Chapter 2
A snowflake gently descended from the sky and made contact with the ground below.
Twin brothers Menma and Naruto, both four years old, wore ragged red scarves, dark purple long sleeve shirts, and black pants as they headed towards the playground.
As they walked through the village, they were met with hostile gazes that felt like piercing arrows. Some villagers insulted them, while others ignored them entirely out of spite.
Menma's face was set in a permanent scowl, while Naruto smiled brightly and appeared unfazed by the negativity directed towards them.
"Hateful bastards," A villager said loud enough so the passing twins could hear, "I wish Hokage sama would just rid us of them once and for all!"his words filled with malice.
Naruto flinched at the comment, but Menma remained stoic, unable to understand the reason for the villagers' animosity towards them.
Their lives had been difficult from the start, growing up in an orphanage and barely surviving on meager rations. The villagers' abuse only added to their suffering, leaving them with scars and trauma that manifested in their dreams and daydreams.
Despite their plight, the Hokage did nothing to stop the villagers' mistreatment of the twins, offering empty promises and a dismissive attitude. Menma and Naruto were left to fend for themselves, relying on each other for support and protection in a hostile world.
As they reached the playground, they saw that it was covered in a white blanket of snow. Menma's scowl deepened at the sight, while Naruto's eyes widened with delight.
A snowflake fell from the sky above slowly as it came into contact with the world below, and soon, more snowflakes followed suit. Menma grudgingly followed Naruto to the edge of the playground, where they both stood and watched the snow fall.
The silence was broken by the sound of Naruto's laughter as he caught a snowflake on his tongue. Menma shook his head, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Naruto's infectious joy was hard to resist.
As a snowflake landed on Menma's nose, he closed his eyes and let out a content sigh. In that moment, he forgot about the world around him and was simply immersed in the beauty of the snow.
Naruto, on the other hand, ran around the playground with a wide grin on his face, chasing after the snowflakes and trying to catch them with his tongue.
For a brief moment, the hateful glares and insults didn't matter. The snow was a neutralizer, a common ground where they could just be kids, without any prejudices or judgments.
However, that moment of release became a distant memory when they returned to the orphanage only for the door to be slammed shut in their faces.
They had been kicked out, left alone to survive in the blistering cold and nowhere to live.
Night fell as the cold streets became still and quiet, "Hmph, we didn't need them anyways." Menma frowned as he and Naruto trotted through the snow.
Naruto shivered and hugged himself, his smile from earlier completely gone. "But where will we go now, Menma? It's so cold outside."
Menma's scowl deepened as he looked around, trying to find a solution. "We'll figure it out. We always do."
They walked for what felt like hours until they stumbled upon a small abandoned shack on the outskirts of the village. It was old and dilapidated, but it provided some shelter from the snowstorm that was beginning to pick up.
Menma managed to start a fire with some sticks and leaves he had found, and they huddled together by the warmth, trying to keep themselves from freezing to death.
As they sat there, Menma's mind raced with thoughts of revenge against the villagers who had caused them so much pain and misery. He vowed to one day make the villagers pay for their cruel treatment towards him and his brother.
But for now, they were just two small boys trying to survive the harsh reality of the world they lived in, taking solace in the warmth of the fire and the sound of the snowfall outside.
As the morning sun dawned on the snow filled world, Naruto sleeping by the now doused flames woke to a start as he sat up, his eyes frantically dancing in his head taking in his surroundings.
He sighed in relief, realizing that he and Menma were still in the abandoned shack. Naruto plastered his fake smile as he looked down at his brother's sleeping form and stirred him awake.
"Hey, wake up." Naruto said, gently shaking Menma.
Menma's eyes opened slowly as they met with Naruto's, "We'll have to search for food, y'know." Naruto said
Menma sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily, "Yeah, we can't survive on empty stomachs." he replied, his voice hoarse from the cold.
The twins got up and put on their tattered coats, heading out into the snow-covered streets of Konoha. The cold winter air bit at their faces, and their stomachs growled with hunger.
As they walked, they saw the villagers going about their daily routines, not sparing a glance towards the two young boys. Naruto's fake smile faltered for a moment, as he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and anger towards their lack of empathy.
Menma noticed his brother's expression and squeezed his hand reassuringly, "Don't worry, we'll make it through this." he said softly.
Naruto nodded, regaining his composure and plastering his fake smile back on his face.
The twins scoured the village, searching for any scraps of food they could find. They went to garbage cans and searched through the refuse, hoping to find something edible. They also went to the marketplace, trying to steal food when the vendors weren't looking.
Despite their efforts, they only managed to find a few measly scraps, barely enough to stave off their hunger. As they walked back to their makeshift home, Naruto's smile finally faded away, replaced by a look of exhaustion and defeat.
Menma noticed his brother's downcast expression and wrapped his arm around him, "It's okay, Naruto. We'll figure something out." he said, his voice filled with determination.
Naruto leaned into his brother's embrace, feeling a sense of comfort and safety. Despite the hardships they faced, they had each other, and that was all that mattered.