"Sensei, I really can't take that kid in?"

"You were his father's Teacher. It would be too obvious. If you really think he would be safer known as Minato's child but under your care, then take him."

Jiraiya couldn't say that.

Minato wasn't just hated. He was HATED by Iwa.

He had been feared above all else.

"We can frame it as me taking in the Kyuubi jinchūriki"

"We are also trying to hide his identity as the jinchūriki. There's simply too many people trying to weaken us. It is hard to defend, it is easier to conceal. We are ninja, after all."

"Then how can he be seen as a Hero?" Jiraiya argued. "Like Minato wanted? He's their child. Minato and Kushina's child. To us, he's like a symbol of peace after the battle. I can't stand it if you strip him of his heritage and make him grow up alone. It'll be Kushina all over again. He won't have red hair but he'll be treated like an outsider. He'll still be an Uzumaki. He'll still be treated like a refugee. Besides, it's not like it's rocket science that he'd be the jinchūriki. The first jinchūriki was an Uzumaki, so was the second, there's only one of them left in the village. Hm. I wonder who's the current jinchūriki? It's not that hard to connect the dots, Sensei!"

"We'll tell them that the Kyuubi has been put in Yamato. It's hard to believe it's inside of a wood-release talented young man, but it's more believable than it being in an infant. We'll also tell then that Naruto is another refugee from Uzumaki, and we'll fudge the birthday on his paperwork so that he'll have immigrated three months after the Kyuubi attack. I will make him an S-Rank secret. Sure, there will be rumors, and probably discrimination. But if we treat him like a scapegoat then no village will suspect he's the authentic article."

"Are you serious?"

"It's all I can do. I can't make remove him from suspicion. But we can make it ambiguous enough that it's not totally worth it to attack him."

"For god's sake!"

"It's all I can do damnit! It's this hard just to keep the boy alive! To keep this village together! Don't you know it's falling apart at the seams? Orochimaru, deserted. Tsunade, abandoned her own village! Now Minato has died, and people do not fear us! Kushina has died, and there is no one to manufacture seals for our warriors! We face threats from outside, and unrest from within! It's just you and I holding this nation together Jiraiya! I can barely see my own son. We are all hurting here!" The Third exploded.

"Did you ever think Hime left because of shit like this!"

"..." Sandaime had no reply. Only a shocked and tortured expression.

"Sorry. I went too far."

"..."

"...Damnit."

One day, Naruto bumped into a stranger.

He bumped into strangers all the time.

Recently he just flinched, as they so often treated him with hatred for the smallest offense.

But mostly he was just ignored. Treated like dirt.

Naruto didn't know which was worse.

This one was the latter.

He normally paid it no mind.

He went home.

At home.

Naruto was cold and hungry as usual.

He pat his pockets hoping for a stupid ramen packet to appear out of thin air.

A miracle.

He didn't find anything edible.

But he found a little envelope.

Inside, a small necklace. And a letter.

Hello.

Please read this where no one can find you.

Then add a little blood to the marking below.

I know that if you're smart you won't believe me. But I will provide you with food and money.

Naruto's heart raced. He tumbled underneath his bed and lit a candle.

Quite dangerous, as his bed-frame was made out of wood, but he was a stupid child and didn't worry about it. He was too excited. He had a scab from playing in the playground earlier so he just scratched that and went on.

It's going to be hard to believe. I also can't provide you with any proof.

But

I was a friend of your parents.

Listen, I know it's hard for children to keep their mouths shut. And this is part of the reason no one would let me meet you openly.

But I knew your father. He could keep a secret. So could your mother.

Don't let anyone know about this letter. Don't let them know that your parents had a friend.

You know nothing about them, understand?

Naruto nodded at the paper. And kept reading.

I heard that there is finally a shop which will take you as a customer. Ichiraku's Ramen.

Naruto nodded.

You can always eat there. I have paid for unlimited meals there until you are an adult.

Naruto dropped the paper, put the cross shaped necklace on, and ran outside right away.

He came back two hours later, bloated like a baboon.

He barely fit underneath the bed.

But don't be too obvious about it. Don't mention it, even to the Ichiraku guys. Don't say anything. Pretend it's all charity.

It's a secret arrangement. Don't overeat and don't run off energetically.

Naruto felt guilty.

He had done just that without reading the whole letter.

Anyway.

The necklace is your mother's work. If you are in terrible danger, it will come to your aid.

I don't know how exactly. It doesn't work for me, or anyone else.

It was meant for your father and you.

Although it's incomplete, it was her masterwork. She had intended for it to protect your father. She had intended that it would protect your little family.

She called it the RAVE.

Don't lose it. Don't sell it.

Your mother was a Jounin. But she wasn't just that. She wasn't allowed on the battlefield after a while, because she was too valuable within the walls of the village. She was a great manufacturer of weapons. She was the most feared ninja tool artificer of her generation.

Like you, she was treated as an outsider. Because your Uzumaki clan originates from outside of the village. And she was treated as a refugee.

For that and other reasons, people will treat you badly.

Don't worry about it. Don't think about it.

You haven't done anything bad. People are just idiots.

And the ones who like you can't do anything. Because if other nations find out what you really are, they'll do anything to kill you. Anything.

To Konoha, right now, you are the most valuable person in the whole village as far as war potential.

Therefore, you're treated like garbage. Because there's so much garbage, no one will know how to find you amongst it. I know it's stupid. This is a stupid thing Shinobi do. The only thing better than keeping your secret scroll hidden in a safe is keeping it tucked into your sock like a moron.

The worst part is that it's working, so we have to keep it up.

You're still alive.

I can tell you almost nothing about your father. He was a hero, but I won't say more. Yet if your mother was respected by other nations. Your father was hated.

But you can look up the Uzumaki name when you go to the Ninja Academy Library.

Don't try to find your specific parents.

You're being treated as a refugee from Uzugakure, as if your parents weren't born in this village.

It's also helping to hide your parentage.

It's working. You're still alive.

Burn this letter. Or eat it.

And pretend this never happened

I will contact you again when I can.

The gratitude in Naruto's heart was impossible to quantify.

Just for these little words of comfort, and support.

To have someone on his side.

Ah. And also the free Ramen.