Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto

Chapter 3: A little Bit Of Compassion Goes A Long Way

It was so busy and crowded here Kushina thought as she walked through the large market place. She had decided to search for the little boy here because it was the most popular and crowded area in the slums especially during the weekend. There were countless amount of stalls up with families or owners trying to sell their products to make a living and because there were lots of parents around there were also a lot of children. She had been searching the marketplace for hours and she still hadn't seen the boy. She had stopped at a couple of stalls that interested her and bought a few small things but she was getting tired and frustrated. Almost on the verge of giving up she decided to take a 20 minute break, eat lunch and then carry on looking for another half an hour. If she didn't find him by then she would reluctantly go home and come back tomorrow and maybe search some place other than the marketplace for him.

Finding a small bench off to the side where she sat down to eat her onigiri, her eyes zoomed in to a little stall selling masks, opposite her. Looking further ahead she saw a little boy approaching the stall. She couldn't see his face or hair since it was covered with a hood but what she did see truly angered her.

The boy had come up to the stall just quietly looking at the masks when the owner had stormed up to him and roughly pushed him to the ground bitterly saying "You brat, go away".

Bystanders started to surround the boy but they were all frowning and whispering, their faces mean, showing no empathy.

"What's the big deal?" the boy asked frustrated.

"What are you doing here? You plague" the owner replied angrily.

"What, I was only… I was only looking at the masks" The boy replied sadly.

"The owner picked up a mask. "You want this" he shouted angrily as he threw the hard mask right in the boys face. "Well you can have it, now get lost!" he added his face looking just as malicious as the tone in his voice.

The boy stood up his hood falling of his face and picked up the mask. Looking at the bystanders around him he got upset "What?" he shouted angrily "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

It was him, Kushina thought immediately as she saw his face, it was the same boy she had been looking for. Why? She thought angrily, why were they so mean to him? Nobody should be treated like that; he hadn't even done anything wrong.

Even before she knew it was the boy, she had rushed towards the scene wanting to help up the stranger but now the damage had already been done.

Kushina stormed up to the owner with a strong urge in her body to slap him in his face but as she got closer she decided it was best to make sure the boy was okay first. So she pushed past the nasty bystanders and walked right up to the boy.

She bent down to the boy, and noticed the boy shielding himself, reverting into himself for protection, it broke her heart.

She gave him a hug as she softly asked, "Are you okay?"

The boy slowly looked up tears in his eyes "You" he whispered his face portraying recognition and surprise.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, it was wrong and cruel and you don't deserve it" she said gently.

"It happens all the time" he replied his voice trembling "everyone hates me".

She lifted his head up so his clear blue eyes were looking into her dark blue eyes and replied "I don't hate you." her voice strong and honest.

As she held out her hand to help him up the mask owner came up to them and gruffly said, "Move elsewhere you're blocking customers view of my masks."

That's when Kushina snapped, she abruptly walked closer so she was face to face with him and angrily shouted. "How dare you, how dare you push and shout and harm this innocent boy" She said pointing towards the child behind her. "You're absolutely despicable, nobody would want to buy masks from someone like you anyway!".

The man's face turned red with anger "Innocent, that boy, is not innocent." At those words the little boy tensed up, no he thought, not her why did she have to hear how bad he was, the only person that didn't hate him. No, how could he face her after the man filled her head by telling her how bad he really was? He wouldn't be able to stand to see the expression of disgust on her face, not her, so he quickly and quietly fled. The red headed lady had her back to him and she was too caught up in the heated argument so it was easy for him to slip out unnoticed.

"He's a dirty thief, that's what he does goes around pick pocketing and stealing. His detestable father taught him. He was born a wretch, to his poor prostitute of a mother. She abandoned him when he was a baby I think, it's a wonder his father still kept him around, I wouldn't have. Well it's not like he's properly raising him, just using him for whatever. The kids despicable, trash and his father's no better. All he does is steal and cheat and lie and gamble, he still owes me and half our town money. That kids nothing good, we know that, our children know that and now you do too. Now get out my way, you're killing my business." He said maliciously.

"You're wrong" Kushina replied strongly "The boy is not trash, he's worth something, something good. He was raised badly, he was taught to steal, as you were taught not too. You can't blame him for that. The kid has lots of good in him and he still has his innocence but every day as your town shuns and bullies him, that innocence dwindles. He is not the despicable one you are. This kid deserves better than all of you." She said fiercely, passion in her eyes prominent.

Turning around to face the boy she quickly realized he had left. Damn it, she thought disappointedly while walking away. She had found him but lost him. Why did he keep running from her? All she wanted to do was help. Couldn't he tell she was different from the others?

On the bus ride home Kushina couldn't get the day's events out of her head. She was horrified at how that town treated the little boy, and she was heartbroken at how that boy lived. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right she was going to help him.

Her instinct was to protect him.

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