I do not own Naruto.
The first time the wind came to him, Naruto almost ignored it. It had fluttered around his body, picking up his hair, tugging on his clothes. Almost, almost as if it were sizing him up, seeing if the boy was what it wanted. With a 'tweak' to the end of his nose, it sped off to the right. Naruto eyed the leaves the wind twirled. With a shrug, the four year old followed.
Years later the Sandaime would confess to his son Asuma that he had seen that first meeting and thought nothing of it. Asuma would grit his teeth, curse softly when he bit through his cigarette, and pull out another.
For two years the wind was constantly with the boy. It led him across Konoha multiple times a day. Some days it would show him short cuts through alleys. Other days it would not let down certain streets. Naruto had two days that were his favorite. The first was the day the wind brought him the smell of ramen followed by a ryo bill. The second was the day it gave him a worn picture. The picture had a woman in her late thirties holding a child that looked just like him. It took time, but Naruto found the now old woman. She took one look at him and dragged him inside to wash.
Years later Sasuke would remember Itachi coming home looking happy for the first time in months. On questioning his brother, he found the reason to be another boy receiving a bath. In an attempt to keep his brother happy, Sasuke willingly took baths.
On his sixth birthday, Naruto was woken by the wind. It led him up the Hokage Mountain and to the top of the Fourth's head. All day and night it kept him there. The only thing he enjoyed was an excellent view of the fireworks. When the next dawn came, the wind let Naruto walk home.
Years later Iruka would remember the sixth Kyuubi festival and how it turned violent. He was always thankful that Naruto was good enough at hiding that the drunks never found him.
It was the summer before his seventh birthday, Naruto was running from another prank. As he ran the wind tugged him around to the left and straight into the Yamanaka's flower garden. Inside it led him to a large lilac bush with a hidden center. It pulled him out after the pursuers left and began to bring the smell of whatever flower he was looking at to him. That is when it 'clicked'. The wind was helping him, protecting him, providing for him. In a small voice, Naruto asked if there was anything he could do to thank it.
Years later Sakura would be amazed to learn that the small colored crystal one in her room, the one of bent kunai at Iruka's, the henohenomoheji of Kakashi's, and most of the other wind chimes in Konoha had been made by Naruto. Shikamaru never told her that the simple one in Naruto's room rang more often than the rest.
The wind asked Naruto to do many things during the next year. Rescue cats and kites, listen in on conversation of training and rebellion, run fast and faster, return lost items. Once, and only once, it brought him the smell of gallons of blood before they where spilt. The source was Itachi, the conclusion was inevitable, the decision was made.
Years later Naruto would cry over the choices that had been given. He would wish for things to be different; he would wish for nothing to be changed.