Sixteen year old Hyuga Neji crouched in an ally way nibbling on an apple he had just swiped from an unsuspecting vendor. He was ravenous and the apple wasn't much of a meal, but it would have to do for now.

"Well, well, what have we here?" a mocking voice behind him rang out.

Neji stiffened. He knew that voice. He turned to glare coldly at the voice's owner. "What do you want Sadaro?!" he snarled.

Sadaro smirked and his posse of seven other young men, all a few years older than Neji, chuckled.

"This is our chosen spot for the night Hyuga." Sadaro told him. "You're gonna have to find someplace else to sleep."

Neji glared harder. "As if Sadaro. This is my Ally. I found it, and I'm not leaving. You and your goons can go sleep in a dumpster for all I care." Neji knew he was practically begging for a beating by saying this, but at the moment, he didn't care. He was fed up with Sadaro's gang always trying to push him around.

Sadaro glowered at him. "Have it your way Hyuga." He growled. Turning to his friends, he said. "Teach him a lesson."

Ten minutes later had Neji stumbling down the side streets of one of the slums of Konoha. Sadaro's lackeys had been effective in their lesson teaching and had kicked him out of the ally with several bruises and a black eye.

Neji sighed. He was tired. Seeming to suddenly run out of energy, he dropped to the ground where he was and curled up into a ball, leaning against the side of an old brick building. It was the beginning of January so the air was cold and there was a blanket of snow covering the ground. He shivered and curled up tighter to preserve as much warmth as possible. Neji knew that many of the street kids froze to death every year during the winter. He sighed and thought back to how he had gone from being a member of a prestigious family to ending up in this miserable state.

Neji had never known his mother as she had died in child birth; however, he had been remarkably close to his father Hizashi, the brother of Hiashi, the Head of the Hyuga household, until the age of seven. On Neji's seventh birthday, his father had taken him out to see a movie, just the two of them. On the way back home, however, their car was hit by a drunk driver. Neji had suffered several broken bones and had been in the hospital for several weeks afterwards until he had finally recovered. Unfortunately, his father had not been so lucky…

Flashback:

Neji smiled at his father as they pulled out of the theatre's parking lot and onto the highway.

"What did you think of the movie Neji?" His father, Hizashi asked.

"I liked it!" The seven-year-old replied with a grin.

"That's good. What would you like to do now?"

Neji took a moment to consider this before replying. "Can we get some Ice cream?"

Hizashi laughed. "I suppose—" He was cut off by his son's sudden scream.

"Dad! Look out!"

CRASH!!!!

Neji heard his father shout as there was a sudden jolt. The car seemed to collapse and he screamed as pain shot through him, seemingly from all directions. There were flashes of lights and Neji was bounced around as if the car were doing cartwheels. And suddenly… all was quiet.

Neji lifted his head slightly and tried to move his legs but found that they were pinned beneath something… one of his arms hurt terribly and he guessed it was probably broken. Looking around he gasped as he saw his father, leaning against the seat, his long hair obscuring his face.

"Father?" Neji reached out with his good hand and prodded his father's shoulder only to yelp in surprise when the figure slumped and fell on top of him.

"Father!" Neji gasped as he felt a warm liquid seeping through his father's clothes and dying his own clothes a dark crimson. Blood!

"Father? Father answer me!" Neji brushed the hair out of his father's face and screamed. His father's violet eyes stared blindly into his… blood streamed from his mouth and his face had gone completely white. Neji looked down and saw the blood stains on his father's jacket. He reached out and unzipped it, pulling the fabric aside. He felt his blood run cold. His father's chest was completely caved in and his shirt was soaked in blood. Neji could feel the warm, scarlet liquid drenching his own clothes. Tears filled the little boy's eyes and he screamed!

End of Flashback:

Hiashi had blamed Neji for the death of his little brother. Immediately following Neji's release from the hospital, the Hyuga clan had disowned him and he had been cast out to live alone on the streets. He had grown up scavenging trash bins for food and swiping what he could. He had felt bad about it at first, but after a while, it just became habit. It wasn't as though he was trying to cause trouble. He took what he needed in order to survive. It was the only option he had.

Neji took a deep breath and shook his head to dispel the unwanted memories. Today was the last Saturday before the end of Christmas break. The day after tomorrow he had to go back to school. He hated his school. He was a complete outcast there. Everyone knew he was homeless so most of them didn't want to be around him and the few groups that didn't mind that didn't like him for some other reason. He hated it, but if he ever wanted to get out of this cycle, he had to keep attending; he was lucky they let him stay on. He sighed. Just another day in hell…

"Everyone line up for Supper!" a voice rang out. There came a scrambling as several children of all ages hurried into the dining hall. One boy, a teenager with cerulean eyes, tanned skin and unruly, golden hair, received several cold glares as he entered the room. The boy frowned and trudged over to the line to get his food. The kids edged away from him and snickered as he joined them. The blond lowered his gaze sadly.

"Oi! Uzumaki!" a loud voice called out. The boy's head snapped up and he turned only to receive a hard shove causing him to fall to the floor. The boy's name was Uzumaki Naruto and he was an orphan living in Konohagakure orphanage.

For most of the orphans, sticking together was a vital part of survival. However, Naruto was not a part of the brotherhood that had formed amongst his fellow orphans. No he had been shunned from this and every other camaraderie since his childhood. Naruto didn't really know why other than the fact that he was rumored to be cursed or some such nonsense due to the strange tattoo mark on his stomach.

Naruto really had no clue what the thing was for he had had it for as long as he could remember. But despite his protests that it was nothing, he was constantly alienated and ridiculed by both the kids at the orphanage and the kids at Konohagakure Secondary Academy, the school that he attended. The school gave out a couple of scholarships every year to orphan kids. Naruto may have been naïve in many areas, but he was brilliant when it came to mathematics. Thus, he had been accepted into the school with a scholarship.

Naruto knew that if he could endure long enough to earn his diploma, he would have a chance at getting into a respectable college, which would be his ticket out of his current lifestyle. Naruto sighed and picked himself up off the floor. He collected his lunch and, not wanting to be under the constant, mocking eyes of the others, he went outside to eat. It was bitterly cold out but somehow, Naruto didn't feel it.

He made his way over to a lonely looking swing, hanging from an old Sakura tree. This had been Naruto's special place growing up. When the other kids laughed at him or ignored him or shouted cruel, hurtful words he would come to this tree and swing for hours upon end until the matron of the orphanage said he had to come back inside. He would close his eyes and imagine his parents were pushing him on the swing. Naruto didn't know what his parents had looked like so he had to make up their faces in his head. He also imagined that he had lots of friends who would talk to him and play with him.

Naruto took a seat on the old swing and looked up at the lonely night sky. In reality, the only friend he had ever really had was this old swing.

Hey everyone!

Sorry this chapter took so long to get out but I'm uploading two at a time this time so hopefully you all won't be too mad at me.

Anyhow, these were Neji's and Naruto's back stories. Next Chapter will have Sasuke's back story and a bit more with the girls.

Let me know what you thought. Sorry these beginning chapters are a bit short. The later ones will be longer.

Thank you to all those who reviewed! :)

~MidnightAnimeAngel