The guardian chronicles : Nirvana (Todoroki Shoto x Uzumaki Naruto)

Chapter 48

Naruto was just six and half when she began to wonder about the existence of her parents. At that age, she understood and knew what an orphan was. She knew what made her different from her classmates in the Academy, while most of her classmates had parents, Naruto didn't have them. In none of her memories, does she recall them.

She remembered a kind, old lady and how she called her Naru-chan but that was where her earliest memories began. Naruto thinks that she had been one of the few elderly people who looked at her with such warm eyes. But not once in her early memories, can she remember who her parents were.

'Don't you ever forget that Granny loves you as much as your Mummy and Daddy loves you.'

She doesn't remember who Granny was but Naruto knew her parents did exist. It was only after an incident with Ami that the question haunted her mind. Even when she was fifteen, Naruto could still recall what caused her to wonder.

It had been raining when it happened. It had been just another rainy morning in the Academy and everything was normal, except Hinata had been crying again just like she always does whenever Neji bullied her. Her cousin always liked to say cruel words to her. Weak was what her friend's cousin called Hinata but Naruto doesn't see what makes Hinata weak. Whenever their teacher paired them together for taijutsu, she always struggled against her. The only reason Naruto won in their match was the fact that Hinata always hesitate.

"Neji is just a bully," Naruto declared to Hinata. She kept her volume low and rubbed the girl's shoulder, blue eyes focused on her friend. Sitting right beside her was Sasuke and like always, he had a tiny scowl playing on his lips. However unlike the other times, his black eyes looked at Hinata with concern. "You are strong, Hinata-chan! Right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke scowled and opened his mouth to protest, only to wince when the blond-haired girl shoved her elbow against his ribs. Hinata is our friend. He grunted, nodding and he rubbed his sides. All around them, the students stopped talking and stared at them with a couple of girls glaring at Hinata and her. I don't understand why they have a problem with us.

"Oh does the nameless orphan want to cheer up the crybaby by forcing Sasuke-kun to acknowledge her? Face it, Hyuga is weak."

Her hand stilled and Naruto swirled her head up, blue eyes flaring with flames of fury as brown eyes looked at Hinata and her like they were dirt underneath her foot. Hinata gulped and trembled while Ami curled her lips into a scowl. Sasuke said nothing but he balled his hands into a tiny fist. He tried to stand up from his seat and Naruto pulled him down.

Black eyes gazed at her and Naruto grinded her teeth. "I can deal with this. This is my fight."

Naruto would never admit it but she didn't want him to get into trouble with Fugaku and Mikoto or his big brother.

"Hinata-chan is stronger than you," Naruto puffed her chest and leaned her body forward till their noses touched. "And she is no crybaby! Also my name is Uzumaki Naruto! Not nameless orphan!"

Her nostrils flare and Naruto felt a burning sensation behind her eyes. I won't cry. She clenched and unclenched her hands as whispers broke out from all around them. Ami curled her lips into an even crueler smile, almost looking like a lioness that was ready to attack its prey.

"If you are not nameless, then do you know who your parents are?" The words echoed throughout the classroom and several breaths hitched as Naruto tensed up at the mention of her parents. Of course she did not know who her parents were, they died in the Kyuubi attack.

But all my fellow orphans at least have an idea who their parents, the Hokage never told me what their names were.

Naruto took a deep breath, clenched her jaws and spit out. "No."