Prelude
Sometimes, to uncover your greatest potential, all you ever need is a friend. A story of true friendship and hardships. Eventual Naru/Hina, one sided Sasu/Naru.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
It was another day in Konoha, the village hidden in the leaves. The sun was blooming, a common occurrence at that hour, and the merchants were happily making their livings in harmonic cacophony. The day was having the characteristics of a simple, trivial, yet perfect day. Then again, if looked closely, the surface happiness would always reveal a darker, gloomy story.
In the Southeastern section of the village, the 18th civilian district to be exact, laid a three floor tall complex, seemingly needing a renovation. The Konoha Main Orphanage, decreed in the aftermath of the Kyuubi's attack for war orphans, was in turmoil.
An audience of grubby faced children and a stout old woman surrounded a butt-fallen, shaking form.
Four year old Naruto was afraid. He had always been an eager boy, trying to please his peers and caretaker regardless of their undeniable yet inexplicable resentment towards his self; he had always tried to imitate the "good" behavior of the older kids, always tried to do favors, instinctively seeking some attention, the barest hint of a compliment... But now, in the center of these angry faces, he knew...He knew everything he had done was in vain, and it hurt.
Gathering a front, tears freely falling from his cheeks, the boy screamed: " I-I don't do it. I SWER!"
Children, intuitive little devils they are, know when to take an opportunity when presented.
Hence,
"LIAR!" - easily retaliated the mob.
Feebly standing from the stone cold floor, red faced and with crunched knuckles, Naruto screamed towards the nearest face: " I DON'T Do IT! I SWER! I SWER!"
"LIAR! LIAR!" - the unmoving crowd chanted.
Unknown to Naruto, a pale faced girl outside the first boundary of encirclement was shaking in righteous indignation. Naruto didn't do anything.
"Na'uto didn't do anything!" -she squeakily screeched, a sound lost amongst the greater cacophony.
"Oh, shut up!" - One of the older kids said. In a manner not so unlike vultures, a group of children, once sitting around in high-makeshift places enjoying the main entertainment, jumped down and surrounded the bothersome party-pooper.
"You want to get Reiko in trouble, eh?"
"You wanna help the clown?"
"You wanna d'troy our fun?"
The kids accentuated the question with a not gentle shove.
"B-but, he didn't do an-ny-thin..." -The girl said in a much smaller voice.
" Oh Plu-ezzzz, just shut the hell up." - The ringleader commanded, viciously yanking down the girl's midnight black locks and adding a last powerful shove for good measure.
With a crying bundle left behind, the second mob dispersed to their viewing seats.
Back in the main circle, the verdict was set. The caretaker graced Naruto with a stony and unreadable gaze.
Piercingly, she proclaimed : "This establishment does not allow liars, nor troublemakers, and most importantly, no thieves! You will leave this place immediately!"
Naruto was crushed. As if his limbs had been suddenly cut, he fell to his knees.
"Pl-plez, I dun w-wanna leave. I like home! I...I hav no place t'go. Plez, gimme another twy!"
It was a pathetic sight, enough to melt ice in even the sternest man's heart. Not in this case, no, not in the case where the manifestation of a scapegoat's phantom covered reality.
Utterly desperate, Naruto threw himself to the woman's leg, clinging to her ankle as if it was the rope preventing him from falling into an abyss.
"Plezz, dun make me leave," he wailed through a cracked flow.
Wordlessly, painfully, the resolved caretaker dragged the crying child by his left ear. It was a solemn procession to the orphanage's 4th room in the second floor and back, at least for one person -the effect was ruined by the bickering and delighted chatter of the following children.
As the girl with the yanked hair watched, she didn't know which hurt worse: the pain of her own burning scalp or the waves of pain coming from the poor kid. And the bitter taste of failure, knowing your best effort didn't even make a scratch at the help meter.
No more than ten minutes later, the front door was brusquely closed, leaving a lone broken figure with a bundle of clothes in his hands. Naruto tried to one-handedly stop his stream of tears, to no avail.
Why is it...why... Even Naruto's thoughts could not comprehend his situation. And so, by a mechanical force, Naruto's legs furiously sprinted to his one and only source of asylum – the kind old man.
From the window of the orphanage, the plump caretaker grinned victoriously. At last, the good for nothing demon was gone.
And although Naruto didn't know this, today marked a special day -an unspoken rule in his psyche. After today, young Naruto would never beg again.
A/N: I wrote this actually before my harry potter fic, so I guess it is actually my first fic xD. Please leave comments and constructive criticism. I'm trying to become better at writing :)
This chapter is short because I felt the rest I have written was destroying the flow of the prelude. Worry not, the 2nd chapter will be larger.