Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the other characters created by Kishimoto. I do, however, own any original character(s).
Summary: It's not every day you help to save a princess, make your first friend and become someone's hero. It's certainly not every day you find something rare that unknowingly establishes a bond that will last a lifetime. When you're the loneliest person in a village overflowing with people, the smallest human interaction can save even a drowning man, imagine what it can do for a child shunned for reasons unknown to him.
A/N: This is my first Naruto fic and first fic in 8 years. I've no beta, any mistake is regrettable. This is a trial run to see if rust accumulated over the years is gone or if I'm just a horrible writer and in that case, I won't post anything else. So tread lightly with me, I do have feelings but constructive criticism is welcome. I know some readers prefer a lot a dialogue but not everyone writes that way and therefore will not like this but that doesn't give you licence to be mean.
The Whirlwind and the Habour
When Minato Namakaze married and impregnated Kushina Uzumaki he would have been considered the luckiest man in all of the Village Hidden in the Leaves and perhaps the elemental nations. After all, she was the last known member of a clan so feared it required the combined effort of three major villages and a few minor ones to eliminate them. Take into account the many bloodline limits she possessed, that she was the last known member of the Land of Eddies or the Village Hidden in the Whirlpools, her relation to the renowned Senju clan, her jinchuuriki status and one could only ever dream of producing offspring of the caliber they would. The couple was evenly matched in skills and though both declared the desire to be Hokage, only one could reach that goal at any given time. So it was Minato who assumed the mantle with the help of Kushina and Jiraiya the toad sage. While it's not clear where Minato's interest in fuinjutsu came from, it is known that both Jiraiya and Kushina were instrumental in harnessing his skills and he would go on to make a name for himself as one of the greatest fuinjutus masters to come out of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Little is stated of Kushina's contribution during the third war if any at all but it is a known fact that she was a feared ninja. It is also known that she possessed chains made from her chakra that were incredibly dense and could subdue a biju, some kenjutus skills, and her natural Uzumaki fuinjutsu ability with her specialty being seals and barriers.
Decisions Made in Haste
Yet in light of how valuable both Minato and Kushina were to the village, the former Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi chose to wait until Kushina's pregnancy was nearing the end to inform that her seal had a flaw. A flaw that would allow the kyuubi to escape its seal if the chakra flow maintaining said seal was not kept in check during the delivery process. This flaw apparently existed and was known since the previous jinchuuriki was also a female and a relative of Kushina, and well known as the wife of the shodai Hokage and a seal master to boot. Several questions come to mind at this revelation: one, why Jiraiya and Minato were never allowed to assess the components of the seal? This should have been a priority once the pregnancy was confirmed to determine whether a bridge could be implemented to sustain the flow of chakra during the birth of the child. After all, it's a known fact that the mother's chakra flow will be disrupted during the process. Two, why was such a vital piece of information kept from the current Hokage? One would think that he should have been informed upon taking up his duties as leader of the village and the ultimate commander in chief of the ninja forces and whether or not he was a part of the pregnancy which he clearly was.
One can only conclude that Sarutobi still had not fully relinquished his hold on the position and was giving information to Minato on a need to know basis or Sarutobi himself did not initially know of the circumstances surrounding Mito's pregnancy and only happened upon the information after leaving office. Whatever, the truth behind the lack of information and foresight, it is clear that the incumbent Hokage was operating blindly on matters of extreme importance.
Thus started a string of decisions made in haste about the life of one Naruto Uzumaki that would shape him, the village of Konoha and the wider elemental nations for good or bad.
In his attempt to safeguard the village in the event the unthinkable happened, Hiruzen made the decision and then informed both Minato and Kushina that he had already prepared a secret secure location that would serve as the birthing venue.
So it was, on the night of their son's birth; what should have been the happiest time in their life, the unthinkable happened. The couple found themselves secreted away to an unknown location just outside the village to deliver their bundle of joy. Surrounded by a protective barrier and several Anbu for security, they should have been safe but somehow that was not to be. A mysterious stranger who had earlier infiltrated the village and learned about Kushina's pregnancy, as well as the events that would lead up to the birth, chose to use the occasion to get his hands on the kyuubi no Yoko. As it was on that fateful night, the stranger located the secret birthing chamber, enter the protection barrier, killed the Anbu guards and the attending midwives (which included Sarutobi's wife Biwako) before confronting Minato. He then took the baby hostage and threatened to kill him if Minato attempted to restore the kyuubi's seal. Retrieving his child meant leaving his vulnerable wife to the mercy of the stranger but he had made his choice, a hasty one that allowed the unleashing of the kyuubi on an unsuspecting village.
Securing his son in a safe house, Minato then tracked the stranger and rescued his wife but not before the kyuubi had been extracted from her seal. The battle that ensued between resulted only in a minute victory for Minato as he was able to place a contract seal on the stranger thus breaking his control over the Kyuubi, this caused the strangers retreat but he left a promise of future retribution. This allowed Minato to turn his attention to the more pressing matter at hand, stopping the kyuubi no yoko from reeking any more damage on the village and its inhabitants. Summoning the boss toad Gamabunta, Minato engaged the kyuubi for the first and last time in his short career as Hokage. Seeing no way of defeating the great beast with his current skill level, he turned to one of the many forbidden techniques known to the Hokages in a last ditch effort he would never live to regret.
What transpired next cemented Minato's hero status far above any Hokage before him but it also doomed his son to a life as a shunned child. Minato proceeded to seal the yang portion of kyuubi into his son with the use of the reaper death seal which would cost him his life, however, before he breathed his final breath, Minato managed to convey to Hiruzen his last will and testament regarding his son. Yet more hasty decisions being made, as Minato wanted Sarutobi to have the village see Naruto as a hero for helping defeat the kyuubi. All in the name of what is best for a village that has proven to be ungrateful on a sunny day and downright criminal when storms brew overhead and threaten their survival. What Minato should have relayed to Hiruzen was following information: one (1) that the attack was caused by a mask invader with a sharingan; and two (2) that said attacker would be coming back for the kyuubi at an unspecified time and thus the need to ensure that Naruto is properly trained to defend himself. Had he done that, maybe his child would have had a better chance at normalcy and the last founding clan of the Village Hidden in the Leave would not have been marginalized by the unforgiving people they sought to protect; accused of a crime they never committed, pushed to the brink that they would contemplate rebelling against the very village they helped to establish. There would be no need for Naruto to be kept ignorant of his burden until all eternity and the tragedy that is the life of one Hatake Kakashi would have been negated with the responsibility to care for and train the boy along with firm commands from the Hokage to get his shit together or be removed from active duty.
In the aftermath of the devastation, came the evaluation of lives lost, structural damages, the reappointed to the Hokage position of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the single most idiotic revelation in the history of the elemental nations. In what would seem mere moments after the night of terror, the general population of the Hidden Leaf Village was made aware that in order to stop the rampaging of the kyuubi, the fourth Hokage had to seal it into an infant while sacrificing his life in the process. While the identity of the child may have been withheld at the time, the population did not take kindly to the news and therefore an unease settled within the hearts of all who experienced that night. It was therefore easy to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of the adults that maybe the seal would fail or that the beast would eventually control the child and therefore should be killed. Shortly thereafter, the identity of the new jinchuuriki was leaked and unrest enveloped the Village Hidden in the Leaves as angry mops called for the execution of the monster that defiled their homes and killed their loved ones.
Proper military policy and contingency procedures should have dictated that a newly created junchuuriki should be kept hidden from one's enemies and then classified as triple SSS rank secret from all non-military citizens of the village, low and mid-level military personnel and should have been on a need to know basis only for those in extremely high positions. Even then, wisdom should have warned Sarutobi that his former friend slash war hawk slash nemesis would not have been content with being denied access to a blank slate that was the new jinchuuriki and therefore provisions should have been made to handle Danzo's pending temper tantrum before it even started
While Naruto's burden was now a hot topic for all who wish to voice an opinion on the matter, it became clear to Sarutobi that a grave mistake had been made and thus another hasty decision was made in the passing of the third Hokage's law forbidding anyone that knew about Naruto's status as a jinchuuriki from informing those that did not already know. This was a last ditched effort to give the boy a normal life once he was introduced into the village properly at a later period of time. Now to secure a well-known secret, the boy was to be classified under the following terms: one (1), that he was an unfortunate orphan of no standing all because a dying man wished it and the living lacked the common sense to think or do otherwise; two (2) no one is to adopt him thus making him a ward of the village until he reaches the appropriate age of adulthood. Three (3) give him the name of a long destroyed clan without the heritage attached to it because the Uzumaki no longer had enemies nor did they have blonde hair members.
.
Why both Minato and Sarutobi thought it wise to inform a grieving people that the single greatest terror they've ever faced was now sealed into a new born baby; a child that only came into existence the same night the beast attacked is beyond the realm of normal human understanding. Such blind faith exercised by men of higher mental aptitude than that of normal shinobi is unfounded. Clearly the 'will of fire' can't be that all-encompassing as to cover all the flaws of men.
The situation Sarutobi place little Naruto in was further compound when he deposited the child at an orphanage managed by a mixture of civilians and shinobi but more importantly individuals who could not overlook their own grief to see the saviour that had been created just for them. Apparently this hastily made decision by the Hokage was taken under the assumption that anonymity would be the best defence and would allow the much-publicized child to have a normal childhood. To add insult to injury the Hokage then proceeded to prohibit the villagers from ever speaking of the events of the kyuubi attack as it relates to it being sealed into Naruto but allowed for the creation and celebration of the 'Kyubi Festival' on the anniversary of its attack; which also happen to be the boy's birthday. Brilliant. With no outlet for their pain and grief, the villagers would later make the child into a pariah of society, withholding from him any acknowledgment of his existence, social interaction, basic necessities and fairness. What the Hokage allowed the villagers to get away with following all his decision making as well as his indecision regarding Naruto can only be considered as criminal recklessness.
Hiruzen Sarutobi has long been considered to be a man of integrity, will of fire believer, full of wisdom from years of experience and knowledgeable in all things shinobi. Could it really be the man himself hated and blamed the child for the death of his wife and the attack on the village? Perhaps he also harboured the thought if Naruto had not been born then things would be different or if the boy was treated as a hero it would swell his head. However, when you weigh that against a hateful jinchuuriki, it seems absurd. How do you let an unaware and innocent child fend against a hateful village with 'mum's the word' as the only safeguard keeping Naruto from knowing why the villagers hated him so deeply? While Sarutobi obviously could not change people's attitudes and mentality toward Naruto he could've supported his emotional state far more than advising the child to try and gain the villager's attention. Because as it turned out, the children of Naruto's age group adopted the 'monkey see, monkey do' philosophy in relation to their treatment of the boy without fully knowing what is was that made him the monster their parents and guardians purported him to be.
Thus is the life and trials that one Naruto Uzumaki was to traverse, never to be acknowledged as a child of heroes. Though you only ever hear the village singing the praise of Minato Namikaze as being the hero of the kyuubi attack. Didn't Kushina Uzumaki also fight this beast having just given birth, was it not her adamantine chains that held the kyuubi at bay while Minato prepared to seal it and aren't they both the child's parents? She was considered the last known Uzumaki, a fact that gets overlooked quite often by those who truly knew of her heritage; junchuuriki to the kyuubi no Yoko, the true meaning of what this represents seemed to be lost to the ruling members of the village known as Konoha. Just thinking of the power this child has at his fingertips should have signaled to everyone in a one-mile radius of him to keep the boy happy and willing to use said power to protect them (seem only Sarutobi learn that later on as the boy grew). It would appear to anyone with two working brain cells that the lies concocted about the linage of Naruto Uzumaki became so etched in stone, that the minds of those that formulated them, eventually began to see them as truths.
Thought of the century goes to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage of Village Hidden in the Leaves: "You have made mistakes. In your haste to do all things for all people, you did not foresee the consequences of your actions, inactions and decision making or lack thereof. And when those affected raised their voices, you refuse to hear. But your deafness was only a temporary condition and not an irreversible condition. Therefore, let's not despair, but instead survey the position, consider carefully the action you must take, and then address yourself to the common task in a mood of sober resolution and quiet confidence, without haste and without pause. "
A House without Foundation
For a free-spirited child born into a rigid community, the usual outcome is to experience the dishonor of being shunned. Shunning treats the victim as if he or she does not exist. It withdraws spiritual concern, love and other psychic necessities from that person. The idea is to force him to conform or also kill him spiritually and/or to drive him from the village to languid and die in the unknown.
Konohakagure no Sato, known as the Village Hidden in the Leaves wasted no time licking its wounds, there were homes to rebuild, infrastructure to repair, the dead to be buried and mission to be carried out. This is a village the prided itself on being the strongest and most impenetrable of all the five major villages in the elemental nations, thus the need to maintain its position amount its counterparts. While the image of business as usual, showed strength and resilience by the people of the Hidden Leaf Village and everyone seemed to be moving on with life and seemingly pushing the events of just a few months ago to the back of the minds; for one infant boy, the events of the kyuubi attack would continue to have dire effects for a long time to come.
The boy would spend the first four and a half years of his life in an orphanage where his caregivers did the bare minimum to ensure his survival. While it's true that he received meals and a bath every day, there was little to no human contact than was absolutely necessary to a child's nurture; as a result, no one held or comforted him if he cried, when not hungry or needed a diaper changed; no one ever sang or read to and he certainly wasn't tucked in at bedtime like the other children at night. He was an unwanted child, the kyuubi in human skin, a monster that would attack when you least expected it. As far as the general population was concerned, it (referring to Naruto) should have been killed the instant it was turned to a defenseless being. Instead, the Hokage chose to keep it as a pet and have it mock them on a daily basis. Did he not see how dangerous that thing was or did he just not care that they were suffering?
By the time Naruto could understand words and the actions that accompanied them, he realized that the other children were treated differently to him; they were handled with care as if the caregivers were their parents, while he was simply left alone for hours. It soon became apparent to all who cared to look, that Naruto's development was being hampered by being in the orphanage but since no one cared enough to take action, the little boy would start spending more time out the orphanage than he should. This is sheer stupidity and makes me so damn mad that. Breathe, please just breathe.
Please forgive an old man if I seem to be rambling, it was not my intention. I merely wanted to pinpoint certain details about the boy's life that usually gets overlooked. However, the real story you're here for starts three years after the kyuubi's attack; more specifically the day of the peace treaty signing between the Village Hidden in the Leaves and the Village Hidden in the Clouds or more commonly known to us all as the Hyuga Affair. You may have heard the rumours about what transpired but let me tell you of the events as they happened from the point of view of individuals you didn't even know were there.
It was perhaps the fourth or fifth coldest day of the winter season in a year of relative unease within the elemental nations when the event of what would become…..
The Hyuga Affair
It was an unusual winter season for the Land of Fire, the days were misty on the best of days while the nights were biting despite the absence of any snow. It was nearing the end of the year and the normal festivals were in full swing, especially in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. December 27 marked a day that will long be remembered for what transpired and the effects it had on all involved. Anticipation hanged in the air like a thick fog you could see and smell. It's the day the peace treaty between two warring countries was being signed and it was also the third birthday celebration of the heiress of the Hyuga clan. The head ninja who was the representative from the Village Hidden in the Clouds met with the Hokage and his advisors behind closed doors to iron out last-minute details and finally sign the treaty into effect.
While the peace treaty was viewed as a much-needed component to signify that the war between the Village Hidden in the Clouds and the Village Hidden in the Leaves was now over and done with…there were some villagers especially those belonging to the clans and ninja ranks who felt there were ulterior motives to the treaty itself while others were suspicious of the asking date to sign the said treaty. However, opinions carried little sway as those hungry for peace and normalcy to return to their home refused to entertain the conspiracy theorist and detractors. So it was, once all was said and done it would seem that the head ninja of the Village Hidden in the Clouds had proven the opinionated few were right, it was all just one big sham and they had fallen for it, hook, line and sinker.
In and Out the Window…
It was the witching hour, the perfect time to conduct any and all nefarious business and escape without discovery or so the head ninja of the Village Hidden in the Clouds thought to himself, as he entered the Hyuga compound without resistance. With what would appear to be a detailed mental layout of the main house, the head ninja entered the sleeping quarters where the heiress of the clan lay fast asleep. Performing a simple sleep jutsu that would keep the girl asleep and avoid her possibly alerting anyone within hearing of his presence, the man placed the small child in a large sack, secured it over his back and exited through one of the windows in the room. That had gone better than he expected, he had just performed the easiest snatch and grab of his career, his Raikage would be well and truly pleased with his performance; not wanting to tempt fate he then made a hasty retreat exiting the compound without anyone the wiser to his deed. All he had to do was make it to the designated point, scale the marked portion of the wall and he'd be able to make it back to his village before any alarm could be raised. At least that was his thought but they say hindsight is twenty-twenty vision.
A fair distance to the east of the Hyuga compound lay a moderately dense forested area that makes hiding from one's pursuers relatively easy if you know the area well. It is also where a little blonde two-foot eight-inch boy was camping out for the night after refusing to return to the dread orphanage he calls home. Also in the said area is a second unidentified individual hoping to make it out of the village just as undetected as they had entered. The need to make their appointed check-in time and rendezvous with their master in order to relay the vital data they had acquired has them simply abandoning stealth for speed as they made a mad dash for the wall of the village. Little did both head ninja and the unidentified individual know that their well-laid plans were about to get a wrench thrown into them.
Yards away from their escape both the head ninja and the unidentified individual were startled to a stop as what could only be traps sounded off in the vicinity of their location. What they did not know was that the little blonde menace of the Village Hidden in the Leaves had booby-trapped the area as a way of protecting himself from critters and to prevent his capture by the ninjas usually sent to return him to the orphanage. There they were, three strangers, staring at each other, none really sure what to make of the situation, that is until the boy asked the dreaded question.
"Who the hell are you two and why are you in my camp?" asked the boy none too politely. He was rather upset that his hideout had been discovered. Also not at all pleased at having been woken up so rudely. It was then that the unidentified individual who was still in the shadows looked at the other adult and realized it was the head ninja of the Cloud Village, not only that but that he was carrying a suspicious package; what ensued next could only be described as total disbelief. Stepping out of the shadows the unidentified person appeared as a large figure with a long mane and carrying a large object across his lower back, this startled the head ninja into dropping his package as he muttered incoherent words. Moving quickly in an effort to apprehend the foreign ninja before he could regain his bearings, the large man placed what appeared to be a piece of paper with markings on the man's forehead which immediately rendered him immobile. Bounding the hands and feet of the man for added measure, the large man then retrieved the sack and opened it to reveal the small girl child. Only upon closer inspection does he realize that it's the Hyuga heiress that the foreign ninja was attempting to kidnap. Before he could think of his next move the man is jolted out of his thought by the little boy he had somehow forgotten was in the forest with him.
"Hey, mister!" exclaimed the little boy suddenly. "What did you do to the man and what is in that sack he was carrying?" the boy inquired trying to peer around the large man who had his back to him thus obscuring his line of sight.
"Hold up kid, one question at a time." The man said with a deep chuckle, deciding to humour the child since he figured he owed the boy a bit of gratitude for his part in inadvertently apprehending the idiotic cloud ninja. "Well, well, look at this, seems the man took the little Hyuga heiress as a souvenir for his trip back home, guess no one told him we're very protective of our treasures." Releasing the young girl from the sleep jutsu used to subdue her, the large man inspected her just to assure himself that she was indeed unharmed. Not wanting to be left out the young boy thought it would be a good idea to introduce himself to the girl hoping to make a new friend. "Hey there, my name is Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you." When the girl didn't immediately respond, Naruto became disappointed thinking that she was like the other kids at the orphanage and perhaps didn't like him. Seeing the boy was growing impatient at the lack of response the man place a large hand on his head before whispering to him to give her a chance to gain her bearing since she had just awoken. Not to be deterred Naruto once again question the girl. "What's your name? Are you alright now? I hope so since we saved you from that bad guy." The boy rattled on. "Kid breathe, you have to allow her time to answer." Unsure of whether to respond to the boy she didn't know but not wanting to be rude to the ones that rescued her she stuttered out her name. Though it was barely a whisper, the boy heard Hyuga Hinata just fine.
Shortly after the twenty questions by Naruto, the large man decided it was time to get their stories in order, so he proceeded to extract promises from both not to inform anyone about what happened in the forest. Telling Hinata that is was best not to reveal that Naruto was involved since he could be in big trouble if the adults were to find out. Also for Naruto to keep everything a secret as well if he didn't want others knowing of his hiding spot. Before Naruto could protest, the man preempted his worry saying that he was sure the two could find a way to be friends if they really wanted to be but that it was extremely important to do as he said.
Deciding it was time that little Hinata was found, the man carried both the girl and the bounded ninja a distance in the direction back towards the Hyuga compound and then set them down in a small clearing. Reaching into his pocket he proceeded to give Hinata a piece of paper, asking that she give it to her father and no one else. He then bent and attached another note to the ninja that he knew would be delivered to the Hokage, this one gave only the relevant details of what transpired in the forest. Turning his attention back to the girl one last time he spoke. "Now little miss, it seems that your absence has been discovered and help is already on the way. I need to leave before they get here though. Remember what I told you, no mention about Naruto being here. Just give that little note to your father and he will understand." Before he could leave Hinata bowed in thanks to him, returning the gesture he then disappeared in a shunshin jutsu.
Arriving back where he had left Naruto the large man decided he should at least say a few words to the boy. Alright now that that is done with. Do you want to tell me what you're doing out here at this hour by yourself? The boy hanged his head and scuffed the dirt with his feet, apprehensive of whether the man would believe him or become mad if he told the truth. In the end, he blurted out his response. "I don't like it at the orphanage, the other kids are mean to me and the caretakers never punish them for hurting me." The man could help but feel sorry for the boy but there was nothing he could do for him at the present time, however, it was something that he would definitely report to his master once they met up. Poking the boy to get his attention the man spoke in a tone he hoped would relay his understanding. "I know it's not easy when others pick on you, especially when you're smaller and the adults around do nothing about it." Placing a hand on the boy's head for comfort the man continued on. "However, on the other hand, it's dangerous for you to be out here away from those that are willing to help you. If something were to happen to you then no one would be able to reach you in time to help. Take tonight, for instance, that ninja kidnapped little Hinata from her home. What do you think he would have done to you if I hadn't come along when I did?" Pausing to allow the boy to digest what was being said, he continued on knowing the boy would not offer a reply. "He would have probably kidnapped you as well or worse killed you. Now I want you to promise you'll be more careful and try to find another secret location to camp out, okay." Having received the boy's word that he would at least consider his advice, the man bid him farewell and promise to visit him the next time he was in the village.
After all was said and done the still unidentified individual finally managed to make it out of the village; dropping the henge to reveal a slender figure dressed in dark ninja gear. The individual began laughing to themself at the irony of the situation. The unidentified individual couldn't help but remark quietly that their master would never believe what happened that night. Not wanting to delay their departure future, the individual took off running at full speed hoping beyond hope to make it to the stipulated check-in time and destination without further incident, after all the job wasn't complete until they were debriefed.
As the weeks turn to months following the incident, there was little to no contact between Naruto and Hinata following that fateful night; though they saw glimpses of each other in public places on precious few occasions all they ever manage was a wave or a small smile. They were however determined to not forget each other and especially for Naruto, he was not willing to lose the first friend he'd made and so he took to bumping into Hinata whenever he saw her out without an escort, that way no one would suspect anything. This usually meant Hinata had to find ways to give her guardian the slip.
As time when by Naruto did manage to locate another hiding place for whenever he wanted to escape the orphanage. The man from the forest visited Naruto on several occasion as promised; gifting him with books on different topics, toys, a ninja set and other interesting things from his many travels. He encourage Naruto to learn as much as he could, citing that many of the great ninjas like the kages were always learning new things. Over time the two formed a comfortable relationship without the man ever revealing who he really was to Naruto, only that his name was Jiraiya. However, Naruto being unable to pronounce his full name shortened it to Raiya.
All things do come to an end..
It was roughly two months leading up to his fifth birthday and the annual kyubi festival that everything in Naruto's life took a drastic turn. The caretakers of the orphanage evicted the boy without so much as a thought for the child's well being. While he often stayed away for a day or two at any given time, he always had the assurance that he could return to eat, bathe and sleep if he wished. Now all that was being taken away by the mean old hag that was in charge.
It would be about a week before it was brought to the Hokage's attention that Naruto was no longer residing at the orphanage and that his whereabouts were unknown. Choosing to locate the child himself, Hiruzen consulted his trusty chakra orb to pinpoint the boy's location. Deciding it might be better he approached Naruto as an ordinary person instead of as the Hokage lest the child come to the wrong conclusion, Hiruzen removed his official robes and donned a traveling cloak before setting off to collect the boy. Upon arriving at the intended location, Hiruzen found the Naruto sitting around a fire roasting a few small fishes he had caught earlier; pretending to be a weary traveler, he enquire of the boy if he might be willing to share his food with an old man. Not used to people wanting to interact with him, Naruto at first hesitated before tentatively passing over one of his fish to the stranger and then proceeded to eat his own shyly. Finishing their food and feeling satisfied both sat in relative quiet until the Hokage decided it was time to address the matter at hand. It was after this discussion that the Hokage chose to declare the child independent and proceeded to place the boy in an apartment of his own.
Brilliant!
So the wise think that the unwise will come to their senses if the bane of their existence is planted smack dab in the middle of them without warning? Yet another decision made in haste by the Hokage because he refused to adjust the viewpoint he has of his precious village and the people's reaction to the status and role of a mere child. Not only does he shove the child in an apartment to live alone, but he also failed to make any provisions for the boy to adequately utilize the resource given him to use on a day to day basis. What five year old knows how to cook or should be lighting a stove for that matter? Which five year old will know what food items to shop for and how to manage the money given him for his monthly expenses? Sarutobi merely took for granted that the orphanage prepared the boy for these life events and therefore, never inquired if it was indeed so. Questions needed to be asked of the Hokage in relation to other orphans of Naruto's age group. One (1), were they expelled from the orphanage at the same age as Naruto and if so, were they also provided with their own apartment and a monthly stipend to pay their monthly expenses? Two (2), were they prepared by the orphanage to live on their own? If all children were given the necessary skills for living on their own, then the same preparation was clearly not done for the child known as Naruto Uzumaki.
Luckily for Naruto, he would not have to live on his own for long because shortly after he moved in, his friend returned to the village and after having words with the Hokage managed to arrange a caretaker for the boy.
THE END
Footnote:
I am not sure if there was an actual Kyubi festival in the manga or anime, I tried researching it to no avail. However, since there are several festivals celebrated throughout the anime I thought it might be one. Most of my knowledge regarding the Naruto verse is the anime and the Narutopedia so bear with me if some of the information is not accurate. I will try to avoid too many tropes as I know this can sometimes cause readers to disconnect from fanfic.