this was quite... interesting. if you don't read carefully, you could almost assume that it ends, kind of happily. but it doesn't. you could still feel the angst in the air, the desparation of trying to keep yourself together, sane.

you know, a plot bunny hit me while i was reading this. instead of naruto being loud and noisy, instead, what if being reprimanded caused him to retreat into silence? how would naruto be different? i always wondered about that.