Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything in it.
Summary: And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time. - Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing. (An unexpected act of kindness changes Naruto's life, and the world takes a step sideways.)
General Warnings: UA (Universe Alteration) (it's a great term and we should use it), GEN, ninja-life violence, abuse, Kid!fic (cuz they're all kids)
Author's Notes: Today is the day I first got into fanfiction, or about as near as I can estimate. So, this fic is being published to celebrate! That being said, this fic will not be regularly updated. In fact, it will not be updated at all on ffnet until ffnet fixes it's notification system. If it hasn't been fixed by the end of the month, I'll just go ahead and update on AO3 if I've got the next chapter done.
Chapter 1
It is only a little change.
Naruto is running again. It's nothing new.
What is is that he's running and he barrels headfirst into another tiny body. They both topple over, of course, and the other's squeak of surprise combined Naruto's flailing would have been comical had it been any other situation. But it isn't any other situation. Naruto scrambles up, apologizing, and cuts himself off just as abruptly, eyes wide, as he hears the first sign of his pursuers getting closer.
In another world, Naruto would have rushed off again, not giving the girl another thought. In another world, he would have been caught, too delayed by his crash to keep his pursuers a distance away. In another world, he would have been saved by ANBU and put back in his apartment. In another world, he would forget the entire incident and in another world, nothing would change.
But in this world, the girl ― his classmate, Hyuuga Hinata ― acts before he does. She takes one look at his face, hears the murderous slurs and angry voices of the mob, and, in an uncharacteristic flash of bravery, shoves him down the alley, behind a trash can and out of sight. Frozen in surprise, Naruto hears a bit of scuffling before many footsteps approach and-
"Where is he?" Hostile. Drunk.
"Hey- Are you alright?" Surprise. Concern.
"Are you hurt, little girl?" Fake. Saccharine.
"T-there was a- a boy w-with yellow h-hair," Hinata sniffles, "and he k-knocked me over!"
Angry hisses. Displeased murmurs.
"Did you see which way he went?" Naruto tenses, and he's just about to make a break for it until-
"H-he ran th-that way."
There's the sound of feet and they're heading away from him. Naruto can't quite stop his mouth from falling open in shock.
(For such a meek little girl, Hyuuga Hinata is a surprisingly good actress. Stutter and all.)
Naruto is just about to come out to thank her but then there's a shout.
"Hinata-sama!" Hinata turns, and there's a white-eyed man rushing down the street.
"K-Ko!"
"Hinata-sama! What were you thinking, sneaking out like that?! You could have been kidnapped!" Hinata bows her head and stutters out a meek apology and the man begins dragging her home, scolding her all the while. Naruto doesn't even have a chance to thank her.
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