4

Naruto's life was always bad.

Since the day he was born, he was an orphan. When he arrived at the orphanage, there were hundreds just like him in there.

For the first three years of his life, it was relatively ok.

Unlike other children who had parents, Naruto and the others in the orphanage didn't have proper clothes to wear during winter, didn't have enough food to feed all the mouths, and didn't have enough space to keep all the young ones.

The Kyuubi attack years ago had left many children orphans.

But things took a turn for the worse the day he turned four.

On the day of his birth, the day that should be celebrated and he should be honoured by the leaf population, he was chased by a huge mob.

Apparently, there was a rumour going around that he was the Fox spirit in human form.

He somehow survived the First Annual Fox Hunt when a white-haired masked man protected him and took him to the orphanage.

But the nightmare had just begun.

The very next day, he was kicked out of the orphanage on to the street, with nothing more than the clothes on his back.

The reason being the orphanage couldn't afford to feed another mouth.

For the next week, Naruto tried to go back to the orphanage, the only place he was able to call home, but he was mercilessly rejected every time.

However, as time went by, Naruto slowly began to accept his fate. He would occasionally walk by the orphanage and would be surprised to see happy and cheerful faces instead of the usual dull and hungry figures.

'So, me leaving did help the orphanage after all. Good. Then the others would not have to suffer like I have to.' Was the thought that popped up in his mind.

Living the next year alone in the woods surrounding the village, Naruto learned how to survive on his own.

Fishing for meat, occasionally catching a wild chicken or a bush turkey, and eating wild berries and fruits.

The horrible shits that followed served as a reminder to not eat certain foods.

It wasn't until a year later, when he ran into a kind old grandpa that helped him by buying a place for him.

It was his own little apartment. Although small, it was still a place to call home.

The old man would send some money every month for him to buy his monthly necessities, but it was never enough. Whenever he tried to buy anything in the market, the money he had would always be short by 90%.

When Naruto asked the old man why he gave him money every month, the old man answered vaguely, saying that the old leaves should fall and burn in the fire that will nurture the new generation.

Naruto never understood any of that. But that would be the old man's answer to every question he had. That it was the duty of the old leaves to burn in the fire that would nurture the new generation.

But still, the past 6 years had not been fun at all. No friends, no family, no one to love him, no reaction from the villagers when he approached them, nothing.

Only when he caused some trouble, or did some pranks, would people notice him enough to scold him.

There was however one person that treated Naruto like a human being.

And that man was Teuchi. He ran a small ramen stall. While the stall maybe small, but the food served inside was the food of the gods.

One bite and one would transcend the mortal world and glimpse into the world of gods.

Also, his was the only store where Naruto's money didn't fall short.

Today was a day like any other.

The constant glares from the corner of the villagers' eyes fell on Naruto. He had just painted the Hokage Mountain with graffiti and was running back home with paint splatters all over his clothes.

He was being chased by a few ninjas, all screaming at him to stop running as well as some creative insults all based on the words, 'fox', 'devil', gremlin', etc.

"Haha, try and catch me if you can. Your so slow. Slowpoke. Slowpoke." Pulling his eyelid down, Naruto poked out his tongue, taunting the ninjas as he ran through the alleyways he knew like the back of his hand.

"That damn brat. I don't care what our Jonin Sensei says, I'm going to teach that brat a lesson. We have been chasing him for the past three months for D-Rank missions. If we successfully teach him a lesson, he wont bother anyone else, and then we won't have to do any of these annoying D-Rank missions anymore." A young boy with a Konoha Headband spoke menacingly, as he rallied his teammates into his plan.

Soon, the three-ninja split in three different directions, before converging onto the brat's location, from three different sides.

One ninja with a sword, one already weaving handsigns and the third quickly approaching the brat, Naruto was scared.

'Damn. How were they so fast. I have never been cornered like this by the ninjas that come after me. Did they send some stronger ninjas today. Oh my god. Did I mess with stronger ninjas' Naruto panicked as he slowly backed into a corner, feeling the rough texture of the bricks on his back, looking at each of the assailants one by one.

"Now you have nowhere to run. Hey Domu, what do you think we should with this demon brat. Break a leg so that he never runs from us again, or break his arms so that he can never deface the sacred Hokage Mountains?" The ninja in the middle holding a kunai asked the man weaving handsigns.

"I have a better idea. Ran, take it away." On the order of Domu, Ran ran up to the boy and with a strong and fast kick that the boy couldn't dodge, attacked his stomach.

Gawkkk

Breakfast mixed with stomach juices and blood spilled from Naruto's mouth, as he leaned forwards, his head facing down.

"Earth Style: Rock Pillar" Domu quickly weaved a jutsu, making a rock pillar to shoot out from the ground below Naruto, directly hitting him in the face, throwing him into the air.

Just as he was about to land, the ninja holding the kunai rushed up, and intercepted the boy mid-air, hitting him with the blunt side of the kunai, smacking him into the wall.

The paint tub fell along with the boy, drenching him in blue paint, as the boy's consciousness was fading fast.

"Damn, that was easy. Did we just defeat the Demon Incarnate? This will be at least a B-Rank mission.

Do you think we should report it to our Jonin sensei? I'm sure we will get a handsome reward for this." Ran announced loudly.

"Definitely. I don't know why the villagers are so afraid of this brat. We just took down the Kyuubi Incarnate, that too only a month into being an official ninja. This must be the fastest record of someone doing at least a B-Rank mission after becoming a genin." Domu continued.

Happily chuckling at their victory, the three ran back to their sensei, leaving the poor boy alone in the dark alley, unconscious.

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