Hello again, this is the Psychic Mind here with my second chapter. I hope you enjoy and please review. Also, try and solve my little riddle.
Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Naruto. It is the property of Masashi Kimomoto-sensei
Prologue 2: A Boy's Dreams
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Hate.He could feel their stares on his back, their whispers at his ears, and the hate in their hearts.
Wherever he went there was still that hate, the anger.
What did he do? He didn't do anything, anything at all. Damn it!
He passed a small store and looked inside. A grin entered his four-year-old face. The stuff in here was so cool! He entered the store, looking around when…
BAM!! The young boy was hit with a stone, connecting solidly with his face.
The blonde Jinchuuriki turned around wildly looking for the source of the attack.
Again, damn it! Everywhere he went they attacked him. WHY!! WHY!!
A large man came out of the back of the shop, wielding a katana. Young Naruto's eyes drooped. Not another lynching! He just got beaten last week; he almost didn't survive that one.
The large man glared at Naruto angrily. Most four-year-old children wouldn't understand that look in his eyes but Naruto did. He had seen it all his life. Hate. This man hated him. Naruto could see it in his eyes, but there was more. Ever since that lynching last week, he had been feeling things. He couldn't explain it. But it was there.
His thoughts were sharply brought back to reality when the shop owner hit him. Hard. He flew into the wall and rolled down on the floor.
The burly man stood over him with a look of pure hatred on his face." You-you filthy dog! How dare you come into my shop after what you did to me"
Naruto weakly looked up at the man. He could almost feel the man's hate. But why? He didn't do anything to anybody! Why? WHY?
The shop owner approached the boy with a sick smile on his face. ""You're not going to get away with it." He started laughing in a way that boded extreme pain for little Naruto.
"I'm going to save Konoha from you. I'm going to be a hero just like the Fourth. "
"You don't deserve to exist" he spat out angrily.
You don't deserve to exist… His words resonated through Naruto. Was he right? Did he deserve to exist?"Prepare to die, demon. You will pay for killing my brother "
Confusion echoed through Naruto. He could feel that the man believed what he was saying. How… he did not know, but he knew that he believed what he was saying.
But how? He was only four years old, damnit! He didn't, couldn't kill anybody. But… did he kill somebody? Was that why everybody hated him?
The shop owner was coming in closer, scraping his katana on the floor, still with that sick expression on his face. He started laughing. "This is the end for you, demon"
Naruto looked around frantically for an escape route. His heart sank. He was boxed in. There was no way out. He was going to die here. Naruto laughed slightly. After all those lynchings… he was going to die here.
The shop owner raised his katana and swung it down towards Naruto's head rapidly… only to be blocked by another katana. Both Naruto and the shop owner looked up in surprise.
Parrying the man's katana was an ANBU operative with a mantis mask. He easily pushed the katana and the shop owner back with a simple push.
The shop owner looked around in alarm. Accompanying the ANBU was none other than the Hokage himself. How did they get inside… they were ninjas. Of course.
Naruto sighed in relief. He scrambled away from the now noticeably subdued shop owner. He could feel something different from the shop owner now. Something else he was familiar with. Fear.
Naruto looked at the Hokage. He could see why the guy was scared. Naruto knew the aged Hokage well, seeing as he was the only one who gave a damn whether he lived or died and this was the first Naruto had seen him so angry, and to be frank it was scary as hell.
The Hokage in question looked at the man angrily. He was literally shaking with anger.
He looked at the man with the utmost loathing. "You…" words failed the elderly Hokage. He turned to the ANBU who was holding the man. "Take this man to Ibiki", he commanded. "They can have a little chat"
The ANBU nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama". As the ANBU prepared to leave with him there was a commotion at the door and a young woman ran in hurriedly. She blanched at sight of the Hokage and the ANBU. "What-what happened here?", she said in fear and alarm.
The Hokage gestured around the shop. "This man has attacked a minor and we're arresting him", he said in disgust.
The woman's eyes widened. "What minor? Where-", her eyes settled on Naruto and the look on her face turned to disgust. "That –that thing", she screamed at the Third in anger.
"You're arresting him for that! You should give him a medal", she shouted.
Naruto's eyes drooped. He could feel her anger and fear. But it was mostly anger. And it was mostly directed at him. The Third saw his expression change and scowled. Stupid people…
The man nodded fervently along with his wife's statement. "What's wrong with you! We have to kill that thing before it kills us all"
The Third's expression became even colder, if that was possible. Killing intent rolled off him in waves. Both the man and wife shut up instantly. Even the ANBU seemed shaken up. Naruto shuddered. Man, Hokage-Ojiji is really, really scary…
The aged Hokage saw Naruto's expression and calmed down. The room returned to normal temperature and everyone, even the ANBU sighed in relief.
The young woman, on the other hand continued her tirade. "What kind of leader are you! We have to get rid of this thing before it kills us all!" she screamed. "It's a demon"
Naruto's mind reeled. Demon? Was he a demon? Was that why everyone hated him? He shook his head quickly. No, I'm not a demon. Not a demon…
The Third once again saw the expression on young Naruto's face and scowled even harder.
The woman, unaware, continued. "After what this demon did to us-". The Third cut her off quickly. "Young lady, are you aware of the laws of Konoha?" he asked harshly.
The young woman's eyes widened and she nodded resentfully. "Yes, Hokage-sama", she spat out hatefully
The Hokage took Naruto's hand and said lightly "Come on, Naruto"
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Later in the day…
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"Come along, Naruto, it's just this way". People blinked as the Third Hokage led Naruto along with his hands over his eyes.
"Can I take it off now, Oji-san?" the aged Hokage chuckled at the excited tone of his voice. Can't keep that boy down… he thought happily.
"All right, Naruto you can take the blindfold off now", the Sandaime directed.
Almost quivering with excitement, Naruto took off the blindfold… and blinked.
And blinked again.
And again.
"Oji-san, what's the surprise?" a still blinking Naruto said.
The Third laughed again. This little excursion would be just the way to stop Naruto from dwelling on what had just happened. The smile vanished from his face as if it had been erased.
Fools.
Ignorant fools.
The Third quickly controlled himself before Naruto noticed his killing intent.
Did not want that happening. Not after what just happened.
The elderly Hokage shook the thought out of his mind and turned to the expectant Naruto.
And smiled.
The aged Hokage took Naruto's hand and led him to a small shop on the corner. It had the name Ichiraku's proudly posted.
"It's a restaurant, Naruto", replied the Third. "We are going to get some ramen.," he said smiling slightly. Ramen… the Fourth loved ramen too.
The Hokage looked down at Naruto and grinned. "Come on, let's go Naruto", he said.
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Inside the ramen shop
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Naruto gulped down his tenth bowl of pork ramen and let out a satisfied smile. "Wow, that was great, old man. Ramen is officially my favorite food ever", the now thoroughly stuffed Jinchuuriki grinned.
Tenchi Ichiraku, the owner of the ramen store looked at the boy with a curious mixture of horror, disgust, amazement and pure delight. Wow, the kid looks happy for a change. I'm glad Hokage-sama decided to bring him here. Not only that but I'm going to make a fortune off this kid…
Most of the inhabitants of the Village Hidden in the Leaves were very proud of and had a great respect for the renowned Third Hokage. So most of these would be surprised to see the look of the disgust on the normally benign old man's face as he watched Naruto inhale ramen. What is he, a human disposal? I have got to find some sucker…I mean dedicated Konoha shinobi to foot the kid's ramen bill.
Elsewhere in Konoha, a fifteen-year old genin in the middle of his chuunin exams sneezed. Umino Iruka shuddered and looked at the horizon. Why did I feel as if my wallet cried out in pain as if it saw a premonition of future emptiness? No, lack of food must be getting to me.
Back at Ichiraku's, Naruto was bidding a laughing Tenchi farewell. "Bye Tenchi-san, see you soon. I'll be back for more ramen", Naruto called out to the delight and sadness of the ramen cook and the Hokage respectively.
Naruto and the Hokage set out for the orphanage Naruto was living in. the boy suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and to the Hokage's amazement asked him a curious question. "Oji-san, can I become Hokage?"
To say the aged Hokage was shocked by this question was an understatement. He quickly pulled his face off the ground and asked shakily "Why do you want to be Hokage, Naruto?"
The four-year old looked at the old Hokage with a determined look in his eye. "Because I want to be just like you, Oji-san. I want people to respect me. I want to help people like how you just helped me" he said looking very determined. "I want to be-" his voice broke then came back strong "acknowledged" he finished.
The Third looked at Naruto fondly and ruffled his head ignoring his signs of protest. "If you work hard, Naruto one day you can be Hokage "
The blond jumped up. "You got it ", he exclaimed. "One day I'll become Hokage. Believe it!". The aged Hokage chuckled. Maybe one day you will be…
Author's Notes
Sorry for the delay. My computer was broken. I'll try to do better in future. I'm not too sure about the quality of this installment but I hope you like it. Please review!
TransaltingTheName: Thanks for the review. This will not be a yaoi fic.
Amorphusshadow: Naruto won't have telekinesis. His power will lean more to empathy.
Please tune in for the next installment where the story really gets started. Ja ne!
The Psychic Mind
