'Naruko, why did my patrolling ANBU find you leaving the village miles away from home?' Sandaime cried. 'No-good men outside who'd possibly sell you to slavery or sell your organs or dangerous animals mauling and killing you...'

'That's no different in this village for me. I get mauled at by people calling me names and the Orphanage Witch tossed me out last month.' Sandaime did a double-take. 'I get money from you from Weasel-nii but shops charge too much to just me yet to everyone else the price is cheap. That, or they throw me out. So I thought I'd go for shops outside Konoha and their shops are loads cheaper than here I always get lots to eat before I shop again. But I have to live in an abandoned building since I can't rent a place.'

'I-is that so...?' the ANBU and Naruko saw the Hokage slowly turning purple in anger. 'Fukurou...kindly build Naruko-chan a house just for her in a safe place away from the villagers and we'll deal with the furniture and other needs straight off Village Coffers. I'll hold a meeting and other things...and its time they remember I'm the Hokage and I'm backed by the laws our forefathers created! And Weasel, this clearly happens for quite a long while now...' he said as Weasel, a small ANBU took out a pair of earmuffs and placed it on the little girl's ears before speaking.

'I have no excuse as I did it for her own good Hokage-sama. You cannot trust almost everyone in this village when it comes to her.' said the smallest ANBU stiffly. 'In her new place, she can freely attend school and do her best without sabotage that she has good education. Shop for needs without criminal overpricing, and live in a decent apartment without highway robbery rent. The only bad thing is due to being a Konoha Citizen she's dragged back here I recommend that until she's at least ten, she live there so she can grow up properly and be educated properly with enough kanji know-how to understand Shinobi Lessons.'

'Now I'm angry...hearing that from you just makes me angrier.' Sandaime pinched his nose. 'That does it. People breaking my law behind my back to make a little girl pay for a crime her prisoner has done...is what's criminal. Can I even trust the Academy not to sabotage her Kunoichi Lessons?! Wait, bring me the damn curriculum! I know we changed it lately due to times of peace but...!' he grunted. 'For now, take Naru-chan back to where you found her until we deal with numerous problems done behind my successor's last wishes.'

Weasel removed the earmuffs.

'Naru-chan, until you're ten years old you can stay there but you'll have to have a bodyguard alright? I'm choosing Weasel and Fukurou for the job but they'll have to be distant to keep bad guys away from you.'

'Huh? Oh, OK.' Naruko beamed. 'Not having to live here is cool Jijii! I'm away from mean people and a highly-pricy village!'

Sandaime sighed a long-suffering sigh.

xxx

'Nee, why did I have to wear earmuffs back there?' Naruko asked her two bodyguards as they left Konoha.

'Well, it's because some things are no good for innocent ears to hear.' said Weasel kindly. 'Hokage-sama's angry after hearing how you have had it unfair for so long. For now, you'll live in your new home for about three more years.'

'OK. But can I learn cool ninja tricks so incase there's plenty food in the river I can catch it there instead of going to the market?'

And thus, while Naruko enjoyed privileges normal children should have had, but denied from her unfairly, a pissed-off Hokage made life in Konoha harder in turn...for people who disobeyed his laws behind his back...and Weasel and Fukurou were the last to know years later...

And when the Uchiha Massacre happened, its Uchiha Shisui who was the killer...and Weasel only found out when Shisui came, tossed him a scroll and quickly fled.

He was horrified that he rushed home, leaving Fukurou alone with Naruko who was teaching her 'Survival and Camping' jutsus while making her do chakra training.

But even then, being a cheapskate is ingrained hard in Naruko because of how she was treated in Konoha.

Two days later...

'Naruko, today we'll have a new friend joining us. His name is Sasuke.' said Weasel. 'I hope you'll be kind to him.'

'Well, I don't remember him bullying me back in Konoha so I guess its OK.'

'Huh? Bullying you? You used to live in Konoha?' Sasuke blurted incredulously.

'Un. Most kids back in Konoha are horrible.' Naruko scowled. 'I never did a thing to them yet they single me out because their parents said 'its OK'!' she griped. 'If that's manly standard these days I'll never marry!' she huffed. Behind their masks, the ANBU winced.

The truth was, parents fed their kids lies so they have an excuse to make their children bully and shun Naruko without breaking 'that law'.

While Naruko showed Sasuke around...

'Fukurou-san, how are things while I was gone?'

'...she's an incredible miser and a cheapskate.' said Fukurou. 'The only good thing about it is that she eats healthy. But I have to do the cooking following recipe books though. It'll take an effort to even convince her to eat a plate of curry in a restaurant worth 756 ryo...I tried and she flipped, ranting how that one meal can instead, buy a couple packs of 1k vegetables to last a whole day. She's also not willing to spend money on rice as those 10kg packs cost 3000 ryo and there's no lesser kgs sold in any market as we adults know. She'd catch fish off the river if she can help it I had to do it or she'll drown...' he shook his head. 'Good grief. Being a budgeting tightlacer is the only good thing that came out of her situation.'

'I suppose...just that, where'd she get all these ideas anyway?'

'From some books she found in the library. I looked into the background, the author was just as miser-ably cheap. As long as they live here until 10 years old, we won't be seeing the usual stuff we eat for a loooong time.'

'...'