Naruto’s childhood was defined by muen (無縁) – a Japanese social concept meaning "without connection." The villagers refused to see him; they looked through him as if he were a demon. Similarly, Hinata, despite being the Hyuga heiress, was "invisible" to her own family. Her father, Hiashi, saw her as a disappointment; her cousin, Neji, saw her as a symbol of oppression.