2 Prologue - 2

One day he caught a group of merchants entering the village and he immediately found his way out. In this village, he couldn't feel safe anyway and hope to catch a ride as soon as possible.

Having looked into all karts he found one with hanging chains where he can grab onto and hide without being seen. It didn't take him long or hard to sneak under the kart without anyone looking as most karts was parked in the shades and away from the middle of the streets. While the merchants were busy loading and unloading supplies they wouldn't see or hear him going under transport. Soon once everything was in order, the group left to travel to other villages.

Once they had left the gates without incident Naruto cheered internally, It was his first step to freedom. Just as he had anticipated no one bothered to check beneath the kart nor anyone would care to look. However, what he didn't know was how long it takes to get to the next village. He had hoped to stay until the next village then quietly sneak away just as he had done in Konoha.

Without food or water, Naruto was both tired and exhausted and eventually fell from where he was hanging causing the kart to stop. The family of Merchant had thought something had fallen out and just check only to find a dirty kid. They were surprised at how a child end up middle of nowhere because the last village was 2 days away. Naruto was very lucky the people he took a ride with were nice people as they nursed him back to health and shared with him their food and drink. They also didn't mind how dirty he was and still helped him.

A day's later he told them his little life story and how he ended up beneath their kart. Not only did this family wasn't angry at him, but the group all also hugged him. It was the first time Naruto received his first human contact and couldn't help but cry silently and later going loudly. Out of all people Naruto had met, only this family he found accepts him as a child that he is and they are not from Konoha. It makes his decision to leave the horrible village more assuring and without regard like he had with the orphanage.

As for Konoha, since that day the greatest village of Konoha had forever lost their protector and 3rd generation Uzumaki Jinchuriki. Konoha had become a shadow of themselves as they continue to delude themselves thinking they are still the strongest village. It was as if heaven had left them as the sun was blocked and rained for a week. So whatever tracks the child left behind had long been washed away and never be tracked again. Too bad the village was still not aware of his disappearance and how important the last Uzumaki is to them. The Sandaime and the village should have put more effort into securing his safety and happiness. As to this day, the Hokage still thinks the blond boy is still living in the orphanage he entrusted to.

The strange weather was phenomenal, the Hokage had dismissed it as the usual bad case of a storm. Thanks to the new civilian council, he had been busy checking and signing their improvement forms for making the village a better place. He had thought they were a great addition as his village is getting bigger and better with them. The only problem he sees is the extra paperwork he gets because he had to go over all the details so they are within the boundary of the laws in Konoha.

It wasn't until months later the disappearance of the child was finally discovered. Only then did the Hokage found out Naruto had been kicked out of the orphanage months prior. A full investigation had been carried out and find out where their Jinchuriki had disappeared to. Some ninjas had tried to slack off and just pretend to give a fake report but were quickly caught.

The ninjas that were involved with the attack wouldn't say anything, it's better to keep their mouth shut than to draw attention. However, there was always something to find especially that day filled with the chaos and aftermath. Some of the honest ninjas reported there was some ruckus around the time and suggested some ninjas were interrogated seeing they had not replied immediately. As the head interrogator often says," They all talk, it is just a matter of when."

Thanks to the new information, the Hokage found out what really happened that day. He remembered that abnormal downpour, he wondered if the blond child found some shelter or if he is still in Konoha. Did the boy died and the heaven weep? The Sandaime did not believe he would have died so easily because there was nobody Found.

Immediately he deployed all his best ninjas as well as trackers in the hope to find him. Whether he is in the village or outside, he should at least get some information. Unfortunately, thanks to the downpour the Hokage knew there is very little chance of finding anything.

He prayed Naruto is still in Konoha and only in hiding. Unlike Konoha, the world outside is no place for a 4-year-old. However, thanks to the full investigation on his desk, put together by his most trusted ninja. the Sandaime couldn't help but felt he had failed.

The investigation itself is another problem as he found his ninjas purposely undermine the authority.

They gave him a false report in the hope to divert the case or hiding key elements in the information. Unfortunately for them, as the Hokage had issued a full investigation thus more than one team was on the job. Thus, with multiple reports coming in the village leader is able to find all the discrepancies.

For this reason, the Hokage ordered an additional investigation within another to get to the bottom of this treachery, It delayed the original investigation because they needed to know who's report is to be trusted. Either way, the Hokage did not like the result he wonders since when had his village and ninjas fell so low as to treat a child so badly. Sadly the entire investigation took many weeks going into months before the conclusion.

Once all the reports were correctly filed he was both shocked and ashamed of his own village. The conclusion was, there were many resentments on his decision not to execute the child and everyone was just biding their time. Waiting for the demon to show its face and they will finish it off before anyone has the chance to stop them.

Having caught many and have them interrogated, the Sandaime knew they were not remorseful to what they had done. They all felt justified and vowed to finish what Yndaime could not. Four years of time had not extinguished their anger, nor had they forgotten that tragedy instead fueled them more. Unfortunately, the source of their anger was no other than the last Uzumaki and the of his successor.

Slowly the Hokage sat himself down, he wondered if the gods too had left them and aided in the child's departure. Days passed into weeks and into months, to his disappointment his ninjas gave him the bad news. With tracks so old they were near impossible to follow, especially on a widely used road where new tracks were common on a daily basis. Not even a single clue to be found, the search went on for days to weeks but everyone returned empty-handed. Many had even into nearby villages for their searches but non seen the blond-haired whiskers child nor anyone matching his description neither.

The Sandaime slowly nodes in understanding, it would be no surprise to him. Naruto had a month's head start, if lucky he could be anywhere in the nation, if not the Hokage didn't want to think about it. Seeing how he lived and the first impression of the village was like, no doubt anywhere but here is a better place. Sighed in defeat, there is not much he can do in the meantime. Before dismissing his forces he told them to keep an eye out for the blond only this time there would be no retrieval order. He did have to inform the child's godfather and perhaps he can find something.

In a village as big as Konoha, a lost child should not be such a great deal that would concern a leader such as the Hokage. However, this child was no mere child. In fact, he is both the legacy of his successor and the last member of his clan. Not only had the Hokage failed him he had also failed the village and what it stood for.

Naruto is not only the 4th's son, but he is also the heir to the Uzumaki clan. Not only they had hand in the creation of Konohagakure they were also cousins to the Senju due to marriage. The village honored them by using their clan insignia as a base for the new village, thus the creation of the symbol every Konoha ninja have on their headbands. In addition not to forget where they came from they put the Uzumaki Spiral on all their jackets.

It symbolizes the eternal friendship between both the village and the Uzumaki clan. Unfortunately, over time and since Uzushiogakure was destroyed, no one in the village seems to recognize it anymore. For a child with such background willingly to leave their village, it was an omen to the "Will of fire". The Hokage can only keep sighing as he recalls all the hardships his sensei had to endure to get Konoha to this day.

Sadly as leader of the village, the Sandaime had to keep what he knew to himself. Should the importance of the child be known now, the village could self-destruct on itself. Not only because of guilt but every client and lord also will never trust in the village again. Naruto Uzumaki is not only important, but he is also royalty and the last head of the Uzumaki and its Nation.

As the leader of his village, it shall be his burden to take this to his grave and let the rest of the village live their own lives freely. He will eventually have to answer for his failings, and he will not make excuses. All he can do now is pray that Naruto is both safe and happy out there. He doubts he will see the boy again this life, even if he does there is just isn't enough apologies enough to make it all better again. Since then, the Hokage was never the same again and never smiles anymore for he carries both the guilt and shame of his village.