Raito replied, "Because Naruto Uzumaki, you are the reason I stand alive today."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. Raito pulled up his sleeves, and there Naruto saw scars, rope patterns. Then Raito pulled his shirt down to show the rope mark on his neck.
"I was five seconds away from dying Naruto. I wanted to, I'd lost a battle. Never before had that happened in such a fashion. My platoon, forty people, died in what felt like an instant. I was taken captive and was going to drown… I wanted to die, my heart was pumping, I knew I could swim to the surface. I did not want to Naruto. So I sat sinking to the bottom of the lake."
Raito paused, a pained look coming to his face.
"However I thought of you. It was in that moment, as darkness clouded my vision that I remembered you. You once told me, 'Reality sometimes sucks, and so all you can do is dream'... I dreamt at that moment, I could become something more than an heir, something more than a killer."
Raito looked away, "Naruto, you've always been a dreamer. You look forward to the future and make your present actions match it. You cannot let whatever Kakashi-san told you let you stop dreaming…"
The balcony went silent for a moment. The silence began to swell and Naruto began to fidget in an unusually nervous manner.
"He told me I have a demon sealed into me. The most powerful of the chakra beasts known as the Nine Tailed Beasts. I have number 9, yet, no one thought to tell me. Raito I grew up so alone, isolated for a reason no kid of my age could understand. Yet they knew, all of them knew it, and no one decided to take pity on me. Raito! It's an entire damn village! How do so many people have no pity?"
"It's easy. They are not dreamers, they aren't even riddled with reality, they let fear control them, they see dreams in the opposite direction. They see nightmares, they see the shadow of the lamp as a sinister dragon hiding a dangerous flame."
Naruto said, "They hid it! How was I supposed to ever be loved when everyone but me knew what was wrong with me."
A slap resounded across the balcony.
"I cannot stand to hear such words. There is nothing wrong with you, or have you forgotten that you are not the kunai that is sealed. You're a container, not the actual beast. You are a dreamer, stay that way, don't let them make you see nightmares."
Naruto replied, his eyes beginning to water, "I can't Raito. I can't trust anybody. How can I dream when no one wants to help me."
"I'll help you, Naruto. Even if I'm not in the village, even if our villages go to war, my allegiance is to you. But I need you… I need the light you've always been quick to provide… I am also not the only one, Sasuke, Hinata and even Sakura look at you in the most dire straits… They look at you for a guiding light, you give them determination and me too."
"Are y-you sure…?"
"Beyond. If no one else believes in Naruto Uzumaki, know that Raito Arashi does."
Raito finally looked at Naruto, and a grin spread across his face. For the first time in years, it did not feel fake to smile. He might've spoken to Naruto, but inside he needed the conversation just as much as Naruto did.
"Okay. Raito Arashi, I too have your back forever."
Suddenly another voice spoke, "I have your backs to Naruto Uzumaki, Raito Arashi. Will you have mine?"
Raito and Naruto jumped as they heard Sasuke's voice. Turning the saw the Uchiha, with no fear and a small grin on his face. The three boys entwined their pinky fingers. A grin was on all their faces, and they all spoke at the same time.
"Our belief is eternal!"
For a moment the three genin sat on the balcony in silence. A calm settling over them, it was a peace that would last. A calm that none of them had expected. However they remembered they were in the middle of an exam and rushed back downstairs.
The preliminaries had gone on without them. However as they arrived back one of the matches was finishing.
Neji thrust his hand towards Hinata's heart. Hinata coughed up blood and fell to the floor for a few moments. Naruto's eyes widened but he didn't have time to question what was going on at the present moment.
Instead he yelled, "Hinata-chan! Don't give up! Show him your conviction!"
Hinata's eyes widened as she heard Naruto's voice. The rest of the gallery was surprised that the three boys had returned so silently. Kakashi didn't say anything but as Naruto walked up to him he unconsciously tensed. Something only Might Guy seemed to notice.
Naruto said, "Give it back. Iruka sensei died for me, I will not fail him."
Kakashi handed the headband back to Naruto and the boy walked away with it in his hand, towards Sasuke and Raito.
Down in the arena, Hinata steadied her breath and thought, Naruto-kun believes in me, I cannot fail him. I can't look uncool in front of him.
With a sudden new vigor, Hinata rushed Neji, this time abandoning the hyuga fighting style of the gentle fist. She surprised Neji with a round house kick to the stomach. Then continuing the spin she pumped more chakra into her eyes, it was then she saw it. Neji's tenketsu was clear as day, and so she struck.
She hit his neck. Then jumped back only to sweep his feet. Neji however saw it coming and flipped away.
He said, "I see you've abandoned our clan's fighting style. Is that how weak you are? To resort to the brute like tactics of other shinobi. It's pitiful, just like you."
Hinata said nothing, she was too busy thinking about how to win the fight. However she coughed up more blood. This time, she stayed standing and kept herself in stance. But she was out cold. From the gallery even Naruto could tell she wasn't there anymore. Neji flew across the room but before he could reach her, the jonin stepped in.
"You ought to not do that, Neji. Clearly she's out cold."
Gekko Hayate, the proctor for the third exam said, "The match is over Neji Hyuga. Your opponent is no longer in fighting condition."
"As usual, the main branch gets special treatment…"
Might Guy spoke, "No, Neji, you promised you wouldn't bring your clan politics into the exam. It's not honorable."
The Medic ninja arrived and took Hinata away.
It was then that Hayate said, "Now we go to the fifth round."
Everyone looked in anticipation for the next two people to fight. Naruto had heard about who'd already fought from Sasuke. Sasuke had been the first to fight and he'd seen Shikamaru fight next. Another match had happened between Ino and Sakura with Sakura winning by a hair's breadth. So they watched the screen glow with the next two participants.
It read: Kiba Inuzuka vs Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto appeared on the floor, jumping off the gallery and landing perfectly. Kiba simply walked down the stairs.
Hayate said, "Begin!"