The Nefera Bazaar

Chapter 1 - My Tragic Backstory

Hi. My name is Naruto Uzumaki and this is the story of how I fell in love with Hinata Hyuuga.

A dear person once told me in order to prepare for the present one must look to the past. So here I go, ready to reveal my tragic backstory.

I was born with a demon fox sealed inside of me. I know you're probably thinking, 'woah what a freak', but it's not like I chose it. See the Land of Fire was battling this fox demon, for what, 10 years maybe? There was so much bloodshed and so many deaths. Comrades were falling out in the battlefields and sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers all gave their lives to protect their country. It was decided that the 4th Hokage would sacrifice himself to seal the demon fox in a newborn vessel. To my misfortune, that vessel happened to be me. I was chosen to be the great 'Hero'. The 4th's last words were that I should not be looked down upon as a monster but looked up to as a savior. I guess not enough people were there to get the memo.

Being the monster that I am, I was sent down to the Ruts to be away from 'civilized' society. The Ruts, the lowest side of the country, the dump so to speak.

Here's a quick geography lesson for you in case you don't know how the Land of Fire is divided. Imagine a dartboard. The center part is known as the Kingdom. That's where the royalty and rich live. You'll see mansions, compounds, and even a castle right in the middle. It's the epitome of opulence. Our Hokage, country leader, runs our nation right there in the middle of it all.

The middle ring is called the Commons. It's where our average to upper middle class citizens live. There are regular jobs with steady incomes and higher education. Most of the country's schools and universities are located along this region. Not only that but it's where you'll find the Land of Fire's world famous bazaars located on the border of the Commons and the Kingdom. The largest of them all is the Great Nefera Bazaar but you'll hear more about that in a bit.

And for the grand finale, the final section on our dartboard is the Rurality. It's mostly farms and agriculture but a small section of this circle is home to the slums of the country known as the Ruts. It's the worst place to live in. Saying you're from the Ruts commands no respect at all. In fact all you'll get is a bad name and dirty looks.

It wasn't the best place to grow up. I was thrown in as an orphan with no family or home to call my own. I never received any attention and I was hated for who I was. I missed out on a mother's love and a father's affection. Most children when left in a similar position might have let themselves fade into the tragedy but I lashed out. I figured I'd have a laugh at everyone who hated me. I played mean pranks and on occasion they got out of hand. It was getting to the point where no one thought they could contain me and my residency in the area was in question.

Finally one person decided to do something about my behavior. But instead of punishing me or banishing me from the only place I'd ever know, Iruka had done the complete opposite. He took me in.

Iruka is a teacher originally from the Kingdom. He tutored royalty and enjoyed the life of luxury. But one trip to the Ruts was all it took to open his eyes to the poverty that plagued the Rurality. He packed his trunks and left his cushy life for one of despondence. He took a job in the Commons and commuted every day to work bringing along with him a few dozen kids from the Ruts.

Iruka took me in as a son. He didn't see me as a problem or a stain on society but as a child who needed love. So I lived with him and he became a father to me. Soon after I moved in, he enrolled me into a prestigious military academy in the Commons. With Iruka's help, I excelled and passed my final exams with flying colors.

After graduation they place you into teams of three with a preliminary mentor. You're stuck with whoever you're place with for the rest of your life. Every mission from graduation on will be with these three other people. Some people got paired with some real losers. I mean I'd rather die than have been placed on a team with that Inuzuka kid.

Sakura Haruno was the class beauty and brains. I would have given almost anything for a chance to date her but she wouldn't even glance my way. Like the rest of the girls in our class, she was head over heels for Sasuke Uchiha, resident badboy. By some chance of fate, they both ended up being my teammates.

The team dynamic was rocky at first. I had a crush on Sakura who was in love with Sasuke who couldn't be bothered. Sasuke was my rival in class. I worked my ass off to try to compete with him on every practical. He was a natural talent, gifted in the art of combat and military skill. I would say he had the perfect life if it wasn't for his own tragic story.