The Insecure Girl

To the classmates, Naruto was a partner they could trust completely.

And everything Naruto did had indeed lived up to that trust.

One day.

Naruto saw Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno completely fall out over Sasuke Uchiha, erupting into a fierce argument.

"You wide forehead!" Ino shouted in a fit of anger.

Sakura's body trembled, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Ino's words had undoubtedly torn open her old wound.

For as long as she could remember, she had been insecure about her wide forehead. It was Ino who had come along to comfort her, tying a red ribbon around her hair and helping her regain her confidence, become cute again, and even dare to show her "wide forehead."

From that day onward, they had become inseparable best friends.

But now, the "light" Sakura had once relied on had become the darkness pushing her into the abyss.

"Wide forehead... damn, that's vicious."

"But now that you mention it, Sakura's forehead really does seem—"

Listening to the students' chatter around her, Sakura burst into tears. She threw the red ribbon Ino had given her onto the ground and ran out of the classroom.

Ino regretted it the moment the words left her mouth.

"Don't maliciously mock your classmates. That's very rude," Naruto said, stepping forward. His expression was serious, completely unlike his usual gentle demeanor.

Under Naruto's rebuke, the other students lowered their heads in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." Ino looked miserable.

"You shouldn't apologize to me. You should apologize to Sakura." Naruto rubbed Ino's blonde hair, his voice softening. "Jealousy is the hardest emotion to control. It could make you lose a close friend. Cherish what you have. Friendship is precious."

After saying that, Naruto picked up the red ribbon and walked out of the classroom.

Leaving behind an Ino filled with regret.

Sakura ran as hard as she could.

She did not know where she was going. She only wanted to escape that classroom that made her feel uneasy and humiliated.

Back then, other children had mocked her for her wide forehead, making her weak and insecure. It was Ino's appearance that had changed her and helped her regain her confidence.

They studied together and played together.

Until Sasuke Uchiha appeared.

Naruto was handsome too, but Sasuke's coldness fascinated them even more.

Even though Sasuke had treated them coldly countless times, they seemed almost addicted to being mistreated.

Just like the saying went: what you could not have would always stir your heart.

What you could not get was always the sweetest.

They became Sasuke's die-hard fans, secretly competing with each other in the hope of winning his heart.

But now, the companion she trusted most had torn open that long-sealed wound, making Sakura once again suffer the pain she had endured throughout her childhood.

Wide forehead.

For a girl, nothing was more important than her appearance.

At that moment, Sakura felt as though her entire world had collapsed.

She ran to the rooftop, hid in a corner, and sobbed quietly.

"I finally found you." Naruto's warm voice rang out.

Sakura looked up at Naruto, then hurriedly lowered her head again. Her body curled up in the corner, full of helplessness and self-abasement.

She must look ugly now, with tears all over her face.

Naruto sat down beside Sakura. Looking at the sun amid the clouds, he said softly, "I was alone from the moment I was born. The villagers saw me as a demon fox, a monster. Every time I went outside, I was cursed at. They called me a monster, asked why I didn't just die, asked why I had to disgust them. But I had clearly done nothing. It was only because a demon fox was sealed inside me."

Naruto revealed a self-mocking smile.

"That demon fox once destroyed Konoha, and I became the vessel used to seal him away."

Sakura stopped sobbing and quietly listened to Naruto.

Girls were often more sensitive, and she could sense Naruto's pain.

At the same time, she was somewhat confused.

Naruto, who carried the sealed demon fox, should have been regarded as a hero. Why had the villagers despised him instead?

Having touched upon the buried truth, Sakura felt a trace of sympathy for Naruto's current situation and dissatisfaction with Konoha.

"But I didn't change. I didn't become depressed or lose hope because of that malice. I kept training, improving myself, facing life's malice with a smile and optimism. I accepted them and changed them. And now, as you can see, my efforts have paid off. I have friends, and the villagers no longer curse at me like they used to."

"Although the process was difficult, the moment you gained happiness, all that hardship was already in the past."

Naruto's tone gradually brightened, and he smiled brilliantly.

"As far as I'm concerned, Sakura, you already have the happiness I wouldn't even dare hope for. You have a caring family and companions who trust you."

Naruto handed Sakura a handkerchief.

Sakura clumsily accepted the handkerchief and looked up. Under the sunlight, Naruto's smile was dazzling, its warmth seeming capable of melting any frozen heart.

"Sakura, you're actually very pretty. The moment I first saw you, I was drawn to your beautiful pink hair. At this time of year, seeing a pink like cherry blossoms is a kind of happiness."

"You're no worse than anyone else. Don't live according to other people's eyes—just be yourself."

"A confident Sakura is really charming."

Naruto gently tied the red ribbon around Sakura's hair and spoke softly.

Once, her best friend had tied that red ribbon into Sakura's pink hair, giving her confidence.

Now, the person tying the ribbon was Naruto.

Different people naturally brought different feelings.

Feeling the warmth of Naruto's palm, Sakura froze in place. Her heart pounded wildly, and her mind was filled with Naruto's words: "Sakura, you're actually very pretty."

Her eyes immediately brimmed with tears.

At that moment, she suddenly came to a realization.

Instead of choosing such a warm and caring guy, she had insisted on liking that childish Sasuke.

She really had been blind.

"Thank you, Naruto." She tightly clutched the handkerchief and looked earnestly into Naruto's eyes.

Seeing the girl regain her usual confidence, Naruto smiled and rubbed Sakura's head.

"Let's go back. Everyone's waiting for you."

"Mm." Sakura nodded and followed behind Naruto toward the classroom.

Inside the classroom.

Naruto walked in with Sakura, and the students who had mocked Sakura all lowered their heads in shame.

Ino stepped forward and hugged Sakura, apologizing sincerely. "I'm sorry, Sakura."

The two whispered to each other for a while, eventually making up as if nothing had happened.

The moment Naruto returned to his seat, he received Sasuke's words of concern:

"I never expected you to waste time over a woman. Hmph, just keep wasting away like this. That way, I'll surpass you—surpass everyone. I'll be the one standing at the top." (tsundere face)

Sasuke was thrilled inside and studied the Ninja Heart Itachi had given him with even greater seriousness.

He imagined the day when he would defeat Naruto, who had grown lax because of a woman.

With his foot planted on Naruto's face, he grinned arrogantly and maniacally. "Naruto, you're too weak. Run away. Hate me. Find somewhere to barely survive until you possess power like mine, then show yourself again. By then, I'll use even greater power to crush your confidence."

Sakura and Ino, having reconciled, seemed even closer than before.

One second they had been viciously badmouthing each other, and the next they were inseparable again.

Friendship between women could sometimes be this impossible to understand.

Ino glanced toward Sasuke and spoke first. "Sakura, I've thought it over carefully. We both like Sasuke, so let's compete fairly. No matter which one of us gets him, we'll be good sisters for life."

"No, I don't like Sasuke anymore." Unexpectedly, Sakura shook her head. Under Ino's stunned gaze, she looked lovingly toward the direction where Naruto was sitting and said quietly:

"I've already found the person I truly like."

Ino: ??

Let's brainstorm—does anyone have any ideas for plotlines involving the Konoha 12?

Since Naruto is going to become the light, I should probably give some of them little storylines similar to Rock Lee's.

Thinking about this is making my hair fall out, but it still feels like it doesn't have enough standout moments.