The Dark Streets

Summary: When street kids are left for goners and no one is on their side, what is there left to do? Maybe there might be some hope, but will that only become a nightmare? In this world, you can't trust anyone; not even your closest friends. Naruto AU

Chapter 2: Trust and be Trusted; Can They Be Trusted?

Previously:"Is he going to be alright?" One of the others asked cautiously looking over at the sleeping form. He too had loose fitting jeans, but he wore a tight, black tank top with a denim jacket over top of it and he had his ever so famous skewer between his teeth.

"I hope so." It was those three words that prevented anymore questions from his friends. They figured that who ever this kid was, he wouldn't bring them any trouble. After all, the law did say that under no circumstances is anyone allowed to house street kids and people who are caught will be severely punished. They could only wait in strained silence that the boy would hopefully wake up so they can take a better look at his injuries.

As the teen started to wake up, he winced in pain as he tried to sit up. Temporarily forgetting as to why he was inside a house he glanced around with fear in his eyes. Then, after a few minutes, he remembers how he was saved by that mysterious person.

He could've sworn that there was only that person in the house, but considering how badly he was injured, it would be hard to tell if he was imagining things or not. With a pained grunt he sits up and coughs a few times before noting the blood on his hands.

Whether it was from the fight he was in earlier or it was from his mouth, he couldn't tell. He felt something cold against his hand and quickly withdrew it.

"Easy, here, have some water. Oh, and why you're at it, take these; they're pain relievers." A voice said in a soothing manner. The teen gratefully takes the water, but gives the person who has the two small, red pills a suspicious look. The supposed 'pain relievers' didn't look like any color of pain relievers he knew.

"What are you trying to do; drug me? Sorry, but if that was your intention, then you need to know that I'm not into that kind of stuff. I may be on the streets, but that doesn't mean I take nor do drugs. That kind of stuff will get you killed and it messes with your brain. Sure, pass them off as pain relievers, but I'm not buying it at all." The teen said stubbornly.

"Wow, smart kid; you don't see that many of them on the streets." Another person said that was inside the room.

"Okay, look, they're not drugs. I don't know what kind of fight you got in, and I don't want to know, but these will at least reduce some of the pain I'm sure you're in. Here, if it makes you feel better, then take a look at the pill bottle yourself and pour out two." He noted that the voice was a bit agitated, but nonetheless it was cool and calculating.

Without any further arguing, the boy picks up the bottle and reads the label:

XLO…. (He didn't care for the name of the medicine and skipped through a few parts)

Purpose: To help sooth any pain and/or irritation; also to help improve awareness and decrease drowsiness.

Warning: Do not take with any alcoholic beverages or with other pain medicines. Do not take more then the recommended dose. If you are pregnant, then consult a physician first. Do not give to children under the age of 10.

After reading this, he shrugs and takes the pills out of the person's hand and swallows them dry, getting curious looks from everyone else in the room. He only throws them a look that says, "What?"

"So, now that we got that out of the way, why don't we start off with introductions?" The guy who commented him earlier says receiving nods from everyone else in the room. "How about the kid goes first?" The boy only shrugs his shoulders, something that he shouldn't do much often because of the pain, agreeing to what the person said.

"Mac McKenzie," Mac says offhandedly. It may not be his real name, but he wasn't going to give complete strangers his real name. That could lead to trouble and the less trouble he has, the better.

"Umino Iruka," The guy that saved him earlier says.

"Hatake Kakashi, Shiranui Genma," A sliver haired person said pointing to himself and then to the person on his right who was chewing on what he assumed to be a toothpick.

"Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu," Says the guy who Mac accused of giving him drugs and then pointing to the guy that commented him earlier. Now with the introductions out of the way, Mac knew what was coming next. So, he prepared for the questions that were coming his way.

"So, Mac, where did you get into a fight at?" It was the guy known as Iruka who asked. He thought for a moment wondering whether or not it would be a very good idea to tell him the truth. Weighing his options he decides to go ahead and tell the truth figuring that it was better then coming up with a clever lie.

"On 34th Street, in the alley between the Barber Shop on Todds Lane and Frank's Pizza," He says in a calm tone, but very cautiously chooses his words. If he had he said, "On 34th Street, in the alley," they would likely assume that he was either in a gang or that he was shoplifting since that's the street where most of the city's panhandlers frequent.

"Alright, so were you running from someone?" This was another question where he has to choose his words carefully.

"No- well, yes- I mean no- uhm…" He stutters trying to figure out what he should say that wouldn't bring any suspicion to him. "Kinda, I was running from them, but then…uh…" He struggles again. Everyone in the room was frowning and he knew he had to say something.

"You're not thinking of lying, are you Mac?" Genma asks noting the frantic look on the teen's face. This brings Mac to defend himself quickly.

"I'm not lying nor do I plan on lying. I was running from them, but then I got trapped at a dead end and I had nowhere else to go. That was when they drew out their pocket knives and came at me." Mac didn't fail to notice the worried looks each of them had.

"They came at you with knives? Did you defend yourself?" Iruka asks curious. Mac nods his head and pulls up both of his sleeves of his sweater and shows the deep and now dried cuts on his arms.

"This would be the result of defending my self. That's why it's just easier to not do anything. Then, hopefully, they wouldn't hurt you that much. They hate it when you defend yourself." He says realizing that he didn't breathe at all and takes in the much needed air.

He caught all of the expressions on their faces and he looks at his shoes in embarrassment. If anyone could ward off two thugs twice their size, it was him. Of course, he wouldn't be in this mess had his friends not all break up.

"Who's "They" and why do "They" want to hurt you?" Mac only sighs in defeat at this question that Kakashi asks and answers it in one word.

"Revs," that was all he needed to say to get everyone worked up.

"But why would the- wait, are you in a gang?" It was Iruka who asks this and Mac only looks up at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I was in a gang. Then we just split up one day and it was everyone for their selves. That was the day when I lost five of my closest friends and was left alone to die." After he says this, he then adds, "Do I have to answer anymore questions? I don't feel like answering anymore." Iruka gives a defeated sigh and shakes his head.

"Let's just get you to a hospital. I don't like how some of those bruises look." After he says this, Mac knew he was going to hear it well and wondered idly if any of his friends were still alive.

Two teens around Mac's age are running from three or five people and then they duck in a theft store and wait for them to pass before going back out and running in the opposite direction. After a few good minutes, they stop to sit on a park bench having cross into Franklin's City Park.

"That was so freakin' awesome!" One of the teens says excitedly panting hard and trying to catch his breath. He has choppy, short black hair that falls into his eyes and deep grey eyes with a black hoodie and baggy jeans on with very pale skin.

"Yeah, I know, right!? It was like as if they were too dumb to notice us and then they just give chase like that. I'm surprised that we could still run like that, ya know?" Another teen says panting as well and he had a smug smirk on his face. He had shoulder length dark gray hair and jade colored eyes. He wears two shirts; a white tank under his bulky, navy blue hoodie and had tight fitting jeans with olive colored skin.

"Yeah, let's get going. The sun's sitting and I don't think we want to be walking in streets at dark unless we want a death wish. Speaking of which, I wonder what happened to Mike. He said to meet him at Cross Roads 56th Street by noon and he wasn't there." They both look deep in thought before the black haired one smiles.

"Well, wherever he might be, we'll find him for sure. He's way to smart to get killed by the other gangs. We better hurry before the sun completely sets."

"Yeah," Little did they know that their friend was going to be in the hospital for a while and that two people were watching them.

Two shadows in the trees smirk at the display.

"Hear that, Joe, looks like they're missing one of their members. How about we jump them and kill them now?"

"No, not now, wait until later; much later." Once this was said both of the shadows run to their hideout to tell their Boss about the news.

Author's Note: Well, here's the second chapter. Like I promised, I added more stuff to it since the other chapter was short. Beign that this Christmas Eve, I probably won't update until sometime after Chirstmas. It looks like Mac's much more trouble then they thought. There wasn't a fight in this one, but I promise to put a fight in the next one! I hope you leave reviews in the spirit of Christmas! It'll make me very happy to have some reviews for this story!!

Happy Holidays,

ferret assassin nin