Disclaimer: Lucy does not own Naruto, because if she did, the storyline would be exactly like this story.
Chapter 1: 私という人間
Watashi to iu Ningen "Who I Am"
孤児
Minashigo
"Orphan"
Shrieks of agony and pain rang throughout the hallways of the desolate building, commonly known as the orphanage of Konoha. A blonde haired boy, maybe around the age of 7, stood in front of a livid woman dressed in a dark crimson colored kimono, tied with an off-white obi. Small, minuscule drops of blood hit the floor, coming from a jagged cut on the boy's forehead. The boy, Naruto, hastily took in air, breathing heavily from another gash on his right side.
"Look what you've done, Naruto-kun...you got my lovely hands dirty.."
The woman spoke with a feigned caring tone, that was sickly sweet, and venomous at the same time. An ugly sneer crossed her face and she raised her hand, and then struck the boy across the face. Naruto's head snapped the the side, and he could feel his knees buckling as he cried out again, hoping maybe someone would hear him.
"The little devil is hurt now? What a shame...too bad no one cares enough to help.."
He winced at her soft cooing, and the boy grabbed at his chest.
ThumThump
Naruto couldn't explain the feeling inside his body. It was like his heart was being stabbed repeatedly by a wooden stake, or maybe thrown off the highest mountain in Konoha. Hot tears rolled down his face like a waterfall, showing streaks of clean tanned skin underneath. The woman laughed darkly, before hitting the boy on the side of his body with a sharp round house kick.
Thud!
Naruto's legs finally gave out on him, and he hit the wall and fell onto the cold dirt floor.
"...despicable gaki.."
不名誉
Fumeiyo
"Disgrace"
Katon: Gōkakayū no Justu!
A weak looking attempt at a fire ball passed the mouth of Sasuke Uchiha, and he frowned childishly. Fugaku, his father, stood behind him, with a scowl on his face.
"Sasuke. You need to practice."
Those were the only words the raven haired boy had heard, and her rushed forward and grabbed the arm of his father, dragging him back to the training ground.
"Otou-san, I can do it!"
The older man sighed and gave the boy a sharp look, as if to tell him not to mess up. Sasuke huffed, and then turned towards the large pool of water that took up most of the clearing.
Katon: Gōkakayū no Justu!
Heated flames danced across the lake for a moment, before flickering out as they reached the halfway point of the water. Sasuke's once hopeful face fell, and he turned to his father, not wanting to meet his gaze. Fugaku turned quickly on the heel of his foot, and marched away in a slow, deliberate manner.
"...otou-san?"
The aging man didn't stop, and continued to distance himself from the confused boy. Sasuke called out for his father again, and got the same response. The joints in his knees seemed to be made of jelly, as he tried to take a step forward, but failed, and fell to the ground unceremoniously.
Thump!
"Otou-san?! I-I'm sorry!"
A cry of desperation sounded across the clearing of the barren field.
"OTOU-SAN!"
フリーク
Furīku
"Freak"
"Ohayo! Ami-chan!"
A young pinkette ran towards the other girl, known as Ami, and hugged her briefly. Ami smiled placidly at her, and flicked her dark violet locks over her shoulder.
"Ah! Sakura-chan!"
The purple haired girl giggled and linked arms with Sakura, skipping along through the playground, until they reached the swing set. Sounds of sweet laughter, and shouts of happiness could be heard from a distance away, as the two girls pushed each other on the swings.
"Ne, Sakura-chan! I wanna show you something!"
Sakura turned to the other girl with widened emerald eyes that shone with hope and wonder.
"Okay! Is it a surprise?"
Ami grabbed the other girl's arm and turned around, smiling in a knowing way, before nodding in response to Sakura's question. The pair skipped away, hand in hand, and they reached a small clearing surrounded by a few trees. Some older kids who were maybe genin, or academy students, stood in the area, feigning friendly smiles.
"Ah, new friends?"
Sakura looked at Ami quizzically, but found that her violet haired friend was staring at her impassively. The pinkette felt a shiver run down her back for an unknown reason, and she looked around warily.
"A-Ami-chan?"
The younger girl was now starting to feel afraid. The girls surrounding her radiated an aura that was purely suffocating.
"Haah..Sakura-chan...you know I'm not really your friend, right?"
She took a step towards Sakura, and smiled at her.
"I mean..who would ever want to be friends with a freak like you?"
Whack!
Ami lashed out, causing Sakura's head hit the firm bark of the blooming pink tree that grew above her. Pain flared at the base of her head, and she choked back a cry. The small group of girls in front of her giggled and smiled at her displeasure.
"Ami-chan.."
She said weakly, and a tear slid down the left side of her face. Her heart felt like it had just been tied to an anvil, and then let loose in her body to fall to the pits of her stomach. Ami laughed mockingly and shot a nastily glare at her.
"Don't you get it? Sakura-baka! We all hate you! I hate you!"
Sakura let out a strangled noise of pain, as one of the girl's kicked the side of her jaw. More tears slid down her face, but not because of the pain. Her hands trembled at her side, and a small trickle of blood streamed down her neck. The clique of girls continued to shout insults at the girl, and threw a few hits at her so she couldn't resist them.
"Ha! She thought Ami was her friend?"
"As if, we don't hang around losers."
"Pink is so ugly!"
"Her forehead's bigger than me!"
The petite girl choked out a sob and fell back again as a girl nailed her with a kick to the back of her neck. Her tears now fell down her face freely, mixing with the blood that tainted her pale skin. Then Ami stuck out an arm, and all the attacks stopped. Sakura looked up hesitantly, just to see Ami's hand coming down to strike her again.
Smack!
"..heh...who would ever want to be friends with a disgusting person like you?"
Sakura could only stare at her blankly, before falling backwards into the sweet darkness that consumed her.
弱い
Yowai
"Weak"
ClinkClangClingClink
The small delicate pieces of pale silver hit together, causing a faint tinkling sound, like bells, to resonate from the petite lavender haired girl. Her fingers fumbled together nervously and she looked away from her father's critical gaze. She fiddled with her ornate hairpiece, attempting to make it sit flatter in her sleek high ponytail. Hinata could feel her father's glare on her back as she turned to face the dark mahogany doors that allowed her to exit the corridor.
"Don't fail me Hinata. You are the heiress of the Hyuga clan, so we can't be seen as week people."
The pure-white silk fabric of Hinata's kimono rustled with her movements, and she stiffened up at her father's words.
"Yes Father."
She gave him a polite bow, and then waited for him to enter through the doors of the other room. Hinata followed behind him, leaving a respectable distance, and she felt as though she could have fainted on the spot. Sitting at the front of the room, surrounded by many of the Hyuga women, was none other than Gaara Subaku, along with the Kazekage and his other children. The increasingly pale girl continued her walk up towards the front, and she tried to ignore all the stares as she took shaky breaths in.
"Kazekage-sama. It is a pleasure to have you here in Konoha."
Hinata could hear the calm sound of her father's voice, and she bowed towards the man respectively. Her father and the leader of the sand continue to chat idly, before the Kazekage stood.
"Greetings to all of you who came to see my family and I today."
The Kazekage smiled faintly at the small congregation that had formed in the large iridescent room.
"As you may know, I have recently made an agreement with your village of Konoha."
Sounds of hushed whispering and query sounded throughout the room, but were silenced by Hiashi's sharp glare.
"I have decided that we shall become allies...through the marriage of my son Gaara, and your eldest daughter Hinata."
Gasps and cries of happiness and congratulations reached Hinata's ears, and she could feel the whole room spinning. Her father was beaming proudly at the thought of his daughter marrying the son of the Kazekage.
ThumpThumThump
Hinata could feel her heart racing, and she blocked out all sounds in the room besides her own beating center.
ThumpThumpThumThump...Thud!
The frail pale-eyed girl hit the floor with a resounding thump. Hinata could feel pain blooming behind her eyes, and loud shrieks echoed in the room. She started to fade into the inky blackness of unconsciousness, as she heard her father mutter to himself as he yanked her up by the collar of her kimono.
"What a terribly weak child..."
She had failed.
恥ずべき
Hazubeki
"Shameful"
A bright light shone through the suffocating darkness of a silent room, and a tall man stepped into the doorway of the tatami covered floor.
"Neji."
The said boy, Neji, stepped out of th shadows and bowed politely with an impassive look across his face.
"Have you learned your lesson?"
"Yes, Hiashi-sama."
The older man nodded and stepped out of the room, motioning for the boy to follow. Neji tailed behind him avoiding the curious glances of some of the Hyuga clansmen. He now had a bandage wrapped across his forehead covering a shameful mark, trademark of the Hyuga clan. His dark green cotton yukata swayed back and forth with each step he took, and his zori's hit the lacquered wooden floors.
ClackClickChickClack
This was his life. He was to be like a caged bird, who sang when wanted, and had no freedoms or rights that he owned. As his uncle would often say, he was a shame to the Hyuga name, due to his lack of respect for elders. Just last week he had yelled at the Main Branch families for their unfair treatment of his now dead father. And Neji had been punished for it of course, but it didn't matter to him. He wasn't looking for approval from Hiashi, he just wanted a way out of the cage that contained him. Neji recalled the words that Hiashi had said to him, and frowned darkly.
"It's shameful children like you who give the Hyuga a bad name."
And it was this statement that helped Neji grow his wings.
モンスター
Monsutā
"Monster"
Frightened women of various social classes fluttered around him, holding up garments of silk and other expensive material. His father had insisted that they take a trip to Konoha, and that Gaara would have to attend a party with him. Gaara wasn't very happy with this, since no one would ever talk to him at these kind of events. All the younger children in Suna would run away screaming if he even showed his face in the playground. One woman told him it was because he was a monster, and Gaara believed her, because it made sense.
"Gaara-sama? Is this acceptable?"
A thin black haired woman held up a dark crimson yukata with a plain swirling pattern stitched in gold, paired with a black obi. Gaara nodded and the woman sigh happily, obviously glad that her choice had not upset the jinjuriki. They started to dress him, and he opened his mouth to tell them it was too tight for his liking.
"...It's too tight.."
The blonde haired woman who was fixing his obi jumped back slightly with a fearful look in her eyes.
"P..Please forgive me Gaara-sama!"
The petite woman bowed hastily and looked back up at him warily. Gaara tried to give her a smile, but the woman just stared at him wide eyed for a moment, before fainting. Then it was Gaara's turn to stare wide eyed at the woman who was now being attended to by the other adults in the room. The red headed boy could hear a few of the ladies talking in hushed voices.
"..That child..."
"So terrifying!"
"Poor Yuna..."
Gaara looked at the ground and a tear escaped his eye, and fell to the ground. He really was a monster...
ゴミ
Gomi
"Trash"
A child's tinkling laughter resonated throughout the snow filled front of a small wooden cabin. Haku ran outside happily and then fell face first into the icy layer of snow. He sat back up quickly with a confused look on his face, and his mother laughed softly.
"Be careful Haku, you don't want to get your clothes wet."
The dark haired boy smiled at his mother, and started to form small balls of ice. The woman shook her head while smiling, and started to hang out the laundry on a string suspended by two sturdy poles.
CrikCrack
The snow crunched beneath the weight of Haku's body as he struggled to reach a stick that was half submerged in a pool of melted ice. He reached forward in desperation, and then stopped short as a small orb of water floated in the air for a moment. Haku's eyes widened in amazement, and he ran to his mother shrieking in excitement.
"Mother look!"
The woman turned, and a look a pure horror crossed her face as she noticed what her son was doing. A man stepped out of the house, as the woman began to yell at Haku.
"Never, and I mean never do that again Haku!"
The larger man narrowed his eyes and stepped towards the pair. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Yukino..what is the meaning of this?"
"I..It's not what it looks like Masaharu!"
Haku looked at the two, and then at his own hands, wondering if his new power was a bad thing.
"You wench! How dare you not tell me that you were of the Yuki Clan!"
Haku watched in horror as his father grabbed his mother's neck, squeezing her trachea to the point of where her face turned a sickly purple color. Anger coursed through his veins, and all he could see was red.
And when he opened his eyes again, Haku was standing over his father, who was panting heavily. Blood gushed from a cut on his forehead, and crimson tinted snow covered the floor. Haku gasped and then looked down at his father who glared at him hatefully.
"You and your mother are trash, Haku. And that's all you'll ever be."
"...Filthy clansmen..."
危険
Kiken
"Danger"
"Aaahhh!"
A small pale haired girl screamed as she ran down the corridors of the Kaguya complex. Kimimaro had forgotten that how terrifying his Kekkei Genkai was to all the other children who had not awakened it.
ClunkThumpClack
Thunderous footsteps grew closer to the room he was in, and the sliding door was forced open.
"What did you do to Riko-chan, Oni?!"
Kimimaro winced at the man's tone, and looked up into the man's dark onyx eyes. They were filled with disgust and hate for him, and he knew it.
"I showed her my trick.."
The man growled menacingly at the silver haired boy, and struck him across the face.
Smack!
"You insolent brat! How dare you use that tainting justu in front of her!"
Kimimaro looked down and he felt a warm trickle of water fall down his cheek. He didn't mean to make her scared she just said she was bored, so he wanted to make Riko happy.
"Dangerous...its way too risky to use such a thing."
Yes.
That's what he was.
Dangerous.
不要な
Fuyōna
"Unwanted"
PlopPlopPlipPlop
Matsuri watched the water fall of the roof of the school, and she pulled her jacket closer together. It was one of the few days that Suna ever saw rain, so most children stayed inside, since most tended to hate the cold. The light brown haired girl stepped through small shallow puddles, and giggled to herself happily.
SwishSwishPlop
Icy-cold drops of the water splashed up towards her face and her dark chocolate eyes widened in surprise. Her cheeks were a rosy pink from the chilled winds, and the gray knitted scarf she wore was littered with minuscule droplets of water.
Crackling sounds of thunder started to sound, and Matsuri frowned, realizing that she'd have to go inside soon. The girl sighed, and then began skipping along the streets that led to her house. The rumbling and roaring started to get louder, and a light drizzle started to fall. Matsuri pulled up the hood of her yellow rain jacket and continued to trudge on as the downpour began.
PlipPlipPlitPlop
Rain splattered across her front as she hurriedly ran towards the door of the house. She grabbed the handle of the door, but found that it was locked, so she hit the door with her fist.
BamBangBang
Her mother still didn't answer.
Bang!
"Mommy!"
Matsuri yelled out for her mother, then shivered, and tried to open the door again.
"Mommy?! Please open the door!"
Her eyes were clouded with fear as lightning danced across the sky in a bright flash. She could hear a scream sound, and it took her a moment to realize that it was her own voice.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
She choked back sobs and continued to pound on the door. Her scarf was now drenched, and her lips were tinged blue. Shivers racked her body, causing the girl to stutter as she cried for help.
"M..Mommy! C..cold...it's co..cold.."
Otou-san: Father
Oni: Demon
Ohayo: Morning
Did you like it? I hope so! Please leave any comments on what I should do better for next chapter! Thank you!