Chương 312: Left Behind

A shadow moved between the houses. It observed in silence, planning an attack. Creeping slow and low from a blind spot, it approached a helpless target. The sleeper did not react, even when the shadow stepped on a loud wooden plank. Pausing for a moment, the figure waited. Nothing. With a devious, almost silent snicker, it stepped forward with the tool of the crime in hand. Naruto held an ink pen. He crept up to the old Senju woman resting on a porch under the cool sunlight. She was completely asleep.

Moving very carefully at first, he started to draw on her face. When he noticed no reaction, he grew braver. Soon, she sported glasses around her eyes, a huge royal mustache, and some funny shapes on her wrinkly cheeks. It was not easy working on old skin, but Naruto had total confidence in his sabotage skills. After some time, he lowered the pen and stepped back to admire his work. Suddenly, someone grabbed his shirt collar. He had been too distracted to notice the guard sneaking up behind him.

The man raised him high into the air as Naruto flailed his arms and legs.

"Leave me alone, you evil guard!" The loud noise woke the old woman. She looked completely lost for a few moments before finally realizing where she was.

"What is going on?" she asked in confusion. Staring at Naruto, she narrowed her eyes and asked with an uncertain tone, "Nawaki, is that you? Where is your big sister? I need her help, my legs are killing me." She groaned loudly while trying to stand up. The guard scolded him.

"You little devil. I told you to stop messing with the elders. Let them enjoy their peaceful lives." Naruto looked away and grumbled.

"But that is so boring. They never do anything interesting." The guard shook his head.

"They already did all of that and more when they were younger. They fought hard to build the village you live in right now. You need to have some respect." He lightly knocked the back of the boy's head. Naruto screamed in fake pain. From the side, another old woman approached. She moved slowly, her hands shaking as she leaned heavily on a wooden cane.

"What is all this noise about?" Naruto struggled against the firm hold.

"Miki-baasama, help me escape!" Miki noticed the resting woman and the fresh ink on her face. She burst out laughing. The old Senju frowned.

"What are you laughing about, you old hag?" A tick mark of anger appeared on Miki's forehead as she fired back.

"Someone drew a mustache on you. It looks just like the one you had on your wedding day. Your mustache was even bigger than your husband's!" She started to laugh even harder. The old woman narrowed her eyes and sighed. Wiping her face lightly, she looked softly at Naruto as she finally recognized him, the little devil who has lately been terrorizing their peaceful compound.

"The Uzumaki have always been a handful. I still remember Kushina. She had a massive fire in her heart, that one. Just like you." Miki stepped closer. She focused her old eyes on the boy before speaking.

"Now that you mention it, he does resemble her. His hair is just a little different from her red color." The old woman struck Miki with a devilish quip.

"Yellow or red, it is much better than yours. Your hair never even grew long enough to touch your shoulders." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Miki was ready to act over those fighting words, but the guard quickly stepped between them.

"Let us all calm down. We do not want a thrown-out back, a broken bone, or another dislocated hip today." Miki snarled and snatched Naruto right out of the man's grip.

"Let him go. I will take him from here." Once he was released, Miki turned back to her friend.

"The mustache and glasses really suit you, old fossil. Do not wash your face." The other replied with genuine anger.

"If I am an old fossil, what does that make you? An ancient pile of…?" Before she could finish her insult, the guard covered her mouth.

"Let us calm down," he said in a worried tone.

"We do not want anyone to have a heart attack. How about we go inside and wash this ink off." Naruto pulled down his eyelid with his finger and stuck his tongue out at the annoyed guard. Miki then led him away down the quiet street. After walking for a while, Naruto looked around at the dusty homes.

"Miki-baasama, why is this place so empty? Also, who is this Nawaki guy?" A deep sadness washed over Miki's wrinkled face. Her voice sounded painfully distant.

"Nawaki was a very energetic kid, just like you. As for your first question..." She stopped walking. Her feet kicked up a little dust on the empty road.

"Most of our people died during the fierce wars that led to the creation of this village. Then more were lost in the consequent fights to protect it. Every single house you see here has had at least one or two fallen shinobi." Miki paused, her eyes staring blankly at the quiet homes around them. She felt as if the ghosts of those who used to live there were waving at her, calling for her to join them. Her grip tightened on her cane until her knuckles turned white.

"The few young ones who survived married into other clans and took their parents away with them," she continued, her voice cracking slightly with a heavy, deeply rooted grief. Her old eyes misted over a bit, and her hands shook against the wood of her cane.

"The few left are elders who have nothing or no one else in this world. No children to come home, no grandchildren to play on the porch. Just empty rooms and old memories." She swallowed hard, looking down at Naruto with a gaze so full of sorrow it made his chest ache.

"We gave everything to this village, Naruto. Every last piece of our families. And now, the silence and this peaceful village we helped to bring into this cruel world is all we have left." A heavy weight settled in Naruto's stomach. Guilt washed over his face as he looked down at his shoes.

"Maybe I should stop pranking everyone," he said quietly. Miki smiled a warm, gentle smile. She reached out and playfully ruffled his spiky blonde hair.

"Actually, you doing this adds real flavor to our days. We usually just sit around waiting for the end. The hours repeat endlessly. Your pranks make things feel different. It takes people away from their boring routines for a moment. It reminds them that life and laughter still flourish around our ancient bones." She started walking again, and Naruto quickly followed.

"In fact, I might have a few ideas to improve your skills," Miki said.

"I have a great trick for that old fossil we just left, and some really good ones for the rest." Her mood improved as she started to laugh, pure mischief filling her voice. Naruto mirrored her giant grin.

"Let us go to my house. I have some warm cookies and fresh milk. We can enjoy them while we draw up our master war plans." Naruto cheered loudly at the exciting offer. His tiny heart filled with a glowing warmth he had never felt before. In the past, pranking for attention only earned him angry yells, cold glares, and cruel words. The villagers either completely ignored him and stayed away out of fear, or they treated him like a monster. But here, it was completely different.

He felt like these elders actually wanted him around. They looked at him and smiled, treating him like a real human being. He could not stop a huge grin from forming on his face as he happily skipped around the slowly moving Miki. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had found a place where he belonged as they excitedly discussed their new devious strategy. A/N: This is one of the few chapters where I had to stop in the middle of writing, take a deep breath, and walk around for a bit.

There are so many hidden feelings and meanings behind a lot of what was said, so I am highly interested in your feedback. Make sure to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts <3