Naruto: The First Step

Chapter 34

As they went out, Naruto bade them goodbye to avoid questions from his 2 teammates.

He walked towards Ichiraku's to eat dinner early. Once he arrived, he was greeted by a grin from Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame.

"Konichiwa, Naruto-kun!", Teuchi greeted.

"Konichiwa, Teuchi-san, Ayame-neechan!", Naruto greeted.

Naruto took a seat away from 2 other costumers of the ramen shop. Teuchi brought him a bowl of his usual miso ramen with naruto fish cake.

"Itadakimasu!", Naruto said.

He heartily ate his ramen. He was oblivious to someone watching him from afar and the cold stares the other costumers were giving him.

He ate 6 bowls and began to head home to avoid the villagers from picking on him again. The 2 costumers followed him towards his home, planning something bad to him.

A certain pink haired girl jumped on the rooftops to follow the love of her life. She was on a house's roof when Naruto turned to an alley where he usually passes and was cornered by the costumers from Ichiraku.

One man, big and buff, smirked evilly towards Naruto.

"Looks like the Kyuubi is all alone again, is he?", the man teased.

Sakura's eyes widened.

'K-Kyuubi?', she thought.

"Wonder who will come to help him after we take care of him now?", his companion, someone smaller than him and thinner said.

Naruto growled at them.

"You mad, Kyuubi?", the buff one teased.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Kyuubi.", the thinner one said.

"I didn't do anything you accuse me of.", Naruto said.

Sakura worriedly watched Naruto before she slowly headed down the stairs to the pavement below.

"I will make you pay for killing my family.", the buff one said, cracking his knuckles.

"I told you! I did nothing against you or your family!", Naruto shouted.

"You dare?!", the thinner one said then landed a sharp blow on Naruto's jaw.

Naruto fell on the pavement, clutching his jaw. Blood trickled out of his mouth onto the ground.

"I will finally avenge my family and at the same time, be a hero to the villagers.", the buff one said.

He, too, punched Naruto.

Sakura watched in horror as the 2 guys beat him up senseless. One of them even pulled out a kunai and stabbed Naruto's left shoulder near his heart, making him shriek in pain. He thrashed wildly, trying to fight off the men.

Sakura cried silently. She was frozen solid, afraid to move or make a sound in fear that the men noticed her and will also hurt her.

The men continued beating him badly making Naruto stop thrashing from energy loss. He felt every ounce of energy leave his bloodied figure. Then the buff guy gripped Naruto's neck and held him up.

He smashed him against the wall, his eyes red with anger and ecstacy at the same time.

He tightened his grip on Naruto's neck making him gasp for air. He tried prying of the hand from his neck but quickly gave up. His eyes shed tears as he exhaled and fainted.

The man dropped him harshly and admired his handiwork.

"You are a disgrace to this village. You should have died in the place of the Yondaime.", the thin guy said then kicked him hard one last time.

They both left Naruto for dead. Sakura ran towards him and kneeled beside him, shaking his shoulders lightly.

"N-Naruto?", she called.

No answer. She checked his pulse and felt the beat of his heart. She sighed in relief. Anger and rage coursed through her veins as she vaguely recalled what happened seconds before.

"Bastards...", she muttered.