Ayame looked like she was struggling to make herself answer that, or maybe she didn't know the best way to phrase the answer. "The civilians threatened a citywide boycott of every sale to every shinobi unless the Sandaime executed Naruto that night once and for all. The shinobi declared that was tantamount to treason and sabotage, and the civilians, to put it politely, told them to tell someone who cared. They even told everyone that they had a contingency plan set in place so that if they were arrested, executed, or removed from power the boycott would automatically happen until Naruto's head was on a pike for all to see."
Sakura looked like she wanted to throw up, but Hinata got up and ran for the bushes to actually do the deed. Naruto and Moegi both paled enough to look like they were Orochimaru's kids. "Seriously? What stopped them?" Sakura asked, almost frightened to hear the answer.
Ayame could not give anyone eye contact. "The Sandaime would not give them what they wanted, but he wouldn't risk calling their bluff. In the end, he..." Now she looked like she wanted to vomit. "He agreed to pardon all those that tried to kill Naruto and altered the law regarding him to be punishable by prison time rather than death."
Naruto immediately bolted to his feet. "HE WHAT?" The blonde didn't know whether to feel horrified or betrayed. "But... but he told me-"
"He told you what he thought was best for you to hear Naruto." Ayame sadly interrupted, her expression very empathetic to him. "He didn't tell you who your parents were, and he didn't tell you about you-know-what. Is it really that hard to believe he wouldn't tell you the real law about what happens to those that victimize you?"
"What law? There's a law that applies specifically to Boss?" Moegi asked as Hinata came back, holding her stomach and wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
Naruto and Ayame shared a look. "Nee-chan, could you... tell them the story? I... I just can't right now." Naruto asked as he slumped on the ground as if completely defeated. Hinata, Sakura, and Moegi all tried to hug him to make him feel better, but he practically looked suicidal.
"You sure about that Naruto?" Ayame asked.
The whiskered blonde nodded. "I just want to get it over with. Please Nee-chan, you're one of the only people I can trust anymore."
Each girl there felt their heart ache for the poor boy, and they all shed a tear for him. "Okay Naruto. Girls, there is a law that centers around Naruto. You see, there is a reason people treat him the way they do. Is it a good reason? Not by a long shot, but that doesn't stop people. And while I'd rather not have to reveal this under the circumstances, but if you're going to be on the lam with Naruto, you probably should know why Konoha wants him dead in the first place."
The girls listened with much interest, but none relinquished their hold on him. "You should know about the story of the Yondaime and the Kyuubi. Did the Academy ever tell you exactly how the Yondaime got rid of the fox?"
Sakura and Hinata shared a look before looking back at Ayame. "The sensei's said a very advanced jutsu was used that ended up killing the Yondaime was used. They couldn't say exactly which jutsu it was because no one was familiar with it." Sakura answered.
"If no one was familiar with it, then how did they know it worked?" Ayame asked.
Sakura was momentarily speechless. "Good point, but regarding Naruto?"
"The Yondaime got rid of the Kyuubi, but it didn't simply cease to exist. He put it somewhere to ensure the creature would never succeed in destroying Konoha. Unfortunately, the only place he could put it... was in a seal he placed on Naruto."
'It was fun while it lasted.' Naruto told himself, so completely certain the three girls would try to kill him now he'd bet every ryo he ever spent on ramen on it. He closed his eyes and braced for Sakura's shouts and fists, Hinata's cursing and juuken, and whatever Moegi come think up.
Nothing could have surprised him more than hearing them cry. In confusion, he looked at them, seeing their expressions filled with concern, sorrow, and confusion, but not ounce of hatred or fear. "Wh... why aren't you girls shouting and calling me a monster and trying to kill me?"
Hinata kissed his cheek. "Why would I do such a thing to my Naruto-kun? If a-anything, I should do that to myself for not telling you about me sooner."
"Boss, you saved my life once and cried over my mom's murder. No monster would do that." Moegi told him.
Sakura nodded. "Naruto, if you were Kyuubi, there's no way you'd let me hit you all those times. If you were I'd probably be dead by now. That alone proves to me you're not the fox."
Naruto was wide-eyed and frozen, his mind having a hard time processing this. Then suddenly he moved, and quickly broke free of their holds and backed against a tree, looking at them like he was frightened.
"Naruto-kun?"
"Naruto?"
"Boss?"
The three girls tried to approach, but he held up his arms defensively and shielded his face, making them stop. Ayame approached and gently pulled Naruto into a comforting hug, which he didn't reject but didn't relax from either. "Girls, it's alright. This isn't personal. You just need to know that Naruto is just so used to rejection that he has a hard time handling a situation where he's accepted. You scared him because that's not what he was prepared for."
"Is Naruto so traumatized that he expects even his friends to want him dead?" Sakura asked, feeling her heart ache more for the whiskered blonde. 'I can't imagine how much this hurts Hinata.'
Ayame nodded. "When Naruto tries to be nice to people, they either ignore him or try to kill him. When he tried to be nice to his classmates, they either gave him the silent treatment or insults. Even when he was put on a team they were quick to single him out, and when he went to see the Godaime she demeaned him and his dream too. Naruto has basically become conditioned to believe that everyone's first response to him is hatred or indifference, so when you three weren't that when he expected it the most, he didn't know what to think and got scared."