A/N: Damn, not one, but two of my favorite basketball teams got whipped over the weekend...not a banner day for the Ole War Skule. (if want to know what that means, just ask later...) Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this. I've sort of gone on hiatus for a bit from the YGO sectionand decided to give some Naruto fanfiction writing a try. I may be rusty with my spelling so please forgive me and report any errors you see. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Naruto or any other characters/products/corporate entities that are mentioned in this fic. I DO, however, own the plot of this fic. If I catch a copycat...well, you know how that goes.

Author's Note: This fic is set in an alternate universe. There's your advance warning...

Hell is what you make it

By: Black Dragon of the Bayou

Chapter One

Dirty.

Tired.

Hungry.

Those were just three adjectives the young boy could use to describe himself at this point. His unruly blonde hair was soiled with dirt and oil. His clothes (it would be polite to call the rags he had on clothes) were tattered beyond repair. His body reeked with an odor so strong some passers-by would stare at the boy in utter disbelief or strong contempt. He had no idea where he was. His house was burned to the ground several years earlier, and he'd been wandering from town to town, village to village, ever since. This was his first time in a city so big, and all the bright lights and cars and booming music were so strange to him. All of the people seemed to be in a rush, and hardly any gave the boy a second thought.

As he wandered deeper into the city, he thought about his life. He knew nothing about friendship. Family? Love? Merely words he had heard people babble during his travels. He had no idea what either meant. He knew only the meaning of one word: survival. By whatever means he could, the young boy managed to survive on his own for the last six and a half years. But now that survival was endangered. His stomach desperately growled for food, but none could be found. Even the trash cans and dumpsters turned up nothing that could be safely eaten.

He staggered into a new alley where people were laughing, drinking, shooting dice. None of them so much as gave the boy an afterthought. Still no food. Damn, he was going to die if he couldn't find something.The boy clenched his abdomen as he felt the hunger pains and fatigue start to take hold again. His vision was becoming blurry. His breathing heavy. Where? Where can I find something to eat, he wondered. As he trudged on, he noticed that his feet were bleeding. The soles of his shoes had been worn out long before he entered the city. Now the pavement and various pieces of glass and metal were starting to tear at the skin of his feet.

Food? Where is some FOOD? He wiped his forehead with his hand, taking some of the dirt off of his face. Now he was really starting to feel the pain. He yelped as he fell over and knocked over a trash can, causing some dogs to bark at the commotion.

So...this is where I die, he thought. He looked up at the sky. It was a surprisingly cool evening in the middle of spring, which was made cooler with small drops of rain beginning to land all over him. The pain was starting to fade seemingly and the boy felt his world start to go black. The boy for one reason or anothre began to smile, his eyes fixed on the sky. He thought about some of the myths and religions of places he had visited. Some said you would be reunited with your lost loved ones in a world free of pain and suffering. He thought about his parents. He didn't know them, but was told of them. Would he see them in this new world he had heard so much about?

The boy pushed the thought aside and started to embrace his fate. Although he couldn't feel anything in his arms or legs, he was happy that he didn't feel any more pain. With a sad, but content, smile on his face, the boy closed his eyes one last time...

Or so he thought.

Well? Was it crap? Was it excellent? Was it excellent crap? Please leave a review for me on your way out. Who knows, if I get some positive ones, I'll probably continue. Take care, people!

GOOD NIGHT NOW!