Konoha Village.
Naruto's House.
Naruto's small place was packed wall-to-wall with thank-you gifts.
There were just too many villagers in Konoha. Way too many people who still remembered what Minato Namikaze had done for them.
At first, it was just a few people stopping by to say thanks or drop off a gift. But once the ball got rolling, even more people showed up—some to apologize, others just not wanting to be left out. Even a few ninjas, seeing the trend, awkwardly bought gifts and came by, pretending it was heartfelt.
Of course, that didn't include the ones who already knew the full story.
So, while Toji was away from Konoha, Naruto had basically spent his days playing host to a constant stream of visitors.
It was overwhelming—but Naruto didn't mind.
To him, the more people visited and dropped off gifts, the more it meant he was finally being accepted.
The moment he'd dreamed of his whole life had arrived.
Eventually, the wave of visitors slowed down. The house was quieter. Naruto finally got a chance to go outside and enjoy the kind of day he used to imagine all the time.
He carefully stepped around the thank-you gifts piled on the floor and headed for his closet.
All the clothes in there were brand new now.
No more wearing the same old outfit every day.
He picked something bright, threw it on, and ran outside with a big smile on his face.
His footsteps were still a little clumsy—Naruto always kind of bounced when he ran—but this time it looked more cheerful, more excited. Like he couldn't wait to see what the day had in store.
He didn't have to go far before he heard kids laughing and playing nearby.
Naruto's grin widened. He picked up the pace and followed the sound.
A bunch of kids were playing in the snow, chasing each other around.
"Hahaha! I wanna play too! Let's go!" Naruto shouted with a big smile, jogging over to them like they were already friends.
He really believed they'd welcome him.
But what actually happened was...
The laughter stopped.
The kids froze.
And then the parents nearby sprang into action, quickly pulling their kids back and standing in front of them like shields.
One of them stepped forward with an apologetic smile: "Sorry, Naruto. It's getting late—we should head back home."
"Yeah, yeah," another one said quickly. "The kids are getting tired."
"And I still need to run to the market before it closes."
They all started piling on excuses.
Naruto blinked, confused for a second. Then he scratched his head and gave them a goofy grin. "Haha, no problem! Let's play next time!"
"yeah, of course next time"
They left in a hurry, and Naruto turned around and ran off in another direction—still smiling.
Soon, he found another group of kids.
Same approach. Same excited request to join in.
Same result.
More excuses. More parents scooping up their children and walking off like nothing was wrong. they were Awkard they didn't really know what to do.
Naruto watched them go and laughed awkwardly. "Guess I came out a little too late today…everyone is tired"
He was quiet for a second.
Then he shrugged it off. "No big deal! I'll head out earlier tomorrow!"
The next morning.
He was up and out the door before breakfast, eager to finally have fun.
But the exact same thing happened.
Parents saw him coming, grabbed their kids, and made excuses.
Day after day, the same thing.
By the third day, it was worse—he couldn't even find any kids outside.
That's when Naruto, slow as he could be sometimes, finally started to realize something was wrong.
Nobody looked at him with hate anymore—but they still kept their distance. just polite awkward smiles and waves.
Why?
They'd just been giving him gifts not too long ago.
Didn't that mean they'd accepted him?
Why were things still like this?
He stood there, frowning, lost in his thoughts.
And then Toji's voice cut in, breaking the silence.
"It's normal that they're acting like that."
Naruto jumped, startled.
"Why?!" he shouted, frustrated. "Why is that normal?!"
"They don't hate me anymore, right?! They gave me gifts! They said nice things! Why are they still avoiding me?!"
Toji's voice was calm. "They weren't accepting you. They were thanking your father. That's who they respect. Not you."
Naruto blinked.
Toji kept going. "And don't forget—the Nine-Tails is still sealed inside you. That doesn't just go away. People are afraid. How can they let their kids play with someone who has a monster inside them?"
Hearing that—that it was still because of the Nine-Tails—Naruto's face fell.
He knew he couldn't do anything about that. He didn't choose this.
"…Then what do I do?" he asked quietly. "Am I just gonna go back to the way things were?"
Toji didn't scold him this time. No insults. Just a sigh.
Then he said, "Think about this—if the Nine-Tails was sealed in your dad instead of you, would people still be scared of him?"
Naruto was quiet for a while, then said slowly, "…But my dad's gone. I can't just put the fox in him instead."
Toji took a long breath.
He was clearly trying not to lose his temper.
Naruto braced for yelling. For name-calling.
But it didn't come.
Instead, Toji stayed quiet for a long while.
Then Naruto asked again, softly: "…Is there really no other way?"
Another deep breath.
And then Toji spoke in a softer tone, like he was explaining something to a little kid.
"There is a way. People wouldn't be afraid of your father because the Nine-Tails was sealed in him. They won't be afraid because he was strong enough to protect them from it. They would trust him."
Naruto looked up.
"So… if you get stronger—strong enough that people believe the Nine-Tails won't hurt them—then they won't be scared of you either."
Naruto's eyes lit up with hope. "Really?!"
Toji smiled and answered, "Of course."