Read this before reading the story!
SUMMARY During Naruto's early life, he finds a mysterious person who becomes his secret sensei—a young heiress who has lost her country and has found a new home in Konoha. A young girl whose mother got killed in an accident was found on her way to Kusagakure and was rescued by Konoha. An ex-Anbu who lost her lover and fell into depression was chosen to have a Genin squad. They would specialize as a retrieval team for their fellow Genins
- This will be a HAREM story. I guess people are delicate when it comes down to disclaimer - General, Romance - strong and smart Naruto
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A/N: Hello, my good readers. I updated this chapter and was beta by my son. So, I want to apologize to everyone who had this before; there are significant changes. I hope you have enjoyed the story and will keep following it. Also, I changed the title of the story from my first version. I also redid all the chapter 12 and are being repost, so I'm doing my best to complete this task. After getting some messages from fellow writers to make it easier to read, I made other changes. I'm still trying to figure it out, so be patient. Naruto is just going to be Naruto. Shisui survived his fall off the cliff and was found by Naruto, and will be his sensei in the shadows. Yugao will be Naruto's sensei, and his teammates will be Uzumaki Karin. Nadeshiko Shizuka's specialization will be a retrieval team. This was helpful for everyone reading.
Konoha's Retrieval Team
Chapter 1
Uzumaki Morning Prank
I don't own Naruto
Masashi Kishimoto does!
It was like any other day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, where most civilians barely woke up while the early risers were already doing their early morning routines. The sunrise was coming up over the Hokage Monument, and everything was peaceful, but like all peace, it always came to an end. They heard screams of pain and outrage from villagers throughout the village. But everyone already knew who the person who had destroyed their peaceful morning was. Different villagers were cursing different names at the person, from street rat, demon brat, damn monster, demon spawn, Kyuubi brat, and demon fox boy. But the actual boy's name that angered the villager this fine morning. It was no other than Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha's most unpredictable child, and the self-proclaimed world's number-one prankster.
Hokage office
Sarutobi Hiruzen is a 65-year-old elderly man who is a battle-hardened shinobi who has been part of three Shinobi Wars. Even if he is past his prime, don't let his age deceive you. With old comes experience and wisdom, and you could quickly dispatch season Jonin. Some of the older generations from the first and [Second Shinobi Wars] know him as the "Old Monkey," while some of the younger generations know him as "The Professor." To his enemies, he is known as the "God of Shinobi," but to everyone in Konohagakure no Sato, he is known as the Sandaime Hokage, the Fire Shadow of the Land of Fire.
When the Hokage came to his office this morning, he came in with battle-hardened eyes. He was ready to destroy the most prominent enemy he had been battling for the last eight years: paperwork! That did not include the past thirty years before passing the hat to his predecessor. Oh, how he wished he could use a fire jutsu on the paperwork just to be done with it. As much as he wants to see the paperwork disappear, there are far too many internal problems that the citizens can't see.
There are far too many problems that the infrastructure of Konoha has been having since the attack of the Kyuubi almost eight years ago. Over the years, the Hokage has been having a more challenging time being able to handle everything, so he decided to allocate his duties to his advisors. Unfortunately, he realized too late that they managed to take away forty percent of his authority over the civilian and certain shinobi matters. It was never said to be easy to run a village when you age, but that never stops the old monkey from persevering. Now, completing his daily tasks has become monotonous before he begins his daily work.
He would then give a small prayer to his beloved wife, who was killed by the same person who killed Naruto's parents someone during the birth. Then, he would give out small prayers to his predecessors and give his thanks for giving their lives to protect the village. He usually makes himself his blend of tea and snacks before cleaning his pipe and stuffing new tobacco. Once he finished drinking and eating his snack, he would take out his particular book. While in the privacy of his office reading his favorite book series, Icha Icha Paradise, his guilty pleasure would be smoking his tobacco.
Suddenly, an Anbu appeared in front of the Hokage, kneeling with his head low. The Hokage put his precious book down and sighed; he sat up straight in his chair with his hardened eyes. Sometimes, he only wishes to be able to pass the hat on to someone else, but unfortunately, no one within the village is qualified for the position. The other two people he would like to take the hat do not wish to become Hokage, while the last person would lead them into war with the rest of the Elemental Nations before he gave the nod for the bird-masked Anbu to proceed with his verbal report.
"Hokage-sama, we have a somewhat of a situation on our hands. The Uzumaki child just pulled another prank on the villagers. So, to make matters worse, he ended up doing some property damage. Now the villagers are outraged and are demanding for him to either get executed, imprisoned, or even banished from the village." The bird-masked Anbu said a frown formed on the elderly Kage's face, not pleased with what he was hearing.
The Hokage carefully listened to the report and frowned when he heard what the villagers wanted him to do. He could only sigh internally at the headaches his adopted grandson was giving him, including his grandchild, who was attempting to assassinate him so he could become Hokage.
"I see. So what did Naruto-kun do this time?" The Sandaime asked as he sighed to himself, from all the headaches he was getting from his adopted grandson.
"Hokage-sama, Uzumaki-san booby-trapped most of the civilian's front doors, and if they opened it in the morning, they would go off. Either you were hit with a balloon filled with paint, water, or flour. We also discovered and placed secondary traps in case the first ones failed. He could be an asset when he becomes older if Uzumaki-san continues to develop his skills; he would be a nightmare for any of Konoha's enemies who try to mess with the boy. How do you want to take care of that problem?" Sparrow responded to recount all the traps they found during their investigation as the Anbu finished his report.
The Hokage raised an eyebrow as he heard Anbu's report of the situation on hand, and he took a puff of his pipe. He recalled that his mother always did the same thing, but more explosively and violently. But as he thought about what his Anbu reported in teaching Naruto how to create traps and possibly even some fuinjutsu, he could see that he would become a terror. He would think of this idea since the blond has a knack for preparing his pranks without anyone noticing him. He would have to place some conditions on Naruto to deter him from getting into more trouble; the only things he could think of were a few jutsu and get him to sign with the monkey summons he mused to himself.
"So what was the secondary trap, then?" Asked the aged Hokage as he puffed on his pipe once again, letting his Anbu finish speaking.
"Hokage-sama used animal feces, urine, and a lot of ninja wire, ropes, and cords to trip them to their fate," Sparrow replied, making a disgruntled face behind the mask, remembering the chaos he had seen in the morning.
The Hokage wanted to facepalm when he heard the Anbu explanation; he could only imagine the chaos Naruto created so early in the morning. He knew right away that this would be a nightmare with all the complaints from the villagers and that not including the paperwork with the damage reports he would be getting later, if not till tomorrow. The old Kage will admit that Naruto has a very creative mind to pull pranks and traps on people. It was a shame that the villagers mistreated him, so he let him escape with all his shenanigans.
"Where is Naruto-kun now?" The Sandaime asked as he took another puff of his tobacco to calm his nerves; he began to notice that he hadn't seen much of him lately.
"Hokage-sama, I received a report that he went to the Ichiraku Ramen stand," Sparrow reported while kneeling in front of the elderly Kage.
"Sparrow, bring Naruto-kun to my office. I have much to discuss, please." The Sandaime requested as he stood and walked to the window to look over the village.
"As you wish, Hokage-sama," The Anbu said as he vanished in a [Shunshin]. The Hokage closed his eyes to prepare for the incoming conversation.
Ichiraku Ramen Stand
"Hey, old man, Ayame-nee-chan, good morning. Please, can I have three bowls of miso ramen?" Naruto excitedly asked as he walked over and sat on the stool.
"Good morning, Naruto-kun. Do you seem very happy this morning?" Ayame responded to the little Uzumaki with a warm smile, and Naruto beamed back at the only teenage girl who always treated him well.
"Uh yeah, I had a lot of fun this morning; before coming here to eat, I ended up pranking most of the villagers since they decided to treat me poorly once again," Naruto commented, giving Ayame a foxy grin as she rolled her eyes at his antics.
"You know, Naruto-kun, if you keep doing things like that, people will never come to recognize you and will keep looking at you with scorn. You should try your best to avoid trouble and be a good boy." Ayame lightly scolded Naruto, giving him a disapproving look like an old sibling would do to a younger little brother's actions.
"Ah, good morning, Naruto-kun. You're up earlier than usual. You're being naughty around the village once again. So what did you do this time?" Teuchi asked, raising an eyebrow at the little Uzumaki, who laughed at the question.
Naruto grinned sheepishly as he rubbed his head and considered the best response to give to his two favorite people. The last thing he wanted was to be scolded by them and to receive looks of disappointment for all the mischief he continued to do around the village. Naruto didn't know how to tell them that he was living a complicated life, barely able to get everyday supplies needed for his day to day life. Naruto also didn't want to cause the people who fed him more trouble since they lost business because of him. That was what little Uzumaki thought as he felt guilty for lying to them.
"Well, old man, I was practicing to sharpen my stealth and trap-making skills. I ended up booby-trapping most of the civilians' doors with a surprise. So far, all my hard effort in training has paid off." He replied with his usual foxy grin, which only made the ramen owner shake his head in amusement at the boy's antics.
"Here is your first bowl of ramen, my boy, so enjoy," Teuchi commented as he watched Naruto stuff himself with his favorite food, not even taking five minutes before he finished eating his first bowl.
"Thank you, old man, Ayame-nee-chan, for always caring for me the last few years. I appreciate it; if it weren't for you guys, I would probably starve long ago and die somewhere." Naruto replied as the mood suddenly became heavy with his humble appreciation, while Teuchi and Ayame nodded their heads and smiled.
Once Naruto finished his first bowl of ramen, he ate it as if he were in a food-eating contest. Teuchi and his daughter could only watch in sick fascination how Naruto could put down that amount of ramen in such a little body. That is why Naruto is their number one customer. He alone can keep the Ramen Shop running without worry; every other customer that comes through is just extra currency. The kid was about to start another bowl when an Anbu appeared.
"Uzumaki-san, Hokage-sama has requested you to see him immediately." The Anbu said in a monotone voice as he waited for the boy, only to be ignored
"Fine, I'll leave as soon as I finish eating this bowl of ra…!" But Naruto never got the chance to finish speaking since the Anbu lifted him off his stool while holding him in mid-air.
"Hokage-sama asked me to bring you immediately. So please, Uzumaki-san, don't make it harder than it needs to be, or else I may be required to take you by force." The bird-masked Anbu threatened the little Uzumaki as Naruto tried hard to escape his grip.
Naruto could only sweat drops at the Anbu for threatening him and ruining his peaceful time at the Ramen stand. Naruto gave the Anbu a death glare for mistreating him since he was only a child. Naruto began to think about what he could do next since he was held in mid-air when he came up with a great idea. Naruto might not be able to hurt the man physically, but he could surely hurt his wallet and maybe even his pride. Naruto then decided right then and there that he would prank this man, who disrespected his temple of peace when he spoke to the bird-masked Anbu.
"Okay, okay, easy there, Anbu-san. I'll leave right away as soon as you put me down. No need to mistreat me; I might have to tell Hokage-jiji. O-Oh, Anbu-san, can you do me a favor and pay for my food? Thanks. I'll see you at his office; I don't want to be late." Naruto commented as he took off running without saying another word, leaving a stunned Anbu operative.
"Anbu-san, someone needs to pay for the food little Naruto ate. Since he has already left, you can take responsibility for it," Teuchi commented while laughing to himself as he watched the misfortune of this Anbu.
The Anbu was caught off guard and left dumbfounded by the whole situation. He didn't think anything of it when the owner told him to take responsibility and pay for the Uzumaki's food. Not wanting to waste time, the Anbu asked for the total, so he had to pay. But for some reason, he felt he would not like what he was about to hear. The Anbu thought the young Uzumaki couldn't have eaten much since he was such a small boy.
"That's going to be one thousand ryo for his ten bowls of ramen," Teuchi said with a smirk, leaving the Anbu paralyzed and disgruntled at the shocking amount.
The only thing restraining him from killing the young blond was because of his Anbu training. He curses the Uzumaki brat under his breath, leaving him barely with any money left. He thought about the best way to get revenge on the brat but remembered if anyone would ever hurt the little Uzumaki. The Hokage would execute any person hurting his adopted grandson, making it nearly impossible to enact his revenge on him. He shook his evil thoughts from his mind and gave the correct amount of ryo to the owner; he then [Shunshin] in a swirl of leaves as he disappeared.
Hokage Office
The Hokage was hard-pressed nowadays and elderly, while he governed the most powerful of the hidden villages. The fact that the Hokage came out of retirement to lead Konoha once again was a way to distract him from the loss of his beloved wife. Who was killed by an unknown assailant who caused all the chaos on the night of the Kyuubi attack that led to the death of the young Yondaime and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina? One of the things Hokage regretted was that he needed help finding the secret of doing the paperwork. He cursed the Yondaime for never sharing the secret to do the paperwork since he could continue his everyday affairs in life.
(Flashback)
The Yondaime was a prodigy born once a generation; he was an orphan from a civilian family the Nidaime Hokage inspired. When the young Namikaze joined the academy, he outshined every student, whether they were from a significant clan or not. Until today, the Yondaime has the best academic scores in the academy's history, closely followed by Uchiha Itachi, another prodigy who came close to beating his record. Namikaze Minato was the first rookie to enter the chunin exams alone and win it in a battle royale that jump-started his ninja career. After he became an apprentice of the legendary Sannin Jiraiya, he was hungry for his thirst for knowledge and his love of learning new jutsu.
The Yondaime was fierce and eager to protect his family, friends, and the village. In the "Third Shinobi War," Namikaze Minato was named Konoha's "Yellow Flash," single-handedly killing thousands of Iwa shinobi, earning his flee-on-sight order. Not long after the massacre, the "Yellow Flash" assisted his fellow Konoha ninjas in pushing back Kumo forces, giving Konoha the advantage in the war. The Yondaime even battled the current Raikage and his brother Bee, the eight-tail jinchuriki, to a draw. On that day, both Kumo ninjas acknowledged him as a worthy and dangerous adversary in the future.
When the time came for the Sandaime Hokage to choose a successor, to the surprise of the entire village and the displeasure of others, he decided Namikaze Minato to be the Yondaime Hokage. It took a little while for the new Hokage to learn his position in less than a month, and during that time, he discovered the secret of finishing his paperwork. The Yondaime couldn't understand why most people couldn't see the obvious answer to many people's problems and chose to keep it a secret. He even went as far as to make it a prank by classifying it as a double S-rank secret, as he got a laugh out of it. Many of the Hidden Villages from the Elemental Nations tried sending their spies so they could steal the secret.
Every leader in the Elemental Nation was cursing at the Yondaime for keeping such a valuable secret to himself. When the Yondaime explained the so-called secret to the Fire Daimyo, who couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculousness of the matter, he went as far as to praise the young Hokage for shaking up the Elemental Nations with his antics and was very thankful for that. Unfortunately, through his leadership, no one could find out his secret, even while sending spies to gather valuable information throughout the years. Not even Orochimaru hailed as a genius, figured out the secret since he became a traitor to learn all the jutsu in the world.
(End flashback)
The Sandaime Hokage wanted more free time for himself so he could enjoy the twilight years of his life. He wanted to spend more time with his family, especially his grandson Konohamaru, who guided and taught him how to become a shinobi. The Sandaime also wanted to be able to walk throughout the village, like in his younger days, so that he could interact with the village's citizens. Most of all, he wanted to spend more time reading his beloved Icha Icha book, and he got word from his wayward student that a new book would be coming out soon. A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts as he carefully put his book away and made himself look presentable.
"Enter!" The elderly Sandaime said as he stood from his chair and went to get a new cup of tea when Naruto entered the room.
"Good morning, Hokage-jiji. You wanted to see me?" Naruto asked, giving a cheeky smile before going to take a seat.
"Ah, good morning, Naruto-kun. How are you doing today?" The Sandaime asked as he poured some tea into his cup. Then he walked back to his desk, where he took his seat.
"I'm doing great this morning, jiji; I've been practicing my ninja skills in hopes of entering the academy this year," Naruto responded to the old Kage's question while being stared at directly in his eyes, making him turn away.
"Naruto-kun, do you know why I called for you?" the elderly Hokage asked as he sipped his tea, staring at the little Uzumaki.
"W-why, yeah, I know." The little Uzumaki mumbled to himself as he avoided eye contact, but old Kage heard him and smiled wryly at his honesty.
"This morning, I received a report from my Anbu that some mischief had befallen the village. The Anbu said many of the villager's homes have been vandalized by some traps. The individual or individuals ended up causing property damage, and the villagers demand justice. If you were Hokage, how would you punish them, my boy?" The Sandaime asked the little Uzumaki a question as he stared into his soul, making it impossible to lie; the boy sighed, knowing that his grandfather figure had already caught him.
Naruto is rarely stared at in that manner by the Hokage, and it becomes impossible for him to lie to the old man. Naruto felt the pressure, knowing he had to admit everything to his jiji. He was the one who created all the chaos in the early hours, but at the time, it seemed like a good idea to prank the villagers. Since Hokage is one of the few people who would treat him well, Naruto wants to avoid pleasing him. He would always tell him the truth no matter the reason, and what terrified him the most was for his jiji to abandon him.
"I don't know, jiji, I'm still a child, maybe for them to spend some time locked up," Naruto commented, unsure how to answer his question since he didn't want to admit that he was the guilty party.
"I see. Then, this will be the punishment for the person who created all the chaos this morning. There will be no ramen at Ichiraku's for an entire week, and that person will be coming to my place to do some chores and to keep my grandson company. You will be practicing your calligraphy." The Sandaime was about to speak until his Anbu appeared in a swirl of leaves, kneeling before the Hokage, as an eyebrow rose at his sudden entrance.
"Report!" The Sandaime commanded, making himself more comfortable in his chair for the following headache.
"Hokage-sama, I'm sorry for my tardiness since Uzumaki-san was able to delay me by his antics when I went to retrieve him." The bird-masked Anbu reported in his monotone voice that he was about to continue but was rudely interrupted by Naruto.
"Oi, oi, Hokage-jiji. I told him I would come on my own after eating my ramen. He threatened me as well by using force in front of Teuchi-oji and Ayame-nee-san, so to teach him a lesson, I pulled a prank on him and left him there to pay my bill. And I-I came here as fast as possible before he tried to hurt me." Naruto explained his side of the story as he huffed, crossed his arms, and pouted.
The Hokage could only sigh in exasperation as he took a puff of his pipe. He sipped his tea to give himself time to put his words in order. The Hokage knew that most of the Anbu didn't hate the boy but were truly annoyed they had to follow or chase after the young blond. The fact that the boy could gain the upper hand for just a moment told the old Hokage that he was quick-witted and unpredictable. Usually, he would get upset if one of his personal Anbu were to hurt the little Uzumaki, but the old Hokage decided to finish listening to his report. He raised his hand to silence Naruto to avoid interrupting him while listening.
"Hai Hokage-sama, after I told him I would bring him by force, he asked me to pay his bill and took off to the Hokage tower. I was left dumbfounded and thought nothing of it before I realized I was left to pay the bill. Thinking nothing of it since I knew the Uzumaki-san would always eat there, I was about to leave when the owner stopped me. I then asked him for the bill amount, and to my shocking horror, I had to pay one thousand ryo, ONE THOUSAND RYO! How is it possible for a little body to eat that much ramen in one sitting?" The bird-masked Anbu roared in exasperation as he tried to compose himself and finished reporting to the elderly Kage.
"I see, Sparrow; please don't threaten Naruto-kun again. I don't need you to traumatize him; he is still a young child, do you understand." The Sandaime requested from one of his oldest Anbu, who sighed while holding his pipe. He lit it and then took a puff of his tobacco.
"I understand, Hokage-sama; it won't happen again," Sparrow replied in his usual monotone voice as the Sandaime nodded in acceptance.
"Sparrow, please don't worry. I'll also reimburse you for your troubles; the last thing I want is for my loyal shinobi to think they are not appreciated," The Sandaime said calmly but firmly as he reassured one of his many bodyguards.
"Hai Hokage-sama! And thank you," Sparrow responded, still kneeling with his head down and his hand in a fist over his heart as his Kage waved it off.
"Naruto-kun, is there a reason why you made so much trouble this morning?" The Sandaime asked as he sipped his tea and waited for an answer.
"Well, you see, jiji, the other day, the villagers were trying to mistreat me. They tried to sell me rotten food, and a few of them tried to attack me as well. Luckily, I could escape them; otherwise, they would have hurt me. And maybe some would have tried to kill me as well, and I don't understand why I'm being mistreated. I don't even do anything to them. So I decided to prank the villagers and fight back instead." Naruto explained to the Hokage that as tears began to run down his little chubby cheeks, the Sandaime could feel guilty for all the pain he had gone through.
"I see." The elderly Sandaime grimaced at the thought before asking the main question. Naruto-kun, when and how did you set up your plan in such a short time?" The Sandaime asked as he took another puff of his pipe and waited patiently for the child's response.
"You see, I made this plan a while back, jiji; I needed to collect all the supplies. No one seems to care for or ignore me, so I set things up throughout the day. I guess everything worked out perfectly when I heard many villagers yell outrageously. I then went to eat Ichiraku's in the morning and ate my ramen. Jiji, I'm sorry if I ended up causing you trouble; I'm just tired of being mistreated and threatened constantly. This is the only way I can fight back, Jiji." Naruto said with his eyes turned downcast, letting the elderly Kage know that the child was genuinely suffering from loneliness and neglect.
After listening, the young blond explained his reason while watching his adopted grandchild become depressed. Truly hurt the Hokage's heart at the way he was being treated as a demon when he was just an innocent little boy who lost his parents. The Hokage could only rub his temples and the future paperwork this kid could cause if not looked after properly. Then he curses the young blond father for never telling the secret to finish the paperwork promptly. He understood how to help the little Uzumaki, and possibly save himself from future paperwork.
"Naruto-kun, how would you like to join the ninja academy? It will be starting in another week. There, you will be able to learn general education before joining the ninja program, and that is where you will be able to learn jutsu. And if your "Will of Fire" is bright enough, you could become a powerful shinobi." The elderly Kage asked, giving the young blond a warm smile while Naruto sat on his seat to think about it.
"Jiji, can I become a ninja? Do you think I can make some friends there, by any chance?" Naruto asked as a feeling of apprehension showed on his little chubby cheeks, the desire to bond with people growing up on his own.
"You don't have to worry about Naruto-kun. I believe in you, and I'm sure you will become a magnificent ninja. As for finding friends, everyone joining the academy finds friends, even their future wives and husbands." The Sandaime commented on making the young Uzumaki bright again at the chance of making friends.
"I can't wait to become a ninja; I'll be able to do super cool jutsu just like you, jiji. And I'll be able to rescue a beautiful princess from evil villains trying to take over the world. Then, the village would acknowledge my existence. Do you think I could be the strongest ninja in the village?" Naruto asked as he waited to see what the Sandaime would say, as he watched the old man take a puff of his pipe.
"Yes, Naruto-kun, I believe if you put the effort into your ninja studies and train very hard, you can accomplish anything you want. Your parents would have been proud of you. Now show me how strong your "Will of Fire" could be, Naruto-kun." The elderly Sandaime responded to the little Uzumaki honestly as he looked back at the child who resembled his father.
"So is it okay to go home then, jiji? I still have things to do?" Naruto asked since he knew he had gone overboard with his prank.
"Naruto-kun, I apologize for not being able to spend time with you; being the Hokage isn't easy running a village. I want you to know that I care for you. How about I teach you a skill that most people don't know how to do nowadays? You might think at first that this would be boring at first. But I could promise you could become the most powerful shinobi ever." The elderly Hokage comments, smiling at the young blond, and the child smiles back as he nods in acceptance.
"Alright, jiji, I will try my best not to disappoint you!" The blond shouted as he excitedly jumped out of his chair and began dancing.
"Oh, and Naruto-kun, let me remind you, but you cannot eat at Ichiraku's for a week. Do I make myself clear? And I expect you to go to the Sarutobi compound to begin your chores as punishment." The wise elderly leader told the shocked child as his mouth gaped like a fish
"Fine then, jiji, I guess I deserve that. Would it be alright for me to go now?" Naruto asked, seeing that his grandfather was not kidding when he told him about his punishment earlier in the conversation, and the Hokage only smiled at the blond.
"You may leave Naruto-kun, but please remember not to get into too much trouble before you go." The Sandaime excused the boy as he nodded, accepting the village leader's words.
When Naruto left the office, the Anbu was still waiting throughout the conversation, knowing that his leader might have forgotten about him still being there. He didn't expect the Hokage to give the little Uzumaki a punishment since he was growing up on his own. The Anbu pity the child for having such a troubled fate as the village jinchuriki, and hopefully, he will be able to grow up and become a powerful deterrent in the future. In his personal opinion, he has nothing against the child; he just caught him on a bad day and let his emotions get the better of him. Now, he just waited patiently for the Hokage to give his following command.
"Sparrow, I'll repeat myself once again. Please refrain from threatening Naruto-kun again. And here is the currency you had to pay at the ramen stand. You are dismissed to return to your duties," The Sandaime commanded in a firm voice. He let out another puff of smoke from his pipe and sent a small amount of killing intent to make the male Anbu sweat.
"Hai Hokage-sama," Sparrow replied while kneeling, waiting for his following command.
"Sparrow, you are dismissed." The Sandaime said as the Anbu vanished in a swirl of leaves, as he thought to himself. "Damn, what a troublesome day. I'm getting too old for this shit!"
When Naruto left the Hokage office, he walked around the village until he felt sure his grandfather's guards were not seeing him. He hurried to his secret home away from home that was a distance away. Most villagers knew where he lived since he got his apartment a few years ago. The villagers and shinobi alike vandalized his apartment because he was the reminder of the incident that happened the day he was born. Naruto would sometimes hear the adults talk bad about him and how he killed so many innocent people, and that was the reason he would be attacked, beaten, and sometimes left for dead.
He could never understand how a little killer like himself was able to kill so many people when he was barely able to defend himself. It was ridiculous and didn't make any sense to him, giving him the idea that most people from the village were foolish. But ever since he found his second home, he would go to his apartment occasionally so no one would get suspicious of his whereabouts. Just to make people think he was still living there, so they continue to waste their time vandalizing his apartment. He pulled out his wig and ninja mask to cover his whisker marks and bought food for dinner before going home.
As he made his way to a secret home, he would constantly look around his surroundings to make sure no one was following him, and no one was going to attack and kidnap him. His prominent brother figure would always tell him to look for prying eyes to see his whereabouts. Naruto had to make sure no one found his secret entrance. He would purposely run in zig-zags and circles like a kid would act when playing in the fields and roads. That was something his brother told him always to do no matter what, for his own safety.
After twenty minutes of walking, he got to the edge of the Naka River, the only river that went through the Uchiha Clan Compound, and out of the village. So he hopped off the river bank's edge near a huge tree. When he landed on a flat rocky area with dirt, he moved the vegetation he was using to cover the main entrance to his secret home. When he crawled through the tiny entrance, he quickly climbed up the inner hollowed part into a section. When Naruto moved, more vegetation blocked the view of the actual tunnel. Naruto lost himself in thought. How the last few years he's been happier compared to his younger days since he found his new place.
(Flashback)
A four-year-old Naruto was walking home after eating dinner at Ichiraku's. Whenever he had a chance to eat ramen, it made him forget all about his miserable and lonely life. As he walked down a dark road, he ended up passing by an alley when, all of a sudden, someone grabbed him and pulled him violently into the darkness. Little Naruto tried to cry out in fear as he struggled to escape, but he wasn't strong enough and was overpowered when captured. Little Naruto was quickly knocked out cold when someone chopped him in the back of his neck.
When little Naruto finally woke up, he found himself in a wheat sack and started to fear what might happen to him. He didn't know where the kidnappers were taking him; Naruto knew he should have told the nice jiji he had met that one time for help. Little Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard voices, and they were talking about him. And how they were going to get rid of him; this caused a shiver to run down his little spine as he feared the worst thing possible. And he knew most people in the village would rather see him dead, even if he didn't understand the cause for their hate towards him.
"Natsu, we are almost there; it's a good place to hide all evidence." The unknown person spoke loud enough that he was confident no one could hear him now.
"Koyo, Shut up! And keep your voice down. We can't let anyone find out what we have done. Otherwise, the Hokage will execute us. We are pretty much committing treason, you idiot." Natsu hissed in a low voice, looking around to see if they had heard them traveling through the forest.
The two ninjas approached a dark forest area, where a ravine water current was taking it out of the village. That is what little Naruto heard the men say, attempting to end his life. His only thoughts of the people who care for him flashed through his mind: his jiji, Teuchi, and his daughter Ayame. And then he felt great pain piercing his little body, and he let out a muffled cry, tears pouring out his little eyes. Little Naruto was stabbed three times by a kunai, and before he knew it, he fell unconscious again.
The Chunins threw him off the ravine and hoped never to see the demon brat again; in their heart, they felt that they got justice for their family dying because of the Kyuubi. Some Anbu patrolmen heard the cries as they quickly made their way to the area where they listened to the cries. That is when the Anbu found the two chunin and began interrogating them about their reason for being so far from the village. The two chunins told them they were chasing a spy they saw making contact with someone, and they had last seen him in this part of the forest. But during their chase, the person got away and told the Anbu he suspected they were shinobi.
The Anbu asked for their names and a few more questions; when the two gave them their names and got all the necessary information, they let them go. Once the Anbu were satisfied, they shunshin in a swirl of leaves. Freaked out from the close call, the two Chunins left the forest and returned to the village. They knew that the incident would be reported to the Hokage when they decided to leave the Konoha before they were sent to T&I, and their minds read for information. And once that happened, they would discover that they ended up killing the demon brat, tossing his body in the ravine. Their lives were forfeit since the chunin would be executed, and that is something both didn't want to happen.
When the Chunins tossed Naruto into the ravine, his little body hit the water hard and floated down the Naka River. He ended up floating down the current, and the wheat sack got caught on the root of an extended tree. Some time passed while Naruto was still unconscious in the water; he was fortunate not to drown. At the same time, red chakra began to pour out of the little child's body in an attempt to save his life. The demon within him didn't feel like dying tonight or ever since he had been the only one out of his siblings to have never died, plus his pride wouldn't let him either.
When little Naruto finally awoke the next day, he began to regain consciousness and, at the same time, remember what happened to him. He thought everything that happened last night was just a horrible nightmare, a nightmare that felt so real he thought he was about to die. The feeling of getting stabbed and then thrown into the ravine was a very troubling thought. Then a question popped into his head: Why was he still alive, and who saved him? Why would the person who saved him leave him where he was? At least he remembers the name that stabbed him and left him for dead, and he would tell his jiji about them as soon as he made it back home.
Once little Naruto could shake the cobwebs out, he immediately felt the pain in three parts of his little body. He was about to touch the painful areas, but his wet little body was all wet and numb all over; that's when he realized that he was still in a wheat sack. Little Naruto began to get himself out of the bag but felt pain in his hand. Thinking of escaping and getting to a warm place, he struggled for a while before finally getting free. He then grabbed a tree root and began to pull himself up on the little flat surface, where he laid on his back as he let the sun's rays keep him warm.
Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep again. A few hours later, little Naruto woke up and looked around to see where he was. He started moving closer to the tree to climb out of the river bank. When he discovered a metal-looking object with some overgrown roots, it looked like it was hiding in a hole or den. Being a curious little boy, Little Naruto went to see what it was, and he began to get excited about finding a ninja weapon, a knife-looking thing he thought was so cool.
Little Naruto tried to wiggle himself through the roots to the entrances of the small den but was unable to because of the roots. He grabbed the new weapon he had found and began cutting it to make it easier to enter the den; after much effort, little Naruto could finally accomplish his goal. He entered the den by crawling inside, and when he stood up and looked around, he was in awe at the size. It was primarily hollow on one side, and it looked like someone had worked on it for years, more like a hiding place for little children. It didn't look like any adults worked on this, and while little Naruto was looking around, something caught his attention; as he looked up, he noticed a hole a few feet above his head.
Little Naruto's little mind was too curious, so he investigated the new hole and began climbing up using some of the roots. When he finally reached the hole, he decided to enter it and see where that would lead him, thinking of finding a treasure or something valuable. Little Naruto chose to join the hole, but he felt a little scared when he began to crawl into the darkness. He yelped in surprise when the tunnel lit up and saw the light coming from an emblem, looking like a spiral swirl. Little Naruto became more curious, so he crawled down the tunnel until he reached the end.
After a few minutes, he got to the end of the tunnel, and what he saw made his little mouth agape. It was a complete surprise to discover what he had found. When little Naruto's shock disappeared, he quickly looked around the place. All he could do was look in awe at everything he found there; little Naruto saw a work area to read and draw weird kanji seals that he didn't understand. As he kept looking around, he found a bunch of cool weapons and other things. All of a sudden, his eyes saw a pair of beds. He walked over to get a feel for them, and to his amazement, the bed was very comfortable.
Once Naruto was done testing the sleeping area, he walked over to the dresser; he was surprised to have found many scrolls in one drawer. In the other drawer, he found some clothes, they looked a little bit too big for him, but he knew when he got older, he would be able to wear them. Everything in this little hideout looked to be in good condition, something that surprised the young blond. After looking around and getting used to the place, little Naruto decided to make this his new home away from home, where no one would be able to hurt him ever again and worry about his safety.
(Flashback End)
After reminiscing on the fond memories, Naruto got to the entrance of the old tree when he entered. It took him a few minutes to get inside and climb the tunnel. He enters his home and walks over to the makeshift kitchen, where he places his backpack on the table. He began pulling out the food he bought so they would have things to eat besides ramen. Then he called for his brother figure and secret guardian. "Shisui-nii-san, I'm back, and I brought food.