The Mother, The Name
He had no family. As far as he knew, he had been named Uzumaki Naruto by the old man Hokage, mayor of the town of Konoha in Southern Maryland.
Or maybe Father Iruka, intent on teaching all the village's children their letters and simple defense, had made one up for lack of a form of identification. "The Boy" is too long, "Brat" too common, "Demon" too vague for everyday use.
But he didn't care about his name, or lack thereof, for he knew everyone else's were more important. He wished to be able to say the names; their syllables rolling off his tongue like the rare sweets the old man and Iruka bought him. Why would he say his own, ugly, underused epithet? And yes, it was an epithet; a word, phrase, or expression used invectively as a term of abuse or contempt, to express hostility. There were few that called his name at all, and even less that uttered it in good cheer. What use was it to call his name, when nobody seemed to want to hear it?
Then she came, and called him brat, called him rude, called him names. Said he was a fool, insulted the man that was like a grandfather to him. She said men die because of their stupid pride, and nothing can change it; he took it as a challenge.
Now she calls him Naruto, Naruto, such an ugly name. Yet anything from her throat is music, and he takes pride in being part of her daily concert. Now an angel had uttered his name, and he can take pride in his bastard status. He is a child without a father, but now he has a mother.
Guess who.