Nine silver coins, twenty bronze and no gold... well, he could at least afford a doctor now, if he was lucky enough to find one cheap enough.
Food, there was plenty, for one person, of course.
Naruto stared at the dirt road with distant, almost empty, cold blue eyes. Day and night, rain and at certain brief moments the sun showed its face. He barely slept.
He couldn't. He always had nightmares, but they got worse, new traumas appeared to torment him. The face of that man so close to his own. His arms being held and his body pressed to the ground.
He screamed, but his voice would not come out, and when it did, his cries for help fell on deaf ears.
Days passed, and the more nightmares he had, the more he realized that he could count on no one but himself. In his dreams, no one was there to help him. When he was pushed off that hill and attacked by that beast, nobody saved him, he killed it alone.
When those men took him to that isolated hut, no one stopped them. When he walked bloodstained and wounded through the town, no one offered to help.
He didn't need a knight in shining armor, he only needed himself. When he finally noticed this, his nightmares changed.
That same dream where he saw several creatures devouring a body, tearing out flesh and bones, but never hurting him.
More days passed, and he finally arrived in another city. This one was apparently larger than the previous one. He walked across a bridge, not caring enough to read the name written on those signs.
His clothes were stained with blood. His wounds no longer hurt, and only when he reached that city did he realize that his body, though stained red, was better. Tired, but his injuries were healing, and some had even healed. He always had a strong body, he recovered quickly.
A blessing for one born from the guts of death... as some people in his band used to say.
He rode his horse into town, until he got off the horse and began to walk calmly with it by his side, his small hand holding the reins and pulling gently as he walked.
It was impossible not to notice the looks thrown in his direction, but he didn't care. Surprised looks, perhaps at the blood on his clothes, or the sword on his back, or perhaps at the fact that a child was with a horse, although it might not be that surprising.
Arriving at the center, he sketches the slightest expression as he sees intense movement around the place. But he had neither the will nor the energy to check what it was. He would buy some supplies, clothes, maybe even stop by a blacksmith, rest a bit, and think about his next steps. The more he occupied his mind that day, the better.
Because of the commotion, few people paid attention to him and his condition. Most just looked in his direction because of his horse.
On the way, he stared, not far from there, at the entrance of a blacksmith's shop. It was then that he remembered that they did not normally sell armor to children. He would have to order custom-made, and this would probably cost more.
A sigh escaped his lips, and he walked in the opposite direction, towards a store that sold some fruit further on.
- Welcome... what the hell? What happened to you, kid?
The man, probably the store owner, asked. A gleam of curiosity in his eyes, as well as confusion, but not exactly concern.
-... How much is it?
The blond ignored the man's question, pointing at the apples in front of him, his raspy voice making the owner arch an eyebrow, getting the message.
- One bag of apples, six bronze coins.
Naruto stared at him for a while.
- And how many apples are in the bag?
- Six.
The boy snorted, not hiding his displeasure. Six bronze coins for six apples. That guy probably thought he was an idiot, trying to take advantage of a child, or that area of town was home to a lot of rich or well-off people.
- I will pay for whatever he asks.
A male voice came from behind Naruto, and he looked over his shoulder at the man with a certain disinterest. He was a tall man, already of a somewhat advanced age from the lines on his face, with dark hair and a small beard of the same color. He wore fancy clothes, gold necklace and rings that were probably worth a fortune.
A nobleman, of course.
- L-Lord... of course, sir. You can ask for anything, boy.
"Lord?"
Naruto clenches his eyes slightly, before turning and beginning to scan the fruit. He could feel the gaze of the said lord upon him, and it bothered him deeply. The bad feeling appeared in his chest, and he became more and more impatient to get away from there.
- What a wonderfully unique color.
He heard the man say, and soon, he felt a caress on his head. Images raced through his mind, his body tensed, and his muscles acted out of reflex, slapping the man's hand hard and stepping away.
- Don't touch me!
He almost shouted, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword and stepping away with trembling steps.
The lord was startled at first, but soon, he just smiled, looking unfazed by the strong reaction.
- Are you a swordsman? This sword is a bit too big for you, don't you think?
Naruto gritted his teeth and picked up the fruit bags. Taking the reins of his horse soon after and getting out of there as fast as he could.
- A fierce little boy...
The Blondie could hear what he said, which only served to make him angrier and the bad feeling in his chest increase.
As he walked away, the feeling lessened, but still permeated his chest. His instincts were warning him that this city was dangerous. He wouldn't stay any longer than necessary, and even though he didn't want to admit it, that lord had saved him a good deal of money.
After getting far enough away, he looks at himself. He needed new clothes. But he doubted that anyone would let him get in that state, covered in blood dried and dirty, making it obvious that he had been on the road for some time.
Again, he sighs. He had to try... maybe.
Walking through town at a slow pace, he stops at a certain moment and stares at some clothes that were on display in a small store. Simple clothes, but they were of a similar size to his.
Getting closer, Naruto raises his hand to touch the fabric, but is stopped by the owner.
- What the...? Hey, hey! Don't touch my stuff!
The man scolded, slapping Naruto's hand, who took a few steps back.
- Damn beggars! Come on, get out of here! There's nothing for you here!
The man continued, and Naruto just stared at him for a while, until he spat on the ground, just in front of his feet, and turned to get out of there.
However, the man saw this as bad intentions, and grabbed Naruto's arm while raising his other arm. A slap hit the boy's face.
Again, images raced through his mind and his body acted on impulse. Picking up his sword, Naruto slashed the man's torso, from the base of his abdomen to his upper chest.
Blood spurted into his face, and the man's wide eyes stared at the sword in his hands in a frightened, even desperate way. Blood dripped from his mouth, and the merchant fell to the ground.
Naruto stared at the man's body with a frightened look at first, he did not want to kill him, it was not his intention. The screams around him were muffled, and the more he stared at that body, the more the guilt in his chest disappeared, until there was nothing left but a numb feeling.
His arms, once trembling, were calm, maybe a little warm, but just the way they usually were.
The sound of his sword returning to its sheath brought reality back to him, and as he looked around, Naruto gritted his teeth at the sight of people's frightened faces. He had to get out of there, he heard someone say they would call the guards.
Grabbing the reins of his horse, he mounts the animal and gets out of there as fast as he could.
The news, however, traveled fast. Not counting the fact that some guards saw him, it wasn't long before he was a wanted man... boy.
Before he could get out of town, some guards on horses appeared in front of, and behind him. Naruto clicked his tongue and got off his horse, running towards an alley and sneaking up the steep walls until he reached the sewer.
That disgusting smell irritated his nose and made his eyes water, but he didn't have time to care about that. He had barely arrived in town and he was already wanted. Maybe he should have seen this coming.
Sighing, he threw his back against the cold, damp wall. His eyes focused on the ground, but with his consciousness far from his body. Remembering those last moments. His body acted on impulse, unconscious, not the way his father had said.
He didn't want to kill that man, but something made him act as he felt his hand, the pain on his cheek. And strange enough, he didn't feel so guilty. It startled him, but soon, that neutral expression permeated his face.
Why should he feel guilty? Guilt never got him anywhere. And he doubted it would. That man didn't seem guilty about kicking a needy boy out of his store, in a way, he was just as bad as Naruto.
Maybe that was just an excuse, but the boy didn't care.
With long, quick strides, he walks following the flowing water of the sewer, wandering for hours alongside the rats, always going out of his way after hearing voices of guards looking for him, or even camouflaging himself in dark and incredibly disgusting places, until he finally finds a secluded place where he can get out and breathe fresh air again.
The heavy rain helped to cleanse, at least partially, his body. Running his eyes around, he grumbles softly as he sees several guards walking along the road, even in the heavy rain.
There was no way to go above; he would have to go back into the sewer.
As soon as he did, however, the sound of armor and heavy footsteps caught his attention, and he grumbled once more as he saw some guards approaching, shouting for him as soon as they noticed him. But what kind of city was that? The guards in the previous city were not as active or dedicated as these.
Running with some difficulty because the water had risen due to the rain, Naruto moved blindly through the sewer, hoping to find an opening or some way to lose the guards on his tail. But to no avail, it was a labyrinth, and the further he went, the more it seemed as if he was entering deep into the city.
The footsteps behind him became louder, and Naruto grabbed his sword as he turned, attacking the guard next to him.
The guard defended his attack and slightly widened his eyes. Naruto was stronger than they thought, although they must have already suspected it due to the slightly larger physique he sported.
In one swift movement, Naruto kicks the guard's leg and strikes once more with his sword. Again the guard defends and moves two steps away, striking with a piercing attack towards Naruto, who deflected to the side and with one precise movement severed the guard's hand.
A high-pitched scream echoed through the sewer, the guard backed away and that's when Naruto saw that he must hurry.
Turning, he begins to run again, his eyes widening as he sees an arrow strike the ground a little in front of him.
Turning to the right, Naruto runs for a while longer until he focuses his eyes on a door not far from there, on a small platform above the filthy water. As he turns, he dodges, by pure reflex, a slashing attack by a guard's sword.
He quickly counters with his own sword, however, the guard blocks and counters with a punch to the face, followed by a kick to the stomach and finally a sword attack.
Naruto groans in pain but recovers, leaping to the side and striking the guard's leg with his blade.
The officer groaned and fell to his knees, if Naruto didn't kill him with his sword, the germs present in that water certainly would.
In one swift movement, the boy held the hilt of his sword with both hands and slashed the man's throat, a precise and accurate cut, and a deep one where he narrowly missed severing the guard's head completely.
Naruto turned around as soon as he killed the man, running towards the door. But not before being hit by an arrow in his back.
He screamed as he felt the sharp pain spread through his body, felt the arrow pierce his lung, and his eyes stared at the bloody iron tip that pierced his body.
He found himself falling, but he leaned on his sword and gritted his teeth, forcing his body to move despite the pain.
Climbing up the platform, Naruto passed through the door, which was thankfully open, and closed it, hurrying his steps up the stairs that followed.
He braced himself against the wall as he moved, his vision becoming blurred and the pain in his chest too strong for him to think of anything else.
Biting his lower lip, Naruto slams against the wall and backs away, running up the stairs as he feels adrenaline coursing through his veins. As he reaches the end of the stairs, he begins to despair as he sees that the exit door was locked.
Gritting his teeth, he starts to kick the door, but to no avail, it was an iron door, opened only with a key.
His heart began to beat faster as he heard the door open and the footsteps of the guards approaching. He kicked the door harder and more often, the sound of his kicks echoing everywhere, and from blow to blow the door shook and became mutilated.
Turning, he attacked the first guard who approached, hard enough to cause the sword to be thrown from the man's hand, and finally, pierced his neck and kicked his body down the stairs, slowing the guards who were coming up.
With a shout of effort, Naruto kicks the door once more, and the iron structure fell to the ground in a loud thud, part deformed by the constant blows.
Naruto runs, however, is surrendered by numerous guards who have surrounded him, pointing spears and swords in his direction.
The boy's eyes widen, but he holds his own sword tightly, running his eyes down that row of guards in front of him and hearing more guards coming up behind him.
- By the gods, he is wounded.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly at the sight of that lord from before, a strange look in his direction, surrounded by some guards in different armor, more... pretty, perhaps? Maybe "pretty" wasn't the right word.
- Why is he wounded?
The lord asked, looking at one of the guards behind Naruto. Only then did the boy notice the rank on the side of each guard's shoulder. That particular one had a different rank, the captain, perhaps.
- He... the boy is not just any kid, he killed some of our guards-
- So what? Shall I remind you that I paid a fortune to capture him intact? You have stained my boy's beautiful skin. - Naruto clenched his eyes and gritted his teeth upon hearing "my boy". - Where else will I find tanned skin like that?
The lord approached, not caring about the warnings of the surrounding guards.
Naruto opened his eyes wide and waited patiently for the lord to approach, alert for any strange movement and prepared to kill him at the mere sign. A simple movement, quick and precise.
The lord, however, stopped a dozen steps away from him, without looking away.
- Boy, put down that sword. As much as I would love to see a rarity like you in action, I don't want you to get hurt, I can't sully this natural beauty.
The tone of the man's voice made Naruto want to vomit, and instead of putting down the sword, he gripped the handle tighter, staring coldly at the man, who sighed.
- Argh, I love a challenge, but I'm not in the mood for it at the moment. Immobilize him.
The moment the lord said this, the guards approached. Naruto turned and attacked the first one he saw, throwing his sword away.
Then the boy dodged to the side a blow with the spear from one of the guards, and pierced the man in the arm, turning his sword and hitting another who came too close.
A fine show of power from someone so young, but it was not enough. There were too many, and it wasn't long before he had his sword taken from him and his body pressed against the ground again.
His body tensed, and his teeth gritted. A scream came from his throat as he felt those sensations from that very day. Even though he was okay in the end, getting out of that situation, was enough for his body to not feel safe, not even a little.
- Clean him up and take him to my place, I will pay you enough to forget about him.
The lord said, just before Naruto was knocked out by a blow to his head.
The little blond was sitting on a sunny plain, just in front of a river, watching the current that followed its course calmly. Occasionally he spotted some fish and even a few frogs.
At one point he even thought he saw his old friend Gamakichi... hm, strange to miss a frog.
Beside him, he heard some footsteps and the sound of a person sitting down. He was not surprised to see his father's dark eyes also appreciating the water.
They were silent for some time, the wind gently kissing their faces and swaying their hair. There were few times Naruto had seen his father with long hair.
- It hasn't been easy for you, I see.
His deep voice started the conversation, and Naruto sighed. He missed his father, but as his father had taught him, he didn't show it. He had learned to hide his emotions well. Well, some of them, at least.
-... It could be worse. - His father looked at him.
- You don't believe this and I know it.
The blond sighed, leaning his arms on his knees after leaning forward a little. His chest hurt.
-... I miss you. - He stared at him, his intense blue eyes already moist. - I miss calling you Dad, even though you said you weren't. And I know you're nothing more than a figment of my head, but...
- But you need... you have no one to lean on, so you lean on yourself.
They both snorted. Even though it is part of his head, Naruto feels as if he is talking to his father. They acted almost identically at times, although Naruto was clearly more... active, so to speak.
-... You are a strong boy. - He said after some time in silence, and Naruto sighed, unable to tell if it was his conscience, or-
- You'll survive. You've been fighting death since the moment you were born. It won't be bandits, or a nobleman, or even demons, that will bring you down.
The voice of his old man became more and more distant, and the plain disappeared, until darkness dominated.
Naruto opened his eyes slowly, getting used to all those sensations in his body, especially the coldness of the ground he was lying on. The pain from his injuries no longer bothered him.
Coughing a few times, he slowly stands up, feeling parts of his body still numb. Straightening his posture, he stands and snaps his bones, now calmer.
Looking down at his body, he closes his eyes as he sees his bandaged, treated wounds. Although it is pleasurable news, he did not like at all to see that he was naked.
Reality fell upon him like a bag of bricks. Instinctively, he put his hand on his back in an attempt to get his sword, and despaired slightly as he realized that there was nothing there.
Growling in a mixture of anger and fear, he threw himself against the bars of that saddle. He was not in a prison, not a public prison, and that was obvious. This place was clean and... too nice.
- Hey, get me out of here!
he shouted, kicking the cell door a few times, ignoring the pain in his foot.
- Hey, you son of a bitch!
he shouted louder, throwing himself against the bars, but received no response. Nothing, just silence.
- They're not coming.
A childish voice came not far from where he was standing, and Naruto turned suddenly, alert. However, he almost let his guard down when he saw other boys in a different cell than him, just next door. Young boys, not much older than himself. All naked.
Each looking... pretty, so to speak. Straight hair dark and brown, eyes from green to caramel, healthy bodies but not with the same physique that Naruto had. And especially with fewer scars.
- Where are we?
He asked, calmer, but still with his feelings evident in his voice.
- At the lord's mansion. You are one of his boys now.
A boy with light brown hair and the same color eyes, said, hugging his own body and looking at him curiously.
- What? One of his boys?
Naruto grimaced.
- He bought you. Paid a fortune to the guards. Paid the doctor who took care of you. It seems he liked you very much. I think I understand.
A boy with dark hair and green eyes said, this being the largest among them, and apparently the oldest.
- Do you understand?
- You have golden hair and blue eyes... I've never seen anyone like that. You are handsome... even with the scars. A unique boy, no wonder he found you interesting.
He explained, and Naruto squeezed his arm, not liking to hear that.
-... Why did he buy me? Why spend so much money on just one boy?
The boys made a slightly somber expression, and Naruto dreaded to know the answer. He could see the fear and disgust in their eyes.
- He... he likes young boys, you know?
It didn't take much thought to understand, and while it scared Naruto that he was in danger of going through a similar situation, it also filled him with anger. He knew what it was like to have his body touched, violated in a way, and he could see the broken eyes of those boys, as young as he was.
The door to the place he was in was opened, and Naruto faced the lord with angry eyes, blue flames burning in his gaze as the man descended the stairs.
- Ah, I heard noises, I came to see what it was and what a surprise. The doctor said that you would only wake up after a day or two, you were in a good state, but tired. I must say that you have some very... eye-catching scars. Poor child.
The lord said, approaching the cell where Naruto was and touching the bars, without taking his eyes off the blond.
- Surprise, motherfucker. Get me out of here!
Naruto growled. The lord's dark eyes sparkled, and a smile broke out on his lips.
- What a dirty little mouth, but I must say it suits your appearance. I've never seen blond hair like yours... or eyes as blue and deep as these. A rarity. This, mixed with the money I paid, makes your freedom impossible, I'm afraid to say.
He took a key and walked to the boys' cell, opening the door to their cell, who were clearly scared, but hid their fear, while the older boy stood in front of the younger ones, as a form of protection.
- I am not a fan of scars, but you, my dear, look different with them... they suit you, your beautiful body. Although your body is too big, in every way, for my taste, I wanted to take you the moment I saw you, even though you were dirty and covered with blood.
The lord said as he dragged the brown-haired boy out of the cell.
- Hey, leave him alone! Asshole!
Naruto shouted, throwing himself against the bars.
- Aw, I know you're anxious, believe me, I am too. But the doctor said you need to rest. But don't worry, tomorrow we will have our moment alone.
The lord said, smiling at Naruto just before he left and closed the door behind him.