After the Fourth Hokage's spirit faded, Naruto stood in silence for a long moment, lost in a whirlwind of emotion. Finally, knowing he couldn't stay there forever, he wiped his tear-filled eyes with his sleeve.
"Nine-Tails... I actually wanted to talk to you about some things, too," Naruto muttered.
"Hmph. What, are you going to complain about me attacking the Leaf?"
"No... you were being forced to do that, right? To be honest, I don't really get the complicated stuff, but..."
"..."
"But I have to move. Right now. So—"
"Brat, what exactly do you plan to do?"
"Huh?"
"I'll give it to you straight. If you stay here, there's a good chance the Leaf ninja will kill you. It's not just that annoying teacher Mizuki anymore; you've actually fought other members of the village. Even if you manage to clear your name this time, the persecution you face will only get worse..."
The fox was right. Until now, Naruto had believed that if he just worked hard enough, he could win the villagers over. But tonight, ninja other than Mizuki had tried to kill him with genuine intent.
"Then I'll just leave! I'll go on a journey or something. I'll train while I travel and get so strong that—"
"If that's your plan, make some Shadow Clones."
"Eh? Shadow Clones? Why?"
"Are you an idiot? Do you really think you can just walk out the front gate? Shadow Clones are nearly impossible to distinguish from the original. They were meant for diversions, not just for overwhelming people with numbers!"
"Whoa... I get it! You're actually pretty smart!"
"I'm not 'smart,' you're just slow. Now move—we're running out of time."
"Right! You're actually a decent guy, Nine-Tails!"
"Hmph."
Naruto snapped back to reality. The clearing was silent, save for the unconscious ninja pinned beneath him. The others had seemingly retreated to regroup. After ensuring the coast was clear, Naruto wove a hand sign.
"Alright, let's do this! Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a surge of chakra, over a dozen Narutos appeared. It wasn't the army he had used against Mizuki, but it was enough for a distraction. Then, the original Naruto used a Transformation Jutsu to turn into a small cat.
"Whoa... for some reason, the jutsu feels way easier to use than usual—wait, cats aren't supposed to talk."
***
A few minutes later, the cat-Naruto arrived at the main gate marked with the "A" and "N" characters. Two guards stood watch. Naruto might have been a failure in class, but he was the Leaf's number-one prankster for a reason.
He signaled to the single Shadow Clone he had brought along as bait. The clone ran toward the guards, shouting.
"Hey! Over here! Help!"
"Huh? What is it? What happened?" one guard asked, tensing up.
"It's Mizuki! He's been attacked—he's bleeding out! I can't carry him to the hospital by myself!"
"What?! Alright, I'm coming. Lead the way!"
A lie mixed with a grain of truth is always the most convincing. One guard immediately followed the clone. While the other stayed behind, the distraction was more than enough. The cat slipped through the gate and out of the village unnoticed.
Once he reached a safe distance, Naruto looked back at the Hidden Leaf one last time.
(Old man Hokage, Iruka... even Sakura... I might never see any of you again. But I have to get stronger. I can't let it end here.)
The cat raised a paw toward the Fourth Hokage's face on the monument.
Dad... I'm going.
Suddenly, Kurama's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Naruto, I hate to ruin your 'cool' moment, but I think they've realized you're gone."
"What?! How?!"
"I felt a slight ripple when you crossed the gate. It looks like they have a barrier set up to detect anyone entering or leaving the village."
"That sounds bad..."
"It is. Now run, you stupid cat!"
Naruto bolted. Luck was on his side; he managed to reach the outskirts of the Land of Fire without running into any pursuers. He eventually reached a wide river that blocked his path. Realizing he would need a boat to continue, he cancelled his Transformation Jutsu.
"Excuse me, are you planning on crossing as well?" a voice asked.
Naruto spun around toward the sound.
"Whoa... she's even cuter than Sakura—I mean, yeah! I am!"
A beautiful girl sat in a small wooden boat. she had long black hair and wore a lovely pink kimono. She looked to be around Naruto's age. The girl smiled kindly at him.
"Fufu. Well, I have an extra seat. Would you like to come along?"
It was a godsend. Naruto didn't hesitate to accept the offer. The two of them began to row the small boat slowly across the water.
"Thanks for the help, big sister!"
"Don't mention it. A boat is more stable with a bit of weight, anyway. We should help each other when we're in trouble."
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"
"I am Haku. And by the way... I'm a boy."
"...Eh?"
Naruto froze, his jaw dropping. He stared at Haku's face, unable to process the information. No way! This world is full of mysteries! He tried to escape from reality until Haku brought him back with a question.
"Are you a ninja, Naruto?"
"Whoa! I actually look like one?!"
"Yes. When I saw you looking for a boat earlier, you were using the Transformation Jutsu. I figured you must be quite a skilled ninja."
"Heh... well, I wouldn't go that far... Wait, if you know about Transformation, are you a ninja too, Haku?"
"I wonder. I've had some training, but I'm sure you're much more impressive than I am."
"Ehehe, stop, you're making me blush."
Haku paused for a moment, his gaze becoming more observant. "Naruto, where do you plan to go once we cross this river?"
He was trying to gauge Naruto's goal. The boy had clearly come from the direction of the Hidden Leaf, yet he wasn't wearing a headband. While Haku didn't think this boy was a threat, he had to be sure.
"Well... things happened, and I can't stay in my village anymore."
"You can't stay?"
"Yeah. But there's something I have to do, and I have to get way stronger to do it! I don't really have a place to go yet, though..."
"Naruto, you came from the Hidden Leaf, didn't you? That village is the strongest of the Five Great Nations, and it's peaceful. Couldn't you have gotten stronger without leaving?"
"Maybe for some people. But for me... the Leaf wasn't a peaceful place at all."
As they rowed, Haku pondered Naruto's words. In truth, he already had his answer.
This boy... he's just like me. Zabuza might scold him for being soft, but Haku couldn't bring himself to leave the boy alone.
"Naruto, if you have nowhere to go... why don't you come with me?"
"Really?"
"I have comrades... four of us in total, including myself. All of us are just like you; we left our villages for various reasons. If you like, you can join us."
"Is that okay?!"
"Of course. It's always better to have more allies."
"Thanks, Haku! I was really worried about where I'd end up!"
"Also, Naruto... I have one request."
"Sure! You're my comrade now, Haku! Ask me anything!"
Naruto emphasized the word "comrade" with a wide grin. Haku smiled back, though his expression was slightly strained.
"That cloak you're wearing... it's far too flashy. Please fold it up and put it away immediately. You're a ninja, but you aren't doing any 'hiding' at all."
"Ehh? But it's so cool!"
"It is cool, but wearing it is like asking an enemy to target you."
"F-Fine... I get it..."
After the disastrous day he'd had, Naruto decided it was best to listen to Haku's advice.