Imagine some witty disclaimer.
#76 Look
He is looking out into the distance, a faraway look in his eyes. Pained, lost, clouded. Longing... All at once the emotions flit in his eyes, but they seem to be in an eternal struggle. After all, he was Naruto. Naruto had learned long ago what this felt like, it should come to no surprise or shock to him. Not at all. He should stand tall, free, with that ever present grin on his face.
So what if they didn't look. He didn't need them to. He had lived his whole life with those looks of anger, of hatred. He was glad to be rid of it.
What a lie...
A horrible lie.
His heart punished him for it, aching and being heavy and weighing him down deeper into those depths he did not yet know. By no means did he want to be looked at with hatred or anger anymore, not unless it was well placed. Never before had it, and it was doubtful to happen in the near future. Bu t no it seemed like...he was in this wide expanse. Where now no eyes were on him.
No hate.
No anger.
But no praise.
No recognition.
Not even that resigned kind of respect that you had to give someone when they had proved you wrong.
Because as far as they were concerned he had done no such thing. So while they could find no real faults with him anymore, that didn't stop them from ignoring the good. He had gone from hate to not mattering...
And damn did it hurt. It hurt and he didn't want to show it.
Because it shouldn't hurt. Because he should know by now that what they saw in him didn't matter and for the most part it was true. But sometimes he would stop...and find himself unbearably alone.
He wished someone would look...look at him...see how far he had come...admit they were wrong...
And he didn't know why he wanted it...
But the pink haired girl who watched as his eyes became clouded, his mouth tight, his body stiff understood why. At least part of the reason. So she went to him, wanting to comfort him, to take the pain away. He deserved so much more but it would have to do for now.
The things she could do for him were so small...
Small and insignificant...
"Naruto...c'mon. I'll get you some ramen."
He looked at her, eyes still a little hazy, but he managed a smile. It was fake. Thy both knew it.
"Sure Sakura-chan."
They began walking down the dirt road that would inevitably lead them to Ichiraku, neither really saying a word as they went. The silence only disturbed Sakura even more. It was so quiet yet the lack seemed to be pressing in her ears threateningly, giving signs of deafness. She felt her eardrums would pop if she didn't hear him say something.
"So future Hokage, when you gonna start rubbing it in? I mean, I did kinda blow it all off didn't I?" Surely it was just nerves about that, but once she got him started he'd be to excited about it to really care. But he had stopped walking, causing Sakura to stop as well, and his eyes widened. "Naruto?"
He brought his hand to his chest, something so unbelievable warm creeping into him, hugging him tightly. It was...like the sunlight...only better. So much better because it was inside of him. And he could hold onto it...
Never...
"Sakura-chan...thank you..."
She only gave him a puzzled look with but the faintest of a smirk on her face.
"For what silly, it's true!"
It was. Before...she didn't think she had ever truly looked at Naruto,. Seeing him now...so strong but still that knucklehead she loved, she wondered why.
Because now she was looking at him. Had been looking at him. Would continue looking at him.
And she knew she would always like what she saw.
You know the drill! Till the next time!