Naruto's Struggle

"That's why Tsunade-sama doesn't give you the time of day, Jiraiya-sama. Anyway, I'm Kakashi Hatake. I've heard many things about you two," the jonin claimed, a smile beneath his mask.

"Not that this isn't great, Jiji, but what's the point of this? Teme and I really have to go," Naruto claimed. He tilted his head to dodge an eraser that flew by. No doubt this throw was courtesy of his academy teacher.

"Naruto! Show your respect to Lord Hokage!" Iruka chastised.

"It's alright, Iruka. This is a delicate matter, and I would like it if Naruto was as comfortable as he wished to be. Now then, Naruto-kun, I asked you about the Kyuubi no Yoko because...what you and Sasuke were taught in the academy has been a deviation from the true story. It is true, that the village was saved due to the actions of the Yondaime Hokage. It is why the village holds a celebration every October 10th in honor of his sacrifice…,"

"Yeah, it must be nice. I wish I could join in sometimes…," Naruto interrupted, a deep growl slipping from his throat. He glanced up at the adults. Sure enough the sight made him inwardly laugh when he saw the disappointed, sad, and guilty looks on their faces. Ha, fools! For experienced shinobi, you sure do allow your emotions to be worn on your sleeves.

"...Yes, I am aware that this is also your birthday, Naruto-kun. I remember I always asked you to forgive the members of this village because they were still grieving. I don't know how long you've been satisfied with that answer, but...now is the time that you must know. You see, on the night of the Kyuubi attack, you were born by your mother and father. The Kyuubi is essentially a great body of chakra. It can be sealed, stored, or contained, but it can never be truly destroyed. It will reform one day or another. It could be in 10 years, 100 years, or even 1000 years, but it will come back some day," Hiruzen began. He took a breath for a moment before continuing.

"The Yondaime Hokage was running out of options. The Nine-tailed Fox had already devastated most of the village. He had to do something quickly. It pained his heart because...Konoha was his family. Like you, he was an orphan, so he saw the people around him as a place where he belonged. Nevertheless, he had the responsibility of keeping the village safe. So...he asked your mother and father if he could use you...to seal the Kyuubi inside your body. Your parents...agreed, and you have held this incredible burden for so many years. The Kyuubi did not die, Naruto-kun. It is inside of you," Hiruzen said.

Silence reigned through the room. The Sasuke cloned feigned shock with wide eyes before it turned to its fellow clone. The Naruto clone said nothing...for five minutes. However, once those five minutes were over, a chill ran through the classroom.

"Heh...hehehehe...hahahahahahaha," Naruto started laughing. His head thrown back, his mouth open wide, the blonde's laughter filled the room. However, there was nothing joyous about this laugh. If nothing else, it worried Hiruzen and those present. It sounded like the laugh of a very troubled child.

"Hahaha, you hear that Teme? I've got the Kyuubi inside me. No wonder everyone hated me! Let me guess, you knew too didn't you? You were all in on it! I was the last one to know! YOU WERE IN ON IT WEREN'T YOU SASUKE?!" Naruto asked as he grabbed the Uchiha back the collar.

Kakashi quickly moved and grabbed Naruto's arms. "No Naruto, Sasuke didn't know. The adults know, but the Hokage passed a law that no one could discuss it openly. It was to try and give you a normal childhood," he said.

Suddenly, the clone fell silent. The Sasuke clone fell silent as well. Normal? Normal childhood? NoRmAl?! nOrMaL?! Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal? Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! Normal?! NORMAL?!

The Naruto clone released its fellow clone's shoulder. It stopped its act. Yes, the laughter was supposed to be an act. The anger was all an act. Just an act that any normal 11-year old boy might give. However, within the clone, because it was a part of Naruto, something snapped. Something cracked. Something...broke to pieces.

"Someone like you shouldn't even exist!"

"Hold him down! The way beasts will learn anything...is through discipline!"

"Go away! Why does Hokage-sama even keep you alive?!"

"You were a mistake! You should never have been born!"

"Don't ever show your face around here again!"

"HA?! Someone like you become Hokage? It was the Yondaime Hokage who fought to keep brats like you away from everyone else! Don't disrespect the position and authority of the Hokage with your stupid words!"

"Someone like you should just DIE!"

The clone stood up to its feet. Its chest felt tight. It could feel the mass of blood swelling inside of it. It then took a step back from the group. This action released a wave of panic through Hiruzen. "No Naruto-kun, you're not the Kyuubi. You're a hero! You're this village's hero! Without you, everyone would be dead!" the Hokage tried to speak, but his words were lost in the sea of memories that the clone had experienced from its creator.

"HANG HIM! Hang him high! Hahahahaha! Take this! And this! TAKE THIS TOO!"

The clone watched, and felt, the cold sting of a harsh whip on its back. The laughter, the jeers, and the sneers, it remembered all of them. Then it remembered...dying. It remembered the light slowly fading from its eyes. All...for...one...chance. All for them. He...was a hero.

Naruto dashed out of the classroom before anyone could stop him. The Sasuke clone quickly ran after him. The adults were left alone. "Hokage-sama, was this wise?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't know, Kakashi, but let's see if Sasuke can calm Naruto-kun down. We'll...continue this later. It's a lot to take in," Hiruzen said. Jiraiya and Iruka agreed without even needing to speak.

Meanwhile, the Naruto clone kept running and running. It could feel the rage beginning to take over it. It had to dispel. If it released all of its rage now, then the current planning would all be for nothing. It could feel the blood pressure threatening to burst from its body. It could feel the uncontrollable rage to lash out. It was...some kind of sick, cruel joke.

Whether from sweat, or from exhaustion, the clone touched its face. Once it looked at its hand, it could see that it was covered in the color of rich life essence. It could feel the rage inside of it boiling. Villager after villager that it passed, it could feel the desire to wring them all to death. It felt the desire to hang them high or hang them low. This peace that was established at his own expense, where did he fit in all of it?

The clone quickly opened the door. The Sasuke clone quickly came through and locked it. In a blood-curdling scream that shocked those denizens of the apartment complex, the two clones shouted as spikes of blood ripped through their bodies. So great was their rage that their owner's cultivation came undone. They could feel the heat of their rage dissolve their bodies until there was nothing left.

Meanwhile, far back in Kusagakure, Naruto clutched his head and screamed as he felt his anger rise. "Normal?! NORMAL?!" A red aura exploded from Naruto's body. So great, so intense, so powerful was it that it cracked the ground beneath his feet. Never before was he more thankful to be away from Kusagakure than now.

His hair, once yellow like the sun, took in the red aura like a fine drink. As Naruto shouted towards the heavens, the red aura wrapped around his body. Spikes of blood exploded from his back and stabbed themselves into the ground. His blue eyes turned into the orbs of a rabig monster. The aura trailed up and down his skin leaving markings by which none could ascertain the origin. His short blonde hair turned into a long mane of spiky, red hair.

....

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