A/N: Just wanna say that I'm sorry that I've been jumping from story to story for these past few months but I've been busy reading for my Placement test for Rock Valley College but now that I'm done with that, I'm free to write without worries. To the former readers of my previous story Potential Unlocked I'm sorry for stopping it but I just didn't feel any spark when I wrote that fic. This is a new story which has been on my mind for a while so I thought why not write it for my return to fanfiction.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto that bastard Kishimoto does, if I did Naruto would be the strong, silent, cool type.
"Hello" normal person talking
"Hello" normal person thinking
"Hello" demon, spirit or entity speaking
"Hello" demon, spirit or entity speaking
Chapter one
Sadness
Grief
Sorrow
Loneliness
Hate
These were all the emotions Naruto Uzumaki felt in the first five years of his life. Wherever he went it was the same, the stores where the shopkeepers either kicked him out or sold him overpriced expired products, the academy where the teachers sent him out of class for disturbance said even when he was only asking a question. He felt these emotions when he sat alone on a park swing watching other children walk happily while holding the hands of their parents.
The only positives in his life were the three people who actually cared for him were the Hokage and the Ichirakus. These were the only things keeping the boy emotionally anchored to the world. The only things that made the boy think of his life as something worth living, the only reason he hesitated when he held a knife to his heart each night in an attempt to end it all. Every night there was only one question that kept repeating itself in his mind.
"Why me, I never did anything bad, I always pay attention in class, always do my homework, I never steal, I only leave the apartment Jiji gave me a year ago for school. No one else experiences this" letting out a sad sigh he walked to the fridge and opened it only to see that all the canned food he had had all expired. "And now I also have to go buy more groceries…. at night." He never told his Jiji, never wanted to bother one of the only people that cared about him at he was always attacked at night by the villagers. His birthday which as he heard was supposed to be a day of joy for a child was a day he never looked forward to. On that day for some reason the villagers would get more violent and would actually seek him out to inflict injuries on his body. Letting out another sigh he prayed to whatever kami that was watching over him to protect him as he left the sanctuary of his house on a grocery run.
Time skip: A few minutes later
Tugging the edge of his hood to disguise his face the blonde stuck to the shadows of the street. He knew that the alleyways would be the fastest route to his apartment, he also knew that the alleyways were the hangouts for villagers who had a little too much wine to drink.
'I'm almost home, just a few more blocks till I reach the safety of my house' taking a quick glance to the street ahead he saw a few drunk villagers having a small party in front of a bar. 'Drunk villagers are the worst, they hit way harder' he glanced around to see no alternate path. 'I'll have to follow this way then, I'm so dead' Letting out another prayer he walked carefully towards the crowd, using every inch of flexibility his malnourished body provided he dodged all the drunkards and was on his way to the edge of the crowd untouched. 'I'm doing it, I'm actually doing it, there IS a god' were his thoughts until he bumped into a fat man and was sent sprawling to the floor. 'I'm dead'
"Hey k-kid" the man said as he walked towards the blonde totally unaware of the huge amounts of fear in the boy's eyes. "You okay?"
'He doesn't recognize me, there's still a chance' "yes sir." The drunkard outstretched a hand which the blonde hesitantly took.
"Sorry bout that" the man swayed as he struggled to stand upright. "had a little too much to drink there gaki"
"I-It's okay sir, I'll be on my way now" he quickly tugged his hood in an attempt to cover his face. He was about to make a break for it when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Hey Kishi, doesn't this kid look familiar" said a random drunk
"Now that you mention it, he does look familiar" another hand grabbed his hood and unveiled his face. "Demon scum" pain exploded in his back as the impact sent him sprawling to the floor. "So, you actually had the balls to come out tonight eh, I gotta say, thanks for making it easier for us."
"Yeah, we were actually gonna swing by your place and kill you, but Kami must be smiling on us today cause you just waltzed to us."
"okay enough talk" one of the drunkards came out with a bowie knife. "One of our guys in the civilian council said they'd stall the Hokage for as long as they could so let's kill him quickly" Naruto, who'd been frozen in fear throughout the entire encounter perked up at the mention of the word kill."
'I can't die, not now.' With adrenaline fueling his limbs took off into a nearby alleyway.
"After him, we can't let him reach the Hokage!"
He had never felt so much fear in his short life, he knew he was hated in the village for some reason, being glared at for existing was kind of a giveaway to that fact. Acting on instinct he dodged a bottle that was thrown.
'What I wanna know is why they hate me' reaching the end of alley he was unfortunately met with a dead end.
"Quick guys, I think the demon went in there"
'So this is the end, it's all over'
"Hey gaki!" he followed the sound of the voice to find an old man peeking at him through a slightly opened door "come in here quick!" he looked between the door and the rapidly approaching villagers. "Do you wanna die, come in here" taking his chances he dove inside the house whose door was closed immediately. "Don't worry kid, I won't let them come in here to attack you. Naruto eyed the man warily, the man looked to be in his sixties and was using a cane to support himself
'He doesn't look like he can stand more or less hit me' at that let out the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. The man went into the kitchen and came out with two cups of tea, giving one to the boy he sat down on his chair and started drinking. Glancing down at his tea warily he set it down on the table 'Doesn't mean I should trust him though'
"Those villagers never give it a rest do they, attacking a little kid"
"D-Do you know"
"What was that kid, my ears aren't what they used to be"
"Why do they hate me?"
"Well….." Naruto's eyes were filled with anticipation, finally he was going to hear the truth. In his mind he started throwing around random guesses about the answer.
'Is it something about my parents, were they nuke nin, it would explain why I'm so hated but it wouldn't explain why everyone calls me a demon'
"Why don't you drink your tea first before it gets cold, the story's a long one" with the anticipation of withheld information clouding his thinking he downed the entire tea cup in one gulp.
"I've drank it sir, now what?" the formerly smiling man turned to face him with a malicious stare.
"Now you sleep demon"
'What' then a sudden wave of fatigue it him, shutting down his body.
"Well I did promise not to allow anyone touch you and I am a man of his word." he used his cane to smack Naruto to the floor. "I never said anything about me". With darkness taking over his vision the boy only had one thought.
'Why'
A/N: Hey guys I just wanna say that this story has been on my mind for a while now so I thought why not post it on fanfiction. Reviews on my writing are most appreciated as well as follows and favs. I also need a beta writer so PM me if you're interested.