The Demon They Deserved

Naruto lay quietly upon the lush green grass, his bright cerulean eyes staring blankly at the gently flowing river as it shimmered beneath the warm afternoon sunlight. At just five years old, life had already handed him more hardship than a child should endure. A simple, makeshift fishing rod—little more than a sturdy stick, a length of string, and a small hook, rested loosely in his tiny hands. He watched the small bobber intently, its slight movements creating ripples in the otherwise calm surface of the water.

His empty stomach growled loudly, reminding him it had been days since he'd had anything decent to eat. He sighed quietly, impatient yet determined, when suddenly the bobber dipped sharply beneath the surface.

“Yes!” Naruto shouted, jerking back on the rod excitedly. His small fingers clenched tightly as he reeled in the line by hand, finally pulling out a plump, wriggling fish from the water. Grinning broadly with his whisker-marked cheeks puffed out in childish triumph, he set about cleaning and gutting the fish carefully, using a small, rusty kunai he'd scavenged from a nearby training ground.

“I’m not going hungry tonight!” he cheered to no one in particular, trying to keep his spirits up despite his loneliness. His small campfire crackled softly beside him, popping sparks that rose lazily into the twilight sky as Naruto skewered the fish onto a thin stick. He held it carefully above the flames, rotating it slowly so it would cook evenly, the sweet smell of sizzling fish meat gradually filling his senses.

“Good thing I spent that last bit of money on salt,” Naruto murmured softly, sprinkling a modest pinch onto the roasting fish, savoring the aroma as he waited eagerly for it to cook. His mouth watered in anticipation, making him realize just how truly starved he felt. "I wish I had more food...or more money," he muttered with a groan, eyes downcast and clouded with frustration.

The thought of money made him frown deeper, his small fists clenching around the cooking stick. He still had nearly two weeks left until he received his next allowance from the Hokage, and there was no way he could survive that long on nothing but luck and scraps. As he chewed thoughtfully on his freshly cooked meal, Naruto's eyes narrowed in childish contemplation.

Suddenly, a mischievous and daring thought crossed his mind. A sly grin tugged at his lips, excitement blooming in his eyes at the reckless idea that had just sprouted. "Wait a minute," he whispered conspiratorially to himself, glancing around as if someone might overhear his scheme. "Old man Hokage’s office probably has money lying around, right?"

He felt his heart speed up, excitement mixing dangerously with nervousness. Could he really risk sneaking into the Hokage’s office to snatch some money? He hesitated only briefly, the relentless growling of his stomach reinforcing his decision.

"Yeah," Naruto said with a determined nod, finishing the last bit of the fish and licking his fingers clean. "I’ll sneak in tonight, grab just enough money for food, and then slip out before anyone even notices."

Feeling emboldened by his new resolve, Naruto tossed aside the now-empty stick and stood up confidently, his small figure outlined against the fading sunlight.

Naruto crept carefully through the winding, moonlit streets of Konoha, each tiny footfall deliberately quiet against the cobblestone pathways. The village was unusually peaceful tonight; even the distant chirping of crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves were his only companions as he approached the towering Hokage Tower.

He gazed up at the enormous structure before him, the pale moonlight casting shadows across its large, ornate windows. Naruto swallowed hard, his pulse quickening with nerves. Fortunately, his small size worked to his advantage—he had noticed before that the large, slightly cracked window leading into the Hokage’s office would easily accommodate his petite frame.

Carefully, Naruto began scaling the rough stone wall, his small hands gripping at every protrusion as he moved upward, his determined face tense with concentration. With a soft grunt of effort, he reached the windowsill, his fingers clutching tightly onto the ledge. He paused there for a moment, heart pounding nervously in his chest.

Slowly, he pushed the window open further and peered inside cautiously. Naruto expected to see guards, or maybe even some sort of trap, but to his surprise, the large office was empty and quiet, illuminated only by pale moonlight streaming in through the window he’d just opened.

“Huh...this was almost too easy,” Naruto whispered to himself, a little suspiciously. Shaking off his doubts, he carefully crawled through the window, landing softly on the plush carpeted floor of the Hokage’s personal office.

The room was modestly furnished, but grand enough to impress a five-year-old boy. A large, intricately carved wooden desk dominated the center of the room, piles of paperwork scattered neatly across its surface. Shelves lined the walls, each one filled with scrolls and various mysterious documents. Naruto stared around the room, slightly disappointed.

"This is all?" he muttered quietly, blinking in confusion. He had expected at least some visible piles of money, perhaps even treasures or something equally enticing. He shook his head stubbornly, his youthful resolve renewed.

Stepping quickly to the Hokage's desk, Naruto tugged at each drawer impatiently, frowning as he realized they were all firmly locked.

"Aw man, seriously?" he grumbled, irritation creeping into his voice. He examined the top of the desk, only finding a few random sheets of paper. Naruto's eyes scanned the words hastily, hoping to find something useful. "Village security reports... boring D-rank missions... nothing!" he complained softly, his frustration building with every passing second.

Determined not to leave empty-handed, he turned his attention to the shelves, carefully pulling out scrolls one by one, hastily unfurling them. Most of them were mundane, boring, filled only with trivial notes about appointments, council meetings, and other tedious village matters. Naruto scowled deeply, growing increasingly annoyed.

"Hokage-jiji sure has boring taste..." he muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes at a scroll detailing the elderly leader’s observations on a particularly attractive kunoichi passing by his office window earlier that day. Naruto shook his head, making a face of childish disgust. “Gross! Old man really has weird hobbies,” he said, shoving the scroll back onto the shelf.

He sighed dramatically, his tiny shoulders sagging as he prepared to abandon his pointless search. However, before Naruto could take another step, a strong hand suddenly wrapped firmly around his small wrist, pulling him sharply downward with surprising speed.

Naruto yelped in surprise as he hit the soft carpet, panic flooding his eyes. Looking up fearfully, he stared straight into the stern but familiar face of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. The elder's deep, wise eyes gazed down at the young boy with a mix of curiosity, annoyance, and slight amusement.

"Naruto," Hiruzen said firmly, raising an eyebrow in stern disapproval, "what exactly do you think you're doing here, sneaking around my private office this late at night?"

Naruto's mind raced desperately for a believable excuse. His blue eyes widened innocently, feigning excitement as he improvised, "Uh—I was just, um, looking for secret jutsu, ya know? So I can get stronger and be a great ninja one day!"

He gave the older man his most earnest, hopeful smile, silently praying he would buy the lie.

The Hokage studied him closely, eyes narrowing skeptically as Naruto's heart pounded nervously in his chest. After a tense silence, Hiruzen released a long, resigned sigh, shaking his head slowly.

"You're lucky, Naruto," he said, irritation fading into gentle affection. "Had it been anyone else who caught you sneaking around, you might've gotten yourself hurt. You're fortunate it's only me."

Hiruzen stood slowly, releasing Naruto's small wrist, and straightened his robes before stepping over to his desk. Carefully, he reached into his pocket and produced a small, ornate key, sliding it smoothly into one of the locked drawers.

Naruto watched curiously as the Hokage opened the drawer slightly, discreetly pulling out a magazine and hurriedly tucking it beneath his robes, clearly hoping Naruto hadn't noticed it. The young boy tilted his head innocently, oblivious to the adult’s embarrassment and secrecy.

Hiruzen cleared his throat, regaining his authoritative presence. "Well, Naruto," he began, regaining composure, "if you're truly eager to find some secret jutsu, then I suppose I can at least help you find something a little more suitable."

Naruto’s eyes instantly lit up with excitement, his earlier hunger and frustration momentarily forgotten. "Really, Jiji? You mean it?" he exclaimed eagerly, bouncing energetically on his toes.

The Hokage nodded, his stern expression softening into a warm, fatherly smile. "Follow me, young one. I'll show you something special, something you might find rather interesting."

Naruto jumped happily to his feet, practically vibrating with anticipation. "You're the best, old man!" he cheered, following closely behind the Third Hokage as they exited the office.

Naruto followed closely behind the Third Hokage through the shadowed corridors of the Hokage Tower, curiosity and excitement bubbling up within him. They eventually stopped before a small, inconspicuous door that Naruto hadn’t noticed before. The Third Hokage slowly opened it, revealing a tiny, dimly lit room packed tightly with scrolls upon scrolls, all stacked neatly on numerous wooden shelves that seemed to stretch endlessly upward.

“Whoa…” Naruto murmured quietly in awe, eyes widening as he stepped hesitantly inside. “This place is amazing, Jiji! Are all these scrolls filled with secret jutsu?”

Hiruzen chuckled softly, amused by Naruto’s childish enthusiasm. “Well, not exactly, Naruto,” he explained patiently, walking deeper into the cramped room and gesturing at the shelves. “Most of these scrolls contain very basic, incomplete techniques. They’re either unfinished, impractical, or simply not very useful for serious shinobi work. But we keep them here as a record, just in case someone might find a way to improve upon them one day.”

Naruto nodded thoughtfully, a bit disappointed but still intrigued. He watched as the Third Hokage moved carefully along the shelves, his wise eyes scanning patiently until he finally paused, reaching out to grasp one particular scroll. Naruto leaned closer, noticing that this scroll was different from the rest—it bore a familiar spiral symbol, etched intricately into the parchment, something oddly comforting yet mysterious about its design.

Hiruzen turned and gently placed the scroll into Naruto’s small hands. His expression softened with a hint of sadness and pride. “Naruto, this is your clan scroll,” he explained quietly, “The scroll of the Uzumaki. It belonged to your family, your heritage.”

Naruto’s bright blue eyes widened in surprise, a strange sense of warmth swelling in his chest. “My…my clan scroll?” he repeated softly, voice barely above a whisper. He quickly unrolled it, eyes flickering eagerly over the strange markings and symbols inside—but confusion quickly replaced his initial excitement. He squinted and turned the scroll upside down, then sideways, then upside down again. “Hey… Jiji, what the heck is this supposed to be? I can't make sense of it at all!”

The Third Hokage smiled knowingly, placing a comforting hand gently on Naruto’s shoulder. “I'm afraid nobody else has been able to decipher it either, Naruto. The Uzumaki were masters of sealing and created extremely complicated codes that only members of their clan could ever hope to unlock. Perhaps, one day, you'll find a way to decode it.”

Naruto frowned deeply, puffing out his cheeks in frustration. “Great. You gave me a useless scroll,” he muttered irritably, sulking as he glanced back up at the towering shelves. “Can I at least look at something else? Maybe there’s a better scroll that I can actually learn from?”

Hiruzen laughed softly, amused by Naruto’s blunt honesty. “Sure, why not,” he said, waving dismissively toward the shelves. “Feel free to look around—but don’t expect too much. Like I said, these scrolls aren't exactly well-guarded, mostly because there’s nothing very useful here. Just incomplete jutsu and impractical techniques nobody's found any real use for yet.”

Naruto nodded distractedly, already peering closely at the various scrolls, his childish curiosity reignited. He hummed quietly to himself, pulling a few off the shelves, scanning them, and placing them back in frustration after seeing incomprehensible instructions and scribbled diagrams.

Eventually, Naruto paused, feeling disappointed. He turned around quickly as he noticed the Hokage about to leave the small room, desperation creeping into his young voice as he rushed forward and grabbed the elder's sleeve. “Hokage-jiji, wait! I forgot something important!”

Hiruzen stopped, turning slowly to face Naruto, arching a curious eyebrow. “Oh? And what might that be, Naruto?”

Naruto lowered his eyes sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head nervously. “Well, ya see, I…um, kinda spent all my money already. You know how it goes. Could you maybe give me just a bit more…please?”

The Hokage’s expression grew stern, arms folding tightly across his chest as he fixed Naruto with a firm, disappointed gaze. “Naruto, we talked about this. You need to learn how to budget your money more wisely. You're five years old now, old enough to start understanding responsibility. I can’t just keep handing you more money every time you spend it all foolishly.”

Naruto’s eyes filled with disappointment, his shoulders sagging visibly under the elder man's stern words. He bit his lip anxiously, looking sadly at the floor as his stomach growled softly, reminding him again of his hunger. “But, Jiji…” he whispered quietly, “I don’t have anything left, and I’m really hungry. I mean… it’s not like I spend it on anything stupid, just ramen mostly...”

Hiruzen sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose in mild frustration. “That's precisely the problem, Naruto. You spend everything you have on ramen every day. That's not healthy for you. Vegetables and meat, rice and grains, these are what a growing ninja needs. You can't keep surviving on noodles alone.”

Naruto frowned stubbornly, crossing his small arms. “But ramen is the best food ever,” he mumbled under his breath, barely audible.

The Hokage shook his head with a gentle, amused smile tugging at his lips. “Perhaps—but only sometimes. You need more variety in your diet. Maybe it’s time you learned how to cook proper meals instead of relying on Ichiraku’s ramen stand so much.”

Naruto tilted his head curiously, looking slightly hopeful. “Cook? You think I can actually learn how to cook, old man?”

Hiruzen nodded encouragingly. “Of course. It's a useful skill for a ninja. In fact, I could lend you a cookbook or two to help you get started.”

Naruto's eyes brightened a little, but his hunger and disappointment still lingered heavily. He stared sadly at the ground again, unable to hide his frustration completely. Seeing this, Hiruzen softened slightly, crouching down to eye-level with Naruto, placing a comforting hand gently atop the boy's messy blonde hair.

“Now, now, Naruto, don't make such a sad face," he said, voice gentle yet firm. “It's unbecoming of a ninja, especially one who's going to become Hokage one day. If you're truly serious about becoming a strong shinobi, you'll need discipline. The first step is managing your money responsibly.”

Naruto nodded slowly, still slightly crestfallen but understanding the elder’s wisdom. “I get it, Jiji… I’ll try harder.” he promised softly, determination slowly creeping back into his voice.

“Good,” the Hokage said warmly, smiling fondly as he stood back up, gently ruffling Naruto’s unruly hair. “Now, let’s head back. It's getting late, and you should get some sleep. Remember what I've told you tonight, and who knows, maybe one day you'll find meaning in that mysterious scroll of yours.”

Naruto clutched the Uzumaki scroll tightly against his chest, determination and curiosity swelling once again in his heart. “Yeah, I’ll figure it out! Just wait and see, old man!”

Naruto clutched the mysterious Uzumaki scroll tightly against his chest, determination and curiosity swelling in his young heart. “Yeah, I’ll figure it out! Just wait and see, old man!”

With a soft chuckle, the Third Hokage waved him off gently and disappeared through the doorway, leaving Naruto alone in the quiet, shadow-filled room lined with countless scrolls. Naruto stared thoughtfully down at the ancient scroll in his hands, its intricate spiral symbol feeling oddly comforting, yet frustratingly elusive.

Deciding not to waste any more time, Naruto sat cross-legged on the dusty wooden floor, carefully unrolling the Uzumaki scroll again. The intricate markings stared back at him, cryptic and utterly indecipherable. He scratched his head thoughtfully, furrowing his brows in intense concentration as he tried to decode the enigmatic patterns, hoping some intuitive insight might strike him. But no matter how much he squinted or tilted the scroll, the strange script refused to reveal its secrets.

“Ugh! Stupid scroll…” he grumbled irritably, placing it aside with a disgruntled sigh. Frustrated but determined to learn something useful tonight, Naruto decided to explore the other scrolls on the shelves, hoping to find anything remotely interesting or practical.

The first scroll he opened described a technique intended to sharpen a leaf into a makeshift shuriken blade. Naruto eagerly tried it, focusing chakra carefully through his small fingertips. For a brief moment, the leaf indeed sharpened into a glimmering green blade, but the second he tossed it, it barely traveled two feet before harmlessly fizzling back into a flimsy leaf.

“Aw, come on!” Naruto groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration. He tried another scroll—one supposedly meant to clean stains from clothing instantly. Rolling his eyes, he tossed it aside without even bothering to test it. “Cleaning jutsu? Seriously? Who the heck would even want that?”

Another scroll described how to create tiny flames with chakra, but all Naruto managed to produce were pathetic, flickering sparks barely suitable for lighting candles. "Useless!" Naruto growled impatiently, his childish temper flaring with each disappointing failure.

Feeling stubbornly determined, he revisited the leaf-sharpening scroll, deciding that maybe he simply needed more concentration. Gathering chakra into his fingertips once more, Naruto focused intensely until a razor-sharp leaf shuriken formed delicately on the tip of his finger. A triumphant grin spread across his face—

"Ouch!" Naruto yelped suddenly as the leaf-shuriken abruptly sliced into his thumb, drawing a thin trickle of blood. He instinctively jammed his thumb into his mouth, eyes watering slightly from the sting. "Stupid leaf," he mumbled bitterly around his thumb.

Eventually, boredom and disappointment won out, and Naruto decided he’d wasted enough time on these useless techniques. He turned to leave, reaching down to retrieve the Uzumaki scroll he’d carelessly placed aside. The moment his injured thumb brushed against the scroll's intricate parchment, something incredible occurred.

Naruto gasped audibly, his blue eyes widening in astonishment as the blood on his thumb suddenly caused the mysterious writing to shift and ripple across the surface, rearranging itself before his very eyes. Within seconds, the previously incomprehensible symbols rearranged neatly into words he could read, clear as day.

"Whoa..." Naruto whispered breathlessly, his heart pounding in amazement. "Did...did my blood just unlock it? Maybe because it's my clan's scroll...my Uzumaki blood!" he realized excitedly, feeling a swell of pride and wonder surge through him.

Quickly, he sat back down, unrolling the scroll completely and eagerly skimming its newly revealed contents. But Naruto soon discovered another problem, although he could now read the scroll clearly, actually understanding it was an entirely different matter. The scroll was filled with complex, intricate formulas and complicated instructions, detailing advanced sealing techniques and chakra-infused paper talismans that required precise calculations and meticulous control.

He scratched his head helplessly, groaning in frustration. "Aw, man… This stuff is even harder than the Academy textbooks," Naruto muttered to himself, discouraged. He was barely five years old, after all; even older students, including that pink-haired girl from the academy who everyone considered a genius, struggled to comprehend formulaic chakra theory like this.

Naruto sighed deeply, staring glumly at the scroll again. Then, suddenly, a memory struck him—he had an old formula textbook back in his tiny apartment. It had been gathering dust for months, forgotten and abandoned because he couldn't make heads or tails of it before. Maybe, just maybe, that forgotten book could help him make sense of this newfound Uzumaki scroll.

His earlier frustration now replaced by hopeful determination, Naruto quickly rolled up the scroll and tucked it carefully under his arm. He darted out of the scroll-room, slipping quietly through the corridors, and then raced excitedly through the quiet, moonlit streets of Konoha, clutching the precious Uzumaki scroll tightly against his chest.

Bursting through the door of his small, messy apartment moments later, Naruto hastily flipped open the dusty cabinet beside his bed, coughing slightly as a cloud of dust filled the air. He dug impatiently through old clothes and discarded ramen cups until, at last, his fingers touched the familiar worn cover of the formula book.

Pulling it triumphantly from the clutter, Naruto plopped himself down on his creaky bed, spreading the mysterious clan scroll out beside him, determined to unlock its secrets. Carefully, he opened the formula book, flipping slowly through its dense pages of equations, seals, and chakra diagrams.

"Alright," Naruto whispered determinedly to himself, blue eyes narrowing in stubborn focus. "I don't care how complicated you are, I'm gonna figure you out, scroll! If my ancestors could do it, then so can I!"

And so, deep into the night, beneath the gentle glow of a flickering lamp, Naruto Uzumaki, a five-year-old orphaned boy scorned by much of the village, began the first earnest step toward mastering the legacy that would define his future, determined not to stop until every mystery was unraveled.

Five months had passed

each day bringing Naruto closer to frustration, but also determination. Hunger still gnawed at him constantly, a persistent ache in his belly that no amount of careful budgeting seemed to resolve. No matter how diligently he tried to manage the little allowance the Hokage granted him, the shopkeepers always cruelly inflated their prices whenever he approached. A simple bag of rice or a few carrots that would cost mere coins for anyone else always doubled or even tripled when Naruto tried to buy them.

So, inevitably, he found himself back to eating instant ramen cups most days, the cheapest thing he could afford. On the days he craved something else, vegetables or rice, he quietly approached old man Teuchi at Ichiraku’s ramen stand, who always took pity on him. The kindly ramen chef would secretly purchase some groceries on Naruto’s behalf and slip them into his hands when nobody was looking. But Naruto had begun to avoid asking him too frequently, realizing that the villagers might turn against Teuchi as well if they discovered his quiet kindness.

“Ugh, it’s not fair…” Naruto muttered bitterly to himself one evening, curled up in the dim corner of his cluttered apartment, carefully assembling small scraps of paper. He had taken refuge in training, studying the scrolls and textbooks late into the night to distract himself from the gnawing hunger and loneliness. “Why do they all have to hate me so much? It’s not like I did anything wrong. Old man Teuchi is nice, but I can’t keep relying on him forever.”

To combat his constant frustration, Naruto poured himself into chakra control exercises. He’d borrowed an old Academy textbook, one of the simplest he could find, to learn basic control. Slowly, methodically, he’d begun practicing balancing small leaves on his fingertips. At first, he failed constantly, the leaf fluttering off at the slightest distraction. But now, after weeks of quiet determination, he had begun to master it. The gentle green leaf hovered delicately at the tip of his index finger, perfectly balanced and steady.

“Ha! See that, stupid villagers?” he said defiantly to the empty room, his whiskered face breaking into a proud, yet somewhat sad, smile. “I’m getting stronger. someday, I'll show all of you.”

Yet chakra control was only the beginning of Naruto’s newfound abilities. He’d spent countless late-night hours painstakingly deciphering his mysterious Uzumaki clan scroll, gradually uncovering secrets hidden within the complex symbols and equations. Slowly, with great trial and error, Naruto began mastering the art of chakra-infused talismans and paper techniques.

At first, he could barely manage to infuse chakra into ordinary paper, but after dozens of frustrating attempts, he finally succeeded, transforming plain paper into a shimmering, chakra-infused material far stronger than steel. Eventually, he learned how to fashion small paper shuriken—each delicate star glittering faintly with chakra energy. The first time he tested them, his blue eyes widened in astonishment as the paper throwing stars embedded themselves deeply into the wooden posts at the practice grounds.

“No way! These are way stronger than normal ones!” Naruto exclaimed joyfully, eyes shining with excitement. He carefully noted down each discovery in his small notebook, his handwriting messy but earnest. Each tiny success was a victory that kept his spirits alive.

After weeks of diligent practice, Naruto had even managed to craft a more complex talisman-based technique, four carefully prepared paper seals arranged in a precise formation that formed a shimmering chakra barrier when activated. Though still thin and transparent, it had enough strength to block standard shuriken and kunai with ease. Naruto felt a thrill of pride as he stood behind the barrier for the first time, watching with awe as the practice weapons harmlessly clattered to the ground.

“This clan scroll is amazing!” Naruto whispered excitedly, clutching the scroll reverently to his chest. “I just need to keep practicing, I’ll unlock all its secrets one day, no matter what it takes.”

And so he continued training relentlessly, determined to grow stronger despite his hardships. Day after day, Naruto would visit the isolated training grounds at the edge of the village, far from the judging eyes and hateful whispers of the villagers. Today was no different; he stood in the deserted field beneath the warm afternoon sun, sweat trickling down his brow as he prepared his next set of paper shuriken.

“Alright,” Naruto murmured to himself, his small voice determined yet weary, “Let’s do this again—just gotta concentrate…”

He carefully held out a palm-sized square of chakra-infused paper, channeling chakra slowly and deliberately into its fibers. The material shifted, curling slightly as he twisted and folded it precisely until a perfectly symmetrical paper star formed. With a satisfied nod, Naruto prepared several more, carefully tucking each one into his small weapons pouch at his side.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto faced the line of wooden practice targets set up across the field, eyes narrowing seriously. With a sudden burst of speed, he hurled the chakra-infused paper stars one by one, watching as each embedded itself deep into the sturdy wooden targets, a noticeable improvement even compared to last week’s results.

“Yes! That was awesome!” he cheered loudly, pumping a small fist into the air. His voice echoed across the empty training grounds, only heightening his sense of solitude. Naruto’s brief excitement faded into a quiet sigh as he retrieved his weapons, staring thoughtfully at the deep gouges they left behind.

“I wonder if mom and dad would’ve been proud of me…” he whispered quietly, a soft sadness creeping into his voice. The ache of loneliness never truly left him, lingering just behind each small success. Yet Naruto shook his head stubbornly, quickly banishing his gloomy thoughts.

“No, there’s no point in thinking like that,” he scolded himself firmly, stepping back into position. “I just gotta keep training. If I get strong enough, then someday everyone will have to recognize me.”

As the sun began to set, casting a warm golden glow across the practice grounds, Naruto decided to practice his chakra barrier once more. Carefully arranging four intricately inked paper talismans in a precise square pattern around him, he formed the necessary hand seal, murmuring softly, “Uzumaki Sealing Style: Four Corner Barrier!”

Immediately, the talismans activated, a shimmering barrier of pale blue chakra erupting around Naruto’s small frame. He stood quietly inside it, marveling at the gentle, humming energy that surrounded him protectively.

“Someday, I’ll master every secret this scroll holds,” he vowed determinedly, clenching his small fists. “Then no one, not the villagers, not even the Hokage, will ever look down on Naruto Uzumaki again.”

Naruto left the training grounds feeling quietly proud of his progress. The chakra-infused paper shuriken had left deep, clean marks on the wooden targets, a clear sign of his growing power. Still, beneath the excitement and pride, there lingered a persistent ache—the gnawing hunger that never fully went away, and the bitterness of how the villagers still treated him.

He walked slowly toward Ichiraku Ramen, hands tucked in his pockets. The evening streets were quiet, with only distant murmurs and gentle laughter carrying from other parts of the village. Naruto felt strangely disconnected from it all. He always did, really.

When he finally turned the corner to Ichiraku’s stand, his bright blue eyes widened in shock. The small restaurant, usually warm and inviting, was now dark and quiet. Even worse, scrawled across the shop's exterior in angry red paint, were the words:

"Demon Sympathizer."

Naruto felt his breath catch painfully in his chest. A cold, heavy weight settled deep in his stomach, heavier than hunger. He rushed closer, reaching out to touch the crude, dripping letters as if hoping it would somehow erase the hateful message.

“No… why would they do this?” Naruto murmured softly, pain thick in his voice. He felt tears sting the corners of his eyes, his vision blurring slightly as anger began boiling beneath his sorrow.

A familiar voice suddenly pierced the quiet behind him.

“They shouldn’t have helped that monster. It's their own fault.”

Naruto quickly ducked behind a nearby wooden fence, heart hammering painfully in his small chest. Two men stood nearby, hidden in the shadows of a shop’s awning, speaking quietly but harshly.

“Teuchi-san’s always been kind-hearted," the first villager said, his tone pitying but condescending. "But helping that… thing, the Nine-Tails brat, he should’ve known it’d come to this.”

The second man snorted contemptuously. “Maybe this’ll finally teach him a lesson. If he keeps serving that little demon, who knows what could happen next? His shop burning down might just be the start.”

Naruto felt rage ignite within him, hot and uncontrollable. He wanted to rush out, confront them, scream and punch, but instead, he forced himself to remain still, hands clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug painfully into his palms.

The men continued, their voices fading as they walked away.

“Yeah, if he keeps this up, we might have to pay him another visit. Make sure he understands—helping demons has consequences.”

As their voices faded into silence, Naruto stepped from the shadows, fists trembling in barely contained fury. He wiped roughly at his tear-stained eyes, breathing heavily, teeth grinding together with rage.

“They think they can hurt Teuchi-jiji… just because of me,” Naruto whispered bitterly, a dark, simmering anger clouding his eyes. “They think they have the right?”

He glanced back at the cruel words written across Ichiraku’s wall. The pain in his chest sharpened into something colder, something harder.

“No,” Naruto whispered harshly to himself. “This ends tonight.”

He turned away from the defaced ramen stand, determination etched deeply into his youthful face. Slowly, silently, he walked through the empty streets, tracking the two villagers carefully. He trailed them through winding alleyways until they finally parted ways. Naruto quietly followed the first villager, a man with short, scraggly brown hair, to his modest home, hidden behind trees at the village's outskirts.

Naruto waited silently in the shadows outside the man's window, watching closely, breathing controlled, and heartbeat steady. He carefully withdrew a single paper talisman from his pocket, a small strip of chakra-infused paper that he had meticulously crafted from the Uzumaki scroll. It hummed faintly with dangerous energy.

“If you hate me so much,” Naruto whispered, his voice low and trembling with suppressed anger, “Then I’ll give you a reason to fear me.”

Naruto stood outside the villager’s window, breathing heavily, fury burning like fire in his veins. He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles whitened, his thoughts echoing darkly in his young mind:

“If they want a demon…then I’ll show them exactly what kind of demon they’ve created.”

Quietly, carefully, he tested the window. It was unlocked, of course, this villager never considered himself in danger. After all, Naruto was just a child in his eyes, harmless and easy to torment. The man had no idea what kind of rage he'd awakened.

Naruto pushed the window open silently, slipping inside the dimly lit bedroom. The man slept soundly, completely unaware of the danger that now hovered inches away.

Naruto's small figure loomed over him, his bright blue eyes filled with an icy darkness that would have chilled even the bravest ninja. Suddenly, Naruto’s calm shattered into explosive rage.

He lunged forward, driving his fist viciously into the sleeping man's face, smashing his nose with a brutal, sickening crunch.

The man jerked awake instantly, screaming in confusion and pain, flailing wildly in his tangled sheets. "Wha—what the hell—?!"

Naruto said nothing, eyes burning fiercely as he yanked the man violently out of bed, tossing him onto the floor. The villager landed heavily, gasping, holding his bleeding face.

“P-please—!” the man stammered, blood dripping between his fingers. “Wait! I—I didn’t—!”

Naruto cut him off by kicking him savagely in the ribs, driving the breath from the man’s lungs. As the man struggled, coughing and wheezing helplessly on the floor, Naruto leaned close, his voice trembling dangerously with barely suppressed rage.

“You think you can threaten the only person who's ever been kind to me?” Naruto snarled, grabbing the man by his hair and forcing him painfully upright. “You threatened Teuchi-jiji… all because of me? Because you think I'm a demon?”

With a fierce growl, Naruto reached into his pouch and drew out several chakra-infused paper shuriken. The villager’s eyes widened in terror.

“N-No! Stop—please! You don’t understand!” he cried desperately.

Naruto didn’t hesitate. With a chillingly calm precision, he flicked his wrist, sending the razor-sharp paper stars slicing through the man’s flesh. Blood splattered across the room as shallow but painful cuts appeared all over the villager’s arms, chest, and legs.

The man shrieked in agony, desperately trying to crawl away. “STOP! PLEASE—I’LL DO ANYTHING!”

Naruto stepped forward and drove his foot brutally into the man's groin. The villager’s scream echoed in raw agony, body convulsing violently as tears streamed down his face.

Naruto leaned over him, voice dripping venom. “Answer my question clearly,” he whispered coldly, eyes narrowed dangerously. “Why do you call me the Nine-Tails demon?”

The villager stared at Naruto in abject horror, shaking violently. “I—I can’t say anything… please… they'll punish me if I—”

Naruto grabbed the man’s head roughly, fingers tangled mercilessly in his hair. With vicious force, Naruto slammed the man's face down into the floorboards, shattering several of his teeth with a wet, sickening crack. Blood pooled beneath his trembling mouth as he sobbed pathetically.

“Tell me!” Naruto hissed savagely, rage and pain twisting his childish features into something monstrous.

Broken, bleeding, and terrified, the villager finally broke. “You're… you're the Nine-Tails jinchūriki! They sealed that demon inside you… that's why we hate you!” he cried, voice trembling violently. “You carry the monster that nearly destroyed our village!”

Naruto’s eyes widened in shock, his heart suddenly hammering painfully in his chest. “The Nine-Tails… is inside me?”

The villager nodded frantically, sobbing uncontrollably, desperate to end his torment. “Yes! Yes! Please, just stop—”

Naruto stared down at his trembling, broken victim. Slowly, shock transformed into a dark, twisted amusement. He laughed then—first quietly, then louder, until his laughter echoed eerily off the blood-spattered walls. His eyes glittered wickedly, lips curling into a chilling smile as he began to play the role they'd cast him in.

“So, that's why it feels so good,” Naruto said softly, voice taking on a sinister, almost mocking tone as he pretended to embrace the evil identity they'd given him. “All this time… I've been holding back when I had this power inside me?”

The villager stared up in abject terror, seeing Naruto’s wicked smile and believing completely the twisted charade he now put forth. Naruto seized him violently by the throat, squeezing tightly enough to cut off air.

“Why didn’t anyone ever tell me?” Naruto growled darkly. “Why didn’t I know about this?”

Choking, gasping desperately, the man barely managed to speak. “Th-the Third Hokage—he… he forbade everyone from speaking of it! We were ordered to keep it hidden from you—!”

Naruto laughed again, louder and darker. Pretending fully to descend into the monster they feared him to be, he leaned in close, whispering cruelly:

“You idiots… Do you really think Teuchi helped me out of kindness?” Naruto lied viciously, pouring venom into his voice. “I threatened him, I told him I’d hurt his precious daughter if he didn’t feed me. That’s the only reason he was nice to me.”

The villager’s eyes widened in horror at Naruto’s false confession, believing every twisted word. Naruto chuckled evilly, releasing his grip slightly.

“But now he's useless to me,” Naruto said cruelly, pretending complete disdain. “Thanks to you idiots, my food servant is gone. Now I'll have to find someone else to threaten.”

Naruto dropped the trembling, whimpering man roughly to the floor, stepping past him toward the small kitchen. He threw open the fridge, quickly stuffing every bit of edible food he could carry into his arms.

“This is your payment,” Naruto sneered mockingly over his shoulder. “For ruining my food servant, I’m taking your food instead.”

The man cowered on the floor, weeping in agony and terror. “Please… mercy…!”

Naruto turned back toward him one last time, his small face twisted into a perfect imitation of evil. He sold the act fully, even his eyes glittering with dark amusement. “Mercy? Be thankful I didn't kill you. Spread this story for me, tell everyone what kind of monster I really am.”

With a chilling laugh, Naruto turned and strode out of the broken, bloodstained home, his arms loaded with stolen food. As he walked calmly into the night, his twisted, evil smile slowly faded into a quiet, weary sadness.

But he knew the damage was done. The rumors would spread quickly. He’d just taken his first step down a dark and dangerous path. Naruto Uzumaki, the innocent boy, was slowly dying, replaced by the villain they'd forced him to become.