Chapter 1
"Look, it's that kid again."
"I heard he was making a scene on the street again. What a nuisance."
"I really don't understand why the Hokage still keeps this troublemaker around. They should've dealt with him already. After all, he is a fo—"
"Shhh! Have you forgotten what can and can't be said?"
"Tch! Whatever. Just ignore him from now on. And we need to remind the kids not to play with him. He's too dangerous—who knows when he might suddenly..."
Dozens of mouths, spewing cold words in the heat of summer. Dozens of eyes filled with indifference—even resentment.
The little blond boy walking down the street lowered his head, at a loss for what to do. He looked like he wanted to explain, but couldn't find the words. In the end, he could only leave with a lonely silhouette.
Natsuki stood quietly behind the crowd, silently watching little Naruto walk away.
He then looked up at the Hokage Rock. The stone faces of the four Hokage seemed to be silently watching over the village.
"As expected... I've really come to the world of Naruto. This is Konoha. Judging by Naruto's appearance, he's about five or six, same as me. Looks like there's about six years until the main story begins."
With that thought, Natsuki decisively turned and headed home.
His house was in a relatively remote area of the village, far from the bustling streets. It took him quite a while to walk back.