Memories were constantly popping inside his head. However, unlike usual remembrances, they were ephemeral in his case. Just when he was about to touch them, they slipped right out of his fingers as if they were water.
Another strange thing was that he somehow knew that his behaviour should not be this… restrained. It was supposed to be normal for five-year-olds to run free without a care in the world, to play and do anything without reservations, except if it broke the rules. Yet it felt like someone was trying to tell him something. Like there was something he should know.
And something he should do.
But what were they? Why was there always this feeling of unrest inside him?
Naruto shook his head, willing his confusing thoughts away. He had just been enrolled in the Academy and he was going home alone, finally managing to persuade his mother to do so. He wanted to feel at least a bit of independence, after all. He wanted to act like a grown-up like his parents!
Naruto whistled as he strolled leisurely along the oddly deserted path, not even noticing that there were three masked ninjas creeping up to him through the trees by the side.
His startled, fearful yell was muffled and unheard before he eventually lost consciousness.
• • •
Tenten sighed as she continued to run laps across the village. Her stamina was below average, so she needed to work on that. Not to mention her speed. If she was interested in wielding all sorts of weapons, she had to enhance her strength and agility. However, if she pursued that road with her current meager abilities, she would fail as a kunoichi. Her goal to become like Senju Tsunade was still intact, and she was not about to let this training deter her from it.
Tenten persevered, ignoring the aching soreness of her legs. 'Just one more lap to go, and I'm done… I have to prepare for the Academy...!'
She was about to round a corner when she suddenly halted in her tracks, her eyes wide as she immediately hid behind a cornerstone.
'That's…!'
She watched in shock as the Fourth Hokage's son was being carried away by three unknown ninjas, seemingly in the direction of the gates. Tenten panicked. Her legs were nearing fatigue, and she didn't know if she could swiftly make her way towards the Tower. That, and she was frozen in anxiety and fear.
'What do I do, what do I do, what do I do…?!'
Without any thought to where she was heading, Tenten sprinted aimlessly, trying to find at least one person who could inform the Hokage. She arrived at a street where many civillians were occupying, but there were no shinobi anywhere.
Tenten was about to succumb to exhaustion when a hand suddenly gripped her shoulder.
"Hey there, little girl! What's the matter?" an exuberant voice inquired.
Tenten turned around.
Before her was a man dressed in a green jumpsuit with orange striped leg warmers as well as the standard Konoha flak jacket. There was a red forehead protector worn around his waist like a belt.
And his face… was, er, rather unique…
"Ah, the youthfulness of the generation today," he mused passionately, though more to himself than to her. "Such dedication in training!"
Tenten, waving away her shock, immediately grabbed the man's vest, her eyes immensely wide as she panted.
"S—Sir! P—Please tell the Hokage right away…!" she breathed out. "H—His son… has just been kidnapped! I saw it with my own eyes!"
• • •
Naruto blearily blinked his eyes, registering jerky movement. He was being carried somewhere. He would know if it were his parents holding him, and the grip on his body was far too tight and cold. A chill ran down his spine as he saw that he was in the arms of a masked ninja, with only his eyes showing amongst the hidden parts of his face. Naruto immediately kept his eyes half-lidded, frozen with fear.
Of all things, he never expected anything like kidnapping to happen to him!
He had to do something!
Naruto tried to crane his head inconspicuously, attempting to see if he had his pouch with him. However, his current position made it difficult since his wrists were bound together behind his back and his legs were tied as well. He felt like he was in a cocoon.
And they were going so fast, Naruto felt like hurling a bit.
'Mom… Dad…'
Naruto stared at his surroundings desperately. They were in a forest, so his kidnappers must still be running away from Konoha. He prayed that they didn't get out of Konoha's borders yet.
But how could anyone save him, when nobody even saw him get abducted?
• • •
"What?"
Minato immediately stood up, sending his chair reeling backwards with a brief shriek. His eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched tight.
"My son was taken?" Not even waiting for a response, he closed his eyes, seemingly concentrating on something.
"How did this happen?" Hiruzen asked from Minato's side. He had been with the Hokage to discuss brief, fairly unimportant business when Maito Gai suddenly came rushing in, his expression grave. "Nobody reported anything suspicious detected from the barrier!"
"Well, a little girl—" Gai began to explain.
Minato's eyes flew open. "Sandaime-sama," he said. "Please take over the office for a while. I'll be right back."
Before Hiruzen could open his mouth, Minato had already disappeared, a small gust of wind accompanying the space he occupied.
• • •
Naruto, having shaken his thoughts off of pessimism, determinedly listened to his captors' snippets of conversation. If he managed to get some sort of information from them, maybe it would help in guaranteeing his escape. He was a prankster, after all. He had a lot of tricks up his sleeve.
He'd just have to wait until they… eventually untie him.
"The lord will be pleased," one man mused in sheer happiness.
"Hey, did he really say that we have to give this kid to him alive? He's heavy!" the man carrying Naruto complained.
"You've said that many times, now shut up. It's just a kid. You're ten times bigger than him, idiot," the last man remarked snarkily.
"Hey, you wanna die, huh?!"
'The lord…?' Naruto gulped. 'Where are they taking me? Am I going to become a slave? A sacrifice? Or worse… food?!'
Naruto's exaggerated mind immediately took him to places where he was placed in a giant hot pot, his three captors gleefully pouring soup on him and assortments of fruits and vegetables.
'NOOO!' Naruto's mind spun wildly in terror. 'ANYTHING BUT VEGETABLES!'
Filled with newfound determination, Naruto bit his captor's arm as forcefully as he could. The man, startled by this action, yelped in pain, clutching his injured part while Naruto wormed his way out of his hold, slumping to the ground.
…Okay. Not exactly a good idea to escape while still tied up, but… oh, well.
"You little son of a bitch!" the man howled, his expression contorting in anger. He made a move to hit Naruto, but the latter swiftly dodged out of the way, trying to scamper back to the direction where he thought Konoha was.
"Hey! Don't let him escape!"
"Catch him!"
"Or we'll get in trouble with our lord!"
Naruto panicked, unconsciously crying out for help inside his mind.
'I'M DEAD I'M DEAD I'M DEAD I'M DEAD I'M DEAD'
Then, in his Inner World, Kurama's eyes fluttered open.
"…Fools."
A red aura instantly enveloped Naruto's body, allowing him to effortlessly break free of his restraints. He could feel the foreign chakra bubbling inside him for just that brief moment before it abruptly disappeared, leaving him wondering what just happened with his mouth open wide.
'What…'
"The Kyūbi!" one of the men exclaimed in fear.
"You idiots! Catch him!"
Naruto panicked, immediately standing up and breaking into a hasty run. His fear and alarm caused him to sprint a lot faster than usual, and he was panting as he pushed his body forcefully over its limitations.
He just needed to get away from those scary men!
He could feel them catching up to him now. It wasn't fair! They were full-fledged shinobi! He was just a kid!
Frustrated tears sprang in Naruto's eyes as he pushed himself even more. His legs were screaming at him; they felt sore and numb from overexertion, but he didn't care.
If he didn't run, he was going to be dead.
In the midst of his panicked thoughts, he wasn't looking at the ground, so he didn't see the rock before it was too late.
He tripped on it ungracefully, his body plopping to the ground with a loud thump. Dread swelled in his chest as he clawed at the dirt, trying desperately to get back up again. However, his attempt was ruined when a foot lodged itself onto his back painfully.
"Hah! We got ya!" one of the men relished. "A mere kid can't outrun a ninja!"
"Be careful! He might unleash the Kyūbi!"
"He won't be able to if we tamper with his seal like the leader instructed us!"
"Oh! You're right!"
Naruto felt his hair being pulled at as one of the men forcefully moved him upward. Then the latter grabbed him by the neck as he lifted Naruto up in the air.
"Hey!" Naruto protested, choking as he tried to struggle his way out of the man's strong grip. "L—Let go of me…!"
'Wait…!' Naruto realized.
'Dad's kunai!'
----------------------------------
"Here, Naruto," Minato said with a smile as he handed over the three-pronged weapon onto his son's open palm. "Remember, you must channel a bit of your chakra into the seal markings, okay?"
Naruto gripped the kunai in response, looking up at his father with inquisitive eyes. "What for, Dad?"
"So that whenever you're in trouble, I'll come in an instant to save you," Minato said sincerely. "Well, maybe not that quickly if you're too far away from me, but I will find a way to come to you. You can count on that."
Naruto's face lit up and he automatically raised his pinky finger. "Promise?!"
Minato chuckled, intermingling his own pinky finger with his son's. "Promise."
----------------------------------
'Dad…' Naruto gritted his teeth as he released one hand from his grip on the man's wrist. 'Dad…!'
Using every last bit of his strength and speed, he slipped his hand into his pouch and hastily rummaged for the kunai.
'I got it…!'
He was about to channel his chakra into the weapon when he was suddenly interrupted by the man lifting his shirt up to reveal the seal on his stomach. Naruto's eyes widened as each of the man's fingers lit up into blue flames.
'What… What is he gonna do…?!'
The man gave a triumphant grin. "Hah! I'm gonna make sure you don't get access to the Kyūbi's chakra anymore, brat!"
Then his hand came swooping towards his stomach.
Naruto panicked for some reason.
'No…!'
Everything then became a blur.
The next thing Naruto knew, the wind was knocked out of him as he felt his body careening towards the ground by a strong force. He gasped at the impact and instinctively rubbed his stomach, the soreness throbbing slightly on that area.
'What happened…?' he thought to himself almost groggily as he blinked to focus his vision. There seemed to be something familiar in front of him…
Wait.
Naruto's eyes snapped open in clarity.
The distinct white cloak of the Fourth Hokage flapped with the wind as the person wearing it was standing with firmness and dignity in his posture, his blond hair prominent among the dull colours of the surroundings.
Namikaze Minato craned his head towards his son, his eyes conveying his obvious concern.
"Naruto," he said, and his voice was tinged with regret, "are you all right?"
Naruto stared at him for a moment before tears leaked out of his eyes. His body shook in relief and awe as he managed a firm nod. "Y—Yeah… Dad."
"The Yellow Flash!" the man exclaimed.
"Kousuke!" one of his teammates said nervously. "W—We'd better retreat…"
"Mouri's r—right, Kousuke!" another one of his companions piped in. "This guy's in the Bingo Book, and it clearly said to flee on sight!"
"Sh—Shut up!" Kousuke stammered, clearly rattled by this turn of events. "I kn—know that!"
Naruto vaguely found it funny that his big, bad kidnappers were so easily reduced to stuttering cowards once his kickass father showed up.
'Serves you guys right!' Naruto thought to himself, immediately feeling safe and satisfied. 'Dad, after all, is completely badass! Hah!'
Minato, who was still holding Kousuke's wrist in a vice-like grip, spoke up.
"Sorry I'm late," he apologized. "I only found out just now. It's a good thing I put a marking on your seal just in case. I had to concentrate on pinpointing your location."
"…I—It's okay, Dad," Naruto assured. "I'm fine now. You showed up just in time!"
Minato seemed downcast. "Still… if I were just a second too late…"
Kousuke, swallowing, took advantage of this opportunity to attempt to drive a kunai down on Minato's hand which was still gripping his wrist.
Naruto's eyes widened as he noticed the action. "Dad, look out!"
Minato's eyes narrowed.
"Let go!" Kousuke yelled before swooping the kunai down on the flesh.
Except it never did.
Instead, the weapon pierced through empty air. Kousuke's upper body reflexively leaned forward because of this, and he staggered slightly in his position. However, before he could recover, Minato was already behind him in the blink of an eye.
"Go to sleep," he said in a steely tone before proceeding to knock the man out in one blow.
The other two accomplices froze in their spots before breaking into a desperate run.
Minato effortlessly appeared behind them and knocked them out as well, rendering them unconscious on the ground. Naruto watched in amazement as his father managed to defeat his kidnappers in practically less than a minute.
"…Th—That was amazing, Dad!" Naruto marveled, his eyes sparkling animatedly. "You gotta teach me some of your moves someday!"
Minato turned to his son, managing a tiny smile. "Ah… well, all right, someday." Then, in an instant, he was in front of Naruto, touching him and checking his skin for any visible injuries.
"D—Dad…"
"Are you really all right?" Minato said worriedly. "Did those men hurt you in any way?"
Naruto nodded a bit. "I'm fine now."
Minato frowned, obviously unconvinced, and searched his son's eyes. His gaze then rested upon the marks on his neck from an obvious, vicious strangle and his heart twisted. "Naruto…" he said gently, wrapping his arms around the small child and embracing him. "You don't have to pretend to be strong."
Naruto froze.
"You're still young," Minato continued on with a sad smile. "It's okay to cry. Sometimes, I even think you're trying too hard to become an adult." He chuckled. "You don't have to be in a rush to grow up. Embrace your youth, embrace your dreams, and enjoy your life and what you have. The world of the shinobi may be cruel, but your mother and I will always be here for you until you believe that you can fully stand up on your own. Okay?"
Minato felt his son's body trembling badly as the latter finally sobbed, clawing at his father's back as he poured out all of his suppressed fears. Minato responded by hugging him tighter, shutting his eyes as he swore to himself that he would never be this oblivious and careless about his child ever again.
• • •
They arrived at Konoha in no less than a few minutes. Minato called upon some ANBU to pick up Naruto's kidnappers and bring them to Ibiki for interrogation. Then, while giving his son a piggyback ride, he teleported himself to the hospital where he gently set Naruto down on one of the seats and proceeded to talk with the receptionist.
Naruto sobered up from his crying and was a bit chipper now. He never knew how much he loved his father and he only just realized the great extent of it. He was so lucky to have a parent like him.
"You sure you're okay?" Minato asked him gently as he approached, placing a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto nodded, beaming. "I'm fine, Dad! You can go now. I can take care of myself here."
Minato smiled, warmth diffusing from his countenance. "All right. Remember, when the medic calls for your name, go to her immediately. No pranks, okay?"
Naruto pouted lightly at the uncalled-for insinuation.
Minato chuckled. "It's what your mother would've done."
'Oh, and speaking of Kushina…' Minato shivered as he imagined the creative ways Kushina would torture him when she found out about Naruto's situation.
'…She'll kill me for this, I just know it.'
When his father rapidly left the vicinity in a swirl of leaves, Naruto took the opportunity to look around the surroundings curiously.
Hospitals were boring. The walls, the floors, and the furniture were mostly monochromatic. There weren't any extravagant splashes of colour like how he painted his room (Kushina was still sore about that, muttering about how expensive cans of paint were) and the people there were all harbouring serious expressions on their faces. It disconcerted him a bit, since he was used to the exuberant feeling of his home. There didn't even seem to be any kids his age, either.
After the Kyūbi incident, his father, the Hokage, had announced that he, Naruto, was a hero. Naruto knew about the beast dwelling inside him months ago. When his parents tentatively brought it up to him, thinking that it would be better for him to know early on, he oddly didn't quite feel much about it at all. When Kushina asked him about the Kyūbi, Naruto honestly responded that the creature hadn't tried to communicate with him at all. Minato wanted to help him control the Kyūbi's power, but said that unless the Kyūbi himself offered or Naruto accidentally used the power, they would not be starting yet.
Naruto only felt neutral to the Kyūbi. There was no denying that he was curious, of course, but it seemed too surreal a story since the Kyūbi never even revealed itself to him. It was like trying to see something that wasn't visible to the eyes. It just wasn't present.
But that moment when Naruto felt the bubbling red chakra overflow into his body, when the foreign, powerful energy pumped adrenaline into his veins…
He felt that unmistakable dormant presence inside him, and it was both eerie and exhilarating.
Naruto knew that the villagers were aware of this fact. There were some people who talked to him sometimes, greeting him with authentic, friendly smiles on their faces. Some, however, were merely indifferent to him, but nevertheless were not projecting any animosity.
But at times, he caught very few glares sent his way, as if blaming him for something. Naruto didn't understand why, but kept it to himself. He didn't want to worry his parents and he also didn't want them to make too much of a fuss about it. His mother was prone to her short temper sometimes while his father, while calm and rational, also had an icy side to him, especially when the village, politics, and the safety of his family were concerned.
And now, Naruto could currently feel a stranger's eyes boring holes into the side of his head. It wasn't even the curious kind at all; it felt more like an antagonistic glare, and it was bothering him so much. However, he kept himself from squirming slightly in place. Minato told him to be good, after all. The kidnapping incident was still weighing on his mind, and remembering how scared and anxious he had been was making his heart slow.
"Damn Kyūbi brat."
Naruto stiffened instantly.
The man's voice was deep and rough, resembling a drunken person. Naruto didn't want to turn around; the uncomfortably hostile tone was scaring him. No one had ever talked to him like that, and instead of being angry-confused about it, fear was freezing him in his spot.
The voice was getting closer. "Tch. Someday, that monster inside you is gonna break out and destroy the village! How dare you still stay here!"
Tears sprang in Naruto's eyes, and he found himself unable to fight back or even retort. He didn't even want to turn around. The fear he currently felt was suffocating, and it even seemed familiar.
Was it true? Was he really going to turn into a monster someday?
But… the Kyūbi saved him… right…?
"Namikaze Naruto?" a medic with kind brown eyes approached him, holding a clipboard to her chest. "I'll be treating that gash on your arm before you get an infection—" She cut herself off when she spotted the man who was swaying in his position, still glaring daggers at the small child.
"Excuse me, sir," she said steely. "Drunks who are not injured are not allowed inside the hospital."
"Why not?!" the man exclaimed angrily, making Naruto flinch. "I come here to see my wife! But then I saw this demon kid and I wanted to put him in his place!"
His voice was loud enough to stun the people nearby, and a tense silence began to envelop the waiting room.
The medic woman twitched. "The hospital is not a place for you to bring trouble, sir. Please get out or I will call security."
"Why're ya defendin' that demon brat!?"
Naruto covered his ears. He didn't like it. He didn't want to hear the man's voice, to practically feel the ill will emanating from his form. He wanted to get away from this place.
He wanted his mother.
Soon, the medic woman had security forcefully usher the man out. She then faced Naruto, whose expression pierced her in the gut. Like some people, she was a little bit wary of the creature inside this child, but she didn't want to treat him any differently just because of that. People were just afraid of the unknown. They were afraid of the things they didn't understand, and they were scared that it would turn out to harm them in the end if they trusted it. Most of the population believed in the Hokage's words, though, and treated Naruto nicely since their leader was his father and also because the latter wanted his son to be regarded as a hero. Understandably, some people didn't sit well with that. There would always be a difference of opinions.
But that didn't mean that they had to pick on a child. Children were shaped by their surroundings, and they were sensitive. Insecurities could easily rise, and their physical, mental, emotional, and social development could also be influenced.
"Please don't listen to that man," she told Naruto softly. "You're a good boy, aren't you?"
Naruto stared at her with wide, sad eyes. "D—Do you… think I'm a monster, too…?"
She was taken aback. "Of course not," she said automatically, and reveled in the slight relief in the child's eyes. "There are just some people who are afraid of what they don't know. The best solution is to ignore them… and prove them wrong."
"Prove them… wrong…?" Naruto inquired.
She nodded with a small smile. "Prove to them that you're not monster. Even though there are a few who might hurt you with their insensitive words, you have to become a better person than they are. Don't stoop down to their level."
Naruto swallowed heavily, remembering his mother's words.
----------------------------------
Kushina smiled. "We should fight back with our principles, and not only with our fists. Okay, Naruto?"
----------------------------------
"Okay…" Naruto gave her his best sunny smile. "Thanks a lot, nee-chan!"
The woman blinked, obviously caught off-guard by the boy's sudden, cheerful disposition. "Ah, yes… You're welcome." She recovered quickly, sending him her own gentle smile as well and leading him towards one of the rooms. "Now come with me and I'll heal you to the best of my ability, okay?"
"Yes, nee-chan!"
• • •
When he was finished at the hospital, he was about to head home when a blur of red suddenly knocked into him hard.
Naruto squeaked. "Who — Mom?!"
"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay!" Kushina cried out, hugging her son tightly, almost desperately. "I am never going to let you out my sight again! I al—almost lost you… I—I can't believe it…!"
"Mom…" Naruto tried to assure. "I'm okay now! I'm sorry… I'm very sorry…"
Kushina released her hold on him and instead grabbed his shoulders, not in a painful way. "What are you sorry about?" she said incredulously. "It's not your fault, get it?! Those bastards will pay for ever laying a hand on my son!"
Naruto sniffed, feeling overwhelmed, and hugged his mother himself.
'Thank you… Thank you so much...'
"Let's go home, Mom…"
----------------------------------
Meanwhile...
----------------------------------
"What did you find?" Minato asked.
Ibiki frowned deeply. "Little to nothing. Although I did find out one interesting piece of information..."
"What is it?"
"That there's a dangerous group out there... and this is only the beginning of their plans." Ibiki clenched a fist. "It seemed that they were only asked to rendezvous in an isolated area, and then their 'lord' would meet up with them there."
Minato was quiet for a moment. "Do you think... it's connected to the recent disappearances of the Uchiha shinobis?"
----------------------------------
One month later...
----------------------------------
His first day at the Academy and he was late!
Naruto rushed towards the building, noting that it was already ten minutes past eight. Increasing his speed, he frantically searched for his classroom. When he finally found it, he didn't waste any more time.
"I'M HERE!" he yelled, accidentally slamming the door open in his haste.
As expected, a sea of faces turned around to stare at him.
The teacher, a young man with tan skin and a distinct scar across his nose, faced him, looking startled.
"Are you Namikaze Naruto?"
That perked Naruto's expression even more. "Hell yeah! Remember that name, 'cause I'm gonna be Hokage someday! Believe it!"
"Hah?!" a feminine voice snorted. "You?"
Naruto, frowning deeply, turned around to the source and found himself looking at a girl about his age with short blonde hair and blue eyes that had seemingly no pupils.
"Hey! It's gonna happen, ya know!" he protested.
"Ha! Just because you're the Hokage's son doesn't mean that you're gonna be the Hokage as well," a boy with spiky brown hair sneered, his small, sharp canines baring a little aggressively.
"Whaaat!? You wanna have a piece of me, ya dog-looking sissy?!" Naruto shouted, pointing at said kid accusingly.
The boy stood up in indignation. "Bring it on, whiskers!"
"All right, that's enough!" the teacher's stern voice resounded in the room. "Yamanaka, Inuzuka, be quiet and welcome your classmate properly. Namikaze." He turned to Naruto, who was still glaring at his opponent. "My name is Umino Iruka. I suggest that you refrain from having such improper conduct in my class and take your seat beside Haruno, the girl by the window."
Naruto 'hmphed' and stalked towards the said location.
Then he caught a glimpse of his seatmate.
"Eeh?! Sakura-chan?!"
Sakura was staring at him, blushing in what seemed to be sheer embarrassment. Her green eyes were already starting to well up with tears.
"Oi, Namikaze! Leave her alone!" the Yamanaka girl reprimanded.
But Naruto ignored her. "Ne, ne, Sakura-chan! You remember me, right? We played together with Sasuke that night at the festival!"
Sakura, looking like she was trying her best not to cry, ignored him.
Naruto went slightly rigid. "...Sakura-chan...?"
"Naruto." Iruka's voice now held a hint of impatience to it. "Sit down so I can now continue my lecture, please."
Absently, Naruto obeyed, sneaking glances over towards the nervous-looking girl beside him.
'What's wrong with her...?'
• • •
After class, Sasuke took him by the arm and pulled him aside.
"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed in pleasant surprise. "You're here, too?"
Sasuke looked at him, expression hard. "...You."
Naruto blinked in confusion. "Me...?"
Sasuke seemed to be struggling for the words to say. "You... I..."
"Sasuke...?" Naruto said, still puzzled. What was wrong with his friends today?
Before the boy could open his mouth to reply, both of them heard a startled cry not too far away from them.
"I—I'm sorry!"
It was Sakura's voice.
And she sounded so... terrified.
Naruto and Sasuke froze for the briefest of moments before they ran towards the direction of her voice.
When they arrived at the scene, Sasuke immediately pulled Naruto aside and hid themselves behind a nearby tree, their distance already covering enough space for them to listen in clearly without being too near for the girls crowding around Sakura to notice them.
"Sasuke!" Naruto hissed. "What the hell are you doing?! We gotta go help Sakura-chan!"
"...Just shut up," Sasuke said in a low, harsh whisper. "Let's find out what's going on first."
Naruto looked entirely unhappy by the idea, but obeyed grudgingly. "Fine! But I'm going to butt in if those girls start to hurt her more!"
• • •
Sakura's entire body was shaking in fear. She felt so paralyzed that she couldn't breathe properly. What did she do so wrong this time? Why was she always being picked on even in the Academy?
Was she really just so useless? Just a waste of space? Just a worthless painting in a gallery that made everyone around scoff because she was the only one ruining the portfolio?
It was terribly unfair, but she couldn't fight back. It just wasn't right. Ami and the others were older than her. She had no right, as the younger one, to oppose her seniors.
"Hey, wide forehead!" Ami said, unhappiness colouring her voice. "You bribed Iruka-sensei to make the Hokage's son sit next to you, didn't you?!"
Sakura's eyes were impossibly wide. "N—No! I—I didn't...!"
Ami grabbed her hair and started pulling at it, granting her a pained cry from Sakura. "What's your deal, huh?! You tryin' to get on the Hokage's good graces?! Well, it ain't gonna work! With your wide forehead, he ain't even gonna spare you a glance!" Then Ami let out a sharp laugh. "No, wait — Yondaime-sama would probably gape at your forehead first and secretly laugh about it at his home 'cause he's too polite to do so in front of your ugly face!"
Naruto, as expected, exploded. "HEY! Dad isn't like that at all, ya little—"
Sasuke's hand immediately slammed over his mouth, muffling the other profanities which Naruto cleverly created all by himself. "You idiot," he hissed. "Are you trying to get us caught?!"
Naruto forcefully grabbed his hand away from his mouth and glared at him. "Oi, Sasuke! Don't you have any shred of compassion?! That's Sakura-chan they're bullying! The same Sakura-chan who played with us at the festival and bought you ramen because you forgot your spending money! Are you really just going to let her get hurt by those freaks?!"
Sasuke levelled Naruto's glare with one of his own. "Do you even know what you're saying right now?! They're bullying Sakura because of you! If you go out there right now and stop the fight, what good would it do? It would only serve to fuel their anger because you're defending her."
"Then you go!" Naruto said, desperation leaking out of his voice. "If I can't save Sakura-chan, then you go!"
Sasuke's expression dimmed a little, and he averted his gaze. "It's not that simple," he said.
Naruto was getting even more angry now. "What?! Why?"
Their voices were already getting a little louder. Fortunately, they were drowned out due to the obnoxious laughter made by the girls while they were bullying their junior.
Sasuke's head snapped towards him, eyes flaring slightly. "Do you even know the reason why they started to bully her?"
Naruto was taken aback. "...What?"
"At first it was just teasing. Taunting. About her forehead. They didn't hurt her the slightest back then." Sasuke frowned. "But after we hung out with her at the festival, girls began treating her harshly, telling her that she doesn't have the right to get all chummy with the Hokage's son and the Uchiha Clan Head's youngest."
"Then are you saying that we should do nothing at all?!" Naruto demanded. "Sakura-chan's our friend, Sasuke!"
"Like I said, you numbskull, it isn't that simple!"
"Bullshit! You're just too afraid to help her! What's stopping you, you chicken?!"
"What!? You—"
"What the hell is going on here?!" a new voice said angrily.
Naruto and Sasuke immediately stopped their arguing and turned their heads to look at the newcomer.
It was the Yamanaka girl who was skeptical at Naruto earlier in class. She was standing behind the bullies, her hand on her hip and her aura intimidating.
Sakura slowly eased her arms from their defensive position across her face and stared at her rescuer.
"I—Ino!" Ami exclaimed in surprise, a hint of fear lacing her tone.
Ino narrowed her eyes at her. "Really, Ami? You'd stoop this low?"
"H—Hey, Ino!" one of Ami's friends interjected, pointing at Sakura accusingly. "This girl shamelessly hung out with Sasuke-kun at the festival! Aren't you mad at her, too?!"
"Of course I'm mad!" Ino said, pouting.
Sakura's trembling came back, her hope diminished.
"I'm mad, but I don't like the way you're treating her because of it," Ino continued on, stepping forward almost threateningly. "I'm mad, but I'm going to treat her as competition. I'm not going to bully her like you cowards do."
Ami and her friends were slowly, unconsciously backing away from the famous Yamanaka Clan Head's daughter. However, at that last statement, the blaze in Ami's eyes returned.
"Cowards?!"
"Are you all so insecure of yourselves?" Ino continued on, blatantly ignoring Ami's outrage. "Is that what you all want to show Sasuke-kun? That you'd willingly hurt a girl younger than you? As our seniors, as future kunoichis..." Ino glared at them, further increasing her intimidation factor. "...you are an embarrassment."
The realization dawned upon them in only a few moments, but since they had a little pride left, they glared at Ino briefly before stalking off.
Ino watched their retreating backs with a scoff. "And they call themselves future ninjas," she muttered to herself. She turned towards Sakura, who was looking at her with an expression indicating that she was still unsure if Ino was on her side or not.
"And you," she said, causing Sakura to flinch reflexively, "why didn't you fight back?!"
Sakura's eyes were as wide as saucers. "I... I..."
"Don't stutter," Ino snapped. "It's unbecoming of a lady." She walked towards Sakura and lifted her bangs from her face. "Hmm. It really is as big as they say." She gazed at Sakura in the eyes. "It's because you hide it that makes them taunt you more. You should show it off, you know."
"...Why... are you helping me...?" Sakura said in a voice that was so small that it was almost a whisper.
Ino raised an elegant eyebrow. "Is it wrong to help someone in need?"
Sakura immediately looked flustered. "N—No, that isn't what I meant..."
Ino poked her on the forehead almost forcefully, causing Sakura to wince as her head jolted backwards from the impact.
"Then just be grateful and say 'thank you', Forehead Girl."
• • •
Naruto and Sasuke were already walking away from the scene, the latter's hands inside his pockets while the former's hands were situated behind his head, serving as a makeshift cushion.
"Looks like that Yamanaka girl ain't so bad after all," Naruto mused with a grin. "We didn't have to do anything at all, eh, Sasuke?"
Sasuke remained silent, yet stopping in the middle of the streets to look at the sun which was dipping low into the mountains, the sky painted with pastel oranges and yellows and reds. The wind blew his dark tresses softly, and he closed his eyes in a moment of tranquility.
Naruto stopped walking as well to look at his friend. "Sasuke?"
"...Naruto," Sasuke said in a voice that was almost soft. "I..."
Naruto frowned. "What is it?"
There was silence for a moment before Sasuke finally spoke.
"Don't you... remember anything?"
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end of volume 01