"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 drive him from the village to languid and die in the unknown." Author Unknown
A House without Foundation
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 missions to be carried out. This is a village that 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 among its counterparts.
While the image of business as usual, showed strength and resilience by the people of the Hidden Leaf Village, 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. "I don't know why the Hokage defiled the orphanage with this despicable creature", declare the Matron. "Bad enough I have to waste good food to feed it, I will certainly not touch it…" she would state in anger. As a result, no one held or comforts 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. She would often be hearing saying, "Hugs are for good boys and girls, not a demon like you…" or "Only humans can receive love."
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 (reference 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?" remarked many of the villagers.
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 ignored for hours or given mean stares. 'Why am I treated so differently?' wondered the boy to himself.
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 have.
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.
"We welcome you to our village and trust that your stay will be fruitful." The Hokage greeted respectfully.
"Thank you for accommodating me and my attendants." Replied the Head Ninja, accepting the greetings.
"Shall we begin, I'm sure you want to rest."
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 went better than I expected, I think I just performed the easiest snatch and grab of my career,' he said to himself confident he had done great work, 'surely Raikage will be well and truly pleased with my 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.
Situated a fair distance to the east of the Hyuga compound, is 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 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 misses, 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 and 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, that is one thing taken care of." The man stated. "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 couldn't 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 encouraged Naruto to learn as much as he could, citing 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 as 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 this, was being taken away by the mean old hag in charge of the orphanage.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Inquired Naruto as he was being escorted to the done and told to leave and never come back.
"Because you're no longer welcome here, this is a place for children not monsters."
"I'm am a children too, and am not a monster."
"Believe what you want but as long as I am here you will never return. You have over stayed your time."
"Whatever, you old hag!" Naruto screamed at her before running off.
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.
"Wh-who are you?"
"Just an old man passing through." Replied Hiruzen smiling, trying to put the young boy at ease but then his stomach growled.
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.
"Here, gramps, eat this." Naruto offered one of his fish to the hungry old man.
'Oh, thank you." The old man accepted joyfully.
"Look at those stars." Declare Hiruzen breaking the silence that had formed between them.
"Each one of those stars is like our world's sun. Yes, this world is boundless.'
"Yeah? You sure know a lot, gramps."
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.
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.