A small boy whimpered, tears streaming down his face as he raced down the ally, aware of the angry villagers just a few feet behind him. One of the villagers threw a sharp rock at his legs, tripping him and adding to the already numerous bruises and cuts along his body.
He skidded along the ground for a couple of feet before finally coming to a halt on a thin patch of ice. "W-wh-what d-did I do w-wong?" the three-year old boy sobbed as the group of angry villagers crowded around him. He had just gone into a pet store to look at the little puppies, but was thrown out by the store owner. The owner's yells had attracted a large crowd, which then started to beat him. They held him down for a while before he was able to break free and start running, one clear blue eye swollen shut and his short blonde hair matted in blood.
He curled his small body into a tight ball in a vain attempt to protect himself against their attacks and words.
"Demon!" one of them hissed, kicking him sharply on the back of the head.
"You little monster, tainting our village." Another man yelled, throwing broken glass at the boy.
"You filthy little demon brat, we've let you live this long, and you repay it by contaminating a shop." one of the women yelled, hatred strong in her voice.
Naruto just curled himself into a tighter ball, praying that help would come soon. "p-pwease, I-I'm s-sowy that I w-went in th-the st-store, I j-jwust wanted to pe-pet the p-pu-puppies." he cried, sobs shaking his small, thin body. As the beating continued, Naruto began to notice that his body was getting number and number. He wondered for a moment if the cold of the winter night was what was doing it, but he didn't feel cold. He actually felt warm. The villager's insults were also becoming more distant. Blackness rose up gently in front of his eyes, and he drifted away on the warm, dark cloud.
'I hope that help comes soon' was his last thought before he slipped into unconsciousness.