Chapter Text
Kiba stood at the edge of the compound, arms crossed, watching Naruko. He had never met anyone quite like her. She was a strange mix of raw energy and deep caution, like a stray dog rescued from the streets—scrappy and jumpy, always on edge. Her bright, untamed blonde hair would sway as she darted at things, her eyes wide with a mixture of mischief and apprehension. Every loud noise made her jump, every quick movement sent her eyes darting as if she expected something to happen. The slightest change in the air had her shoulders tensing, like she was waiting for teeth to sink in.
For all her awkwardness, though, there was something... likable about her. He could tell she was a bit of a mess, but she had a way of getting lost in the moment. She would laugh when Akamaru did something goofy, or when Kiba tried to teach her how to play fetch as a joke. In those moments, she almost seemed like a regular kid—someone to hang out with.
A few days ago, his mom had explained what had happened.
Kiba squatted down, his hand resting on Akamaru’s fur as his mind churned. He remembered Tsume's serious face as she told him about the attack. "A group of civilians—and a few ninja—attacked her last night," she had said, her voice steady but laced with anger. "They almost killed her, Kiba. They even killed her companion that would have made a fine ninken one day."
A hot anger had twisted in Kiba's gut. The injustice of it felt like a slap in the face. He was just a kid, but he could understand the pain of losing a family, the way it burned deep in the chest.
"She's not like most people," Tsume had continued. "She's been treated like an outcast her whole life and needs time to adjust. You need to be patient with her, okay?" Tsume then warned him about her scent. "You'll figure it out, but listen to me—it doesn't make her dangerous or untrustworthy. She's just a scared kid who’s been through hell… and more. And if I hear you or anyone else in this clan treating her like anything less than family while she’s here… you’ll answer to me. Got it, gaki?"
Kiba had swallowed hard, promising to be good. He'd never seen his mom so protective of an outsider.
And a few days later, he stood at the compound’s edge, watching her with a new understanding.
Kiba tilted his head slightly, puzzled. She smelled like a fox, a distinctly canine scent. Could she be one of them, a long-lost Inuzuka? The memory of his clan lessons floated to the surface, reminding him that foxes were canines too. She didn’t look like a typical Inuzuka. And if she wasn't one of them, why did she share so many traits? The Inuzuka were known for their tracking ability, but the way she reacted to the world around her made Kiba wonder if she was even aware of what she was capable of.
The Inuzuka family’s dining room was a whirlwind of activity. Bowls of steaming stew and fresh cooked rice filled the table. Ninken lounged around the room, occasionally growling or barking at one another. For the Inuzuka clan, it was a bit lively but normal.
For Naruko… it was suffocating.
She sat stiffly in her chair, shoulders drawn in tight. The noise crashed over her like a wave—overlapping voices, bursts of laughter, the sharp scrape of bowls on wood. Her fingers curled into her lap, nails digging into her palms. The air felt too thick, too loud, and every sound made her flinch tighter. She forced herself to focus on the food in front of her, on the warmth seeping from the bowl into her trembling hands. But her stomach churned.
Across the table, Kiba caught sight of her, sitting frozen beside him. She looked… weird. Her back was too straight, her eyes darting around too much. Every sudden movement made her twitch. She looked exactly like one of the skittish mutts he’d seen hovering at the edges of the compound, their eyes darting, muscles tense, like they expected to get kicked if they got too close. They didn’t know how to exist in a pack, didn’t know how to trust. That’s how Naruko looked now.
A loud bark from behind them made Naruko jolt so hard her chopsticks nearly slipped from her fingers. Her breath hitched, and her eyes darted toward the door. Kiba blinked. What was wrong with her?
Then it happened again. A low, guttural growl from outside. Naruko went rigid. The color drained from her face. Kiba knew that growl. It was just Kuromaru, Tsume’s ninken, making his rounds. Nothing unusual. But Naruko—
She looked like she’d seen a ghost.
Hana, sitting further down the table, glanced up at the noise, her brow furrowing. Others kept eating, unbothered, but her sharp gaze lingered on Naruko for a second before shifting back to her meal.
“Naruko.”
Tsume’s voice cut through the noise, sharp but not unkind. Naruko flinched again and turned to her. Wide blue eyes, shaking hands. She looked like a stray waiting for someone to bare their teeth.
Tsume exhaled through her nose, her gaze scanning Naruko’s face. Then, something in her expression shifted. Recognition. Understanding. Without a word, she reached over, slow and deliberate, and rested her calloused hand on Naruko’s head. The touch was warm, grounding.
“You’re safe,” Tsume said, her voice firm but steady. “You hear me, pup? There’s no fight coming. No one’s hunting you here.”
Naruko didn’t respond, her eyes flickering toward the window again. The growl rumbled once more. She sucked in a sharp breath, her fingers digging into the table’s edge.
Tsume’s hand slid from her head to her shoulder, her grip solid and unshakable. Then, before Naruko could think to pull away, Tsume shifted closer and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against her side in a firm, no-nonsense hug.
“Breathe, pup,” she murmured, her hand rubbing slow circles on Naruko’s back. “No one’s coming for you here. You’re safe. You’re not prey anymore.”
Naruko stiffened for half a second. Then, like a taut wire snapping, she sagged into the embrace. Kiba stared, his chopsticks frozen halfway to his mouth. His mom—hugging someone? He didn’t think he’d ever seen that before.
More than that, though—Naruko let it happen.
Slowly, hesitantly, she nodded against Tsume’s shoulder.
The growl outside faded. The voices at the table started up again, but this time, they weren’t as sharp. The chaos didn’t press against her as harshly.
Tsume gave one last reassuring squeeze before letting go. “Good. Now eat. You need your strength.”
Naruko let out a shaky breath and picked up her chopsticks again. Kiba, still watching her, frowned. She still seemed wary, like she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to relax. Like a stray trying to figure out if it had finally found a home.
Naruko practically bounced at Tsume-obachan’s side, barely containing her excitement. Hokage-jiji had something really important to tell her—something she should’ve known a long time ago. The question buzzed in her mind, and her heart thumped faster with every step toward the Hokage’s office. After a quick check-in with Midori, the secretary, they were ushered in.
The Hokage’s office felt different today—heavier, like the air itself was thick with the weight of serious conversations. Hokage-jiji sat at his desk, wise and calm as always, but there was something new in his eyes. Something… tired. As if the burdens he carried had grown too heavy, and today, he was finally ready to share them.
“Ah, Naruko-chan and Tsume-chan. Please, come in,” Hiruzen said, his voice warm yet carrying the gravity of the situation. He motioned to a chair beside him. “Please, sit.”
Naruko’s eyes widened when she spotted the other shinobi in the room. He looked older than Tsume, with a bandana, a lazy smirk, and a toothpick hanging from his mouth. His uniform looked familiar—the kind worn by some of the village’s senior ninjas. “Who’s that?” she whispered.
“That’s Genma,” Tsume said with a brief nod in his direction. “He’s gonna help you out with some things, too.”
Naruko had barely registered that before Hiruzen spoke again, his voice a bit softer than usual. “Naruko-chan, I’m glad to see you doing well,” Hiruzen said, his voice gentle but heavy. “What happened to you was unforgivable—and thanks to Tsume, those responsible have been handled accordingly.”
“Thanks, Hokage-jiji,” Naruko said, her voice tentative but grateful, glancing up at Tsume.
“Not a problem, pup,” Tsume said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, what the Hokage’s got to tell you will make sure this kind of stuff doesn’t happen again.”
Naruko nodded slowly, but her mind whirled. This wasn’t just serious—this felt huge. And for the first time, a little sliver of suspicion crept into her curiosity. But then, Hokage-jiji’s next words made her freeze.
“You are most welcome, Naruko-chan. Now, as Tsume mentioned, I made a declaration at the council meeting the other night. Naruko-chan, you are far more important to this village than you realize,” Hiruzen said softly. “And in failing to protect you, I have made a grave mistake. That ends today.”
Naruko’s stomach twisted. “If I’m so important… then why do they keep attacking me?”
“Well, I will tell you, but I will get to that later. It will be a part of the story and events that I have to tell you so have some patience. Now, the declaration I made is that anyone that attacks you unprovoked, for the same reasons that you have been attacked up until now, will be charged with treason and will be dealt with accordingly.”
“What do you mean ‘dealt with’? Does that mean that they will…die?”
“No, Naruko-chan,” Hiruzen said, holding up a hand to calm her. “They will be imprisoned or handled in a way that ensures the safety of this village. We will spare you the details.”
“Then why wasn’t it done before?” Naruko pressed, her voice tinged with frustration. She wanted answers.
“Well Naruko-chan, like I mentioned earlier, “I failed you,” Hiruzen said quietly, the words like stones dropping into the silence. “I should have protected you from the start, and I didn’t. There’s no excuse for it—only my deepest regret. And now… I can only ask for your forgiveness. I won’t stand behind this excuse. But, us three in this room with you, we believe someone has been working from the shadows, manipulating circumstances to keep you isolated… and to blind me to it. I should have seen it sooner—and that failure put you in danger. I can’t go into details about it, but just know that we will eventually bring the one responsible to justice. Unfortunately, he covers his tracks well.”
Naruko’s breath quickened. Jiji… had neglected her? All those years of loneliness, the attacks, the whispers—it could’ve been stopped? And if someone had been behind it… that meant someone was targeting her. Her throat tightened, and panic flickered at the edges of her mind and like clockwork, Hiruzen began again to stop her thoughts from spiraling.
“That’s why I called you here today. There’s much I’ve kept from you—things that you should have been told long ago, but due to my own failures, I kept it hidden. It’s time for you to understand your true heritage.”
Naruko’s heart skipped a beat. “My heritage?”
“Yes,” Hiruzen said, his tone turning somber. “You may not think much of your family name, but Naruko-chan, your lineage is significant. You are of the Uzumaki clan.”
Hiruzen chuckled softly, his gaze affectionate as he watched Naruko's unwavering spirit. Her vibrant personality seemed to light up the room, a beacon of hope and joy no matter the circumstances. "Alright, Naruko-chan, let’s begin with something I deeply regret. You may think your family name carries no weight, but that couldn't be farther from the truth." Her eyes widened, curiosity piqued as she leaned forward, eager to hear about the history of the Uzumaki clan.
The Uzumaki hailed from the islands to the east of the Land of Fire—a proud and powerful clan whose influence extended far beyond their borders. Their Hidden Village, Uzushiogakure, was known for its formidable shinobi, nearly all of whom were members of the clan. They were famed for their exceptional lifeforce, mastery of kenjutsu, fuuinjutsu (sealing arts), and their incredible chakra reserves, which made them a force to be reckoned with.
But their strength came with a cost. Uzumaki children were born with an overwhelming amount of Yang chakra—raw, powerful, and difficult to control. Without proper training and guidance, that imbalance could become dangerous. Some say that their study and expertise with fuuinjutsu was a way to train their young ones early to help correct this imbalance within them and their young. An art that some saw as meditative in nature that requires enormous amounts of study, precision, and mental fortitude to continue even after many failures.
Chakra, itself, was an energy or life force that was native to all living things. When anyone wanted to manifest chakra to use it for various things they would have to combine the spiritual and physical energies within their body. Yin and Yang. Because the Uzumakis had such a strong life force they had mountains of Yang chakra from a young age. This caused them to struggle early on with controlling their larger chakra reserves until this vast imbalance was corrected. By studying, meditating, enriching their lives, and the experience they gained, they would gain more, and more Yin chakra.
Hiruzen remembered that Tsunade had to do the same thing as a child, because she was of both Senju and Uzumaki descent. This led to her interest and study of the human body and fuuinjutsu and her later expertise and use of medical ninjutsu.
Naruko's eyes sparkled with wonder. "So I come from this amazing clan?"
"Yes," Hiruzen nodded, his tone solemn. "But the clan no longer exists."
Naruko blinked, struck by the weight of the news. "Wait... my whole clan is gone?"
Hiruzen’s face darkened, and his voice grew heavy. "The Uzumaki were considered too powerful for some of the other villages. Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri—though we can’t say for sure—likely conspired to destroy them. Uzushiogakure was attacked and destroyed and the survivors scattered throughout the Elemental Nations. Konoha should have stood by them. We were their allies—and we failed them. By the time we learned of the attack, it was too late. That shame will always stain our history.”
Naruko absorbed the information in stunned silence, the idea of losing an entire clan hitting her like a wave. But then, a spark of hope returned as she processed Hiruzen's words. "So... my mom... she was part of the Uzumaki clan?"
"Yes," Hiruzen said, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Her name was Uzumaki Kushina. She was a powerful kunoichi, known across the shinobi world."
Naruko leaned in, her excitement almost palpable. "What was she like?"
Hiruzen’s eyes softened with fondness. "Among Konoha shinobi, she was known as 'The Red Hot Habanero' because of her fiery red hair and her temper. Although, to shinobi from other villages, she was called 'The Red Death,' feared for her mastery of Her Chakra Chains, fuuinjutsu, among other things,”
Naruko’s throat tightened. “Did… did my mom love me?” she asked, her voice small.
Hiruzen’s eyes softened. “More than anything in the world. She would have moved heaven and earth for you, Naruko-chan. She loved you with all her heart. But, as fate would have it, she died the night you were born."
Naruko’s breath caught in her chest, and for a moment, the room seemed to close in around her. "My mom died when I was born...?"
"Yes," Hiruzen murmured, his voice filled with sorrow. "And that’s where another painful truth comes in. Your mother was the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi—the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Kyuubi had been sealed inside her long before you were born. She was the second host of the beast.”
The words hit Naruko like a thunderclap. "Kyuubi? The demon that they call me... it was inside my mom?"
"Yes," Hiruzen confirmed. "The Kyuubi broke free the night you were born, wreaking havoc on the village. The Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi inside you to save Konoha, but in doing so, he left you with an unimaginable burden."
“Why would the Yondaime do that to me? Why do I have to put up with all this crap!?! Why d-,”
"Your Uzumaki blood, your lifeforce, and your immense chakra made you the only one capable of holding the Kyuubi," Hiruzen explained carefully, watching her closely. "The Yondaime, believed you would be a hero. But the truth... the truth was twisted by someone who has their own plans for you. Also, The villagers didn’t understand what had happened, and they came to believe that you were the Kyuubi itself."
Naruko felt a pang of frustration. "They hate me for something I had no choice in? For something that was done to me?” Her voice cracked, her fists clenching in her lap.
"Yes," Hiruzen said, his voice full of regret. "I tried to protect you, Naruko-chan. I made your status as the jinchuriki an S-class secret, hoping that no one would know. But despite my efforts, the truth leaked out, and the villagers only saw the Kyuubi, not you. They saw a demon, not a child who had been born into an impossible situation."
Naruko clenched her fists, but Tsume gently placed a hand on her shoulder, offering comfort. “Idiots, the lot of them,” Tsume growled, her voice fierce. “They’re blind to the truth and too scared to see you for who you really are.”
Hiruzen chuckled, “Yes, they may be, but you Naruko, are a remarkable person, to take all of that and not lash out at them. Now, after this I made a law that people could not speak of the Kyuubi and of your status. I had hoped, perhaps misguidedly, that this would give you a choice—to let you decide your own path. Whether you chose to be a shinobi or live a civilian life, I wanted you to have that freedom. But unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be. Now that you know the truth about the Kyuubi, there’s something else you must understand. This truth is dangerous, Naruko-chan. You can trust those closest to you, but be careful who you confide in. Not everyone will see you as the child you are—they’ll see the power you hold.”
Naruko looked up, a sharp edge to her curiosity. “What do you mean?”
Hiruzen hesitated before continuing. “Your father... He was an exceptional shinobi, but he had many enemies. I can’t reveal his identity to you just yet, for your own safety. Your father had powerful enemies—ones who wouldn’t hesitate to strike at you if they knew his blood ran in your veins. Until you’re strong enough to protect yourself, that knowledge must stay hidden. You may even discover the truth on your own one day, but I ask that you don’t tell anyone about him right away. At least not until it’s safe to do so or you can protect yourself. The relationship between your father and mother was a guarded secret as well.”
Naruko’s eyes widened, her voice almost a whisper. “Wait, my dad was that amazing?”
Hiruzen nodded, a gentle smile pulling at his lips. “Yes, he was a remarkable man. And he loved you dearly. One day, when you reach the rank of Chunin or turn 18, you will learn more about him.”
Naruko mulled over the words, a determined look on her face. “In that case, I’m gonna be a shinobi! No doubt about it!”
Hiruzen chuckled, proud of her resolve. “I thought you might say that. And that brings us to the next part of our conversation.” He gestured toward Genma, who gave a playful mock salute.
“Genma here will be helping you with specific skills related to being a shinobi. He’ll also guide you in learning more about your Uzumaki heritage. Your mother, along with Uzumaki Mito, left behind many scrolls, texts, and teachings on their clan arts, fuuinjutsu and the Adamantine Chains.”
Naruko’s face lit up. “That sounds amazing, but I—uh—wanna be a veterinarian...?”
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. “A veterinarian?”
“Yeah! For Keiji-kun,” Naruko’s voice faltered. “He deserved better, and if I had known—”
“Ah,” Hiruzen interrupted gently. “I respect that, Naruko-chan. But you see, a true shinobi doesn’t just master one skill. They learn many things. Do you know how I became Hokage?”
Naruko tilted her head. “You just have to get really old, right?”
Hiruzen laughed, his eyes twinkling. “Well, not exactly. A Hokage needs to be one of the most skilled and well-respected shinobi in the village. To protect the people and those you care about, you have to be prepared for many things. If you still want to become a veterinarian, it’s certainly possible. But know that learning the ways of the Uzumaki will help you not only in the shinobi world but also in your future goals—like learning medical ninjutsu.”
Naruko sat back, her eyes brimming with excitement. “Alright, you got it, Jiji! I’m gonna be one of the strongest shinobi ever! I’ll protect everything and everyone I love, dattebayo! You’ll see!”
“I have no doubt about that,” Hiruzen said with a proud smile.
As the conversation shifted back to the plans for her training, Naruko couldn’t help but reflect on everything she had learned. She was the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, and that’s why so many villagers hated her—because they had been told lies about her being the Kyuubi itself. But what really struck her was that both of her parents had been incredibly powerful and feared throughout the world. Her father’s identity was still a mystery and so dangerous that she wasn’t allowed to know who he was yet, but the fact that he had so many enemies made it clear why her Jiji couldn’t tell her yet.
But more than anything, what filled her with hope was knowing that her parents had loved her. She had grown up in an orphanage, told that her parents had either abandoned her or were traitors. But now, hearing that they were well-respected and feared, that they had loved her, made everything worth it.
She could endure.
And maybe—just maybe—she could make the villagers see her for who she truly was: not a monster, but a child trying to find her place in the world.