Naruto no longer cared about the child who had run away. He would most likely go crying to his mother again. It wasn't the first time. Naruto was no longer the same as the original—after gaining the God's Reward for Hard Work ability, how could these ordinary children possibly bully him?
He turned to look at Hinata, the girl once known as the Byakugan Princess.
What a face—delicate as a porcelain doll, her colorless pupils paired with her innocent expression instantly softened Naruto's heart. It wasn't that he liked Hinata, but rather that both her expression and aura seemed pure and untainted.
When she was young, she resembled a blank page—unblemished and innocent.
Thinking about the girl who had once loved Naruto so deeply, he couldn't help but feel confused that the original Naruto had actually liked Sakura instead—a girl who hated him from the start.
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Even though Sakura's opinion of him improved later, it was only because she wanted to use Naruto's power to bring Sasuke back. Most of the time, she only called out to Naruto when she was in danger…
Naruto quickly shook the thought away and looked at the girl in front of him. "Hello, my name is Uzumaki Naruto. What's your name?"
Although he already knew it, they hadn't met before. If he acted as though he already knew Hinata, the Third Hokage might grow suspicious.
Looking at the boy who extended his hand, Hinata's large, watery eyes lowered shyly. She nervously scratched her fingers—a habit of hers whenever she was anxious.
"M-my name is Hyuga... Hina... Hinata."
Hinata's face turned red as she stammered out her name.
Pff!
Seeing the bashful girl in front of him, Naruto chuckled. She truly was a shy one.
He took her hand gently. "Where's your home? I'll take you back."
Hinata hesitantly pointed in a direction. Naruto began to walk forward, but felt a slight resistance—Hinata hadn't moved. She stood frozen in place, her face growing redder, as if she might faint.
Naruto quickly realized and said, "Sorry! I didn't mean to!"
He remembered Hinata could get like this when she was nervous.
In the original anime, she would even emit steam from her head and was nicknamed the Steam Princess.
Of course, this was the real world—there was no steam—but her expression was exactly the same.
"N-no... it's okay..."
Seeing how gentle she was, Naruto smiled. "Let's go!"
This time, he didn't take her hand again—he was afraid she might actually pass out.
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The two of them walked in the dim snowy streets. Neither spoke, but Hinata kept stealing glances at Naruto from the corner of her eye.
Konoha was larger than a small town from Naruto's previous life, far more detailed than depicted in the original story. After a few rounds of direction from Hinata, they finally arrived at her home.
The place was massive, distinguished from the neighboring houses by its grandeur. This was the Hyuga Clan compound.
Naruto took the scarf from around his neck and gently placed it around Hinata's. She didn't resist, but her face turned crimson once again.
As Naruto helped wrap the scarf, Hinata began circling the ground with one foot and nervously scratched her fingers again, avoiding eye contact the entire time.
"Alright, it's getting late. Go on inside now!"
Naruto watched her walk toward the compound's gate. She knocked lightly. A moment later, a figure appeared and was shocked to see her standing there.
"Lady Hinata! Why are you here?"
When the person spotted Naruto, a trace of disgust flickered across their eyes.
"Miss Hinata, that's the demon fox! You mustn't associate with him!"
As Hinata walked inside, Naruto turned and left—but he clearly heard the maid's words. His steps paused briefly.
And then he heard something that made his heart warm.
"Naruto-kun is not a monster!"
The maid stood stunned as Hinata raised her head. A stubborn light shone in her eyes—she was defending the so-called demon fox.
Though Hinata usually acted timid and didn't seem like the heir of the main family, the maid was terrified. If a steward heard those words, the consequences for her would be severe.
"I-I'm sorry, Miss Hinata!"
The maid quickly bowed and apologized.
Naruto picked up his pace and left, but his steps were light and cheerful. His mood had lifted—not only had he met his future wife, but unlike most others, Hinata didn't show any malice toward him.
And even better—his strength had advanced considerably.
According to his estimates, he was already at the level of a Genin. Using the God's Reward for Hard Work ability, he had even evolved the Small Fireball Technique into a chain Great Fireball Technique.
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It should be comparable to the Uchiha clan's Great Fireball!
His current strength surpassed Kakashi's at the same age. Without any external cheat, if Kakashi hadn't gone through his own decline later on, he would've been a total monster.
Still, there was a long road ahead.
News of Naruto's actions reached the Third Hokage's desk the very next day.
"Leave."
"Yes!"
An Anbu with a painted mask knelt down. In the next moment, he vanished into a black shadow and disappeared.
The Third Hokage glanced at the report. Naruto still trained daily and practiced that "useless" fireball technique. Though not practically effective, it had grown to the size of a human head—proof of Naruto's talent in ninjutsu.
And then the report mentioned something else.
"Hyuga… Perhaps giving Naruto a bond wouldn't be such a bad idea."
The Third muttered aloud. Though Naruto always acted cheerful around him (or so he thought), he still seemed cold to others.
Ha, well—any child labeled a demon fox would act the same.
Thinking about Naruto's apparent dependence on him, the Third couldn't help but feel pleased.
"Danzo! This is why I'm the Hokage!"
...
A year passed in the blink of an eye.
Today was the registration day for the Ninja Academy. The Third Hokage personally escorted Naruto to the school.
"Naruto, when you go to the Academy, you must study hard and aim to become an honorable shinobi!"
"Yes! I will, Grandpa Third!"
Looking at the Third Hokage's kindly face, Naruto nodded. But in truth, the man was no longer the great shinobi he once was. Power had clouded his judgment.
The Hyuga Hiashi incident that caused massive controversy the year before showed how weak Konoha had become. Under the leadership of the Four Elders, Konoha was crumbling.
White Fang was dead. The Sannin had all left. The Uchiha were on the verge of rebellion.
It was a completely rotten hand.
End of the Chapter.
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