One time disclaimer that covers for the rest of this story: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden

One time disclaimer that covers for the rest of this story: I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. However, I do own all the ideas I come up with.

"A scattered memory that's like a long forgotten dream…

A long forgotten dream that's like a scattered memory…

I wonder…..

How will I find you again?"

Partially quoted from Kingdom Hearts 2

He closed his eyes. Unbidden tears began to build up, and he tried in vain to hold them back. Bitterly, he wiped the tears as they fell before looking up into the gloomy sky. The rain continued to fall relentlessly.

Then it happened.

They had caught up to him. The villagers and the other ninja who hated him with such a passion. He did not know why. All he knew was that right then, he was trapped.

They surrounded him, far outnumbered him. Throwing rocks at him, anything they could find.

"Die, demon!"

"Go to hell, you terror!"

"Pay for what you've done!"

"Die, and take your meaningless, unwanted existence with you!"

My…existence. Do I exist? Am I a demon? How? Why? What have I done? I'm just trying to live my life…like all of you…

A well-aimed throw smacked right into the middle of his forehead, knocking him off his feet, making him fall down to the ground. Something slowly trickled down to his eyes…dark…liquid…blood…his blood.

Naruto slowly put a hand up to his forehead. His whole body was cold and wet…but the crimson liquid on his forehead was hot.

He put his hand down, in front of his face. It was stained red. Rain water flowed on his hand, slowly washing away the blood as he looked on. The red was gone, but still, it was blood. And not just any blood; his blood.

He felt lightheaded. With blurry vision, he staggered forward. His jeerers took a step back from the unexpected move. With a hand raised toward the crowd, he tried to reach the wall to keep himself upright. His already blurry vision swam before his eyes, and judging by the darkness eating at the sides of his vision, he was about to fall unconscious.

Tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes, joining the raindrops already there. The skies were also crying with him.

"Father…"

The crowd watched as their hated demon stumbled again and fell. Instantly, they rushed forward to converge on him. However, before they reached him, a shadow in a cloak had already picked up the unconscious Naruto, and disappeared in a swirling vortex of his black cloak. The confused crowd screeched at the sight of the object of their hate being taken away from their just punishment.

Naruto, even in unconsciousness, pondered the question.

What is the point of my existence? Should I even…exist? I should just die, to end all this pain…

"No, Naruto," interjected a strong voice from within him. "It is not time for you to die yet."

Who are you?

No answer.

Please! Who are you!

"Someone you don't know, and yet I've watched over you all your life, at his request."

Confused, Naruto tried to think. Who would ask someone to look after me?

I need a name!

"It is not for me to tell you his name, Naruto."

Then…anything!

Nothing happened for a while.

Then, as sudden as it started, the rain stopped. A drop of water rolled off a leaf and landed right onto a sleeping Naruto's forehead, cradled in the arms of his benefactor.

The clouds dispersed, and the skies opened.

The man in the black cloak looked up to the skies with his own tears, then back to the sleeping Naruto. Slowly, he uttered two words into the sleeping boy's ear, the boy whose mind never registered those soft-spoken words.

Nearby, however, the trees, the grass, the butterflies, and the wind heard it. The wind carried those two words over the hills, and into the village, slowly dispersing them. They echoed almost silently over all of the population, over all of Konoha, over all of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Your…father."

A/N: Woah this turned out more sentimental that I thought. I cried internally as I wrote this, seeing as I myself know what's coming up, and Naruto's fate…or lack of it? One-shot or continue?