Xuandou walked toward Kushina's home, still thinking about how to invite her.
Over the years, they had grown close enough, but neither had ever taken that final step.
Whenever they met, there was something in the way Kushina looked at him, but whenever he tried to go further, she would avoid it.
As he thought, a commotion suddenly came from up ahead.
"Get lost!"
"Stay away from us!"
"My mom said you're the demon fox's kid! You can't play with us!"
Xuandou frowned, quickened his pace, and rounded the corner.
A group of children crowded the entrance to an alley, the oldest seven or eight, the youngest four or five.
They surrounded a little boy in an orange tracksuit, shoving him and hurling insults.
The boy had fallen to the ground and scraped his knees.
His clothes were covered in dirt, his blond hair was a mess, and his little face was coated with dust.
But he bit his lip, refusing to cry out.
The blond boy was Naruto Uzumaki.
Xuandou's gaze turned cold.
"Go crawl back to your mom!"
A chubby boy stepped forward and shoved Naruto hard.
Naruto's back struck the wall, and he curled up a little in pain.
He raised his head, his blue eyes filled with confusion and hurt, but still said stubbornly:
"My mom isn't a fox demon!"
"Ptooey!"
Another child spat at him.
"You don't even have a dad! Nobody wants you!"
Naruto froze.
"You're lying! I have a dad..."
Naruto opened his mouth, then suddenly realized he could not say who his father was.
His mother never mentioned him, and Grandpa Third would not let him ask.
Whenever he tried to ask, his mother would change the subject.
Tears welled in his eyes, and he bit his lip hard, desperately holding them