It was late evening, the sun had coloured the sky and everything around it in fiery reds and oranges, while the buildings casted long shadows along the streets and alleyways.
Four boys stood in a circle, three of them were backing the fourth one against the wall that surrounded the high school, just out of the sight of any teachers or students. His blue eyes darted around, looking for a gap in their advance so that he could escape. He didn't want to have to fight, not today, but it quickly seemed like it was coming to that.
'I can't do this, not now. Why don't they just leave me alone?! Ignore me like you usually do!'
His fight or flight instincts kicked in when the one on the right stepped too close. The blonde threw a punch aiming at the other's face and hitting him square in the jaw. The injured one drew back with a howl and held his aching cheek, the blonde also recoiling from the force of his own punch as it sent shockwaves through his arm, reawakening the pain from fresh wounds.
He scrunched his eyes closed briefly until the boy on the left took the opportunity to try and grab him, and his reflexes kicked in again sending another punch in that boy's direction.
It barely missed causing the blonde to lose his footing, the leader stepped in and grabbed the blonde's injured wrist, pulling him harshly towards himself then grabbing him by the collar and shoving him harshly against the wall, knocking the air out of his lungs and sending more shockwaves of pain throughout his body. The older boy had not let go of his wrist.
He pushed the blonde's hands up above his head, and dug his thumb into the bandaged part, causing the other to wince in pain and suck in a breath.
"So you're not only a fag, you're an emo fag? Ha! Of course, you are, you're definitely a freak!"
The blonde felt the bandages get damp, and he could smell the metallic scent coming from them. 'I guess I'll have to change the bandages again'
The boy holding him turned to the others and laughed. "Hey, I have an idea! How about, you beg me for mercy or somethin' and I might just let you go with a few scratches, how's that sound?"
All he received was a silent glare, narrowed blue eyes intensely staring back at him. He scoffed. "Fine. I'll make you scream for mercy then!"
The blonde tasted the blood in his mouth before an intense pain spread from his stomach throughout his whole body. He felt blow after blow, but could not find the strength to scream, to cry, to do anything. He doubted that anyone would help, even if he could beg, they'd never stop.
His world was getting dark.
Then the punches and kicks stopped suddenly and he heard an exclamation of surprise come from the leader's mouth. From where the blonde now lay, blood dripping from his mouth and down his face from the gash on his forehead, he looked up, trying to blink away the darkness. He couldn't see much but he heard the sounds of fighting and then it went quiet. He tried blinking again, and with some luck, the grogginess cleared enough for him to see a raven standing over one of the boys, his skin as pale as milk, and dark eyes hardened in a glare so cold, one look and hell would freeze.
He never said a word, as his eyes slowly made their way to the blonde lying in the dirt, whose eyes were no longer able to stay open. The Raven knelt down next to him; his hand brushed at some of the blonde hair that stuck to his face with sweat and blood, dark eyes trailing over the purpling bruises on tanned skin.
'Naruto...'
Gently, he placed one hand around the blonde's shoulders, and the other under his knees and hiked him up, holding him close to his chest, not minding the blood and dirt staining his white uniform shirt.
He headed back towards the school, hoping that the infirmary would still be open.
He glimpsed the setting sun behind him in the reflection on one of the large windows and then looked down at the blonde in his arms.
'I'll be late for dinner tonight'