Truths laid bare

Naruto lays in his bed, staring at the dark ceiling or nothing in particular. His mind was awake with thoughts, a real whirlwind of emotions and revelations. It was all very confusing.

The past days hadn't been kind to him.

He didn't understand why sensei Mizuki betrayed him. He was so nice and so cool. Sometimes, Mizuki had mentored him where Iruka couldn't. He helped Naruto whenever he had a problem, tutored him where others threw stones and spat insults. Mizuki was a good and fair man and as much of a brother to him as Iruka, Naruto believed so from his soul. He was right, right up until the end.

He couldn't quite put where exactly everything went wrong. When and why Mizuki decided to trick him. He had gotten the Scroll of Seals like he was told - fooled into. He actually did, Naruto Uzumaki, the always deadlast. He put everything on the line to prove himself, and he used everything he had. He went right up to the Hokage Tower and he learned the patrol ways by heart, he disarmed the booby-traps, he unmade the seals and he picked the locks. It was hard work, harder than anything he had done before, and he prepared himself until he wanted to barf. So many things could have gone wrong, but they didn't and he actually managed to pull it off- flawlessly. Headline: Naruto Uzumaki, trainee-genin, greatest talent in the village.

Life was great at that moment. Then Mizuki tried to kill him, no mercy. Naruto survived, fortunately, and even beat the man back, but Mizuki had succeeded in a perverse way. Something had shrivled up and died that day in him. A little part of his heart. Right when Mizuki looked at him with these dead, spiteful eyes. The man looked so smug and full of hatred for him - a twisted grimace that would follow Naruto for days to come. He was gloating to the very end, enjoying every bit of his pain.

How could he have been so ignorant? So naive?

Naruto Uzumaki never existed, only the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast. Naruto clutched his stomach, he felt like throwing up.

Of course everyone hated him, he was a monster! How many people had died when the devil attacked? How many families were torn apart? How many orphans had he made? And he had the gall to belittle himself, when he was the incarnation of all evil. A malicious, vengeful creature that got fat on blood and misery. If the ghosts of the dead were to haunt him, he deserved it.

God... he had killed sensei Iruka's parents. Naruto's blood ran cold. No wonder oyaji kept a close eye on him. What if he went on a rampage again, how much more blood would he shed? Naruto couldn't even think about it.

Then there was today's encounter with the strange man.

Mr. Marin, or Cole. 'Just Cole' as the man said.

Naruto didn't understand how a man could just start bleeding from the eyes, it was very weird. But he seemed to be an important person. Not many people can make oyaji come to them.

And Dōjutsu sounded super cool. Naruto wished he would have one as well. Not like Cole's, too many colours and, in his opinion, a bit too girly too, he would never tell Cole though. No, he wanted fire and lightning, zigzagging lines and spikes, or maybe eyes that could change shape. And oh, of course, they would need to shoot powerful jutsus or create powerful summons. He had read a bit about Dōjutsu, now that he knew about them, and they were way too cool not to have.

He envied Cole a bit and that ass Sasuke as well. No fair that the princeling would get something as awesome as the Sharingan. Naruto was sure he would look much better with them.

But speaking of Cole, the man had said something that made oyaji actually angry. Naruto could tell when the Hokage was pretending to be angry just to be scary, for example... whenever he pranked him. But oyaji was never... enraged.

If Naruto was honest, it had really spooked him. This sort of outburst wasn't normal.

Now Naruto just wanted to speak with Cole even more. He was sick of having things hidden away from him. It was one thing if the villagers weren't allowed to tattle on what he really was, another thing entirely to forbid a foreigner from talking. Naruto felt that that wasn't the Konoha way of doing things.

He had also met Tenten. An upperclassmen. She was kinda cool and a bit pretty, though no Sakura, no sir! No one was as beautiful and gorgeous and smart as his Sakura. Ah... he liked her so much.

Now that he was thinking about all this stuff he really couldn't sleep anymore.

Naruto rolled off his bed. It wasn't too late yet and maybe Cole was still awake. He probably had nothing better to do anyway, so far away from home and his family. Were they a bit alike? Naruto shrugged to no one in particular and tip-toed out of his room. He didn't want to wake up the other tenants and customers.

The questions was, where was Cole's room? But that was easily solved. He could always just ask Ms. Konji. She had her own room besides the entrance - sometimes she gave him really tasty food. She was also super kind. Many old people were, now that he thought about it. He couldn't forget old man Teuchi - and of course big sis Ayame - and their mouth-watering ramen.

Naruto carefully navigated the hallways and lobby.

Ms. Konji was incredibly helpful and directed him to the correct room, though she warned him: 'If Mr. Marin raises a complaint because of a nighttime disturbance, I will give you a spanking you will never forget.' Naruto believed her.

All too soon he stood infront of this strange strangers door.

He was trembling a bit... who was he kidding? He was extremely nervous. What if this man was out to get him just like Mizuki? Iruka had admittedly remarked that Cole's chakra was so little, he couldn't even feel it - less than a genin's - and that meant Naruto could probably take the man in a fight. But maybe they wouldn't even get to fight. Maybe Cole would manipulate him as well. String him along, butter him up and then put a kunai in his back. It was all too much, as was the curiosity.

Naruto bit his cheek. He gripped one trembling arm with the other and knocked. Future Naruto could grumble all he wants about tonight.

Someone behind the door exclaimed and the sound of something hard falling to the ground was heard. For a second Naruto heard a tripping-esque sound, then realised the man had most likely really tripped. "One moment!", he heard from the other side and a bit of a smile rose on his lip.

The door creaked open, just a tiny crack. The man looked up and over him for a moment before his eyes glanced down. At noon it wasn't visible but now Naruto noticed that Cole's peculiar eyes were shining with their own light.

Instantly the man brightened up, eyes and face and all. "Heyyyy! Naruto, how are you?", he had a lazy smile on his lips, and with the way his eyes squint and the light shone on his curly brown hair and his scruffy stubbles, Cole appeared a bit like an airhead. Cole looked like a funny guy, though he didn't fully trust this man yet.

"I'm good. It's just... I wanted to talk about what you tried to say at noon, when we were talking and speaking and... yeah." He didn't mean to stumble over his words. Blood was shooting into his ears.

Contrary to what he envisioned would be a bewildered refusal, Cole opened the door wide open and stepped aside. "Sure man, come in. Make yourself at home. Though it isn't much of a home now, is it?" Cole chuckled to himself and he followed him in.

Cole hadn't lied to him, there was actually nothing in the man's room. From what he could tell, he didn't even have a change of clothes. Should everything go well, Naruto would have to ask around if he could set Cole up with an E-Rank mission, civilian friendly stuff; or even persuade the man himself to become a Konoha ninja. It was never too late for that and helping hands were always appreciated.

"Sit uhh..." Cole pulled out the only chair and gestured between that and the bed. "Sit wherever you like." He choose the chair. He didn't want to imagine what a man he knew for a scarce few minutes could have done to, in or on the bed. Cole didn't show if he felt any particular way about it.

Cole sat cross-legged on the bed, hands folded on his legs and still smiling.

"So, you wanted to speak with me." The man seemed to look for words, as in, actually looking around the room. "And I can already imagine why. You are curious about what I saw." Naruto decided he liked the man's impish smile and nodded along.

"Yeah, I was... really, really curious, actually. You wanted to say something about my parents and it seemed like you had an idea about what happened to them." A lump was forming in his throat and Naruto quickly blinked the wetness from his eyes.

Cole sighed deeply and leaned back against the wall, he looked up at the ceiling. After a moment Cole fixated him with a stare.

"I will have to make one thing clear Naruto." Levety drained from the man's features and his eyes shone intensely. "What I am about to tell you, must be kept between us. This goes directly against the wishes of Hiruzen Sarutobi, your Hokage. Are you sure you want the answer?"

Naruto though for the tiniest bit. He was fed up with the secrets. He was fed up with the lies.

He wanted the truth! He needed it!

Naruto nodded and Cole breathed deep twice more. Naruto knew the next few words would be spoke with gravitas.

"So, I kinda lied about my eyes a bit. The abilities of my Dōjutsu are a bit more... esoteric. I don't think I can ever explain them to you, or anyone, fully." Not what Naruto was expecting but he kept listening, eager. "I can see a person's past, in a way, as well as the influence other things and people had on them. It is all very bizarre but you have to take my word on that." Cole collected himself again, he seemed hesitant to speak. "Now... your parents Naruto. I sort of... know them, know somethings about them? Again, difficult to explain and very occult."

"Know, how and what?" Naruto had to cut in. He didn't even know his parents and now a stranger did? It all seemed very unjust to him.

Cole pursed his lips and then deflated. He pulled a face that told Naruto everything would be laid bare now.

"That doesn't matter now, what does matter is this. They- they loved you, Naruto, they really did. Your parents... They did their best, really... And they were the ones that sealed the Nine-Tailed Beast in your body. It was the only way to save Konoha and make you stronger."

It was all spoken in one breath and suddenly, Naruto was deaf to the world.

The room seemed smaller than before, every unlit corner darker. Cole's smile from earlier looked similiar to Mizuki in that moment. It happened again. Naruto felt writhing flames throughout his body.

How... How dare he?! Why did everyone - EVERYONE! - feel it was necessary to lie to him? And what's worse, Cole couldn't even be bothered to tell him a believable lie. His parents? It was supposedly his parents that sealed the Nine-Tails in him? To make him stronger?! How ridiculous! If they loved him so much, why would they turn him into a damn monster?! If they loved him so much, why did they leave him alone?! If they loved him so, so much, why did they let other people torment him?! Why did he look at his classmates and felt a pain in his chest that never went away. WHY?!

Naruto's emotions sputtered out, the rage was short-lived. Too many people had insulted him and took him for a fool already. What was one more compared to an entire village? It made barely a dent in the number of people that despised him. Honestly, it wasn't even that mean if he thought about it, a harmless lie all things considered. But man, seriously? His parents 'loved' him?! Yeah right, what a joke. How did he even think that stupid lie would work on him.

What a dumb and, in addition, uncreative lie.

Naruto clenched his fists.

Eh, he expected as much going in. A day like any other, really. Though it kinda stung coming from a complete stanger.

Something warm ran down his cheek.

But why Cole? They didn't even know each other. Why did he feel the need to be an ass? How unecessary.

His mouth tasted of the sea.

Why did he have any hope in the first place? What a damn waste of time this all was. He should better prepare for tomorrow.

His body trembled uncontrollably.

Oh come on, it wasn't that bad. Seriously.

A heave followed a sob.

Now, don't be a baby in front of a stranger.

And more sobs followed.

Don't you dare cry. Don't give Cole the satisfaction. Stop being so damn weak!... Don't cry Naruto...

He did cry.

... Why couldn't he stop crying?

And why was Cole giving him a shoulder to cry on.

(Chapter 8, Naruto POV and kind of emotional in the end. What do you guys think? Was Naruto portrayed properly? I was indecisive whether Naruto would completely flip out at such an 'insult' or crack like I wrote in the end. Tell me how you liked it! Cheers!)