The Fox's Son

Chapter 2 - The Demise of the Innocent

Naruto and Hinata were enjoying the festival, looking in awe at all the sights and performances the festival had to offer. Hinata was blushing the majority of the time seeing that Naruto hadn't let go of her hand since they left the stand. He had brought her a bracelet with last of his money as a nice gesture of friendship. Hinata tried to refuse, but Naruto was undeterred in his decision and felt that his best friend deserved it.

They were walking back home, when someone had accidentally bumped into Naruto. Once they gathered their bearings, the person looked down at the young boy. Naruto saw them narrow their eyes at him.

"Well, look what we have here...." the civilian said as they looked at them bother. They were clearly drunk, if his breath and tinted cheeks didn't give it away. "It's the demon brat and his lover." he remarked. This remark garnered the attention of others that were passing by or were around them.

"Let's end what the fourth began." a civilain said. "You won't escape us tonight, Kyuubi!"

Naruto cursed his luck. He believed he could easily take on the civilians, however, through his sensing abilities, he could feel large chakra among them, meaning some of them were possible shinobi. Naruto quickly hurled a shuriken at the now gathering crowd, only for it to be caught by someone. Said person threw it back, grazing Naruto's cheek and drawing blood.

The blonde began to panick, feeling that the man in front of him was strong than he. Worried more so for Hinata, he hurriedly went to his pouch and picked a smoke bomb. Just as he was about throw it on the ground so they could escape, the shinobi dashed towards him in a blur and caught the blonde jinchuriki's wrist before he could use the bomb. Naruto struggled against the man's hold. Seeing he wasn't going to get free, he immediately turned to Hinata who was afraid and worried for her friend.

"Run, Hinata!" he yelled to her as the shinobi picked Naruto up and threw him at the ground.

"No....." Hinata said softly. "I'm not leaving you behind."

"Please leave, Hinata..." he said as he scramble from the ground. "I don't want you to get hurt." he said just above a whisper.

"I wo-ARHHHGHH" Hinata cried as she felt a sharp pain to the head. She dropped to the ground, screaming and clutching her head.

"Fuuton: Daitoppa" Naruto yelled, releasing a gust of wind that pushed everyone back as he rushed to Hinata's side who was still on the ground. He was beside her in an instant, but could only watch as Hinata squirmed on the ground. A pool of blood began to form near head.

"Hina-chan! What's wrong?!" Naruto asked frantically, not knowing what was happening. He look back when he heard someone chuckling in the crowd.

He was met with the sight of some Hyuga making a hand seal. The shinobi who had hit him was simply enjoying the scene while the civilian got up, recovering from being pushed by the wind. Naruto removed the purple strand from her forehead only to find that her Cage Bird Seal was glowing. He quickly rushed at the Hyuga only to be pinned to a wall by the shinobi that had grabbed his wrist. He yelled in pain and coughed up blood as he was pinned to the wall by a kunai in his shoulder.

"Hinata!" he cried out as he helplessly watched the civilians began to crowd around him and beat him into a pulp.

However, he wasn't focused on his situation and his pain. He knew he would just heal. He was more worried about Hinata's well-being, who was on the receiving end of the seal as well as the village's hatred towards him.

"Naruto-kun....." Hinata in barely a whisper as she continued to endure the pain that felt like hot lead piercing her brain.

Seeing Naruto's line of sight, the civilians stopped beating him and watched the scene take place. They took pleasure of the demon's pain, seeing how it was affecting him. Naruto dropped down into a bloody pulp, his blood smearing the wall as he fell. He dragged himself toward Hinata, ignoring his own wounds. He wished he could get that bloody seal off her, but he wasn't that advanced in fuinjutsu to do so.