It was the weekend again, and Naruto had to go friend hunting. At least, that's what he liked to call it. He knew that, for now, he should avoid Ino. Having 2 of the famous Ino-Shika-Cho know him already was good, but if those three became the only people who knew him, it would rise suspiciously.
He also knew that Ino spent a lot of time in their flower shop, so finding her wouldn't be a problem. Another problem he had was that since the academy would start soon, many clan heirs were busy training with their families.
Naruto busied himself walking around the village until he found Kiba's chakra signature. The boy was in the forest with a bunch of civilians, probably challenging them. Naruto decided to use this opportunity.
He followed the chakra to the area and hid in a tree. "And then we will run around this course, and whoever comes first will be the leader until next week when we can race again," Kiba said.
"But that's not fair. Everyone knows that you're the fastest." One of the boys whined.
"Then you should all train more, but I'm sure that even then, I will be the best," Kiba said.
Kiba was always brash when he was younger—acting first and thinking later. He was quick to anger but quicker to forgive. He was fierce and loyal, just like the rest of his clan, and the only way to get his respect was to beat him into submission.
They were close during the war, just like the rest of rookie 12. Kiba lost Akamaru in a battle, and he lost a part of himself. When he was dying in Naruto's arms, his last words were that he would finally see his partner again.
He died bravely with a smile on his face. During the war, he changed the most. He became a fierce warrior, and while he wasn't a great strategist, his instincts helped him get through. He was able to track the enemies anywhere.
He led a number of forces which were mostly trackers and heavy hitters. His division was mainly in charge of recovery missions or hit-and-run. Shino was his right-hand man, although Shino would sometimes work in frontlines as well.
Naruto decided to make himself known. "I will challenge you." He said.
"Hah? Who the hell are you?" Kiba yelled, pointing at him.
To be honest, Kiba reminded Naruto of himself at that age which was amusing. "My name is Naruto. I'm a genin. I heard you were looking for a challenge, so I'm willing to be your opponent." Naruto said.
" Huh, you are a confident one, aren't you? I'll have you know; no one has ever beaten me. And who are you? You told me your name, but I've never seen you before." Kiba said, folding his arms over his chest.
" I told you my name. I'm a new genin, and I wasn't allowed much outside in the past due to some health problems, but I am doing much better now." Naruto said.
"Fine, if you are so insistent on losing, I'll show you. My name is Kiba, and this is Akamaru," Kiba said, pointing to the puppy on his head.
Naruto nodded, and then they headed to the starting line. One of the civilians gave them the signal, and the race started. The course went through a path in the woods, about 5km long.
Naruto decided against using chakra or his ninja skills. He even held back a lot. Kiba was fast, but Naruto was trained from a young age, so there was no way he could beat him. since Naruto wasn't using his skills, it was a good match for him.
He kept ahead but not by much and actually had to try. He could go faster and longer, but that wasn't the point. Even at this age, Kiba had a low genin speed which was impressive. Naruto knew that he would become one of the fastest shinobi with time, but this could push things along.
They finally passed the finish line, and Naruto finished just 2 seconds before Kiba. Kiba was struggling to breathe and panting heavily, so Naruto also made himself look tired.
"How can you be so fast? That's not fair. I want a rematch." Kiba yelled in between the pantings.
"I am a genin. After all, I have to be fast. I also do some training with weights. They are really helpful. But you must be careful not to rush it if you don't want to stunt your growth." Naruto said.
"Like you?" Kiba said, trying to insult him. Naruto knew he was sad that he had lost, so he let it pass.
"Not at all. In fact, I'm only six years old, after all. I believe I am on the taller side for my age." Naruto said thoughtfully.
"No way in hell you are only six years old. I'm six, and I'm just starting the academy. How come you are a genin then?" Kiba yelled, pointing at him.
"Well, I was raised away from the village from an early age. Danzo-sama takes my education very seriously. And although I only got promoted to genin last week, I am not ready for a team or missions outside of the village, so I'm mostly bound here," Naruto said.
"That sucks. What is your problem anyway? You can't be that sick if you beat me in a race." Kiba said.
"My problem is mostly related to my chakra. If my chakra reserves are not monitored and regulated, it tends to lash out around me. It can be hurtful to those with undeveloped chakra coils. I should get better with time, and the problem should stop when my chakra network is fully developed." Naruto said.
"Well, you beat me in a race, so you're my rival from now on. Just wait soon; I will beat you." Kiba said confidently.
"I would be honored to be your friend and rival. I'm usually around the village on weekends, so feel free to find me anytime." Naruto said.
They spent the rest of the morning challenging each other. Or, more accurately, Kiba was trying to challenge Naruto in everything shinobi related and failing. They spared, threw kunai and shuriken at targets, and even tried tracking animals.
When it was time for lunch, Kiba reluctantly said goodbye. Akamaru had already passed out from exhaustion in his jacket. Naruto didn't have to go back yet, so he decided to take a mission.
Since it was Saturday afternoon, there weren't that many available missions. Naruto finally decided to take a filing mission in the library. The mission was to help two chunin who were mostly in charge of the library to take a look at some old records and pile them into different sections.
Some of the scrolls were sent for burning if they were not valuable; some were just put into storage scrolls and in the Hokage tower. The useful ones were put into two groups. Those that were intact would go back to shelves, and those that were damaged would be sent to the Hokage tower to request a new copy.
Naruto mainly was doing the lifting and delivering of the boxes, but in between them, he was in charge of a pile that was unclassified information. The chunins were a Nara and a Hyuga. In Naruto's opinion, it was an odd combination, but they were both calm and respectful.
Naruto had to check a few of the scrolls with them to ensure he was piling them correctly, and each time they answered him respectfully. In the end, when it was getting dark outside, they sent Naruto back and signed his mission paper.
Naruto promised them to come back the next afternoon to help them finish. Naruto delivered his mission scroll and went back to the base. After his usual routine, he got to bed and meditated.
Many things hunted Naruto's mind. One of the most prominent was his treatment of the villagers. Naruto spent many years trying to convince himself that it wasn't their fault and that they didn't know any better. But that was all a lie.
Naruto was only a kid. He didn't deserve it. He just wanted to mourn his innocence and the things he lost, but no one allowed him. When he was a kid, he was told that the villagers didn't know any better or that they were sorry.
But that was the thing sorry wouldn't undo the things that happened to him. he knew that no matter what, those actions couldn't be taken back, but still, was it really so hard for someone to just hold him once and bring him comfort.
He knew he didn't have many things and couldn't have them. The love of a parent. A home. Love. Happiness. Someone to talk to. Friends. The list went on and on, and he had none of these. He was truly alone in a cruel world.
Every day he would see parents and their children and wondered what it was like. To have someone who loves you. Who protects you. What did a homemade dish taste like? Or how did it feel when you were injured, and someone took care of you.
How would it feel to know someone always has your back. How would it feel to have a warm place to call home. He knew he had a roof over his head, but that wasn't home. The home was a place you would feel safe, not a place that was broken into so often you were afraid of your own shadows.
The sandaime always told him about how a genin team was like a family, which was the true reason he wanted to be a ninja. He wanted a family, but when he became a genin, he realized it was just another lie.
His team was never like a family. They were disfunctional. And when they finally learned to work together, it was war, and they hardly had the time. The closest thing that Naruto had to a family was his godfather.
He didn't know that Jiraiya was his godfather until after his death. It was not fair. He didn't have much time with the man. Jiraiya was kind, but he saw too many of his parents in Naruto to get close to him.
It was always like there was a wall between them. Jiraiya didn't have the time to take care of him. He would primarily teach him stuff, but he was a spymaster and had his job to do. He wanted to keep Akatsuki away from Naruto. He wanted Naruto to be able to defend himself.
Naruto was grateful, but there was a lot more he needed. He needed a parent figure, but that was not Jiraiya. He made small gestures like buying him icicles to share or helping him up after prolonged training, but he wasn't emotionally available.
Was Naruto truly so hard to love? He only learned that Hinata loved him after her death. He never got to know her that much. Naruto remembered all the nights he spent alone during the war, thinking about how his life would be with Hinata.
It ached his heart to know that even in this life, he wouldn't be able to spend time with her. He had a path to fulfill but wasn't it better this way? At least in this life, she could love someone who would return her feelings.
Naruto knew there was no happiness and love in his path, but he would ensure everyone else got their happy endings.
Even now, he was just frustrated after all the things he went through. He couldn't talk to anyone about the things he went through because they never happened in this timeline. He couldn't be mad at the villagers when they never mistreated him.
He couldn't be mad at anyone because none of the things he went through happened. He wanted to scream, cry, and get it all out, but what would it achieve? He was a soldier, a shinobi he must endure.
He would hold them all on, and he wouldn't break. He couldn't break. He had no choice. He was the only one who could save the future. He was the only hope he would endure. He couldn't rest because there was no one else to fight his battles.
