Hello there! So this is my first story, so I am asking that you be kind with your reviews. I am open to CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Nothing else. Also, I am open to suggestions for the story to an extent. This WILL be NaruHina and SasuSaku, so if that's not your cup of tea then it's best if you leave now. Also, Naruto will be kind of OOC, but deep down he is still the same Naruto. My goal is to paint a what-if scenario about what could have happened if a few things happened differently in the beginning for Naruto. Please review and let me know what you think! I've already written most of the second chapter so if you have suggestions I need to hear them!

Warning! The first chapter contains a death of a beloved character, so if you don't want to read about that, turn back now!

He stood in the Hokage's office, completely numb to the world around him. No… numb wasn't the right word. Perhaps there were too many emotions for him to process. His heart and mind were so crushed he wasn't sure what to do. He wasn't even sure what he felt.

Naruto stared at the Hokage with a dead look. The lack of life in his blue eyes were a stark contrast to his bright orange jumpsuit and sunny yellow hair. The look on his face just didn't seem right on him. Usually people would see a face-splitting smile complimenting his whisker birthmarks. No, this was not an ordinary sight for the Hokage. He had seen him sad before, but not like this. Lord Hiruzen was speaking to the boy, but Naruto couldn't hear it. He saw his lips moving, but sounds were drowned out by his own thoughts.

It felt as though the world was caving in on him. So much had happened to him in just a short amount of time, a giant mass of information had been shoved into his brain. On top of that, a complete rollercoaster of emotions had slammed into him all at once: shock, realization, hate, sadness, grief, and most of all… anger.

Yes, anger was his strongest emotion right now. It consumed his entire being, making it difficult for him to keep from shaking, made it almost a chore to breathe. He wasn't sure what to do with all of this anger. Should he throw it in the face of the villagers? Should he try to swallow it? What to do…. What-

"Naruto! Are you listening?!"

"Sure old man, whatever." Naruto's words sounded more rude and harsh than usual, even to himself. But he couldn't help it. More importantly, he couldn't be made to care at the moment. Everyone had been keeping the biggest secret in the world from him, the Hokage included. A secret he felt as though he should have known about a long time ago.

The Nine-Tailed Fox, the beast that destroyed Konoha and killed his parents, was sealed inside of him.

Now it made sense why he constantly heard the whispers, why everyone seemed to direct their cold glares his way, why parents told their children to stay away from him, when all he wanted was one friend…

Lord Hiruzen decided it best to brush off Naruto's cold tone. After all, he had been through a huge ordeal, it was understandable. The elder hokage directed his serious gaze at the orange jumpsuit clad boy from under his Kage hat.

"Naruto, I know this must be a shock for you to know, but now that you do there are other things you must be aware of as well."

Naruto instantly stiffened and glared at the hokage.

"Lemme guess, more secrets being kept from me old man? Why is it that everyone thinks they can control my life? Why is everyone picking and choosing what I get to know about my own damn self?! It's my life! I should know-"

"You're right." The Hokage cut him off.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he was stunned into silence. He hadn't expected the old man to actually agree with him. He was expecting some speech about how 'it was for his own good' and 'he wasn't ready'.

Seeing that he had the boy's attention, Hiruzen continued, "You're completely right Naruto. I must take the full blame for that. I made the decision to keep this secret from you. I even made the law after you were born to make it illegal for anyone to talk about the Nine-tails. It was a mistake, I see that now. Perhaps if I had allowed you and everyone else to discuss it freely, people could have gotten used to the idea. Maybe not. Nevertheless, the decree did not help a thing. I had hoped that if I could keep you in the dark long enough and keep people from talking about it, that you would have a chance at a normal life. That was my hope for you Naruto. I always intended to tell you, but I put it off because I knew it would add a huge burden to your life," Hiruzen then bowed his head, shocking the boy further, "I'm sorry Naruto, I truly am. I should have told you long ago, and prepared you for the life of a Jinchuriki. However, I let my personal feelings get in the way of my better judgement. I waited far too long. I'm sorry."

"Gramps….I…", Naruto wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know the old man cared about him so much. He knew now he couldn't lump the Hokage in with everyone else. The old man was just looking out for him. Although Naruto was still angry, and couldn't forgive him just yet, he was able to understand why he did it.

Hiruzen raised his head, and Naruto noticed he now wore a very serious expression, almost grim. "Naruto, I've learned now that keeping secrets from you is only going to hurt you in the long run. So, I'm going to tell you everything. Twelve years ago, on the day you were born, the Nine-Tails was extracted from its jinchuriki and attacked the village. The previous jinchuriki was Kushina Uzumaki, your mother."

Naruto felt as though he had been kicked in the stomach, his breath leaving his lungs. His mother was the Nine-Tails container? 'Kushina Uzumaki…. that's my mom's name. I always wondered what her name was…'

The Hokage continued on, "You see, ordinarily if a jinchuriki is separated from its tailed beast, they will die instantly. However, those of the Uzumaki clan possess powerful life forces, as well as chakra. This makes them perfect for containing the Nine-Tails. That being said, Kushina survived the initial removal. She was even able to restrain the Nine-Tails after she had been through childbirth and the extraction. Your mother was an incredibly powerful kunoichi Naruto, and an even greater woman."

Naruto wanted to comment, he wanted to say something, anything at all, but he couldn't seem to get the words out. Anticipation was killing the words on his tongue. He was learning about his past, about his mother. He dare not interrupt.

"Kushina had decided she wanted to take the Nine-Tails with her to her death, and in doing so protect you and the village. However, the Nine-Tails is not something that can be killed permanently. It will eventually manifest again, and without a host it would be out of control. The Fourth Hokage knew this, so he decided that would not be an option. He had to protect the village, and you Naruto, his only son."

Naruto felt his heart stop.

He hadn't heard him right.

The Fourth Hokage was his father?!

No way, no way. That couldn't be right.

The old man was making stuff up.

Naruto felt his breathing become heavier, a weight placing itself on his chest. Again, he was desperate to speak, to scream even, but it felt like his throat was closing up.

Seeing that Naruto wasn't going to verbally respond, Hiruzen decided to finish the story.

"Minato knew that his only option would be to seal the Nine-Tails into you. Kushina was dying, she would not be able to contain the beast any longer, and he would not be able to handle the beast with his own chakra either. However, he also knew that the entirety of the Nine-Tails would not be able to be sealed into a newborn baby. So he gave his life to split the beast's chakra in half using the Reaper Death Seal. He sealed one half inside himself, and the other half into you Naruto, making you the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Naruto, I have to tell you now that being a jinchuriki is a huge responsibility, and… Naruto? NARUTO!"

Naruto could not hear him. He had tuned him out after he had heard that his own father had sealed a monster inside of him. He couldn't comprehend it. Shock seeped deep into him, dread creeping up his spine. 'Why would he want to seal the Nine-Tails inside of his own son… my own father did this to me. And there's nothing I can do… I'm stuck with the Nine-Tails until death. This can't be happening... This can't be happening…'

Naruto felt like he couldn't breathe… the more he tried sucking in air, the worse the feeling became. He could hear nothing beyond the pounding in his head. His heart hurt him horribly, and he began to clutch his chest, trying to get the agonizing pain to stop. His vision started to blur, and he began to sway back and forth.

The Hokage scrambled out from behind his desk, seeing that the boy was about to collapse. He reached him just in time before his head hit the floor. He looked at Naruto's face, and noticed the bags under his eyes and the sweat on his brow. He also took note of how pale Naruto appeared. He realized he had made another huge mistake.

'What was I thinking? I should have waited until tomorrow to tell him…. After everything that has happened tonight, Mizuki's betrayal and murder of Iruka, learning about the Nine-Tails, and now this? It's no wonder he passed out. He needs to rest.'

Hiruzen decided he would continue this conversation with Naruto after he allowed the boy to get some rest. He called an ANBU into his office to take Naruto home so that he could get some sleep. Hiruzen decided that he would check on Naruto in the morning. After all, in a few days Naruto would be sorted into a team with a Jounin sensei, he would need to be in the correct mindset.

Naruto awoke in his own bed, after a grueling nightmare. He woke up in a cold sweat, his heart racing. No matter how hard he tries, he couldn't seem to get enough air into his aching lungs.

He had a dream that he was sinking in water, and more he sunk, the darker his surroundings became. A hand reached out to him, but when he grabbed the hand he immediately found himself face to face with the Nine-Tails. When he turned to run away, he found himself held in place by the familiar icy stare of the villagers.

He became angry, he tried to scream at them to go away, but no noise came out. Then, everyone around him disappeared, except for a long figure that came into view.

It was Iruka-Sensei.

He could only stare at the only person to acknowledge him, to fully accept him.

"Naruto…. you let me die….how could you…"

That was when he awoke.

It was true. Naruto was entirely consumed by guilt. It was his fault. Iruka-Sensei had died protecting him. The windmill shuriken plunged through his back. He could still remember Iruka telling him how he was sorry for not being there for him more, that he fully accepted him, and that he knew that Naruto was his own person, and not the Nine-tails. He told Naruto that he was proud of him. Then, he saw the light leave his eyes.

Iruka-Sensei was the only person to acknowledge him, and now he's gone. Now, all he has is a demon fox inside of him to keep him company. No friends, no family, no parents.

'Parents….'

His mind began to replay his conversation with the Hokage. He was embarrassed remembering how he had passed out. He couldn't help it, the feeling had come on so fast, he could feel himself spinning out of control. The news about his mom being the previous jinchuriki and his father being the Hokage was a shock to his system. Even now he was finding it nearly impossible to process.

He would give anything to speak to his father, to ask him if there could have been another way. Why did it have to be Naruto that was chosen? Why did his father need to sacrifice himself? He inwardly scolded himself for feeling this way, it was so unlike him. However, Naruto felt as though he was reaching his breaking point. All the pain and loneliness throughout his life, and now this? It was beginning to take its toll on him.

Naruto glanced at the clock and saw that it was still too early to get up. It was 3am. He wanted to go back to sleep, his body was begging for it, but his mind was wide awake. How could he be expected to sleep now? Even the prospect of a cup of ramen was far away in the back of his mind. He couldn't think of anything else except what had happened to him ever since he managed to squeak by the genin exams and finally pass.

Flashback

Naruto was was practically skipping out of the academy. He had done it! He finally passed, and now he would be a genin! He could finally display his headband proudly on his forehead. He was now officially a ninja, and one step closer to his dream of becoming Hokage.

Naruto was so happy he hardly took notice of the glares and whispers that followed him wherever he went. He never really knew why people treated him as though he had the plague, but at this moment he didn't care. He was a ninja, and soon enough the glares and whispers would turn into smiles and words of praise, he was sure of it!

He decided that a celebratory bowl of ramen was in order, so he headed to his favorite restaurant in the village, Ichiraku. As he made his way there, he noticed one of his classmates walking by him. He noticed that like him, she adorned a leaf headband indicating that she had graduated from the academy.

"Hinata! What's up! Hey, you got a headband too! Congrats, ya know! We're both ninja now! I wonder who'll be on my team! You're curious too right? Oh wow, this is so cool!" Naruto was so excited he couldn't stop himself from rambling. He knew he should let Hinata speak, but the words just kept pouring out of him.

Hinata, as usual was sporting her tan jacket, navy blue pants and sandals along with her blush. "Y-yes Naruto-kun, it is exciting. C-congratulation on p-passing." She scolded herself inwardly for stuttering yet again in front of Naruto. It was almost as if she had no control over it whenever he was nearby, especially when his ocean blue eyes were looking into hers very soul the way they always seemed to do.

"Thanks Hinata! Hey! Maybe we'll be on the same team huh? That'd be cool, ya know?" Naruto actually hoped he'd be on a team with Sakura, but he wouldn't mind being on a team with her either. He thought Hinata was a sweet girl, and she was the only girl in class who had never been mean to him.

"Y-y-yes it would be cool N-Naruto-kun. I would like t-that." Hinata flashed him a shy smile that he wasn't used to seeing from other people, and it made him feel a warmth in his chest.

His stomach let out a gurgle sound, which promptly caused him to blush, remembering where he was going in the first place.

"Haha, well I was actually on my way to Ichiraku's to celebrate, wanna come along?"

Hinata's face instantly went beet red. She knew he wasn't asking her on a date, but the prospect of sharing a meal with Naruto had her feeling butterflies in her stomach.

"T-that would be n-nice Naruto-kun, b-but I have to get home to tell my father the news, he insisted t-that I come home right after the exam was over. P-perhaps another time?" She hoped beyond hope that he would say yes.

"Sure! Sounds fun Hinata! See ya later!" He felt even more cheerful now than he had before. 'Hinata sure is weird, but I like people like her, she's so nice!' He thought.

With that, Naruto ran off and continued his trek to Ichiraku, leaving the blushing Hyuga behind. Once there, he told Teuchi that he had passed, and he let Naruto have as many bowls as we wanted on the house. Naruto had ordered 5 bowls of miso with extra pork, and scarfed them all down easily. Afterwards, he decided it was best to head home for the evening. However, before he was able to make it back to his apartment, he heard someone calling for him.

"Naruto! Wait up!"

Naruto turned to see a man with silver hair with a bandana on top. The bandana held the leaf symbol on the front. He also adorned the standard leaf flak jacket worn by chunin and jonin.

"Mizuki-Sensei! What's up?"

The man looked down at Naruto with a cheerful expression. "Well Naruto, I just wanted to say congratulations on passing the exam and becoming a genin. You must have worked hard!"

Naruto couldn't help but grin at that. Of course he had worked hard. Harder than anyone else. "You bet! I worked my butt off, ya know!"

"That's what I like to hear Naruto. Tell ya what, I don't normally do this, but I like you Naruto, so as a reward for passing I'm going to let you in on a little secret."

His eyes lit up at that, he was getting worked up all over again. 'What could it be, a new jutsu? I brand new kunai?'

"What is it Mizuki-Sensei?"

"Well in the hokage's office, there's a scroll called the scroll of sealing. It contains high level forbidden jutsu, and if you can sneak into the office and learn even one jutsu, you'll be revered throughout the village for your abilities."

Naruto couldn't believe it. A high level forbidden jutsu? How could he say no to that? He just had to get that scroll and learn a jutsu from it. Then he would definitely get the villagers to look on him with admiration!

"Yeah! Alright! I'm in Mizuki-Sensei! I'll definitely learn a jutsu from that scroll!"

'Perfect' the chunin thought to himself.

"Okay Naruto, tonight when the sun sets go in and grab the scroll. Here, I'll write down the directions of where you should meet up with me. From there I'll help you learn one of the jutsus. Deal?" Mizuki couldn't believe how well this was going.

"Deal! Alright! See you then!" Naruto took the paper with directions to the location and sped off towards his apartment.

'Man, this day is going perfect, this just might be the best day ever!'

After the sun had set, Naruto made his way out of the hokage tower. Stealing the scroll had been child's play for him. After all, Naruto was the king of being sneaky. He had to be considering how many pranks he had successfully pulled off over the years. After Naruto had secured the scroll, he took out the paper with directions on it that Mizuki had given him, and ran off into the woods.

'Oh man, this is so exciting! I can't wait for Mizuki-Sensei to see what I can do!' Naruto thought to himself. He was so anxious and jittery. He felt like he was finally getting the opportunities he needed to prove himself.

When Naruto arrived at the clearing, he noticed that Mizuki wasn't there yet. He decided that instead of waiting around doing nothing, he would break open the scroll and try to learn a new jutsu all on his own. 'Yeah! Then Mizuki-Sensei will really be impressed!'

After practicing for about an hour, Naruto had finally managed to successfully learn a jutsu from the scroll. He was lying on the ground, completely exhausted from his training. He wiped sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh.

'Man, I didn't even need Mizuki-Sensei, I must be awesome! I can't wait to show him the shadow clone jutsu! I wonder when he'll get here!'

Just then, Naruto heard a rustling noise in the trees. He turned around expecting to see Mizuki, but saw someone else staring at him instead.

"Iruka-Sensei! What are you doing out here?"

The chunin looked at Naruto with a confused expression. He wore the standard leaf headband and flak jacket. He had tan skin, brown hair tied into a ponytail, and a scar across his nose.

"I could ask the same of you Naruto, just what were you thinking taking the scroll of sealing? Why would you do that?"

"Mizuki-Sensei told me about it! He told me about how if I could get the scroll and learn a jutsu from it, that I would get all kinds of recognition from the village. He said it was a reward for passing my exam and becoming a genin!" Naruto explained. He looked up at Iruka with a face-splitting grin. He couldn't contain his excitement.

Iruka was now even more confused, "What?! No, Naruto that's not-"

"Come on Iruka-Sensei, let me show you the jutsu I learned, it's so cool! I was just waiting for Mizuki-Sensei. He told me to meet him here!"

'Now I get it' Iruka thought to himself, "Naruto, Mizuki lied to you. The scroll of sealing was hidden for a reason. Everyone is out trying to find it. There's no reward for learning a jutsu from it. Come on, we have to get back to-"

"Iruka"

Both Naruto and Iruka stopped dead in their tracks. Iruka recognized that voice anywhere.

He reluctantly turned to face the owner of the voice.

"Mizuki. Don't bother trying to explain. I've figured it out. It's over!"

"Oh really? Naruto, don't listen to Iruka, he just wants the scroll for himself. That's why he's trying to get it away from you."

"Huh?!" Naruto blurted out. He was confused beyond belief. Why would Iruka-Sensei do that? But he said Mizuki-Sensei was the liar. So who was lying?

"Naruto, don't listen to him, he's the one who's lying. He got you to steal the scroll so that he could take it from you." Iruka explained.

"Oh I'll tell you who's lying", Mizuki began, "They've been lying to you your whole life Naruto."

What?

"What do you mean?"

Iruka began to panic, "NO! Mizuki don't!"

"That's right, everyone's been lying to you, ever since the decree twelve years ago."

"What is this decree? What's it about?" Naruto's curiosity was getting the better of him. He couldn't help but wonder what in the world was going on. People were lying to him? About what?

Iruka was getting desperate. He couldn't allow Naruto to find out this way, not like this! "Stop! It's forbidden!"

Mizuki ignored him, "The decree is no one is allowed to tell you that the nine-tailed fox is inside you."

Naruto fell backwards, unable to stand. His legs had decided to stop working. 'Wait.. what did he say?'

"Didn't you think it was strange how they treated you? Like they hated you for just being alive? The fox spirit that killed Iruka's parents has taken over your body, you are the nine-tailed fox!" Mizuki spat at him.

Naruto couldn't comprehend what he was hearing. All he could think was no. No no no! 'No! No! NO!'

"NO!"

"Now die nine-tails!" Mizuki screamed as he pulled out a windmill shuriken and hurled it directly at Naruto.

"NARUTO GET DOWN!" Iruka screamed.

Naruto tried to move, tried to run away but it was as if his legs were made of jelly. His body simply would not obey him. He had never been so scared in his life. When he realized he was done for, he turned his body and braced himself for impact.

But the impact never came.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, only to look up and see his sensei hovering over him, protecting him with his body. Naruto was stunned at what Iruka had done. He had saved his life. He didn't understand...

"But….but why?" Naruto asked him. That was all he could think to say...why? Why would Iruka sensei do that for him? It didn't make any sense.

Iruka looked down at him, eyes filled with tears and a pained expression, "Because you're like me. After my parents died, I was so lonely. No one seemed to care or have any time for me. So I became the class clown and did some stupid things to get attention, and I paid for it. It was hard, and so painful. I know that's how you feel Naruto, right?"

Naruto's eyes widened even further, 'does… does he understand me after all?'

Tears began to flow freely down Iruka's face. "You're lonely and it hurts inside. I should have been there for you more, and I'm sorry Naruto."

Naruto began to tear up at Iruka's words, "Iruka-sensei... I…"

"Please!" Mizuki yelled, "Iruka's always hated you for killing his parents, he despises you!"

"No, that's not true at all," Iruka responded immediately, "Naruto is his own person, not the nine-tails. Naruto is one-of-a-kind, loyal, determined, and strong. Sure he gets into trouble sometimes and gets jumped on, but his suffering only makes him stronger. And, he is someone that I am so proud of. So you see, he's nothing like the Nine-Tailed fox. He is a ninja of Konohagakure, and his name is Naruto Uzumaki!"

Naruto could no longer hold in his emotions at Iruka's statement. He was overwhelmed that someone thought of him that way. Someone, finally, had accepted him for who he was. His chest began to constrict, and he felt a happiness that he had never known. Tears began to fall down his cheeks rapidly, as all the years of pain and loneliness came bursting forth, unable to be forced down any longer. Iruka had successfully brought down the mask Naruto had put up for his entire life.

Naruto stood up, with a new a new found determination. This wasn't just about him anymore. Naruto had someone that he wanted to protect. After all, he owed Iruka-sensei his life. He had to defeat Mizuki right here.

"If you ever hurt my sensei again, I'll KILL you!" He growled.

"Go ahead and give it your best shot, Nine-Tails!" Mizuki dared him.

"MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" He screamed. Suddenly there were puffs of smoke everywhere. Mizuki froze, unaware of what was happening. After the smoke had cleared, the clearing was filled with nearly a hundred Narutos.

Mizuki just stared at the many Narutos, mouth agape, eyes wide. 'What…. he actually learned that jutsu?!'

All at once, the many Narutos launched themselves at Mizuki, overwhelming him with numbers and beating him to a pulp. He wanted to unleash all of his fury, all of his anger and hatred, but he inevitably held back. Naruto didn't want to kill him, he wouldn't stoop to his level. Iruka had put his faith in him, he wouldn't let him down. Once Mizuki was down and out, Naruto released the jutsu and ran back over to his sensei.

Upon seeing the state of his teacher, Naruto began to weep again. Even to him, someone who has never witnessed death, he could tell Iruka was running out of time.

"Iruka-sensei, hang on! Hang on! Please!" He cried desperately.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I'm not gonna make it. I've lost too much blood. Naruto, stay strong. You can become Hokage one day, I just know it…", and with those words, Iruka's eyes closed and his body went limp.

"Iruka-sensei, IRUKA-SENSEI! Please wake up!" He begged, pleaded over and over for him to wake up, but he never did. Finally, exhausted and overcome with grief, Naruto passed out just as he could make out the silhouette of the Hokage running to him.

'That makes twice that I've passed out today, jeez!' He thought to himself. He wasn't sure how to go on at this point. He had never felt more alone in his entire life.

He wondered how things could have been different if Iruka had survived. Maybe Iruka would have praised him for learning the jutsu. They would have explained everything to the Hokage and Mizuki would be locked up. Then, his sensei would take him to Ichiraku's and they could get some ramen. Everything would be okay, because he finally would have someone who accepted him.

'Who cares now, stop thinking like that!' He scolded himself. He had to remind himself that it didn't matter if that's how it could have been. Iruka-sensei was gone, and he needed to deal with that however he could, and find a way to move on. He wasn't sure how long it would take, but he was determined to move on somehow. He decided that he would live his life making his sensei proud. He would become Hokage.

Naruto never went back to sleep after waking up in the early hours of the morning. After laying in bed until 7:30, he decided the night as well eat something. He decided on the usual, cup ramen and a glass of milk. Right as the water was brought to a boil and he was about to pour it into his cup, there was a knock on the door.

'Who would be here so early?' He thought to himself as he lazily made his way towards the door. He opened it to find none other than the Hokage standing before him.

Hiruzen stood frozen as he took in the boy's appearance. His hair was standing more on end than usual, as though he had been tugging on it. He still had bags under his eyes, and he seemed a bit pale. It was clear to him that Naruto had not rested well like Hiruzen had hoped we would.

"Good morning Naruto, may I come in?" He asked, trying to be polite. He was going to speak with Naruto whether he invited him in or not.

Naruto, still being a bit out of it, took a few seconds to respond. Seeing the Hokage made him feel nervous all over again.

"Um… sure I guess. Sorry about the mess."

"That's quite alright Naruto, I won't stay long", Hiruzen assured him, "I simply wanted to allow you some time to rest before I spoke to you again."

Naruto nearly laughed at that. He hadn't rested much at all. However, he wanted to get this conversation over with, so he wouldn't object. He allowed the Hokage to enter and showed him to the couch, where the both of them sat down.

"Naruto, I'm sorry I sprung all of that information on you last night. You were exhausted and I hadn't taken that into consideration."

Naruto was feeling embarrassed again, remembering how he had collapsed, "Uh, no worries gramps, it's fine really. I'm okay." That was a lie of course, but he truly wanted to be okay. He would try to be okay.

"Nevertheless, it was a mistake, and I do apologize." Hiruzen paused for a moment, trying to find the words for what he wanted to say next, "Naruto, now that you know that you are a jinchuriki, there are a few things you should know about what that entails."

'Other than being hated by everyone in the village?' Naruto said to himself immediately, though he decided to keep that particular thought to himself, "Like what?"

"Well, first of all, the Nine-tails is only one of nine tailed beasts in total, scattered across the five great nations. Each beast currently has a jinchuriki, people just like you. In fact, I believe the sand village's jinchuriki is your age Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened, and his mouth opened, but again nothing came out. Just like last night, he wanted to respond but couldn't seem to find the words. All of this new information was maddening to him. There was one question however, that kept flitting around in his mind. Naruto finally managed to force his mouth to move.

"Old man… the others… that are like me… are they treated the same way I'm treated?" He asked hesitantly. He had an idea of what the answer was, but he truly wanted to know.

Hiruzen looked down at his lap, unable to meet Naruto's gaze, "Unfortunately, most of the time that is the case. While those such as the Mizukage and the Raikage's brother have managed to become respected in their villages, most who carry a tailed beast struggle to find peace among others. I wish I could tell you the opposite, but I want to be honest. I'm sorry Naruto."

"It's fine, really. I kind of figured that was the case." And to him, it really was fine. It was actually kind of nice to him to know there were others like him out there. He wasn't truly alone.

At least not in the grand scheme of things.

But in the village?

He knew no one would ever understand him here.

"Naruto," Hiruzen brought him back to reality with his serious tone, "Because of the power that you posses, some may try to come after you, take it for their own. Some may even try to influence you one way or another, to try and use you because of your status as a jinchuriki. Many times in the past, those who contain the tailed beasts have been used as weapons in war. Some elders in this village would see you used as just that."

Naruto directed his gaze to his feet. His brows furrowed. He couldn't fathom what he was hearing. First these people treat him like dirt, but then they want to use him like some kind of weapon? Naruto began to feel sick to his stomach.

"However", Hiruzen continued, "I won't allow you to be treated like that. You are a Shinobi of this village Naruto, just like the others who graduated with you. I hope one day you learn to control the chakra of the Nine-tails, but I won't force you to undergo that training if you do not wish for it."

Naruto's head snapped back up at the Hokage and he allowed a small smile to form on his lips. At least someone was looking out for him. Maybe the Hokage was too busy to see to him all the time, but he could protect him from the elders at least.

"Thanks gramps. I'm not sure what I want to do yet… this is all so new to me. But, if I decide to try to control that chakra someday, I'll be sure to let you know." And he meant that. He knew the old man would help him.

"Please do. I want to help Naruto, in any way I can. Anyway, I'll allow you to get back to your meal. Please, try to rest Naruto. I know it's not easy at the moment, but at least try."

And with that, Hiruzen made his way to the door, and closed it behind him as he exited the young boy's small home. Naruto let out a long sigh and went back to making his ramen. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to rest or not, especially if he had another dream like earlier, but he would try. He would try to carry on, for himself, for the old man, and for Iruka-sensei.

Whew! Okay, chapter 1 is done! I'm sorry if some of you are upset about Iruka-sensei being killed off, but it was necessary for the story I had in mind. Something drastic had to happen to throw off what happened in canon. It pained me to write it because I really love Iruka. The story has some sad moments, but happy ones too, especially later on! I hope you guys stick with me through it!