Konoha Year 51, Summer.
The sun hung lazily over the rooftops of the Hidden Leaf Village, its warm rays casting golden hues over the bustling streets. Laughter rang out from alleys where children played and merchants peddled their wares with hearty enthusiasm. But amidst all the life and light, there walked a lonely child with downcast eyes and heavy steps.
Three-year-old Uzumaki Naruto stuffed a few coins—his precious pocket money—into his shorts and stepped out of the house. His small hands clutched his pants tightly, knuckles white. It was summer. The air was warm. But in his heart, it felt cold.
He wandered through the streets, his big, curious eyes scanning his surroundings. Not far away, two children around his age were giggling as they chased each other with sticks, pretending to be mighty shinobi.
Naruto's heart ached at the sight. That joy, that carefree spirit—they had something he longed for more than anything.
He stepped forward cautiously, his voice barely above a whisper.
"C-Can I play with you?"
The little boy stopped and looked at him, blinking.
"OK!" he replied with a smile.
Naruto's face lit up instantly, his eyes sparkling.
"Really? Great!" he beamed, his heart thumping with excitement. Maybe today would be different. Maybe things were finally changing.
But before he could join in—
"Let's go. Stop playing," a stern voice interrupted.
"Mom, I haven't had enough fun yet," the boy protested, looking back at Naruto in confusion.
"That's enough," the woman snapped, tugging her son away. "And remember—don't ever get close to that demon fox kid again."
Naruto froze, his smile fading. His heart sank.
The boy, still oblivious, asked, "What's a demon fox? Can we still play?"
The woman shushed him harshly. "The demon fox is a terrifying monster—it eats people. Stay away from him if you want to live."
She threw a sharp glare at Naruto and hurried away, dragging her confused child along.
Naruto stood there, silent. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, to ask why. But no words came.
This wasn't the first time.
Again and again, the same thing happened. The warm greetings, the hopeful moments—always crushed by the whispers, the glares, the fearful avoidance. He had grown used to it, or so he told himself. But it still hurt, every time.
The sky above seemed to dim, clouds slowly gathering.
Naruto walked alone along a narrow, quiet street, keeping his head low. He avoided eye contact, sticking close to the edges, as if the shadows might shield him from the world's hatred.
He didn't know why people looked at him like that. He didn't know what he had done. But those eyes—full of malice, suspicion, and loathing—they haunted him. Like everyone wanted him gone.
At the corner of a shop, something caught his eye.
It was a fox mask—bright red with white accents, smiling mischievously from behind a dusty glass pane.
He reached into his pocket, fingers brushing the coins. His heart skipped a beat. Maybe… just maybe, he could have something nice for once.
He took a deep breath and walked in.
"Uncle, that—" he started timidly.
But the shopkeeper turned, took one look at him, and his expression immediately darkened.
"I'm not selling to you. Get out, plague child!" he barked.
Before Naruto could respond, he was shoved out roughly, the door slammed shut behind him.
"What… why? I have money! Why won't you sell it to me?" Naruto shouted, his voice cracking with frustration.
He held up his coins, his eyes stinging with unshed tears. "I just want to buy something! What did I do wrong?!"
The shopkeeper sneered. "I can sell to whoever I want. But to you? Never. You demon fox… just seeing you ruins my day."
The words were like knives. Naruto stood frozen, the weight of rejection pressing down on his small body.
Behind him, murmurs began to stir.
"So that's him…"
"Shhh, don't get close! That's the demon fox!"
"He's the one who got the Fourth Hokage killed…"
"He should have died back then. Why did the Third let him live?"
"He's a monster. He'll kill us all someday."
Naruto turned slowly. A crowd had gathered—dozens of people whispering, glaring, judging. Their voices weren't hushed anymore. Their eyes weren't hiding their hatred.
He trembled. Fear gripped his chest.
Why? Why are they doing this?
Suddenly—smack!
An egg exploded on his face.
Sticky yolk and shattered shell clung to his cheek. He blinked, stunned, trying to wipe it away, his fingers trembling.
Another egg flew. Then a tomato. A rotten leaf. Trash and debris rained down on him.
He stood in the center, surrounded. A target. A scapegoat.
With a surge of desperation, he screamed.
"I'm not a demon fox! I'm not a disease! I have a name! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Why are you doing this to me?! I didn't do anything wrong! I just wanted to buy something! Why?! WHY?!"
His voice cracked with emotion, raw and wild. Tears streamed down his cheeks, mingling with the egg and dust.
His pupils dilated—elongated. Vertical slits, like a fox's eyes, flickered for a moment.
The crowd gasped.
"His eyes! It's the fox! He's turning!"
"He's dangerous! He'll transform!"
"Kill him! Kill the monster before it's too late!"
The hysteria exploded.
They threw stones now. One hit his leg. Another, his chest. Then—crack!
A rock struck his forehead. Blood burst out, warm and wet. He stumbled, barely conscious, the world spinning.
Their faces twisted in his blurred vision—warped, monstrous, hateful.
Who's the real monster? Naruto wondered.
His mouth trembled, forming something between a cry and a laugh. Then he fell.
"Stop!"
A masked figure dropped from the rooftop—an Anbu.
With swift precision, the ninja scooped Naruto into his arms and disappeared.
By the time Naruto came to, he was lying on his bed, freshly bandaged. His wounds had been cleaned. But the ache inside had not.
He stared at the ceiling, eyes vacant, body limp.
His heart hurt more than the bruises. His soul ached. His very existence felt like a curse.
Then came a knock.
The door opened, and Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped inside, his expression somber. He walked over and sat beside Naruto, placing a warm hand on the boy's head.
"Naruto…"
Naruto turned his eyes slowly toward him.
"Grandpa Third… I'm not a demon fox, right?" he asked, his voice barely audible.
Hiruzen smiled gently. "No, Naruto. You're not a demon fox. You're just Uzumaki Naruto, a boy of this village."
Naruto's lips quivered. "Then why do they all hate me? Why do they look at me like I'm a monster?"
Hiruzen's expression flickered. For a brief moment, sorrow crossed his eyes.
"I know what happened today. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I'll make an announcement to the village—no more of this behavior. From now on, you can go out and live freely. Things will get better."
He patted Naruto's head with warmth. "Just eat well, sleep well, and grow strong. One day, you'll go to the Ninja Academy. You'll make friends, find your place, and people will see who you really are."
Naruto sniffed, then gave a slow nod. The Third Hokage smiled again and stood to leave.
But when the door closed, silence returned.
Naruto lay still, the flicker of hope in his heart quickly drowned by doubt.
"Why do they treat me like this…?"
It's not fair.
He clenched his blanket, small fists trembling.
With that thought, he slowly drifted into sleep.
Above the Hidden Leaf Village, a meteor streaked silently across the night sky, unnoticed.
In Naruto's tiny room, on a nearby shelf, a sapphire statue began to glow faintly.
"Ding. Binding host. Wishing system activated."
"Detected strong emotional fluctuations. Host has made a wish."
"Wish acknowledged."
A light flashed in Naruto's mind, like a spark in the darkness.
A clear voice echoed within:
"As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-perfection."
"As the earth's condition is receptive devotion, a gentleman should hold the outer world with broad virtue."
Naruto stirred in his sleep, murmuring softly, repeating the words as if they were etched into his soul.
A new path had opened.
The gears of fate began to turn.