.:lyrics:.
A five year old boy stood in the center of an empty playground, tears trickling down scarred cheeks.
"Why do they hate me so much..."
Alone in the world, there was nobody he could turn to. His bright sunny hair moved slightly in the wind, blue eyes glistening with tears as he recalled the hateful words.
"BAKEMONO!"
"GET AWAY FROM MY CHILD!"
"Don't play with him, if you do the demon will come and eat
.:In my mind, I can climb:.
Even with all the hate revolving around him, this little boy of five summers soon grew to trust the old man in the red hat. He noticed that everyone seemed to respect him, greeting him with the words 'Hokage-sama'. He had once asked him what it was like to be this 'Hokage-sama'. The old man had laughed it off saying "It's just a job."
With all the maturity a five year old had, he answered, "Then why do people not look at me meanly when you're around? You must be a hero!"
.:All the mountains that surround me:.
He looked forward to his weekly visits and the treats at the Ichiraku ramen stand. Or maybe it was the ramen, or the way the owner looked at him. Oji-san would often give him extras, even when the old man wasn't there. He even chased away some of the older boys who were bullying him.
The blonde child decided he liked these two old men. They were his idols, his saviors from his loneliness. But there were times when the young boy truly felt alone, with hate resonating around him, there was no one to turn to. He tried to hide his feelings, covering them up with a smile, playing pranks on people to get them to notice him.
These were the times when it hurt the most, knowing people were only looking and laughing at you because you are the cause of the trouble. Despite the pain in his heart, he continued to act the way he did, as it was the only way.
.:My spirit's there, where eagles dare to fly:.
He would often be dragged to the old man's office where the villagers would bow down and greet 'Hokage-sama'. But this time he was puzzled when he was dragged toward the academy instead. It turned out that the old man was visiting the students that day. Curious blue eyes watched intently as the old man spoke to a pineapple haired man, so he had called him when they first met. The old man had chuckled and decided he could leave the child with him.
.:In my heart, there's a spark:.
With slitted eyes, the young boy analyzed the older man. He wore a 'Choo-nin' vest and had the metal thing wrapped around his forehead, showing he was a ninja. His hair was tied up at the back of his head, sticking out like a pineapple and a scar stretched across his nose.
Deciding he looked nice enough, he spoke up before the man could. "Ano sa, what's a 'Hokage-sama'?"
The black haired man gawked before coughing lightly, shocked that a boy this age did not know what, much less who the Hokage was. He began explaining that the Hokage was a hero recognized by everyone as the strongest ninja in the village, and protects everyone from harm. He continued in his speech, not knowing that the moment he had said 'A hero recognized by everyone', he had already lost the boy.
The blond child of five summers now knew what he wanted to become, the Hokage. He jumped up, startling the droning man as he yelled, "I'M GOING TO BE HOKAGE!"
.:That can light the world around me:.
Many scoffed at him, others laughed at the impossibility of him reaching the goal. The boy of 5 years grew up. At ten he told the old man he wanted his job, instead of the usual laugh he would get, all he received was a pat on his head with the words, "You'll have to go through ninja academy first."
He walked in excitedly for the first day of school only to be jeered at and ignored. Tears welled up in his eyes but he forced them away, placing his mask on as he walked in. Someone however saw through it as he went up and introduced himself.
"Ohayo, from today onwards, I'll be your sensei. You can call me Iruka-sensei." From then on, Pineapple head was gone and a new name stuck.
.:An open door, where I am sure dreams are:.
The young boy still created trouble for everyone, wanting to be noticed. He always was the joke of the class, making a fool of himself. He was unable to master even the simplest of all jutsus and it was no surprise that he failed the class. It was the same the following year and he soon became known as 'The Deadlast'.
Still in his third year he failed to pass the graduation test, being the Bunshin no Jutsu his most hated skill. His heart sank as his favorite sensei and only friend denied him the chance of passing. He sat at his swing downcast, knowing that he was nothing but a loser, a deadlast.
.:It doesn't matter if I win:.
Mizuki offered him an alternative, to steal a scroll, he did as he was told; only to find out it was all a trick. Mizuki only wanted two things, the scroll and to kill him. But a horrible secret was revealed. The reason why everyone hated him, the reason why Iruka had no family; because he was the Kyuubi, the nine tailed demon fox that had destroyed the village 12 years ago. He shook his head denying it, refusing to believe it. Looking toward Iruka, he knew it was true. Just when the boy thought all was lost, Iruka came out of nowhere and took the killing blow for him.
He didn't know why.
The older man poured his heart out, tears spilling over and dropping onto his face. He told him how he knew the pain of loneliness, how he had acted just like him to gain attention but always returned to an empty home. "If I had done a better job, you wouldn't have to feel like this..."
.:Or the color of my skin:.
But having already been used and betrayed he did not know what to do. Turning tail, he fled the meadow regardless of Iruka's calls. He hid behind the tree as he heard Mizuki and Iruka converse. His heart tore in two when he heard his beloved sensei agree with the fact that the demon fox would try to use the scroll's power. The thought that even Iruka didn't acknowledge him struck a chord deep in his heart.
But he looked up suddenly when Iruka spoke up saying he was different, that he acknowledged him as one of his best students. He wasn't the demon fox anymore; he was a member of the hidden leaf's village. Tears rolled down his dirty cheeks, those same cheeks that defined him as the Kyuubi's vessel, as he heard his sensei acknowledge him by calling his name out confidently. He was finally acknowledged by his precious person and recognized for who he was, not what was in him.
.:Cause the race is all about:.
The so-called deadlast burst out of his hiding place just in time to kick the traitor down, deflecting the shuriken heading for Iruka. As he stood between the two sensei's, forbidden scroll in hand, he all but snarled out, "Don't touch Iruka-sensei, I'll kill you!"
With that said, he performed a single seal before yelling out, "KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"
Finally he stood proudly in front of a battered Mizuki facing his sensei grinning sheepishly. He was surprised however when Iruka called him over and asked him to close his eyes. He did as told and opened them when Iruka said it was ok. He blinked trying to adjust to the morning sunlight flickering through the canopy of trees, but he could see that the forehead protector that used to be on his sensei's head was gone. In his hand hung his treasured goggles.
Tears welled up in his eyes before he lunged himself at his sensei, heedless of his cries of pain.
.:Believing in yourself:.
His first meeting with his team did not go well. Already they had not made a good impression with the sensei, courtesy of his duster on door prank, and the truth that only 9 out of 27 genins pass hit them hard. If they failed Kakashi's test, he would have to go back to the academy. In all his 12 years, he suddenly felt a sense of dread. Despite that, he still spoke confidently of his dreams.
I can't fail here, after everything I've been through, I can't let the old man or Iruka-sensei down.'
He gritted his teeth as his sensei referred to him as deadlast. Even after everything he had done, after everything he had gone through, why did people still label him. It was just not fair.
.:'Cause I dream, I can run:.
He lunged forward with the intent of killing his sensei, wanting him to take back his words. But before long, he found himself in the lake, courtesy of Kakashi's 10,000 years of pain, or in simple words, a super powerful ass poke.
.:Like the wind, and be strong:.
'I'm going to make him acknowledge me! I must become a ninja!' He yelled in his mind as his Kage Bunshins leapt out to join him. His sensei was caught off guard as one of his bunshins grabbed him from behind. But despite his hard work, he still lost as his sensei replaced himself with another of his bunshins.
Before long, he found himself tied to the stump for trying to cheat. Kakashi said that if anyone tried to feed him, they would all fail. Just when he disappeared, Sasuke handed his over saying he didn't want anyone to drag him down. Sakura's bento soon joined them and just as quickly as he had disappeared, Kakashi reappeared only to tell them they had passed.
And thus he achieved the first step towards his dream, his dream of becoming Hokage.
.:When my heart just wants to give in:.
His team's first big mission was to escort a builder from the Country of Wave. He grit his teeth in anger as Tazuna insulted his ability as a ninja and he yelled at him, "When I become Hokage, you'll have to acknowledge me!"
But not even halfway through the mission, he had suffered humiliation by having Sasuke save him and call him a scardy cat and was poisoned. He turned his back on his team as his sensei announced he was calling the mission off to head back to the village to treat him.
With a flick of his wrist, he plunged his kunai into the back of his hand.
.:I dream, I can be:.
'Why is there so much of a difference?'
'Why am I always?'
'I should be becoming stronger!'
'I've completed many missions and even practice jutsu everyday by myself.'
'I'm not going to need saving ever again!'
'I'm not going to be afraid and try to run. I will not lose to Sasuke.'
'I swear it on the pain in my left hand.'
"With this kunai, I will protect the old man!"
.:The hero that's in me:.
He soon found himself face to face with a Jounin, one who had killed mercilessly, even when he was a child. With their sensei trapped in Zabuza's water prison, his team was helpless. In a flash, he was knocked to the ground. Scared he turned to crawl away but the pain in his left hand stopped him as his words came back to him.
I'm not going to need saving ever again! I'm not going to be afraid and try to run. I swear it on the pain in my left hand.'
Glancing back at Zabuza, he saw that his forehead protector was being stepped on. He recalled the time he begged Iruka-sensei to let him try it on, only to receive a lecture on how it was the symbol that he has graduated and grown up. The memory of Iruka giving him his forehead protector came back to him as well.
He knew that he had to get it back, to prove that he was a ninja.
.:When I dream, I dream:.
The blonde ninja stood slowly, an air of confidence around him as he ran toward the Jounin. He was flung back again, this time his precious item in hand. He tied it back on tightly as he addressed the Mist ninja, "Hey you eyebrow-less freak, put this in your notebook. The man who will one day become Hokage, Leaf village ninja!"
.:If there's a time in your life:.
Team 7 returned to Konoha, another completed mission under their belt. This time, with a lesson learned as well. A shinobi was only a tool to be used in war. He had learned it the hard way, through the death of a boy named Haku. He was like him, alone in the world till he found his precious person. Haku taught him a great deal, if he had someone he wanted to protect, he could find true strength. It was through Haku, that he found his nindo. To never take back his words.
.:When the odds are so against you:.
The Chuunin exams soon arrived and it was another test of his abilities. Already at the first test he had freaked out. Unable to answer the first nine, he was banking on the last question. But when examiner Morino Ibiki said that if they answered it wrongly the Genin team would fail and never be able to sit for the Chuunin exam ever again. Teams left one by one, lacking the confidence to answer it, afraid they would fail.
But when the girl next to him started to raise her hand, he raised his quickly. Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata stared in shock as the boy who proclaimed he would surpass all Hokages prepare to quit. Suddenly he slammed his hand down on the desk in full force, calling all attention to him.
"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME! I WILL NOT RUN!"
"EVEN IF I REMAIN A GENIN FOREVER, I'LL TAKE IT!"
"I'LL WILL MYSELF TO BECOMING HOKAGE ANYWAY, SO I DON'T CARE!"
"I'M NOT AFRAID!"
Ibiki smirked, "I'll ask you again, your life is riding on this decision, this is your last chance to quit."
Blue eyes shined confidently, "Idon't go back on my words, that is my ninja way."
.:There's no defeat, if all you keep is pride:.
He found himself face to face with Kiba who jeered at him, striking him down again and again. But every time he fell, every time those words struck home, he stood back up more confident than ever. He shocked everyone in the arena by using Henge to first transform into Kiba then into Akamaru, proving that he was no longer the deadlast he was put out to be, eventually winning the match with a new skill he copied off Sasuke.
.:First or last, slow or fast:.
Hinata's match was right after his. He stood above the arena, listening as Hinata said she wanted to change herself. His hands clutched the railing till his knuckles turned white, anger radiating off him as he heard Neji say, "Losers are losers, their personality and strength will not change." As Neji continued to put the terrified girl down, he shook with rage till he could no longer take it.
He yelled out that people could change, startling everyone around him, including the competitors below. Unknowingly, his words had struck home deep in the girl's heart. Throughout the fight, even as she was struck down repeatedly, she stood back up again. "I don't go back on my words, that is also my ninja way."
His words had obviously struck the girl and inspired her. With his encouragement she stood back up again and fought with her best. She was struck down yet again, this time unconscious, or so everyone thought. But he believed in her, just as she believed in him. She might have lost the match, but her defeat had already affected him deeply. She was so much like him, wanting to be acknowledged, wanting to grow stronger. Only to be defeated by someone as stuck up as Neji. He swore revenge on her blood, raising his fist in challenge to the white eyed boy.
.:There's a dignity that makes you:.
He was matched up against Neji in the final test, he remembered his promise and true to his word, he defeated the genius. He proved to everyone that he could change destiny through hard work, that fate was not already decided but could be taken into one's hands. He knew the pain of being alone and having an irremovable seal placed on him. Through this win over Neji, he had unknowingly changed the boy's fate and outlook on life.
He stood in front of the cheering crowd, his sky blue eyes shining brightly with pride. How long he had waited for this day, to finally have people cheering for him, acknowledging him. It was not much, but it was still a big deal to him.
.:Keep driving on, when world's have come apart:.
Many times did he still feel lonely and rejected; especially the time Kakashi left him with Ebisu to train Sasuke. He felt ignored and angered that his sensei still did not believe in him, after all that he had gone through.
.:It doesn't matter rich or poor:.
But it soon became certain that someone else would train him, someone that was the closest thing ever to a father. Jiraiya taught him the best move he could ever master, defeating all odds, he learned to summon frogs and the Rasengan. Many times Jiraiya had mentioned him being similar to the Yondaime, he often wondered what he was like. He didn't blame Yondaime for sealing Kyuubi in him, he knew that he only did it to protect the village. Just as he would give his life to protect the same village that scorned him.
.:Or the things you've done before:.
He found that there was another like him, Gaara of the Sand who had the demon Shukaku sealed in him. He taught him a lesson as he in turn learned from the insomniac boy. He taught Gaara that people worth protecting could make one stronger, that precious people saved him from the darkness. He learned that had it not been for Iruka and Team 7, he would have ended up like Gaara. Fighting for one's self did not make someone stronger, because of that lesson learnt, he became stronger. He defeated the Sand Genin and unknowingly, had also changed his future.
.:Cause the race is all about:.
Sensei and student were sent to find Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, otherwise known as the Legendary Sucker. It was a test of his belief in achieving his dream, the woman mocked the title of Hokage and rising to his feet he challenged her. Saying that whoever insulted the old man or the fourth had to pay, woman or man. After falling to the ground courtesy of Tsunade's finger flick, he rose up again to his feet, proclaiming proudly that he would one day become Hokage, because it was his dream. With that said, he charged toward her with an imperfect Rasengan.
.:Believing in yourself:.
In a week, he proved Tsunade wrong, he mastered the Rasengan in a week, inheriting the necklace that she had bet on. Once again, the Legendary Sucker had lost. She saved his life, just as he had saved hers. Because of him, she learnt to believe again, she remembered her lost lover and brother. She helped them to relive their dreams. Because of him, Konoha had their Godaime.
.:And I dream, I can run:.
Despite doing so much for the village he loved, the villagers still hated him. They continued to toss him aside like trash, ignoring his very existence. His once so called precious person turned against him and fought him. Sasuke challenged him, fought with him just because he was unwilling to accept the truth. That he was now stronger than the Uchiha. But all he had ever wanted was Sasuke's acknowledgement, all he ever wanted was to have the boy accept him as a friend and rival.
.:Like the wind, and be strong:.
When he heard of Sasuke's departure, he was angry; angry that he had left in search of Orochimaru for power. Did friendship and love mean nothing to him that he would desert his village just like that? He promised Sakura that he would return her love to him, that it would be a promise of a lifetime. His teammates smiled, knowing that the boy would do as he said, after all, his nindo was to never take back his words.
.:When my heart just wants to give in:.
One by one, the team split, finally he was face to face with Sasuke atop the waterfalls. What he hoped to be a normal conversation turned to a fight between rivals, teammates and brothers. He was torn, Sasuke called him a closest friend, but why did he try to kill him? He had let Sasuke escape, he had failed his nindo.
.:I dream, I can be:.
Carried on Kakashi's back on the way to Konoha, they encountered some medic nin who asked where Sasuke was. His once bright blue eyes were now dull and listless, even the medics noticed that. They knew Sasuke was gone, that he had been there to stop him but failed. They could have said something but they did not. It was almost as if they had finally seen the boy in him, not the demon; they saw a boy who was lost in the world, having been betrayed by his closest comrade.
.:The hero that's in me:.
As he sat in his hospital room, he recalled the fight with Sasuke. He fingered Sasuke's scratched forehead protector; he had failed his promise to Sakura, he had failed his nindo.
He looked up as Shikamaru came in. He smiled earnestly, welcoming his team leader. They spoke for a while before the Hokage and Sakura stepped in. Her appearing now was too much for him, he turned away, eyes downcast as he apologized. Sakura brushed it off but he refused to let it go. He continued apologizing, saying he would bring Sasuke back, as it was his lifelong promise.
.:When I dream:.
"I won't go back on my words, because that is my ninja way."
He looked up curiously as Sakura stepped toward the door. Smiling, he agreed when she said, "Next time we'll do it together."
After months of working with him, Sakura realized that he had finally rubbed off on her. She knew he was never going to give up, never to give up trying. This time, she would go with him to retrieve their teammate.
.:I dream of a moment:.
As always, he affected the people around him in the least likely way.
.:That forever will be golden:.
Jiraiya told him to forget Sasuke, that he was now a traitor of a leaf. That it was his decision to leave for power, he would never return. "Only a fool would think of bringing him back."
"He may be nothing to you, but he's a friend to me!" He yelled.
"Do friends injure their companions? Look at your current condition!"
Jiraiya continued to try to talk him out of it, but it was all for naught.
"If that's what it means to be wise, then I'd be happier living as a fool!"
.:When the torch is passed:.
During his three years away from Konoha, the 12-year-old boy matured nicely. He finally shot up to become the tallest of the Genin lot, his round face finally sharpening to define his main features. His almond shaped eyes now shone more brightly than ever, his whisker scarred cheeks faint.
He was no longer his former loud and energetic self, seemingly more quiet and refined now. Or so it seemed as he entered the gates.
.:Only dreams will last:.
"RAMEEEEEEEEEEN!" Jiraiya shook his head, sighing in frustration. After three years of traveling, he still had not gotten over his crave for ramen. In his stomach, Ichiraku was still the best.
He soon found the teenager scarfing down his fifth bowl of ramen, chatting happily away with the owner and his waitress, bragging of his tale away from Konoha.
"We're supposed to be meeting Tsunade now."
"Ahh, Baa-chan can wait."
.:That are shared by everyone:.
Too bad for him, Tsunade knew where he would go the moment of his return. He was rewarded with a knock on his head before having his forehead protector pushed up to receive a kiss on his forehead.
"You haven't changed a bit."
"Neither have you Baa-chan."
.:I dream, I can run:.
Not long after his arrival, he found himself a part of a new team, a team assembled to retrieve Sasuke again. He grinned proclaiming, "We're coming for you Sasuke, whether you like it or not!" before they left.
They had left as a team and they returned as a team, a team with an accomplished mission. Uchiha Sasuke was retrieved from the Sound village; in the process they managed to defeat Orochimaru, showing Sasuke that the snake had nothing to offer him.
.:Like the wind and be strong:.
The 15 year old soon grew older, beginning to look like the Yondaime himself. Rumors flew around that he was the reincarnation of the fourth; other said he was his son. He brushed it off, saying it was impossible. He did however start to attract a lot of unwanted attention from the ladies. But it became apparent that his heart now belonged to someone, and that someone was none other than Hyuuga Hinata.
Over the short period of time he was back, he had grown to respect the girl. In that three years, she had achieved her own dream of becoming acknowledged by her family. With her own nindo, she proved to her father that she was strong, that she was able to be heiress of the clan. After working with her in the same team, respect grew into love.
.:When my heart just wants to give in:.
He stood above the crowd, overlooking the village that had hated him, the village he swore to protect. A cheer resounded the air as he stepped up, Tsunade and Jiraiya by his side smiling. Below in the crowds, Iruka smiled. The little boy he had grown to love and cherish had finally proved everyone wrong. The village that had once turned him away now accepted and acknowledged him.
.:I dream, I can be:.
"My dream is to surpass Hokage! And then have all the people of this village acknowledge my existence!"
.:The hero that's in me:.
His dream had finally come through. Now that boy of 5 summers had finally grown into a man, a man respected by all.
.:I dream, I dream:.
He was Uzumaki Naruto, Rokudaime of Konoha.