no need for thanks

chap 1

Hiruzen sarutobi pov:

I walked up the stairs to my office already dreading the paperwork I would have to do. It was a normal day like any other which is the best thing, well...if you're not hokage, like I am. If I have to do another stack of paperwork I might go insane. When I walked down the hall to my office, that's when I heard the commotion. My pace quickened as the noise was in the office. The yelling became more clear as I walked up to the door. "You damn brat get out!" I pulled the door open to a mess. Three different anbu were there chasing a small blonde child. On closer inspection my eyes widened, sure enough it was the fourths child, Naruto Uzumaki, the holder of the nine tails.

"Please leave me alone. I'm sorry, whatever I did!" the little child cried out as he narrowly missed another anbu's grasp. "What is going on here!" I yelled, making myself known to the anbu and the small child. The small child slipped and rolled right in front of my feet while the anbu froze where they were running after the child. Looking closer to the child I could see he was in rough shape, he had cuts and bruises everywhere. "I'm sorry Hokage-sama this demon was caught sneaking around the market!" I looked at the anbu that had spoken that was known as hippo(my parent picked it XD). Through his mask his eyes shone with hatred as did the other two anbu in the room. I heard whimpering coming from below and looked back down to see that little Naruto was looking at them with fear trying to hold back his tears. I tensed in anger and looked back at the three, "does that justify chasing and scaring a poor 4 year old boy!" I yelled at them, making them jump. "B-but he was sneaking and hiding a-and-" before the anbu could get any further I yelled again. "Well I would be hiding and sneaking around if I had been assigned guards like you, from this point I will be assigning you a new mission now all of you get out of here, I'll be calling you later for your punishments!" I said letting my anger slip into my voice. They all looked stunned but hurried out away from my killing glare I was sending them. Once they were gone I sighed and looked back down. The little one was now in a ball hiccupping, hiding his face. I bent down and touched his shoulder but he leapt up and away from me. He crawled back on his hands and feet, "i-im sorry for barging in i-i just saw a-the window open and-and-" he sobbed out but I just gave him a soft smile and walked over slowly, "it's ok I'm not going to hurt you child, "I said leaning down now that I was in front of him again. He flinched away from my touch but didn't move back anymore. "Your safe now"

He tensed as I was able to reach him, I wiped away the tears that fell down his cheeks. He cried harder as he jumped up and ran into my arms. He sobbed into my chest as I just hugged him and walked over to my desk and sat down. I went into one of my drawers and pulled out my first aid kit I kept there. I put it on the paper cursed desk for when the boy calmed down enough for me to help with his wounds. "I'm sorry!" he cried which was muffled by my shirt. "You have nothing to be sorry for, little one," I said gently rubbing his head. "I'm sorry!" he cried again and I just kept rubbing his head more, trying to calm the crying child.

After a few minutes the child calmed down enough to just gaspes and hiccups. I sat him on the desk as I turned him to where I could see his face with many objections from the blonde Uzumaki. "If you want me to clean your scratches I have to see your face, boy," I said sternly. He pouted but complied; I took out all the things I would need and started cleaning the bigger scratches. I sighed to myself at the poor boy's condition. I should have assigned better anbu, to protect him. In some ways I am guilty for the way he's living that I can admit. The boy was skinny and small for his age which worried me. "Little one who gave you all these injuries?" I asked and he looked to the ground. "Those mean masked people," he mumbled and I growled. Those three will have to be sent to ibiki and anko for doing such a thing. I shook those thoughts away to reminisce about later when there wasn't such a small child around. "I deserved it though." I stopped what I was doing to what the small blonde had said. "You do not deserve to be hurt in such a way for hiding from them!" I snapped which made him flinch. I sighed. "I'm sorry, it just makes me angry what they did," I said ruffling his hair. He looked at me and gave a soft smile.

The smile faded a little, "do you know why everyone's so mean, you're the only one that's helped me" he said, a few tears welling in his eyes. "There are some things I can't tell you but once you're older I'll tell you everything Naruto." His eyes widened to me saying his name. "How'd you know my name? I didn't tell you nothin'" he said gasping. I chuckled, "I know a lot about you little one, and I'll tell you everything I know when you're older" he whined but smiled bigger all the same. He laughed as well, "will do old man hokage" my eyes widened, "you knew I was hokage?" I said. He hummed, "Yeah,I knew when you walked in, I was scared you would be like the villagers and the meanie masked people" he said, sounding a little sad towards the end. I smiled at him, "I won't hurt you little one".

He looked at me giving a small smile; after a while longer I was able to clean and bandage his bigger cuts with little effort. Once it was done Shikaku had walked in with yet another pile of paperwork. He sat it on my desk and looked at Naruto with calculating eyes before giving the little boy a small smile. Naruto looked at him clearly, not trusting him showing it when hiding one side of his face in my shoulder as I held him.

Shikaku gave a chuckle before mumbling a playful troublesome before walking back out after reminding me I have work to do. I groaned about being reminded I have work to do. "I-i guess I'll get going." I heard Naruto mumble into my shoulder. I looked at him and he looked sad.

I put him down on the ground but before he could go anywhere I said. "Naruto if you have any trouble or want to talk to someone, come to me ok, I would be glad for a distraction every once and a while," I said, giving him a smile. He looked a little surprised at me wanting to see him again but gave a big Uzumaki smile before saying, "will do, dattebayo!" he said before running out of the office. I sighed happily, now to get to those punishments for those anbu fools.

word count 1,267