บท 127: Cruel Konoha
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Akira appeared silently in Konoha, his arrival undetectable.
The faint glow of the evening sun cast long shadows across the village, and Akira blended seamlessly into them, with no trace of chakra emitting from him.
No one noticed his presence as he moved through the streets like an invisible phantom in the village that was once his home.
Akira wandered through the village. "Where are you now, Naruto?" he thought, trying to find him.
His eyes fell on a familiar yet pitiful sight. Uzumaki Naruto stood outside a small food stall, clutching a few coins in his hand. His bright blonde hair was messy, and his cheeks bore faint marks of dirt. Despite the lively chatter and bustling streets around him, Naruto looked utterly alone.
"Please… I have enough money this time," Naruto said quietly, his voice trembling as he held the coins out to the shopkeeper.
The man behind the counter sneered, crossing his arms. "We don't serve monsters here."
Naruto flinched, his grip tightening around the coins. "I'm not a monster. I just… I just want food... I'll buy it."
Another customer, a woman nearby, chimed in, her voice filled with disdain. "You have some nerve showing your face here, demon. People like you don't deserve to live in this village, let alone eat like the rest of us."
A small crowd began to gather, their whispers turning into cruel jeers.
"Why don't you just disappear?"
"No one wants you here, you little beast!"
"Even if you paid ten times, I wouldn't sell you anything. Go starve!"
"It's better to die from hunger."
Naruto's shoulders trembled as he tried to maintain his composure. He pressed the coins onto the counter, his voice cracking. "I-I'm paying! What did I do wrong?!"
The shopkeeper slapped the coins off the counter, sending them scattering across the dirt. "Get lost, brat. I'd rather close my shop than serve you."
From the shadows, Akira observed the scene, his Sharingan quietly analyzing every detail. He noted the sadness in Naruto's eyes, the faint trembling of his hands as he bent down to pick up the coins, and the way the crowd's words seemed to pierce the boy's spirit like knives.
Despite the humiliation, Naruto looked up with a faint glimmer of hope. "One day… I'll be Hokage. I'll make everyone in this village acknowledge me!"
"Good chance for me, I guess," Akira thought as he smiled and activated his Sharingan.
The shopkeeper laughed bitterly, his voice dripping with venom. "Hokage? Don't make me laugh. No one would ever follow a monster like you."
Another villager sneered. "Even if you were the last person who can save me, I'd rather die than let you save me, you disgusting creature."
The crowd's insults escalated, their words becoming crueler with every moment.
"You'll never be anything but a curse to this village!"
"Just give up, you worthless demon!"
"Hokage? You couldn't protect anyone, not even yourself."
"Even if you became Hokage, I would just kill myself."
"I feel disgusted just by thinking of it."
Akira remained motionless, calm. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but realizing the truth will help you instead." He made no move to intervene, even as the crowd's words cut deeper into Naruto's fragile spirit. Instead, he allowed the cruelty to unfold, observing every reaction from the boy.
"This world has always been cruel to the innocent," Akira thought. "But pain and rejection forge the strongest wills… or break them entirely."
"Besides, I don't want you to be attached to the village right now."
Naruto's fists clenched tightly around the coins, his head bowed as he tried to hold back tears. His voice was barely audible as he whispered, "Why… What did I do wrong?"
Akira watched as Naruto returned to his old room, hungry and crying.
Before approaching Naruto, Akira's eyes shifted upward to the rooftops and dark corners of the apartment.
As expected, the ANBU assigned to monitor Naruto lingered in the shadows. Akira observed them carefully, his Sharingan spinning with precision. He noted their positions and movements, recognizing them as ordinary ninjas—hardly a challenge for his illusion.
With a flicker of motion, Akira vanished and reappeared in front of the ANBU one by one. His Sharingan glowed ominously as their eyes with the unsuspecting shinobis. A faint ripple of chakra radiated, ensnaring them in his genjutsu.
"You saw nothing tonight," Akira whispered, his voice calm and commanding. "You will not report anything unusual. Act normal, just as you would in the life of Naruto."
The ANBU's bodies stiffened before relaxing, their will entirely subdued by Akira's Sharingan. Satisfied, Akira vanished once more, his presence undetectable.
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In a small, dimly lit room, Naruto sat curled up on the cold floor. His stomach growled loudly, the pain of hunger twisting his small frame. Tears streamed down his face as he clutched an old, worn blanket. The cruel words from earlier echoed in his mind, amplifying his loneliness.
"Why does everyone hate me?" Naruto whispered to himself, his voice breaking. "I didn't do anything wrong…"
"I... didn't do anything," Naruto said, tears streaming from his already lightless eyes.
Suddenly, the faintest shimmer of light flickered in the corner of the room. Akira appeared silently, his presence filling the space with an aura of calm. Naruto didn't notice him at first, too lost in his despair.
"Hungry, aren't you?" Akira's voice was gentle, almost soothing.
Naruto's head shot up in surprise, his wide blue eyes meeting Akira's calm, dark gaze. He scrambled back, startled. "W-who are you?! How did you get in here?"
Akira knelt down, setting a neatly wrapped bundle of food on the floor between them. The delicious aroma filled the room, making Naruto's stomach growl even louder.
"I'm someone who cares," Akira replied with a soft smile. "Eat first. Then we'll talk."
Naruto hesitated, his gaze flickering between the food and Akira's calm expression. But hunger quickly won, and he grabbed the bundle, devouring its contents with desperation. Akira watched in silence, his expression unreadable.
When Naruto finally finished eating, he looked at Akira with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. "Why… why are you being nice to me? No one ever is."
Akira sighed softly, his expression turning serious. "Because, Naruto, you deserve kindness. And because…" He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "I should tell you that I'm your uncle."
Naruto froze, blinking in disbelief. "M-my uncle? I don't have an uncle. I don't even have a family."
Akira's gaze softened. "You do, Naruto. You've just been kept in the dark. I come from a place far from here, and I'm part of the Uchiha clan—your father's ally. We don't belong to this village anymore, Naruto, like you. our destiny lies far beyond these walls."
Naruto's breath hitched as he tried to process Akira's words. "But… why would my family leave me here? Why didn't they come for me?"
"There are things you're not ready to understand yet," Akira said gently. "But I'm here now. I've been waiting for the right moment to meet you. You have an amazing future, Naruto—a greatness inside you that this village doesn't deserve to witness."
Naruto's tears welled up again, but this time, they weren't just from sadness. For the first time, someone had treated him with kindness, with warmth. "You… you're really my family?"
Akira nodded. "Yes. And I promise you, Naruto, you'll never be alone again. But for now, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
"You will have a family that cares for you, and friends your age with whom you can spend time. You deserve happiness."
Naruto wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Remembering the villagers' words, he nodded fervently. "I can! I promise!"
Akira smiled, placing a hand gently on Naruto's head. "Good. Stay strong, Naruto. Come, let's play a card game or something to spend some time here."
With that, Akira began his waiting time with Naruto, making Naruto have a flicker of hope in his heart with the promise of a family and friends, something he had never known.
.
.
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