Kakanaru: The pain behind Naruto's mask

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A/N I do not own Naruto. I do not own any of the media I use. I do not like repeating myself so this is the only chapter I will say that. This is my first fan fiction. Don't hesitate to criticize but don't hate.

In the training field the boy stands still, with only the slight movement of his shoulders as he draws breath giving any indication that he isn't merely a statue. Without moving from where he stood, Naruto Uzumaki hit all 50 of the targets he carved onto the trees with kunai, blindfolded. Letting out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, he walked over and sat down on a log. "Kit, you've come a long way, take a breather." Looking down I saw a tiny fox, about the size of two hands, had scrambled up the side of the log. Smiling gratefully I said, "Thanks Kurama, but I still have a lot of work to do before I reach my goal."
Kurama huffed. "You can't complete your goal if you drop dead from exhaustion either." I couldn't help but sigh. I knew Kurama was right, but I was so close. No matter what the villagers did to me, it was that one thing I clung to that gave me the strength to stand again. As I continued to think of the villagers, a memory intruded.

*Flashback*

It was my birthday, and I was running for my life. I could hear the angry shouts of the ninja and villagers behind me. They called out. "Stop running demon." "You'll never get away so just give in already." "Filth." "Trash."
The usual insults going around on replay. I turned a corner and hit a dead end. I looked around and hoped for another way out. Too late though, they were here. They loomed over me. They laughed and inched closer. Then they hit me. They kept on hitting me until their anger abated, which seemed to take an eternity. As they wandered off, I heard something new ringing through my ears. "Bloody fox." I got up and slowly limped back to the apartment where I lived alone. I thought about what the man said. I wasn't stupid. I knew that 3 years ago the village was attacked by the Kyuubi. That was the night I was born. The villagers hated me and now I think I know why. Plus the Fourth defeated the beast, and I looked exactly like an old picture of him. Beings of chakra can't be killed, and who better to seal the Kyuubi than his own son. The villager saying "Bloody fox" just cemented my theory. Arriving home, I went to my bedroom. I had already placed security seals by the door and window so I didn't have to worry about my home getting wrecked. Sitting cross legged on my bed, I thought, 'Fox', 'Fox', 'FOX.' I vaguely heard a growl before I found myself standing in a sewer.

*Flashback End*

Since then, even though we started off kind of rocky, Kurama and I have gotten closer. He taught me how to use jutsu simply by focusing my chakra, without handsigns or speaking. I taught him how good it feels to be scratched under the chin. Kurama's like the father I never knew, always there to give advice.
Standing, I picked up Kurama and started heading home via rooftop. Kurama asked, "Are you going to drop the act now?" I smiled. Shaking my head, I told him,"I'm going to pretend to be stupid and unfashionable until the graduation tests. I'll ace them and change the outfit when they announce our teams." Kura grumbled."Good thing the exams are in less than a week. That orange color just kills me!"
Home again, I fix a salad and steak, then go to bed. In the morning I paste on a bright smile. But when I see the jumpsuit I can't help but grimace a little. Jiji lets me go shopping outside the village for my normal clothes and food, but obviously I got the jumpsuit in target practice alley. A.k.a. The village. After a hasty breakfast I raced to the academy. Throwing open the door I yelled "YAHOO" as I jumped over the desk and into the chair. Iruka Sensei shook his head. "Naruto, next time please enter the room like a civilized human being." Sakura spoke up."But sensei, Naruto isn't civilized or human. He's a monkey." Everyone laughed. I sank down in my seat. Even though this was all an act, I really was embarrassed. Iruka slammed his hand down on the table. "Enough!" He shouted it loud enough that our ears rang. As soon as Iruka said to turn our attention to the board, I put my head down and fell asleep.