"Yeah… I stole it, but hey, you were really good back there. Are you like a fighter or someone who knows martial arts?" The dark-haired boy asked excitedly, watching as the blonde rolled his eyes. The blonde turned away and started walking down the alley.
"Hey, it's not cool to ignore people!" the boy shouted, running after the shinobi, who just kept ignoring him.
"About stealing, I gotta go. Watch out next time, kid—" The Uzumaki was interrupted by a loud growl, making him rub his hungry stomach.
Smirking, the boy crossed his arms. "If you come with me and listen, I can get you some food," he offered vaguely, walking away from the blonde. The blonde grumbled and reluctantly followed.
As time passed, they walked through the poorest parts of the city. It was a sad place, with families in old, torn clothes, rundown houses, and thin kids as young as five asking for coins from people passing by.
"Excuse me… you got any coins?" Naruto's heart hurt as a dirty six-year-old girl came up to him, wearing a dusty brown kimono.
"..." Watching the girl, the Uzumaki noticed a woman in the distance who looked similar. Maybe her mom or big sister. She was selling not-so-great vases and plates. Turning back to the girl, he took out the last bag of coins he'd taken from a guard and gave it to her. "Go home and keep this a secret," he whispered, worried someone might want to hurt her for the coins.
"..." discreetly opening the small bag, the little girl's eyes widened in surprise as she saw at least fifty silver coins. She closed the bag, her eyes cloudy with tears. "Thank you... thank you very much," she whispered, hugging Naruto's leg. She stayed silent for a moment before running back to where her mother stood.
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"Did you have money all this time?" Naruto was brought out of his thoughts by the question. He simply nodded. "You could have used it to buy food..."
"She needed it more," Naruto replied without hesitation as he continued walking beside the boy, who just shrugged.
"It's your money, brother." They continued on until they reached a small, run-down house. Stepping through the door, which lacked even a lock, they finally found themselves indoors. "Home sweet home," the dark-haired boy smiled, hurrying through the house to settle into a corner of the room where a blanket lay atop a pile of hay.
Naruto silently observed the sparse surroundings. There was hardly a dresser with a few clothes that clearly belonged to those living there. There was also a bed where the boy must have slept, and a separate room containing a few wooden crates. His brows furrowed as a strange sense of melancholy washed over him. The scene reminded him of his own tiny apartment when he was just a five-year-old with nothing much to his name.
"Hey! We haven't introduced ourselves yet! I'm Dororo!" Getting up from his makeshift 'bed,' the boy sat up and looked at the shinobi, who also settled on the floor against the wall.
"Naruto… Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced himself with an unusually serious expression. As he gazed at the boy, he noticed the continued smile on his face. "Do you live alone?" he couldn't help but ask, feeling curious.
"No, my older sister lives with me. We've been living here since the earth kingdom took over the town we used to live in. They claimed it was for military purposes. I think it's a lie, though. Our house wasn't anywhere near the borders of the Fire Nation. But we did have good crops and herds. Maybe that's why they took our land..." With a sigh, the boy's smile faded as he wrapped his arms around his legs. "It happened years ago, and I'd be lying if I said I remember what our old house was like… or my parents. They were killed during an attack by a group of firebenders. My parents were just cloth merchants, and they refused to surrender everything they had earned to the firebenders… or at least that's what my sister says." He smiled again, rose to his feet, and moved around the house. Crouching in a corner, he removed some floorboards to reveal a few pieces of stale bread. Walking over to the shinobi, he handed him a piece. "It's not much..."
"Okay… thank you..." Naruto responded gratefully, taking the piece of bread. He noticed that the bread was hard and dry, but he quickly devoured it. In silence, he observed the boy eating beside him. He realized that both he and his sister had lost everything—not only to the Fire Nation but also to the Earth Kingdom, the very nation that was supposed to provide them with protection and a home. Was this the grim reality of war?
"Please, I'll ask you to leave," a female voice broke their silence. Naruto turned his attention toward the entrance, where Dororo had rushed to stand. He followed the boy's gaze and saw three individuals outside the house: two disheveled-looking men armed with knives and a girl.