Shikaku's P.O.V

the Hokage and I made it back to my house just in time to hear my son introduced himself to Naruko. Looking in through the door way to her room I saw the bright smile on her face and the look on my son's face.

' Oh God's, I'm never gonna let him live this down. wish I had a camera so I could take a picture of the moment he fell in love.'

KLICK "HeHe!"

I look to my side to see my wife standing there with the camera, looking for all the world she just got the best present ever.

"Don't let him know you got the picture. I want a copy of it though." I say smiling at her.

" I would also like a copy, if it's not to much to ask. For some reason I feel I will need the black mail with them at some point." Said the Hokage with a look of trepidation on his face.

"If you want anything you had better start explaining just how she would up like that or so help me you will rue the day you failed to protect her." Yoshino said with a look of reprimand.

Looking as though he feared for his life the old Hokage showed his age. He heaved a sigh of deep remorse and spoke,

"I am a fool for ever thinking the villagers could look past their fear and see a young child for who they are. It would seem I was very wrong about how good of people they are. It would seem that someone spoke of what she holds and now everyone is convinced that she is the fox. They hate her for what it did to the village and blame her even though she is the only thing protecting us from it."

We all sat down to have some tea once he took a sip of his drink we continued.

"The martron of the orphanage I had her in beat her everyday because she heals so fast none ever knew. We only found out just recently when I went to see Naruko. She wasn't there and when I asked about her the martron seemed quite proud to have kicked her out. I had her sent to Ibiki he reported about the beating and that young Naruko had been kicked out about a year ago. I have been looking for her ever sence just a few weeks ago. She is surprisingly good at hiding the only time she was spotted was in the market but she would run anytime anyone tried to get her to come to me. Even my ANBU were unable to catch her or track her."

When he was finished I was shocked and horrified by the villagers and what they would do to such a young child. 'How could they be so blind to the obvious truth just looking at her you could tell who her father was. Are they so blind that they would not see that they are abusing the child of the very man they hail as a hero?'

3rd person P.O.V

"How stupid could those villagers really be? Just look at her and you can see the truth why would they be so cruel to his legacy?" Yoshino ranted.

The Hokage and Shikaku sat there thinking. One about how he had failed yet again. The other was thinking of a way to protect Naruko now.

"Is there any way some would could take her in and care for her? I know none from a clan is aloud to directly interfere but is there someone else who would be able to?"

"I'm afraid not. You know as well as I do that the council will not allow it and even if I could go around them who ever took her in would be targeted. I would have already done so if I could have found a way to keep everyone involved safe." The Hokage responded.

"Then is there any way we can help her at all? I don't like the idea of her being all on her own but if she could fully take care of herself then I wouldn't worry so much." asked Yoshino wringing her hands together in worry.

"Um, I already know how to do alit of stuff myself I can fish and hunt for meat. I gather fruit and vegetables from the forest. I'm not every good at cooking but I make due. I would like to learn how to and how to cure a pelt so I can use them for blankets and stuff. As long as I don't have to go into the village proper then Im fine. Every time I go there I get attacked so I try to avoid it but sometimes I can't." Naruko said from the doorway. Shikamaru standing next to her ready to catch her if she fell.

The adults all looked at her in surprise not for what she had said but because she was already up and walking around. Almost completely healed, it shouldn't have been possible with how injured she was. Yoshino rushed to get her the ramen Shikaku had gotten for her.

While she ate the Hokage asked her,

"What would you like to do? We will help you to not need to go into the village but we need to know what all you need to learn.

"Well I have a place I'm living and I don't want to leave it. It's safe there. As I said I hunt and gather food from the forest, but I'm not very good at cooking so I need to learn that. Being able to cure a pelt would be really useful sence it's getting close to winter and will be getting to cold to not have a blanket." She responded looking up from her now empty bowl.

Shikamaru was startled by how fast she ate the ramen and without making a mess. 'How did she do that?' he thought. Looking at his parents he was even more confused at seeing the looks all the adults were giving her, like they were seeing something from the past that they missed.

'Just like her mom and dad.' All the adults thought.