Reviews are cool. They let me know if and what needs to be fixed/changed. They give me hints at what you want more/less of. They help me write a better story/

Just sayin, they're pretty nifty.

Naruto stumbled through the packed square. All around him he could hear the noises of people talking and laughing. But they stopped whenever they saw Naruto. Their joy cease and was replaced with a mask of disgust.

Of hatred and revulsion

Everyone of those downward glances made Naruto want to scream, to lash out at the people.

To hurt them the way they had hurt him.

But they all stood so far away. As if the mere act of brushing u against him could transmit his disease.

They were all so far away, ignoring him the best they could.

He hated it

Hated them

Hated himself for being so hated

The tutor led Hinata through the crowded village. The sea of people surrounded them and Hinata was afraid. Voices filled the air, buzzing so loudly that she could almost feel the vibrations.

In a moment of panic, she reached up and took the tutor's hand in hers, searching for some kind of solace in the storm of fear.

The moment she made contact, he shook the little girl's hand away from his own.

Hinata sighed at the rejection and began to look around for something to distract herself with. Almost immediately her gaze landed on a boy her own age. He was walking all alone, his gaze downcast.

Not only was he alone, the other people seemed to be avoiding him. There was a bubble of empty space around the boy.

"Um, mister?" she asked, gently tugging on her tutor's hand, 'Who is that boy? Why is he all alone?"

The tutor looked where I pointed. His hand began to tremble as he looked at the boy. "That boy is a miscreant, a lowlife street rat. Miss Hyuga, that boy is vermin and you should not even waste your time by acknowledging his existence."

That didn't answer her question, but she was too afraid to ask it again. The tutor seemed to be on the verge of exploding.

Ignoring his advice, Hinata turned her gaze back to the boy, watching him as he walked through the market, alone.

Naruto felt his stomach rumble, so he headed to the nearest food vendor. The stand sold some sort of seafood, and the smell was delicious.

However, as Naruto stood by the counter and started getting his money, the chef leaned over toward him and said, "Don't bother."

Naruto looked up at him, confusion in the boy's eyes. "What do you mean? Are you closing?"

"No, we're open all day. But I'm not gonna cook any food for you, so getting your wallet out would be a waste of time."

Naruto started to ask him why, but then he remembered that he already knew the answer.

He was different, somehow so dirty that his money wasn't even worth the discomfort of being around him.

Hanging his head low, Naruto turned and walked away. Maybe there would be another food vendor nearby who would sell to the marked child.

But he knew the answer to that too.

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