Konohagakure no Sato, the hidden village in leaves. Outside the walls, the village looks peaceful. It seems so peaceful that travelers forget about their travels and decide to live within the village. The man who leads the village is also known to be a peaceful man.
But looks can be deceiving. If a person looks deeper within the shadows of Konoha, they won't see a peaceful village. The peace is just a mask, a veil that hides what is truly behind closed doors, the real Konoha. Within the shadows, Konoha is corrupt, from the leaders of the village to the civilians. Men and women inside the village breed nothing but hatred. They pass on hatred to their children as if it was a good thing. Children are taught to hate by their mothers at a young age, and their hatred is passed on like the flu. At night, when the kind-hearted rest, the breeds of hatred awaken and become the demons, they so despise. They lock away the love within their hearts, reserving it for those they believe to be worthy of it.
On the tenth of October, "The Kyuubi Festival," they all celebrate the defeat of the great demon fox, the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi, the beast that killed their loved ones, destroying their home on its rampage. Their beloved Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, defeated the great beast at the cost of his life. The death of their beloved Yondaime is another reason they hate the Kyuubi.
The tenth of October, the day that their hatred seems to gain new life even with their celebrations. It seems to speak to them to do evil things without pausing to think of their actions; it possesses them like demons. This day, they act on their hatred; they express their disgust in actions. On other days they just allow their hatred to grow inside their hearts, only expressing it in the form of hateful glares.
But on this day, they expressed their hatred in the form of beating the Kyuubi's Jinchūriki, the child whom the Kyuubi is sealed within. While some believe that by beating down the child, they're hurting the Kyuubi, others think that the child is the Kyuubi reborn into a human child without its power. A few of the villagers believe that the child is just a prisoner of the Kyuubi, not the Kyuubi itself. Those that think that the child is the Kyuubi believe that their beloved Yondaime Hokage stripped the Kyuubi of its power before sacrificing himself.
Uzumaki Naruto had short spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, and a white short-sleeved shirt with an Uzumaki swirl in the front, orange short pants, and blue shinobi sandals. He was the six-year-old Jinchūriki of the Kyuubi, a human sacrifice. But to popular belief, Uzumaki Naruto was not a Jinchūriki, no he was the Nine-Tails. At the moment, he was now running for his life, with fear that no six-year-old child should experience. Naruto wasn't aware of what was sealed inside of him. Nobody told had him anything; they just kept shouting at him, saying he killed their loved ones. He didn't understand why they thought he committed such acts since he hasn't done anything wrong.
It was only on his birthday that the angry mobs would chase him around the village and beat him within an inch of his life. But, he always recovered in a day or two, no matter how fatal the injuries he suffered were.
The other days they just stared at him with demonic eyes that made him feel unwanted, like an outcast, like he was some kind of disease. Their wicked eyes always weighed him down.
They suffocated him.
He used to cry at first because of the demonic eyes that always stared at him, but now he'd gotten used to them. He only cried when they beat him on his birthdays.
Whenever he asked his Jiji why he always got those eyes from the villagers, his Jiji would always say that people hate everything they didn't understand. The answer always confused him each time he heard it, but he never asked anything further as the Sandaime would talk about something else.
Running away from the angry mob was pointless. The villagers would always catch him no matter how fast his little feet ran, no matter where he hid. It was why he'd stopped running and simply waited for the pain to come. Today he would just receive the pain without asking questions. In the previous times when he asked questions, his questions seemed to infuriate them. They talked as if he knew what they accused him of. Even though he knew he didn't do anything wrong today, he would get beaten without saying anything or crying, for that matter. His tears always seem to energize them, giving them more strength to beat him. Today he was going to try something different.
''Oho, the little demon has finally stopped running!''
Naruto said nothing; he knew that his words would aggravate the predicament he was currently in.
''Today, we are going to judge you for your crimes, demon!''
He would get judged even though he committed no crimes.
''What do you have to say for yourself?!''
Each time before they beat him, they always asked him that question, and each time he would always say, 'I'm innocent, please don't hurt me.' His words would get him kicked in the face and angry outbursts, 'You're innocent?! You dare say that after killing my wife and my little sister?! You aren't innocent vermin!' No matter the kind of answer he gave, it was always the wrong answer. Today he wasn't going to answer any questions.
''You will answer me when I'm talking to you, demon!'' One yelled, gutting him.
Naruto coughed and looked up to the man but remained silent. He was going to get beat even if he answered the question. It served no benefit to him if he answered.
Whatever action he did or the words he uttered seemed to infuriate the mob further. One man from the crowd took out a kitchen knife and stabbed him in his hand. They all waited for him to scream, but he didn't this time. Blood just leaked from his hand while he just looked at it.
''You're stubborn today, eh Kyuubi?''
Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He had heard of the Kyuubi, but now he was just called it; he was just a six-year-old orphan. Well, now he understood why the hatred seemed to intensify on his birthday. Now that he thought about it, he was born the day the Kyuubi attacked. But why would he be called the Kyuubi? Everybody knew the Yondaime killed the Kyuubi. He couldn't be the Kyuubi...could he?
''Hey! You know we aren't supposed to say that. The Sandaime forbid it.''
''Ah, that old fool can't do anything! You've seen how 'kind and 'loving' he is towards the demon, yet we've been getting revenge on the demon for how long now? What has he done about it?''
''Yeah, you're right! Let's just get our revenge and go back to the party before everybody goes home.''
Naruto clenched his eyes as the beating began. It hurt, but he took it all in without shedding a tear or making a sound. It was just temporary pain, he knew that he would be waking up inside a hospital in a day or two, and the first person he would see would be his Jiji.
*Two days later, Konoha hospital*
Naruto couldn't move any part of his body, he couldn't open his eyes, and he didn't feel any pain. The only thing that seemed to be working was his ears. He could hear the sound of two voices speaking. He decided to just listen to what they were saying.
''Hokage-Sama, why don't you ask Jiraiya-sama to come back and take Naruto out of the village?''
''I have already tried that Kakashi, but he refused. When I asked him, he told me, 'I can't take care of a brat while operating a spy network, and besides, you know I'm not fit for the parenting role.' Even when I pointed out that Naruto was his godson, he still refused.''
''If it's okay, you can let me take care of him! I owe that much to his father.'' Kakashi suggested.
''No, you are important and of one of the strongest shinobi of the village. We can't lose you, not at the moment.''
''Then what are we going to do?''
''I don't really know Kakashi. I just hope that Naruto remains sane despite all the hatred he has to endure.''
''So you're just going to let the villagers who attacked him go without a more suitable and justified punishment again?!''
''There is nothing that we can do! We can't kill everyone who attacks him. If we did that, it would cause an uproar within the village. Go back to your post. I will talk to Naruto when he wakes up.''
''Hai, Hokage-Sama.''
The voices became quiet, allowing Naruto to process what he had just heard. Naruto knew from that moment that he had family, a family that didn't want to take care of him. A family that abandoned him. It pained him to acknowledge that fact. He still couldn't understand or come to a better conclusion on what had happened to his parents. What he knew was that the Sandaime knew them and was keeping it away from him.
It almost broke him to think that they, too, might have abandoned him like his godfather. But he refused to dwell on that because he didn't have any proof. The Sandaime knew everything but had been lying to him his whole life. He wasn't going to tell the Sandaime about what he had heard, but he was going to ask a few questions that he would normally. He was going to keep what he had heard to himself. He was going to find out the truth one way or the other.
He also needed to find out about his connection with the Kyuubi. The Sandaime will only lie to him if he asked. It was pointless asking the old man what he knew.
It didn't hurt trying, though...
*Two Hours Later*
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, smiled when he saw Naruto's body began to stir. He cared for the boy like his own grandchild. It pained him having to witness what the village he leads acts like to a mere child.
Naruto opened up his eyes and looked at his body. His whole body was wrapped up in bandages. If one did not know any better, they would think that he just escaped from one of the Egyptian pyramids' coffins.
He looked at the Sandaime.
''It's good that you're awake, Naruto-kun.''
Naruto nodded and looked down sadly before looking up at the Sandaime again, ''Jiji, what did I do to make them hate me?'' He asked sadly. He needed to see if the Sandaime could be honest with him.
The Sandaime's smile dropped immediately, ''Naruto-kun, people will always hate things they don't understand.''
The same damn answer, he hated that answer, ''Why don't I have parents, Jiji?''
''We have already gone through with that discussion Naruto, talking about it won't do any good. Now come on, let me take you back to the orphanage.''
His theory was confirmed, the Sandaime couldn't be honest with him.
Naruto got out of the bed without saying a word and followed the Sandaime to the orphanage.
*A Year Later*
Over the past year, Naruto lived as a cheerful person while behind the mask, he hid a calm demeanor.
Naruto had been able to find some answers he needed. His ways of getting answers involved getting 'lost' in the Jōnin lounge and 'Overhearing' their conversations. He had only been caught once out of the five times he had ended up there.
Naruto couldn't get anything about his parents, but he had a depressing feeling that they were dead. The fact that they were dead would explain why he had no other family alive other than the godfather who abandoned him.
A shocking discovery he made was that the Kyuubi was sealed inside of him. He didn't understand the concept of sealing or how it was done, but he knew that the Kyuubi was living inside of him. But it didn't make him the Kyuubi; it made him its prisoner.
He now understood why the villagers always looked at him with hateful stares and their reasons for making his life miserable. Instead of seeing Uzumaki Naruto, they saw the Kyuubi. He didn't get why they would see him as the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi was just living inside of him; that didn't mean he was the Kyuubi.
If he was only seven years old and could understand that, why couldn't the villagers understand that?
When he asked himself that question, he recalled what the Sandaime had always told him each time he wondered why he was hated. 'People will always hate what they don't understand.' The Sandaime had been cryptically telling him that the villagers hated him because they didn't understand his situation.
Despite knowing what he knew, his suffering did not end; it continued. It wasn't that he'd expected things to change after knowing why Konoha hates him.
A group of villagers were on the verge of beating him up; like last time, he would take the beating without complaints. The Sandaime had told him that he would always be hated because they didn't understand. Those words made him feel hopeless. They made him come to accept that his pain would never end.
Naruto was backed against a wall in an alley just a distance away from his apartment. The Sandaime had given him the apartment because he had been kicked out of the orphanage, again. He liked his home despite it being cold and lonely. In his apartment, he didn't have to endure the abuse he suffered at the caretakers' hands.
Today he'd decided not to roam around the village. He had stayed within his apartment all day. Unfortunately, he'd been dragged out of his apartment and thrown into the alley.
Naruto looked at the demonic grins he was receiving from the mob. It was a small mob today. Many were not aware of where he lived.
He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to come. He paused and waited, but the pain never came.
He opened his eyes and looked around the dark alley. The mob had disappeared into thin air. He looked up and saw an old man in black with red eyes and a walking cane. The old man just stared at him without blinking.
Naruto was quiet for a few moments before he asked, ''Who are you?''
The old man smiled at him and replied, ''Your savior.''
Naruto stared at the old man, 'my savior' those words repeated inside his head. ''Why did you save me? No one in this village does something like that for me.'' Naruto's voice reflected his pain and sadness.
The old man frowned at Naruto's words. It saddened and infuriated him to see Naruto in this kind of situation, ''I could not stand and watch foolish men beat up a child.'' He replied with a small smile.
Naruto smiled slightly, he bowed his head, ''Thank you!''
The old man found it amusing. He chuckled for a second before waving Naruto off, "It's cold out here, allow me to walk you home before you catch cold and more fools decide to attack you.''
Naruto looked at the old man curiously. No one would be willing to help him unless they wanted something in return. He tried to think of what the old might demand from him, for saving him. But his mind couldn't find an answer.
''It's okay, I won't hurt you.'' the old man spoke sincerely. Naruto detected it because of the kind of life he's had to live. He had been forced to learn how to read people so that he might be able to know their intentions towards him. Seeing that the old man had no ill-intentions towards him, he nodded and got up.
They walked towards his apartment with the old man close behind him. No words were being exchanged between the two; they just walked in silence. Their walk was short. The alley Naruto had been dragged to by the mob was close by his apartment.
Naruto opened the door to his apartment and stood there. Something was bothering him that he wanted to ask but was too afraid to.
''Go inside!'', the old man exclaimed while pushing Naruto inside his apartment with a cane.
Naruto gathered his courage and asked his questions, ''Ano, do you mind telling me your name so I can tell Hokage-Jiji who saved me and what happened to the mob?''
The old man gave Naruto a sharp look. Naruto shrunk down a bit and took a step back because of the fierce look he was getting, ''Don't tell your Hokage anything about me, if he asks who saved you, tell him you didn't see who saved you.'' he said in a firm voice.
Naruto nodded vigorously. The look the old man gave him told him that there would be consequences, should he say anything. ''And as for the mob, I made it disappear.'' Naruto nodded, not even understanding what the old man meant. ''My name is...Madara.'', he said before disappearing like he was never there. He wasn't afraid that Naruto would tell someone his name, for he knew Naruto was a lot more secretive than he let people believe.
Naruto stared at the spot Madara had been standing for a moment before closing the door on his way inside.
The events of the day had been enough for him. He decided to rest for the day, everything else he would do tomorrow. With those thoughts, Naruto threw himself in on his bed. A few minutes later, the seven-year-old was snoring in blissful sleep.
*Hokage Office*
It was rare for the Sandaime to call Naruto to his office...well, it was mostly because Naruto would always budge inside the office, uninvited. The Sandaime's office was one of the two places he could visit without someone kicking him out. For as long as he could remember, he had always been inside the office waiting for his Jiji to finish his paperwork so that they could get some ramen.
He liked it because other than the Icharaku's, the Sandaime was the only person he could talk to even though the Sandaime kept things from him. He had no friends to play with since the other children hated him like their parents, but not everyone his age hated him; they just didn't befriend him.
The children his age only hated him because their parents told them so. Parents would even tell their children not to play with him and stay away from him because he was terrible. They would say it even when they knew he could hear them. It was as if they felt no shame for their actions.
In the past few days, Naruto had spent much of his time at his apartment rather than spending time with the old man. He thought it was why the old man had called him to his office.
The Sandaime had a small smile planted on his face. He was happy; he had good news for Naruto. A part of him knew that the boy would be glad when he told him the great news.
''Naruto, I have some great news for you,'' this got Naruto's complete attention. '' I have registered you to the ninja academy so you can become a shinobi like you have always wanted.'' Naruto had always told him he wanted to become a shinobi.
The Sandaime's words replayed inside Naruto's head a few times before they suddenly sunk in. His eyes widened, and he jumped onto the Sandaime and gave him the biggest hug he had ever given the old man. The Sandaime chuckled, seeing Naruto's reaction.
Naruto let go of the old man and gave him the widest grin ever, ''Thank you old, I'm going to become the greatest ninja to have ever lived in Konoha, that's a promise!'' Naruto yelled with a foxy grin and a thumbs up.
''Sit down, Naruto! I want to tell you something.'' The old man said, calming Naruto down. Naruto nodded and sat down on a chair just in front of Sandaime's desk.
''Now, Naruto, tell me what is a shinobi?''
Naruto replied without even pausing to think, ''A shinobi is someone who can do those cool jutsu's!'' he exclaimed.
The Sandaime shook his head, ''No Naruto, a shinobi is someone who fights to protect their village, those precious to them. Shinobi do not fight for their personal glory, but they fight for the glory of that which they protect, their villages. The kind of shinobi you will become will be determined by the kind of heart you have, not the jutsu's you have,'' He paused, looking at Naruto. He gave the boy an academy rated description of what a shinobi is, though, with Naruto, he was not sure if the boy would even take in what he had just said.
''I'm telling you this because, in a week, you're going to be starting your training to become a shinobi. You must know what you are getting yourself into.''
Naruto nodded. He understood what it meant to be a ninja, and he was ready for it. He needed to get strong for him to be able to protect himself from the village. He was not going to tolerate their behavior towards him forever.
''I understand, Jiji!''
''Naruto, do you remember that you once told me that you wanted to be acknowledged by the village?''
When he was five years old, he had told the Sandaime that he wanted to be the strongest ninja and get the village to acknowledge him.
''By attending the ninja academy, you will get a chance to become a ninja. I want you to take the academy seriously; if you don't, you won't achieve your dream. Tell me that you will listen and take seriously what you learn in the academy.'' The Hokage said, trying to make Naruto understand how important it was that he listened to what he was going to be taught in the academy. He wanted Naruto to become a good shinobi, and to become a good shinobi, one had to listen well to the academy's teachings.
''I will take the teachings seriously, Jiji, that's a promise!'' Naruto exclaimed with a wide grin.
''Good, if you stay for an hour, I will treat you to some ramen.''
Naruto nodded and went to sit down. The Sandaime knew that if there was something that Naruto could not refuse, it had to be ramen. The boy seemed to love ramen more than anything.
He looked at his paperwork for a moment, 'I won't be able to finish this paperwork before lunch. There are just too many of those papers to read and sign. Damn you, Minato, for dying without telling me how you finished your paperwork fast.' The Hokage thought.
''You know what, Naruto...let's go now, I will finish the paperwork when I get back.'' The Sandaime said, getting up from his chair behind his desk.
''Yes, Ramen!'' Naruto exclaimed before rushing to drag the Sandaime out of his office to the ramen stand. The Sandaime chuckled slightly as he was being pulled out of his office by a seven-year-old.
He liked this kind of moment because he had an idea that Naruto forgets about his hard life and focuses on ramen only. Ramen always got the boy excited; treating Naruto to a few bowls of ramen was his way of ensuring that the boy was happy.
He owed it to Minato to ensure that Naruto was happy. Naruto was a hero in his eyes, even though the foolish villagers refuse to believe that. It was his job to make sure that the boy had a good life. He had already failed to make sure that the boy lived the life of a hero he was. Doing something like this was the least he could do for the boy.
A week later
Naruto walked within the Ninja academy grounds. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit he got from the Sandaime, goggles on his forehead, and black shinobi sandals. He had a huge grin planted firmly on his face. He was thrilled that he was going to the academy. Going to the academy was what everyone in his age talked about. Everyone wanted to be in the academy, but he did not join the academy because it was a cool thing; no, he joined because he wanted to become a ninja and become strong enough to protect himself.
The other kids joined the academy because they wanted to do ninja's do, jutsu's. They did not understand what being a ninja meant because they did not see what ninja's did on the battlefield. Their parents would never tell them about it since they do not want to scare them.
He had the privilege of 'overhearing' things that ninjas did when he had been 'lost' in the Jōnin lounge. The Jōnin's occasionally spoke about their missions, the guilt some felt for killing, and the pain of losing comrades during missions.
He did not know what it felt like to take someone's life, but he did not hope to experience such a thing, even when he knew that being a ninja, he would have to kill to fight off his enemies. His time 'overhearing' things had taught him lessons that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
He walked past a couple of parents saying goodbye to their kids. He did not know how they would respond, seeing that he was entering the academy. Entering the academy meant that he would become a ninja one day, making things difficult for them to get their 'revenge.'
When the parents saw Naruto, their happy looks and smiles melted. They were replaced by the faces of numerous deals of animosity. They were displeased.
The mutterings began.
''I can't believe the Sandaime allowed 'it' to enter the academy!''
''What was he thinking doing that?! It will only give the demon a chance to regain its strength!''
''We have to do something about this before it gets too smart for its own good.''
''I think I'll withdraw my son from this year's class, I don't want my son attending the same class as the demon.''
''Hikaru, you see that boy? Don't talk or play with him. He is evil, do you understand me?!''
''Yes, Kaa-san.''
Naruto's grin didn't disappear when he heard the words. He was used to the hateful comments; it was nothing new. He had learned to just live his life and smile like everything was okay. Even when nothing was okay, he still smiled like everything else was.
Crying over the hurtful words wasn't going to solve his problems. Crying would only make him miserable. At least smiling infuriated them. They thought that he was ignoring them, and their hateful glares weren't doing their job.
He continued on to walk inside the academy. The academy was huge and had a lot of students inside of it. Naruto looked around for where he was supposed to attend his class.
''Hey, it's that evil kid mother said we should avoid!''
''Yeah, but he doesn't look that evil to me...if anything, he looks stupid. Who wears an orange jumpsuit?!''
''Who cares if he's evil or not, he's a new kid. We should teach him a few rules!''
''Yeah, but not now. We'll be late for our class. You know how sensei is when we're late.''
''Ahhhh, I forgot about that! Let's hurry before we get yelled at.''
Naruto felt saddened upon hearing what his peers had been thinking of him. Even though some didn't care what their parents told them about him, they were still willing to hate him for no valid reason. Sometimes he hated what his life had turned out to be. The Yondaime was the one who cursed him. He was the one who sealed the Kyuubi inside him and left him to the vultures, who wanted nothing but to rip him into pieces.
He had learned to hate the Yondaime Hokage for doing what he did. If the Yondaime hadn't sealed the Kyuubi inside him, he would never have had to experience the kind of life he experienced since birth. He didn't care if the Yondaime did what he did to protect the village. Konoha wasn't worth it. It didn't deserve him as a human sacrifice. They didn't know what it felt like to know that a giant nine-tailed demon fox is sleeping somewhere inside your body.
Sometimes he had those kinds of thoughts, but he often stopped himself from having such thoughts. They didn't make him a better person.
He walked towards his class and knocked. He had already been late by a few minutes.
"Enter!"
He heard and opened the large two doors. Each eye was looking at him. Some students were staring at him with blank expressions, some in apparent distaste. The stares started to make him nervous.
Naruto walked over to the two sensei's, who was standing in front of the class. Both the sensei's stares showed animosity towards him. The other sensei hid it well, but the other who had a scar on his nose did not bother to hide it. It was like he Naruto to know that he did not like him.
Naruto handed the man his registration form. The man looked at the paper before looking at him. He looked back at his class, ''Class, we have a new student who will be joining,'' He announced to his class, ''Why don't you introduce yourself?''
Naruto nodded, ''Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to be the greatest ninja, ya know!'' Naruto shouted out.
He heard a couple of snickers and snorts but said nothing; he just continued smiling.
''Yeah, right, no doubt you will be the greatest ninja, who knows when you do that, we might even wear a kill me jumpsuit like you!'' One student called out in evident sarcasm. Naruto noted it but did not comment.
The whole class erupted in laughter. Even the sensei's seemed amused by the sarcasm. Naruto just stood there with a wide grin while they laughed.
"That's enough!'' Nobody listened, ''I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH! NOW SHUT UP!'' The scar-faced sensei yelled out, causing everyone to wince at the sound of his voice.
''My name is Umino Iruka,'' Iruka introduced himself to Naruto, ''This is my assistant Mizuki, now go take a seat somewhere so I can continue with my lesson.''
Naruto nodded and walked towards the seat at the back of the room beside a window. He took his seat and looked back at Iruka.
''Now where was I... Yes, I was teaching you Konoha's history...'' Naruto stopped listening and looked outside the window. He was not interested in the village's history. The history did not ensure his survival, but ninja skills ensured that he would survive. He entered the academy to get the ninja skills he needed not to learn history.
If someone could have been willing to teach him, he would never have registered at the academy. No one was really willing to give the demon power. They feared that giving him power would only give him a chance to finish what he started seven years ago.
It almost amused Naruto that they hated him and feared him simultaneously. They hated him for the Kyuubi and were not afraid to express their hate, and yet at the same time, they feared that the sleeping beast would someday wake up and devour them. Even though their hatred had made them ignorant of some things, Naruto knew that deep inside their hearts, they knew he was nothing but a prisoner of the Kyuubi. It was why they also feared him. They feared that someday he would free the beast. They could only imagine the horrors the creature would cause should it be released from its prison.
''NARUTO!'' He was snapped out of his thoughts by the angry voice of Umino Iruka.
''Can you repeat what I have been saying, Naruto?''
Naruto had not been listening to what the man had been saying. He had been lost in his thoughts.
''Eh, you see, I wasn't listening,'' He replied sheepishly with a grin.
Iruka glared at him, ''Get out of my class, you'll come back when you've decided to take my teaching seriously.''
Naruto said nothing; he just took his small school bag and walked the walk of shame. He could not argue or refuse the punishment he was being given. Iruka was the sensei; he could do whatever he wanted with his students. And Naruto was his student. Had he turned around, he would have seen the smirk on Iruka's face.
He left the room and went to the playground. He would go back to class after lunch. His sensei didn't seem he even wanted him in the class. It was better to go back to class after some time had passed.
Naruto was alone under a tree, trying to get some sleep. He was bored. None of the kids in the playground were willing to play with him. "Sorry, but mother said I shouldn't play with you because you're a bad person," they kept telling him.
He cursed the mothers for this.
Had they kept their mouths shut, he would've never been so bored. No matter how many times he asked himself why they saw a demon instead of the seven-year-old he was, he could never find a suitable answer.
''It's the new kid, let's' play' with him!'' Naruto heard a voice speak just beside him.
''What's your name?''
Naruto looked up to see two boys, two years his senior. They looked alike, and both had black eyes and short brown hair. Both wore dark green short pants, a dark blue long-sleeve shirt, and blue shinobi sandals.
He was quiet for a few moments trying to think of a way to handle the situation. He knew that it wouldn't end up well for him by the looks on their faces. He wasn't given enough time to think as he was suddenly lifted up in the air. ''First academy rule, answer the question quickly when asked.'' The one lifting him up said before throwing him away. Naruto showed no reaction as he hit the tree by his back.
He was used to pain, he was no stranger to pain, and it would go away sooner or later.
One of the boys walked over to him and unzipped his backpack. He had a notebook to copy notes and his lunch. The boy took his things out. Naruto said nothing. Begging didn't help; nothing helped in this kind of situation. It was better to just let them do what they wanted and get it over with. They would leave him alone after they had finished what they wanted to do with him.
A foot crashed into his gut, making him grunt slightly. He didn't dwell on the pain. Something else mattered more than the pain. Naruto watched with sadness as his ramen was spilled to the ground. He didn't have much ramen left or enough money to buy more ramen, for that matter.
He had little money left in his monthly allowance. The Sandaime would never give him more money before the month could end. He had been overcharged a few things that he wanted that put a large dent in his wallet. Seeing the food he paid good money for being spilled like it was nothing saddened him, but there was nothing he could do about it.
''Next time, have a better lunch box!'' They said as they walked away with proud smirks. They had succeeded in bullying Naruto. What made them proud was that the blonde was so 'afraid' of them, he didn't even try to put up a fight.
Naruto stared at his spilled ramen sadly. The next few years were surely going to be hard for him. But he would have to endure if he wants to be a ninja.
*Naruto's Apartment*
The first day at the academy had gone far worse than he had anticipated. He had only thought he would have to deal with hateful stares only. But the bullying and insults from other students was not something he had thought he would have a deal with. It was hard, but he would have to endure till he passed the academy.
One thing that had been a shock to him was that the sensei's were unwilling to teach him. He feared that they would even go as far as to fail him. He had expected them to hate him, but he did not expect them to act the way they did towards him. He had expected them to be smarter than the rest of the village, to be able to understand that he was just a seven-year-old who was suffering from the harsh life he was living. The teachers, after all, teachers were supposed to be smart.
If he did not learn other things by himself, he would not learn anything from the academy. Sneaking into the library was his only option. He had been unable to do it in the past year. It was closely guarded, unlike the Jōnin's lounge, which was not protected. But he would find a way to be able to get into the library undetected; his life depended on it.
Naruto walked to his kitchen and opened a drawer in his kitchen unit. He looked at his store of food, which was uncooked ramen only. He was low on food and did not have enough money to buy any more.
He sighed as he awaited the three minutes of hell, waiting for ramen to cook. The ramen was cooked, and he ate it blissfully. He felt that he needed more, so he decided to rest before he finished the little left.
A knock on his door interrupted him from taking off his jumpsuit. He hurried to open the door.
He opened the door and found the old man, Madara, who had saved him on his birthday. He just stood there staring at the old man. Madara was still in black and had two plastic bags on his left hand.
''Are you going to let me in?''
Naruto shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He let the old man in and closed the door behind him. Madara had already made his way to his kitchen table, Naruto followed suit.
He looked at the plastic bags; one had a loaf of bread, apples, and oranges, the other had meat and some foodstuff he didn't know.
''What can I help you with?'' Naruto asked softly, trying not to sound rude.
''I brought you food. I saw that you were running low.'' Madara replied with a small smile.
Naruto looked at Madara curiously before asking, ''How did you know I was running low on food?'' He hadn't told anyone that he was running low; not even the Sandaime knew of it.
''I came here while you were at the academy and checked.'' He replied with a shrug.
''You broke into my apartment!'' Naruto accused with a slight glare to the old man.
''What if I did? I didn't come here to steal anything. I came here to help you.''
Naruto asked the first thing that came to his mind, ''Why would you help?''
'The same question from the last time I saved him from the foolish villagers,' Madara thought. ''Do you mean to say why I would help you knowing what is inside of you?'' He asked, pointing at Naruto's gut.
Naruto wasn't surprised that Madara knew that he had the Kyuubi inside of him. Every adult in the village knew; it was only his generation that didn't know. But what surprised him was that the old man said that he knew that Naruto knew what was inside of him. He had realized from smart people that they thought he was not aware of his burden since no one was allowed to talk about it.
But the question Madara asked was why he did not expect anyone to be kind to him, so he nodded.
''I don't see you as others see you. You are just a child to me.'' Madara said sincerely.
Naruto nodded, he knew that a few smart people didn't see him as the Kyuubi, ''How did you know I knew about the Kyuubi? Not even the Sandaime is aware I know.''
Madara chuckled, ''I know a lot more about you than you realize, but that's not why I came here.''
Naruto nodded, ''Thank you.'' 'But there is no ramen!' He finished with a thought.
Madara seemed to read his thoughts, ''You need to eat healthy food and fruits, or your body will not develop properly.''
Naruto nodded, the Sandaime had told him the same thing, but he didn't take the Sandaime seriously because the old man knew he wasn't allowed in other shops, even if he couldn't afford the food since they would overcharge him. If the Sandaime wanted him to eat healthy food, he would have brought him the food he wanted him to eat, knowing his 'problem.'
''Thank you.'' Naruto thanked the old man again.
''I'm just doing what I can to help,'' He paused for a moment, ''How was your first day at the academy?'' he asked, trying to see if Naruto would lie about it.
Naruto frowned. He really didn't want to talk about it. The old man was sincere with him and had helped him, it was fair for him to be honest, and he felt like he could trust the old man. ''Just like my birthdays except for this time there was no mob, and I didn't end up in the hospital, but I'll survive.'' He replied honestly.
Madara nodded and smiled slightly, ''I know, that is why next week I will bring you some books for you to study.''
Naruto beamed up brightly the moment those words reached his ears; he didn't care for any other things. As long as he was going to get some reading done, he was happy. ''Really?''
Madara nodded. ''Yes, I'm getting old, and I don't have much to do, helping you will keep me active.''
''Neh old man, don't you have your own family?''
''Don't call me old man, my name is Madara!'' He said firmly.
Every old person did not like to be reminded that they were old.
Naruto grinned widely, ''Sorry!''
''To answer your question, I don't have any family; they are all dead.'' He said without any hint of emotion.
Naruto just nodded since he had no idea what to say. At least the old man had no one, just like him.
Madara stood up, ''I better get going before it gets too dark to walk.''
Naruto nodded and walked the man out of the apartment. Madara smiled at Naruto before disappearing once again like he was never there.
Naruto closed his door and went to the kitchen with a slight smile on his face. He had to be pleased. He finally had someone willing to help him other than the Sandaime.
If Madara did bring him the books like he said he would, he would never have to worry about getting caught in the library trying to 'steal' books. It wouldn't matter if they didn't teach him anything in the academy. He could learn on his own, at his own apartment. His life had taken a new turn he hadn't expected. This day had its surprises, some bad and some good, but the good thing was he was going to sleep with a smile on his face.
The food the old man had brought him was another good thing. He took an apple and went to his room to sleep without even packing the food he was given. He told himself he would pack tomorrow. At the moment, he needed to rest.
*Unknown Location*
A figure with red eyes, three tomoes in each, one would define the eyes as the Sharingan, walked in a slightly dark place. He had an impassive gaze on his face and a cane on his right hand.
A plant-like figure appeared from the ground in front of him. It had yellow eyes, its right side was white while its left side was black, and it wore a black cloak.
''How did it go?''
''It went well.'' the Sharingan wielder replied, his voice not betraying the expression on his face.
''Did you tell him?'' the plant-like figure asked in a deep voice.
''No, not yet, I need to gain his trust first, but if I continue showing myself to him, he will ask questions which will lead me to tell him the truth.''
''What now?''
''For now, we wait, Zetsu, but we won't wait for too long.'' He replied, disappearing into the darkness. The plant-like figure, now revealed to be Zetsu, said nothing; he sank back into the ground, disappearing like he was never there.
*Hokage Monument*
It has been three months since Madara started to bring him things. He now ate without having to worry if he was going to run out of food or not. Even though Naruto himself would deny it, he had gained some weight since eating a healthy diet. Madara brought him healthy food instead of the ramen he ate each time his stomach called for food. It was good for him since he did enjoy eating other food rather than ramen.
His studies had progressed at a higher rate than he had expected. At the academy, he still acted like an idiot; it was Madara's idea that he didn't show people that he was smart. It didn't matter though, even if he wanted to show that he was smart, he would never get the chance because he was never asked to answer a question.
Naruto agreed with Madara's idea, showing that he was smart would attract a lot of attention he would instead not have drawn.
He had gotten close to Madara in such a way that they ate dinner together on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They always did it in Naruto's apartment. He had never been or seen where Madara lived. The old man never really gave him a clear answer to questions about himself. He always gave him cryptic answers that he couldn't decipher. It was why he needed answers from the old man. He would ask the old man when he visited him today. He was going to get answers one way or the other.
Naruto looked over Konohagakure from the Hokage monument with a solemn expression on his face. He sat on top of Shodai's head. He had stopped sitting on top of the Yondaime's head because he sort of hated the man.
The Hokage monument was a place that brought him to peace with himself. There was no one to stare at him. He didn't have to listen to the whispers. He enjoyed the cool breeze that washed over him when the day was giving way to night. If he could live upon the monument, he would have moved up here already.
He had only seen the Sandaime a few times in the past three months. The old man had been asking why he rarely visited him since entering the academy. He had told the old man the part truth of why he no longer visited like he used to. His meetings with Madara were to remain a secret till he felt like telling someone about it or Madara said it was okay. But even if Madara did say it was okay, he never really planned to tell anyone.
The part truth he told the Sandaime was that he had been busy with attending the academy. He never missed a day; he was always present each day in class, looking like a fool.
Other students made it a recurring matter that they make fun of him for his kill-me orange jumpsuit. He didn't care what anyone thought about his jumpsuit; he would wear it till he chooses to abandon it. They could laugh all they wanted. He didn't care.
Konoha was peaceful when looking over at it from the Hokage monument. The children were roaming around the village playing games while the elders stood in their groups conversing. One could say it was an ideal village, but what was hidden under those masks of happiness were things that could frighten anyone.
It sometimes amused Naruto because if he were to walk within the village streets, the adults would stop conversing and just stare at him, while others pretended like he didn't exist. Yes, there were people within the village who refused to acknowledge his existence. Something like that brought him more pain. It hurt him more than the pain he felt in one of his brutal beatings on his birthdays.
Naruto got up and decided to visit the ramen stand. It had been long since he saw the Icharaku's.
*Icharaku Ramen Stand*
Naruto walked calmly to the ramen stand. It seemed that people could sense whenever he decided to visit the ramen stand and make way for him. Most of the time, when he went to the place, it was always empty except when he went with the Sandaime.
Naruto took a seat; today, he would make up for the lost time. ''Ayame-nee-chan!'' He called out to his sister figure.
Ayame was like an older sister to him, just as her father was like a grandfather. Both Icharaku's cared for him and did not care about how the villagers viewed him. They were the only ones to allow him to eat freely without overcharging him. Sometimes they would even give him free ramen when he had no money to pay.
Naruto liked them too; they were kind people. They made him feel like he belonged within the village.
A brown-haired girl with black eyes and in a white cloth stepped behind the counter from the kitchen. She smiled brightly upon seeing Naruto.
She pulled him over into a bone-crushing hug. If Naruto was a pervert or understood 'adult' things, he would have been over the moon. His head was perfectly placed between Ayame's breasts. All it did was make him feel uncomfortable. Ayame noticed and let him go.
''Naruto, I missed you! I haven't seen you in three months, where have you been?!''
Naruto grinned, scratching the back of his head, ''I got into the ninja academy, so I've been busy lately.'' he replied.
The only words Ayame heard were 'ninja academy,' ''You're a student at the academy?''
Naruto nodded proudly. ''I'm so happy for you! I know father will be pleased too. I'll give you six free bowls of ramen as my gift for making it to the academy.''
''Good, then make it twenty-six bowls of miso and pork ramen, and keep em' coming!'' Naruto said with a wide grin.
Ayame shook her head and went on to get Naruto's ramen. The blonde still had his appetite for ramen. The number of ramen bowls Naruto ate still amazed her. Had he been an Akimichi, she wouldn't have been amazed. She was positive that Naruto could eat more bowls of ramen than an Akimichi. Something unheard of, nobody ate more than the Akimichi. But with the way Naruto ate ramen, anything was possible.
She came back with five bowls, she would get the rest after he finished, ''How is the academy, have you...?'' she cursed herself for almost asking if he had made friends when she knew that Naruto was not well-liked.
''Boring, all they teach us is some useless things, they haven't started teaching us cool ninja things,'' Naruto replied; he did guess what Ayame wanted to ask in her unfinished question, but chose not to dwell on it.
Ayame nodded, ''I can't believe my little Naruto is going to be a ninja one day.''
''I will be a ninja, not just a ninja but the greatest ninja in Konoha, believe it!'' Naruto replied in a loud voice.
Ayame smiled at his antics, she might not have seen him in a few months, but he was still the Naruto knew and cared for.
''When will you graduate? I doubt you'll graduate anytime soon; you are a little too young to be a ninja,'' she said, going back to the kitchen to get more of Naruto's ramen.
''I don't know; they haven't told us how long we had to stay in the academy before we can become ninja's,'' Naruto replied after Ayame had returned with his ramen.
''Okay, promise me that you won't disappear again without telling me.''
''It won't happen again, that's a promise!'' Naruto replied with a grin.
Ayame nodded, ''I'll be in the kitchen; call me if you need anything.'' she said, disappearing to the kitchen.
Naruto nodded and ate his ramen alone. He was happy that Ayame was still the same.
He finished all of his bowls and paid for them, leaving the ramen stand. He strolled in the streets of the village, ignoring the whispers from the villagers. Giving the whispers time would only cause a problem to him once he hears what they were saying. It was better to ignore them and live your own life.
They could talk, but he wouldn't give it time unless they came and forced him to listen to what they were saying.
Naruto increased his pace when his apartment came into view.
Naruto's apartment
Today was a day Naruto was going to meet with Madara again. It was this day he was going to get the answers he needed from the old man.
Naruto sat down in his kitchen with a solemn look on his face. He was contemplating how he was going to start the conversation with the old man. It did not please him, knowing that people knew more about himself than he did himself. It was the same thing with the Sandaime. The old man knew things about him that he wasn't aware of but chose to keep them from him. He did not care for the reasons behind that decision. The fact was that important information was kept from him intentionally.
Keeping things from him was not beneficial to him; in fact, it damned him. Because he had to independently come to conclusions, his mind could only make up things that ended badly. He lived in hell because the truth was being intentionally kept from him. He was condemned to live without knowing who his father or mother was when people knew about it but kept it from him.
Madara was another situation, he couldn't figure out what the old man was hiding, but he knew that the old man was hiding things. There was no way Madara could have done all he has done for him out of kindness alone.
He could never figure out what the old man was thinking. The old man was impossible to read; he could read the Sandaime, but not always. He was only able to read the old man when the old man wanted him to read him. Oh, he knew that the old man let him read him when he wanted Naruto to see that he was sincere. Other than that, there was nothing, nothing at all.
A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts. He didn't bother to open the door. If it was the old man, he would open the door. That had been something he was used to; he had a feeling that the old man would never do anything to hurt him. That kind of assurance disturbed him as he knew nothing of Madara.
He didn't wait too long as Madara stepped into his kitchen in his usual black attire. ''Hello, Naruto.'' Madara greeted the boy.
Naruto just nodded. He didn't feel like doing the usual chit chat. Madara noticed but seemed amused by it.
''I have questions that need to be answered!''
Madara's expression turned into an impassive one, ''I was wondering when you would say that.'' his voice did not betray the look on his face.
''Who are you?''
''I know you are a lot more controlled, but I will ask you to be calm and don't freak out with what I'm about to tell you.''
Naruto raised a brow but nodded, ''In the of the history books I gave you, there was a man called Uchiha Madara, correct?'' Naruto nodded, ''I know it may sound untrue, but I am that man.''
Naruto's eyes widened; that was just unbelievable, Madara lived in the times of the First Hokage, and he was supposed to be dead by now, ''That can't be true, Madara died during his battle with the Shodaime.''
''Yes, that's what history books say, but that's not the truth.''
''Even if Madara did survive the encounter, there is no way he could still be alive, unless he was an Uzumaki, but still, even if he was an Uzumaki, he still couldn't possibly be alive at this time.'' Madara had given Naruto books in the history of both Uzumaki and Senju clans.
Madara sighed. The boy was not going to believe him, not now. ''Okay, since you aren't going to believe me about that, how about I tell you about your parents,'' Madara suggested knowing full well that Naruto would forget about the previous conversation in favor of learning something about his parents.
He was not disappointed. Naruto was in front of him with wide eyes, ''Do you know who they were?''
''Yes, now sit properly because this is going to be hard to take in.'' He said, knowing that Naruto hated the Yondaime for sealing the Kyubi inside of him and telling him how close he was related to the Yondaime...
Naruto nodded dumbly and went back to his chair.
"Let me start with your mother, your mother was the Jinchūriki of the Kyuubi….." the moment those words reached Naruto's ears, his eyes became wide. He could not believe it; his mother was a Jinchūriki of the Kyuubi, and no one has ever spoken of the Kyuubi being sealed inside of another person. He shared the same burden as his mother did. "Before it was sealed inside of you. The night of your birth, someone ripped the Kyuubi out of your mother's seal; thus, the Kyubi went on a rampage. Sadly, she died that night. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki."