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Today was not a good day for one Uzumaki Naruto.
Well, it's not like there ever really is a good day for him. But there are some that are better than others.
Anyway, today was not a good day.
Why? Because, for some odd reason, all the insults and jabs, all the glares and whispers, all the pushing and shoving, all of them dug into his mind far worse than any other time.
His ocean blue eyes stung every time they said something mean about him, hot with unshed tears.
His anger rose dramatically each time they roughly moved him out of their way and his jaw clenched harder whenever they hid their children behind their towering adult figures.
'Don't ever talk to that boy, he's nothing but trouble.' They would tell their offspring.
'He's a monster, don't even look at him.' Kids his age would murmur amongst themselves as if he can't hear them, but he could. Naruto could hear every single word they said about him.
At some point it got too much for the 4 year old, and he ran however far his little legs could take him. Just to escape the emotional torment.
And that's how he ended up here. Alone, sitting on top of a tall hill that over looked the forest. It was a beautiful view, and the sight of the golden rays that was the evening sun painting everything Orange was nearly breathtaking.
"I think I just found my new favorite spot." The young boy thought to himself, smiling softly.
However, despite his contentment at the view he found, he couldn't help bur wonder why people hated him so much.
It wasn't a question he didn't ask often. In fact, he asked himself why almost everyday.
But no matter how hard he thought, he still couldn't find an answer. And at that realization, he couldn't help but shed a few tears.
Naruto hasn't expected anyone to see him crying, and even if they did, he didn't expect them to do anything about it. But he would soon be proved wrong by a kind, gentle soul.
"Hey kid! Are you ok?" A voice asked from a little distance away. It was higher pitched. A female, but lower than a little girl. A teenager maybe?
Naruto's head whipped around to where the voice echoed from.
"Woah there buddy, I'm not here to hurt ya. I just heard you crying and wondered if you were alright." The girl explained.
She was really pretty to the young boy.
The girl looked to be around 13 or 14 years old with milk chocolate skin that shined in the golden hour sun. Her loose curly hair brushed a little past her shoulders as she walked up the hill toward him, and her dark chocolate brown eyes shined with worry for the toddler.
"Kid? You good?" The teen asked, crouching down to him on his left side.
Naruto nodded shyly, still wary. And it was only then did he notice that she was a bit on the heavier side, not that it mattered, it didn't take away from her beauty. But it wasn't really too noticeable with the baggy dark green hoodie and loose black pants she was wearing.
"Can I ask why you were crying?"
A beat of silence, then he decided to gather his remaining courage and reply to her.
"Why are you here? Don't you know who I am?" The blond boy asked suspiciously.
"I know exactly who you are, but that doesn't take away from the fact that you were crying. I get it, if you don't want to tell me why, though." She explained, "I should probably introduce myself, my name is Kirameki! And for the sake of it, may I ask what your's is?" The girl, now dubbed Kirameki, held out her hand for a handshake.
"Mmm-my name is Uzumaki Naruto." Said boy answered, clasping his small hand in her bigger one.
"Nice to meet ya, Naruto! I like your name, by the way!" She said enthusiastically.
"Uhm, thank you." Naruto said, uncharacteristically shy.
Next thing he knew, Kirameki was right in front of him nearly squealing for whatever reason.
"Awwwww!! You're such a cutie!!" She exclaimed by poking at his whispered cheeks. Naruto, as a result to her bold claim, blushed slightly.
Once she was done cooing over how 'cute' he was, she continued again.
"You know, I don't agree with all those villagers." Kirameki said out of the blue. Her short, curly hair blowing in the breeze as she look out to the sunset.
The blond boy looked at her, eyes wide with surprise.
"Yeah, I never did. I mean, I get where they're coming from... sorta. Though I can't tell you, since it's kiiiinndda forbidden," the teen said jokingly, "but, I don't agree with using an innocent 4 year old as a scapegoat for all their hate. It's not right and far from fair. No person as innocent as you should ever have to carry such a burden."
"Well, I don't know how to stop it." Naruto said dejectedly.
"I don't think there is much you can do about it, in all honesty. At least, not right now."
What... did she mean by that?
"Hey Naruto, you wanna be a ninja don'tya?" Kirameki assumed.
At the question, Naruto's eyes lit up with renewed vigor, "YEAH! I'M GONNA BE THE GREATEST NINJA IN THE WORLD, THEN BECOME HOKAGE!! THAT WAY, EVERYONE WILL STOP TREATING ME LIKE IM TRASH!!" He yelled determinedly.
A soft, almost motherly smile spread across the older girl's face.
"And I believe you can whole-heartedly, Naruto." She said, sitting back down next to him and patting his spiky yellow hair with her hand.
Naruto's mind came to a halt at her reply to his outburst.
"Y-you do?"
"I do!" She affirmed.
Tears prickled at the young boy's eyes, tears of joy, of relief, of finally having someone believe in him.
The brown-haired teen chuckled at his reaction, "Hey now buddy, it's getting kinda late and I have a mission tomorrow-" he cut her off.
"You're a ninja!?"
"Mhmm! I'm a Chūnin! Have been for a little while!"
"Woah, so cool! Can you teach some time?!" Naruto asked excitedly.
"Sure thing, Naruto! But, as I was saying, we should get you home first. It's getting dark and there are some pretty unsavory people that linger around at night." Kirameki explained.
Naruto nodded at her reasoning, "I'll just pretend I know what she meant by that." He thought.
Suddenly, as he was getting up, a hand appeared in front of him. His eyes trailed up to its owner.
She was... offering him her hand? To hold it? No one's ever done that before.
Reluctantly, he took it.
"Her hand's so big and warm." He noted as she led him back to town, hand in hand. "Is this... what it feels like to have a mother? Or... maybe a big sister?" The boy asked himself.
Soon enough (far sooner than Naruto would've liked) they were back in the area he lived in.
"Alright kid, I know the general area of where you live, but I don't know the house. Can you lead me there?" She explained.
Nodding, Naruto instructed her where to go.
Again, they were at his apartment door far sooner than he would've liked.
Time to say their farewells.
"It was nice talkin' to ya, Naruto." Kirameki said sweetly.
"You too, Kirameki-san!" He said, but then looked down.
"You want to say something, don't you?" She observes, leaning forward to his eye level. He didn't realize how tall she was until now.
"Uhm, please come back safely from your mission, Kirameki!" He all but shouted.
A second passed by.
"Is that all? Of course kid! I don't plan on dying anytime soon! I still gotta teach you stuff, like you asked you know!" She reassured him.
Turning and walking to the stair case, Kirameki turned toward the little blond one last time.
"Bye Naruto, see ya later!"
"Bye, Kirameki!" He answered, waving back at her. He watched her walk until she was out of sight, only then did he go back into the safety of his home.
"My first friend."
Naruto's heart soared at the realization.
Naruto waited for Kirameki for days.
And soon, those days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, months into years. And it wasn't until after he became a Genin did he find out that Kirameki was killed during the mission she had told him about.
Apparently, The village had caught wind of some rogue ninjas planning on kidnapping him. So they sent Kirameki and her team to ensure the Konoha Jinchūriki's safety from the rogue ninjas.
For weeks after learning that, guilt consumed him. Thinking over and over again that it was his fault. But soon enough, he decided that he would get stronger, in order to protect his precious people. So that a situation like Kirameki never happens again.
After that revelation, Naruto made it a point to visit Kirameki's grave at least once a week, telling her about his life and what was going on.
Maybe, one day, he'll be able to see her again on the other side.
Maybe.
He'll be able to tell how much she impacted him, just by a single meeting.
Maybe....
Maybe...