her light in my dark world

In darkness there is light

Naruto Uzumaki was once the embodiment of unshakable determination. A boy who fought against the odds, who refused to be defined by failure or loneliness. But now, he found himself lost. His purpose-a driving force that once guided him-had withered away, leaving behind a shell of the man he used to be. Life, to him, had become a series of repetitions: waking up, going on missions, eating, and sleeping, only to wake up and do it all over again. He pushed himself through countless missions, a form of self-punishment, never allowing himself the luxury of rest. On the rare days off, he wasted money on trivial things just to kill the time. Anything to avoid confronting the one truth that haunted him-he hated everything, but above all, he hated himself.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, spilling onto Naruto's face, the familiar whisker marks etched into his skin. His eyes cracked open, but the world around him remained dull. The colors were drained, as if his soul had bled out and taken everything vibrant with it. The roof, the bed, the window-it was all gray. His once-brilliant blue eyes, now dark and lifeless, stared blankly ahead, filled with unbearable pain.

He got up slowly, his movements mechanical, as if he were merely a puppet being pulled along by invisible strings. He washed, ate, and dressed without thinking, barely aware of his actions. Locking the door behind him, Naruto moved through the village, passing by civilians whose gazes were filled with pity. He didn't care. The world might have pitied him, but Naruto Uzumaki, the hero, couldn't muster the strength to care anymore.

When he reached the Hokage's office, he knocked softly, hearing Kakashi's voice from the other side.

"Come in. "

Naruto stepped inside, greeted by Kakashi's gentle smile. "Oh, Naruto... how have you been? "

"I'm fine, Hokage-sama, " Naruto replied in a formal tone, his voice devoid of emotion.

Kakashi sighed as he studied him, his one visible eye filled with sadness. He knew what Naruto was going through-he had seen the same in himself once. But there was no reaching Naruto now. The walls he'd built around his heart were impenetrable.

"There's no mission for you today, " Kakashi said. And when he saw Naruto about to protest, he added softly, "I understand, Naruto. Trust me, I do. I've been through it myself. "

Naruto's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides.

Kakashi hesitated for a moment, knowing what he was about to say would only push Naruto further away. But he had to try. "She wouldn't have wanted this for you, You know that. We all saw her fight in the Chūnin Exams her determination, her nindo... Hinata would want you to live, to be happy. "

"She would've wanted to live! " he cut him off as he shouted, his voice trembling with rage and pain. His fists were clenched so tightly that blood began to drip from his palms.

"Hokage-sama, if that is all, I will take my leave. " Naruto's voice was cold, but underneath it, there was a raw, festering wound.

"Never giving up... that's my ninja way" Kakashi said as Naruto was about to leave he saw him completely freeze up, then exit the room. Kakashi sighed heavily as Naruto stormed out, the weight of his student's anguish pressing down on him. "So... he's fallen inthe darkness" he thought sadly, as his eye drifted towaed the fourth hokage "Sensei What would you have done? "

Naruto hurried back to his apartment, his mind a storm of emotions. Every mention of Hinata was like a knife twisting in his chest. Her memory haunted him relentlessly-the warmth of her smile, the quiet strength she had shown him. He collapsed onto his bed, feeling the overwhelming need to escape.

He fumbled in a drawer until he found it-Saigemzai, the drug that induces vivid genjutsu. Without hesitation, he swallowed the pills, his vision growing darker with every second.

Then, in the abyss, a voice.

"What happened this time? "

It was soft, gentle-Hinata's voice. Naruto froze, his breath caught in his throat. He turned, his heart hammering as he beheld her. Hinata Hyuga, standing there as radiant as the day he first fell in love with her. Her lavender eyes shone with kindness, but there was an undeniable sadness behind them. Her smile was angelic, the kind that had always comforted him, even in his darkest moments.

Naruto's tears fell freely now, his chest tight as he looked at her. His love. His wife. Even though he knew this was only an illusion, he didn't care. This moment was all he had left. He fell into her arms, trembling as she wrapped him in a warm, reassuring embrace.

"It's okay, " she whispered softly, her fingers gently running through his hair. "Let yourself fall apart, Naruto-kun. I promise, I'll be here to hold you together. "