Streets of konoha.
It was cold in the land of fire, even from its name sake it could not escape the frosts of december. The streets were mostly empty, even in the afternoon as people tried to stay warm from the ice and snow on the outside. For one rag worn orphan she could not avoid the cold. Her hands shook from the frost nipping at her skin, her breath shivered as she tried to stay warm. She was in the search for something to eat at the moment, thankful that the weather made dumpsters a natural fridge for leftovers. She was young, barely five and struggling to survive on her own. She hadn't seen her adoptive grandfather in sometime despite her looking and whatever fire she had inside of her was slowly wearing thin. Some nearby noise alerted her to the persence of others. Just past the street at the park where she often slept stood a few older boys standing over a boy around her age. She approached and saw the older boys were bullying the downed one, laughing, making fun of his eyes and words she did not understand. She felt a bit of anger at the sight. Despite her being picked on she never liked to see others in the same postion. She felt a spark of bravery and rushed at the older boys pushing one of them to the ground. She barely had time to appreicate her accomplishment before she felt a fist to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and the few contents of her stomach. Before she could recover she was kicked in her face sending her tumbling back, her nose bleeding and tears leaking from her eyes. It took a moment but when she started sobbing the older boys left seemingly satisfied with beating an orphan. Why was everyone so mean, why did they have to hurt her. She was just trying to help. She felt a hand grasp hers. She looked over and saw the boy she had "saved" looking a bit better than she was at the moment. He had a busted lip and a black eye.
"P-plea-se d-don't cry" he said stuttering, from either, sobbing, cold or nervousness it was hard to say. Naruto still felt her tears leak and could do nothing to stop them sadly despite her wants.. She felt soft fabric brush her face and saw the boy wiping away her tears with his scarf.
" i-im so-sorry you got h-hurt defend-ing me." he said. " a-are you c-c-cold?" he said offering her his scarf. It was the first time she had ever been given something, not clothes, nor food, nor positive attention. She was just in shock by it all as he wrapped his scraf around her neck and slowly helped her up.
" b-b-boys are s-suppose to help girls" he said. Naruto didn't know what boys were suppose to do. No one had ever told her.
"M-my name is H-H-Hino Hyuga." he said opening his arms.
"My name is Naruko Uzumaki" she said quietly. She stood there awkwardly for a moment before the boy wrapped her arms around her. She felt nervous and squirmed in his hold.
" I-I'm s-sorry." hino said
" w-what was that?" naruko asked.
" a hug, w-w-when i g-get hurt my m-mom gives me one" he said shyly.
" no ones ever given me a hug." naruko said with a twinge of sadness.
" y-y-you gives h-hugs to the people you love." hino said.
Narukos mind seemed to be somewhere else after he said that. A moment later his care taker rushed him away from her but naruko felt a warmth inside her she had never felt.
She was loved.
The event of december carried her well into may. She was searching for that boy during that time but hadn't found him again since then. It was fine though, she would find him and then they could have more hugs. The food was plentful today, as the village signed a kumo treaty and the village celebrated. She still had to avoid the general population but it was still nice to eat. She had been growing recently, he rags stretching and tearing as she grew and moved. She would have to find new ones soon. The night fell not too long after and naruko came out looking to gather food and supplies. And strolled by the rich part of the village looking for something good when she saw a man jump over a large wall carrying something in his arms. A baby? Why was he carrying a….
Naruko's eyes widened, this man was stealing the baby! She almost cried out before she saw a small figure run out of the compound. Hino! He was scared looking, he had tears in his eyes and was shaking. He also saw the man.
" St-Stop!" he said loudly. The man stopped and turned towards Hino. Naruko noticed the man pull out a kunai and realised he was going to kill her friend. She jumped at the man, leaping far and taking him by suprise as she latched on like a cat digging her nails into his face. He cried out a bit and dropped the baby. Naruko fell catching the small bundle before it hit the ground and looked up seeing the man now posed to strike her and the infant. She felt the man's intent to kill her and it filled her with dread, she watched as the mans expression changed instantly and a different look adorned his face, like the look the men gave the woman in the red light district. She clutched the baby tighter, hoping to protect it before she heard a gurgle. She looked up and saw the man spitting blood before he fell over, revealing a shaking Hino. naruko's eyes widened. Had Hino killed the man? He saved her!
" Hino that was amazing!" Naruko said. The boy sank to his knees and shook. Naruko got next to Hino, still holding the baby and hugged her friend. He seemed hurt but didn't look it but that didn't matter to her. You hug people you loved and he loved her so she loved him. No one explained how it worked or even what love felt like to her but she knew he was the most important person to her and he was nice to her so it was good. His shaking slowed down and she watched masked ninja appear along with eventually her jiji.
Lord hokage sat in the council chambers reviewing the events of the night. The good news was hiashi's young son had killed the false ambassador and thus kumo would be to embarrassed to admit they lost a ninja to a five year old to claim damage. On the other hand he found out his adoptive granddaughter had been living in the streets almost a year. The head of the orphanage was dealt with swiftly but that wasn't what was alarming him. He was beginning to theorize that the kyuubi was smart. That the tailed beast knew the weakest time for a jinjuriki seal was during childbirth so, minato, never thinking a gift from a biju could be harmful did not have a fail safe for good changes to be made to the host.
He was wrong.
The chakra was aging and maturing naruko. She was now built like an eleven year old, not a five year old like she should be, and the report from the autopsy indicated a spike of estrogen and phonemes before Hino had killed the ambassador indicating a strong need to...breed.
It appeared the kyuubi had given naruko a bloodline, when in the presence of KI she releases pheromones turning the would be attackers into would be rapists. He had to bite back bile, the theory was proven when he took his granddaughter to the hospital and some of the male doctors had been….handsie with her. She didn't know what they were doing as she was to innocent for such things but a few steps more and she wouldn't have needed to know. They were killed, burned and spread to the winds but the good news was it did not affect women.
Small miracles, the elder groaned.
He was going to have to be very careful in the future when dealing with naruko and upping his security.
Naruko was now nine, but was built like a thirteen year old. Her blonde hair was cut short in a pixie cut so shopkeepers couldn't grab her by her hair anymore. She wore a dark orange short sleeve sweatshirt and black leggings. They were big enough that they would grow with her rapidly maturing body and so she wouldn't have to keep getting new clothes. She was under a large tree at the moment. She stared straight ahead, infront of her a large training field and she sighed as the wind passed her.
An apple dropped from above and she smiled. She picked it up before speaking.
" i was wondering when you would show up." she said.
" s-s-sorry" Hino said. He sat on the opposite side from the tree, to anyone on either side it would seem like either child was merely having a one sided conversation with themselves.
" how's ko?' naruko said taking a bite of the apple. It was crisp and tart, just how she liked them.
" h-he's good, s-s-still can't find me though" hino said with a small smile. Naruko giggled slightly.
The two had met up like this every month or so since Hino's family didn't seem to like her and since naruko didn't want her reputation to harm her only friend.
" you always bring me food, why is that?" she said smelling the air. He seemed to have packed a basket this time, bentos, rice balls, and ramen. He knew all her favorites. Hino blushed from the other side of the tree. Naruko knew of his harsh treatment at home and how it cause him to mature mentally faster than other boys and caused his shyness and anxiety. What she didn't know was it meant he had already discovered girls unlike many of the other boys.
"Y-y-you're my f-friend. I-i like taking care of you." Hino said. He brought his legs up and clutched them close to himself. His strict up bringing included what it meant to be future clan head and that meant what it meant to be a husband. A husband provides for his wife, protects her, takes care of her. Despite the fact he knew for a fact naruko was incredibly strong, from how dense and powerful her chakra was to how she trained; he still took small pleasures in being there for her with things she had difficulty with. One thing was getting food that wasn't poison. He felt anger rise up inside of him, he only felt this emotion when it came to naruko. He saw the way the village treated her, looked at her. It was infuriating and hopefully with naruko's courage he would make those merchants pay for what they did. Naruko sighed against the other side of the tree. She liked her friend. He treated her better than anyone else in the village, he was like her own private source of happiness.
" are you joining the academy this year?" naruko asked hoping
"I-If I f-f-fail to meet my f-fathers expectations tonight" Hino said in a somber tone. Naruko frowned at that. Hino was the nicest person in the whole world and his own family treated him like garbage. All except his mother but she died two years ago and now it seemed like it was just her who realised how amazing her friend was.
" No matter what happens Hino-kun, I'll be proud of you." Naruko said. She stood up, and heard her friend do the same. He walked away and when he was far enough she went around and grabbed her friends gift.
She continued onto the training ground and began to work. Push ups, sit ups, sprints, squats, jumping jacks, and running. She then practiced her punches and kicks on a training dummy. She trained, trained and trained until her knuckles bled and the sun had long since set. She gave one last weak punch and collapsed in the training ground and darkness took her.