Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
AN: So, my laptop broke and I typed this out on my phone. Apologies frens 😭

Chapter 6: Kiri: The Land of Jagged Teeth

I can not believe I am saying this, but the Bloody Mist is actually worse than I imagined it to be. Let me be clear. I was not expecting a 'walk in the park - Konoha', or even 'tough love - Kumo' but chopping heads off because they looked at you wrong? Come on man!

Ugh. What is my life?

Fuck. Let me start from the beginning.

There I was, sitting on a rickety, old and rusted (What the fuck iryo-nin? Do you want us to get the Tetnus?) bed, still discombobulated by my predicament of being suddenly mother-less and thrown into a potentially hostile environment, when Biwako decided to push her ginormous boobs into my face, a mockery of hug, handed me my medicine and shoved me out with an 'off you go!' ringing in the air.

I huffed at the absurdity of the situation. Three. I am three years old! Almost four. Sure, I may be mentally older, but I do look like a fucking toddler! How does does one send a child out on the streets to fend for themselves when they were- I pinch the bridge of my nose and I take a deep breath. It's a different culture, there are different norms. I remind myself before I start ranting about child neglect.

So, I starting walking down the streets of Kiri with some vague sense of direction in mind. The buildings are a consistent wash of blues and grays and not very well maintained. All row rise and they look almost like they were once a part of an ancient civilisation that is long since forgotten.

But there are signs of life here and there. The disgusting open drainage system... smattering of dried blood on the pavement... people darting in the shadows...

The smell of salt permeates the air, as does the stench of rot and fish. I cannot hear much.. there is faint but boisterous laughter that can be heard in the distance. Otherwise it is strangely silent.

Almost an affected silence, I think suspiciously. As if there is something causing the disassociated ringing in the air.

And it felt.. alive. There was no other word for it.. alive like it was just waiting to be let loose.

I feel a chill going down my spine. Were there people around? Probably. Was I being watched? Also quite probable. I might be three, but The Mist made monsters younger than most.

I would like to point out at this juncture, that I cannot see jack. I can barely see my hand in front of me. My jaw clenches to form a stubborn scowl and I begin stomping towards the orphanage. I am not making much noise.

Yet-

"Ooo.. what is an ickle baby shrimpet like you doing, walking down the red light district?"

I whirl around to see a figure emerging from the fog like some fucked up horror story.

It is a woman. The most gorgeous woman I have seen in a good while. I apologise girlfriend -who's name I have forgotten- but this woman is -dangerous- s.

"Well..?" Her voice tinkles like a chime. "Cat got your tongue?" She laughs delicately. Auburn hair cascades over her shoulder like crimson rain. Her eyes are the odd colour of black, but it only enhances her beauty.

"I apologise" I bow low and I feel my cheeks heating up. "I seem to be lost ma'am. I am looking for the orphanage."

The orphanage? I sweat. I hope that there is only one.

Pretty lady smirks. "Come on, young 'un.. I will take you there.."

I feel mildly apprehensive, I do not feel too stoked to be following a stranger through this scary place. But I suck it up. I am an adult - in a child's body - and I could do this.

The lady, who had been watching me with a small grin on her face says, "Child. I do not have all day. I either take you there or I don't. Decide."

I double-take at the sight of her teeth. They are sharp.. jagged. Like every body else here. I shiver involuntarily.

"Tsk" She is walking away.

"No ma'am! MA'AM!" I yell, bounding up to her.

"What is it now?" She barely gives me a glance.

"Ma'am, could you please take me to do orphanage?" I give her, what I would like to call, my 'cutesy smile'. You know.. overly large eyes on a cherubic face and with dimples and all..

She stops to give me a calculating look.

She might be trying to assess my mental stability. I wince. I do not blame her. I did zone out there.

"I apologise ma'am. Please!"

"And what will I get in return?"

Uh. What?

"I am not sure I understand, ma'am"

"Tsk. Children these days.. you little ones are taught no sense of obligation whatsoever. You should show respect towards your elders.."

" Elders-?!" You do not look old, lady!

"Regardless.." She continues, as if I did not interrupt her. "I shall take you there and we shall negotiate.."

I can only sputter. Another ten minutes of inane walking (which basically consisted of me following the lady around like a duckling) leads us to what can only be a dump of the highest order. Remember I was talking about the state of the buildings here? That they were dilapidated?

Yeah.. I might have overstated things a bit.. The rest of town looked like heaven compared to this shit-hole.

"Um" I pause at the threshold, uncertain about what I should do next.

"Go on then.." the woman smiles, teeth and all.

I gulp. I'm not sure how I imagined this woman to be beautiful. She suddenly looked absolutely bat-shit crazy.

"Hm" She frowns when I make no move to enter the.. establishment? Shack? Hovel?

Now, now Ruka.. don't compliment your new home, so.. I think sarcastically.

She tsks yet again. "I will find you and make good on your promise."

What? Wait, what?

I spin around to tell her I never actually promised her anything but she is already gone. I sigh and my shoulders slump.

Ah, hell.

It is only hours later that I realise that she never even told me her name.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.. ! Someone get me the hell out of here! I think, swiping another dodge from Idiot number 1.

It has been two weeks since I have moved into an orphanage and let me tell you.. I might be a fortune teller because my premonition was spot on.

Twenty children reside within these walls, along with one adult. If that is not bad enough, the hot water is negligible, the food is scarce and I am constantly worried the roof will fall on top of me. And then.. there are the children ..

"Hey! I am talking to you pipsqueak!"

These are children. And you will not murder them. I repeat in my head for the tenth time that day.

I grit my teeth and turn to face my tormenters.

"What is it?"

A malicious expression takes over his face. "Are you ready to tell us your story yet, pipsqueak? Because the matron let us know your whore of a mother whelped you in the sewage and you were only picked up by accident"

Five others have surrounded me and they laugh cruelly.

I spare Idiot number 1 a dull glance. It has been a while since I have thought of my mother.. a few days, in fact. It is funny how they do not even question my presence in kiri.. my belonging here. It's almost like they are content to pretend I've always belonged to-

My stomach hurts.

I shrug it off, my hand twitches minutely, itching to clutch to my abdomen.

I look at the children.. Idiot one has surprisingly vibrant hair, in the colour of blue.. quite like mine, actually, if only a different shade. It seems Kiri is well known for it's blue, auburn and white haired prodigies.

I turn to the issue at hand, feeling slightly distracted. I do not feel the need to explain myself to a gang of cruel little bullies.

"Yes. That's what happened.." I say slowly, trying to end this idiotic confrontation.

The laughter stops. "What?! You admit to it? Oh this is rich!" The child is eating this up. Do not ask me for his name, I do not know.

"Why are you here? Even your mother left you for dead.. we do not want you either!" Another one yells.

Oh you wicked, wicked child. What is the matter with you? Well that is not fair.. I know exactly what is wrong with them. They are victims of the society. Cruelty begets cruelty, doesn't it? Very few break that cycle of hatred. 'If everyone spits on me, why can't I unleash my misery on a weaker soul? I need to vent too, don't I?' It is literally all they have ever seen, they are the scum of the society for most of them invariably end up on the streets while the 'lucky' few go to the academy. It makes me sick to the stomach that children not a few years older than myself get off on their little power trips.

Literally.

My stomach hurts and I squeeze my eyes shut.

"Hahaha! Look at him, scared like the cornered rat he is!" The little shit swipes at me again and I duck it at the last possible second and run towards the exit.

"Oi!" Idiot number one yells.

"After him!"

I hear the mini stampede behind me but I'm already a good minute ahead. I race down the streets. Right. Left. Left. Straight. Right.

Ugh. I stop to bend down and put my hands on my knees.

I pant heavily. I turn around with some trepidation but I sense no more follwers. Oh, thank goodness. I think glaring at the cobbled street.

I kick a pebble with all the fury of a three year old and let out a furious yell.

...

Being quite done with the proceedings, I then decide to walk it off. So intent am I on my frustration that I almost miss.. it.

There are people throwing pebbles at.. I'm not entirely sure what that is. It looks like a bundle of clothes.

I squint to look closer. Is that..? My eyes trail to the ground that is red…

And my heart drops to my stomach.

Is that a person?! What the fuck is wrong with people?! I stand still in horror.

They throw another jagged piece at the little lump. "That's all you deserve, you monster!"

Bile rises to my throat. I do not know how long I am just standing there, my heart telling me to move and help but my legs refuse. To. Listen.

But then they have their last hoorah, - adults! These are fucking adults picking on children!- then they laugh like a bunch of lunatics and leave.

I swallow audibly and stare at the lump. I can barely hear the whimper that follows. But it feels like a switch being flipped in my mind and I reel back as if struck.

I am pathetic. So weak . I did not even try to help. I did not even consider it! What kind of a human being am I?

I hold back my disgust and make my way towards the lump.

"Hey…" I hear myself say from a distance. "Are you alright?"

I almost bite my tongue. What kind of a fuck all question is that?

Of course, he isn't alright? What the fuck, Ruka!

"What do you fucking think?" A voice groans.

Fair enough , I grimace.

"Come on.." I nudge the pile gently.

"Come on.. let's get you cleaned up.."

An eye pokes out suspiciously.

"Why? What's it to you? I have no money, got nothing to give.."

I clench my teeth and my heart hurts. I remember the lady getting me to the orphanage asking for payment. Nothing was easy here, was it?

"I do not need anything" I say haltingly.

The eye narrows.

"I do not need your pity either"

I almost sigh. Yup, nothing is fucking easy.

"I do not feel pity, pal." Feeling the suspicious glare on me, I continue. "I feel human."

"Human?" The pile scoffs. "I am a monster, I need no help!"

A head pops out of the pile of rags and I make a conscious effort not to step back. A shark? My head throbs.

A bloody, baby, humanoid shark-thing. I correct myself. Who is hurting. I remind myself.

Baby shark doo doo doo doo doodoo-

NoT NOw, Brain!

I bite back my fear and continue relentlessly. "They are the monsters. They hurt a defenceless child!" I look at him in the eye, his dull, blue hair flops on his face. "No matter what you look like, where you're from, it is only your actions that dictate if you're a monster or not" I say with such conviction that he stares.

I fidget slightly when the staring goes on for too long. But I do not break it.

And then, after what feels like a decade, he speaks.

"Okay." He says finally.

"Okay?" I squirm uncertainly.

"Okay, let's clean me up. I know a place." he shrugs.

I gape at him for a moment before I regain my senses.

"Uh.. sure.." I say. He gets up on wobbly feet and I look at him worriedly. "Lead the way.."

I spend fifteen minutes supporting the weight of the shark baby, while said baby shark keeps grunting directions at me. After another 20 turns, we stop.

I stare at the sight in front of me.

Turns out, 'I know a place' really means 'I know a stream' because a stream is where we are at, I can't-

"Hey, shark-san?" I hesitate and wait for the predictable grunt.

"Don't you think we should get you to the hospital?"

"And who will treat me?" He asks.

"Oh."

I dare not ask more than that.

Shark boy starts stripping, wincing every now and that. I move to help him and I silently help wash off the open wounds. I look at the lacerations anxiously. Don't these need to be treated, what about infections? I nibble on my lip as I fret. I must be very obvious about it because Shark boy sighs. "Don't worry about it, at least I didn't die…"

I look at him indignantly. "Did not die?!"

"Yeah.. last time .." He trails off. "well, let's just say you might lose your head" he guffaws, like this was the funniest thing he has seen in his entire life.

I look at him horrified. I'm surrounded by psychopaths. Are they made like this in this village ?!

I think it over. No, of course not.

When he is done, he looks at his shredded clothes, balefully.

I cough and strip to give him my clothes.

He stares.

"What, take it." I say flatly, shoving it at him. "I have another pair at the orphanage"

He stares at me a little bit more but finally relents and puts them on.

"What's your name?" I ask, twiddling my thumbs. I feel ridiculous, feeling anxious like a frikkin' child.

Honestly, I think I just feel bad I was too much of a coward to stop the beating from happening in the first place.

Shark baby gives me a true and genuine smile and I blanch at the sight of his sharp, pointy teeth.

"Kisame.. Hoshigaki Kisame"

That night I dream of sharks, a purple sword and red clouds.

AN: As always, thank you for your support and reviews... y'all are the best. xoxo