to do the things that he did. At least, that's what people said when they thought he couldn't hear them.
Or when they knew he was listening.
He wasn't quite sure which it was, since most of the adults who said that stuff were ninjas and ninjas had to be sneaky enough to know he was listening, didn't they? He thought so and, for the time being, that was all that mattered.
"That kid's got guts to do what sort of stuff to the Hokage Monument!"
"Little brat doesn't know when to stop! Does he even think?!"
"Dammit, that crazy little shit keeps going against a bunch of guards! Breaks all the rules!"
"Someone's gonna kill him one of these days if he keeps that up!"
"N-now, are you sure Naruto did that? I mean, I know he's pretty brave for a kid---"
"Stupid more like it! That kid is so dense he doesn't know what fear is!"
Sometimes, Naruto thought that they were warning him with their harsh whispers and gossip. Maybe they cared. But then he did something like try to buy food and get chased out of the store with a broom and the idea fell apart.
Adults, he thought, were stupid.
And mean.
At least that's how it seemed the more he thought about what they said. He wasn't courageous. He wasn't brave. It didn't take guts to pain a monument from top to bottom in neon pink paint. All it took was a some paint, occasionally a paint brush - but that was just for the details, really -, waiting until the guards on duty took a their regularly scheduled break and maybe some rope.
All in all, it wasn't guts. It was timing. And creativity. He had a lot of that.
If he had to be honest with himself, Naruto Uzumaki wasn't courageous.
He was just lonely, often scared, and always just trying to survive in a world where he was all alone.
But if people were going to give him praise, even in the form of insults, he certainly wasn't going to deny it. It took too much courage to tell them differently.
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Thank you for reading. Please review if you're up to it!
