I do not own Naruto and never will.

Chapter one

My tummy hurt again.

It was hurting a lot lately, a deep echoing pain that demanded that I fill it. Not only was my tummy hurting, my throat felt like it was on fire making it difficult to move or speak. I need food and water soon or I'll feel worse tomorrow, making it harder to get to woods and river.

But I need to wait, She is still awake and it would be much worse if She see's me out of my room She will yell at me until I run away and cry, or she hits me on my head. She had been around the house all day, I could hear water splashing in the kitchen and a broom sweeping the floors. I also heard a lot of bottles being put outside, maybe in the garbage because that's where I put the garbage I find. My hive buzzed is sadness and hunger.

They didn't understand why the mother of their host wasn't helping him. She was the one who was supposed to raise him and nurture him, but instead was causing him pain and sadness. If she could not handle raising him then she could ask for help from someone else who she trusts. The hive know that she hides what she is doing from her friends and family, by hiding him upstairs or telling them that he was sick.

I felt my hive buzz signaling that She was asleep. I climb out of my nest, it used to be my closet where only a few things were kept but when She took away my bed and mattress I moved all my things into the closet in the hall where it was safe. My nest contained a small, worn blanket that I found when I was smaller and keep as clean as I can from washing it in the river near where I looked for food and where I gather water, my soft pillow in the shape of a butterfly that someone who smiled gave to me when I was little which I treasure and take everywhere. I also have a sack that I made from my old clothes that I out grew from when I was a baby that smelled nice because of the lavender I find in the forest and honey that the bees gave me as thanks for helping them with finding a new grove to settle. My clothes that I could wear were to big and I had needed to stich them smaller with the needles and thread I found behind the couch when I was I hiding from Her. The only thing in good condition was my sun glasses that She Threw at me.

I pack every thing in the sack before sliding open the door to pear out. When I saw for sure that the hall was safe, just in case, I stepped carefully out of my nest before silently sliding the door closed and making my way downstairs; stepping over only one smelly bottle. The house was very big, bigger then what I thought most of the houses I saw were like when I moved through the village when I would go looking for clothes or other things. The walls in my hallway were light brown with a few windows, and the floor was made of wood

Before I made another step down our large stair case I heard the front door open. I stopped in my tracks to listen, my hive had told me that She was asleep in the house not outside?! I felt my heart start to pound, I ran as quietly as I could back into my nest. I didn't understand, my hive hadn't been wrong before!

I hear two sets of foots steps come into the house from the front door into the house, before one came up the stairs. My hive told me that She was starting to wake up, which just made this worse. If She saw me… I started to breath heavier and my chest hurt more from my heart going faster. I didn't know what to do! This hadn't happened before!

The footsteps entered Her room.

My hive felt her wake.

Then… Laughter, happy laugher and words I couldn't understand. I heard sobs of joy and footsteps leaving the room at the same time, with more laughter. I heard them go downstairs where the other person was and I could hear more laughter from Her…

She never laughed. Not ever.

I felt tears in my eyes and a stabbing in my chest. I didn't understand, I had done everything She said and tried to stay out of her way even when I was so hungry I felt sick…I cleaned up the house as best I could when she was out or sleeping, I even made food for us when She couldn't. I-I did everything I could think of.

Tears started to run down my cheeks almost as much as when She used her belt on me for eating where she could see me. I didn't make a sound though, I kept it in even though it hurt I didn't let one sound out.

After a while of listening to them laughing and talking, I smelt food being made which hadn't happen in a long time. My tummy hurt worse then before making me wish I could have some, even just a little to fill my tummy even a bit! But I knew if I moved from my nest She would be upset and tell the others how I was a bad boy and deserved nothing. They would hurt me until I was crying harder then I was now and make me hurt worse then ever.

So I stayed, stayed in my nest holding my pillow under my blanket. Waiting for them to go to sleep or leave so I could at least go to my stream for some water and roots to eat. It seemed to take forever for them to at least leave the kitchen and come upstairs, when Her and one other foot step went into Her room I repacked my sack and slid open my door again to look out.

It was dark outside, only the moon light was flowing though the window, showing that it had been longer then I thought it had been. I slid my door closed as quietly as I could before, as softly as I could, made my way downstairs.

I had forgot about the other foot steps.

When I made it to the bottom stair I walked as quietly as I could to the front door through a much cleaner living room then normal. When I pasted the kitchen though I smelled the food, even stronger then it was upstairs, I paused. I hadn't taste food that I hadn't made before, even from the little stalls that sell warm food, and I wanted to try it.

"It smells so yummy…" I thought, still in the doorway into the kitchen. I looked at the big table that wasn't covered in wine bottles or garbage where a steaming pot of something was sitting surrounded by used bowls, but I was too small to see what else. Licking my lips I step into the kitchen hesitantly to get a closer look at the table to see if I could snatch something to take with me to the forest.

I didn't feel the eyes on me until I was half way into the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?"

Spinning around to my side I looked to see a teenage boy staring at me in a big coat and sunglasses like mine. He had brown, spikey hair and eyebrows pointed down to his nose like he was angry. His voice was deep and clear, like he had asked a question but that cant be since no one talked to me that nicely.

Still facing him I looked to my side to see if he was talking to someone else but there was no one there. My hive buzzed with fear and confusion.

"Oka-san said you weren't hungry and that not to bother you but I find that strange, Why? Because you are a growing boy and Minato says they need lots of food."

With my hands out in front of me, trying to hide even a little, I try to think of a way out. I could try to make a run for the front door and hope he cant get me or I c-could grab some of the buns I saw before running or-

"Are you all right?"

He sounded so confused, as if he didn't already know I wasn't allowed to eat the food that She did. That I was a bad boy and 'bad boys don't deserve anything'. On no he's coming towards me I need to get away.

I turn towards the kitchen entrance and try to get away, I try to run as softly as I can towards the front door but he is there already with a bigger eyebrow arrow then before and reaching out his hand.

I-I need t-t-to get aw-away.

So I run towards the couch with a small space under the coach that was closest to me, it was just big enough for me to crawl and hide during the times when I came back to Her house and She wakes up before I can make it upstairs. It can hide me until he leaves since She never found me there.

I crawl under the couch as fast as I can, making sure to make as little noise as I could, if She couldn't get me here then he couldn't either. It smelled the same as it always did, like the smelly bottles She likes to drink from. I pushed my body as tightly as I could under the couch towards the wall, hoping he wouldn't get me. My sack was digging into my side since I was laying on it but I was to scared to move.

Tears started to gather in my eyes. I was so scared, why was this happening? Was it because I was a bad boy? Why was I bad? I did everything I was told to do and-and I didn't even know this person. How would he know I was bad? Did everybody know? Is that why the kids I try to play with run away form me or laugh? I just- I didn't-I. Tears streamed down my face, not as hard as It did upstairs but I still felt that confusing sadness and loneliness. It was a pain in my heart that I had always had but was worse now.

When I looked up to the front of the couch I saw his face.

My heart stopped. I thought I was safe! This trick had always worked before! More tears rained down my face and I started breathing fast. I di-didn't understand!

"Why are you crying? Why do I ask? I have done nothing to make you sad."

He reached his hand out towards me and I shied away; making small, soft whimpering sounds which made my throat hurt more, with even more tears. But they were not as much as upstairs, and it just made me even more thirsty. The hand stopped its advance and went away, returning the boys face so I could see it even though it was hard because of my tears.

His coat shifted down showing more of his face… which was covered in a black mask, which made him even more scary.

"It is alright, I will not hurt you." He said in a soft voice. No one had every said that to me, it was always "go away!", or "leave me alone!", never something that nice. Once, a long time ago, I remembered the smiling man that gave me my pillow but that was about it.

This time when he reached towards me and took my hand I let him pull me out from under the couch, and helping me stand up. I look up at him from the top of my sun glasses with my head tilted down, waiting to see if he would keep his promise.

"There now, are you hungry? Why do I ask? There is still some food on the table and you looked as If you wanted some." He used his sleeve to wipe my face and then took my hand. He led us towards the kitchen, slower then before so I could keep up, and picks me up to put me on a chair.

From the corner of my eye I nervously watched him take out a glass before filling it with water and put it in front of me. I stared at the glass of water, while listening to him move around the kitchen. I didn't remember a time when some one had given me anything but pain, I didn't know what to do. Do I drink the water? I was so thirsty… but what if it was just a way for him to make fun of me somehow like the other kids when they trick me? What if he doesn't really mean his kind words. Tears gathered in my eyes again, what if I wasn't worth even that?

"Why are you crying," he set a bowl of warm food, I think it was soup, in front of me with a roll of sweat bread and a spoon. "There is nothing here to fear here." He sat across from me at the table and watched me.

I looked at the yummy smelling food in front of me with wide eyes. I had never seen food that good before! Usually I had to heat food over a fire in the woods since I didn't know how to use the oven in the kitchen and I was to scared to ask Her for help. I pick up the water glass first and, after looking at him to see if it was ok, I took a bunch of small sips until the glass was empty.

When I saw there was no more water and I was still thirsty. Smacking my lips, I put it down and dipped the spoon into the bowl of steaming soup with chunks of something. I blow on it before taking a small sip so I don't hurt my tongue and tasted a tasty, salty soup that had carrot and onions in it. I smiled a little and took another sip that was a bit bigger before dunking the spoon back into the bowl to take another sip. I kept dinking and sipping until the whole bowl was empty, then I picked up the now refilled the glass of water and drinking some more cold, clean water. My throat and tummy felt much better so I when I picked up the sweet bun I just put it in my sack for later to enjoy.

I suddenly remember that I wasn't alone.

I tucked myself as small as I could and hoped I would just disappeared. I felt my face go hot and look down at my lap where my hands fidgeted with my sack. I looked at the stiches that I needed to redo later since they were falling off, I could see my blanket peeking out. When I looked at him sneakily I saw that he hadn't moved from his spot in front of me and was staring back at me. I duck my head again and my face became hotter then before and I hunched my shoulders.

"Yoshimi, why did you run away? Why I ask? Because I wasn't going to hurt you." He said in a soft and clear voice. I was confused though, who was Yoshimi?

"U-umm w-wh-who is Yo-Yoshim-mi?" I ask with a small, quiet voice, looking up for a second before looking back down at my sack.

"…Yoshimi is your name."

"Oo-oh…"

I had a name?!

I was shocked.

'I didn't know I had a name…'

I frowned down at my sack in confusion, thinking that it might tell me what was going on. No one had ever talked to me nicely before or really talked to me so I didn't know I had a name. Even when She yelled at me it was mostly just to "go away". But it was nice to know I had a name. I felt a little lighter and happier. I had a name! And that name was Yoshimi!

"Would you like to have some more?" He asked, one of his eyebrow arrows was pointed up.

"N-no th-thank you…" I glance up at him for a second again before looking down. "U-um w-w-who a-ar-are you?" I look up at his covered eyes with my shoulders still hunched.

I regret the question immediately.

'Wh-what if he didn't wa-want to tell me? What if he th-thought I was stu-stupid and told Her? But if he did S-She wouldn't care unless it affected Her…' I started to breath hard again, I look back down and I hug my sack to my chest to make myself feel better. I didn't hug to hard though since I didn't want to squish the bun but just enough to feel my pillow.

"T-thank you for the food-d, M-My I-I-I-I go now?" I glance at him to see how he would react. I start inching my bum off the chair, hoping that I could leave.

"You may go… but isn't it almost your bed time? Why? Because most children go to bed at 8 and it is 7:30." He starts putting away the dishes in to the sink to be washed, turning his back to me. As fast as I could I was out the front door and on the street heading towards the forest before he even finished his sentence.