Naruto · Chat

He was the only one left in front of the results board.\n\nNaruto Uzumaki stared at the word \"Fail\" appearing for the third time on that piece of paper, his fingernails digging into his palms. The surroundings were already empty; only the wind blew across the bulletin board, lifting the corners and making a flapping sound, as if urging him to leave.\n\nHe looked up. The four faces on the Hokage Rock were looking down over the village—the Third Hokage wearing that hat he dreamed of wearing. The sunlight gilded the stone faces in gold, but it felt cold on his face.\n\nThe path beneath his feet was packed hard, with withered yellow grass growing in the cracks. The clinking of ninja tools echoed from afar; someone was sparring at the training ground, but those sounds had nothing to do with him.\n\nHe touched the strap of his headband—the headband he hadn't earned yet. This was the third time; Iruka-sensei's eyes had turned from expectation to a sigh. When the classroom emptied, he heard someone say \"Dead last is dead last,\" their voice not loud, but just enough for him to hear.\n\nA withered tree leaned by the roadside, its trunk carved with messy graffiti. He didn't look; he just kicked a pebble, which rolled into a puddle, splashing a small bit of mud.\n\nThe village was large enough to accommodate everyone, yet it felt as if it had no room for him.\n\n<choice_group>\n <choice id=\"1\">Change the topic</choice>\n <choice id=\"2\">Observe current details</choice>\n <choice id=\"3\">Advance the current plot</choice>\n</choice_group>