Pain and Despair

Flashback 2: Hope?

Third pov
Naruto woke up on a hospital bed to the monitor beeping.

He tried moving, but couldn't due to the shearing pain in his stomach and ribs.

He couldn't feel his face, nor could he feel his chest.

He couldn't feel anything. It's as if he was alive on the outside but dead on the inside.

'Who would save a demon like me? Who would waste their time to save me? A nobody like me? Who would care for me?', thought Naruto.

After what seemed like hours of staring at the ceiling, Naruto hears the door open. Naruto looks at the door to reveal a lady doctor and a man with a scar going across his nose.

"Ahh I'm surprised you're awake child. I'd expect that you'd be out cold for days at least. But I guess I was wrong.", chuckled the Doctor.

"H-how did I get h-here?", asked a weak Naruto.

"Well this young man brought you here in a pretty bad shape-"

"Who would do that?"

"Well you are just a child and you were close to dying in the shape you were last night."

Naruto glanced at the man with the scar across his nose and noticed he was smiling at Naruto with sympathetic eyes.

"W-what do you mean close to death?", asked Naruto.

"You don't remember child?"

"I vaguely do"

"Well you came in with fractured ribs, a cut chest and face. And your face was swollen too. Honestly I'm surprised you have the energy to talk much less being awake. Your strong kid!", smiled the doctor.

Naruto blushed at the compliment.

"What's your name child?", asked the doctor.

"Naruto"

"I see, I like the name. My name's Tsunade."

"I see"

"Well I'm going to do some paperwork, and the police is going to be here soon to ask about who did this to you. Ok?"

"O-ok"

"Good", said Tsunade with a smile as she left the room.

Naruto lay there in silence, as the man stood there looking at Naruto.

"H-how did you find me?", finally asked Naruto.

"Well I was just simply visiting a friend in the village, but as I was going to go home, I heard a commotion coming from a corner. So I checked it out and heard people say things like 'let the demon die' and other harsh stuff. And that's when I found you laying there in the rain all hurt and bloody. It was a harsh thing to see, but I got you to the hospital and at least I got you to safety kid!", said the man with a warm smile.

"W-what's your n-name?"

"Iruka"

"W-why would you s-save me?"

"Your a human being, and a child. No person should be treated like that. Now tell me, who would do such a thing to you?"

"If I tell you, you'd look at me like I'm a demon too"

"I promise I won't kid!", said Iruka with a smile.

"It started when I was born. My mom died giving birth to me... And my dad would blame it on me all the time. Saying that I 'killed' my mom... And he persuaded the villagers to think that I was a demon too.", Naruto's voice faltered.