A.N.
This story is a one-shot, if you would like to see this turned into a two-shot please leave an appropriate comment detailing as such.
Note: It is recommended you read the in-depth analysis at the end of the story as well as corresponding A.N., this explains the overall lesson of the story and is followed by a Deleted Scene that adds some additional content as well.
Official Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other referenced or related works in that may appear in this story, if there ever is an OC inclusion in this or any of my stories, the resemblance of a name and/or physical appearance to anyone living or deceased is completely coincidental. The rights of any pictures or art I will ever use go to their respective owners, if said artist would like the picture removed from my profile, for that is where it will most likely be, please say so instead of jumping to conclusions of infringement.
Warning: This story is not recommended for those who are emotionally fragile, this story contains fairly realistic scenarios that may be uncomfortable for some audiences. I have rated this story as I have because I believe that some of the content explored is more appropriate for more mature audiences that can better appreciate the content of the story.
It was in the dead of winter, the heavens obscured by grand looking clouds that blotted out the sun, snow falling softly upon the earth. Winter had come to the Elemental nations, a harbinger of hard times and failed crops in the land of fire, its endless summer and temperate climate brought to a halt.
It was a freezing cold winter, the harshest the Land of Fire had experienced in decades, one that could freeze even the will of fire and the kindest of hearts.
We find a young boy of around seven years of age walking through the snowy drifts near the slums of the village carrying a small gray sack that he had slung over his shoulder. He treading through the snow whilst covered from head to toe in heavy ragged clothing, his hands covered in old bandages, and a gray scarf wrapped around his head obscuring his appearance to any that may gaze upon his countenance. The only features visible being two cold blue eyes, as frigid as the ice that surrounded him, and a few blond locks of hair that escaped the wrappings of the scarf. His shoes tattered, his baggy pants bereft with holes, his jacket much too large for his small frame – he walked on determinately, purpose and determination in his every step.
He was what many would refer to as a street rat, an orphan beggar. Lost on the streets, no government to care for him, no parent to love him, a meager existence where one learned of the apathy and lack of love the world possessed.
His name was Naruto…
And currently he was looking for a meal, he had been kicked out of the orphanage over three months ago on his birthday, October 10th, today was December 25th and he had not eaten in three days, it was dangerous not to eat for that long in winter, one could go to sleep… and never wake up.
He had gone past simply trying to find creatures to hunt or small rodents to eat – at this point in the winter he would have been lucky to even find a rat, all of the creatures having retreated to their burrows and all the rodents having taken refuge in houses or other warm abodes. Even rats were in a better position than his own this winter, as even they had the luxury of a warm abode to take advantage of if they were crafty.
So he had fallen back to one of the most shameful of acts beyond stealing – begging.
He had only gotten snow kicked in his face in return.
He was going to start knocking on some doors in the middle-class district near the merchants sector, hopefully someone would give him something to eat or at the very least tell him of a warm place to sleep.
He walked up to a particularly average looking house and knocked, he simply shuffling his feet as he awaited a response, rubbing his hands together to provide much needed warmth.
He heard shuffling coming from inside, before the door opened revealing an ordinary looking man with short cropped dark hair who looked around for a second in apparent confusion before his eyes settled on him and a grimace formed on his face.
"Can I help you?" he asked trying to remain polite, and not simply tell the boy to beat it
"Hello good sir, do you have any food to spare?" he asked politely, his voice muffled by his scarf
"Sorry I don't have any, as you know food is tight around this time of year" the man said as he looked awkwardly to the side trying to sound as apologetic as possible.
Naruto knew the man was lying, he could smell food from here, the smell making his stomach churn in desire.
"Its fine, thank you for your time" he said as he turned around and walked away, the man shutting the door behind him
"What was it dear?" the man's wife asked inside the house, she tending to their four year old son and helping him open his presents.
"Nothing, just some bastard child left over from the Kyuubi attack asking for scraps" her husband responded uncaringly
"Oh why did you not give him some then dear? We have more than enough and I think that Nanashi and Shitotsuki are not going to come over today, so it would not really matter." the man's wife said offhandedly making her husband sigh
"Honey you know how these things are, those little brats are like dogs. You give them food and then they will keep coming back for more, food is expensive enough as it is with the winter season having been this bad. Now bring Kishito over here so we can eat dinner." the man said as he sat on his large kitchen table with a large spread of food; chicken, corn, bread, mashed potatoes and other dishes set on the table before them, two empty seats still at the table even after they were all seated.
"Itadakimasu" they all intoned before they dug into their feast, their youngest child spilling half his plate onto the floor on accident making his mother giggle at his clumsiness before showing him what he did wrong.
Back with Naruto
Naruto had stopped in three other houses since then, two did not deem it fit to open the door for him, and the last was a man that shouted at him that if he did not leave immediately he would call the Konoha Police force and charge him with trespassing.
He was currently going to another house in the middle class district, it was a house that an old lady lived in that he had frequently seen giving out scraps to stray cats and dogs – hopefully she would do the same for someone like him.
He knocked on the door, and waited for a few seconds before it opened.
"Yes?" the old woman asked with a raised eyebrow as she looked at him
"Do you have any food to spare or know of a place where I can spend the night?" he asked his voice once more muffled by the scarf he wore
"What did you say?" the woman asked as she leaned in "Speak up boy," she said roughly
"Do you have any food to spare or know of a place where I can spend the night!?" he asked a bit louder in order for her to hear him
"No need to shout, didn't your parents teach you any manners, they should be ashamed, kids these days." she said sadly with a shake of her head
Naruto glared at the woman but held his tongue, he loved his parents even if he never knew them. He always liked to imagine them as great people that sacrificed their lives to ensure his safety – ninja that were fearless and brave.
"Anyways for food I don't have any, I only have enough for my babies," she said as she gestured to a couch in her house which a cat was currently stretching on as it's back arched "As for somewhere to spend the night, I would check the hotel in the 12th district or the motels in the red light district if you are tight on cash" she said offhandedly
Naruto looked at her in disbelief, if he had enough money for either of those places why would he even be begging for food, and how could this woman actually believe that a child's parents would allow them to go house to house begging for food in the first place.
"T-thank you for your time, I apologize for bothering you" he said before he started walking away, the woman closing the door softly behind him.
The woman then turned to her numerous cat's "Come on dears let's go get dinner ready" the old woman said happily as she walked into the kitchen followed by four cats while the rest opted to remain in the living room.
-X-
Naruto had gone to two more houses since then, one of the two had shouted profanities at him and the other another simply ignored him until he left, he having seen the man peeking through the blinds in the window.
He knocked on a particularly nice looking house and as the door was opened he almost bolted on the spot. Standing in the doorway was a man with a beer-gut, he being slightly overweight, wearing only a stained white t-shirt and old cargo pants. If the bottle of liquor in his hands was any indication the man had been drinking heavily on this day, most of the stains on his shirt being from the alcohol in his possession.
"Wha do you want?" the clearly inebriated man asked as he leaned against the doorway for support, he staring unseeingly at the boy on his porch.
Naruto gulped nervously before speaking up "Uh, I only wanted to ask if you have any scraps to spare sir?" Naruto asked as nervous as he was hopeful
The man's countenance changed in an instant as he glared at the boy "What do you think I am, a charity!? I barely have enough money for myself why would I spend it on you, why if I wanted to spend money on a brat I would have my own damn kid!" the man shouted as he went on a tangent
Suddenly the man stopped as he looked intently at the boy, his eyes every once in a while going in and out of focus, he acting like this was the first time he had even noticed him.
"Wait, I know you, you're that demon brat aren't you?" the man said in realization as he pointed a shaking finger to Naruto, this making Naruto take a step back in surprise that the man even recognized him with his current attire.
"You're ain't ya, oh I have something for you alright," he said as he turned to the left and grabbed a large container "you want scraps right, well here you go, have as much as you want!" the man said as he grabbed the trashcan next to the door of his porch and dumped its contents on top of the boy.
Naruto did not have enough time to react to this as he got drenched in the man's garbage for his efforts, his eyes widening in shock at the action. Some of the trash actually falling into his eyes as it covered him from head to toe, he tearing up at both the grime in his eyes and at being humiliated. Several of the neighbors looking on at what was happening but not interfering as they observed things play out.
"You have made my life a living hell! You took everything away from me you little monster! If it weren't for you my wife and baby girl would still be with me! I would still have a family, still have a reason to live." He said sadly as he cried into his forearm, he sobbing sadly at the memories of days long past, of dreams unanswered.
Naruto was simply looking on wide-eyed in confusion, he did not remember doing anything to this man – he had never even met him before. Yet Naruto could not help feel a pang of pity for the man, to lose his family – he could only wish he had a family. He could not even imagine the idea of losing them as he never had one to lose.
The man suddenly looked up, fury evident in his eyes as he glared at Naruto "Get out" he said in a dangerously low tone of voice making Naruto take a step back "If you don't get out of my sight in the next twenty seconds, I will do something that we will both regret." he said darkly shocking Naruto at the clear threat
"Get out!" shouted the man as he moved forwards threateningly making Naruto back away "Get out of here! I'll kill you!" screamed the man tears as he threw stuff at Naruto, tears running down his cheeks all the while, as his soul cried for his actions and regrets.
Naruto broke out in a sprint away from the house at that, nearly tripping over the steps of the porch in his haste. A liquor bottle smashing against the back of his head as he ran, this making black spots appear in his vision. The only thing protecting him from the glass having been his scarf.
The man simply stood there, leaning against the doorway breathing heavily muttering the same words over and over as he looked at the boy run down the street.
"I'm sorry, I am so sorry, so sorry…" he repeated over and over as tears streamed down his face
After a few seconds he collected himself before walking into his home and closing the door quietly behind him – his neighbors having seen that the spectacle was over quickly doing the same as they returned to their everyday lives.
The man then proceeded to seat in his raged old couch, he simply sitting there staring at the wall for a few minutes before his hand suddenly lashed out, he knocking all the things off the coffee table in front of him. He then grabbed one of the bottles of liquor on the couch and threw it against the wall, shattering it and spilling the contents all over the wall.
He then screamed in frustration as he punched the couch next to him and kicked the coffee table, he continued to do so for a while before he simply stopped and slouched into the couch. His face then went through a myriad of emotions before he leaned over and cupped his face in his hands and began to cry, sobs escaping his throat from time to time as this happened.
It was after calming down a bit that he noticed a picture, frame and all, on the ground looking up at him – it one of the many items that had been knocked from the table from him lashing out in anger.
His throat went dry at that as he leaned forward with shaking hands and picked it up, he bringing it up close to his face as he looked at it, tears streaming down his cheeks as he did so.
It was a picture of his family…
There was his wife looking towards the camera lovingly as he was the one taking the picture, her curly dark hair falling down her back in waves as she helped the smiling three year old little girl on her lap open a gift. The little girl wearing a cute little sundress they had bought her with many pink bows adorning it, as she opened her gift, the joy clear on her face.
She would be ten now…
His lip trembled at that as tears fell over the frame, they splattering over the glass right over the images of those he held precious.
A saddened laugh left his lips as he looked at the picture, as he traced his thumb tenderly over his daughter's face wiping the tears that fell on her away.
"Merry Christmas sweetie" he said sadly, tears running down his cheeks as he smiled sadly at the joyous expression on his daughter's face "Daddy misses you"
He then curled up on the couch simply looking at the picture frame sadly for a few minutes, thinking of all the special moments spent with those he loved. He meeting his wife as a little boy as they grew up together. How they developed feelings for one another overtime which eventually blossomed into love. How they admitted said feelings and started dating. How they finally ended up marrying after several years of dating and decided to have a child. How happy they were when they found out she was pregnant, and the subsequent months spent preparing for the arrival of the newborn.
How overjoyed he had been when his daughter was born, how he thought he had never seen anything as beautiful and perfect as she was when he first held her in his arms. How lost he had been at the concept of being a parent. How proud he was when she first spoke her first word, when she took her first steps, all of those moments that were forever locked away in his heart.
How saddened he had been when he lost it all…
He clenched his eyes tightly at that, trying to kill the pain that permeated through his heart, trying to bury his sadness under anger, at himself, at the world, at how unfair everything was to end the life of one that had barely started living.
Why? It was not fair, why could he not have died on that day as well, why couldn't he be with his family, why did he have to go on living like this?
Was it truly living if everything worth living was already gone, or was it simply just wasting away…
His eyes suddenly drifted to a knife that had fallen to the ground alongside all the contents of the coffee table, its metal shimmering hauntingly with the light permeating though the living room from the kitchen.
A single thought in his mind as he gazed at it 'Wait for me sweetie' he thought as he leaned forward and grabbed the blade tenderly in his hands
Daddy is coming home…
Back with Naruto
Naruto had been running for a good while before exhaustion finally overcame him and he leaned against the wall of an alley for support, he breathing heavily from pushing his body in its weakened state. The adrenaline slowly seeping from his body, everything that had happened finally overwhelming him as he was overcome with emotion. He slid down until he was sitting on the ground with his back against the wall, he wrapping his arms around his legs as he cried his little heart out, sorrow and hopelessness finally taking root in his heart. He didn't do anything bad, he did not hurt anyone, he was a good boy, he was a good boy…
He was just so tired, tired of it all, he thought as drowsiness started to overcome him, blackness stretching across his vision, but as he rested his head against the wall he hissed as a sharp pain made itself apparent in the back of his skull. Reaching his hand back and resting it upon the injury he felt a wet sensation through the cloth, he drew his hand back to show it covered with a small amount of blood that had leaked though the scarf wrapped around his head.
Guess that bottle had hit him harder than he thought, well at least his scarf was working similar to bandages and was staunching the bleeding. Naruto laughed a mirthless and hollow laugh at the thought. The laugh sounding too life-weary and cynical to be coming from such a young child, eventually the hollow laughter became quiet sobbing once more as he starting crying again.
He was a good boy…
He shook his head free of such depressing thoughts – the snow that had accumulated upon his head while he sat there falling around him at the action. He quickly wiping away his tears with the long sleeves of his tattered coat as he gaining a determined expression in his eyes. He couldn't waste time here, he needed to hurry – night would be falling soon. He had made it so far he couldn't just give up now.
He quickly grabbed some snow and pressed it against the back of his head as he wrapped the scarf over the snow as well, it acting as a sort of make-shift ice-pack. He not knowing anything else to do for such a wound, his knowledge of such things being nearly abysmal at his young age. Sure it was cold, but Naruto had long ago become immune to the stinging cold of his surroundings, a trait developed from many days spent in the embrace of this harsh winter. His very heart numb to the sadness that plagued him he stood up and walked out of the alley, leaving a single bloody stain on the wall in his wake...
-X-
Naruto promptly took bearing of his surroundings after emerging from the alley, he finding that he was in the poor district of the village, near the so called red-light district. Which would have likely been one of the few remaining districts he could make it to before night fell. He knowing for a fact that he would be promptly forced out of the high-class district where most of the clan compounds resided in the village if he tried going there.
He spotted someone, a ninja going home carrying groceries in his arms, he apparently opting not to roof-jump as to not drop any of it.
"Umm, excuse me good sir-" Naruto started before he was abruptly cut off
"Beat it kid, I finally have a day off and I am not going to spend it talking to you," the man said as he roughly shoved past him, making Naruto stumble and fall on his rear into the snow.
Naruto did not say anything, he simply picked himself up and dusted off the snow from his clothes before he continued walking.
After a few minutes he finally reached the red light district once more and started knocking on doors again. Some of the people here actually having to turn him away because they truly barely had enough food for themselves.
He actually having mistaken a brothel for a house and gotten threatened by the bouncer to beat it if he knew what was good for him.
There was only a single house left in the street he was currently on, a house that looked fairly run down, but had the semblance of having a small garden in the front yard at one point – maybe they would have food. He knocked twice on the door, his stomach rumbling loudly in protest and making him shuffle his feet nervously as he waited.
The door then opened revealing a disheveled woman holding a child in her arms, she looked to be around 25 years or so of age, her dark hair cascading down her back was dark brown and unkempt. She looked fairly exhausted, neither she nor the child wore anything luxurious, wearing simple plain clothes for the most part.
She looked at him with dead eyes that hinted of him of the many horrors she suffered in order to survive, the things she had done for the child in her arms, he could see it in her eyes…she wanted to die. He looked at the child in her arms once more, guess that she had a reason not do so just yet.
"Do you need anything?" she asked in a dead tone
"No, I don't" he said kindly, confusing the woman "have a good day" he said before he made to turn around but stopped as he heard a voice call out.
"Mommy, there is nothing under the tree" said a little girl of around six or seven, she having brown hair tied into two twin buns and possessing a fair complexion with rosen cheeks, her face currently set into a pout.
Naruto suddenly noticed a spark of life flare in the woman's eyes as she turned around to regard the little girl.
"That is because all the money for the gifts went to put something on our plates so that we could eat something nice today. I bought chocolate, you like chocolate don't you?" the woman said, a hint of sadness bleeding into her voice as she spoke at not being able to provide her daughter a gift.
The girl looked obviously saddened at the prospect of having waited an entire year to get a present only to get none, but like the little trooper she was held her tears in as she offered a teary eyed smile.
"I like chocolate," she said quietly, she knowing of the hardships her mother faced to keep them happy, the mean men that would take her mother away from them only for her to come back later with bruises on her skin.
Naruto observed all of this happen quietly from his place at the door, he then looked outside at the quickly setting sun. He had around enough time to stop at around three or so houses before it got dark, he knew tonight it was supposed to drop to around 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Even if he did manage to find food he would most likely still die from the cold if he did not find suitable lodging.
Civilians were forbidden from harboring people in their homes unless specific relation was established, this was done in order to prevent spies from instilling themselves amongst civilians. All people needed to have was appropriate documentation and credentials to stay in a home, if not they had to stay at a secure location, one's that permitted people lacking this sort of documentation such as the shelter or orphanage.
Both of which were nearing critical capacity at this time of the year and had refused him entry for being a demon – and even if a civilian were to take him in they risked losing their home for breaking the law.
It was as Naruto observed the sun slowly fall from the heavens that he accepted his fate, he was going to die on this day, and this was to be the last sunset he shall ever see.
The woman meanwhile was looking at the curious boy that was sitting on her front steps observing him quietly, she like him had seen a lot when gazing into his eyes. He was similar to her in many aspects, he was someone struggling daily just to live, and fighting for every moment they drew precious breath. Clinging to a shred of hope in life to get them through day by day. The worse thing about all this was that he had lived barely a fraction of the time that she had, it was like looking at a manifestation of her sorrows given form.
The boy then turned to her and what she saw shook her to her very core, that spark of life in which every human seemed to inherently possess was vacant from the boy's eyes, they looking nearly unseeing as they gazed at her. It was as if the boy's heart had shattered before her very eyes. It was the most haunting thing she had ever seen, even more disturbing being the fact this was to be seen in the eyes of a child, one that could be no older than ten. Those dead dull eyes, which seemed to look straight through her, and how the light had faded from them would haunt her until the end of her days.
A single thought going through her mind as she looked at him 'That would be me with those dead eyes if I did not have my kids'
"Excuse me ma'am, but would you mind watching this sunset with me?" he asked the woman as he patted the spot next to him with his small bandage covered hand
The woman strangely found herself acquiescing to the demand, there was simply something about the wishes of a dead person one could not disregard.
So she sat next to him – they simply gazing at the sunset together, the woman's eyes drifting back to the boy next to her from time to time, neither saying a word as the sun fell. The child in her arms moving around every once in a while as he attempted to attain a more comfortable position in her arms. She briefly noticing when her daughter stepped out of the house and simply sat next to her, giving her a happy smile before she rested her head on her shoulder – she falling asleep not short after.
Just as the sun had almost finished setting the boy spoke up once more
"I have something for you, a parting gift" he intoned shocking the woman "On my back, in this tiny sack, I hold all my dreams and hopes. I find myself finding no need for them now," he said as he placed the small grey sack on his lap and opened it before riffling through it.
The first thing he pulled out was a doll, a plain ordinary doll, with a plain and ordinary red dress. It looked fairly well taken care off, it not having a single mote of dust upon it, one would assume it was a nearly new or lightly used doll.
"For her," he simply said as he placed the doll on her lap while gesturing to her sleeping daughter, surprising the woman at the action.
He then reached back into his bag and pulled out a small dog like plush for the boy, one that looked like the Inuzuka ninken she had seen in the past. Its fur was a little faded and aged but it still looked quite well taken care off, they boy placed this in the arms of the boy she was holding, the boy immediately taking ahold of it and embracing it in his sleep, this making both of them smile at the subconscious act. She placing the little boy next to her with a warm smile, as he rested his head on the shoulder opposite of his sister.
"For him," he whispered quietly next to her in order not to wake the two up.
"I came to find out that one of the things that children suffer from the most is loneliness, this way they don't have to be alone when you go to work." Naruto said giving her a firm look at that, surprising her that the boy knew the depths of her circumstances.
Naruto seeing the surprise on her face decided to elaborate "You're surprised that I know about your circumstances? Don't be, I have seen such things before, and they rarely have a happy ending, you may be thinking about your kids, but are you really? Can you see what your actions will eventually lead to? I can – I have, one can only delay the inevitable so long you know, if you continue down this path it will cost you a lot more than just your life," he said as he looked pointedly at the children beside her, this making her clutch her children closer to her. She could only look at him wide-eyed at his life-experience. She had to repeatedly reaffirm it in her mind that this was a child she was speaking to, yet his eyes told her different every time she gazed into them.
"Children see things differently, they learn about the world through their surroundings and the actions of those that guide them through life, your daughter knows what happens behind closed doors, and in a few years he will as well." he said as he pointed to the little boy next to her making her look horrified at that, yet still she held her tongue feeling it in her heart that this was not over as of yet.
He then reached into his bag and pulled out an old piece of paper and wrote something on it before handing it to her, she grabbing it in her hand before looking at it, it was an address.
"This place is looking for waitresses, they will most likely hire you immediately if you apply and while the woman that run's the place is strict – as long as you take your job seriously you should be fine. You will be able to get a good job and leave all this behind. Help yourself so you can help them, there are better ways to live." He said to her softly, not looking the woman in the eye as he did so.
The woman was openly crying at this point, as she looked at the crudely written address on the small piece of paper, she knowing that this could very well change her life.
"And finally for you," he said making her go wide-eyed as she turned to look at him only to find him holding out a small box to her, a music box. The music box was beautiful, it was made of metal and looked incredibly ornate if a bit old. It possessing numerous designs on its surface, a tree being the most prominent one as the roots stretched across the border of it. The symbol of the leaf village on the upper portion of the music box, emblazoned on its currently sealed lid. All in all it was an intricate and beautiful work of metallurgy that she would not be surprised if it was worth a good bit.
"Now it may be missing the key, bu-" he was suddenly cut off as the woman suddenly pulled him into a hug, the action making him go wide-eyed. It was an incredibly powerful experience for him, he had never been hugged before.
He noticed that she was crying as this happened and shakenly returned the embrace as he patted her back awkwardly – he not knowing what to do in such a situation. Unbeknownst to him tears started to fall from his eyes at this – the woman that was embracing him repeatedly saying thank you, over and over.
He then noticed that the sun was finishing it's descent from the sky, and he would only have a handful more minutes before night fell, so it was with great force of will that he broke the hug.
"It's time for me to get going," he intoned in the same dead tone from before, making a pang of sorrow tear through the woman's heart at that.
As the boy stood up, she could not help the question that left her lips, a simple innocent question.
"Why?"
The boy simply looked at her as he tilted his head in confusion at the question. His ice blue eyes glimmering as the world was enraptured in shadow, she not being able to see the face of the boy through the scarf.
"Why do all this for us? You don't even know us, what do you gain from this, what do you want?" the woman asked in confusion
"I gave you the things I did because I don't need them anymore. I don't need them where I'm going," he said quietly, unsettling her at that "As to what I would want… I want you to remember my name," he said to her ominously before he began walking down the steps
"Where are you going?" the woman asked with great foreboding
"You know where I'm going," he stated as if it were fact, the woman flinching as it was true.
"Well since you have given me so much, it's only fair that I give you something as well" she said as she walked into the house and walked out a couple of seconds later with something in hand.
"Here" she said as she handed him a small box of matches confusing him at the action, making him look at her expectantly.
"Now I know about the housing laws, and while I can't do anything about those as they send ninja to inspect today because of the high chances for people to be harboring others illegally on holidays. I will look for you tomorrow after I get hired at the job you recommended and take you to the local orphanage in order to process the paperwork necessary for adoption rights, with the increase in income they should be able to permit it."
"The matches are help you to keep warm, I'm sorry that it's not much, but it's the best I can do." she said as she offered a sad smile to the boy who was wide-eyed at this point.
"You…you would adopt me" Naruto said disbelievingly, not able to imagine such an incredible thing as having a family.
"Of course I would, from what I have found out about you in the little time we have spent together, out of the two of us you are the most deserving of happiness." she said sincerely
It was then she saw the most wondrous thing happen, that spark of life that had previously vacated his eyes came back, a light that filled his eyes with life. Slowly she came to realize that it was that same spark that she had lacked all this time until this little boy had seemingly turned her life around in an instant.
It was hope…
Seeing that little boy look at her with such beautiful baby blue eyes that glimmered in the darkness was a wondrous thing. She then saw the boy reach up and slowly unwrap the long scarf that was wrapped around his head covering his features from her, and what she saw left her speechless.
It was like gazing upon an earthbound angel, he had spiky golden locks of hair that seemed to glimmer in the moonlight ethereally as the wind playfully moved his hair. He had two sets of three whisker-like marks on either cheek that were slightly faded, and innocent sapphire blue eyes that seemed to almost glow in the night. He had porcelain like skin that was a chalky white, and with his gray scarf billowing behind him as it clung to his shoulders he seemed like some ethereal phantasm. But it was a single thing that struck her above all, his smile…
There was something nearly magical of being able to pull someone back from the depths of despair, to see them smile once more after they had given up on life, it was as if the person was at the greatest point of synchrony with their emotions. A singular instance where the human soul was at such a fragile state of existence that all the inhibitions, fears, and preconceptions that humans usually were plagued with simply… faded away. A moment of such pure rich emotion that was so sincere in its execution that it could not be imitated in any other way – it was without a doubt the most wondrous thing she had ever seen beyond the birth of her own two children. To see new found hope birthed into one so young, the small smile on his face told her a thousand different ways the love that resided in his soul for her at this very moment, the kindness, the gratitude, the regret…
Regret, that very word suddenly struck a chord with her, why was that, why did she feel such sudden foreboding.
He continued to speak not noticing her change in demeanor "Thank you, you have given me so much today, more than any physical thing can compare to. I will be waiting for you tonight, until tomorrow."
"Yes, I will be coming by the orphanage tomorrow, you will be there correct?" she asked after overcoming her shock at his appearance.
At the mention of the orphanage he stiffened as he went quiet, he looking up towards the moon for a few seconds in silence before he spoke up once more.
"Yes, I shall be waiting there for you tomorrow" he said softly as he looked her in the eye, and she came to find out that the regret that had before been in those eyes had been replaced by acceptance and hint of hope.
He then turned around, his gray scarf billowing behind him in the frigid wind as he walked away from her.
She looked at the boy as he walked away and for some reason this simply felt wrong to her, the boy himself felt simply out of place in such a cruel world.
"Wait!" she exclaimed making the boy stop in his tracks as he turned his head slightly back towards her, one shimmering blue eye regarding her curiously "What is your name?" she asked, wanting, no needing to know his name before he left
The urgency in her voice momentarily surprised him before he decided that this was in fact something very important, he at the very least needed to let her know his name. The sole thing he had wanted when he thought he was going to die on this day was just that, for someone to remember him after he was gone.
"My name is ….." he said to the woman, the wind muffling his words.
"What was that?" she asked, she feeling it in herself that she needed to hear this boy's name before he left.
"Naruto" she heard over the howling wind "My name is Naruto" the boy said, the woman immediately feeling as if a huge burden had been lifted of her soul at simply hearing his name.
"Then wait for me Naruto, I will be there the moment the sun rises. I know what it feels like to live as you do, I promise that you won't be alone anymore!" she shouted as the wind got fiercer
"I need to go, I'll be waiting" he responded back, the underlying happiness in his voice carrying over the wind, before he turned and walked away, she looking at him go even as the snow and cold wind's buffeted her, she simply feeling it in her that she must see him off.
"Goodbye kaa-san…" he said so quietly she could not hear him over the raging winds
"Mommy who are you talking to?" asked a voice from the door, she turning to see her five year old daughter standing there in the doorway doll in hand as she rubbed her eyes sleepily, "The food is going to get cold" she said tiredly.
At that the woman got a happy smile on her face as she decided to tell her daughter the news of her new big brother "Why I was talking to…" she said as she gestured to where the boy was mere moments before only for her eyes to widen as the boy was nowhere in sight.
"There is no one there mommy, stop being silly and come back inside," her daughter said with a good humored smile at that, thinking that her mother was simply trying to play games with her.
Surprise evident on her face at how the boy had disappeared so quickly she simply nodded and walked back into her house picking up her music box along the way. It was then she saw the boy's small sack resting on one of the steps of the house, she quickly recalling what the boy had said about it – of how it contained all his dreams and belongings inside of it. Tentively she picked it up and took it inside the house with her, intent on giving it back to the boy the next day.
She then continued the day much as she had planned it beforehand and ate with her two kids after waking up the youngest, the both of them thoroughly enjoying the chocolate she had purchased for them. They had been excited at the two gifts they had gotten while they had been sleeping and her daughter had asked her who had given it to them, she knowing they looked much too expensive for her to have gotten as well as the chocolate. The mother had simply told them it was a surprise and that they would meet the person that gave them the gift tomorrow, and that he was a very nice person, she having decided to surprise them at the news of a new big brother. Not long after that she had put the kids to sleep and simply sat down on her tattered old couch while thinking of how abrupt all that happened earlier was, of how suddenly the boy had changed her life in an instant. She then thought of her soon to be son's appearance and how otherworldly it seemed, of how mature he was, of all the things that made him unique as a person.
Abruptly her thoughts fell on what sort of dreams he could have, of what goal in life someone like him possessed, and so after a few minutes she was regarding the little sack in front of her curiously, wanting to see exactly what 'dreams' it truly held. So her curiosity getting the better of her she grabbed the little sack, placed it on her lap, and nervously pulled the little drawstring on the sack opening it.
Inside the bag there was only three things which she pulled out one by one;
The first a blank scroll.
The second was an old book with all its pages being blank.
The third was the one though that almost made her cry at the mere sight of it – it was a broken picture frame with the glass cracked on it, but it was the image on it that nearly broke her heart. She covering her mouth in shock as tears streamed down her face at the sight.
It was a drawing, it done on wrinkled old paper, the drawing itself not being much more than the scribble scrabble that one would expect from a child. It was a drawing of a little boy with spiky hair that was smiling happily while holding the hands of two adults on either side of him that seemed as happy as he was. The boy in the middle had the word "Me" written above him while above the adults were the words mom and dad respectively, and finally over all of them at the top of the drawing was the word family it spelled wrong with an I instead of y at the end.
But the most haunting thing of all was that she could swear that the woman titled mom holding the little boy's hand looked just like her…
Back with Naruto
The wind was a lot harsher than he had expected it would be tonight, he was having trouble walking or even seeing as it was, and it did not help that the injury to the back of his head was still throbbing painfully. He had wrapped the scarf once more around the lower portion of his face as he walked through the apparent snow storm that had struck Konoha for the first time in over twenty years.
He was trying to get back to the orphanage, it was supposed to be nearby, it being near the poor district where most of the orphans resided – he being determined to not give up. He had made a promise after all, and he would be there until tomorrow waiting for her.
Just when he was about to lose hope that he would not make it there before he collapsed from exhaustion he saw it – the orphanage. The warm light radiating from the windows of the establishment beckoning him forward as he ploughed through the snow.
Finally he made it there, the storm that had seemed so intent to stop him from reaching his destination subsiding marginally as the blinding snow that was pelting down previously was replaced with soft snow pouring down from the heavens above like a spring's rain.
Suddenly he felt a feeling of joyous relief course through him, he had made it! He was here, now he only needed to wait until tomorrow and he would have his new family. With that in mind he knocked on the door once, twice, thrice…
Why weren't they answering? He looked towards the window and noticed the light was still on, they should be awake then, couldn't they hear him knocking? He thought as he knocked a bit harder so they could hear him.
He stopped mid-knock as it suddenly hit him, his face taking on a pained expression at the realization.
They could hear him, they knew he was here, yet they did not open the door. Unbeknownst to him tears started streaming down his face, he had been so close, so close – it could not end like this.
No! They simply must not have heard him over the storm, maybe he could get someone's attention from one of the windows.
With that though in mind he walked around the building to a nearby window on the right side of the establishment, his scarf once more unwrapping itself from his face from the strong winds. He looked at a window and saw a warm light coming from it, its blinds having been pulled down.
Naruto tried tapping the glass for a good while before he simply stopped, he was sure of it now, they were ignoring him. Did they really think him a demon? Would they let him die in the cold simply because of their petty hate of him, when all they would have to do is open a simple door and allow him lodging for a single night?
He could not hold it as tears once more flowed down his cheeks, they stinging in the blistering cold of the night. A single question rebounding inside his head all the while.
'Why?'
The boy simply sat himself under the window as he stared at the shimmering moon above him, the clouds momentarily not obstructing the view of it.
The snow pelting him unrelentingly as the freezing cold wind howled around him, he shivered as he wrapped his arms around himself for warmth.
'Warmth!' the boy thought in realization as he fumbled around looking into his pockets until he finally found what he was looking for…
The matches his mother had given him, a smile came across his face at that as he held the match box with shaking hands. Maybe he could make it to morning after all.
He pulled out a single match, his shaking hands numb at this point as he held it in between his fingers, the action of simply pulling the match out making quite a few others fall out of the box.
He then took the match and repeatedly struck it along the side of the match box trying to light it – the side being a bit worn from previous use as the match box had in fact been the woman's only one.
He got a bit nervous as he attempted to light it a few times but they simply refused to light. He breathed a sigh of relief however when he saw a spark appear and before long his match was alight making him laugh aloud in joy…
…before just as suddenly the wind blew it out, this making any trace of a smile that he had previous to this instantly disappear
'No, no, no, no, no it can't be, you can't do this to me! Just one night that is all I need, just one night!' he thought furiously in his head as he attempted to light another match only for the same thing to happen again.
He was panicking at this point, he could not take it. Shelter was but a foot away, his warmth in his very hands, a family waiting for him the next day. It couldn't end like this!
He attempted to light it again and the moment he did he tried to hold his cupped hands around the match intent on not letting it blow out, but the wind seemed to seep through his fingers and blow the flame out.
He was thinking furiously on what to do, maybe he could find a place where there was more wind coverage, where the wind was not as bad as it was here and he could light up the matches.
Yes that was what he would do, he could not give up yet he thought as he attempted to get up from the snow covered ground only to immediately collapse back down after trying to get up.
"What?" he voiced out loud in shock as he tried to get up once more only to fall back down.
It was then that he noticed it, his legs were completely numb – he could barely even feel them at all.
He simply sat there for a few seconds in quiet shock before he started laughing quietly at the cruel irony of it all, guess he would be waiting here for her tomorrow after all. The laughing gradually becoming sobbing as he cried at the unfairness of the world, he had been so close only to have it all taken away in the end. It was not fair.
He looked up at the comforting brilliance of the moon as it showered down its light upon him, tears streamed down his cheeks as he smiled softly.
"I never gave up, the world gave up on me" he said to the moon as if it could comprehend his sentiments, the moon being the sole witness of his passing. He closing his eyes as if he were going to sleep, wanting the last thing he saw to be the alluring radiance of the moon.
Slowly the smile fell from his face and his mouth opened marginally as he breathed his last breath, tears still streaming down his eyes as his head hung limply against the back of the wall. His grip loosening on the box of matches as they fell soundlessly on the snow beside him, scattering the few that remained inside on the ground. They falling next to the last match he had tried to light, which smoldered a deep orange, it flickering as a tiny tendril of smoke rose from it as it finally died away.
(Additional/Deleted Scene after AN)
AN:
This story contains foreshadowing, symbolism, and overall is an incredibly complex work. You can post comments concerning your thoughts and opinions on the story, suspicions of the meanings or possible results of certain scenes and scenarios, and even request this story to be made into a two-shot, that explores additional scenes and offers a greater perspective as well as an aftermath of the tale, which will also provide an alternate ending for one of the scenes. It will show how each of the people he interacted with before his death were affected by him and what ultimately happened to Naruto as well.
The reason Naruto acts more mature in the story than he truly is, is in part due to his upbringing in the orphanage, where he was thought how to better address his superiors, this is also why his vocabulary is slightly more expansive than those his age should possess, while his writing skills are poor. Naruto as you may have noticed is an anomaly in the Shinobi world, a pure heart in an uncaring cruel world, and as such has many strange traits pertaining to him.
The temperature in the story is actually felt as less than it would naturally have been due to wind chill. Naruto's clothes are much too large for him as they are scavenged from the garbage, as such they are quite baggy as they are for suited for an adult and not a child his age.
There is also a simple reason for why I did not give almost anyone name's in the story, it is basically because who they are is not important, what is important is what they represent and their corresponding story. I could give them any name I wanted but it simply would not matter, there are no OC's in the stories, there are not even truthfully even any characters, there are simply people, the only true character in this story is Naruto himself.
As for the music box, it is missing the key making it nearly worthless without it except as a decorative item or to recycle the metal. The reason that Naruto has kept it is because first of all no one would do business with him or would most likely try to cheat it out of him and because he saw it as something precious, something special that only he possessed.
Note: The term bastard in this story is not used as a derogatory term, but true to its definition which is "a person born of parents not married to each other". This is due to most of the orphan children from the Kyuubi attack's parents being unknown and so they are simply categorized as illegitimate children with informal and unknown parentage. This is also used in the mentality of it meaning an unpleasant or undesirable person. (It is not used in the context of a curse word)
In-depth explanation of general aspects and lesson of the story (Please Read):
In this story Naruto does ponder the idea of giving up on life, but he never considered it as a viable option. At one point he did however accept that death would be inevitable and accepted it, but was caught surprised when things did in fact turn around and presented him an opportunity at life once more. If he had given up on life he would not have met those he did and he would not have been able to change the life of that woman and her family.
Naruto had the chance to live his life and while it was cut short due to the neglect and general apathy of others, in that short timespan that he fought for his life he managed to leave a lasting impact in the life of others and the world in his own way. He while having lost hope on his life and having believed he was destined to die still managed to pull someone from the depths of depression and relight hope in their heart once more by offering the prospect of a better future for them and their family. That person in turn did the same for him as she gave him a purpose to fight to his last dying breath in order to survive and even then he did not give up and completed his promise to her, even in death.
Even if society itself stands against and shuns you, one should not falter under the oppression of the many, but be happy with the few that can sympathize to your plight and stand beside you – and even if there is none that does not mean that there shan't be one. That there's not someone out there going through similar circumstances and ordeals, you make your own future and through at times it might seem easier to give up, the easy way is not always the best way. If Naruto would have simply given up in the alley he never would have met the woman and her family, and her life would have continued down the treacherous road it was going down into.
This story does not center on the aspect of suicide or tragedy, it centers on the beautiful struggle that is life and how one single person can affect and influence others. It shows how one perseveres through adversity and manages to find hope even in the most hopeless of situations. Beyond this it explores the general apathy of humanity today, and the lack of love of the human spirit towards their fellow man.
Naruto died not for himself, but for another, and at a point where all possible options and alternatives were spent. Now on to the Deleted Scene…
Deleted Scene:
"The knocking, it stopped" one of the matrons of the orphanage said
"That it did" an assistant said
"The demon must have left" another woman said uncaringly, she currently knitting some warm clothes for the children.
"Are you sure it was him?" the original matron nervously asked, not really comfortable with denying entrance to anyone, even the so called 'demon'.
"That could have been the wind for all we know, it doesn't matter we simply do not have enough room." the third woman said roughly
"Oh, but we do" a wizened old voice spoke up as an elderly man around his late 50's stepped into the room "As you may recall little Izuko was adopted yesterday" the director of the orphanage said
"Oh I forgot about that, how is the little fella?" the second woman asked happily making the old man smile at her.
"He seems quite happy with his new lodgings, the family seemed quite content with him" he said warmly
"Also I was meaning to ask, were any of you in Izuko's old room earlier cleaning, I could have sworn I heard a strange sound coming from there" the old man said with a thoughtful frown
"No" the second woman replied, she looking at the other two questioningly only for them to shake their heads in the negative at that "None of us have been in that room today, we didn't even know that he was adopted - what sort of sound did you hear?"
"Like someone tapping on glass, I thought one of you girls was cleaning the windows" the old man thoughtfully said
"It might have been the wind, the storm did get pretty rough earlier after all" the first woman offered helpfully
"Yes, maybe…" he said unsurely, for some reason a strange feeling of unease and regret having wormed itself into his heart as he turned in for the day and went to bed – sleep soon easing all his worries as he dozed off, ignorant of the tragedy that had occurred this day.
Edited: 11/21/2015