Okay, this is a Naruto oneshot. The idea hit me during one of my classes today. It's inspired by some of the oneshots I've been reading lately.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
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A dirty little blonde boy was sitting at the entrance of an alleyway. His innocent blue eyes looked over at the storefront across the street. They had a display of apples out today.
The little boy licked his lips. He was so hungry. He couldn't remember the last time he ate something.
People walked by. Some of them pushed him away, others tried to kick him. The murmuring of monster and demon always on their lips as they pass him by.
The little boy doesn't know why they say those things about him. What did he do to deserve this? He only wants to live. He only wants to have what everyone else has, a family to love him.
He wishes he had a mother to hold his hand and to tuck him in at night. He wishes he had a father that would show him how to throw a shuriken.
He watches the storefront. Cautiously, he makes his way over to the apple display. They looked so wonderful and juicy. The red fruit called out to him, begging for him to eat them.
A grubby little hand reaches for the apple closest to him. He barely touches him when he's started by the screech of 'Monster!' He looks up at the woman that runs the store. His eyes were wide with fright as he's rooted to the spot.
She takes a swing at him with her hand. He snaps out of his fear just in time to duck and run away. The screams follow him as people watch him in disgust.
He ducks into another alley several blocks away. This one was smellier and dirtier than the last one. He whimpers softly as he crawls behind a dumpster and hides. He pulls his knees up to his chest and rests his head on them.
'Why me?' he wonders. 'What did I do that was so horrible?' The little boy starts to cry, not understanding what's going on around him, why he's hated.
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An adult watches the entire scene unfold. This man watches as the boy with the same sun-kissed blonde hair as his is chased away from the storefront. His blue eyes watch in sorrow as the little boy dashes off.
He doesn't bother to chase after him. He always knows where the little boy is. He quietly walks after him. No one sees the man with the blonde hair and the white cloak with flames. He witnesses the villager's hatred towards the boy. Every world of hate he hears cuts into him like a knife.
He finds the little boy crying behind a dumpster. He kneels down before the boy, knowing that he can't see him. He reaches out to mess up the boy's hair, knowing the little boy won't feel it.
"I'm so sorry Naruto."
He watches the little boy as he cries himself to sleep. Sorrow feels him as he regrets what he did to his own son.
"Please, forgive me Naruto."
Night falls and the little boy slowly wakes up. He shivers a bit before crawling out from his stop. He goes in search of food again.
The little boy sticks to the shadows as he wanders around in the middle of the night.
He ends up back at the apple stand from earlier that day. It's empty now. All of its tasty apples had been brought inside for the night.
The little boy pokes around, looking for scraps.
The adult watches sadly as the little boy looks. The adult spots an apple that must have rolled away from the story keeper when she packed up for the night. He crouches down and uses every bit of strength he can to roll it towards the little boy.
The little boy spots the motion and pounces on the rolling apple. He smiles at his prize before biting in, not bothering to wipe away the dirt. He's eaten worse.
The adult watches sadly as watches his son eat.
"Please, Naruto, forgive your father for what he has done to you."