A/N: First chapter of the redux of the fic! Fixed a lot of mistakes. A LOT OF MISTAKES!

I don't own Naruto.

I have no beta.

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-ORIGINAL CHAPTER WAS 1,457 WORDS LONG.

-NEW CHAPTER IS 2,220 WORDS LONG.

"Scars are not signs of weakness, they are signs of survival and endurance."-Rodney A. Winters.

It had been a dark night, when the most unimaginable thing had happened to six year old Naruko Uzumaki. The small blonde was alone, like she always was, playing in the playground by herself because none of the other kids were allowed near her. She didn't know why the parents glared at her and called her mean names. She didn't remember doing anything to them. Yet they were always so mean to her. And it was only her that they were mean to. She wasn't stupid, she'd seen how the other children had been treated and compared to her, their were like kings and queens. Even the bratty little ones who stole from people got better treatment!

The only people who didn't call her mean names were the Hokage and the Ichiraku's. Teuchi and his twelve year old daughter Ayame where even nice enough to let her eat at their restaurant for free! Well, they told her it was free, but she knew that the Hokage was secretly paying for it. He always did things like that for her. Especially after she was kicked out of the orphanage and he gave her her own place. It was a large apartment building that was vacant especially for her. She had free reign of the property and it was actually in her name. She planned to change some things when she joined the ninja Academy and learned cool things.

The sky was getting darker as she sat on a swing, using the toe her boot to push herself back and forth slowly. She wished she had a friend. Naruko didn't even someone to confide in. The Hokage could possibly take on such a role for her, but she knew that he was busy running the village and shouldn't have to give up time in his life just to make her feel better. She needed someone with whom she could go to no matter what. Who wouldn't say those nasty words and glare at her whenever she walked by. But this someone had to be readily available whenever she needed them. Someone who loved her. Who wanted to be with her all the time.

Was that too much to ask for?

Naruko knew that the Hokage and the Ichiraku's cared about her, but she couldn't disrupt their lives all the time just because she was lonely. They had jobs to do and they didn't have the time of day to be worrying about her all the time. So she kept her sadness to herself, not wanting to be more of a burden to anyone. Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't handle it. She was tough!

It was that night, when Naruko had left the park and returned home, that it had happened. Sometimes she'd think back on it and wonder what would possibly drive someone to commit such terrible acts with a child in mind. But the events of that night had shaped her being and she used it as a lesson to herself.

Naruko had been walking down the empty streets as the sky got darker, when a man blocked her path. He wasn't a shinobi, she could tell from the lack of grace in his step. Even Genin possessed an amount of grace due to training. This man was just a civilian. Normal clothing and shoes and not a weapon in sight.

She had tried to go around him but he just moved in her way, several times in fact. Naruko finally looked up at the stranger, remembering what the Hokage had said about talking to people she didn't know. She wanted to ask who he was and what he wanted with her, but she didn't. Something in her told her that something bad was about to happen. Her stomach seemed to drop, a coldness already beginning to fester deep within her being. She didn't like the feeling of helplessness that came with it.

The feeling grew stronger as the man stepped closer, too close into her personal space. Naruko was about to turn and run, when something hard hit her across the back of the skull and everything went black.

She awoke to the smell of kerosene, something that she had become too familiar with in her young life thanks to the absolute hatred she received from the villagers. It was heavy in the air and she coughed because it was much too close. The little blonde squinted as she looked around, trying to determine where she was this time. There were strangers everywhere, in a small dark room and she could tell that there was no way for her to run from them!

She was trapped.

The strange people laughed but she didn't see what was so funny. They always enjoyed things like this, cornering her and laughing at her pain. Shivers were rolling up and down her spine. She could tell the whatever they were planning to do to her, it was going to hurt. Worse than the glares, the name calling, and the occasional thrown rock or kunai. This was going to be an extreme amount of physical pain and she wanted to cry. Wanted to somehow knock herself unconscious so she wouldn't have to be present in mind.

The people closest to her were holding kunai and others held a long rope. She screamed when they lunged, but couldn't get away. Some of them were ninja and while she was good and dodging civilians, she was nothing against a ninja. Especially the ones with the milky eyes.

Her small body was forced to the ground as they tied her arms behind her back before rolling her over so she couldn't move. The men with the kunai stepped forward and Naruko screamed when searing pain filled her body as the weapons pierced the flesh of her thigh. Another kunai was driven into her other thigh.

Titters and shouts filled the room. Screams of 'monster' and 'demon' flooded her mind. She hadn't done anything to deserve this!

Two more ninja appeared and with admirable yet hateful precision, easily pinned her small body to the ground with two tantos. Naruko choked at the blades forced her against the floor, the pain in each shoulder was unbearable.

"This is for the Yondaime!" yelled one of civilians.

Naruko tried to ask for mercy, resorting to pleading when they only laughed. Someone's saliva landed on her face.

They called her a 'demon' and a 'monster' who didn't deserve to live. She was kicked twice in the ribs, feeling a severe burning sensation that she was certain meant that some ribs had broken. Someone punched her in the face, a throbbing following the action. If she had thought it was bad enough already, she was proven wrong when a familiar civilian who had always taken chances to throw rocks at her, had decided to lay a flaming torch on her stomach. The was an unholy amount of glee in the eyes of her tormentors. They reveled in her wails of pain, enjoying how they escalated as the skin turned black.

When everything seemed to have stopped, Naruko was able to get a hold of her voice, hoping that they were done. That this senseless violence and pain would just end finally.

It wasn't over. A man appeared, with a kunai in hand. It smelled awful and unlike anything she had ever encountered before. He gripped her chin and jabbed the weapon into her cheek. Three times on each side and he smiled when she shrieked.

Child! listen to me! came a ringing, powerful voice.

Naruko briefly wondered where the voice was coming from, but was in too much pain to really care.

No! Listen to me! You will fall asleep. You will tune out the pain. You will come to me!

Naruko's vision got darker, until she was no longer conscious. Gratitude to whatever Kami was out there that granted such a reprieve, filled her as she fell.

She awoke, feeling fine. Nothing was hurting. Well, nothing on her body was hurting, but she was sad and scared. Why did those people do those horrible things to her? What did she do to deserve that?

I can answer that Naruko.

The little girl turned to the voice and gasped. There was a huge, red cage in front of her and inside, sat a big, orange fox. Looking closer, she could count nine tails. She stared at the creature for several minutes before it dawned on her.

"You're the Kyuubi!" she exclaimed, pointing a tiny finger.

The big head nodded, red eyes flashing, We are inside your mind Naruko. I brought you here, so you can't feel any more pain.

Naruto was confused, "Why are you in my mind? I thought the Yondaime killed you?"

The beast smiled, showing off its sharp teeth. He didn't kill me. I am a Biju, a mass of chakra created from nature and the hatred of humans, I cannot ever be fully destroyed. Knowing this, your Yondaime sealed me inside you. The children around your age are just told that he killed me, so that they don't hate you. The Hokage even made a law so that anyone who talks about it will be put to death. That prevents parents from telling their children about me, but not from telling their children to avoid you. In the end, I think it was a pretty useless action, because it hasn't done you any good.

Naruko's world crashed in that moment. The Kyuubi was sealed inside her? That was why they called her a demon and a monster! Because of the Kyuubi. They were being mean to her because they thought that she was the fox and even tortured her because of what the believed.

She began to cry. What had she done to deserve any of this? Why did they blame her when she didn't ask for it? She didn't seal the fox inside herself.

The Kyuubi sat in the cage and tried to comfort the girl. A child as young as she would undoubtedly need time to come to grips with everything happening. When she was finally coherent, they properly introduced themselves and talked. Kyuubi stating that she, yes she, was waiting until Naruko could awaken to the real world without any pain left from her recently acquired injuries. Until then, they would speak freely.

Naruko was also informed that for some reason, the scars in her face wouldn't heal, even though everything else did. This meant that Naruko would be scarred for the rest of her life. Nobody appreciated scars. They were ugly and made people scared to talk to those who were scarred. Naruko's future happiness was pretty much destroyed in that moment and she swore that she would devote herself to becoming the best shinobi ever! So she wouldn't need to worry herself with the things that other girls worried about. So that the opinions of others didn't matter in the least.

Naruko woke up in the hospital a little over two months after the incident. The Hokage was notified of her awakening and had rushed to her room immediately. He apologized over and over for not getting there soon enough. He explained that all those who were involved were immediately sentenced to death and told her that she had a quick recovery, except for the facial scars.

When Naruko had looked in the mirror, she grimaced at the hideous creature she saw looking back at her. The scars on her face were discolored and jagged. Two on either side of her mouth, giving her an upside down Glasgow grin. The other four were on her cheeks, and looked hideous! She glared at the horrible image she made. She was disgusting!

That very same day she had asked the Hokage to help her get a new wardrobe to which he agreed. From that day forth, she donned a black mask that hid her scars. That would keep her safe from the scrutiny of those who would judge her appearance alone. The dark material gave her a sense of security and for it she was grateful. From that day onward, she was a new Naruko, and refused to ever be pushed around by anyone ever again.

With Kyuubi's promise to train her as she went through her schooling, she would come out on top and be the very best. Her life, from that moment on, was dedicated to becoming the best shinobi to have ever lived. Nothing else mattered.

A/N: So, this is the first chapter.

How was it? Let me know.

Ja ne! :D

CHECK ME OUT ON TUMBLR. HELLY-WATERMELONSMELLINFELLON. I FOLLOW BACK.