Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
WARNING: Mature and disturbing content. Don't read if you don't like it or can't handle it. It will not be overly explicit but it deals with attempted rape and there is some violence.
"No!" The sharp sound of a slap rang in the air. "Damn you! This customer paid good money!" Another slap and a whimper of pain. "P-please…" Twelve year old Tsurumi Shi quietly slipped out of his bedroom and into the dark hall. Heart pounding, he bit his lip and headed for the back rooms. He had recognized that voice. Walking as quickly as he could without being seen, he prayed he'd get there in time. Hang on Saya.
The Yamazaki Family of Higumi Village was notoriously well known. Bringing in most of the village's income, the authorities turned a blind eye to the Yamazaki's less than legal dealings. From drugs to prostitution, the Yamazaki empire was as varied as it was profitable. It catered to every vice. Every vice.
Their customers ranged from politicians to farmers, ready cash being the only qualification. "You pay, the Yamazaki provide" was a motto each Higumi resident knew by heart.
Souzou Daichi was one such resident with rather particular tastes. An ex-shinobi who was kicked out of the academy due to a failed psyche exam, Daichi worked half heartedly at a weapons shop and frequently drank. At home, he just as frequently gave his wife new bruises and ignored his eight year old son.
He looked up and grinned as a small girl was dragged into the room. She was pretty with dark hair and big blue eyes. Looking up at the Yamazaki heir, he nodded. "She'll do nicely." The large man dropped the child's arm and exited the room, ignoring the soft voice pleading with him not to leave her there.
"Hello. Aren't you a pretty thing?" His voice was low, slimy as an oil slick. "So pretty." The girl backed up, bumping into the wall behind her. "L-leave me a-alone," she stuttered. Chuckling, Daichi reached out a hand and ran it over her cheek, ignoring her flinch. "Real delicate aren't you? Just like a little doll." He reached for her shirt, not noticing as her eyes fixed on something over his shoulder. A sharp pain. Red splashed garishly onto the little white shirt as his fingers brushed the soft material. Daichi gurgled, drowning in his own blood as his eyes rolled back in his head. He sank to the floor, never seeing his assailant.
Shi stared silently down at the man he had just stabbed. A bright silver hair ornament was sticking obscenely out of the man's neck. Suddenly, there were arms around his waist and a small body trembling against him. Quiet sobs had him hugging back, whispering quiet reassurances. For a long moment, they stood there until a floorboard creaked ominously in the hallway. Shi stiffened and glanced towards the door. Picking the girl up, he motioned for her to stay quiet.
"We need to get outta here Saya." Her dark hair tickled his cheek as she nodded and clung to him tighter. Balancing her on his hip, he soundlessly opened the door and crept out. Scanning the shadows for movement, Shi snuck across the wooden floor and headed for a small window. He set Saya down and tugged at the window, cursing as the frame stuck stubbornly. "Shi-nii," Saya pulled at his sleeve. Footsteps were echoing down the hall and heading in their direction.
He grabbed Saya again, seeing her blue eyes flash with fear. Ducking into a nearby room, he slid behind an old red couch. "We need to be really quiet Saya." The little girl nodded seriously and hid her face in his shoulder. Not daring to breathe, the children listened as the footsteps slowly passed and faded. "Okay, let's go."
Back in the hall, Shi pried at the window again. It wouldn't budge and he strained against the wooden frame. Two minutes turned into five, feeling like hours. Several of his fingernails had torn and his fingertips were raw and bloody. Ignoring the pain, he smiled grimly as the window shifted. A final push and it opened with a loud creak. He flinched and heard a door bang open down the hall.
He hurriedly clambered outside and reached back in for Saya, pulling her through. "Stop!" A voice growled and a large man hurried towards them. Shi bolted, running faster than he ever had. He raced through the village and into the surrounding forest, his arms aching from Saya's weight. Stumbling slightly over roots and stones, he darted through the trees.
Shi didn't know how long he had been running. It felt like forever. His lungs burned with every breath and his arms and legs were numb with exhaustion. He staggered, bumping into a tree. "Shi-nii?" Saya looked up at him in worry. He managed a smile for her and regained his footing. Hounds bayed in the distance and his smile quickly faded. "Shit."
His throat tightened and his eyes burned. Shi knew he couldn't outrun them. A heavy weight settled in his chest. Looking down at the little girl in his arms, a strange calm swept through him. He gently sat her down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Saya I need you to do something for me," he began softly.
At a small stream on the outskirts of Higumi, a crowd of Yamazaki thugs stared down at an unmoving body at their feet. A pool of red had drenched the nearby ground and was snaking slowly into the water. A few men shivered and sent up prayers as they stared at the boy's blank green eyes. Even in death, he had the strangest smile on his lips…
Kamizuki Izumo and his partner Hagane Kotetsu lounged lazily at their post. "Can't believe we're on gate duty again," Kotetsu whined. Izumo just shook his head and ignored his friend. "Hey what's that?" The chuunin turned to the road and peered in the direction his partner was pointing. "What the…"
A small girl in a bloodied white shirt and skirt trudged slowly up to the gates. "She's not emitting any chakara," Kotetsu whispered. Izumo nodded and cautiously approached the child. "Can you tell me where you're from?" He asked, using the soft voice he usually reserved for his newborn nephew. Blank blue eyes stared up at him unseeing. "Can you tell me your name?" He tried.
Yamazaki Saya stared at the brown haired man for a long moment. Shi-nii had told her to go to Konoha and ask for sant..sanct..for help. Blinking, she met the man's eyes and took a shaky breath. "Tsurumi Saya," She told him quietly. She swayed a little, and Izumo found himself lunging forwards as her eyes unfocused and closed. He managed to catch her before she hit the ground and he cradled the tiny body carefully. "Kotetsu, go inform the Hokage. I need to get her to the hospital."
And there's chapter one. Like it? Hate it? Most of the rest of the story probably wont be quite as sad and as violent. As for Saya.. She's going to have a lot of problems trusting other people, at least until she runs into Naruto. ^^ Oh and she was trying to say "sanctuary" but it's kind of a big word for a little kid.