Naruto sat quietly on the Fourth Hokage's stone head, his knees tucked up with his chin resting on them. His bright blue eyes looked up at the sky as white snowflakes drifted down around him. They covered every surface, and clung to him. There was no wind, nothing. Just silence, and him. The silence was peaceful, and calming. He felt like no one could torture or torment him here. Under the flat grey sky with the cold stone beneath him and rising up above him, becoming one with the sky even as the snow covered them, joining the sky with the stone in another way; he felt at peace. Here where he was alone he wasn't a demon, or a monster, he was just Naruto. Here, he was just a child.

Cold tears ran down his cheeks, over the whisker scars on them. Still he made no sound. He refused to break the silence. His breath came out as white puffs as his body shivered. He just kept watching the snow fall on him, letting it cover him like a blanket. If he imagined, it could almost be someone holding him. He smiled, he loved how the snow blanketed everything. It didn't prefer some things to others, it didn't shun something for being different.

Naruto felt someone sit beside him, and his smile slipped away. He looked over and found a man in a dog ANBU mask sitting next to him. The man didn't say anything, just looked at the sky. Naruto watched as the snow slowly covered the man turning his silver hair white, and clinging to his bare arms. He watched the snow on the man's arms melt and run over the ANBU tattoo. He turned his gaze away from the man and back to the sky. His shivering had stopped when the man had sat down. He felt oddly safe. It was very rare for him to feel safe around others. As they sat there the snow got thicker, wrapping them in their own private world of snow and silence, Naruto felt the ANBU shift and wondered if he was leaving. He looked over to see the dog ANBU handing him a cup of hot chocolate.

White steam rose up into the air. Hesitantly Naruto looked at it. The man looked at Naruto, then lifted his mask so that only his mouth was showing and took a sip of the chocolate before offering it back to Naruto. This time Naruto took it and smiled at the man. He drank the rich chocolate, feeling the warmth permeate his insides. The man's mask was back in its proper place before he looked back at the sky. Naruto looked a the sky also, only looking down when he took a sip of the hot drink in his hands.

Gradually the snow lessened then stopped, leaving the air clear as the darkness of night fell. With the snow stopped, the sounds of Konoha drifted up to them, but still neither said a word. They just sat there as dusk turned to night. Finally, Naruto handed the cup back to the ANBU and stood up. He bowed and walked through the knee deep snow on the path down the mountain. He heard no sounds as he made his way into the town, but he knew that the man was following him. Instead of feeling fear like normal, he felt protected. No one else was out on the streets as he made his way to his rundown apartment. The ANBU waited until he was safely inside before leaving, Naruto felt when he was gone. He smiled to himself. He now had a precious memory. He yawned, exhausted as he stripped out of his wet clothes and climbed into ed. For the first time in his six years of life, he fell asleep content.

It was Naruto's birthday and it was snowing. Naruto had slipped quietly out of the village when the snow had started. He carefully made his way up the path to the Fourth Hokage's head. He smiled when he saw it was empty. He moved to his spot and sat tucking his knees up, his face tipped to the sky. He let the silence permeate him. The first snow, and on his birthday he closed his eyes for a moment just letting the peace settle over him. He blew out a breath and watched the mist dance with the ice crystals that fell all around him.

The wind swirled the now, eddying it around him even as it ruffled his hair. It amazed him how quiet even the wind was when it snowed. As the snow fell endlessly around him, he imagined it as a birthday present from his parents.

Tears fell from his eyes as he wished he knew who they were. The wind caressed him, comforting him. He rolled his shoulders, and leaned back a bit against a tall stone behind him. He felt a presence approach him and turned to look as a man sat next to him. He smiled as he saw the familiar dog mask from that day long ago. It had been two years.

He'd felt the man's presence a few times watching over him, but Naruto knew he was probably busy on missions, accounting for the sporadic nature of his guarding. Naruto didn't care, he was happy when he felt the man's presence. Today, especially, it made him smile. He and the man sat in silence. It was companionable.

Naruto relaxed against the stone, letting the snow blow over and around him. He felt the man relax next to him against the stone. Naruto could smell the faint scent of blood and saw a bandage wrapped around the man's forearm. He must have just come back from a mission before coming to watch the snow Naruto realized. The man saw Naruto looking at the bandage and shrugged. Naruto looked at the man's mask searching it before looking back at the sky. Neither wanted to break their silence. So they sat close together against the rock as it slowly got darker.

Naruto looked down when he felt something warm pressed into his hand. He recognized the cup of chocolate and smiled at the man. He held up the cup taking a sip before offering some to the man. The man carefully lifted up his mask so that only his mouth was showing, and took a sip. Naruto was happy to see the man's mouth smiling before he lowered his dog mask back into place. Naruto sipped at the chocolate as the night completely blanketed the area. Neither made a move to leave.

Naruto offered the cup again, and he man took another sip, just as careful to only show his mouth as always, but Naruto didn't care. He was too happy. Slowly he and the man finished the chocolate before he gave the cup back.

Naruto closed his eyes and let the snow hit him. he opened his eyes as the wind died down and the snow came to a stop. He knew it was late so he stood up. He was sure the ANBU man was tired, but wouldn't go home until Naruto was home himself. He turned to leave when a cold hand lightly gripped his wrist. Naruto turned back and looked at the wrapped package the man was holing out to him. He looked at the scrawled handwriting that said his name.

Naruto carefully reached out and took the package. The man let go of his wrist. Naruto looked at the package and felt tears fill his eyes before silently sliding down his cheeks. He kneeled down next to the man and hugged him. He felt the man stiffen in surprise a moment before hugging Naruto back. He held Naruto until his tears stopped and he moved back. Naruto smiled at him and bowed clutching the package against his chest.

The man ruffled his hair and motioned for him to get going. Naruto smiled and turned, heading down the mountain. He felt the man following him again. He thought about the man's wound again and picked up his pace to get home so the man could go home and sleep.

He unlocked his apartment and slipped in, relocking the doors. He felt the man leave. He sat at his rickety table and just looked at the package. The only presents he'd ever gotten before were from Old Man Third and a bowl of free Ramen from Teuchi-san at Ichiraku's.

Carefully he opened the paper and removed it before folding it and saving it. He saw a paper taped to the box he'd unwrapped. He read it, 'Happy eighth birthday Naruto,' it said, 'From Dog.' Naruto tucked the card away and opened the box. Tears filled his eyes as he took in the set of clothes and kunai that lay carefully arranged in the box.

He pulled it out and saw one more thing on the bottom of the box. A book of useful everyday jutsus. He saw a page was bookmarked and opened to it.

He laughed when he saw it was a jutsu for hot chocolate. Very carefully he hid the book and weapons beneath the floor boards before putting the clothes away. Quickly he stripped and got in bed. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.