"GET HIM! KILL THE DEMON! DON'T LET THE YONDAIME HAVE DIED IN VAIN!" these shouts came from the villagers as they chased the young boy into the forest surrounding Konohagakure. A kunai shot past the figure of a child. "Oh man, they're serious." the boy thought as he sprinted deeper into the woods. He kept running , not looking back, until he saw the sun begin to rise in the distance. As the light spread, four-year-old Naruto Uzumaki sat against a tree and rested his legs for about fifteen minutes before standing up. "Where will you go now kit?" a deep voice asked. Naruto jumped to his feet. "Who are you?! Where are you?! Are you here to kill me too?" he asked, looking around frantically. "Relax small one, I mean you no harm." the voice said with a chuckle. "Who are you?" the boy asked warily. "I can't sense you anywhere." Naruto had always had the gift of sensing people, animals, and their intent. "That's because I am in your mind. I believe you can deduce who I am. You have always been a smart boy." the voice said with a hint of annoyance. "You couldn't be... could you? The Kyuubi?" the small boy squeaked. "That's right, and while the villagers may see me as a demon, they are the true demons attempting to kill a child." while it was true that the Kyuubi was in fact a demon, he was not the savage beast everyone believed him to be. "Oh, and also, my name is Kurama; I would prefer that name over Kyuubi, if you don't mind." the imposing voice said. "Um… okay Kurama-dono." the child stuttered weakly. "While I enjoy it kit, no honorifics are necessary." the fox said. "Now answer the question." The boy ran his hand through his scruffy blond hair; he never really got a haircut because he would be forced to pay double for scaring off the other customers. "I dunno, I guess I could try to go to another village, but I would just be a burden for the next two years until I can start the Academy. That's a pretty standard rule; kids start the Academy at six." Naruto said. "Well, you could still go." Kurama declared matter-of-factly. "Well, I'm not going to. I think I'm going to train myself, live wild, until such time when I can start the Academy in… Kumo I think." with that, the small boy ran deeper into the woods.