With each chakra enhanced step an anbu flew along the rooftops, each step coming closer to an alleyway glowing from the light of fire. With each passing building the cheering following the child's screams grew louder.

x Naruto POV x

With every piercing blow I felt blood seeping past my fingers as I gripped my side, feeling my blood flow down my hands. I looked up and saw my reflection in my tormentor's blade,with each slash flesh and cloth was ripped from my body. Watching as they walked closer with tear filled eyes they grabbed me harshly by my arm and threw me across the alleyway . I could only watch as two of them pinned my arms against the wall while grinning as another approached with a wooden bat in hand and a wicked gleam in his eyes. My eyes widen as he pulled the bat over his shoulder and swung at my legs. As the bat connected a loud snap could be heard snapping both the bat and my right leg,splinters shooting up along my leg and torso each and every little splinter shoot a bolt of pain through my body increasing the volume of my scream making the civilians grin all the more,they started beating me with anything in sight each hit making my vision go blurry from the pain,my whole right side burning from the pain a slight breeze blew by irritating my open wounds,a man with a torch his intentions clear with the fire burning in his eye and the devilish grin spread across face leafs swirled and with a silver blur his left arm from the shoulder dropped still holding the torch lighting the trash that spread the alley,a man with porcelain mask stared down at the pooling blood of the terrified civilian slowly turning his head to me i saw glowing red eyes peering into my soul.

X 3rd person/ narrator naruto's bedroom X

Naruto awoke with wide eyes and a cold sweat as he unconsciously grips his right side still feeling phantom pains,after a moment he folds the blanket over and slides out of bed into the hallway checking the half broken clock hanging from the wall. It read * 6:12 am* After calming himself he thought about his nightmare but the more he thought about it the more it disappeared from his memory. As he walked to his bathroom he tried remembering what he saw but he couldn't find a name to place on its porcelain mask but recognized the basic animalistic designs to be one of the special ninjas that the 3rd Hokage has command of. "Anbu" Naruto said out loud while wondering why one would appear in his dream let alone help him. He tried but failed to remember the animal the mask mimicked, he debated whether or not to ask the 3rd who it was before getting undressed and looking at himself in his cracked mirror. His dull blues staring back at him he turned to the shower,turning it to hot and hoping for the best he was once again disappointed,with ice chilling water flowing through his spiky sun kissed blonde hair and malnourished frame he wondered why the dream felt so real just like the other ones he couldn't fully remember anymore . Stepping out of the shower he slipped into his kill me orange jumpsuit that fit his fake personality perfectly,the happy go lucky idiot.

X X

As Naruto walked down the street he noticed a lack of people, deciding it was due to the early hour he brushed it off. The only people he could see were the usual drunks who are completely hung over and those leaving the many popular brothels along the street. As he walked past a brothel he decided to take a peek through a back window, after only a second he looked away and continued to walk towards the market district now only with an extremely red face and a mind full of images he hoped to forget.

What surprised him was the fact that most stores aren't open yet besides a few weapon shops. which he found odd and tried to remember if there is any special events happening today,

The kyuubi festival was the first thing that came to mind,he paled almost immediately and picked up the pace ignoring the soul crushing glares the villagers sent him as the streets filled with eager villagers in the market district. Civilians moving store to store with the odd civilian entering a weapon shop he made his way through the growing crowd each pair of eyes piercing his soul with immense hatred. Moving forward Ignoring the harsh glares surrounding him, he approaches a mask vendor to admire the mask. taking a noticeable liking to the red and white fox mask. A large man from behind the stall and yells "you!" before walking towards him with his towering but round build, he called out as he shoved Naruto to the ground "go, get out of here!" as he threw the very mask Naruto had his eyes on at him. A crowd gathered whispering their distaste among themselves,naruto looked around with fear filled eyes he picked up the mask and ran sliding the mask into his jacket pocket each step bringing him further from the crowd,he asked himself why they all hated him over and over again until he noticed an all to familiar little restaurant ichiraku ramen he slowed to a walking pace approaching the many banners with the restaurant name printed along them.he stepped past the cloth banners and was immediately greeted by teuchi and ayame with hello's along with them preparing his signature eight bowls of ramen for breakfast they asked naruto "how's your day going so far " naruto replied quickly "great!" With his signature grin plastered on his face, they smiled while sliding the bowl in front of him "thanks for the food " naruto almost yelled stuffing the ramen down his throat.

Each bowl emptying out instantly Naruto hops off the stoll sliping money on to the counter, teuchi stops him calling after him "it's on the house" naruto's grin grows and thanks teuchi

Running off with a full stomach. Trying to remind himself what he was going to ask his grandfather, About his nightmares, who the crow is and inoichi. crow's in the anbu so I have to ask jiji,and inoichi is a part of the T.N.I, Who could i ask about that,maybe the snake lady that everyone is scared of being tortured by. Doesn't that mean she might know ionichi,ok thats plan B if jiji dont or cant give me answers. Naruto wondering what time it was peeks his head in to convenience store seeing the clock he realizes that if he can't get to the hokage tower soon the old man would be stuck in meetings the whole day cutting his thought short was a brown and mint coloured flamingo flying towards him he ducked back out the object hitting the door harmlessly he picked up his pace moving at a civilians max speed he came up to the hokage tower looking up at the sun and where it was he knew he was to late so he took the long trek back to the forests of konoha his safe haven where he could hide, hunt, train or do anything without the civilians glares pinning him down

X time skip 9 hours X

Naruto's sitting in a clearing a small campfire with a pot sitting on the fire was remnants of squirrel stew and prank plans next to it with a few paint cans hidden in bushes.currently naruto was repainting the fox mask black with red details and orange accents.painting was a hobby of his until the villagers stopped him from getting supplies.naruto looked up noticing it was night the campfire keeping him warm with the cool breeze passing by every few seconds he doused the fire with a flask filled with water from the nearby creek. Naruto always had good night vision

Never knew why, he took a second scanning the area before moving towards the red light district, an orange glow moving closer from the edge of the forest …