Kushina's POV (Nearby Alleyway - Hidden Leaf Village)
Kushina should've known this day would come. As hard as they tried to hide the truth, it had merely been a matter of time before it came to the surface. She had discovered it while she was out shopping once. Several whispered about him. Rumors flying, even though they didn't expect she was one as well yet. Merely being the mother of one seemed to be worthy of ostracizing. Oh, it was subtle at first. People left restaurants on her arrival. Some crossed the street to avoid her path. The quiet whispering that surrounded her. But in truth, she cared little. All she had needed at one time had been Minato. Now, all she needed was to take care of their child. She knew she would have to be diligent in guiding Naruto through this. It was unfortunate that he had experienced it so openly and violently. She would ensure any repeat attempt was met with the response it warranted.
Naruto was obviously overwhelmed, as he was unusually silent. He merely sighed and sat back on the ground in the alley, holding his head in his hands. "What the hell…" he remarked to himself.
"Naruto, I gotta be honest with you, son. That's gonna be normal for a while… I'm… I'm sorry, son." Kushina said morosely.
"But why?" Naruto asked simply.
"It's something that has always been. The Tailed Beast were powerful immortal creatures. Usually able to smash mountains in their wake. Eventually, the First Hokage had formed the idea of harnessing it. He was uniquely able to suppress them using his famed Wood Style. He captured them and, in collaboration with our founder… Ashira Uzumaki created jinchuriki." Kushina explained.
"Why did he even need them?" Naruto asked.
"Before him, there had been decades of bloodshed between clans throughout the lands. Hashirama was the next in line for the Senju, a powerful clan known as one of the strongest. Their position led them into battle often. He grew remorseful over the bloodshed, as did his fellow friend and bitter rival Madara Uchiha. The two clans formed together and used their united influence to unite the clans of the old elemental nations. This group eventually formed the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Soon, the new powerful village gained support from the Lord of the Land of Fire. This new powerful organization inspired those who wished to be free of their influence to form their villages throughout the lands. Leading to the current configuration of the Five Great Hidden Villages." Kushina continued. "But even with this new peace, the villages were quick to scrap amongst one another. Hashirama, while happy with his home, still ached for peace. As such, he quickly gathered the Nine-Tailed Beasts and found willing sacrifices to contain the jinchuriki. Each village, now holding a beast, had a powerful asset to use carefully. He figured with them it would encourage peace."
"He failed," Naruto said sourly.
"He did indeed… the beasts before that were considered monsters from another realm with no sane minds. There isn't another being like them in the entire world. Often causing chaos wherever they went. As such, the people learned to hate them, and shockingly enough, they couldn't accept such powerful creatures could be sealed into a human. They considered them puppets of the beast and treated them as such. To this day, it continues; it's… a lot to deal with, I know. But we gotta keep our heads up and avoid them. Doesn't matter what people think." Kushina finished with an uneasy smile.
"But… I want to make more friends. Maybe a family one day…" Naruto countered uneasily.
"You still can!" Kushina assured.
"Is that why I don't get to know how my father is?" Naruto asked coldly.
"Naruto…" Kushina whispered.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean it like that… I just don't know what to think right now." Naruto said as he stood and marched out into the alley, wanting some time to think things through. As he did, Kushina ran forward to ensure he was safe. Her fears were established further once she heard screams of terror. She ran into the street and saw a small crowd around Naruto. Kushina forcibly shoved her way through the crowd to get to her son. Gasping, she saw a man race forward towards him.
Naruto, so distracted by the upset public, was caught off guard as a random Chunin punched him in the back of the head. The sneak attack knocked him off his feet. Naruto raised himself angrily. Ticked off by the sneak attack, he lurched forward, attempting to punch the man. He froze, though, as screams of terror sounded off at his response. He looked around, confused. He had been attacked. Why were they fearful of him?
The Chunin had no such problem and raced forward with a kunai intent to attack Naruto further. Understanding dawned on him. He didn't retaliate as scraps of food and rocks were thrown at him while an enraged mother beat the Chunin to a pulp. People did call him thickheaded or not rational enough to solve problems, but he knew retaliating was not a solution. Liberty. One word that once seemed so disposable was not available to him now. He had to grow up. He could not be brash. He had to resolve this situation; he understood that. He could not rush it. He had to somehow show them the difference. He could not claim to understand the pain of loss they faced that day, the fear or the battle that undertook them.
The strings of fate tightened its grip.
The fourth hokage passed a responsibility to him in the twilight of his life. He could not understand that pain, but as a human, he could empathize with the village. He could understand why they were upset. He understood it was not purely a curse he had been given but a duty.
It was slowly draining him, taking something out of himself.
His mother crashed into the crowd, circling around him, finally getting through the crowd crouched protectively around him …..with a red cloak gathering around her, looking furiously at the crowd after seeing the injuries his blank form had sustained while she was trying to break through them as they backed off seeing the foreign chakra enveloping her. The warnings by Fuu, threats, and offers by Gaara were that the situation was getting worse, and he was at the center of it all.
He was not whole anymore; the atmosphere was suffocating. He couldn't accept to be like that.
He understood what Gaara meant when he saw his mom. They were predators. He hugged his mom before she pounced on them, crying silently, "Please ...stop. You don't have to do this." The chakra receded, and they were transported into a secluded place. She fell down on her knees, but he caught her frame, still hugging her in the process.
One broke down, or maybe two; one was still too young to fully understand what had happened to him.
"You can't do this every time something like this happens. I'm big enough to handle myself, ya know!" he said with a smile, and she understood the meaning. She would back down for now, but she was unsure she could let it go permanently.
Foxes are experts at hiding; he was good at it from birth, and he understood that now.
"I'm sorry, son, you know I can be a bit bullheaded, ya know?" Kushina said, rubbing the back of her head similar to the way Naruto often did.
He supposed he understood it better than most. But as his clone walked off with his mother, Naruto stalked off resolutely, deciding to spend some time considering things.
Things had just taken a turn for the worse.