I finally got my internet back! Yay! And I actually meant to post this yesterday, but I sorta forgot this was an interlude... ^^;

Additionally, this chapter was inspired by "October Tenth" by Taisi. It's a very good read and I recommend it! It's rather sad though, but that's sorta what got me in the mood to write this chapter lol.

Read. Enjoy. Review! XD

Disclaimer:I own nothing!

—Interlude: Once Upon a Time…—

Once upon a time there was a boy.

Alone, he grew up.

He had no family. No loving glances, no sweet words of comforts, no hugs or kisses on the forehead. No pats on the head, or praises of pride.

Nothing like what he saw the other kids receive.

No. Instead, he received glares of hatred and scorn. Muttered insults and whispered slurs — obviously not meant for his ears but reaching them anyway — that scathed and confused him. Scowls of disgust that hurt him. Faces twisted with anger and abhorrence. Pointed ignorance. Outright avoidance from the children he was so desperate to play and make friends with.

The worse were the look – those icy eyes that bored into his soul and chilled him to the bone with their absolute disgust, hatred, and contempt.

Very few reached out. Very, very few, and only when those with the icy eyes went after him (sometimes, they even came in groups), for a reason beyond his imagination, with violent intent and vehemence in their glares.

Those that did help him were hidden behind masks, done only because of duty — to stop the hatred from going too far, to remind (though he didn't know it) them of the consequences.

There were even less that didn't look upon him with hatred – that went out of their way to treat him with kindness. The Sandaime Hokage, who visited him every once in a while. The cook and his daughter at the ramen stall that served the most delicious food on the planet – the food of Kings!

It soothed the pain; the hurt. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough.

For so long, he wondered why. Why? Why him? Whywhywhywhy?

It ran through his mind, racing and pulsing and festering.

'What did I do? What's wrong with me? Why am I so alone?'

Until he just didn't care anymore.

But then, he realized…

It was an accident. He didn't mean to, really. He tripped.

He didn't mean to stumble and knock into the stand of tomatoes; he didn't mean for them to fall and spill, where people tripped over and smashed them, the red fruit getting everywhere.

But it made him laugh; the faces were erased of the loathing and replaced with a composition of shock. It bubbled in his gut, climbing up his throat, spilling from his lips.

And it made others laugh too!

Until they saw it was him, and yelled and started chasing him…

But, for just a moment, the hatred, the icy glares were gone, vanished, banished from sight.

From a prank.

He made people laugh. And when he was chased, they were angry, but he wasn't ignored.

So, under the weight of hatred, he grinned, and plotted, and acted.

So they wouldn't look at him and see him then?

Then he'd make them acknowledge him. Somehow, someway, in any capacity.

Pranks were just a good a way as any, and awesome to boot.

o.O.o

Once upon a time, there was a girl.

With confliction, she grew up.

She was loved, let that not be mistaken, but she was also… loathed. Feared. Secluded.

One would figure that the heiress of a clan would be treated with love, kindness, and respect.

Not her. Not the heiress to a dying clan.

(The Kyuubi attack years ago all but demolished the once prestigious clan. Not many were left, and those that were, were splintered. It would never be whole, not for a long time, if ever.)

Her mother and father were her source of solace, as well as some of the other members of her clan.

She would never understand why, while her parents, and her grandparents, and some of her relatives as well as other clan members treated her decently, others disguised their distaste and dislike with cold dismissal.

Why hurtful whispers came from those she considered family, why stinging taunts came from her uncle.

Not until much later, when she was older.

(Weak. You're weak. Get up girl. Do you want to be seen as a disgrace to the clan? You'll never amount to anything. This clan needs a leader that will make it rise back to what it once was. A shame that you are the heiress to this clan – you'll only lead it to ruin with that lack of talent of yours.)

But she persevered. She got back up, resolved herself to get better. She allowed herself to be pushed – used the taunts as motivation, used it to drive her. She would be strong – nothing would stop her. She would make her clan proud, do whatever it took (but it was never enough; never, ever enough, no matter what she did, no matter how she succeeded. it seemed grasping the elements like a fish took to water only made it worse).

Nothing seemed to work.

(Daddy called her a prodigy, to be able to go so far in the training of the elements, to be able to even manage some of the minor ninjutsu of a few, so young, but was she really? Getting stronger only seemed to push them away, only seemed to fortify the disdain, increase the fear, further the seclusion. Why, when she was only doing what she supposed to be doing?)

And then they were gone.

Rumors razed, but no one, no one outside the clan ever expected the civil war that broke out.

(Flames devouring, burning; scorch marks littering the ground; gouges in the ground, trees sliced in halves; puddles lingering, wetness clinging; mounds of earth, chunks of rocks in the middle of man-made craters. Attacks flew everywhere in a confusion and flurry of elemental ninjustu, along with kunai and shuriken, all in the fray of chaos. Disaster and destruction and bodies lying everywhere. And her father – oh, Kami, her father! Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! Why won't you wake up! A heart wrenching sob. Please! Daddy!)

As she wallowed in the grief, the guilt, the loss, and the pain, whispers – Gods, didn't they realize she could hear them? – circuited around her incessantly, angering her as well as saddening her, sending her to spiral even deeper into her depression.

In the stead of those glares of despise were now the lingering stares of pity.

(She'd take the hateful stares and the hurtful taunts in their place any day. If only to have Daddy's soft, loving gaze rest upon her once more; if only to have the district bustle as it once did before.)

But they were gone. They were gone, and her clan was nothing but her mother and herself.

No matter. She was going to be an heiress that the clan would be proud of – that her father would be proud of.

(She just wished her dad was there to see her.)

The Higurashis would rise once again. She would see to it.

o.O.o

Once upon a time, the boy came across the girl.

It was at a park, deserted as dusk threatened to darken the sky.

But there she was. Alone. Swaying idly on the swings, her feet toeing the sand lazily.

Where, he wondered, are her parents? Her friends?

Hope flickered at the pit of his gut –is she alone like me? – before he quashed it as quick as it came.

He would never wish the same fate as him on anyone else.

So he meandered closer, as it was on his way back to his empty apartment, intent on just passing by.

Surely, like all the others, she wouldn't come near him either.

Why bother trying?

But as he came closer, the sound of his footsteps must have caught her attention for she looked up.

Naruto's steps faltered as their eyes locked, recognizing the haunted look in the girl's eyes as one similar to his own.

Kagome stiffened as she recognized the withdrawn look in the boy's eyes as one similar to her own.

Loneliness battled in both their eyes; hers mingled with hurt, grief, and loss which pained him; his mingled with longing, confusion, and a different kind of hurt which pained her.

And then, to Naruto's shock, the girl offered a tentative, shaky smile – so kind, sweet, kinda broken, but it was a smile – and followed up with a lame wave.

Naruto just froze on the spot, eyes widening, and when the smile faltered – no, no, don't go away! – he awkwardly waved back, struck dumb.

And the smile returned, brighter than before, and the girl straightened, sending a fleeting look to the empty swing beside her before returning to him.

Naruto's mind sputtered to a standstill at the sight, confused and a little suspicious all in one – because it wasn't the first time someone offered to play, only to turn out to be an asshole that thought they could bully him, but he didn't stand for it then of course so he kicked their asses (well, sort of. he was scrawny but he was a scrapper and he gave as good as he go, dattebayo!) – but she was a girl, and she had a look that was sort of kinda the same as his, so maybe she wasn't so bad?

So he veered off the path, feet padding onto the sand, making way towards the swing set. Eyes staying on her the whole time, which was unnerving because her own eyes were watching his own like a hawk, never wavering, and he apprehensively sat on the swing set.

And then, she looked away, kicked at the ground a little so she swung a bit. He did the same, not knowing what else to do.

"Hi." The voice was soft, shy, but kinda sweet sounding. Tinkling. Like bells.

Naruto grinned slightly at it, and when the girl peered over at him, her lips quirked, unbidden.

He had a grin that made her want to smile too.

"Hi!" Naruto chirped back, confidence boosted at her faint initiation of a conversation. "My name's Naruto, dattebayo! What's yours?"

His voice, so bright and cheery that, in the light of his obvious anguish, made her spirits lift.

She blinked dark blue eyes at him, and they crinkled at him as she grinned at him in return. "I'm Kagome!"

They were both lonely.

But who said they couldn't be lonely together?

Words— 1,703

This interlude made me sad :/ But, I dunno, I really liked it. I hope you all do too! ;) It was a different style of writing than I'm used to, so that was interesting to write.

Anyway, I actually realized this is the last completed chapter I have… ^^; So, there's a chance I might not update this fic on Friday. But! I'll see what I can whip up, eh? I'm really rusty on fight scenes, so it's giving me a bit of trouble, but it's partially written nonetheless. I just wanted to warn you guys just in case.

Well, your thoughts?

-RainLily^^

A big huge honking thanks to all those who read, alerted, and fav'd this fic, and to these awesome reviewers!

SeaShellSakura, RasenShuriken92, Mzr90, xXCrossoverLoverXx, Venas, kitsune2477, Kyuubi lover 98, ForgottenOncePromised, irzenmonk, fierynightangel, Crystalove09, Valleygoat, CrescentMelody, Tenshi 'Gome, Black Lily Angel, x0Whispering Winds0x, darkhanyouqueen, SweetHunniiBunnii