Strength From Within (A Naruto Neglect Book)

2

-Edited-

Naruto - now five - watched as his 'parents' trained his 'brother' Motoshi, and his 'sister' Katsuko. They were working on unlocking the chakra of the pair, so that they would be able to see if one had unlocked Kushina's chakra chains to control Naruto if he ever lost control of the kyuubi, not that any of the children knew that Naruto contained the beast.

Naruto wasn't too young to understand their intentions, or the reasons why his parents hated him. He wasn't too young to realise that the reason they started training his siblings first was not just because they wanted to make sure he wouldn't lose control, but because they forgot he existed most of the time. He should have been to young, but he wasn't, because they had forced him to grow up some. Tentatively, he walked over to them, and tapped his 'Mother's' arm, looking up with cerulean eyes filled with sadness and a bit of hope.

"What is it kid, we're trying to train Motoshi and Katsuko." Kushina looked at him expectantly, as did Katsuko, Minato and Motoshi. They were frustrated with the demon kid who just bugged her and Minato all the time. They didn't see him as their son but the container, and their hatred consumed them.

Their children hadn't quite understood why their brother was being treated like that but went along with it, since it was all they knew from a young age. They didn't see him as their brother, they were twins just like their parents told them. They figured he must have been disowned or something because of how their parents treated him, and since it was so rare that they saw him they often forgot about his existence. When they did see him, they treated him with the same hatred their parents did. It wasn't their fault they felt that way, they were misguided by their parents, and failed to see that good people could do bad things as well. They assumed their father and mother were perfect because they were well loved by the village, and they thought that their actions were justified because if their parents did so it must be justice.

Eventually Naruto spoke up, scared to look at them because he knew how badly they treated him even if he was family. Even if they treated him badly, he still loved them and just wanted to be accepted and cared for by them. They were his precious people, because that was what family was meant to be. The kind and forgiving soul he was wanted to keep on loving them and keep on trying to be with them in the hopes that they would change, that they would remember him and care. "I was wondering if you could train me too?" Naruto asked, glancing at them only to find his mother's hair swirling around like nine tails in anger.

Kushina was filled with rage because of the child she was meant to love, there was no love or warmth in those eyes. It was uncontrollable rage, keeping her from seeing him as a small, needy child. "No, I told you, we are training our children. We don't have time for you right now. Why are you even in our private training grounds, get out. Now."

"Yeah, you demon, nobody wants you." This time it came from Motoshi, his taunting blue eyes matching the smug look on his face. He stuck his tongue out, laughing at him and turning around so he wouldn't have to see his face.

"Look at his clothes. Gross, that blinding orange isn't a colour to be seen, let alone worn. I want it removed from my sight. And don't get me started on the rest of him. Has he been living in a garbage dump or something?" Katsuko decided to speak up, holding her fingers on her nose, signalling he stunk. She flicked her red hair and turned around, continuing the training.

"Shoo, brat. Get out of here, it's not public property. And for the training, wait until the academy. The ninja there that are teaching will be sufficient, unless you mean to insult my subordinates." Minato glared at him, and pushed him to the gate, pushing him over onto the ground once he was there. "Go, you little piece of s**t. And never come back."

Naruto's eyes began to water, but he held back the tears. Slowly getting up, he turned on his heel, bare feet crunching on the grass and leaves as he walked out of there.

Maybe his parents hated him, thought he was a demon and not worth anything. It didn't make sense to him that they and the villagers called him a demon, but he knew that one day he would find out.

Maybe he wouldn't be trained by the people that were meant to love and care for him no matter what. By loving and caring for him they were meant to train him so that he could protect himself from the world. But what he did know was that he was going to be stronger.

Maybe now he was weak, untrained and small, but with training he could become strong. Strong enough to do something about the situation that he was in, strong enough to make a change that he desperately needed.

Because Naruto hated his life, as much as he wished he had loving parents and siblings and a place to call home he didn't, and that was the reality. Nobody had tried to make a change, because nobody cared. And so Naruto knew that the only way change would come is if he brought it himself.