Meeting Naruto

Alone again.

Always alone.

No…not alone. Never alone. He was always there. Lurking in the shadows of his mind. Always, always there! He could run from the mobs, he could hide from the bullies, but the boy could never escape him…Kyuubi…

Uzamaki Naruto buried his head into his legs. The young boy, barely seven years old, was knelt with his arms wrapped around his knees behind a tall oak tree several miles from the village. His blonde spiky hair was in a mess, uncombed for several days, and his black shorts and green top were covered in soot. He’d barely escaped…the mob had chased him around the village, trapping him on the roof of an abandoned flat. In desperation the young boy had jumped down the chimney only to find himself trapped in a boarded up fireplace. It had taken him four hours to kick the boards from the front of the fireplace and after he’d finally broke free the boy had ran as far from the village as he could. No one had even come looking for him.

“Not that I care!” Naruto didn‘t even notice he was speaking aloud, suddenly punching the tree as anger surged through him. “They can all go to hell! I don’t need them, I don’t need anyone!”

The boy stood defiantly, his fist pressed into the tree. His eyes were closed but he could feel the blood trickling down his arm from his knuckles. They’d been cut when he’d punched the tree so hard.

After several seconds though Naruto sniffed, then choked back sobs. His eyes still closed the young blond collapsed onto his knees and began to cry. His bloodied hands were curled into fists and he thumped the dirt over and over, releasing the anger, hatred and upset the only way he knew how.

“You know if you carry on doing that that wound on your hand will get infected”

A man’s voice suddenly cut through the boy’s cries. Naruto opened his eyes and raised his head so he could see the stranger:

The man was tall and looked about twenty, his hair blonde and naturally spiky and his bright blue eyes had a tint of gold from the light of the setting sun. He was stood above Naruto with his arms crossed and a disapproving look on his face. Naruto recognised him from somewhere, though he was sure he’d never seen the man around Konoha.

Meanwhile the man was staring down at the young boy at his feet. He was having difficulty hiding his confusion from the child. The boy was staring up at him with large sky blue eyes that shone with unshed tears. Why was the boy crying? Surely the cuts on his hand weren’t that bad? Maybe he was lost…

“Hey kid, where you from?” the man asked, sitting beside the boy. Naruto stared wide-eyed at the stranger and began to shuffle away from him…it was probably a trick….the man would attack him any second…call him a demon like everyone else did.

“Don’t be scared, I won’t hurt you” the man said, reaching his hand towards the boy. Naruto’s eyes just shot even further open and he began to push himself to his feet, preparing to run.

When the man saw this he jumped to his feet and began to walk towards the boy. Why was he so scared? Whatever was wrong with him the man couldn’t just let him run into the forest; it was full of dangerous animals that could kill a kid like him in seconds.

Naruto knew he couldn’t outrun the man but still backed away. If only he knew ninjutsu, then he’d be able to escape from the man easily. But Naruto was rubbish at school…the teachers wouldn’t help him because of who he was. Uzamaki Naruto, bearer of the Kyuubi.

“Please…” the man heard the boy say in a quiet voice, his eyes suddenly filling up with tears.

“Hey it’s alright. I won’t hurt you, I promise” the man said.

Naruto eyed the man wearily but stopped walking, “You promise?”

“Yeah I promise” the man replied. Naruto wiped his eyes then smiled at the man, his large blue eyes full of happiness. No one had ever been kind to him before. But it was probably because the man didn’t know who he was, what was sealed away inside of him.

“Well, where are you from?” the man asked again.

“Konoha” Naruto answered. Naruto thought he saw a flicker of recognition in the man’s eyes as he said the name, but then it was gone.

“Konoha? How about I heal your wound then, and take you back to your village?” As he spoke the man’s gaze trailed down to the boy’s hand. Naruto, noticing this, quickly hid his hand - which was pulsing red with the kyuubi’s chakra as the demon healed it - behind his back.

“What was that?” the man said sharply, his eyes catching a small glimpse of the red chakra.

“Nothing!” Naruto responded, just as sharply. The man saw straight through the boy’s lie, but he was never one to pry. Instead he shrugged and said in a cheery voice: “Lets get you to Konoha then”

“Okay” Naruto said and followed the man as he began to walk through the dense foliage of the forest towards Konoha.

After ten minutes of silence the man said “Maybe we should hurry, I’m sure your parents are worried”

“We don’t need to hurry” Naruto answered in a quiet voice full of a deep sadness.

“Why’s that?” the man questioned, thinking the boy had argued with his parents and ran away.

“I don’t have any parents” Naruto said simply, his voice falsely cheerful as he attempted to hide his sadness.

The man stopped walking. He turned to face the boy with a strange expression in his steady blue gaze.

“What do you mean you have no parents?” he said. He seemed to be confused but annoyed at the same time. Like he thought Naruto was lying.

“I’ve never had parents”

“Then who looks after you?”

“I used to have a caretaker when I was a baby, but I look after myself now”

“How old are you?”

“I’m seven years, one month and two days old!” Naruto said proudly “I’ve been counting the days since October 10th, practising my numbers!”

“Your birthday’s October 10th?” he said and continued walking, the boy at his heels.

“Yeah” Naruto said.

October 10th the man thought to himself, the same day as my son’s would have been. He glanced back at the blonde boy following him dutifully, he must’ve been born in the same ward, maybe even at the same time… I wonder what happened to his parents? Did they get killed by the kyuubi before I could stop it?

The pair didn’t speak as they resumed their journey and before long they found themselves at the edge of the forest and staring down at Konoha spread below them. In the distance the man saw the heads of the former hokage’s carved into the rock face. He recognised his own and smirked.

“Well this is where I say bye kid” the man said, ruffling the boy’s spiky hair.

“Aren’t you coming?” Naruto asked, frowning.

“Sorry but I can’t. Got places to go. Don’t worry you’ll be alright, the gate’s just down there”

“I know” Naruto said glumly, staring down at the village. “Bye then”

For some strange reason Naruto felt tears prickling at his eyes. Why was he crying? The man hadn’t hurt him. Before the man could notice Naruto turned away and began to walk towards the gate, waving bye over his shoulder.

“Cya!” he yelled behind him as he walked quickly down the hill.

“Bye!” the man called back and was about to re-enter the cover of the forest when he realised he didn’t even know the boys name.

“Hey kid what’s your name?” the man shouted.

The boy stopped and turned around, waving happily, and yelled “Uzamaki Naruto!” He then span on his heels and ran the rest of the way down the hill.

The man, meanwhile, had stopped breathing with shock when he heard the boy’s name. Uzamaki Naruto? His Naruto? No, it couldn’t be possible. No…his son…he’d been inches from his son without even realising it…no!

The man was tempted to call back the boy, his son, but stopped himself, telling himself it was for the best if Naruto didn’t know he was alive. It would only upset him.

The Yondaime sighed before turning his back on Konoha and disappearing into the forest.