I do not own Naruto, but all original characters are mine

Prologue

A/N: Alright! I'm not dead! So surprise...okay, that was a bit much...well, not really. Either way, I'm back from my long, unexplained absence in the mood for writing again. I promised that this story would be re-written, and I'm keeping it! So for those who're actually waiting for this, thanks for your patience, and sorry for the wait. The Prologue may be short, but I hope it doesn't disappoint. Taa~taa!

"Come…take that step forward…"

And he did, before blinking blankly, and turning towards the voice in confusion. It sounded as if it came from behind him, but when he looked, he couldn't see anyone there. Only the other kids, walking hand in hand with their parents, back's turned towards him.

Biting his lip, he looked down, turning back towards the empty swings as their shadows grew with the setting sun, eclipsing him from head to toe. And when they vanished down the streets, he could only push himself back and forth on the swing, waiting.

"What are you waiting for?"

'Anything. Anyone really.' He'd wait here in the park, alone on the swings till after dark, hoping. The park was a place for kids to play, and in the end, be picked up by their parents. So he thought that maybe, if he waited enough, his parents would come for him too.

That they weren't dead—that they didn't leave him behind.

It was only a small hope. Something of a wish that he knew would never come true…but if there was just a small chance, he couldn't miss it. He didn't want to miss it.

So he waited.

For anything—anyone to come for him.

"Is there any worth in this?"

"…I don' know." Mumbling under his breath, he watched as the sun vanished over cliff, leaving only the lamplight's to brighten the streets. "It's better than being stared at."

With eyes always full of hate and blame, sometimes even shame, though he could never understand why. All he knew was that people didn't like him. Their eyes said as much. As if asking, 'why are you still here' or 'why did it have to be you'. Those looks had hurt more than he'd like to admit. They still do, which is why he's waiting.

Alone in the park, where parents come to pick up their kids, hold their hands and gaze at them with eyes filled with love and care. Simply waiting for the time, that his parents would finally come. For his mother to shower him with kisses; for his dad to give him a piggyback.

Hand's tightening around the swing, he swung back and forth, staring at the Hokage Monument in sadness. First at the Fourth, pulling at his blonde spikes, and comparing it with the carvings in a disbelieving joke. A lot of adults had spiky hair, and he played with the idea that the Fourth was his dad.

He had blond spikes and blue eyes, so did the fourth, but that idea was thrown away when he realized how many other people had the same color hair and eyes. The Hero of the village could never have been his dad, not someone so loved, considering how much he was hated.

But, it would have been cool all the same, and that thought brought a smile to his face. Being the son of a Hero and all, and it'd give him time to think about who his mom was. If the Fourth a dad, it's obvious there should be a Mom, right? So what kind of person would the wife of the fourth would be like?

Swinging back and forth with more energy, it was quickly dropped as his smile dropped to a frown

Looking up towards the night sky, he eyed the big round moon for a couple moments, before getting off the swings.

"Where are you going?"

"…home." No, not home. Never that empty apartment with no one to welcome him back

He didn't know who was asking these questions, and whenever he tried to look, no one was ever there. Only a disembodied voice that echoed from far, even if it sounded right by his side.

From time to time, it would talk to him at night. Always in a whisper, asking questions and making demands, never responding to his own. More often than not, the questions asked would be the same, as if whoever was speaking simply waited for a different answer. An answer that would never come, because it was what he wanted.

A place he could call home, and parents that would welcome him back. He would always want those.

"Then take that step forward."

Which he did. He took that one step forward, and another, followed by the next until he was out of the park, and alone in the streets. He continued taking those steps, never stopping once. But nothing ever happened.

He'd be told to take that step forward, but he never understood why. Taking a step towards what exactly?

"Who are you?"

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." He muttered under his breath, eye's glazing over.

"Who are you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto." He repeated, steps growing in haste.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki!" Biting that out, he broke out in a jog, wanting to get away from the voice.

"Who are you?"

"I already told you!" Taking a turn at the next corner, he ignored the brightly flashing lights that stung his eyes whenever he passed through.

"Did you really? Who are you?"

"I said my name is Naruto Uzumaki!" He whispered harshly, nearing a shout.

"Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? Whoareyou? Whoareyou? Whoareyou? Whoareyou? Whoareyou? Whoareyou? Whoareyou? WhoWhoWhoWhoWhoWhoWhoWhoWhoWho…"

Again and again the words whispered right by his ear, following him even as he broke out into a sprint. Hand's clasped around his ears, eyes watering, he felt like slamming his head into a nearby wall if it meant getting rid of that annoying voice. Of the headache it was causing, splitting his head in two making his gasp for air long before he turned the next corner. And just as he did, the whispers stopped, asking again:

"Who are you?"

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! So just shut up already!"

Making that statement loud and clear for all to hear, Naruto opened his eyes in surprise as he was thrown back, elbows scraping against the ground drawing blood, and a pained hiss from his lips. But when he looked up, the smell of alcohol wafted over him, and he stiffened at the person he knocked down, two others by his side.

Clothes a mess, covered in sweat, and a glazed look in their eyes with that awful scent that assaulted his nose. Slowly crawling back, shaking, he bolted when one of their eyes landed on him, recognition in their eyes.

"Run."

(Three Hours Later)

Shaking his head lightly, he looked around holding in his breath. The full moon above being hidden by the dark clouds in the sky; something he was really grateful for. Sighing in relief after a couple of seconds, he pressed his back against the tree sliding down along its bark. Setting down his hands on the grass, he pulled his legs in close as his heart thumped against his chest.

They haven't found him yet, that was good. Shaking his head back and forth, he felt something warm and sticky slide down his forehead. Wiping him arm against it, he stared at the blood wiped onto his arm. Rubbing his arms together to try and fight off the cold, he turned around and stared at the tree behind him. His cerulean blue eyes spotting a crack along its bark, he digged his small fingers into it and tugged. Pulling off the bark; it revealed an opening just small enough for him to squeeze through.

Smiling lightly, he squeezed his small form through pulling the bark behind him to hide its entrance. Even though he couldn't really see anything, he knew that it was spacious. The small hole underneath the tree was big enough for him to crawl around and deep enough for him to hide in. The entrance's blind spots just in case someone found it.

Scratching his cheek lightly, he closed his eyes. Hoping to get in some sleep from the people after him; he hugged his knees close and buried his head into them. Stiffening slightly as the sound of shouting began to reach his ears. He forced himself to stop shaking as their footsteps came ever so closer. Tears streaming down his cheeks in fear as the seconds passed by.

Hearing the footsteps halting near his tree, he held in his breath as the sound of hateful muttering echoed throughout the clearing. He didn't know how many of them there were, but he didn't want to know either. All he wanted was for them to just go away and to never come back.

After a couple of agonizing minutes passed, he heard the footsteps and muttering's slowly moving away. The sounds slowly disappearing completely after a couple of seconds, he decided to wait for five more minutes until they were gone. The first time he came out of his hiding place when he thought they had left, they were simply waiting for him to come out in silence.

He had learned his lesson since then, and from then on, he'd be wary around avoiding anyone smelling like alcohol. At best, people only glared at him, but when they were drunk, that was something else altogether. They'd start chasing him, screaming and filled with rage.

Drying his tears, he sniffed, frown shifting into a smile. Annoying whispers aside, at times, there was always something else that spoke to him.

Tightly closing his eyes, he began to slowly relax as a strange sound began to play in his ears. The gentle melody soothing his fears and sadness like it does whenever he goes to sleep. He doesn't know why only he can hear it, but he didn't really care. To him, it meant that it was for him and only for him.

Whenever he would cry himself to sleep, the music would always play in his ears; the abyssal tone never telling him if it was a boy or a girl singing, always in a muffled echo. Pouting slightly as he began to doze off, he wished he could meet the owner of the voice. It sounded so caring and loving to him. It made his chest feel warm and fuzzy inside, a feeling he was unused too.

He didn't know what to feel about the whispers, but it was times like this, that he never wants to stop listening. He couldn't remember when it started, or why, but he did know that it was the only source of warmth in a village filled with blame. And just like always, his shivering slowed to a stop, as if a warm blanket embraced his form, protecting him from the cold.

Opening his eyes slightly, he wiped the tears away from his eyes and smiled. Closing them once more, he stifled a yawn as his senses dimmed. '…I…gotta get back…' The Old Man would wonder where he was…but, dozing off, Naruto fell asleep with a comfortable smile on his lips. The darkness surrounding his form in a protective blanket as a small silhouette appeared over his shoulders. Fading out of existence not a moment later when the gash on his elbows slowly closed up.

Outside, lying upon a tree branch, earthy brown eyes sang in the darkness, violet sparks danced around wood, splintering bark, and freezing grass as it hopped off the trunk. Sitting near Naruto's hiding spot, it continued to sing, eyes narrowing at the moon.

"…Who are you…to me…"

A/N: And that's the end of the Prologue! Thank's for reading!