Title: Worthless

Rating: G

Pairing / Characters: Uzumaki Naruto

Word Count: 433 words

Warnings: Does spoilers for sadness count? Maybe not. Just in general for eps 1 and 2 in the anime

Summary: Naruto is what they make him. Worthless.

A/N: This is for everyone who has felt like this at some point in their lives, and can identify with Naruto's loneliness and sadness. I know I can, I know some other people besides myself that could too. Loneliness is a form of abuse too, ya know.

I don't know where this one came from, now that I think about it. I just know how it makes me feel. Which is sad. Obviously.

I'm so lonely.

I'm not a shinobi, I could easily run away and nobody would even notice. Nobody would care.

I can see it in their eyes, you know, how much they hate me. It's not something you can hide, and its not like they try to, but I don't know why. Even Iruka-sensei doesn't care. When he looks at me, his eyes are so, so cold. Just like the rest of the villagers. I don't know anyone outside of the academy, so I don't know what I'm supposed to have done to make them hate me.

I don't have family, I don't have friends, I don't have anyone who acknowledges the fact that I'm even alive. I just want to be loved. Accepted. Praised instead of mocked.

Why am I so different?

I don't have parents, I know that, but neither does Sasuke, but he's special. I can't speak to him; I could never find the courage to tell him that I wish I could be like him. He can do anything; he's praised by all the teachers, liked by everyone… why can't that be me? I practice every day, I train all night, but I still amount to nothing. In everyone's eyes, I'm a worthless boy with a useless dream and no talent worth mentioning.

Do they know how it feels to be so worthless? I have my dreams but compared to my pathetic existence, they're so far beyond my reach. No matter how hard I try, I'm still nothing. Less than nothing. I'm not strong enough to be a shinobi. I can only make people acknowledge me by playing pranks on them.

Sometimes I feel like I'm on my knees in the middle of a crowd, begging someone to just look at me, but they turn their faces away instead.

I wish I were different. Better. Someone special – but that's a stupid, childish dream. I have to learn not to pretend to be the main character in a story who keeps on crying.

I just need to work harder, that's all. If I work harder and practice my jutsu's more often, they'll see that I'm special. That I'm worth something and maybe, just maybe, they'll give me a chance. Maybe they'll even stop hating me. I try, I really do, but obviously I need to try harder.

I'll become Hokage. Greater than any other Hokage – and then, then they'll see me. I'll make them see that I'm better than them, better than anyone.

If I can't get them to love me, I can at least get them to respect me.