His heart was lighter and his mood had gotten better by the time they were already out from the mountain. The heat still feel the same but had gotten better since it's evening already. Naruto's gaze fell towards the little boy in his hand and he inwardly smile. Sas was a curious boy. Even though his brows always furrowed and his lips thinned whenever they almost reach the outside, his eyes sometimes widened in astonishment at the particular plants or flowers they encountered along the way. He never asks but Naruto saw from the glint in the obsidian orbs. After that, he will calmly explain to him about the plants and Sas will mutely nod as he touched and marvel at the shapes and colors.

The grip on his hand never loose and at the scene, something stirred in his heart. For the first time, someone had depended on him. Someone had asked and was interested in what he had been doing his entire life. Surely picking herbs and plants is not a unique job, some of the villagers were better than him. Probably. Naruto hadn't the time to exchange his knowledge with others since they doesn't want to associate with the like of him so he kept it to himself. And now, he was somehow feeling proud as he eagerly told the dark-haired boy everything he knew.

"We need to wash your clothes, though. I think I have some old clothes in my room," he said as his eyes lingered on the dirty pale white shorts and navy blue shirt. His mind wandered to whichever noble family the boy belonged to and why there's no search party or whatever notice plastered on the wall looking for Sas. Judging from the clothes' materials, it was a high-quality fabric, so soft to the touch like velvet and Naruto had the opportunity to feel it when he urged the boy to move from his fascination with a certain plant. At the first touch of his back, he knew instantly the boy was no ordinary. He may be looks dirty with smudge and dirt all over his body and face, but his eyes told differently.

Sas's eyes always silently observing, judging, and learning. It will come out as no surprise if the boy could remember whatever Naruto had taught him so far. And although he rarely talk, he responded to Naruto very well with his body language. Such manner and intelligence only come from a well-educated child and with a high curiosity to his surrounding, Naruto suspect Sas has never gone out of his house.

'I should quickly bring him to the head village. He probably heard the news about a missing son,' Naruto thought, but first, he need to clean up Sas so he looks presentable to the leader of Konoha.

"What do you like, Sas?" Naruto tried to create a conversation with the quiet boy who seemingly enjoy looking at his surrounding.

"Hm?" He looked up at Naruto with a frown.

"Like. Your favorite thing."

"Hm..." he mused, turning his head back to the road. "... water."

Now it's Naruto's turn to be confused. Such an odd answer. "Water? Why?"

"To swim," he replied with a giggle. Naruto's eyes widen at the soft sound, actually enjoying the subtle twinkle in the boy's eyes. He makes a mental note to always ask the boy question to get more reactions and as well a way to know him better. Smiling, Naruto swings their locked hands, earning a grunt by the boy but a quick upturned of his lips which he managed to capture.

"You like to swim, then? I think there's a lake around here. Let's go over there some times."

Truth is, he never went to the lake before. It is situated near the village where the people used it to have leisure time with their families. Because he was hated, Naruto was never allowed to be near a public place. The only place he could go was the market to sell the potions and medicines he created. Sometimes people buy it willingly, sometimes they steal it under his nose. Worse could happen, the Task Force will eradicate his booth just because he was a halfling. Sure his presence is a social crime but should they blame the head villager for letting him live?

Naruto frequently asked him the same question. Why did he let him live if being a halfling is a crime worthy of death? Is his mother that great for the head villager to spare his life? He always said he was in debt with his mother hence the only way he could repay it was through him. And Naruto knew it - although imperfect but the head village had tried his hardest to give him a decent life. He refrain the others from giving him a hard time (though they still did it in secret), during the festival he will send food for him and on his birthday, he gave him a spell or potion recipe for him to brew. It's a small gesture but for Naruto, it meant a lot to him. Besides Iruka, the head village was the only one on his side.

"Going where?" Sas asked in his quiet voice, looking up at Naruto with worried.

"I'm giving you a bath and a new change of clothes," Naruto explained, nodding his head towards the direction of his house. "We are heading to my house. And then I'll ask the head village for help. Surely he knows some of the noble families in the land. Maybe then we could find your parents."

'I also need to change,' he thought warily and though his eyes focused on the gravel road, his mind was screaming with anxiousness at his appearance. Not only he was covered with dirt, his face was smudged with dry blood and the shirt was also tainted with brownish spots on a certain part of his body. He tried to ignore the curiosity of how his body had healed when he woke up and who had saved him from Koto. Inwardly his body shudder at the memory of being punched and kick and the way the knife plunged deep into his abdomen and sliced his tendon.

"Na...ru?"

The boy's worried voice snapped him from his stupor, Naruto's eyes blinked to clear his head. He gave him an awkward smile at the nickname but didn't correct it. The slow pronunciation caught him off guard as he thought the boy was surely good at speaking based on his high curiosity and keen observation but he suspect Sas probably have a problem speaking. Maybe some kind of sickness?

"Hey, Sas," Naruto tried to pull his attention from staring at the sky. "How did you get here? I mean, the mountain. Did you lose your parents?"

That's the question he's been asking himself. There were lots of weird things happening to him today. First, he had been attacked, and miraculously, someone had stepped in and saved him. And then, the injured and cuts on his body disappeared as if he never had them though he swore he still could feel the searing pain until now. And then, there's the tree that intertwined themselves like creating a barrier above his head. They never do that before. Naruto swore it was not him doing all those things. He might a halfling and probably a self-taught low-rank witch but he by no means can command nature.

The unexpected thing? This boy - with black hair and dark eyes, wearing an expensive attire and with the manner and intelligence like the noble kids. How did he end up deep into the forest?

"Lo...st," the boy answered shortly, nodding his head. What Naruto noticed from the subtle change in Sas was the boy swiftly avoided his eyes as he replied and also there's the nodding - like he was satisfied with the answer he gave instead of a true one. Letting his gaze lingered on the boy's face, Naruto continued to ask.

"What's your parent looks like?"

At that, Sas went still, he stopped walking causing Naruto to frown.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Sas bit his lips, his eyes narrowed to the ground, looking a little bit angry either to himself or someone, and yet Naruto couldn't help himself from feeling guilty. Perhaps he had asked a sensitive question and opened the wound in the boy's heart. He almost slapped his mouth but quickly regain his composure and knelt before the boy.

"I'm sorry, you didn't have to answer my questions. I just want to know you better but perhaps some questions are off-limit." Naruto rubbed the boy's plump cheeks with his thumb, actually feeling happy instead of worried as he changed his touch to squeezing it. He never had a chance to touch anyone before and he wondered how different they were but noticing the smoothness and warmth under his fingertips, Naruto concluded he was the same as them. The human.

The dark-haired boy swatted his hands with a cute pout on his lips. "Hurt," he mumbled, rubbing his cheeks.

Naruto laughed - loud and boisterous. His eyes crinkle with the feeling of joyous for the first time in his life. As his eyes fixed on the scowled but cute face, his heart burst into something he couldn't comprehend. He doesn't what feeling it is but he knew it had something to do with the elated emotion at the boy's expression and behavior. Everything the boy did - whether picking up the stone on the ground, watching the insects or flowers with awed and marvel or just staring at the sky - warms Naruto's heart.

Is this how it feels to have a family?

Naruto wanted the boy. Wanted the boy to be in his life. His family. His kind to care and love.

From a moment, the dark side of his mind clouded his judgment to take the boy away and hide him from everyone so that his family couldn't find him but he quickly shook it off. As much as he desire, Sas belongs to others and it was Naruto's responsibility to bring him to his parent. He ignored the cold rumble that once in a while stirred his conscious mind and focused instead on the sad boy as he pulled Sas to continue their walk.

"You forgive me right?" Naruto tested the water. He waited patiently as the boy mulled at his question.

"Naru is... sorry?"

"Yeah, of course, I am." Naruto nodded furiously, showing his sincerity through his action.

"Why?"

"I made you angry. If someone made you angry or sad, they were responsible to said sorry and making up to you." That's what Iruka taught him when he was a kid. When the villagers shooed him away or threw thrashes at him whenever he came near, they never apologize but Iruka did. He fixed him, giving him a bath and food and sometimes a place to sleep if it's already late. He learned the word, though so simple and short but has lots of meaning and is very heavy on the mouth. Not everyone has the heart to say it. Iruka said only someone who has an open and big heart has the strength to say those words and Naruto wanted to be one of them. Now, he wishes Sas could have the heart to accept and one day apologize to the people he wrong, either intentional or a mistake.

"It's okay. Not angry."

Naruto beams. He patted Sas's hair fondly, feeling proud at his response. Like a father should be. "Good boy. I'm proud of you."

Naruto swore he could detect a tinge of pink on the pale cheeks and smiled triumphantly.

When they reached his house, it was already dark. Orange and purple-tinted on the sky across the mountain, slowly drowning the light as he lightens the small house, or should he say a hut with the lantern on the table - the only furniture in his home. He picked it up, ushered the boy to follow him as he navigate the narrow hallway to his bedroom where a thin futon lay pitifully beside the open window. He placed the lantern carefully on the wooden floor before closing the window, feeling his bone shatter at the coldness of the night.

"Aren't you cold?" His brows furrowed as he noticed the boy looks perfectly calm under the cold weather. He didn't shiver or moan like a human boy should be.

Sas shook his head, still watching intently at Naruto's room with a blank face.

Heat rose to his cheeks with humiliation and embarrassment. Never crossed in his mind what Sas would think about his home - an empty, old hut with no electricity and water, no chairs to sit, and no television to entertain with. There were only a futon (courtesy of Iruka), a round table he bought from the second-hand store since he's bad with tools and handiness, and a gas stove (a gift from the head village). The four square ft house looks like a haunted house from afar and felt empty when living in it because it has nothing, even the poorest villager has a better house than him.

Naruto couldn't bring himself to look at Sas's reaction so he quickly opened a box that contained his clothes, checking it one by one until he found what he was looking for. "Here, Sas. Um - there's the bathroom around the corner, you know the other door besides this one? The water is in the crock - and ah - the soap, I put it somewhere on the - wait, let me show you."

Trying to save his face, Naruto averted the dark eyes as he pick up the lantern to illuminate the way, swiftly moving in the narrow area, not caring to ask the boy any question because his mind was all jumbles with the next move.

After they changed, he will bring Sas to the head village. But before that, he might as well feed him with -

Naruto swallowed hard. The poverty of his life hit him hard like a brick at the realization of there's nothing he could give to Sas - the boy he imagined belonged to him. How could he give the boy's a decent life when he suffered even to have a grain of rice? What future could he provide if the boy's parent was dead and he need a guardian to take care of him?

Will he let the head village raise him just like he does? Alone in a place not worth calling a house or will he give Sas to other families to be taken care of and love?

No!

Naruto gritted his teeth, his grip on the lantern's handle tightened at the thought. When he opened the wooden door of his bathroom, the sound of creak echoed in the silent atmosphere as well as the emptiness in his heart. He looked down at the cute boy he just met six hours before and how he felt the bond threading through the holes of loneliness, filling it with hope and dreams. The bright eyes, burning like a fire under the light of the lantern seem to understand his struggles as he gave him a small smile.

"Okay?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked.

"I'm okay. Can change myself," he said, signaling Naruto to leave the small room.

Naruto barked out a burst of laughter at the serious expression. "You don't want me to help change your shirt, Sas?"

The pale cheeks flame at the teasing and the boy quickly shut the door, leaving Naruto pleasingly smiling at his cute behavior. Not long after, he could hear the sound of splashing water, the creaking of the floor as the boy moved inside the small room and Naruto found himself loving every bit of it.

"Sas, I put the lamp outside the room okay?" He was a little bit worried the boy couldn't see his surrounding clearly once he finish bathing. Though his house was as big as the head village's bathroom, the floors were uneven and there are cracks everywhere on the wooden board. He feared the splinters might hurt the boy if he walk the wrong path.

"No need."

Again, another rejection. Naruto frowned. Is it normal for a boy to not fear the darkness?

"Are you sure? No, I just put it outside okay." Naruto couldn't take a chance on Sas hurting under his observation. Satisfying at the lamp's location that will illuminate at least the area that connected the bathroom, kitchen, and living room, Naruto went to the corner of his house where he put the remaining corps and herbs in a basket. He opened and grimaced at the content.

Three carrots, two small pumpkins as big as his fist, a few potatoes, and tomatoes.

Usually, it lasted him for a week but because of the intense weather, the corps was quickly damaged. If he was alone, he at least could survive the hunger. Now, with a kid he needs to take care of, he needs to work harder to earn money.

Suddenly, the thought of having someone gave a new meaning to his lone, sorrowful, and bitter life. In his head, he already planned his next step to get money and more food. Perhaps he can ask the head village for more new recipes? He heard Konohamaru owned a large stack of books during his study. As he was about to graduate, he probably have no use for the old books. Instead of letting it be eaten by the termite, he surely can lend Naruto one or two books considering they are bout the same age. Not that they are a close friend whatsoever, but the head village's son was one of the few people who never looked down on him. They rarely met and when they do, it was when Konohamaru returned for the school holiday. During that time, the head village will call him to his house and give him a book to read.

The problem is, Naruto can't read. Or at least, he can. A few words.

He had no money to go to school and even if he does, the school won't accept him for fear he will cast bad luck on the other kids. Naruto by no means is a stupid boy. He asked Iruka and the farmer was kind enough to teach him alphabets and easy words but it was different reading recipes especially high-level ones. There's jargon he couldn't understand so he had to ask the head village to explain it to him, which made him feel bad for disturbing the old man.

The books he was given were always old ones but scribbled with beautiful handwriting. Naruto can assume it's written by a witch, probably a woman since it's so neat, tidy, and well taken care of. Some pages have images drawn that captivated him for hours if the head village let him but he never let Naruto hold the books for more than half an hour.

Usually, he will open a specific page which he said an easy one - suit for his low level, which Naruto could understand since the others were totally hard to interpret. Not only it was written with difficult words but there is also an alien language especially on the cover front of the books.

The books - a total of six of them were bound strongly with thread and each front was covered with a thick, hard mahogany parchment. There's a word, written with gold ink at the center but Naruto couldn't read it. He hadn't learned the language yet. What he knew was the witch language - the Athem, used when a witch wanted to cast a spell. It's different when creating medicines or remedies as most people can do it too but with spells, only the gifted will be able to execute it.

Naruto wishes he was one of the gifted.

Unlucky for him, he was just as plain as the parchment. No mana, no amazing strength, no other particular abilities.

Just Naruto.

He sighed heavily, wishing he knew at least one strength he could proud of besides brewing and planting crops (that's hardly a talent).

Staring solemnly at the ingredients, he decided to make a tomato soup, and with the left anchovies, courtesy of Iruka, he will add it into the soup as a flavor.

It took him ten minutes to finish cooking and as Sas emerged from the darkness of the small room, his looks have the glow and air of wealth and noble around him. Naruto swallowed at the clean pale skin, almost luminous under the dim light. His wet ebony hair hung limp, framing the round face. The always curious obsidian eyes stared at him with a small smile as he walked forward, looking fresh without the dirt.

Sas looked ethereal, almost like an angel dropping from the moon.

"Hey, you're done?" Naruto pushed down the rumble inside him, averting his blue eyes. "The water isn't too cold for you?"

"Hm... no," Sas slowly answered, his eyes widening at the unusual smell.

"You hungry?" Naruto quickly placed the bowl of soup on the table, the smell wafted on his nose, making his stomach rumble slightly. He chuckled shamelessly as the boy just stared at his stomach. "Come, I make you a tomato soup."

"Tomato?" The small feet quickly padded, eyes looking curious with the dish. Of course, it was his first time seeing the commoner food. Naruto bet the little boy was served with high-quality food, cooked by their own chef on a long dining table.

Ducking his head, Naruto scooped into a small bowl, forcing a smile on his face as he served Sas. The boy sits on the floor with manner - leg fold politely and back straight, waiting patiently until Naruto takes his seat.

Naruto eyed him, his leg that bent upward slowly dropped to the floor, and without him realizing it, he was parroting Sas's manner.

Sas clapped his hand softly in front of the food, eyes closed as he muttered something Naruto couldn't understand - some sort of gibberish words but sounded like a prayer to his ears. The cerulean eyes watched with fascination at the weird gestures. They never prayed before for the food. Iruka didn't teach him that. When they ate together, the farmer just said, "Let's eat" before they swallow whatever food they have on the table. Naruto itched to ask the boy but refrain when the dark eyes opened to stare at him calmly.

"Eat?"

"Yeah - yeah, sure. Sorry, it's not much," he said sheepishly, taking a scoop of the translucent soup. He was about to eat when he noticed the boy kept staring at him, doing nothing. "Er, Sas? Let's eat? Um, you don't like the food? Sorry, it is the only ingredients I have. I promise tomorrow I-"

The boy cut his gibberish words with a shake of his head. His eyes darted to the spoon in Naruto's hand, watching it keenly. "Naru first."

Naruto blinked, suddenly feeling awkward at being stared at, and waited as if he was above Sas. Quickly he urged the boy to eat too. "Let's eat together. You are my guest, a guest should have the first taste."

Tilting his head at Naruto's words, Sas he was sure processing the difference between their manners on the table. "Sas is the guest?"

"Yeah. But even if you're not, we should eat together, at the same time. You know, like a family?" His cheeks flame as he rubs the back of his head. He doesn't want to overwhelm the boy at his weird infatuation.

"I see," he murmured, still looking confused. After a moment, he slowly picked up the spoon, scoop a little bit of the soup and he put it into his mouth.

With bated breath, Naruto waited for the boy to either made a disgusting face or worse throw up his food. Sas didn't say anything, his blank face gave away nothing which made Naruto feel worse than the expected insulting remarks.

"I cook you another food. Put it away." His hand already grabbing the rim of the bowl when the small hand swiftly covered his bowl. Naruto stared at the boy with a bewildered expression.

"You don't need to force yourself to eat it," he argue softly but Sas shook his head adamantly.

"It- it's tasty."

Naruto's lips curled upward. His body returned to its position, amused at the unexpected reaction. "Is it? I know you never taste that kind of food before."

"Hm - first time eating this. But I like this," Sas shows him the tomato before swallowing it with a look of awe like he never tasted the vegetable before.

"Is it the first time you eating this?"

Sas nodded vigorously. "What is it called?"

"Tomato."

"Yeah. I have it planted in my backyard but they were all withered now. If you like it, I'll buy the seed tomorrow though I'm not sure it will grow though I'll try," Naruto promised, taking another spoon into his mouth. His mouth twitch at the bland taste but said nothing. As long as Sas liked it, he will cook the tomato every day or put it in the ramen. Oh, he might as well as introduce the holy food to the boy. He might fall in love with it.

"Why... withered?"

Naruto lifted his face from the bowl, swallowing the remaining food in his mouth. "The weather. It's been five days but there's no rain pouring down. And it's just like the God of Sun and the Rain working together or something. The heat is so hot and unbearable! I'm afraid the river might dry up sooner or later."

Sas stared at him with a blank face, and then his brows scrunched slightly. "Not ... God," he murmured, his head bowing down at the leftover food in his bowl.

"What is it, Sas?"

The bow chewed his lips, seemingly hesitated for a moment. "Not God," he repeated slowly. His dark eyes met Naruto with thousand of secrets. "It's the... Guardian."

"Guardian? What do you mean?" Naruto frowned. He never heard a Guardian could control the weather. As far as he knew, they were able to control the nature element, a power only they can wield as the protector of the cardinal direction on the Land of Yoka.

There are four Guardians that protect the land - One that guarded the North, the Black Tanuki, the guardian that controlled the south, the Red Vermillion, guardian of the west, White Fox, and the one that protected the east, the Blue Dragon. There are rumors saying that they are darkling but none of the humans have seen them so they settled with the guardian being an entity from God, given power and strength to protect the human.

"It can control the weather."

"They can? So it's not God who-"

Sas shook his head. "It's God b- but they can control it, too like... hm- the power."

"I see," Naruto nodded his head with a smile. "You sure know a lot about it, don't you Sas? Who told you that?"

The pale cheeks tainted with pink as the boy bit his lips. "... Mother."

"Wow, she's a clever woman, then! No one knew about that facts," Naruto praised. He hoped to gauge a reaction from the boy about his family after the crying scene a while ago. Seeing the positive reaction, Naruto tries to ask more. "Do have a sibling, Sas?"

The dark-haired boy blinked. "Sib... ling?"

"Like a brother or a sister."

"Oh!" The graphite irises lit for the first time like a sparkling firework. "Big brother!"

Naruto widens his smile as being engulfed by the happiness aura. He folded his arms on the table and put his chin to rest, tilting his head so that their eyes were leveled. "How is he?"

"Brother is strong!" The cute hand waved in the air. "He's so clever and - and kind!"

"Yeah?" Naruto can see the love and admiration in Sas's voice and expression. The boy sure loves his brother a lot.

"How about your father?"

As fast as the eyes sparkled when talking about his brother, the light quickly dimmed and the mood turned sour. Sas's shoulder sagged and he continued to play with the food.

Naruto's back straightened. Is it his father that made him cry? Is he an abuser? Fury coiled inside him like a snake, burning hot as he imagined the pain, hurt, and sadness the boy had suffered under his father's hand. He could see Sas weeping at the corner of his room - dark and alone. For a moment, he despises the said mother and brother who let the unforgiving act happen under their nose. Does the reason he was out here was because he ran away from home? Or does he really just lose his way?

Taking a deep breath to control his anger, Naruto takes the small hands into his, earning a surprised look from the solemn expression. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here. I'll protect you."

Sas tilted his head, blinking at his words.

"Don't worry. When we found your parent, I'll give your father a word or two. I don't care he's a commoner or a noble but he shouldn't treat his child like that," Naruto promised, rubbing the plump and cold skin. "Tonight we take a rest. Tomorrow morning I'll bring you to the head village's house. He's a kind man and rich too! I'm sure he can help us find your parent."

"Okay." Sas nodded, small lips curled slightly.

"Now let me clean this up a little bit. Why don't you wait a moment?"

Naruto decided to wash the dishes tomorrow hence he put the dirty bowls on the shelf. He takes a mental note of visiting Iruka first in the morning to ask for bread or anything he has. He doesn't want to serve Sas with the same food.

"Naru?"

"Hm?" Naruto looked up from the storage basket, arching his brow. Sas was frowning as he pointed at a certain part of his face. "Is there something stuck on my face?"

"Naru have ears."

Like being splashed by cold water, Naruto's face turned ashen at the realization he already pulled the hat that always covered his pointed ears and throw it somewhere in his room. Instinctively, he touched the right ear, the soft fur tickle his fingertips and for once, he wished he had kept his hair long until it could cover that body part. But because he hated messy and moreover the weather becomes extremely hot nowadays, he couldn't keep it past his nape. He always hide it under the hat whenever he was outside but leave it exposed while alone in his home.

He totally forgot about the boy.

"Sas! This is-"

"Naru looks like a fox!" He said gleefully. The boy ran towards him and tugged his pant. "Can I touch it?"

Flabbergasted at the unexpected reaction, Naruto knelt as a sign of permission. He stared with amazement as the boy without any hint of fear, weird or disgust touched his ear, tentatively feeling the smooth fur. It was the first time someone had touched his ears, even Iruka wasn't allowed. He could feel every touch - soft and careful that caused him to almost purr at the comfortable feelings.

"You don't find it weird?" Naruto couldn't help but ask. Everybody who saw his ears will shrunk and avoided him like a plague. Mothers will pull their children away when he passed around them, teenagers that should be his friend snickered and laughing at the distinctive feature. Older villagers yelled at him for showing his face in the public.

Why won't the boy repulse by his ears? 'Maybe because he found it fascinating,' Naruto reasoning solemnly. If his parents find out about his identity, they'll also give the same reaction as others. But for now, Naruto is content with Sas's attention.

"It's cute!"

"Really? I have whiskered also, you know. Like a cat!" Naruto said playfully. He moved his whiskers to show the boy.

"No, Naru is a fox! Fox is strong, cat is weak!" Sas protested, still rubbing the ears' shells.

Naruto laughed. "How do you know?"

"Brother said so."

"I see. Maybe you're right. Fox does suit me," he said, eyes downcast as he was reminded who his father was.

"Let's go to sleep. I bet you are already tired. We need to wake up earlier tomorrow morning," he forced a smile as he tugged the boy along with him. It was supposed to be a thrilling thought, finding Sas's family. He had promised him and Naruto never backed out from his promises.

So when he tucks the boy in his futon, hugging him closed his heart, why does the howling inside him feel sad and empty?