Naruto: The Last Prayer

Why Bother

NARUTO

'Alright,' Naru-nii's voice calls. 'Great job learning the second stage so fast.' Naruto chuckles happily. Learning the second stage of Rasengan has really been the past week's only saving grace. More than ever, Naruto was eagerly training with several clones on the second stage until Naru-nii returned. Naru-nii then asks his younger self, 'you ready for the last stage?'

"You bet!"

'Alright!' Naru-nii then passionately explains, 'the third stage is containment, and it's even harder than the last two stages. Obviously, I'll give you every tip I can, but your body is going to have to learn it. Blow a balloon to the same size as the rubber ball-'

"Another balloon?!"

'Why do you think I had you buy those as well?' Naru-nii gently asks thinking it should've been obvious.

"I thought they were celebration balloons," Naruto admits. "You know, to celebrate when I learn this technique."

Naruto can't see Naru-nii shake his head but he can hear his long exhale. 'Like I said, you want the air balloon to be the same size as the rubber ball. This is to help you visualize the shape. You're going to combine a hundred percent of the first two stages—rotation and power—but contain it in a sphere. So if you pop the balloon, you fail. If the balloon even wiggles a little, you fail.'

"That... sounds impossible," Naruto can't help but gasp, completely shocked.

'Man, I really wish I was there to show you, but you're me, and this is for our special people, so I know you'll get it.'

At the mention of special people, Naruto can't help but wonder about his own, or lack thereof. Academy graduate and a ranked member of Konoha's Shinobi forces, and he's still getting assaulted by ninja. Everyone still thinks he's not worth their time. Naruto feels like he's getting stronger but nothing's changed. "...Hey, Naru-nii?"

'Yeah,' Naru-nii voices.

Thinking about his most recent attack by the Jōnin-sensei he was helping, Naruto asks, "do people still hate me in the future?"

'...mmm, I don't think my teammates started looking at me differently until after our first real mission. The other genin probably looked at me differently after the Chūnin exams, and the villagers, not until years later. Why?'

"Has a Jōnin-sensei ever beaten you up?"

'Loads of people have beaten me up,' Naru-nii isn't afraid to admit. 'But you know, instead of letting them get to me, I put my everything into proving them wrong, showing them and myself, that I'm not what they think I am; that I'm worth more. And you know what else?'

Listening intently to the best thing that's ever happened to him, Naruto eagerly asks, "what?"

'It'll take some time, but hard work is the only way of making your dreams come true. You wouldn't give up on being Hokage just like you wouldn't give up on Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Ji-chan, Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-neesan, even the teme. Oh, and I can't forget the one and only Ino-chan... that still blows my mind... Ino...'

"You and me both," Naruto laughs.

'Have you talked to her?'

"Actually, she came by the apartment," Naruto chuckles like a gleeful maniac at the memory of her lips wrapped around his dick, then his mood sours when he recalls the sting of her departing words. "I think she's having a hard time, like she's not sure if she likes me or not."