Atarashii Sennin no Michi
The Path of a New Sennin
Even the Truth is unkind
"Human Talk"
'Human thought'
"Human Yell"
"Demon Talk"
'Demon Thought'
"Demon Yell"
*Flashback*
Painful Truth
If you tell lies about someone and know them to be lies. Then the dislike I'd feel for one like you I barely could disguise for lies can be defamatory when used in such a way. Any respect to a malicious liar I would find hard to pay.
The truth it can be hurtful as we all ought to know. But out of the truth it can be said respect for one does grow and although you may not like what's said about you at least what's said is true and to the one who speaks the truth credit is always due.
The truth can be hurtful, but it is never wrong for those who cannot accept the truth mentally cannot grow strong. Though some would rather live a lie, the truth lives on forever and shall never die….by Ultimate Cyan.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…but; Masashi Kishimoto does. First of all it's going to be a lot of cursing and bad mouthing language, angst, and more drama, enjoy!
Sunday morning has been refreshing and cool, embracing Konoha with warm sunlight shining on the Village for a brand new day. Hiruzen Konoha's Hokage is watching the scene played out for him as he smokes his pipe in the early morning; his assistant insist that smoking is bad for his health and age, not to mention it won't do well in such timely sunrise. But, he pays no heed saying that he's fine, and he grew a habit for it.
He continues to survey the scenery peacefully when he suddenly said.
"You came as I expected," he said to no one in his office till an Anbu came in swoosh motion and appeared to kneel before the Hokage.
"I came to deliver a report from Gama Sennin to you he said as he holds out his hand a scroll with word 'Seal' in Kanji.
Hiruzen has sent one of his Anbu on a mission to get the delivery from Jiraiya. He's very shrewd man who works as the leader of Information Gathering Spy Team with 100% success rate of getting the information without being spotted like a specter of the night. His performance is flawless and superb to use for the good and the safety of Konoha…well, apart from peeking into a Women's Bathing House.
"Excellent work!" said Hiruzen as he took the scroll.
"Now earn a good rest, dismiss!" Hiruzen added.
The Anbu "Hai" in gratitude and left in 'poof' vanished into nothing. The old man Hokage walks back to sit on his desk and begin reading the scroll that contains information. He laid the scroll on his the flat desk; then he put his hand hovering on the scroll and with the word 'Release' the Kanji Seal has fade and now the scroll can be open. He undid the scroll and carefully reads it and then his face twist into frown when he saw a large Kanji symbol of a mysterious organization that happens been causing troubles in some Countries, their goal is unknown and always disappear without a trace. However, Jiraiya had managed to find a lead on what they after and that's what made his face twist into frowning with worry; they're objective are the Jinchūriki and that all he could dig up. He puffs out the smoke from his pipe as he massages his temple; it still doesn't explain what would they want from the Jinchūriki? Are they after power? Or perhaps control over them? Whatever it is it will not end well for them especially Naruto and that what concern him the most.
The boy already has enough problem of his own and now some unknown group of Missing-Nin is going to seize him; his life is already been fucked up as it is. He removed his pipe from his lips and mumbled.
"Jinchūriki...they struggle their life to get through like walking on long straight bridge…and they still try to reach its end"
In the Konoha Playground, children are littering all over the place enjoying this day free from hard training and boring study without a care in the world as they relish their Sunday. All but one child, Sakura, is sitting under a Cherry tree watching the children young and old play together while their parents keep watchful eyes on them and her. She ignore their glare and look down on the grass as it was the most exciting thing, but she was bored out of her mind, and she wishes to go and play on the swing or make a mess on a sandbox, then again if she ever comes to play they'll throw a tantrum on her and kick her out of the playground. She sigh through her tiny nose and stay where she is 'til a shadow invade next to her, she gasp and blink before she twirl her to see the invader, fearing that someone come to bully her, but she relaxed, when she recognizes whom the person is.
At an earlier time, after Naruto had eaten his breakfast he went out for a walk, he usually does on bright Sunday, and the usual he shouldn't-be-walking-on-the-same-street-among-us glare which he ignore them as he directs himself to the Konoha Playground.
While he's walking to his destination, he's been thinking about yesterday's event that occurred that made want to run to the Hokage Monument and scream so loud to the world that he might go deaf but he doesn't care about that he's way too happy as if the dreaded loneliness has faded from the first moment he met them.
She like Sakura the most because she nice, friendly, she's the kind of person that welcome anyone with an open embrace and love to be around her. Sasuke, he looks at Sasuke as if he's grown up with all those seriousness and calm look on his face make it hard to believe that he's a child and not to mention he's quite stick in the mud. However, he's a person who doesn't brag about his greatness or look down on others, as a matter of fact he's more of a softie when he wants to be once you look underneath his somewhat cold facade, and if someone say to him like that…("Well, I'll leave that to your imagination" I chuckled darkly).
With his thought, kept him occupied that he didn't take the time to notice that he's already in the Playground Park. He walks on till he spotted something pink behind thick tree. He thought it was some kind of plant, but he looks closely enough, and he sees a plant is connecting into the body and immediately known how this person sitting behind a tree, he grin widen like the crescent moon.
"SAKURA-CHAN!" his booming yell ring right to her ears despite the distance between them, the poor girl feel her heart leap from her chest by loud shriek and twist her head fast and look to see it Naruto from yesterday; she scowled and stomped her way to him and bash his head in.
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?! YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!" Sakura yelled as steams are coming out of her ears as she glares down at the whimpering boy in pain.
"Ita, ita! That's really hurt Sakura-chan" he whined as he massaged his bruised head.
"Maybe next time you'll greet someone normally, got it" she scolded with her arms firmly crossed like mother scolding a child, Naruto pouted and mumbled "yes" that he learned his lesson.
"I thought, you were a dobe before but did a loose screw fly out of your head?" Naruto and Sakura twirled around, and they spotted Sasuke the one who talked looking cool with a calm face with hands tucked in his pocket, which Naruto frowned.
"Who asked you, teme?"
"Naruto!" Sakura look at him with a mean look on her cute face.
"What!? He started it"
"Well, I'm ending it, and you" Sasuke is startled when the pink-haired girl pointing at him and staring at him with a mean look.
"Stop calling names and be nice or else I'll hit you" somehow her threat has scared the littlest Uchiha. Yesterday she was timid as a kitten, and now she turns into a wild tiger with razor sharp claws and big fangs, this is the first time he seen a girl with a scary face like her unlike those girls from Academy they were wimps but she…she as scary as hell.
After their little quarrel has ended, they sat on the bench watching the other kids playing all the games in the playground leaving nothing behind and no room for them to play. But, it didn't bother them they feel they just want to hang out and loosen up...well, save for Naruto constant complaining.
"I'm so bored~"
But there's nothing we could do about it," said Sakura again for the 15th time and Sasuke 'tch'd' for the 15th time.
"But, everyone's having their time of their lives while we all sit here getting bored to death" Naruto pouted as he placed his head on the palm of his hands and his elbows on his lap.
"Besides we're gonna play over the slide just three of us, it's not like we're bothering anyone or anything" Naruto added.
"Even if we go there and play the parents will bring uproar if we enter within five mile radius" replied Sasuke as he feels an early margarine coming from the dobe's never-ending whining.
Naruto pouted like a swelling balloon as he watches irritatingly as the kids play around having a blast while he and his new friends are sitting in the sideline as if they got a time-out for bad behavior.
"Not only it's sucks it's unfair" Naruto pin point the unfairness that's done by the Villagers forbidding them to play with other kids and Sasuke and Sakura can't help, but to agree with him, ever since the incident that took place their life has turned upside down. They sulked and thought that maybe coming to the playground wasn't such a good idea. Soon after, both Sasuke and Sakura flinch as Naruto obnoxious yell snapped them out as he pointed something in the distance.
"Hey, look! This one is vacant let's go play over there" said Naruto, they both look at where the loud blond pointed and true this place that no one uses or as matter of fact it looks it never been used before.
A lonely swing creaking eerie by slight blowing wind, the steel that hold together look a bit rusted due the days that passed, but it still looks strong and unbreakable, and color on the seat of the swing is brown-red. Before Sakura has something to say, Naruto already dash to swing with a smile of excitement printed on his chubby boyish face, they had had shaken their head and follow him before that hyper boy cause trouble for damaging public property.
Once they're close to swing and up-close they're having a second thought if this swing can handle with three kids playing with it, they afraid if, by one, swing it'll fall apart from the instant they sit on it.
"I'm not so sure if this…swing is safe," Sasuke remarked shadily.
"I agree with Sasuke on that one" Sakura replied, eyes are not leaving the rusted swing.
"I know it looks out of shape, but it looks robust, and it's unoccupied" Naruto reasoned it.
"But Naruto" before Sakura can sound her protest when Naruto says.
"Look, no one has ever used it, it'll be just the three of us, and if you two think about it this swing…is kinda like us when we've been all alone before we met" and once again that the blond-haired boy never ceases to amaze them with his surprising common sense. The idea of playing the swing just the three of them sound too tempting to pass up. No one will bother them and no one will try to ruin their fun since the swing is far away from the Villager's watchful eyes, and this swing looks lonely and untouched.
"I guess you're right; Naruto" Sakura replied softly with a smile and Sasuke answered with 'hn'd' with ghost of a smile on his face.
"Then, let's play!" wasting no time Naruto jumped to the swing, taking his first turn and start swinging sideways.
"Careful! Naruto, that's not how you swing that way!" Sakura warned him.
"Baka!" Sasuke muttered. But, Naruto ignored him in his favor as he enjoys the time of his life. He stopped swinging sideway as he begins to swing up and then down repeatedly as he goes higher and higher almost touching the sky, almost free as a bird.
The unwanted children have the best fun they had; each took a turn on the abandoned swing as it creaks mix with laughter of joy create a musical harmony. It's been so long since the last time each of them played a game. The loneliness has confine them from everything, taking the path where there's no end to it like a steel cage where no escape. Then they've found each other, each with different character and yet they're so alike. This little moment might be the thing they've missed the most, and it will stay this way for good.
For what seem like an hour later of fun, they stopped to rest for a bit as they lay on the grassy floor watching the clouds passing by with serene expression. As for Sasuke his curious mind has been vexing him nonstop. Naruto had been on his mind from the day he met him. He isn't like him or Sakura for that's matter so why the Villagers are acting this way toward Naruto. He looks harmless enough, annoying but harmless. But he needs to know the Uchiha mind demand it.
"Oi! Naruto, why did the Villagers treat you this way?" he said flatly. Sakura eyed Sasuke disapprovingly; he's shouldn't ask such personal question. But Naruto didn't mind that; he thinks he should tell them even if they only met yesterday, and he guessed its okay to tell.
"I guess I can tell you," said Naruto as littlest Uchiha and small Haruno had all their ears ready to listen.
"The truth is I don't even know why they dislike me this many" Naruto exclaimed confusedly and in return both Sakura and Sasuke are also confused.
"Huh? Wait! You mean them just…hate you for nothing!" Sakura appalled at the Villagers. How ignorant those people can be?
"I don't think they hate me for nothing. Maybe they hate me because I'm an outsider or something" Naruto added.
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.
"Well, I was born in this Village said Naruto and smiled as flashes of wonderful memories of his smiling Pa and Ma, then playing games with his brothers and napping with Gama Oyabun using his large belly as his bed. Recalling those memories brought him happy warmth that swells in his heart.
"Mount My? I never heard of this place where is that's?" Sakura blinked her green eyes showing her questionable face and Sasuke even display his inquisitive face. Naruto showed off his pearl whites and said.
"It's my home where me and my family of Toads lives!" all these little words it took to drive Sasuke and Sakura to the point where can never understand anymore.
Toads…Toads…his family are Toads, and he lived with them. Their young minds no longer work anymore; it just stopped working. They've already had enough of his constant whining and his undying annoyance, and now he related to family of slimy reptiles. Nothing makes sense anymore.
Meanwhile, few miles away from Konoha Playground a man in his late forties is wobbling on the busy street of Konoha completely drunk, and I mean he is one over the eight. He keeps hitting on people's shoulders as he passes them by not caring if he's spitting insults unintelligently at the passing Villagers and they in return sent him a disgusting glare and walk away and ignoring him.
The drunkard man looks very young, and one of the Elite Jonin, he's respected by his friends and family, but everything was taken from his on a day when Kyuubi attacked this Village. He watched helplessly in horror to see his dear friends mangled in an inhuman way and his entire family all crushed under the house from devastation. He had lost everything, and he blame that demon spawn, anger and hatred pooling in his heart at the demon and to make matters worse Sandaime Hokage has left the little demon running around on the loose freely as he pleases.
It anger him; it disgusted him; it repulsive him to the extreme. To allow the demon offspring free is unacceptable, did he pity the demon to let him live? No, it doesn't pity or compassion. He deserves to be punished and die in thousand deaths for everything he had done.
The angry drunkard continues to spout at the demon in his foggy mind when he heard laughter nearby. He looks up to his left that he's right next to the playground park where children are littering everywhere, each playing games or running around like crazy. When someone sees something like that, they'll awe at the cute and happy spectacle, but to the drunkard he couldn't care less but one strong laugh, louder than the other children. Curious, he looks for the source of the loud noise and then his breath hitched when he found it.
Two small children are have a grand time; one with pink hair is sitting on the swing as she is merrily chattering with a raven-haired boy whom he's sitting on the boulder next to her. But he's not watching on those two kids but the third one that caught him off guard. It's the Demon offspring sitting next to the girl on the swing also chattering happily with them. Although, he's drunk like has-been, but the mixing of raw hatred with sweet lust of retaliation is bubbling in the pit of his stomach, and it's sweeter than any alcohol he slurped. Blind by his raging fury he marched right in the playground with one destination in mind.
In the meantime, Sakura and Sasuke try their best to absorb the new information after Naruto kindly explained that to them. They first learned that Naruto has been raised by talking Toads that only lives in Mount Myōboku and all of them and all of them are big and tall that could tower over the Hokage mountain; he had two brothers, Ma, Pa, Gama Oyabun, and Deka-jii-chan Sennin*. He talked about his departure and why he should return to Konoha by the Hokage's deal.
"I guess I understand why Hokage-sama did just for good intention, but it still doesn't explain why the Villagers acted ill this way?" Sakura inquired and Naruto shrugged.
"Like I said before, I don't know either it sorta…happened! Maybe they dislike outsiders or something like that" Naruto replay and Sasuke frown suspiciously. What could've driven the Villagers to hate the blond boy? He looks normal to him and still an idiot as well; he has seen him do pranks from time to time, but it just a harmless prank he didn't hurt anyone, and there's no reason to cause havoc over it.
As Naruto and Sakura exchange conversation, the drunkard man is only few feet away to get to the Demon that took and ruined his life, and with each step he takes the more hatred and anger flare up inside him like a raging fire and pushing his common consciences in a pit without hearing anymore bullshits, all he wants was to kill that son of a bitch.
A sickening smile appear on his pale face when he finally he is face to face with the beast. Naruto looked up in surprise to see a man came in front of him, and before he knew what's going on, he was thrown over the swing and landed skidded on the hard floor till he ceased and groaned in pain as he feels his whiskered cheek swell like a balloon looking awfully red from stoned punch from the man. Sakura and Sasuke don't know what or why it happened? They're too shocked to understand why did that man who came out of nowhere and hit Naruto square in the face? The drunkard man huffed as he glared deadly dagger at the fallen boy and spat.
"I'm not through with you yet, Demon spawn! I can finally have my revenge for taking everything that so precious from me!" the drunken man is spitting with venom hatred in his voice as his face turn into a snarl like a wild dog.
Everyone who still in the playground all look up in surprise to see a fully grown man is battling absurdly at the Demon, and all gathered around to watch what will man do next or will the Demon react back at him. No one step in to stop him because why would they? It's better watching this man taking down on Demon and giving it a piece of his mind that's the idea they silently salute the drunken man for a good show and to see the little Demon whining as a little puppy is a sight to behold for him and deserve it what's coming. Sasuke and Sakura are not sure what to make of it or why is happening this way? They wanted to move and aid Naruto, but their feet are disobeying them from moving from this spot as if something has glued under their feet but what will they do to prevent a full adult from breaking Naruto's face and it made them sick that the spectators around them are watching and invisible praising the old man as if he done a fine job for beating Naruto. There's no way these Villagers could be this cruel, right?
"I'm going to enjoy this~" the man slurred as Naruto looks at him with honest confusion on his face with the blood trail on his lip.
"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to you! I don't even know you too!" his voice is tune with confusion but the man didn't hear it, all he hears is a tone of mockery coming from him which made more livid as he spat at his face.
"Don't try to act like you don't know shit!" he cursed not caring if the children are here listening his foul words, he's far too angry to realize his surroundings.
"You're going to pay everything you've done, and you will pay it dearly!"
"Look, mister! I don't know what you are talking about!?" Naruto tries to hold back his scream or else the situation would get ugly, but the man didn't hear a single word he said; he's too busily spouting foul words that even make garbage look nice.
"You piece of filth! I told you to stop with the act and face the punishment you deserve" he walks to Naruto, he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lift him up till he's close to his face, and Naruto gagged at the smell of alcohol linger from his lip and the man saw this and he didn't take it very lightly.
"Now you're disgusted by me, huh! I bet you are that's the reason why you want to destroy Konoha in the first place because you loathe us humans" these words made Naruto even more confused, and his heart sting at the terrible accusation and Sakura and Sasuke frown deepen as they had enough of man's madness as they step in.
"Leave him alone, you…you creep!" Sakura shouted.
"He never had done a thing to you!" Sasuke backed up for Naruto as they defend Naruto; they didn't notice the spectators has grown silently and it not because the town children are defending the Demon, but at the man who spoke an ill omen that's forbidden to say, is that man foolish enough to shoot out the forbidden secret that no one dare speak of it again? No, he wouldn't…right?
"You stay away from Naruto or else" Sakura try to sound threatening to the man to let her friend go, but she's too small and adorable that she can't even frighten a small mouse, but Sasuke has the most nerve-wrecking glare with one hundred percent perfect frightening aura; this is his special Uchiha glare that would make high-level Missing-Nin tremble before him and beg for mercy on his soul. However, the drunken old man didn't budge because first he's too drunk and secondly his eyes never leaving form Naruto as he glares deadly daggers at him if he has laser eye beam he would've love to see he burn to ashes.
"All my life…no, the life I once had was taken from me, my friends, Tou-san, Kaa-chan, my wife and…my son…all gone before me" he choked and sobbed letting all salty tears out of his eyelids, not ashamed that Demon is watching him cry, and Naruto is worried and confused even more at the man' change of behavior and then the man snap his head back up and glare deadly at him with hot tears streaming on his face.
"It was your fault! You took everything from me; you took all the good things from me! And I reduced to nothing! Nothing but an empty shell waiting for death to claim me to rejoin my loved ones but…before the Shingami can take my soul" then his eyes widen with plain madness and smile so sinister like the Yuba, and Naruto feel a cold chill crawl down his spine and froze.
"I'll kill you first and claim my revenge as sweet victory, prepare to die, Kyūbi!" he pulls his fisted putting all his power in one fist and wave of Chakra surround his fist that he used to kill many enemies back in his old days and swing his Chakra covered fist ready to destroy that Demon's face. Naruto couldn't scream and out of fear he closed his eyes without hearing Sakura and Sasuke's screaming out of his name as he awaited for the painful punch he'll receive.
Minute pass, another minute pass again, and the punch didn't come as if time stopped, he still fears that the man still going to hurt him, but his curiosity took better of him as he slowly open one eye to see what happen and then he open two of his eyes and feel of a relief seep in as he relaxes. Two Black Anbus had arrived and stop the man from attacking the boy; one was holding him by the neck while his other hand had Kunai pressed deadly close to his neck, and the other Anbu stood in front of the attacker and stopped his assault by grasping his fist before he can reach the boy. The man is shocked by them, not by shock they stopped his Jutsu, but he was shocked that they saved the Demon.
"You have violated our Hokage's law by revealing an S-Class secret! For that, you will be punished severely" one Anbu said who grasped his fist tighten his hold making him release Naruto as the boy dropped on the ground on his butt, then he nodded his partner once to take him to custody. The other Anbu place his Kunai back to his hostler and grabbed the man's arms and held it on the back roughly earning a grunt, but before he can take him away, he starts to babble again.
"No! Kyūbi is one needed to be punished, not me! Why are you letting him roaming free?! He killed countless lives; he mercilessly mauls them without a hint of remorse!" everyone who are present are gasping at the man who keeping shooting out secret right in front of a dazed boy who looks at him with disbelief.
"Be quiet!" the Anbu, who holds him, yelled as the man struggle to break free, and Naruto said in a low whisper, but loud enough for a man to hear.
"Kyūbi?...I don't…understand" Naruto is deathly afraid for him about to discover the truth that maybe the answer to his entire unanswered question while Sakura and Sasuke are the same as Naruto. The man glared down at the boy and replied with venom before the Anbu can stop him, but it was too late.
"Are you this stupid!? You're the Kyūbi! You almost demolished Konoha; you're the one responsible for the lives you have taken, you're the one who killed our Yondaime Hokage!" his unforgiving words are enough to stab Naruto's heart and to leave him in complete shock, no words or action can describe how much he is feeling right now for finally unravel the truth he's been seeking to find and now he wished he never did.
The Anbu had enough of this, so they knocked the man out by jabbing him between his shoulder blade and neck, but they should do it sooner. Sasuke just keep blinking and try to understand making some sense into this, but all his logic didn't much help, and all he got is one thing that's certainly that Naruto has just a discovered a harsh truth, Sakura tries to hold back her tears for seeing Naruto in such delicate situation and he's on the verge on breaking point, she wants to go to him and to tell him everything is okay, but, unfortunately, she didn't get the chance as Naruto run away without peeking a glance at anyone, and he just runs, run as far away as possible, and Sakura could do nothing but helplessly watch him gone.
From days turn into a week, and everything had turned back the way it was before, just when they thought they found each other and to be friends only it took one short day before everything falls apart. It's like they took one huge step back; Sasuke and Sakura just do what they usually do they come and go in the Academy without taking a quick glance on each other, but every once in while they each would glance Naruto sitting alone with no one sitting beside him, his head resting on his arms and not seeing what sort of expression he's using, but they can sense he's in downheartedness trauma. During the recess they can see Naruto sitting on a lonely swing like he's his only companion with sadness reflecting in his blue eyes, they were once bright as the sky, and now it's dark and misty as dark clouds has covered the sky and shedding cold rain as if the heavens is crying.
Throughout the day, Naruto would remain quiet which surprises most of the Sensei in the Academy that the boy usually loud and obnoxious but they don't care what the boy do or think, as long he can stay silent they can educate to their student who would become REAL Ninjas in the future.
After the class ended Naruto head straight back to his lonely apartment sitting all be himself eating his box of Ramen and talking to nothingness to pass the time. Yeah, life couldn't get any better than this. He thought bitterly till his mind wondered back to two people whom he befriended with only to lose them in one day. Ever since he found out the truth and runs away he never wants to see their faces again, he can't bear the thought to see their hated faces glaring back at him, spitting horrible names at him like he's scum of the Earth, and he's too scared to face them.
While Naruto's thought elsewhere, he didn't see five kids that look about his age are standing before the walking absent-minded Naruto with malice grin printed on their faces.
If it isn't our favorite runt here to join our fun," said Hibachi the leader of the group, Naruto was stopped right after him someone talked snapping him out of his thought. He looks up and groan, when he found out it was Hibachi and his goons are here to make his life even better.
"Oh! What's the matter, runt? Aren't you happy to see us? We didn't get to have fun with you in weeks" said Hibachi, he looked and sounded sad at Naruto, but Naruto knew it was all fake.
"Don't look at us that way, how about we do something fun today I've got plans that will become fun into even more fun. So what'd you say wanna join?" he didn't like how he sounds its way to suspicious.
"Not interested" he bluntly said as he begins to walk away from here, but he only took two steps till one of Hibachi's goons blocked his way.
"Who told you you're going to leave? I didn't even tell about my fun plan I got a list full of it" the leader exclaimed with a lazy smirk. Naruto is getting nervous, each of their eyes held something that go very wrong and very bad, his instinct screamed to him to run as far away as possible, but his body refuses to comply his command as if its frozen stiff completely stuck on the ground.
"In my all-time fun list, you happen to be the main event, and you're going to enjoy every bit of it" his tone is low and dangerous as his eyes shadow with a glint of cruelty as he and his minion trudging to Naruto to begin the fun list and Naruto feel every ounce of fear in his body like cold stinging ice and still unable to move away.
Pain…burning pain…searing pain…unpleasant pain that's the only thing he can feel and everything is nothing but a blur. He didn't how much time it passes when he laid sprawl on the ground with nasty looking bruises littering all over him and a thin line of blood coming from his head, lips, and on his left shoulder they had their Kunai and Hibachi made thin cut on his shoulder and enough to draw out blood, and it soak in his shirt. He hiss and tries to get rid of the blurriness from his eyes and to urge his body to get up but his body protest the pain is too much for him to move, he can see Hibachi and his gang still here, and laugh at his pathetic state.
"Look at you; you look like came back from hell. That maybe you are from hell, Kyūbi! That's right; we know who you really are, and now you're going to regret ever attacking Konoha" they then start to make a battle formation by surrounding around Naruto trapping him in the middle like caged animal and no place to escape.
"Now it's time to pay for your crimes, Kyūbi!" before any of them advance on defenseless boy when out of nowhere a small rock whirl in thin air and hit on one of the bullies too close to his eye and tumbled on the floor and whimpering like a baby.
"What the!?" Hibachi uttered two words and the next happens all his friends are hit and down to count, all sobbing from the little pain.
"Hey! What's gotten into; you idiots!? Get up already!" Hibachi ordered them to get up, but all of them are too preoccupied with pain, he gritted his teeth at those weaklings when then a voice from behind him and practically squealed like a girl when startled.
"I suggest you back of before you'll regret it late" a voice that Naruto recognize very well who belonged to, a voice that he never heard for a long time, he look up and his sapphire eyes widen in surprise as he lets out a choking gasp. Its Sasuke standing there only a few feet away from Hibachi and showing a sign intense anger directly at the bully like an angry storm have been unraveled. Hibachi composed himself and snarled at the Uchiha boy.
"Why should I? Why don't you go back to your hole and don't get your nose on other people's business" Sasuke look at him with his eyebrow upward.
"I don't have time to play the idiot with you, so either leave or I'll makes you" Sasuke threaten with his Uchiha glare, Hibachi flinch, but he pulled himself together and smirk as he talks back.
"So you can save your kind, huh? I guess freaks like you and he have to stick together. Fine then, I'll beat you and your little freak friend" Hibachi exclaimed as he makes a step forward show the Uchiha, who's boss when a voice from his right stopped him.
"You better leave, or you'll be in big trouble" he turns to see it's that the pink-haired freak and Hibachi laughed mockingly at her.
"Oh yeah! And who's going to stop me?" he asked with a mocking arrogance when a familiar voice from afar he recognizes made him crumble and turn into panic.
"What's going on over there? Who's there?" Hibachi knows whom that voice belonged to; it's Iruka-Sensei.
"I'm getting out of here!" then Hibachi ran off like the wind leaving his goons behind and said goons had heard Iruka's voice and saw Hibachi took off and left them behind.
"Wait for us! Don't leave us here!" then all of them run after their boss before they get in trouble with enraged Sensei. Sasuke snort at them for being nothing but a bunch of cowards picking on smaller than them, he then turn to face at the kneeling unmoved Naruto, he went over to him till he's next to him, and he still didn't move or even look at him.
"How long you're gonna stay down there?" said Sasuke and see Naruto flinch as if he didn't expect him talked to him and remained quiet and getting Sasuke a little annoyed that he ignored him even after saving his life, he sigh he guessed Naruto still feel insecure after hearing the truth, and it's time to end it.
"Sakura, come out now!" it surprised Naruto as he look up quickly and stare at Sasuke, but the raven-haired boy is busy staring at the distance making Naruto look where Sasuke is looking, and coming out of the alley is really Sakura the kind pinkette is here too, but he doesn't understand till he recalled that Iruka is here looking for them.
"You two should get out of here before Iruka-Sensei show up" he mumbled under his breath and then the unexpected happen Sakura is suddenly giggling like jingle bell and Sasuke didn't laugh but he smirked amusingly which leave Naruto even more confused till Sakura give him her answer.
"There's no Iruka-Sensei! I used the Jutsu that Iruka taught us about how to duplicate someone's voice into thinking it's the same person! I used it on them and boy, look how they run with their tail between their legs" Sakura giggled feeling so much better those bullies' runs off like wimps, and even Sasuke look amused as well, he remembered those guys always calling him crude names but never had the gut to face him because they're too scared. How did they participate in the Ninja Academy remain a mystery to him? Naruto let out a sigh of relief and stood up as he wiped the dust from his shirt and said.
"Thanks" and then he walks away, Sasuke and Sakura fun time has ended and swiftly turn their heads to stare at Naruto's back as he walks away. "Thank" that's it that's all he's gonna say to them and then just leaves, not they have something to say about it.
"That's it, just thanks, and then you walk away!" Sasuke exclaim and a little heated that the dobe would just walk away just like that; Naruto halted as his back still facing them and said.
"What do you want from me then?" His words are empty, but underneath it all he's aching in horrid pain since he hasn't talked to Sasuke and Sakura since then and it pains him because his friendship with them are destroyed all because of the truth he learned, it's plainly obvious that Sasuke and Sakura won't want to be around him with the Kyūbi the Harbinger of destruction and chaos; it's over.
"We don't want anything from you!" Sasuke replied.
"We want you; Naruto" Sakura added, and Naruto flinch for he didn't expect their answer, but Sakura wasn't finished yet.
"Naruto, we don't care what those Villagers think you're our friend and we…missed you! And…we don't care if you have Kyūbi inside you, you're still Naruto" she talk through him for him to understand that she and Sasuke care enough for him to the point they will do anything and stand by his side through and through. Naruto doesn't know how to respond to this he was too overwhelmed with shock that left him breathless, but the doubt clouded his mind, they just pity him, so it doesn't change a thing.
"I don't want your pity" he mumbled.
"It's not pity! Why can't you see we want us to be friends again?" Sakura yelled on top of her lungs that surprises Sasuke for once and Naruto too.
Another unexpected surprises, he received made him turn around to face them and see them in their eyes are not lies or pity but compassion and understanding, Sakura panted couple of times and then walk toward Naruto till she's face to face and told him about her history, she told him about her Father, her heritage, and why the Villagers despised her and in return Naruto look at her like she's a whole different person and by the time she finishes it, it was Sasuke's turn and told the real truth about the Uchiha Clan with every detail except for the box that his older Brother asked him keep it a secret.
By the end of it everything made sense to Naruto now, he understand why the Villagers acted this way to Sasuke and Sakura they both suffer the same thing as he did, both of them have been ignored, hated, sneered at, cursed them for being the bane of their existence and Naruto doesn't how to make of it till Sakura spoke.
"Naruto said Sakura with the kindest tune with the kindest smile.
"And accept this kind truth when we say…we in this together, and that's not gonna change" Sasuke added with a soft smirk and showed his kind eyes to his new blond friend.
Naruto's blue eyes are getting wider and wider as his mouth let it open letting out a shaky gasp and tears start to swell up in his eyes, but those are not tears of sadness, but those are the tears of overjoy and all the heavy weight lift from his shoulders. The familiar warmth that he gets from his family is the same kind of warmth he gets from them like receiving the most thoughtful gift and Naruto bring out his trembling smile that split his face, but made it glow like the sun.
The sun shines radiantly bring out its warmest glow where darkness cower from its shine and it will forever shine happily forever more.
I'm not sure if it's well, but I did the best I can and I hope to hear your thought of what you think, please and thank you.
