He had nowhere to go and nothing to do. As he walked down the street, people parted around him. He was tempted to reach out and feel if there was a bubble surrounding him, but for now he was content to pretend that the crowd was not avoiding him of their own free will.
He didn't know why he was going to the playground. He had gone before, eager to play and make friends, but as soon as he had arrived the area had emptied like sand from a sieve, leaving him, the lone rock, to sit and try to swing on his own. He knew this time would be no different, but he couldn't help that foolish hope that someone would keep playing as the rest left and ask him to join them. Maybe they would even be friends…
But he stood apart, waiting for silent acceptance, and watched as the people who he both hated and admired so much left without speaking a word to him until he was alone with the bitter pain of rejection that never numbed though it was his entire life. Why had he come here and ruined everyone else's fun when he knew he wasn't wanted? Nothing would ever change; monsters didn't deserve friends, and he knew he must be a monster, a demon, because he heard the whispers and why would someone who wasn't a monster be hated?
He had the whole playground to himself now, but he couldn't bring himself to go near it and taint it, sully its pure normality. He walked around it slowly, trying to imagine the happiness that had been there moments before and immerse himself in it, but everything looked different now, empty and sad, and the joyful memory seemed so distant. He closed his eyes briefly and turned away. He had ruined it just by being near it.
He didn't want to be here anymore.
Walking away swiftly now, he didn't know where he was going, he just wanted to get away, he needed to get away. Every time he saw the abandoned playground his heart clenched and he felt sick. He had done that. It was all his fault, everything.
He wandered along the shore of a pond now. He could see the playground if he looked, but he was looking anywhere but there.
Looking, staring, at the dark-haired boy sitting on the dock jutting into the water.
He knew who he was, everyone did. Sasuke Uchiha, genius student and lone survivor of the Uchiha massacre. No family, no friends, completely alone.
Like him.
"Hey!"
Sasuke turned, looked at him. He went closer, talked slightly quieter.
"Um, you don't have anyone to play with, do you? If you want, you could play with me."
Sasuke hesitated slightly. Then, "Yes, I'll play with you."
A blazing grin stretched across his face as he pulled the slightly smiling boy after him towards the swings.
"I'm Sasuke, what's your name?"
"Naruto," he said, "Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you, Sasuke!"