Naruto and Namori walked along the wooden patio toward the council chambers, located on the northern side of the massive Namikaze compound. The faint creak of the floorboards beneath their feet was drowned out by the murmurs and hushed whispers of the passing clansmen.
Sneers. Snickers. The occasional pointed glance followed by a condescending smirk.
Naruto grit his teeth, his fists clenching at his sides. He could hear their taunts even when they thought they were being subtle. Every insult, every hushed joke at his expense only fueled the fire of hatred burning inside him. He hated this clan. He hated every second he spent trapped in it.
Just a little longer, he reminded himself. Once I turn fourteen and graduate, I'm leaving this rotten place for good.
The Namikaze-Uzumaki or Uzukaze clan for short had become insufferable over the years, especially after helping his parents seal the Nine-Tails. They never let anyone forget their so-called heroic role that night. If it weren't for them, his mother and father would have died—but that was years ago. Yet they still clung to the past, boasting about their accomplishments as if they were gods walking among mortals.
"Don't dwell on these thoughts, Naruto," Vision's calm voice resonated in his mind, smooth and composed. "Humans, no matter which universe they hail from, are creatures of hubris by nature. Those truly worthy of praise are the ones who seek to remain humble despite their heroic exploits."
Naruto scowled. Yeah, well, he grumbled internally, carefully schooling his expression into indifference. He couldn't afford anyone suspecting Vision's existence—or the Infinity Stones.
If they keep acting like this, they're gonna end up just like the Uchiha.
His thoughts drifted back to that night five years ago.
When he was four years old, Itachi Uchiha massacred his clan, sparing only the children, his mother, and his little brother, Sasuke. From then on, Sasuke had become a brooding storm of vengeance, his arrogance reaching unbearable heights. The only person who could match his smug attitude was Naruto's younger brother, Menma.
Mikoto Uchiha had stepped up as the clan's temporary leader, taking the orphaned Uchiha children under her wing. But Naruto could see the strain in her eyes whenever she looked at Sasuke—the son who refused to be saved from his own darkness.
A firm squeeze on his shoulder jolted Naruto from his thoughts.
They had arrived.
Towering before them were two massive golden doors, each adorned with the Uzumaki and Namikaze crests, their symbols etched into the polished surface like a mark of divine authority. Two guards stood at attention on either side, their cold, scrutinizing gazes locked onto the pair.
"State your business," Dumbass Guard #1 barked.
Namori dipped into a respectful bow. Naruto didn't. He refused to give them the satisfaction.
"We're here at the behest of Elder Rion," Namori stated smoothly.
Dumbass Guard #2 scoffed, unimpressed. With a slow, deliberate motion, he reached for the heavy doors, but not before sneering at Naruto with thinly veiled contempt.
"You're lucky you have an appointment," he sneered. "Otherwise, we'd have shown you the way to the nearest trash heap—the perfect place for a disappointment like you."
Naruto's gaze darkened, but he refused to look away. He met the guard's glare head-on, his expression cold, unflinching.
Just a little longer, he reminded himself again.
Just a little longer, and he'd be free.
✨🟣🔵🟢🟡🔴🟠✨
Naruto sat cross-legged on a small cushion before a raised dais, where five clan elders loomed over him, their eyes sharp with disdain. He had long since stopped wondering why they hated him—there was never an actual reason. Sure, he wasn't one of the so-called prophesied children destined to save the world, but that hardly seemed like a valid excuse to treat him like an outsider. As the eldest of the triplets, he should have been the natural successor, trained to take on the role of clan head. Yet that had never happened.
Instead, he had been ignored, cast aside, and left to fend for himself.
Naruto glared at the polished wooden floor, refusing to meet their judgmental stares. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything wrong recently. His only goal was to grow stronger, even if it meant training on his own. So why, exactly, had they summoned him here?
The soft creak of a door opening to his right drew his attention. He tensed as the Hokage entered the chamber, flanked by two shinobi. Naruto's eyes immediately narrowed when he recognized them.
One was none other than Hatake Kakashi, the one-eyed bootlicker who always had his nose buried in that damn perverted book. The man had practically adopted his younger siblings, training them, guiding them—treating them as though they were his little brother and sister. And Naruto? He might as well have been a ghost.
But it was another person that really made Naruto's blood boil.
Jiraiya, the author of those perverted books.
The toad-humper. The so-called "great" Sannin. His godfather. A man who had waltzed into his life only to ruin it before disappearing again, treating Naruto like he was nothing more than dirt beneath his geta.
Naruto's gaze briefly flickered to the second member of their group—a spandex-clad man he didn't recognize. Not that it mattered. He had no intention of remembering him.
"Lord Third," came a voice from the dais. Naruto's uncle, Hando, inclined his head respectfully, acknowledging the village leader.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, taking his seat with the ease of a man used to the weight of leadership. "Good to see you again, Hando. How's your son doing?"
Naruto barely kept himself from scoffing. Oh, sure, let's make small talk while I sit here wondering why the hell I was even called.
The old man settled in, his two Jonin taking seats beside him as a group of servants entered the chamber. A desk was set before them, and steaming cups of tea were placed before the honored guests, yet Naruto received nothing. His mouth felt dry, but he swallowed his discomfort.
Hando adjusted his reading glasses before answering. "Oh, Conan is doing great. He recently reached the fifth level of Fūinjutsu. No doubt he'll become a seal master in a few years."
Naruto's fingers clenched into fists. Another privilege denied to me.
The clan's library was restricted, its treasures locked behind layers of bureaucratic nonsense. To gain access, one needed permission from the elders. Unsurprisingly, Naruto had never received that privilege. In their eyes, he was a disgrace to the clan—not worthy of their teachings.
"Do not fret, Naruto," came a calm voice in his mind. "There is a way to access the library without their knowledge."
Naruto's eyes widened slightly before he forced his expression into neutrality. "You mean... we sneak in?" he thought, communicating through their mental link.
"Correct."
His shoulders sagged. "That's impossible. The library is warded with the best Fūinjutsu seals. There's no way we can sneak in."
"With the power of the Infinity Stones, there is no obstacle we cannot breach—"
"Insolent boy!"
The sudden outburst jolted Naruto from his conversation with Vision. His gaze snapped upward just in time to see his uncle's face turning an alarming shade of red, veins practically bulging from his forehead.
"When I address you," Hando seethed, his voice trembling with fury, "I expect you to respond! Not sit there daydreaming about whatever idiotic nonsense is rattling around in that head of yours!"
Naruto slowly lifted his gaze, his jaw tightening.
Oh, he was so sick of this.
"And do you think for one moment in your pathetic life that I give a fuck what you have to say?" Naruto hissed, his voice laced with venom.
The entire chamber fell into stunned silence. Wide eyes, gaping mouths—no one had expected him to bite back, let alone with such raw contempt.
"You're all just as arrogant as the Uchiha," Naruto continued, his gaze sweeping over the elders, "and look what happened to them."
Hando's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Is that a threat, boy?"
Naruto met his uncle's glare head-on, completely unfazed. "No. Just an observation," he said coolly. "An over-bloated ego usually gets someone killed. Maybe try practicing a little humility—it might just save your ass."
Hando's face twisted with fury as he slammed his fist onto the desk in front of him, the sharp crack of impact echoing through the room.
"Be careful, boy," he growled. "The only reason you haven't been cast out of this clan is because you're the son of our leaders. But even that won't save you if you don't learn your place."
Naruto tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "And that is?"
Hando smirked, a cruel glint in his eyes.
"In the shadows, where no one has to see your worthlessness. Maybe, if you manage to scrape by in the Academy, they'll train you just enough to make you useful to the village. Then you can fade into obscurity—live out your meager existence as a mediocre Chūnin stationed at some distant outpost, far away from anyone who actually matters."
"Enough!"
The Hokage's voice rang through the room, sharp with authority.
"Hando," Hiruzen said, his eyes hard as steel, "there is no reason for you to treat Naruto this way. What's gotten into you?"
Hando blanched, clearly unprepared for the Hokage to defend the boy. Naruto, however, felt the smallest flicker of gratitude for the old man's intervention.
"What's gotten into me?" Hando echoed, his voice filled with indignation. "He's been a disgrace to this clan! Dragging our name through the mud with his childish pranks and those ridiculous challenges—all of which have ended in his defeat!"
Naruto's fists clenched. "And whose fault is that?" he shot back, his voice sharp with barely restrained anger. His gaze swept over his uncle and the other elders. "I've asked—repeatedly—for training. Like the other clan children get. Like my siblings get. But you all denied me that chance! You told me the Academy would train me instead. And now you have the nerve to blame me for falling behind? You're all hypocrites!" He glared at them, voice unwavering. "What are you so afraid of?"
Hando scoffed. "Afraid?" He leaned back, arms crossed. "We're not afraid of anything. We already tested your potential in the past and found you severely lacking. You're simple-minded. Your chakra reserves are below average, your chakra coils are underdeveloped, you lack discipline, and you're too hotheaded to stay calm.
"In simple terms—since I doubt you'd understand anything more complex—you're an utter failure."
The smirk that curled Hando's lips was pure malice.
"Teaching you would be a waste of our time. Even your parents realized this—why do you think they never trained you themselves?"
Naruto's breath hitched.
It was like a kunai straight through his heart.
The world around him dimmed. The sounds of the room—fading, distant. His nails dug into his palms, his whole body trembling.
Was he right? Am I... a failure?
"You are not a failure, Naruto." Vision's voice cut through the haze, calm but firm."They underestimated you. And they still are. It will be their loss when you show them what you're truly capable of."
Naruto swallowed thickly."Thanks, Vision." His voice barely came out as a whisper.
A warm hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality.
Naruto blinked, his unfocused gaze landing on the Hokage.
Hiruzen was watching him, concern etched deep into the lines of his aged face.
*** End of Chapter 5 ***