Plip-plip-plip the rain was incessant on the window through which an orphaned boy with sapphire eyes full of wonder peered through.
This is the tale of an orphaned boy of Konohagakure no sato who was granted mercy by few but himself dealt it sparingly.
Naruto
The rain thundered onto the window sill of a dingy apartment with yellow peeling walls and watermarked ceilings. A peculiar 7-year-old orphan boy watched through the glass thinking to himself. Naruto had long since acknowledged there was something different about him apart from the fact he never had parents. He was observant and had noticed even amongst the children of the orphanage the caretakers treated him with targeted disdain; it was for this reason he had begged the Hokage for years upon years to take him elsewhere but the old man had adamantly refused to do so until Naruto was found beaten on the street after being kicked out of said facility.
On the topic of beatings, Naruto noted that was another thing that separated him from most children as the disdain for him was seemingly widespread. Naruto had often been sneered at by anybody above academy age and those of academy age were often steered away from him by their parents additionally he had quite often been kicked or spat at in passing he had even been occasionally brutalised by drunk shinobi. It was these encounters that allowed Naruto his uncanny healing factor as even the deepest lacerations would seem to knit themselves back together restoring the skin to its previously unblemished state.
So yes there was something different about Naruto.
After many muttered accusations of "demon spawn" and the Hokage's aversion to Naruto's own questions regarding his parents Naruto had concluded that his parents must have done something terrible on the day of the Kyuubi attack which happened to coincide with the day of his birth. For this reason, Naruto had begun to resent the idea of his parents who were cowardly enough to leave Naruto at the mercy of a village that evidently despised him.
However, Naruto always cultivated light-heartedness within himself greeting all he came across with an earnest smile promising that he would earn the adoration of the people of the village and consequently claim the spot of Hokage, which Naruto knew to be that of the most loved and most powerful shinobi.
Naruto watched in rapture as the intersection of the light from warm lamps on his window sill and the streaking brief lifespan of a raindrop cast iridescent figures in front of his eyes, the drop of water seeming to take an eternity continue its path to the ground. He had always had inexplicably rapid perception. He supposed the earliest incident of it he could recall occurred at the meagre age of 5 where a kindly looking old man had pelted a head of cabbage at him which he had managed to observe slowly rotating in its flight before crashing into his face.
The next significant instance displayed itself 3 weeks ago on a cold night of October 10th; Naruto's birthday was a day that never bore the fruit of kindness for him. Most of his birthdays were characterised by silent contemplation in the dingy apartment provided to him by the busy Hokage after he befell countless 'incidents' at the hands of the caretakers at the orphanage. However, this particular day was better than most as he had been let into a place of warmth for the first time.
Naruto had always had an eidetic memory which was a great tool for somebody of his circumstance and he used it to its full extent meticulously noting streets in which he was treated with particular disdain such as Konoha High Street where he would often be sneered at or innocuously tripped over on to the unforgiving concrete. With knowledge of this in mind, Naruto walked down a dingy by-street shadowed by second-rate shops favoured by the more unsavoury inhabitants of the village. Naruto scuttled along the street, head bowed so as to ensure he was as inconspicuous as possible. However, he was broken from his mission by the pathetic growl that emanated from his stomach, he had been once again turned away from the grocery store and had not had a chance to scrounge in the bins behind some of the village restaurants before his first class at the academy.
Naruto peered along the length of the street eyes finally landing on a quaint bright shop that seemed to glow in its position with the words Ichiraku Ramen hanging from banners and he resigned himself to at least try. Naruto was short, slightly more so than was natural for a seven-year-old, this stature was borne from a life lacking proper nutrition, so his head did not even skim the low-hanging banners at the front of the building as he attempted to subtly peek into to gauge the chances of him being welcome in this place. A glorious smell filled the room and Naruto watched as a kind-looking man beamed while serving a bowl of ramen to his academy sensei. On the topic of the sensei in question, Naruto could no longer gauge how to act around Iruka-Sensei as originally their relationship was simple Iruka was just as averse to him as all of the other academy sensei, however recently the man had begun to take a warmer disposition whenever talking to Naruto. However he still, in Naruto's opinion lacked a backbone due to the fact that he would not intervene when the other kids threw him snide comments like he would for any other student.
For this reason, Naruto walked up to a stool on the far side of the room of Iruka hoping not to deal with him. Unfocused due to his plight Naruto was bowled over by a portly chunin of Iruka's age the man swerved around beginning to apologise before his wide brow eyes narrowed with malice and he snarled "Who do you think you are terrorising a shinobi favourite restaurant demon". Naruto looked around beseechingly to Iruka who seemed to be struggling with whether or not to help out his student and felt the familiar feeling of disappointment of not being stood up for as he turned ready to bolt another voice spoke up "The real question is who are you to deny me a customer" said the man behind the counter "What's your name kid you don't have to be worried about being unwelcome here." "you on the other hand he turning to the chunin can be on your way".
The chunin stammered in shock and left the stall indignant while Naruto felt warmed to his stomach. He broke out in a smile of pure jubilance "Thank you Ossan". The old man smiled wider eyes sparkling with an old-world kindness "Well kid you look underfed how about I fix you my personal favourite of miso ramen with beef, and I tell you what this time it's on the house".
Naruto sat with wonder on his stool heart swelling and he knew this man was now precious to him as he a stranger had granted Naruto a kindness even his sensei had not deigned him worth. Naruto was so confused as to why the man would grant him a kindness no one other than the Hokage himself had offered that it took him a minute to notice the steaming bowl of broth before him which he tentatively picked a noodle from savouring slowly, Naruto did not immediately love the taste but he knew he would come here every day of his life if it meant getting to bask in the kindness of this stranger. With this in mind, Naruto inhaled the remaining portion with relish chirping out a "Thank you Ossan". He cast a glance at Iruka who held his head in his hands with a guilty expression on his face and couldn't muster any feeling at the sight. He promptly left the ramen stand promising to visit again sometime soon, with a resolve in his heart to treat all strangers with the same kindness of disposition that an old man had done to him.
In his ecstasy, Naruto had forgotten to forgo the routes frequented by his tormenters and was blindsided when the world seemed to slow around him something glinting in his peripheral vision. Naruto attempted to jump backwards but he was so slow in this level of perception that he only managed an almost imperceptible lean back that had changed the path of what he would realise was a kunai from a clean slice of his jugular to a mere nick at the surface of his skin.
Naruto whirled around in panic greeted by the visage of the chunin he had been knocked over by before, brown beady eyes dancing with odious blood lust as he began to form hand signs Naruto's world slowed again and he heard a crackle of electricity from behind him Naruto knew he was to slow to dodge the assailant from behind and knew he would finally meet his end however the person moving at what looked like a moderately fast speed even in Naruto's slowed sight passed beside him clad in anbu garb with a grizzled dog mask hand up to elbow wreathed in pure lightning plunged his forearm through the chunin's sternum.
Blood splashed across the street and the scent of ozone invaded Naruto's nose as he shook in his place. Without so much as a glance back at the boy he had just saved The anbu vanished in a shunshin taking the body with him.
Naruto trembled in his place looking down at his hands knowing he could never be this slow again forced to watch as an adversary took his life. Yet he felt guilty and sick to the stomach, he knew if he hadn't visited the ramen stand the chunin's life needn't have been ended.
"Oh my goodness Naruto are you alright" Iruka picked the petrified boy into his arms as Naruto stared off into the cloudy sky.
It's going to rain again he mused.