Chapter 2: "Family"
Days had passed, and October tenth had come once again to the village. However, unlike the usual in the Land of Fire—where the sun typically carried its warmth to every corner of the town—this time, not even its light could heat the place, though Konoha seemed intent on ignoring that fact.
The villagers filled the streets with decorations, music, and color, laughing and dancing as if nothing in the world was wrong. They were determined to celebrate the grandest Fox Festival the world had ever seen.
The reason was obvious to anyone living there: today marked the day that, according to them, justice had been served. It was the anniversary of the exile of the demon that had tormented their lives for fifteen years.
To any visitor setting foot in Konoha for the first time, the village would seem like a utopia. And in a way, it was… a happiness born of completely ignoring the truth of the world.
However, far from that theater of lights and lies, six hooded figures finally arrived at the village's main gate. They moved like shadows, with a natural ease and nonchalance that clashed with the solemnity of their arrival. It was as if they had finally returned home after an excessively long absence.
The eternal gatekeepers, Izumo and Kotetsu, for once were genuinely paying attention to their job. Ever since a certain boy had vanished from the village, they had taken their role more seriously. After all, they no longer had the constant distraction of keeping an eye on that young man with the perpetually bandaged eyes.
"Halt. Name, ID, and reason for your visit to Konoha," Izumo ordered with a firm voice, stepping forward decisively to prevent the group from walking through unnoticed.
But the moment he saw the faces hidden under the hoods, his expression froze. His seriousness vanished instantly, replaced by a state of absolute shock. It was as if he'd seen a ghost. Without saying another word, he collapsed unconscious, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
"Izumo! Hey, what happened?!" Kotetsu shouted as he rushed out from the guard booth, kneeling beside his partner. "What did you do to him?!" he growled, raising his eyes toward the hooded figures. And the moment he saw them, he had exactly the same reaction as his friend. He dropped like a rock—out cold from pure shock.
"I guess we should've expected that," murmured one of the figures, as if what had just happened were the most normal thing in the world.
"That's what happens when you're famous," replied a woman's voice, her tone laced with affection.
"Hey! You're pretty famous too!" protested a third voice, younger—no more than ten years old.
"Yeah, but not as famous as Dad!" chimed in another childlike voice, this time with such genuine pride that it left no room for argument.
"Alright, alright, no fighting," said the woman with playful resignation, ruffling the kids' hair even through their hoods. "Now let's keep this quiet. We don't need half the village fainting before we even reach the Hokage Tower."
The other figures simply nodded before entering the village. Despite the noise of the festival, they managed to blend into the crowd and, surprisingly, went completely unnoticed.
Passing by children playing, by elders dancing like they were young again.
"Today's our birthday, right?" asked one of the figures, lowering their voice almost as if not wanting to spoil the celebration.
"Yeah, and it looks like the village is going all out," answered the tallest man with a smile that mixed nostalgia and longing.
"Oh, I can't wait to see our baby!" exclaimed one of the women, bringing her hands to her chest, a sparkle visible in her eyes even under the hood.
"Me neither!" added the man, though his tone was much more composed—still, it carried a certain impatience that gave away just how excited he really was. "Come on, let's not waste any more time."
Hokage Tower – Tsunade's Office – At the Same Time
In Tsunade's office, the atmosphere was completely different from the rest of the village. She stood at the window, fists and jaw clenched so tightly that it was painfully obvious she was about to explode with rage—or had just finished doing so, if the fact that her desk was split in two was any indication.
"I can't believe this…" she growled, voice trembling with anger. "It's his birthday, and they're celebrating that they threw him out like a dog."
With that, she abruptly turned away, choosing instead to glare at the wall—almost as if she knew that if she kept looking at the village, it wouldn't suddenly burn down no matter how much she wished it would.
The roar of the festival still leaked through the windows, fueling her fury and the pain that burned inside her.
Of course, she knew there were a few others as outraged as she was about this damned celebration. They were few, but they were the ones who saw Naruto for the child he truly was—not the monster the village insisted on painting him as.
One of them was Anko Mitarashi. She was certain that she and Naruto didn't have any real connection—in fact, Anko herself claimed they'd only crossed paths twice. And yet, the woman had secluded herself in the Forest of Death, trying to stay as far away from the hospital as possible.
Ibiki Morino made a bit more sense. As the head of Konoha's Intelligence Department, it was logical that he would know things—like the fact that Naruto wasn't actually the fox's container.
Now that she thought about it, maybe that's how Anko knew the truth as well, being Ibiki's student. It would make sense that he had shared some of that information with her.
Genma and Mai Shiranui were another pair who refused to attend the festival. She wasn't sure why, and she hadn't asked. After all, their reasons were theirs, but at least she was grateful they had the decency not to celebrate the pain of an innocent child.
The entire branch family of the Hyūga clan had also stayed out of the affair, as did Hiashi and his two daughters. In their case, there was no need for an explanation. The Hyūga's eyes were truly formidable, and with them, there was no doubt they had seen from the very beginning that Naruto was not the Kyūbi's host.
The main family, however, even though they knew the truth, simply chose to go along with the village. Not because it was easier, nor because they were ignorant, but because they simply wanted to get rid of the one person who could have destroyed their traditions if he ever discovered his true heritage.
Hana Inuzuka was another. Unlike the others, she didn't hide away in the clan compound. She didn't whisper her disapproval. Oh no—like any true Inuzuka, she was completely direct: arguing with her mother and brother at the top of her lungs, disobeying direct orders from the council.
Yugao Uzuki was another who stood apart, along with the entirety of the Aburame and Akimichi clans, who secluded themselves within their compounds.
The Yamanaka and Nara clans were a bit different—they didn't split down the middle, but they were definitely on the verge of an internal civil war over Naruto's exile. Half supported it. The other half didn't.
And then there was Gine Sarutobi. From what Tsunade had heard—mostly from rumors—the girl had been in constant arguments with her older brother, mostly over their father and the village's hostility toward an innocent child. How cutting Naruto off from his guardians hadn't just been cruel—it had been the worst decision their foolish father had made in a lifetime of bad ones.
Of course, Tsunade didn't know who Naruto's so-called guardians had been, but she was sure they must have been truly remarkable people—because if Naruto had inherited his moral code from them, then the guilt that struck her chest wasn't undeserved.
If she had only been there when he was much younger... maybe—just maybe—she could have prevented all of this from happening.
And when it came to the younger generation, Konohamaru and his little gang of troublemakers were actually the most vocal in their support for their nii-chan, which left Tsunade rather confused.
After all, as far as she knew, Naruto wasn't exactly fond of children. He was cold, distant, and avoided being around anyone who wasn't Sasuke.
But when it came to Konohamaru and his friends, the boy listened to them, played with them like no one else dared to do—especially not with the grandchildren of the Hokage and the two elder advisors—and most importantly, he taught them.
He taught them not to obey like sheep following a shepherd. He taught them to think, to form their own opinions, and most of all, to never bow their heads to anyone.
In fact, Konohamaru himself had once told her the exact words Naruto had said to them:
"People will always see in you what they want to see. Don't count on many to look deeper. So live by your own law... and cherish the few who will love you for who you are."
The memory actually made Tsunade close her eyes for a moment, trying to stop the tears from welling up. Without a doubt, Naruto had learned things that grown adults three times his age still couldn't comprehend.
Shino, Hinata, Tenten, Chōji, Neji, and Shikamaru didn't show up to the festival either, though from them, it was expected.
As far as she knew, the so-called Konoha Twelve had been irreparably fractured—with Ino, Lee, Kiba, and Sakura supporting what had been done to Naruto.
As for the Ichiraku family... it was honestly hard to describe how they felt.
Teuchi had closed the stand for the first time since it was founded, refusing service to anyone who spoke ill of his son… yes, son—because to the old ramen vendor, that's exactly what Naruto was: a son.
A child he fed, cared for, when no one else would.
Ayame was a complete mess—even worse than Tsunade. She hadn't spoken to anyone since she found out what they had done to her little brother. She was nothing more than a shadow of the cheerful and lively girl Naruto had seemed to be in love with—if what Sasuke had said was true.
And that was another thing that left Tsunade deeply confused…
The boy had completely broken down when he was told what had happened—so much so that he had to be placed under house arrest.
When Kakashi tried to visit his favorite student, the Uchiha had tried to hit him with Kakashi's own jutsu, screaming, "It's your fault he almost died, you one-eyed bastard!"
Of course, she had asked the Yamanaka to examine him, but… Sasuke was so enraged that Inoichi refused to risk any of his clan members.
And Tsunade couldn't blame the man for prioritizing their safety—after all, Sasuke was insanely powerful for a mere teenager.
"Wherever you are, Naruto… I just hope you're safe," Tsunade finally murmured, letting her head fall hard against the new desk they had brought in at some point while she'd been lost in thought… not that it was going to last long with her volatile temper.
And once again, someone interrupted her moment of self-pity with a single knock on the door.
"I already said I'm not seeing anyone today! Get lost!" Tsunade roared, slamming her fists onto the desk with such force that it shattered into pieces. The impact sent vibrations through the windows and even reached the door.
Still, the knocking persisted—if anything, it became more insistent.
Her teeth clenched so hard she might've cracked them if she added just a little more pressure, and she stood up.
She was going to reduce the idiot who dared to disturb her in this moment of vulnerability into a pulp—and then she was going to heal them, just so she could do it again. And again. Until she drained all the rage burning inside her.
"What, are you crippled or what?! Just kick the damn door open!" barked a voice that made her freeze on the spot. She knew that voice—but it was impossible. The owner of that voice was dead, had been dead for fifteen years.
But she didn't have much time to think, because a moment later, the door wasn't opened—it was obliterated, bursting into splinters and shards of metal that flew across the office.
That only made her angrier. She was ready to strangle the bastard who had dared to destroy her door.
But the moment she saw the culprit, she froze.
Just like Izumo and Kotetsu before her, her body simply stopped responding, and in an instant, she collapsed to the floor with a dull thud.
Minutes later, the Fifth Hokage slowly sat up, rubbing her head.
"Ugh… What the hell just happened?"
"You saw us… and passed out," answered that same familiar voice, calm—no, amused. Which made no sense. Hell, the woman speaking shouldn't even be alive.
Even so, Tsunade forced herself to look up, and to her shock—there they were.
"…Minato? Kushina?" she whispered softly, as if saying their names might make them disappear. Of course, it didn't.
"Jiraiya-sensei didn't tell you we were alive? I thought he would've said something once you became Hokage," Minato said casually, as if he were talking about the weather—and not casually revealing that he was, in fact, alive.
But she wasn't even listening. Her mind was cycling through a thousand emotions: confusion, shock, outrage… but most of all, rage. And rage, without a doubt, was the one steadily taking over.
"Grandma Tsunade…" And at that moment, a child's voice—clearly that of a boy—broke the balance. A boy she loved like a little brother. And for a brief moment, confusion matched her fury.
"Where's my brother?"
She turned her head slowly.
It was a boy who looked a lot like Naruto. No… not really. Naruto had more muscle mass, sharper facial features, less baby fat.
This boy still had round cheeks despite clearly being Naruto's age. He was a redhead, while Naruto's hair was black…
But his voice. His voice was identical to her little brother's.
And that revelation tipped the scale once again—rage took over completely. Without thinking, she stood up, and with a speed that stunned even Minato, she punched the boy in the face with everything she had—her strength, her fury, her pain.
The boy flew across the room, slamming into the office wall, which promptly collapsed on top of him.
"You have no right to call me that!" Tsunade roared, her face streaked with tears of fury, grief, and, above all, indignation.
"What the hell is wrong with you, sensei?!" Kushina shouted, rushing toward her son—something that only fanned the flames of Tsunade's fury.
"And you lost the right to call me that fifteen damn years ago!" she screamed back, slamming her fist into the ground with such force that if she did it again, the entire Hokage Tower might collapse on them.
Perhaps out of sheer survival instinct, the rest of the Namikaze family took a step back, pale as corpses.
It was clear they'd crossed a line with Tsunade… but none of them knew which line, or how exactly they had crossed it.
"Why are you reacting like this, Tsunade?!" Minato asked, genuinely confused, more frustrated by the hostile welcome than anything—but mostly, afraid. Sure, he might be more powerful than Tsunade in terms of raw chakra, but when it came to physical strength…
He was like a toddler next to her. And clearly, he had no desire to be on the receiving end of one of her monstrous punches.
The Godaime, of course, didn't answer right away. She tried taking a few deep breaths to calm herself… and then the dam broke.
Clearly, she hadn't calmed down at all. She just snapped, screaming at them about why the hell she was so furious.
For abandoning their son.
No… he wasn't their son anymore.
And then she told them everything. Everything the boy had suffered in the village.
All because—for some reason she didn't know, and that, if she ever found out, she swore she'd destroy them for—
She told them about every wound, every cold night he endured because the villagers refused to sell him coal to stay warm, every hateful glare he received for the simple crime of existing.
At first, she was furious. But as she kept talking, her voice slowly began to break under the weight of the memories and the helplessness of not having been there for him when he truly needed her… and that memory reignited her rage all over again.
As a result, she yelled louder, ignoring the tears pouring down her face.
The Namikaze family just stared at her, growing paler with every passing word. Every scene she described was another blade searing into their hearts.
They didn't want to believe it. They shook their heads over and over, as if denial could make the truth vanish. For fifteen years, they had believed Naruto had been loved like a hero. But from what they were hearing now, his life had been hell from day one.
He had been beaten, cast into isolation, abused in ways no child should ever suffer. They saw him as a plague.
"But… but in the countries we visited… The Wave, Spring, the Moon, the Birds…" Kushina whispered, still clinging to the belief that things must have been better elsewhere. "They worship him there!"
She genuinely couldn't understand what the hell had happened. Why, in foreign lands, her son was adored like a hero—yet in his birthplace, in his home, he had been nothing but hated.
To them, it was logical—just—that Naruto would be even more loved here in the village that raised him. That was how it should have been.
"Then why are they celebrating?! Why are they celebrating my son's birthday?!" Kushina screamed, her voice torn apart by fury and despair, standing up abruptly and grabbing Tsunade by the collar… not that Tsunade had ever allowed it.
"They're not celebrating his birthday," Tsunade hissed, no longer needing to yell. "They're celebrating his exile. The day they threw him out of the village, barely alive, three months ago."
And with those words, whatever strength the Namikaze family had left completely vanished. Kushina, who just moments ago had been ready to fight Tsunade, simply collapsed into a chair.
She didn't cry… she couldn't.
She just sat there, trembling, her gaze vacant and lost, as if the weight of the world were crushing her all at once.
But that feeling didn't last long. In an instant, with a deadly motion, her adamantine chains erupted from the floor and ensnared the man trying to quietly slip out through the window.
"You're going to explain this," she growled. She didn't need to raise her voice. Her chakra said more than enough.
And Jiraiya…
He knew he had fucked up.
Big time.
End of Chapter