Story summary: After multiple failed attempts of getting his friend Sasuke back to the village, Naruto lost faith in himself and all humanity. So he decided to cut himself from the world and only dedicate himself to doing work and missions. He quickly finds out that things are easier said than done when a certain Inuzuka starts chasing his ass all over the place. Welcome to my KibaNaru multi-chapter fic.

A/N: It's kinda like an homage to "Simple Addition" by FlamesEmbrace which is possibly my most favorite KibaNaru story ever.

Prologue: Broken

Konoha was known to all for being one of the best ninja villages out there. Under their new Hokage the restoration of village hidden in the leaf was completed as it was now working again at full power. On the other hand, only a few knew about its (as the council would put it) secret weapon.

The seventeen year old whiskered face jinchuriki, also known as Naruto Uzumaki, was this nation's most prized secret. So secret that no one who knew was aloud to tell anyone who didn't or they would have made a capital offence which only viable method for punishment was death itself.

The irony of it was that although this teenage boy was their most treasured firearm, he was not treated as such. No, far from it. By the mayor part of Konoha's citizens he was treated worst than garbage, like a rat. Viewed with disgust, neglect and offensiveness by the larger population, or as the perfect lab rat by the few who thought things through with logic instead of emotions. In other words they just wanted to manipulate him as an expendable specimen.

Because of this, said boy grew excluded by all and completely reprieved from love. Yet the demon vessel didn't break. No, he was too strong willed for that. If they didn't want him the he would make them acknowledge him at any cost.

With his nindo of never giving up he worked into becoming a shinobi. His ultimate goal was to become Hokage, the strongest ninja of the village. Then everyone would have to accept him. Even if they didn't like him they would still have to respect him and that was good enough for the jinchuriki.

Little did he expect to be accepted and recognized as a human on the very first day of becoming a genin by his academy teacher and sensei. This only fueled his will. In his mind his theory was proven true. Becoming powerful equaled acknowledgment and reduces the hatred in people's eyes.

Being a genin came with the package deal of having teammates a.k.a. people who would have to put up with him 24/7. The child couldn't be happier because he knew it was the perfect chance to prove he fitted in. That they were all equals.

Soon they would start to count on him and bonds would start to create themselves. His future looked brighter by the day. By his quick progress others from his graduating class also stopped being spiteful towards him.

He knew it, power meant respect, respect led to friendships and he didn't doubt that friendship would lead eventually to love. The one feeling that never found him on the receiving end. The sentiment he wanted to share the most.

Once he thought he finally achieved it. That nostalgic day on the Valley of the End. One of his first bonds had acknowledge his progress, described him as one of his precious persons and even went as far to call him his best friend.

The fox jailer felt fulfilled. Like he finally found what he always wanted in the brother figure before him. Unfortunately said pseudo brother twisted that reality when he thrusted a lighting enhanced hand through the whiskered face ninja's chest as an intended killing blow.

Naruto Uzumaki couldn't believe it. Wasn't power supposed to bring him friends? Shouldn't that make him fit in and make people count on him? Then why did Sasuke so adamantly refused to acknowledge him as an equal? Why was it that the stronger he got the less amicable his 'best friend' got?

Was it possible that his theory was all wrong? That strength didn't bring lasting bonds and only made him a plaything for others to toy around with? No, that couldn't be right. He wouldn't let his first real bond to shatter. His will was still as strong!

For two and a half years the teen went through rigorous training to get stronger. He would prove himself and get his friend back. Nothing else mattered, not even becoming Hokage. Yet things didn't go as he hoped.

After continuous failed attempts his will wavered and he even began to doubt himself. He cried more times than he ever did during his childhood. He couldn't keep up his strong front anymore. Nothing was going as planned.

He and Sakura, the third and final original member of his squad were on friendly terms now. But only because of their shared sentiment for the lost of the Uchiha. He wanted to love her and wanted her to love him back just as much. Yet he knew that would never happen. She would never see him in the same light he saw her.

Even if they did get together it wouldn't last. A fact he couldn't doubt because she would only be a constant depressing reminder of the one and only real bond he had, and lost. Of the promise of a lifetime he made to her but couldn't keep.

He felt worthless, didn't know what to believe, so he distanced himself from the others because he didn't want to face the same disappointment again. The seventeen year old kept to himself a whole lot more and stopped making promises all together.

He no longer had any desires, no hopes, and no aspirations. The teen let himself to become a simple tool for completing missions. A fact that placed a smile on the faces of the council. To get straight to the point Naruto Uzumaki was damaged. A shell of what he used to be; someone who only dreamt about what could have been.

A/N: Well what do you think? This is just the prologue but I'm confident that by the time you read the first chapter you'll basically know what this story is going to be about. Anyways I'll be introducing Kiba next!