Recently Naruto had been plagued by fleeting memories, fragments of a life long past, where he stood not as the unwanted shadow of a family but as a man of strength and conviction. The warmth of his heart, once a defining trait, was fading. Day by day, it was replaced with a growing resentment that burned in his chest like a wildfire.

The neglect, the whispered insults, the blatant favoritism, it was all building toward a breaking point.

---

The sun hung high over the bustling streets of Konoha as Naruto strolled through the village. His confident gait turned heads. Though many villagers despised him, even they couldn't deny the aura of authority he carried, one that was alien to a child his age.

As he passed a small vendor's stall, a gruff voice broke his thoughts.

"Loser," the villager spat, his tone dripping with disdain. "You're a stain on the Namikaze-Uzumaki name. The twins are heroes, but you… you're nothing."

Naruto halted. The words hung in the air, stinging like a whip. Slowly, he turned, his white-yellow bangs casting a shadow over his face.

"Repeat that," Naruto said, his voice devoid of emotion.

The man faltered, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.

"What's wrong? Weren't you proud of your words a moment ago?" Naruto stepped closer, his presence now suffocating. "Speak."

When the man remained silent, Naruto chuckled, a low, cold sound that sent shivers through the onlookers. Then he began to ramble, his tone sharp and filled with venom.

"You think you have the right to degrade me? Me, superior to those spoiled brats you worship. Menma and Naruko wouldn't last a day in my shoes, and yet here you are, pretending you're better than me. Pathetic."

Before the man could react, Naruto lashed out. His fists crashed into the man with unrelenting fury. The villager didn't fight back; he knew better than to raise a hand against the Hokage's son. But that didn't stop the boy. Blood splattered onto the dirt road as Naruto's punches grew more brutal, each one landing with a sickening crunch.

The crowd stood frozen, horrified. This was unlike anything they had seen. The boy who had always taken their jeers with a forced smile had snapped.

Just as Naruto raised his hand for a final, killing blow, a firm grip caught his wrist. He turned his head, meeting the calm yet stern gaze of Itachi Uchiha.

Naruto greeted him with an unsettling smile. "Ah, Itachi. What brings you here?"

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Itachi asked, his tone calm but laced with authority.

Naruto tilted his head. "What does it look like? Punishment. This man dared to violate my rights."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "What crimes has he committed?"

Naruto began to ramble again, recounting the man's insult and the countless times the villagers had demeaned him. "He called me inferior to my siblings, said I was a stain on my family! Tell me, Itachi, who gave him the right to judge me?"

Before Itachi could respond, Naruto growled. "Don't interrupt me!" His fury boiled over, and with a swift motion of his hand, he summoned a cutting wave of air.

Before Naruto could attack, another hand intervened. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, grabbed Naruto's wrist mid-motion.

"Enough," Minato said firmly, his voice carrying a deep sense of disappointment.

Naruto glared at him, his eyes burning with defiance. "You're no better. You've violated my rights more than anyone. You're a pathetic excuse for a father."

Minato's jaw tightened. Without a word, he nodded to Itachi, who moved to assist the injured villager. In the blink of an eye, Minato teleported Naruto away.

---

Back at the Namikaze household, Minato wasted no time filling Kushina in on what Naruto had done.

When he was done, Kushina turned to Naruto, her voice trembling with restrained fury. "Naruto, what were you thinking? Why would you attack a villager?"

Naruto crossed his arms, his expression cold. "He violated my rights. How dare he insult me."

Kushina's patience snapped. "You will apologize to that man! You can't just go around hurting people because they say something you don't like!"

Naruto's glare hardened. "You? Demand that I apologize? Don't make me laugh. You've no right to speak to me about justice when you've failed me as a mother. You think your favoritism hasn't gone unnoticed? You're just as guilty."

"Naruto!" Minato's voice thundered, silencing the boy's tirade. "Don't you dare speak to your mother that way."

Naruto laughed bitterly. "I've had enough. Enough of you, her, the twins, and this entire wretched village. I'm done with all of you."

With that, he stormed out of the house, leaving Kushina and Minato stunned. Kushina's hands trembled, tears pooling in her eyes. "What's happened to him, Minato? Where did we go wrong?"

Minato sighed deeply, his face etched with guilt. "We've failed him. As parents… we've failed."

---

At the village gate, Naruto approached the guards. They stepped in front of him, one raising a hand. "Halt. What is your purpose for leaving the village?"

Naruto didn't reply. With a flick of his wrist, a wave of compressed air shot forth, cutting them down where they stood. Their bodies fell to the ground with sickening thuds.

Naruto glared at the lifeless forms. "You dare stand in my way? Violate my rights? Unacceptable."

He turned and began walking into the wilderness, his rambling fading into the wind as he left Konoha behind.