Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The Family’s Shadow
Naruto lay in bed, the eight-year-old staring at the ceiling as faint laughter and the clatter of dishes echoed from the kitchen. The warmth of her family's breakfast table—so close, yet so distant—felt like a world she could never truly belong to. She could picture it all too clearly: her mother, Kushina, with her fiery red hair gleaming like the sun, her green eyes gleaming laughing heartily; her father, Minato, the ever-busy Hokage, smiling softly—rare but comforting ruffling his blond hair and rubbing his blue eyes looking at the newspaper. Her older brother, Menma, cracked jokes, while her twin sister, Natsuki, added her playful teasing.
Naruto’s stomach twisted. She had woken up late again. Not that anyone had bothered to wake her—or even left her breakfast. This was her life: a silent, forgotten presence in a house filled with people too busy to notice her absence.
She heard Natsuki’s voice from downstairs, tinged with amusement, “Naruto’s probably still in bed—lazy as always!”
They forgot about me again. Naruto rubbed her eyes, feeling the heaviness of sleep still clinging to her. When did the rift between her and her family start? A few months ago? Maybe longer. Kushina and Minato had once been loving, attentive parents. Menma and Natsuki were decent siblings, often treating her like the baby of the family, teasing her playfully. But more and more, she felt like an outsider. Even Natsuki, who once pulled her cheek affectionately and called her a "lazy sleepyhead," had stopped including her in family activities, running off to train with the others, leaving her alone in the empty, quiet house.
Naruto sighed. At least I can still do the Adamantine Chakra Chain Sealing Technique better than my siblings, she thought as she rolled out of bed. But that skill hadn’t been enough to get her invited to their training sessions lately. Her bedroom, bare-boned and plain, was a reflection of her life—white walls, a simple calendar, a clock, and an old wardrobe that had been an antique gift from Tsunade. It wasn’t that she didn’t like color, but she didn’t know how to decorate it. So she left it as it was—empty and neutral.
Naruto, unlike most of her peers, was sensitive. She understood her siblings' importance to Konoha, the village, and how her parents focused on them. She tried not to burden anyone with her own needs. If she was sick, she took care of herself. If she was lonely, she read a book. Standing by the window, she gazed out over the garden and the village preparing for the annual Fox Festival. Bright banners were hung, and the streets bustled with energy as people prepared to celebrate the Nine-Tails’ defeat and honor the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had given his life for the village.
The civilians believed the lie that the Nine-Tails were dead, but Naruto knew the truth. The Bijū, made of chakra, could never truly die. They had to be sealed—controlled. It was a grim reality that only the higher ranks of the shinobi were aware of. Rubbing her eyes again, Naruto stretched, trying to push aside the exhaustion. The laughter of her family drifted through her bedroom door, making her heartache. They’re preparing for Menma and Natsuki’s birthday tomorrow, she thought. I should get them presents... Her fingers curled around the small frog wallet, a gift from her godfather, Jiraiya. It held the allowance she had saved up.
Naruto glanced out at the towering tree by her window, its branches swaying in the gentle breeze. It was her escape. Without hesitation, she opened the window and slipped out onto the thick branches. She was getting good at this—sneaking out unnoticed. The rough bark scraped her hands as she climbed down, landing softly on the ground below. Looking up, she smiled slightly. The Kogaru trees around Konoha were legendary, grown by the First Hokage himself. Their syrup had healing properties, and their Cika nuts were used to make chakra pills. They were part of what gave the village its name—the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
I love Konoha... I just wish I belonged here, Naruto thought, her chest tightening with the familiar pain of being invisible in her own home.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she collided with something—or someone—on the street, falling back with a sharp sting as her knee hit the ground.
Before she could pull herself together, a strong hand reached down, helping her up. “Careful there,” came a gruff voice. Looking up, Naruto gasped. It was Ibiki Morino, the intimidating head of the interrogation department. His scarred face softened slightly as he glanced at her injured knee. His fingers glowed with a faint blue light as he healed it with a basic medical jutsu. She remembered seeing him during a gathering on her sibling's birthday a few years back. Also, she had sneaked a peak on Minato's desk and saw a file about him. He was skilled in Gen-justu the art of illusions.
“You alright?” Ibiki asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.
“S-sorry!” Naruto stammered, her surprise evident. “Thank you, Mr. Morino.”
Ibiki nodded, his expression unreadable. “Watch where you’re going next time.”
“Whoa, Ibiki, didn’t think you had it in you to be so nice,” came a teasing voice from nearby. Genma Shiranui, one of her father’s guards, stood there with a senbon in his mouth, grinning. Next to him was Hayate Gekkō, who gave a weak cough and smiled.
“She’s not scared of you like most people are,” Hayate commented between coughs. “What’s your name?”
Naruto froze, her heart racing. “I, uh… I need to go! Thanks!” she blurted out, bowing quickly before dashing off.
“She looked familiar,” Ibiki murmured as she disappeared.
Naruto’s heart pounded as she ran. I must have wasted their time... Her mind churned with the self-loathing she tried so hard to ignore. I don’t belong here... I’m just a burden.
After a pit stop inside a shop she ventured back outside.
As the streets became less crowded, Naruto slowed her pace, her eyes catching the shimmer of fireworks in the sky. The Fox Festival was in full swing, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She clutched the hairpin she had bought for Natsuki and the luck charm for Menma. I wish Mom would braid my hair like she does Natsuki’s, she thought bitterly.
Suddenly, a strange light in the distance caught her eye—a glint, unlike the fireworks. Something was wrong. Her gut twisted with a feeling of dread, her chakra stirring in response. She could sense pain and distress... someone needed help.
Without thinking, she ran towards the source, her feet carrying her beyond the bustling streets and into the quieter, more rural parts of Konoha. The trees thickened, and smoke ascended into the twilight sky. Her heart pounded harder.
Ahead, through the trees, she saw it—a strange, metallic craft, unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It lay crumpled on the ground, half-buried in the earth, its surface gleaming unnaturally. And next to it, a woman lay still, her strange uniform shining faintly.
Naruto hesitated, her breath caught in her throat. What... what is this?
The woman stirred, coughing weakly, and spoke in a language Naruto didn’t understand. “Hallo... Kannst du mich verstehen?(hey can you understand me)”
Naruto’s eyes widened in confusion. What is she saying? There was no shinobi around to help her—had no one sensed this? Panic rose, but Naruto pushed it down. Kneeling beside the woman, she pressed her hands over the woman’s wounds, summoning the familiar green light of the Mystical Palm Technique, just as Tsunade had taught her.
The woman groaned, tapping a gem embedded in her clothing. A strange, glowing circle appeared around her throat. “I’m sorry... can you understand me now?”
Naruto blinked in surprise. “Y-yeah! I can hear you now. Please, stop talking, you’re hurt—your ribs are broken, and you’ve lost a lot of blood.”
The woman smiled weakly. “Thank you for helping me... My name is Ellen Aurora. I’m an A-Rank Striker Mage of the TSAB. I owe you my life.”
Naruto’s heart raced. Mage? TSAB? What is going on?:" I am Naruto Uzumaki." Calmly answered.
This fateful encounter would turn Naruto’s world upside down—for the better, or so she hoped.