It was a scene witnessed many times before, a family of ninja in their clans training ground the mother, Kushina and her children Mito and Menma all red headed wonders, the father Minato, a sunshine blonde. the family celebrating after the son finally completed a relatively hard jutsu for his age. This scene would had been perfect if not for the forgotten onlooker witnessing it. Naruto, the forgotten black sheep of the family, bitterly looked on from his bedroom window at the display. scoffing he wrote a note stuck it on his door and left the house.
Naruto had given up on his parent training him, he was 8 now, he'd been asking to train with them for 4 years now. It always went the same way he would ask to join his siblings, his parents would say later, (which never came) he would push the issue, they would get 'headaches' then he would be sent to his room. So Naruto trained on his own now, stealing scrolls and books from his parents library and teaching him self.
He had just reached his favorite training field in the village. He laid down on the grass and watched the clouds, to calm down angry that his parents payed more attention to his siblings than to him. Unbeknownst to him, of the triplets, his siblings held the yin and yang half of the nine tailed fox. He was just told his siblings had a condition that made it so they had a harder time than an Uzumaki's already hard time controlling chakra so they needed the extra time. at first he bought that, but as the years went on what his parents said and his experiences didn't line up. if it were only ninjutsu training it would be one thing or even just training, but it wasn't. It was EVERYTHING. all his toys were second hand, all his clothes while new, were copies of what Menma asked for. He hated the dark red jackets he got they couldn't even get him his favorite orange color. If he and his siblings got in a fight, he was somehow punished even if he didn't start it. Naruto wasn't asked to join in on family outings and events, he wasn't outright barred but often left behind and never invited. If Naruto was home late enough coming home he was locked out by 'accident'. Just like when his meals were skipped it was all an 'accident'. Sure and his parents convenient headaches whenever Naruto tried to train, or get fair treatment or their attention were so absolutely real. And Hashirama delivers presents too all the good little girls and boy every rinne-festivle.
Those headaches bothered Naruto though, almost scared him. Because of the possibility they were real, then just him being around his parents strained them. Naruto thought back to those times, when he would insist on trying to be part of the family or that he didn't pull that prank that had Mito smirking. His parents would start out with an outright refusal or dismissal of him and then he would fight back arguing his point. Slowly over the course of the argument his parents would start rubbing their temples or making small grunt of pain. Then silently the pain would seem to explode with his parents grasping their headband moaning, then they would look at Naruto either with a determined gaze as if they were leading a battle where they would agree with Naruto or an ice cold almost emotionless gaze and simply cast him aside. Naruto got up. He didn't feel like training anymore. He headed towards the sarotobi woods at the perimeter of the village.
He was behind his siblings of course, he knew that. While most things in a ninjas career can be self taught, everything is taught better with a teacher. Take tai-jutsu for example, while you can learn stances punches kicks and katas out of a scroll, without a the trained eyes of a master you are bound to make create bad habits and make mistakes that you wouldn't even notice. And that is death for a ninja. So Naruto just focuses on what he knows from eavesdropping on his siblings lessons what is best to learn no teacher, chakra control, sensory and fuinjutsu theory. If he has time Naruto then tries to practice some ninjutsu and tai-jutsu now that he was in the academy had had a small basis to learn. Secretly from his parents scrolls he learnt ;
2 e rank techniques: the transformation and replacement jutsu. Bread and butter for any ninja, that's why they learnt it at the academy.
2 c rank, wind and water bullets the only thong he could do without much help
The only b rank ninjutsu he learnt was the shadow clone jutsu, because he knows he will never be able to do a normal clone.
His siblings could do all that and more. When they preformed their jutsu they were more effective with less chakra. It made Naruto bitter. He sighed, it was Saturday, tomorrow was Sunday then school would start again.
The academy was a blessing and a curse. Blessing because he was able to learn and practice what his parents didn't teach him, a curse because of the rivalrys and attention it brought on him. On the first day of school tried to go all out but compared to his siblings he was left in the dust. However Menma upon seeing Naruto's self taught ninjutsu decided they were rivals, blurting out how he wasn't taught by his parents and how cool it was he learnt those techniques by himself. (earning him praise from other clan head and kids watching him) Then challenged him to a fight. Naruto agreed losing but not by much, impressive for a kid with no formal training and no tai-jutsu knowledge. Soon other clan and non clan ninja kids challenged him some wanting to see his skill others thinking it would be an easy win on a kage's kid for bragging rites. Naruto stopped accepting challenges soon after because they happened daily and with almost no regard for his own condition, and refused any attempts at rivalry with an icy venom, even his brother's. Most civilian kids in the ninja academy were too afraid to challenge him though. They did something worse, crowding around him as fans and minions, fake friends that tried used him for status or their own reasons. Naruto saw through that and avoided them. Getting angrier he decided to run through the trees trying to get his mind off his parents and siblings for now.
reaching the end of the woods Naruto found the wooden perimeter of the village and the small hole covered up by rotting wood. a security issue no-one noticed. Peeling off the wooden barriers Naruto entered the forrest outside the village. He started walking down the woodlands trying to calm himself. Naruto wandered deeper and deeper into the forrest, he knew his parents wouldn't search for him until it class started next week.
Thats why he left the note. He tested these things out before if he left without saying anything he could come back tomorrow and his parents wouldn't notice. if he left a note on his door or in the kitchen, he could leave for about a weekend with out his parents caring. He did lots of these tests before to push his boundaries too see what could make his parents care.
He used to be a top mark student, like his siblings. In the first year of ninja academy he put effort in to take notes and be an active part of class all 3 triplets came home with perfect marks. His siblings got enthusiastic praise he got a "thats nice I'm proud of you." Ironically if he didn't see how they got treated he would have been overcome with joy. But he did. So he was hurt. The next school year he failed purposely leaving blank tests and purposely missing targets and stepping out of the ring in fights. the only reaction he got was annoyed dismissal and some rude remarks instead of the passive one before. Like he didn't go from top marks down to as close to a 0% grade as you could get. In one year. Then he tried going for half marks. answering only half the questions and missing only half targets. he got the same result from his parents and a lot of mother hening from Iruka-sensei. He laughed, he studied harder to fail and get half right then to pass. But the result (that mattered to him) was the same. This year was the snide remark-prank Cold War.
In order to get attention from his parents he started making pranks around their comments. One example was when he had to do a report on the hokage but handed a blank one, Minato snarked "don't know anything about the leader of your own village?" Then in response Naruto painted the hokage he didn't just deface it like a normal prank, after witnessing what he did some considered it a tribute and almost wanted to make it permeant.
On Hashirama and His fathers face he painted their signature sage modes.
Under Tobirama he listed all the jutsu he created
Under Hiruzen he listed some major battles he fought in and led.
It was this public display that clued in the adults in to what was going on. Naruto was seeking his Parents attention. The clan heads after witnessing the prank sadly shook their heads for they didn't think he would get it. For ninja are a superstitious lot. And due to the events of Naruto' and his Siblings birth they believe that it was stolen from him forever. For when Naruto and his siblings were born a masked man claiming to be Madara Uchiha attacked and Released the Ninetails sealed within Kushina this in order to seal the beast Minato was going to sacrifice is own life. But Hiruzen had stepped in using the reaper death seal to split the fox and seal it within his siblings. In Minato's stead. Because of the fact that Minato was halfway though the Handseals to summon the Shinigami the villagers including the shinobi and even Minato and Kushina themselves thought that they were cursed by the Shinigami. Because a mortal does not even attempt to summon a god with no consequence. In order to not shatter the young childrens heart and so they didn't blame them selves this was kept a secret only to the shinobi council.
The truth was quite different though. If anyone knew the truth a certain Mummy and Snake would be dead in the Most brutal of ways. For after the fox was sealed, Kushina and Minato were being treated in a hospital. During this time, As soon as Danzo saw Hiruzen had sacrificed himself he was emboldened to do many things he would have not done out of respect for his fallen friend. respect he did not have for Minato. Danzo deciding to use one of many plans he had to take advantage of any tragedy that may have occurred had his root ninja infiltrate the hospital as medical nin. One approached the fourth hokage with a scroll containing Kishō Tensei, the One's Own Life Reincarnation jutsu stolen from Suna on Danzo's orders. The disguised root agent took advantage of Minato's grief and offered to preform it on his dying wife. Minato agreed giving the doctor and a small team access to an unconscious, dying Kushina. Once there the Root doctors preformed the technique while also put a forbidden seal on the Woman. This seal was created by Orochimaru and given to Danzo in their partnership. The seal was know as the Hidden Mind Override Seal, a predecessor to both the cursed heaven and earth seals and also the Living Corpse Reincarnation jutsu.
It works by infusing part of a donor's (it doesn't have to be the one who preforms the jutsu) DNA and chakra into the seal then placing the seal on a victim. The seal will slowly override the thought process and mind of the victim till it becomes more similar if not identical to that of the donor's. It also did not show up as a visible seal, it was completely invisible and almost undetectable unless it came into contact with chakra from the donor's or the cloaking components of the seal were destroyed. This seal was next put on Minato when he was knocked unconscious by the Root doctors offering him a spiked drink. Most thought it was the stress of the night that made him pass out. Fortunately for the village Minato and Kushina were strong enough to resist the effects of the seal though effort, thinking they were resisting a curse of a god of the dead.
Although Naruto did not see it this seal also effected Minato and Kushina at work when in the office as Hokage and Uzumaki clan head the seal was too weak to ever fully take control of the two parents but they were constantly fighting off its personality warping effects giving them migraines. Why did this seal not affect how they treated Menma and Mito? Simple; it did, although in different ways. The the training the two kids got was extremely rough. Before they entered the academy the two siblings had daily 10 hour training sessions that made Might Guy's look like a daycare. carefully crafted in such a way to look harmless and fun to outsider it was brutal to those who had to go through it. Now that the children were in the academy the training was 5 hours on school days and the full ten on off days.
Shaking his head from the thoughts "why can't I get my mind off my family today?" Naruto reached a three way a fork in the road. The left most path led to the main road on to the land of fire. The right most path led to another fork in the road where Naruto was going to head. with his secret tree house by a grotto on one path and an abandoned training ground on the other. But Naruto felt pulled to the center path as if someone was calling him. While he didn't hear any words his his head filled with a voice "I feel your pain too come to me and I will help you." hesitantly Naruto walked down the center path.
As he walked the feeling was getting stronger with every step the calling. He didn't know why he walked down this path all that was down there was an abandoned temple, one that had not seen use since the warring states period. Naruto tried to use his sensory abilities to see what was calling him. He felt 16 powerful energies flowing from the shrine in its dilapidated state. As he passed through the Torii gates and climbed the stairs to the shrine Naruto he weren't practically estranged from his siblings he would think about showing this place to them.
The three used to have a great relationship with each other, Naruto and his younger siblings, the fire triplets. They would go anywhere together and they always had each others backs. Then the training started. At 4 years old, for 10 hours each day naruto was left alone while his Mother and Father 'doted' on his siblings Every Single Day. At first he was ok with it, they have a 'condition' they need a head start, ill join them soon. But he never did. Days, weeks, months he waited he never joined them he was never allowed. It hurt but he was never bitter about it. He still took every chance he got to be around his siblings. Then the year turned and his birthday came. Mito and Menma got shiny new toys training shuriken and kunai. fluffy plushies of frogs and foxes slugs and tankui. He recognized all his presents from the bins in the attic. When the clan heads brought toys for everyone they all shiny new gifts. but if the Kyubi duo wanted something of Naruto's he was forced to share when asked if he had to share his parents stayed silent. He didn't want to play anymore that night. Then mito blamed a prank on him. Mito was the only one with a paint set but of course his parents believed her. He gave his sister some space for a whole day. Then Naruto got into a fight with Menma he was all beaten and bruised Menma only one. Naruto was scolded he didn't even start punching. he avoided his brother for a week. soon Naruto barley was around his siblings outside of school. And even then they didn't talk much in it. Naruto avoided them as much as he could even if that meant he didn't really get to talk with the other kids. He only had acquaintances not any true friends.
His siblings took Naruto's avoidance differently. Menma refused to accept it at first trying to force Naruto to hangout with him and his sister. He outright refused every time. This only stopped when Menma tried challenging naruto to a fight when his parents weren't home. "Naruto lets have a duel if I win you have to hang out with me and Mito for all day at school tomorrow."
"You and Mito are already Tou-san and Kaa-sans favorites stop trying to prove you better then me you don't have to." Naruto said not even looking up from his book.
"Whaa! Nar-! That not what this is- T-thats not even tr-" Menma tried to exclaim before Naruto got up grabbed his shoulder and pulled him close.
"How many times have they forgotten to feed YOU dinner?" Naruto whispered through gritted teeth. Menma sat there stunned. Naruto just left the house and did not return until the next morning. After then Menma tried talking to Jiraiya about what Naruto said afterwards he said to give Naruto some space, but never stop trying let Naruto know he was there for him, that his family loved him and he will come around eventually.
Mito on the other hand thought Naruto was being a spoilt child. And started treating him like a child. Constantly criticizing him for everything and telling him to grow up. When Naruto tried to flunk for a year she would always tell the teachers and parents how much he actually studied and trained. Even showing them proof in the form of video and photos. She was mad when the teachers couldn't do anything and was shocked by how much her parents didn't seem to care. This stopped after she witnessed Naruto come home carried by an anbu beaten up and half asleep in the afternoon one winter day. He defended a hyuga child from some bullies and but they beat him up because he had no tai-jutsu skills and didn't want to seriously hurt them with his wind bullets (the only Jutsu he knew at the time) his parent just casually sent the dog masked anbu away after he put the child in his bed. Naruto came to her bedroom later that night and told her "do I need to grow up now?" She asked Tsunade about this and all she could say was "you already know about your special circumstances, your parent have their own… kid, they still love the blonde but they have trouble showing it."
Despite resenting his siblings he still loved them both, knowing Mito loved music he got her a Shamisen and knowing Menma loved Swords got him his first one. He was going to give them to his sibling this year. he saved up all his money. But that didn't mean he was going to start allowing them back in his life just yet, it hurt too much. It hurt seeing his parents with his siblings and not him. He also didn't want to have the conversation with them that he knew need to happen. He knew they were jealous of his freedom. Morons. A parents love is more important than freedom. He shook his head one last time His thoughts were cut short as he passed through the last gate. What he saw shook him into silence.
(a/n: first fanfiction ever, please be kind! I decided to do my own takes on the 'Naruto is neglected and gets a mysterious new power plot' with my own yokai OCs I'm going to try to upload weekly but my schedule is super busy. I'm still getting used to this site so if there are some edits for formatting / grammar that is why. im crossposting this on wattpad as well and when im finished i'm going to be posting the whole thing on A03, but i want to get used to posting on these sites first. Have a nice day guys)
