Konoha Village – In the park on the eastern street.
A young boy with spiky, golden-blond hair sat on a swing, gently swaying back and forth.
In front of him, a group of children around his age were playing happily together, kicking a leather ball back and forth.
Watching them, a trace of envy flickered in the boy's eyes.
Then, the ball was accidentally kicked toward him. A hint of joy lit up his face.
He stood up from the swing and picked up the ball in his hands.
But just as he took two steps forward to return it, the children instinctively backed away.
"Monster…"
"It's the demon fox!"
One after another, sharp and cruel words spilled from their mouths.
"Monster" and "demon fox"—those were the labels they used to describe the blond-haired boy. His expression darkened with sadness.
Unlike ordinary children, he had whisker-like marks on his cheeks. His bright blue eyes and messy blond hair made him stand out, but it was those distinct facial markings that drew the most attention.
He was the most unique existence in the village—Naruto Uzumaki, the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, and the orphaned son of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.
He was the child of Minato Namikaze, the hero who once saved the village from destruction.
And yet, after the death of his parents, Naruto was not seen as the Hokage's son or a hero's child, but rather as the "demon fox," a "monster" shunned by all.
No children wanted to play with him. Loneliness was his constant companion.
Naruto loosened his grip, letting the ball fall to the ground, and turned away, walking out of the park with his head down.
A group of adults passed by. Naruto looked up at them.
In their eyes, he saw deep-seated disgust and hatred.
As if to escape their gaze, Naruto suddenly broke into a run.
"What bad luck, running into that demon fox again."
"Yeah. I need to tell my son not to come to this park anymore."
"I still don't understand why Lord Hokage lets that thing live in the village."
Their words were harsh and cutting. Though Naruto was already running, he still heard every word loud and clear.
Even though they spoke in low voices, the meaning pierced him deeply.
Tears began to well up uncontrollably in Naruto's eyes.
His pace quickened.
The setting sun cast its golden glow across his small figure—it looked so lonely, so distant.
"Why… why does everyone else have parents, but I don't?"
"Why does everyone hate me so much?"
"Why do they call me the demon fox? Why do they treat me like a monster?!"
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he cried out silently in his heart.
He didn't dare show his emotions in front of others. Any sign of weakness would only earn him more scorn and hatred.
He was afraid—afraid of those cold, cruel looks from the people of the village.
He didn't know how long he had been running. Eventually, Naruto found himself at the edge of the village, beside a water tower.
He climbed the stairs and stood at the top, looking down at the entire Hidden Leaf Village. A wave of sadness washed over him.
"It's these stupid whiskers!"
With red, tear-filled eyes, Naruto reached for the marks on his cheeks.
There was hurt in his gaze. His hand clenched, and for a moment, he thought of tearing the marks off his face—those marks that made everyone hate him.
But that thought vanished almost instantly.
He had tried to cut them off before. But no matter how many times he did, by the next morning, they were always back.
Hurting himself now would only bring more pain—nothing would change.
"Sigh…"
Naruto let out a long sigh and plopped down on the steps, gazing up at the sky.
In his line of sight stood the most iconic structure in the village—the Hokage Rock.
The stone faces of all the previous Hokage were carved into the mountainside—from the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, to the Fourth, Minato Namikaze.
A look of longing appeared in Naruto's eyes.
The Hokage… the most respected person in the entire village. A symbol of strength, honor, and admiration.
They were loved by all—the complete opposite of him.
"I want to be like Grandpa Third…"
"I want to be someone everyone loves."
Naruto propped his chin up with both hands and stared at the Hokage Rock, lost in thought.
He admired them—envied how much people adored them.
He, on the other hand, was nothing more than a "monster" in the eyes of the villagers.
"If the Hokage is someone everyone respects, then I'll become Hokage."
"I'll become the greatest Hokage ever—and make everyone acknowledge me!"
Suddenly, a voice rose up in Naruto's heart.
There was confusion in his eyes—but that quickly gave way to a spark of light, a glimmer of determination.
"Yeah… if I become Hokage, maybe they'll stop hating me."
"If I become Hokage, everyone will like me."
"I can be like Grandpa Third… someone loved by the whole village."
For the first time in a long while, a smile returned to Naruto's young face.
He clenched his fists tightly and looked up at the Hokage Rock with burning resolve.
This was the moment he first dreamed of being recognized. The moment he decided he would become Hokage.
Grrrrrrr…
Just as he made that solemn vow, his stomach growled loudly.
Naruto clutched his belly and looked troubled.
He was only five years old. He had no parents, no source of income.
Every month, he relied on a small stipend provided by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, just to get by.
But for a boy constantly shunned and excluded by the villagers, that money was never enough.
Naruto didn't know how to cook, and most restaurant owners refused to serve him.
Even places that sold semi-prepared food wouldn't sell to him. And if they did, it was only the leftovers—the stale, unwanted scraps—often at a higher price than what others would pay.
His meals mostly consisted of bread, cup noodles, and milk.
When he was out of money, he would sometimes try his luck fishing by the lake on the edge of the village.
If he caught something, it meant he wouldn't have to worry about food for the next day or two.
In the original story, Naruto was shorter and underdeveloped compared to his peers—this neglect and hardship were a major reason why.
"Tomorrow, Grandpa Third will give me my allowance."
"I guess I'll just have to hold out for tonight."
Naruto patted his stomach and smiled, trying to comfort himself.
Then he hopped down the steps and ran back toward his run-down little apartment.
(End of Chapter)
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