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 as great a ninja as the character was. This made Jiraiya Naruto's godfather. Soon after his birth, however, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked Konohagakure. 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.
During Naruto's time at the academy, he was often caught cutting class, eating and sleeping in class, or otherwise getting into trouble along with fellow 'Dead-Lasts'; Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi and Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru. Together, these five would cut class or otherwise be testing the patience of their Academy teacher, Iruka Umino. During the 'Find Tsunade' arc, when Naruto was struggling to learn the second step of training for the Rasengan, he recalled how once, during his days at the academy, he, along with Shikamaru, Kiba and Akamaru, and Choji were held back in class, and lectured about their all around lack in concentration - in Naruto's case, with his short attention span, he didn't see the point in doing his school work, citing: "If you wanna be an awesome Ninja, you gotta be strong". During the arc involving the trap master Genno from the long-gone Village of the Dragonfly, it was mentioned how Naruto, along with Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba and Akamaru would skip class together and hang out at the kunai practice course--which was situated under the academy--in order to hide from Iruka-sensei.
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.
During Naruto's time at the academy, he was often caught cutting class, eating and sleeping in class, or otherwise getting into trouble along with fellow 'Dead-Lasts'; Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi and Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru. Together, these five would cut class or otherwise be testing the patience of their Academy teacher, Iruka Umino. During the 'Find Tsunade' arc, when Naruto was struggling to learn the second step of training for the Rasengan, he recalled how once, during his days at the academy, he, along with Shikamaru, Kiba and Akamaru, and Choji were held back in class, and lectured about their all around lack in concentration - in Naruto's case, with his short attention span, he didn't see the point in doing his school work, citing: "If you wanna be an awesome Ninja, you gotta be strong". During the arc involving the trap master Genno from the long-gone Village of the Dragonfly, it was mentioned how Naruto, along with Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba and Akamaru would skip class together and hang out at the kunai practice course--which was situated under the academy--in order to hide from Iruka-sensei.
