Chapter 4

There you go, Naruto,"

Makoto sneered as he bent over Naruto. He was a cruel, darkened silhouette from Naruto's position on the ground.

"Back on the ground where you belong."

Naruto more or less snarled at the older boy as Akira and Sano laughed at Makoto's statement. Makoto's own laughter, however, quieted as he noticed the corner of a slip of paper poking out from Naruto's orange vest.

It glowed brilliantly white in the morning sun. Raising an eyebrow suspiciously, Makoto leaned forward further and snatched he paper out. Naruto flinched at the quick movement.

Straightening up, Makoto unfolded the piece of paper and read it, Akira's and Sano's laughter finally dying out. Naruto squinted at Makoto's figure, still pinned to the ground. Realizing what Makoto had, a fierce anger instantly ignited itself within Naruto. He struggled for a moment only to be pinched in the stomach by Sano and swatted on the head by Akira.

"Makoto!"

Naruto yelled,

"Leave that alone! It's not yours!"

Makoto stiffened at Naruto's voice. Busy as Naruto had been with worrying about what Makoto would do with the consent form,

Naruto hadn't noticed the lack of snide remarks that usually accompanied Makoto finding something valuable to Naruto.

Actually, Makoto wasn't saying anything at all. Instead he was just standing there, stock still, silent…too silent. Naruto stopped struggling, and knew something was extremely wrong. Even Akira and Sano were staring at Makoto, confused.

Without warning, Makoto suddenly stated shaking uncontrollably, his hands balling into fists and crumpling the consent form in the process. Naruto didn't protest, though; his face just grimaced in a mix of anger and puzzlement. And then as suddenly as Makoto had started shaking, the older boy swung around to glare at Naruto, an intense rage in his brown eyes of which Naruto had never seen until now…

And at that very moment, for the first time ever, the blonde was terrified for his actual life.

"A shinobi, huh? Is that what you expect to be?"

Makoto hissed at Naruto, his voice dangerously low and his face twisted insanely. He grabbed Naruto's shirt collar, scratching Naruto's neck, and roughly heaved Naruto half-off the ground, Akira and Sano barely getting out of the way.

Makoto's eyes were wild now, and Naruto clutched at Makoto's arm in fear. Makoto brought his other arm back behind his head, his hand in a fist.

Naruto was able to see over Makoto for a split second before Makoto swung, and saw the pink-haired girl with hands to her face in horror as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. then Makoto's face filled Naruto's vision again, leering.

"scumbag!"

Naruto's left eye exploded with pain as Makoto's fist connected, snapping Naruto's neck back dangerously fast. Naruto felt himself fall to the ground, the pain so intense it had a numbing effect.

Akira had Sano had fallen back from Makoto and Naruto, staring with the same horror as the little girl at their crazed leader as he began pounding Naruto to the ground rather relentlessly.

Naruto was blinded by the pain of the blows, tears leaking down his face as he tried to scamper away from Makoto's beating. But each time Makoto merely dragged Naruto back and kneed him or kicked him or punched him…

"You bastard!"

Makoto screamed savagely.

"You are worthless! You don't deserve this, let alone life!"

Makoto's screams were hysterical.

"YOU KILLED HER, you son of a—"

"That, Makoto-kun, is quite enough."

Over Naruto stood an Old Man, ready to strike again if needed.

Deafening silence fell upon the scene as Makoto recovered his wits and Kourou eyed the boy sternly. Akira and Sano cowered by the staircase, amazed by the display of strength Kourou had shown with his whack to Makoto, even if it was with a cane.

In minutes Makoto regained his composure and got up, watching the older man cautiously. Naruto whimpered quietly behind Kourou.

"Your father and Hokage-sama will be hearing about this, Makoto," Old Man said firmly.

"It would be best if you and your friends ran along now."

Makoto's face hardened again, and he took a couple steps forwards.

"If my father or the Hokage had any common sense, they would've done what I just did to a much greater extent! That fox killed—"

"Watch your mouth, boy," the old man snapped, his aged eyes blazing. "You speak out of line and on dangerous turf."

Makoto sneered, and closed the distance between himself and the man. "It isn't me who is on dangerous turf here!" Makoto said, gesturing at the consent form.

Kourou glared at the boy. "Your father and Hokage-sama will hear of this. All of this."

Makoto's face twisted into a growl, but he began to walk away.

"Come on, Akira, Sano,"

Makoto commanded. The two boys shuffled after him. Makoto looked back once more to find Naruto watching him through slitted eyes, raising himself from the ground tenderly. Makoto's anger lit again, and he spit a wad of saliva at Naruto's face, barely missing.

"Hear this, old man,"

Makoto stated almost grandly, though keeping his eyes on Naruto.

"If he follows this path, he will cause the death of others…and not necessarily of our enemies!"

With that, Makoto swung around and trotted off, Akira and Sano following hesitantly in his wake.

the old man watched them go warily.  Fear of being pounded in by an old man should keep that brat from being so brazen with Naruto for a while, he assured himself.

At the thought of the blonde, the old man glanced down to see Naruto glaring through a swelling eye at the retreating back of Makoto from his knees.

the old man turned to the boy and placed his age-spotted hand on the nest of wild, yellow hair.

"You should be careful with that boy, Naruto,"

the old man said.

Naruto switched his piercing blue eyes to Kourou's fondly smiling face.

"I'm not afraid of Makoto, and I never will be."

"Still, it would be foolish not to act with caution, boy. He is much bigger than you right now, Makoto is, and happens to be capable of more than a scraped knee, as you have just witnessed."

the old man looked over at the alley the wannabe thugs had retreated through.

"That will be quite a bruise on you eye within an hour."