Eyes of the Broken Soul
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor am I affiliated in any way with Naruto. I just like the show and mangas so I wrote this fanfic.
Hey everyone, it's time for the next chapter!
In the interests of improving the quality of my story and to weed out some of the errors that sometimes slip past my beady eyes, I have now employed the help of a Beta Reader.
So I'd just like to give a big thanks to Kiiroi Senko for all your efforts in helping me and giving me your valuable input and opinion. Hopefully, this will only help to make the story that much better to read. XD
Hope you enjoy the next chapter! ^ ^
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Chapter 26 - Insight to A Broken Child
The last remnants of late afternoon sunlight quickly died away as night fell over the campsite that would house the small group of traveling parents and students throughout the evening. The warm glowing hazes of numerous campfires had already begun to ignite around the clearing, with many of the travelers huddling into small groups around the furnaces with their friends and their children's' friends beside them. Naruto silently watched from his seated position under a nearby tree as laughs and smiles flowed around the cool evening air, lost in the atmosphere of happiness and joy that seemed to fall around him.
His gaze quickly shifted from one small group to another, taking a brief moment to scan over some of the faces that etched themselves into his memories, before moving on again. The boy would instinctively shudder every now and again every time his gaze fell onto any particularly familiar faces, his body tensing up in fear as his most painful memories suddenly came flooding back to him. Ryuukimi noticed his anxiety and propped up on Naruto's lap, curiously staring at his blond companion as the boy's eyes began to turn a soft golden colour in the failing light before flashing back to their normal blue shade. He immediately knew what that meant and he couldn't help but become somewhat concerned.
"Hey Naruto-chan, what's the matter? You seem to be upset about something." The last part was more of a statement than an observation, because Ryuukimi could already feel his friends emotions. Naruto was suddenly shaken out of his trance, responding by flinching slightly as though preparing for an unknown attack. Ryuukimi just sighed at the response and then shook his head, already knowing what was going on.
"It's them isn't it? You're afraid of them... aren't you?" The young boy just stared blankly at the young dragon, before his eyes fell to the ground beneath him, seemingly lost in themselves and the pain that they bore.
"I... I recognize some of them... some of their faces." Ryuukimi just cocked his head to the side in confusion, prompting Naruto to explain.
"While I was living at the orphanage, there was this one day that came used to come every year that I hated the most, the one day that I never wanted to see. It was the day that the village celebrated the attack the Kyuubi's defeat and it..." Naruto's face scrunched up even more as the flood of nightmares flashed through his mind once more. The emotions that Ryuukimi felt at the time were almost to much to bear, but he would not dare leave his friend's side as the boy finally found the courage to speak again.
"... it was also the day I was born on. It was my birthday." After that, Naruto let out a deep shuddering breath, giving himself a moment to regain his composure before continuing his explanation, speaking in a near whisper.
"It was on that day, every year, that my orphanage would give me a 'special present' for my birthday. Some of the wardens would arrive later at night during the celebrations to fetch me from my room and then take me into this big open hall, where there were other people already waiting for me. They were villagers mostly, but there were also some shinobi as well. It was... it was the only time I was ever allowed to see anyone from the village, but it was also the only time that I never wanted to." Naruto took a moment to take a deep breath, but Ryuukimi noticed the shudder as he drew air into his lungs. He knew that he wasn't going to like what the was about to hear.
"After that... they.... they would tie up my hands and legs so that I... couldn't escape... or run away.... not that there was anywhere I could go. They said that it was because I deserved to be treated like an animal and that I should just accept it. After that they would... they would..."
The soft gentle trickle of tears began to run down Naruto's cheeks as his eyes set into a full golden tinge, while his emotion's flared uncontrollably. He couldn't even finish the words that hung at the back of his throat, his breath choking whenever he tried to speak the painful words, but Ryuukimi didn't have to hear them to know what he was going to say. The bronze dragon just snuggled up against his young friend in an effort to comfort him as best he could while allowing the boy's tears to fall on top of him without any restraint. It was all the small creature could do to help ease the pain he felt coming from his friend, although he wished there was more that he could offer.
He had already long since known about the curse that the boy was forced to bear and had never thought ill of Naruto because of it. In fact, he was one of the few friends that the cursed youngster could turn to whenever something was on his mind, no matter what time of the day it was. The young blond would often even summon him to his room in the middle of the night in order to relieve some of his tension through pained words and shed tears, although Ryuukimi never did mind the interruption to his sleep if it meant helping his friend. The dragon was always there to lend an ear, never once judging his soul mate for those scant moments of weakness, nor for the fact that he was the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
After a few more moments, Naruto moved his arms around his small friend and pulled him even closer, holding him up to his chest while his head dropped lower until it was buried into the embrace. He just held him there for a few seconds, trying to find any comfort he could gain, before finally finding within himself the strength to continue.
"It... used to go... on for hours... sometimes even right through the night." He mumbled through his sobs. "Everyone would take turns... punishing me, saying that it was their... birthday present to me and that I deserved it. Most of them were drunk or had at least been drinking, I could easily smell it on their breaths, and those were the ones who always hurt me the most. They didn't care what happened to me or how much I cried and none of the others ever even tried to help me. They all just laughed and watched while it happened."
Naruto then let go of his friend again before trying to wipe the tears from his eyes, which was proving to be difficult because of how briskly they continued to fall. "I didn't even know why they did it... I never knew why they hated me so much, just that they did. I used to wish that I could just die so that it wouldn't hurt so much anymore, or that someone kind would come and save me, but no-one ever came. I was all alone."
Ryuukimi just pawed at Naruto's arm, trying to gain his companion's attention as he did so. The young boy quickly looked up to meet in his gaze with watering eyes that still reflected the golden shine of his doujutsu, as well as the pain of his haunting past.
"Some of them are... here... aren't they? That's why you're afraid... because you recognize the faces of some of some of the people that hurt you before. You're afraid they're gonna hurt you again if they get the chance." Naruto just nodded his head numbly, prompting Ryuukimi to snuggle up against him once more, while he fought to suppress a hateful growl.
"Don't worry Naruto-chan, I won't let them hurt you. I'll protect you no matter what happens... I promise. When we're together, nothing can stop us alright."
Naruto just nodded his head again before curling up into a ball, raising his knees up to his chest while Ryuukimi climbed up further. The young dragon snuggled against his neck, covering him in the protection of his wings as they sheltered the young boy in a defensive shield while hiding his tears from the judgmental eyes of those around the campsite.
The young demon container allowed himself to bask in the comfort and warmth of his companion's touch and he immediately began to feel better already. He felt safe under the dragon's protective wings, like no one could hurt him any more or cause him pain. He could feel a strange power coming from his small friend, a power that seemed to comfort him and he knew it wouldn't hurt him either. After a few more moments of comfort, his emotions finally came under control again, much to Ryuukimi's relief, leaving only the sounds soft laughter shared between friends and families as they filtered throughout the cool night air.
'How can they act so normal and happy after they've caused someone else so much pain?' Ryuukimi thought to himself, wondering how human's could be so cruel to their own kind, especially someone so young.
'I wonder how they would feel if it was their kids that were suffering like this.' Ryuukimi's degenerating thoughts quickly melted away as his eyes wondered over to the nearby group working just in front of them, where Iruka and the others that they had been fishing with earlier finished setting up their own camping site, with a small pile of firewood in the centre waiting to be ignited.
Choza and his son, Chouji, were busy adding more logs and branches to the flammable structure while Iruka and Shikaku set out the sleeping bags that they would be sleeping in that night, having no need for tents because of the immaculate weather conditions that blessed them with a perfectly clear sky. In the mean time, Ino and Sakura were both helping their own fathers clean and prepare the fish they had caught in order to make it ready for eating, while Shikamaru just lazed about nearby. It had already been decided that the five families would be grouping together for the night, mostly because of the mutual enjoyment of one another's company.
Although he knew Naruto was still uncomfortable with being around those he didn't know too well, Iruka eventually decided that it would be a good opportunity for him to open up a bit more and get to make a few more friends. Heaven knew he needed all the friends he could get. At the same time, he could still watch over his son and make sure nothing went wrong should anyone try to harm him. As the young dragon watched the scene playing out in front of him he slowly began to relax once more, knowing that there were still those who cared.
'At least there are still some humans that are kind Naruto-chan. I think if something happened to you, they would protect you as well.'
--
After getting everything ready for the night, Iruka turned and made his way over to where his son was sitting, noting that the boy was well hidden from view under Ryuukimi's wings. He silently wondered to himself about what could have caused such an odd display, but quickly brushed it off as Naruto just being shy around so many people. The young boy seemed to notice his father's approach, because soon he was looking up again to meet his gaze, peeking from underneath the wings of his protector. Iruka just smiled at the sight of his blue eyes popping out from under cover, causing Naruto to smile as well, although rather weakly.
"Hey kiddo, I know you must be really comfortable right now, but it's time to come and eat soon. I thought it would be easier for you to start the campfire for us anyway." Ryuukimi just grumbled something under his breath after hearing that, causing Naruto to giggle softly as he remembered the joke he had made earlier that day.
"Alright dad, I'll be right there." Iruka nodded his head and then made his way back to the others leaving Naruto to collect himself off the ground. As the young boy dusted himself off, Ryuukimi climbed back up onto his shoulders once more, before whispering softly into his ear.
"Naruto... are you sure you don't want to tell him about all of this? I mean if there are people here that might try to hurt you..." Naruto just shook his head from side to side before the dragon could finish his sentence.
"No, if I told him, it would only make him worry even more. He needs to focus on this trip right now otherwise others might get hurt, so I have to be strong and handle this by myself." Naruto then looked back up to his companion with heavy eyes, ones that showed the panic he felt inside despite his efforts to remain strong.
"M... maybe... you should get going now. I'm sure your dad is worried sick about you and I don't want you to be in danger as well."
"No way!!!!" Ryuukimi snapped back, almost causing Naruto to jump in fright. "There's no way in hell that I'm leaving you here with these guys by yourself! I'm staying put until I know your safe, even if it means that I stay with you for the entire trip, so don't even try to talk me out of it!"
Naruto was about to argue the point, but the feelings he felt coming from his friend already told him that it was a futile effort to make. If anything, Ryuukimi could definitely be stubborn, especially when it came to protecting his summoner and companion, and there was nothing he could say that would change the dragon's mind now. The young boy couldn't help but smile softly at his friend's efforts to remain by his side, even through thick and thin, before silently nodding his head. After all, if their roles were reversed, he knew he'd want to stay behind as well.
"Thanks buddy..." Naruto mumbled softly. "... I really appreciate it..." Ryuukimi could feel an immediate wave of sudden relief and comfort coming from the boy he rode on and grinned in return, glad that the youngster had accepted his offer, not that there was any choice in the matter.
"Alright, then it's settled! If anyone tries to mess with us, they're gonna be smelling the burnt remains all the way back in Konoha once I'm done with them." With that said, the two made their way back to the others waiting, gaining a brief smile from Iruka and curious glances from the other kids.
"Alright Ryuukimi, you know what to do." Ryuukimi just nodded his head before breathing gently towards the gathered logs and branches, setting them ablaze in a matter of seconds as a wave of searing heat emanated from his breath.
Naruto then extended his hands towards the growing inferno, before releasing a small breeze from the tips of his fingers, feeding the flames and causing them to spread even further. It was easy enough for him to manipulate his wind based chakra to some extent without using any hand seals, much like the way he had practiced when trying to cut water in half by just using his chakra alone, although he was still only able to create small gentle breezes over short distances from his touch. It did come in handy though and he often used it whenever the opportunity presented itself in order to increase his chakra control even further, almost like a training exercise of sorts.
"Hmmm, that's pretty good chakra control you've got there." Inoichi commented rather sincerely, gaining a nervous grin from the younger male blond of the group. 'In fact, it's far higher than any academy student should be able to handle at such a young age. I wonder what he's been doing to advance so much, or better yet... why he's doing it...'
The Yamanaka quickly shoved away his wandering thoughts, deciding that he would have to ask Iruka at a later stage. By the looks on his former teammates' faces, Inoichi could tell they had similar thoughts as he did, although none of them said anything. Ino just looked at her father with a questioning stare, wondering why he would be complementing the so-called 'class dobe' in such a manner. She had always only ever seen Naruto as a pint-sized nuisance who was barely capable of scraping through the academy syllabus, let alone achieving anything special, but after seeing what he had done earlier that day she found herself becoming somewhat curious about her classmates capabilities. Naruto noticed her curious stare as her eyes wondered over to him and quickly turned away from her gaze.
He didn't like it when she looked at him like that, even when they were back in class. Her eyes always seemed to be judging him, promptly tearing him apart in their gaze and then discarding him like a pile of trash, as though he was completely unworthy of her attention. They were the same kind of eyes that had always brought him down his entire life, eyes that made him feel completely worthless deep inside. It also didn't help the way she had always treated him at school either and Sakura wasn't much better, to say the least. The only one's out of the four of them present who treated him with indifference, at least, were Chouji and Shikamaru, although that could have been written off to the fact that they just never actually talked to him either.
Once the new furnace was burning brightly, the group promptly sat around the warm blaze and settled in for their nighttime meal. Naruto sat closely next to his father with Ryuukimi taking a position on the boy's lap, while carefully trying to avoid getting too close to the others. Once they were all settled down, and their food had been cooked, Shikaku went around and handed each of them a skewered fish attached to a long stick, working his way around the group until almost everyone had their own. After making his way over to Naruto and Iruka, the handed over a piece to the scarred chunin, gaining a "thank you" as he did, before turning to face the young boy beside him, only to notice that his eyes were currently focussed on the fire, seemingly lost in a trance.
"Hey... Naruto..." He mumbled, while reaching out to gain the boy's attention. Naruto noticed the advancing hand out of the corner of his eye and began to pull away instinctively, alerting Ryuukimi immediately and causing the dragon to growl under his breath in warning. Seeing the odd reaction, Shikaku quickly withdrew his hand once again while the others watched with interest.
'Hmmm, it seems he doesn't like to be touched.' Inoichi mused to himself thoughtfully. 'Not that his dragon would let anyone come near him.'
As he continued to watch the boy carefully, he noticed Naruto's breathing begin to quicken and his body began to tremble slightly. Being a part of the Yamanaka clan meant that he had a knack for human psychology and what he was seeing was concerning. He knew what that kind of reaction could mean and he also knew what could have caused such symptoms. Being a father as well, he couldn't help but cringe at the thought of it.
'Judging by the way he's reacting and the symptoms he's displaying, it's possible that Naruto suffers from Haphophobia, or at least a similar condition. Although it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case, especially after the rumors I've heard. I may have to talk to Iruka about this.'
The said chunin had already intervened in order to ease the deteriorating situation by placing his hand on Naruto's shoulder to calm him down from his panic, before courteously taking the fish from Shikaku's hand.
"Sorry about that Shikaku, he's just not really comfortable around other people." The dark haired jounin just nodded his head in understanding before making his way back to his own position around the group, before sitting once more. The troubling glances he got from Inoichi only further enhanced his suspicions as to what Naruto had been through to cause him to act this way, but one thing was definite, it couldn't have been good at all. Once that was done, Iruka then handed his now relaxing son his meal on a stick, causing the young boy to smile nervously in return.
"Arigatou..." Naruto mumbled, barely loud enough for anyone to hear. He almost looked ashamed by his own actions, something that the younger half of the group noticed easily in the sound of his voice and the look on his face.
After a few moments of awkward silence, they all eventually dug into their evening meals, with Naruto sharing his own food with Ryuukimi as well. The young dragon would often swallow his own fish whole, which was quite surprising considering the size of his mouth. True to his prediction, both generations of the Akamichi present managed to finish off their entire catch in a single sitting, although no-one seemed to be surprised by that revelation.
Once they were all done, the group began to talk in amongst themselves, reflecting back on the passing day and everything that they had seen so far. After a few more minutes of aimless rambling, the conversation eventually moved onto more exotic topics as the older members of the group began to recall some of their own adventures as ninja, enrapturing the youngsters with their heroic tales of dangerous pursuits and astonishing battles.
Even the two would-be kunoichi of the group seemed to have their interests piqued and would often interrupt the glorious tales to ask a question or two. Even Shikamaru himself paid attention, despite everyone's growing surprise. Naruto, however, just sat their quietly the entire time, completely lost in a trance has his imagination was enraptured by the descriptions that fell onto his ears, painting the images of what the adults were describing throughout the colourful landscape of his young and adventurous mind. To be able to see the world, to live a life of adventure and excitement where no-one would judge him and there were no villagers to torture him, it was almost to good to be true for the young blond. Suddenly the life of a shinobi seemed that much more mystifying and enticing and he couldn't help but look forward to the time when he would have a story of his own to tell as well.
Of course, the darker sides of such a profession were far more severe than the present youngsters could ever hope to imagine, but their parents would not divulge in that truth for some time to come. That cold, dark reality was something they would forgo teaching for now, allowing the kids to enjoy the fantasies that made their innocence glow so brightly, an innocence that would remain for a few years still.
--
"... and then Choza... hahaha... he tried to use his clan's multi-sized jutsu, but because his chakra paths were so screwed up from the poison he was hit with, his ass ended up growing to the size of a small house... hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The older Akamichi could only shake his head in embarrassment as Shikaku went about the retelling of one of his more embarrassing moments as a shinobi, noting the bewildered look on his son's face as he did. Off to the side, Ino and Sakura were both trying their hardest not to role on the floor laughing as well and even Naruto seemed to giggle under his breath, the sound of which startled some of the present witnesses at how innocent it sounded, especially those who knew how he was treated. Shikamaru was also grinning and mumbling something about 'troublesome rear ends' while Chouji blushed at seeing his own father's embarrassment.
"Of course..." Shikaku continued through his laughter. "... it took an entire squadron of ninja to carry the big lug all the way back to Konoha after he promptly finished off the enemy shinobi by sitting on them, which he only managed to do because they were too busy laughing their insides out to even fight back."
"We couldn't even fit him through the hospital door when we got back, hehehehe!!!!" The dark haired man finished, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Yeah, that was quite some time..." Inoichi interrupted, trying to hold back his own tears of laughter. "...I still remember Ibiki complaining about how bad his 'prisoners' smelled when it came around to interrogating them. It didn't take long for him to get the information though, all he had to do was threaten them with another meeting with Choza's rear end, HAHAHAHA!!!!!"
By now, the said man had turned completely red in the face from embarrassment, but even despite this, his own burly laughs still managed to pierce through the air as they rattled from under his breath. No matter how embarrassing it had been for him a the time, he still couldn't help but laugh at it now that he looked back again. After giving themselves a few more moments to settle down, Shikaku held in his stomach tightly in order to ease the pain in his muscles from laughing so hard before letting out a deep breath of relief. The dark haired jounin then turned his attention to the young blond boy sitting from across the flames, noting that the youngster hadn't spoken a single word the entire evening. Deciding to break the ice, so to speak, the jounin spoke up.
"So... Naruto..." The boy almost visibly jumped as his name was called out, somewhat surprised at being addressed so directly. Normally, when people other than who he considered family were interested in him, it only ever meant he would get hurt in some way or another. The jounin seemed to notice his reaction, because he allowed for a brief pause before he continued.
"You... seem to be quite skilled in your abilities for someone so young. I never expected an academy student to be able to perform the water walking exercise so soon, never mind using elemental manipulation like you did just now. You must have had a good teacher..." Naruto just scratched the back of his head before taking a deep gulp, noting that all eyes present were now focused on him, waiting for an explanation.
"Well.... um... I actually had a few teachers you see. They all helped me become stronger so that I could protect myself properly..."
Naruto's voice seemed to trail off at the end of his explanation, almost becoming nothing more than a mere whisper that could barely be heard, but everyone managed to make out what the boy had said. After the few moments of uncomfortable silence that had followed, Ino finally spoke up and asked the question on everyone else's minds except for Iruka's and Ryuukimi's.
"What... are you protecting yourself from?"
Naruto's eyes seemed to wander to the floor as he heard the question, the look of pain becoming that much more evident on his face. Shikamaru just raised his eyebrows in surprise, wondering what would cause such a reaction while Chouji began to nervously chew on the end of his stick that was still in his grasp.
"It's so that I can protect myself from... from everyone else..." The boy whispered painfully.
The present adults simply frowned in dismay, sensing just how much weight the boy's words carried as well as the pain that was clearly evident hidden deep inside. Ino was about to respond again, but the sudden touch of a hand falling on her shoulder quickly alerted her to her father's shaking head, causing her to hold her tongue despite the overwhelming urge to learn more.
"But..." Everyone turned to face Naruto again as he started to whisper once more. "But what I really want to protect... are the ones that I love. That's why I really want to become stronger." After that, Naruto turned to look up at his father with a small frown.
"Dad... I think I'm going to go to sleep now. I'll see you in the morning." Iruka was saddened by the amount of anguish held in Naruto's voice as the young boy pulled himself up into his sleeping bag, with Ryuukimi plonking down firmly at his side. When the scarred chunin turned back to face the rest of his present company, he couldn't help but notice the pained expressions on the adults' faces as well as the curious stares of their younger copies. Shikaku himself seemed to be the most affected by what had happened, immediately regretting bringing up the boy's training.
"I'm sorry guys, it's hard to explain everything that he's feeling right now. I think it's better that we just give him some time to sleep it off."
--
A few hours had passed since Naruto had retired for the night and everyone else had also since embraced the unavoidable call of sleep. The entire clearing was now bathed in darkness, illuminated only by the gentle caress of soft moonlight as it gazed down from the sky above. Iruka began to shuffle in his own sleeping bag, having been unable to sleep properly after what had happened earlier that evening. He could see that something was troubling Naruto and he knew that the boy was trying to hide it from him, but he just didn't know what it was. It was for this reason that the chunin instructor, come father, now found himself sitting up from the ground in the middle of the night.
"Maybe I should try talking to him..." He mused to himself. Iruka turned to wake Naruto up from his own slumber, only to find the boy's sleeping bag already empty, with only Ryuukimi inhabiting the space that once held his son.
"Hmmm, so I guess I'm not the only one who can't sleep tonight." He mumbled quietly to himself. "Although I'm surprised he managed to sneak out without Ryuukimi noticing, I guess the stealth training with Anko really came in handy."
Iruka quickly pulled himself out from under his covers before walking away from the campsite, following his fatherly instincts as they guided his way through the darkened woods towards where he could feel his son. It wasn't the first time he had found Naruto wandering about in the middle of the night and he knew it wouldn't be the last. The boy would often sneak outside his bedroom at home to go and sit on the swinging bench that occupied the back of their garden whenever something was on his mind. It was during those times that Iruka was most concerned about his son's wellbeing.
After wandering for a few minutes, the young man eventually felt the faint signs of chakra being released in the nearby distance. Following the barely noticeable signature, he quickly made his way through the dense forest until he finally stumbled upon the same river that they had fished from earlier that day. There, right in the centre of the stream, was a glowing sphere of golden light, floating atop the water's surface, while gently illuminating the surrounding area with a warm haze that seemed to flow into the very world itself. The scant trails of ripples could clearly be seen coming from the centre of the glow, moving away from its source while reflecting the golden hew along the waters surface, causing it to shimmer in rings of wavering light.
It was the most beautiful sight Iruka had ever seen in his life. It was almost as though he had stumbled upon another world, a magical world filled with enchantment and wonder. His eyes slowly made there way to the centre of the light, only to see the young blond he had been searching for standing in the middle of the sphere, holding his hands spread out in front of him with open palms. After a few more seconds had passed, the light suddenly faded away, causing the surrounding area to be enveloped in darkness once more.
Iruka noticed Naruto's body suddenly begin to collapse towards the waters surface and quickly shunshined over to where he was standing, catching him before he fell into the stream. The boy panicked when he felt himself being held up by someone's arms, but then relaxed when he looked up to see his father's face.
"Oh... dad... it's you." The boy panted, no longer able to hold himself up any longer. "I thought you... might have been... someone else..." Iruka was about to say something in response, but paused when he caught sight of Naruto's hands.
Glowing faintly on his open palms, were the intricate trails of golden patterns, glowing warmly in the darkness, forming a strange looking seal as the met at the centre of his hands. The scarred chunin watched on with interest as the patterns slowly began to melt away, flowing towards their centre until they could no longer be seen at all.
'I guess those are the seals that only react to his life force. They look the same as as the one's he had when he came back from his little solo adventure'. After that, he took Naruto over to the shoreline and set him down into a sitting position, allowing the boy to regain his breath as they both looked out over the river.
"So... I see you're still trying to practice the new jutsu that you learned from your scroll..." Naruto just nodded his head quietly, still trying to recuperate from his fatigue.
"Yeah, but it's a lot... harder than I thought. That one still takes... a lot out of me whenever... I use it. I tried to practice it while I was on the water like Kurenai taught me so that I could increase my chakra control, but even that doesn't seem to work properly." Naruto then leaned over to the edge of the river, running his fingers along the surface of the gently flowing stream.
"I still haven't been able to do the other one properly either..." Iruka could hear the slight tinge of disappointment in Naruto's voice and quickly placed his arm around the boy's shoulder, pulling him in closer until he was right up to his side.
"Don't worry kiddo, I'm sure you'll get it sooner or later, it's just a matter of time, that's all." Naruto just smiled gently as he heard the chunin's words, digging his head into the man's side, allowing himself the comfort of his warmth. No matter how down he was or how bad he felt, he could always count on his father to be there for him. He was always there to comfort him and to hold him warmly in his arms, even when the rest of the world turned a blind eye to his pain.
"Thanks dad..." The two continued to sit their for a few minutes, neither one wanting to go back to the encampment just yet. It was enough to just be in one another's arms, it was all they needed. As Naruto's hands continued to trail across the edge of the river, Iruka notice the golden hew in his eyes reflecting off the waters surface. The young boy just continued to stare blankly at the dark stream in front of him, his gaze never once wavering from their view. The scarred chunin could only wonder what he was seeing through those eyes.
"So Naruto... what's it like?" Naruto looked up to his father with a questioning stare. "I mean... what does it look like, when you look a the world with those eyes." The young boy just smiled warmly, before looking back down again, lost in the vibrant images of what he was seeing.
"It's... beautiful. It's like the whole world just comes to life right in front of you. Everything is so much warmer and more colourful... even the river itself looks alive. It's like I can see its spirit flowing through the water, just like everything else I look at." Naruto then set his head down on Iruka's lap before gently closing his eyes. The young boy curled up tightly in the man's arms while Iruka's fingers stroked through his hair in a soothing manner. It felt warm when his father held him like that, it felt peaceful.
"Even.... even we can be just as beautiful as well if we try" the young boy whispered silently, causing his father to flinch. "Even we can light up the world and fill it with happiness. I know that.... because I could see it when I looked into her eyes."
At that very moment, the memories of the young girl that he had saved in the hospital began to flash through Naruto's mind as he spoke, causing his lips to curl up into a warm smile. She had the most beautiful soul he had ever seen in his life and the warmth of her eyes would forever hold a place in his heart. They were the eyes that gave him strength, they were eyes that were filled with love and hope, not just for her but for him as well.
Iruka just sat there quietly in the silence that followed, not knowing what to say or how to respond. After a few moments he could feel Naruto's breathing lessen until it was a steady slow rhythm, signifying that he was now asleep. The young man just continued to stroke through his son's hair, his eyes never once leaving the curled up form of the boy lying in his arms, the special child that had touched his heart and allowed him to gain the love of a family again.
'Naruto, I wish I could see what you see. To be able to see the world for what it truly is, to see past all the illusions and walls, past all the lies, hatred and anger... and.... sadness. You're the only one who can truly see the pain of those around you and you're also the only one who can see the same hope needed to heal those wounds..... the wounds of a person's soul. I just.... I just wish the rest of the world could see just how special you really are. You're a gift to this world and if I was able to see it, I'm know that your soul is the one that shines brighter than the rest of them.'
After allowing himself a few minutes to just relax under the soft glow of moonlight, the chunin finally picked his sleeping son up off the ground and made his way back to the camp with the bundle in his arms. He never once noticing the numerous eyes that watched them carefully from the darkness as they made there way back to the clearing. Once the two were out of view, a soft voice whispered out from the shadows.
"It seems we missed our chance to kill him now. I told you we should have attacked while he was still alone."
"No..." Another voice responded sharply. "We still don't know what jutsu that kid was using right now. It would have been reckless to just rush in without any plan or forethought, although I'd expect nothing less from a group of hired mercenaries."
A cold sneer whispered in response, carrying across the breeze as a group of figures stepped out from the bushes that had hidden their shadowy forms, looking back towards the area of their target.
"You're one of us if I remember correctly, but even still you have a point. We'll wait until the moment is right and when that time comes, then we will strike without mercy or restraint. The boy will die before he ever sees the walls of Konoha again, along with anyone unfortunate to get in our way."
--
As the early morning sunlight slowly crept into the small clearing, the scant sound of shuffling began to fill the air as tired bodies slowly rose from their slumber. The small eyes of a certain young boy began to pry themselves open in the ensuing noise that followed, focussing their blurred vision until the rest of the world finally came back into view.
"Is it... morning already...?" Naruto was about to sit up from the floor, when he noticed a small weight pressing against his body, pinning it firmly in place. The young boy looked down to see what it was that held him down, only to notice Ryuukimi's sleeping form lying on top of him with his wings spread out over his body, almost as if to protect him from harm.
"He's been there the whole night you know..." Naruto turned to face the voice that addressed him, to see Iruka's smiling face approaching in his direction. The young man just giggled when he saw the confusion on his son's expression, although it didn't help that the boy also looked like he had just walked into a hurricane with the way his hair stood on end like that.
"After I carried you back last night, I found him pacing around your sleeping bag in a complete state of panic. He was so worried that someone had taken you away that he was almost ready to tear the whole forest apart just to find you. Needless to say, since then he wouldn't move from that spot, just so he could make sure you didn't go missing again." Naruto looked back down to the small creature sleeping on top of him, before gently stroking the top of the dragon's head, gaining an incoherent mumble as he did.
"Yeah... he's a really good friend. I'm glad he's here with me." Iruka just nodded his head in understanding. He knew the dragon was extremely protective over Naruto, in fact just as much as he was. He also knew that the small creature was a lot more powerful than he appeared to those that didn't know him and he felt sorry for the poor soul that dared to try and harm his charge.
After releasing a tired yawn, the young boy pushed himself off the floor again, causing Ryuukimi to slide down his body and into his lap. The young creature's eyes quickly popped open in panic from the sudden movement but he relaxed again when he saw Naruto smiling down at him with a lazy expression.
"Morning buddy." The boy mumbled sleepily, while stretching his arms into the air.
"Eh... Morning Naruto-chan..." The dragon responded groggily.
After sharing their tired greetings, the two youngsters wearily got out of their bed for the night and helped Iruka clear up their belongings, packing them up again in order to get on the move once more. The trail that they were following was still quite long ahead of them and they still had a reasonable distance to cover for the day. Once the entire group was ready to move, Iruka lead them out of the clearing once more and back onto their path.
After about and hour had passed, they eventually found themselves walking along a long path that seemed to follow around the side of a small mountain, cutting straight through the forest that bordered Konoha. The ground itself had been worn away from hundreds of years of erosion and whether effects, creating a carved out trail through the mountainside that was easy to traverse, even for the younger half of the group. Now that they were out of the protective shade of the trees, the sun bore down on all of them with little mercy. Many of the travelers resorted to wiping their brows on a regular basis, if only to try and remove the sweat that plagued them in the scorching heat, while others tried to use whatever they could for shade.
It was at times like this that Naruto appreciated his 'headgear' more than any other, with the dragon's wings providing more than enough shelter to keep him cool and protected from the harsh burning rays. Ryuukimi himself didn't seem to mind the heat at all, in fact he almost looked comfortable in it, and heaven only knows that dragons never sweat either. There was also another technique that the young boy used to keep himself cool in the overwhelming heat and that was to create a small current of air to flow around his body, emanating just off the edge of his skin. Unfortunately, it still took him quite a bit of concentration to maintain such a flow of air, but he knew that the more he practiced the better he would get at it until it eventually became second nature.
As the small group made their way further into nature, Naruto noticed the curious glances coming from the ones he had spent with the previous night with. Ino would often look back at him with a confused expression on her face, as if she were lost in thought about something, before turning forward again soon afterwards. He received similar reactions from Sakura and chouji as well whenever they would spare him a glance and he couldn't help but frown in confusion. Even Shikamaru would take the time to quickly glance back at him, before mumbling something incoherent under his breath.
"Why are they all looking at back me all the time? Do I have something on my face?" Naruto whispered softly, only loud enough for Ryuukimi to hear. The small dragon had also noticed the curious expressions on the faces of their young observers, but he already knew what the cause probable was.
"You mean other than the whiskers?" He retorted jokingly. Naruto just pouted slightly, causing Ryuukimi to smirk at the reaction. "Well maybe it's about what happened last night. I mean you did mention the fact that there were people after you, even if it was indirectly. They might just be curious about what happened, or maybe they're afraid you might get hurt." Naruto just grunted at the implications of what his small companion was saying, scowling as he did.
"Yeah right, as if they'd care what happened to me. They never cared when I was hurt before. They never cared when I came into class with blood on my clothes and bruises on my face..." Ryuukimi felt his friend pause for a brief moment, his voice trailing off as he mentioned the cruelty of his past caretakers, before continuing again.
"They... they never cared... when I had been beaten within... an inch of my life the night before. They always thought I was just getting myself into trouble all the time, that I was the one who had done something wrong and was punished fairly. They just... laughed... at me like it was some kind of joke. None of them ever tried to see if I was alright."
The young dragon just let out another anxious huff, immediately realizing that this was not the best train of thought for his friend to be following at the moment. The pain he felt at the time was definitely not healthy, nor were the implications of the boy's words. He had only ever heard about what Naruto had been through at his orphanage during their heart to heart talks together, but the emotions he felt right now gave him some idea as to what unimaginable pain the boy must have endured to make him feel this way. It wasn't the beatings or the physical wounds that hurt the most though. What hurt the most was the fact that no-one ever cared enough to offer a loving hand to help pick him back up again.
He had no friends to stand by his side in order to support him during his moments of pain and weakness. There was no-one to comfort him, or to hold him in their arms while he was crying while telling him everything would be alright. No.... all his tears would be shed alone, with only the darkness to see them falling from his eyes. The only thing he could rely on, the only thing that gave him strength before Iruka had eventually come into his life and saved him, were the dreams of a better future to see him through the darkness, dreams that were often forced to endure the hateful attacks on his soul by those who would never understand his pain.
"I'm sorry Naruto-chan." Ryuukimi finally responded, somewhat glumly. "I know it must be hard to believe that they could ever care about you, especially after what's happened, but not everyone is that bad. Maybe they can change into better people."
Naruto just sunk his head despondently, wondering if there was any truth to the dragon's words. He wanted to believe them, he wanted to know that he could be accepted by those around him, but every time he thought about it, the memories of his terrible past came flooding back to haunt him. He was just becoming so tired of trying to get people to accept him all the time only to have them hurt him in the process. No matter what he did to gain their approval, he only ever received their cruelty instead, even when he tried to save the life of a young girl. Demon... monster... that was all they ever saw in him, but he knew he was more than that. He knew he deserved to be loved just as much as anyone else. The young dragon noticed his friends lack of response and spoke once more, trying to break the icy silence that had washed over them.
"Naruto-chan, maybe you should just give them the chance to get to know you. Maybe if they see what you've been through, they might understand more. Don't give up just yet." Naruto took a moment to think about what his friend was offering, wondering if he could ever achieve what was being proposed, after all, it wasn't like he tried to avoid them before. They just never returned his attempts to befriend them.
After a few more moments of silence followed, a sudden commotion alerted the two youngsters to a growing development in front of them. Naruto looked up as he heard the brief snickers of a certain trio of male shinobi as they watched a forth slowly approach the two Uchiha brothers that were walking slightly further ahead in the group. Shikaku, Choza and Inoichi couldn't help but laugh as they watched one Kioshi Haruno walk up along side Sasuke and Itachi, with his daughter, Sakura, being too busy talking to Ino to even notice what was happening with her father.
"This can't be good..." Naruto mumbled quietly to himself, almost instantly forgetting the conversation that he had just been involved in.
On top of his head, Ryuukimi couldn't help but giggle softly under his breath at what he was seeing. He had heard all about the Uchiha clan and about the class fangirls that flocked to worship the very ground they walked on. He also knew that the parents of such girls, especially their fathers, were not always too happy about the blatant displays of affection. After all, what father could bear to so their daughter's heart stolen away by the affections for another man, or boy in this case. Everyone who noticed, watched on with a keen interest as the scene unfolded right before their eyes.
"So, you must be this 'Sasuke Uchiha' that my daughter keeps on blabbering on about all the time" Kioshi growled, with a slight hint of venom in his words.
The said boy just looked over to the man with a curious glance while Itachi just slapped his forehead in disbelief. The older Uchiha already knew what was coming from his own past experience, although he couldn't help the small grin that appeared on the corner of his lips. He would definitely enjoy this. Further behind the unfolding scene, the older InoShikaCho trio were trying their best not to collapse on the spot.
"Yeah... what of it?" Sasuke eventually replied nonchalantly, using the same strategy he always used to get away from the raging mass of hormones that made up his endless list of fangirls. This only caused the older man to fume even more at the seemingly complete lack of respect.
"Look here kid! I will not have some little punk trying to steal my daughter's innocent heart. She's too young and naive to be in love with anyone, much less with a kid who hasn't even gone through puberty yet!!!!"
By now, the three men watching were basically crawling on the floor in laughter, alerting the two unknowing girls besides them to the events taking place nearby. Sasuke himself just stared blankly at the source of the verbal assault, completely flabbergasted by what he was hearing. If Naruto could have taken a picture right there, he would have done so without a moment's pause. After all, it wasn't everyday you got to see the normally calm and collected Uchiha so stunned, or to see three grown men crying so much even though they were tears of laughter.
"Um... I think you've made a mistake..." Sasuke drabbled nervously. "I haven't actually done anything..."
"Bullshit!!!!' Kioshi cut him off. "You Uchiha are all the same!!!! Thinking you deserve everyone's attention when your just...."
"DAD!!!!!"
Kioshi quickly turned around to see a fuming Sakura walking over to his direction, having now noticed the indignant assault on the love of her life, while cracking her knuckles in the palm of her hand and causing the older man to cringe like a child about to be scolded. Naruto just giggled nervously as he watched the pink haired girl grab her father by the hand before dragging him off to the side of the path, where she proceeded to give him a piece of both of her collective minds. Sasuke could only watch with a nervous twitch in his eyes as the man was punished by his daughter's righteous fury.
"Man.... and I thought I had it rough when it came to girls. He actually has to live with her." Itachi just walked over to where his younger brother stood in a daze, placing his hand gently on the boy's shoulder.
"It all comes with being an Uchiha... foolish little brother..." The older of the two mumbled while shaking his head as his head as the memories of his own fangirl experiences flashed through his mind. After that, he poked Sasuke on his forehead to force him out of his stupor, causing the boy to rub his temples angrily.
"Dammit Itachi!!!!!! If I get permanent brain damage, it's all your fault you know!!!!!!!" Itachi just waved his hand dismissively as he continued to make his way forward down the path, while hiding the smirk plastered across his face. He knew Sasuke only used his actual name when he was pissed off. Sometimes it was just way to easy to upset his little brother.
"It's Itachi-niichan to you, or just nii-chan..." He sneered, emphasizing the title for further effect. "Besides, you'd actually need a brain for that kind of damage to be of concern. Now lets get going before the rest of them decide to try their luck as well." This only caused the fuming boy to scowl even more, until the thoughts of the remaining overprotective fathers paying him a visit flashed through his mind.
"Whatever nii-chan!" He then quickly ran up to his brother's side as the two carried on about their business, with Sasuke nervously checking over his shoulder from time to time just to make sure he was still safe.
Not too far back, Sikaku, Choza and Inoichi were rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter at having witnessed the scene. It had gone even better then they could have possibly hoped to see or could ever hope to see again, especially with Sakura's added dramatic reaction thrown into the fray. After a few moments of humorous outbursts and rolling tears, the three eventually recovered from their splitting sides and began to make their way forward again.
"Well..." Choza began, still holding his sides as they seethed in pain. "... if I had known that I would be laughing so much on this trip, I would have opted to go sooner." Shikaku couldn't help but nod his head in agreement. What he had assumed would be a boring field trip was quickly turning out to be the best time he had ever had in his life. Not to mention the endless amounts of surprises he had witnessed in so short a time, most of them coming from a certain young blond.
Speaking of whom, Naruto and Ryuukimi were both also recovering from their own tears of laughter. The young boy had never seen Sasuke so shocked in al his life and it was something that he would always remember for years to come. He would definitely pay to see that again, hell he'd even give up ramen for a week just to replay what had happened. After finally calming down, the young boy looked up to his friend with a newfound smile, causing the young dragon to warm at the sight.
"Maybe you're right after all Ryuukimi-chan..." he giggled, before looking forward again. "Maybe people aren't so bad after all. Maybe there's still a chance..." Ryuukimi just nodded his head in agreement, his own doubts also being eased as well, although his friend couldn't see the reaction. He was just glad to feel the boy cheering up again without his own efforts being necessary to help.
The small group of Konoha citizens continued along their journey into the great unknown, with parents and children, brothers and sisters, friends and family all by their sides. Little did they know of the hidden danger waiting in the depths of the shadows for the right moments to strike or the difficulties they would soon have to face. But the hearts of a group of would be shinobi would soon learn just what it means to truly survive.
There souls would soon be tested in a trial by fire.
--
Well, that's it for this chapter. More exciting scenarios begin on the next chapter! I'd also like to say thanks once again to my new Beta Reader Kiiroi Senko, who's efforts are appreciated.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!