Only Time Can Tell

LOST

CHAPTER 30

LOST

NARUTO UZUMAKI

"DAD!!!" I heard Boruto screaming right before my eyes closed. I could almost smile when I heard his voice. It's strange, I didn't realize just how much I missed him. But then the searing pain reminded me and I disappeared into the darkness.

"Hey, loser!" My cheek was throbbing, I knew that it would bruise, but at least I didn't taste any blood this time. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" I refused to turn around, once I got home, I could lock the door and they would just go away. Just go away. Just go awa- "You!" He grabbed me, spinning me around, my jacket crushed in his fist. "Listen when I'm talking to you." He scoffed. "Not that you would learn any manners from your parents."

I fought to keep my mouth shut, "I heard some crap that you think you're gonna be Hokage one day." He was several years older than me, already in the Academy, and probably testing to be a chuunin soon. His headband was proudly displayed across his forehead. "It's just crap...right?" He grinned, daring me to say it wasn't.

"I..." I said struggling from his grip, my feet dangling several feet from the ground.

"What a loser." He laughed. "Like you could become Hokage anyway."

"Smart ass." I growled. "I will become Hokage!" I stopped struggling and punched the dude right in the teeth. He hissed in pain, doubling over, his hands covering his mouth.

"You little bastard." He said his lips pressed tightly, blood dribbling out the side of his mouth. "You're going to pay for that."

I turned, and took off, running as fast as I could. My short legs were no match for his much longer stride. "Get back here!" He roared. My only hope would be to hide. We ran through the street, no one moving to stop him, I was gaining just a little more room between him and me, I made a sharp corner and he lost sight of me for just a second, so I leaped to the side into a tiny alley along the side of a store. It held only a trashcan, a few squeaking rats, and now me. I heard him go barreling past the dumpster and I sighed a breath of relief still trying to catch my breath.

"Hey." I felt my heart skip a beat. I looked up, the storekeeper was standing over me, his face cross, his chest muscular, even more terrifying than the amateur ninja from before. "Get out of here, you dirty fox."

Before I could react, he picked me up by the scruff of my jacket and threw me out of the alley, kicking me for good measure. I whimpered, clutching my shoulder where he had kicked me. My face was still throbbing, and I felt my eyes prick with tears. I looked up again and saw a woman and her daughter staring at me.

The woman was busy appraising some apples but the girl was staring at me intensely her head tilted slightly to the left with curiosity. The woman turned around and saw me, tugged her daughter's hand and pulled her away. They didn't look back.

"Idiot," I muttered to myself as I cried. "You should be used to this by now."

The scene changed, my body seemed to ache from past wounds, I had become a genin now, and did my best to defy those who thought little of me. I wasn't a skilled ninja, I had the worst chakra control of them all, and yet, I now belonged to a team with the people whom I hoped to become friends with.

That idea was immediately changed when I found out who it was. Sasuke Uchiha. The infamous only remaining Uchiha from the clan and the giant pain in my butt at the Academy. He was always better than me, soared high above the rest, and wasn't nice about it either. He would do anything to remind me what scum I was.

But Kakashi-sensei...somehow, we all grew together as friends. I began to think of Sasuke as a brother, he had saved my ass time and time again, and I owed a lot to him. Sure he could be a massive pain in the butt sometimes but other times...he was a true friend. I did everything I could to keep up with him, and he helped me grow stronger just by being my rival. But then after all we had been through he suddenly disappeared. And I couldn't help but feel that this was my fault. Watching Sasuke was like watching myself. His mistakes could have easily been mine, and because I wasn't there to help him sort out the right and wrong decisions I felt that I had failed him as a friend.