Prologue
At age five, I was like any other child in Konoha, I envied the ninja and longed to join the academy and follow their footsteps. Footsteps like those of my father, he wasn't an exceptionally brilliant ninja, but he was a loyal, serving and humble. He wasn't and exceptional ninja, but he was my father and that made him the greatest person in the world.
I like others my age looked up to the Hokage, he had an aura about him that always made you feel safe, he had a smile that instilled you with confidence and he had hands that belied his great strength as a ninja and as a man. I would know, one day I bumped into him purely by accident. Playing as children do, I failed to see where I was running and ran straight into the knee of the Hokage. Rather than scowl and bellow at me, he picked me up and looked straight at me, smiling, those striking white teeth, that friendly smile, that shining blonde hair. I can never remember what he said to me that day, but nevertheless, I was the envy of my friends for many a month to come.
I was happy, I had everything I wanted, and I had experienced more than most people would in their lifetime, yet all would change in a moment on that fateful day.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox came, the scourge of Konoha, the beast that tore my life apart.
The ninja fought valiantly to protect us and the village. Many fell in battle that day; after all, this was a legendary beast and not one to be taken lightly. The sky was black, the atmosphere was heavy and still the beast fought through like an oncoming storm, the demon fought, and then, in one mighty roar, it was defeated. I don't know how it happened but we were saved.
When the smoke cleared, the true cost was shown. The Hokage had fallen in battle, sacrificing his life to save us all, and worst of all; my father was slain by the beast as well.
For days I cried, for months I stayed silent. Two of the most influential people on my life had been taken in one day. The pain was too much to bear, and in that moment I made a decision that I would keep to this day. I would not follow the path of the ninja any more; I would find my own way in this world so no-one would feel the pain I had to feel on that day.