Chapter Text
Death is a new concept to the five years old Uzumaki Naruto that he encountered with the recent deaths of his parents. He was told that his parents will be sleeping, but they will never wake again. Naruto is confused why they could not wake them, and why everyone insist his parents were put inside the white ceramic jars the size of Naruto's head.
Big boys and girls as large as his parents surrounded him, but he cannot recognise a single face. They told him that they are relatives of his dad — no one from mom's side came and they're saying bad things about his beautiful mom and her family's lack of attendance in their funeral.
"If she even have any!" One of the women sniffed at the beaming picture of his mom.
Naruto wanted to yell at them for saying those things about his mother. In the end, he just sat in the corner while he gripped Gama-chan close to his chest as they all bickered with each other who should take him in, in the wake of his parents' deaths.
He is alone.
There is no Dad with kind smiles and gentle hands. No Mom with beautiful laugh who will teach him how to write characters with her big brush and ink.
Naruto is five. His parents are not going to wake up anymore. And the people around him obviously did not want him.
No one approached Naruto as he stared at the pictures of his parents. The smoke from the incense sticks swirled near their photographs.
—x—
The first family who took in Naruto a week after his parents died were the Miyamotos. Miyamoto-san is a paternal third cousin of Naruto's Dad.
That was what he was told. Not that he could understand what it meant. Naruto just knew that Miyamoto-san was Dad's cousin and that meant Miyamoto-san is Naruto's family, too.
Naruto learned all about family in the day care his Mom would leave him for a while while she went to her job of making pretty and cool words with her white papers and big brushes she dipped in black ink.
Now, Naruto will never go to that day care because Mom is not going to wake up and do her awesome job of winning trophies at writing cool smart words and phrases.
"We can't, Kido-san! You know that there are fees for Souta's Cram School to pay in a week. Kairi-chan and Jun-kun needed to get new sports shoes for club activities as well. We can barely get by, so how can we feed an extra mouth?"
Naruto had not meant it, but he heard the complaints of Miyamoto-san's wife. He is told Miyamoto-san has three children who are older than Naruto.
"There is a subsidy from the government if we took Naruto in." Miyamoto-san said. "It will help to stretch our budget. We can pay for Souta's Cram School. Besides, Minato-kun and his wife left him with considerably large inheritance and insurance money. It wasn't like we're going to steal his money."
"Well…that's—that's still not good, Kido-kun."
"Just think about it, okay? Only for a few months."
"What are you doing?" An annoyed voice said.
Naruto lifted his head and hugged Gama-chan closer to his chest as he peered at a boy taller and older than him looming over him.
"Hey! I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?"
Naruto shook his head, still holding Gama-chan tight.
"Jun, stop it! You are Naruto-kun, right?" A girl with plain brown hair said while looking at Naruto with a friendly smile.
"I am Kairi! This is my little brother, Jun. We have an older brother, Souta-niisan! You will probably meet him later. Nii-san goes to the prestigious Konoha High, so that made him smart!" Kairi continued.
The paper sliding door opened and the Miyamoto couple came out of the room.
Miyamoto-san crouched down to Naruto's level while placing a huge hand on his left shoulder.
"Am I—Am I staying, Miyamoto-san?" He quietly asked his Dad's cousin.
"For now, Naruto-kun. Until we find your mother's relatives and your godfather to discuss your living situation, you will stay here with us." He told Naruto.
Naruto nodded his head. He did not have to be alone for now, at least.
It was decided that Naruto will be rooming with Jun, who Miyamoto-san's wife — call me, Natsuko-basan — had to scold for his rudeness on Naruto.
Not that Naruto minded. He is still sad and confused, and with his parents gone, there is no longer anyone to tell him that it would be fine.
Naruto may not know a lot of things, but he is not stupid to not know that with his Dad and Mom gone, he will never be fine again.
—x—
His stay with the family was okay-ish. For the most part, they left him alone besides Natsuko-basan. She was not his Mom but she had helped him with his Hiragana and counting numbers. She prepared his foods and sneaked him snacks.
Souta-niisan was always not home, but when he did, he played with Naruto and Jun-niisan. Kairi-neesan is always busy with her club activities while Jun-niisan, whom he shared a room with, is always annoyed at him.
He didn't know why, though.
He may not go to the day care anymore and just stayed in the Miyamotos' house most of the time and only went out when accompanying Kairi-neesan to the store, but they treated him well.
There were things Naruto needed to get to used to not doing anymore. Like, watching his Mom staring at white papers while she held her big brush. There is also no Dad to watch cook with his pink apron that made him looked silly with his work clothes.
Naruto missed his parents so much and it still made him cry at night that he'll never see them again, but hugging Gama-chan brought him a little comfort. Looking at the unfinished works of his Mom made Naruto happy as well.
Naruto stayed with the Miyamotos for two months before they had to move to Iwa for Miyamoto-san's job.
—x—
The next family that took Naruto in their family were the Fujiwaras, but unlike his two months stay with the Miyamotos, he only stayed with the family for a month.
Fujiwara Chisato is the niece of Naruto's paternal grandmother from her side than Miyamoto-san, who came from the father side of Naruto's Dad.
They cannot still find a relative of Naruto's mother, and the contact of his godfather is missing. Miyamoto-san, left with no choice had to leave Naruto with Chisato-san.
Chisato-san decided to house Naruto for a month before leaving him in the care of her sister, Umihara Chise.
Naruto stayed with Chise-baasan for six weeks before she sent him to the brother of Miyamoto-san, Miyamoto Kisuo.
Naruto stayed with Kuso-san for a month before he was dumped to another family.
With his last stay with Kuso-san, Naruto finally figured out that no one wanted to let him stay with them even though he is still hoping for them to let him stay longer with them.
They are family, after all.
He was not surprised that the family who had temporarily taken him in after Kuso-san had left him with another.
That went on, and Naruto turned six years old. He believed that this is going to be his life now. With a blue and orange backpack behind him, Gama-chan in his arms and a letter to deliver to a relative of his Dad.
That's why when Naruto was told to stay and wait for the owner outside of another apartment door, he passed the time as he waited talking to Gama-chan how long he will stay at this family and place this time.
"A month and a half? You are optimisitic, Gama-chan!" He told the orange frog in his lap, impressed.
Gama-chan just stared at Naruto, like he always did, with his yellow eyes.
Naruto nodded his head, "I know. We just need them to like us, right? That way they will want us. I'm sure. They're still family."
Naruto stared at the orange and pink sky while hugging Gama-chan. He held hope that this time will be different. He cannot just give up.
It was already dark when a girl the age of Souta-niisan had suddenly appeared like a ghost at the end of the corridor, scaring Naruto to death.
Naruto screamed while curling down to a ball, accidentally throwing Gama-chan at her.
"—the fu-rk-hmp?!" She exclaimed.
Then, there was a silence. Naruto bravely peered behind his fingers and saw a pair of long legs in front of him.
He looked up and he saw a pair of bright green eyes framed by white lashes.
"Are you lost?" She asked him, kindly, as she handed him Gama-chan.
"No," He answered while taking Gama-chan back in his arms.
"Oh. Okay. How come you are here, then?"
"Shizuko-san left me here. Said the owner of this a-part-ment—" Naruto said, slowly, before pointing at the door in front of him. "—is related to my Kaasan and to give her this!"
Naruto took out the brown envelope he hid inside the huge bright blue coat that Haru-niisan gave to him.
Pretty-neesan frowned at Naruto before she swiped the envelope in his hand and opened it to read the letter.
"Hey!" Naruto protested, but she just put her hand on his head to keep him away.
Pretty-neesan who is also annoying just kept reading the letter before she sighed and looked at him.
"I am the owner of this apartment, kid." She said before pocketing the envelope and taking out a set of keys.
Naruto stopped and stared at her with wide and teary blue eyes while she was inserting the key to the keyhole.
Oh no! Did he ruin his chance now? She will not let him stay with her family long!
She opened the door of the apartment and looked at him with tired eyes. With bright lights turning on above the door, Naruto noticed she has pink hair!
If Naruto was told that the lady in front of him is a fairy, he will believe them.
"Come on, kid, let's talk inside." She said before lightly pushing him inside.
Naruto nodded before entering the place and clutched the straps of his backpack. He is nervous and he probably ruined his chance, but she is related to his Mom!
It will be different this time! He can feel it.