Hi! If you don't want to read this chapter because you don't like the Omakes, please, at least read my author notes. I'm needing help for the next chapter. But anyways, I still recommend you to read this chapter.

People talking, "Interesting."

People thinking, "I think I'll kill you."

Nonhuman talking, "You don't deserve that power."

Nonhuman thinking, "Stopping him is paramount."

Jutsus / unknown names. "Mokuton Hijutsu Jukai Koutan!"

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters, Masashi Kishimoto does

Change of Heart

October 1

A red-haired boy, who had just turned three years old, was sleeping in a dark, wet, and smelly room.

For as long as he could remember, his life hadn't been 'rosy', but it hadn't been total darkness either. Besides the blows, insults and bad portions of food he received, some people treated him with neutrality, though not with compassion.

That had been more than enough for him not to fall into the deepest of abysses. He didn't even hold a grudge against those who shamelessly showed their contempt; he always had the resolution of showing a beaming smile, perhaps, with the hope that someday they would acknowledge him.

He didn't feel excited about this 'special day' because last night had been just like the other ones.

Apparently, he was wrong. The reason? They didn't yell at him to wake up.

This time, a cold voice merely said, "Get up, brat."

He slightly opened his eyes and saw the Matron staring at him with pure hatred. "Good morning, Miss," the little one greeted, not wanting to incur the wrath of this woman.

The female turned around and tossed a towel and clean clothes at him. "Take a bath. Then go to my office immediately."

The boy looked at the piece of cloth with confusion, not understanding why she wanted him to take a bath. Only one week had passed since the last time he took one; he usually took a bath once every month.

"But miss, why today?"

"Just do what I said," she replied, showing a wooden ruler.

The little one instantly understood it, so he picked up the objects and ran to the bathroom.

The Matron could only smile. "You won't be my problem anymore, damn demon."

She slowly walked to her office to prepare the papers to get rid of Naruto.

Moments later

The redheaded boy was nervous. The reason? 'Unusual' things were happening.

First, he had a 'smooth' awakening. Then he was allowed take a bath before the usual days. Finally, he had a substantial breakfast, almost as if he was on death row, within hours of his imminent end.

Now he was standing at the office's door, listening to some people talking in there. One of them was the 'witch,' and the other person was a stranger, the voice of an old man.

After a few minutes, the woman told him to come in.

He nervously turned the knob and entered.

There he saw a sexagenarian man, who showed him something that until now seemed impossible: a warm smile.

The kid inevitably lowered his head, confused by that unusual expression. He hid a small smile and asked, "Y-Yes, Miss?"

"Brat! He is Sandaime-sama! Raise your head and show respect!" the Matron exclaimed, hitting her ruler against the desk, which scared the boy.

With eyes wide open, he approached that person and bowed. "Nice to meet you! Excuse my boldness!"

He didn't know what a 'Sandaime' was, yet he showed his respect.

The person in question shook his head and knelt down, placing his hands on his shoulders before making him raise his head.

Once their eyes met, the senior man smiled again. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. I'm not offended. Indeed, I am very happy to meet you." His words were so sincere that the young man reflected a slight blush.

"R-Really?" he asked filled with happiness, even more so after seeing him nodding and smiling.

The 'orphan' child showed such a radiant smile that the old man didn't think that this kid was someone who had only known loneliness.

The interaction stopped when the woman, who was anything but a lady, spoke, "My apologies, Sandaime-sama. Could we address the reason for this meeting?" There was a lot of impatience in her voice, even some happiness.

The old Hokage stood up, messing up the hair of the redhead boy before looking at the grumpy woman. "Of course, let's continue."

The woman nodded and looked at the kid. "Listen carefully, brat. This is your last day in this institution. From now on, we won't be responsible for your life. So take your stuff and get out of here." It was an order that she wanted him to comply with immediately; she could no longer stand this 'annoying creature.'

The kid instantly became afraid, as he didn't know what would become of him out there, but he also felt happy because he would finally be able to see the outside world.

"W-Where will I go?" he asked nervously.

The woman was about to answer, but Hiruzen stepped forward because he didn't want her to continue bothering him. "You will come with me, Naruto-kun. I've heard that your birthday is today, so would you like to celebrate it?"

The little boy turned toward him in disbelief, choking back a sob as he made an effort to hold back the tears. "Really?" As the sobs increased, his eyes started to pour out tears.

He ducked his head to hide the tears, rubbing his eyes to try to stop them. It was impossible because they increased when he felt a very unusual but pleasant touch.

The old Hokage had knelt down and picked him up, giving him a gentle hug and a warm smile.

The woman stated with indignation, "Sandaime-sama. You should be careful, that thing could..."

She was unable to finish her sentence because Hiruzen looked at her with an expression that almost made her wet her pants. "Don't worry, 'Miss.' Naruto-kun and I have to go, and don't worry about his belongings; I'll give him new ones."

Naruto clung himself to the hug, thanking the man who finally brought some light to his dark and murky present.

The Sandaime walked to the door and looked at the boy, who wouldn't raise his face due to the tears. "Come on, Naruto-kun. Today is your day." They left the building towards the village.

During the short path between the inlet and outlet of the orphanage, the redhead boy calmed down due to the chirping of the birds, the quiet breeze of the wind, and the hot sun.

Those dirty and smelly walls summed up his whole life, so everything he was seeing now was new to him. He couldn't leave that room, and in the remote case that he did it, it was to take his monthly baths or because some of those women remembered his existence.

The tears had turned into a smile of joy that stretched from ear to ear, one that the old Hokage returned.

He saw Naruto looking in all directions, making surprised gestures for almost everything in his line of sight. Since the boy wanted to see everything from a better angle, he asked Hiruzen if he could ride on his shoulders.

The man accepted and gently placed the kid on his shoulders, enjoying his reactions as they left the place.

They got to the streets, and people there greeted the Sandaime and even Naruto since they didn't recognize him.

However, it wasn't too long before people started whispering because of his unusual appearance. Confusion, fear, and finally, hatred.

It spread almost like the plague; the news was so infectious that the entire village had already heard that 'the demon was out of its cage.'

They didn't dare to do anything because the old Hokage was with him, which made them believe that he was using his "demonic powers" to put him at his mercy.

The little one noticed those looks, and although he felt sad because people outside were the same as those at the orphanage, the happiness overshadowed any pain.

While the young Jinchūriki continued looking around, he saw something in the distance that caught his attention. "Look, over there! It's you!" he exclaimed, repeatedly pointing his fingers to the Hokage Rock.

The white-haired man smiled. "The faces of the people who became the leaders of this village are carved there."

"Wow, so you're someone famous!" the boy shouted, buffeting his legs as he smiled.

The Sandaime smiled back as he entered a store. "I just was the person who watched over the safety of the village, now I'm retired; someone younger has taken my place."

"Then he must be someone as great as you are!"

Hiruzen was sad, but he didn't want him to see it and just nodded. "So, Naruto-kun, I'll buy you some new clothes."

He put him down on the floor, noting that the managers and customers were glaring at Naruto, but the Sandaime's gaze was enough to make his intentions clear.

He looked at the red-haired kid and continued, "Now go and choose what you like."

"R-Really?" he almost broke down due to the man's kindness.

"Of course, today is your birthday." Hiruzen smiled warmly.

The boy smiled as well and gave some jumps before running to the shelves to pick up whatever he liked. An hour later, Naruto and Hiruzen walked into the fitting room.

The old Hokage told him to leave the curtain open; he didn't trust anyone around.

The boy didn't see any problem; he took off his old clothes and grabbed the new ones to put them on.

Happiness and tranquility, the Sandaime could only think of that as he watched the Jinchūriki enjoying this experience.

He looked at Naruto's smile, a radiant smile that seemed capable of warding off any bad feeling.

However, the old Hokage's smile suddenly disappeared. The reason? Just when it seemed that there was nothing to worry about, nothing to grieve for, nothing to blame himself for; he saw a horrifying vision. A vision that made him cover his mouth to hide his surprise as he felt a nasty lump in his throat.

It had been long since the last time that Hiruzen had asked himself about human beings' wickedness. In front of him, something that he wouldn't have wanted to see..., no, something that he wished it didn't exist.

Scars of all kinds, from bites to burns; his body was completely ruined. Although the child didn't show pain or sadness, thinking of what he had to endure to get those scars only made him feel miserable.

He had been a fool for believing that the people of this village would understand that Naruto was just a child, and even if what they said about him was true, Naruto was still a child.

The senior man stood up and approached the young man, kneeling in front of him once he was close.

No words would negate the suffering he had endured; he could only offer a hug.

The young Jinchūriki didn't know why he was hugging him, but he hugged him back in silence.

When the embrace ended, Naruto smiled and Hiruzen as well.

"Now, Naruto-kun, grab your things and let's continue with your birthday."

The boy didn't need to hear more and quickly picked up all of his clothes with Hiruzen's help, and both headed for the nearest cashier to pay for the items.

Hours later

Joy, euphoria, and bliss. Today had been an unexpected day for the unfortunate Jinchūriki.

He went to the ice cream parlor, the amusement park, the cinema, and the Ninja Academy.

Hiruzen had told him that the people who would protect the village went there, and since Naruto didn't know its meaning, the Sandaime gave him a profound description of the Shinobi world.

As he began his explanation, the Third Hokage set course to his home to finish this incredible day.

The expression of the villagers was hard to ignore, but thanks to his foxy smile, Hiruzen dismissed those ungrateful expressions.

At the end of his explanation, the Sandaime looked up and asked him if he understood it.

"Of course! I want to be a ninja when I grow up! Will you teach me, Grandpa?"

Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat, but then his heart rate increased due to the happiness he had felt.

Trying to hide the broken voice, the senior man cleared his throat before answering. "Sure, Naruto-kun. However, you must become a Chunin first, and then I will take you as my disciple. What do you say?"

A smile was his answer, which the Sandaime returned.

They continued their walk in silence until Naruto asked a question that he had wanted to know since he learned the word. "Grandpa... Do you know my parents?"

The Sandaime stood frozen in his place; that question had taken him off guard.

Naruto noticed his uncertainty, "I see; then it's true."

"W-What?" he nervously asked; Hiruzen didn't know what to say.

If he told him that his parents were alive, then the kid could believe that they had abandoned him. However, if he said that they were dead, then a reconciliation with Minato could be difficult. That was one of his greatest desires, that the Yondaime finally recognized Naruto.

The Sarutobi looked up and saw that the boy bowed his head in sadness. "That they abandoned me because they didn't want me."

"Who told you that?" he asked truly outraged, putting Naruto down on the ground.

While there was some truth in those words, his indignation came from Kushina's part, and Hiruzen didn't want Naruto to live with the wrong idea.

"Yes, I met your parents," he continued, and the child opened his eyes in excitement.

He put him on his shoulders again. "Your mother was an incredible woman, one of the best. She was kind, but also rude, but above all, very loving."

"W-What happened to her?" the kid asked brokenly.

Hiruzen sighed. "Unfortunately, she died the day of your birth. We could do nothing. But believe me, she loved you and will continue loving you from beyond. Maybe she is even watching you right now. So grow up in a way that would make your mother proud."

With one of his smiles, the small one replied while carrying one of his hands to his chest. "Of course! I will be like my mother," he paused for a moment, listening to the laughter of the old man.

"A-And my Oto-chan?" the kid continued.

This would be difficult, but Hiruzen said the first thing that came to his mind; he didn't want to kill the hopes of the boy.

"Your father is a great Shinobi, an exceptional one. He is so powerful that the enemies fled before his mere presence; no one could cope with him."

"Wow," he whistled surprised.

"Yes, but," with a small pause and mentally sighing, he continued, "He disappeared in combat before you were born. It seems that he ran into an exceptional opponent and had a fierce battle. We know that he is not dead, but we can't locate him; maybe he couldn't find the way back. But we are making significant efforts to find him."

It was a silly and absurd lie; no one else would have believed it. But Naruto was desperate; he wanted some love and would hold even the slightest hope that one of his parents could be alive. Although he was just a three-year-old child, it wouldn't be illogical if he believed in his words.

"M-My Oto-chan is still alive... If he returns, we can live together, right?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun. Hopefully, we will find him soon, or he will come back by himself; I'm sure he will be happy to see you."

With his small arms, Naruto surrounded Hiruzen's head while putting his chin on his head. "T-Thanks, Grandpa, thank you for telling me this."

He was shaking, and Hiruzen could feel warm drops falling on his hair.

The Sandaime smiled, though he was sad for lying. However, that was better than telling him the harsh truth, which would have gotten him into big trouble. But he didn't fear reprisals, he only worried about Naruto's well-being.

Once the conversation finished, they continued walking in silence.

Minutes later – Sarutobi's Residence

Once they were inside, Hiruzen told Naruto to wait a moment because he had one last surprise.

The Jinchūriki waited with excitement; he wanted to know what other surprises he would see.

He sat down on the living room's sofa, looking around to get used to this place. "Will I live here from now on?" he thought with a smile.

After a few minutes, he heard Hiruzen calling him from the dining room.

The kid didn't know why he didn't return, but it wasn't as if he cared.

He stood up and walked there, spotting a dark room down the hall.

The boy instantly became afraid; he hated dark places, now more than ever after Hiruzen had brought some light to his life.

However, he trusted the man responsible for showing him that light, and therefore he stood at the entrance.

He was about to call to his name until the lights of the room turned on and some people exclaimed, "Surprise!"

He closed his eyes after hearing a slight explosion, but he opened them once he felt something falling on his head.

It was confetti, and although Naruto didn't know what it was, the number of colors amazed him.

He looked at the people who were laughing and clapping, and there he saw Hiruzen along with a very tall white-haired man.

There was a young black-haired man with pronounced tear-troughs, and an older man alongside a young girl; both had aprons.

He didn't know who they were, but their presence made him happy. Perhaps they were people who didn't hate him.

He came closer, seeing that everyone greeted him by his name, they even gave him some presents.

The people with the aprons introduced themselves as Ayame and Teuchi, adding that they had opened a Ramen Stand a few weeks ago.

Naruto didn't know what that was, even so, they gave him several packets of instant Ramen; Hiruzen said he would teach him to prepare them later.

The tall man did a ridiculous presentation, but the kid found it amusing. He didn't say his name but he gave him a toad-shaped wallet and a small teddy of the same animal. He also intended to give him a 'certain book', but the Sandaime stopped him when noticing his intentions.

Finally, the dark-haired young man gave him some Kunai and Shuriken toys, and the kid instantly started playing with them. He introduced himself as Itachi and said that someday he would teach him how to use real Ninja tools.

Hiruzen called them all because they were the only people whom he could rely on. Ayame and Teuchi were newcomers, so there wasn't any risk that they would do something wrong.

Jiraiya accepted the invitation despite saying that he agreed with Minato's point of view, but he only said that because he didn't want to go against his pupil. The Sannin and the Sandaime knew that they could do nothing to change the Yondaime's opinion.

Itachi knew about his burden and thanked him for keeping the village safe, unlike the ungrateful villagers. The Uchiha also thought that he was a funny kid and that he could get along with his little brother, but involving Sasuke and getting him to stay quiet would be difficult.

The whole Uchiha clan was against Naruto because the villagers believed that they were behind the attack. Therefore, if Sasuke made comments that he went to a birthday party with a red-haired boy, his father and mother would know who it was, and Itachi didn't want to get his brother in trouble.

As they watched Naruto playing and running around, Ayame approached with a cake with three candles as she put it on the table.

"Naruto-kun, come closer," Hiruzen spoke, watching the red-haired kid stopping and turning to them, opening his eyes widely when seeing the cake.

"I-Is this for me?"

"It is, Naruto-kun, today is your day," the Sandaime replied.

The kid smiled and rubbed his eyes to hold back the tears, and those present told him to stand in front of them. Once there, they sang 'Happy Birthday.'

The emotion overwhelmed him, as tears ran down his cheeks. The people there continued singing and clapping while some of them put their hands on his shoulders, or stroked his hair.

When they recited the last chorus, Naruto thanked them. Once the boy was calmer, Hiruzen told him to think of a wish and blow out the candles.

The kid was about to do it, but he abruptly stopped.

Jiraiya asked why and Naruto turned around to answer. "I don't know if my wish will work because my birthday is not today."

His last statement confused them; his birthday was supposed to be 'today,' so they didn't know how he got to that conclusion.

"Why do you say that, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked.

"I heard the ladies at the orphanage saying that I was the 'reincarnation' of the demon and that I was born on October 10. But I don't know what they meant."

Everyone felt a lump in their throats, except for the Ichirakus since they were newcomers.

They hid their uneasiness, as they didn't want Naruto asking questions and finding out a secret that they didn't want to share; perhaps he would blame himself for all the deaths.

Hiruzen knelt down before him and stated, "Well, if you desire it with your heart, it won't matter, Naruto-kun." He approached his index finger and slammed it into his chest.

The kid nodded, turned at the candles and closed his eyes. "I wish my Oto-chan comes back."

He opened his eyes and blew as hard as he could, and everyone clapped because of his vitality.

Things couldn't get any better; Naruto looked happy; the adults were having fun, and everything indicated that nothing would interrupt the celebration.

However, they stopped when someone else suddenly clapped. The Shinobis looked back, and there they saw a blond man who wore a coat with red flames. "I hope I'm not late," he said with a smile.

The Shinobi looked at each other, not knowing what to say, and although the Yondaime didn't show it, they could feel his annoyance behind his fake smile.

Naruto looked at him with eyes wide open but didn't say anything because the mysterious man spoke before. "Sensei, Sandaime-sama, could join me for a moment?"

Without waiting for a positive answer, he turned around and walked out. The two followed him, and the senior man told the young boy to wait until he returned.

Once they arrived at the living room, Jiraiya and Hiruzen saw that at least six ANBU were standing behind the Hokage whose face now reflected his true feelings.

"Sandaime-sama, this is not what we agreed."

"I know, Minato. I just wanted him to have a good day."

"I don't care. You were supposed to withdraw the 'kid' from the orphanage and leave him in his new house. I didn't allow you to do anything else."

Hiruzen sighed and nodded. "Okay, Minato. I'll take him when we finish; I only ask you that."

"No, you'll do it now. You will go back in; you'll apologize, and you'll take him there. That's my final decision."

With another sigh, the Sandaime nodded. "Okay, Minato." He was sad, hurt, but there was nothing he could do.

This time, the Yondaime looked at his Sensei. "And you... I expected this from Sandaime-sama, but you, Sensei? Are you kidding me?"

"Of course not, Minato. How can you believe something like that? I only came because I wanted to see the boy, to see if he was okay. You know very well what could happen if he dies..."

The Yondaime instantly visualized that scene, which made him nervous, but his master's excuse didn't convince him.

"I hope so, Sensei. I hope you're not becoming attached to 'him.'"

Jiraiya ruefully nodded; he could only hope the same as his teacher.

"I want you to do it right now, Sandaime-sama." Minato was ready to go, but he felt a tug on his coat.

He turned around but didn't see anyone at his height, so he looked down and saw Naruto, who was looking at him with interest.

Hiruzen and Jiraiya opened their eyes in shock; they couldn't detect his presence as the conversation had them immersed.

Minato masterfully hid his contempt but didn't say anything because the boy spoke before. "Sir, can I ask you a question?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. You can ask Sandaime-sama whatever you want." With a slight pull to get his coat out of his hands, Minato continued his way out.

The kid's innocent voice stopped him. "A-Are y-you my O-Oto-chan?"

The Senseis gulped while the Hokage stood frozen in his place, puzzled by the question he thought he would never hear.

He had been a fool! Coming to this place, hoping not to run into the source of all of his suffering, believing that he could continue ignoring his existence.

He closed his eyes to avoid making visual contact with that tiny creature that was looking at him with an expression that might have made him reconsider his ideas. It was an innocent look, filled with happiness and vitality, but he wasn't looking at it because of his closed eyes.

He didn't even want to hear his angelic voice, a voice that he believed misleading and malicious. No, Minato wouldn't be fooled; he didn't want to be bothered; he didn't want to remember the bitter moments.

"Y-You must be; y-you look a lot like me," the boy added.

Just then, the Yondaime opened his eyes, looked down and spoke through gritted teeth. "You and I are nothing alike." He almost spat the end; he could no longer hold the contempt in his words and eyes.

The red-haired kid stepped back, frightened by his penetrating gaze. Was he wrong? Did his wish fail? Moreover, why was this man looking at him like everyone else?

Minato looked back and added, "Do what I told you, now!" With that said, he disappeared in a yellow flash and his ANBU in puffs of smoke.

The Senseis saw the Jinchūriki ducking his head before raising it with a confused expression. "Who was he?" The harsh words of the man didn't affect him as he was used to such behavior.

Jiraiya dismissed the question with a movement of his hands. "Nah, he's just the grumpy guy of the village. Don't mind him; he's always angry, and since you asked him questions, he got angry with you. He's an ornery person."

Naruto laughed and added, "I see. I was a fool; my hair is red and he's blond. That man can't be my Oto-chan."

Hiruzen and Jiraiya shared a look for a moment, and the Sannin added, "Indeed. But now that the Grouch is gone, let's cut the cake."

Naruto jumped slightly and dashed to that place.

When the boy left, Hiruzen felt weak and almost fell to the floor, but Jiraiya quickly grabbed him. "Sensei!" he exclaimed, sitting him on the couch.

He carefully examined him, taking his pulse to make sure that everything was okay.

The Sandaime gestured with his hands before sighing. "Don't worry, Jiraiya. The pressure overwhelmed me, but luckily it didn't get worse."

The white-haired man sighed. "Sensei, take a break. You're old, and these things could make you sick."

"I know, but Naruto-kun is suffering much more than I am. I've had a long life, and I'll feel at peace if I could bring some happiness into Naruto-kun's life, even at expense of mine."

His pupil sighed. "I understand, Sensei. Now let's go back and then we'll do what Minato said; we don't want to annoy him."

With the help of his student, the teacher stood up and both returned to the party.

Minutes later

The party had finished nicely; everyone congratulated Naruto before apologizing because it was getting late. Indeed, night had already fallen.

Once everyone had left, the Third Hokage mentioned that he had to show him one last thing outside. He didn't bring the things he had bought, nor the gifts they had given him, as he intended to do that the next day.

The redheaded kid asked no questions and followed Hiruzen to a new location.

"We're here, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen spoke as he opened a door, revealing a room that looked like a pigsty, but much better to what Naruto was used.

The little boy looked at the adult man with a doubtful expression. "What are we doing here, Grandpa?"

The old man sighed and knelt down before him, placing his hands on his shoulders. "Naruto-kun, you'll live here from now on."

His eyes widened; he shook his head, stepped back, looked around the room, and finally looked at him with an expression of despair. "N-no, p-please, d-don't."

His expression broke Hiruzen's heart, but he couldn't do anything. He could confront Minato, but it wouldn't be productive; the Sandaime didn't know what the Yondaime could do to Naruto in such a scenario.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun. I can do nothing about this, but I will come to visit you again. Meanwhile, stay here and don't open the door to anyone."

He stood up, but before he could make another move, the little one rushed at one of his legs and held it tightly "Please, stay! Don't leave me, Grandpa!" He began his prayer, looking up and revealing tears like never before.

He ducked his head again and stuck it against his leg. "I don't want to be alone! I don't want to sleep alone in the dark again!" This time, he trembled so much that Hiruzen was carried away.

"Naruto-kun," he whispered in a broken voice.

The boy looked up, and this time, he smiled with despair. "I'll be a good boy; I will do everything you say. Please, don't leave me. I want to repeat the fun things I did today. I want to meet much more people! Please, don't leave me alone," he whispered at the end, increasing the strength of his grip.

Hiruzen bent over and hugged him softly. "I understand, Naruto-kun; I know that this is hurting you. I know you want to know what is going on. But you just have to wait. Someday, dawns will seem warmer and nights will no longer seem so cold. But for now, I can only ask you to wait."

"Please, Grandpa, I don't want to wait any longer. You've already made my day warmer, now just do the same with the nights, and repeat it forever. Don't leave me alone."

"I understand, Naruto-kun. But…"

"But please! I've never had anything that I cared about, and now that I have it, please don't take it away from me. Please, stay with me," he interrupted, conveying the feeling of despair that wrung the heart of the Legendary Shinobi.

Hiruzen offered, "I'll stay with you tonight, Naruto-kun. Tomorrow, I will try to fix this; I will do my best."

The kid raised his head and instantly tightened the hug. "Yes, please!" His voice transmitted hope, which filled the old Hokage with determination.

Hiruzen smiled and separated him from his leg before picking him up. "Now breathe slowly, Naruto-kun. Tonight I will stay here, and tomorrow I will try to solve this problem."

The young man curled up in his arms and nodded as he closed his eyes. It was all he needed to hear; he trusted the Sandaime and wasn't afraid of letting his guard down with him.

He quickly fell into dreams; the energy consumption had finally taken its toll. Many new feelings and experiences had been too much for his little body.

Hiruzen shook the bed before placing him on it, and he slept on the sofa.

The Next Day – Hokage's Tower

"Absolutely no, I forbid it. Moreover, you can no longer get close to that boy. I will appoint one of my ANBU to make sure of it." It was the response and absolute decision of the Yondaime Hokage after hearing Hiruzen's explanations.

He had put his heart into it; he had tried to soften the heart of the cold Hokage, but even the mildest words couldn't soften that stone-like heart.

"Minato, I know you're hurting. But... That child doesn't have to pay for what you believe might've happened that night! The truth is that he's suffering while you have a great life! Do you think what you're doing is right?! Do you think Kushina, or even your dead son in your twisted theory, would be proud of what you're doing?! You're just looking for someone to blame! That child doesn't have to be the object of your bad emotions!" He had a furious expression, like never before. He was outraged, and his blood was boiling, which was awakening something that perhaps he had never felt before... contempt.

"A great life? A great life?! You have no idea what I have to endure every day!" the blond man exclaimed, standing up and hitting his desk.

He continued, "I have to get up every day, looking next to my bed, remembering that my wife died because of me, and looking out the window, knowing that the creature responsible for the death of my son is out there, taunting me with his mere presence!"

"That's absurd! How can you even think that a lovely child like him can be what you say?! Even if that were true, you can be a better person! You should have taken better decisions, not the ones that you took! You are no different from a low-life criminal!"

Minato moved to attack him, but he stopped at the unshakeable Sandaime, who looked at him with a look of utter disappointment. "Raaah! Just get out of here! I don't want to do something I might regret later!"

"You've already done that, and you will notice it sooner or later. You've been stubborn, Hokage-sama, and I hope your stubbornness doesn't make you feel worse in the future and that it doesn't cause something that not only you will regret. Mark my words, you had the chance, and you blew it." The Sandaime didn't wait for an answer, only bowed and left in silence.

Minato shouted in exasperation, hit the wall and approached the window to look at the village. "This is all your fault, damn demon. You've managed to get the Sandaime on your side, but you won't convince me with your lies." After finishing his line of thought, he returned to his duties.

While Hiruzen walked out the building, he noticed that at least eight ANBU were closely following his steps, making sure that he followed the Hokage's orders verbatim.

He looked at the tower and thought as a lonely tear ran down his cheek. "You're such a stubborn person, Minato. I hope… I just hope that your decisions don't change that precious child."

He then looked where the Jinchūriki now resided. "Naruto-kun, I'm sorry, but I can't go back to you. Please, don't hate me." He put his forearm over his eyes and rubbed them so that the villagers couldn't see him shedding tears.

Meanwhile, a little boy eagerly awaited for him, visualizing all the fun and exciting things that they would do.

He waited for hours..., even days, completely ignoring the passing of time. Hunger and lack of sleep? No, that was nothing compared to the idea of knowing that he would have a better life from now on, a life, which, unfortunately, would never come.

"I-I k-know he'll return, I'm sure he will," he thought with a smile, though his eyes and limbs reflected the opposite.

"Grandpa... Here I am."

1 year later

Another year of loneliness and sadness, another year of uncertainty and bewilderment. What had happened to his 'grandfather'? Why did he not return? He had waited for days, surviving thanks to the supernatural entity that resided within him, but the little one still ignored this peculiarity.

That unique power wouldn't have been able to keep him alive forever, and the boy was both lucky an unlucky because the landlord decided to enter his room to kick him out.

He didn't care about his deplorable state; he just threw him to the street and left him to his fate. An ANBU, who had to make sure that Hiruzen didn't get near him, had taken him to a safer place, leaving some food and water for him when he woke up.

Waking up in a different place confused and frightened Naruto; he ran around the streets, asking if anyone had seen his 'grandpa,' but he only got the looks of contempt, or dirty and harsh words in response, not to mention the blows of the most intolerant ones. For his safety, he decided to hide until his 'grandfather' could find him.

From that day forward, his life became a real odyssey. No one would help him in any way. At the orphanage, though it was bad, he could at least eat three times a week, and if he was lucky, up to six.

Nowadays, he was completely alone; he felt like a small mouse surrounded by cats.

He learned that moving at nights was easier since traffic was almost nil, and he took the opportunities to look for food scraps near the food stalls, or even between the garbage cans.

Baths became a distant memory; he was lucky to get wet on rainy days, but the danger of walking around the streets was too much.

Going to the streets on sunny days had been inevitable, as the authorities of the village stood guard at nights and it was almost impossible to avoid them. The red-haired boy didn't like to be caught by these people; they didn't cause him physical harm, but they enjoyed making him suffer in a way that he couldn't conceive.

They made fun of his appearance, his situation, and even of his lack of feeding. These people enjoyed making him cry, and even more so when he begged for the food that they ate in front of him.

They rarely gave him anything, and if they did, it was only after enduring great humiliations. However, what did it matter? At least he could soothe his stomach one more day.

Desperation led him to commit the unthinkable, like stealing people's belongings, specifically food.

It was a double-edged sword; he could fill his stomach, but if they caught him—something that happened a lot—he would need to spend at least three days recovering from his injuries.

He didn't find 'neutral' people as in the orphanage; he was surrounded by a pack of wolves, who couldn't wait to sink their fangs into his neck.

It was a hard life, but the kid was more than determined to change their opinions, in a positive way. The boy just needed an opportunity to prove them that he was a human being as well.

It was a desire that seemed impossible; he was just a child, ignorant and without ideas on how to reach such a far-fetched goal. He didn't lose hope; he knew that his 'Oto-chan' would return someday and that he would help him to fulfill his cherished goal.

As his grandfather had told him, he just had to wait, as he had done it during all this time.

At this very moment, he was in a dark alley, rummaging through the trashcan of a restaurant that gave off a blessed aroma, a scent that made his stomach roar like a raging lion.

He was trying not to make too much noise because people seemed to appreciate their garbage since they could get angry if they discovered him.

He almost didn't find anything that looked edible, much less that tasted good; he only found a few crumbs of stale bread and some banana peels. He devoured them before anyone could notice his presence.

His stomach rumbled again; that hadn't been enough, the reason why he continued poking around, hoping to find something else.

He found a plastic cup with wooden chopsticks near the wall. He didn't know what it was but guessed it had something to eat.

He grabbed it and saw something white and elongated, surrounded by a liquid that had several spices.

He put his hand inside and picked up some of the liquid along with the stuff that accompanied it. All kind of flavors invaded his palate, an incredible amount of fragrances that clouded his mind.

He stood frozen, moving the food inside his mouth from one side to another, wanting to experience this taste forever. He eventually swallowed it, which made him go from a frozen state to one of ignition, a wild and ferocious one.

Before he could notice it, he had already swallowed all of its contents, which almost made him shed tears of despair. It had been his first delicious food after he had spent the day with Hiruzen, and he didn't want it to end so soon.

"More, just a little more," he whispered as he licked the edges, desperate to taste more of that amazing flavor.

He was so focused on his task that he didn't notice that a person had approached from behind, kneeling down and approaching her right hand over his shoulder.

He felt the touch, and his survival senses soared. He turned around, falling to the ground and backing away with a look of terror. "D-Don't hurt me! I won't do it again!" he exclaimed, watching a dark figure stand up.

He turned around and tried to run away, but the end of the alley was a few meters away from his position.

He turned again and saw the figure approaching the light source. "Naruto-kun, is that you?" a familiar voice asked, one that he had heard a while ago but had forgotten, the voice of a young woman.

The sun's rays revealed her figure, and Naruto's eyes recognized the girl who went to his first and only birthday party. "Nee-chan?" he nervously asked.

The sun's rays slowly reached the position of the young Jinchūriki, and when Ayame was finally able to see him, she covered her mouth in shock.

He was filthy, beaten, with bruises all over his body. His clothes were torn and bloodied. This child didn't look like the boy who wouldn't stop smiling at that party.

She tried to cut the distance, but Naruto had backed away with a look of fear on his face.

Ayame instantly understood it, so she slowed down. "Easy, Naruto-kun. I won't hurt you. It's me, Ayame-neechan."

"Please don't hit me. I won't steal your garbage again."

The woman's eyes got teary, but before the tears could run down, she wiped her eyes on her apron.

The young cook knelt down and slowly approached the young Jinchūriki, lowering herself to his height to give him more confidence.

Naruto followed her with his gaze, looking for openings to escape in case something bad happened. He saw her raising her right hand and slowly moved it toward him. He closed his eyes tightly, visualizing the worst.

He didn't feel the usual pain; he felt something that brought back good memories. He no longer was on the floor but in soft and warm arms.

He opened his eyes, doubtful, wanting to see where they were going. They entered a small building by the exit door that was in the alley. Once there, Ayame took him to a room and put him down on the floor, smiling as she looked at the nervous Jinchūriki. "Now wait here, Naruto-kun. Don't move; I'll be right back."

He nodded but patiently waited until she was at a certain distance to run away.

He tried to reach the knob's door, but it was too high for him to grab it. Therefore, he went to a nearby chair and was about to take it, but he stopped because Ayame came back, this time with a towel in her arms.

She looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow and knelt down before him, opening her arms for him to come closer.

The kid hesitated at first, but he slowly approached, and once near, Ayame wrapped him in a soft embrace.

She felt his tremors, tremors that broke her heart. Ayame had already learned about Naruto's condition, and now that she saw him in this condition after a year, she believed that the villagers were being too harsh.

How did she find out? The villagers had caught them going to the birthday party, and they very quickly listed them as 'the Demon Supporters.'

Things got hard since then; many sabotage attempts nearly cost them their livelihood. However, thanks to the precautions of Ayame's father and a few villagers who didn't give any importance to Naruto, they had managed to survive until today; but things just kept getting worse.

The woman increased the hug's strength with meticulous slowness, caressing to the tired back of the small child. The girl felt the child trembling against her chest, nervous, anxious. It broke her heart again; only someone so unused to gestures of affection would react this way. "Take it easy, Naruto-kun. I won't hurt you."

Her words, though sincere, didn't convince him. The infant had already suffered enough in recent months, and the idea of being subjected to more pain, not just physical but also emotional, terrified him.

He didn't want to be attached to someone only for them to leave him alone again; he didn't want to revive those nights when he wondered what had happened to his grandfather. He preferred to live alone, without being a nuisance to anyone, until he was big enough to fend for himself and fulfill his far-fetched goal.

He now felt the soft hands of the young woman stroking his cheek to wipe the tears from his face. He didn't know why he was crying; he had convinced himself not to mourn again, but the affection of a person was overwhelming.

It was inevitable; he shyly snuggled against her chest, enjoying her warm affection before it became a distant memory.

The brown-haired miss smiled and picked Naruto up, whispering before he could say anything. "See? I won't hurt you. Now, Naruto-kun, let me give you a bath. It seems that you haven't taken one in a while."

"You d-don't have to; I don't want to bother you." His eyes reflected shame, not because she offered to bathe him, but because, as the ANBU had said, he was a 'dirty' and 'stinky' child that pushed people away due to his 'putrid presence.'

Ayame smiled, brought him closer and hit her cheek against his. "Don't say such things, Naruto-kun. I don't mind," she paused, standing in front of the bathroom's door. "We're here, Naruto-kun. Are you ready?"

The kid looked at the door before looking at her smiling expression. "I-I think so."

The cook put him down on the floor, and both entered together. Once there, Ayame told him to put his clothes in the hamper and get into the bathtub as she returned with something that would fit him.

He complied, shyly because he still found this experience strange. He looked at the bathtub, watching the hot water releasing a pleasant steam that spread throughout the room. He got into the tub and the warm water immediately sent a delicious shiver through his body. He absorbed this pleasant moment to have a happy memory that would help him to continue resisting, and above all, waiting.

He heard a joyous laugh, so he turned his head and saw Ayame with clothes that appeared to be of his exact size.

A while ago, Hiruzen had contacted them and given them those clothes if they came to find Naruto. He didn't explain why he couldn't do it in person, but the cooks had seen the despair and anguish in his eyes.

The miss put the clothes on a chair and knelt down in front of the tub. "How's the water, Naruto-kun?" she asked with a smile that faded away upon seeing the expression on his face.

"Nee-san, why are you doing this?" the kid ducked his head when he noticed that he was showing an ungrateful expression. Although he was curious and found her kindness incredible, he didn't want this to be a fantasy.

She looked at him with a questioning expression. "Why do you ask that, Naruto-kun? I do it because you're a cute boy who I can't see like this. Besides, you're a friend." She put her right hand to his cheek and gave him a gentle caress.

His eyes and lips trembled, and Ayame, knowing what was coming, continued. "Is that enough?"

The redheaded boy rubbed his eyes and nodded after seeing her selfless smile.

"Very well! Now let's start," the girl continued.

The little one nodded again, just to feel the warm water falling on his head and her hands rubbing his hair.

Grateful and feeling happiness after a long time, Naruto thought, "I-I can keep waiting..."

Minutes later

Naruto felt like a new person, almost as if he had reborn. This fresh sensation was something that he had forgotten and thought that he would never feel again.

Now he was grabbing one of Ayame's hands as they both walked toward the kitchen since the girl had easily guessed that the boy was hungry. Upon arrival, Ayame asked him to sit at the table and that she would be back with something that he would enjoy

The minutes passed, and Naruto heard people whispering, one of them was Ayame, while the other person appeared to be her father. He couldn't understand what they were talking about, but it seemed that her father was scolding her for some reason.

Curious, he tiptoed to hear the conversation. "Ayame, why haven't you opened the stand yet? You know what we are dealing with, and we cannot afford to be wasting valuable hours." It was Teuchi; he had left very early to make some deliveries and buy fresh ingredients.

"I'm sorry, Oto-san. I met someone, and I lost track of time."

"Someone? Who?"

"Do you remember the boy that Sandaime-sama introduced to us?" she asked with a smile.

Teuchi didn't see any reason to be happy about it, so he rubbed his head and spoke wearily. "How could I forget? He is the source of our problems, after all..."

Ayame looked at her father with a 'don't say that' expression, but she didn't have the chance to say anything because she heard a moan coming from the kitchen.

The Ichirakus looked in that direction and the woman scolded her father as she ran back to the kitchen. "Oto-san!"

Her dad followed her, and there he saw a red-haired boy jumping a few times to try to reach the handle of the back door.

Ayame quickly stood behind him and called his name, which made the child turn around and look back at them with a nervous expression, especially at Teuchi.

She worked so hard to gain his confidence that Ayame didn't want her efforts to be in vain; at least she wanted to give him one gift before he left, or even make him stay at her home after seeing his current condition.

"Naruto-kun, calm down," she whispered, trying to convey safety.

He forced a smile on his face and spoke in a trembling voice. "D-Don't worry, Nee-san. I-I have to go; you're probably busy."

Ayame sighed and looked at her father, who knelt down before him. "I'm sorry, Naruto. What I said was inappropriate and ignorant. You're not guilty; it's just that some things happened after your birthday, and that affected our business a little bit. But you don't have to worry or think that you're not welcome here. Whenever you can, we'll be here to greet you with a delicious and steaming bowl of ramen."

The mention of that word made his stomach rumble, though he didn't know what kind of dish it was, it sounded delicious. "M-Maybe I could stay to eat," he spoke with a blush of embarrassment as he looked away.

The Ichirakus smiled, and Ayame grabbed his little hand while the chief cook headed for the stove to boil some noodles and prepare the most delicious dish that Naruto had ever tasted.

He tried to walk forward, but a strange figure was standing at the kitchen's entrance.

They felt terrified, thinking the worst. Naruto stepped back, and the figure stepped forward to reveal his appearance. It was an ANBU, who approached the nervous and fearful Naruto.

The mask, the vest, the pants, and sandals, everything reminded him of the people who patrolled the cold nights of the village; the people who made him experience some of his worst moments.

Trembling, he hid behind Ayame, who covered him with her arm on pure instinct.

"Teuchi-san, I'm sorry for the trouble," he started, bowing slightly, which the older cook mimicked.

"What can I do for you, Ninja-san?" Teuchi asked.

The ANBU looked Naruto, who hid his face on the young woman's legs. "Hokage-sama's orders. I must remove the child immediately from this place."

Teuchi asked, "Why? Could you give us just a minute? We were about to feed him. Look at him; he's hungry. Just let me do that," he whispered at the end.

"I can't and I don't care about your motives. Hokage-sama's words are law, and if you are against the law, justice will treat you as criminals."

Teuchi put on a nervous expression, and before he could give in, Ayame exclaimed, "Well, Naruto-kun will eat here even if you don't want to! Today is his birthday, and he deserves something good for a change!"

She was annoyed; she had an idea of how the life of a Jinchūriki could be, but she didn't expect what she witnessed today. Ayame didn't want to imagine what this little child had to endure all alone.

The Shinobi looked at her and dangerously approached the impertinent girl. "Do you think this is a joke? Hand over the child or you will pay the consequences."

Ayame didn't want trouble, but Naruto seemed nervous and scared. She wanted to reassure him and give him a present so that he could smile at least one more day.

The ANBU didn't want to understand that. No, nobody in this village wanted to—with some few exceptions.

She looked at Naruto, who seemed about to surrender because he didn't want to cause any more problems, but she put her arm around him and looked at the Shinobi. "I only need a few minutes; you won't lose anything."

"It's true; I won't lose anything..." He smiled behind his mask and released something that he had just discovered and wanted to try out.

It was his Killing Intent, a minuscule, light, and pathetic one. It was something that would have made his fellow Shinobi laugh, but it was just enough to terrorize those who had never felt anything like it.

The faces of the civilians reflected their fear, and with a smile of amusement, the ANBU leaned his head towards Ayame's and added. "Now, hand over the child."

Her eyes were watery, but she shook her head, which made the Shinobi growl. Was she making fun of him? Did she think that he wasn't scary, or that he was just a joke?

He couldn't accept it; he felt insulted, almost as if they were trampling his authority. For that reason, he gave Ayame a slap that made her fall to the floor.

The girl screamed in pain and her father quickly approached her, placing her head on his lap as he stared at the Shinobi fearfully.

Meanwhile, Naruto had felt something else, a strange feeling that he had never before felt; it was a burning sensation that heated his whole body.

The Jinchūriki didn't know what it was, what he did know was that he didn't like this person, much less what he had done to Ayame.

The room suddenly felt heavy and suffocating, and everyone looked at the source. It was incredible; that fearful and nervous child now had a wild and dangerous expression.

Naruto's hair bristled; his fangs lengthened, and his eyes became redder. The killing intent this child gave off very quickly eclipsed the minuscule sensation that the Shinobi gave off, so much that he took several steps back as he watched the 'little creature' giving them forward.

"You..." The boy opened his fist, and his nails lengthened, "make me feel weird."

The ANBU stumbled, and Naruto jumped and landed on his chest, raising his hand as high as he could. However, before he could bring it down, Ayame had held it and pulled him into a hug that returned his facial expressions to normal.

The kid didn't understand what had happened, so he looked at the trembling girl and asked her about it, to which she replied that everything would be okay.

The ANBU, meanwhile, still felt terrified. After shaking his head, that sensation disappeared, and the feeling of humiliation appeared. He felt so angry that he had grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled the kid toward him, interrupting the embrace abruptly.

"You damn demon!" he exclaimed, giving him a kick that sent him across the room.

The enraged Shinobi didn't stop there and used a Shunshin to appear in front of him before the boy could hit the ground, giving him another kick that sent him to the entrance, breaking the wooden sliding door of the restaurant.

He fell in the middle of the street, and the pedestrians stopped at the scene. They thought that some Ninjas were fighting, and they quickly identified the 'aggressor' and the person who was 'defending himself.'

The attacker was the small child, while the 'defender' just crossed the hole that the 'demon' had made.

Everyone smiled at the Shinobi as he kicked and punched the little boy repeatedly, making him cry from the depths of his heart.

The owners of the ramen shop rushed to his aid, even more as they could see the hostile gazes of the bystanders.

The older man held the Ninja's arms and the young woman his waist, but the Shinobi was too powerful and managed to shake them off to continue his brutal beating.

The villagers disapproved actions of the Ichirakus; they shouted, whistled and cursed them; some of them had even held them so that they couldn't intervene.

Ayame watched with tears in her eyes as she tried to get these people off her. She shouted for someone's help, but the screams of happiness of the villagers easily outshone her cries of despair.

The shouts of encouragement only served as an incentive for the emboldened Shinobi, who continued the beating until...

The ANBU didn't see it coming; he just felt it. Two cuts on both cheeks and a kunai embedded in his right fist. He fell on the ground while holding his wounded hand, screaming in pain.

The villagers' shouts instantly stopped when they saw a black-haired masked man landing on the street.

The ANBU instantly knew that he was in trouble after recognizing the newcomer. "T-Taicho," he whispered in awe.

"Explain yourself, now," the man demanded in a calm tone but transmitting a pressure that only the poor ANBU could feel.

"I-I... The demon...," he tried to excuse himself, but his Taicho released more pressure than before.

Not wanting to deal with the consequences of his actions and much less confront his superior, he stood up and fled, which only made the dark-haired ANBU sigh.

He turned around and ordered everyone to disperse, releasing some pressure to speed up the process.

The cooks quickly approached the severely hurt child, especially Ayame, who was crying inconsolably.

Before she could put the kid on her lap, the boy had already stood up and walked towards a non-specific direction, but the embrace of Ayame stopped him.

"W-Where are you going, Naruto-kun?" she asked.

He looked at her with dull and tired eyes; he was possibly unconscious. "I must go; I have to rest." His voice, unlike his eyes, didn't reflect even the slightest emotion.

Ayame clung to the hug, but Naruto was firm in his decision and continued walking forward, surprisingly, getting her off him. He was unconsciously using that power which once again was helping him in a desperate situation.

The chestnut haired woman tried to run toward him, but the ANBU stopped her. She turned and saw him shaking his head. "Leave him alone; he doesn't want to cause trouble. He knows that if he is close to you, it would only harm you."

"So do you want me to leave him alone so that they can beat him again?!" she screamed.

The dark-haired teenager shook his head, "No, I will look after Naruto-kun for now. Then I will inform Hokage-sama about what happened, though I doubt he'll do anything about it. But for now, I promise you that I'll make sure that no one does anything wrong to Naruto-kun; he doesn't deserve what's happening to him."

Ayame wanted to protest, but her father put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. His daughter's lips quivered, and without another choice, she ran to her home.

"Thank you, Ninja-san. Hopefully, we'll hear news from you again." Teuchi bowed.

The ANBU, whose name was Itachi, nodded. "I'll try, Teuchi-san. Now I must follow Naruto-kun before anything bad happens." Without waiting for an answer, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Teuchi withdrew, thinking about the future of his business with regret.

In an alley, a figure observed everything with a sinister smile while looking at Teuchi's desperate face. "I think I have an idea."

He left that place and walked toward the hospital to inform his colleagues.

5 days later - 8:00 PM

Five days of uncertainty in which Ayame found herself constantly wondering: What happened to him?

She had no way of knowing it since that ANBU had never returned, and Teuchi had forbidden her from leaving home. Things were far worse than before, and he feared for her safety.

Teuchi had also stopped doing deliveries and went shopping with his daughter at very early hours. He had to take many precautions; his business was no longer a priority, his daughter was.

Teuchi was at the entrance of his restaurant, looking for some customers, but it looked like no one would come. Therefore, Teuchi looked at his listless daughter, who was behind the counter. "Nobody has come today either. It's a real shame."

Ayame sighed. "Indeed, father. Especially for Naruto-kun; he didn't do anything wrong."

"I know, daughter, but at this rate, we'll have to shut down the restaurant. We can't continue in this situation; it won't be long before the bank decides to take our house."

"Don't say that, Oto-san. I'm sure that things will get better."

"I hope so, Ayame, otherwise, we will have to look for new opportunities outside Konoha."

"I-I... Let's have faith, Oto-san," she answered.

She didn't want to leave; she didn't want to leave Naruto alone. Now that she had seen his life, she wanted to be near him at all times.

Teuchi put a smile on his face when he saw her sad eyes, and he continued as he walked toward the entrance. "Go and take a bath, Ayame. I'll close today."

"Hai, Oto-san." She turned around and went to her room to get ready to take a shower.

Teuchi walked to the door, and when he grabbed the door's latch, he noticed that three people came close. "Excuse me, are you closed?" spoke the taller person of the group.

Incredulous, Teuchi shook his head and smiled. "Of course not! Come in, sit down."

The customers thanked him and sat at the counter while Teuchi stood behind it. He lit the stove, and thrilled, he took their orders.

He carefully prepared the ingredients and observed their reactions while serving them, feeling satisfied and triumphant when hearing them praising his cooking.

He heard the pleasant conversation between friends as he prepared another round. One of them stopped the discussion and asked, "Sir, how is your business going? We usually pass by, and it's always empty. Do we always arrive at wrong hours?"

As he put the noodles in the hot water, Teuchi replied, "Unfortunately, we've had some problems, but I'm sure we'll get through them."

The three of them looked at each other and smiled. "Oh, that's a disgrace. This food is delicious. It would be a shame if you shut this place down."

They heard him sighing and continuing, "I think the same. But I have some debts, and if I don't pay them, the decision won't be up to me."

The friends grinned, and this time, the taller one added, "Let me introduce myself, Teuchi-san. My name is Yoshiro Watanabe, and I'm interested in making an investment. Well, the three of us. Tatsuo, Hikaru, and me."

The other two stood up and bowed before sitting down again.

The cook had almost thrown his utensils to the floor, but he managed to hold them all. With shock clear on his face, he turned to them. "Are y-you serious?"

"Of course, Teuchi-san. We don't want to see a great cook like yourself stop doing what he does best," Yoshiro replied.

"T-That would be awesome. Thank you!" Teuchi bowed as tears came out his eyes.

The three customers smiled, and Yoshiro continued, "You're welcome. Anyhow, I must talk to you about something."

Teuchi raised his head and asked him to continue.

"We will need something from you."

The cook raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Well, we do know why your business is failing despite serving such great food. However, even if we pay your debts, that issue will continue affecting the future of your business. Therefore, we need to do something about it."

The image Naruto instantly passed through his head, and it gave him a bad feeling. "What do you have in mind?"

"We just want to make clear that you don't support that child."

"And how do you plan to achieve that? I don't want to do anything that could hurt him."

"Oh, don't worry about that. We don't want to harm him physically; we would just 'humiliate' him a little bit. Okay, we could hit him a little. However, it would be mild, only to entertain the villagers. But as I said, mild."

"What? No, I can't allow that. What's more, my daughter would never let it happen. I'm sorry, but no deal." He was firm in his decision, and it seemed that nothing would convince him to do otherwise.

Yoshiro saw no problems. Indeed, it was something that he expected. Therefore, he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a tiny bottle. "Don't worry about it; the child will never know that you were part of this. People will even stop bothering you and the brat as well." With that said, he handed the bottle over to him.

Teuchi saw that it contained sleeping drugs. "I... I don't know. How can I trust that you'll do what you said?"

The three of them stood up and showed their credentials. "We are doctors, and the director is a very strict person. If he finds out that his employees were causing trouble, then it would be the end of our careers. And we are parents too, what would they think?"

Teuchi knew he shouldn't take risks. But these people sounded honest, and by what they said, they didn't seek to harm him physically. Besides, even if they insulted him, he would be sleeping due to the drugs.

"I-I... Let me think; I will give you an answer tomorrow."

The three of them mischievously smiled, and the leader continued, "Okay, Teuchi-san. We would like to do it before the holidays because, as you know, people are much more aggressive that day, and we want to avoid any unnecessary suffering. We'll be waiting for your call. I can assure you that nothing bad will happen."

The Cook wanted to add something else, but the other two who remained silent looked at their watches. "Oh, it's getting late. I should get back to my home to say goodnight to my son. See you, guys," Hikaru said before leaving, and Tatsuo stated something similar.

Meanwhile, Yoshiro ordered another bowl of Ramen before going home.

Teuchi closed the restaurant and heard Ayame's voice. "Huh? I thought you had already closed, Oto-san."

Her father turned around. "A few customers came when you were taking your bath; they just left. It seems that luck has smiled upon us."

"That's great, Oto-san! Although something interesting must have happened as I can see you happy, also somewhat confused. What happened?"

Teuchi ignored her question. "Naruto said that his birthday was October 10, right?"

Ayame put her fingers on her chin before nodding. Therefore, her father continued, "If you see him, tell him to come here that day. We will be waiting for him with a bowl of Ramen for his birthday."

"Yes! That would be great. I'll try to find him and tell him about it. Great idea, Oto-san!"

"Indeed it is, Ayame. Now let's go to rest. Hopefully, we'll have more luck tomorrow." He approached her and gave her a goodnight kiss.

Ayame smiled and walked to her room, and her father thought as he watched her leave. "Maybe you'll disagree with my decision, Ayame. But it won't be that bad. Besides, I'll be there."

He went to take a shower before going to bed.

October 9

In the following days, Ayame took on the task of finding the elusive Jinchūriki—taking the proper precautions, although her father was over-dramatizing the motive for his concern, as there were people like Itachi who wouldn't allow that anything bad happened to her.

The last beating made the redheaded boy re-evaluate the idea of venturing out when the sun was up, and he concluded that nocturnal explorations would be better; he didn't get into so much trouble under the cover of darkness.

The chestnut-haired woman found him on the fourth day, and she told him what they had planned. She insisted a lot and managed to convince him.

Meanwhile, Itachi informed the Hokage of the events at Ichiraku Ramen. The Yondaime didn't reprimand the ANBU but advised him not to do anything like that again since the 'boy' shouldn't die. Then he ordered him to return to his task of preventing Hiruzen from approaching Naruto.

Ayame then returned home to prepare a delicious Ramen dish for Naruto once he arrived before they closed the restaurant.

Her father said at that hour since the streets were empty and the child wouldn't run the same risks as the last time.

It was closing time, and the three doctors arrived on the scene; they greeted Teuchi and Ayame.

Once inside, the old man told them to follow him as he asked Ayame to wait for a moment. After a few minutes, he returned and nervously looked at her daughter, who asked him what was happening since the men didn't return.

"Ayame, I have to tell you something." He took her hand and led her toward the entrance.

"What's going on, Oto-san?" she asked as they walked towards that direction.

The man looked at both ends of the street, not wanting Naruto to hear him again. When he noticed that no one was around, he looked at his daughter with nervousness. "I-I made a deal with these men."

She raised an eyebrow, confused, but also scared. "Deal? What kind of deal?" She didn't like this secrecy; the fact that her father was telling her about this just when Naruto was about to arrive gave her a bad feeling.

Teuchi sighed and vaguely told her what was going to happen. The woman's face reflected her disapproval and disgust, and her father could naturally see it, yet he finished with his explanation.

Ayame reprimanded him and told him that they couldn't do that just for money, and besides, the young cook said that she wouldn't allow it.

"I know, Ayame. But we will be here."

"That's it? What would you do if they do something bad? I won't allow it, Oto-san. I'll warn Naruto-kun when he arrives."

She heard her father sighing as she looked at both sides of the street. The woman knew that Naruto would be elusive today; he said it. Ayame just hoped that nothing bad had happened to him, but she believed that the ANBU who protected him the other day was still looking after him.

"Wait, Ayame." Teuchi grabbed her arm, and she quickly turned to face him.

"What?! Do you think I'll accept that? Give it up, Oto-san." She tried to walk down the street, but her father pressed her arm not very tightly, but enough to let her know that he had more to say.

"Ayame, think about this for a moment."

"What do you want me to think about, father? What do you think Naruto-kun will say? Uh?"

"I know, Ayame. But that's why we'll put him to sleep."

Ayame snorted. "Sure, that's the perfect solution. 'Put him to sleep.'" She bitterly laughed at the end, which embarrassed the older Cook.

However, he changed his expression to one of determination and thought of something that would convince her. "Ayame, they promised me that they wouldn't hurt him. And when they finish, they will allow Naruto to come to our house, at least through the back door. And with our debts paid, maybe we could make a bedroom for Naruto so that he can spend some nights with us, or who knows? Until he can fend for himself."

Much of what he said was false, but he wanted to do it. With the men's money, Teuchi would pay his debts, and with the profits of his restaurant, he would be able to do what he said to Ayame.

The words of her father slowly weakened her stance, yet she didn't want to yield in.

"Besides, the ANBU who protected Naruto the other day said he would take care of him, so if they or anyone else tries to do something bad, I'm sure he will protect him again."

It sounded great, but what guaranteed that everything would turn out as her father had stated? She didn't want to take any risks, not even the small ones.

Her father added, "And if things don't go as I think, then we'll leave everything behind with Naruto. What do you say?"

"Really?" She turned to him, and this time, her eyes showed some interest.

"Yes, if this goes wrong, I won't have anything more to lose, and therefore, we'll take Naruto with us. I'll ask Sandaime-sama for his help."

"I-I... Okay, father. But we'll do it if anything goes wrong, is that clear?"

"Crystal-clear," he replied with a smile.

They returned to their restaurant, unaware that they had made the worst decision of their lives.

Hours later

A whistle that intoned a melody of total apathy resounded through the cold and dark hallway of an abandoned building. Besides that disinterested melody, piercing screams that implored mercy accompanied it.

The person responsible for such harmony was the ANBU that prevented Hiruzen from approaching Naruto. This person knew what was going on, but he didn't care. The ANBU even thought that he deserved it.

After the humiliation he went through a few days ago, he promised himself that he would do what he could to make the 'demon' suffer. Since he had seen the scene at Ichirakus, he told the group of friends that he would turn a blind eye.

He then recalled the words of the Hokage and, not wanting to annoy him, he decided that enough was enough.

He approached the metal door and opened it, hearing the squeaking of its rusted hinges.

He entered and smelled the sweet scent of fresh blood and the sour smell of burning flesh. He had an idea of what had happened as he approached the men who laughed in amusement near a stretcher.

He stood behind them and expressed, "Fun is over, gentlemen. I must take the brat."

They turned around with expressions of disappointment. "Come on, just a few more minutes. We are about to become heroes."

"I'm sorry, but I have my orders; I can't let the brat die, but I've allowed you to have enough fun with him. Now, I have to take him."

The ANBU pushed past them and stood in front of the stretcher; he looked down and saw the fruit of their work.

An unrecognizable and bloodied figure with his skin cut open and face burned by acid, lying unconscious in front of him.

He didn't care that he was in charge of him or that he was a child, the ANBU just picked him up and disappeared in a Shunshin.

Those who remained there congratulated each other and came out to spread the word, especially the images they had captured with the security cameras; they were sure that it would make the villagers happy.

Meanwhile, the ANBU jumped from roof to roof towards a non-specific location. He didn't want to take him to the hospital because he wanted him to suffer; the Shinobi didn't want to take him to the Hokage either as he was aware that it would bother him.

Perhaps he could take him to the Sandaime; he would know what to do. With that in mind, he turned around and headed in that direction. However, he suddenly felt a burning sensation in his arms.

He looked down, watching in shock and sheer terror the red aura that emerged from the child in his arms. The memories of that evening: that look, that pressure, and that feeling of fear crossed his mind.

His survival alarms soared, and because of it, he released the child, causing him to fall from a great height into a dark alley.

Terrified, he fled without looking back.

The impact was hard, and the blood came ejected through his wounds, covering much of the ground and splattering the nearby walls. His aura prevented something worse, but the damage was considerable.

The red cloak healed his wounds, but at a slow pace; there was no way he would survive without someone else's help.

Perhaps the entity inside of him was doing something unnecessary; something he thought was good but maybe was wrong. He was a beast, filled with hatred and resentment, but this child forced him to help him, not because of his survival instinct, but due to empathy. Something about the child drove him to do something he hated the most: help a human being.

Perhaps it was due to the way the boy viewed the world and the interest in knowing what he would do after seeing the actual color of life.

Regardless, humans did nothing more than prove him right, and he expected this child to do something about it.

Unconsciously, the Kyūbi had given the child an unnecessary impulse. The ensuing cry attracted some of the pedestrians, but they quickly walked away when they saw the sinister red glow in the middle of the dark alley.

The cries continued, and it kept attracting more people, but none had enough courage to investigate.

The responsible person was the little boy, who was crawling around aimlessly, unable to stand up, not only due to the fatigue but because those people had made sure that he wouldn't be able to use his lower limbs again.

Despair and uncertainty invaded him; he was in a dark world where he was the prey and everyone else were the predators. They had taken away his means of survival, and now he was at their mercy, incapable of escaping.

He couldn't be cautious anymore, let alone continue running; he was helpless. The thought of living such a life made him think 'no more.'

He didn't know anyone who loved him or cared about his existence; he knew that no one would help him, but still, a whisper escaped from his lips. "Kaa-chan... Oto-chan... Why won't you help me?" His damaged eyes teared up as he struggled to reach an inexplicable light.

His weak and trembling hands found the strength to go up, with the desire of touching the strange female figure he could swear was waiting for him with a smile and open arms.

Feel; he just wanted that, feel some affection. "Kaa-chan..." It was his last faint whisper before collapsing.

At the Sarutobi's residence, the old Hokage had already woken up, and as he did every morning, he went to his crystal ball to check on Naruto.

He sat down in his chair, brought his hands closer and focused on the young Jinchūriki's Chakra, obtaining the image of his whereabouts.

"W-What?" he whispered in horror.

He stood up and covered his mouth in disbelief at the horrid image that the crystal ball was showing him.

He shook his head and sat down again with an expression of anger. He refocused on the ball, specifically on the ANBU's Chakra.

He grunted and made hand seals to summon Enma. When his summoning was in front of him, he didn't wait for the greeting and quickly ordered, "Find that man and take him immediately to the Hokage Tower! Use force if necessary!"

Surprised and confused, the Monkey King just nodded before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Hiruzen shouted, "Saru, follow me!" He then ran towards the alley where the battered red-haired boy lay unconscious.

His ANBU stood behind him, and they disappeared in simultaneous Shunshin to arrive there quickly.

It didn't even take them thirty seconds, and both Shinobis landed in the alley. The Sandaime told his ANBU to begin healing him immediately.

The masked man approached, knelt down and turned Naruto around. Their eyes widened in shock as they caught sight of the horrific scene.

"Why?! Why?!" The old Hokage exclaimed with tears in his eyes. He approached the nearest wall and rested his arms against it, thinking of a logical excuse for the behavior of the villagers.

Such a thing didn't exist; he could only face the harsh and bloody reality. He hit the wall before turning around, seeing the glowing hands of his ANBU.

The Sandaime approached and knelt down beside him, feeling a lump in his throat when he saw Naruto's yellow eyes, caused by the corrosive substance.

The Kyūbi's cloak had already disappeared because the beast had reached his limit.

The Sandaime observed in silence, a silence that was interrupted by his own sobs. He wiped his eyes, coughed once and looked at his ANBU. "Will he be all right?"

He heard him sighing and then nodding. "Yes, but not completely."

He paused as he proceeded to close the wounds in his arms. "I'm ashamed to say that my medical skills are not that good, and I won't be able to restore his sight or his ability to walk. I'm sorry, Sandaime-sama."

That information hit him like a bucket of cold water; he didn't know about the latter. He already thought that the problem with his eyes was awful, but being unable to walk? Who were the monsters responsible for this?

Hiruzen had never felt the desire of killing anyone, but there always was a first time for everything.

He shook his head, pushing away those bad thoughts. Now he had no time to think of that.

"Sandaime-sama, I've done everything that I could. I still have to bandage the wounds that I couldn't close." He looked exhausted; closing so many wounds in such a short time had almost exhausted all of his reserves.

"I understand. Tell me, would it be dangerous if he endures a bit more?"

"Naruto-san is stable. However, I must clean the wounds to prevent an infection. Anyhow, he will endure. What do you have in mind?"

Hiruzen put a stern expression on his face. "Follow me." He picked Naruto up and ran towards the Hokage Tower.

They arrived on the scene as soon as they had left, and once there, both Shinobis ran to the Hokage's office.

People there shouted and pointed at the child in the Sandaime's arms, but they didn't say anything else because the men were too fast.

His ANBU did him the favor of opening the door, and when they entered, they both saw Enma holding an ANBU and Minato standing in front of his desk, waiting for his arrival.

When the Yondaime looked at the door, he had two reactions: The first one was contempt, and the second one was concern. Not for the child in Hiruzen's arms, but for the infant at his home.

That angered him; it irked him that one of his soldiers had endangered his only one son. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth; his joints trembled with anger, and before the Sandaime could show his outrage at the current events, Minato disappeared in a yellow flash and reappeared behind his ANBU, cutting his throat open on the spot.

The ANBU fell, twisting and coughing as a torrent of blood came out through the large opening. Everyone observed with eyes wide open.

Hiruzen got the wrong idea; he thought that the Hokage had done it because his ANBU had put Naruto in danger.

Enma stepped back, confused by the whole situation. He looked at his summoner, deciphering the enigma when he made eye contact. However, he remained in absolute silence.

Minato kept his kunai out, seeing Hiruzen standing in front of him. The Yondaime noticed that he wanted to say something, but the blond man spoke first. "I don't care what happened to him. If he's still breathing, then I don't care. Get him out of here right now."

The tranquility vanished, and anger manifested. "You are a... YOU ARE A MONSTER!" the Sandaime exclaimed in pure rage.

Minato downplayed his statement and walked back to his desk, sitting down to continue with his work.

Hiruzen observed him signing some papers; therefore, he gritted his teeth. "HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM?! Look at him! Don't you have a soul?!"

He ignored him again, and this time, Hiruzen ran to his desk. Enma and his ANBU held him so that he didn't try anything hasty, but Hiruzen didn't have such intentions. "Minato, look at me," he spoke with disappointment.

The Yondaime didn't do it, so the Sandaime reiterated his question, but this time, in a commanding tone. "LOOK AT ME!"

The blond man sighed and raised his head. "What?"

"With those same eyes, look at this child and say that you don't care and that you'll never regret what you've caused."

Minato huffed and returned to his previous action, but a kick to his desk forced him to look up. "Do it!" the Sarutobi exclaimed.

Rolling his eyes and sighing, the Yondaime stood up, walked around his desk and stood in front of his predecessor.

He stared at the boy for at least thirty seconds; his lips curved slightly due to his condition. Hiruzen clenched his fists but said nothing; only waited for Minato, who eventually changed his expression to one of contempt.

"You deserve this for all the damage you've caused, not only to me but all the innocent people of this village." He made a short pause, just to look at Sandaime, seeing his already traditional look of disappointment.

He ducked his head again and continued, "Damn demon, I don't care about you and I never will. I'm even happy; experience a little bit of the pain that you have caused to everyone."

Enma felt indignation; the Monkey King couldn't believe that such a despicable man had succeeded someone as honorable as his summoner. Itachi was there too, feeling sadness for the harsh words coming out from the mouth of someone who he once considered an inspiration for Shinobi.

"And I'll never feel sorry for this murderer." With one last pause, the Hokage looked at the expression of sadness in the face of the Sandaime. "Now get out of here, his presence bothers me." He sat back behind his desk to sign more papers.

Hiruzen couldn't believe it; he couldn't conceive the existence of someone so cold, ruthless and evil. There was no logical reason to justify his behavior.

He was sad, devastated; he felt betrayed. If he had known that he would become like this, the Sandaime would have never named him as his successor; he even thought that Orochimaru would have been a better decision.

Heartbroken, he turned around. "I feel sad, Minato. Especially for you. I hope that you really think that, otherwise, your life will be a misery."

Minato tried to ignore him, but his words bothered him. He wouldn't attack him; it wasn't his fault that 'the demon had deceived him'. The Yondaime hoped that the Sandaime could open his eyes on his own.

He raised his eyes a little, and his eyes met with those of disappointment of the Sandaime. "Now this child will live with me, at least until he gets well, and I'll assign one of my ANBU to protect him from now on. And you, if you really care about Menma, then you will not interfere in my decision." He said the latter because, according to Minato's theory, if Naruto died, then the same would happen to Menma.

The blond man wanted to protest, but he was right. Now the 'demon' was weak, and it would be difficult to prevent the villagers from trying to complete their work, especially when his Shinobis could do the same as the recently assassinated ANBU member.

As he didn't protest, Hiruzen turned around to leave. However, the Yondaime added, "I'll allow it, but I forbid you to take him to a hospital. If he stays in that state, he will no longer be a problem."

The Hokage saw the senior man shaking his head before walking out. Saru followed Hiruzen, and Enma disappeared, disgusted by the behavior of the current Hokage. Minato, meanwhile, continued his duties.

When Saru and Hiruzen arrived at the Sandaime's residence, they put Naruto on Hiruzen's bed as the ANBU continued treating Naruto's wounds.

Exhausted, the Sandaime went to a chair. When he sat down, he sighed and shook his head as he placed his fingertips on his forehead.

"Why is this happening? What did I do wrong?" The guilt was consuming him; he had tried everything within his power, but it had been useless.

He thought it was his fault. Maybe if he had fled along with Naruto, then this wouldn't have happened, but his blind faith in the villagers made him live a fantasy.

He stood up, approached his ANBU and watched his work in silence. When he finished bandaging the unconscious child, the old man spoke, "Thank you, Saru. I know you said that you couldn't cure what Naruto-kun has lost, but still, I thank you."

"You're welcome, Sandaime-sama. I'm just doing my duty." There was no double meaning in his words; he was another person who had neutral feelings towards the Jinchūriki.

Hiruzen nodded and looked at Naruto, noting that he was bandaged from head to toe; his wounds were brutal, after all.

Still, he wouldn't leave Naruto in such a condition for the rest of his life. He knew someone who could do something about it, and he felt it was his obligation to call that person. "Inu." He pronounced.

Another ANBU appeared kneeling before him. "Find Tsunade," Hiruzen continued.

"Hai, Sandaime-sama." He stood up and waited for further instructions.

Hiruzen approached his desk; he took a sheet of paper and a pen to write a letter.

He was careful and avoided stating the main reason; he didn't want to cloud her judgment with it.

The Sannin didn't know Naruto, but knowing what had happened could cause another bad impression, and it was something that he wanted to avoid, at least until she returned.

He put the quill in its holder, stood up from his seat and handed the letter to his ANBU, telling him where he could locate her.

He knew her location, as it wasn't the first time he sent her a letter; he did it at least once a week and through pigeons. This time, he couldn't let such an important and sensitive message to the 'feet' of an animal.

The Shinobi nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke while Sarutobi asked Saru to leave.

He walked to his chair and moved it next to the bed so he could sit and watch over Naruto.

It was a bleak situation, and such a reality filled him with negative feelings, sensations that fragmented his old heart.

A man who had seen so much, who had survived several wars and battles, and who had observed the decay of human morals in the battlefield. However, this was beyond comprehension.

A situation that had gotten out of control, a scenario that he thought that could have been avoided if he had had more determination.

The first drops fell from his eyes, and these ran down his cheeks as he moved his old hands toward the red hairs of the Jinchūriki.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. This is my fault. I just hope that this experience doesn't create resentment in your heart, even if you have all the right in the world."

His desire sounded selfish, inconsiderate, even illogical, but he didn't want to lose hope; he wanted to see Naruto as a good man.

He leaned back against the couch, watching Naruto and hoping to hear news about Tsunade as soon as possible.

Three days later

"Sandaime-sama, Sandaime-sama," a whispering voice called the old Hokage's name.

He was sleeping in that chair and almost hadn't moved from there in all this time, only for his most basic needs.

The sexagenarian man slowly opened his eyes, feeling them heavy due to insomnia that had afflicted him.

He saw a blurry figure in front of him. He rubbed his eyes, and this time, he had a clear picture. "Inu?" he asked, yawning and covering his mouth.

He looked out the window and noticed it was still dark. He stood up and shook his head. "News?"

"Hai, Sandaime-sama. Tsunade-sama is waiting for you in the living room; your letter convinced her. I also made sure that no one noticed her arrival, and she wants to keep it that way."

"I'll see her immediately." He hurried to the door, opened it and went down the stairs to the living room.

He spotted a golden-haired person looking at some pictures on the wall. "Tsunade," he spoke.

She turned around, looking at her teacher with happiness and some anger too. "What do you want, old man? You said it was a matter of life and death, but I see nothing out of the ordinary." She crossed her arms.

Hiruzen approached with open arms, and the Sannin turned around as she rolled her eyes, but she relented because she knew that her master wouldn't give up; she reciprocated the hug.

"I'm glad to see you, and thanks for coming, Tsunade. I really need your help."

They separated, and the blonde-haired woman questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Did something happen to Asuma?"

It was strange, her teacher looked somber, something very unusual for him, and she could only think that something had happened to his son.

Hiruzen shook his head. "Asuma is well, fortunately. Someone else needs your help."

"So tell me who it is. I hope it isn't just a stranger. In that case, I won't do anything. I don't like wasting time, let alone in this place."

"Follow me please." The Sarutobi turned around and walked toward the stairs.

The blonde woman sighed and walked behind him.

Upon reaching his room, Hiruzen stopped. "My ANBU has already taken care of most his injuries. So you don't have to worry about possible traces of blood." He said that because of her hemophilia.

To hide the fact that it was one of her concerns, she folded her arms and snorted. "Do you think that a little bit of blood can affect me? Don't make me laugh."

"I wasn't trying to," he replied bluntly.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, wanting to know why her Sensei was so serious, and above all, sad and exhausted.

The Sandaime opened the door and walked toward the bed. The Sannin followed him from behind and saw two ANBU near the bed.

Hiruzen remained silent as his student examined her possible patient. She saw his face completely bandaged, and after raising the sheets, she noticed that the rest of his body was in the same condition; it was a child of no more than five years old.

"Who is he and what happened?" She stopped and looked at her Sensei.

"He's... He's an innocent child." He didn't want to say that he was Naruto because Tsunade knew his identity, though she didn't know him personally.

Tsunade didn't feel convinced, but after seeing the sadness in his eyes, she decided to stop asking questions.

She sighed and looked at the ANBU who was taking care of the child. "What happened and what does he have?"

Bowing slightly and greeting her by her name, Saru replied, "Some people attacked him. I've taken care of most of his wounds, but I'm ashamed to say that I don't have enough ability to treat the most delicate injuries."

The blonde woman didn't speak because the ANBU stood at her side and bent down to unbandage the patient's face.

Tsunade paid much attention, and each bandage that he was taking off filled her heart with anguish and memories; some were good, others terrible.

When the ANBU unbandaged his face, a fleeting image of her brother Nawaki crossed Tsunade's mind, especially the image of his corpse.

Hiruzen saw her clasping her trembling hands as she held her grandfather's necklace. That was why he didn't want to tell her that it was Naruto; she wouldn't have wanted to come because of the memories that were now crossing her mind.

It was cruel, but Hiruzen wanted her to endure it; she was the only person who could give Naruto his life back.

Saru didn't notice her behavior as he continued removing the bandages while explaining the severity of his injuries.

She couldn't hear almost anything, only the part about his damaged eyes. It was then when she moved her trembling hands towards his face.

She did it unconsciously; her hands had moved on their own. Perhaps the fact that she couldn't save her brother was activating something in her subconscious and was forcing her to act.

Her hands glowed, and she had them over his eyes for a while before going through the rest of his body, examining in depth detail the damage he had suffered.

At one point, her hands had stopped shaking. This time, she put on a serious expression.

There was hope in the eyes of the Sandaime when seeing her working so arduously, but his hopes faded away when she shook her head and grunted in frustration.

"W-What?" he asked with concern.

The Sannin stopped and looked at the eager eyes of her master. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. The people who did this made sure it would be permanent."

Hiruzen deflated again, and both doctors held him quickly as they made him sit in his chair. "Calm down, Sensei. Breathe..."

He took a deep breath and bowed his head in sadness. "This is my fault. I should have done something before this happened."

Tsunade clenched her fists. "No, it's not your fault. It's because of that bastard." The Yondaime's image crossed her mind, and feelings of anger slowly invaded her heart.

She was aware of the situation because her teacher had told her countless times his concern about the Jinchūriki.

The blonde woman had always thought that he was overreacting, but she now realized how wrong she had been. She was right about something: Konoha was a cursed village.

She had done everything she could to harden her heart, but seeing her Sensei in this way, and what they had done to Naruto; it had been more than enough to soften it.

Her words calmed her master a little bit, and to encourage him more; she suggested the following. "It's true that I can't do anything..., but in this village. I can restore his sight and walking ability. However, I will take him out of the village, and if I do that, he will never come back. I'm sure Shizune would like to have this kid with us."

The idea was phenomenal; it was something Hiruzen wanted to do, but it had some drawbacks.

"It's an excellent idea, Tsunade. However, I don't want to put you at risk. I'm sure that Minato has marked this child, and if he finds out that you or anyone else has taken him out of the village, the consequences would be fatal."

"Do you think I'm scared? If he tries anything, I'll send him flying away. However, you know very well that this child needs to leave this village. They'll kill him the next time."

Her teacher sighed. "I know, Tsunade. But we can't defeat Minato. I doubt there's someone as strong as he is. Besides, it will only hurt Naruto-kun even more. If I am no longer here, I don't know what Minato would do."

She stood up and sighed with disappointment. It wasn't something she would offer in normal circumstances, but the state of the small boy and her teacher merited it.

She walked back to the bed, and Hiruzen stood at the other side while Tsunade moved her glowing hands to the boy's forehead. "Hmm, he has a severe mental burden. That's why he hasn't woken up yet. I'll lighten it just a little bit; it would be unwise to wake him up suddenly."

"I'd appreciate it; I would like to speak with Naruto-kun as soon as possible."

The blonde woman remained silent and continued until it was sufficient. "That will be enough; he could awaken within..."

She stopped when she saw the blankets moving; she looked down and saw that the Jinchūriki had risen slightly, staring in silence into nothingness.

She made a stop sign at the senior man since he had intended to talk to him. Hiruzen saw her sitting on the bed and bringing her hand to his shoulder.

The red-haired kid turned his head toward the person who touched him, but he didn't do anything more than that; he just looked in that direction, although he couldn't see anything but absolute darkness.

The sadness Tsunade felt when witnessing those empty eyes was undeniable, eyes that resembled those of a dead man. She didn't mean the visible damage, but the feeling that they conveyed.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and her lips parted to speak, but a whisper of the child stopped her. She couldn't hear him well, so she leaned her ear close and gently asked him to repeat it.

"Kill me; I don't want this anymore."

The lump in their throats almost made them cough, not only because of his words, but also due to what they transmitted, or rather, what they didn't.

It was sad, depressing and heartbreaking to hear someone so young pronouncing such words, even more so when he had a whole life ahead.

"Damn Konoha," she could only think of that, cursing the one responsible for this sad reality: Minato.

She swallowed the annoying lump, and knowing that a broken voice would come out; she coughed once as she forced a smile on her face.

"What are you saying? I'm here to help you. You're safe now; you have nothing to be afraid of." She tried to convey confidence, but the child didn't even flinch.

"I see. If that is true, please do what I've asked of you." The same voice, which led to the previous reactions.

What could they say? What could they do? There was no way to mitigate what had happened; they could only wait, wait for him to get over it, or possibly even forget it.

Tsunade wanted to say something, but the boy continued his speech. "It's for the best; I'm a nuisance for everyone. Those who approached me abandoned me, and those I trusted betrayed me. Living this way is not worth it, please, just kill me."

His words were hard for Hiruzen; he felt like they were directed at him and could only feel disappointed in himself. He already guessed that Naruto would think that, it had only been a matter of time to hear it.

He decided to remain silent because he didn't want to upset Naruto with his presence.

The blonde woman looked into her Sensei's eyes and saw his struggle. She didn't know how attached these two were, but she felt that something had happened between them.

She didn't ask because it wouldn't be appropriate. She focused on the child and tried to say something to make him change his mind, but the truth was that even she had been in this situation, and still was.

Regardless, she still had to try it, for the child who reminded her of her brother and who didn't deserve to go through something this tragic. "I understand you. It's true; you're right."

Hiruzen opened his eyes in surprise; he was about to protest, but Tsunade's hand stopped him.

Naruto felt some interest as well as some tranquility; perhaps she would comply and give him the rest he craved.

He remained silent, and the woman continued, "But you shouldn't let those bastards get away with it. Live your life as you want. Look for a change on your own. However, don't give up; don't give them the pleasure of seeing you defeated. You're still young, and you can do many things. You just have to wait, wait to grow up and become stronger." She put her hands on his shoulders; she spoke with all the seriousness of the world and hoped that this child could find an answer; whichever it was.

The last thing made him remember what his 'grandfather' had told him, and such meaningless words increased the emptiness in his heart.

He looked straight ahead and spoke as he lay down in the bed. "Please, if you won't do what I asked, stop bothering me. Sleeping feels good; there I don't feel any pain." His head made contact with the pillow, and he had fallen asleep very quickly.

Sleeping was a pleasant sensation, so much that his mind, and what was left of his soul, wanted to enjoy more of that feeling.

Tsunade stood up and clenched her fists. "That damn Minato, I can't forgive him," she whispered, not wanting to interrupt his well-deserved rest.

She walked to the exit to give Minato a visit; she didn't care if he was as powerful as her teacher had said; she intended to tell him his truths.

"No, Tsunade, don't do it." She heard the tired voice of her master, who sat down again.

She sighed and turned to him. "So what do you suggest, old man? Will you let that bastard get away with this?"

"I can only wait, Tsunade. Any hasty decision would only affect Naruto-kun, and he is not in the position to continue experiencing more pain. Understand my position, please." He didn't look up; he was so sad that he had no desire to look at her disappointed expression.

"Okay, do as you wish," she spoke almost in a roar, but towards the responsible person for this disgrace.

She turned around and opened the door. "I just want you to know that I will never return to the village, no matter what. They have done nothing but prove me right."

She walked out and grabbed the door's handle to close it behind her. Hiruzen looked there, watching the door closing but stopping near the end.

"I will wait for you to realize that this child has no future in this village. If you want, send him to me. Shizune and I will treat him as he deserves, and we will rebuild his life."

She didn't wait for an answer and closed the door softly, this time, to return to the town where she had been the day before.

She didn't tell Shizune where she was going, possibly because she would have contacted the Hokage and he would have forced them to stay in the village. Anyhow, Tsunade had the firm decision of never returning to this damned place.

Hiruzen rubbed his forehead and could only think one last thing as he tried to catch up on sleep. "Why?"

In the morning

"And please, take good care of Naruto-kun, Inu, and Saru. I'm going to buy something to prepare a great meal for him. I won't be late."

Inu spoke, "I could go, Sandaime-sama. Give me the list, and I'll bring everything here."

"Don't worry, Inu. It won't take me long. If Naruto-kun wakes up before I arrive, please, don't tell him that he's here. I'll tell him everything once I get back."

His ANBU nodded, and he went toward the nearest market.

People on the street greeted him with smiles, smiles that conveyed a lot of happiness.

He knew the reason and showed his disappointment inside, but outside he returned the same smile.

At the shop, he put all he needed in a basket before approaching the cashier. A woman greeted him with a smile and proceeded to give him the bill.

As he pulled out his wallet, his ears caught a conversation. "Did you already eat in that place called Ichiraku? They serve the best Ramen noodles." It was the voice of a woman.

Hiruzen felt good about them; maybe luck was finally smiling to some unfortunates.

The conversation didn't end there, and another woman added, "I'm planning to lunch there with my husband. We didn't go before because they supported the demon."

"Tell me about it. But who would have thought that they just did it to earn his trust? Haha, that demon deserves it. I'm going to show my support later. Are you planning to go?"

The senior man didn't hear the rest of the conversation after hearing such revelation. No, that couldn't be true. It surely was just a rumor.

However, Naruto's words echoed in his head. Whom had he trusted in? Who betrayed him? The Sarutobi knew that the Jinchūriki was talking about him when he said that someone abandoned him, but who were the others?

No, it couldn't be true, but he had to find it out. Such was his desire to know the truth that he forgot about his items and ran towards Ichiraku Ramen.

He arrived at the place and observed the moderate line of impatient customers.

He didn't wait for his turn; he made his way through the crowd, who complained when he pushed them but said nothing after seeing whom he was.

He reached the counter, and there he saw father and daughter moving as fast as they could to prepare and serve the simultaneous orders.

They didn't notice his presence and continued their work. However, their customers' whispers made them turn around, and there they saw the Sandaime Hokage with an expression of concern.

Ayame's eyes instantly poured tears, and everyone saw her running to the back room.

Teuchi had an expression of shame and regret. He didn't allow Hiruzen to speak since he spoke before, "Sandaime-sama, please follow me. All of you please wait. We'll be right back." He looked at his customers and bowed slightly.

Some people protested, but only because they were eager to eat.

They walked where Ayame went, and both saw her crying with her head on the table.

"Sandaime-sama, please take a seat," Teuchi started, approaching the table and taking a seat.

Hiruzen shook his head and gravely looked at him. "No thanks, I don't have time. I just need you to answer me one thing... Is it true?"

"No, Sandaime-sama. We would never do something like that. It's all a misunderstanding," Teuchi excused himself.

"So what are people talking about? What happened?"

Teuchi opened his mouth, but the exasperated voice of his daughter stopped him. He turned and saw her looking at both of them, with red and swollen eyes due to her cries, and not from just now, but from the day that everything happened.

"Father..." She started, blowing her nose with a handkerchief. "Let's stop lying; it's our fault. We did that to Naruto-kun."

"Ayame, that's not..."

"It's the truth!" she exclaimed and stood up, unable to contain the tears of guilt and regret.

Her father slightly raised his hand in protest but eventually dropped it. "No, Ayame. It's my fault; I tricked you," he admitted.

"W-What?" she asked confused, taking a few steps back.

Hiruzen paid attention, and then Teuchi explained what those men had actually said, and how he had omitted and added information that day.

Ayame's knees trembled, and they could no longer hold her own weight, the reason why she fell to her knees, placing her palms on the floor.

The Sandaime approached the older cook. "I'm furious, Teuchi. So angry that I have a great desire of killing you..." the always loving and compressive third Hokage coldly spoke.

Teuchi bowed his head, and his daughter didn't even flinch because she was still in shock after hearing the revelation.

"But I can't and I shouldn't. However, how could you, Teuchi? You already had an idea of what his life was. How could you betray his trust?" he paused but didn't let him excuse himself.

"You're lucky that Naruto-kun is still alive. Otherwise, our reunion would have had a different outcome."

After mentioning that, Ayame stood up and walked to the Sandaime, grabbing his old hands desperately as she looked at him with a smile that reflected her desolation. "A-Alive? I-I saw the v-video, and people spoke as if he had died. I thought..." A torrent of tears ran down her cheeks.

A video? He had no idea that there was such a thing, but he didn't want to see something so unpleasant that would only increase his remorse and anger.

The Sarutobi could feel the guilt and regret in her words; her father had deceived her, so Hiruzen wasn't mad at her. "He... he is alive. But unfortunately, his injuries are irreversible, and there's nothing left of the child we saw a year ago."

"N-No, t-there m-must be another way. Surely H-Hokage-sama could ..." She tried to finish, but the serious voice and expression of Hiruzen stopped her.

"That won't be possible, and you better never mention Naruto-kun in front of the Hokage," he paused but didn't allow them to ask why.

"Now I'm leaving. Teuchi, I can see that your business is finally succeeding. I just want you to know that every penny you earn from now on will be stained with the blood of an innocent child."

Teuchi said nothing; he just bowed his head to hide his shame.

Hiruzen expected that; although there was a chance that he didn't act with malice, the damage was already done, and there was nothing he could do to amend it.

The Sandaime turned around and walked toward the exit, but Ayame gently grabbed one of his arms. He turned around and saw her filled tear eyes. "P-Please, S-Sandaime-sama let me see him. I would like to apologize."

He looked at her with a pained expression. "I'm sorry, Ayame. But don't ever get close to Naruto-kun. He isn't in the position of seeing anyone; I even think that it will be difficult for me to do it. I know you're sorry and feel you were deceived, but I fear what the reaction of Naruto-kun might be if he finds out you're there."

Ayame kept her head down, shedding those seemingly endless tears.

The Sarutobi saw her shaking and sobbing, so he put a hand on her shoulder. "We can only wait, Ayame, wait for Naruto-kun to get well, and then we'll see what he decides."

The young woman rubbed her swollen eyes and looked at the Sandaime before nodding her head.

Hiruzen looked at her father and gave a last look of disapproval before walking out.

The young cook also turned around, but toward her room. She looked at her father in the same way the Sandaime did and finally spoke with exhaustion. "I will go to rest."

Her father raised his hand to try to say something, but nothing he could say would comfort his daughter. He clenched his fists; he had been a fool; he believed that things would work out, but his greed had blinded him; the greed of a desperate man who had seen the light at the end of a tunnel.

Nevertheless, the price had been too high, and the consequences would be catastrophic, but this man couldn't know them yet.

Feeling like the worst human being in the world, he walked back to the counter to attend his customers; from now on, he would have to live with the guilt, and there was only one way of doing it: by accepting his actions.

He grabbed his chef's hat and returned to the stand, hearing the cheers of everyone after seeing him.

He forced a smile on his face and apologized for the delay. He grabbed some noodles to start cooking but stopped when he saw that Hiruzen was still standing at the counter.

"Sandaime-sama?" he asked.

He looked at the place where Hiruzen was staring at and saw two blond people in the crowd that quickly gave way due to their amazement. "Yondaime-sama..." They whispered as the Hokage stepped forward with his young son, who was sitting on his shoulders.

"Will we really eat a super delicious food in this place, Oto-chan?" the little boy asked.

"That's what I've heard, Menma. We'll find it out together," answered the father with a smile that rubbed off on his son and some people of the crowd.

He stood in front of the counter, and some people gave their seats so that they could sit down. There Minato noticed the incredulous expression of his predecessor. "Sandaime-sama," he just said before looking at Teuchi.

His son greeted him in a much more friendly way, and the senior man answered in the same way before focusing on his father. "What are you doing here, Minato?"

That man smiled and looked at the cook, who was trying to hide his nervousness. "I came to congratulate this kind man for his outstanding service to this community. What better way of doing it by providing my grain of sand by eating at this place?"

Everyone cheered with joy; Hiruzen was the only one who clenched his fists while Teuchi could only feel more embarrassment.

The sexagenarian man didn't want to make a scene just because Minato's youngest son was present, but those smiles, the laughter, and the congratulations boiled his blood.

His expression was no longer that of a peaceful and kind man, it was that of a Shinobi who was about to murder someone.

Those who could see it stepped back in fear, while an unfortunate person who couldn't see it approached him with a smile.

"Sandaime-sama, I see it. You were also deceiving the demon brat to make him drop his guard, haha. I knew it; there was no way that someone like you would be attached to that monster." He patted his shoulder a few times.

He looked at his companions in celebration, feeling surprised when seeing them stepping back and shaking their heads at him.

"Monster…?" the Sandaime asked in a whisper that transmitted all his accumulated anger.

This time, the unwary man stepped back while the old Hokage slowly turned towards him, finally revealing the expression that wasn't far from issuing smoke.

"Who is the monster?! Those who mock the suffering of an innocent child, or the one who did nothing wrong to deserve such treatment? The person whose only sin was his desire for acceptance? The only monsters here are all of you!" Breathing hard, he turned around and revealed the expression that reflected his hatred, but also despair because he wanted an answer, a logical response that could justify them.

However, he knew that his desire was absurd, so he ducked his head while carrying his hand over his chest. "Why can you not understand it? What do you need to understand that this child isn't responsible for your problems? When will you understand that he hasn't done anything wrong?" he spoke with great sadness.

It seemed that his words had reached to some of them. However, when one person said, "But he has fangs, Sandaime-sama."

Another one had joined him, adding, "I heard that he can devour your souls in your dreams."

Any sign of remorse had vanished with the following: "He surely did the same with Sandaime-sama."

Hiruzen couldn't believe their ignorance, or that the culprit ignored the situation as if he weren't present.

The Sandaime looked at his side and saw the confused eyes of the blond kid. He softened his expression as much as he could; he didn't want to scare him unnecessarily.

He finally looked at his successor, and he, knowing what was coming, mentally sighed. "Hokage-sama, I will make you responsible," Hiruzen stated.

He didn't insinuate anything else, which surprised the Yondaime, and with eyes that reflected that feeling, he watched his predecessor walking out.

When he left the restaurant, many people murmured the events while others the reasons for his behavior, drawing conclusions that only reflected their analytical capacity.

At that moment, Teuchi placed two steaming bowls of Ramen in front of the Namikazes, telling them to enjoy the meal while forcing a smile on his face.

The blue-eyed kid couldn't focus on the aromatic dish because of the curiosity he felt; he looked at his father, who had just grabbed his chopsticks.

"What's wrong with Ojii-san, Oto-chan?" the kid asked.

His father stopped and looked at him with a smile. "Don't worry, Menma-chan. We've played a joke on him, and now he's angry because of that. But he will get over it in a few days. Now eat if you want to grow strong and beat me when you're older."

He picked up some of his noodles and approached them to the face of his boy, who finally smiled and opened his mouth to accept his father's offer.

Father and son shared an unforgettable experience, one that they would share in the upcoming years, while the villagers would be a more than effective advertising for the chef of the emergent noodle restaurant.

Moments before – Sarutobi's Residence

Waking up and remembering; waking up and feeling; waking up and breathing.

It was a disgrace that his body told him no more and forced him to open his eyes.

He woke up as he did last night: staring into nothingness in silence.

Both ANBU observed him in silence as curiosity made them wonder what he was thinking about. They saw him sniffing the air, maybe because he was hungry. However, the child continued sniffing as he turned his head toward them.

Although both Shinobi knew that he couldn't see them, the kid continued staring at them with those useless yellow eyes, eyes that reflected an empty soul.

Naruto was using instinctively a skill he never thought he would have, his privileged senses. Now that he didn't have the senses that had always kept him on alert, his body and mind had taught him another way to continue surviving.

He could perceive aromas that he had never experienced before; he could hear the dripping tap of the kitchen's sink; the breathing of these men, and even the slow beat of their hearts.

Those were sensations that the old Naruto would have loved to experiment, but this empty shell didn't even flinch.

His intense gaze troubled both Shinobi, but they didn't say anything because Hiruzen told them not to engage in conversation.

"This is my grandpa's house, right?" This time they could feel something, and that was a slight, almost imperceptible, sarcasm.

He didn't do it because he knew that word, but because his dead voice had given that sensation.

They only watched, and the little one continued, "Can you help me? I need your help." The same tone from last night.

"Sorry, Naruto-san, but we can't help you with that. Please, wait for Sandaime-sama. He will talk to you soon," Saru replied.

Inu gave him a reproachful look for violating the order of his superior, although Saru couldn't see it because of his mask.

The boy stopped looking at them, just to look at his legs. "It's not that. I need to go to the bathroom, and since I can't feel my legs, I need you to help me out." The fact that he was unable to walk didn't seem to bother him because his voice didn't convey any feeling.

They could do that, and Inu approached the bed to help him out. He picked him up and walked toward the bathroom.

Saru waited at the entrance while his partner put the small child on the toilet for him to do his business.

Inu walked out and left the door open; he looked at his companion, who looked inside before looking forward.

After a few minutes, the boy said he was done. This time, Saru approached and wiped him clean. He was careful not to stain his bandages, but the truth was that he already needed new ones.

Naruto, though he couldn't see, felt the bandages. The Jinchūriki sensed that he needed new ones because he had been unconscious for several days.

For that reason, he stated, "I also want to take a bath, could you approach me to the tub?"

He had an idea; he wanted to try it out as he felt it was the solution to all of his problems.

"Sure, just let me help you to take off your bandages; I need to change them," the ANBU replied as he proceeded to remove the bandages.

His healing capability was certainly remarkable; only a few small wounds remained, which looked like they would heal soon. Unfortunately, Saru couldn't say the same about his eyes and legs; none presented changes.

He put the old bandages in the trashcan and headed for the tub to turn it on. Saru then left the bathroom and told his companion to bring the bandages that were in the kitchen. When Inu left, Saru returned and put Naruto in the tub.

The ANBU slowly put him in the water, taking care of not damaging his wounds. He soaked Naruto's head and grabbed the liquid soap.

The small child, knowing his intentions, spoke in a monotonous tone, "I would like to do this alone. If I'm not able to do it on my own, then it would be pointless to continue living." He turned his head to where he perceived the smell of the ANBU, who sighed sadly.

The boy managed to persuade him because the ANBU understood his reasoning; what this child needed now more than anything was confidence. "Okay, Naruto-kun. I'll be waiting out there, call me when you finish."

"Okay, sir. But could you please close the curtain? I don't like to be watched while I take a bath." He chuckled to convince the ANBU that there was nothing to worry about; he had made a decision and didn't intend to recant.

After seeing the slight symptom of emotional improvement, his concerns disappeared. Therefore, he messed up the boy's hair and replied as he stood up. "Okay, Naruto-kun. I'll be waiting outside, remember to call me when you finish."

He saw the boy nodding, and he took it as a sign to leave, closing the curtain as he promised.

Once the boy was alone, his face had changed. It was the time, and his only desire was to reach an end.

He closed his eyes, took a last breath before lying down in the water.

He would no longer agonize; his body would finally rest. His existence would no longer be a nuisance or an obstacle for anyone. Others would be happy, and him? He would finally get his much-desired peace.

The bubbles emerged from his mouth. The blue of the water slowly got lost. His conscious and everything faded away. There, drowning, he would put an end to his tale of woe.

The beast inside of him wouldn't let that this story reached an end so soon; he wouldn't allow him to take such a pointless decision.

He had noble intentions but not enough strength. Continuing and die, or stopping and wait. Neither option was favorable, a decision he had to take...

Unaware of the situation, Hiruzen opened the door of his home with exhaustion and walked to his room.

He entered depressed; his face, however, changed when seeing the emptiness on his bed.

His concern disappeared after seeing his ANBU standing guard in front of the bathroom's door.

He sighed in relief and got closer to them. "Is Naruto-kun there?"

"Yes, Sandaime-sama. He will call me at any moment. Why don't you sit over there?" Saru said, pointing to his chair.

Hiruzen shook his head. "No, I will take this opportunity to talk to him."

His subordinates didn't object and allowed him to pass. As he walked in, the nervousness invaded the senior man's heart, and the words wouldn't come to his mind.

He felt worried, for some reason. He couldn't understand why his heart was pumping so fast. He stood in front of the tub but couldn't find the strength to open the curtain.

He closed his eyes and shook his head; there was nothing to worry about, right? But then again, why was he so nervous? Was the lack of sound that would indicate that someone was there? Or that he couldn't see Naruto's shadow?

Unable to withstand the pressure, he opened the curtain in a pull. His eyes became watery, and his lips and legs quivered.

What did he need to do to stop these disastrous events?

The despair and bitterness made him scream so loud that his ANBU ran toward him.

They saw him there, clinging to the inert and wet body while tears of grief fell upon the child.

"What happened?" Saru asked scared, kneeling down to check his pulse. However, Hiruzen clung to him without intentions of letting him go.

"He's dead; he's dead!" he answered, unable to stop the tears.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Sandaime-sama. Let me see him." Saru tried to calm him down.

Hiruzen looked at the lifeless expression of Naruto, and Saru just needed a slight lessening in the strength of his embrace to grab the Jinchūriki and put him on the floor.

The Sandaime breathed slowly, feeling Inu's arm over his shoulder to convey him some strength. Both watched Saru doing his best to reanimate Naruto.

The Bijū had managed to keep him alive, luckily, at a not very high price. The problem would be that his regenerative ability would decrease in the coming months, but he would do his best to keep healing the child that drove him to help a human being.

After intense minutes, the kid coughed water, which calmed everyone.

Hiruzen walked with his knees to that place as the redheaded boy continued coughing. The Sandaime tried to pick him up, but Saru had turned him so that he wouldn't choke on the water he was expelling.

"Wait, Hokage-sama. It's almost done," Saru stated, patting Naruto's back.

The Sandaime thanked him in silence. The Jinchūriki, meanwhile, slowly stopped coughing, and in the same way, he opened his useless eyes.

Hiruzen's eyes got teary, and he got closer to pick him up. He was about to say something, but the small child looked at him and asked in a whisper, "Why are you doing this to me? Why do you hate me?" His voice still had a dead tone, but this time, it conveyed despair.

Hiruzen, shocked, saw him raising his right hand toward his face, but he had been unable to reach it as he had lost consciousness.

The Sandaime grabbed his hand before it could fall and carried it to his cheek as he stood up.

He turned around and walked to his bed while thinking. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry that this is happening to you. Please, let me correct my mistakes."

He was shaking, and tears filled his face; he didn't want to give up; he would try everything he could so that Naruto recovered all of his senses.

Even if Naruto came to hate him for the rest of his life, his love for him wouldn't decrease.

Four months later

Since the tragic event, no one had made the same mistake. It had been a wake-up call; they couldn't lower their guard again.

When Naruto had woken up, Hiruzen had tried to gain confidence, telling him that everything would be okay and that he had nothing to worry about. However, those eyes that once reflected a dead soul, now they didn't even reflect that.

He could only wait until Naruto decided to speak again, and he waited impatiently, almost to the point of not sleeping. His ANBU had told him to rest, but Hiruzen didn't want to leave the boy alone.

He had taken care of almost everything, except for his injuries; Saru had always been responsible.

Since Naruto had remained silent all this time, Hiruzen had no choice but to wait. The thought that his state was irreversible distressed him greatly.

During the subsequent weeks, the Sandaime noticed that a red cloak surrounded the little boy during nights. The fear had almost made him conclude something absurd.

Neither he nor his ANBU had said anything about it and just waited until the next day to investigate what that phenomenon was.

Stunned, they discovered that Naruto's wounds had almost healed, except for the most severe ones, but these also showed improvements.

The senior man felt hopeful, which made the days more bearable.

Sarutobi informed Naruto about these improvements, but as always, there was no reaction. He didn't give up and always tried to start a conversation.

He spoke of trivial and even serious things, precisely, about his days as a young Shinobi. There had never been any reaction, yet Hiruzen didn't give up.

In the second month, he tried to teach Naruto how to use his other senses; he also took the chance to see if his legs showed improvements.

It had been a difficult task because the boy's body had had the consistency of a paper. However, Hiruzen and his ANBU had managed to put Naruto firm after much insistence.

Nevertheless, from paper, he turned into stone; he was so rigid that they couldn't believe he was a four-year-old child. Due to this new inconvenient, they noticed that his legs had some strength.

After a while, Naruto yielded in, and they were able to make him take his first steps. They stopped when he started walking on his own.

The Jinchūriki struggled a lot but thanks to everyone's efforts, he could now go to the bathroom alone, though they didn't leave him alone.

In the third month, Saru said that Naruto was already able to perceive colors with his eyes. In addition to this improvement, his expression was no longer that of a dead person, he rather had a neutral one, of a person who would rather shrug to events of life.

They were ignorant of his new emerging feelings, feelings that he found strange.

Despite the improvements, Naruto didn't open his mouth. His routine summed up in waking up and staying in bed until he felt the need of going to the bathroom.

Another day had arrived; the sun was shining; the villagers were happy for not seeing whom they considered a pest; the Shinobis and traders came in and out to perform their activities; Hiruzen was in his room sitting in his chair and Naruto was awake in the bed. Today looked just like any other day.

However, there was something different, but the Sandaime couldn't tell what it was. He looked around before looking at Naruto, finding nothing strange.

The old Hokage stood up from his chair, walked to the window and looked at the street, wondering if at least one of the villagers felt sorry for what had happened to Naruto. Knowing the answer, he turned around and returned to his seat.

It was then when he noticed something different; he saw Naruto ducking his head. For the first time in four months, he wasn't staring into the nothingness.

Feeling emotion and curiosity, Hiruzen came closer to investigate this unusual behavior. Once he was close, he saw Naruto clenching his fists as small drops of tears fell upon them.

Samirade - Naruto OST

He sat beside him and tried to approach his hand on his shoulder. Before he could, Naruto raised his head and looked at him with teary eyes. "Why?"

"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?" The Sandaime asked as he tried to bring his hand closer, but Naruto lowered his head again.

"Why me?" The boy clutched the blankets and trembled as he raised his head. "All my life, all I wanted was someone who could understand me, who could love me, who could wake me up with a smile and could tuck me in bed at night. I just wanted a normal life..."

Hiruzen gave him a hug and stroked his hair as he felt him trembling. The kid didn't reject the touch; he just added, "I just got the opposite. My wishes and my own existence were always stomped. But I didn't give up. I waited patiently, wanting to find a person who would dedicate me a disinterested smile."

His broken voice had made it hard to pronounce those words, but Hiruzen could understand him clearly, and he was carried away by the feelings of sadness that his speech conveyed.

"Then I met you. You came to my life, and I thought you'd give me what I had craved to find. I believed it, and it made me happy."

Hiruzen guessed what was coming; fearful, he clung to the embrace.

"But I was wrong; it had been a cruel lie. And it was my fault; I was a fool for trusting in other people."

Hiruzen shook his head. "That's not true, Naruto-kun. It wasn't your fault." He separated slightly as he watched him lowering his head. "You are special to me," the Sandaime finished with a warm smile, one that faded away when Naruto looked up and reflected an unprecedented glow in his eyes.

"Then why did you leave me?!" he exclaimed with an intense gaze as he teared up, driving out the feelings of frustration, doubt, and despair that had haunted him since then.

A bitter memory, a harsh reality; Hiruzen knew it, but he had tried not to mention it. But then again, he didn't experience that suffering.

What could he say? He couldn't talk about the Yondaime's decisions; that would only make things worse. He hid his head; he didn't want to meet his eyes.

Hiruzen didn't want to show the expression that perhaps would reflect his innocence. He would take the blame even if he obtained what he feared the most: his hatred.

As there was no response, Naruto continued, "I just wanted you to be with me, I didn't want anything else!"

The Sandaime was heartbroken; that sad expression, such painful words, but above all, those eyes that now reflected how neglected he felt.

It had been a transient expression as Naruto's sharp gaze returned. "I tried; I tried to do what you told me. I tried to be someone better to make my mother proud. I tried to wait for my father's return. But for what? Just to get this!" he exclaimed, showing his scars.

Hiruzen remained silent; Naruto needed to vent, and the Sandaime was willing to listen to whatever he had to say.

Naruto lowered his head, clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth tightly. "My father fled when he learned I would be born, and my mother wanted to die instead of raising me. And you..."

Hiruzen's face reflected his disagreement, though his lips remained sealed.

The boy lowered his head and continued, "And you knew this. For that reason, you came to me; you also wanted to deceive me just like everyone else."

He raised his head and looked at Hiruzen with an expression that confirmed his fears. "And despite that, you snatched me the opportunity of getting rid of all this suffering. You took away from me the only important decision I made in my life."

The tears had stopped; his face had wrinkled, and his nose and lips were twitching. Indeed, it was the face of a person filled with hatred.

"I hate this...," he whispered through gritted teeth, repeating the word that had been echoing in his head for months, and for some reason, he felt that it was the proper word to describe what he currently felt.

His face was becoming darker; his eyes had turned redder; his hair was bristling, and his fangs had lengthened. "I hate this damn place; I hate everyone in this damned place. Someday I will become stronger, and when I do it, everyone will pay, even you."

"Naruto-kun, I...," he tried to say something but stopped when Naruto stood up.

"I want to leave this place! Just as they hurt me, I want to hurt them as well! I wish I had enough strength to get rid of everything that bothers me. I want to get rid of this thing over here." He took his hand over his chest and pressed it, and this time, he didn't have a painful expression, rather a hateful one that kept increasing.

"And the only way of achieving that is by making them experience the same they made me suffer; that's the only way I will have peace!" The air's pressure turned heavy, and it was getting hard to breathe.

Although the small child didn't notice it, he was releasing some of the evil Chakra that resided within him, and the concern in those present was evident.

Hiruzen subtly looked at his ANBU, making a signal to be on alert, but only to stop Naruto from doing anything that would complicate his situation.

However, that signal confused the furious Jinchūriki, who felt that his deductions were correct. "I knew it! You are just like everyone else!"

Hiruzen looked at him with a sad expression, but his surprise was great when the Jinchūriki jumped out of bed and ran toward the door. "Naruto-kun, wait!" he exclaimed, standing up and stretching out his hand.

The boy reached for the doorknob, and when he was about to open it, both ANBU held him.

"Let me go! I'm right! You all will have to pay! I hate you! I hate you all!" he screamed as he writhed in their arms, doing his best to get away from everything that was bothering him.

The senior man carefully approached in an attempt to give him a hug, but Naruto didn't stay still, and what was worse, his anger kept increasing, to the point where red Chakra started to emanate from his body. "I will kill you all; I swear it! I will kill you all." His voice was erratic, almost diabolical.

Hiruzen could only visualize the worst-case scenario, and that included Minato becoming aware of this situation. In a moment of desperation, the Sandaime had no choice but to knock him unconscious by applying a pressure point.

When the boy was quiet, Inu approached him to the bed while Saru looked at his boss with a questioning expression. "What will you do, Sandaime-sama? It's obvious that Naruto-kun is very upset, and if Hokage-sama finds out about this, I don't believe that things will look good for him." He looked at the bed and was surprised to see his grimace of hatred despite being unconscious.

The white-haired man looked over there too, and after sighing, he replied, "What he doesn't want to do anymore: wait."

There was nothing else he could do, at least for now. He could only wait until things calmed down, but above all, pray that they didn't get worse.

Two and a half years later

Waiting for something positive had been fruitless since the Yondaime had appeared along with his ANBU at the Sarutobi's residence that afternoon; they went to investigate the sudden peak of evil Chakra.

Hiruzen convinced him that it had just been Naruto's regenerative capability after telling him about his wounds. It had been a risky move; one that had cost him Naruto's permanence in his home, but Sarutobi preferred that outcome over Minato knowing that the Chakra had reacted to the child's feelings.

That Chakra had worried Minato because it made him believe that he couldn't extract all of the Kyūbi's power. The fact that it was his healing capability reassured him. He knew that the 'demon' wouldn't die so easily.

The Yondaime then said that Naruto had to leave the place immediately, although he gave the boy time to wake up; he also allowed the Sandaime's ANBU to look after the Jinchūriki from now on.

Minato ordered that because he knew Hiruzen was right, he couldn't allow this to happen again. He could tolerate a few hits, but torture was unacceptable, just because Menma would be in danger if 'he' were to die.

When they left, the Sandaime almost begged Saru to do his best to protect Naruto. He didn't need to say it, but the Sandaime wanted to be sure.

When Naruto had woken up, the white-haired man gave him the news. The kid had no reaction and just walked out of the building.

Hiruzen would have wanted a more emotional farewell, but Naruto's mood would have made it impossible.

Over the course of the weeks, the villagers found out about the return of the 'demon brat'. This time, it had been much harder to find him because of his enhanced senses, and especially because Saru always followed him.

The next months were quiet; Naruto had learned how to avoid the villagers, and now he didn't mind stealing food.

They caught and beaten him a few times, but Saru had always intervened in time.

He never thanked him, and Saru didn't expect it; both just continued their routines.

The months passed and things seemed to improve; Naruto no longer looked so angry, and attacks had decreased significantly.

However, they were ignorant of the dark plans of a man who had been living most of his adult life on an underground base.

Another anniversary of the Kyūbi's defeat approached, and on that day, that man would carry out his long-awaited plan.

He had discussed with the Yondaime on several occasions without positive results. However, after telling him about the results of his special training, he convinced the Hokage.

Even though it was risky that the 'demon' received ninja training, having him as an unfeeling weapon that would obey any order without objection was something appealing.

When that day had come, Danzō sent Fu and Torune. The first one had to locate the Jinchūriki and the latter had to take care of the Sandaime's ANBU.

Once they obtained their locations, Fu left everything in Torune's hands. His task wasn't difficult since Saru never expected something like that, and the Aburame stealthily attacked him with his parasites before disposing of his body.

Since Saru had rescued Naruto repeatedly, the Jinchūriki had unconsciously believed that he would always be there to protect him, and for that reason, he didn't notice the moment when he had gotten into the crowd of people that were celebrating the Yondaime's victory.

Once the 'hunting' finished and the Aburame had taken Naruto to his new 'home,' the adaptation and training of the young Jinchūriki had begun.

The first months were hard since Danzō wanted to be sure that Naruto wouldn't yield to pain, but he didn't need to try that much since the Jinchūriki had already experienced plenty of that in past months.

Kurama got used to his new power, and for that reason, his healing ability had improved to the point where he could get rid of those scars that reminded them of the bitter past.

Naruto, already used to this new place, had taken advantage of his exits, experiencing everything he had learned, from ninja techniques to those feelings that continued obscuring his cold heart.

The years passed, and the tender kid was long gone, being replaced by the cold and unscrupulous person who now called himself 'Oni.'

His instability was such that his companions no longer wished to go on missions with him. Danzō asked for the reason for his behavior and discovered his desire of killing the 'three heroes of Konoha.'

The Root leader had obtained the relevant information on them and had given it to Naruto.

After killing those men and explaining Danzō why he murdered his acolytes, the redheaded boy felt calmer. However, his 'peace' only lasted a few days, and his instability had returned.

This time it had been worse, to the point where the little one had killed several of his unfortunate companions due to the murderous fury, the bloodlust, and above all, the resentment that came afloat.

This time, Danzō couldn't ask what was bothering him because Naruto had left the Root base without notice. Following him would have been unsuccessful because that child hid his presence better than any master could.

The Root leader was a bit worried but he knew that his 'jewel' wouldn't do anything too reckless, or so he hoped.

It was around three in the morning when Naruto left the base, heading for the place where he experienced the harsh reality. He didn't plan it; he acted impulsively because his patience had reached its limit.

He landed on the roof of a two-story house, sneaking inside when feeling an unwanted presence. He walked down the hall of the second floor, heading for the room that was next to the main one.

He waited outside the door, listening to the slow heartbeats and the gentle breathing of the person in the bedroom. Moments of peace meant moments of weakness, and for that reason, the Jinchūriki smiled darkly.

He slowly opened the door and activated his Rinnegan as he walked inside, carrying his hand to the person's head. "Ningendō," he thought and yanked the soul out of his body, gently placing the corpse on the floor not to make noise.

"You're an idiot, and did you call yourself an ANBU?" He glanced at Inu's body, laughing so obscurely that his tenant laughed alike.

He continued his line of thought with a serious expression. "Now, dear 'grandpa,' it's time that your 'illness' sends you to a better place." He gave such a twisted smile that Kurama was frankly impressed.

Naruto slowly entered the next room, enjoying the moment that would finally give him some peace.

"So quiet, so serene, so peaceful. The judgment day has arrived, oh great Sandaime-sama," he thought with a smile, looking at the sleeping face of the old man in the bed.

He put his hand on his head and held it firmly, activating his Rinnegan and whispering the words: "Ningendō."

A twisted smile crossed his face as he began with the extraction of his soul, a smile that reflected his state of pure ecstasy, but one that changed as images bombarded his brain.

Although he didn't extract his soul yet, Naruto could see the memories of those affected when making contact.

He had seen it everything; from the night of the Kyūbi's attack to the constant clashes with his 'father'.

Naruto immediately pulled his hand away, overwhelmed by the information that had changed almost everything. His troubled mind couldn't process it well. Did he judge the Sandaime wrongly? Did he hate the wrong person?

He shook his head, feeling something he had never felt before and that was hard to explain..., regret.

He didn't know that word, and therefore it was hard for him to describe what he was feeling. He stepped back; it had been a bad idea, and he had almost made a grave mistake.

He turned toward the door, but something had grabbed his right hand, forcing him to turn around.

"Who are you?" the quiet voice of the Sandaime asked, looking at the child with the strange mask. There was no danger or suspicion in the tone of his voice, curiosity only.

That quiet voice brought back good memories, memories that brought back buried feelings that he thought he would no longer experience.

A curious feeling surrounded Hiruzen; there was something in this child—whom he identified as an ANBU of the Root—that made him feel excited. He approached his other hand to the edge of his mask, but the boy had turned his head to avoid the revelation of his identity.

The Sarutobi smiled at the kid's nervousness; maybe this one was different from the rest of Danzō's ANBU. "Come on; I won't hurt you. Did Danzō send you?" He continued smiling, bringing his hand to his mask again.

"Please don't do it..." he heard the whispering and broken voice of that child. The boy was feeling weak, and he didn't want anyone to see him like this after everything he had endured.

Hiruzen stopped his hand, freezing and gulping due to the familiar voice. His hands trembled and his eyes teared up. "Naruto-kun?" he asked with excitement.

"Please don't do it..." It was the plea of a confused and fearful child.

This time he didn't look away, nor did he try to stop him because those forgotten feelings prevented him from doing so.

His old and trembling fingers touched the edge of his mask, raising it slowly to avoid a sudden approach.

Just then, his eyes made contact with those vulnerable red eyes that seemed to be on the verge of tears.

The Sandaime gave a warm smile and the boy's lips trembled with emotion. Inevitably, Naruto lunged at him with open arms as he shouted: "Grandpa."

The Sandaime opened his arms as well and closed them in an embrace when the child wrapped his arms around his back.

Kurama watched the interaction with interest, and though he wouldn't admit it, with some happiness when hearing Naruto's cries of joy and regret.

Hiruzen didn't know the reason for those remorseful tears, but he could only be thankful for this long-awaited meeting.

He ruffled the hair of the child, who hid his face on his shirt and soaked it because of all the tears that he had held back for years.

Naruto looked up and spoke in a trembling voice. "I didn't know it. I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

The Sarutobi shook his head. "You don't have to apologize, Naruto-kun. I should do it. If I had been more persistent, you would have never fallen into Danzō's hands and he would have never sent you to do whatever you have come to do today." He sensed that Danzō had sent Naruto to assassinate him.

The red-haired kid looked up and reflected guilt. "No, Danzō had nothing to do with this; it was my decision. I almost killed you; I almost made a great mistake."

He hid his face, and the Sandaime smiled. "You don't have to worry, Naruto-kun. Regardless of the reason for your decision, you've reconsidered it, and that makes my old heart very happy."

His tender words made Naruto tremble; he didn't deserve it; he had hated him like no other, to the only person—in this damned world—who had always acknowledged him. The Uzumaki didn't feel it was fair; he believed he had to pay some price.

He told him everything he had done in recent years because nothing else crossed his mind; even the smallest detail.

Hiruzen was visibly surprised and incredulous. He couldn't believe that this vulnerable child was capable of committing such atrocities, but the tone of his voice didn't leave room for doubts.

"And I couldn't help it; I wanted to kill you because I thought you were just like everyone else. But I was wrong; it was all because of my bastard father." His voice filled with hatred and his expression reflected it.

Hiruzen couldn't see it because of his shocked state. "Y-Your father?" he nervously asked, not wanting to believe it, but it seemed that he had discovered the truth.

Naruto raised his head, and the senior man finally saw the look of hatred. "The Yondaime Hokage, the bastard whom I will kill with my bare hands, but not before killing his beloved son, only to see the despair on his face when the 'demon' snatches the most precious thing in his life."

The old Hokage sighed sadly. What could he do? He feared that his words could ruin this meeting; he feared that Naruto could hate him again.

Maybe it was hypocritical and irresponsible, but Hiruzen was tired; he no longer wanted to continue fighting for Minato. He would let time resolve the problems between them; he would just wait.

"I will not interfere with your desires, Naruto-kun. I just hope that you change your mind when you grow up. But if you don't, I will not blame you; the choice is yours." He hugged him, and the Jinchūriki returned it.

They remained in that position for several seconds, enjoying the contact that perhaps would be the last one. None of them spoke a word during that time.

Naruto, however, thought, "At least I know the truth, Grandpa. But I'm sorry; I can't let you know what happened here."

Kurama remained silent; he wouldn't interfere with his decision.

They finally separated, and as they both knew that things wouldn't return as they were before, they stared at each other, or at least until Naruto spoke, "Grandpa, will you carry me on your shoulders one last time?"

"Of course, Naruto-kun," he answered, placing his hands on his armpits and raising him to put him there.

Hiruzen walked around his room, remembering the day when they met. The old man's eyes became teary, knowing that this would be the last time they would do something like this.

Naruto would return to Root, and he would continue with his quiet and boring life, ignoring the fact that this child would return to the place where he should never have been.

He knew what Danzō had done to put his hands on him, and although he was furious, the Sandaime found out that the Yondaime supported the actions of his former teammate. There was nothing he could do about it; however, he was happy because Naruto was okay, healthy, strong, and above all, happy, although the last one only because of the recent events.

He was curious about how Naruto found out that Minato was his father; perhaps Danzō had told him, but he doubted that was the case. He wouldn't ask; he thought it would be better not to know it.

He walked in silence but stopped when he felt tears falling on his head. He looked up and saw Naruto closing his eyes tightly as he showed a face of regret.

The Sandaime smiled, and when he was about to tell him not to worry about anything, the boy spoke, "Sorry, grandpa, but I have to do this." He placed both hands on his head and revealed those eyes that made Hiruzen shudder.

"Rinnegan," the Sandaime whispered in awe as his body became stiff and his eyes lost their glow.

Naruto was inside Hiruzen's mind, collecting and destroying fragments of his memory, precisely, the recent events and the days at his home after the torture.

The Uzumaki didn't want that those memories continued tormenting him; he knew it would be the best decision, mainly for Hiruzen's health.

Naruto didn't want to erase all the memories he had of him, only the bad ones that both had experienced.

When he had destroyed all those painful memories, he pulled his hand away and deactivated the Rinnegan.

Hiruzen fell, and Naruto spun in the air and caught him before he could hit the ground, creating a shadow clone to take the old Hokage to his bed.

After tucking him on the bed, the clone disappeared and the original stared at the senior man as he thought. "You said that I should wait for the return of my Oto-chan, but the truth is that he had always been here, and that person has always been you, Oto-chan."

He turned around and picked up his mask to put it on before walking out.

"Hmm, does this mean that you no longer seek revenge?" There were doubt and disappointment in the Bijū's voice.

Naruto stopped just when he touched the doorknob. "Don't make me laugh, Kurama."

He said nothing else and went to Inu's room to get rid of his body before returning to the base.

His ideas wouldn't change; he wouldn't return to his old self. The only thing that changed was his opinion regarding his 'Oto-chan,' and what he would do with him once the decisive moment arrived.

Notes:

I'm sorry for the delay, I had the chapter ready since March of 2017, but I couldn't publish it because my former Beta Reader had some problems. Someone else helped me and I could finally publish it. However, this person won't be able to revise the next chapter, that's why I will need someone else's help.

If you are interested, please send me a PM. I will also publish a "chapter" asking for a Beta Reader. I will delete it when I publish the new chapter (40).

Oh, the next chapter is also ready, it just needs to be revised.

Okay, now the notes.

Quite an extensive Omake in which I took the opportunity to explain several things that would be necessary for future chapters.

We saw Naruto's life; we could see that he was someone 'normal,' but Minato's decisions corrupted him.

Although Hiruzen tried to avoid all of this, he was no match for Minato, and if they had fought, that would have put Naruto in danger.

Regarding Ayame, she had nothing to do with what happened. Well, her father deceived her and for that reason, she collaborated. I have some plans for her (which aren't bad), but that doesn't mean she'll be in the Harem.

In the end, Naruto erased some of Hiruzen's memories, but only those that had marked him the most (Naruto's suicide attempt; his statement to destroy Konoha. The confrontation with Minato at the Hokage Tower, etc.). Besides that, Naruto saw nothing else because he didn't delve that much into his memories.

One last thing, I just finished writing the prologue of a new fanfic, it's a crossover between Boku no Hero Academia and Naruto. I shouldn't have written it because I have two other fanfics, but I really liked that anime and there were ideas I couldn't pull off my head.

It's on My Hero Academia's world, and Naruto is obviously there (he won't replace Izuku Midoriya).

I said that I finished writing the prologue, but I didn't start translating it yet. So if any of you is interested in helping me with this project, please send me a PM stating that you want to be a beta for this story.

Don't forget that I also need a beta reader for A Demon in the Shadows (please state in your messages which one you want to beta read).

That's all! Until the next time.