At the same time.
Classes at the Konoha Ninja Academy had ended as well.
Naruto Uzumaki walked slowly home, carrying his battered schoolbag.
The villagers around him wore expressions of disgust even stronger than in the original story when they saw him. Some even deliberately went out of their way to avoid him.
After all, Konoha had experienced the "Night of the Nine-Tails" twice.
"Demon Fox..."
"Stay away from him."
"Tch, why is a monster like that still allowed to live in the village..."
Whispers kept reaching Naruto, but he acted as though he heard nothing, even wearing a smile.
He waved at the people pointing at him and called out:
"Good afternoon, everyone!"
His greeting was met with even more disgusted looks and windows hastily shutting.
Naruto lowered his hand and kept walking, his smile unchanged.
He was strong inside. For as long as he could remember, he had been alone and treated this way.
So he had long since gotten used to it.
It was just...
Why did his heart sometimes feel so empty?
Naruto touched his chest. It felt as though something was missing there, but he could not remember what. He shook his head, cast aside that inexplicable feeling, and quickened his steps toward the outskirts of the village.
His "home" was a dilapidated little house on the edge of the village, supposedly once a storeroom for miscellaneous junk.
He pushed open the door, and a musty smell hit him.
Naruto opened the window to air the place out with practiced ease, then rummaged through the cupboard for a serving of expired instant noodles.
He boiled some water, put the noodles on to soak, then sat on the only chair, which had a broken leg, and waited quietly.
The house was quiet, with only the faint