Light My Fire ((Kankuro X Reader))

Chapter One: A Scorching Fire

You watched a lit campfire flicker throughout the night. Red flames flickering with a gentle, yet dangerous dance.
The prickling night wind brushed through the forest trees, and across your small, exposed frame.
Shivering, you found yourself inching closer to the flames. It wasn't as though you wanted to get closer, but what choice did you have? You had no home to return to, no blanket to keep warm, and the fact that you managed to even make a campfire for the night was lucky enough. A thick wound on your arm hissed in pain when you moved but you shrugged it off. You had gotten so used to the pain now it didn't bother you, plus you couldn't do anything about it at the moment anyhow. You cupped your hands together and rubbed them quickly, then returned to your original position of hugging your knees close to your chest. You tried your best to stay warm but to no avail. You were slowly freezing. But it was much different earlier just yesterday.

Your mom pulled the covers over your body and untied your ninja headband, which depicted a small flame. Your mom smiled at you and put it on the dresser. "Goodnight (Y/N). You can keep practicing tomorrow" She whispered her gentle words and closed the door behind her as she made her way to her own bed. A smile tugged at your lips and you yawned. "Goodnight..." You muttered and put your head down on your pillow. Tomorrow you could keep playing and practicing to become a ninja worthy of your small outskirts village.
Before you realized it, you were drifting off to your happy dreamland.

But that was the last moment you would find yourself being happy for a long time.
You awoke from your dreamless rest when a strong scent hit your nostrils full blow. Your eyes shot open and looked around the bedroom. It took only a few moments to see your bedroom was quickly filling up with a thick fog of smoke. The choking fumes made you cough roughly and your lungs were burning from the inside out. Your mom burst through your door, stumbling as she walked, the smoke obviously getting to her as well.
"(Y/N)! Run!" She cried out, shivering where she stood. You jumped out of your bed, throwing your blankets carelessly aside, and grabbed your headband off your nightstand. There was no time to put it on right now. "What's going on?" You eyed her, unable to hold back your fear when she fell into a fit of coughing. "Fire...in the...town!" She said between hacks. You ran over to your window and saw exactly that. The whole town was charging with ferocious and hungry flames.

They seemed so delicate as they devoured everything in their path. You couldn't seem to take your eyes away from the near blinding light.
"What about you?" You asked in a shaky voice, unable to face her. It was too difficult to see your weak mother barely able to stand. Your house was on the edge of the town, so luckily for you, the fire hadn't reached you yet...but others weren't so lucky, and it was getting closer by the moment. Finally, you looked back as her voice dropped harshly. "Just go! I need to get your brother!" She puffed, waving an arm to shrug off your worry. You couldn't help being hesitant on just leaving her and your brother behind, but what choice was there?
If you stayed, you would only cause your mother more stress to get both her children away. She was right, you had to go!
Leaving out the front door was too risky, the doorknob could already be boiling hot if the fire was in front of the house, and it very well was with how much smoke was filling your room.
With a heavy inhale, you pushed your bedroom window open and jumped out, narrowly avoiding a corpse just below you.
Almost instantly, you wanted to throw up and forced yourself to look away, but it only got worse.

You had to cover your mouth when you saw the hundreds of dead, fleshless, bodies in the streets. So many dead with horrible expressions stained on their faces.
You held back tears when you distinguished one as your best friend. It was almost difficult to tell with the way his body was mangled but you'd recognize his gold necklace hanging off his neck anywhere.
"No..." You whimpered aloud, finding yourself running for his direction. Just then, a massive log fell from one of the homes, throwing ash and exploding fire only yards from your face. You fell back, pain aching in your heart, and blood of a gashing burn running down your arm. It was too dangerous to get his body out of the village. Internally, you apologized over and over as you ran for the exit. You left your family behind, your best friend, and the entire village just so you'd survive. You could only home your mother and brother made it out safely. You ran for about a mile and a half until you slowed to a stop. Where would you go? You'd never been outside the village before. What were you supposed to do?

The smoke above the trees gradually got thinner and you waited. And waited. But still nothing. Your mom never came for you. No hero was there to scoop you up and tell you everything was alright. No brave adult ninja there to wrap up your wounds...
A tear rolled down your cheek. Then another. And more. You fell to the ground and wailed. Your village and family were gone. Your mom wasn't fast enough...and now she was gone. Your little brother, who was only three, not old enough to protect himself...gone. Your father, leader of your village....gone.
The village hidden in the Kasai was gone.


You stared at the fire, crackling angrily. You huffed. "Can't get me now huh? I trapped you..." You refused to tear your eyes away from the beast that ripped apart your very home.
You flicked a rock into the fire and looked up into the sky, the sun just barely starting to rise. "Hmm... it's early." You uttered to yourself. The fire was already dying down and you stood up and sighed. What were you going to do now? You couldn't just go back there. And even if you tried, did you really want to see what became of your village?
Before you could properly collect your thoughts, the sound of a shout broke you from your mind, nearly making you jump out of your skin.
"Hey, you!" A stranger called from behind.

When looking back, a blond boy was running out of the trees, waving his hand excitedly. He showed a toothy grin like he didn't have a care in the world.
Who was this guy?
Like all ninja, he wore a headband as well, and his was etched with the leaf village emblem. You'd never been, but you knew it wasn't super far from your village and some leaf ninjas occasionally came by to trade goods.
But that didn't make him an ally.
In fact, you hadn't put your headband back on yet, who knew if he was just going to attack a stranger on the edge of the village?
Before you got up, you pulled your headband from your pocket, finding yourself almost lost for a moment.
You could be the last of your village, and this boy wouldn't even know.
Tying it around your head, you pushed yourself to your feet and turned back to face him.

"Who are you?" You scanned him carefully, trying to make out his stance for friend or foe.
He stopped walking close, but his smile not once left his face.
"Naruto!" He proclaimed proudly. "Naruto Uzumaki of Konohagakure! You must have heard of me." He chuckled, but you couldn't find a proper response to that.
Still, he continued.
"Anyway, who are you? What are you doing out here? Are you a rogue, or a bandit or something?"
"Obviously not!" You gestured to your headband. "I'm a ninja from Kasai! (Y/N) (L/N)!"
"Isn't that the wannabe hidden village?" He cocked his head before shaking it off. And just as well because you didn't want to beat up a stranger.
Your village was small and unknown, but they always wanted to grow from more than just a little forest village.
From the Land of Fire, the Village of Kasai wanted to be the Hidden village of Fire.
What irony...
"It doesn't matter anymore, alright?"
You could just run off right there...
You didn't have to humor such a rude boy.
"What's wrong?" He stepped forward, and you felt no need to back away.
Everything was torn away from you, if you lost your life, what difference would it make?

When you didn't reply, the boy huffed.
"You don't look like you've slept at all. Have you been out here all night?"
A long pause rift between the two of you. Finally, you exhaled.
"Yeah. I'm cold, and I'm lost, I'm not sure where to go or what to do."
Naruto's lips pursed into a pout, then quickly returned to a smile.
"Come on, don't be upset! My team is on a mission right now, we're camping not too far from here. You can come with us!"
He offered his hand, but you didn't want to take it. How could you trust him?
He must have noticed your hesitance because he stepped even closer, definitely invading your personal space.
"Come on, you can believe in me. I'm going to be Hokage one day, I wouldn't hurt you!"

Before you could argue, his hand tightened around yours and you were pulled into the trees, leaving your pathetic little campsite behind.
He didn't stop dragging you along until you arrived at their setup, which looked a lot more sorted out than yours.
There was a chance you didn't mind how he had been pulling you though. It felt nice to hold someone's hand after everything that happened, even if it was a total stranger with an obnoxious voice.
His team was three other people, all sitting on hollowed logs in a comfortable circle.
Two other kids around Naruto's age, and one adult.
Everyone's eyes were suddenly on you, and all at once, you felt very vulnerable.

Sure you were training to be a ninja, but you weren't nearly strong enough to fight back yet if they decided to turn on you.
One girl with rosy pink hair, one boy with midnight black hair, and one sensei covering a majority of his face. Yet it didn't look like he was smiling... If you could see his mouth that was.