Chapter 1: Meeting The Troublemaker
'Demon spawn'
'A danger to the children'
'We should take revenge for those we lost'
'He shouldn't be alive right now'
'Why does the Hokage try to protect that stupid nuisance'
'I'm glad the orphanage finally kicked him out'
In the seven years of my life, I have been through more than a child should have. I've been ridiculed, slightly beaten up, ignored, thrown out of businesses, isolated, and been called every name in the book. I don't think I've ever had a friendly interaction with another person, save for my jiji. All of this abuse, makes one think about life, philosophy, people, morals, theology, you know the basics. And all of this led to me realizing one universal law about adults: they suck at whispering.
Why am I so mature and intelligent for a seven year old? Well it's quite simple really. When shit happens to you at my age, you tend to grow up too quickly.
I was walking through the streets of Konoha on a bright sunny day. Well, at least I think it was sunny based on how bright it was, I wouldn't know since I was staring at the ground the whole time. I had nowhere to be since I was too young for ninja academy and I had just been kicked out of the orphanage. So, I was just wandering around. I should have known the whispering and the pointed glares would be out in full force. And yet, I was stupid enough to walk straight into the fires of prejudice. I simply ducked my head and continued walking. Responding to them only made the problem worse. So I say nothing, they could get their frustration out, and the only thing that I have to deal with is the crippling depression.
I don't even know why they do this to me. What makes me so different from everyone else? My throat constricts and a dark pit forms in my stomach. This line of thought always turns for the worst and this time was no different. Was it the fact that I have no parents? No one to love me unconditionally? Was it because I'm not good enough? Was it that I'm not strong enough? Was it the fact that it's just easy to pick on someone who never fights back? Or even worse, is it because I'm just unlovable? Did I do something to become unlovable? The villagers seem to think I did something, so maybe it is my fault?
I feel a slight pull in my stomach and a warm stinging sensation in my eyes are the proof of the threat of tears forming in my eyes. I force it back through some sort of miracle, and wipe my eyes for any stray tears with my dirty shirt sleeve. I look up to see that my feet took me to the Academy and am happy to see the lack of adults surrounding me. This means I don't have to squirm under the judging looks of the adults.
A small smile threatens to find its way on my face, only for that feeling of happiness to fade away as quickly as it came. Every time I become the slightest bit happy, I am unable to feel any positive emotions. I can't be happy, not when I have no friends to share that feeling with. God, I'm screwed up, I can't even be happy for more than a second.
But hey, it could be worse. I could be a stuck up prick.
As I walk, I stare at the clear sky. I like to do that because it is the same color of my eyes and I seem to get lost in the color blue. Which happened this time as well. I got lost in thought staring at the blue sky. I was mainly thinking about my parents. I knew next to nothing about them, but I always imagined that at least one of them had blue eyes, hence my thinking of them when I see a clear blue sky.
Well, it turns out that walking and not paying attention to where I was going was a poor move. I ran into a solid object and got sent back flying, only to land on the ground in a painful heap. I rubbed the back of my head in pain. It was a dull throb that made it hard to think for a few seconds. My vision was blurry and I couldn't really see what I had run into. I rubbed my eyes as my vision and cognitive ability gradually returned.
From the ground, I looked up to see three boys that looked to be about two years older than me. They were a lot bigger than my tiny frame. I seemed to shrink under their dominating forms. They looked down upon me with scowls on their face, apparently displeased that I had run into them. They had ugly, snot-nosed faces and black beady eyes filled with hate that made me cringe as I realized that they looked exactly like the people that would beat me up once in a while. They were bullies who liked to prey on the weak. And I just so happened to be the weak person in front of them.
The one in the center who I assume that I had ran into, looked to his counterparts and grinned. "Oh, look we have a little brat here that doesn't know where he's going."
The boy to the right grinned as well, "And he doesn't even say sorry either."
"Yeah demon boy, apologize to us. And while you're at it, why not just apologize for existing." The boy on the left said with his own grin.
They towered over my tiny form as they spit their insults at me. I was tired of this bull crap. They think they can throw insults at me just for fun. They insult me for things I don't even remember doing. How dare they!? How dare they treat me like this!? Anger and a feeling of rebellion boiled up inside of me and I glared at the bullies towering over me.
But, as quickly as anger filled me, my courage left me and a feeling of fear filled me. I averted my eyes and stared at the ground. It was always quicker this way anyway, just act submissive and they'll get bored of me quickly.
In barely a whisper, I apologize, "I'm sorry."
The bully to the left put a hand up to his ear, "I didn't hear that", he glanced to his cohorts , "Did you hear that?"
The boy to the right shook his head, "Why, I think I heard the annoying buzzing of a bug."
"I said I'm sorry", I said in a little bit louder voice. I still refused to look at them in the eyes, opting to look at their bodies or the ground instead.
The boy in the center roughly grabbed my shirt and pulled me up off the ground. He brought me up to eye level with him, leaving my legs dangling in the air. Fear coursed through my veins as I prepared for another beat down.
"Excuse me? You are what?" He said glaring at me straight into my eyes. I flinched at the anger directed at me.
"Sorry", I say in an even smaller voice than last time.
"For what?"
"Bumping into you", I say.
He just shook his head, "He still doesn't get it." He looks at his two companions and makes a motion for them. "Hold his arms while I teach him a lesson."
His two companions roughly grab my wrists so tightly that I fear I'm going to have bruises there the next morning. The bully sets me down and I almost breathe a sigh of relief at my feet being on solid ground. I say almost because I was prevented to by having the breath knocked out of me by a swift knee to the gut.
I double over and wish to fall on my knees, but am prevented by the two hooligans holding me up. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my nose as I get kneed again in the face. A warm sensation trails down my nose, over my closed lips and down my chin. I realize it is blood by the red spots on the grass below me.
"I'm sorry", I say wheeze out in a nasally voice.
The response is a punch in the gut, as the breath is knocked out of me again. I look at the bully to see a cruel smile adorning his face. He's clearly enjoying this, they always do.
"I'm sorry"
He kicks me in my most sensitive area and the pain is overwhelming. I wanted to scream, but the pain overshadowed all of the thoughts in my mind.
"I'm sorry", I say pleadingly, wanting this torture to end.
He punches me in the jaw and I see a tooth flies out of my mouth and into the grass below me. Now, warm blood was pouring out of my mouth as well. Black formed at the edges of my sight and I could feel the grip on my consciousness slowly fading.
"I'm sorry"
He gives an almost imperceptible nod to his friends and he shoves my head into the ground. A clump of dirt gets into my mouth and I have to spit it out along with some blood/spit mixture.
I can't see his head but by the tone of his voice, I know that he is grinning sadistically, "Now, what are you sorry for?"
I gulp. I know what he's looking for but, I don't want to give it to him. It would mean that he won, that his actions had broken me. But, that's the thing. The pain, the humiliation, the fact that I am bowing to this slime, the loneliness, all of it broke him. I have no reason to live. Jiji wants me to be a ninja, but that isn't what I have ever dreamed to do. I didn't dream to do anything really. I just went from pain to loneliness, to numbness. Am I really being honest if I say I don't regret every day of my life?
And I just want this pain and suffering to end. I want him to stop. Morals and spite be damned.
I take a shaky breathe and try to end my suffering, "I'm sorry for even exis-"
"Don't you DARE finish that sentence!" I was interrupted by a young girl's high pitched voice.
The three stooges turn their head to see the newcomer. Seeing as I was still held down, I couldn't see who she was. Although, I could see the fear in the eyes of the three boys holding me down.
"Now let him go, or I'll open up a can of whoop ass on you", she said in a deceptively joyful tone. I recognize this voice, but I'm not sure from where.
If they weren't such jerks, I might feel sorry for them. From what it sounds like, this girl could actually follow through on her promise.
I feel the pressure on my arms and head soften and eventually disappear. I was free from their clutches and this time, I actually breathed a sigh of relief. I remained in my position though, I was too tired and in pain to even move a single muscle.
"Now leave or else I'll tell the whole village all of your secrets", she threatened.
"You're bluffing, you couldn't possibly know about that." One of the bullies replied, but didn't sound so sure of himself.
"Oh am I now?" The girl laughed. It was a beautiful laugh, one full of happiness and playfulness, "I do remember a story that involved chocolate milk and a bathroom."
"You wouldn't dare", the boy hissed.
"You sure about that? You know who I am right? You should know what I am willing to do and not do."
The boy sighed, "Come on guys, let's go. We're out of our league here."
I could hear their footsteps get farther and farther away from me. Once I gained enough energy, I attempted to get up and failed miserably. I may or may not have fallen into even more of a mess than my original position.
A small pale hand entered my vision and I grabbed it. With a strength that I didn't know was even possible for a little girl, I was lifted up from my mess. Not for one moment did I look up from the ground.
I slowly patted off the dirt from my clothes, not that it really helped. Then, I used my shirt to wipe off as much blood from my face as possible. When I was done licking my wounds, I still refused to look up from the ground.
I felt a small, delicate hand find its way to my chin and lift up my head to meet the gaze of its owner. My eyes were met with beautiful white eyes that contained a playfulness to them. The girl who owned these eyes looked to be about his age and very tiny. She was just as small as me, and I was malnourished. Although, I think she's just like that. Her pale skin gave her the image of nobility but the warm smile seemed to detract from that image. Her short, dark blue hair contained twigs and leaves tangled inside of it, mostly from tree climbing. That also detracted from the image of stuck up royalty that her clan was known for.
This was my hero. Heroine? Or is it hero? No, it's most definitely heroine.
I don't really care what she's called. She ended my suffering and that's all that matters. It was just like her too. She always did hate bullying with a passion.
That's right. I know who my savior is.
The girl who is still gently touching my chin and staring into my eyes with a warmth that I am unused to receiving, is none other than Hinata Hyuuga, the resident troublemaker of Konoha and the black sheep of the Hyuuga clan.
Chapter 1 finish
A/N: this idea popped into my head and I had to write it down. This'll definitely be more than two chapters, but I'm not sure, we'll see. This chapter and the beginning of the next are the only ones being slightly depressing, the rest is meant to be fairly humorous. A Naruto acting like a shy Hinata and a bold, oblivious Hinata sets up for entertaining situations. Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.