This story is dedicated to my friend Kuma in Pink, from this site. See, without her, there would not be this story at all. We talk on yahoo a lot and you'd be surprised what passes between us. Nothing bad, but really really random. This story will be a NaruGaa friendship and Naruto and Gaara will both get with someone though. Mwa ha ha ha ha!! Oh, Sasuke never ran off, btw. Also, the official rating of this story is T. But in some places, it may get a little more than T. Just a warning.
Chapter 1
"Naruto, what did you want to talk to me about?" Sakura asked as they walked away from everyone else around them. "You said it was important."
"Sakura, do you want to go on a date with me?" He asked her calmly.
"Naruto, you know what my answer will be. My heart is not with you. Just as much as you want to go out with me, I want to go out with Sasuke. I thought you understood that." Sakura said sternly. "It would never work out between us."
"But Sasuke will be better? He doesn't even pay attention, focused only on his revenge! That kind of guy isn't for one such as you. You need someone who will pay attention to you and give you his all. He could never do that." Naruto exclaimed loudly. Sakura looked ready to punch him.
"He's been hurt badly. That's why he needs someone like me to not give up on him." Even now, Sakura defended the revenge-crazed Uchiha. It made Naruto sick.
"And I haven't? That's just like a villager of Konoha, hating me for something I was never guilty of doing. What makes Sasuke and I different?" Naruto jammed his hands into his pocket angrily. "Can you tell me that?" Sakura remained silent. "Figured that. No one can see me for who I am! All they see is the Nine-tailed Fox! He's silent now. That fox has never caused trouble for anyone or myself. But everyone still thinks that I can just change so drastically so fast, that I'll kill everyone in the village. It's not fair!"
Sakura had never thought about it from Naruto's point of view. She had known for awhile now that the demon had been sealed into his body. But she had never thought that was why he was hated. Her eyes filled with compassion and pity. "Naruto." She said simply and touched his shoulder with one hand. "Is that why you did all those jokes when we were younger? Because everyone ignored you and that was the only way people would notice you?"
Naruto jerked away from her touch. "I don't need your pity. I don't need anyone's pity! All my life has been nothing but hell in this village." His eyes started to overflow and he brushed the tears away. "Hated and judged just for something that was never my fault, something that was out of my control. You and Sasuke are exactly the same! Condescending and vain, only thinking of your precious reputation, what you think you want, no matter what it takes to get there!" He began to walk away.
Sakura ran in front of him to stop him from leaving. "Naruto, wait. We can figure this out. Don't let it get you down." He walked around her.
"I don't know what I ever saw in you. Sasuke this, Sasuke that. That's all I ever hear. Even when that guy was completely useless and I saved you; it couldn't have possibly been me according to you. Only Sasuke is capable of doing that, at least according to you." Naruto ranted, pausing for breath. "And, right now, for all I care, you can run to him. You two are good for each other. Man, I'm so sick of life in this village!" He practically yelled and ran away.
"Naruto, wait!" Sakura exclaimed. But it was too late, Naruto was gone, going to only he knew where. "Naruto." She paused to think. "I'll talk to the Hokage! Maybe the Hokage can help him." With that thought in mind, she went to speak to the Hokage.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Naruto ran to his apartment, ignoring the strange looks he got from the hateful villagers. He vaguely heard someone call out his name with concern. It sounded like Hinata. But right now that didn't matter, even though she had been one of the few to actually be his friend and see the real him. "Later Hinata!" He called out loudly, not seeing if she answered.
By that time, he reached the now deserted park. By now, every other kid in Konoha was eating dinner with their family. And they wouldn't be allowed back tonight, since it was unsafe at night. Naruto had never had a family to eat meals with. Sure he had been taken care of, as an orphan with no family who had not been adopted yet. Someone had always made sure he had enough to eat or good clothes. And they even paid the rent for his single room apartment.
But the acts had not been done in love. They just dropped off the food, leaving him to cook for himself. And the clothes were given grudgingly, as if they were wasted on him. Now he was older though. They still paid the rent for him. But he had assumed the responsibility of buying his own food and clothes when he had finally become a genin, not that people acknowledged the fact that he had done good.
It made him sad to think that pretty much Hinata Hyuga was one of the few who truly cared about him as a person. She didn't deserve to be shoved away as he had shoved her away earlier. He was also sad that no one cared enough to make sure he got home at a regular time at night, to stop him from staying in the park at night. Sometimes he had even fallen asleep there, looking at the stars, staying there the whole night. No one had cared.
Naruto remembered the beatings he had sometimes gotten just for hanging around a place for more than a few minutes. During those beatings, he had been dragged somewhere private and beaten. As he been dragged away, mothers would shield their children from him, as if would suddenly lash out and try to hurt the kids.
"I'm not angry at the kids. I don't want to be angry at all! But what else can I do?" Footsteps hurried their way to the park and someone called out his name. It was one of the jounin by the sound of it.
"Naruto Uzamaki!" The voice called. Naruto remained silent. It was about time, Naruto thought, that the villagers accused him of a crime in order to get him in trouble. People all over the town were most likely looking for him, ready to arrest him at first site. "If you can hear me, Naruto, please come out. You aren't in trouble. We just want to talk to you." Naruto remained silent, despite the fact that someone may actually be worried about him.
The jounin left, leaving Naruto alone to his thought once more. "Maybe…maybe I should just leave now. Would anyone miss me?" He mused. Hinata would, he knew. And Gaara of the Sand would be concerned. But he was pretty sure that they were the only two. "Maybe I should leave. But where would I go?" He asked himself as he drifted into a sweet slumber.
