Believe
It hurts when no one believes you.
They look at you like you're crazy, then they laugh and walk away. Either that or they get mad at you. It's because you are a child, and children don't know anything. Not to mention that you are that child, the one who bears the marks of a demon.
They don't believe you. They won't believe you. Sometimes you know that they check to see if there really is a ball stuck in the tree and if the boys you had been trying to play with were recklessly trying to retrieve it – but they never thank you or let you know that they, for a brief moment, believed you. You'll never play with those boys again, because the next time the ball gets stuck in the tree, you're sure no one will believe you.
No one thinks you can become Hokage. You can climb to the top of the Hokage Monument and scream out your dream for the world to hear, but you haven't done that for a long time, because you know that it will only earn you disapproval and a sharp rebuke from the Hokage. You know that, if your legs don't carry you fast enough, Iruka-sensei or ANBU will catch up to you, and you'll get in trouble for believing in yourself.
Even when you've grown up and formed bonds with your classmates, they don't believe you when you stand your ground against the enemy and tell them that you will beat them, believe it. In the end, you do emerge victorious, not counting the broken bones and the other injuries. Your friends will shake their heads and grin and tell everyone 'that's Naruto for you'. But even if they can throw you their confidence, even their lives, the next time, they still didn't believe you the first time.
That's why you feel tears stinging your eyes when you grin and tell her you love her, and she smiles and lets you hold her hand – and she says, "I believe you."
Wow, this one has got to be the... drabbliest of the collection so far. I have no idea where this came from. First it was an idea for Bleach, and then it turned into a NaruSaku one in ten minutes! It just attacked me when I was trying to do my homework. Quadratic equations must be very inspiring...
Oh yes, just a note. The Hokage bit was intended to be seen from a younger Naruto's point of view. Of course, we know now that people think he has a chance at Hokage. I think Iruka might have believed him, but that wouldn't stop him from giving Naruto detention, would he? Hmm, the last sentence seems a bit icky... maybe it's too long. What do you guys think?