Chapter One

The Well

Naruto ran as quickly as his little legs could take him. His lungs burned as he desperately gasped for air. Branches nicked his skin as sweat poured down his body, burning him at the spots where there were open wounds. Tears of frustration sprung up to his eyes.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and slowed down before stopping completely. He put his hand up on the tree next to him for support before completely collapsing down next to it.

He thought it wouldn't bother him. It's always been like this. He knew nobody liked him for some reason, he could see it in their eyes. The way they looked down at him in disgust and hate. For the longest time, he couldn't understand why that was so, but because of somebody important in his life, he figured that it didn't matter. But then why…

How could the person whom he thought was different, ended up being the same as the rest of them?

Naruto didn't want this to let it get to him but it did anyway. Usually, he wouldn't let it get to him. He'd ignore it, laugh, and try to move on by distracting himself. Playing pranks or causing minor troubles cleared away the bad thoughts but also gave him a sort of petty satisfaction. If they always looked at him like trouble, why not give them an actual reason?

Naruto did want to be respectful, honestly. But now it didn't bother him as much if he started acting up during class or anything like that. Why should he give respect to a teacher who thought about him the same way everyone else did?

How was he supposed to know that on the day he was born, a lot of people died? That wasn't his fault. Naruto tried very hard to convince himself as he cried that he wasn't at fault for anything, but the words he overheard kept ringing in his ears. They said he was a demon, he killed all those people who died but as far as he knew, he couldn't remember killing anyone. Naruto finally calmed down, his breathing a lot steadier. He slowly stood up and kept walking. Maybe he could live here. This forest was a place a lot of people avoided. They called it the Forest of Death because of how dangerous it was but he'd been safe so far. Naruto started walking around.

The forest seemed like any other forest, but it's probably because there was still sunlight peeking through the trees. Naruto kept walking when he noticed a peculiar spot near the side of a mountain. It was covered with vines and the entrance was draped with the green plants, camouflaging it with its surroundings. Naruto felt drawn to it before heading towards the direction it was at. Upon arriving, he pushed back the curtain of vines and found himself in a short tunnel. He stealthily walked through it before coming upon a small clearing, with only a run down well in the middle.

Naruto curiously looked at it and continued walking towards it. The well didn't look like anything special, but there must've been a reason why it was in a super hidden place, right? Naruto eagerly looked down in anticipation, imagining seeing treasures and gold and secret ninja scrolls. His eyes glistened at the thought and smiled. Maybe he could afford BBQ? Or hotpot? Oh, and fresh vegetables that he was never allowed to touch. He could also go back and pay that ramen owner for always giving him free delicious ramen! Naruto grinned excitedly at the thoughts before freezing.

He stared at the ground before goosebumps appeared on his skin. He took a step back out of fear, cold sweat starting to drip down his face. He gulped before attempting to deny what he saw. It was a human skeleton but instead of legs, a very thin bone curved beyond the tunnel, with bones protruding out from either sides of it. It almost looked like the thing had the lower body of a serpent.

Hold on. Naruto paused. Beyond? How could its lower body go beyond the well if a well is supposed to be a circle? Naruto felt his curiosity outweigh his fear, and after much debate, he finally started slowly stepping back to the well. He carefully looked down and stared at it closely. Usually, wells are round. The bones should've curved or something but Naruto could see that it led to another tunnel instead.

He got excited again. But then he abruptly stopped himself again. What if there were…ghosts? A shiver ran down his spine. Maybe the ghost of the thing was still lurking down there, waiting for someone to jump in. That scared him enough to back up a couple feet away. He shook his head, trying to muster up the courage to take another step forward but his legs didn't obey him and instead, planted themselves firmly on the ground. He grit his teeth before turning around. Tomorrow, he decided. He'll come back tomorrow.

Naruto felt a little satisfied with his decision and started walking back. The air suddenly felt cold and he noticed how quiet it got. Naruto felt an ominous presence crawling up behind him and let out a strangled noise. Before he knew it, he was already running out of the little hiding place and back into the main forest. He kept running, afraid to stop or turn back around in case something really was after him. He could hear something chasing after him and let out a screech.

"NOOOOOOO!" He screamed while running wildly back to the direction he came from. He didn't want to die from a ghost. Naruto ran all the way back until he could see the opening of the world outside the forest and quickly leaped into the clearing.

Maybe he shouldn't go back after all.