It was a cold and rainy night in the village of Konohagakure and there were no sounds to be heard other than the pitter-patter of rain gathering in puddles throughout the many streets.
But if one listened closely they could hear the yells of angry villagers that sounded as if they were in pursuit of a deadly beast, and that is where we find ourselves now.
"Kill the demons!" one villager yelled. "Corner them!" yelled another.
This may have been acceptable if the villagers actually were chasing demons, only they weren't, for they were chasing after two five year old children.
The villagers managed to lead the children down an alley which led to a dead end.
The two children realised only too late that they were running into a trap, when they hit the dead end they turned around to face the angry mob and slowly backed themselves into the corner where they curled up into a ball and hugged each other to prepare for the onslaught.
The villagers in the front of the mob began to punch, kick and bloody the two defenceless children who were crying out pain as the assault continued.
Then suddenly a poof of smoke appeared behind the mob and everyone looked to see who had disrupted their 'divine justice' only to pale at the sight of the Third Hokage.
"Anyone who does not leave this instant will be arrested and be put up for execution immediately!" Hiruzen Sarutobi boomed.
Needless to say the crowd dispersed rather quickly which left the old Hokage, his two ANBU guards and the children that the mob was so adamant about killing.
Sarutobi walked up to children and his features softened as he knelt in front of the two bloody and beaten kids.
"It's alright now, you don't have to be afraid anymore," Sarutobi said in a kind and caring voice.
One of the children poked his head out to look at the old man kneeling next to him his vision blurred as blood was spilling into his eye.
He then leapt out to hug the old man and cry into his shoulder followed by the other child who cried into his other shoulder.
Sarutobi wrapped his arms around the two children as they cried endlessly into his Hokage robes.
"It's alright you two, no one is going to hurt you now", he said in a comforting voice.
He then picked up the two beaten children and looked to his ANBU guard.
"I am going to take these two to the hospital to be treated for these injuries, Cat you go the orphanage to grab them another set of clothes, hawk I want you to keep watch outside the hospital to ensure no one tries to attack them at the hospital, now go!" the Third Hokage commanded.
"Yes sir!" the ANBU responded before they both jumped away a blur.
Sarutobi then Shunshined to the front of the hospital still carrying the two children who had since fallen asleep.
He walked through the doors of the hospital and called out, "I need a doctor now!" in a voice that was not to be reckoned with.
A doctor quickly came to the call and directed the three to a room where the children could be treated.
After about an hour the doctor left and Sarutobi was left in the room with the two sleeping children.
"This is the third time this week that these two have been hospitalized, all because of something they couldn't control," he thought to himself, "Minato you would be disappointed in this village."
Then one of the children started to stir he had blond hair, blue eyes and three whisker marks on his face.
"Oji-san?" the small voice and scared voice said to him as if unsure if it was really him.
"Yes Naruto it's me" the old man smiled back to him at the mention of the nickname.
Naruto looked down with a sad look on his face, "did the villagers beat us up again..?" he said in an almost shameful voice.
"I'm afraid so," the old man replied to him, "but don't think for a second that this is you or your sisters fault Naruto," he said softly.
Naruto kept his head down as tears started to well up in his eyes, "why do they do it…..why do they keep hurting us…?" he choked out.
Sarutobi walked up and sat next to Naruto on his bed and wrapped an arm around the boys shoulders, "because they are fools Naruto, they see you as something you are not and have been blinded."
Naruto continued on crying until he felt someone latch onto his arm he looked down to see the red hair of his sister.
"I'm ok Ami," Naruto said quietly as his tears started to dry on his face.
"Are you sure big brother?" Ami looked at him with worry in her eyes.
Naruto looked at her with his signature foxy grin, "Of course nothing can keep me down for long because I'm going to be Hokage one day."
This made Ami flash an equally as foxy grin back at him as she pumped her fist up and yelled "Yea."
Sarutobi laughed as the two children he considered grandchildren laughed and played together and thought to himself, "and I believe if you keep working hard that one day you will achieve that dream Naruto."
Sarutobi was interrupted from his thoughts as the ANBU known as Cat appeared in a puff of smoke at the door.
"Lord Hokage may I speak to you in private sir," the ANBU requested.
Sarutobi got up and left the children to play while he and the ANBU left into the corridor to discuss what the ANBU wanted to say.
"Sir I have distressing news," the ANBU paused, "It seems that the Uzumaki siblings were thrown out of the orphanage today and their possessions have been discarded."
Sarutobi frowned at this information and looked back into the room at the two children who were laughing as if the events that occurred just hours ago had never even happened.
He looked back at the Cat masked ANBU dismissing her with a nod and then walked back into the room as the children were just finishing a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
"So I hear you two were thrown out of the orphanage today hm?" he said in a questioning tone.
The two looked to the floor and replied, "Yes," in a sad tone.
Sarutobi then put his hands on their shoulders and said, "Well I guess you will just have to come stay with me until we can find you a suitable place to live."
At this the two looked up in shock before running and hugging the old man saying "Thank you Oji-san."
Sarutobi smiled as the children hugged him but in his mind he thought, "if only the village would accept you as normal children instead of hate you for something that is out of control, but I promise that I will do everything in my power to keep you two safe."