Chapter Text
Light filtered through the window as the blond-haired boy slowly opened his blue eyes.
Naruto yawned, sat up in bed, and stretched his arms above his head. With a clumsy movement, he pushed the blankets aside and let his feet touch the cold floor, making him shiver slightly.
He turned his head toward the calendar beside his bed.
October 10th.
His heart gave a small jump.
—It’s my birthday… —he murmured, and an automatic smile appeared on his face.
Thirteen years old. One year closer to becoming Hokage.
He jumped out of bed, went straight to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and got dressed without wasting time. Then he headed toward the kitchen, spirits lifted—only to stop short.
The fridge was empty.
Naruto stared at it for a few seconds longer than necessary. An uncomfortable pressure settled in his chest, and suddenly the apartment felt too big. Too quiet.
He imagined it.
Waking up to a soft “Good morning” and a warm smile, someone ready to spoil him on this day. A man arriving with groceries to make him a special breakfast.
He shouldn’t have thought about that
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Feeling a little worse, he closed the fridge and, with a sigh, forced a wide grin back onto his face.
—Alright, Naruto. Ichiraku is always better anyway. —He grabbed his frog wallet and ran out of his apartment.
The streets were somewhat empty as he walked, until he spotted his sensei, Kakashi, whose hair looked even messier than usual—something impressive, considering it was always messy.
Naruto approached him with a big smile and stepped right in front of his teacher.
—Hey, Kakashi-sensei! —he greeted cheerfully—. Going to buy more of the pervy sage’s books, dattebayo?
Something passed by him.
No glance.
No greeting.
Nothing.
Naruto placed both hands behind his head and thought, He’s probably busy, and continued on his way. Still, for some reason, the encounter left behind a strange, familiar heaviness that he chose to ignore. The atmosphere only worsened when he passed through the shopping street.
As he walked, he felt it again—those familiar looks, whispered murmurs carrying a word that had etched itself into his soul since childhood.
Demon.
The word—old and sharp—stabbed him in the same place as always.
They always treated him like that, but today it felt more intense than ever. He felt smaller. More vulnerable. And even though he was used to it, it never stopped hurting.
Then he saw her.
His teammate, pink hair and a pretty red dress, flipping through some pages.
And suddenly, he felt a little lighter.
He approached her, putting on his biggest smile once again.
—Sakura-chan! —he called out enthusiastically—. Want to go to Ichiraku with me today?
She barely looked up.
—I can’t, Naruto. I have important things to do.
And she walked away.
The weight returned to his chest, and once again he felt the villagers’ gazes crawling over him, each one heavier than the last, rejecting him just for existing.
He walked with his head down, hands in his pockets, trying to ignore everything—until he heard the familiar sound of a chip bag and a tired voice.
—Why are you looking so down? Did Ichiraku close or something?
It was one of his friends, Shikamaru, with Choji beside him, eating chips.
Naruto smiled—not as brightly as usual, but he smiled.
—Hope not. I was just about to go eat, dattebayo.
The boy who wanted to be a cloud stared at him in silence. He didn’t say anything at first, just watched him, then sighed.
—We were going to eat too. Let’s go together.
That really did make him happy.
Naruto joined them, walking alongside his two friends as they chatted casually. Nothing important—mostly Choji passionately debating which chips tasted better.
They arrived at Ichiraku and each ordered ramen. While eating, Shikamaru started talking about what his parents had done the night before.
—So my dad, with a sore rib, apologized to my mom for staying out late talking with the guys, and she forgave him and then got all mushy. —He rolled his eyes and sighed.— I don’t get why they always feel the need to tell me that ridiculous story about how they met. What a pain.
The story sparked something in Naruto.
Once again, he imagined.
What were his parents like?
How did they meet?
He would’ve liked to hear their story.
Shikamaru spoke again, snapping Naruto out of his thoughts.
—My dad said I’d understand someday when I got a girlfriend, and that she’d probably be just like my mom. I don’t want to get married. That sounds like a real drag.
He spoke with clear exhaustion. Choji seemed to agree.
Naruto took one last bite of his ramen, but for some reason, he didn’t want any more. He stood up and spoke with the best smile he could manage.
—Sorry, guys. I forgot I was supposed to meet the pervy sage.
And he left quickly, his chest aching worse than it had all day.
He didn’t notice Shikamaru’s analyzing gaze, nor the sigh he let out afterward.
Naruto walked and walked, thinking about everything and nothing at once, until he saw his other teammate—calm as always, wearing that cold expression and confident posture that always rubbed him the wrong way.
Sasuke looked up.
Just a normal glance.
But to Naruto…
He felt it.
Disdain. Hatred.
The same look—or worse—than the ones that followed him everywhere.
The world blurred. His breathing grew erratic.
And he ran.
Ran and ran until he disappeared into the green of the forest.
He didn’t feel the branches scratching his cheeks. Didn’t feel the wetness on his face. Didn’t feel the pain in his feet as he ran in such a bad state.
The voices came back.
Demon.
Monster.
He was strong.
He always had been.
He always endured.
But there were moments…
A few days.
Days when the weight was too much.
Days when he wanted advice.
A hug.
Or even a stupid story about how two people met.
He thought about his parents. About how little—or nothing—he knew about them.
Did they struggle too?
Were their childhoods this lonely?
He didn’t see the branch on the ground.
In an instant, the earth disappeared beneath him.
There was no time for hand signs. No time to focus his chakra.
But more than that—
He didn’t want to.
He just let himself fall.
And for one moment—just one—he wished it would all end there.
Maybe going somewhere else would be better than staying.
Then his head hit the ground.
And everything went dark.
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Shikamaru stared at the half-finished bowl.
This is weird, he thought.
When he had seen Naruto leave, he’d noticed something off. Nothing obvious—nothing anyone else would’ve caught easily…
But that smile hadn’t been real.
And it had made his stomach turn.
And besides—
Naruto never left ramen unfinished.
That made it even stranger.
Chōji noticed his friend’s silence and asked,
—What’s wrong?
—He left… strangely —Shikamaru murmured—. Naruto smiled… but not like he always does.
Chōji lowered his bag of chips, looked at the bowl, and frowned.
—And he didn’t finish his ramen.
Shikamaru sighed.
—What a drag…
He stood up, but before he could turn away, the owner of Ichiraku called out to them.
—Boys.
Both of them turned around.
—I think Naruto left without paying —Chōji said, just getting up from his seat.
Shikamaru reached for his pocket, but the man shook his head, giving them a gentle smile as he pulled out a bag.
—It’s on the house today. It’s a special day. —He handed them a bag filled with ramen.— Give it to him when you see him.
Ayame smiled at them from behind the counter.
—I was going to give it to him myself, but he left so quickly.
Shikamaru took the bag.
—Let’s go find him.
Chōji nodded and followed without asking any questions.
Naruto didn’t usually leave like that.
And that was reason enough.
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A sharp pain shot through his back, forcing a soft groan out of him. His body lay against something rough, and the air smelled of damp earth. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking until the darkness adjusted. A sudden headache followed, but he managed to make out a dim, poorly lit space.
He tried to move. Pain stopped him.
So he stayed still, breathing slowly, waiting for his body to cooperate.
That’s when he thought it.
I’m alive.
He didn’t feel relieved.
He remembered everything that had led him here, and for a moment, he felt like a complete idiot. He’d almost thrown everything away over an emotional outburst.
And yet…
That weight in his chest was still there.
It wasn’t physical.
Minutes passed.
Or maybe hours.
Eventually, he managed to move just enough to sit up
.
He stood.
It felt like he’d been down there too long.
Maybe someone would worry.
Someone?
Would anyone even care…?
He frowned at the thought.
—Get it together, Naruto —he muttered to himself—. Of course people care.
He thought of Iruka
.
That alone helped him straighten up.
He started walking, realizing then that he had no idea where he’d fallen. The place looked like a narrow tunnel, its walls made of packed earth.
—I think I fell into a hole…
He looked back, expecting to see the entrance.
There was nothing.
It was as if the hole had vanished the moment he fell.
He kept moving.
With every step, his body hurt less, slowly adjusting to the terrain.
Then he saw it.
A light.
He didn’t hesitate—he ran toward it.
That was when he noticed.
His forehead felt strange.
Naruto raised his hand—
And his fingers found nothing.
His forehead protector was gone.
He searched around, patting the ground and the tunnel walls.
Nothing.
—Great… —he muttered—. Iruka’s definitely going to yell at me.
He sighed and moved on.
When he stepped out of the tunnel, the wind hit his face. It was fresh, clean…
But something about it felt strange enough to send a chill down his spine.
He chose to ignore it and walked forward.
The forest stretched out in front of him.
Konoha’s forest.
He knew it.
He’d trained there countless times.
And yet…
Something was wrong.
The trees looked the same, but the air felt different. Lighter. Quieter.
Naruto frowned.
—That’s weird… —he murmured—. This is Konoha… right?
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He had just finished training, but after seeing that girl he liked, he decided to take a walk through the forest.
He was a boy around twelve or thirteen, with wild blond hair, his pulse still racing from exertion. He leapt between branches with ease, letting the wind cool his skin.
Then he saw him.
A boy covered in dirt had just emerged from between the roots of a tree. He looked about the same age… and had strangely similar hair.
He wasn’t wearing a forehead protector.
The boy in the roots froze.
He observed him carefully. The stranger’s chakra wasn’t hostile. It wasn’t familiar either.
It was… different.
Out of place.
Too much so.
He narrowed his eyes for just a moment longer.
Then turned away.
He had to return to the village.
Naruto felt something move.
He looked up just in time to see a figure disappear into the leaves. Light hair. Fast, clean movements.
—Huh…?
But there was no one there.
He shrugged and continued walking.
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The forest slowly began to thin.
Naruto pushed through the trees until, finally, he saw it.
The massive gates of Konoha.
Relief washed over his chest instantly, as if all the weight he’d been carrying since the fall disappeared at once.
—Ah… thank goodness… —he muttered, scratching the back of his head—. I really hit my head hard…
He approached without thinking, moving on pure instinct. But he barely took three steps before a firm voice stopped him.
—Halt!
Naruto blinked.
Two ninja stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Their forehead protectors were in place, their stances tense, their eyes sharp.
—Identify yourself —one ordered.
Naruto looked at them, then at the gate… then back at them.
—Huh? —he said, genuinely confused—. Identify myself?
The guards didn’t relax.
—Name. Origin. Reason for entering the village.
Naruto frowned.
—Since when do you do that? —he scoffed—. I’m Naruto Uzumaki. I live here.
An awkward silence followed.
The two ninjas exchanged glances.
—We have no record of you.
That irritated him.
—What do you mean you don’t?! —he took a step forward—. I’ve gone in and out of this gate a thousand times! Ask anyone!
—Don’t take this any further, kid —the other warned—. You’re not wearing a forehead protector.
Naruto lifted a hand to his forehead.
—Ah! That… —he muttered, remembering—. I dropped it. But still, let me in! I’ve got things to do!
The guards tensed even more.
—You can’t enter.
That was it.
—What?! —he exploded—. This is my village! Call Granny Tsunade right now!
The reaction was immediate.
Both ninjas froze, clearly shocked.
—…What did you just say? —one asked, serious.
Naruto, already angry, crossed his arms.
—What? —he growled—. Tsunade. The Hokage. She’ll fix this!
A new voice cut through the tension.
—What seems to be the problem here?
Naruto turned around.
And the world… stopped.
A man was approaching with calm steps. Tall. Straight-backed. His presence commanded respect without needing to raise his voice. His hair was dark, streaked lightly with gray. His gaze was deep, steady.
He wasn’t the old woman Naruto had been expecting.
He wasn’t.
The guards immediately straightened.
—Hokage-sama!
Naruto opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
His body went completely rigid, as if someone had switched off every muscle at once. The air got stuck in his lungs.
No.
No, no, no.
That couldn’t be real.
That face…
That voice
…
That gaze he had seen so many times in old portraits…
—Y-you…? —he tried to speak, but the sound died before it could form.
The man studied him carefully, looking him over from head to toe. He stopped in front of him.
—You say this is your village —he said calmly—. What is your name, boy?
Naruto swallowed.
His mind was screaming.
He couldn’t move.
Couldn’t run.
Couldn’t do anything.
Because standing in front of him…
Was the Third Hokage.
Young.
Yeah. He had definitely hit his head hard.
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They walked through the streets of Konoha, both searching for the same person.
Chōji carried the bag of ramen Ichiraku’s owner had given them. Shikamaru, honestly, hadn’t felt like carrying it.
—Why do you think Ichiraku would send this to Naruto? —Chōji asked, glancing at the bag.
Shikamaru sighed, placing his hands behind his head.
—I don’t know… and right now, it doesn’t matter.
We’re looking for him to talk. He was acting really strange.
—He frowned—. I’m worried he’ll do something… troublesome. Something really troublesome.
They walked in silence for a few seconds.
Then they saw Sakura.
Chōji approached first.
—Hey, Sakura —he greeted—. We’re looking for Naruto. Have you seen him?
She stopped and looked at them.
—Hi… no, I haven’t seen him today. I think —she replied after a moment—. I’ve been busy training with the Hokage.
She sighed, placing a hand on her back, still sore from sitting and studying so long.
—Why are you looking for him?
—He seemed off —Shikamaru answered bluntly—. And when Naruto acts strange… he usually gets into trouble.
Sakura smiled faintly.
—So you’re worried about how he’s feeling —she said—. Don’t worry so much. It was probably just a bad moment. You know how he is.
—I know —Shikamaru replied—. But… this time feels different. I really think we should find him.
Sakura hesitated.
—Well… —she said at last—. I’ll help you look.
Now that I think about it, I did run into him today… but I don’t really remember what he said.
She scratched her head, a bit uncomfortable, and without adding anything else, the three continued walking.
They searched through several streets, and it wasn’t long before they ran into Kakashi, who was leaving the cemetery. The gray-haired jōnin stood as relaxed as ever, but his eyes were tired.
Sad.
—Sensei, have you seen Naruto? —Sakura asked immediately.
Kakashi sighed.
—No… I only saw him this morning.
—Shikamaru says he was acting strange —she added—. We want to find him before he gets into trouble.
Kakashi didn’t answer right away.
The date crossed his mind once more, and he opened his mouth to speak—but another voice interrupted.
—He left the village.
All three turned their heads.
Sasuke stood there, arms crossed, his expression tense.
—He looked at me… and ran off —he continued—. Without saying anything.
An uncomfortable silence followed.
Then Sasuke added quietly,
—He was crying.
The atmosphere grew heavy instantly.
No one spoke.
The moment was broken by another presence—Iruka, walking up with a calm smile, completely unaware of the tension.
—Hey, everyone! —he greeted—. I was just looking for you.
I went to Naruto’s apartment, but he wasn’t there.
They exchanged glances and decided to tell him everything. After all, in a situation like this… who knew Naruto better than Iruka-sensei?
They told him what they had noticed. How Naruto had been acting strangely. How he had run off. How something clearly wasn’t right.
Iruka’s smile slowly faded.
—I see… —he murmured, lowering his gaze for a moment.
—I knew today might be difficult —he said quietly—.
Today is his birthday.
Sakura’s eyes widened.
—His birthday…?
—Yes —Iruka nodded—. But for many villagers… today is also the anniversary of the Fourth Hokage’s death.
And that… often makes this day especially hard for him.
Silence fell once more.
No one—except Kakashi—had remembered. And that hurt more than anyone wanted to admit.
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Naruto didn’t quite remember how he had ended up there.
He only knew that after freezing completely in front of that “dead” man, everything had happened too fast. Voices. Looks. Rushed footsteps.
Now he was sitting in a chair in front of a wide desk, hands resting on his legs, back straight purely out of habit.
The Hokage’s office.
But not the Hokage’s office he remembered.
He was staring at a dead man. Naruto honestly thought he might be losing his mind.
The man in front of him watched him closely. There was no harshness in his gaze—only something… curious. Warm, even. As if Naruto had somehow made a good impression on him at first sight, without either of them knowing why.
—Relax —the Hokage said calmly, clearly noticing Naruto’s discomfort (he had heard him shout his name earlier)—. No one is going to hurt you here.
Naruto nodded, though he wasn’t sure he felt relaxed at all.
Then the door opened.
Revealing a blonde woman with crossed arms and unmistakable curves.
—Alright, alright! —a female voice rang out—. Where’s the brat who dared call me an old woman?!
Naruto whipped his head around.
The blonde woman entered the office with firm steps. Tall. Imposing. Her presence filled the room effortlessly.
The Hokage sighed in resignation.
—Tsunade… I called you to examine the boy.
She stepped closer and looked him over from head to toe. It made Naruto squirm in his seat. Tsunade looked exactly as he remembered her, which only made everything more confusing. He shifted nervously, and she gave him a light shove on the shoulder to keep him still.
—Doesn’t seem seriously injured —she muttered—. A few bumps, nothing major.
She crossed her arms.
The Hokage looked at her, about to ask his next question, but Tsunade cut in first.
—And no, I don’t know him —she added, glancing at the Hokage—. But I do know this brat called me old.
—Because in my village you are a grandma! —Naruto blurted out without thinking.
Silence.
Tsunade slowly turned her gaze to him.
—Excuse me?
Naruto shrank back slightly in his chair.
—I mean… in my time… I mean… —he rubbed his head—. I don’t understand anything, dattebayo…
The Hokage raised a hand, stopping whatever sharp comment Tsunade was about to make.
—Naruto —he said carefully, choosing his words—.
I want you to answer something calmly. Where do you come from?
Naruto opened his mouth… then closed it.
—From… Konoha —he replied—. But I don’t know if this is my Konoha.
Tsunade frowned.
—That makes no sense.
Naruto clenched his fists.
—I know. But I don’t understand what’s happening here.
There was a brief silence before Naruto spoke again.
—When I was coming here… —he said— I saw the stone faces. The Hokage monument.
The Hokage studied him.
—And what about it?
Naruto hesitated.
—There were only three…
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Both adults looked confused.
—Yes, I am the Third —the Hokage replied—. The last to have taken office. Why? Did that seem strange to you?
Naruto swallowed.
—In my village, there are four Hokage faces. And they’re carving the fifth.
They stood in silence for several moments. Tsunade frowned deeply before speaking.
—That’s impossible. You must have hit your head badly and you’re hallucinating —she said flatly, clearly not believing a word.
—It’s the truth, dattebayo! —Naruto snapped—. In my village, you’re the Fifth Hokage, and you’re an old lady!
He stood up, facing Tsunade head-on.
—The pervy sage and I went to find you so you’d accept becoming Hokage! That was after the death of—
Naruto stopped.
The memory hit him all at once.
The Third Hokage’s death
The irony made his chest tighten—because here he was, standing in front of that same Hokage.
Alive.
Young.
The Hokage closed his eyes for a brief moment.
—After the death of whom, Naruto?
Naruto’s throat tightened.
The memory crashed down on him.
The funeral.
The flowers.
The rain.
The village in mourning.
—After… —his voice trembled— the death of the Third Hokage…
Tsunade’s eyes widened.
—What did you say?
Naruto broke.
The words poured out in a rush.
He told them everything.
About Orochimaru.
About the battle.
About how the Hokage had died that day.
He told them about his village.
About the Hokage’s death.
About Tsunade becoming the Fifth.
About falling into a hole after the worst day.
About how tired he was.
Tears fell freely.
—I just wanted… —he sobbed— to know my parents.
The Hokage remained silent for a long moment.
Then he stood, walked around the desk, and placed a firm, warm hand on Naruto’s shoulder.
—Whatever brought you here… —he said softly— was not an accident.
Tsunade looked away, serious for the first time.
—And if you’re telling the truth —she added— then this child shouldn’t exist here.
Naruto looked up, eyes red.
—Then… am I stuck?
The Hokage met his gaze with a small, sad smile.
—We don’t know yet —he replied—.
But as long as you’re here… you’re under my protection.
Naruto didn’t understand any of it.
But for the first time all day…
He didn’t feel alone.
The forest was far too quiet.
They decided to split up to search for Naruto. They still hadn’t told the Hokage—none of them wanted a lecture right now.
Shikamaru moved forward with a deep frown, carrying a feeling he couldn’t quite explain. Chōji walked a few steps behind him, still holding the bag of ramen, silent for the first time in a long while.
—This way —Shikamaru murmured.
He stopped abruptly.
Something glinted among the disturbed soil, right at the base of a tree whose roots were oddly exposed, as if the ground had suddenly given way.
Shikamaru crouched down.
His fingers carefully brushed the dirt aside.
And then he saw it.
Naruto’s ninja headband.
Covered in dust.
The metal scratched.
The symbol of Konoha intact.
His stomach dropped.
—…Chōji —he said quietly.
Chōji stepped closer, and when he saw what Shikamaru was holding, the bag of ramen slipped from his hands without him realizing it.
—That’s…
Shikamaru closed his hand around the headband.
He looked at the hole in front of them.
It wasn’t deep.
It didn’t look normal.
It didn’t look natural.
—What a drag… —he whispered.
The wind rustled through the leaves.
And for the first time since they had started searching, Shikamaru felt something clear, heavy, and cold settle in his chest.
Naruto would never leave his headband behind.