The Pain of Neglect (Naruto Fanfic)

Extra Chapter: INO

Naruto's POV

I have always wanted to be a flower.

Flowers were beautiful

Flowers were delicate

Flowers were loved.

But since I was I child, I have known that I will always be a weed. A weed that was hurt and hated by others. For who would love something so ugly and useless. That was what I thought, until I met her...

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The moon was full, and the village was filled with my screams. The villagers had tied me back onto my bloody nail post and had decided to make an auction today. "So ladies and gentlemen, we are having a special deal today! You can purchase a number of the demon's toes, and can do whatever you want with them! You can cut them, tear them off, hell, whatever you want! The bidding will start at 50 yen!" That man, I hated him. He always found new ways to hurt me. I listened to the cheers and cries of pieces in the crowd. The final prices had been called out, and that evil man let five villagers come up to my torture podium. "Now you may have all the fun you want!" My tears fell out of my eyes as I tried to beg them not too. They grabbed my bare feet and the first person came up. I looked pleadingly at her green eyes and she just cackled at my pathetic face. "Well, well, well demon. I have purchased two toes, so I think that I will just break them, crush them, and then rip them off. How does that sound scum?" She said those last words with a smile, a sadistic smile. I recognized the woman, she had been a frequent visitor to my nightly hell. She started and I cried out in pain, screaming for someone to help me. When she finished, my blood fell on the stage, riling up the rest of the villager. The others came up and did the same things, until the final man came. I watched looked at his silver hair, it hung right above his shoulders. He wore an outfit similar to the teacher at the ninja academy. "P-please d-don't sir. I-I beg y-you, p-please d-don't h-hurt me!" I cried out, and he just laughed. "Why would I give two shits about a demon like you! Now what should I do to you?" The villagers shouted out ideas, and then the worst thing possible happened. My stomach growled. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well, well you monster. I have the perfect idea! Why don't I give you something to eat? Seeing how flesh is your favorite, why don't you eat your own?" He cackled and the villagers around him cheered out his name, some even applauding at his idea. The evil man who ran this just smiled and pulled out his large kitchen knife. "Mizuki, I think that is the best idea! Here, use this. It works best on meat." I had never cried so much in my life. I gagged and tried to scream, but no help came. I should have known, who would ever help a weed?

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The evil man bid me farewell and counted his money as he walked off into the night. I shakily pulled myself off of the post and winced in pain as my barefeet touched the ground. I had never had shoes, my parents told me that a monster wouldn't need shoes,and that my sister needed shoes before I did. I pulled myself forward with my arms and headed in the direction of my heaven in this hell. My bloody feet dragged along the ground, and I bit my tongue to prevent screaming. I had finally reached, the sun shone brightly above my head and I shrunk back at the sight of it. I looked over my heaven, I had found it while running away from that man. It was a large field filled with flowers of all colors, hidden from the village by a thick ring of trees. It had a little brook flowing through it, that was my first stop. I couldn't reach home in this condition, I couldn't even walk. I dragged myself to the brook, ignoring the bruises on my arms.I splashed my face with some of the clear water, and finally looked at my feet. My toes had been reduced to nubs. I could see my bones sticking out of some of them, and the flesh had tinges of green decorating it. Great, it was infected. I gently placed my feet in the brook and watched it wash the blood away. I peered into the brook and was greeted by something I had never seen before. My reflection. Mother and Father had always told me that I could never see my own reflection since I was a demon. So they had never let me look in a mirror. I stared into the brook and ghosted my red hands over my cheeks. The reflection did the same. I carefully memorized the face looking back at me. The hollow cheeks, the whisker-like scars. The blood coming from my forehead. I placed my hand gently in my golden hair. It was like father's, only mine was a bit paler and drooped greatly. It was a disgusting color, I then looked down at my chest. My thin black shirt had been ripped and torn greatly. I looked at my face and saw my eyes. Blue, crystal blue. However, they looked broken, there was no light in my eyes. I had seen this light in Mito's eyes whenever she went on picnics with mother and father. Why did she have it? Was it because she was a flower, and I was a weed? I started scrubbing my arms, maybe if I scrub hard enough, I could become a flower too... I kept on scrubbing, and soon my tan skin was red and covered in scratches. I sadly put my arms down and laid back on the grass. Looks like once you are a weed, you can never change. I pulled my feet out of the brook and looked at them. The nubs had disappeared, and now there were little toes growing back. I sadly smiled and tried to cry. Only weeds grew back, this was proof. I was a weed, my body was a weed. I would never be loved, I would never feel the love that a flower would get. I reached up to my face to brush the tears, and was met with dry skin. I gently chuckled and laid back on the grass. I had run out of tears, I had no more. Doesn't matter though weeds don't deserve to cry. "Hi there!" I froze, that voice... I had never heard anything like it before. I gently turned my head towards and my breath was taken away. I saw a flower, the most beautiful flower I had ever seen. It had pale skin, and her beautiful blonde hair framed her face perfectly. Her hair was beautiful, it was so pale, that it could be called white. She came closer, her mouth moving, as if she was trying to speak. However all I could hear was music. My stomach tingled and I felt as if I was being shocked by one of those ninja electric jutsus. She knelt down next to me, soiling her pale pink dress. "Are you ok? Where are your mommy and daddy?" I looked into her eyes. Her blue eyes. Her eyes weren't broken like mine. Her eyes were filled with love and compassion. Her eyes were beautiful, mine were scum. "I-I'm f-fine." She smiled and stuck her hand out at me. "I'm Ino, what's your name?" I looked at her and frowned slightly. Name? What's a name? Mommy and daddy never told me my name. Everyone just called me demon or scum. "I-I d-don't know m-my name I-ino-Sama." She chuckled and started taking off her shoes. "Silly! Don't call me Sama, it's Ino-Chan! And everybody has a name!" I shook my head slightly and she frowned. "Well, I'll give you a name, how about that? I looked at her and smiled. "R-really? Y-you would d-do that f-for me?" She nodded and put her hand on her chin. "Now... I give you the name...Chrysanthemum." I tilted my head and she chuckled. "Mommy showed me one the other day! They are so pretty! The color is the same color as your hair! But I'll call you Chrys for short!" I felt my eyes tearing up and I bowed down to the ground. "T-thank you s-so much f-for m-my name Ino-Chan." "It's alright Chrys, now let's play for a bit!" I froze. "Come on demon, let's play." I shrunk back, "P-please d-don't hurt m-me. P-please don't" She frowned and grabbed my arm. "Silly Chrys! Playing doesn't hurt, come on!" We played for hours, she showed my games like tag and ring around the rosy. I smiled, but winced whenever she looked away. My toes hadn't grown back yet, every step felt like I was walking on fire, but the second I saw her face it vanished. We collapsed at the brook and she picked up her little basket filled with flowers. "I have to go Chrys, mommy will get worried about me! I'll see you here tomorrow, we can play again!" I nodded and waved as she ran off into the distance. Once she disappeared into the trees, I looked back at my feet. My regrown toes were bent and stuck at odd angles. I felt as if something was yelling at me for not resting while my toes grew back, but it was very faint. I sighed and pulled out the little piece of glass that I kept near the brook to help pull out some of the metal the villagers left in my skin sometimes. I had to have my toes grow back properly, or else I can't run away tonight. I lifted the glass and closed my eyes. Somehow, it was all worth it.