Lee was about two months old when I left him. The first time I tried to leave he was only a week old, and as healthy as a horse. He was truly a gift, and he was probably the sweetest baby I'd ever met. He was mine.
I didn't want to leave him, but I had to leave. I couldn't stay in this village any longer. Everyone knew how much of a disgrace I was, and I wasn't going to let him grow up that way. So, I left. I just started walking. I didn't have money for food, or water, but I was lucky enough to know how a forest worked. If you digged deep enough you'd get water, and forests provided natural food.
But after about ten minutes of walking I broke down and went back for him. I couldn't leave him. When I got back to him he was just as happy and carefree as when I'd left him. He didn't even notice my absence. It broke my heart.
I was just stupid enough and determined enough to forget that predators lurked in the forest. The first day I didn't encounter anything of the likes, which was bad and good. Bad because I didn't find any food for myself so I was really hungry, and good because it meant that I was safe. Lee would fuss every now and then, and by the way he fussed I'd be able to tell if he needed a diaper change or a feeding. I hadn't brought anything but us, so he didn't get a diaper change, as much as he needed one.
I couldn't walk for long periods of time. Taking care of the baby for months had really put me out of shape. So I'd walk for an hour, rest for a couple, and then walk for another hour. It was a slow, lazy process. Halfway through the second day I noticed a change in the forest. It was getting thicker, so I knew I was getting closer to a stream. And then the stream was there, in front of us. I smiled and laughed, bouncing Lee in my arms. He slept, not caring. But it was the greatest thing in the world for me. I sang a merry tune as I stepped into the water. It was cold, but not cold enough to worry me. I hummed as I made it to the other side, and started to look for a place to set Lee. I didn't want him to be uncomfortable.
After a few minutes I was working off my shirt. I'd dug a hole in the ground to put Lee in. It wasn't deep, but it was long. I put my shirt down, and then set Lee in there. I waited a moment to see if I'd need to make it deeper to Lee couldn't roll out, but he just layed there.
I laughed. "I love you Lee. You're such a good baby." I poked his cheek. "My sweet baby boy."
I was in the water for a long time. I'd stripped, knowing that no one was around, and let the water soak me, and clean me. It was a nice break, but it didn't last long. Lee was fussing again in no time, and I was forced to get out, get dressed again, and feed him. When he settled back down I undressed him, and washed him. He fussed and cried because the water wasn't warm but I had to ignore it, and bathe him anyway. I kept saying sorry over and over again.
Nighttime fell quickly, but we weren't any closer to a village. So, I soothed Lee to sleep, and then off we went.
I didn't think it would be more dangerous to travel at night. I thought the cover of darkness would be good enough for me. It was a pretty stupid thing to rely on, honestly. But after awhile I started to smell a fire. It was faint, but it was enough to make me smile. I walked a little faster, and there it was! In the distance, a small dot of flames got bigger with every step I took towards it.
But then I stopped.
Do I trust people in the woods? How do I know these people won't hurt me? How do I know if these people are good people? I looked down at Lee. He was asleep, but then there was a slow chuckled right in front of me. I tightened my grip on Lee.
I hadn't heard anyone approach me.
There were two men in front of me. It was too dark to really make out what they looked like, but the sound of his voice told me enough. Mid thirties, medium height, average face, dirty, hungry, and someone I couldn't trust.
"You have a baby out here this late at night?" the guy said. "Really? Don't you know how dangerous the woods are at night?"
I didn't say anything.
"She's a young girl, too. Why does she have a baby?"
"Maybe it's her younger sibling. Is it a boy or a girl?"
The sudden feeling of fear dawned on me when I realized that I was out numbered. "Boy," I whispered. I tried to understand what was happening. Were these the people from the fire? Was the fire to lure people in? I ran a thumb down the side of Lee's face. I wasn't going to let anyone hurt him. "He's a boy," I said, with more confidence. "He's my brother."
"Where's your mother, kid?" the man sneered. Was he toying with me..?
"Not around," I hissed. "Dead." Now was my mother actually dead? No, but anyone who throws their kids out of their house because they make a mistake is nothing better than dead. Dead to me at least.
The guys chuckled. "Really? So you're out here all by yourself?"
"Yes. No." I panicked. Their faces changed. The subtle shadows of their face darkened. "No, see that fire? I have friends just right over there." They advanced. I moved back. "One yell, and they'll be here in a second flat." They wouldn't listen. "My friends have a bad temper," I whispered. I couldn't even convince myself, let alone them, that there was going to be help.
I thought of Lee, in my arms. He stirred. No one wanted to help a teen mom because to them we're just slutty garbage. But then there was a hand on my shoulder. It was soft, and warm and I was instantly filled with dread. I was surrounded. I froze, petrified. Lee sensed it, and his little eyes bunched together, angry at being disturbed.
"Are they bothering you?" a small voice whispered. But while it was quiet, it held power. I felt the color drain from my cheeks.
"What?" I breathed.
"You need us to step in?" he asked. His voice was louder. He took his hand off of me.
"No-yes." I took a breath, confused. "What?" I glanced quickly behind me to see a boy about my age with dark hair. He wasn't looking at me, instead he was looking at the two men in front of us. He looked angry.
"You were right about my temper." The boy moved in front of me. I couldn't help staring at him, my mouth gaped open. "It's pretty short, especially when men try to take advantage women with a child." The other men cowered as the man stepped closer.
"Uchiha," one hissed, hitting the other on the chest. "Run, run. Run!"
And then they were gone, running away to the dark. I could tell he thought about going after them, but then he turned around and faced me. "You're the girl from the village."
"What?"
"Does she say anything other than what? I've never met such a clueless woman."
"Shut up Kakashi."
The man groaned.
"Who are you?"
"Uchiha, Obito."
"Obito." Kakashi muttered.
Obito ignored him. "When was the last time you rested? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"How is the baby?" He looked at Lee.
"He's fine." I pulled Lee closer to my chest. "What do you want?"
He didn't say anything. He looked at Kakashi and they shared a look. "She'll just slow us down," Kakashi said. He seemed irritated. I felt uncomfortable, like these boys were abnormal somehow, like there was something I was missing. Their aura felt weird, but they didn't raise any flags. Not like the guys they just chased off.
Obito looked back to me. "When was the last time he was fed?" I opened my mouth to speak, but as if on cue, Lee started crying. I panicked, and bounced him in my arm, quickly rocking him.
"It's time for him to eat," I said. My voice was low, shy. I set Lee against my shoulder and rubbed his back. It quieted him, but I knew it wouldn't last long, and so did Obito.
He gave Kakashi a pointed look. "We're not leaving her here to fend for herself."
"Obi-"
"Kakashi, the mission can wait. We're here to serve and protect, and as far as I'm concerned, she's in need of just that." The tension between them was suddenly really obvious. Lee sensed it and let out a cry. They ignored him, and just glared at each other.
I shook my head, not understanding the situation. Serve and protect? Are they military? "Look," they looked at me, and my confidence faltered, "I'm flattered and I really appreciate your help, but I don't want to be a burden."
"See, she doesn't even want our help."
"Kakashi," Obito warned, and he glared at the other boy. Then he directed his attention to me. "I understand if you feel you're fine on your own, but it's not only your life you're responsible of." He looked at Lee. "There are more people out there who would love to hurt you and your son."
I flinched at his words. "Brother," I whispered, looking down. Something inside of me sunk at how serious he was about the danger of traveling alone. I had never even thought of it. But then I remembered why I left, and I concluded I wasn't ready to face more taunts. I wasn't ready to see the look on people's face when they saw a pregnant teen. I wasn't ready for more of this shit.
"You don't have to lie to us," he said. "There's nothing to be ashamed of." I glanced up at him, and sighed. The look on his face brought me comfort. I believed his words. I glanced at Kakashi, and I could tell by the way that he stood that he agreed.
I bit my lip. "He really needs to eat," I said. I couldn't raise my voice, and for some reason that was okay with him. He expected it. He wasn't judging me. He knew, and he wasn't giving me that look that I'd been receiving for that past two months. I gave him a small smile.
And he took that as a sign to continue. "Good. We have good food at the fire." He pointed at the fire that I had previously been heading towards. "You're welcome to eat, and we have extra bedding, if you'd like that." He stepped aside and gestured me forward. I walked and he fell into step with me.
I nodded and said, "Thank you." Obito smiled.