Chapter 2: In Which the Fire Protects
"THERE IT IS!"
Naruto ran through the street as fast as his skinny seven years old legs could carry him. In his mind he repeated several bad words that were spat to him from those bad mens and more. Suuuuuure it won't help him escape, but it did make him stress less. Why, oh why he take the shortcut to Ichiraku? The long way is fine as long as it near trees but the shortcut always through place filled with lots of people.
Correction: Lots of people who hates Naruto and would do anything to make him miserable.
Aaakh! He knew he should stick at his usual routes! Or at least wait till he can ask Jiji to accompany him to Ichiraku! October is the WORST month of the year!
Hearing footsteps getting nearer, Naruto pushed all energy he had to his legs.
Hiding place. He had to find hiding place! Sewers, crater, tree, hell! Ghost House and Cemetery would do! Anything is better than beaten black and blue and waking up in that white creepy place with funny smells!
He saw a gate with red and white colored circle-with-handle on it but give it no thought. The houses beyond the gate feels as empty as it looks so it maybe safe? ...he don't have time to thinking about it. He just come in and ran through empty streets. Mentally cataloging each house and which one is safe for him to hide in—while hoping the owner won't kick Naruto out to mercy of those annoying bastards.
Something red flashes at corner of his eyes and Naruto brightens up.
That gate! He recognize the gate! It similar to the one at forest. Yes the building is different with the coloration and symbol and has less trees... and the fact it looks like two building fused into one, but it definitely a shrine!
And shrine is safe place for Naruto.
Empowered by newfound hope, Naruto changed his direction. He lead the mobs into merry chase through empty house, narrow alley, and run them in circles before he ducks around the corner and dashed into the shrine.
This shrine has two painting instead one but they placed together so well they might as well be one painting ripped into two. There's a shelf and Naruto use his abnormal-for-child agility to climb on it and waiting while holding his breath.
Please don't let them find me, he prayed.
The fire before the painting burn merrily. It's odd, Naruto think, as it was seemingly bigger and brighter but somehow also darker? It's like there's two fire instead one.
Soon, the angry mobs found the shrine and rushed in.
However, unlike the Forest, this Shrine does not welcome them.
The second the first of them stepped into yard, there's barrage of Kunai and Shuriken launched at them. That alone scares some of more cowardly to ran away from the place.
Then after the rain of sharp projectile died, they tried again... only to fall into deep pit. Naruto can hear the sound of something breaking from his position.
Several has suddenly dragged somewhere by something invisible and left hanging upside down not unlike chicken sold in market district.
The fastest one quickly dashed through all of the obstacle and Naruto dreading that he will get busted and beaten... or worse thrown into the yard and go through all the trap. String upside down isn't that bad, but his dodging skill isn't enough to save his life and... what if he was thrown into the pit and buried alive?! He don't want to die!
...it seems Luck or something equally divine has favored him, because the second the man reach the shrine, the wind blew hard and shut the door with loud BANG! It was as if the shrine was protecting Naruto who's inside it. When he get angry and tried to pull it open, there's something above the door because the man was suddenly looking up.
Then the man was somehow launched beyond the red gate.
Naruto saw this through the wooden bar near ceiling. It was enough for him to see, but not for them to see him.
He then hear them talking. Well, what left of angry mobs, that is. The more persistent ones.
"How the fuck this is happens?" Fuzzy hair complained as he dodge another projectile. Wooden block, this time. "Why on anything holy this place is rigged?!"
The yellow-clothes suddenly slapped himself. "Duh! That was Uchiha Symbol! This is the Old Uchiha District! Of course this place is booby-trapped!"
"Huh? Ain't Uchiha District was at other direction?"
"No idiot! This must be where they lived before relocated!"
"...so... these traps are active... because we enter an abandoned Ninja Compound?"
"Ya think?!" No sleeves sneered. "Let's get out from here before those trice-damned pinwheel-eye creeps found us. I don't want to be barbecue."
Maybe it's karma for badmouthing the place's owner or something, because as he turn around, he stepped on another trap that punt him out of the bounds much much much faster than Naruto think is possible.
It took them several times, and lots and lots of tries, to get out from here because they keep setting the traps off.
Naruto let out a relieved breath when they finally gone as he climbs down.
"Thank you." To whom, he doesn't know nor cares. As long as he's safe, it's gold.
He turn to the painting and notice the fire and was very glad that man doesn't enter. What if he flip the fire and burn the place? That was dangerous.
At least the fire is far from the painting.
Speak of painting...
It consist of two people. Bot has spiky black hair and black eyes. Their face looks similar but not same... brothers? They wore similar black yukata and white pants with black flame licked the bottom, but the longer haired one has blue jacket and the short-haired one has red jacket. The long haired one also hold oversized fan with comas on it, and the short-haired one has a sword. Both are holding hands.
Naruto looked at the painting with no small amount of sadness and envy. "I wish I has family too." He whispered to himself.
The flame flickered and wave of hot wind hit Naruto. It... doesn't hurt or uncomfortable at all. Quite the opposite. It's warm and nice. Like when Jiji wipes his tears when he cries because Naruto want to play but no one want to play with him and the ones who did were pulled away by their parents, who look hatefully at him.
Except there's no tears, no hateful feeling. Only sadness and loneliness that was burn away by the heat.
It feels good. Better, even.