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The village square was always the same. The same tired whispers. The same cold stares. The same bitter silence that wrapped itself around Naruto like a chain he couldn’t escape.
He sat on the stone edge of the fountain, his legs dangling, too short to reach the ground. He had tried once, maybe twice, to run and play with the other kids. But they always ran away, or worse, they’d shout at him to leave, to go away. He didn’t mind it anymore. He used to cry, to get angry, to scream. But today… today he just felt numb. His stomach was empty, and his heart was heavier than it should’ve been for someone his age.
The whispers cut through the air like daggers.
“ Stay away from him, don’t even look at him. ”
“ Don't you know? That's not a boy, it's a Monster. ”
He wanted to shout at them, to tell them they were wrong. That he wasn’t some kind of monster. But he didn’t. He couldn’t. They never listened anyway.
He lowered his head, hoping the world would forget he existed—just for a moment. But it didn’t. The world never forgot him.
A sharp voice broke through the noise.
“ you! What are you doing out here? ”
It was a woman’s voice, not one he knew, but one he recognized. One of the villagers that was always glaring at him, always scowling in disgust when she saw him walking by. He didn’t respond. His gaze remained fixed on the ground, the image of his own reflection—an empty boy with messy hair and eyes too wide, too hungry for something he couldn’t have.
The woman muttered something, her words falling away as she hurried off. Naruto knew what she’d say.
“ Keep away from him. He’s dangerous. ”
He had heard it a thousand times.
His shoulders slumped. He doesn't know what he did, but it was probably something horrible. Was it because he would prank them? But no, he started that after they treated him like this. He-he doesn't understand, it doesn't make sense, why do they hate him? Why do they loathe him?
A loud laugh pierced the air. A group of children raced past him, kicking up dust as they passed, their footsteps pounding like a reminder of what he could never have. Friends. Laughter. The warmth of being wanted . But none of them ever looked at him. Not even a glance. They’d been taught better than that.
Naruto’s stomach growled. His fingers trembled as he dug into his pockets, pulling out the few scraps of food he’d managed to scavenge earlier that day. The dried bread was stale, hard to chew, but it was all he had. He didn’t mind the taste. It wasn’t about the food, anyway. It was about the loneliness that gnawed at him from the inside.
Then, something shifted.
He looked up, half-expecting the usual parade of indifferent faces, but instead he found her.
She was standing a few feet away, her basket of flowers clutched tightly in her hands. A little girl, no older than him, with long brown hair and a curious, open expression. She didn’t look at him the way the others did, with fear or distaste. She looked… confused , like she couldn’t understand why no one was talking to him, why he sat by himself in such a ragged state.
“You look lonely,” she said, her voice soft but direct, like she hadn’t been warned away by the adults. Her eyes didn’t flinch. They just looked at him, like there was something inside him worth seeing.
Naruto felt a pang in his chest, something sharp, something he couldn’t name.
“No, I’m not,” he said quickly, his voice rough and confused, his heart thudding in his ears. He looked up at the girl with wide, trembling eyes. Someone was talking to him!
But she just smiled, unbothered by his wonder.
“ I’m Atsuko, ” she said, taking a step closer, her eyes full of curiosity. “ What’s your name? ”
His throat tightened. He wanted to lie. He wanted to say something else, anything else, but the truth slipped out before he could stop it.
“ Naruto. ” His voice cracked, just a little.
Atsuko’s smile widened, and she held out a small purple flower, the kind that grew along the riverbanks near the village. “ I brought this for you. I don’t know if you like flowers, but my brother says they make people feel better when they’re sad. ”
Naruto stared at the flower, his mind swirling. He was… being given something? A gift? Someone was giving him a gift??? Oh! A wide smile spread across his face like a new sun, as he beamed up in delight at the girl. His fingers hovered over the delicate petals of the offered flower, and for a moment, he wondered if maybe this could be a trick. Maybe she would run away, too, or worse, tell everyone that she had spoken to him. That would only make things worse. That would make the whispers louder.
He took a deep breath and grabbed the flower, his hands shaking slightly.
“ Thanks, ” he muttered, though the words felt small, lost in the weight of everything unsaid.
Atsuko didn’t pull away. Instead, she smiled again, the sunlight catching her hair as she knelt beside him. “You wanna come play with me? I know a place where we can pick more flowers. There’s no one else there, so we can do whatever we want!”
Naruto looked up at her, his chest tight. He wasn’t sure how to answer. No one had ever asked him that before. No one had ever wanted to play with him. The offer was a kindness he couldn’t remember ever receiving.
But his stomach twisted. What if she changed her mind? What if she started treating him like the rest of them did?
Still, her eyes were bright, and there was no fear in them. No hesitation.
Maybe, just maybe… he could try. Maybe, just maybe, for once, someone could see him and stay .
“ Okay. ” His voice was barely a whisper, but it felt like a promise.