He didn't know how much longer he would be able to take their cold stares and turned backs. He wanted to hate them, hate them so much that every fiber of his being would vibrate from the intense emotion. But as he bowed his head he knew he couldn't hate them, because deep down he wanted them to accept him. He wanted so desperately to be a part of them. He didn't know why they shunned him and whispered about him. He didn't know why the other children weren't allowed to play or even talk to him. He didn't know why at the young age of five he had been given a tiny apartment when everyone else his age without family lived in the orphanage.
All he knew was that he was hated and he couldn't bring himself to hate them back no matter how hard he tried. He stood alone in the middle of the street as he watched the villagers walk away from him. They ushered their children away and sent scathing glares toward him. He didn't know what he did but it must have been bad. He wished he knew what it was so he could take it back. He wished that he could just have one friend. He wished that the grownups wouldn't yell at him for accidents. But most of all he wished that there was someone to care for him.
Naruto bowed his head so that they couldn't see his tears in the orange light of the fading sun. They flowed down his face freely as he struggled to get them under control; he forced his tiny fist to remain at his side. He didn't want to show weakness, he didn't want to cry, and he didn't want to run away. He dug his nails painfully into his palms as he used every ounce of his will power to hate the villagers instead of himself. But a five year old can only take so much, especially when they didn't have anyone to help pick up the pieces.
He lifted his clenched fists to his eyes to try and wipe away some of the tears and stop the others from rolling down his face in hot angry waves. The pain they caused from their hate caused his heart to physically hurt as it clenched. When they glared it felt as if pins were sticking into his arms and face. His chest gave another painful contraction as he choked down a sob. Just once, he wanted someone to wipe away his tears like he saw his classmates parents do. Just once he wanted to be wanted, or even acknowledged for that matter.
It was then that he felt a strange presence engulf his tiny frame. It felt as though someone had leant there head against his own and had pulled him into a hug. But that couldn't be right for two reasons, first; he didn't actually feel a person just a presence and second; no one ever came near him like this. He chanced a look up to see the faint image of a blond man kneeling on the ground in front of him. He had wild blond hair with tears streaming down his face as well. Judging by his attire he also must have been a ninja and had added a short sleeve white coat.
Naruto thought it was strange that he could see through this man but didn't question it as he buried his head into the man's shoulder. Was he finally going crazy from being alone for so long? He wasn't exactly sure, but he thought you at least had to be a little bit older before you started to lose your mind. The wind blew ruffling his hair and he could have sworn he heard the words 'I'm sorry' on the breeze, and with that the once comforting presence vanished.
Naruto looked back up and dissolved into a fresh wave of tears to see that the man was gone. His small body shook with sobs as he couldn't bring himself to move away from the spot he stood in the now darkened and deserted street, afraid if he left the man might not come back. He knew he couldn't spend the rest of his life in that one spot but he wasn't willing to move yet. After a few more minutes his sobs had died down and his tears had dried, leaving a distinctive trail through the dirt on his cheeks. He looked up and down the street for the one person he had ever met in his whole life to pay him any unnecessary attention.
He felt a sudden hand on his shoulder and he spun around hoping the man had returned. But the man who was with him now wasn't the one he wanted to see. The man behind him wasn't nearly as tall and was skinny, like a teenager. He had tall spiky silver hair and wore a white dog mask. He vaguely recalled learning something about ninja like him in class, they were the best of the best and they were called ANBU.
"You shouldn't be out here so late, let's get you home." He said and never removing his hand from Naruto' shoulder, led him back to his empty apartment where no one waited for him.
Naruto gave one last longing look down the empty street for the stranger before allowing the ANBU to take him home. At least most of the older ninja's didn't hate him so much, this dog faced ANBU seemed to be the most helpful of anyone in the village besides the Hokage. Naruto suspected the Hokage was just nice to him because he had to be but he didn't know about this man behind the dog mask. Sometimes Naruto thought he sought him out but he could never be sure.
They finally reached his apartment and Naruto entered his dark one roomed home alone closing the door to the ANBU's retreating back. He locked the doors and not even bothering to turn the light on, striped down and climbed into his bed. One of the many things he had learned to do on his own was to not fear the dark and to tuck himself into bed. He felt numb from crying earlier and thought back to the man.
His image had already started to fade from his mind. All he could see now was a tall faceless man with spiky blonde hair kneeling in front of him. And even though he could no longer make out a face he knew the man was crying. Naruto tried hard to concentrate on his face, he needed to see his face, but nothing came. With the last remaining bit of his strength he prayed to whoever would listen that he would see the man again before drifting off to sleep.
A/N
Got this idea from a piece of fan art I saw. Hope you enjoyed it.