It was raining. Naruto clutched at the rags he called clothes for any sort of warmth they could give him. The clothes that he had one were the worst clothes that had been donated to the orphanage. He trudged along the empty streets looking for some sort of shelter. Soon he found an ally where construction was taking place and found a place to sleep in a dry spot. He curled up into a ball and cried. He didn't know why he was alone. All he knew was that he was cold tired and completely alone. He had been on the streets for a couple years now. The villagers had beaten him to a bloody pulp on the first night. He had learned very fast that in order to avoid pain it was best not to be seen. He noticed that all of his wounds would heal up right after he received them. It still didn't take away the pain though, and sometimes the villagers left him impaled and bleeding. He hated that the most, pulling knives and random other pieces of metal from his body. After remembering all of the terrible things he had been through he soon gave way to exhaustion and found peace in the depths of his dreams.

Moring came and soon the construction workers arrived and chased off Naruto.

"Get out of here you good for nothing demon!"

Naruto let the tears stream down his face but didn't make a sound as he ran until his legs couldn't move him any further. He collapsed in another ally near the shopping district. Naruto clutched at his stomach as it cried out to him for food. He was lucky that the garbage can he was near was not locked. The villagers started locking their trash cans in order to try and starve him to death. Just as he was about to get up to look through the garbage a man came around the corner with a trash bag in his hand. He looked at Naruto's big blue eyes that seemed to only know pain and suffering.

"Hey kid."

Naruto flinched and covered his head.

The man sighed, "Why don't you come with me and I will get you something to eat."

Naruto shook his head 'no.'

The man knelt down to look the boy in the eyes and held out his hands, "I promise I will not hurt you."

Naruto looked at the man questionably, but nodded his head and followed. After about a minute or so they arrived at a small restaurant that sold ramen. The Man took him to the back of the shop and let Naruto watch while he prepared ramen for him.

By this time Naruto's mouth was watering as he stared at the food being made.

"umm… mister why you helpin' me. Everyun says I'm a demon and don't talk to me."

The man gave a sideways look at Naruto, "The reason I am helping you is simply because I want to. When I opened up my own shop here helping people was the only thing on my mind, but one thing led to another and unless I can somehow sell more ramen my stall is going to go under."

Naruto just sat and listened to the old man talk about how he had a dream that one day he would be the best Chef in all of Konoha.

Naruto smiled, "I have a dream to be the best too. I wanna be one of those guys with their face on the mount'n."

The old man smiled, "Woah there, that's a pretty big dream you got there. Those people on the mountain are the strongest of all the ninja in this village. They are called Hokage."

Naruto raised his fist, "Then someday I will be the Hokage."

Right on que his stomach growled louder than it had ever had before. Naruto looked down at his feet with a blushing face.

The old man smiled, "Well as long as I am serving you food we might as well know each other's names, right? My name is Teuchi. What's yours?"

Naruto looked up and gave him a foxy smile, "my name is Naruto."

"Well then Naruto," Teuchi said as he grabbed a large bowl "order up!"

Naruto tried to take the bowl without seeming too anxious. He carried it into the eating area and hopped up on a stool.

Naruto clasped his hands, "Itakimasu!"

He then dug in to the very large bowl of ramen. Naruto could not even begin to describe how delicious it tasted. As soon as he had put that first bite into his mouth he could swear he heard angels singing.

Teuchi laughed as he saw Naruto's eyes light up… and was that angel's voices he heard?

Tuechi watched the dirty blond boy devour the ramen and came to a decision that he would take the boy home and care for him. 'I can't just let him go back out on the streets.'

"Hey Naruto how would you like to stay with me from now on?"

"Naruto sighed in contentment and smiled, "Nope I can't stay wit you."

Tuechi was not expecting that answer, "W..w. not?"

Naruto got back on his feet still smiling, "Nobody likes me. If I go wit you no one will like you etheir."

With that Naruto booked it out of the store leaving the man alone in the restaurant.

For the month Naruto would show up at closing time and Tuechi would give him ramen. One of the times he gave Naruto some new clothes. Naruto was so happy that he had cried. The two grew very close over the weeks and Naruto started to open up a bit more. Tuechi found out that Naruto was a very determined boy that was pretty positive for what he had gone through.

One night Naruto was half way through the bowl another customer came in.

Teuchi looked at the newcomer and back at Naruto, "Sorry sir we are closed."

The man fell down on his knees dramatically, "noooooooo! I heard this place has the best ramen in the world. All I ask for is one bowl… and I will pay triple."

Teuchi looked rather surprised at the outburst but then shrugged and motioned for the dramatic man to sit down. He plopped down right next to Naruto.

"So gaki, what kind did you get?"

Naruto stared at the man for a moment before mumbling, "Naruto Ramen."

"Ohhhh! I should have gotten that. I've never had it before."

Naruto didn't know what to say so he started eating his ramen again.

The man looked down at Naruto and his eyes widened. After a few more moments of silence…

"Hey gaki, do you know who I am?"

Naruto looked and the man a minute before shaking his head.

The man fell on his face but quickly recovered. "I am the great, all powerful, super sexy, Hermit sage Jiraiya-sama!"

Naruto cocked his head a little signaling he didn't understand.

Jiraiya face-palmed. "I am a very powerful, well known ninja."

Naruto's eyes brightened, "Can you please train me?"

Jiraiya almost face vaulted again, 'that was fast.' "I don't know if you got what it takes kid."

Teuchi had come out during his introduction but waited till now to make his presence known. "Please train him. If you agree you can eat here for free anytime." Teuchi had grown very fond of this boy and he was going to make sure he would achieve his dream if he could.

Jiraiya looked and Teuchi and then Naruto, who had put on the best puppy dog face in the entire world.

"Alright I guess it's settled." He pointed to Naruto "you are coming with me," he pointed at Teuchi, "and you were going to serve me a meal."

Naruto bowed as low as he could and kept saying thank you over and over again. Teuchi just smiled and put the bowl down in front of him.

Jiraiya looked at Naruto, who was still bowing, "Get up gaki. No apprentice of mine will bow to someone until it is absolutely necessary. Now finish your ramen and pack your things. We will be leaving when you are done."

Naruto and Jiraiya finished their meal. Jiraiya took out his pocket book and started writing. He handed the piece of paper to Teuchi, who almost died of shock.

Jiraiya smiled, "Now listen here that is a substantial amount of money. I want you to make this place the best place for ramen on the entire continent." He got closer and whispered quietly, "It's kind of a thank you for taking care of Naruto." He backed up again, "And you better believe I will be eating for free the next time we come back!"

Teuchi had come out of shock enough to bow and say thank you over and over just like Naruto had done earlier.

Jiraiya looked at Naruto who seemed to be waiting on him. "What's the problem gaki? Go get the rest of your stuff and we can go."

Naruto smiled, "I have everything."

Jiraiya's face darkened, "Is that right…"

Naruto turned to Tuechi, "I will be back! I will get stronger and I will become Hokage! Believe it!"

Jiraiya stormed out of the shop with Naruto right behind him he went into the nearest clothing shop and within twenty minutes Naruto had a new outfit.

Naruto now wore navy blue pants with wrappings on his shins with ninja sandals; he had a light blue shirt and a white zip up jacket.

Next was the ninja store where he got a pouch for kuni that he strapped to his leg. He also got a pouch for shuriken that he attached to his belt behind him. Jiraiya also got him bracers for his shins and forearms.

Naruto looked at himself in a mirror and almost laughed at how different he looked.

Jiraiya left the store with Naruto on his heels. "So gaki, how does it feel to be in ninja clothes?"

Naruto raised his fist in the air, "like I am already halfway to becoming Hokage!"

Jiraiya put on a goofy smile and raised an eyebrow, "Hokage, huh? You remind me of my last student too much."

Naruto glared at Jiraiya, "Whats that supposed to mean?"

Jiraiya kept his goofy smile, "if you catch me I might just tell you."

With that Jiraiya started running down the street. Naruto stood there not comprehending what he said…

"Hey! No fair!"

He took off after the old man. Jiraiya let him catch up just enough to give him hope even though he knew that Naruto would never catch him.

"Come on gaki! I'm not even breaking a sweat!" He then proceeded to turn backwards and watch Naruto's progress.

Naruto gritted his teeth and redoubled his efforts. Naruto chased him for a full hour before he collapsed in the dust too tired to go on.

Jiraiya walked up to him and picked Naruto up and placed him on his shoulders.

Naruto looked around from the top of his shoulders, 'I'm no longer alone.' Naruto laughed as Jiraiya took to the roof tops jumping from one to another. Soon they arrived at the east gate.

Jiraiya put Naruto back on the ground and kneeled down so he could be eye level with him. "Alright we will be setting out from this gate but here is the catch. I'm not supposed to take you out of the village so when I do they will probably send a search party after me. It will take a full day of non-stop running to get to where I know we will be safe. You will be riding on my shoulders of course; do you think you can do it?"

Naruto clenched his fist, "I can do it! Believe it!"

Jiraiya smiled, "Ok gaki, let's do it."

Naruto got back on his shoulders and wrapped his hands around his forehead. Jiraiya walked up casually to the check point station. When they saw who was riding on the man's shoulders. They immediately sprung in front of the man with kunai drawn.

"Halt! We have orders not to let that boy outside the city."

Jiraiya took out an envelope and handed it to the guard and then released a large amount of killing intent, "Tell the old man that I am greatly disappointed in him." With that Jiraiya and Naruto stuck out their tongues and pull down on one eye, then turned to mud.

The actual Jiraiya smiled, "The race is on now."

Naruto smiled at the challenge, "I believe in you sensei!"

With that Jiraiya picked up the pace leaping from one branch to another.

The third Hokage sat in his office with the letter Jiraiya had left him with one hand massaging the bridge of his nose. "Send out a search party. I want them captured alive do not harm them under any circumstance." The Anbu in front of his desk vanished in a swirl of leaves.

The third leaned back in his chair to think about what had happened. 'Yes, I completely forgot about Naruto. There was just so much to do after the attack, I just put him in that foster home and didn't even check on him. Still, pulling a stunt like this is going a little far. I can't just label him a missing-nin because of his information network. If we were to lose that information it could be catastrophic. I guess I will have to trust Jiraiya, I know the Anbu won't catch him in fire country.' He sighed, 'I'm sorry Minato. I really messed up."