-ABOUT UZUMAKI NARUTO-

Naruto was born the son of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki. Before his birth, they had decided to name him after the main character in Jiraiya's first book, hoping their son would be a great ninja as the character was. This made Jiraiya Naruto's godfather. Soon after his birth, however, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked Konoha. To save the village, Minato engaged the Nine-Tails in mortal combat and sealed it into Naruto's body, believing his son would someday have use for it. Minato died afterwards, leaving Naruto to grow up knowing nothing of his parents. He received his mother's last name since Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, felt that it was best that nobody knew he was related to the Fourth Hokage. Before Minato died, he asked that the villagers of Konoha view Naruto as a hero who had helped to stop the Nine-Tails. Few did as he asked, however, instead openly resenting him for containing the monster that had destroyed their home. In light of this, the Third Hokage decreed that nobody should ever speak of the Nine-Tails sealed within Naruto, hoping that their children would not resent him as they did. The children, however, followed their parents' lead, despite not knowing why. Naruto was forced to live confused over why the villagers hated him so, and strived to win their recognition. Iruka Umino would be one of the few exceptions, who was always compassionate to Naruto's plight. For this, Naruto came to view Iruka as the father-figure he never had.