From April to June

Chapter 1

He had once been told that in this world, there would be many things he would come to know, but never fully understand. As a child, he had the gift of ignorance. Ignorance was a true bliss as well as something man could not keep. Those had been the words of old man Hokage.

In his short life (being barely past the age of five), he had attained the meaning behind those words. Ignorance was a bliss and held freedom. However, he had lost that refuge since his earlier years in the village. It had left with the first sting of physical pain from unprovoked beatings and social abandonment. The assaults had been stopped by decree and wrath of the Third Hokage. None of that mattered, because the seed had already been sown.

There would be numerous lessons he would learn in life, the Hokage had said. Hurt had been one of his first.