The years had passed like invisible blades, slowly sharpening the child the world had refused to love.
Twelve winters.
Twelve years of averted eyes, heavy silences, and cold benches.
And Naruto Uzumaki… was still there.
Standing.
Even smiling, at least on the outside.
The day before the final exam, the sky was so heavy with clouds it looked as though it wept for him.
Naruto sat alone beneath the back awning of the Academy. His feet dangled into the mud, swinging slowly to the rhythm of a thought he shared with no one.
He didn't listen to the rain. He didn't watch the leaves. He wasn't waiting for anyone.
But someone came.
— "You're not even taking shelter?" Iruka asked gently.
Naruto didn't move. Didn't turn his head.
— "It's better in the rain," he replied. "You can't see when you're crying."
Iruka stood still for a moment, surprised.
Then he sat beside him.
Silence stretched between them, tight like a thread no one dared cut.
— "You know tomorrow's the final exam," Iruka said softly.
— "Mm."
— "Want to go over it together?"
Naruto laughed—too quickly, too loud.
— "Still pretending to believe in me? Or just pretending not to know what I really am?"
Iruka froze.
Naruto turned his head slowly. His eyes were calm. Too calm for a child.
— "You know, don't you? You've always known."
— "… I only see Naruto," Iruka said.
— "Lie," Naruto whispered. "But it's okay. I'm used to it."
He stood, feet soaked, gaze distant.
— "That headband… I'll take it tomorrow. Because I deserve it. Not because it's handed to me."
And he walked away.
---
That night, in a forgotten corner of the forest, Naruto sat cross-legged. He pulled off his shirt, letting the rain wash over the fine scars etched across his body—memories of a training no one had ever witnessed.
He closed his eyes.
His hands, placed flat on the ground, began to tremble softly.
And nature responded.
A sprout emerged from the earth—slender, green, glowing. Then another. And another.
Around him, roots slithered like obedient spirits, drawing a sacred circle in the mud.
Mokuton. A forgotten gift, lost to legend.
He had never shown it to anyone.
Not even the System.
But he felt it. This power did not come only from cells.
It came from something deeper.
I am the child of abandonment. The orphan of a world that never wanted me. And yet…
I bear the mark of the gods.
---
When he opened his eyes again, the sky had changed.
And through the mist, he saw a silhouette.
A man. Tall. Noble. His forehead marked with a symbol of ancient heritage.
— "You carry my flesh and my will," murmured the vision.
— "Hashirama…"
— "You are not me. But within you is what I was… what I could have become, if I had been truly… alone."
— "I don't need you," Naruto replied.
— "I know. But one day, you'll realize it's not a crime… to reach out."
Naruto stood. The vision faded.
He remained there, alone, in the forest's silence.
Then turned back toward the village, an invisible smile tugging at his lips.
---
The next day, the exam hall buzzed with tension.
Students whispered. Some trembled. Others faked confidence.
Naruto didn't speak. He was still. So still it unsettled those nearby.
When his name was called, he stepped forward.
Iruka and Mizuki watched from the podium.
— "Naruto Uzumaki. Final exam: Bunshin no Jutsu."
Naruto looked at them. Long and steady.
Then closed his eyes. Slowly.
His hands rose.
Seal: Ram. Then Snake. Then Tiger.
He said nothing.
And suddenly—
Three clones appeared beside him.
Perfect. Solid. Vibrating with an invisible aura.
A hushed murmur spread through the room.
Iruka's eyes widened.
Mizuki looked away, pale.
Naruto stared at them both.
Then extended his palm.
— "So? Do I pass or what?"
Iruka stepped forward, voice thick with emotion. He placed the headband in Naruto's hand.
— "You've graduated, Naruto."
The boy took it without a word. Gripped it. Tightly.
Then turned on his heels. No smile. No tears.
Outside, the rain had stopped.
The wind moved gently through the village leaves.
Naruto climbed to the rooftop. He placed the headband on his forehead. Slowly. Deliberately.
He looked to the sky.
And murmured:
— "It's just a tool. Nothing more."
Then he closed his eyes.
And in the silence… a small root sprouted at his feet.
---