Pain
A/N: This is a very experimental one-shot. I tried to convey the desperation and hopelessness that Naruto might've felt during his childhood, even though the ending is a tad optimistic. Please let me know if I succeeded.
Pant. Breathe. Pant. Breathe.
Pain.
'Teuchi-san promised free ramen today as a treat...'
"Kill the brat!" he heard. It was a yell but he was running so fast now that he could barely hear them. He still heard them though. And pain always came with those voices and yells.
Pant. Pain. Pant. Can't breathe. Pant. Pain.
Run.
He soon found the northwestern gate of the village. It was almost never guarded as it led only to the carved stairs which made up the easiest access to the hokage monument. But he knew better. He knew that there was an alcove, hidden from prying eyes that served well to the renowned sculptors of Konoha. In that secluded piece of nature's creation they stored their tools. Some even used to sleep there; it was so safe. Safety was paramount to him now.
'I'm almost there now, just a few more blocks...'. Relief creeping in his veins, almost filling him to the brim. Almost.
"I think I saw him, this way quick!" the yells were closer now. He still couldn't hear footsteps though. The sound of footsteps was always the harbinger of imminent pain. It always came after hearing footsteps.
"The demon is here! Come to my voice! The demon is here in my street, come to my voice!". An old lady yelled from an apartment, right above him. He didn't look up to see her. Her eyes were focused on him, pupils zeroed on his figure. Her irises, shaking, just as the rest of her body, righteous fury mixing with a taste for blood shaking her core.
He didn't need to look up. It was just another yell. And yells always preceded pain.
Run, pant, turn, run, pain, gate.
It was closer now, the gate was fast approaching. He was a little surprised, the gate always took longer to appear whenever he came here from Ichiraku's.
"Damn, I lost him!" one of the mob cried upon reaching the street where the old lady screamed Demon. Looking up, he saw the still shaking form of the old woman. "Ne, old lady, do you know where the brat went?".
"I am not old, bite your tongue! I couldn't see where he went, he was running too fast and I am not a ninja to track him from this small window!"
He couldn't hear anything now. The gate was, thankfully, open. Once he passed though he exhaled in relief. He was ready to slow down a little as soon as he saw the alcove. He was so tired; he just hoped the old cot and blankets were still there.
Some footsteps were heard. His attention that began wavering when he saw a glimpse of safety, came back with full force, exhaustion quickly leaving him. Alert, he turned around to see who would beat him today. If the person wasn't big or wasn't with sticks or stones, then maybe he could manage to go to the Hokage monument and hide in the forest behind it. He was so tired though.
He turned and turned but he couldn't see anyone. The footsteps continued. He turned once more.
Nowhere to run. Too close. Too tired. Pain.
His little blue eyes filled with tears. It was rare that the people with sticks and stones would catch him these days. He needed to get ready though. The pain would soon come. It always came after footsteps.
He looked up at last. There, the faint outline of a man, a small one at that, stood erect, the pale moonlight glancing his attire. His coat billowing as the wind gently caressed his uniform. The biggest difference was that this man was standing atop Konoha walls and his face was covered with an animal's mask. He didn't know many animals, but he was sure that it was some kind of a rodent. They, these people that wore masks, they were special. They were ANBU.
Cerulean orbs trailed on the ANBU, glimmering with unshed tears. A frail, whispering voice emanated from the escapee.
"Did you come to beat me too ANBU-san?"
The rodent masked nin just shook his head to signal the negative. In the same whisper-like tone, he landed.
"Hide and rest. There's water and rice in the alcove."
'how did he? Wait he said that...' too many questions plagued his already tired brain. Seeing the youngling's confusion, the masked man said simply: "I'm ANBU." After that Naruto went to the alcove, reaching it in but a few minutes. The rodent ANBU-san was right. There was a brand new bottle of water and some premade rice. The old cot was there, but the blankets, he saw, were new. As he was ready to let sleep claim him, he once again heard the soft footsteps. Cracking an eye open he saw his savior looming over and tucking him in.
"Sleep".
He closed his eyes for the last time before succumbing to sleep but in that slumber, the border between sleep and consciousness, footsteps were heard again. Soft ones.
Soft footsteps were good. They were safe.