Ok ladies and gent's I've decided to post this first chapter of my 12K rewrite of Naruto: True Uzumaki early, in truth I've been side tracked the past 2-3 months with other things, fictions and real life matters, so I haven't had the focus I need to work on this, and I kind of lost my spark for the fiction for a while, but I'll be trying to fix that, which is why I'm posting this, I need all the reviews I can get to inspire me, I have a skeleton plan for this fiction up to chapter 18 which will be much more fast paced than my last as by chapter 18 the wave mission should be over and they should be returning to the village, but there will be a hell of a lot happening between then and now, and you will no doubt guess after reading the improvements and changes in this chapter from the original version, so please give in depth reviews once you're done, I need all the creative juices I can get to inspire my writing, hope you enjoy.

thanks goes out to my five Beta readers for helping make this awesome!

Chapter one- things change

It was a late autumn evening in the village of Konoha and a peaceful air lay over the village, all except for one group in particular, at the end of one dark alleyway way stood the small form of a young boy, standing at just under four foot tall he had spiky blond hair, Cerulean blue eyes, and three whisker marks on both his cheeks, in his hand was a rusted Kunai that looked to be on its last leg.

The boy wore an old and filthy orange tracksuit that looked to have been slashed to ribbons as dried blood caked half of it, as the boy stood on panted breath facing down his attackers.

Seven fully grown men filled the alleyway blocking his exit, each with different hand-held weapons ranging from rusted pipes and bats to planks of wood with nails, old kitchen knives and broken bottles.

The small boy gritted his teeth in anger as he raised the Kunai in front of himself and snarled in anger, "Come on then you bastards let's see what you've got."

The men rushed the small boy who readied himself for the attacks that came at him. The first man swung an old metal pipe at him but he was large and clumsy aiming to take the boy's head off with his swing, so the boy ducked under the swing and slashed out with his kunai stabbing it hard into the man's kneecap who cried out letting go of the pipe which the boy grabbed and quickly used to block the next attack of a wooden plank with rusted nails in it.

The force of the hit was enough to knock the boy back and into the left wall of the alleyway. The next man went to slash at the boy with his knife but failed when the boy hit the man's hand with surprising speed and strength with the pipe knocking the blade from the man's grasp before driving the pipe up into the man's face busting his nose wide open.

The man fell to the ground clutching his nose as blood poured from it, the young boy jumped back as the other men went to help their wounded friends.

The boy took the rusted pipe in two hands and held it in front of him as he tried to catch his breath from the adrenaline rushing through his veins. He'd been exhausted since this attack had begun with the boy having to run away from the men who were following him only to run into more trouble and then getting chased into the alleyway. He knew he should have just stayed at home but you can only spend so many days on only one cup of instant ramen a day, which was most likely the cause of his exhaustion right now as he could feel his stomach in knots from the lack of food.

"You fucking demon! Why don't you just die already, you murdering filth!" one of the uninjured men snarled as he swung his kitchen knife at the boy.

The boy stepped back avoiding the slash and stuck down at the knife with the pipe and knocked it from the man's hand.

"I didn't murder anyone!" the boy yelled as he swung the pipe at the man's midsection but the man caught it under his arm and gripped the boy's wrist hard before throwing him against the alley wall. The boy's head hit the brick with a sickening crack before he dropped to the ground with a groan, and before he had a chance to get up he had a boot slammed on his back with a crunch as pain shot through his body in a wave of agony. The other men saw their opportunity and started to join in on the assault with fists and weapons as they attacked relentlessly.

It was only by a stroke of luck that on that day a certain young, purple haired, academy student was passing by that ally and she heard the attack taking place.

The young girl was wearing a black t-shirt, brown skirt with fishnet stockings and black shinobi sandals. Her purple hair was tied up in a ponytail and fanned out in a pineapple fashion, and around her neck was a chain with a small metal snake fang pendant.

As she looked down the alleyway and saw the five men beating on a boy younger than herself, her eyes widened and her fists tightened in anger.

"Hey! What the hell do you assholes think you're doing?!" the young girl yelled as she reached for the kunai pouch on her hip.

One of the men looked back at her and scowled, "Fuck off, we're teaching this fucking demon a lesson, this has nothing to do with you, Hebi (Snake) bitch!"

The young girl gritted her teeth at the name, it had been a favourite of the villagers for her ever since she had been rescued and returned three years ago, and she hated it with a passion.

"Oh I'll show you a Hebi bitch!" the girl hissed in anger before she cut her thumb with her kunai and started to run through a series of hand signs before calling out, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" (Summoning Technique) After she slammed her hand down on the ground an intricate array of black squiggles spread out from her palm before a pillar of smoke rose up from the spot.

The smoke caught the attacker's attention as they looked from the now unconscious form they were beating to the smoke as it faded away only to reveal a seven-foot-tall brown snake with piercing green silted eyes. It hissed at the men in anger as the young girl stood beside it with a smirk on her face, "Bind and squeeze these maggots, make it hurt." the girl said as the large snake shot into action.

The men screamed in fear at the large snake but before they could do anything the large beast had circled the group and the next second they were all squeezed together in its coils as they screamed in pain as the snake squeezed them together to restrain them.

The young girl smirked seeing the men were dealt with before her eyes went to the beaten and bloody form of the young boy the men had been beating. She quickly moved to check if he was still alive.

Kneeling down at his side she placed her hand to his neck wincing at the sight of all the blood and cuts on his body, the men had really worked him over hard, but to her relief she felt a pulse, a shockingly strong one for someone in his condition.

The young girl started to roll him onto his back so she could get her arms under him to carry him to the hospital but just as she got him moved onto his back a new figure appeared in a swirl of leaves.

The figure was an adult woman wearing black pants with white bandages wrapped around her upper left knee, wearing black gloves with metal backs that reached up to her biceps with grey forearm guards over them with a red bandage around her right elbow, and on her right shoulder was a red ANBU (Dark Side) tattoo. Her purple hair reached down to her waist, her hair framing her face and her white porcelain mask that resembled a Neko (Cat) with three red stripes, one vertical one on its forehead and the other two on either side of its cheeks. On her back was a black-gripped O-katana sword with a plain black steel guard.

As the figure appeared her gaze scanned the scene in front of her looking around to see the seven men, some injured, bound by a very large snake before her gaze went to the young girl and she let out an audible sigh from behind her mask.

"Anko-chan, what do you think you're doing setting your snakes on people, they might deserve it but…" the figure started to say as she approached the girl only to stop when she saw the prone form of the young boy clearly very injured, "Kami (God) Naruto what happened" the ANBU said in shock as she quickly moved to check the boy.

The now-named Anko blinked as she looked around and recognised the ANBU who'd appeared as her adoptive sister who'd taken her in three years ago. When she had been returned to the village no one else would have her because of her connections to a certain 'snake', "Neko-chan (Cat), you know this boy, Naruto?"

The ANBU nodded as she knelt down to the pair, "I do, but I don't understand how this could have happened again, he was meant to have other ANBU guarding him."

'Again?' Anko thought but quickly put it to the side for later before she spoke, "Well they're doing a shit poor job of it, I was passing by and saw those bastards beating the crap out of him, when I confronted them one of them pissed me off so I summoned Doku-san (poison) here to give them a little squeeze to show them not to do that."

Neko frowned beneath her mask as she checked over Naruto's injuries, 'shit, four cracked ribs, two shattered ribs, a broken collarbone and both arms and legs with hairline fractures to the femurs, multiple blunt force trauma with many piercing injuries already healing, this is a bad one', "I'll deal with the why later, right now we have to get him to Hokage-Sama and get his injuries treated.", she said as she moved to lift him, wary of his injuries as she did so.

As she stood up two other figures arrived both wearing similar outfits to Neko however they wore different masks, one a Taka (Hawk) the other a Kuma (Bear).

"Shit, we're too late." the Kuma (Bear) ANBU said under his breath.

Neko scowled under her mask, "What took you two so long to respond to this? You were supposed to be guarding him, and now I find you both slacking off while he was fighting for his life!"

The Taka (Hawk) ANBU held up his hands, "Easy Neko-san, we weren't slacking off, we were following him from a distance as ordered but we must have gotten too close or he saw us too many times, 'cause he got spooked and took off running."

The Kuma (Bear) ANBU nodded in agreement, "Yeah, little guy's faster than he looks, he lead us on a chase for over an hour, before we lost sight of him. We only found him now cause of the chakra surge. For a summoning Jutsu, looks like." Kuma said as he looked around Neko and saw the large snake with the men in its coils, "I assume those are his attackers?"

Neko nodded, "Yes they are, now I'm taking Naruto-Kun to Hokage-Sama to see his injuries are treated, while you two can make yourselves useful and take those pigs to Ibiki, I'm sure he can find a cell for each of them once he hears that they enjoy attacking their fellow civilians and a child at that."

The two ANBU nodded and walked past Neko as she walked out with Anko by her side and Naruto in her arms, "Hold on to me Anko-chan, I'm going to Shunshin (body flicker) us to Hokage-Sama's office, he'll want to hear your report on what has happened."

Anko nodded and took Neko's arm before another strong wind with leaves swirled around them and she felt the familiar pulling sensation of the Shunshin before they were gone with the wind.

Scene break

In the tallest building in Konoha, the Hokage tower, was the Hokage's office. The room was comfortable, meant for the Hokage to be able to go about his many duties, and as such comfort demanded, the far back of the room was rounded with multiple windows allowing light to fill the room. In front of those windows was the large desk of the Hokage with stacks of paperwork on one side. Along the length of the walls of the room were two sofas with bookshelves, each filled with many books that have been read by the Hokage, on the wall were four paintings, two of them was his precursor.

Behind the desk sat a tired and weary Hiruzen Sarutobi, his face showing his age more and more with every passing year. The last twelve years had taken its toll on the elderly Hokage. He had hoped to no longer be Hokage as it was over twelve years ago he had named his successor, but sadly after the Kyūbi attack, that led to the death of said successor, he had no choice but to retake his position, what was left of it at least.

In the brief delay between his successor's death and his reinstatement the Konoha council, consisting of the elder council, the civilian voice council and the clan heads, had made a grab for power in the village taking most of the elderly Hokage's power away from him by majority votes, more accurately the votes of the elders and the civilians.

Hiruzen had done his best over the years to reclaim what power the Hokage title once had but it had been a slow battle to do so. In the beginning, he had managed to keep the power over the shinobi under his rule as well as the shinobi academy, as well as the ability to pass or deny any law request which took up his time most days.

His first concern had been the village. In the beginning of the shinobi war the academy's age of graduation had been lowered from sixteen to twelve, taking four years of education from the children in order to put out more shinobi to keep up with the other villages. Hiruzen had changed that and return the age of graduation back to what it was before the war as well as making sure all subjects were covered in the academy so that the students had a solid education base to support them in their shinobi careers, those that graduated anyway.

This fact did not sit well with the civilian and elder council who wanted the classes easier so that their children could pass, but Hiruzen had not budged on this matter, and the clans supported him, a fact that he knew was crucial for his position as with a total majority vote would have overruled him and could even evict him from his position something that he could not allow to happen, not only for his sake but for that of his late successor's legacy.

If he had lost his position as Hokage young Naruto would have surely been killed or worse, turned into a mindless drone for war under the control of his former teammate Danzō. The old war hawk would have just loved to get his hands on the Kyūbi Jinchūriki (Nine Tails Container) and use him to overthrow Hiruzen's rule, what little there was of it, and take power for himself.

Hiruzen had to smirk at what that would have implied, if Danzō did take over. Chances are the civilian and elder council would have likely been dead in a week, Hiruzen knew his former friend well and he was not the kind to suffer fools and would have just killed them off. An option Hiruzen wished he'd taken years ago when the civilians had called for Naruto's head, but it was too late for that now, and all he could do was use his ANBU to keep Naruto safe from the villagers anger. There hadn't been an incident in the last four days, something that Hiruzen was grateful for, but that he knew wouldn't last.

He expected an ANBU to arrive any moment and inform him of another attempt on Naruto's life, but what he had not expected was what had appeared in the middle of his office, one of his most trusted ANBU Neko alongside a young girl, Anko Mitarashi, and in Neko's arms a bloody and beaten form of Naruto Uzumaki.

Seeing Naruto in Neko's arms Hiruzen's blood ran cold as he stood up from behind his desk, "What happened?" he asked angrily as he moved around his desk to check on the boy.

Neko frowned behind her mask, "Naruto made his ANBU protection detail and mistook them for people wanting to harm him and ran. His escape lead him into the sights of those who actually wanted to find him, his protection detail didn't arrive until after I did." Neko explained as she placed Naruto on one of the sofas, "During the attack Anko happened by and came to his rescue. It was her Kuchiyose no Jutsu that alerted me that something was wrong. Upon arriving I discovered his attackers bound and Anko-chan by Naruto's side checking on him, he has severe internal injuries, and he needs to have his broken bones set before they can heal"

"Shouldn't we take him to the hospital then?" Anko voiced as she watched Neko remove Naruto's shirt to check him, and winced seeing the bruises that covered his body. They were already starting to swell and darken.

"No, young Naruto has many who dislike him that work in the hospital, it is best that he is treated here," Hiruzen sighed before turning to Anko, "It was a very brave thing you did going to Naruto's aid like that, had you not, I fear the damage could have been much worse."

Anko nodded, "I just did what anyone would do if they saw someone in trouble like that, but I just don't understand it," she said as she watched Neko move her hands over Naruto's body and snap bones back into place, "Why would seven grown men just attack him like that? I know he pranks some folks but it's never anything serious and nothing to prompt a beating like that! I mean Kami, he must be half dead!"

Hiruzen sighed, "That I'm afraid I cannot say my dear, only that young Naruto has been disliked for the most of his life for something he had no control over. I try to keep him safe with regular ANBU guards but there is only so much I can do when the reason to why he is hated is secret even to himself."

Anko blinked, "Wait a minute! You mean he doesn't know why he's being attacked in the first place? Are you fucking kidding me, why the fuck don't you tell him?!" Anko yelled as she realised the implications.

"Anko!" Neko said as her head snapped to glare at her at her outburst.

Hiruzen raised his hand to Neko, gesturing to stand down, "It's alright Neko, her anger is understandable." he said as he eyed Anko for a moment, "I do not keep it from him out of spite Anko, I do so to keep him safe and to allow him to have a normal childhood as best I can."

Anko clenched her fist, "With all due respect Hokage-Sama, but what kind of normal childhood can he have when he is under constant threat of being attacked for a reason he doesn't even know about? Your reason for keeping this secret, whatever it is, seems to just be making it worse on him. Wouldn't it be better just to tell him whatever the reason is and give him a chance to fight back?"

Hiruzen sighed, "You have no idea how much I have asked myself that exact same question in the last three years. Every time something like this has happened and he has been brought here, most of the time with injuries far greater than what he has now," Hiruzen said as his gaze drifted to Naruto's form as Neko stood up after finishing all she could, "but I find myself concerned with how he would react if I did. In his years at the orphanage, Naruto was such a quiet child, always keeping to himself after the other children ignored him. Likely due to seeing how he was treated by the, now former, matron. But that suddenly changed three years ago when I found him on the street after he had been kicked out of the orphanage and I gave him an apartment to live out of while he attends the academy classes. Now this sudden change of moods isn't that concerning in and of itself but combining that with what I have witnessed of him in and outside of the academy, things just don't add up."

Neko nodded, "You're referring to his pranks on the civilians, and the skill he uses to defend himself outside of the academy."

Hiruzen nodded, "The very same, the intelligence, patience and planning he puts into his pranks are not something most notice. When Naruto acts like he does and his grades in the academy are the lowest in his class in all subjects, yet he spends every moment when he's back in his apartment, practising his Kata's and reading over scrolls from the academy. On top of that I have read reports of young Naruto fighting off grown men who have attacked him on their own. That doesn't sound like a failure to me, if I had to take a bet I'd say that he's hiding his abilities but his reasons for doing so are unknown to me, it's for these reasons I have been reluctant to tell him. But I think it's time all the truths were revealed."

Time skip

It was fifteen minutes before Naruto groaned lowly as he started to wake up his hands going to his head in pain from the beating, "Ow, why does my head feel like someone went to town on it with a metal pipe?….Oh yeah cause someone did."

The sound and comment got the others attention in the room as they looked to him. Hiruzen frowned at the comment, 'I'll have to make sure Ibiki gives those seven extra special treatment' he thought as he schooled his features before speaking, "It's good to see you're awake Naruto-Kun, you had us worried for a while there."

Naruto sat up as he leaned on his knees with a groan, "Sorry about that Jiji, just give me a second 'till my ears stop ringing and the room stops spinning."

Hiruzen chuckled slightly before sighing, "Naruto this is Neko and Anko Mitarashi, they are the ones who captured your attackers and ended your attack."

Naruto groaned as he took his head out of his hands and looked up to see the two who Hiruzen was talking about. The first who caught his eye was Anko, who was giving him a smirk as she looked at him as well.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "What are you smirking at?"

Anko's smirk turned into a grin, "Not much just a blond damsel in distress I saved."

Naruto's eye twitched, "Yeah well I'd like to see you take on seven grown men with nothing but a rusty kunai after not having eaten or slept in sixteen hours!"

Anko winced at the tone, it was hard and cold something that the others in the room took notice of as well. The blond stood up and started to stretch his body aching from the beating. As he did so there were some raised eyebrows as they watched the bruises on Naruto's body start to heal with speed before fading away to nothing leaving Naruto's skin clear. This let them see him without interference which was all the more shocking as his body had absolute no fat on it at all. It was lean and toned, with refined muscles that raised even more questions about the blond as he stretched.

Anko blinked, before smirking again and giving an impressed whistle, "Damn, that is one fine piece of something right there. You could bounce a shuriken(throwing star) off those abs"

Hearing the comment Naruto didn't react but instead stopped his stretching and looked to the ground where his torn and slashed tracksuit top was and pulled it on covering what he could before speaking, "Go get your eye candy elsewhere", he replied, his tone still cold.

Hiruzen sighed, "Naruto my boy I think we need to talk about a few things."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, "Can this wait till tomorrow Jiji? It's been a long day."

Hiruzen shook his head, "I'm sorry Naruto but it can't, I have questions for you and there are some things you need to hear about certain things that have been kept from you."

That got Naruto's attention, "What secrets do you mean?" he asked as he looked to Hiruzen with a curious look.

Hiruzen shook his head, "That will come after my questions, Naruto. First I need to know just why you have been hiding your skills and intelligence in the academy. I've seen your grades and things aren't adding up, by different reports I've received you should be scoring much higher in all your classes yet you aren't, I'd like to know why that is?" Hiruzen asked as he watched Naruto closely, "I'd also like to ask how is it that you look like you do. If I had to compare your physicality to other people I've seen, I'd compare your muscle definition to a veteran Jōnin."

Naruto sighed as he listened to the questions put to him before speaking, "Honestly? What other choices do I have in this village Jiji? Every step I take, every move I make, is watched, criticized, scrutinized, punished or sabotaged by my shitty teachers in the academy. I flunk my tests, skimp out on my lessons and fake-fail because I'd rather that then have to put up with the sabotage, and stupid teachers telling me I'm no good when I know better. You remember my first day at the academy, Jiji? Where I won my Taijutsu spar against that Uchiha kid? And what did the teacher say? That I 'must have cheated' before he sent me to the heads office where the bastard beat me for an hour straight calling it 'punishment for cheating'. And you wonder why I don't bother proving my skills to anyone."

Anko frowned, she remembered the former head of the academy as well, he'd tried a few times to get her alone in his office, and had succeeded one time, but her snakes kept him at bay. With one nearly sinking its teeth into his crotch he backed off permanently. Didn't hurt that after Neko had found out she had a little 'chat' with him. She said that if he had ever tried again she'd introduce him to the sharp end of her O-Katana.

Hiruzen frowned. He did remember that incident. He had the bastard executed after it was reported to him and Naruto was brought to his office unconscious from the savage beating. The civilian council had tried to justify the reason for the beating but with Hiruzen's argument of, if he could do it to Naruto, he could do it to any student, plus the clan heads backing, the man's fate was sealed. He had been surprised that day that the Haruno woman had voted in his favor, as she normally voted along with the rest of the civilians, but he put it down to maternal instincts and the fact that her daughter had started the academy that day as well.

Not getting a reply Naruto continued, "I decided the day I was going to become a shinobi that I'd take things seriously. So I started training my body. It was difficult the shops sold me everything at exaggerated prices so I had to make do with what I could get. Old equipment or nearly spoiled or rotten food was a regular occurrence. Ichiraku's was the only place that served me warm food. Everything else was out of a can or heated in a microwave." he said before he gestured to his clothes. "You think I wear this orange monstrosity by choice? I pulled it and three others out of a dumpster, probably old stock that a shop couldn't sell, so I could hide my physical progress. I didn't want anyone asking questions."

Hiruzen frowned even deeper as he was informed of all of the mistreatment that had been going on under his very nose. Obviously things were worse than he had realised. "I see. Well I can honestly say that I approve of your resourcefulness Naruto, and I can only apologise for not having seen this happening, but why didn't you come to me with these problems and let me help?"

Naruto frowned, "Because it would have done little good. I reported it once and they just found new ways to get to me. You got rid of the headmaster of the academy so they realised beating me was no good. So next I was forced out of lessons for stupid reasons. It's never ending, so I made do with what I have and improve by myself. It's what I've always done."

Hiruzen sighed and nodded sadly knowing Naruto was right. That was what the civilians had always done from the start. He had banned them from talking about Naruto's status, so they urged their children to stay away from him for other reasons. The shops refused to sell to him, and when he intervened they sold Naruto faulty or spoiled goods. When they beat Naruto he had ANBU guard him, so they waited 'till they got their chance. It was a never ending cycle of one disgusting tactic after another, and Hiruzen was sick of it. This last explanation just solidified Hiruzen's opinion that now was when the truth had to come out and he would help Naruto to get whatever form of justice for the suffering he's received from this village.

"Naruto. Please take a seat, there are important matters that need to be discussed here and now that I should have told you a long time ago." Hiruzen said with a determined and hardened look in his eye as he lifted the writing mat on top of his desk to reveal a storage seal array underneath it. He then opened it with a small puff of smoke revealing a small wooden box.

With a nod Naruto sat down, while Anko shuffled on her feet feeling this really wasn't the place for her at that moment, Hiruzen looked to her "Anko, Neko you may stay if Naruto permits it, but Neko I ask you to remove your mask. If you do so, neither of you are to reveal anything that is said in this room after this. These secrets are Naruto's and so it is up to him who are allowed to know if you are allowed to hear them."

Naruto nodded, "They can stay. I owe them for earlier. They've earned it"

Anko nodded as she moved to Naruto's left and Neko did the same as she removed her mask revealing her face.

Anko smirked, "Oh there you are Yūgao-nee!" she snarked getting a playful smack to the back of the head from a smirking Yūgao.

Hiruzen cleared his throat, "Very well. Now the first thing that I will be telling you about are who your parents are." Seeing the look of shock on Naruto's face Hiruzen explained, "Their identities were kept secret from you and everyone else because when they were alive they had many enemies and had it been discovered you were their child you would have been targeted for assassination. Many from outside the village as well as some from inside. This was my decision to deny you your lineage and I'm sorry to say that it has backfired greatly, which is why I am telling you now. Both of your parents were my friends and it saddens me to see how this village, the very one they gave their lives to defeat the Kyūbi for, has failed them and their son." Hiruzen said as he opened the box by the top lid and took out two average-sized scrolls, one with red rims and the other with yellow, "Your Kaa-san was called Kushina Uzumaki, whose last name you took due to her being the last of her clan. The Uzumakis were a powerful clan that were destroyed in the last shinobi war in the fall of Uzu (Uzushiogakure, village hidden in the whirlpools), they were Konoha's greatest allies during the first and second shinobi world wars. Sadly though towards the end of the second in a combined attack from the Iwa (Iwagakure, village hidden in the stone) and Kumo (Kumogakure, village hidden in the clouds) they were wiped out. Your Kaa-san was the sole survivor and heiress to the clan. When word came of the imminent attack she was sent to safety by her Tou-san, Mamoru Uzumaki, and with her was a scroll containing the clan's teachings and traditions so that the Uzumaki Clan might live on."

Hiruzen handed Naruto the red scroll, "In there is a letter from Kushina as well as your inheritance as the heir to Uzumaki and Uzushiogakure"

Naruto took the scroll and looked at it a moment looking to be deep in thought as Hiruzen continued.

"Your Kaa-san was one of the most headstrong, impulsive, eccentric, and stubborn girls you would ever meet. She was fun loving and was always playing pranks on anyone who made fun of her bright red hair. Ironic, as her hair was part of the reason she was so memorable in the third shinobi world war. She was a master of her clan's formidable Fūinjutsu, which she employed with her chakra chains and clan Kenjutsu style in battle and gained her the title of the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. I still remember the day she and your Tou-san found out she was pregnant with you, they were both excited and couldn't wait to be parents and to watch you grow up," Hiruzen said with a sad smile, "but sadly it wasn't meant to be."

Naruto gripped the scroll hard as he fought back tears, "S-So they did love me...I always wondered if they did or not, if that was the reason they gave me up, but seeing as they're both dead I can understand."

Hiruzen nodded, "That you can be sure of Naruto-Kun. I had never seen two people more excited to be parents than yours." He said before clearing his throat, "Now Naruto, before I tell you about your Tou-san, there are some things you should be aware of, firstly, should you wish to take his name you will have to wait until you graduate from the academy, this isn't an order more of a request, should you take on your Tou-san's name there will be those who will see it as an insult to his memory, suddenly claiming yourself as his son, and it would be better if you were a shinobi so I can easily assist you should that happen." Naruto nodded in agreement, "okay then, Your Tou-san's name was Minato Namikaze, but you would know him better as the…"

"Yondaime," Naruto said in shock, "…I'm the son of the fourth Hokage!" Naruto was speechless at that very moment not sure how to handle this. He was the son of the village hero, the man who died defeating the Kyūbi no Yōko, and who practically single handily ended the third shinobi war with his version of the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique), a technique that he had based off the Nidaime Hokage's. He was a master of the art of Fūinjutsu( Sealing Techniques), one of the only recorded students of the legendary Sannin Jiraiya, who had himself been a student of the Sandaime Hokage. But if that was the case there was only one thing that he couldn't grasp, "Why?"

The three occupants of the room looked at him in confusion, "Why what, Naruto?" asked Hiruzen seeing him clench his fists.

"Why, if I'm the son of the Fourth, am I treated like the scum of the earth? Why am I treated like this, beaten on a weekly basis? I was treated like an outcast at the orphanage. I had to survive on the streets for two weeks eating garbage, sleeping in a cardboard box, and trying not to lose my fingertips to rats. If I'm the son of the Fourth why am I treated like I'm a plague? Why do I get glared at like I'm a fucking murderer!?" Naruto started as his voice rose into a yell as tears started to flow down his cheeks.

Anko looked at the boy younger than her. She hadn't known about the boy's life before and she was shocked hearing it. She couldn't even comprehend what he had done to deserve this treatment, and being the Yondaime's son means he should have been living in the lap of luxury. Not to mention if his Kaa-san was some clan head then he should be loaded and yet said he ate rotten food, if any, and was dressed in clothing that looked like it should be burned to stop the spread of disease.

She had known hell, her parents had died when she was three so she was an orphan too, but she had been taken in by the Sannin, Orochimaru when she was six. He had seen potential in her and had taken her as his student and even let her sign the Hebi contract at the age of eight. Of course, things had all went sideways a year later when it was discovered he was a traitor and was kidnapping shinobi and civilians for inhumane experiments. She hadn't known this when she left the village with him willingly. She had apparently followed him for two years but she couldn't remember anything that happened, the bastard had taken all of her memories of those two years. She had been found in rags in a small cell in one of the snake's abandoned bases when it had been raided by an ANBU team in search for the traitor. The other ANBU had wanted to just kill her, calling her a traitor. It was only because Yūgao was the leader of the squad at the time that her life was spared. Upon returning to the village she'd discovered that the bastard had marked her with some kind of seal on her neck that caused her pain any time she thought about him for extended periods of time. They had tried to remove it but nothing they did worked and so she was left with the mark as a constant reminder of her traitorous sensei all these years.

After her return to the village she was cleared of all involvement with the traitor, but it didn't matter. In everyone's eyes she was nothing more than his pupil and a traitor to Konoha, and the mark on her neck proving her connection and loyalty to the traitor. So, being shunned, glared at and treated like crap she knew all too well. Of course, she at least had Yūgao to come home to in the apartment they shared. Naruto didn't have someone like that. While it looked like he and the Hokage had something like a grandfather-grandson relationship, he couldn't be there for Naruto like Yūgao was for her, so he was almost completely alone.

Hiruzen sighed deeply as he set the yellow scroll down before taking up his pipe as he leaned back in his chair, "Because the village is full of idiots and bastards who can't tell the difference between a cage and its contents. A village that is full of resentment over the past and stupidly directs its hatred at someone who had no control over or say in what happened to them and had barely been born when the whole thing happened." Hiruzen spoke as he slowly exhaled the smoke, his voice tainted with the Sakki (killing intent) he was failing to suppress in his anger.

At the mention of this Yūgao's fist clenched behind her back, while Anko and Naruto both looked confused. None of what was being said was making any sense to them.

"Jiji, what are you talking about? What cage?" Naruto asked as he leant back in his chair.

Hiruzen took another mouthful of smoke before setting his pipe down, "Naruto, what is your Tou-san best known for?"

Naruto blinked, "For killing the Kyūbi no Yōko during the… wait, if both my parents died the night of the… but I was born on… then how could they be... but how?" Naruto asked as he tried to fit some of the pieces together but couldn't. If he was born the night the Kyūbi no Yōko attacked the village how was it possible that both his parents were out fighting the Kyūbi when his Kaa-san was meant to be giving birth to him.

Hiruzen nodded, "So you can see the dilemma in the facts. It's confusing to those who aren't aware of the true facts about that night. And even now most don't know what actually happened, but I'll start from the beginning. Many believe that the night the Kyūbi no Yōko attacked the village it just appeared out of nowhere and started attacking. No one knew where it had come from, but in truth, the Kyūbi had been inside the village the whole time for many years prior to the attack. Back when the two founders of this village fought, the Shodai Hokage, Hashirama Senju, helped seal the beast away inside of his wife in order to prevent Madara Uchiha from utilising its power in their fight. Her name was Mito Uzumaki, your grand aunt. Mito-sama was sister to Mamoru Uzumaki, and the marriage between her and Hashirama Senju bonded the two estranged cousin clans and our villages. And it was because of her that we learned the fact that only an Uzumaki has the power to contain the Kyūbi no Yōko's might. Because only their abnormally large chakra supplies and networks, that even as children dwarf kages, even my own, can adjust to the power of the Kyūbi without bursting. When Mito was dying there was only one other she could turn to and ask to take on her burden after she was gone, the only other Uzumaki left in the village at the time, your Kaa-san. Kushina became the second Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi. But there was a problem later down the line, there are certain times when the seal holding the Kyūbi weakens and at times like this the risk of the Kyūbi getting out are heightened, one such time is during childbirth. The night you were born your Tou-san and Kaa-san had secreted themselves away inside a hidden bunker for your birth. Your father was there to reinforce the seal to keep the Kyūbi suppressed so that it didn't get out, however something happened. Either your Tou-san failed to keep the Kyūbi suppressed or something else happened, we do not know. We only know that the night of your birth the Kyūbi no Yōko was released and attacked the village. However in the hours that followed your Kaa-san and Tou-san took to fighting the Kyūbi in order to protect the village but given what the Kyūbi is, being a large mass of chakra in physical form, there was only one way to stop it permanently. And with your Kaa-san still weak from giving birth to you and having the Kyūbi escape, that left them only one option to take, they had to seal the Kyūbi away inside of…"

"Inside of me," Naruto spoke as he realised what Hiruzen was leading towards, "the Kyūbi no Yōko, the demon that killed a third of the village is sealed inside of me," Naruto said aloud in realisation, "Now it all makes sense, the villagers, they see me as the one who killed their loved ones, who burned their homes and attacked their village they…. They….. they're fucking idiots!" Naruto finished as he stood up in anger, "How fucking stupid are they? I wasn't even one day old and they think I fucking did all that? What the fuck is wrong with them? We learn about sealing scrolls in the academy in the second year, or at least I would have if I hadn't been thrown out of the lesson and had to learn about it myself, and even I know the difference between the kunai and the scroll it's sealed inside! Those complete fucktards! That's it! The gloves are off! The next time those bastards come at me I'm going for the throat! They're fucking dead! They want to come at me let em! I'll kill the lot of them!"

The outburst made both Anko and Yugao take a step back while Hiruzen sighed, "Naruto I can understand your anger, and to be frank I feel the same way, but I must ask that you not act irrationally. Should you kill, even in self-defence, it will only justify their opinions in their eyes and forever mark you as a demon to them!"

Naruto's fists clenched, "Let them think of me as a demon then, they already do without any proof! I'll make them realise they don't fuck with me! Maybe after the first three bodies drop they'll get the fucking memo, "Don't fuck with an Uzumaki!", They want a fucking demon? I'll give them one!"

At that statement Hiruzen scowled before a flash of his Sakki silencing Naruto who stopped mid-rant feeling the pressure the elderly Hokage was releasing, "Naruto, please listen to me. I understand your anger, I understand that you've been hurt and feel betrayed, but acting out isn't going to do anyone any good. Should you kill people in self-defence people will see you as a demon, and the civilian council will throw a fit and demand you be executed for murder, and as you're still a civilian they have the pull to make it happen, if you act out now you will most certainly be executed within a month and I will have no way to protect you."

Naruto's fists remained clenched as he listened to his grandfather figure trying to explain things to him.

Seeing Naruto calm down Hiruzen continued, "I want to help you to get your revenge on those who have wronged you, but in order for me to do that you have to be a shinobi and you have to be seen doing it like all the others your age and graduated from the academy in six years. I have a plan for how we can do this but it will be slow and is all about the preparation. You will have your revenge Naruto, I promise you that. All you have to do is be patient."

Naruto nodded, "Alright Jiji, I'll follow your lead, although I don't like it. I understand that your points I can't let my anger get the better of me, but I can already see a flaw in your plan." Seeing Hiruzen raise an eyebrow he explained, "The teachers at the academy, even if they follow your orders, they'll still try to sabotage me any chance they get. And I wouldn't put it past one of them to mess with my exam results so I don't become a shinobi."

Hiruzen nodded, "I see your point, but I already have a reserve plan for that," he said before he reached into his drawer and tossed two things at Naruto, one was a Konoha Hitai-ate with a black cloth and the other was an all-white porcelain mask with the kanji for fire on its forehead, "as Hokage it is my prerogative to choose who I see fit to become a member of ANBU," Hiruzen explained getting three shocked expressions from those in front of him, "Your code name will be Kitsune. This will place you into the shinobi ranks and my protection, your position, however, is temporary and contingent on you continuing with your academy training. This will grant you the privileges of any other ANBU, such as access to training grounds and the ANBU Library and Jutsus. I am also assigning Neko as your private instructor outside of the academy. She will cover any materials not taught to you by the academy, and will also supervise your training to make sure you are ready by the time you leave the academy."

Naruto looked to Yūgao and she to him as they nodded to each other before Naruto looked to Hiruzen again, "Does this mean I will be able to go on missions and start my shinobi career early, Jiji?" he asked with a smirk.

Hiruzen paused for a moment in thought before nodding, "I see no reason why not, although I will be leaving the decision of when up to Yūgao, as your sensei she will decide when you are ready for missions and I will be picking each one personally, to test your skills."

At this Yūgao spoke up, "Hokage-Sama, might I make a request?" she asked as Hiruzen looked to her and nodded, "Over her years at the academy Anko has suffered the same kind of neglect from the teachers, not to the same extent, but enough that I've had to step in and aid in her lessons outside of the academy. My request is that she be allowed to join Naruto in his training with me so that she could be taught what is denied her as well."

Naruto looked to Anko upon hearing this with some shock in his eyes as a thought went through his head, 'her too?'

Hiruzen looked to Anko, "Is this true Anko, are the teachers at the academy being unfair to you as well?" he asked with some anger in his tone towards the academy instructors.

Anko nodded, "Yeah, I get thrown out of classes like him, not a lot but enough, and I had a run in with the former headmaster back when I first started but my summons scared him away and he didn't try again after Yūgao-nee and him had a little 'chat' after I told her about it."

Hiruzen sighed as he rubbed his head, his faith in this village falling more and more at each word, "Very well, I see no reason not to allow it, however, it's up to Naruto as well. This was for his benefit to begin with."

Naruto nodded, "She can join, I don't know why she's treated as I was, but I don't honestly care, whatever the reason they had for it doesn't justify their actions."

Anko smiled as Naruto spoke her respect for the blond going even higher as he did so, "Thanks" she said with a smile, "You mind me joining you the next time you get cornered by those idiots? I'll give ya a hand to kick their asses and we'll see how they like it when we tag team them and make it hurt!"

Naruto smirked at her, "Sure, I don't mind. The more the merrier!"

Hiruzen cleared his throat in a nervous fashion, "Yes, well, hopefully that won't be happening anytime soon, now back to what I was saying before," he said as he slid the yellow scroll over to Naruto, "That scroll was from your Tou-san, in it is a letter from him as well as the workings of his two famous Jutsu, the Hiraishin and the Rasengan. Both are your birthright as his son however if you manage to learn them I ask that you not use them in public, at least until you have graduated the academy so that I will be able to back you up in front of the council."

Naruto took the scroll and nodded, "Thanks, Jiji, I'll do that. I want to learn everything I can as fast as I can, cause the sooner I'm out of the academy I want to make those bastards pay as soon as possible."

Hiruzen nodded, "That's good, now, seeing as your old home's location is well-known, I believe it best if you moved so that you aren't as easily targeted anymore."

Yūgao spoke up at this, "Hokage-Sama, there is an apartment available next door from the one that Anko and I share, it would be beneficial to have him live there for his training as well, it's the perfect size for a boy his age."

Hiruzen nodded, "I see. Yes, that would be beneficial, and that complex is utilized by primarily Jōnin and ANBU. Anyone foolish enough to attack there would be truly stupid. Yes, that will do nicely!" he said as he reached into the box and took out a small book, "Now Naruto, you also have an inheritance that your parents left you. Sadly their house was destroyed in the Kyūbi attack, but with your Tou-san and Kaa-san being masters of Fūinjutsu, they had a backup plan. If the house was destroyed, all objects in the house marked with a seal were transferred into a sealing scroll in this office. They also gave me control over both the Namikaze and Uzumaki banking accounts should anything happen to them. I've been using some of that money to support you anytime you asked for an advance or increase, due to other matters not making it possible. But that hasn't even made a dent seeing as the Uzumaki were, to be blunt, filthy rich from selling their seals. And as per the arrangement in your parent's will, five percent of the funds are available to you until you're a Genin. After which the rest will be available to you, however, let me assure you that five percent is more than enough for you to live off of 'till you graduate, and live extremely comfortably at that." he said as he opened the book revealing it to be a small accounting book as he turned it to the last entry and pushed it to Naruto whose eyes widened seeing all the zeros.

Hiruzen cleared his throat, "Now, I believe we should go and examine this prospective apartment of yours Naruto, but I believe a new shirt and pants first would be best as yours are barely holding together." Hiruzen said before snapping his finger as an ANBU dropped down with a pair of black ANBU style pants and a black long-sleeved shirt and handed them to Naruto before disappearing into a puff of smoke, "We'll go shopping tomorrow and get you some new equipment and clothing, I believe I know the perfect shop for you to go to, a man who was friends with both your parents runs it, he will treat you fairly."

Naruto nodded as he started to get changed, not minding where he was as he replaced his shirt and pants as he tossed them in the trash and looked himself over, he approved of the shirt, it wasn't big on him in fact it actually hugged him well but not overly well letting him show some of his muscle but not all of it hiding some of the fact he was in better shape than ninety percent of the village.

Anko licked her lips seeing the shirt hug Naruto in all the right places as a thought went through her head, 'damn, what a hunk, looks like I got me some eye candy now!'

Naruto caught the gesture and smirked, "Enjoying the eye candy?" he asked cockily.

Anko smirked, "Damn right I am"

Naruto rolled his eyes as he attached his mask to his waist and they all walked out of the office to go and see his new apartment.

Scene break

Walking into the apartment, with Hiruzen, Yūgao and Anko behind him, Naruto nodded as he looked around. The flooring was mahogany and the walls were painted a warm flint grey and was well lit by the hanging chandelier with three bulbs. There was a single large window looking out the back in what Naruto could assume was the living area. Behind that area was a sectioned off kitchen with a work top that went around in a reversed L shape with a fair amount of storage. To the left as he walked in was a small hallway that lead to the master bedroom with the connected bathroom and a small hot press outside it with an already fitted washer and dryer. It was close to twice the size of his last apartment.

Naruto gave an impressed whistle, "Nice! This will be perfect. What's the rent like on a place like this?"

Yūgao smirked, "This place is a bit smaller than the apartment Anko and I live in, it's a two bedroom, and it's rent is only seven thousand Ryo a month. So this place shouldn't be more than four or five thousand a month."

(A/N: I am using the conversion rate on the wiki where 1 Ryo is worth 10 Yen, so at that conversion rate the two bedroom apartment is just over £500 PMC, while Naruto's is just under £400 PMC, in case anyone is wondering)

Naruto whistles again, "Perfect. That's three times cheaper that what I'm currently paying for rent, so I'm already sold."

Hiruzen looked to Naruto troubled, "What do you mean, currently paying? Your rent is covered by my office till you graduate from the academy, and it's only three thousand Ryo a month."

Naruto scowled at that, "Then my former landlord needs to be arrested, he's been charging me fifteen thousand Ryo every month for my stay there."

(A/N: doing the math on that the landlord is taking close to £1000 off Naruto every month)

Hiruzen scowled equally, "Indeed, ANBU!" he called as two ANBU appeared at his door one wearing a Buta (Pig) mask and the other a Ratto (Rat) mask, "Arrest Naruto's former landlord for crimes of tax evasion and cheating the treasury, then take him to Ibiki and inform the scum he is stripped of his citizenship and all his assets are seized and transferred under the name Naruto Uzumaki, mark them as reparations for crimes against the victim."

The pair of ANBU nodded before shunshining away and Hiruzen looked to Naruto with a small smirk, "Congratulations, Naruto, you're now a Landlord!"

Naruto sweat dropped, "Great, I'm the landlord of a rundown building, which I will either have to get condemned or renovate it completely when I get access to my clan accounts after graduating."

Hiruzen chuckled, "I might be able to help you out there Naruto, there are some building legislations in the village that give grants and supply workers to fix up old buildings, you'd only have to sign and register it as a Shinobi or student renting only building for a number of years. I'll bring the paperwork over in the next few days if you'd like and I can have them filed for you."

Naruto nodded as he walked into the bedroom, "Yeah that would be great, thanks, Jiji." he said as he looked around, before walking to the window and took his mask off his waist and put it on the windowsill.

Hiruzen nodded, "Alright then, I believe we should all call it a night." he said before snapping his fingers and another ANBU appeared next to him with a rolled up futon, "You can use this tonight Naruto, I'll have you registered as the new tenant for this apartment before I go. I'll see you tomorrow to get your new furniture and equipment." he said as he turned and walked out.

Yūgao looked to Naruto who was looking out the window a look of thought on his face, "Naruto, Anko and I are right next door if you need anything, don't stay up too late." she said with a small hint of concern for the boy. He nodded showing he heard as Yūgao ushered Anko to the door as she took one last look at the boy and they closed the door behind them as they left.

Hearing the door close a small smile came to Naruto's face as he realised things were going to change for the better now, but there was still a long way to go. After a minute Naruto looked at the two scrolls the Hokage had given him and moved to the bedroom to read them. He looked at the first one with yellow rims and paused for a minute before opening it revealing the two sealing arrays that were numbered. He knew how to open them and placed his hand on the first and channelled his chakra causing it to explode into a puff of smoke and revealed a second scroll labelled Naruto on its front. Taking it and opening it he began to read.

"Dear Naruto

If you are reading this then it means that you have been told who your mother and I am. I'm sure that came as a bit of a shock, didn't it, and it also means that you've been told that you hold the Kyūbi no Yōko and that I was the one to seal it inside of you. I wish there was more time to look for another way to do it, I wish we had another option, but as I write this your Kaa-san is lying down with you in her arms and the Kyūbi is being held back from the village by our shinobi. They can't last much longer so I must be brief. Your Kaa-san won't be around to tell you this as the Kyūbi was ripped from her, and it's only her Uzumaki reserves and strong will that is keeping her alive. A Jinchūriki cannot survive without their bijū in them and she won't last much longer. She doesn't want me to seal it in you but there is no one else that can hold the Kyūbi and even if there was, as Hokage I can't ask someone else to give up their child for such a task if I was unwilling to give up mine.

The Kyūbi was ripped from your Kaa-san by a man in a cloak and mask with one eye hole. I chased him off but the Kyūbi is still on the rampage. I don't know why he did it, but what's done is done. Though he may return for the Kyūbi in the future so be on alert. I know you will be strong enough to fight off whatever comes at you, you are my son, after all and I believe you can do it.

I have told the old monkey you are to take your Kaa-san's name as I know that if you are named my son and the Jinchūriki then your life will be far too dangerous. But if you want to take my name I have made preparations. Sealed at the end of this scroll are blood samples, both mine and your Kaa-san's, along with your birth certificate. The hospital will also have mine and Kushina's blood on record, give them to the old man when or if you want to take on my name, and they will prove you are our son.

Also sealed is the remains of your Kaa-sans sword, it was broken in the attack when the man in the mask took you and killed Sarutobi's wife. I didn't tell him this so he could focus on the battle and not go searching for the masked man who is already long gone, so I now leave that to you. Gomen'nasai (sorry).

There should be a blacksmith weapons shop called Shinobi Arms. The owner, Daichi Oshiro, was the only one your Kaa-san allow to even touch her blade apart from herself or me. He was also the one who made my Hiraishin Kunai. Once he sees the sword he will no doubt put the facts together. If you want to learn your Kaa-san's clan's Kenjutsu I'm sure that would make her very happy. Kushina has gathered up all of her clan's scrolls, that she brought with her to Konoha, and has sealed it back inside the original scroll and says that she will seal it with her letter to you. There is too much to cover about the Uzumaki so I will leave that for your Kaa-san to explain.

I will also be sealing my two self-made Jutsu, the Hiraishin and the Rasengan. They are yours should you decided to take them up. I'm sure your godfather Jiraiya of the Sannin will be more than happy to help you to learn and master them as I'm sure he'll have done his best to look out for you after we're gone.

I have to go now, just know that I will always love you and that I can only hope that you can come to forgive me for putting this burden on you and then leaving you, I know you will make us both proud.

With all the love I can give

Your Tou-san Minato Namikaze- Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato"

Naruto was taking deep breaths by the time he finished the letter, trying to keep his emotions in check as he thought. The letter had stirred up so many of them he didn't know what he was likely to do most at that moment, he wanted to cry, he wanted to hit something, he wanted just to scream out all his pain.

The truth had been laid bare before him, all the suffering in his life was centred on that one night and the man who released the Kyūbi from his Kaa-san's seal, he was the one who set the monster on the village. It was him who was the cause of all of it. He was so angry. Angry at the man for releasing the Kyūbi and starting all of this. Angry at his Tou-san for not stopping the man and then sealing the Kyūbi in him and leaving him, for not finding another way. He had wanted a life without any of this, just a normal life one where he grew up with his Tou-san. He wanted him there to teach him, to help him train, to tuck him in at night, to not go to bed at night hungry and alone. He wanted to know the love of his parents had for him, before it was all taken from him.

After several minutes Naruto exhaled a final breath as he unfurled the second scroll and found two more storage seals, both numbered in the same way, following the same process he unsealed the first seal finding a similar scroll as he did so and opened it taking a final breath to steady his nerves before he started to read again.

"Dear Naruto-Kun,

If you are reading this then the worst has come to pass and I and your Tou-san are no longer alive. I want to apologise for that above all, I did not want to leave you. Even though I only got to hold you for a few minutes I will always hold those minutes close to my heart, you look so adorable. I am writing this as your Tou-san holds you. You look so much like him, I can already tell you're going to be a real lady killer when you grow up, just like your Tou-san. I hope you grow up to be a kind, strong and gentle man, my only regret is that I won't be there to see it.

There is so much to tell you, but so very little time to tell you in. I wish I was there to tell you about our clan in person and watch you do great things but sadly this is all I can give you. I have sealed everything related to our clan into the Vault Scroll and sealed it with this letter to you. It is locked by a blood seal so it needs your blood to open it. Inside you will find another letter from me explaining everything you will find inside as well as our clan's bloodline. I am running out of time and must go now.

There is so much more I want to say so much I want to tell you, so many memories I want to share, so much I want to know. I wonder what your life will be like after we're gone. I wonder who will be your first love, what your favourite food, colour, book, and your first words will be. Oh, Naruto-Kun I don't want to leave you, but I have no choice. The Kyūbi was ripped from me and set on a rampage and the only way to seal it is in an Uzumaki. I can't do it in my weakened state, it would only break free again, so it has to be you. I have pleaded with your Tou-san to find another way but there isn't time. I just hope that the village will see you for the hero you are keeping the Kyūbi at bay. Please forgive me for leaving you Naruto, it is not by my choice, just know that you are loved and will always be loved.

All the love in the world

Your Kaa-chan, Kushina Uzumaki"

Finishing the scroll Naruto let it drop the short distance to the ground as he felt a pain in his chest as his Kaa-san's words echoed over and over again in his head. His body shook as he tried to hold back his tears of pain desperately, but as his eye went to the letter again and he saw the words 'know that you are loved and will always be loved', the dam burst and he started to sob.

Scene break

Anko frowned to herself as she walked out of her apartment, a wooden plate in hand with some onigiri (rice balls). She'd made them after she'd remembered that Naruto had said he hadn't eaten in sixteen hours and that he didn't have any food in his new apartment. She was frowning because she had never been a good cook and the onigiri looked half mangled and they were all different shapes and sizes, nothing like how she had seen Yūgao make them for her boyfriend, Hayate.

'Damn it, they look like I made them with my feet,' Anko berated herself mentally, 'He's probably going to hate them. Why the fuck am I even doing this anyway, I only just met him today' she thought to herself as she thought about the blond boy a few years younger than her. He reminded her of herself, and he'd lived like she had, taken the same shit from the civilians even worse that she had, and gave it back just as she did. She couldn't help but feel some kind of connection with him as she approached the door and reached out to knock only to stop when she felt her nerves grip her. 'What the hell is wrong with me, I'm not one of those stupid fangirls. He's just a guy; Only difference between him and me is he's got balls and a dick and I've got tits and a pussy, now woman up and knock on the damn door!' she said in her head before finally knocking.

She waited for a response but none came, and her eyebrow twitched, 'What the hell, he couldn't have fallen asleep that quickly,' she thought before knocking the door again and stood back to wait. After getting no response again, she let out a low growl, 'what the hell, I make him these and he doesn't even have the balls to come to the damn door. That tears it!' she growled in her mind as she stepped up to the door and reached for the handle, opening the door and walking in, using her foot to close it behind her as she did.

She scanned the open floorplan apartment and didn't see the blond and immediately looked to the bedroom door and saw it was half shut. She growled as she walked over to it, "Hey blondy, what gives? You don't open the door when I…" she started to say as she opened the door only for her words to die in her throat as she saw the young blond kneeling on the ground shaking as tears rolled down his cheeks, the scrolls lying open before him. It didn't take a genius to figure out he'd read the letters his parents had left him, and they had hit him hard, in that moment all the anger she had felt had fallen away as she saw the boy crying as a flash from her past appeared in front of her, when she had been found just like that crying her eyes out in that cage. How she had desperately wanted someone, anyone to be there for her, and how she'd felt when Yūgao had comforted her by hugging her and letting her cry out her pain into her shoulder as she held her.

Anko didn't know why she did it, all she knew was he was hurting like she once had and needed someone in the same way. Setting the plate of food down on the ground she walked over to him quickly and knelt down pulling him gently into her embrace.

Naruto didn't know who it was or what was going on at that moment, when he felt someone moving him. Until he felt someone holding him with their arms wrapped gently around him and the soothing warmth comforting him as he heard a gentle whisper to "let it out" that "it's ok", and he did as he cried harder than he had ever done before as the soothing voice continued to whisper to him as he let it out. All the pain and loneliness he'd felt over the years was bearing down on him and he just cried unable to take the weight of it anymore letting out the pain until he couldn't anymore as he exhausted himself letting the bliss of sleep come to him in the arms of whoever it was holding him cradle him to sleep.

Elsewhere in the village

In a dark room, lit only by a candle on a table in front of a large seat, sat the figure of a frail old man. He had shaggy black hair which hung over the bandages that wrapped around his forehead and over his right eye, with an "X" shaped scar on his chin. He wore a black robe that concealed his right hand, and a white date-eri covering his left side, in his hand was a wooden walking stick which he held in front of him.

Behind him stood two figures both dressed in black robes with their hoods up and both wearing white porcelain masks but with no unique features except for the Kanji for "Ne" on their foreheads.

In a swirl of wind, a third similar figure appeared in front of the sitting man and immediately kneeled holding out a scroll in his left hand towards the seated man.

The figure on the right side of the man walked around and took the scroll before taking it to the seated figure and handing it to him.

The man took the scroll and opened it as his left eye opened and he read over the contents his eye showing some interest after the first few second.

"Hmm, interesting. It would seem that my old friend is making some rather… interesting moves… it would seem that the pieces are being set for the future, but the rest of the board has yet to be set… I wonder just what he is planning and what Uzumaki will intend to do in the future, now that he knows the truth?" the man pondered aloud for a moment before closing the scroll and looking to the figure on his left, "Send word to bunker eleven-twenty one in the ruins, double the guards and keep it for the foreseeable future, we may need it for the coming storm… no, maelstrom would be a more appropriate analogy."

The figure nodded before disappearing into a whirlwind leaving the elderly man to his thought, 'It never hurts to have a contingency for dealing with young upstarts.'