For those who never watched it, Naruto is an anime about a boy who grew up unwanted, ridiculed, and invisible.
A boy born with a monster sealed inside him, carrying a burden he never asked for.
Yet, despite all that, he never gave up on one dream.
To become Hokage, the strongest in his village.
Not for power, but for acceptance.
To be acknowledged.
It’s a story about pain, perseverance, friendship, and finding your place in a world that told you you didn’t belong.
In my case, the monsters weren’t literal. They were questions about career, purpose, and direction.
Everything felt like one big question mark.
One of the few things I looked forward to after work and grad school was going home to watch movies and series.
At first, Naruto was just another show. A loud, stubborn kid chasing an impossible dream.
But over time, I realized it wasn’t just a story. It was a mirror.
Naruto taught me resilience. That the world doesn’t owe you validation. You earn it through persistence.
Every rejection, every mistake, every person who doubted you… they’re just side quests in your story arc.
He taught me about loneliness too. That being misunderstood isn’t always a curse. Sometimes it’s proof you’re meant for something different.
He showed me that mentors matter. That behind every “strong” person is someone who believed in them when no one else did.
I saw shades of Iruka and Jiraiya (Naruto's mentors) in the people who pushed me, corrected me, and refused to let me settle for less.
And maybe most of all, Naruto reminded me that success doesn’t start with being talented.
It starts with refusing to quit.
With showing up every day.
Because somewhere between the exams, rejections, and small wins, I realized I’ve been chasing my own version of Hokage all along.