Why do you let them?
I...
Doesn't it hurt?
Yeah…
Then why? Don't you feel pain?
…Cause I rather feel pain than nothing at all.
---
Tell you a secret, about a place in the academy that probably no one knows about. Ever noticed how the tall building has a lot of tall roofs and one too many holes and hundreds of hiding places? Well, students were generally prohibited from the roof unless their sensei were too desperate and decided to drop them on their head so that lessons will (hopefully) get conked into their thick skulks or they just feel the pain and black out. Then, those usually resist slacking off ever again.
Okay, sensei won't do that, obviously (They'd lose their heads, for god sake) and even if they wanted to take their students to train on the roof, it was only one area and the safest one, too. But there's access to other parts, where students don't usually dared to go because of all the idiotic ghost stories about some long legged dead student whose leg can stretch from the top of the building to the grassy ground below. It freaked their ass off well enough to prevent them from gong to that area, or even think about it, anyway.
But of course, our dear little Naruto was no fool to believe such stupid stories. Like a person with a leg that long can even exist? Yeah, right. Tell him another joke.
Wind gently caressed the blonde boy's whisker-marked cheeks as he darted through the small opening, his scrawny body fitting easily through the squeezed hole. He dashed right and slipped on some muddy puddle that was left over from that afternoon's downpour. Promptly picking himself up, the ruffled boy scurried up the slope, grabbing hold of rocks jutting out at random angles for support. As he reached the opening, he could smell the cold, night air heavy with dew scent. Finally, Naruto felt a breeze as he stood shakily on the uneven roof.
"Where the heck is that demon brat?"
"Probably hiding in some pathetic place. Damn it, and the academy, of all places." A chill went down his spine. Please don't look up, please don't look up…
Responding to his plead, one of the seething shinobi raised his head up and instantly spotted the trembling boy.
"There's the brat!" an accusing finger pointed at the small figure standing on the roof top. Shocked and terrified, the little boy scurried back to the opening. Just as he managed to slip into the hole, a twig of metal caught the boy's shirt and held him back. Unable to think, Naruto tried in vain to free his shirt from the troublesome object. Come on, come on…there was the sound of something tearing, and the shirt tore loose, leaving a scrap of the fabric dangling behind. But Naruto couldn't get away even though he was moving his legs.
A hand had gripped his shoulders firmly. He was caught.
There was no escape.
---
"Not again…" a sensei sigh at the sight of the empty seat at the front. Iruka pinched the bridge of his nose, his face showing a hint of annoyance. That was the third time Naruto had been late this week. To be exact, the other two times, he didn't even show up. It'd be a miracle if that boy didn't show for only one lesson a week, much less be late for pretty much all the lessons. Suddenly, he heard the door suffer the most horrible torture of being banged by someone who doesn't know the proper use of a doorknob.
"Good morning, Iruka-sensei! How do I look, hm?"
Laughter rose from the class as they saw the amusing sight in front of them. Count on Naruto to start up the jokes for the day with that.
Totally something I don't wish to see in the early morning!
"NARUTO! YOU BRAT!"
"Iruka-sensei! You pervert! You're bleeding all over me! Ew..." Iruka looked he might spit fire at Naruto anytime soon
"Detention! For being late, now go get seated, and don't use that AGAIN!" Really he didn't want to bleed to death because of this, and no way did he want the whole class to be treated to such a sight almost every single morning while their minds were still all fresh and well…innocent, like a nine-year-old's mind should be. Not Naruto's mind, apparently. Man, to think that he could think of such a thing at this age…Iruka shuddered at what the blonde might create when he's twelve and receives the regular sex education from the academy. It won't be just this, for certain…
"Ouch…"
It was barely a whisper, but Iruka heard it anyways, and found it coming a certain blonde boy's throat as he limped back to his seat, where he was greeted by snickers of his ungrateful classmates who taunted him about being a horrible pervert and how he was such a demon fox. While the girls gave him two or three slaps when Iruka wasn't looking, the boys gave him nice, friendly punches on his head and his legs under the table while looking all emotionless like dear Sasuke and paying attention to the lesson. Once in maybe, one out of ten kicks, they managed to strike his groin, earning a loud hiss from the boy from the pained boy.
Iruka felt his eyes twitched with infuriation at the irritating sound. What was the boy trying to do now? Pretending to be a snake in the class and scare all the girls' silly? Probably not working, for none of the girls seemed to even notice the foreign hissing. Even so, he definitely managed to piss off his sensei that apparently, was in the worst of moods to be pissed off by some ten-year-old kid whose grades were earning a lot of beautiful red marks.
He should have noticed the red marks on Naruto's cheeks, but he didn't.
He was already seeing red.
"NARUTO! I'm warning you, for the last time! Make that stupid sound again and you are gonna get it!"
Just as he finished the sentence, another leg had managed to make contact with Naruto's abused cock. Unable to push down the urge, the upset boy made a sound was between hissing and screaming.
The petrified boy looked up to see a very dark thunderstorm cloud about to burst.
"UZUMAKI NARUTO! DETENTION…"
For getting bruises that he didn't deserve. And trying to say it.
---
You're sick of feeling numb…
"Naruto, wake up! I'm sure you slept enough during class!"
Iruka watched the demon boy continued his deep slumber, and felt his blood boiling. Literally. In blind rage, the frustrated Chunin walked towards the unaware figure and hit the book in his hand hard on Naruto's already aching head. The boy gave an aggrieved wail and stared at the taller man in confusion, oblivious of what was happening around him. Sleepy eyes snapped open fully at the seething expression of his teacher.
He hadn't meant to fall asleep, he didn't even get a wink of sleep last night…and even the few hours when he was out cold from exhaustion, nightmares lurked inside his broken mind. Naruto continued to gaze at Iruka-sensei helplessly as the said man gave him another hard hit on the head, taking the drooping eyes as a sign that Naruto was going to drift off again. Shaking hands flew to the injured area, bent over to hide the pained expression. Tears fought for freedom, but lost as Naruto held them back firmly and stuck his tongue out and taunted his sensei about being a dull person.
His mask was on again.
You're not the only one…
---
Naruto had only been under his charge for six months, he was already putting him through the phrase most senseis would describe as hell. Late arrivals, consistent pranks, numerous absences and plenty of noisy hence annoying disruptions during class. Even though he had punished him with detentions, and at times like this, a few smacks on the head, the boy remained indifferent, only to turn around and hit him right back with silly, childish words. Like now, calling him a boring person and how he sucked at cracking jokes. No one had said a single joke to him since that monster took away the people who did.
But what he hated the most, were the lies.
They sounded selfish.
And stupid…
Weak, deceits that made him felt that he couldn't trust the young child.
After all, no one wants to trust a monster.
---
Nya, forgot about disclaimer. Me no own Naruto, that's why me writing this. XD
Okay, so chappie one wasn't supposed to end here, but I wanted to see how people would take it, so please give me your opinions! (Heh, that means REVIEW! XD) go easy on the flames, okay? I don't want to burn my mashmallows…