Naruto's POV (Leaf Main Road - Hidden Leaf Village)
Naruto marched down the road, doing his best to ignore the glares of the populace. He was finding it harder to get used to change from indifference to outright hatred. Sure, it wasn't everyone he saw. But he swore the number grew as time went on. But with a big sigh, he marched on. There was no point in confronting them. It would only vindicate their thoughts.
So, with a weary sigh, a bit worn out from his latest training session with Jiraiya, Naruto turned into an alley between two stores. When he was younger, he had gotten into pranking heavily. Often having to escape both his raging mother and Chunin after being discovered. It had led to him having an impressive knowledge of the backstreets and alleys of the Leaf. He was looking down, lost in thought. Perhaps that led to him walking into a wall. Wait, there shouldn't be a wall there.
He looked up to see a trio of familiar faces. It was the three Chunin from before. All of them were smiling at him cruelly.
"Oh boy! What do my three best friends want from me?" Naruto asked sarcastically.
"I told you earlier you would regret what you did, " the Chunin, the seeming leader of the three, said.
"Well, the times now~" The woman sang with glee.
Naruto growled, now furious, and rolled over to stand. "I'm not looking for trouble. Just let me by."
"HAHAHA!" The Akimichi laughed at the blonde. Seemingly finding the situation hilarious. "The little beast wants us to let him by."
"I'm not a," Naruto started.
"You realize you killed my twin brother!" The woman screeched as she marched forward, looking murderous.
"HEY!" The Chunin called momentarily, cowing the other two lackeys. "We should let him by. No need for unwanted trouble." He then shoved his friends back against one side of the hall. He then joined them, having created space for Naruto to walk by. Naruto took the opening confidently. Knowing that if they randomly attacked him, he should be able to defend himself. And while they did sneer as he walked past, they allowed him to do so. But right as he walked past, they played their cards. "Course, that's assuming you don't mind if we bother someone else instead. Say maybe… I don't know… a pretty blonde." Naruto's steps halted, his body tensed up and prepared to launch an assault against them. It was okay if it was him, but they would pay to mention Ino.
"IF YOU TOUCHED HER!" Naruto growled unknowingly as he flared out with the Kyuubi's chakra. It reacted violently to his sudden rage.
"No need to wild out beast; if you don't like that idea, I have another." The Chunin said, smiley crudely now. "Let us give you just a fraction of the pain you caused us. In exchange, none of my friends will touch her." He offered.
"You're lying." Naruto accused.
The Akimichi chuckled mean-spiritedly as the woman slid a photo towards Naruto. Naruto picked up, eyes widening as he saw a picture of Ino from a distance. She was seemingly unaware that she was even being tailed.
"Plenty of help when we're moving against a demon, funnily enough." The Chunin taunted. "Go ahead, think about it. We both know the choice you'll make."
Naruto growled but marched back towards them slowly. He couldn't risk Ino over his problems. He had seen how many were at the riot at his arrival. There was no way he could protect her from all of them. He had to take this on his own. "So what are we-" Naruto didn't get to finish when Chunin suddenly kicked him in the face. Naruto stumbled back as the man followed through. The man wasn't nearly as quick as he seemed to think he was. He knew he could counter the kick and likely lay the guy out with a single blow. But he forced himself to stay still. Watching as the man's fist reached out in a wild haymaker. It crashed into his face and floored him. Sending him skidding towards the outside of the alley. Naruto groaned in pain before the Akimichi suddenly walked over him, blocking his escape. Naruto saw several villagers witness him being beaten. But some walked too scared to interfere while others merely smiled at the scene.
'Do I truly deserve all of this? Do they truly hate me for something I can't control? How do I win over people who care so little for me?'
As his mind raced, the Akimichi cruelly stomped on his chest, driving the air from his lungs. "Little bastard can't take some pain, huh?" The large man taunted as he stomped down on Naruto's chest more. With each stomp, Naruto felt the air pushed from his lungs. Soon, the man lifted the blonde, tossing him towards the others. Before he could hit the ground, the lanky woman kicked him into the wall hard. Before she stabbed him in the leg with a kunai, twisting it with a sadistic smile, causing Naruto to drop to the ground, holding his leg in pain. "You don't deserve to live, trash!" She called vehemently as she kneed his head into the wall. Naruto saw stars at the impact and collapsed. He didn't feel the pain, though.
'Maybe I don't. After all, Kyuubi did hurt a lot of people. NO! I'm not it; just withstand it! I'll prove them wrong!'
Naruto was choked out of his thoughts. The Chunin picked him up by the throat and strangled him. "It's a wonder your mother didn't kill you. Father must've been wiser since he wasn't around. Don't worry though, trash like you always dies alone." He said to him.
"F-f-fuck you," Naruto said defiantly.
The Chunin shook his head at this and slammed him into the ground, nearly knocking Naruto unconscious. This was stopped by the three now swarming the blonde and stomping him everywhere. The blonde could only guard himself, having to suffer the cruel and prolonged beating. As it happened, they taunted him for his lack of a father. Told him his mother was a whore. Ino was a whore. Neji was nothing more than a Hyuga slave. Whatever they could to hurt him, even as his ribs cracked and his skin bruised from the prolonged beating. Right as Naruto was going to pass out, he heard a familiar voice.
"Smoke Style: Giant Vice Grip!" Dez called out, appearing at the entryway of the alley, looking a little tired. "Been following youse since that little stunt this morning! Prepare to pay for violating the peace!" Dez roared as he exhaled a large cloud of smoke. This formed into a massive hand that surged forward, wrapping each Chunin in it and leaving Naruto untouched. The hand gripped them, and Dez smirked as he raised his arm. "I've always heard crime pays." He taunted as he slammed his arm towards a wall. The fist copied the motion harmlessly, dissipating against the wall but hitting the three in a bundle into the wall, knocking them unconscious. A woman Naruto hadn't met before raced forward to the blonde. She quickly laid him out in a safe and comfortable position before she gingerly hovered her glowing hand around his body. Naruto wanted to ask who she was or what she was doing, but he felt nearly dead and could not speak for now.
"How is he dame?" Dez asked, lighting a smoke as he tied up the defeated Chunin.
"He's hurt badly. Fracture ribs, abrasions, bruises, a missing tooth, and almost certainly a concussion. It's a miracle he's alive yet alone conscious." Shizune listed worriedly, ignoring the dame's comment for now.
"They did a hell of a number on the guy. Good kid, can't see why they can't see that." Dez said sadly, eyeing the blonde.
"People rarely make wise choices; luckily, I can heal him. He'll be dead tired, though." Shizune said as she quickly healed the blonde. Being the disciple of Tsunade had its perks. While not as powerful as her master, she was nearly equal to her master, medically speaking. Naruto soon rose, tired and defeated looking.
"Alright, you have a choice here," Dez informed, notebook and pen in hand. We can have them jailed for a while as long as you press charges, as well as have a restraining order."
Naruto considered allowing this to happen, thinking that they could ensure the safety of his friends and family. But if they failed…
"No, I started it. They were defending themselves." Naruto informed them plainly. Dez stared back, disbelieving of this.
"Naruto, you would have wiped the floor with these three, " Dez said, having heard of his exploits before.
"Guess not," Naruto said simply. Before he marched out of the alley. Taking to the roofs and taking off.
"He's lying," Dez said simply.
"No doubt, but can we do anything about it?" Shizune asked.
"For now, I can throw them into the night for fighting. Another depends on whether I can convince the shop owner they vandalized to press charges," Dez explained.
"Will he?" Shizune asked.
"No," Dez said with a frown. Tsunade had entrusted the police force to him. But how could he maintain peace in this climate?
X-X
Naruto arrived home to be treated to dinner by Kushina, who allowed the blonde to discuss his day. Once Naruto was suitably relaxed and Kushina suitably prepared, she sat her son in the Living Room to discuss the secret. She started by describing how proud she was of her son, how he had shown great character as of late, and how sorry she was for hiding the secret in the first place.
She told him the true identity of his father, Minato Namikaze, the fourth Hokage of Konoha, and a bit about the man: his incredible intelligence, patience, analytical mind, and unrelenting drive toward his goal. It turned out that his dream of Naruto had been the same. Both had aimed for Hokage. She told him of the love Minato had for Naruto, how proud he had been to be a father, and how he died…
But that is a tale for another day…
In Old, Konoha transpired a story to be told
Where a boy met a legend of the old
A ghost meant the end of a blue sky
A place where tails of nine heads for the color of his eye
A beast who brought destruction upon any land he sought
Storm walls blocked the sky- the boy was sincerely distraught
The screams were lost in the howling wind's churn
The whirlwind created only takes but gives naught in return
For the garden he called home,
He fought desperately as the red moonlight ebbed and the other stopped the beast's flow.
A boy's tears trembled through the skies
Reaching another for the story transpired
Stirring him on as the attacks flowed
He threw himself against the ghost in revolt
Victorious were we who fought against the dark skies,
But the price this time was not meant to be free,
The boy met his doom,
The great tower fell none too soon
Konoha began anew past dawn
The old taking the crown
He wove a wreath on his son's stomach, from past petals to the future bud
The beast crossed beyond dreams and flesh and turned into blood
Even in death, he shined his love through his eager gaze
For nothing more than to ease the pain
Amidst the one who sought to rebuild what they had lost
Everyone forgot the one who had paid the cost.