The sun had long since set, leaving the village to rest in the pale light of street lamps. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since the Land of Waves mission ended, but everything felt... off. It was harder then what he had imagined, and it left him with great mental fatigue. Despite everything he had done, despite all the pain and effort, the village still didn't see him. They still didn't acknowledge him. Their harsh gazes seemed to only strengthen each passing day, causing Naruto to feel more and more isolated.

Naruto's mind replayed the way the villagers would look at him, the whispers behind his back, the way he was treated as nothing more than a container for the Nine Tails. He sat alone on a bench, drowning in sorrow and weakness. With a frustrated grunt, Naruto slammed his fist against against the wood, feeling the sharp sting in his knuckles. "Why," He muttered, on the verge of tears. "Why have I been treated like this my whole life?"

He had dreamed of becoming Hokage, of earning the respect of the villagers, but the more he fought for it, the more it felt like that dream was slipping further out of his fingers and into the wind. He was tired. Tired of pretending like he didn't care when it hurt. Tired of smiling all the time. Tired of feeling like an outsider in his own home. The weight of it all was too much. He had fought so hard to be noticed, to be accepted, but in the end it was never enough. He didn't know what to do anymore.

He clutched his chest, his heart aching as he thought of Team 7. He really did care about Kakashi, Sakura, and even Sasuke. They had become his family, the closest thing he had to a real connection. But no matter how hard he tried to fight alongside them, he couldn't shake off the lingering feeling that he didn't belong. The streets were empty as nobody was here to witness his pathetic state. The tears welled up in his eyes before he could stop them, and for the first time in a long while, Naruto allowed himself to cry.

The mission did more than drain his strength, it drained his spirit. "I can't keep doing this," He whispered, wiping his eyes roughly with his sleeve. "I can't keep fighting for a place that doesn't want me." His judgement was very clouded by his deteriorating mental state, unaware of the horrendous decision he would soon make, unaware how much he will regret it. However, In that moment, a decision crystallized in his mind. He couldn't stay. "I'm sorry," he muttered under his breath. "But I can't stay here anymore."

He slowly walked up to his apartment door, twisting the lock slowly before sliding the door open. He rummaged through his cabinets, fingers gently clasping all the ryo he had saved. The only problem was, if he was going to leave, he couldn't just walk out with the same appearance he always had. He needed to disguise himself for obvious reasons. For his own safety, and so no one could find him, no one could drag him back to this prison of a village. His face was too well-known. Too many people had seen the whisker marks on his cheeks, and he didn't want anyone recognizing him.

He made a quick trip to a shop that specialized in hair dye and other cosmetic products. Naruto pushed the door open, the chime of the bell above his head making him flinch slightly. 'Ah!' He thought to himself. He quickly scanned the shelves, his eyes darting between different bottles of hair dye, all in various shades.

?: "Can I help you, young man?" An old lady asked, her voice crackling with age as she shifted her glasses. There was a moment of silence as he grabbed a bottle of black dye and placed it on the counter.

Naruto: "This please..." He tapped the bottle once, before handing over 2000 ryo. He held his head low, hastily snatching the bottle and making his way back to his uncomfortably secluded apartment.

Naruto sat on the floor in front of the small mirror he had, gazing into his own reflection. His familiar blonde hair, the signature color that everyone in the village knew him for, was about to disappear alongside himself. His hands trembled slightly as he opened the dye, pouring it into a small bowl, unsure what he was doing. He had never done something like this before, and the idea of completely altering himself made him feel both nervousness and excitement.

As he began applying the dye, he thought about everything he was leaving behind: Team 7, the village, the people he had grown up with. He thought of Sasuke, of Sakura, and their sensei Kakashi. Would they look for him? Would they wonder where he had gone? Would they care? 'Of course they wouldn't, what am I even saying?' He chuckled sadly. And even if they did care, it wouldn't change what he has to do. Escape. The dye slowly changed the colour of his hair, and with each passing moment, he felt like he was shedding his old self. He would no longer have to put on an act, no longer be the always happy Naruto. The bud of the joke Naruto. He can be who he really is, a broken nobody, alone and free.

He took a shower and changed into his only pair of black clothing. With one final look at his reflection, he turned toward the door. He opened the door, not bothering to close it as he threw his keys aside. "Won't be needing that anymore." He murmured. For the first time in years, he felt like he was taking control of his life. This was his choice. His decision. He would dare someone to try take it from him. His whisker marks still remained, but everything else about him had shifted—his hair, his expression, his posture. He was a different person now.

After a long while of walking, Naruto stopped in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat. The sight of someone familiar hit him harder than expected. 'Why did she to be grocery shopping at this time.' Sakura had almost walked past him when she suddenly paused. There was a slight hesitation in her step, like something in the air had shifted, though she couldn't place it. Her eyes flicked toward him, then quickly back to the ground. She didn't say anything at first.

Naruto's throat tightened as he attempted to deepen his voice slightly. "Excuse me," he said quietly, his heart tugging at him, unsure if he even wanted to hear her response. He needed to keep moving, to leave. But something in him kept him rooted to the spot like a tree. Part of him still wanted her to recognize him, to stop him from leaving. Stop him from doing something so idiotic and feel the reassuring warmth of her smile once again.

Sakura glanced up, meeting his eyes for the briefest moment. She frowned slightly, as if unsure of who he was. "Hmm?" she said, tilting her head, her expression puzzled. "Can I help you?" These words plunged through Naruto like a kunai to the heart, echoing in his mind as his heart sank. She didn't even recognize him. What did he even expect anyway, he already knew he was a loser. It took all his courage to not cry on the spot. His pulse quickened, and the words caught in his throat. "Ah... nothing," he muttered quickly, avoiding her gaze, his eyes narrowing with pain.

Sakura blinked, then shook her head, brushing her bangs out of her eyes as if to clear the strange feeling. "Sorry, I thought you looked familiar for a second. But... I don't think we've met before," she said with a soft smile, trying to brush off the awkwardness. He forced a small awkward smile, the best he could manage, as it felt like his heart was tearing apart inside his chest. "It's alright. I'm just passing through," he said, trying to sound casual, even though everything inside him screamed to stay—to explain himself—but he couldn't. Not anymore. It was too late.

"Alright. Take care, then," she said, her voice light, as if the moment had not been anything more than a passing glance. He stood still, watching her walk away as a whisper came out of his mouth. "You're so pretty Sakura, I hope we can be together in another world." He spoke quiet enough to keep the embarrassing talk under his breath. And just like that, she walked past him, continuing on her way as if he were a stranger without a second thought. Naruto stared at her go, the space between them widening with every step she took. He couldn't bring himself to call out to her. She hadn't recognized him. She hadn't even cared to. Plus, he didn't want her seeing him a weak bawling mess.

With a heavy heart, he continued on his journey, knowing that this would be the last time he saw her. Although he wanted to burst into tears, he reminded himself that he killed that side of him. He would never let the old Naruto resurface. He was dead. His old identity gone forever in the wind, along with any memory held about him. A few hours passed, he eventually made his way to the outskirts of the village, exiting the gates without a shred hesitation. The love in his heart had slowly began flickering into hatred. There was a saying that, the deeper someone loved, the stronger their hatred. The chill of the midnight air dug itself into his skin, swishing his black locks in the winds of change.

It was a quiet morning in the Hidden Leaf Village, the kind of peaceful morning that made you feel like nothing could go wrong. The birds chirped, the sky was normal as always. However, Team 7 was supposed to meet at their usual training ground, but as the minutes ticked by, neither Naruto nor Kakashi arrived. "It's usual for Kakashi to be late, but Naruto? I wonder what he's up to." She remarked, looking directly at Sasuke. "Beats me." He replied dryly, his hands crossed as he carried his usual distant demeanour. The time flew by more and more, until even Kakashi arrived before Naruto.

"Sorry I'm late, a-" Kakashi spoke, before being interrupted by Sakura. "A black cat crossed your path? Not that excuse again..." She sighed audibly as she had her hands placed on her hips. "Hey, where's Naruto?" Kakashi uttered. "I don't know, it's not like him to be late. I know he's reckless sometimes but you don't think something happened to him... right?" Sasuke merely shrugged, his expression unreadable. "He's probably just messing around. It's not worth worrying about." But even as Sasuke dismissed the idea, a part of him felt uneasy.

"Well, let's check up on him anyway." Kakashi remarked, the other two agreeing and following behind. They reached Naruto's small, tiny apartment, a place that seemed almost too quiet for someone as loud and energetic as Naruto. Sakura knocked on the door with her fist and after a few moments of silence, she knocked again, a little harder this time. But there was no answer. As she rested her hand on the door, it suddenly swung open, finding it to be unlocked. "He never locks his door." She sighed, walking in before the others.

The apartment was dimly lit, and the air felt still, as if no one had been there for some time. Sakura felt a knot form in her stomach. "Naruto. Come on already, you usually never sleep in, dummy." The atmosphere was uncharacteristically silent. "Naruto?" she called out, her voice tentative. "Are you here?" There was no answer, but something immediately felt off. The place was unusually empty, appearing that he tidied up the room, which a slob like him never does. His shoes weren't sat by the door, and his bedding was undisturbed, indicating that he hadn't slept in it the night prior.

Sasuke, who had been silent up until now, stepped past Sakura, looking around the room. His sharingan scanned the room sharply, as he walked over to the window, glancing out to see if there was any sign of him outside. His eyes narrowed as he noticed something strange on the windowsill—a small piece of paper, folded neatly. His eyebrow raised as he picked it up, his fingers brushing over it and unfolding it to reveal a simple note written in Naruto's messy handwriting. A moment of silence ensued.

"What?" Sasuke blurted, shock visible on his usually stoic face.