Zero Shinobies ( Shinobi Hunter Naruto)

ch 7

Over the winter)

His little run-in with the family told young Naruto that he still knew very little about the world, its problems, its intricacies, and its issues, and that he had very little experience about many aspects of it. Though he was an orphan, born and raised within a structured system that both provided for him and shunned him, he had very little idea of what other people in less fortunate situations than him had to endure. Not only that, but he also had no idea what the world was like outside of the safety of Konohagakure's walls and what dangers were lurking out there.

This was knowledge and information that he felt was worth going out to explore and research, and though he wasn't quite ready to leave the security of the village's boundaries just yet, there were still other things he could try while within them.

As an extra addition to his development and learning to becoming a stronger person, Naruto decided that for the next year or so he would discard the luxuries and comforts of his apartment. Locking it up and imparting the key with the landlord for safe keeping, the blonde then went out into the streets to see what life was like from a vagrant's point of view.

He wanted to be able to experience this kind of life for himself without the backing of the system, while at the same time continue his training regimen under more dire circumstances. After all, pain and hardship was something that he had to grow up with. It was something he'd had to endure for a long time and it's also what drove him to pursue his dream. So he will continue to follow this path, and identify himself with the pain and suffering of others, all in order to gain a better understanding of the world around him.

So for the next several months Naruto lived life on the edge, staying on the streets, wandering the dark alleys, and finding shelter in forgotten and abandoned buildings. At one point he came down with a flu and at another time he was almost robbed by a homeless person- moments that made his test harder and almost unbearable. But all in all, his new surroundings enabled him to get a good, hard look at the Hidden Leaf and its society from a completely new perspective, where he had to rely solely on his own means and whatever resources he could find.

On that note, all the money the Hokage gave him as part of his fortnightly allowance for this period, Naruto gave away to the people who needed it more, which made him feel better all-around as a person. Though this show of charity did mean he had to go hungry on some days, he was still able to provide for himself through a variety of different means.

He was able to compensate for his lack of funds by learning how to fish from the local river and hunt in the woods for whatever game he could find. It gave him plenty of practice in the art of tracking and trapping, and he was able to hone these skills frequently and effectively. But aside from these slight moments of reprieve, Naruto still went on living off of the bare minimum. Heck, he even wore his clothes to the point that they started to fall apart on him, forcing him to scrounge, steal or borrow whatever replacements he could get his hands on, so as to trade in for the ones that disintegrated over time. Though it wasn't easy and it went against a lot of his views on the rules of a normal life style, it did give him a greater exposure to an aspect of community and environment that would've previously gone over his head.

The hardest part about this whole thing of course wasn't the weather, the conditions surrounding him, the lack of companions or anything like that. No. It was actually keeping up with his training while being hampered by the cold and lack of food.

He continued visiting the Hyuuga Clan compound, where he was able to practice the Gentle Fist style in the shadow of the groups from either the rooftop of the entrance. Of course, every once in a while during the training sessions, he was chased off by the Chunin that would sometimes be patrolling the perimeter of the compound. But on most days he was lucky and he was able to get a full session into his routine.

When not visiting them, he would practice other styles in conjunction with the sleek and graceful movements of the Hyuuga, including the Hard Fist, Snake Fist,Shadow Fist and more. What's more, whenever he discovered a new style in the library that he knew would help him, he would take it and begin practicing it religiously.

The free-flowing movements and power displayed by masters of the martial arts really drew Naruto to them in a very primal way, as they presented an image of poise, power, confidence, and extreme discipline that he himself sorely lacked. If there was a chance that he could become a powerful villain through hand-to-hand fighting alone, one that could overwhelm enemies with his own strength without having to rely on the same chakra as everybody else, then he was going to pursue it with every iota of his being.

When Naruto's next year of school came along, he stayed the course of his training, remaining on the streets at night while studying at the academy or training in the woods by day.