Chapter 1: The Voice in the Silence
The ramen had gone cold.
Naruto sat on the floor of his small apartment, knees hugged to his chest, staring blankly at the wall. The sky outside was fading from orange to blue, and the world just felt... quiet. Too quiet.
He had failed the graduation exam again.
'Why do I even bother...? No one ever believes in me anyway.'
He exhaled, angry at himself, at the teachers, at the entire village. 'All I wanted was to become a ninja… to show them I'm not just some loser.'
{"You're not a loser, Naruto."}
His eyes widened. He jumped to his feet, looking around. "W-Who said that?!"
Silence.
He spun in place, eyes scanning every shadow of the room. "Show yourself!"
{"Relax. I'm not in the room. I'm in your head."}
His expression twisted. "In my... head?"
{"Yes. I'm not a ghost, not a Genjutsu. I'm something... different. Let's just say I'm a voice connected to you. A guide. A source of knowledge. You can think of me as your personal assistant—just inside your mind."}
'Okay. I'm definitely losing it.'
{"You're not. I promise. And I know how confused you must be."}
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Alright then, prove it. If you're real… tell me something nobody else will."
{"Fair enough. Ask me anything you've always wanted to know."}
He paused. The question that had always haunted him rose to the surface of his heart.
"…Who were my parents?"
A brief silence.
{"Your father was Minato Namikaze—the Fourth Hokage. Your mother was Kushina Uzumaki, from the powerful Uzumaki Clan."}
Naruto's breath caught in his throat. "The Fourth… was my dad?!"
{"Yes. And your mother was a strong kunoichi with a big heart and an even bigger temper."}
His legs gave out. He sat down on the floor. "But… why don't I know any of this? Why didn't anyone ever tell me?"
{"Because the truth was hidden. To protect you. The Third Hokage—Hiruzen—chose not to reveal it. He thought it would keep you safe… but it only made you suffer in ignorance."}
'No wonder they all look at me like I'm some freak… Like I'm cursed.'
{"You were never cursed. You were left in the dark. But I can fix that. I can teach you things no one else can. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, sealing arts… history. Even things that haven't happened yet."}
Naruto blinked. "What do you mean, things that haven't happened yet?"
{"You'll meet great allies and terrifying enemies. From powerful rogue ninja to people who want to remake the world. I can tell you what's coming—from the Akatsuki to even future events far beyond your time. But all of that starts later. First… you have to pass the exam."}
He let out a weak laugh. "Yeah… not happening. I blew it today."
{"True. But there's still one more chance. And I'll help you prepare. You can train smarter, harder—and quietly. No one needs to know I'm here."}
Naruto's eyes sharpened. "Wait... why me? Why do I get some weird voice inside my head?"
{"Because you're different. Not in the way they say. You're meant for more. But you've been left to figure it out alone... until now."}
'This is crazy. But... it's not the weirdest thing that's happened to me.'
{"One more thing, Naruto."}
He turned his head slightly, listening.
{"Don't tell anyone about me. Not your teachers. Not your classmates. Not even the Hokage. If anyone finds out, it could change everything—and not in a good way."}
Naruto hesitated… then nodded. "Alright. It's our secret."
{"Good. Now rest. Tomorrow, we start training—and we'll make sure the next exam is the last one you ever fail."}
As Naruto slipped under his blanket, the pain in his chest didn't disappear—but for the first time, it felt like someone was there to carry some of it with him.
And for the first time in a long time… he smiled.
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