Chapter 2: Beatings
Key:
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Bijuu Speech"
'Bijuu Thoughts'
Jutsu Names
Disclaimer: As I'm sure most already can assume, I don't own Naruto and unless I get lucky, I never will.
Chapter 2: Beatings
In a Sewer
Red eyes gazed angrily at the bars in front of him. Being known as the strongest bijuu meant having a reputation to uphold, and being unable to break out of a simple cage was not helping.
Still, his attempts at freedom did tell him one thing. Some of his soul was outside, and he was stuck inside of this cage without any means to get out.
Life was not fun for the Kyuubi.
So with a final act of desperation the massive bijuu let loose a spine chilling roar, and soon decided to recover from the sealing. With spiteful eyes the Kyuubi laid his head down, and slept.
6 Years Later
Backstreet
The night was lively for the village of Konoha, filled with the festivities that this date brought every year. The celebration brought around for the conquest and subsequent death of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
Not everyone was so happy about this day though. If one cared to look, they might have found a small child hugging back alleys, desperately avoiding drunken mobs. The ANBU that were supposed to be protecting the boy stood by and watched with silent hatred cursing the fact that they could do nothing themselves.
Eventually the young boy wound up being conveniently found by a group of to-be attackers, and attempted to run away. Before he could though, the mob caught up and began to beat the poor boy. His golden hair slowly began running red from gashes from sake bottles.
Near the brink of unconsciousness, the young boy only managed to get out one word before he succumbed to blissful sleep, "Why?"
This caused the mob to continue their attack with renewed vigor, angered by the claimed 'demon's' ignorance of the suffering he caused. Soon, a villager got the bright idea to try to end the life of the 'demon' while it slept. He and some others began to collect wood from the surrounding alleys and built a pyre before placing the unconscious boy on it.
The ANBU whose job it was to protect the boy, placed a barrier genjutsu around the scene, so as not to alert any passerby's that this was occurring.
Others came and poured sake on the boy, and soon enough every inch of the mound was soaked in the alcohol. The villager whose idea it was to build this platform took out a lighter and began rallying cries from drunken and sober villagers alike, all calling for the 'demon's' demise.
With a show of his hand and a flourish of his wrist, the villager flung his lighter onto the pyre, setting it ablaze. All cheered as they watched the boy burn in a way reminiscent of the burning of their village. When the crowd had enough of their show, they fled the scene, leaving the sight of a charred body on a pile of wood.
This was the sight that the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, arrived to, and as he gazed upon the extinguished flames it took every second of experience dealing with such things to not heave at the sight. Sarutobi ordered one of the ANBU to collect the body, and when the ANBU picked it up, something happened that caused the ninja to go into early retirement.
The seemingly dead and disposed body groaned, indicating life within its mangled remains. The Hokage rushed over, and upon inspection, saw six distinct marks upon the body's face, three on each cheek. Sarutobi, having finally realized who he was staring at, ordered the ANBU to take the boy to the hospital and put into ICU immediately.
With all but his bodyguards gone, the Hokage, the God of Shinobi, sank to his knees, and cried.
Months passed, and though the boy's body was healed, Sarutobi still visited him in the hospital.
"So, Naruto my boy, how do you feel today?" the Hokage asked with a gentle smile. Inside, though, Sarutobi was still seething over the prior events. He couldn't find the perpetrators even though he had ANBU stationed to protect the boy.
Naruto excitedly responded, "I feel great! I've felt ready to leave ever since you came to visit a month ago."
"Uh, jiji, you there?"
Sarutobi was drawn from his thoughts by the young blonde demon container in front of him. "Yes, sorry Naruto, but there is a lot on my mind," the Hokage answered dismissively.
"Now, how about we get you out of this stingy place, shall we?"
With a shout of a "Hell Yeah!" and a smack upside the head, the Hokage led the boy out of the hospital and back to his apartment.
'It seems like he doesn't remember any of it…' thought Sarutobi. The aged leader had consulted many of his subordinates, including Inoichi Yamanaka, a premier specialist in psychological ninjutsu, and came to the conclusion that Naruto's mind simply repressed the traumatic event.
He prayed to the gods that this was true; he didn't need any more headaches caused by this event.
Little did he know, that a pair of red eyes awoke on that very day.
A/N
Hey everybody, here's the second chapter. From here on out, things will get better. New questions, more answers, more suspense and action. It'll be much better (I hope).
Be sure to review, favorite, follow, whatever you like!
