Summary: Everyone hated him, thought him to be the beast he held inside, called him a monster. Assumed he was the bad one. But nobody saw how much love he could give before it was too late.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. Only this story is of my creation.

Unrealized Love

One-Shot

If you were to ask a random person on the street, some would probably only say he was a monster. That he was bad, evil; he was a danger to everyone around him, that he was someone you wouldn't want to be friends with.

Others would simply ignore you, give you a nasty look before snorting and telling you to keep away from him, that it was in your best interest.

They would be angry for even mentioning his name. They only referred to him as 'The Demon Child' or 'The Demon' and 'Monster' or simply just called him 'it' like he was just another object meant to be thrown away.

He wasn't treated with respect; he was treated just like the dirt they stepped on.

However, if you were to ask an outsider, the parallels they would give you compared to the villagers were just so big that you simply could not believe it could be the same person.

They would most likely say he was the sweetest, most well mannered and polite kid you could ever hope to meet.

They would say he was kind, clever, soft; there were so many words to describe him, one couldn't possibly name them all.

You're probably thinking, 'how could this be?' 'How could someone have so vastly different opinions of the same person?'

As sad as that may seem, it is, nonetheless, the truth.

Naruto Uzumaki was not one of the best-liked people in his village. Actually, that'd be the understatement of the century.

He was hated, loathed. He was feared. He was the village pariah.

He was beaten on a daily basis. He was slapped if he asked of something. He was pushed down if he looked someone in the eyes. He was kicked if he talked at all.

It did not matter what he did though, whether he was quiet or loud, they would always find excuses, excuses as though to make it look like what they did was okay and so he was beaten wherever he went.

One would think such treatment would have broken anyone; by all means, it should have, seeing as that's all he's ever known.

But if you knew him, then you'd know that Uzumaki Naruto was not just anyone and he wasn't known for being weak.

He withheld the abuse. He didn't allow himself to be broken. He didn't allow it to get to him. He refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him break, didn't allow them to see his weakness.

He was used to it by now, anyway. So used to it he was, he simply didn't care.

He knew the reason he was hated, of course, so he couldn't exactly blame them, either. He figured they just feared what was inside him, should it take over. They were not at fault. They were as much victim as he was.

Or at least, that was his personal opinion of the matter.

He was far too kind for his own good. Even after all the abuse and pain, he's gone through, he could still manage a smile full of warmth that would have made anyone's heart melt. Had they not known who he was, that is.

He even tried to make friends with the Kyuubi.

And wasn't that a shock? The ancient beast himself almost had a heart attack.

The boy had come to the conclusion that if they were going to share the same consciousness, then they might as well become friends.

They were technically living together, sharing the same body, so why should they hate each other? They would have to get used to it. Nothing good ever comes out of hatred.

He remembers walking around in his mind, a small tug pulling him in the right direction.

He had met the Kyuubi, standing just outside his cage. The beast, as soon as their eyes met, filled with rage and unimaginable anger, hadn't wasted a second before throwing himself towards the boy, his claw outstretched, just millimeters from tearing a hole through the boy's chest.

But his claw didn't reach that far, and it had stopped.

The boy never moved from his position, just standing there, perfectly still, staring up at the ancient being with an unreadable expression on his face.

A minute went by, then another, neither speaking, neither moving, the silence tense, but it was Naruto who made the first move.

His face lights up in a soft smile that shook the Kyuubi to the core, his eyes wide in disbelief.

The smile did not hold hatred. Nor did it hold fear. It was an honest smile. Sincere. It was warm and it radiated kindness.

It only lasted a second, however, before the Kyuubi's eyes narrowed in anger.

"Why do you smile? Why don't you fear me? Why don't you hate me? Don't you know who I am?!" He'd scream furiously, but the smile never faltered, not even once.

"Can't we be friends?" The boy had ignored his rant, and the question in which was spoken held this innocence and curiosity only a child could muster.

The Kyuubi was filled with confusion, his eyes widening again, before narrowing once more.

"Why would I be friends with someone like you?" He'd practically sneered, but the boy replied without missing a beat, which only further infuriated him.

"We share the same body, don't we? Why can't we be friends, instead of hating each other?" Though his tone was light, it held this sort of confusion and innocence as if he couldn't quite grasp the concept of what would be so wrong if they did indeed become friends.

The Fox had growled in anger.

"I am The Nine-Tailed Fox! I am friends with no one!" He had all but screamed, but Naruto didn't as much as flinch and if anything, his smile grew even softer.

"Don't you ever get lonely? Isn't it sad being by yourself?" He'd asked instead. "What's your name? You have a name, don't you?" He continued his line of questioning and he didn't seem intent to stop anytime soon.

But at the last question, the Fox's eyes had widened in surprise. Of course, he had a name - who didn't? - but no one had ever asked him before, never bothered to learn, thought he was just The Nine-Tails.

Ha. As if.

"What makes you think I have a name?" He had asked, partly out of curiosity.

"Everyone has a name. Since we are now friends, I would like to know yours." The boy replied in a matter of fact tone, as if it couldn't be any more obvious, while still holding into that childish innocence.

The Fox had fallen silent a few moments, studying the boy in front of him, who was waiting rather patiently, more patient than he'd expect of a 6-year-old.

He'd thought it over before answering.

"It's...Kurama." He finally decided to be honest. And the boy had nodded with another smile. Tilting his head to the side, and closing his eyes. The Fox decided then and there that however the child ever managed to hold onto his innocence and sanity even after everything he's gone through, he'd never know.

But he was glad, in his own way. There was still hope for him after all.

"Kurama...that's a beautiful name. I'm glad we can be friends." And with that, he disappeared from his mindscape.

The Fox continued to look at the place the boy had stood for another 10 minutes before a smile came to his face, in fact, it was his very first smile he had for a very long time.

"Friends...huh? You are one interesting kit..." That he was indeed.

And since then, they have indeed become great friends.

Kurama would heal him whenever he sported new injuries - which were, of course, due to the villagers, damn them - and he would be furious afterwards, muttering curses under his breath with the promise that if he should ever break free from his prison, then he would destroy that damned village, with everyone in it!

Those ignorant fools! Did they not see the difference between the jailor and the host?! Obviously not.

He had once asked how he could be so nice to everyone around him when they treated him worse than the ground they walk on.

The response he got...he'd never forget it.

"It's so much easier being nice to someone than hate someone, don't you think? The world would be a better place if everyone let go of their hatred. It's because of hatred that wars break out. I really don't see a reason to hate, don't you agree?"

And he had said it with a smile too.

It puzzled the Fox to no end.

He had never really thought about that. He had always thought that hatred and power were what matters, being blinded by anger and bitterness. But after hearing Naruto's answer, he couldn't help but question himself.

Maybe Naruto was right. Nothing did come out of hatred. It only created more evil.

Maybe his way of thinking had been wrong. And he found himself agreeing with his host.

And then he'd chuckled in faint amusement. He had never thought this would happen. Him, The Great Nine-Tails, The Kyuubi, the one that could crush a mountain and create Tsunami's with just a swift of his tails...was friends with a human.

It was practically unheard of.

He had promised himself that he would never stoop so low as to become friends with a human, much less his host...yet, that is exactly what he did.

He found that he did not care. He wasn't ashamed. He respected Naruto for his kindness above all else. It had to take a strong person and a strong force of will to not go down the path of revenge.

Most people would have probably gone insane living like this their whole life. Just look at Shukaku's host.

It truly did show how strong Naruto was.

He was too good for this world. They didn't deserve him.

There have been many occasions where he has been too kind to others, tried to gain their attention, but as always they just gave him the cold shoulder and brushed him off like a bug, unworthy of their love.

Since that obviously was not going to work, he tried their children instead, hoped that when they saw he only wanted to help the children, they'd accept him.

Of course, he knew that was pointless, knew it wasn't going to work, but he was desperate.

One time, he came across this 5-year-old girl. She'd fallen down a tree, scraped her knee and she was crying for her 'mommy'. He couldn't just stand by and watch, so he'd went to help her.

He knelt down to her level and smiled reassuringly.

He had a small cloak on him and tied it around the bruised knee and it didn't take long before she was 'magically' better. She'd given him a big smile, about to open her mouth - possibly to say thank you - before she was interrupted by a woman in her late twenties, a scowl on her face directed solely towards Naruto.

She'd taken the girl's arm, pushing the boy away in the process, before dragging the girl away, a little too harshly. He caught a few words, though.

"Never talk to that boy again, understand? Don't ever go near him. He's bad. You understand?" The girl had looked behind her in sadness, before nodding in understanding.

And Naruto was left, sitting alone, looking after them with sad eyes.

And then there was this other time where there was this 8-year-old boy and his 5 friends. They had been playing football when one of them had kicked the ball a little too high and it had landed on the roof of a building.

Seeing their disappointed faces, and not seeing any adults around, Naruto used his still-developing ninja skills to jump on the roof, take the ball and jump down again.

They had stared at him in awe and just as he was about to deliver the ball back to them, 5 women had stomped over the playground, taking their respective boys and stalking away, each reprimanding them to never talk to that monster ever again.

They never got the ball back.

This happened several times.

He would try to help, only for them to assume he was the one to blame in the first place.

This was no way to live and yet...it was his life, the only life he's known. He was used to it. It only consisted of hatred, fear, and pain.

Any adult would probably have killed themselves long ago - as was the case with a certain Hatake - and yet, here is a 10-year-old child who has lived like this his whole life, still maintaining his sanity, somewhat.

It was...there isn't even a word to describe it, really.

Amazing? Disgusting? Sick? Probably all of those, but no one, whether friends or foe, adult or child, deserves to have a life like that.

Right at this moment, he was sitting inside his rather empty and lonely apartment, his knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, his bright blue eyes staring out the window.

It was his birthday today. He was turning 11 this year. The villagers were getting ready for the festival.

It was the day he hated the most. The villagers were always worst on his birthday.

He was just staring out the window, waiting for the end to come.

Somehow, he knew...that he may never be able to see tomorrow. This day may end up to be his last.

He was sure they decided to kill him this time. And to tell the truth, he didn't really mind too awfully much.

And that surprised him more than it should.

He felt something, something wet, slide down his cheek and it didn't take too long to realize it was his own tears. He took a hand and touched his cheek, softly.

It came back wet as well.

His head snapped up when he heard banging on his door.

He raised himself off the bed, and he just stood there, in the middle of the room. There was no point in hiding. They would find him anyway. They always did. He had silent tears running down his cheeks, but his soft smile was still there, hadn't even faltered.

It was a heartbreaking sight, really.

And then, the door snapped open, the villagers running through with torches and knives in hands, their faces, determined. They stopped when they saw him, however.

There was a moment of silence, and Naruto wasn't sure what to make of it, wasn't sure what the silence meant, whether it was hesitance, or anger or maybe even regret, though he doubted that one.

It didn't last too long before a man at the front of the crowd - he looked to be a ninja, Chunnin at best - became impatient, his feet running across the room till he stood right in front of the boy, his hands lifting Naruto off the ground, around his neck, choking him.

Naruto, for his part, didn't make a sound, but his face was turning blue at a very alarmingly fast rate. His eyes were closed, though from fear or pain, or if he simply just didn't want to look at the crowd, it was unknown.

But then, the man stopped squeezing in surprise. The smile on the boy's face was still there. Hadn't disappeared. Hadn't even faltered and Naruto took that as his chance.

"You know...I didn't do those things you think I did...I'm not the Kyuubi's reincarnate..." He whispered softly, still from his position in the man's grip. The villagers' eyes widened in little more than surprise before they turned angry.

"Why should we believe you!? You killed our family! You are The Kyuubi, so stop with the act!" One villager screamed, the others nodding their agreement. However, Naruto wasn't faced.

"If I truly was the Kyuubi, wouldn't I have already destroyed the village? If I was the Kyuubi, why would I allow you all to abuse me? I could have killed you easily if that was the case...tell me...do you still think me a monster?"

By the end of his little speech, most of the people had their eyes as big as dinner plates. He could see he got through to them, or almost, anyway. It couldn't really be that easy. But It seemed they were at least be willing to listen to him. Or some of them, at least.

Their eyes were beginning to be filled with doubts. But some also wasn't about to be strayed. Some were still in denial.

A brave, or rather stupid, young man at the front row of the crowd was some of those people and he stepped forward, ready to yell at the top of his lungs.

"Why should we listen to you?! You're just-" The man didn't get to finish.

"I'm not saying you should believe me. That's your choice. I am merely stating the facts." Naruto whispered again, his voice so silent, they almost had to lean forward to hear what he said. "But tell me...why would I pretend to be a boy and let myself be beaten when I could have killed you whenever I wanted to and spared myself the pain? I don't have a reason to pretend anything."

Their eyes widened once more. There was logic in what the boy was saying. It wasn't untrue.

He would have no reason to let himself feel all that pain they put him through for if he was the Kyuubi, he could have simply killed them. But he didn't. He didn't even seek revenge.

Their hearts beginning to be filled with the first hints of guilt and remorse for all they have done. They lowered the weapons slowly, their eyes now open to the truth and the man holding the boy slowly set him on the ground again. But, before anyone could say anything, another man - a Jonnin this time - in the crowd screamed in rage.

"Enough!" He was even faster than the Chunnin, so no one could stop him from suddenly running towards Naruto, taking out his kunai, and stabbing him in the heart so as to ensure his death.

Naruto's eyes widened from the sudden pain, a breathless and silent gasp breaking out from him, as blood trickled down his chin and into the cold hard floor.

For a moment, all was silent and still, no word, no movement as all occupants were frozen in shock. It lasted only a second longer before the boy fell limply to the ground.

There was another moment of silence as the villagers tried to get over the shock of what exactly had happened.

But then, a voice. Softly muttering; "...What have you done...?"

No one seemed to be able to answer.

Naruto's eyes glazed over and they took on an unfocused gleam. He managed some last words before he stopped breathing altogether.

"...I...I'm sorry...whatever i...did to you...I'm..sorry...I hope...you're...happy now... I hope...you'll...live better...now that...the demon...is...gone..." And his eyes closed for the very last time.

I'm sorry...Kurama...I wish I could be with you a little longer...I can let you free if you want...you don't have to die with me... He thought faintly. The Kyuubi shook his head sadly, however.

"No...I am the one that should be sorry...it is my fault, after all...if you're going to die, then I will die with you...I won't have it any other way..." He replied softly and Naruto managed a small smile. Mentally, that is.

Thank you Kurama...I'm glad I got to know you... Kurama smiled softly.

"No, kit...I should be thanking you...you are the only one to ever ask me my name and you are my first friend...Thank you...Naruto..."

And then everything went dark and they knew no more.

In the real world, everything had happened so fast and the boy was no longer breathing. They looked at the dead body in shock, and the shock was quickly turning to sadness and guilt.

The man, the Jonnin that had done the deed himself had collapsed on his knees, wide unseeing eyes as he whispered to himself.

"No...What have I done...I'm sorry...please..forgive me..."

It was at this point they had realized something.

The boy, Naruto, he had never wanted much more than some attention focused on him. He didn't care what sort as long as he got it. But they only gave him the cold shoulder or the Glare, and yet, his smile was always present on his face.

That bright damn smile.

They never noticed it before, but now that everything is taken away, it becomes painfully clear. A demon could never have such a smile as pure as that.

He had done nothing but help their children, but they always choose to see him as the culprit for it.

They never realized.

The world is such a cruel place.

They cried that day. Even the sky was no exception as if it already knew of the terrible tragedy that had occurred that day. They held the funeral that same day and everyone in the village had been informed of what had happened.

Everyone had come.

And they were all crying.

They were ashamed. Ashamed of themselves, of their behavior. They felt guilty. It was a horrible feeling that none of them liked.

His gravestone was in the middle of the other gravestones, right between his parents. There was a writing on it. It said;

The boy who never stopped loving. The boy who was strong. Who didn't allow himself to be broken. The one who was a hero and the one who died a hero at the tender age of 11. We will always remember him. The one who died long before his time. He will always be remembered.

And that he would.

They would never forget the one that had saved them all. No. And they would make sure he was forever remembered, even 100 years into the future. Never forget...

Naruto Uzumaki.

THE END

I know it's not really that good, but I was bored and I needed to write something and this is what I came up with :/

It's cliché as hell, I know, but still...I hope you liked it anyway.

I'd like to improve my writing, so I wouldn't mind a review or two, whether it's good or bad, but I am rather sensitive, soo...yeah, that's about it.